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Free agency in review

On reflection, this free agency class might’ve been as weak as the upcoming draft.

Fans and media for multiple teams are complaining about perceived needs not being addressed. Several teams have had to scramble to fill holes.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, for example, desperately needed an edge rusher. Yet with sky-high prices going to the often-injured Jaelan Phillips and situational rusher Boye Mafe, they had to choose between overspending to win a press conference or playing the hand they were dealt. They settled for Al-Quadin Muhammad on a one-year, $6m deal.

It was no different for the Philadelphia Eagles. They wanted to keep Phillips but chose not to at the price. That’s despite using a third round pick to acquire him before the last trade deadline. They’ve had to settle for a prove-it year of Arnold Ebiketie instead.

The Baltimore Ravens tied themselves in knots so much we’ve had the Maxx Crosby x Trey Hendrickson farce. The New England Patriots had to throw money at Romeo Doubs. Denver Broncos fans are worried about their inactivity.

Struggling teams with a lot of cap space, like the Las Vegas Raiders, went on a spending spree to try and capture mediocrity in order to replace ineptitude. They wrecked the center market for a generation in the process, just as Jacksonville did for the receiver market with Christian Kirk four years ago.

The Tennessee Titans signed anyone who’s ever played for Robert Saleh or Brian Daboll, while the Jets signed anyone who was willing to come.

The truth is, this was an especially difficult market to deal in. The chance to improve this week was incredibly limited.

On top of this, the trade market wasn’t as vibrant as many expected. We saw some trades but the only first rounder to exchange hands came from the Trent McDuffie deal involving the Rams. Once the Maxx Crosby trade collapsed, there were very few blockbusters to reflect on.

The Rams aggressively tried to fix their problems in the secondary. We’ll see if they addressed it sufficiently by adding two players the Chiefs did not prioritise keeping.

The 49ers were also aggressive, trading a third round pick in a deep-looking 2027 draft for Osa Odighizuwa. He can create pressure but struggles to defend the run. Mike Evans always seems to play well against the Seahawks but a team who has struggled with age and injuries added a soon-to-be 33-year-old receiver and re-signed Dre Greenlaw at a hefty price.

They’re also yet to resolve their issue with Trent Williams.

What should Seahawks fans think today?

You should be relieved. There are several contenders who are looking at free agency and the draft and trying to, somehow, find a way to add the missing piece or two that will carry them to a title. As we can see, that is proving especially difficult for some teams.

The Seahawks have reached the top of the mountain already. It won’t weaken their ambition to do it again next year. Yet imagine if they’d lost the NFC Championship game. There’d be a lot more pressure on the team right now to make the move needed to go a step further next time. As we can see, that would’ve been very difficult to pull off.

Success in the 2025/26 season has bought the Seahawks the ability to manage things in the right way — not needing to make ill-advised moves in free agency and certainly not relying on the draft.

What has been their strategy?

It’s clear they’ve set about protecting comp picks for 2027. As I’ve noted a few times, next year’s draft will be deep. It’s not usual that I have to remove 41 graded players from the Horizontal Board with players returning to college.

There are also far more ‘big name’ players who are eligible for the draft next year. If this draft is thin and weak, next year genuinely looks like it could be thick and deep.

At the moment the Seahawks have a projected 12 picks for 2027, tied most with the Eagles. It’s not a coincidence that John Schneider and Howie Roseman have acted this way. It’s a sensible plan, refusing to be a slave to the moment in this bad free agency window, while thinking long term.

The Seahawks have deliberately added to the safety and running back positions with outside free agents who won’t impact their comp picks. This isn’t by chance.

Reflections on their in-house decision making

They’ve already got a deep roster. They lost Riq Woolen, a player they were never going to re-sign, and Boye Mafe, who they were never going to keep at $20m a year. Both players will likely be replaced via the draft, given these are two of the deepest positions in the class.

Is Coby Bryant worth +$13m a year? I think that’s a hard sell, as useful as he was. Ty Okada’s emergence made that an easier one to pass on.

A lot of fans are still wringing their hands about Ken Walker, who is now in a price-range sandwiched between the legendary Derrick Henry and Jonathan Taylor. I think the Seahawks were right to pass and my expectation is he will not live up to his deal, which is worth between $14-15m a year. I think people are swayed too much by the idea of Walker being something he so far hasn’t shown he can be — a top, consistent, figurehead running back.

Is the talent there? Yes. But it was there last summer too when they seemingly tried to send a bit of a message to Walker while constantly praising Zach Charbonnet during press conferences. You can’t pay a market-leading contract to someone on the off-chance, post-money, they become the thing they didn’t show they could consistently be while on a rookie deal.

I think keeping Rashid Shaheed was an important signing. He might not be a particularly consistent passing-game threat but he has shown he provides big-play ability. As a returner he is invaluable. The dynamic kick-off has created far more returns. He changed games against the Falcons and Rams with return touchdowns and snatched away any hope the 49ers had in the Divisional round by starting the game with a score. Cheap points are a premium in the NFL. Any time a team kicks to Shaheed it could go the distance.

Josh Jobe was also a critical re-sign. I’ve seen some people questioning why Jobe is given the benefit of the doubt in a way Woolen wasn’t when both made occasional coverage mistakes. I have to say, I find it very surprising that those people seem incapable of reading the tea leaves on this one. The Seahawks tried to trade Woolen during the season. Mike Macdonald, I think, made it pretty clear he wasn’t a fan. There were numerous head-in-hands moments involving Woolen, whether it was the awful NFC Championship game flag or the embarrassing groin-grab at the end of the 2023 season.

Was he physically talented? Absolutely. Was he a player with focus and reliability? I suspect not. Macdonald, now a Super Bowl winning Head Coach, doesn’t strike me as someone who is reckless in his judgements. It speaks volumes that the rest of the NFL seemingly sees things the same way, given he suffered a flat market and was forced to accept a prove-it deal with the Eagles (a team often willing to roll the dice — see: Jalen Carter).

Those complaining about not signing Woolen seem to either be missing the point or deliberately refusing to read between the lines on why Macdonald, the Seahawks and the rest of the NFL just don’t fancy him.

Jobe, therefore, was important not because he is necessarily a better player — but because he was cheaper, enabled them to retain at least one veteran starter familiar with the team/system and now you only have to replace one cornerback.

So what happens now?

Not much. The Seahawks are unlikely to sign any more outside free agents before the draft to protect their comp picks. The trade market has dried up. I’m sure they’d still entertain the idea of making a deal for Maxx Crosby but after a tumultuous week, it seems like both the Raiders and the player want to let things settle down for a while.

This is going to be an uneventful off-season. That should be easy to accept when you’re just over a month removed from winning the Super Bowl.

What happens in the draft?

This will likely be where the Seahawks set out to replace Woolen, Mafe and Walker. Although you never want to reach for need, Schneider and co. are doing a good job planning ahead to match needs with availability.

Look at a year ago. They knew they’d be able to address the interior O-line in the draft and took Grey Zabel at #18. Thus, they didn’t enter a weak and expensive veteran market for interior linemen — despite the cries of derision from some.

Two of the deeper positions in the draft this year are cornerback and edge rusher. Therefore, they will probably feel quite confident about addressing both positions. At running back it’s a little bit different because it’s a thin class. Yet they signed a draft hedge yesterday in Emmanuel Wilson, they still have Charbonnet, they seem to really rate George Holani and they could draft another running back with one of their picks.

If things go against them at any of these positions, they can obviously return to the remaining free agents after the draft (by this point, they won’t impact their comp picks) or they can review the trade market.

At #32 they’ll see what trade-down options there are, although I’m not convinced there’ll be a lot of movement in this draft. In 2021 the Seahawks only had three picks and everyone assumed they’d trade down to acquire more. They didn’t. We might see something similar this year, with only four picks to play with.

They probably look at the cornerback options (this could include Colton Hood, Chris Johnson and Brandon Cisse), the EDGE options (Cashius Howell?) and running back position (Jadarian Price?) with their top pick.

