As of this writing, the Seattle Seahawks have 60 gamers below contract for 2024. That’s a small quantity contemplating the roster may attain 90 gamers. With a brand new league 12 months set to start on March 12, the workforce could have 16 free brokers, together with UFAs, ERFAs, and RFAs.
The aim of this text is to investigate who the Seahawks ought to and shouldn’t hold.
Unique Rights Free Brokers (ERFA)
ERFAs are gamers who’re fully below the workforce’s management. They solely must pay the minimal based mostly on the years performed, and the gamers don’t even have the possibility to strive for one more spot. To qualify as an ERFA, a participant will need to have FEWER than three accrued seasons. An accrued season is a season through which the participant was on the 53-player roster for AT LEAST 6 video games.
If the tender will not be positioned, the ERFA turns into a UFA.
Brady Russell, TE
Russell was a standout within the preseason and managed to maintain his spot on the roster. He produced rather more than rookie AJ Barner throughout camp and preseason. Nevertheless, a foot damage prompted Russell to overlook nearly half the season. He was used as a blocker, fullback and on particular groups. Given his utility and low value, it’s nearly sure that he will likely be again in 2025.
Cody White, WR
White has been within the NFL since 2020. He was on the apply squad for a lot of the season. He was elevated towards the Rams and was a standout. He blocked a punt, caught two passes for nearly 50 yards and compelled a DPI that was essential to the survival of the drive.
Within the closing video games of the season, he misplaced his spot among the many energetic gamers to Dareke Younger. Once more, particular groups work and a low value ought to lead Seattle to usher in White for 2025.
Joshua Onujiogu, EDGE
He got here from unknown Framingham State, however made an excellent impression in his rookie preseason. He was elevated in a couple of video games, however spent a lot of the previous few years on IR. He’s unlikely to return.
Josh Ross, LB
He got here off waivers from the Ravens midseason. He was an necessary a part of the apply squad and his familiarity with MM ought to definitely give him some benefit. With a low value, he needs to be again.
Restricted Free Brokers (RFA)
To maintain these gamers on the roster, the workforce must set a young. Listed here are the estimated values, which can solely grow to be official when the cap is launched for 2025:
First-round choose – $7.28 million.
Second-round choose – $5.22 million.
First refusal – $3.19 million.
If a participant receives a First Spherical Tender and indicators with one other workforce, the participant’s new franchise should ship a primary spherical choose to his previous workforce. The identical reasoning applies to the Second Spherical Tender. The First Refusal Tender provides a workforce the choice to match any supply signed by a participant with one other workforce.
To grow to be an RFA, a participant will need to have EXACTLY three accrued seasons. If the tender will not be positioned, the RFA turns into a UFA.
Josh Jobe, CB
He began the 12 months on the apply squad after being reduce by the Philadelphia Eagles. He was elevated a couple of occasions resulting from accidents to the CB group and had an up-and-down season. Nevertheless, contemplating that he was a apply squad participant solely, the workforce ought to in all probability use the First Refusal Tender. Additionally it is potential that the workforce may attempt to signal him as a UFA for a decrease quantity than the $3M tender.
Jaelon Darden, Returner
Darden was introduced in on waivers to exchange Laviska Shenault as the first returner. I consider his work has been stable at greatest (which already makes him infinitely higher than Shenault and Dee Williams). Perhaps the workforce would somewhat convey him in for a lower cost than the tender.
Unrestricted Free Brokers (UFA)
UFA are the vast majority of Free Brokers. They’re gamers with greater than 3 collected seasons. As quickly because the league permits them, they’ll signal with any workforce, that’s, their most up-to-date workforce has no management over them.
Ernest Jones, LB
No Brainer. Signal him as quickly as potential. It was reported that negotiations with him had been paused. It’s all the time good to do not forget that the workforce spent a fourth rounder on him, and despatched a participant value $7M with nearly all of his contract absorbed by Seattle within the transaction.
Jones modified the Seahawks protection, he’s nonetheless a younger participant who can nonetheless enhance below Mike Macdonald. One thing that could be a little worrying is the truth that three groups have tried to resume with the LB and nobody has reached an settlement. Might his agent have been asking for an exorbitant quantity? Perhaps he’s attempting to capitalize on an elite worth on the place and groups see Jones as “simply” an excellent participant, however not elite.
