Seattle Seahawks: Keep or Cut
NFL free agency is just a month away, but before that happens, every team has to do some spring cleaning regarding its salary, and the Seahawks are no different. At the time of writing this, the Hawks are in the unenviable position of being $13.4 million over the cap per Over The Cap. This situation means the Seahawks must make multiple tough decisions to get under the cap and have enough money to sign new players. The Seahawks have already made one move to get under the cap by restructuring the star defensive lineman Leonard Williams's contract to free up about $14 million. This article will explore the players who could be cap casualties.
The most obvious candidate is also the most upsetting: wide receiver Tyler Lockett. Lockett has spent all ten years of his career with the Seahawks, during which he has accumulated 8,594 receiving yards and 81 touchdowns. Lockett has given us plenty of memorable moments in the last decade, has been a reliable presence at the position, and has undoubtedly become a fan favorite, making the situation unfortunate. Lockett is set to make $30,895,000 this season, which is well above what his play is worth at this point in his career, as he is coming off a down season where he only caught 49 passes, his lowest since 2017. Releasing Lockett would free up $17 million in cap space, more than enough to get the Seahawks under the cap. Lockett's release will be heartbreaking for many fans (myself included), but it might be a necessary move. Plenty of teams in the league could use a surehanded veteran receiver, so Lockett will land somewhere.
The next option the Seahawks have for cap relief is in the duo of pass rushers Dre'mont Jones and Uchenna Nwosu. The Hawks signed Dre'Mont Jones to a massive 3-year, 51-million-dollar contract in 2023. Dre'Mont Jones has by no means been a bad player, but he has far underperformed in relation to his contract. Over his two full seasons with the Seahawks, Jones has produced a mere 8.5 sacks, compared to fellow defensive lineman Leonard Williams, who was acquired halfway through the 2023 season and has racked up 15 sacks in his time with the Seahawks. Unfortunately, Dre'Mont Jones has shown that he cannot play at the level his contract demands, making him a likely cut candidate, saving the Seahawks $16.51 million if he is released with a post-June designation. Nwosu was signed by the Seahawks back in 2022; during that season, he led the team with 9.5 sacks, which resulted in him being given a three-year, $45 million contract. Unfortunately, injuries have prevented Nwosu from living up to that contract, as he has appeared in just six games in consecutive seasons. Nwosu is set to make a little over $21 million this season, a number the Seahawks cannot afford. Releasing Nwosu with a post-June designation would save the Seahawks $14.6 million.
The final candidate for release is also the most interesting: tight end Noah Fant. The Seahawks acquired Fant from the Broncos in the Russel Wilson trade. Fant was drafted from Iowa in the first round of the 2019 draft and came into the league as a highly touted prospect. Last offseason, the Seahawks signed Fant to a two-year $21 million extension, and he is set to make $13.5 million this season. Unfortunately, Fant underperformed this season, catching less than fifty passes and only scoring a single touchdown; due to this, Fant could be seen as a cap casualty, as cutting him would save the team $8.9 million. Fant's status has also been jeopardized by the play of rookie tight end A.J. Barner, who hauled in 4 touchdowns on only 30 catches and is also a far better blocker than Fant, who ranked 67th out of 74 eligible tight ends in that category per PFF.
It is never fun to see players get cut, but unfortunately, it is a part of the business. However, releasing players isn't the only way to clear cap space, and I could see a few of the players on this list as candidates for a contract restructure. The Seahawks could also gain more cap space by extending players like wide receiver DK Metcalf or quarterback Geno Smith. The Seahawks will likely mix all three to clear the necessary cap space to resign important players and be competitive in free agency. I am super excited for this offseason, and I will be sure to cover it on this blog, so stay tuned.
Go Hawks!
