The risk was great, but the reward should be a benefit to the Seattle Seahawks for the next several years. Five-year cornerback Josh Jobe was the biggest winner in the Riq Woolen free agency departure for one significant reason. Yes, Woolen got paid, but by a team that will fail to be relevant this season.
Jobe, on the other hand, will have a big impact on a team that will be at the center of NFL relevance this season. Location and future success make Jobe the winner, not to mention that, with Woolen gone, Jobe is a permanent starter at cornerback opposite Devon Witherspoon.
There is an argument that the duo of Witherspoon and Jobe is one of the league's best at cornerback, and both players have combined for just seven total years in the NFL. As the Seahawks' training camp progresses, Jobe is proving, going into his fifth season, that the decision to let a Pro Bowl corner walk was a good one.
Josh Jobe is giving the Seattle Seahawks in training camp everything that Riq Woolen gave them
That's why they decided to let Woolen walk, isn't it? Or at least it was partially the reason. Seahawks general manager John Schneider clearly had a gut feeling that Jobe could step into Woolen's starter role and perhaps do it better over the next three years, the length of his new contract.
At face value, Woolen has been, and might still be, the better cornerback between the two. Woolen's elite speed and high All-Pro caliber ceiling argue in his favor over Jobe. That said, Jobe's scheme fit and overall value within the Seahawks' defensive system are better than Woolen's. Furthermore, Jobe has not shown the type of mental lapses that crept into Woolen's game on the field.
There is no disrespect toward Woolen here, because if he doesn't make an All-Pro team at least once in his career, that would be surprising. Seattle's gamble in letting Woolen leave in free agency opened the door wide open for Jobe, which could wind up being the best offseason gamble the Seahawks made.
Jobe is already showing out in training camp. Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald loves what Jobe brings on every snap, too. Macdonald has never grown tired of highlighting Jobe's strengths, including his ability to fit seamlessly into isolation boundary roles, his physical, disciplined style of play, and his reliability.
Jobe is showing all of that and more as the Seahawks' camp continues at Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton, Washington. The Seahawks gave Jobe three years at $8 million per year. Woolen would have continued being elite had he re-signed, but the gamble to let him go was also a gamble of hope on Jobe. It's already panning out.
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