Seattle Seahawks Early Free Agency Summed Up Perfectly With One Word

The Seattle Seahawks are the defending champs after knocking off the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX. They not only won convincingly, but they also have a young roster that means they should continue to be a threat for years to come.

Their biggest concern entering this offseason, however, was how they would keep their team together. Seattle had some of their top players hit the free agency market, and as expected, their Super Bowl run helped those players increase their value on the open market.

That's common for championship teams, and Bleacher Report's Alex Ballentine summed up their early free agency work perfectly with one word: "tax." He pointed to the loss of players such as running back and Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker, defensive backs Coby Bryant and Riq Woolen, as well as EDGE Boye Mafe.

"The Seahawks got a front row seat to what the Super Bowl Tax looks like. Kenneth Walker III, Boye Mafe, Coby Bryant, and Riq Woolen all left for big contracts as 'Super Bowl-winning' free agents. They showed confidence in their system and were able to retain Rashid Shaheed and Josh Jobe, though."

Seahawks departing free agents secured massive contracts

Walker signed with the Kansas City Chiefs on a three-year, $45 million deal. Mafe secured a three-year, $60 million contract with the Cincinnati Bengals. Bryant landed $40 million over three years with the Cincinnati Bengals, and Woolen got $12 million (with a chance to see $15 million) with the Philadelphia Eagles.

The players they did keep weren't cheap either, with Rashid Shaheed securing a three-year, $51 million contract extension. Cornerback Josh Jobe landed a three-year, $24 million deal.

Seahawks still have a roster that can contend

Seattle Seahawks EDGE Boye Mafe runs off the field during the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. | Travis Register-Imagn Images

Even with the losses, the Seahawks boast one of the most complete rosters in the NFL. Their offense remains mostly intact, and while the loss of Walker stings, they've always done well at finding talent at the position through the NFL draft.

Seattle is also going to continue to lean on their defense. Their departures will hurt, with the loss of Mafe standing out as the most concerning. That said, they have players who can step up, and are returning key players such as Leonard Williams, Byron Murphy, and Jarran Reed.

That gives them all the confidence they need to believe they will be in the mix once again this season.

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