Projected free agent signings have Seahawks losing one key player but gaining another

NFL fans are about to see a lot of different changes on a lot of different teams. In the next two days, even before free agents can officially sign new contracts, there will be confirmed reports of where players are going. The Seattle Seahawks have a huge number of free agents and keep making more - Jamal Adams, Quandre Diggs, Will Dissly, Nick Bellore - in hopes of bringing back more talent.

Seattle has some great needs at several positions. The linebacker position was already void of any veteran players on the 2024 roster due to Bobby Wagner and Jordyn Brooks being free agents. The safety group has basically been emptied after the team waived Diggs and Adams. The tight end unit is the same as the linebacker room now after the team released Dissly. Fellow tight ends Noah Fant and Colby Parkinson were already set for free agency.

Perhaps the most important player Seattle needed to try to re-sign was defensive lineman Leonard Williams. He has been fantastic throughout his career at rushing the passer and stopping the run. After Seattle traded for him midway through 2023, he continued his excellence while the rest of the defense seemed to struggle.

One NFL expert has the Seattle Seahawks adding Patrick Queen in free agency

Unfortunately, theScore's Dan Wilkins has Williams not ending up back in Seattle. Instead, he has Williams going to the Minnesota Vikings for three years and $54 million with $40 million of that guaranteed. That per-season average could be a little low as top-end defensive linemen who have stayed with their own teams this offseason, such as Chris Jones with the Kansas City Chiefs, have signed for much more than $17 million a year.

Williams is not as productive as Jones but he isn't that far off either. Even though the Seahawks have created a lot of cap room this offseason, signing Williams might still be too expensive. $17 million might not be, but $20 million or more would be.

Wilkins does have the Seahawks adding linebacker Patrick Queen, however. Queen played under new Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald for the last two years when Macdonald was the defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens. The linebacker earned Second-Team All-Pro honors in 2023.

Queen is projected to get a deal for four years and $56 million with $35 million guaranteed. Again, that yearly number seems a little low for a top-end LB. But while Seattle losing Williams would hurt, at least the team has depth. Adding Queen to an empty linebacker room would be a huge win.

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