Seahawks Analysis: 6 Free Agent Targets to Fortify Seattle's Linebacker Corps
Heading towards the start of free agency next week, the Seattle Seahawks currently have only one linebacker on the roster with starting experience and will have interesting choices to make choosing to re-sign their own players or pursue talent from outside of the organization.
From a statistical perspective, ageless wonder Bobby Wagner remained on top of his game in his return to Seattle, leading the NFL with 183 combined tackles and earning Second-Team All-Pro honors. Next to him, Jordyn Brooks orchestrated a miraculous recovery from a torn ACL, returning to field just eight months after the injury to suit up in the season opener while surpassing 100 tackles for the third straight season.
However, the future for Wagner and Brooks with the Seahawks remains cloudy, albeit for different reasons. Turning 34 in July, Wagner allowed a career-worst passer rating in coverage and even if he took another $7 million one-year deal, that may be too pricy for a team that will be looking for younger, more athletic talent at linebacker under new coach Mike Macdonald. As for Brooks, he checks off those youth and athleticism boxes, but he hasn't emerged as a top-10 player at his position either, creating questions about his value on a long-term extension.
Seattle's other unrestricted free agent at linebacker - Devin Bush - only started three games last season and struggled to work off of blocks when he did play. As a former first-round pick, he may have value on a one-year deal at league minimum for depth purposes due to his prior starting experience in Pittsburgh, but the team will be looking elsewhere for starters.
Which linebackers could Macdonald and the Seahawks target if Wagner and/or Brooks aren't in the plans to return? Here are five veterans to keep an eye on when free agency begins on March 13:
*All stats courtesy of Pro Football Focus unless otherwise noted.
**Projected market value from Spotrac.com.
Patrick Queen, Ravens
Projected Market Value: $18.5 Million/Year
Posting fantastic numbers across the board in two seasons playing for Mike Macdonald as defensive coordinator in Baltimore, Queen would be a natural fit to continue his career with the Seahawks.
In his first two NFL seasons, Queen looked to be on a trajectory towards first-round bust, giving up six touchdowns in coverage and missing a whopping 43 tackles. But when Macdonald returned as the defensive coordinator in 2022, the former LSU standout began to play to his potential, thriving alongside fellow All-Pro linebacker Roquan Smith. Incredibly efficient as a blitzer, he generated 52 pressures and 8.5 sacks in 2022 and 2023, providing extra punch to Baltimore's pass rush.
While missed tackles remained an issue, Queen also made dramatic improvements in coverage, picking off three passes and recording six pass breakups while allowing only four touchdowns. Still only 24 years old and coming off the best year of his career thus far, he's going to command top-three linebacker money on the market, but Seattle may be willing to pay up to reunite the athletic playmaker with his former coordinator as the new face of the defense.
Frankie Luvu, Panthers
Projected Market Value: $11.2 Million/Year
One of the NFL's most underrated and disruptive linebackers, Luvu stuffed the stat sheet over the past three seasons for a bad Panthers team, racking up 279 combined tackles, 54 pressures, 14 sacks, and four forced fumbles. He isn't near the athlete Queen is, as his poor 4.84 40-yard dash time at Washington State's pro day in 2018 played a major role in him going undrafted, and those deficiencies show up most in coverage. He only has one career interception and quarterbacks have posted a 117.3 passer rating when targeting him in his career.
But Luvu plays far faster than his testing time on the field thanks to elite instincts and a relentless motor chasing down plays in the backfield and sideline-to-sideline, as he surpassed 100 tackles and double digit tackles for loss each of the past two years. While his athletic profile doesn't match what Macdonald has preferred in the past, his blitzing ability and effectiveness as a physical run defender could warrant a close look to bring him back to the Pacific Northwest as a Seahawk.
Devin White, Buccaneers
Projected Market Value: $10.7 Million/Year
A former top-five pick out of LSU, White isn't a beloved figure by PFF metrics, as the outlet never has graded him better than a 51.9 and he finished dead last out of 60 qualified linebackers last year. In particular, he has been docked heavily for his struggles in coverage, where he did allow 11 touchdowns from 2020 to 2022 and yielded a 100.0 or better pass rating each of those three seasons. But the disdain for his performance doesn't add up looking at his numbers over five NFL seasons.
Earning an All-Pro nod in 2020, he has surpassed 120 tackles three times, produced a whopping 23 sacks, and recovered nine fumbles during that span, consistently making impact, game-changing plays for Tampa Bay. Similar to Queen, he's an elite athlete for the position and uses his 4.4 speed to wreak havoc as a blitzer and blow up plays in the backfield. His aggressiveness can work against him at times, but he's the type of athlete and versatile defender Macdonald would love to have in the middle and Seattle could very much be in the mix for his services.
Kenneth Murray, Chargers
Projected Market Value: $4.3 Million/Year
Selected before Brooks and Queen in the 2020 NFL Draft, many viewed Murray as a can't miss prospect coming out of Oklahoma, but his performance through four seasons has been incredibly uneven. From 2020 to 2022, he offered little as a blitzer, generating just two sacks and five quarterback hits in that span, and he posted an ugly 19.6 percent missed tackle rate in 2021, struggling to live up to his draft billing by leaving far too many plays on the field.
But if there's reason to be bullish on Murray still finding his footing with a change of scenery, he recently turned 25 years old and he had his best statistical season in 2023, tallying 107 tackles, three sacks, an interception, and seven tackles for loss. On the flip side, he gave up four touchdowns in coverage and took a step back in the regard. Still, he's another explosive athlete who has been hindered by poor coaching in Los Angeles and teaming him up with Macdonald on a short-term "prove it" contract could pay massive dividends for the Seahawks.
De'Vondre Campbell, Packers
Projected Market Value: N/A
A newcomer to the free agent market after Green Bay released him as a cap casualty, Campbell wasn't quite as effective last season, in large part due to missing six games with injuries. As a result, he finished with just 75 combined tackles and no interceptions after averaging 121 tackles and two interceptions per year in his first two years starring in Titletown, failing to come close to replicating his breakout All-Pro season in 2021.
Set to turn 31 years old in July, Campbell may be at the point in his career where he's going to have to be willing to take one-year deals, especially coming off a somewhat down season. But he's still a solid athlete in the middle and prior to struggling mightily last season, he thrived in coverage for the Packers, the area of his game that may have been affected most by his health last year. Given his previous connection to new Seahawks inside linebackers coach Kirk Olivadotti, who worked with him in Green Bay and already has a built-in relationship with him, coming to the Pacific Northwest could be an ideal landing spot to start and help mentor a rookie.
Blake Cashman, Texans
Projected Market Value: N/A
Injuries wrecked Cashman's first three years in the NFL after being drafted in the fifth round by the Jets in 2019, as he played in just 14 total games due to persistent hamstring and groin issues. Hitting the reset button with a new team, he joined Houston via trade in 2022 and flashed his potential in a reserve role, generating 26 tackles, three sacks, and two pass breakups on just 149 defensive snaps.
Impressing new coach Demeco Ryans, Cashman vaulted into the Texans starting lineup last season and while he did miss three games due to injury, he thrived in his first opportunity as a full-time starter. The 237-pound linebacker eclipsed 100 tackles for the first time, nearly hit double digit tackles for loss, and added two sacks and an interception, finishing with PFF's sixth-best overall grade (82.0) out of 60 linebackers. Since he has an extensive injury history, interested teams likely won't be offering much guaranteed money, but he's a fantastic athlete who showed what he can do when healthy and would be an intriguing fit in Macdonald's scheme on a low risk, high reward deal.