Jarran Reed, DT
I’ve to be sincere. I used to be completely towards Reed returning to the workforce. He didn’t make an excellent impression in his final season in his first stint. A contract that was clearly dearer than it ought to have been, a suspension, and he even “complained/publicized” about his reduce on social media, stopping the workforce from attempting to make a commerce (not that I believed John Schneider would have been capable of obtain something).
He arrived and have become a frontrunner and the most effective gamers on protection. Whether or not within the operating sport or pressuring the QB, Reed was bodily and aggressive, posting glorious numbers. He completed thirteenth amongst DTs with 48 pressures and eleventh with 10 hits on the quarterback, along with 4.5 sacks and a pressured fumble.
At 32 years previous, if he doesn’t ask for something exorbitant, he would even be a precedence together with Jones.
Laken Tomlinson, G
He was introduced in promoting the concept that he was a stable veteran. Nevertheless, if you happen to had been to observe half a dozen of his video games with the Jets, you’ll see that he was a complete catastrophe. Whereas he performed nearly each snap and was one among solely two starters to not miss a sport, Tomlinson gave up 38 pressures and 6 sacks in 17 video games, rating among the many six worst in each classes. He was additionally inconsistent within the operating sport, unable to impose himself on the line of scrimmage and missing the explosiveness to achieve the second degree.
The workforce shouldn’t re-sign him. It’s value remembering that as a result of variety of snaps he has performed, he’ll earn a bonus in 2025, even with out being on the roster.
Johnathan Hankins, DT
I don’t rule out his return to the workforce, however I don’t suppose he has been capable of influence the nostril sort out place as anticipated, particularly within the first few video games the place the protection had lots of issues towards the run sport. I feel the workforce could search for an alternative choice for the position, however the truth that he performed for Aden Durde on the Cowboys could assist him get a spot on the workforce.
Tre Brown, CB
Brown gave some hope of being a starter in his first few years, when he was wholesome. Nevertheless, this 12 months he had some very unhealthy video games. See the Giants, Vikings the place a foul of his turned a FG right into a TD, and the ultimate sport towards the Rams the place he missed necessary tackles earlier than leaving to damage. This decline allowed Josh Jobe to have lots of video games. Due to this fact, I feel the perfect factor for each of them is for Brown to have one other workforce in 2025.
Ok’Von Wallace, S
Wallace had an excellent sport towards the Broncos within the workforce’s common season debut. This gave hope that the workforce would play in 3-safety packages. Nevertheless, his efficiency declined and he had fewer and fewer snaps, serving to solely on particular groups. He suffered an ankle damage and was positioned on IR. The workforce opened the window to convey him again, however he ended the 12 months on IR. If he accepts the veteran’s minimal, he could possibly be an fascinating possibility for depth, since I anticipate Rayshawn Jenkins to be reduce.
Pharaoh Brown, TE
He got here in to be a blocking TE. He completed the 12 months with extra holds than three Seahawks OLs mixed (Cross, Tomlinson and Lucas). He additionally suffered a turnover towards the Bears, along with taking snaps from rookie AJ Barner. It was a “gamble” that went very fallacious, so he shouldn’t return.
Artie Burns, CB
Burns had his moments when he was elevated and promoted to the 53-man roster. He’s been with the membership for some time now and has been an inexpensive backup when wholesome. If the workforce can get the veteran minimal worth once more, he may come again since he’s used to the scheme.
Trevis Gipson, EDGE
Seattle traded Darrell Taylor and shortly after Uchenna Nwosu bought harm. Excited about strengthening the sector, the workforce traded for Gipson. The commerce backfired. Gipson couldn’t be energetic in lots of video games and ended the 12 months on IR. His largest spotlight was a blunder in protection on JARED GOFF towards the Lions.
He received’t be again and possibly received’t discover a workforce that may pay him something greater than the veteran minimal.
Stone Forsythe, OT
Accidents struck once more and he had a protracted stint on IR. He turned a starter in Week 2 after Abe Lucas and George Fant bought harm. Forsythe gave up 35 pressures in six weeks, the worst OT within the league by a protracted shot. He was even capable of return from IR, however the workforce determined to provide the beginning job to sixth-round rookie Mike Jerrell. I don’t suppose the workforce will convey him again.
