NFL free agency: Seahawks hammered for 'very risky' Sam Darnold, Cooper Kupp moves

Rotoballer is not a fan of Seattle's big moves this offseason, especially the Sam Darnold and Cooper Kupp signings.

Dec 22, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) scrambles out of the pocket against the Seattle Seahawks during the fourth quarter at Lumen Field. / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Not everyone loves the big moves the Seattle Seahawks have made this offseason. Most of all their failure to truly address their offensive line stands out as an unforgivable - and unforced - error given the cap space they had to work with. The Seahawks have also been dinged for some of the contracts they've handed out, especially those for DeMarcus Lawrence, Cooper Kupp and Sam Darnold.

The Darnold move is definitely the least popular signing in the bunch - especially the (incorrect) perception that the Seahawks took a step down going from Geno Smith to Darnold. The latest pile-on for this addition comes from Justin Carter at Rotoballers, who calls it a very risky move.

“Seattle is asking a lot of Darnold, especially considering Seattle already had Geno Smith on the roster… Now look: I get it. Darnold is younger. His 2024 numbers were better. Seattle thinks it has a system in place to allow Darnold to build on 2024, not regress. It's just that the last part there is pretty speculative… I'm especially concerned because maybe Kevin O'Connell was just a quarterback whisperer… This is just a very risky move for the Seahawks.”

Jan 13, 2025; Glendale, AZ, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) against the Los Angeles Rams during an NFC wild card game at State Farm Stadium. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

We're on the side that believes Darnold is at worst a modest upgrade over Smith - and the contract they gave him is more than reasonable - especially considering they can get out from under after just one season (for real this time).

Carter is not done with the Seahawks yet, though. With his very-next pick on the worst NFL free agent signings, he has the three-year, $45 million deal Seattle gave wide receiver Cooper Kupp. Specifically, he has issues with Kupp's age and injury issues over the last three years.

"Kupp feels like he's being held together by string at this point... and 2024 saw him finish with his fewest receiving yards since 2018, another year where Kupp missed time. The extensive injury history aside, Kupp's also entering his age-32 season."

It is fair to point out Kupp's age and the injuries he's dealt with since 2022. However, Kupp has still managed to total over 2,200 yards and 17 touchdowns during that time - and if he can stay healthy for a full season he'll be producing well over what you'd normally expect from a respectable WR2.

Kupp's ceiling came in 2021 when he led the league in catches (145), yards (1,947) and touchdowns (16) and topped it off with a Super Bowl MVP. The Seahawks don't need him to play like the best wide receiver on the planet, but if he can ball even at 75% of what he was that year Kupp would still be putting up some spectacular numbers.

The size of Kupp's contract is a bit much in a vaccuum, but considering that Kupp was by far the best WR to actually hit the market this year - especially in light of Stefon Diggs' ridiculous contract with the Patriots - this looks like a pretty fair deal.

It's possible that both the Kupp and Darnold signings won't work out - especially if the Seahawks can't land some major offensive line improvements in the draft. However, Darnold being seven years younger than Geno bought them more time to figure that part out. Unless Darnold totally bombs in 2025 and they cut him loose his contract should age pretty well. The final verdict on Kupp will depend largely on his health.

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