For an entire decade, Tyler Lockett was the heart and soul of the Seattle Seahawks' passing game. A speedy playmaker and one of the most elusive guys in the league, Lockett gave the fan base everything he had every weekend.
However, as happens so many times with fan favorites and franchise legends, the team eventually had to move on. The timelines no longer aligned, and Lockett had to deal with the business side of this beautiful sport.
To add insult to injury, the Seahawks finally won the Super Bowl the very next season they released him. He split time with two losing teams, and he's still a free agent. That's why, given everything he did for the team and the community, they should welcome him back for one final season.
The Seattle Seahawks could use Tyler Lockett
Lockett deserved better. He was always a class act, and he deserves to be remembered for his electric kickoff returns and otherworldly ability to pile up yards after the catch, not as the guy the fans saw with the Tennessee Titans and Las Vegas Raiders last season.
Granted, speedy guys often get the short end of the stick once they start losing a step. Lockett's salary no longer matched his contributions, and from a business perspective, it was definitely time to pull the plug.
But now that the team enters the season as defending champions and that he might take any deal they offer him, why not give him one last dance? The Seahawks clearly don't need him, but that doesn't mean they can't use him.
Offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak used Rashid Shaheed mostly as a decoy and a special teams guy last season. And with Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp there, that's not likely to change, not even after getting a big contract.
As such, they can probably rotate him with Lockett, or maybe reserve him solely for special team duties to keep Shaheed fresh and out of harm's way. He can give the team some depth behind Jake Bobo and Cody White, and mentor a promising, versatile rookie like Emmanuel Henderson Jr.
Spotrac projects Lockett's market value at just $1.7 million. That's essentially pocket change for the defending Super Bowl champions, especially for the franchise's all-time leader in receptions in a single season (100), most kickoff return yards as a rookie (1,231), the longest kick return (105 yards), and the most punt return yards gained in a game (139), among several other franchise records.
He deserved better, and it's time to right this wrong.
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