Seattle Seahawks: 5 Positions to address in the 2019 offseason
By Samuel Teets
Defensive end
Frank Clark is going to be one of the biggest free agents this offseason. Seattle should do whatever it takes to retain him, but there’s no guarantee Clark will return to Seattle for the 2019 season. Things seem promising early since the team met with Clark recently.
He will be a huge priority for the Seahawks this offseason. This season he became the unquestioned leader of the Seahawks defensive line and recorded 13 sacks, 41 combined tackles, an interception, three forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries. He has 35 sacks through four seasons in the NFL.
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Even if the team manages to hold onto Clark, they could really use another pass rusher, or even a run-stopping specialist, opposite of their best defensive lineman. The team does have budding defensive tackle Jarran Reed, who recorded 10.5 sacks, 50 combined tackles, and two fumble recoveries in 2018, but he’s more of an interior force. Putting three capable pass rushers up front has to be an enticing idea for Carroll.
You might wonder why the Seahawks would need another pass rusher when they have Clark and Reed. Well, the defenders with the third most sacks on the team this season finished with just three sacks. Both rookie linebacker Jacob Martin, who didn’t start a game during the season, and defensive end Quinton Jefferson had three sacks.
Martin is promising because he plays a position where the Seahawks might have an opening soon (outside linebacker), but Jefferson just finished his third season and hasn’t shown he’s worth a long-term contract.
Seattle finished tied for the 11th most sacks in the league with 43, which is a good total, but the team finished 20th in run defense. So the team will benefit if they bring in more of a run-stuffing defensive end as well. Regardless, the team can do better than Jefferson and they’ll need to if Clark ends up leaving in free agency.