Manned Up: How Will Seahawks Proceed at Cornerback?

In a departure from earlier seasons in the Pete Carroll era, Seattle plans to ditch its zone-heavy philosophy in favor of a more aggressive defense with more man coverage. What does that mean for their roster-building process at cornerback?

Pulling back the curtain more than some anticipated in his first press conference as defensive coordinator, Clint Hurtt painted a clear picture for what he envisions the Seahawks defense will look like under his watch.

Hurtt, who was announced as Ken Norton Jr.'s replacement earlier this month after five seasons with Seattle as a defensive line coach, vowed for a more aggressive defense with more blitzing and less defensive linemen dropping into coverage. Schematically, he plans to implement a 3-4 structure similar to what he learned from defensive guru Vic Fangio during their time together in Chicago that features more diverse coverages than coach Pete Carroll's traditional Cover 3-heavy system.

Most notably, Hurtt told reporters the Seahawks' scheme would "not be so zoney," indicating they would be playing more man coverage than previous seasons. This would be a significant departure from how their defense has operated over the past 12 seasons, including last season when they ran Cover 1 with man coverage underneath only 13 percent of the time, which ranked 31st in the NFL per TruMedia.

Of course, this revelation created immediate questions about whether or not Seattle currently has the personnel on the roster to successfully dial up man coverage at a higher rate.

In the past, Seattle has employed long, lengthy cornerbacks such as Richard Sherman and Brandon Browner who excelled in press coverage and played at their best dropping into zone and reading the quarterback. While there are exceptions, those type of players typically don't have the quickness or change of direction aptitude to thrive in man-heavy schemes.

Over the past couple of seasons, however, the Seahawks have moved away from their traditional prototypes at outside cornerback.

Claimed off waivers from the 49ers in July 2020, 5-foot-9 defender D.J. Reed wound up starting 20 games over the past two seasons, amassing four interceptions and 10 pass breakups while allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete just 56 percent of their passes when targeting him. Then last April, the Seahawks invested a fourth-round pick in 5-foot-10 cornerback Tre Brown, who played well in five games before suffering a season-ending knee injury in November.

Thanks to the success of Reed and Brown, Carroll seems to have opened his eyes to the possibility smaller, quicker cornerbacks can still excel in his system on the outside. With the scheme set to continue its evolution next season with Hurtt and associate head coach Sean Desai joining forces, those may be the type of defenders Seattle prefers at the position moving forward.

Keeping that in mind, for those concerned about the Seahawks not having adequate personnel in place to ramp up their man coverage rates, stats suggest the opposite. Albeit in limited sample sizes, per PFF, Reed allowed just five receptions on 13 targets for 45 yards and a touchdown in man coverage last season. Back in 2020, he performed at a high level in man coverage as well, allowing a 52 percent completion rate on 19 targets for 119 yards, no touchdowns, and a pass breakup.

As for Seattle's other outside cornerbacks, Brown didn't allow a reception on three targets in man, while Sidney Jones' numbers were dramatically altered by a broken coverage touchdown allowed in his second start in Week 5. Taking that 68-yard mishap out of the equation, he allowed seven receptions on 12 targets for 92 yards and registered one pass breakup when manned up. With the Jaguars in 2020, he allowed only six completions on 15 targets, but he did surrender two touchdowns and 20 yards per reception.

Based off of those numbers, that's one of several reasons why the Seahawks plan to prioritize keeping their current secondary intact if possible. Reed and Jones both possess the quickness and overall athleticism to consistently hold up in man coverage and they are both 26 years old or younger. In an ideal situation, they will be able to re-sign both of them while also locking up star free safety Quandre Diggs on a multi-year deal.

In the event they lose Reed or Jones in free agency, Seattle expects Brown to make a full recovery from a patellar tendon injury in time for training camp and the former Oklahoma standout could slide into the other starting spot without a hitch.

If the Seahawks were to decide going in a different direction, free agency hasn't worked out for them adding veterans at the position. Back in 2015, Cary Williams lasted only 10 games into his multi-year contract before the team benched and released him. Last year, Ahkello Witherspoon didn't even make it out of training camp before the team dealt him to the Steelers for a fifth-round pick.

Even when it comes to trading for corners, most recently, general manager John Schneider's decision to ship a fifth-round pick to Washington for Quinton Dunbar didn't pan out either. He played in just six games in his lone season in Seattle due to injury and was out of the league last season entirely.

With that said, Schneider may not be able to resist the temptation of pursuing All-Pro J.C. Jackson if the Patriots don't franchise tag him and he hits the open market on March 16. Viewed as the best man cover corner in the game today, he allowed just 30 completions on 62 targets (48 percent) and one touchdown while picking off five passes and producing nine pass breakups in man coverage in 2021 according to PFF.

If the Seahawks truly plan on transitioning towards running less zone and more man coverage, Jackson would be an incredible foundational piece to build the secondary around.

The issue, of course, would be price. Spotrac sets the 27-year old Jackson's market value at five years, $104.7 million, or $20.9 million per year. Listed as their sixth-best free agent, Pro Football Focus forecasts he will receive a four-year, $72 million contract at $18 million annually with $56 million guaranteed. Given their track record with free agent corners, that would be an incredibly expensive roll of the dice when the team has other major needs to address with limited cap space.

As far as other free agent options to consider, veteran Stephon Gilmore only played in eight games for the Panthers after being acquired from the Patriots. But even at 31 years of age, he continued to thrive in man coverage, allowing just three receptions on nine targets for 21 yards with two interceptions. At this stage of his career, he would be far more affordable than Jackson if he wants to test the market and remains productive.

If Seattle wants to go younger for a higher-upside signing, former Chiefs starter Charvarious Ward could be a target to consider. The 25-year old allowed only 13 receptions on 34 targets in man coverage last season, recording four pass breakups and allowing only one touchdown as quarterbacks posted a 69.4 rating against him. He also has been an incredibly reliable tackler, as he has missed just 11 tackles on over 2,700 career defensive snaps.

Considered one of the top five corners available, Spotrac sets Ward's value at $9.9 million annually, while Pro Football Focus projects he will receive a three-year, $34.5 million deal worth $11.5 annually with nearly $20 million guaranteed. Those numbers would skyrocket if Jackson and Buccaneers cornerback Carlton Davis receive the franchise tag from their respective teams, however.

Ultimately, from a cost and scheme fit standpoint, though fans may love the idea of pursuing a top flight cornerback in free agency, the Seahawks best course of action looks to be re-signing Reed and/or Jones. While neither player has extensive reps in man coverage, they possess many of the traits needed to be successful going one-on-one against opposing receivers and they should be far more affordable than trying to reel in a big fish like Jackson or even Gilmore.

To get the most bang for their buck, re-signing Reed to a three-year, $24 million pact as projected by PFF would allow Seattle to lock down a starting corner for the foreseeable future while also setting money aside to address other needs, including adding a pass rusher or upgrading at center. While they could choose to draft a corner instead, bringing back Jones on a one-year deal shouldn't disrupt the team's budgetary or roster building plans either.