Seahawks Analysis: 5 Veterans Under Most Pressure to Perform in 2023
With the calendar set to flip to June this week and organized team activities underway league-wide, the dog days of summer are quickly approaching for the Seattle Seahawks and the rest of the NFL as training camp awaits just two months away.
Following an exciting NFL Draft where they landed 10 new players, including first-round picks Devon Witherspoon and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the Seahawks have lofty expectations for the upcoming season and the future. But for the franchise to meet their goals in the short-term and beyond, several key veterans either coming back from injury or closing in on the end of their contract will need to step up this season.
Which returning veterans have the most at stake heading into a new season? Here's a look at five players, including two top picks from the 2020 draft class, who could be playing for their futures in Seattle over the next seven months and change.
S Jamal Adams
When healthy, Adams has played like the top-flight safety in spurts for the Seahawks, including setting a new record with 9.5 sacks as a defensive back in 2020. But the team has struggled at times to maximize his unique skill set within their scheme and unfortunately, injuries have prevented him from coming close to making the impact expected of him after coming over from the Jets via trade. Over the past two seasons, he has missed a grand total of 21 regular season games, including the final five games in 2021 after re-injuring his surgically repaired left shoulder and needing a second procedure to fix a torn labrum.
Returning from his latest setback, a torn quad tendon that cost him all but one game last season, Adams will be gunning to prove he can return to form as an All-Pro caliber player and the Seahawks remain cautiously optimistic that he will be able to rediscover his disruptive play-making ways. But the team has quietly already built a contingency plan by signing Julian Love this offseason and with him carrying cap hits north of $20 million in 2024 and 2025, however, if he's not able to bounce back and avoid further injury, his days with the franchise could be numbered.
WR Dee Eskridge
Entering his third NFL season, Eskridge has yet to establish himself as a viable contributor on offense or special teams due to injuries. While he has flashed in a handful of games showcasing some of the traits that led to the team investing a second-round pick in him a couple of years ago, he's largely been a non-factor even when healthy with only 17 receptions and 122 receiving yards in 20 games, struggling to carve out a regular role on offense and only being used sparingly in the return game.
Shortly after OTAs opened, Geno Smith praised Eskridge for his growth and the veteran quarterback still seems to be in the third-year wideout's corner believing he can make an impact with his speed and after the catch capabilities. But with the arrival of first-round pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba, he likely will be battling for the fourth receiver spot against Dareke Young, Cade Johnson, and others and sticking on the roster will require him to stay healthy while also pitching in on special teams.
LB Darrell Taylor
Since returning from a lost rookie season after a prolonged recovery from a broken leg, Taylor has been one of Seattle's most productive pass rushers the past two years, including tying for the team lead with 9.5 sacks in 2022 after a scintillating finish over the final month of the schedule. He also forced four fumbles last year, showing a penchant for creating turnovers once he got to the quarterback and harkening memories of Cliff Avril during the "Legion of Boom" days.
But while Taylor has been a stellar pass rushing presence and still has untapped upside in that aspect of his game, he lost his starting job after just four games last season due to shoddy run defense setting the edge. At under 255 pounds with a lean lower body, he hasn't been able to hold up physically at the point of attack, creating questions about whether or not he can develop into more than a situational rusher. With the addition of Derick Hall in the draft, the pressure will be on to fend him off the competition and take his game to the next level as he looks to earn a second contract.
TE Noah Fant
Coming to Seattle as part of the Russell Wilson trade, Fant got off to a somewhat slow start in his first season with the team before seeing an uptick in production as a pass catcher in the second half, finishing with 50 receptions for 486 yards and four touchdowns. But the former first-round pick made marked improvements in the blocking game compared to his first three seasons, turning what used to be a deficiency in his game into a surprising asset for the offense playing both inline and as an H-back.
After the Seahawks opted to pick up his fifth-year option last May, Fant enters a critical season in regard to his future with the franchise. On one hand, he's still only 25 years old and possesses a toolbox of athletic traits at 250 pounds that few tight ends in the NFL can compare to. With the team only having Will Dissly under contract beyond this season, odds would point to him being a priority to re-sign. However, to lock up a lucrative contract beyond 2024, he will need to be more consistent as a receiver, particularly in the red zone, while taking another step forward in the blocking department to justify such an investment long-term.
LB Jordyn Brooks
Earlier this month, after Seattle declined his fifth-year option, coach Pete Carroll indicated Brooks remained part of the team's long-term outlook despite a lengthy recovery from a torn ACL. Production-wise, the former first-round pick has earned the opportunity to stay in the Pacific Northwest on a new deal, racking up 402 combined tackles and 15 tackles for loss over the course of his first three seasons primarily serving as a starter in the middle. He also took on an expanded leadership role in 2022 with the responsibility of on-field play caller signified by the green dot on his helmet.
For those reasons and the fact both Bobby Wagner and Devin Bush, who signed one-year contracts with the Seahawks in March, will also be free agents next spring, it would seem unlikely Brooks would be allowed to walk being 25-years-old and in the prime of his career. With that said, the team needs to see how he performs upon his return from injury before signing off on a big contract offer and while he's been a tackling machine, it would be easier for the team to fork over big bucks to keep him if he makes more impact plays after failing to register an interception in his career so far and posting three or fewer tackles for loss in two of the past three seasons.
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