Seattle Seahawks: End of season awards for 2019

Best Newcomer: Jadeveon Clowney, DE

The Seahawks added a surprising amount of talent before the 2019 season. The team brought in Mike Iupati, a former All-Pro, who started 15 games at guard. Jacob Hollister also joined Seattle in a trade that occurred last May. He started several regular-season games and during the playoffs in place of the injured Will Dissly.

More than midway through the season, Seattle traded for Quandre Diggs from Detroit. Diggs fell out of favor with the struggling Lions, and the team sent him to Seattle along with a 2021 seventh-round pick in exchange for a 2020 fifth-round selection.

Replacing the injured and struggling Tedric Thompson, Diggs intercepted three passes, forced a fumble, and recovered a fumble during his five regular-season games with the Seahawks. However, this award belongs to Clowney. The former All-Pro dealt with injuries and played below his standards in 2019, but there were some games where Clowney offenses couldn’t stop him.

For instance, Clowney recorded a sack and four quarterback hits in Seattle’s seven-point win over Atlanta in Week 8. Against the San Francisco 49ers, in an overtime thriller, Clowney registered another sack and five quarterback hits. He also forced and recovered a fumble, which he returned for a score.

The Seahawks do not intend to allow Clowney to walk away in free agency this offseason. However, the former first overall pick will command a lot of money on the open market.

Most Improved: Shaquill Griffin, CB

While Seattle reached the Divisional Round, the team still doesn’t look like a true Super Bowl contender. There are several positions where the Seahawks lag behind their elite competition. One of those spots is cornerback.

Since saying au revoir to Richard Sherman, the Seahawks have not possessed a shutdown cornerback. After poor to mediocre performances throughout his first two seasons, fans wondered if Griffin could ever become the same kind of playmaker as Sherman.

Sadly, the answer still seems like a no. Sherman is a generational corner, and Griffin will never fill his shoes. However, the corner made considerable strides in his third season. Despite not registering an interception, Griffin established himself as a worthy piece of a playoff team. He became a strength for the defense.

Whether Griffin can evolve into a Pro Bowler or even an elite player remains up in the air. The Seahawks should still consider looking for help at the cornerback position, but Griffin’s hard work paid off with a satisfying 2019 season.