The Seattle Seahawks have already made one huge change this offseason as they fired offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb. One of the next questions that needs to be answered is which players will be effectively fired. According to Spotrac, Seattle currently is over the projected salary cap by $23 million. A few expensive veterans will need to be released to make cap room.
Seattle did the same thing last offseason as well when, just before the start of free agency, the team let go of Quandre Diggs, Jamal Adams, and Will Dissly. That created enough room for Seattle to re-sign Leonard Williams and Noah Fant to relatively pricey contracts. Seattle did not sign an expensive player from another team.
The Seahawks' roster will look different by the second week of March when free agency begins. It has to. Seattle is stuck in the land of mediocrity currently as they are good enough to have a winning record but not good enough to make the postseason. This has been the case for three straight years and could be the same again next year.
Seahawks will likely make big chances this offseason with important dates forcing when that happens
Negotiation period runs from March 10 through 12
This used to be called the legal tampering period because everyone and their sister knew that free agents and NFL teams were secretly discussing potential contracts to sign once free agency officially began. The league changed the two days prior to official free agency to allow teams to work out deals with players but not sign them until the new fiscal NFL year began.
The good thing for the Seahawks this season, as opposed to last, is that while there are a couple of the Seahawks' own free agents to make a priority to sign, such as Ernest Jones IV and Jarran Reed, neither will be as expensive as Williams was last offseason.
This means whatever veterans with huge contracts, such as Dre'Mont Jones, are released, the money saved could go to trying to bring in other teams' free agents. Maybe a guard or a center. Maybe.
What is clear is that several players currently signed through 2025 for Seattle must go. Jones has a cap savings of $11,572,500. Releasing Tyler Lockett would save $17 million. How different would the Seahawks look without Lockett? That is likely something 12s will have to get used to.
Geno Smith due to get roster bonus on March 16
This will be one of the biggest indicators if Seattle is going to stick with the status quo or treat 2025 as a mini-rebuild. Due to Smith reaching some contract bonus escalators in the final game of this season, his cap number went up, but so did his cap savings. Should the Seahawks release Smith and try to take a chance by taking a quarterback in the 2025 NFL draft, Smith could be let go and the team would save $31 million.
There appears to be no doubt, though, and to the annoyance of many 12s, that Seattle will keep Smith around through at least next season. To be fair, there is no quarterback available in free agency or in the draft who is clearly more capable of helping the team win games than Smith.
The question is whether the Seahawks sign Smith to an extension. That would lower his cap hit for this season. But what will do with the money saved? Hopefully, look for players to help revamp the offensive line.