With Boye Mafe leaving, DeMarcus Lawrence mulling retirement, and their former interest in trading for Maxx Crosby, the Seattle Seahawks might want to add some depth to their pass-rushing department.
They've been mostly quiet this offseason, presumably not to affect the compensatory pick formula and to sign Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Devon Witherspoon to lucrative contract extensions. That's why they must look at cheaper veterans to round up the roster.
With that in mind, Kyle Van Noy looks like a no-brainer addition to this team. He already has a relationship with head coach Mike Macdonald, and with a projected price tag of just $3.5 million, the journeyman should be a no-brainer addition for general manager John Schneider.
Kyle Van Noy would be a perfect cheap reinforcement for the Seattle Seahawks
Van Noy is already 34, but he's aging like a fine wine. He started 13 of 15 games last season, logging 20 total tackles, four tackles for loss, nine QB hits, four passes defensed, two sacks, and one interception for the Ravens' underperforming defense, so he clearly still has something left in the tank.
Mike Macdonald surely knows how to bring out the best in Van Noy. In their lone season together, Van Noy posted a then-career-high 9.0 sacks, 30 total tackles, nine tackles for loss, nine QB hits, four passes defensed, and two forced fumbles despite starting just three of 14 games.
That season, he also had the third-highest Pro Football Focus grade (subscription required) of his career (75.0), his highest pass-rushing grade (77.2), and his most hurries (41).
The Seahawks don't need him to be an every-down player, but they can certainly do a whole lot worse than to have a well-respected veteran leader in the locker room. He can take the field on obvious passing-down situations, and he'd also help 33-year-old DeMarcus Lawrence stay fresh and get a breather now and then. He can clearly bring more to the table than Ja'Markis Weston or Jalan Gaines.
The defending champions don't need to make a lot of moves to stay at the mountaintop, but that doesn't mean they can rest on their laurels. Van Noy can be a low-risk/high-reward pickup, and after playing for five different organizations, he might be willing to relocate again to reunite with his former defensive coordinator and have a shot at winning a third Super Bowl ring.
The price makes sense, the fit is obvious, and the need is there, so it's time to get it done.