Seahawks Free Agent Primer: Should Poona Ford Return After Down Season?
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On the heels of a surprising 9-8 season that culminated in an unexpected playoff berth, the Seattle Seahawks have plenty of roster questions to address heading into another important offseason as they continue their quest back to Super Bowl contention.
When the new league year opens on March 15, Seattle will have 23 players scheduled to hit the market as unrestricted free agents. Three players will be restricted free agents and five will be exclusive rights free agents, while several other key veterans such as linebacker Uchenna Nwosu will be entering the final season of their respective deals ready to negotiate extensions.
Over the next several weeks, I will break down each and every one of the Seahawks' unrestricted free agents by revisiting their 2022 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 2023.
Continuing the series, Poona Ford didn't always seem like the best schematic fit in Seattle's hybrid 3-4 defense. After a year playing in the system and a late season surge, will the team prioritize bringing him back on a new contract?
Season In Review
Entering the final year of a two-year extension, Ford remained entrenched in Seattle's starting lineup despite a switch from a 4-3 defense to a hybrid 3-4 scheme. Struggling to adapt as a two-gapping defensive tackle and battling run fit issues as a result, he got off to a slow start by his standards, recording only seven tackles and three pressures in the first four regular season games. Logging nearly 700 defensive snaps in 17 starts, he finished sixth on the team with 23 quarterback pressures, a career-high three sacks and 35 combined tackles, 18 fewer than he produced in 2021.
Why Seattle Should Re-Sign Him
While Ford's overall production took a dip last season, much of that decline likely can be attributed to misusing the athletic defender in a new scheme. Known for his burst off the line and a quick first step at 310 pounds, his best traits weren't maximized as a "read and react" defensive tackle instead of a penetrator and once the Seahawks started to cut him and his teammates loose after a sluggish start, his performance improved substantially during a four-game winning streak in October and November.
From Week 5 to Week 8, he registered eight pressures, a pair of sacks, and four tackles for loss, returning to his former disruptive self from 3-tech and 4i-tech alignments. After a roller coaster of a season, another offseason to mesh his talents with the scheme could pay major dividends for the player and coaching staff.
Why Seattle Should Let Him Walk
For as much promise as Ford has demonstrated in bursts as an interior pass rusher, he's never been able to get over the hump and turn in a breakout season hunting down quarterbacks. In fact, while he did record a trio of sacks and enjoyed a late season surge, he took a slight step back overall in 2022, generating 10 less pressures than he did in 2021.
He still has yet to hit double digit quarterback hits in a season and more alarmingly, his typically stout run defense went off the rails for much of 2022, as Pro Football Focus graded him 54th out of 76 qualified defensive tackles. Unable to make the same impact in a scheme that didn't accentuate his strengths, his 12 run stops classified as failed plays for the offense ranked a dismal 65th at the position, well below his previous standards and falling far short of the value of his contract.
Ideal Contract
Three years, $19.5 million
Prediction
Mined as an undrafted gem out of Texas in 2018 and quickly becoming a glue guy up front by doing everything the right way, the Seahawks would love to keep Ford in the fold, especially considering he's only 27 years old and may still have room to develop. Given his track record, the front office may view his subpar performance last year as an aberration due to the schematic shift on defense and the growing pains endured by many players. Another offseason could allow the staff to find better ways to unleash his athleticism and get him back on track being more comfortable in the system.
With that said, Ford's best attributes don't necessarily match what Seattle requires from defensive tackles in the scheme and it felt like Clint Hurtt and his staff tried to force a square peg into a round hole last season. Likely to command at least $6 million per year on the market due to his youth and starting experience, that's a steep cost for a player who may no longer be the right fit from a personnel standpoint. At the right price, he has a chance to return, especially if he's used more as a nose tackle. But there's a strong probability the Seahawks choose to go a different direction and retool their defensive line with players better suited for their defense.
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