John Schneider, Seattle Seahawks.
The Seattle Seahawks are in the midst of Minicamp. It’s time to start putting game plans into action. Still, it’s plain to see the team has some holes, more so if they want to make some noise in the playoffs.
General Manager John Schneider and Head Coach Pete Carroll should still be beating the bushes finding talent to add to an already good team. They can start with some veteran unrestricted free agents who are still available.
Seattle has about $9M remaining under the cap, according to Spotrac. If needed, the Seahawks can create more space by restructuring a few contracts.
Picking up interior line help is an interesting proposition. This spring, the Seattle Seahawks drafted guard Anthony Bradford (fourth round) and center Olu Oluwatimi (fifth round). Early reports are good, but neither is penciled in to start in Week 1.
Phil Haynes is the holdover at right guard. However, he ranked 56th last year among guards, according to Pro Football Focus. That’s not good enough to rely on as a full-time starter.
They also signed Evan Brown to replace last year’s center bust, Austin Blythe. Brown mainly played guard last season, so if Oluwatimi can win the center job during the season, the veteran can slide over.
If Seattle is more than a wild card contender, why not sure up their biggest offensive weakness?
Dalton Risner – Denver, 28
2022 – 15 games (15 starts). PFF Grades – Overall 61.1 (42nd), Pass Block 72.6, Run Block 53.4.
Steady but far from spectacular, Dalton Risner would thrive as the Seattle Seahawks fifth-best offensive lineman. He’s a huge upgrade over Haynes.
A.J. Cann – Houston, 31
2022 – 16 games (16 starts). PFF Grades – Overall 66.6 (26th), Pass Block 64.8, Run Block 63.9.
Houston was awful last season. It wasn’t the offensive line’s fault. They played pretty well.
A.J. Cann is another big upgrade over Haynes at right guard. He doesn’t excel at any one particular aspect. Instead, Cann is all-around good.
Let’s face it, the Seattle Seahawks’ depth at inside linebacker is paper thin. Bobby Wagner and Devin Bush are a formidable pair in DC Clint Hurtt’s 3-4 scheme. Unfortunately, there is no help behind them.
After tearing knee ligaments in Game 17, Jordyn Brooks is doubtful to be ready when the season starts. When he does return, it will take a while for Brooks to ramp up to the tackling machine he’s been for three seasons.
That leaves special teams ace Jon Rhattigan, Vi Jones (3 career NFL games, 0 defensive snaps), and two 2023 undrafted free agents, Patrick O’Connell, and Cam Bright, to be Seattle’s Plan B. Help is needed.
Zach Cunningham – Tennessee, 28
2022 – 6 games (6 starts), 24 tackles. PFF grades – Overall 60.3 (n/a), vs. Run 52, Pass Rush 58.9, Coverage 65.9.
Getting dealt to Tennesee at the 2021 trade deadline didn’t work out as well as either Zach Cunningham or the Titans hoped. He was okay, but he wasn’t the same guy that had a league-leading 164 tackles in 2020.
Seattle doesn’t need him to dish out as many hits. Cunningham just has to spell their starters on passing downs and start in case of injury.
Joe Thomas – Chicago, 32
2022 – 15 games (9 starts), 61 tackles, 4 for loss. PFF grades – Overall 63.0 (T 44th), vs. Run 66.0, Pass Rush 70.1, Coverage 57.1.
Joe Thomas is a reliable sub. Since joining the NFL in 2015, he’s played in double-digit games every year.
Backing up Wagner and Bush this season is an ideal role for Thomas. Mostly a reserve for several teams during his career; he can start when needed.
Like Alexander, Thomas is best used as a two-down linebacker.
Looking over the Seattle Seahawks defensive line, it’s filled with a majority of average players. In the NFL, this is an area where teams rotate many players through not only games but an entire season. Quantity matters almost as much as quality.
Shelby Harris – Seattle, 32
2022 – 15 games (15 starts), 44 tackles, 2 sacks. PFF Grades – Overall 74.48 (17th), vs. Run 78.5, Pass Rush 71.2.
