Seattle needs to make the tough cap decisions
People do not like to hear about receiver Tyler Lockett being released, and hopefully, he will not be and will just have his contract reworked, but Lockett is simply too expensive to keep in 2024 based on his current deal. Lockett's cap hit jumps from $11,060,000 to $26,795,000 next year. Should Seattle release him, they could save $7 million. Hopefully, a simple re-working of his deal keeps him around but if not, he is too expensive.
But Lockett's contract isn't the only problem. Safety Quandre Diggs certainly has not been as good in 2023 as in previous seasons - he currently has the highest quarterback rating allowed of his four-plus seasons in Seattle, his highest missed tackle rate since 2019, and his second-highest yards per target allowed since 2017. He has a cap hit of $21,262,500 in 2024 and Seattle could save $11 million by releasing him.
Defensive tackle Bryan Mone almost certainly won't return at his current salary as his cap hit is $6.4 million in 2024 and Seattle would save nearly $6 million by cutting him. Simply put, there are a number of Seahawks whose contracts should be reworked or the player released which would open up quite a bit of cap room for the Seahawks.
The focus then, of course, is to spend the money wisely. The Dre'Mont Jones signing this past offseason has not really paid off. But with a few key moves, such as bringing back free agent Leonard Williams, Seattle's roster could easily be better next year.