Despite back to back playoff seasons, the Seattle Seahawks still need more pieces. They can alter their roster with free-agent decisions in 2021.
The Seattle Seahawks could lose several major free agents this offseason. Notably, Jadeveon Clowney and Jarran Reed could both sign with new teams as unrestricted free agents. Even lesser-known starters like Germain Ifedi and Quinton Jefferson could find new homes. However, the Seahawks will also face several crucial decisions about the future of their franchise in 2021.
While Seattle’s 2021 free agent class lacks some of the star power present in this year’s group, the 2021 class is deeper. Losing some of the top free agents in a year from now will set the Seahawks back years. Over the next season, Seattle needs to sign these players to extensions.
The eight most notable players who could become unrestricted free agents for Seattle in 2021 appear below. Predictions about what the Seahawks will do with the players’ expiring contracts appear as well. When reading the article, keep in mind the large amount of turnover NFL rosters regularly undergo. Teams can change quite a bit in a few years.
8. Ed Dickson, TE
In 2018, the Seahawks gave Dickson a bad contract. Well, it wasn’t a bad deal for Dickson. The veteran tight end signed a three-year contract worth $10.7 million. However, it was a boneheaded signing by Seattle.
In his first year with the team, Dickson started one of his ten appearances. He made 12 receptions for 143 yards and three touchdowns. Dickson’s run blocking does add to his value, but the veteran’s salary outdid his contributions. He did not play a game for Seattle in 2019, after undergoing knee surgery before the regular season.
Dickson could eat up $3,866,668 in 2020. If the Seahawks cut Dickson, he will still count as $866,668 in dead cap, but that situation is much more bearable.
Predicted action – released in 2020
7. Tedric Thompson, S
Seattle somewhat surprisingly placed Tedric Thompson on injured reserve (IR) after Week 8. Since Earl Thomas went down in Week 4 last season, the Seahawks have been trying to replace Thompson. For his part, Thompson intercepted two passes in six appearances this past season. However, that doesn’t make up for his numerous mistakes over the past two years.
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Thompson is a liability in Seattle’s secondary, which is already a weak unit. The Seahawks drafted Marquise Blair in the second round of the 2019 draft with the intention of eventually inserting him into the starting lineup for Thompson. When Thompson got injured and Blair proved unready, Seattle traded for Quandre Diggs.
In ten appearances with the Seahawks, Diggs intercepted three passes. He is under contract through the 2021 season. That means Thompson is not in Seattle’s future plans. It wouldn’t be shocking if the team cut him before the 2020 season.
Predicted action – Not re-signed
6. Bradley McDougald, S
In 2018, Bradley McDougald signed a three-year, $13.5 million contract with the Seahawks. The veteran safety became a leader of Seattle’s young secondary, but his play may not warrant a new deal.
McDougald will be 30 and preparing for his age-31 season this time next year. Over the past two seasons, McDougald produced 118 tackles, five interceptions, 15 passes defensed and four forced fumbles. His skill as a leader is admirable, but McDougald lacks the skill necessary to be a cornerstone of a Super Bowl contender.
Besides the Seahawks needing an upgrade at safety, McDougald will be due for a pay raise when his current deal ends. For a player of McDougald’s caliber, the Seahawks may choose to spend the money elsewhere.
Predicted action – Not re-signed
5. D.J. Fluker, G
In 2017, the Seahawks signed Fluker to a one-year deal worth $1.5 million. After a disappointing season with the New York Jets, Fluker accepted Seattle’s offer. Seattle became the former first-round pick’s third team in as many seasons. With another poor performance, Fluker’s time in the NFL may have come to an end.
Instead, Fluker thrived with Seattle. He became a mauler in the team’s run-based offense and earned a new deal. The Seahawks signed Fluker to a two-year six million dollar deal last offseason.
When Fluker’s current deal ends, the Alabama product will be approaching his thirtieth birthday. The Seahawks may retain Fluker on another bargain deal, especially considering how expensive signing a free agent can be. However, Fluker isn’t a great pass blocker, and Russell Wilson isn’t getting any younger.
