Seahawks 2021 Free Agent Primer: Damontre Moore
Following an early Wild Card round exit, the Seahawks have officially transitioned into an offseason that could be one of the most significant of the Pete Carroll and John Schneider era.
When the new 2021 league year kicks off in March, Seattle will have a whopping 24 players set to become unrestricted free agents. Four players will be restricted free agents, while six will be exclusive rights free agents and several others will be entering the final year of their current contracts ready to negotiate extensions, including safety Jamal Adams.
Over the next several weeks, I will break down each and every one of the Seahawks' unrestricted free agents by revisiting their 2020 seasons, assessing why they should or should not be re-signed, breaking down an ideal contract, and making an early prediction on whether or not the player will return in 2021.
Continuing our series, Damontre Moore re-joined the Seahawks as a late free agent signing before the start of the 2020 regular season and provided valuable reps as a reserve and special teams player. Is there room for him to return in 2021?
Season In Review
A free agent until the latter stages of training camp, Moore signed with the Seahawks in early September to add depth at the defensive end position. Despite seeing minimal snaps in a rotational role, he produced four quarterback hits, a sack, and a forced fumble in Seattle's first five regular season games as the team raced out to a 5-0 start. But after a stellar performance against San Francisco in Week 8, he was slapped with a six-game suspension for violating the NFL's policy on performance enhancing drugs. Upon his return in Week 15, he produced a single tackle while primarily playing on special teams.
Why Seattle Should Re-Sign Him
Somehow still only 28 years old, as he has done throughout his entire NFL career, Moore flashed at times as an edge rusher. Primarily used in obvious passing situations, he ranked second on the team behind Benson Mayowa in total quarterback pressures through the first five games of the season. Interestingly, he had more pressures during that span than former Seahawk Jadeveon Clowney at a fraction of the cost. He also surprised as a 260-pound special teams stalwart, making several big hits on kick coverage, including blowing up a returner in a Week 5 win over the Vikings. He plays with great energy and effort, something Seattle values tremendously.
Why Seattle Should Let Him Walk
While coach Pete Carroll has always liked Moore's motor and effort, he's remained unreliable due to his off-field issues and durability concerns. Along with serving multiple drug-related suspensions, he missed the majority of the 2019 season with a broken forearm and a foot injury ended his first stint with the Seahawks in 2016. Despite showing glimpses of upside, he has produced 1.5 sacks over his past five seasons in the NFL combined. That lack of production has been hindered by the fact he hasn't played in many games, but nonetheless, he's proven himself to be little more than a back-of-rotation rushing specialist to this point.
Ideal Contract
1 year at $925,000
Prediction
The Seahawks have several questions to answer along the defensive line, including deciding whether or not Carlos Dunlap will return in 2021. If the veteran signs an extension, there may be little reason to bring back Moore. However, in the event Dunlap is either traded or released, the team will once again have depth concerns at the LEO defensive end spot. Benson Mayowa would be the first priority to re-sign, but under that scenario, re-signing Moore for a veteran's minimum deal would be a wise move and both players could be brought back to compete for reps against Darrell Taylor and Alton Robinson. Most likely, regardless of Dunlap's status, Moore will be a free agent the team can revisit signing later in the offseason after the draft has unfolded if necessary.
Previous Seahawks Free Agent Primers
