Seahawks 2022 (Update 3/9)

  

Update: I wanted to account for the Russell trade and Bobby release, along with other rumors we're hearing such as DK and Lockett being shopped. Note that this rebuild was suggested in an earlier post here.

Another NFL season has come to an end, and after one of the worst seasons in Seahawks history, it's time to look forward to 2022. 

The Seahawks have a lot of work to do between finding their identity with coaching changes and dealing with a lot of free agents potentially leaving the team. It will be hard for the Hawks to find room to fill all their gaps so they will have to get creative with trades, free agency, and what little draft capital they have if they plan to compete in 2022.

Let's dive into who the Seahawks might keep, who they might let go, and which spots they need to fill to come back stronger next season. In order of who they might re-sign and most notable players first. Note that the Seahawks had a terrible year so moving on from a majority of players may be the best so they can re-tool and make a playoff run.

Free Agents: Who to keep and who to let go

• Duane Brown (re-sign for 2 years ~$18M, he's aging and slipping in his ability to stay healthy and competitive but the Seahawks don't have a better option at tackle with Jones or Forsythe but they shouldn't break the bank either as this is likely Brown's last contract ever, 71.6 rated T)
• Sidney Jones (re-sign for 2 years ~$5M, Sidney is a decent and young CB who seems to struggle with injuries but when he's healthy he's serviceable. However, I wouldn't sign him beyond 2 years because Tre Brown is the future at corner in Seattle once he heals from surgery in a year, 70.2 rated CB)
• Ethan Pocic  (re-sign for 2 years ~$4M, Pocic was a mediocre center who lost his job to a backup then only regained it because the backup was worse. Hawks can upgrade here through FA but have nothing better available on the current roster so they should keep Pocic at least as a backup, 67.3 rated C)
• Alex Collins (re-sign for 1 year veteran minimum, Collins has always been good since his Arkansas days and the hawks should've never let him go the first time. Collins is a great backup and affordable. He can provide a burst off the bench when needed but shouldn't be signed above league minimum because he's not starter caliber. 66 rated RB)
• Ryan Neal (re-sign for 1 year veteran minimum, Neal proved for another season that he's a great backup safety. He seemed to outplay Adams when he came in during the first niners game and shutdown Kittle. However, he's not elite as he's prone to mistakes and isn't the long term solution at safety with Adams' big contract. 59.6 rated S)
• Rasheem Green (re-sign for 2 years ~$2M, Rasheem hasn't panned out as a high draft pick but he wasn't terrible either. The hawks need depth at DE and he provides that. He should be worth a cheap deal to be a backup DE when the seahawks have no good DE outside of Dunlap who's nearing retirement. 50.2 rated DE)
• John Reid (ERFA so re-sign for 1 year veteran minimum, The seahawks need depth at CB and Reid is a young vet who provides that. Similar to Sidney Jones he could be the other backup CB next season. 66.8 rated CB)
• Will Dissly (re-sign for 2 years ~$5M, Dissly finally survived an entire season, even if it wasn't as productive as his first couple when he blew out his knees. Dissly is a quality starter who can block and catch. However, he won't wow you with his play or his stats. 63.8 rated TE)
• DJ Reed (re-sign for 2 years ~$8M, Seahawks need to keep a starting caliber CB and that's Reed. What he lacks in size and athleticism he makes up for in sheer determination. He's never intimidated or scared to matchup with anyone. He's also a cheap solution as a starter opposite of Jones/Brown. 78.6 rated CB)
• Quandre Diggs (gone, this is hard because I like Diggs over Adams, note Adams is top paid safety in the league yet ranked worse than Diggs. The hawks definitely chose wrong in their future at S, but Diggs just broke his leg and is due a large payday ~$13M/yr which the hawks can't afford so they need to stick with Adams. 71.2 rated S)
• Gerald Everett (gone, Everett is a good TE but he also cost the hawks an entire game with his turnovers. The hawks also have a few backup TE's who can fill the role, 63.5 rated TE)
• Brandon Shell (gone, Shell was never amazing but he wasn't horrible either. He had a problem with injuries and will most likely get a better deal elsewhere. Curhan will compete for this spot if the Hawks don't hit in FA, 67 rated T)
• Rashaad Penny (gone, this is tough because Penny had an amazing end to the season and was a big reason for the wins at the end but he spent 3 years being hurt and doing nothing. The Hawks already lost a 1st round pick on him and shouldn't lose more on a big deal when he inevitably gets hurt again. FA is ripe with good veteran RBs the hawks should consider instead as their starting RB if Carson doesn't come back, 80.5 rated RB)
• Al Woods (gone, big Al is getting old and while he had a good season, he's showing signs of slowing and the hawks need to retool at DT to get back to the playoffs, 75.4 rated DT)
• Geno Smith (gone, I never got the hype around Geno. He was a wasted pick by the Jets and proved it when he started in place of Russ. With his off field issues it's easily time to move on to a new backup. 73.9 rated QB)
• Kyle Fuller (gone, Fuller lost his starting job and possibly cost the Seahawks some games this year with his poor play. I'd be shocked if he was on any depth chart at the start of the season. He's practice squad at best. 46.5 rated C)
• Bless Austin (gone, Bless has the tools to be a great CB yet doesn't show it on gameday which is why he hasn't landed a starting CB role. He's a serviceable backup and if he goes unclaimed the seahawks should get him back on the practice squad someday. 51.2 rated CB)
• Bryan Mone (gone, Mone was never that great of a DT and this is a position the seahawks need to invest in after a terrible year here. 48.9 rated DT) 
• Penny Hart (gone, Hart hasn't done anything in his career and is easily replaced in FA and draft. 62.7 rated WR)
• Jamarco Jones (gone, Jamarco is inconsistent and usually blows big plays with his blocking or lack thereof. The hawks can improve their backup utility Oline spot easily. 56.9 rated G)
• Dakoda Shepley (gone)
• Jon Rhattigan (gone)
• Marcus Webb (gone)
• Nigel Warrior (gone)
• Marcellius Sutton (gone)

