Seahawks Create Great NFL Draft Flexibility With Free Agency Moves
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Slated to pick fifth overall in the 2023 NFL Draft by virtue of the blockbuster Russell Wilson trade and holding a second first round pick, the Seattle Seahawks will be well-positioned to add blue chip talent to their ascending team.
With the draft still six weeks away, it's anyone's guess who the Seahawks will select with their rare top five pick or if general manager Jon Schneider will opt to trade down to recoup additional draft capital. And, in this instance, that's a positive development due to the moves they have already made addressing holes on the roster in free agency so far.
Going into the offseason, Schneider and coach Pete Carroll desired a more dynamic defensive line and once free agency began on Monday, they wasted little time attacking that deficiency as the top priority. First, Seattle's brain trust bucked previous trends by opening up the checkbook to sign Broncos defensive tackle Dre'Mont Jones to a three-year, $51.53 million contract, bring an athletic interior rusher into the fold.
The following day, the Seahawks continued to shuffle the deck along the defensive line, releasing veterans Shelby Harris and Quinton Jefferson to create nearly $13 million in salary cap room. In a corresponding move, Schneider brought back former second round pick Jarran Reed on a two-year deal, reuniting with the ex-Alabama standout after two seasons away with the Packers and Chiefs.
Thanks to the signings of Jones and Reed along with retaining exclusive rights free agent Myles Adams, Seattle doesn't have to force the issue early in the draft to pick an interior defensive lineman. This includes Georgia star Jalen Carter, who many viewed as a slam dunk top-five pick before he was charged with a pair of misdemeanors for his involvement in a street racing accident that took the lives of a former teammate and school staffer and more recently flopped in his pro day workout.
While the uber-talented Carter may remain on the Seahawks big board, Schneider and Carroll have afforded themselves enough flexibility that they won't be backed into a corner thinking they have to pick him or another top prospect at the position early. With how free agency has transpired thus far, the same can be said for other perceived positions of need as well.
Since the new league year officially opened on Wednesday and teams were permitted to sign players, Seattle has made several shrewd moves acquiring quality veterans without breaking the bank.
First, Schneider snagged former Lions starter Evan Brown, who started 12 games at center in 2021 and started 14 games at guard last season, on a one year contract worth $2.25 million. He only allowed one sack and eight pressures at the pivot position two years ago and while he wasn't as efficient in pass pro at guard, he improved leaps and bounds as a run blocker last year.
On his weekly radio show on Seattle Sports 710, Schneider indicated the Seahawks view Brown as a center first and foremost, signing him as a replacement option for Austin Blythe, who recently announced his retirement.
"This is a guy who was playing guard, but ideally he's a center," Schneider said. "He started 47 of 48 games at SMU at center. He started two years at Detroit, he was a center, then they had to move him to guard. He can play both, but he's really truly a center."
While the Seahawks seem dead set on Brown playing the pivot spot for now, his arrival shouldn't curtail the team from drafting a center if the right prospect remains available, particularly in the first three rounds. Given his experience at guard, if a high pick is used on a center such as Minnesota's John Michael Schmitz, he could compete against Phil Haynes for the right guard job or even be a swing reserve.
On the other side of the coin, Brown's presence could open the door for Schneider to draft a guard with Haynes only being on a one-year deal and Damien Lewis heading into the final year of his rookie deal too. Either way, Seattle doesn't have to pick a player at either position and risk making a pick simply to plug a hole at the expense of more talented players at other positions.
Even at quarterback, the Seahawks have granted themselves flexibility in free agency. If the right player somehow falls to them at No. 5 overall, Schneider could pull the trigger on a future franchise signal caller and both he and Carroll have kept close tabs on this year's talented class. But with Drew Lock re-signing on a one-year deal to back up Geno Smith on Thursday, they don't have to pick one just for the sake of picking one next month.
"He's coming back… What an awesome guy," Schneider stated. "Everything he's been through - last year we talked about it a bunch. Coming here, competing with Geno, getting COVID, really bad timing for him. Game 2 was going to be his game against Chicago, then he got really sick, then he still didn't have his legs against Dallas. So I'm just really excited. Really happy for him."
As for Seattle's two most recent signings announced on Friday, linebacker Devin Bush and safety Julian Love each offer ample starting experience on short-term deals. While interest in Love likely stemmed from lingering questions about Jamal Adams' health, he also can play slot cornerback, knocking out two birds with one stone depth-wise. Adding Bush to the mix immediately upgrades a group that lost Cody Barton in free agency and could be without injured starter Jordyn Brooks to open the new season.
Looking at all of the moves Schneider and Carroll have orchestrated over the past week, the Seahawks have done an excellent job shoring up areas of concern with limited cap space and look far better on paper than they did two weeks ago. In the process, away from Jones' mega deal, they wisely haven't made many long-term investments either, maintaining financial freedom down the road.
It's the perfect storm for Schneider and company, as Seattle can truly enter the upcoming draft aiming to pick the best player available regardless of position. Bound to go any number of different avenues next month with options galore, no matter what happens in the four picks beforehand, the franchise should be primed to significantly improve its roster in the present and future with top-tier talent.
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