Seattle Seahawks: 5 Players to target in 2019 free agency
By Samuel Teets
Daryl Williams or Ja’Wuan James
Anybody who can play right tackle better than Germain Ifedi would work here. Ifedi has been disappointing since the Seahawks selected him in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft. It’s unlikely the Seahawks will pick up his fifth-year option, which means Ifedi will be a free agent in 2020. Seattle shouldn’t wait the extra year to replace him in the starting lineup, though.
Russell Wilson was sacked a career-high 51 times in 2018. The previous high came back in 2015 and was only 45. Ifedi was destroyed during the first two weeks of the season when he faced Von Miller and then Khalil Mack. Seattle continued to give up sacks against talented pass rushers in the following weeks as well. For Wilson’s sake, there has to be some improvement along the offensive line and it all starts with the right tackle position.
Personally, I’m more of a fan of Daryl Williams as a player than Ja’Wuan James, but he only played one game in 2018 because of injuries. Assuming he’s the same player in 2019, it would be worth investing in him. Big injuries tend to drive down the buying price of players in free agency. Then again, that relies entirely on Williams’ recovery and how he’s able to perform.
In the 26 games he started in 2016 and 2017, Williams only had three penalties called against him, per Pro Football Reference. Even a casual NFL fan knows that’s really good. Williams will be turning 27 next season.
On the other hand, James also has had his fair share of injuries. He missed roughly half of both 2015 and 2017. James will also be turning 2017 next season, which could make him a candidate for a long-term deal. The former first-round pick isn’t going to be a Pro Bowler any time soon, but he’s still a solid starter. Seven penalties were called against James in 2018, three of those were accepted.