The Seattle Seahawks had a tremendous turnaround in the 2022 NFL season. It is now up to general manager John Schneider to improve his team for a potentially better season in the 2023 NFL season. The way to start that process is with the beginning of free agency. There are plenty of moves that the Seahawks must make to ensure the stability of their playoff contention for the upcoming season. Four free agent moves specifically this offseason will potentially help the Seahawks progress forward after shocking the NFL by turning into a playoff team last season.
Potential Free Agent Moves for the Seattle Seahawks
Invest In A Defensive Leader At Linebacker
With Jordyn Brooks expected to be out for the majority of the season and Cody Barton expected to hit free agency, the Seahawks will need to boost their linebacker corps. There are several linebackers that have recently hit free agency, including a former Seahawk that fans would like to return. After spending one season with the Los Angeles Rams, Bobby Wagner, who spent his first 10 years with Seattle, is back in free agency for the second consecutive year as a cap space casualty. Wagner accumulated 140 total tackles, 81 solo tackles, 10 tackles for loss and six sacks last season. There is a real possibility of a reunion, but Wagner might hold on to some grudges to return to Seattle.
If Seattle wants to go all-in on a defensive leader, they could go with two great options. The Seahawks could go for the young defensive leader in free agent Tremaine Edmunds, who spent the first five seasons of his career with the Buffalo Bills. At 24 years old, Edmunds is a two-time Pro-Bowler and a field general who accumulated 565 total tackles, 359 solo tackles, 32 tackles for loss, and 35 pass breakups. Another young linebacker the Seahawks could go for is former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker T.J. Edwards. He took a big step up as a full-time starter in each of the last two seasons with the Eagles.
Bring In A Veteran Center
This 2023 NFL Draft process is a great opportunity for the Seahawks to get a young and talented center. In the past, however, Schneider has turned to get veteran centers because they are experienced and already established in the league. With the sudden retirement of Austin Blythe, the Seahawks will need to improve an already unstable interior offensive line. Among the veteran centers for the Seahawks to bring in is a familiar face in Ethan Pocic, who spent his first five years in the league in Seattle. In 13 games played this past season for the Cleveland Browns, Pocic had a career year as he allowed only one penalty and two sacks. Pocic accumulated an overall grade of 79 from Pro Football Focus. He was one of the key leaders for the Browns’ fourth-ranked rushing offense this past season.
Potential Re-signings for Seattle
The Seahawks completed one of their biggest free agency objectives by re-signing pro-bowl quarterback Geno Smith to a mutually friendly three-year deal. Smith is back in Seattle as the leader of a playoff-bound team. Next for the Seahawks in terms of free agent re-signings are positions that lack depth. One area is at safety, where Seattle only has three players currently on the roster. Ryan Neal was one of the Seahawks’ more efficient defenders last season. Neal played in 14 games, starting in 10 of them in place of the injured Jamal Adams. His expected contract is listed at one-year; $2.4 million, according to Spotac. Neal and Johnathan Abram have certainly earned the respect of head coach Pete Carroll and Schneider to earn another set of contracts for Seattle this upcoming season.
Get A Backup Quarterback
The Seahawks received quarterback Drew Lock in the package to send Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos to compete for the starting quarterback job with Smith. Now the Seahawks will need to replenish their roster spots at quarterback with only Smith on the active roster. There are several free agent options available for the Seahawks to back up Smith. They could get a solid backup in former Washington State Cougars quarterback Gardner Minshew II. Minshew spent the last two seasons with the Eagles. The Seahawks could also go for a backup quarterback with starter experience like P.J. Walker or Nick Mullens. Schneider could also re-sign Lock as he has knowledge of the offense and the locker room setting.
Main Photo: Mark Konezny – USA Today Sports