At the end of round two, there will still be options at all three positions.

The one other position they could look at is right guard. I still think they will want competition there and Anthony Bradford only has one year left on his rookie deal anyway. It’s something to keep an eye on.

My guess is they will come out of the draft and every issue will have been addressed. The roster might not be improved on paper compared to the 2025 group — but when you have a deep group like Seattle had, and you win a Super Bowl, it’s not realistic to think you can easily get better.

Why couldn’t they do more?

The idea of ‘just sign everyone’ or ‘just sign Ken Walker’ isn’t rooted in reality. It’s very easy to look at Seattle’s available cap space over the next three years. Now consider that Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Devon Witherspoon will soon agree new deals with enormous cap-hits and cash considerations. Not to mention you’ve already put a big chunk of guaranteed cash down on Charles Cross.

Over the next 12 months, all being well, you’ll also be talking about a significant new investment in quarterback Sam Darnold (could be a huge cap/cash investment) while you’ll also want to re-sign Derick Hall.

If Byron Murphy continues to develop into a star, next year you might also be preparing to extend his contract on significant terms.

As Schneider mentioned on his Seattle Sports show yesterday, a lot of fans aren’t aware of cash budgets — which differ team-to-team. The Seahawks don’t have a bottomless pit of money to put in escrow, like most teams — irrespective of the wealth of ownership. NFL owners are not typically minded to spend their own money and the Seahawks, who are currently run by a Trust and not an individual or investment group anyway, are not uniquely cash-rich.

They do have to be selective in the decisions they make, particularly when you talk about market-leading contracts at certain positions. For example, you might argue that Rashid Shaheed’s contract is more expensive than Ken Walker’s. Sure — but inflation at the receiver position means the top earners are getting far more than running backs. Shaheed’s salary, if translated into a running back deal, would be at the Chuba Hubbard or Javonte Williams level — not Walker’s.

Final thought

The only way Seahawks fans could realistically go into next season feeling like they were smelling blood and could’ve been even better would’ve been to acquire a healthy Maxx Crosby. Otherwise, this was always going to be a situation where you do your best to retain and replenish.

They still have enough overall talent to be a real force. Will they go back to the Super Bowl? Who knows. They’ve lost a bit of talent and an excellent offensive coordinator. They might take a small step back but should still contend. If that happens and they don’t win back-to-back Super Bowls, nobody should be seeing that as some kind of crisis.

There are many other fan bases struggling to work out how they get to where the Seahawks are right now. That should be comforting.

Yes, the most significant new addition this off-season is going to be adding the cornerback or pass rusher equivalent of Paul Richardson. It’s not an exciting thought. The NFL isn’t idealistic though. You don’t get to make every perfect move.

If Crosby becomes available again — and that seems increasingly unlikely — they could still go and make the big splash. Otherwise, they’ll just have to crack on and make the best of the draft — before relying on the bulk of their fantastic Super Bowl winning staff and roster to try and win another title.

Edit — shortly after writing this piece, the Seahawks signed former Packers running back Emmanuel Wilson. He was a restricted free agent the Packers chose not to tender, so he doesn’t count against the comp pick formula. It’s the biggest piece of evidence so far to show the Seahawks are protecting their 2027 comp picks.

Some Seahawks fans are questioning the plan at running back.

For me, it makes perfect sense.

The free agents were underwhelming. You could make a case for one or two of them but not with any real conviction. There wasn’t going to be any crushing disappointment, or at least there shouldn’t be, when Tyler Allgeier or Kenneth Gainwell signed somewhere else.

Rachaad White? Rico Dowdle? Isiah Pacheco? Really? Meanwhile Travis Etienne, who would’ve cost $12m a year, said his heart was set on returning to Louisiana.

There’s only thing one thing worse than not addressing this need — it’s overspending on someone who isn’t going to be the answer anyway.

Not to mention, there also seems to be a pretty firm plan to protect compensatory picks for 2027. This makes a lot of sense. As I noted yesterday, I had to take 41 players off my board after they chose to return to college this year. Regardless of the quality at the top, that alone will make this a deeper class.

Signing an average running back for a reasonable salary costs you a pick next year. I’m not sure it’d be worth it.

I’m sure we’ll soon see an increasing number of people complaining that they should’ve used the franchise tag on Ken Walker or paid him +$15m a year to stay in Seattle. Again, I completely disagree. With every free agent you have to set a limit and stick to it.

With your own players, you know them better than anyone else. After four years in Seattle they decided he wasn’t worth $14m on the tag or $15m per year on an extension.

You can’t panic, look at the draft and free agency and make a commitment you otherwise wouldn’t make. You’ve got to be disciplined.

Walker is a talented player but he’s not a special player. He didn’t pass-protect, he wasn’t a third down player. He’s yet to show he can carry a running game for more than a short sample. Paying him Jonathan Taylor money to see if he can turn into that type of workhorse is a projection I can’t get behind. You also can’t just pay to keep him because the alternative is inconvenient.

Are the Seahawks going to be worse at running back in 2025 as a consequence? Possibly. But so be it. There are harder issues to solve.

My guess is they will add another veteran after the draft if needs be to fill-out the position. Or, they have their eye on someone in the draft.

It’s worth pointing out that Notre Dame’s Jadarian Price has Lance Zierlein’s 30th highest grade in the 2026 class. Daniel Jeremiah has him at #40 on his big board. Not everyone has him rated that highly but if the Seahawks share that view, they won’t see it as a big reach to take him at #32.

If they see Price as a very viable option with their top pick, he would cost $2.6m in year one. At his most expensive, in year four of his rookie deal, he’d cost $4.6m. Tyler Allgeier’s cap-hits in his two-year arrangement with the Cardinals are worth $4.3m and $7.9m. That’s without the upside someone like Price possesses.

A year ago they didn’t force anything on the offensive line, much to the chagrin of fans, in part because they knew they had options in the draft. They took Grey Zabel and the rest is history.

Whether it’s Price, Mike Washington Jr, Emmett Johnson, Nicholas Singleton or another — they might feel pretty confident they’ll be able to address this position, even within a thin looking class.

You might ask how can they be so confident? Well if they are interested in Price and their intel suggests he won’t go before #32, that’s one possibility.

There hasn’t been a move by another team so far at the running back position I’m envious of. It just feels like a bunch of ‘meh’ that wouldn’t have had anyone feeling that confident about the position. Walker was too expensive and possible trade targets, like De’Von Achane, haven’t been made available.

Would it be good to have a clear solution here that everyone can feel really confident about? Absolutely. By my reckoning though, the Seahawks haven’t missed out on anything exciting so far. Let’s see how they handle the situation over the next couple of months.

Friend of the blog Tony Pauline today speculated the following relating to the Seahawks having interest in San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson:

Seattle is a team to keep an eye on. Johnson fits the prototype they like at cornerback, they need young players at the position, and I’m told they have him rated higher than Brandon Cisse of South Carolina. It’s not out of the question that Seattle uses their pick in round one, the final one of the frame, on Johnson.

Within the Seahawks community I’ve noticed people getting a bit sniffy about Tony over the years. It’s after he suggested the Seahawks would draft Trevor Penning and Desmond Ridder ahead of the 2022 draft.

I appreciate his suggestion was a.) very wrong and b.) a bit too matter of fact. Saying there was chatter among sources that it was a possibility would’ve been more appropriate.

I’ll say this though. A considerable time before the 2015 draft, Tony stated on several occasions the Seahawks really liked San Diego State guard Terry Poole — a player hardly on anyone’s radar. It was a very random connection.

The Seahawks selected him in round four.

Tony does have sources in the league. Not everything he hears will come true — but I can vouch that a lot of what he has predicted over the years has been accurate. I think as long as you’re prepared to not take the reporting, or yourself, too seriously — Tony’s speculative posts can be highly entertaining. You might say I’m just sticking up for a friend. Well, I am. Sue me. I respect Tony immensely as a person, he’s always been really good to me and he lives and breathes the draft.

On Johnson, I can completely see there being something in this.

