Last week, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) chose a favorite and least favorite free agent move for all of the NFL’s 32 teams. For the Seattle Seahawks, writer Zoltan Buday picked the signing of Emanuel Wilson as his favorite and the re-signing of Rashid Shaheed as his least favorite. Let’s talk about that for a moment.
First off, I’ll admit that Buday’s task was not an easy one. Despite having a decent amount of cap space available, general manager John Schneider has barely dabbled in the feeding frenzy that is free agency. Of the dozen free agents he has signed to date, only two of them were inked to deals of greater than five million dollars. That’s bargain-basement shopping in the NFL.
And only three have come from other teams. If Buday was placing extra emphasis on free agents who have been added to the roster, Emanuel Wilson merely had to beat out a couple of reserve defensive backs (Noah Igbinoghene and Rodney Thomas) for the honor.
Seattle Seahawks' best and worst free agency moves so far
Let’s cast a little wider net. Let’s consider all of the moves that Schneider has made – and also failed to make – in the first wave of free agency. If we do that, then I can’t say I agree with either of Buday’s choices.
Best move
That isn’t to say there isn’t some logic behind both. Wilson is a good hedge against any complication with Zach Charbonnet’s return. That is important since Charbonnet figures to be Seattle’s lead back this season. Wilson has been a solid performer in his three seasons with Green Bay.
But let’s not kid ourselves into thinking the UDFA out of Fort Valley State is somehow a replacement for Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker. Wilson is a tough runner and a good pass catcher, but he does not have Walker’s game-breaking speed or the ability to bounce runs outside.
He’s a good addition at a good price, but Wilson will not have a major impact in 2026 unless Charbonnet misses a great deal of time.
I was happier with Schneider’s decision to bring back his two Joshes. Josh Jobe ensures that there is not a major hole at the perimeter corner, and Josh Jones proved to be a quality swing tackle.
Being a starter, Jobe is more essential. Getting Jones for four million dollars is a better deal. I think I’d choose either of those moves as a favorite over Wilson, though I admit it is all fairly close. Therefore, I’ve got a workaround.
Best move: Re-signing the Joshes
Worst move
The Shaheed selection is the correct choice if we are restricting ourselves to the players Schneider has signed. But it is not a bad move. This is simply an acknowledgement that Schneider did not sign any questionable players to unreasonable contracts. He didn’t reach for anyone.
Shaheed is a valuable part of the team, but Buday is correct in pointing out that, as a receiver, he has not yet proven worthy of the $51 million deal he got (17 million per season). Of course, Shaheed is almost worth that as a kick returner, and if he is in fact able to improve his offensive production as both a pass catcher and a runner, his contract will be just fine.
I’m looking at something Schneider failed to do as his worst move thus far. The four starting caliber players he lost – Walker, Boye Mafe, Coby Bryant, and Riq Woolen – all got deals that Schneider deemed too steep, and I agree with him on each count. Refusing to get into a bidding war over some highly productive players showed great discipline.
But I wish he had opened up the checkbook for Wyatt Teller. Houston snapped up the former Cleveland Brown guard for 16 million over two years. The Seahawks could have afforded that, and Teller would have been an immediate upgrade at right guard.
His presence might have allowed for a low-level trade of Anthony Bradford, who figures to leave next year via free agency. And it would allow a little more time for the club to find its right guard of the future, either by developing someone in-house or by acquiring a new player.
Worst move: failing to sign Wyatt Teller