DJ Reed, Seattle Seahawks.
There has been plenty of discussion about who isn’t returning to the Seattle Seahawks next season. We ran an article Sunday about the end of the line for 10 current Seahawks. Let’s move the conversation back toward keeping some of the talent headed into free agency. Here are 12 internal free agents Seattle should bring back for 2022.
Restricted free agent definitions from the NFL:
Restricted free agent (RFA): A player with three accrued seasons and an expired contract. RFAs are free to negotiate and sign with any team, but their original team can offer them one of the various qualifying offers (“tenders”) that come with the right of first refusal and/or draft-pick compensation.
Exclusive rights free agent (ERFA): Any player with fewer than three accrued seasons and an expired contract. If his original team offers him a one-year contract at the league minimum (based on his credited seasons), the player cannot negotiate with other teams.
Since the Seahawks drafted him in the fourth round of 2019, Phil Haynes has battled injuries. Much like Kyle Fuller, he’s a versatile player the Seattle Seahawks can plugin on the offensive line when needed. If Haynes can stay healthy, he might even supplant Fuller as the primary interior offensive line fill-in.
If you’re a fan, you can’t help but root for Jon Rhattigan. He almost made the team as an undrafted free agent out of training camp. The Seahawks thought enough of the former Army star to sign him to their practice squad.
Injuries to other players got him on the roster for Week 1, where he excelled on special teams. Rhattigan embraced his role and played with passion and guts every time he took the field. Every locker room can use a Jon Rhattigan.
Bless Austin is what he is, a backup talent who has decent cover skills. He works best as a dime defender in zone coverage. There is a place for that skill set in the modern NFL, and it isn’t very expensive.
He might not get the attention as Poona Ford or Al Woods, but Bryan Mone is a big part of Seattle’s defensive line rotation. Last season he played in 14 games, with 5 starts. While he doesn’t excel in any particular part of the game, Mone is steady enough that Seattle doesn’t lose much either when he subs in.
While the offensive free agents may not be as “sexy” as those on defense, these players are important parts of the team.
It was a surprise in 2020 training camp when Ethan Pocic beat out Ben Finney to be Seattle’s starting center. Since then, he’s been a steady presence on the Seahawks offensive line, playing in 27 of 35 games. Pocic is a much better run blocker (11th ranked center by Pro Football Focus) than pass blocker, but facing Aaron Donald twice a season will affect any interior lineman’s numbers. In Pete Carrol’s system, run blocking is a premium.
Kyle Fuller isn’t at the top of this list; as a matter of fact, he’s close to the bottom of it. His value to the team is that he can play several positions and is relatively cheap. He’s not an All-Pro (far from it), but not everyone is destined for stardom, someone has to be a backup, and he does the job adequately when called on.
Adrian Peterson doesn’t have much left in the tank at this point in his Hall of Fame career. If he comes back to the Emerald City, he would likely be the third or fourth running back on the depth chart. That’s okay because, as the Seahawks found out, AP doesn’t have to play much to make an impact on the team. As he showed with Rashaad Penny, Peterson’s work ethic and preparation are a master class for NFL running backs.
Will Dissly is an above-average run blocker with good hands. Even though Gerald Everett stole some of his thunder in 2021, he’s still a valuable check-down receiver for Russell Wilson. After overcoming some serious injuries early in his career, Dissly produced well over the last two seasons with 45 receptions for 482 yards, 23 first downs, and 3 touchdowns. An even more important factor to his re-signing, head coach Pete Carroll likes him.
Seattle’s defense was far from elite status in 2021, but there are some important players they need to bring back for 2022.
For the second straight season, Quandre Diggs started every game and made five picks. Re-signing him was a slam dunk until the final 9:16 of the season when the safety broke his leg and dislocated his ankle. He played at an All-Pro level this season but really took his game to another level after Jamal Adams went down in Game 13. Diggs is a star. He and Adams are the best safety tandem in football.
The Seattle Seahawks felt strongly enough about D.J. Reed‘s ability to let former Pro Bowl cornerback Shaquill Griffin leave in free agency last year. They found out that Reed is a starting-caliber corner, maybe not so much against speed guys on the outside, but he has excellent coverage skills.
An undervalued part of his game is stopping the run. Reed received PFF’s fifth-highest run defense grade at his position in 2021. If the Seahawks don’t tag Diggs, they probably will on Reed. He’s that important to them.
There is a trend here. The Seattle Seahawks are already thin in the defensive backfield. Losing another cornerback who can play is bad business. It took the former Washington Huskies star a few weeks to adjust, but once he did, Sidney Jones helped solidify a shaky defense. He proved to be an excellent number two corner and probably won’t be very expensive to retain.
Al Woods is a massive human at 6-4, 330-pounds. He uses his size well to plug gaps and stuff the run. Offensive linemen have a hard time handling him one-on-one, which opens up opportunities for linebackers Bobby Wagner and Jordyn Brooks to make tackles.
Do you think the Seattle Seahawks should hold on to these 12 players? Let us know in the comments section below.