One of the more exciting periods of the NFL offseason will occur next week. That is when free agency begins. In 2023, the Seattle Seahawks were unexpectedly aggressive and signed players such as Dre'Mont Jones early. General manager John Schneider could revert back to waiting to sign players after a couple of days this offseason.
The fun part, though, is that 12s do not know what Schneider will do. He has never had the freedom of having the final say in roster moves before this year. He still cannot overspend, but the kind of players Seattle signs might be different.
Some current contracts hamstring what Schneider might want to do, though. Three of the worst follow. There is a very real chance at least one of these players will be released before free agency begins.
These are the most problematic financial commitments on the Seahawks' books heading into the offseason
Fullback/linebacker/special teamer Nick Bellore
I am a huge fan of Nick Bellore so I should let that be known. There is no more team player, well…maybe ever. He does anything the team might ask him to do, seemingly without question and to the best of his ability. This is one reason he is commonly voted as a team captain.
But while he is a great voice to have in the locker room and good at special teams he is - and I say this without emotion because emotionally I would argue Bellore is worth more than could ever be paid to him - overpaid. This is probably because Seattle knows his value as a teammate as much as on-field production.
Because what Bellore does is difficult to measure. But his salary is measured in dollars and cents and his cap hit in 2024 is $4 million and that is too high normally in relation to Bellore's productivity. Seattle has released him before (2020) and then re-signed him so that could be an option once again this offseason.
Wide receiver Tyler Lockett
A disclaimer: I do not want Tyler Lockett to leave the Seahawks. He has been a great receiver and an even better person and I wish he could play for eternity. He has made some of the best catches in team history and should always be remembered fondly for both what he did on and off the field. But none of that changes the fact that the NFL is a business and tough business must be made.
Lockett's current contract is too big for the production he will likely give Seattle. Some of that is not his fault. Seattle has DK Metcalf and Jaxon Smith-Njigba to take targets away from Lockett and Seattle needs to run the ball more in 2024 which means even fewer possible targets for Lockett. Lockett had his least productive season since 2017 this past season and there is no reason to think the 31-year-old receiver is going to be better next season.
In 2023, Lockett had his second-fewest number of receptions (79) since 2018 even though he had the second-most targets (122) in his career. He had his second-highest number of drops (5). His receiving touchdowns (5) were his least since 2017, the same for his receiving yards (894).
But Lockett's cap hit is $26,895,000, the highest of any Seattle player for next season. Releasing him would save the team around $7 million. I hope that does not happen and instead, Seattle gives Lockett an extension. Even if there were dead years at the end of the contract, Seattle could still spread out Lockett's cap hit while keeping him on the team.
Defensive lineman Dre'Mont Jones
I have a lot of faith that Mike Macdonald will make Jones the best player he can possibly be. Macdonald has a history of that, of course, and was able to make Justin Madubuike into a Second-Team All-Pro with the Baltimore Ravens. Jones isn't quite as talented as Madubuike, but he is not far off and has the same kind of versatility as Jones can play defensive end or tackle.
That might have been part of the issue with Jones in his first season with the Seahawks in 2023. Defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt appeared clueless in the best situations to put Jones in and, unfortunately, former head coach Pete Carroll seemed to be no help in that aspect. Jones began the season playing mostly tackle and, as that was not working well, Seattle moved him to end and he did a bit better.
Seattle's past confusion on what scheme to use and where to put players will not be an issue under Macdonald. The coach probably already has an idea about how to use Jones. But Jones has to prove his worth next season. His cap hit is $18,176,666 in 2024, a jump from $10,056,666 in 2023. In 2025, Jones' cap number grows to $23,176,668 but Seattle would save $16.5 million by releasing him next offseason. This is a make-or-break season for Jones with the Seahawks.