Some may say Shelby Harris‘s 2022 season in the Emerald City didn’t go as expected. The numbers and PFF grades say otherwise.
Nagging injuries and illness kept him from playing to his full ability. The Seahawks didn’t think he was worth another $9M investment, so they parted ways with him in March.
Here we are in May, and Harris is surprisingly still available. He knows the system and is a productive player, especially against the run. If they can get him on a bargain contract, Schneider should make it happen.
Ndamukong Suh – Philadelphia, 36
2022 – 11 games, including the postseason (0 starts), 10 tackles, 2 for loss. PFF Grades – Overall 63.6 (n/a), vs. Run 67.12, Pass Rush 55.5.
Far from the player he once was, Ndamukong Suh has enough left in his tank to plug the middle as part of a rotation. He’d be an excellent choice to give starting nose tackle Bryan Mone some breaks until 2023 fourth round pick Cameron Young is ready to be a regular contributor.
Over the past two drafts, the Seattle Seahawks used the second round to pick up a nice 1-2 punch at running back with Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet. After the young duo comes Deejay Dallas and rookie seventh round pick Kenny McIntosh.
They both lack experience, and a bona fide pass catcher out of the backfield can only help. Dallas was supposed to be that guy. At this point, he’s replaceable.
Kareem Hunt – Cleveland, 28
2022 – 17 games (0 starts), 123 carries, 468 yards, 35 receptions, 210 yards, 4 total TDs. PFF Grade – Overall 67.0 (44th), Run 67.4, Catch 66.4, Pass Block 54.6.
On the human being scale, Kareem Hunt is somewhere between Adrian Peterson and Floyd Mayweather Jr. As a running back, Hunt would do quite nicely for the Seattle Seahawks. Besides, Pete Carroll has a way with players who have “off-field issues.”
Last year, he caught 35 passes, which was right there with his career average of 35.17. Although his yards per touch were down, Hunt is far from done at 28.
Ameer Abdullah – Las Vegas, 30
2022 – 17 games (0 starts), 4 carries 20 yards, 25 receptions, 211 yards, 1 TD. PFF Grades – Overall 66.4 (n/a), Run 68.8, Catch 81.1, Pass Block 59.9.
Ameer Abdullah is far from a featured back. That’s fine because the Seattle Seahawks don’t need him to be one.
Blessed with great hands (78.1% catch rate in 2022), he’s an ideal candidate for third down duties. The biggest concern is that Abdullah is serviceable in pass protection.
This is far from a criticism of last year’s rookie bookends, Charles Cross and Abe Lucas, who played outstanding. The Seattle Seahawks should pick up a veteran backup to give the now sophomores some additional guidance.
Depth is also important. Stone Forsythe might be 6-7, 310 pounds, but he’s been nearly invisible since arriving in Seattle. Jake Curran is slightly better and can play inside if necessary.
2022 – 10 games (1 start). PFF Grades – Overall 70.2 (n/a), Pass Block 62.5, Run Block 70.3.
Jason Peters didn’t play as much last season as he has in the past, but the year before, Peters started 15 games. Not bad for a 40+-year-old. Who better than “The Bodyguard” to mentor Cross and Lucas?
Taylor Lewan – Tennessee, 32
2022 – 2 games (2 starts). PFF Grades – Overall 67.3 (n/a), Pass Block 79.4, Run Block 64.5.
A series of injuries limited Taylor Lewan in recent seasons. Since 2019, the former three-time All-Pro has played in 32 of 65 games.
No doubt Taylor Lewan has plenty of football left in him and is still an outstanding pass-blocker. Sign him if he’s willing to take a diminished role on a team with legitimate postseason aspirations.
Besides, the Kraken need Luwan at home games.
Third-String Quarterback
How much do the Seattle Seahawks trust Holton Ahlers in case of emergency? Last XFL season, he was the Sea Dragons third-stringer and didn’t play. Free agent Qbs to fill the job include former Seahawks Jacob Eason, Sean Mannion, and Jake Luton.
This isn’t the end-all list. Several good veterans will be out of a job during and after training camp.