Brandon Shell, Seattle Seahawks.
If there is one constant in NFL football, it’s “change.” Last season the Seattle Seahawks found out the hard way they didn’t have enough talent to compete regularly with the league’s top teams. They finished 12-4, but only four games were against teams over .500, and their record them was 2-2.
Another free agent frenzy is coming on June 1. Cutting a player after that date allows the team to spread out any outstanding bonus money over two seasons instead of one. It’s a way of easing the burden of dead money against the salary cap.
The Seahawks have another chance to upgrade their team next month. It’s a buyers market for free agents, and the Seattle Seahawks have $7M under the cap available, which is about mid-pack, but eight teams have at least $20. Seattle could gain more cap room if they part ways (trade or release) with some players on the current roster. Here are 10 veterans in danger of leaving the Emerald City.
Dead Money – $2M, Cap Savings – $3.35M
Brandon Shell battled injuries his first season in Seattle. When he wasn’t injured, Shell couldn’t pass block. Pass rushers were in Russell Wilson’s grill all season long. It feels like the only reason he’s still on the team is because the Seahawks couldn’t get anyone better. If a good enough tackle becomes available after June 1, Shell has to go.
Dead Money – $100K, Cap Savings – $1.1M
Jordan Simmons is another player from the 2018 draft that is on his last legs. Last season he played in 14 games but looked overmatched quite often. Simmons hasn’t developed as fast as the organization would like. Another thing that counts against him is the Seahawks’ other two backup guards, Kyle Fuller and Phil Haynes, can both play center.
Dead Money – $2.03M, Cap Savings – $1.36M
When does the 2018 first-round pick run out of chances? In three seasons with the Seahawks, he has 981 yards from scrimmage; 226 of those yards came over two games in 2019. Believe it or not, Seattle comes out ahead by cutting him rather than trading him away.
Dead Money – $71.7K, Cap Savings – $814K
When he plays, Travis Homer shows flashes of talent. Unfortunately, he hasn’t played consistently enough to warrant a guaranteed spot. Going into camp, Homer is likely the fourth running back on Seattle’s depth chart. Alex Collins is just as productive and can win the job. Also, Seattle might not even keep four running backs on the main roster.
Dead Money – $0, Cap Savings – $750K
Barring injury, the top four receivers are set. D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Freddie Swain, and this year’s second-round draft choice D’Wayne Eskridge are all making the roster. That puts John Ursua and Penny Hart in a battle for the fifth receiver spot.
Even that job isn’t guaranteed to either of them. Although Ursua and Hart have more experience with Seattle, some newcomers could make both obsolete. The Seahawks signed a pair of undrafted free agents, Tamorrion Terry (Florida State) and Cade Johnson (South Dakota State), who both have enough raw potential to win jobs in camp.
NFL.com had Johnson as a fourth-round talent, so it was a bit surprising he went undrafted. Due to COVID-19, it was tough for small school players to get noticed this year, which is why he likely fell out of the draft.
Ursua and Hart are on $750K contracts with no guaranteed money. Seattle can save at least $120K each by replacing them with undrafted rookies (or Aaron Fuller). The bottom line here is both have been around the team long enough to know what kind of player they are. Their time in Seattle is running out quickly. Tick tock.
Dead Money – $74.7K, Cap Savings – $2.18M
Tre Flowers was a safety in college. Another member of the 2018 draft class (5th round, 146th overall), the Seahawks moved him to cornerback. So it’s not entirely Flowers fault that he can’t cover man-to-man against most NFL receivers. When I see him play, I can’t get wrestling announcer Jim Ross’s voice in my head. It goes something like, “Flowers got beat on that play like a government mule.”
Seattle saves $2.18M by cutting him loose. They should consider it an investment in improving the team. That money is better spent on better talent.
Dead Money – $137K, Cap Savings – $850K
Shaquill Griffen, Quinton Dunbar, Lano Hill, and Neiko Thorpe are gone, the Seahawks are very deep in the secondary. They signed Ahkello Witherspoon and Pierre Desir and drafted Tre Brown in the fourth round to replace the quartet. Additionally, Marquise Blair should be back from his knee injury.
Damarious Randle in a tough spot. Both Ugo Amadi and Ryan Neal proved themselves as worthy backups in 2020. That leaves Randall as the eighth or ninth defensive back (depending on what happens to Flowers) on the team. Unless he becomes a special-teams stud like Thorpe or the Seahawks get hit with a rash of injuries again, Randall is on the outside looking in.
Dead Money – $750K, Cap Savings – $1.66M
Jarren Reed had to go because he was too expensive to keep. So far, the Seattle Seahawks replaced him with lots of quantity but not very high quality. Al Woods is back (again) as one of many players next to Poona Ford at defensive tackle.
Woods played for Seattle in both 2011 and 2019. This summer, he’ll compete with Bryan Mone, Rasheem Green, Robert Nkemdiche, and Cedric Lattimore for playing time. Woods makes the most, and the Seahawks save $1.61M if he doesn’t make the team.
Dead Money – $72.5K, Cap Savings – $3.38M
This one is controversial, Michael Dickson is very popular among the 12’s. This fun-loving, Aussie punter carved out a place on the Seahawks roster when he beat out 10-year veteran Jon Ryan in 2018. While he had his best season in 2020, finishing second in yards per punt (49.6) and fourth in net yards (44.4), Dickson is very expensive.
He is the 11th highest-paid player on the team, with a salary of $3.38M this year. That’s average money for a punter but still expensive in relation to the cap. On top of his big salary, Dickson is in the last year of his contract. He can walk away as a free agent at the end of the season.
If the Seahawks part ways with Dickson, they are only on the hook they pick up over $3M. He’s been fantastic since Seattle drafted him in 2018 (5th round, 149th overall). But now is the time to open up the job for competition. It couldn’t hurt to take a look.
Let’s say Seattle replaces Dickson with a punter who averages 3 yards less per punt. At an average of four puns per game, over 17 games, that’s 204 yards. The Seahawks have to weigh if the cap savings is worth the probable loss in productivity.
In the end, I don’t think Dickson gets cut. He’s more likely to have his contract restructured as part of an extension. If the sides can’t agree then Dickson could move.
Do you think the Seattle Seahawks will cut any of these players? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.