Seattle Seahawks First Free Agency Recap
During John Schneider's tenure as the Seahawks general manager, the team has been known for having pretty quiet offseasons; that has not been the case this year. In the first week of the offseason, the team underwent a massive transformation and will likely continue to transform until week 1. In this post, I will discuss the moves that occurred this week and try to understand what they mean for the team.
Geno Smith & DK Metcalf Trades:
I originally planned for this week's post to be an article on why I thought the Seahawks should consider trading DK Metcalf and Geno Smith, but I never thought they would do it. I was going to argue that because Smith and Metcalf were both seeking new contracts at prices I believed were too hefty for them, the Seahawks should have at least entertained trade offers; this all changed when, on March 5th, Metcalf requested a trade. It's evident that contract negotiations had gone sour at some point. Metcalf and his agents realized the Seahawks would not give them the contract they sought, so they decided to pursue it elsewhere. Metcalf wasn't the only player the Seahawks were in contract negotiations with, as Geno Smith was also looking for a new deal. Geno Smith was seeking a contract with a minimum annual salary of $40 million, but the Seahawks were only willing to give $35 million a year, resulting in Geno Smith requesting a trade as well. The Seahawks would trade Geno to the Las Vegas Raiders for a third-round pick, reuniting him with former head coach Pete Caroll. DK Metcalf would be traded for a second-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers, who gave him a four-year $132 million extension. While the Seahawks got some good draft capital and saved themselves a lot of money with these trades, DK and Geno were two of the biggest names on the team.
Players the Seahawks Resigned:
While the Seahawks said goodbye to some of their biggest stars, they also resigned their most important free agents. Going into this offseason, linebacker Ernest Jones IV was a player the team had to retain. Jones showed his value last season when he revitalized the Seahawk's defense after being acquired via trade. The Seahawks were able to resign Jones to a 3-year, $28.5 million contract. Jones's new contact is of incredibly great value, especially when compared to what the other top free-agent linebackers received. The Seahawks also resigned defensive tackle Jarran Reed, cornerback Josh Jobe, and tight end Brady Russell. Reed was quickly the second most important player the Seahawks needed to extend, as he is not only coming off of two good seasons with the Seahawks but is also a major leader in the locker room. Jobe and Russell are also solid, with Jobe emerging as a starting corner last year, and Russell provides good special teams play and depth.
Seahawks Sign Sam Darnold:
It is time to talk about the elephant in the room, Sam Darnold. After trading Geno Smith, the Seahawks had a massive hole at quarterback, and Sam Darnold was said to be the name to watch early on. The rumors turned out to be accurate as on the first day of free agency, the Seahawks signed Sam Darnold to a three-year $100.5 million deal, making him the team's signal caller for the foreseeable future. I have not seen a more polarizing move than the Seahawks signing Darnold, with some analysts praising the move while others predict it will end in disaster. While I believe Sam Darnold is a worse quarterback than Geno, it's not by much. Sam Darnold is seven years younger than Geno and much cheaper than Geno, only costing $33 million a year compared to the at least $40 million Geno will likely get from the Raiders. The Seahawks also received a third-round pick in the Geno trade, which, when paired with the second-rounder for the DK trade, has given the Seahawks five picks in the top 100, which, if used right, could set the team up for success. However, if the Seahawks want to get the most out of Sam Darnold, they need to drastically improve the roster, which leads us to the Seahawk's free-agent signings so far.
Free Agents:
I will admit that the Seahawks have been disappointingly inactive for a team that has signaled it is seeking to overhaul its roster. Outside of Darnold, they have only signed three other players: DeMarcus Lawrence, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Josh Jones. The four-time Pro Bowler Lawrence has been the most significant signing so far, with the Seahawks giving him a three-year $42 million deal, although it is worth noting that only $18 million of that money is guaranteed, with the rest tied to incentives. While at 32 years old, Lawrence's best years are likely behind him, I still like his fit within the Seahawks edge rotation, mainly due to his skill as a run defender. The other moves aren't all that noteworthy; MVS was brought in to help supplement a wide receiver room that was looking very bare following the release of Tyler Lockett and Metcalf's trade, but they will still need to add another receiver in free agency, as well as drafting one before I will feel comfortable with this receiver room. I hope that the Seahawks signed Josh Jones to provide offensive line depth, as he has done for most of his career so far, and not another instance of John Schneider being unwilling to invest in the offensive line.
Final Thoughts:
This offseason has been exhausting, and we are only a week into it. I can't complain much about the moves the Seahawks have made so far; I am starting to get nervous that an entire week has passed, and the Seahawks have yet to address the offensive line adequately. If the Seahawks want Sam Darnold to succeed, they cannot ignore the offensive line like they have for the past decade. While all of the top linemen are off the board, there are still some quality starters like Brandon Scherff or Teven Jenkins; the Seahawks must get at least one of these players. The Seahawks also need to add another wide receiver, as even with the signing of MVS, there are still only four receivers on the roster, and only two of them have ever seen significant playing time in the league. If the Seahawks do these two things, I will call this free agency a success, but if they don't, we could be in for a long year.
Go Hawks!
