4 players Seattle Seahawks need to avoid in 2024 free agency
By Jake Luppino
With the league's new year just weeks away, the Seattle Seahawks are on the verge of finalizing their staff hirings. For the first time in nearly 15 years, this organization has dealt with serious turnover. New head coach Mike Macdonald, the youngest coach in the NFL (36 years old), is going to bring a different style to Seattle.
While John Schneider remains and even got promoted in the organization, it's worth begging the question, will the Seahawks change their philosophy? Last year, Seattle went out of character and gave Dre'Mont Jones a huge contract. Jones certainly did not live up to the contract he was given. But, this offseason, the Seahawks do not have multiple first and second-round draft picks.
Does this mean they will turn to free agency to fill the major voids of this team? They certainly have players whose contracts can be adjusted to free up that space. Jamal Adams, Tyler Lockett, and the aforementioned Dre'Mont Jones just to name a few. Freeing up the space isn't going to be the problem. How they will allocate those funds will depend on their draft plan, but also, on their aggressiveness or lack thereof in free agency.
4 players Seattle Seahawks need to avoid in free agency
Another factor to take into consideration is their own impending free agents. Leonard Williams, Bobby Wagner, Jordyn Books, Noah Fant, Damien Lewis, Drew Lock, etc. With Geno Smith remaining on the roster this past week confirmed (for now at least) that he is their quarterback moving forward. That eliminates the idea of a big-time signing, such as Kirk Cousins.
My guess is the focus will be very similar to that of last year, the trenches. Both the offensive and defensive lines need improvement. While there are big-time playmakers that can fill those needs in free agency, not all of them will be considered a necessity or even a good fit for Seattle. The Seahawks do have plenty of youth on this team that can allow them to build from within. The issue will be if Macdonald can bring out the best of those guys, especially on defense, as he did in Baltimore.