In terms of his personality he’s exactly the type of person the Seahawks like. He’s intelligent and can speak to what he’s doing/thinking on the field. The way he excels in zone suggests a strong football IQ too. He’s mature, grounded, has zero character concerns and stuck at San Diego State for four years rather than transferring.

There’s a good chance he’s been given the highest possible grade for ‘team fit’.

At the combine he ran a 4.40 which was faster than expected. He also jumped a 38-inch vertical and a 10-6 broad.

There had been some first round buzz during the college season. Johnson didn’t have a great Senior Bowl week though which iced some of his momentum. Running as fast as he did was a plus.

On my board I have him down as a fringe second rounder who would be a reasonable value pick at #64. That obviously is a lot different than the prospect of them taking him at #32. However, there are a few things to consider.

I get the sense John Schneider isn’t crazy about the 2026 draft class. Actually, I think he probably thinks it stinks. My Horizontal Board is pretty thin on top-end talent. Schneider’s grading could be even harsher. If the coaches like some of Johnson’s zone coverage abilities, appreciate the athletic testing and perhaps consider him the best possible ‘if we need to take someone, he’s the guy’ pick — it’s plausible it could happen.

When I watched his tape the thing that stood out to me was a lack of suddenness. I wrote down ‘testing is key’. Well, he answered some of those concerns with a 4.40. But on tape he did not look like a twitched up defender.

He does give up a large cushion at times and I wonder if he’ll get away with playing in a similar fashion at the next level. He still lets receivers get in behind him too often. Does everything have to be in front of him? That’s my worry. Does he need that big old cushion to avoid getting beat deep? If you close that gap in the NFL is he going to get torched?

He doesn’t look the biggest (6-0, 193lbs) but he has nearly 10-inch hands.

That said, he showed a high level of football intelligence and is capable of playing coverage while keeping his eyes fixed on the quarterback. He times his contact well when playing off and reading/reacting. He’s barely ever too early on contact and was only flagged four times in his last two seasons at SDSU.

If players do get in behind him he has shown a high level of recovery speed which is important. His missed tackle percentage (5.6%) is extremely low for a cornerback. He’s physical and tough.

He had a 91.9 grade in zone coverage in 2025, tops among all players eligible for the draft this year. That’s important to note given the Seahawks use zone about 77.5% of the time.

I think he has ‘solid’ potential. He might develop into a very reasonable player and perhaps he falls into the ‘hitting a double’ rather than a ‘home run’ category, within a draft full of big question marks.

I can see them being high on him, just as I can see some other teams feeling he is very much a day two player. The testing helps reassure the teams who do really like his tape that there’s a level of athletic upside that warrants going with him earlier than some are currently suggesting.

He will be a name to watch.

A quick thought on where the Seahawks are at in free agency

I think, for now, they’re pretty much done.

Any outside additions will begin to eliminate the comp picks they have collected (four) for 2027. It’s going to be a much deeper draft compared to this season due to the sheer number of players who chose not to declare. I had to remove 41 graded players from my Horizontal Board. All will now be part of the 2027 crop.

They don’t have a ton of holes. They can draft replacements for Riq Woolen, Boye Mafe and Ken Walker. Coby Bryant’s replacement is already on the roster.

They will always be opportunistic but it’s remarkable this year how quickly so many free agents have been signed. It feels like we’ve bypassed the first two waves already and the new league year only started today.

My prediction is that they now wait until after the draft. Then they’ll check in on the Brian Robinson’s and Von Miller’s, depending what happens with their rookie class. The only thing that changes that is an unexpected opportunity — but I’m struggling to think what that is. Meanwhile, I get the impression Maxx Crosby might end up staying in Vegas.

It could be quite dull for a while now.

Maxx Crosby is not going to the Ravens

In one of the most stunning free agency stories in recent history, the Baltimore Ravens reneged on their trade agreement with the Raiders to acquire Crosby.

Vegas put out a pretty terse statement in response, suggesting they are quite pissed off with this development.

So how did it come to this?

Numerous reports are suggesting he failed a medical. Yet the Ravens agreed to this trade with the full knowledge that he had just had a meniscus repair. To agree to the trade, let it linger in the air and then back out at the last minute is incredible and many are speculating they just got cold feet.

Now the Raiders have to act in damage limitation mode and Crosby’s been put through an emotional rollercoaster. What do Vegas do? There’s been so many reports about a strained relationship with the higher ups, can they just go back to co-existing? Maybe. His connection to the franchise would suggest it’s at least possible.

What if it isn’t though? Now the Raiders face the prospect of having to negotiate from a horrendous position. They’ll have been making their plans for the last few days, including spending millions in free agency, assuming Crosby was gone — along with his salary — and they were getting the #14 pick and a 2027 first rounder.

This is awful for them. Unless someone is feeling generous, which I doubt given the multiple reports saying nobody else offered two first rounders, they will have to try and trade Crosby with no leverage.

My best guess, having had an hour to reflect, is they’ll probably try and get back together. That the damage to his stock will be so bad, it’ll make trading him away impossible from a PR perspective.

What if he insists on being dealt though? It seems unlikely, but still possible I suppose. Yet my prediction right now is he’ll not be traded at least in the near future. He’ll be welcomed back to the Raiders and they’ll check the lay of the land down the line.

If there was a chance to get him in Seattle, however, I would.

The Ravens are in a very different place to the Seahawks. They were giving up #14 and another first rounder, not #32. They were chasing a Championship, not basking in the glory of winning one a month ago.

They’ve had cold feet in the past, backing out of deals over failed medicals including as recently as 2018. They are a team that doesn’t typically make big veteran trades. There seems to be a high degree of risk averse going on here.

Already the NFL’s in-house reporters are pointing a finger at the Ravens. It’s quite something for this to be put out there:

One GM summarized the feelings around the league: “This is very much bullshit on Baltimore’s part.” https://t.co/GPC7e3LG21

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 11, 2026

The Seahawks can afford to be bold. It’s far easier to roll the dice with #32. Seattle’s fans will understand taking a shot from a position of strength, more so than Ravens fans and media.

You would have to do a medical. If the results suggest he might never play again, obviously you don’t the deal. If they suggest he’ll be available to play week one in September, I’d happily make that trade. ESPN are reporting the Raiders are open to “repackaging” a deal for Crosby.

Opportunism is the key to any NFL off-season. Seahawks fans have experienced that first hand on multiple occasions. This is as big an opportunity as there is.

If you can get Maxx Crosby, I’d be all-in.

Thoughts on Riq Woolen departing the Seahawks

Four years ago a player who was widely considered to be a second round talent lasted to the fifth round. It wasn’t obvious why. The Seahawks took Woolen, he had a great rookie year and everyone kind of forgot why he fell.

For the next three seasons, we were reminded regularly.

Woolen had all the talent in the world but he was unreliable. He gave up ugly plays mixed in with moments of quality too. You never knew what you were going to get though.

On top of this you had moments like his embarrassing groin-grab directed at the opposition sideline as the Seahawks secured a flukey win in Arizona to finish 9-8 and still miss the playoffs. Or, the awful flag that threatened to make him persona non grata in Seattle forever against the Rams in the NFC Championship.

He gave up a huge touchdown on the next play against LA — and gave up a downfield score in the Super Bowl too to keep the game alive.

They made him available for trade last year and nobody bit. Mike Macdonald clearly was unimpressed and was unable to mask that during his two years working with the former UTSA cornerback. You got the sense he was never even a consideration to be re-signed in Seattle. Macdonald wasn’t interested.

He’s now been forced to sign a prove-it deal with the Eagles thanks to a flat market. It’s no surprise. If nobody was willing to trade for him and everyone was willing to let him fall to round five in 2022, what has changed since then? He has confirmed to the entire NFL that he’s talented but massively flawed and unreliable. It’s hardly the basis for teams to invest millions in a player, where you worry how he’ll react to being newly minted if he’s hardly shown laser focus on the field on a fifth-round contract.

