Where Things Stand With Seahawks' Remaining Free Agents Post-Draft
With the 2022 NFL Draft out of the way and signings no longer counting towards the compensatory pick formula, the final significant wave of free agency should ramp up here in short order. Several high-profile names remain, as well as a few other potential contributors.
Aside from those the Seahawks cut this offseason, there are still five players remaining from the team's original pool of unrestricted free agents. This includes tackles Duane Brown and Brandon Shell, running backs Alex Collins and Adrian Peterson and defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche.
Brown is the most notable of the quintet, entering his 15th season in the NFL after notching his fifth Pro Bowl appearance at the age of 36 last year. The odds of a return to Seattle for either him or Shell have been whittled down to zero in light of the draft, which saw the Seahawks select tackles Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas with two of their first four picks. Barring injury, Cross is undoubtedly going to be the team's starting left tackle from the jump. Meanwhile, Lucas will enter a battle for the right tackle job with 2021 rookies Jake Curhan and Stone Forsythe.
That means Brown—as well as Shell—will be heading elsewhere this summer, assuming he doesn't change his mind and calls it a career. There have been rumblings that the Colts, who faced Brown twice a year during his days in the AFC South as a member of the Texans, could show interest. However, it's possible their recent signing of former Packers and Titans tackle Dennis Kelly has taken them out of the running.
Shell, on the other hand, was reportedly being courted by former Seahawks and now Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson at the start of free agency. But since then, his market has seemingly gone cold.
Relevant to both Brown and Shell's situations, some teams that could still be on the lookout for tackle help at one or both sides include the Bears, Steelers, Falcons and a few others.
Looking at the other three original UFAs of Seattle's, Peterson may stand out the most. But at the age of 37, coming off a back injury and an offseason marred by legal issues, it's possible the future Hall of Famer has played his last snap in the NFL.
Collins, after showing flashes of production last year, should be able to land in training camp with a team and, at the very least, make his way onto a practice squad. Perhaps that could even be with the Seahawks, who may dive into the market for depth at running back if Chris Carson (neck) is released next month as speculated. At this point, it remains unclear if he will be able to play again.
Lastly, Nkemdiche's situation is a bit more curious. He failed to revitalize his career in 2021, which could spell the end of the road for him altogether. But it's possible another team may believe in him enough to extend an invitation to training camp.
Outside of Collins, though, it would appear unlikely that Seattle will show interest in any of the aforementioned players. That also goes for the likes of defensive ends Carlos Dunlap and Benson Mayowa, who were both cut by the team.
OverTheCap.com currently projects the Seahawks to have $6.4 million in salary cap space after accounting for their eventual rookie signings. That number would grow to $10 million flat if Carson is released after June 1, so it's possible general manager John Schneider and company still have one noteworthy move up their sleeves before the season kicks off in September.
