Sam Darnold may wind up being the biggest winner in the Seattle Seahawks free agency for one key reason. Yes, the Seahawks took some hits with a few major players walking and signing elsewhere in the NFL. That said, when all the dust settles, Seattle might be in a better position than before, at least on offense.
Of course, losing Kenneth Walker III to the Kansas City Chiefs will sting for some time, and the Seahawks still need to fill the hole left by the Super Bowl MVP. However, running backs are more replaceable than other skill positions these days.
Seahawks general manager John Schneider didn't let this realization go over his head when he prioritized Rashid Shaheed over Walker, and in the long run, it will pay off, given Jaxon Smith-Njigba's future in Seattle. So, as far as Shaheed's involvement goes, did the Seahawks actually come out of this as winners instead of losers?
Keeping their wide receiver corps (almost) together makes the Seattle Seahawks a winner in free agency
Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp, and Shaheed make for one of the top wide receiver rooms in the NFL going into next season. While there are better wide receiver duos out there — Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins in Cincinnati or A.J. Brown and Davontae Smith in Philadelphia, for instance — as far as collective groups go, the Seahawks are at the top.
Smith-Njigba brings the upside, elite skill, and dynamite connection with his quarterback. Kupp brings veteran presence and experience, with a longer winning resume than any current Seahawks player. And Shaheed brings a multi-faceted element to his role as an elite downfield threat and a returner.
All three are very different and carry different roles, but together as a unit, they're more dangerous than any. That's why the Seahawks' good fortune in re-signing Shaheed and keeping everyone intact for next season makes them winners in free agency despite losing Walker and the defensive players who also left for other teams.
On top of JSN, Kupp, and Shaheed, the Seahawks also have solid backup options they will enter next season with in Jake Bobo (who also returned as a restricted free agent) and AJ Barner at tight end. Barner really came on in his second NFL season and looks poised to be Seattle's No. 1 tight end going forward.
All in all, Shaheed's return solidified the Seahawks' wideout group going into next season, which means there are no holes to fill, only targets for Darnold to throw to, which is why he may very well be the biggest winner for the Seahawks during this free agency.