Seahawks 2022 Free Agent Targets Per Team: NFC North

NFL free agency begins on March 14 and the Seahawks are expected to be among the most active shoppers. Before then, Ty Dane Gonzalez and Colby Patnode are each picking one free agent per team who they feel best fits Seattle's needs this offseason. Up next: the NFC North.

With the Rams crowned NFL champions following their 23-20 victory over the Bengals in Super Bowl LVI, it's time to look ahead at the offseason to come. Beginning March 14, teams will be able to negotiate contracts with the free agent class of 2022, and the Seahawks—fresh off a disappointing 7-10 campaign—are expected to be among the most active clubs.

As the new league year inches closer, Ty Dane Gonzalez and Colby Patnode will each be picking one free agent per team who they feel fits Seattle the best. Up next in this exercise is the NFC North.

Chicago Bears

Ty Dane Gonzalez: DL Akiem Hicks

Now 10 years into his NFL career, Hicks remains one of the most criminally underrated defenders in today's sport. An absolute game-wrecker when he's healthy, the California native unfortunately missed eight games in the last of his six seasons with the Bears this past year. Nursing various ailments, he still managed to post a decent 9.3 pressure percentage, 3.5 sacks and 66.0 run defense grade from Pro Football Focus in new Seahawks associate head coach Sean Desai's defense. Given his familiarity with Desai and defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt, it's not hard to connect the dots here. There's an obvious fit, and Seattle needs better production out of its big end role than what it got from Kerry Hyder and crew a season ago. 

Colby Patnode: DL Akiem Hicks

As Seattle transitions into a Vic Fangio-style 3-4 defense, finding players with sizeable experience in such a scheme could be of interest to Pete Carroll and John Schneider. There were also murmurs that, in the Bears' trade offer for Russell Wilson, Hicks was one of the returning pieces discussed. The veteran defensive lineman is coming off a good year, earning a 72.3 overall grade from Pro Football Focus while recording 3.5 sacks in just nine games. He has the size to handle the nose, but is also still athletic enough at 33 years old to play multiple positions and roles on the defensive line. He’s not going to be cheap, but is likely going to be forced to take a short, one- or two-year deal worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $6 million APY. For this price, the Seahawks should be interested.

Detroit Lions

Gonzalez: EDGE Charles Harris

Signing a one-year deal with the Lions last offseason, Harris put together a career year in the "Motor City." On the field for 871 snaps—375 more than his previous career-high—the Missouri alum finished the 2021 campaign with a personal-best 7.5 sacks on 52 pressures with 65 tackles. With numbers like those, he's going to be a fairly hot commodity on this year's market. I would expect the Seahawks to be among his potential suitors, especially when taking his experience playing outside linebacker in a 3-4 base defense into consideration. There's a lot to like here. 

Patnode: T Tyrell Crosby

Nothing will get Seahawks fans more excited than an average offensive lineman; and thankfully, Tyrell Crosby scratches that itch. But in a more serious manner, Crosby missed the entire 2021 season and is now set to hit free agency. The one-time right tackle for the Lions was kept out of action with a back injury that required surgery, though the Lions' medical team misdiagnosed his original injury. There were signs of a fractured relationship before this, and it appears that both sides are ready to move on. Crosby isn’t a Pro Bowl-caliber tackle, but when healthy, he put up consistently solid grades. He’s been oft-injured in his career, but there is still upside with a relatively high floor left in the 27-year old. As an insurance policy on Jake Curhan, or even as a potential competitor for the starting job, there may not be a better lottery ticket for Seattle to purchase.

Green Bay Packers

Gonzalez: WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling

Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll and quarterback Russell Wilson love the kind of speed that can take the top off a defense at any given moment, and Valdes-Scantling certainly offers that with his 4.37-seconds speed. While that's the majority of his value as a pass catcher, his fairly limited skillset would arguably be a better fit for a team like Seattle rather than Green Bay, given the former has two All-Pro talents atop its receiving corps and better overall depth with the likes of Freddie Swain and Dee Eskridge. Valdes-Scantling wouldn't open things up in the middle field any further than they already are for Wilson, but let's not kid ourselves: whether it's the right thing to do or not, the Seahawks are first and foremost going to take a healthy dose of shots downfield on a Sunday-to-Sunday basis. Therefore, adding another player capable of making them more explosive on that front is naturally going to be of interest to them. 

Patnode: CB Kevin King

Green Bay has several interesting players heading towards free agency. While the idea of adding Davante Adams is fun, we’re trying to live in a world of reality here and Seattle is not going to commit to paying three receivers a combined $55 to $60 million total. If either ZaDarius Smith or Preston Smith are released, they should fly to the top of this list, but for now, they’re still members of the Green Bay Packers. Meanwhile, King is a fantastic blend of old-school Carroll cornerback play and the hyper athleticism of current Seattle corners to pair with D.J. Reed. He’s fast, explosive and likely much cheaper than his teammate Rasul Douglas, who is also a name to watch. I can’t see the Seahawks spending big on a cornerback not named D.J. Reed, so King is the name to keep an eye on here. Don’t be surprised if De’Vondre Campbell’s name comes up in the next few weeks as well. He’s an underrated player who fits the Seahawks' new 3-4 scheme. 

Minnesota Vikings

Gonzalez: C Mason Cole

Looking at the Vikings' upcoming class of free agents, nothing truly stands out for the Seahawks. There are "names," to be certain, but none are ideal fits from a stylistic and/or financial perspective. As a result, my pick here is frankly unexciting, though he's an affordable depth piece, which does have its value. Playing in a wide zone scheme—albeit a bit different than how Seattle runs its version of the approach—Cole appeared in seven games in 2021, starting six. The majority of his 471 snaps came at center, though he finished the season with three consecutive starts at right guard. At both spots, he earned high marks for his skills as a run blocker, but his pass protection was graded at an abysmal 44.1 clip by Pro Football Focus. Realistically, he would be signed for the sole purpose of backing up whoever the team brings in to start at center this spring. 

Patnode: CB Patrick Peterson

The quest for a low-risk, high-reward cornerback to play opposite Reed continues with a name that should be all-too-familiar to Seahawks fans. A longtime Cardinal, Peterson is no longer the type of player who can take over a game, but he’s still more than serviceable and does carry the upside Seattle could be shooting for from its No. 2 outside corner. And considering the relatively weak class of “soon-to-be-former-Vikings,” there aren’t that many other options. Peterson is still a solid player, but expecting to get the version that made him a star in Arizona is probably asking for too much. One other name to watch is Tyler Conklin, the tight end coming off a career year. If Seattle can’t retain Will Dissly and/or Gerald Everett, he could make sense.

More Free Agent Targets Per Team

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