Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider clearly had well-thought-out plans heading into the free agency period this offseason. He prioritized retaining Rashid Shaheed over Kenneth Walker III on offense. He chose the steadier Josh Jobe over Riq Woolen on defense. With a good supply of edge rushers on board, he opted to avoid a bidding war over Boye Mafe.
Those are all defensible positions, as is the decision to allow Coby Bryant to depart. Seattle has safeties. Schneider seems content to roll forward with the roster he has and pick up extra compensatory picks in next year’s draft.
Considering the Seahawks’ Super Bowl-winning roster and the three top-100 picks Schneider holds in next month’s draft, the conservative approach makes sense.
3 players who could have been big contributors for the Seattle Seahawks in 2026
Still, there are players he might have invested in this season who could have fit in very nicely. They each would have filled a gap in 2026, allowing Seattle an even better chance to defend its Lombardi Trophy. Here are three players who Schneider could have easily afforded and who might have been real assets this year.
Wyatt Teller, Guard
Wyatt Teller has not been the same player he was during his three straight Pro Bowl years from 2021 to 2023. Nagging injuries have slowed him down over the past couple of seasons. Still, the 6'4”, 315-pounder out of Virginia Tech would be an immediate upgrade at Seattle’s most questionable offensive line position.
Teller has been among the best right guards in the league since joining Cleveland back in 2018. The Seahawks already have Super Bowl starter Anthony Bradford, along with developmental prospects like Christian Haynes and Bryce Cabeldue. Teller is a more reliable, complete blocker than any of them at this point.
Houston snapped him up on a two-year, $16 million deal. Teller comes with some risk, but it is minimal. A moderate deal like that could have ensured the Seahawks’ line continues to perform at a plus level as they figure out the long-term answer at right guard.
Jamel Dean, Cornerback
The Seahawks don’t need a cornerback. They could indeed use additional depth, but they have their two starters in Devon Witherspoon and Josh Jobe. But last year, with Riq Woolen, Mike Macdonald was able to roll talent in and out of his secondary. As the roster stands today, he will have less flexibility in 2026.
Signing a legit upper-tier corner like Dean may appear to be a knock on Jobe, whose starting spot Dean would have taken. But it really would have been a way to ensure that Witherspoon can play up to his max level.
Spoon is as dynamic a corner as there is in the league, and he is at his best when he can roam. He can play outside or in the slot. He can blitz. He can play man against the league’s best all over the field. But to do that, Seattle needs two other reliable cornerbacks.
With Woolen out of the picture, the third corner for 2026 projects to be either Nehemiah Pritchett or Noah Igbinoghene. Both have skills, but neither inspires a ton of confidence, should they have to play as much as Riq did last year.
Dean got just over $12 million per season on a three-year deal with Pittsburgh. That isn’t a lot for a starting corner, but it may have been too much for Schneider. Still, if he doesn’t find a very good prospect in the draft, he could regret passing on a proven talent.
Keaton Mitchell, Running back
I keep sounding the alarm about the absence of Kenneth Walker III. I don’t fault Schneider for setting a price and sticking to it. A lot of people think Kansas City overpaid for the Super Bowl MVP. Time will tell.
I only know that when Walker was on the field, his speed and his ability to break a big run at any moment forced defenses to adjust. As of now, Seattle does not have a back who can scare a defense like that, and that will hurt them in 2026.
Emanuel Wilson is not that back, though I expect he will perform well for Seattle. Truth be told, Keaton Mitchell isn’t that back either. But he is a lot closer. Mitchell has made splash plays for the Chargers in three years of limited action.
He has excellent yards-per-rush numbers and success rates whenever he touches the ball. He does not have the frame to do what Walker did, but he might have added a dimension to the backfield that the Seahawks lack as of now. They have plenty of speed on the outside, but they have none in the backfield.
John Schneider’s track record is among the best in the league. He has a couple of Super Bowls – earned with two completely different rosters – to his credit. But he doesn’t get every last decision right. In the second half of the 2026 season, he may find himself wishing he had picked up a little bit more talent this offseason.