Should Seahawks Extend Shaquill Griffin Before 2020 Season?
With free agency set to begin in just a few weeks, the Seahawks are expected to be aggressive re-signing some of their own key players while also looking to further improve their roster with affordable outside free agents.
Despite the amount of work general manager John Schneider already has on his plate, he’ll also need to consider whether this offseason is the right time to sign Pro Bowl cornerback Shaquill Griffin to an extension.
After the 2020 campaign, Seattle’s emerging star cornerback will be eligible to enter free agency for the first time in his career. And looking at the league landscape, he's expected to be joined by some of the league’s best players at the position on the market.
Currently, the loaded cornerback class for next offseason could feature Patrick Peterson, Jalen Ramsey, Marshon Lattimore, Richard Sherman, Janoris Jenkins, Darius Slay, Kevin King, and several other talented players.
Based on the names above, teams will be investing a ton of money into the cornerback position over the next calendar year. Many of those players won't sniff free agency, likely receiving new contracts before having the chance to hit the market.
Keeping that in mind, being proactive striking a new deal with Griffin and preventing him from reaching free agency next spring may end up saving the Seahawks a little bit of money against the salary cap.
Taking this approach could help the Seahawks financially and the third-year pro would be destined to receive a significant raise from his 2020 salary of just over $2.3 million.
If the 24-year old Griffin sustains or improves upon his production from last season and stays healthy, he could earn an extension somewhere between the five-year, $70 million deal Vikings cornerback Xavier Rhodes signed in 2017 and the four-year, $48 million contract Slay signed back in 2016.
Rhodes dealt with a similar situation compared to Griffin after his first three NFL seasons. While the three-time Pro Bowler entered the NFL a year older than Griffin, the best performance of his career came during the final year of his rookie contract, setting himself up nicely for a big payday.
During his fourth season, Rhodes started all 16 regular season games for Minnesota and produced five interceptions, 52 total tackles, and 11 pass deflections along with a pair of tackles for loss and a pick-six.
Based on the step forward Griffin took this past season earning his first Pro Bowl nod, the Seahawks believe he has plenty of room to improve in 2020, which would undoubtedly increase his asking price next offseason. Negotiating a deal one year early could make sense for both parties.
However, just as the Vikings have witnessed with Rhodes, paying a cornerback top dollar into their late 20s does involve some risk.
Over the past two seasons, Rhodes has played through several nagging injuries and seen a steep decline in production. Starting 29 games, he recorded only one interception along with 13 combined pass deflections.
Based on Rhodes' rapid decline, it would probably be a safer move for Schneider and the Seahawks to offer Griffin a shorter deal in the four-year range. And an argument can be made that the team should maybe wait it out as they did with Jarran Reed last year to ensure he builds off a breakout season.
While it could be difficult to accomplish, locking up Griffin this offseason would make next spring a little bit easier for Schneider and his staff. Since the Seahawks will have their hands full with free agency and the upcoming NFL Draft, any contract negotiations would likely have to wait until later this summer.
