Making Sense of Seahawks' Right Tackle Choices
During the early stages of free agency, the Seahawks stuck to their tradition of seeking out bargain deals rather than splurging on star players.
Most notably, Seattle quickly made its plans for the offensive line evident, choosing to sign veteran tackle Brandon Shell to a two-year, $11 million deal rather than retain George Fant or Germain Ifedi. General manager John Schneider also signed versatile lineman B.J. Finney along with former first-round picks Chance Warmack and Cedric Ogbuehi.
When news initially broke about Shell's signing, it looked like the Seahawks were opting for the cheaper route to address the right tackle position. After all, Ifedi's fifth-year option worth more than $10 million had been declined by the team and the ex-Texas A&M standout was projected to earn at least that much on a new deal in free agency.
Much to the surprise of many, however, Ifedi didn't cash in as expected. More than a week into free agency, he remained unsigned while other top tackles signed lucrative deals, signaling interest around the league was lukewarm at best.
When Ifedi finally agreed to a one-year deal with the Bears on March 25, financial details weren't immediately disclosed. Most analysts speculated his contract would be worth at least as much as the Seahawks paid Shell, if not more.
But as reported on Saturday, that wasn't the case at all. According to Field Yates of ESPN, Ifedi will earn just $910,000 in base salary in 2020, a stunningly low offer for a young player with 60 NFL starts under his belt. As a result, the Seahawks won't be getting any compensatory selections from his departure.
This revelation creates a boatload of questions in regard to how Schneider and Seattle have handled the offensive line situation in free agency. And of course, it sparks curiosity about Ifedi's market in general.
If he wasn't getting any better offers than what the Bears gave him, why didn't the Seahawks try to keep him? Or if they did, what kind of offer did they make?
Coach Pete Carroll clamored for continuity along the offensive line back in January, indicating Seattle hoped to keep the unit intact as much as possible. At the time, it didn't seem feasible with Fant and Ifedi both anticipated to have active markets.
Once it became obvious Ifedi wasn't going to command anything close to what most projected - which should have been apparent quickly - it's worth wondering what kind of contract, if any, the Seahawks offered him.
While he hasn't been a top-15 right tackle at any point in his NFL career and became a constant source of frustration for fans, Ifedi entered free agency with a number of factors playing into his favor. He's only 25 years old, has only missed four games due to injury, and made considerable strides over the past two years working with line coach Mike Solari.
Yet, Ifedi's inability to curb his penalty issues and inconsistencies as a pass protector clearly spooked potential suitors. Known more for his run blocking prowess, only a handful of teams run offenses catered to his skill set, which also likely lowered his value.
Most importantly, this year's draft class seemed to hold weight in the decisions for many teams. Rather than spend big bucks on average players like Ifedi, executives have set their sights on a deep and talented group of incoming tackles.
From Seattle's perspective, signing Shell won't deter them from drafting one of those standout tackles later this month. Paying him $5.5 million per year isn't an expensive deal either in comparison to other right tackles around the league, even if he ultimately ends up only being a one-year starter.
With that said, Ifedi will now be making less than a fifth of Shell's salary in 2020. When comparing the two players, they're neck-and-neck in most categories from Pro Football Focus grades to ESPN Pass Block Win rates, as showcased here.
It's also worth noting the Seahawks paid Ogbuehi, who didn't start a single game for the Jaguars last season, $2.3 million with $500,000 guaranteed to replace Fant in a swing tackle role. That's significantly more than Ifedi managed to net in his one-year pact.
There's likely more to the story here than just numbers. Tired of the criticism from fans, maybe Ifedi simply didn't want to play in Seattle anymore and rejected a better offer to stay as a result. Or given how quickly they snagged Shell, maybe the front office was ready to move on regardless of price.
Time will tell if the Seahawks made the right move. But for now, it's hard not to view this as Seattle paying significantly more for an older, comparable player, which is a big deal given the team's current cap situation.
