
Quandre Diggs has an $18.1m cap hit next year
I was recently doing a bit of research for an article and went to check on Seattle’s salary cap situation. While perusing ‘Over the Cap‘ I thought I’d have a look at how much was left to spend in 2023.
A quick reminder. In the immediate aftermath of the Russell Wilson trade, the Seahawks had a projected $120m to spend in 2023.
One of the few plus points of the Wilson divorce was the financial boost Seattle would gain once his dead cap hit came off the books. Without needing to pay a franchise signal caller major money, they should have plenty to spend in the future.
Yet checking in this week I noticed the projection is down to a far more modest $53m.
As far as I can tell, the following cap hits have contributed in reducing the amount:
Quandre Diggs — $18.1m
Uchenna Nwosu — $12.8m
Will Dissly — $9.25m
Noah Fant — $6.8m
Quinton Jefferson — $6.0m
Charles Cross — $4.9m
Bryan Mone — $3.79m
Total: $61.7m
There’s also the rest of the rookie class, with some players still unsigned (thus, the $53m amount will drop further).
Let’s take out Cross’ cap hit because it’s irrelevant in this conversation.
Minus Cross, the Seahawks have committed $56.74m to the names in the list above.
How do you feel about that?
You could make an argument that if Fant delivers on his potential, his fifth year salary as a first round pick could provide excellent value. But that wasn’t a negotiated salary, it’s an executed process by the Seahawks based on the structure of rookie deals.
The rest, just under $50m, feels like an extraordinary amount of spending for not a lot in the way of returns.
You have a blocking tight end, a 29-year-old rotational defensive lineman, a fairly run-of-the-mill nose tackle who offers no pass rush, a rotational edge rusher who will, hopefully, play second fiddle to Darrell Taylor and Boye Mafe if they can produce as hoped, and Quandre Diggs — an admittedly talented and productive player albeit one coming off a serious injury who will cost slightly less in 2023 as the average of Minkah Fitzpatrick’s record-breaking $18.4m extension.
Is this really a good use of resources?
Or is it another example of what we saw two years ago when the Seahawks managed to fritter away $60m and not improve?
Is the Dissly cap-hit simply another puzzling decision reminiscent of giving Bruce Irvin a 32% pay rise from his 2019 salary in Carolina, despite his age, desire to return to Seattle and seemingly lukewarm market?
They saw something in Cedric Ogbuehi’s 155 total snaps for the Jaguars in 2019 to warrant a pay increase from $895,000 to $2.237m. Have we really seen enough from Bryan Mone to think in June, months before he reaches the market, he warrants a fairly sizeable extension?
Is paying what they are for Fant and Dissly going to be another case of expensive investment in two tight ends, just like when they paid Jacob Hollister $3.259m as a restricted free agent having already committed $6.9m to Greg Olsen?
Why is Quinton Jefferson set to earn $6m next year? And why will it cost the Seahawks $2m to move on if they decide he’s a one-and-done?
To be perfectly honest, this looks like history repeating.
So is it again time to ask some questions about how they spend their money?
After all — we’re all marvelling and wondering how the Rams manage to pay everyone over and over again (while managing to keep adding big names). It’s possible they’ll fall flat on their faces in the future as a consequence. Or maybe they won’t.
It’s hard not to look at what the Seahawks are doing though and think — aren’t they just wasting money? Overpaying for players. Spending too much for guys they have familiarity with. Paying second tier salaries to third or fourth tier players.
They should be going into next off-season with an absolute fortune to spend.
The Chicago Bears, currently, are slated to have $96m in cap space. They’re intending, a bit like Seattle, to make a big move next off-season to build around a new era. They aren’t paying a big quarterback salary and have shifted Khalil Mack and others to create a fresh start.
The Seahawks have only $53m and yet are not paying big money to:
— A franchise quarterback
— An experienced, quality offensive lineman
— An experienced, quality pass rusher
— A top cornerback
You’re not spending at any of the premium positions other than receiver (if you consider it a ‘premium’ position). They should have millions more.
And here’s the kicker — that $53m is going to take a significant hit when they eventually pay D.K. Metcalf a new contract.
A.J. Brown’s cap-hit next year is only $8.5m in Philadelphia. That’s a best case scenario for the Seahawks. If Metcalf signs for that — Seattle would be left with a similar amount to spend in 2023 than they had carrying the dead-cap hit for Wilson.
How is that so?
Meanwhile it’s not just Metcalf you’d have to pay or replace. Poona Ford is a free agent. Sidney Jones might start at cornerback this year — he’s on a one-year deal. What if he plays well? Both quarterbacks are free agents. Your starting centre is a free agent. Ryan Neal is a free agent. You might want to keep Rashaad Penny if he continues to play well.
It’s not a ton of holes but there could be some tricky decisions forthcoming.
There are also ways of creating extra money too, of course. The Seahawks can roll-over unspent cap. They have about $16m left at the moment and might need a fair old chunk of that next year (although how they’ve put themselves in a position to ‘need’ to do that is a wondrous thing).
They can also make savings now. Trading Gabe Jackson for a bag of footballs would be a start — clearing $6.5m for 2023.
They can also cut the following next year to make savings:
Shelby Harris — $9m
Quinton Jefferson — $4m
Will Dissly — $3m
Al Woods — $3.8m
Bryan Mone — $2.8m
All would need replacing, of course.
They can also save $11m by designating Jamal Adams as a post-June 1st cut.
In every instance though you’re collecting dead cap money — something the Seahawks have become experts at over the years.
If you are a fan who was looking forward to a spending spree in the future, you’re going to be disappointed. I’m not sure it would’ve happened anyway because, as we know, they have ‘their way’ of doing things (regardless of the track record of this ‘way’).
Yet as the Bengals have shown — if you’re not paying a quarterback, you can do some damage in the market. They rebuilt their O-line this year. Last year, they added a pass rusher in his mid-20’s who recorded 14 sacks in 2021 and added 3.5 more in the playoffs.
The Seahawks won’t be able to do anything like this with their cap space rapidly diminishing. For me, that warrants a proper discussion and challenge as to why.
One of the few benefits of the Wilson trade should’ve been the freedom to make some moves if possible. Heck — even Bill Belichick and the Patriots enjoyed a splurge a year ago, 12 months after parting with Tom Brady. They won 10 games with a rookie QB, having only won seven the year before.
The Seahawks appear to have ended any chances of doing the same only three months after moving on from their star player.
Maybe it’s time for a few questions to be asked of the people keeping an eye on the cap space?
If you enjoy the content on Seahawks Draft Blog, please consider supporting us via Patreon (click the tab below)…
Become a Patron!