Pete Carroll: Two 'Huge' Weeks Await For Seahawks Heading Into Free Agency

INDIANAPOLIS - During the NFL Scouting Combine, the more than 300 prospects who descend upon Lucas Oil Stadium to showcase their athletic talents in testing and drill work serve as the main attraction.

But behind the scenes, there's much more going on than players bench pressing 225 pounds or running 40-yard sprints or trying to reach for the sky in the vertical jump. General managers and front office executives spend extensive time away from the "underwear Olympics" taking care of other roster construction-related tasks, including meeting agents for their own players as well as pending free agents from other teams.

This time of year, such activity is often concealed away from public eye and shrouded in secrecy. Teams such as the Seahawks don't want to give away their intentions with the start of the new league year only 14 days away.

"I'm not able to tell you all the stuff that you're going to want to know," coach Pete Carroll told reporters on Wednesday. "You're going to ask questions about stuff. I won't be as specific as you'd like, but I'll do what I can, and hope that you'll respect the fact that we're competing. We got to keep our information to ourselves as much as we can at this time because that's really of great value to us."

While Carroll and general manager John Schneider expectedly didn't open up too much on Seattle's off-field business negotiating with the team's own free agents, the two men obviously understand the significance of two "huge" weeks on tap as they begin the process of assembling their roster for the 2022 season.

Like many other teams in the league, the Seahawks currently have 15 players set to become unrestricted free agents in March. Among those, Pro Bowl safety Quandre Diggs and left tackle Duane Brown highlight a talented group featuring numerous starters that the team hopes to be able to re-sign.

Since their season-ending Week 18 road win over Arizona, Carroll has preached continuity, putting an emphasis on the need for Seattle to retain as many of its own players as possible. But that may be easier said than done given some of the team's star power scheduled to hit the market.

Per multiple sources, the Seahawks have been actively engaged in contract talks with Diggs for several weeks. The 29-year old safety led the team with five interceptions and produced a career-high 94 tackles while starting 17 games. Even after suffering a broken leg late in the finale, Schneider doesn't anticipate the injury will impact his value at all, which could make it tougher to bring him back.

"I don't think it affects his market," Schneider said on Wednesday. "As bad as it was and how bad everyone felt for him, my impression is that he's going to recover well. But he's doing great... He's awesome. He's a darn good player."

Two weeks ago, new defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt name-dropped Diggs as well as cornerback D.J. Reed as two key players Seattle needed to find a way to keep. Carroll has been effusive in his praise of the ball-hawking safety, who he expects will be fully recovered from surgery well before the start of training camp in July, and cited him as a critical player to bring back.

Still, Carroll understands there's a possibility other teams may be able to throw more money at Diggs, Reed, and cornerback Sidney Jones than the Seahawks can given their other needs, diminishing the odds of being able to re-sign all three players.

"It's a big challenge. It really is," Carroll remarked. "All those guys played well for us and did a good job. Quandre is a huge factor on our team and we love what he brings in all ways. The corners played really well. So we'll see what happens."

What may further complicate Seattle's efforts to bring the band back together in the secondary is the contract uncertainty with other key impending free agents such as the blindside protecting Brown, who the team opted not to extend last summer.

The 36-year old Brown, who allowed nine sacks in 17 starts last year but did play much better in the second half, has been on the record saying he would be willing to sign a one-year deal at this stage of his career. With that said, Carroll indicated all options were on the table with the veteran tackle, suggesting a multi-year deal could still be in consideration for the undisputed leader of Seattle's offensive line.

"There is no limitation right now. No. We're wide open," Carroll said of a potential new deal for Brown. "That might be a good idea, it might not be a good idea. Just depends on how things fit. We got to get Matt Thomas to do his magic with the numbers. We've always been really strict with what we've done. We've always spent all of our money. We're very competitive and creative in those areas, and we need to do that again to maximize our ops this time around."

Handing out new deals for Diggs, Reed, and Brown would eat up a significant amount of the Seahawks estimated $34 million in cap space. And yet, the team has plenty of other tough free agent decisions to make with limited financial resources.

Coming off a sensational finish in which he led the league in rushing yards over the final six weeks of play, Rashaad Penny's resurgence could make re-signing him a far tougher task. Only 26 years old, even given his lengthy injury history, his home run hitting ability out of the backfield could be coveted by other teams desperate for a playmaker at the running back position.

After seeing Penny finally bust out, Carroll wants to see him return for another season to see what he can do for an encore with hopes of teaming him back up with bruising running back Chris Carson. It remains to be seen if that will actually happen, however.

"Of course, it's rewarding for us because we drafted him in a high spot way back when, and to see him explode at this time and really show who he is and what he's all about, it was really a thrill. Our players love to see that emergence, that shift, and his impact, so hopefully we can get him back. Another very difficult challenge."

Elsewhere on the roster, Seattle has to decide whether or not to re-sign center Ethan Pocic, tight end Gerald Everett, and right tackle Brandon Shell. Carroll and Schneider kept the door open for Pocic and Shell to return, while Everett will likely be prioritized given his relationship with offensive coordinator Shane Waldron.

Ultimately, Carroll and Schneider are realists and know the Seahawks won't be able to keep everyone, especially if they want to make a few splashes in free agency pursuing talent from other teams. Cost-cutting measures could be enacted such as reworking linebacker Bobby Wagner's contract or restructuring quarterback Russell Wilson's current deal to lower their respective cap hits, though both men were non-committal on the former and Schneider would like to avoid doing the latter if possible.

What transpires the next couple of weeks will be telling on how Seattle's offseason blueprint takes shape and which players they can or cannot keep. Mechanisms like the franchise tag remain in play to ensure a star like Diggs doesn't get away, but the team will only be able to do that with one player before the March 8 deadline.

Keeping that in mind, the clock is ticking for the Seahawks to lock up several of the aforementioned players before they no longer have any means at their disposal to prevent them from hitting the market. Once that happens, it's fair game for the rest of the field and any suitor can make a run at Diggs, Brown, Reed, and other quality players, making the next several days crucial ones for the organization.