5 potential free agents Seattle Seahawks could sign to improve their frail defense

Admittedly, the quickest way to improve the Seattle Seahawks defense might simply be to replace the defensive coordinator or maybe the head coach. I like Pete Carroll, but his defenses have had the same poor tendencies for many seasons now. That includes poor coverage over the middle of the field and awful third-down defense.

Coaching changes aside, Seattle should also be aggressive in free agency. But instead of overpaying for a player such as defensive lineman Dre'Mont Jones who was a risk because he had been good but not yet great, general manager John Schneider should go after players who have proven they are already great. This would be a different approach for Seattle to take, but in the 2024 offseason, a different approach is needed to make the team better in futures years.

Seattle also has several different ways they could open up more cap room. The Seahawks only have $4,535,973 in cap room this coming offseason, 10th-least in the league. But releasing safeties Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams, plus re-working the deal of Will Dissly, could open up as much as $22 million. Here are five players Seattle should chase in free agency.

Seahawks should try to sign safety Kyle Dugger

Dugger plays a lot like Jamal Adams in that he can be used as a safety/linebacker role, but unlike Adams, Dugger stays healthy and productive. Dugger has multiple interceptions in each of the past three seasons and can also attack the line of scrimmage. While he certainly is no liability in coverage (especially when covering tight ends and bigger slot receivers), Dugger really excels in run defense. As we all know, the Seahawks are a mess against the run and not all of this problem falls on the defensive line.

Dugger is also just 27 years old so he and Julian Love could fully take over for Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs in 2024 and be the safety duo for the next few years. Very likely, adding Dugger and teaming him with Love would immediately help with the communication on the back end of the Seahawks defense and also greatly improve the run defense.

There is a chance that the New England Patriots franchise tag Dugger, though 2023 has not been his best overall year. New England also doesn't like to franchise players as long as Bill Belichick has been with the Patriots. Of course, Belichick could be leaving after this season.