I’m not surprised the Eagles were the ones to roll the dice. They are one of the teams prepared to do so from time to time. They drafted Jalen Carter after all, when I’m not sure many (any?) other teams would’ve done so in round one.

I hope it works out for him. He had various boots up the backside in Seattle and it never really felt like the message registered. Will it now after this free agency experience? I’m not convinced. The Seahawks were never going to bring him back.

I will jump on a live stream at some point today. In the meantime here’s an open thread and a note on all the big news relating to the Seahawks.

Ken Walker has agreed to terms with the Kansas City Chiefs on a deal wirth $43m over three years

It was expected that Walker would depart, with the Chiefs a heavily speculated destination. I think it’s fair to say every Seahawks fan respects Ken and appreciated his talents. Yet re-signing running backs to big second contracts, unless they’re in the Christian McCaffrey talent-bracket, is often a mistake.

Walker needed a heavy rotation in 2025 to finally get through a full season. He has played in fits and starts, with frustrating games to go with explosive performances. You have to judge a player based on his four years in Seattle. In my opinion, he is not worth +$14m a year.

You might be weaker at running back next year. That’s life. But you can’t stare that reality in the eye, panic, and splurge $14m on a runner. Walker is being guaranteed $28.7m by the Chiefs reportedly. That’s a lot of money when you’ve already had to put a big Charles Cross extension in escrow, with Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Devon Witherspoon up next.

Walker was a good player for the Seahawks. It wasn’t worth breaking a NFL record for a free agent running back contract to keep him. Prior to his end-of-season playoff run, nobody would’ve imagined he’d get $14m a year. We shouldn’t let the recency of his Super Bowl MVP influence our judgement now. The Seahawks certainly didn’t.

Coby Bryant has agreed to terms with the Chicago Bears on a deal worth $40m over three years

This is a more expensive deal than Kam Curl received with the Rams, working out at about $13.3m a year based on the information we have at the moment. I can understand why the Seahawks did not match this offer.

Bryant is a good player. He is not a difference maker. I would not fear losing him for a critical game in a way I’d fear losing Julian Love. With that in mind, you have to set a price limit and stick to it. I think the Bears went beyond Seattle’s limit and the Seahawks opted to move on.

Ty Okada is a perfectly acceptable replacement. They could add a veteran, or look to the draft. There are actually some cornerbacks in the draft who could transition to safety just like Bryant did — Chandler Rivers or Keionte Scott for example.

Nothing about this free agency period so far is making me feel envious or disappointed. This is how the NFL works. If you succeed, other teams will want your players. The reaction can’t be to wet your pants and start spending beyond talent just for the sake of it.

Patient, calculated drafting and acquiring is the key to success. The Seahawks showed that last year.

Josh Jobe re-signs with the Seahawks for $24m over three years

This always felt like the most likely deal to get done for a player to stay in Seattle. Jobe has carved out a role over the last two seasons, proving to be a more trusted alternative to Riq Woolen. He’s not likely to challenge any Pro-Bowl voting battles in the future but this was an important keep.

It looks like $8m a year for Jobe which is very reasonable for a starting cornerback. The Seahawks will almost certainly add another cornerback to replace Woolen, possibly from within a deep draft class.

Boye Mafe joins the Bengals for $60m over three years

We’ll need to see what the actual numbers are but if Mafe has joined the Bengals for $20m a year, that’s pretty remarkable. He was a situational rusher in Seattle who never managed to convert pressures to sacks. Increasingly he felt like someone the Seahawks were not minded to keep. As with Walker, they made no attempt to re-sign him last summer. So the writing was on the wall.

I’m not convinced a change of scenery is going to unlock things. He is a rotational rusher whose career in Seattle stalled. Even so, he will need to be replaced. The draft has some options for #32 and #64. The Seahawks might look at the trade market too, especially if DeMarcus Lawrence opts to retire.

Rashid Shaheed stays in Seattle on a three-year deal worth $51m

The Seahawks, having watched other players depart today, stepped up to keep Shaheed. I think $17m a year is a little bit steep in isolation for a player who hasn’t come close to a 1000 yard receiving season. However, put it into this perspective. He’s cheaper than Boye Mafe and other receivers are getting way more.

The X-factor difference here is Shaheed’s game-changing ability as a returner. Look at the impact he had against the Falcons, Rams and 49ers. It was huge. So while he might not be a classic WR2 foil and his receiving production could be inconsistent — in the modern NFL with dynamic kick-offs — I think his ability as a returner is worth paying for.

With the legal tampering period starting on Monday at 9am PT, I wanted to publish my updated post-combine Horizontal Board.

It might help explain certain free agency decisions based on the positional tiers within the 2026 draft.

I still have many players to study and grade before the end of April so I will keep updating the board as we go along. I’ve written a short positional blurb for each position underneath.

Players in red have known injury issues and players in purple have reported character question marks that you would want to check out.

Quarterbacks

I don’t think there is a quarterback worthy of being drafted in round one in this class and I don’t think the difference between Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson, the two highest graded quarterbacks, is much at all. In fact I could easily be convinced that Simpson is better, he just doesn’t have sufficient playing experience.

Mendoza mastered the Indiana system well but it’s nothing like a NFL offense. He will need to do a lot more than the RPO/back-shoulder heavy system that has elevated Indiana to new heights.

One of the things we will need to monitor over the next 2-3 years is how the Indiana players adapt to the NFL. We are witnessing one of the all-time coaching jobs by Curt Cignetti and a lot of players are excelling in his system. Are they a product of the situation, or are they simply being elevated and developed at a superior rate?

Personally if I were the Raiders I wouldn’t feel obliged to force a quarterback pick at #1. I would look to build up a bleak looking roster, accept 2026 will be a struggle and be patient at the most important position.

A final note — despite the grade I’ve given him here, I thought Ty Simpson had an excellent throwing session at the combine. I just have a hard time drafting a player early with so few college starts.

Running back

Last year was a deep class of runners, if slightly overrated in terms of actual talent. This year there’s a better player at the top of the list and almost no depth.

Jeremiyah Love might be the most talented prospect in the entire draft. His team-mate at Notre Dame, Jadarian Price, could go anywhere from the late first to the late second. It’s hard to get an angle on his stock — but he is a strong fit for a wide-zone system. Mike Washington Jr should also go relatively early based on his outstanding physical profile (and his tape is good too). I suspect there will be mixed views on Emmett Johnson and some could even have him as RB2, it’ll be about personal preference.

After that, with the exception of the untapped upside of Nicholas Singleton, it’s a very average group. The Seahawks cannot bank on finding someone worth having in this draft, even if they’re sold enough on Price or Washington Jr to take them early. They will have to sign a running back if Ken Walker leaves. My prediction would be Kenneth Gainwell, to pair with Zach Charbonnet when he returns, then see what the draft has in store. There may be other veterans you can sign down the road, such as Brian Robinson Jr, if required.

By bringing in at least one veteran they can feel somewhat covered. It might lead to a regression at this position next season but they’ll have to cope with that.

Wide receiver

There is reasonable depth here and the Seahawks will be presented with opportunities. With the increasing expectation that Rashid Shaheed will depart, my guess is they will look for an injection of pure speed. Chris Brazell Jr, De’Zhaun Stribling and Bryce Lance all ran in the 4.3’s at the combine and could be day-two options.

I think players like Deion Burks and Brenen Thompson are being overrated in the media and could provide that level of quickness later on. There are enough options here though to feel like you can add to this position without it necessarily having to be #32 and #64.

One other thing to note — if they lose Shaheed, Iowa’s Kaden Wetjen is an absolute dynamite return man.

Tight end

This is a very average tight end class with the bulk of the names likely to go in the late third at best, with most probably lasting into day three. The Seahawks timed it perfectly to draft a tight end last year. Regardless of Kenyon Sadiq’s athletic profile, I would’ve had Elijah Arroyo as TE1 if he was in this draft.

Offensive line

There are a good number of explosive athletes within this O-line class and I think people might be underestimating how early some of these players, particularly the tackles, might go. The NFL is desperate for linemen and they’re not likely to stick around for long.

