Seattle Seahawks: Evaluating six 2019 free agency departures
By Samuel Teets
Earl Thomas
Earl Thomas is finally out of Seattle after a chaotic final season with the team that drafted him back in 2010. The future Hall of Fame safety held out prior to the 2018 season because he was seeking a new deal that would pay him the money he deserved.
Thomas didn’t get the deal, but reported to the Seahawks anyway. In the first three games of the season, he recorded three interceptions and looked like he was on track for yet another All-Pro season. Then, Thomas fractured his leg in Week 4. The conflicts he had with the front office and the injury ended his career as a Seahawk.
Thomas signed a four-year deal worth $55 million with the Baltimore Ravens. The contract promises Thomas the most guaranteed money of any safety in the league, $32 million. The deal is also the second most lucrative in terms of total value, only trailing Landon Collins‘ six-year, $84 million mega-deal.
However, Thomas is not the highest paid safety in terms of money per year, a title that he should have based on his past successes. If not for the leg injury, he would likely have claimed the largest contract in terms of money per year in history.
Justin Coleman
Justin Coleman has been one of the best slot cornerbacks in the NFL over the past couple of seasons. Because of his success, his price tag rose out of the range the Seahawks were willing to pay. Coleman cashed in on his rising star and signed a four-year deal worth $36 million with the Detroit Lions. While that isn’t a large deal for a traditional star cornerback, that’s a massive contract for a slot corner.
Coleman has tied to current Lions head coach, Matt Patricia. Patricia was the defensive coordinator for the Patriots when Coleman was with the team in 2015 and 2016. It will be interesting to see how Patricia utilizes Coleman in his defensive scheme. Coleman recorded 97 combined tackles, two sacks, 19 passes defensed, three interceptions and two defensive touchdowns during his two-year stint in Seattle.
Shamar Stephen
The Seahawks tried to hold on to Stephen but were ultimately unable to. Stephen signed a three-year, $12.45 million with the Minnesota Vikings. Prior to spending 2018 with the Seahawks, Stephen had spent the first four years of his career with the Vikings. Minnesota actually took Stephen in the seventh-round of the 2014 NFL Draft.
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It seems that, with Sheldon Richardson leaving for Cleveland, the Vikings wanted to shore up their defensive line. Stephen has never been the most dominating presence along the line, he only recorded 25 combined tackles and two sacks in 14 starts with the Seahawks in 2018, but he can be a strong role player when surrounded by other talents.