Analysis: 4 Rams Free Agents Seahawks Could Target on Offense

If you can't beat 'em, tear 'em down. After finishing with a record of 1-2 against the Rams in 2020, including a devastating 30-20 loss in the wild-card round, the Seahawks have not been shy about their admiration for what Sean McVay and company have accomplished over the past few seasons.

Plucking new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and run game coordinator Andy Dickerson from the Rams' coaching staff may not be the end of their intra-divisional raid. In fact, it may only be the beginning.

As it so happens, quite a few of Los Angeles' impending free agents fit some of the Seahawks' more pressing needs on offense. Today we're going to look at four names that make the most sense for Seattle.

IOL Austin Blythe

After being dominated in the trenches by the Rams in the wild-card game and 2020 starters Mike Iupati and Ethan Pocic hitting free agency in March, the Seahawks will need to address their interior offensive line in a pretty significant way this offseason. What better way to do so than by reuniting Andy Dickerson, the former Rams' assistant offensive line coach, with one of his most consistent starters in Los Angeles?

Austin Blythe has played all three interior line spots in his five-year career, most recently serving as the full-time center for the Rams in 2020. Per Pro Football Focus, Blythe earned a 69.3 overall grade, 52.5 pass blocking grade, and 73.2 run blocking grade. His best season by PFF's standards came in 2018—a year in which he mostly played at right guard. That season, he posted a 76.4 overall grade, 73.9 pass blocking grade, and 71.8 run blocking grade.

If anything can be gleaned from PFF's feelings about Blythe, it's that he's been a consistently solid blocker in the run game. That would seem to line up rather well with the Seahawks' stated desire to emphasize the run more next season. If Blythe is best suited at right guard, this could give weight to the idea of moving second-year lineman Damien Lewis to center in 2021.

TE Gerald Everett

As I laid out in yesterday's tight end preview, the Seahawks have a depth issue at the position heading into the offseason. If they want to get more pass-catching production out of their tight end unit, Gerald Everett could be their guy.

While he wasn't a focal point in the Rams' offensive game plan by any means, Everett contributed in strong ways when he got his opportunities. Hauling in 127 of his 204 career targets, the former 2017 second-round selection out of South Alabama put up 1,389 yards and eight touchdowns through his four years for Los Angeles. He's also typically graded out as an average blocking tight end, which will certainly factor into any decision the Seahawks make at the position. To be clear though, you'd be acquiring Everett primarily for his playmaking ability.

Considering how much the Seahawks like to rotate their tight ends, they likely won't be able to guarantee much of an uptick in snaps to Everett. However, he could definitely see a higher volume of passes come his way, especially if Seattle doesn't do much else to address their receiving corps.

WR Josh Reynolds

For the same reasons Everett makes sense, so does Josh Reynolds. While he's been mostly overshadowed by names like Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods, and Brandin Cooks, Reynolds has been a dependable and productive depth receiver for the Rams and is coming off a career year.

In 2020, Reynolds put up career-highs in receptions (52) and receiving yards (618) to go along with a pair of touchdowns. Reynolds has been able to win in the middle of the field and can pick up some yardage after the catch, posting 225 YAC with an average of 4.3 YAC per reception last season.

The Seahawks need more dependability than just pure upside behind Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf. Reynolds would provide a bit of both given that he's put up solid numbers despite never being a primary target through his first four years in the NFL.

RB Malcolm Brown

With Chris Carson and Carlos Hyde on their way to the open market, the Seahawks don't really have a running back that's proven they can consistently win in short yardage situations at the moment. While Malcolm Brown is more of a change-of-pace back than anything, he would certainly fit what Seattle wants to do in its run game, especially if Hyde departs.

Brown has only started two games in his career and didn't see much action until his third season in the NFL. Over the course of his career, he's accumulated 1,188 yards and 11 touchdowns on 298 carries. Though he hasn't seen many opportunities, he's been effective in the ground game whenever his name's been called.

Looking at the résumé and the 5-foot-11, 222-pound frame, Brown looks like Seahawks coach Pete Carroll's kind of running back. Throw in the familiarity with Dickerson and this may be the be most obvious fit of the four options we've gone over.