Francis Mauigoa, Spencer Fano, Caleb Lomu, Vega Ioane, Monroe Freeling, Kadyn Proctor, Blake Miller and Max Iheanachor could all go in round one. If Mauigoa and Fano go early, we could see a major run on the position.

I am a big fan of Gennings Dunker as regulars know — but I did tap down my grade ever so slightly after watching more of his Senior Bowl tape. For me he’s still a highly explosive, powerful blocker who has the potential to be a very effective right guard.

The Seahawks might find themselves in an awkward spot to draft a right guard if they are considering it. The #32 pick might be too early but Dunker, Emmanuel Pregnon and Keylan Rutledge might not necessarily reach #64.

For this reason, I think they might try to sign a right guard in free agency. Dylan Parham is a name I’m keeping a close eye on.

EDGE/OLB

I’ve never been truly convinced by David Bailey’s body type and playing style and a ‘good not great’ combine strengthened that stance for me. I’m not sold on him deserving the ‘top-10 lock’ status he has been given.

I think Cashius Howell is one of the most fascinating players in this class. You cannot question his motor, intensity, character and quickness (1.58 10-yard split). His incredibly short arms, though, will raise significant questions. I think for the Seahawks he can replace Boye Mafe as a situational rusher and would be an excellent personality fit for the locker room.

I suspect they’d have to take him at #32. If they didn’t want to do that, or he wasn’t available, I think Romello Height could be a fine alternative. His pass-rush win-rate of 21.8% is second only to Reuben Bain Jr among the big names in this class. You can’t play him down-in, down-out off the EDGE but as a possible pick at #64 who can provide a spark in passing situations, that would make sense.

Malachi Lawrence, R Mason Thomas and Jaishawn Barham are all very different but could also provide day-two relief. It was hard to get an angle on Gabe Jacas and Joshua Josephs after they didn’t test. I need more information on both and consider their grades in a ‘holding position’ for now.

If they sign a running back and a guard in free agency, this could enable the Seahawks to go EDGE/CB or CB/EDGE with their first two picks. There is strong evidence that the board points in that direction.

Defensive ends

I understand why some people love Rueben Bain Jr and Akheem Mesidor. They legitimately wrecked games for Miami. They also had some quiet outings and Bain’s length/frame is not that of someone who typically thrives in the NFL. Mesidor at times looked like a more natural rusher but he’s an older player with an injury history.

Keldric Faulk was a big disappointment at the combine. He didn’t run and looked unspectacular during drills, after a 2025 season lacking in production. A player like this has to show upside in his testing.

Zion Young is too slow and I still have big question marks about his personality and character (especially after his DWI arrest). Dani Dennis-Sutton is a bit of a tease. There are great flashes but also plenty of concerns about his get-off and consistency.

I’m not sure the Seahawks will necessarily be looking for a bigger defensive end unless DeMarcus Lawrence does retire. Even then, I don’t think a rookie can replace him. Plus, Lawrence was 251lbs at his combine and ran a 1.63 10-yard split. You’re better off considering the more typical EDGE types with good run-defense grades. Jaishawn Barham, for example, graded at a 90.4.

Defensive tackles

Seattle’s depth at this position likely means they’ll only dabble if an opportunity arises that they can’t turn down. I really like the upside of Caleb Banks, I’m fighting hard against Kayden McDonald’s underwhelming on-field performance at the combine and Gracen Halton’s brilliant testing (combined with his tape) warrants talk of a decent day-two range.

There are some upside possibilities in the middle rounds but the Seahawks, with only four picks, might go in a different direction.

Linebackers

As good as Sonny Styles performed at the combine, I think a lot of people have counted that twice when analysing him. I think his tape is fine. He’s athletic, you can tell he’s a converted safety. He’s not the most physical. The Fred Warner comparisons, to me at least, feel a little bit outrageous given how sensational Warner is. I wasn’t blown away by Styles’ tape.

I’m a huge Kyle Louis fan and think someone is going to get a hell of a player on day two. Good linebackers will be available moving into the start of day three. The Seahawks probably feel well covered here though.

Cornerbacks

This is the deepest position in the draft. I think it’s pretty obvious that the Seahawks will re-sign Josh Jobe and then select a cornerback. They will have options too. There will be attractive prospects at #32, #64 and potentially #96. This will give them the flexibility to go EDGE early if they think that’s the best plan. If a really excellent corner lasts to #32, though, they can take them with their top pick.

I think people will be surprised by how early Avieon Terrell and Brandon Cisse go. I understand why Mansoor Delane is expected to be CB1 but he has very short arms and didn’t run at the combine. Long speed has been a question mark. Whatever the order, I think they’ll be the first three cornerbacks off the board.

Todd McShay has been very vocal about how the league is viewing Jermod McCoy and his agent. This will probably impact his stock. No games in 2025, no Senior Bowl, no combine. You’re going to have to really believe in him with so many alternatives at his position available.

I like Colton Hood and he could be an option too for the Seahawks.

I have 11 players graded for day two and I’m yet to study all of the cornerback class. I think Cal’s Hezekiah Masses was one of the stars of the combine on-field drills and I was highly impressed with aspects of his tape too. Duke’s Chandler Rivers plays like a Seahawk, while Keionte Scott is one of the most aggressive downfield attacking cornerbacks you’ll ever see.

There are so many strong options here, it would be a major surprise if the Seahawks don’t draft a corner. It’s just a question of how they put together their plan for this draft to determine whether they take one in round one, two or three.

Safeties

I think the perceived depth at safety is a little bit overstated and a reaction to the testing results at the combine. Even so, there are players I really like.

Dillon Thieneman is unquestionably for me a legit first round pick. I thought his combine performance was one of the best I’ve seen from a defensive back in 18 years of writing this blog.

I watched Penn State’s Zakee Wheatley this week and I’m a big fan, he has a lot of talent. I’ll include his write-up in my next set of profiles.

I really don’t understand how or why Emmanuel McNeil-Warren is still being graded in round one and in many instances he’s ranked ahead of Thieneman. I really struggle with that one. A fairly average combine confirms to me the mid-round grade I had on him.

Again with so few picks, this might be a position where they prefer to re-sign Coby Bryant and then address holes left by Rashid Shaheed, Boye Mafe, Ken Walker and Riq Woolen instead. I think as a plan that is what the board tells you makes the most sense.

Final thoughts

I wanted to get this out today because I think the structure of this Horizontal Board, put together over months of work dating back to August, shows the varying depths of each position and where the shelves are too.

This might help explain decisions made by the Seahawks in the coming days.

My best guesses going into free agency is as follows:

— They will try to sign a running back and a right guard if the market allows (they won’t spend big money on either position) and I think Kenneth Gainwell and Dylan Parham make sense

— They’ll re-sign Coby Bryant

— They look to three strengths of the draft at cornerback, EDGE and receiver to replace the holes created by potentially losing Riq Woolen, Boye Mafe and Rashid Shaheed

There are always things that can change this — players who you didn’t expect to be available lasting to #32 or veterans entering your radar that you otherwise figured wouldn’t be in your price range.

However, I think the Horizontal Board suggests this kind of plan, barring the unexpected happening, would make a lot of sense.

What’s the first thing I would do?

Call DeMarcus Lawrence and see what it would take to convince him to play in 2026. His impact in the Super Bowl run cannot be underestimated. Sweetening the pot as a gesture, showing how much you want him around, would be a strong start to free agency.

According to Brady Henderson, Lawrence considered retiring a year ago before signing with the Seahawks on March 13th. If he’s working to a similar timescale this year, he might be close to making a decision.

What position could they focus on?

It could actually be guard — with some profile fits within this free agency group.

For example, Dylan Parham with the Raiders is only 26-years-old. He ran a 4.93 at his combine, despite weighing 311lbs. He also managed an explosive 9-0 broad jump. He has +33 inch arms and 10 1/4 inch hands.

A former third round pick, he took a step forward with his performance in 2024 before regressing, along with everyone else on that Raiders O-line, in 2025.

