How Defensive Coordinator Choice Could Benefit Seahawks in Free Agency

While Seattle's quest to find a replacement for Ken Norton Jr. has operated at a crawl so far, their final selection could lead to several package deals acquiring quality defensive players in free agency.

More than two weeks ago, the Seahawks made a somewhat unexpected move firing defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr., creating a significant opening on coach Pete Carroll's staff after a disappointing 7-10 campaign.

Since the team officially reported Norton's dismissal, aside from a few reported interview requests, Seattle's mission to find a successor has operated at a snail's pace. The organization has been linked to former Broncos coordinator Ed Donatell, former Bears coordinator Sean Desai, and Cowboys secondary coach Joe Whitt Jr. as outside candidates, while current defensive line coach Clint Hurtt also is in consideration. It remains unknown if any of those coaches have even been interviewed yet.

If there's a silver lining, the Seahawks haven't rushed into a decision with several other teams such as the Vikings, Jaguars, and Texans still taking their time hiring new head coaches who will need to assemble their own staffs. At this point, all of the candidates linked to the coordinator vacancy remain available, with reports surfacing on Tuesday morning indicating Desai wouldn't be retained by new Bears coach Matt Eberflus.

While Seattle may decide to stick with status quo by elevating Hurtt to take Norton's place, the other three alternatives offer plenty of intrigue. Donatell helped coordinate two top-10 scoring defenses in Denver the past three years and worked previously with Carroll, Desai helped Chicago finish in the top five in sacks and passing defense despite missing its best pass rusher most of the 2021 season, and Whitt helped transform the Cowboys into the NFL's top turnover-creating defense.

If there's another reason why hiring from the outside may be a wise move for the Seahawks, all three of the aforementioned coaches could help persuade at least one quality defensive player to join them in the Pacific Northwest as part of a free agency package deal. This is far from an uncommon practice in the NFL, as the Seahawks themselves signed tight end Gerald Everett weeks after hiring Shane Waldron as their offensive coordinator last March.

Spending nearly a decade with the Bears, Desai worked his way up the coaching ladder before being promoted to coordinator last season, serving as a defensive quality control coach from 2013 to 2018 and a safeties coach from 2019 to 2020. During that time, he helped develop cornerback Kyle Fuller and safety Eddie Jackson into All-Pro defenders under his watch.

Interestingly, the 29-year old Fuller will become an unrestricted free agent in March after spending a lone season with the Broncos. While his production took a hit in Denver, his best seasons came under Desai's watch in the Windy City, as he produced 12 interceptions and 55 passes defensed from 2017 to 2019 while earning two Pro Bowl nods and a First-Team All-Pro selection.

Slot cornerback Bryce Callahan, another one of Desai's former proteges in Chicago, will also be available in free agency as a potential upgrade over incumbents Marquise Blair and Ugo Amadi. Though durability has been an issue for the seven-year veteran, he picked off four passes and posted 12 passes defensed in 2017 and 2018 playing alongside Fuller.

Given their poor track record signing veteran corners in free agency, the Seahawks may not be inclined to sign Fuller or Callahan and prefer to try to re-sign D.J. Reed and/or Sidney Jones instead. But Desai's connections with the Bears could help them land an even bigger prize in versatile defensive lineman Akiem Hicks, who will also be an unrestricted free agent.

Injuries limited the 335-pound Hicks to just nine games last season, but he remained productive, amassing nine quarterback hits and 3.5 sacks. Just two years ago, while he only had 3.5 sacks in 15 games, Pro Football Focus credited him with 50 quarterback pressures and 16 quarterback hits. He averaged 50 pressures per season in 2017 and 2018 as well, exhibiting unexpected pass rushing chops at his size while seeing action at defensive tackle and defensive end.

Also renowned for his run stuffing ability, Hicks recently turned 32 years old and assuming he has recovered from the ankle injury that dogged him last season, teaming him up with Poona Ford would give the Seahawks one of the most formidable all-around interior defensive lines in the league.

Desai isn't the only candidate who could bring a talented defensive asset along with him to Seattle, however. Donatell also has prior connections coaching Fuller and Callahan in Denver, but most notably, he also coached All-Pro pass rusher Von Miller for parts of three seasons during his time with the organization.

Miller, who was dealt to the Rams before the trade deadline, is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent for the first time in March shortly before his 33rd birthday. Though he missed the entire 2020 season due to injury, he racked up 8.0 sacks in 2019 playing for Donatell and has recorded 7.0 sacks in his last seven games to help guide his new team to the Super Bowl, showing he still packs plenty of punch rushing off the edge.

Miller has thrived in a 3-4 defense throughout his career, but even though Carroll's defense is viewed as a 4-3, the scheme applies 3-4 principles. With Donatell as the coordinator, they wouldn't have any difficulty integrating him and even with his best years likely behind him, he still has the upside to approach double digit sacks playing and his presence along with Carlos Dunlap and Darrell Taylor would immediately bolster Seattle's pass rush.

As for Whitt Jr., while the Cowboys don't have any high profile defenders set to hit free agency, a pair of pass rushers and a veteran safety could be potential options for the Seahawks to consider signing if he replaces Norton.

Although his career has been plagued to this point by substance abuse issues, defensive end Randy Gregory has righted the ship to play in 22 games for Dallas over the past two seasons, producing 9.5 sacks and 29 quarterback hits as a rotational rusher. Still just 29 years old, while keeping him clean remains a concern, he's a plus athlete at 6-foot-5, 255 pounds who could wreak havoc off the edge for Seattle.

Along with Gregory, former Kansas standout Dorance Armstrong Jr. will also be available to sign on the free agent market as a rotational rusher. After struggling to carve out a consistent role in his first three NFL seasons, he broke out with 5.0 sacks, 12 quarterback hits, and a fumble returned for a touchdown in 2021 and at 25 years of age, his best football should still be in front of him.

If the Seahawks aren't able to re-sign Pro Bowl safety Quandre Diggs, Damontae Kazee could be a quality fallback option to head out west with Whitt. The former fifth-round pick out of San Diego State has started 49 games in five seasons with the Falcons and Cowboys, playing free safety for ex-Seahawks coordinator Dan Quinn for the majority of that time. He previously had seven interceptions for Atlanta in 2018 and produced a pair of picks and two forced fumbles in 17 games last season.

As head coaching vacancies continue to get filled in coming days, the Seahawks should expedite their process pursuing Norton's successor. If interviews haven't already taken place, they should commence in the near future with scheme fit, coaching philosophy, and prior experience among other important factors being kept in consideration for each respective candidate.

While connections with pending free agents from other teams likely won't be prioritized by Carroll, Seattle would love to add an impact player such as Miller or Hicks to the equation in 2022. As evidenced by Waldron and Everett last year, those relationships do matter in the scheme of things and could play a role in who the organization ultimately decides to hire as the new defensive coordinator.