Dante Fowler Jr.’s signing for up to $5 million is a heck of a bargain swap for a guy who is at least an even trade for $20 million free-agent loss Boye Mafe.

Fowler’s arrival means all four key free agents who left – Mafe, Kenneth Walker III, Coby Bryant and Riq Woolen – have been replaced by cheaper players who are (or should be) equal to or better than the four who left.

The total APY for the departing four is close to $60 million, while the replacements – Fowler, Jadarian Price, Bud Clark and the corner combo of Julian Neal and Noah Igbinoghene — combine for less than $15 million. That is some great budgeting by John Schneider and cap guy Joey Laine.

The Seahawks still have around $29 million in cap space, enough to do anything else they like (such as add another pass rusher).

Ken knew he would walk

Walker said he knew during the season that he would not be back in Seattle.

“When you first get to a team, you feel like you’ll be there all your career. But the business side didn’t work out that way,” he told Mike Florio of PFT.

“Things didn’t work out how I was expecting it to. That’s all right. It worked out for the team.”

He said the three-year, $43 million deal the Chiefs gave him is “an appreciation thing. A team appreciates me over here. Being able to come somewhere where you’re appreciated.”

When will Spoon be fed?

Devon Witherspoon’s extension is the next big order of business this offseason – and there might be a couple of complications, per Albert Breer.

In the past 14 months, seven non-QBs have gotten deals worth more than $40 million a year. That includes Seattle’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

The corner position is stuck down around $31 million (what Trent McDuffie got from the Rams after they traded for him).

Breer said: “If I were Witherspoon, I’d probably tell the Seahawks, ‘You don’t have to get me to where Will Anderson Jr. is ($50 million APY), but I have to be a lot closer than Trent McDuffie, Sauce Gardner and Derek Stingley Jr.” 

Patriots superstar corner Christian Gonzalez also is up for a new deal, which creates “a potential game of chicken, where one team knows that if the other goes first, that contract will become the floor for the contract they do,” Breer pointed out. Oh, and Spoon and Gonzo have the same agent.

Breer projects “the next set of big corner deals to exceed $35 million per year.”  Spoon should have his extension by training camp.

Future of Seattle’s pass rush

We have said it a lot this offseason: The Seahawks have to figure out the future of their defensive front.

They have five guys who will be over 29 at the start of the season: DeMarcus Lawrence (34), Jarran Reed (33), Leonard Williams (32), Fowler (32), Uchenna Nwosu (29). Lawrence figures to retire after 2026. Reed likely will be let go a year early. Williams, Nwosu, Fowler and Derick Hall all are scheduled to be free agents.

Fans have been chattering about Hall being extended, but we don’t see it happening – not after Mafe got $20 million a year from Cincinnati. We think the Hawks would be OK with $12 million a year, but Hall surely will play it out and see whether he can get Mafe money. That’s great motivation, which is great for the Seahawks.

The only extension we could see them possibly doing is Williams – we would definitely pay him $25 million a year for a couple more years. Otherwise, we think they will let everyone play it out and see how it shakes out in 2027.

There is a chance, of course, that Schneider makes a trade later this year to help set up 2027. But it also might be an almost total reset of the edge group next year.

More money lines

The offense is largely set for the next three years. Beau Stephens was drafted ostensibly to replace Anthony Bradford, who is a free agent in 2027. Jalen Sundell will be an RFA in 2027. Sam Darnold will get a big new contract.

The Hawks could be preemptive with Zach Charbonnet and extend him for a couple years at something like $5 million a year. That would be more than fair for a guy who will get only half a season this year due to an ACL injury. It would be a smart play by the Hawks to try to pay a guy they like a lot even while he is rehabbing. And Charbs probably would take it, knowing he could build up his value and still be a free agent again at age 28.

We expect Cooper Kupp to join Lawrence and Reed in departing after 2026. He won’t be worth $14 million in 2027. Ideally, Tory Horton will step into the No. 3 role behind Smith-Njigba and Rashid Shaheed. The Hawks would reclaim $32 million in cap space if Kupp, Reed and Lawrence all retire or depart via release.

In 2027, several starting defenders will be up for possible extensions: Byron Murphy II, Ernest Jones IV, Drake Thomas and Julian Love. Other than the UFA edge rushers, those figure to be the biggest in-house deals. We project the Hawks could have $65 million in disposable cap space next year, even after Darnold’s deal, possible extensions for Williams and Charbs, and an RFA tender for Sundell.

Bottom line: The Hawks can afford to make a big move for a veteran pass rusher this year or next.

Ownership odds

Steve Ballmer, former Microsoft CEO who owns the Los Angeles Clippers, is the betting favorite (2/1) to become the Seahawks’ next majority owner, via BetOnline.

Behind him are Apple CEO Tim Cook (3/1), Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg (6/1) and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos (7/1).

Front Office Sports reported that four groups have expressed interest thus far. Cook and Zuckerberg apparently are potential members of two of those prospective bidding groups.

The over/under on the sale price is $8.5 billion.

Breer said of Ballmer and Bezos: “I’m not sure either is a probable bidder. I’ve heard a few other names as potential buyers, one who’s a limited partner in an NBA team. Steve Apostolopoulos, a Canadian billionaire, is one to consider — he did bid on the Commanders in 2023. And I’m not sure he’s the only big-money bidder from north of the border.

“Yes, it’s been quiet. But that’s generally the way these things go. I wouldn’t take it as any sign of inactivity.”