Seahawks Free Agent Primer: Time Run Out on L.J. Collier in Seattle?

Once again a non-factor while playing fewer than half of the team's games, L.J. Collier barely showed up on the stat sheet for the Seattle Seahawks. Is there any chance for him to stick around for one more season?

Author:
Corbin K. Smith
Publish date:
Feb 27, 2023 11:40 AM EST

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Seattle Seahawks

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, we'll 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.

Unable to bounce back as hoped from a dreadful third season, L.J. Collier remained stuck in the mire as a seldom-used reserve in 2022. With the defensive line set to undergo significant changes, is there any chance he returns for a fifth season?

Season In Review

Looking to rebound from a season in which Seattle held him out as a healthy scratch for seven games, Collier bulked up to north of 280 pounds to play inside in the team's new hybrid 3-4 scheme and encouraged coaches during the offseason program. However, he injured his left elbow during the preseason, which led to him opening the regular season on injured reserve. Playing in eight games after being activated and receiving 149 total defensive snaps, he failed to record a sack for the third time in four seasons and generated just three quarterback pressures

Why Seattle Should Re-Sign Him

While Collier didn't provide many contributions last season - or in three of his four seasons in Seattle for that matter - the former TCU standout does provide a bit of schematic flexibility. Returning to a heavier weight last season allowed him to better handle the rigors of the trenches and he played the bulk of his snaps as a 3-tech/4i-tech defensive tackle. In the past, he has lined up outside as a 4-3 defensive end, even playing standup outside linebacker for the Horned Frogs occasionally.

Why Seattle Should Let Him Walk

Away from being positionally flexible, Collier has done little to prove he can get the job done in the NFL. Injuries have been a significant part of that, as an ankle injury in training camp put him behind the eight ball as a rookie and he never seemed to recover development-wise. But even when healthy, he has generally been a non-factor rushing the passer, failing to record a single sack in three of the past four seasons and finishing with only a trio of sacks in 2020.

Compounding matters, Collier has been inconsistent at best defending the run and struggled mightily last season reduced inside as a defensive tackle against opposing ground games. Per Pro Football Focus, he ranked 165th (35.7) out of 181 qualified defensive linemen in run blocking grade, often getting bullied by stronger guards and tackles at the line of scrimmage.

Ideal Contract

One year, $1.2 million

Prediction

NFL teams tend to give former first round picks as many chances to succeed as possible, which could mean the Seahawks are open to the possibility of bringing Collier back for another season. Since he hasn't been productive at all, he will likely be signing for veteran's minimum with hopes of jump-starting a career that has yet to bear fruit. From that perspective, the team would have nothing to lose re-signing him to compete for a roster spot this summer.

With that said, there's a reason Seattle has gone out of its way not to play Collier over the past two seasons. He has been as ineffective as any first round pick in recent memory, failing to come close to half a dozen sacks over four NFL seasons and producing fewer than 10 tackles three times. While he may turn things around elsewhere, it would be a surprise if he stays in the Pacific Northwest, as it looks well past time for both sides to move on and the team needs to find players better equipped for the current scheme.

Previous Seahawks Free Agent Primers