Coming off a season that landed the Seattle Seahawks on their couch for the playoffs for the first time in years, there are a lot of position changes that need to be looked at. With several changes to come on both offense and defense, the Seattle Seahawks need to upgrade at pass-catcher.
The Seattle Seahawks Pass-Catching Corps Needs an Upgrade
Reviving the Wide Receiver Position
The Seahawks wide receiver corps only seems to be mediocre at best with the ability to make game-changing plays when needed. The exception, of course, is Doug Baldwin. This is just another position the Seahawks need to look at upgrading this off-season. Aside from Baldwin, arguably the last exciting receiver for the Seahawks was Hall of Famer Steve Largent. Between them, there were some other great players but in the effort to revive this position, the Seahawks need to either find a player in free agency and/or the draft.
Currently on their active roster is Doug Baldwin, Amara Darboh, Tyler Lockett, Tanner McEvoy, David Moore, and Paul Richardson, who is a pending free agent. They also have Cyril Grayson on the reserve/future list. None of the names, besides Baldwin and maybe Lockett, are entirely exciting. It would be smart for the Seahawks to add a big-name wide receiver to boost this position and their forthcoming 2018 offense.
Some potential free agent wide receivers for the Seahawks to look at this off-season include some names like Taylor Gabriel, Marqise Lee, Jordan Matthews, and Brice Butler, among others. The Seahawks could also look to the upcoming draft to add depth at wide receiver. One exciting name that comes to mind is University of Washington alum, Dante Pettis, who broke the NCAA record for most punt return touchdowns in history last season.
Tight End Search
The Seahawks have two impending free agent tight ends on their team: Jimmy Graham and Luke Willson. Both Graham and Willson had their season-highs with the team in touchdowns in 2017. It’s entirely possible that the Seahawks part with one or even both of these players when free agency hits.
Graham has struggled since he arrived in Seattle a few years ago, showing a different player than fans originally saw of him in New Orleans. Of course, one contributing factor was his season-ending knee injury in 2015. But his size at 6’7″ and 265 pounds is a weapon for teams to consider although now at age 31, Graham’s athletic ability is starting to decline, possibly limiting his free agency market.
A possible option if the Seahawks let go of Graham and/or Willson is signing Austin Seferian-Jenkins. Seferian-Jenkins went to college at Washington and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2014. He spent nearly three seasons there before spending two with the New York Jets. At 6’5″ and 250 pounds, Seferian-Jenkins could be considered a good replacement for Graham physicality wise. But Seferian-Jenkins’ off-field issues are a cause for concern. He’s had several suspensions in college and the NFL and has had problems with alcohol and substance abuse.
Other potential free agent tight ends are Tyler Eifert, Virgil Green, Trey Burton, Niles Paul and Benjamin Watson.
Last Word
The Seahawks have an array of options to upgrade at both wide receiver and tight end with a pool of players coming from both free agency and the draft. It’s up to the Seahawks if they want to upgrade at their less-than-exciting wide receiver position and to decide what their priority is at tight end.