One of the reasons why he regressed? A classic Pete Carroll error repeated. They moved him from right guard, where he played well in 2024, to the left side for 2025. It’s Damien Lewis all over again.

Is there untapped potential to be had here? And will his price be reasonable given he’s still more about upside than pure production? This could be a name to watch.

Alternatively, Spencer Burford — San Francisco’s left guard — is a free agent. He’s worked with Brian Fleury before. There’s also Ed Ingram, who had a 76.5 grade as a zone blocker for Houston in 2025. A former second round pick for the Vikings, Ingram is strong in the running game. I don’t know how the Seahawks viewed him coming into the league, as there were some legal issues in college (although it should be noted all charges were dropped) and Minnesota clearly felt comfortable enough to take him in round two.

Burford is 25 and Ingram 27, so as with Parham, we’re talking about players at a good age.

None of this trio will get fans rushing to ‘X’ to declare the right guard position solved for a generation — but they feel like the kind of options they could target if they want to bring in a cost-effective outside free agent.

Remember, it’s not just about competition for Anthony Bradford. He’s out of contract after this season. So unless you want to extend him, you need a plan.

What happens at running back?

There’s increasing buzz that Ken Walker might get around $15-16m a year. Everyone likes Ken but you can’t go that high for a player who might’ve finished strongly but otherwise didn’t achieve anywhere near enough to justify that level of salary during his four-year spell in Seattle.

I think they’ll go after Kenneth Gainwell. I think they’ve been after a proper third down back for a long time. Gainwell is good in pass-protection and had 486 receiving yards for the Steelers last season. He’s also an underrated runner — recording 4.7 YPC in 2025.

I don’t see the point of signing someone like Tyler Allgeier because he’s so similar to Zach Charbonnet. I’m not sure why we’ve all written Charbonnet off for next season, given the well publicised development in ACL recovery over the years. Is he really destined to miss most of next season?

Even if I’m wrong and he does miss time, is Allgeier a zone-system runner?

If they want insurance for Charbonnet, perhaps they look at Brian Robinson Jr, who spent last season with the 49ers and can probably be had on a shorter-term, cheaper basis.

The more I’ve forced myself to consider this position, I think Gainwell could be an inspired addition. You get a dynamic pass-catching option with quickness, the ability to perform in zone and someone who can be great for you in passing situations.

I also wouldn’t completely rule out Jadarian Price being a target early in the draft, as well as Mike Washington Jr. I think some have overreacted to Price not having a stand-out forty time (4.49) and he’s still likely to be higher on some boards than people think.

What will they do with the pass rush?

I’ve gone back and forth on the idea of trading for Jonathan Greenard. On the one hand, you’re talking about a soon-to-be 29-year-old coming off an injury-hit season who wants a pay rise. If you watch the 2024 tape, as I’ve done today, you do see flashes of real quality.

It’s very easy to work out he’d be a good personality/character fit for this defense. I’m not sure there’s a veteran out there who can help you more than he could, provided you feel like he can return to his best level this year.

It’s an odd situation though. You’ve got Minnesota making it very known through the media that he’s available, while simultaneously announcing they want a good offer (a strong second day pick). Is it a bluff to try and smoke someone out? Are they prepared to keep him? Will they cut him if no offer comes in?

Seattle’s third round pick is #96. The Raiders gave them #92 for Geno Smith a year ago — a player they immediately signed to an extension to start at quarterback. I think I’d be comfortable giving the Vikings #96.

This would also help protect your comp picks for 2027 in a way that signing Arnold Ebiketie or Joseph Ossai wouldn’t. Plus, Greenard is a more proven commodity.

It’s just whether the Vikings would be willing to accept that kind of offer. If they aren’t, what then? I think it comes down to doing what you can to convince Lawrence to play on, doing something with Uchenna Nwosu’s contract to lower his $19m cap hit while retaining him and then looking to the draft.

As we’ve discussed, Cashius Howell is a character fit and his short arms are less of an issue if he replaces Boye Mafe as a specialist rusher. Malachi Lawrence has really intriguing physical tools. Romello Height had a pass-rush win percentage of 21.8% in 2025, second only to Reuben Bain among all of the ‘big name’ draft prospects expected to go in the first three rounds.

You’ve also got TJ Parker, Dani Dennis-Sutton, Joshua Josephs, Gabe Jacas, Jaishawn Barham, Mason Reiger and others. It’s not a class full of obvious stars who you pine for but there are rotational role players here.

I don’t think forcing anything would be a good idea. Seattle has great interior defenders on their defensive line and a Head Coach who has shown he can create pressure with his collective defense. Yes, they need a better plan for Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay. That’s not enough of a reason to throw the baby out with the bath water though. They’ll be OK.

Who could be a surprise target?

I have two names to suggest.

The first is receiver Mike Evans. We know the Seahawks like ‘force multipliers’. Players who are highly professional, lead by example and can influence things on and off the field. I think Evans fits the bill.

Dan Graziano projects he’ll cost $15m for one season. If that’s accurate, it’s semi-realistic. If it’s way beyond that price, it won’t be. There might be an opportunity here to bring in someone who showed against the Falcons in December he can still take over a game.

Some will argue because he had one injury-plagued season that he’s now a spent force. People similarly wrote-off DeMarcus Lawrence. Evans is one of the best receivers of his generation. There are very few ways to legitimately improve this roster. Putting Evans across from Jaxon Smith-Njigba feels like a way to do it.

I’m not sure whether moving to the other end of the country to play for a defensive-minded Head Coach and a first-time offensive play-caller interests him — but contending probably will. And who better to contend with than the current Champions?

It also might appeal to him that the Seahawks took players on who had suffered recent injuries in Lawrence and Cooper Kupp and had a plan to manage their health. The result? Both played the vast majority of the season, including the playoffs.

The second name is Bryan Cook, the safety for the Chiefs. I don’t think the Seahawks are going to be big spenders in free agency. However, I do think there’s at least a possibility there will be a player or two they’ve identified who can be difference makers where it’s worth competing for their signature.

I was a big fan of Cook in 2022, putting a gold star next to his name (as well as fellow safety free agent Nick Cross) on my horizontal board.

This is a player who tackles consistently well. In 2025 he only missed 5.6% of his tackles. He was at 6.2% in 2024.

Here’s the missed tackle percentage of Seattle’s safeties in 2025:

Coby Bryant — 18.7%
Julian Love — 14.9%
Nick Emmanwori — 11.7%
Ty Okada — 10.8%

Cook also defends the run at a high level and has a lot of playoff experience with the Chiefs.

It’s very possible the Seahawks either re-sign Bryant or just turn to Ty Okada. However, we’ve seen how important this position is for Mike Macdonald. If they see a top player in Cook, someone who could help elevate the defense now that Maxx Crosby is no longer available, perhaps they consider investing in him?

The more likely scenario is he’ll take a big contract somewhere else. We’ve seen in the past though, the safety market can stall. There could be an opportunistic signing to be had.

What happens with their in-house free agents?

I think it’s extremely safe to assume Riq Woolen departs. I’m not sure there’s any market, hot or cold, that sees him return. Boye Mafe is projected to get a handsome offer elsewhere and will likely head to a new home.

I don’t think Ken Walker returns. If he’s getting offers worth $15-16m a year potentially, you can’t do that. Equally, if Rashid Shaheed is going to get +$18m a year, you thank him for his services and move on.

It really could go either way with Coby Bryant. There are teams, such as the Jets, who are expected to target the safeties. They will likely have to pay a ‘come and play for the Jets’ tax. There are safeties in the draft but the depth is not like it is at cornerback or receiver.

I think Josh Jobe will return, securing one cornerback spot on the roster. They’ll need another — and this draft class is perfectly set up to address that, whether it’s in round one, two or three. They will have plenty of options.

Final thoughts

It’s pretty clear to anyone paying attention that the Seahawks were very much interested in Maxx Crosby. They couldn’t compete with the offer Baltimore made to the Raiders and that ended any hope of a ‘splashy’ off-season.

