Which Ravens Free Agents Could Follow Coach Mike Macdonald to Seahawks?
Officially making his debut as head coach of the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday, Mike Macdonald has plenty of work to do as he aims to elevate his new team back into the ranks of the NFL's elite.
Though Macdonald will be taking over a roster with a fun blend of young stars and proven veterans, Seattle has limited cap space currently and the front office will have some difficult decisions to make on players such as quarterback Geno Smith, safety Quandre Diggs, and others before free agency begins on March 13. With creating cap space being a priority, significant moves such as restructures, extensions, and unfortunate cap casualties will have to happen in the next few weeks.
As far as the Seahawks approach heading towards the start of a new league year, Macdonald referenced his former players frequently during his introductory press conference. Like any incoming coach, the transition with his new team could be eased by bringing in one or two of those players, especially considering the Ravens ranked first in scoring defense, sacks, and turnovers last season.
Which Baltimore defenders slated for free agency could join Macdonald in the Pacific Northwest? Here's a look at four pending unrestricted free agents who could reunite with their former coach and the odds of Seattle signing them this offseason:
Justin Madubuike, Defensive Tackle
Developing from a rotational reserve into one of the NFL's premier interior pass rushers during his rookie contract, Madubuike took off with Macdonald at the wheel, amassing 18.5 sacks, 42 quarterback hits, and 20 tackles for loss over the past two seasons. Few players were more disruptive than the ex-Texas A&M standout in 2023, as PFF credited him with the sixth-most pressures (64), most sacks (14), and 10th-best pass rush win rate in true pass sets (20.9 percent) among qualified defensive tackles.
Terrorizing quarterbacks all year long, Justin Madubuike ranked among the best interior defenders in the league in sacks, pressures, and quarterback hits. Could he reunite with Mike Macdonald in Seattle?
Madubuike has also improved leaps and bounds as a run defender since breaking into the league as a third-round pick, finishing with a respectable 9.2 percent stop rate and the 16th-best run defense grade (65.6) out of 68 qualified defensive tackles. A versatile defender who played over 400 snaps as a 3-tech defensive tackle and over 200 snaps covering the tackle as a base end last season, the 26-year old will likely command top-five defensive tackle money if he manages to hit free agency, but the Ravens have the franchise tag at their disposal to prevent that from happening. Either way, barring a bunch of cap-creating moves, this seems too rich for the Seahawks.
Chances of Signing With Seahawks: <1 percent
Patrick Queen, Linebacker
Out of the gate, Queen looked like a rare first-round bust for Baltimore, missing tackles in bunches and allowing five touchdowns in coverage during his first two underwhelming seasons. But after Macdonald returned as defensive coordinator, he took off in the middle alongside fellow linebacker Roquan Smith, racking up 163 solo tackles, eight sacks, and three interceptions in 2022 and 2023. This past season, he yielded a career-low 489 yards in coverage while producing three pass breakups and an interception to go with 24 pressures, demonstrating a versatile skill set.
As a run defender, Queen tallied 18 tackles for loss over the past two seasons, showcasing a penchant for wreaking havoc in the backfield. Missed tackles have remained a consistent issue for him, as he has yet to post a missed tackle rate under 13 percent in four NFL seasons. Just 24 years old, however, those issues shouldn't impact his value on the market much and if the Ravens can't strike a long-term deal with him, he will fetch a pretty penny once free agency opens next month and could demand top-five linebacker pay that prices him out of Seahawks checkbook.
Chances of Signing With Seahawks: 10 percent
Geno Stone, Safety
The latest illustration of Baltimore's excellent scouting and day three drafting, Stone developed from a seventh-round pick out of Iowa into an All-Pro caliber player under the tutelage of Macdonald. After producing only one interception in his first three seasons, he more than tripled that total in a breakout 2023 campaign with seven picks, the most by a safety this season, holding opposing quarterbacks to a dismal 50.8 passer rating and just 7.5 yards per reception when targeting him.
Set to turn 25 years old in April, Stone looks to be entering the prime of his career and based on his coverage numbers, he could be a coveted asset on the free agent market. Interested teams may be wary about overpaying for one season, however, particularly considering his struggles as a run defender with 15 missed tackles and a missed tackle rate hovering around 20 percent. Baltimore will explore bringing him back, but if he hits the market, his value could be one of the bigger unknowns among secondary players and if Seattle moves on from Quandre Diggs and/or Jamal Adams, he could make a ton of sense as a replacement.
Chances of Signing With Seahawks: 25 percent
Jadeveon Clowney, EDGE/Outside Linebacker
Unlike the first three players on this list, the soon-to-be 31-year old Clowney isn't an ascending young talent anymore and has played with four teams over the past five seasons on one-year contracts. The former No. 1 overall pick out of South Carolina still packs a mean punch though and he proved to be the perfect fit playing off the edge in Macdonald's scheme, using his combination of length, power, and burst to tally 9.5 sacks, 19 quarterback hits, and two forced fumbles. Per PFF, he also finished 11th among edge defenders with 71 pressures and tied for sixth with four swatted passes at the line of scrimmage.
A familiar name for Seahawks fans, Clowney played arguably his best football for Mike Macdonald in Baltimore and could be a great fit to pair with Boye Mafe and Uchenna Nwosu.
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While Clowney hasn't lived up to the immense hype that surrounded him coming out of college as a pass rusher, he still has had a solid NFL career with 52.5 sacks and 128 quarterback hits, and his best attribute may be his physical run defense. He finished with a quality 72.3 run defense grade last season and his lone season with the Seahawks in 2019, he was borderline dominant in that regard with an elite 80.8 grade setting a firm edge. Unlikely to command much money in free agency because of his age and injury history, he would be an intriguing player to bring back to the Pacific Northwest alongside Boye Mafe and Uchenna Nwosu in Macdonald's defense.
Chances of Signing With Seahawks: 50 percent
