The Seattle Seahawks can still address some critical roster needs before the NFL trade deadline. None of these players are flashy, but all three could have a big impact on the Hawks' drive to the postseason.
The Seahawks took a body blow with the loss of Uchenna Nwosu. There's no way to dismiss that, no reason, either. They addressed that immediate need by bringing Frank Clark home in a move that will almost certainly pay major dividends. Just as we've witnessed a resurgence from Jarran Reed, I expect Clark will ball out for the Hawks, not that he's truly home.
But that doesn't mean Seattle is done shopping by any means. Pete Carroll said that the team will rely on their current rotation to replace Nwosu. When asked if the team would look for a free agent or a trade, he replied, "We're not thinking like that yet." Of course, since that interview, they brought Clark in, but there's still a lot of conjecture about the Seahawks making a big splashy trade for a name player.
The Seattle Seahawks don't need a big name, just more good players
While it would be great to land a player like Brian Burns or Chase Young, the Hawks have already addressed the absence of Nwosu by adding Clark. Now, I'm not saying that Clark will put up the numbers that either of those players would, but he certainly could. Or come close enough so that Seattle could address other areas of need with the valuable resources at third disposal.
None of my three choices would take too much to steal away from their current teams, yet all three could make big contributions to the team.
The Hawks could add depth and potential starters at corner and edge
A few of the more astute 12s may have skipped ahead to those names in bold, and asked, "Dude, not a single player on offense? The defense is playing great, so why would you go with defenders? Especially in the secondary?" Well, you simply can never have too many cornerbacks, or safeties, for that matter.
How many times have the Seahawks seen a season derailed because of a significant injury in the defensive backfield? Like, what, every third year? Some people get on Jamal Adams as if he enjoys missing time. Somehow they forget that Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor, and Richard Sherman all missed significant games. So, yeah, depth in the secondary is important.
Jaylon Johnson, cornerback, Chicago Bears. As I said, I'm not looking for stars here, but players that can contribute and step up as needed. Johnson is definitely one of those players. At 6'0" and 196 pounds, he has good size for the position. Yes, Riq Woolen is a physical freak, but Tre Brown is just 5'10" and 185, so Johnson is plenty big.
His current Pro Football Focus grade is 85.5 overall, with a coverage grade of 88.1. He's only allowed 10 of 23 targets, forced a fumble, broke up one pass, and made two interceptions in just five games. And he's affordable with a total cap hit of just $3.56 million this year. Sounds like a guy who could compete on the cheap for the Seahawks.
Jonathon Cooper, edge, Denver Broncos. Ah yes, let's raid the Broncos again and shame them, shall we? The 6'4" 257-pound pass rush specialist has seen increased playing time this season, as he already has nearly 80 percent as many snaps this year as in either of his first two seasons. So far this year, Cooper already has 4 sacks, nearly matching his two previous campaigns combined. He has 18 total pressures, which would tie for third behind Jarran Reed and Boye Mafe (19 each).
PFF rates him at 63.7 overall and 75.3 in pass rush. Yeah, the number could be better, but let's not forget they rate Jarran Reed at 64.5 and 69.6 in those same categories. So, yeah. Cooper's current total cap hit is a ridiculously low $965K, and he's under contract through 2024 at just $1.08M. So why would the Broncos move him? I don't know, have you seen the moves they've made in the past couple of years?
Could the Seahawks us a SS/FS/SC jack of all trades? Yes please
Jabrill Peppers, safety, New England Patriots. Let's get back to the theme of adding strength to an already strong unit. He would be the only seasoned veteran of this trio, as Cooper is just 25 and Johnson 24. Still, he just turned 28 earlier this month, so he's not exactly a dinosaur. He just plays like one - a velociraptor, in fact.
About the only thing Jabrill Peppers doesn't do is chase down the quarterback. He's a sure tackler, has always played stout run defense, and is having his best season ever in coverage. His PFF overall grade is 84.4, with a tackling grade of 82.2. Peppers has missed just 6 percent of his tackles; for reference, both Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs have missed over 20 percent of theirs.
While he's a strong safety by trade, Peppers has considerable experience at free safety as well. He's played more snaps at free safety this year, in fact. and even has over 60 snaps in the slot. We all know how much Pete Carroll loves those Swiss Army Knife players. At 5'11 and 217, Peppers may not have the ideal size, but that 4.46 speed makes for some brutal hits. On the financial side, the total cap hit for Peppers this year is $3.4M, and just $5.55M next season. That's not too bad for a guy who could step into three roles with ease.
The Seahawks estimated cap space, according to spotrac.com, is $9.5M. That number will be reduced by signing Clark, of course, but it's not as if the Hawks will have to break the bank to bring him home. Seattle could literally make moves for all three of these players, all of whom could step in and start if needed. The Hawks D is beginning to look really nasty: how much better could they be with this much additional depth? Yes, you're right: a lot.