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The question remains: can the Seattle Seahawks capitalize on their impressive offseason in 2022, during which they acquired numerous draft picks by trading franchise quarterback Russell Wilson, as well as selecting pivotal starters at key positions such as tackle, running back, and cornerback?
Seattle has accomplished their primary goal of the offseason with the three-year, $75 million deal for Geno Smith. This early resolution at the quarterback position allows the Seahawks to address their remaining roster gaps during the upcoming NFL free agency period.
The majority of Seattle's unrestricted free agents are on the defensive side of the ball. The challenge lies in retaining productive players while also filling in the depth chart without incurring excessive costs.
Seattle's success in the 2022 NFL Draft positions them favorably for the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft, where they hold two top-20 selections. Before the draft, they could use their salary cap space intelligently in free agency to shore up weaknesses on the team's roster. According to Spotrac, Seattle has over $21 million to allocate towards this goal.
Seahawks' Biggest Needs
Pass Rush
Seattle's primary vulnerability last season was their inability to generate a significant pass rush and reach the quarterback. Sadly, the current free agent pool does not offer a great selection of pass rushers.
The Seahawks will likely utilize their fifth overall pick in the draft to address this issue by selecting a promising pass rusher, such as Tyree Wilson.
In addition, veteran pass rushers Arden Key and Yannick Ngakoue could be enticing options to pursue if they can be acquired at a reasonable cost.
Running Back
Seattle heads into the offseason with Kenneth Walker and DeeJay Dallas already signed at the running back position. Travis Homer and Rashaad Penny are scheduled to hit free agency, and it may be wise to release both players to make room for more dependable backups.
While the Seahawks could pursue high-profile running backs like Jamaal Williams or David Montgomery, investing in a secondary option for Walker may not be a fiscally sound decision.
Instead, the front office should examine the next level of running backs, such as Devin Singletary, Damien Harris, and even Kareem Hunt, to provide supplementary aid for Walker.
Although Walker is set to be the primary running back in the 2023 season, he cannot shoulder the entire running back load alone.
Bringing in an experienced backup on a more reasonable contract would give the Seahawks greater flexibility to allocate resources elsewhere in free agency, and it would eliminate that potential draft need.
