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Rumored Seahawks free agent target screams 'little to lose, everything to gain'

The best team in the NFC may only get better.
Ernesto Cova
Ernesto Cova

12th Man Rising

New Orleans Saints cornerback Alontae Taylor smiles / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

After watching them win 14 games in the regular season and dominate their opposition in the playoffs, it's hard to envision many areas of improvement for the Seattle Seahawks. That said, even the best things can get better.

The Seahawks will have over $73 million in available cap space in the offseason, according to Over The Cap. As such, they should be in a strong position to retain their own key free agents while also adding more firepower all over the roster.

Considering that, Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus (subscription required) dug deep into the tape and the numbers to figure out the best free agent target for Mike Macdonald's team. In his latest column, he made a case for the Seahawks to go after New Orleans Saints CB Alontae Taylor.

The Seattle Seahawks should pursue Alontae Taylor

"Taylor looked his best in 2025 with a 67.7 PFF coverage grade and six pass breakups, although he’s allowed at least a 98.5 passer rating when targeted in each of the last three years. What’s also encouraging is that Taylor owned the 10th-best coverage grade in zone (80.3) this season among qualified corners. The former second-round pick could compete for a chance to start next to Devon Witherspoon in Mike Macdonald’s zone-reliant system," Locker wrote.

While he hasn't necessarily lived up to the hype as a former second-round pick, Taylor is just 27 years old and may only need a change of scenery to take a leap. Playing for a contending team can work wonders for underperforming players, and Mike Macdonald has proven that he can make the most of every piece he has on defense.

While Devon Witherspoon will be a lock to start at cornerback, both Josh Jobe and Riq Woolen will be free agents after the season. The Seahawks should have more than enough cash to keep one or both of them if they want to, but they've been the weakest links on their stellar defense, so they might feel comfortable letting them walk away.

Taylor logged 83 total tackles (59 solo), 11 passes defensed, seven tackles for loss, three QB hits, and a couple of interceptions in 17 appearances (16 starts) for the struggling Saints this season. He's played in all 17 games in three consecutive seasons, and he's been in at least 13 games in every year he's been in the league.

The Seahawks gave up the tenth-fewest passing yards per game this season (193.9), so even though that was impressive, there's still some room for improvement there. He may not be a ball-hawk or a perennial threat to flip the field, and he'll give up a big reception every here and there.

That said, he has the potential to be much better in the right environment, and with a market value of $11 million a year, per Spotrac, he's the ultimate low-risk/high-reward pickup.

Ernesto Cova

Ernesto Cova

Ernesto Cova is a bilingual contributor (English-Spanish) with 10 years of experience covering major leagues, including the NBA, NFL, and MLB. He's a site contributor at Dawg Pound Daily (Cleveland Browns), 12th Man Rising (Seattle Seahawks), Musket Fire (New England Patriots), Horseshoe Heroes (Indianapolis Colts), and King James Gospel (Cleveland Cavaliers). Ernesto has a PhD in sports psychology and has been featured on Fadeaway World, Newsweek, The Sporting News, Athlon Sports, Yardbarker, PFSN, and more. Ernesto’s work focuses on providing insightful, up-to-date coverage of sports, blending his expertise in sports psychology with a passion for analyzing player performance, team dynamics, and trade developments across various sports leagues. He's also an amateur film photographer.