This isn’t a strong draft class and the options at #32 are not fantastic. Even so, I hope that pick isn’t burning a hole in their pocket. Trading for Crosby is one thing, it’s hard to think of a suitably impactful Plan B.

This could end up being a similar off-season to 2014, the last time the Seahawks were Super Bowl Champions. They managed to re-sign one big-ticket free agent (Michael Bennett) but lost another (Golden Tate). Breno Giacomini signed for the Jets and Brandon Browner departed for New England. Role players like Walter Thurmond, Clinton McDonald and Chris Maragos moved on. Sidney Rice retired and Chris Clemons was cut.

They didn’t really make any outside additions aside from Kevin Williams. This is because they knew they had a lot of players to pay in the future. Again, teams have to think about ‘cash’ not just ‘cap’. They face the same situation this year with Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Devon Witherspoon, having already secured Charles Cross.

Their draft class was fairly uneventful too. They traded down from #32, took Paul Richardson and Justin Britt in round two and their third selection, in round four, was Cassius Marsh.

That probably sounds pretty underwhelming on reflection. You might feel that way over the next few weeks too. My advice would be not to overreact.

Last year many people complained about the Geno Smith and DK Metcalf trades. They screamed bloody murder about the lack of a veteran O-line signing. People were suspicious of Sam Darnold and questioned the signings of ageing players like Cooper Kupp and DeMarcus Lawrence.

The Seahawks won the Super Bowl.

The Vikings, meanwhile, received rave reviews for their off-season work. They’re currently busy cutting most of their signings from a year ago or watching them retire, after regressing badly in 2025. Their GM was fired. Their 2025 off-season, looking back, was an unmitigated disaster.

The Seahawks have a good core of players. With Maxx Crosby no longer available, you’re probably not going to get a heavy metal off-season. And that’s fine.

The Baltimore Ravens have traded two first round picks, including #14 this year, to the Las Vegas Raiders for Maxx Crosby.

Increasingly in the last 24-48 hours the Ravens and Cowboys were touted as the most likely suitors.

The Seahawks were unquestionably checking in on this. Crosby was a perfect fit. Bringing him in would’ve put them in prime position to seriously contend again in 2026. The price tag — two firsts — was also very reasonable.

You can’t compete with a top-15 pick though. Not when you own the last pick in round one.

So what now for the Seahawks?

First and foremost, I’d be getting on the phone to DeMarcus Lawrence’s representatives to see if there’s a way to sweeten the pot to convince him to play for one more season. That would mean the Seahawks only definitely needing to replace Boye Mafe on their defensive line (although Uchenna Nwosu’s $19m cap-hit needs addressing).

Secondly, I’d be content to let the market come to you. I wouldn’t want the Seahawks to ‘do a Buffalo’ and overpay for a veteran. Giving up #64 for Jonathan Greenard, for example, doesn’t excite me.

Greenard was never the quickest to begin with, as highlighted by a 1.71 10-yard split at his combine. He’s not getting any faster as he prepares to turn 29 in May. He’s coming off a three-sack season where he had some injury issues. I don’t think this is worth pursuing.

Crosby was the one to go for. Now that he is no longer available, the best thing I think they can do is look for other ways to improve. Are there other positions you can target? You can’t force an upgraded edge rush if the options aren’t there on the veteran market. Can you improve your offensive line? Add another weapon to your passing game? Can you improve at cornerback?

Look for value. Make the best of a mediocre draft class. Embrace the possibility that the one headline move that was out there simply wasn’t possible for the Seahawks to execute without going way beyond their comfort zone.

After all, they just won a Super Bowl without an elite edge rusher. Mike Macdonald also had success in Baltimore with Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy as his main outside rushers.

My fear is that #32, as awkwardly placed as it might be from a value sense in this draft, could be burning a hole in their pocket. The Crosby decision could set off a chain reaction of other moves and the Seahawks might react this weekend.

I’m struggling to think of a trade for #32 I’d now prefer over letting the draft come to you. If that means taking a chance on a Cashius Howell type to replace Mafe, investing in your O-line again, going with the top cornerback on your board or claiming another young weapon — all of those options seem reasonable.

Today I’m continuing my series of running through my scouting notes on the players in the 2026 class. I have thousands of notes still to go through, so stay tuned for the rest between now and April.

I want to start by riffing off a comment John Schneider made on his Seattle Sports show, where he was asked about players with short arms. He noted if a player has qualities that stand out to mitigate a lack of length, and/or they are a big character fit for the Seahawks, that would also be taken into account. It did make me think of two players who fit in this category.

Gracen Halton (DT, Oklahoma)

Although defensive tackle is far from Seattle’s greatest need, there are a few things that stand out about Halton.

During the college football season he had multiple ‘jump off the screen’ games. The big question mark, however, was his size. You could clearly see there could be some issues there and he subsequently weighed and measured at the combine at 6-3, 293lbs with just over 31-inch arms.

However, he then put on an outstanding testing session. Halton jumped a 36.5 inch vertical and a 9-6 broad. He ran a 4.82 forty with a 1.70 10-yard split. At the Senior Bowl he reached a top speed of 16.6mph which was faster than EDGE rusher Romello Height (16.3mph).

Let’s compare this to Byron Murphy, another undersized defensive tackle who has played well enough in the NFL that nobody mentions he was 6-0, 297lbs and had 32 inch arms at his combine.

Murphy ran a 4.87 with a 1.69 split. Very similar times to Halton. He was also less explosive, jumping a 33-inch vertical and a 9-3 broad.

Admittedly they have very different body types. Murphy’s lower body mass is his calling card, enabling him to coil like a snake and propel into opponents to defeat blocks and double teams. Halton isn’t in the same boat there. However, his explosive testing and speed speak to a twitched up defensive tackle — and those are rare to find.

It speaks to his ability that his run defense grade was an 86.9 despite being sub-300lbs. Again, to compare, Murphy’s run defense grade in his final year at Texas was an 80.5. On top of this Halton managed five sacks in 2025 and 30 pressures. His 30 pressures were the most among any of the key draft eligible defensive tackles.

On tape he shows an explosive first step enabling him to shoot gaps with ease. His gap discipline flashes consistently and he makes plays within structure — playing a big part in making him such an effective run defender.

He has shown he can line up across the interior in different positions. His closing burst to the ball carrier is strong. When he gets his feet moving he’s difficult to slow down once engaged yet he’s slippery to escape blocks and burst through gaps too.

He doesn’t have the deepest repertoire of moves and relies on quickness but Murphy had quite a limited repertoire too.

Halton is a character fit. He plays with a fantastic motor, has a clear passion for the game and speaks with an authority. There’s a great level of maturity in the way he talks.

The Seahawks have the talented Rylie Mills to go along with Murphy and may not need another high upside interior lineman. Personally, I’m not sure you can have ever have too many. Interior pass rush is one of the most important factors in winning football. If you can win inside, you will cause chaos.

It’s also worth noting that Mills was 6-5 and 291lbs at his combine, with 32 5/8 inch arms. So the Seahawks are clearly open minded about defensive linemen in the 290’s with shorter arm length who can play both inside and defensive end, slanting in from different angles using quickness to penetrate.

Given his run-defense capabilities and the age of Leonard Williams and Jarran Reed, I’m in favour of considering Halton as a day two option. Murphy, Mills, Halton and then having one or two big-bodied veterans could be a reasonable idea for the future.

Cashius Howell (EDGE, Texas A&M)

I’ve written about Howell before but I wanted to add some extra notes to his blurb. After studying his interviews you can absolutely 100% tell he’s a character fit for this team. It’s very, very easy to imagine him in Seattle’s locker room — and his playing style matches that.

Running a 1.58 10-yard split at 253lbs shouldn’t be sniffed at. That’s not small in weight terms, even though the impression you get of Howell is he’s a smaller player because of his lack of length. He does have dynamic short-area quickness.

The problem is the lack of length is so extreme (30 1/4 inch arms) that it’s really hard to imagine he’ll be playing a high percentage of snaps. He is perfectly set for a specialist role rushing the passer. He could also be very good at creating pressure in obvious passing situations.

