The Seahawks have several key free agents that will need to be re-signed this off-season. Certainly, who GM John Schneider decides to cut to make cap space in order to retain those free agents is going to be interesting. Schneider faces tough decisions on safeties Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams along with wide receiver Tyler Lockett, as to whether Schneider wants to cut or keep them. Each of those three players has big cap hits in 2024 which could make them difficult to keep.
One way or another Schneider must make cuts if he is to retain key players who are set to hit free agency this off-season. This is an unpleasant and unfortunate part of the business of the NFL, but that is the way the NFL works. The NFL's salary cap forces teams to make difficult decisions about the future of their franchises.
John Schneider has to decide what is best for the franchise going forward and the direction the new coach wants to go.
The Seattle Seahawks need to find the money to re-sign these players
There are good players headed to free agency on both sides of the ball. Players who are veterans and those who are just reaching the end of their rookie contracts. In total, the Seahawks have 12 players who will be unrestricted free agents this off-season plus two restricted free agents.
Which players will leave in free agency and which players will stay in Seattle? Here are four free agents the Seahawks need to re-sign and bring back to Seattle, in order to make 2024 a better season than 2023.
Free agent No. 1 - Seahawks must keep TE Noah Fant
Since acquiring Noah Fant from the Broncos in the Russell Wilson trade back in 2022, the Seahawks have put Fant to work. Fant has been a crucial part of the Seahawks' double tight end sets the last two years. He is a critical blocker in the run game and an effective target in the passing game as well. Fant also has been consistently healthy which has been a plus for the Seahawks. He has made 33 out of 34 possible starts for the Seahawks and has appeared in all 34 regular season games the past two seasons.
Fant is one of two tight ends the Seahawks have which will hit free agency this year. Colby Parkinson is the other Seattle tight end who will also be a free agent this off-season. The Seahawks would definitely want to bring both Fant and Parkinson back because they each have been an integral part of their offense.
Seattle could also decide to keep one over the other and then draft a new tight end, but the Seahawks are short on draft capital this year. The Seahawks do not have a second-round pick which complicates their tight end decisions.
Noah Fant takes priority over Colby Parkinson should the Seahawks have to pick between the two. Since Fant has made more starts and had more catches/receiving yards, Fant is a must-re-sign. The Seahawks should still do everything they can to bring both Parkinson and Fant back. Schneider could have a difficult decision to make with Will Dissly if he brings both Fant and Parkinson back. Paying significant money to three tight ends likely is not feasible, and could require either letting Parkinson go in free agency or cutting Dissly.
Free agent No. 2 - Seahawks must re-sign G Damien Lewis
The Seahawks need to re-sign Damien Lewis this offseason because otherwise, they could only have Anthony Bradford as the only guard left on their roster. Seattle has three interior linemen who are set to be free agents this offseason. Lewis is one of those three interior linemen and he has made 32 of 34 possible starts over the past two seasons for the Seahawks. The other two interior linemen are Evan Brown and Phil Haynes.
Should Brown and Haynes leave in free agency, that leaves just Olu Oluwatimi (who is listed at center) and Anthony Bradford, as the only other interior lineman. This is why re-signing Lewis is crucial to the Seahawks' plans moving forward. The Seahawks also might not need to use a ton of draft capital on guards in this year's draft if they retain Lewis. In his four seasons with the Seahawks, Lewis has proven he is a durable and effective starting guard for Seattle.
Lewis is an important piece to the Seahawks' offensive line and likely will not be as expensive as the other free agent options at the position. While the Seahawks could try to find a replacement for him in either the draft or free agency, staying with a guy they know is the better option here. Which is why John Schneider needs to bring Damien Lewis back to Seattle this off-season.
Free agent No. 3 - Seahawks must re-sign LB Jordyn Brooks
While Jordyn Brooks has dealt with injuries at times each of the past two seasons, he has continued to be a reliable starter. Brooks started in 48 of 51 games the past three seasons and when he is healthy, he has proven to be a solid linebacker. The Seahawks made waves last season by declining to pick up Brooks' fifth-year option on his rookie contract. Seattle did not give Brooks a contract extension during the season, which is why this off-season is going to be interesting between Brooks and the Seahawks.
A problem for the Seahawks is they do not have many options at the linebacker position who are younger and can easily replace Brooks. Bobby Wagner is going to be 34 years old before next season begins.
While Wagner's tackling numbers are unreal, as he led the league in tackles again this year, his issues in pass defense, along with his age, make the decision to re-sign him tricky. Though Wagner means so much to the city of Seattle and the Seahawks franchise, unless he signs a one-year team-friendly deal, bringing him back makes less sense.
Should the Seahawks not bring back Wagner, re-signing Brooks will be even more important. Brooks can fly around the field and make plays. The Seahawks should not discount what they have in Jordyn Brooks. If they do decide to let Brooks walk in free agency, they are going to have to use higher draft picks on linebackers to compensate for losing him. Schneider should do the right thing here and give Brooks a reasonable contract to keep the Seahawks linebacker in Seattle.
Free Agent No. 4 - Seahawks must re-sign DE Leonard Williams
To justify giving up a second-round pick in this year's draft and bring back a good defensive lineman, the Seahawks need to re-sign DE Leonard Williams. After acquiring Williams from the Giants earlier this season, the Seahawks were in a different place than they were when they finished the season. At the time of Williams's acquisition, Seattle was coming off a win over the Browns and was sitting at (5-2). Flash forward to the end of the season and the Seahawks were (9-8), one game out of the playoffs.
Though the Leonard Williams acquisition did not help the Seahawks make the playoffs, he still made an impact on the Seahawks' defensive line. Williams had 41 tackles and four sacks in just 10 games with Seattle. Imagine what an impact he could have if he had a full season for the Seahawks. Should the Seahawks spend big money on a free agent this off-season, that free agent should be Leonard Williams.
If the Seahawks re-sign Williams, their defensive line next year would include Williams, Nwosu, and Mafe. They also could bring back edge rusher Darrell Taylor on a team-friendly deal since he is a restricted free agent this off-season. With all four of those defensive linemen healthy, the Seahawks' front seven looks more intimidating than in recent memory. Williams could be a big piece of Seattle's defense for years to come, John Schneider needs to do everything he can to re-sign him this off-season.