The Seattle Seahawks have an interesting group of edge rushers. Two of the top four of the rotation will be 32 years old or older when Week 1 rolls around. Seattle has to hope for good health for its older players, while also potentially finding a surprising player to pick up quality reps.
That could be undrafted free agent Aidan Hubbard of Northwestern, at least according to Josh Edwards of CBS Sports. In a recent article picking one player from each team who could make a push to make the 53-man roster, Hubbard is the guy in the Pacific Northwest.
Edwards writes, "Seattle lost Boye Mafe via free agency and then gave Hubbard the largest practical guarantee ($267,500). Hubbard had at least six sacks in each of his past three seasons. He does a good job setting the edge and playing in pursuit down the line. There is not a lot of explosiveness or overwhelming physical characteristics, but there is some reliability in the run game."
Aidan Hubbard could be the Seattle Seahawks' latest undrafted free agent gem
As Seahawks fans know well, if anyone can turn a player into one who can be extremely productive, it is head coach Mike Macdonald. Hubbard is with the team that gives him his best chance to play at his highest level, and his youth could help him, too.
Seattle understands that while its edge rush group should be productive this coming season, relying on Dante Fowler and DeMarcus Lawrence in the long term isn't a realistic possibility. Both are likely closer to retirement than playing another few years. The Seahawks will need to replace them sooner rather than later, and Hubbard could be part of the fix.
One worry is that Hubbard might have a low ceiling. In college, he never had more than six sacks in a season, though he did have five or six in each of his final three seasons. He was solid against the run, but not elite. He also whiffed on 23.3 percent of his tackle attempts last year.
He does offer decent athleticism at 6'4 1/2" and 260 pounds, and with the Seattle Seahawks, a player's ability to excel often comes down to how well he fits in Macdonald's system. If Hubbard can prove he has a niche that helps the system be more efficient, he will earn his roster spot.
Otherwise, he could be in a battle with edge rushers further down the depth chart, such as Connor O'Toole and Jared Ivey, both of whom were with Seattle last season. In other words, Hubbard is going to have to show the Seahawks what he can give the team that Ivey and O'Toole haven't already shown the team.
Still, Seattle is certainly not an organization that is afraid of giving a UDFA a chance. Since general manager John Schneider joined the team in 2010, many UDFAs have made an impact, such as wide receiver Doug Baldwin. Aidan Hubbard might simply be the latest gem found after the draft was done.
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