Seahawks Final Report Card: Grading Each of Seattle's 2022 Free Agent Signings
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In the past, with limited financial capital at his disposal, Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider has typically taken the cheap route in free agency, preferring to sign aging veterans to one-year deals rather than invest in younger players with more upside at a higher premium.
Such tactics typically didn't work out in Seattle's favor, as evidenced by the mostly ugly free agent results from 2017 to 2021. Bucking previous trends, however, Schneider switched things up to an extent last March on the heels of trading quarterback Russell Wilson and releasing linebacker Bobby Wagner, taking a more aggressive approach seeking younger, higher ceiling difference makers such as linebacker Uchenna Nwosu.
Not surprisingly, while not every signing Schneider executed last spring paid dividends, several signees made a substantial impact as the Seahawks blew expectations out of the water by making the postseason. Looking back at every outside signing, how did last offseason's free agent signings pan out in 2022?
LB Uchenna Nwosu
Contract: Two years, $19.055 million
Grade: A
Terrorizing quarterbacks all season long, Uchenna Nwosu easily eclipsed prior career-highs in sacks, pressures, and quarterback hits.
© Kirthmon F. Dozier / USA TODAY NETWORK
Making a splash right off the bat, Nwosu earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors in Seattle's season-opening win over Denver, producing a sack, a pass breakup, and a forced fumble near the goal line in a dominant effort to send Russell Wilson back to the Mile High City with a loss. From there, the fifth-year defender emerged as the Seahawks best all-around defender, stuffing the stat sheet with career-highs in tackles (66), sacks (9.5), quarterback hits (26), and forced fumbles (three) while being named a Pro Bowl alternate.
Amassing 62 pressures on the season, Nwosu was easily Seattle's most consistent and reliable pass rusher hunting down quarterbacks and he held his own setting the edge against the run as well, producing 12 tackles for loss and 27 "stops" constituted as failed plays for the offense according to Pro Football Focus. Besting opponents with a combination of speed and power, he already looks like one of the best signings Schneider has made in over a decade calling the shots and now stands as a relative bargain with one year left on his current deal.
WR Marquise Goodwin
Contract: One year, $1.272 million
Grade: B
Joining the Seahawks in early May after the conclusion of the NFL Draft, Goodwin's arrival largely went unnoticed on a veteran's minimum deal and he wasn't considered a shoo-in to make the 53-man roster. But the former U.S. track standout showed he still has elite wheels running routes from the outside and the slot, quickly staking his claim to a roster spot with a stellar training camp.
Opening the season as the team's clear cut No. 3 target behind DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, Goodwin enjoyed a strong stretch from Week 6 to Week 12, catching 15 passes for 212 yards and three touchdowns during a five game span. A shoulder injury wound up cutting his season short in December, but he still finished with the most receptions (27), receiving yards (387), and touchdowns (four) he had produced in a season since way back in 2018, far surpassing expectations when the Seahawks took a flier on him.
DT Quinton Jefferson
Contract: Two years, $9.5 million
Grade: B-
Quinton Jefferson finished with career-highs in sacks, pressures, and quarterback hits in 2022.
© Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Returning to his former stomping grounds after spending the previous two seasons with the Bills and Raiders, Jefferson got off to a somewhat slow start acclimating to Clint Hurtt's hybrid 3-4 defense. But once the Seahawks started cutting their defensive tackles loose as penetrating one-gappers, he found his groove, particularly as an interior pass rusher.
Making the most of his second stint in the Pacific Northwest, Jefferson finished the season with a bang, registering 19 quarterback pressures, 2.5 sacks, and seven quarterback hits in Seattle's final five regular season games. Per PFF, he posted a 21 percent pressure rate during that span, better than Chiefs All-Pro Chris Jones, Titans star Jeffrey Simmons, and long-time Steelers stalwart Cam Heyward. While run defense wasn't a strength for him over the course of the season, he finished 14th among defensive tackles in quarterback pressures, adding much-needed punch to the Seahawks pass rush.
OL Austin Blythe
Contract: One year, $4 million
Grade: C+
Seeking an upgrade over departing starter Ethan Pocic, Seattle turned to Blythe, who previously played for offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and offensive line coach Andy Dickerson with the Los Angeles Rams. Familiar with the scheme and a superb communicator, his presence eased the learning curve for the rest of the offensive line, including rookie tackles Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas.
As far as on-field performance is concerned, Blythe's first season with the Seahawks proved to be a mixed bag at best. A middle of the road center in pass protection, he only yielded three sacks on Geno Smith and finished 19th out of 29 qualified blockers in PFF's pass blocking grade. His run blocking left plenty to be desired, however, as opponents bullied the 298 pounder at the point of attack and he struggled to create push or win with position in zone schemes. Receiving a dismal 48.0 grade in run blocking, he ranked 29th out of 31 centers, creating questions about his standing as a long-term starting option at the pivot position.
CB Justin Coleman
Contract: One year, $1.12 million
Grade: D+
Like Jefferson, Coleman opted to return to his former team in the offseason after successful runs with the Lions and Dolphins. But as training camp progressed, while he continued to receive first-team reps in the slot, rookie Coby Bryant promptly gained on him and once he suffered a calf injury in the season opener, he found himself on the sidelines without a job.
With Bryant excelling in his first action as a nickel corner, Coleman didn't play a single defensive snap for the Seahawks from Week 2 until Week 17, when he managed to see nine snaps in a 23-6 win over the Jets. Relegated solely to special teams duty most of the season, his reunion tour wasn't anywhere close to the success of Jefferson and it would be a surprise if he comes back in 2023.
CB Artie Burns
Contract: One year, $2.035 million
Grade: D
Reunited with associate head coach Sean Desai, who served as his defensive coordinator with the Bears, Burns joined the Seahawks as a favorite to start at one of the two outside cornerback spots. During the offseason program, he lived up to those expectations, taking the majority of the reps at right cornerback across from fellow veteran Sidney Jones, and he maintained the grip on the starting role with a strong start to training camp.
Unfortunately, Burns pulled his groin during one-on-ones in the second week of camp and wound up missing the entire preseason, allowing rookie Tariq Woolen to seize the starting job in his absence. Once he finally returned to health in the regular season, he found himself as the odd man out in the cornerback group, as he dressed for only three games and played 24 total snaps on defense and special teams, failing to generate a single statistic.
LB Joel Iyiegbuniwe
Contract: One year, $1.1875 million
Grade: F
Comparing former Bears who fizzled out with the Seahawks, at least Burns managed to stay on the roster through training camp and the regular season. Struggling on special teams in his brief tenure with the team, Iyiegbuniwe unceremoniously received a pink slip during the cut down to 81 players after just two preseason games, eventually latching on with the Panthers later in the season.
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