Examining Free Agent EDGE Options For Seahawks

The Seahawks are in dire need of a boost off the edge next season. Nick Lee goes over some of the options they'll be able to comb through on the free agent market starting next week.

Author:
Nick Lee
Publish date:
Mar 11, 2022 12:17 PM EST

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Seattle Seahawks

A team that has a fierce pass rush can compete in any game in the NFL, even if the rest of their roster is subpar. At this juncture, with the Seahawks having jettisoned two franchise icons in Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner, their roster is subpar. But they also find themselves with almost $50 million in cap space to work with.

Pass rushers come at a premium these days and Seattle may need to fork over some serious dough to bring in one of the top options in free agency.

Putting them into categories of last resort, capable veterans and best fit, here are some possible options the Seahawks could bring in among pass rushers off the edge.

Last Resort

Derek Barnett

This category will mostly consist of former first-round draft picks who have not panned out. Barnett was taken with pick No. 14 in 2017 by the Eagles and never put together numbers that justified it. Sure, the Eagles won the Super Bowl in his rookie season, but he has turned in just one season north of 5.5 sacks in five years. In 2021, he totaled just 2.0 sacks. The first-round talent is still there; and with some coaching, he could at least yield four or five sacks in 2022.

Dante Fowler Jr.

If there was a poster child for premier pass rushing prospects who were busts, Fowler would be in the running. The Jaguars took him with pick No. 3 in 2015 and he lasted just two-and-a-half seasons in Jacksonville. With the Rams in 2019, he did put together what is now looking like an anomaly, posting 11.5 sacks. That is his only season of more than 4.5 sacks since 2017. With Seattle's new-look defense, he may be a fit. However, his attitude and lack of consistency may turn fans and coaches off.

Everson Griffen

A few years ago, many Seahawks fans were clamoring for Griffen. He went elsewhere and then ended up back in Minnesota in 2021. His best days are behind him, having recently turned 34 years old. He did have 5.0 sacks in just nine games last year. Another concern is that he finished the season on the non-football illness list, dealing with mental health challenges late in the season.

Jadeveon ClowneyDo the Seahawks dare go round two with Clowney? The first go-around was a rollercoaster. Despite positive peripheral numbers, he finished his only campaign in Seattle with just 3.0 sacks in 2019. After a lost year with the Titans in 2020, he signed on with the Browns last spring and had a resurgence. He posted 9.0 sacks and 19 quarterback hits⁠—the second-highest total of his career. Amazingly, he is still not yet 30 years old and clearly still has some juice in the tank. Perhaps there is a situation where both sides feel like a reunion would be beneficial, especially given the change in staff on Seattle's defense. Melvin IngramIngram's best years are definitely in the rearview mirror, but he can still offer some quality production. He is only a few seasons removed from three straight Pro Bowl selections from 2017 to 2019⁠—all with the Chargers. He is a versatile, athletic weapon that Clint Hurtt and company would love to have at their disposal. Despite his low sack total of 2.0 last season, Pro Football Focus rewarded him with a strong 79.7 overall grade.Jason Pierre-PaulEven at 33 years old, Pierre-Paul is just one season removed from a Pro Bowl campaign. As part of the 2020 Super Bowl champion Buccaneers, he posted 9.5 sacks. He hit a speed bump in 2021, with just 2.5 sacks and a lowly 49.1 grade from Pro Football Focus. This likely drives down his price, which would have otherwise been lofty had he been a free agent following his 2020 campaign.

Chandler JonesMy, how the tables turn. For over half of a decade, Jones has tortured the Seahawks, especially Russell Wilson, as a member of the division rival Cardinals. To this point, no player has sacked Wilson more than Jones in the quarterback's career. Wilson has now left Seattle, but a marriage between the fierce pass rusher out of Syracuse and the Seahawks seems like a match made in heaven. Even at 32 years old, Jones still racks up the sacks like he is in his mid-20s. After an injury-riddled 2020, he bounced back last year with 10.5 sacks, marking the sixth time in the last seven seasons he has collected double-digit sacks, along with earning his fourth trip to the Pro Bowl.  Von Miller A few years ago, this might not have made much sense for the Seahawks. But now, there seems to be a better fit, and the possible future Hall of Famer is still playing at a high level. He gave the Rams a huge boost on their way to a Super Bowl title in 2021, notching 5.0 sacks and 14 total pressures in eight games for L.A. Then Miller cranked things up in the playoffs, posting 4.0 sacks in four games on his way to securing his second career ring. Soon to be 33 years old, a decline for Miller is imminent. However, it's hard to tell at the moment as he seemed to have a renaissance late in 2021. Haason Reddick Jones' former teammate in Arizona also would be an instant boost for a lackluster push rush in Seattle. Reddick is more of a traditional, stand-up EDGE rusher than a 5-tech defensive end, but Seattle may be more open to deploying such an attack this year. In the last two seasons, for two different teams, Reddick has amassed 23.5 sacks, 34 quarterback hits and a whopping 67 total pressures. At just 27 years old, there is reason to believe he is smack in the middle of his prime. Of all the options listed, Reddick would offer the best chance at production in 2022 as well as future upside. Of course, that means he would be the most expensive. The Seahawks have some of the most cap space in the league to pull it off.

Capable Veterans

Jadeveon Clowney

Do the Seahawks dare go round two with Clowney? The first go-around was a rollercoaster. Despite positive peripheral numbers, he finished his only campaign in Seattle with just 3.0 sacks in 2019. After a lost year with the Titans in 2020, he signed on with the Browns last spring and had a resurgence. He posted 9.0 sacks and 19 quarterback hits⁠—the second-highest total of his career. Amazingly, he is still not yet 30 years old and clearly still has some juice in the tank. Perhaps there is a situation where both sides feel like a reunion would be beneficial, especially given the change in staff on Seattle's defense.

Melvin Ingram

Ingram's best years are definitely in the rearview mirror, but he can still offer some quality production. He is only a few seasons removed from three straight Pro Bowl selections from 2017 to 2019⁠—all with the Chargers. He is a versatile, athletic weapon that Clint Hurtt and company would love to have at their disposal. Despite his low sack total of 2.0 last season, Pro Football Focus rewarded him with a strong 79.7 overall grade.

Jason Pierre-Paul

Even at 33 years old, Pierre-Paul is just one season removed from a Pro Bowl campaign. As part of the 2020 Super Bowl champion Buccaneers, he posted 9.5 sacks. He hit a speed bump in 2021, with just 2.5 sacks and a lowly 49.1 grade from Pro Football Focus. This likely drives down his price, which would have otherwise been lofty had he been a free agent following his 2020 campaign.