Shaquil Griffin, Seattle Seahawks.
“Baby, come back. Any kind of fool would see there was something in everything about you.” – Player. That 1977 song is going to be playing in every NFL general manager’s head as they start to go through their list of free agents. Locally, Seattle Seahawks GM John Schneider will break down his internal free agents into four groups: Must bring back, Would like to bring back, Won’t cost that much, and “Hasta la vista baby.”
There are 30 Seahawks about to become free agents. How many Schneider bring back? He might decide to go with players from outside the organization. Fresh off his contract extension, Schneider will earn his pay this offseason. The Seahawks are projected, as of right now, to have just under $5 million in cap space. They’ll also have the franchise and transition tags at their disposal.
So, who do the Seahawks bring back? As previously mentioned, there will be plenty of players to chose from. I’m going to give you my top five selections that fall into the “Must bring back.” But before that, here is at least one player that falls into the other three categories.
The best ability a player can have is availability. Lots of 12s think Cedric Ogbuehi should be in the “Won’t Cost that Much” pile. I’m not going to argue that as I believe that to be true. But can the Seahawks count on Brandon Shell to play a full season? Does Duane Brown play after his contract is up next year?
In short, Ogbuehi is a good backup tackle, and it helps that he can play left or right tackle. Injuries along the offensive line happen every year, and Ogbuehi is a highly valuable player on the roster.
If the best ability is availability, how can Quinton Dunbar be a must bring back? A player can be both. Seattle traded a fifth-round pick for Dunbar because they saw something they liked. He played in only six games this year. That wasn’t enough time for the team to get enough conclusive information to move on from him. Besides, the Seattle Seahawks have plenty of questions at cornerback next season.
Shaquill Griffin is also a free agent. He should get a big payday. Can Seattle afford to bring him back next season? D.J. Reed Jr. had a great 2020. Can he repeat his performance? Tre Flowers was a starter in 2019 but lost his spot before the season started. Can he bounce back? Depth at cornerback is a good thing to have. High-quality depth is even better.
The best ability a player can have is availability. Now, you may be saying Cedric should be in the “Won’t Cost that Much” pile. I feel like I’ve said this before. Ethan Pocic won the starting center job this in camp and played well. Another year at the position and working with Russell Wilson will only help.
The O-line needs stability and cohesion. Bringing Pocic back checks both of those boxes. Pocic is a guard by trade; if Seattle can’t get a replacement for Mike Iupati at left guard, they may sign or draft another center and move Pocic over.
Coming off his 2019 Pro Bowl season, Griffin was even better in 2020. Bringing Shaq back to play opposite Reed, with Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams in the secondary gives Seattle its best defensive backfield since the Legion of Boom days. Add in the trio at linebacker, and this defense starts to get you hyped!
There are things Griffin has to improve on. First of all, he needs to stay healthy. Playing in only 57 out of a possible 64 games keeps him from the big free agent money. This goes back to the need to resign Dunbar.
The OG. The old man of the defense. He’ll be 32 when the 2021 season arrives. K.J. Wright is looking at this contract being his last chance to get big money. So, make no doubt he’s going to want to get paid. One of the few guys on the roster left from the back-to-back Super Bowl appearances. He’s a part of arguably the best trio of linebackers in the league. Wright has to come back.
I’m sure many 12s will yell at me for omitting Chris Carson as a must bring back. It would be nice, but there will be many running backs available in free agency that can do what Carson does, maybe even better, and be cheaper. Carson will want more money than what Seattle can afford or is willing to offer him.
I can’t fault a player for wanting as much money as he can get. This sport destroys player’s bodies, and the NFL does a poor job of taking care of its former players.
Which internal free agents do you think the Seattle Seahawks should bring back? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.