My projected re-signs would cost ~$45M next season and the players gone would free up ~$34M thus resulting in a cap hit of ~$11M. However, restructuring some current deals could help here, along with hitting in the draft and FA to replace players leaving with cheaper alternatives.

Seahawks top priorities in FA and draft:
OL, DB, TE, RB, WR, DT

Potential FA signings to fill top priorities:

• OL: Depends on who the Seahawks keep around. Potential to lose Pocic, Brown, Jones, Shell, and Fuller. I can't imagine they'd lose them all but they'll need a starting caliber T at the very least as keeping Brown and Sheel seems unrealistic.
• Plenty of starting C & G available in FA in the $1-$5M range with ratings similar to or better than Hawks. Expect the Hawks to grab at least one of them.

• DB: Diggs will demand a big contract so Hawks will have a tough time keeping him for the future. Hawks will need to find a starting caliber FS in FA. At CB the Seahawks could use an upgrade, especially if Tre Brown isn't ready to go. 

• TE: The Seahawks could lose Everett and Dissly but it's hard to imagine they'd lose both. They have plenty of backups but it wouldn't hurt to find a starter at TE if Everett leaves.

• RB: I would expect the Seahawks to figure out the Carson/Penny situation before the draft. If they feel they can't afford to keep Penny or Carson deems himself unfit to play again then they'll have no choice but to find a free agent. They still have Dallas and Homer as backups.

• WR: The Hawks aren't losing their top 4 WR's to FA so this isn't really a need BUT there's a good opportunity here to trade DK Metcalf for draft capital and to fill his void with a cheap veteran who can still produce and not act like a cancer to the locker room.

• DT: The Hawks could lose 2 of their top 3 DT's to FA. They need to find 1-2 quality veterans or hit on a DT in the draft.

Draft: 
The Hawks are decimated in picks for a couple seasons due to recent trades, most notably for Adams and Dunbar. Currently they have 6 total picks in rounds 2, 3, 4, 4, 5, 7. There's a chance for more picks if they choose to trade a current player and they could also gain compensatory picks if players leave for big contracts elsewhere. 

Expecting them to draft OL, DB, DL, QB.

Coaching staff changes: 
The Seahawks have already filled their coaching staff needs. However, it's worth keeping an eye on offensive positions as the offense sputtered the 2nd half of the season 2 years in a row under the current regime. 

It's quite possible the Seahawks could look for a new OC now that Russ is gone. Waldron was his pick not Pete's.

Projected starters: Due to the Russell trade and Bobby drop there's going to be some huge changes to the team. Also I don't think the Hawks are done with the moves and fully expect a WR to be traded and possibly swapping some draft picks for a starting QB if they don't sign a free agent. I don't think Lock is going to be the starter but right now he's the best/only option they have.

Offense:
QB: Russell Wilson - (there's a slim chance the Hawks could make a blockbuster deal for a starter QB and 3+ first round picks) Drew Lock (some potential fill ins until the Hawks draft their future: Gardner Minshew, Mitch Trubisky, Jordan Love, JimmyG)
RB: Chris Carson - (there's a chance he is medically unable to perform and a FA RB could take over if Penny isn't coming back)
WR1: Tyler Lockett - (there's a chance he's traded for a 1st round pick)
WR2: DK Metcalf - (there's a chance he's traded for a 1st round pick)
WR3: Freddy Swain
LT: Duane Brown or FA (chance he leaves now that Russ and Bobby are gone)
LG: Damien Lewis
C: Ethan Pocic or FA
RG: Gabe Jackson
RT: Jake Curhan or Stone Forsythe
TE: Will Dissly or FA  Noah Fant

Defense:
RE: Rasheem Green 
DTs: Poona Ford 
LE: Carlos Dunlap
CBs: Tre Brown & DJ Reed
LBs: Bobby Wagner, Jordyn Brooks, Cody Barton, BBK
SS: Jamal Adams
FS: FA or Amadi or Blaire