That’s the problem sometimes with a player like this though. He could play four years for you, play 40-50% of the snaps, collect a decent number of sacks and then what do you do? The sack production would dictate a certain level of salary that you might not be able to justify based on his snap percentage. You may be resigning yourself to a one-contract situation.

Equally, if you’re banking on a specialist role, it caps the range where you can take him. Unless you genuinely think with sub-31 inch arms he can be an every down player (I find that hard to believe), you can’t really take him in the top-40.

He could be a quicker Yannick Ngakoue. Ngakoue had 70.5 NFL sacks in his career but bounced around eight different teams because he was more of a situational rusher. Nobody really wanted to commit long term.

Howell is athletic enough to avoid college tackles and he’s a high effort player. He needs to win with quickness though. His hand-use is non-existent and he lacks power. He will try to avoid contact rather than engage and rip through. There are some reps where he doesn’t even consider trying to engage, with his arms almost locked by his side, as he tries to skip by tackles. It’s highly unorthodox.

There is very little chance he will win with speed-to-power at the next level.

He could also be a liability vs the run in the NFL. Is he really going to be able to set an edge? Although it’s worth noting his run-defense grade in 2025 was a 73.6 which was better than Gabe Jacas, LT Overton and Malachi Lawrence.

He can catch tackles on their heels with his quickness. He’s developed a euro-step move to beat tackles. He can sprint to the edge and dip around contact. Yet he doesn’t really have a counter when his initial plan stalls, he doesn’t drop into coverage with ease and can you live with one big shove ending a lot of his pass rush attempts?

Like Ngakoue he might be a player who collects sacks winning isolated reps but his overall impact is a net-negative as an every-down player.

As I said before, I think the draft media got carried away talking about this EDGE class and that was proven at the combine. There are a lot of names but it’s more a case of quantity over quality. It’s a class full of players with a fatal flaw in their play or physical profile. You can fit players into roles but there aren’t any you can confidently project will be every-down dominators.

With Howell, he can probably replace Boye Mafe if you keep everyone else. Perhaps if they can sweeten the pot for DeMarcus Lawrence to convince him to play on, this could be an option.

Hezekiah Masses (CB, California)

The cornerback drills at the combine are among the best for checking on translatable traits. The backpedal, transition, ability to change direction, whether a player has loose hips and solid footwork.

Masses really impressed in Indianapolis and the tape study backed that up.

He shows really good feel and understanding in coverage. He correctly comes off routes, reads the play and then breaks on the ball. His backpedal and transition are smooth and he’s able to keep his eyes on the passer when in motion.

He mirrors superbly and is just so sticky in coverage whether that’s over the middle or on the red-line. He traces receivers across the middle and outlasts them with his speed. His production in his final season ramped up with five interceptions and they weren’t flukey picks either. His angles to the ball and instinct was clearly on show when playing the ball. He appears to understand the knack of playing in zone better than, say, Brandon Cisse currently. You can see how well he masters his assignments, gets into position, reads plays and reacts how he needs to in order to be a playmaker.

On top of the five picks he had a NCAA leading 18 passes defended.

His grade in zone for 2025 was a 90.0. Only Chris Johnson and Devon Marshall scored higher. This is important to note given the Seahawks run zone about 77.5% of the time.

He’s very aggressive attacking WR screens, disengaging off the front block to disrupt/hit the receiver.

It’s not all perfect, which is why he’s not being projected as a day one pick. He had a lot of flags. I think most were technical contact issues that can be fixed but it still warrants mentioning. In total it’s 14 flags in the last two seasons.

He also had some whiffs, including four touchdowns tagged against him. His tackling technique also needs work.

Even so, I thought Masses gave off a bit of an X-factor vibe. I think this is a player who, with the right guidance, could turn into something really good.

He’s 6-1 and 179lbs with 31 1/8 inch arms and ran a 4.46. He’s not an amazing athlete (31.5 inch vertical) but his movements are so fluid and quick on tape.

I think he’s a really good day two option.

Bryce Lance (WR, North Dakota State)

He’s a very natural, fluid athlete. When he gets going he’s tough to catch.

Lance ran a 4.34 at 6-3 and 204lbs — adding a 41.5 inch vertical jump and an 11-1 broad. He shows easy movement skill and isn’t at all stiff for a longer bodied receiver.

His production is excellent with 25 touchdowns in the last two seasons. He dropped three passes in 2025 and his run blocking is nothing to write home about. However, there’s so much to like about his dynamism as a receiver.

Lance has massive YAC ability because of his speed and explosive traits when he gets a crease. He will accelerate quickly and leave defenders for dead. His height is a big winner in the red zone and he still manages to gain quick separation in tight quarters.

His speed and acceleration is staggering when he gets going. There are multiple examples where he just takes off like a sports car.

His body control is excellent and he dodges the jam and releases with suddenness. In terms of tracking the ball, he adjusts very well.

His competition level is what it is but you want to see players jump off the screen in this setting and he does that. He is going to be a pain in the arse to cover in the NFL if he can settle into the demands of the league and match the physicality at the next level.

One final note — he is not a big-time catcher away from his frame. There are a lot of body catches. That could be an issue. But overall there’s enough there to think a mid-round pick would be a worthwhile investment.

DeMonte Capehart (DT, Clemson)

On tape he stood out with some big flashes — but with no hype, it was hard to know what to make of him — especially as the tape was a bit inconsistent. Then at the combine he ran a 4.85 at 6-5 and 313lbs. He added a 33.5 inch vertical and ran a 1.71 10-yard split. He has 34-inch arms and 10 1/4 inch hands. This is a tremendous physical profile, so it’s time to increase the interest level.

He shows the power to throw off blocks acting as a nose tackle. When he makes contact it can get violent and there are snaps where interior offensive linemen end up on the floor courtesy of Capehart.

He plays with very heavy hands that often overwhelm opponents. He can be devastating at times when he gets the right pad level and drives blockers backwards. If you want someone to push the pocket he can do it.

Despite his testing speed there were too many snaps where he didn’t show enough burst or quickness and he didn’t consistently penetrate gaps to shoot into the backfield as a pass-rusher. Indeed, his movement and agility was laboured sometimes which is surprising, knowing now what a dynamic athlete he is.

If you want a bull-in-a-china-shop DT that’s what he looked like. Now, you wonder if you can coax more out of him because the traits are there. My notes pre-combine asked — ‘will he be able to win exclusively with power at the next level?’ Now, I’m not it has to be that way.

Sometimes he plays too high and loses leverage. That’s not uncommon for tackles with his body type though. He does have an injury history.

I think he’s very intriguing, even if it’s just to work within a rotation.

Mason Reiger (EDGE, Wisconsin)

He performed well at the combine so he was one of the my first studies following the week in Indianapolis. He ran a very solid 1.61 10-yard split at 6-5 and 251lbs and jumped a 40-inch vertical and a 10-5 broad. Those are intriguing physical tools. He does have shorter arms (32 5/8 inches) but massive shovels for hands (10 3/8 inches).

He’s very competitive and loves to launch head-first into tackles. His speed rush isn’t fantastic. He doesn’t ‘ole’ his way beyond the tackle for a lot of bend-and-straighten wins. He’s more of an attack dog who wins with twitchy anger. Reiger is more comfortable battling through contact. He finds a way through, rather than just blowing opponents away with speed or speed-to-power.

He plays with a great motor and it’s not unusual to see him pinball-ing past defenders to find a route to the QB. He has shown the ability to use his hands to disengage and swipe away contact. He generally does a good job getting off blocks one way or another.

When he goes for an inside counter he’s shown the ability to deliver a wonderful swim move paired with quickness. It’s a winner.

He had six sacks on a struggling Wisconsin team in 2025, plus 45 pressures. His win percentage was 15.9%. His run defense is solid enough but it’s effort, not anchor based.

After transferring from Louisville I think he’s shown on tape and at the combine that he’s worth adding as a rotational piece who could develop into something more significant in time.