With Wilson aging, the Seahawks may want to invest in offensive linemen orientated more toward pass blocking. The team may also want to get younger up front. If that’s the case, then Fluker will need a new organization.
Predicted action – Not re-signed
4. Justin Britt, C
Before the 2017 season, Seattle gave Britt a generous three-year, $27 million extension. That puts Britt’s average salary on par with Alex Mack and Mike Pouncey. Mack is a former three-timer Second-Team All-Pro and six-time Pro Bowler. Pouncey went to four Pro Bowls. Britt will never make a Pro Bowl.
There is a severe talent difference between Britt and his contemporaries making between nine and ten million dollars per year. Sure, salaries get elevated over time as the cap rises, but Britt should not be making as much money as he does under his current contract.
Britt became a starter for the Seahawks during his rookie season. He missed eight games in 2019 and the playoffs with an ACL injury. This time next year, Britt will be 29 years old. The team could move on from him, especially if he wants another hefty contract, but that seems unlikely.
Britt’s backup, Joey Hunt, is a free agent this offseason. What Seattle does with Hunt could determine Britt’s fate, but it’s hard to find a starting center in the NFL.
Predicted action – Re-signed
3. K.J. Wright, OLB
The Seahawks signed Wright to a two-year, $14 million deal this past offseason, probably with the intention of not re-signing the veteran after that time. However, with the way Wright played in 2019, Seattle may find out that the former Pro Bowler is still a better option than whoever they can find in the draft or free agency.
After appearing in only five regular-season games in 2018, Wright started every game in 2019. He set career-highs with 132 tackles, three interceptions and 11 passes defensed. While Wright is vulnerable in some passing situations, he’s still performing at a very high level.
With Mychal Kendricks, Seattle’s other starting outside linebacker hitting free agency this spring, the Seahawks cannot afford to lose Wright in 2021. Considering the team’s other defensive needs, Seattle should ride Wright’s success until the wheels start falling off.
Predicted action – Re-signed
2. Shaquill Griffin, CB
Griffin improved by leaps and bounds in his third season in the NFL. In his first two years, Griffin struggled, and it looked like Seattle might abandon the third-round pick when his contract expired. Griffin’s 2019 performance proved he’s deserving of a new deal.
However, Seattle should still search for a starting cornerback. While Griffin headed in the right direction this past season and Tre Flowers is a valuable player considering where the Seahawks drafted him, the team still needs a true shutdown cornerback.
All of the standout teams in the NFL feature at least one star defensive back. For Kansas City, that man is Tyrann Mathieu. Richard Sherman fills that role in San Francisco. The Seahawks need a player with that caliber of talent to stabilize their secondary. Griffin can be a starter on a winning team, but he cannot be the superstar.
Predicted action – Re-signed
1. Chris Carson, RB
The Seahawks can pay superstars like Bobby Wagner and Wilson because of Carson’s current contract. Right now, Seattle’s leading rusher makes nothing compared to other running backs of his caliber. However, assuming he stays healthy, Carson will cash in after the 2020 season, and Seattle may struggle to pay him.
Seattle drafted Carson in the seventh round of the 2017 NFL Draft, with the 249th overall pick. Regardless of what Pete Carroll or anyone on the staff says, the organization never thought Carson would become the team’s leading running back.
Like all seventh-round picks, Carson’s rookie contract runs for four years and it’s cheap. The deal is only worth $2,465,129, which is roughly $616,282 per season. To put that in perspective, Rashaad Penny made $2,446,690 between his base salary and signing bonus in 2019. In the first four years of his rookie deal, Penny can make $10,765,438.
However, while Penny is a backup running back struggling to find his way in the NFL, Carson is a borderline Pro Bowler. Spotrac predicts Carson possesses a market value of $7,687,091 per season, which would rank seventh in the league among running backs.
Carson ran for 1,151 yards in 2018 and added 1,230 in 2019. When he got injured late in the regular season this past year, Seattle’s Super Bowl chances sunk. Even with Wilson, the team relies heavily on their workhorse running back. He’s an irreplaceable part of the offense at this point, but the team may no longer be able to afford him in 2021.
Predicted action – Attempted re-signing