This offseason is going to be different for 12s and the Seattle Seahawks. No longer do we know what to expect from the team. While general manager John Schneider remains, Pete Carroll is gone and Carroll had full control over roster decisions. Now Schneider does.
Seattle also does not have a lot of matter to spend in free agency currently. Roster cuts will be made to create space, most likely. But then the question is what to do with the money?
Plus, which free agents will be signed to fit new head coach Mike Macdonald's defensive scheme? Who will be signed to improve the offense? Here are three players that would be terrific signings for Seattle.
No. 1 - Seattle Seahawks should chase linebacker Patrick Queen
Of the three players on this list, Queen might be the player least likely for Seattle to be able to sign. He will only be 25 years old during the 2024 season, plays at a high level, and Spotrac has his market value guessed to be $18.5 million. Seattle currently has nowhere near that money to spend this offseason, but cap space is malleable so if Seattle wants to sign a player they can probably find the money to do so. The key would be to not overpay for a guy so much that others cannot be signed.
Queen, specifically, would be a huge boon to Seattle's defense. He knows what Mike Macdonald wants from his linebackers and Queen can pass that knowledge on to whoever is beside him at inside linebacker. Hopefully, that player is Jordyn Brooks because then the Seahawks would have two young linebackers who can help be the core of the defense for the next three to four years.
Queen does have the ability to rush opposing quarterbacks, so his 3.5 sacks in 2023 can be misleading. Macdonald does not like to blitz (which helps Macdonald's overall defensive scheme) so his linebackers do not put up huge sack totals. But that also allows his linebackers to be better and more disciplined in coverage and Queen excels at that. He is also a solid tackler with no glaring weaknesses.
No. 2 - Seattle should sign guard Kevin Zeitler
Seattle might need upgrades at every spot along its offensive line other than left tackle. Left guard Damien Lewis has been solid the last three years but he is a free agent. His contract might also end up being higher than Zeitler's because Lewis is only 26 years old while Baltimore Ravens free agent Zeitler will be 34 during the 2024 season. Zeitler's most recent contract did average $10 million a season, but I am not sure his future contract will.
Seattle also needs an upgrade at right guard as well. Phil Haynes is a free agent and there is no real reason to re-sign him. Anthony Bradford will be entering his second season but he might not have shown enough in his rookie year to prove he can be a long-term starter. Plus, he will have to show a new coaching staff that he was worthy of his 2023 draft pick.
Evan Brown probably won't be retained at center giving 2023 draft pick Olu Oluwatimi a potential chance to start. Oluwatimi did not get a ton of playing time this year, however, so he would basically be a rookie in 2024 in terms of reps. There is also no proof he will be a good center in the NFL.
I point the above out because Zeitler would not only bring quality - he allowed just 19 total pressures and 2 sacks in 2023 - but a veteran presence for what is probably going to be a young offensive line. Maybe Seattle drafts an interior offensive lineman high in the 2024 draft and that would add quality, but Zeitler might be the anchor to an O-line that features two third-year tackles, a second-year center, and potentially a rookie at the other guard spot.
No. 3 - Seahawks should bring in edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney
Another slightly older player, but Clowney had arguably his best season since 2018 under Mike Macdonald's tutelage in 2023. Clowney received an elite pass-rush grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required) this season while also being stout against the run once again. Clowney had 71 total quarterback pressures, including 9.5 sacks, but he also had 25 run stuffs. Clowney is the kind of versatile defensive player that Macdonald's defenses need.
This is why Clowney returning to Seattle where he played in 2019 makes sense. Clowney is a perfect fit in Macdonald's defense and he likely knows that. Macdonald has a way of simplifying his assignments and play calls that everyone seems to understand. One issue with Clowney in the past is that he missed assignments; that didn't happen in Baltimore this year.
Clowney also should not be extremely expensive. He does have an injury history and is about to turn 31 years old and he only made $4 million in 2023. Spotrac has Clowney's market value at $7.2 million in 2024, but that seems a bit high even for a player of Clowney's potential quality. No teams were willing to give Clowney that much money ahead of 2023 so it is unlikely that many teams would want to pay Clowney even more in 2024.
Clowney could also help his fellow edge rushers and defensive ends, such as Boye Mafe and Derick Hall, acclimate from Pete Carroll's defense to Macdonald's. While Clowney teaching other players how to do anything might seem odd, that also might be the reality if he signs with the Seahawks.