Three former Seahawks who failed with their new teams in 2023
Several Seattle Seahawks moved on to new teams in 2023. While many had reasonably successful seasons, these three players found everything but success in their new homes. None were expected to start, but they weren't able to contribute much at all.
Every offseason in the NFL is a numbers game. We've seen that this week as the Seahawks released Jamal Adams, Will Dissly, and Quandre Diggs on the same day. Days later, they cut Bryan Mone to bring their cap space up to $41.6 million, $33.7 accounting for the current draft pick slots. The season before 2023 was a bit different, but Seattle made major changes to their roster then, too.
The Hawks moved on from a starting linebacker and parted ways with the man who started 2022 as their lead running back. The man who stepped in and played great at strong safety left for greener pastures, quite literally. They even let their starting defensive line walk, a gamble that didn't exactly pay off as a whole. Cody Barton was a solid player for the Commanders, while Ryan Neal played well for the Jets. Shelby Harris made decent contributions to the Browns as well. The same can't be said for the next three players, though.
The Seattle Seahawks didn't skip a beat without Rashaad Penny
If anyone ever defined the term, "might have been," Rashaad Penny is the guy. Many 12s thought he was a reach as the Hawks' first-round pick in 2018. They didn't seem to be aware then - and have surely forgotten now - that Seattle started five different players at running back in 2017. Happily, Chris Carson was the real deal and Penny couldn't push his way into the starting role. He still averaged 4.9 yards per carry, then 5.7 in 2019.
Penny's only problem was that he couldn't stay in the lineup. He missed six games in 2019, then only appeared in three in 2020, and managed just 11 carries. His best season with the Seahawks by far was 2021. Even then, he missed seven games. Then in 2022, he was lost for the season in Week 5. It's a shame, as he averaged over 6 yards per carry, just as he did in 2021. Not surprisingly, the Hawks let him walk after that.
He walked - it may seem cruel to say, but he couldn't exactly run - to Philadelphia for 2023. Despite the Eagles employing the famous running back by committee strategy, Penny got just 31 snaps and 11 carries. When Boston Scott doubles your production, you're in trouble. It's probably no surprise to anyone that Penny is currently a free agent. He's 28 years old with a bad injury history in a market with a lot of great backs available. He'll get a look and may sign somewhere for the minimum veteran deal. I hope he catches on, but the odds are pretty stacked against Penny.