Seahawks Overview and Outlook: Shaquill Griffin
Over the course of the offseason, we will explore different players from the 2020 Seahawks roster and evaluate them. We will review their performance from the previous season, what worked, what did not, and then glance at what their future may hold with the Seahawks or perhaps elsewhere.
This week's focus player is cornerback Shaquill Griffin, who will become an unrestricted free agent in March.
2020 Overview
Coming off a Pro Bowl campaign in 2019, expectations were high for the University of Central Florida product this past season. Injuries nagged Griffin for much of the season and, at times, it showed on the field. He nearly missed the entirety of November with a hamstring injury, only appearing in the Seahawks' last game of the month versus the Eagles.
There were some bright spots for the 25-year old. While he was not selected for a second straight Pro Bowl, he did set a career-high with three interceptions. Griffin has never been one to rack up interceptions but this year he took a big step forward in that regard. He also racked up 63 tackles, the fifth-best mark on the squad along with a team-high 12 passes defended.
After allowing a 97.3 passer rating in his Pro Bowl season, Griffin actually improved to a 93.3 rating allowed in 2020. He also cut his missed tackle rate by over half, going from 13.3 percent in 2019 to six percent this past season.
Pro Football Focus was not as kind to Griffin, going from a 78.0 overall grade in 2019 to 64.1 in 2020. He was charged with six passing touchdowns allowed, a new career-high as well.
Needless to say, it was an up-and-down season for the fourth-year corner. Essentially, that has been the case for his entire career. With almost 60 games under his belt, Griffin has shown he can be one of the better corners in the league, though he hasn't been able to maintain that on a consistent basis. He did, however, do enough in 2020 to merit a good, long look at a new contract to return to Seattle.
Future Outlook
As mentioned, Griffin is set to enter free agency for the first time in his young career. With four good-not-elite seasons, it's unlikely Griffin will command or receive top dollar. As of now, Jalen Ramsey will be the top paid corner in 2021 at $22.5 million. Griffin just isn't there among the blue-chip corners in the game.
Seattle is typically not a team to use the franchise tag, as they have tagged just two players since 2010: kicker Olindo Mare, and defensive end Frank Clark before trading him to Kansas City in 2019. Over the Cap projects the franchise tag number for a cornerback in 2021 to be around $14.8 million. That's a pretty steep price for Griffin and it's doubtful Seattle would consider that.
Usually when a player starts four years in a row, there is a mutual interest in returning to their original team. The coaching staff knows Griffin and what he is capable of, and what he is not. Familiarity has its benefits. The Seahawks would likely pay him close to - if not more than - another team would shell out.
However, there does seem to be a pretty strong chance that Seattle loses both Griffin and Quinton Dunbar to free agency. And with Tre Flowers only a year younger in the league than Griffin, setting him up to be an unrestricted free agent after the 2021 season, the team's cornerback group may look very different over the next 12-15 months.
Surely, the Seahawks want some stability at such a crucial position. Therefore, it would be surprising, to me, if they let Griffin walk. The Seahawks will be short on free cap space but a three-year, $27 million ($9 million APY) deal seems like a fair offer, more than quadrupling his 2020 salary.
