Seattle Seahawks: Now is the time to strike and sign these two free agents
NFL roulette, also known as free agency, is in full swing. Now is the time for the Seattle Seahawks to bolster their offensive line by bringing in top-tier talent.
Surprisingly, I’m okay with the way Seattle Seahawks General Manager John Schneider handled free agency up to this point. With a decreased salary cap in 2021, playing the long game isn’t a bad strategy. As the new NFL year starts, there is more talent on the market than dollars available to sign them.
This week the Seahawks re-signed a pair of restricted free agents. Defensive tackle Poona Ford and safety Ryan Neal are back for 2021. They also replaced Shaquill Griffin with Ahkello Witherspoon. The cornerback from San Francisco rated higher than Griffin for 2020, and Seattle signed Witherspoon for much less.
That doesn’t mean it’s time to sit back a let the NFL world pass Seattle by. There are two players available Schneider has to sign immediately. They’ve kicked the tires on running back Leonard Fournette, but he plays a position that the team shouldn’t be in a hurry to fill.
Instead, Schneider can do the one thing everyone, including Russell Wilson and Pete Carroll, can agree on. Fix the offensive line. Two players are above the rest.
Trai Turner
It’s hard to believe that a 27-year-old, five-time All-Pro offensive lineman is available. But as the new league year starts, Trai Turner is a free agent after the Los Angeles Chargers released him to open more cap room. As they say, one team’s loss is another’s gain.
Last season Turner came to L.A. from Carolina in a straight-up swap for former Seahawks star offensive tackle Russell Okung. A groin injury limited him to just nine games.
In 2021, Turner counted $9.25M against the cap. He may not get that much, but he won’t get much less either. Bringing in Turner means Seattle would need to trade Jarron Reed. It’s an acceptable loss considering Turner and Duane Brown could be the best O-line left side in the league.
Mitchell Schwartz
One player who is a free agent and seems left out in musical chairs is Mitchell Schwartz. A 2018 All-Pro right tackle, he was a surprise cap casualty by the Kansas City Chiefs. Last season injuries limited Schwartz to just six games.
The 10 games missed in 2020 were the first of his nine-year NFL career. Schwartz is a huge upgrade over Brandon Shell. He should greatly help the development of second-year right guard Damian Lewis.
In this market and with his recent injuries, Schwartz won’t get anywhere near his almost $11M cap hit from last season. The good news is his actual payout was $5.67M. Seattle should be able to bring Schwartz in for $8M per season. To help pay for his addition, Schneider can cut Shell to pick up $3.0M of cap space.
No Center?
Ethan Pocic, last season’s center, is a free agent. None of these moves address the position. Upgrading the left guard and right tackle positions more than offsets Phil Haynes, Kyle Fuller, or a draft pick moving into the starting lineup. If Russ wants an upgrade at this spot as well, he can restructure his contract to free up more money.
Related Story: Seahawks will have Russell Wilson for 2021 and beyond
Trai Turner is a vibe @trai_turner ⚡️👊🏾 pic.twitter.com/Ai42GxBCNt
— Chargers Country (@ChargersCountry) December 18, 2020
What do you think about the Seattle Seahawks making moves for Trai Turner and Mitchell Schwartz? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.