Seahawks Free Agency Grades: Why Keeping the Super Bowl Core Was a High-Stakes Gamble

The Seattle Seahawks’ front office has playing things safe so far this offseason.

After winning Super Bowl LX against the New England Patriots, the Seahawks have focused on keeping their core together while bracing for impact with strong players leaving to sign more lucrative contracts elsewhere.

Here is an analysis of the Seahawks' free agency moves and how the team can move forward after all of the activity.

Keeping the Core Together

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Rashid Shaheed against the New England Patriots. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Seahawks are looking to keep their core together, as it already won them a Super Bowl. It's a young team, so there's a chance for this to turn into a dynasty if all of the cards are played right. The Seahawks were able to keep the core members of the team that helped win a Super Bowl.

The Seahawks re-signed Rashid Shaheed to a three-year, $51 million deal. Shaheed was acquired in a trade during the season and played a critical role on offense and special teams in the second half of the season.

The Seahawks also extended Jaxon Smith-Njigba for four years, earning him a $168.6 million payday, which made him the highest-paid wide receiver in the league. Keeping him under contract helps set the foundation for the Seahawks for years to come.

Cornerback Josh Jobe is also huge for the defense, coming back on a three-year, $24 million contract. Jobe is a great zone cornerback and the Seahawks had a zone rate of over 80 percent last season.

Notable Losses

Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III poses with the MVP trophy. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Seahawks weren't able to keep every free agent they had because they found some degree of success that other teams wanted. Here's a look at the key departures the team must replace.

Player	New Team	Context
RB Kenneth Walker III	Kansas City Chiefs	The Chiefs offered Walker the richest contract for any running back in NFL history, making $15 million in each of the next three seasons.
EDGE Boye Mafe	Cincinnati Bengals	Mafe was a backup with the Seahawks, but he is expected to start for the Bengals on his three-year, $60 million deal.
CB Riq Woolen	Philadelphia Eagles	Woolen was turning into a wonky fit with the Seahawks new defensive scheme.
S Coby Bryant	Chicago Bears	The Seahawks wanted Bryant back, but weren't willing to pay the three-year, $40 million contract he got from the Bears.

Compensatory Picks on the Way

Losing these players will work out for the Seahawks in the long run as they should expect to get a few compensatoy picks in the 2027 NFL Draft. That should make up for the fact that the Seahawks only have four draft picks in this year's draft.

The Seahawks are currently pushing all in to meet with their contender window, but they are setting themselves up well for the future in case things go awry in 2026.

The Seahawks get a B+ because they stuck to their guns. The Seahawks definitely took some hits this offseason, which is why this isn't an 'A', but they are still considered to be one of the best teams in the league.

They have more than $32 million left in cap space, giving them some flexibility for their draft picks and potential free agents that could sign to round out the roster over the summer before training camp.

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