The Seattle Seahawks had a strong regular season, where they ended with 12 wins and four losses. This record topped the NFC West division. The theme at the start of the season for Seattle was their explosive offense would go off and their defense would let the opposing offense do the same. Eventually, the team as a whole would become more complete. Seahawks fans were at the receiving end of some cardiac games decided by a touchdown or less.
Seattle had to settle for an early exit from the playoffs at the hands of their NFC West rival, the Los Angeles Rams.
One takeaway from the recently concluded Super Bowl was the importance of the offensive line. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes spent a significant amount of time running away from Tampa Bay Buccaneers defenders because of his line's protection, or rather lack thereof.
This has been the story of Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson's career these past few years. Center and offensive guard are some of the team's biggest needs. These needs are highlighted in a division where the team has to meet Aaron Donald twice in the regular season.
One of the best moves for any team last offseason was the Seahawks trading offensive lineman B.J. Finney and a seventh-round pick for Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Carlos Dunlap. Dunlap rejuvenated the Seattle pass rush. He ended the regular season with six sacks, four passes defended, and 32 total tackles. The 11-year veteran makes up 7.7 percent of Seattle's cap space at $14,037,500. Cutting Dunlap would free up a lot of space to make a splash in free agency.
The Seahawks can pursue a stud offensive guard, such as Brandon Scherff of the Washington Football Team or Joe Thuney of the New England Patriots. Guard is one of the least glamorous positions in football, but having a great one would go a long way in extending Wilson's career. Another direction the team could go is signing Green Bay Packers center Corey Linsley. He would cost less money than a guard and the savings can be used in getting a cornerback. When the Seahawks last hoisted the Vince Lombardi Trophy, they had elite players at center and cornerback in Max Unger and Richard Sherman, respectively. Of course, it also helps when your core players are under rookie contracts.
Despite Dunlap's cap hit, it would be better for Seattle to retain him. He is a productive veteran, who plays at a premier position. Also, the inconsistent season Jadeveon Clowney had with the Seahawks is a reminder that stud defensive ends are not so easy to come by.
Other cuts, who would save a lot of cap space, are Jamal Adams with $9,860,000 and Quandre Diggs with $6,150,000. People have mixed feelings about Adams, but Seattle gave up too much to let him go. Adams and a fourth-round pick were acquired by the Seahawks from the New York Jets for safety Bradley McDougald, a first-round and third-round pick in 2021, and a first-round pick in 2022. On the other hand, free safety Diggs just made his first Pro Bowl. He may not remind you of Earl Thomas III, but he should definitely be in Seattle's plan moving forward.
CB Tre Flowers
The most realistic, albeit surprising, roster cut for the Seahawks is cornerback Tre Flowers. The team has a penchant for switching the positions of their players or getting players who previously switched positions—J.R. Sweezy was a defensive tackle, who got converted to guard, while Sherman previously played wide receiver in college. Similarly, Flowers was a safety in college. The shift from lining up as a safety to a cornerback is not as extreme as the other examples.
At 6'3″ and 203 pounds, Flowers fits the bill of a typical Seahawks corner. He is aggressive with good length, however, Flowers just has not panned out. To make matters worse, he suffered a hamstring injury that kept him out of several games toward the end of the regular season. In his third season in the league, he seems to frequently get beat in coverage. Perhaps, this can be addressed schematically. Flowers is only 25 years old and has the potential to get better, but at this point with the projected lower salary cap next season, it might be better to part ways with him.
Cutting Flowers will save the team $2,183,000. The amount is a lot smaller than the aforementioned names, but it is the first step in freeing up enough cap space to sign someone like Scherff, Thuney, or Linsley. One thing going for the Seahawks is that they are a winning team and so some players may be willing to take a bit less to sign with them. A protected Wilson and an improved defense will help get Seattle a deeper playoff run.
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