Category Archives: Free agency

Contracts, Free agency, On the air

Schneider talks Shaheed, running backs, taxes & more

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John Schneider is pretty tight-lipped about Seahawks business, so it was hard to expect much out of him Thursday on his weekly appearance on Seattle Sports 710 AM.

But he offered a few nuggets on various topics: (1) how Seattle managed to keep Rashid Shaheed, (2) expectations for new additions Emanuel Wilson and Rodney Thomas, (3) the state of the running back position, (4) the Maxx Crosby saga and (5) the impact of the new millionaire tax in Washington.

Let’s break down the takeaways.

Continue reading Schneider talks Shaheed, running backs, taxes & more →
Contracts, Free agency

Good first day as Hawks keep Shaheed, Jobe

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The first day of free agency went better than expected for the Seahawks, who managed to keep both Josh Jobe AND Rashid Shaheed.

The latter was a nice surprise, as the Seahawks stunningly paid market value to keep their superstar return man. On the other side, they kept Jobe at their price – a little lower than his projected market value.

Shaheed was, in our estimation, Seattle’s top priority among its six big free agents. The fact that John Schneider and company chose to give him a three-year, $51 million deal ($17 million per year) is proof that they valued him very highly.

Jobe is back on a three-year deal as well, at $8 million a year.

As expected, the Hawks lost Kenneth Walker III, Coby Bryant and Boye Mafe. They all got paid very well. Mafe got a shocking $20 million a year from Cincinnati, Walker got over $14 million from Kansas City, and Bryant got over $13 million from Chicago.

Let’s take a look at how these moves impact the Seahawks’ roster and coming moves.

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Free agency, Trades

Ravens get Crosby, so Hawks will find new edge elsewhere

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The Seahawks probably have known they were out of the Maxx Crosby sweepstakes for several days.

It became official Friday night, with the Raiders shipping the star pass rusher to Baltimore for two first-round picks. Seattle was never going to go that high (and would have had to add a little more anyway) – and now John Schneider and company are officially on to other prospects.

Continue reading Ravens get Crosby, so Hawks will find new edge elsewhere →
Free agency, NFL draft

Hawks won’t get four 3s; here’s how comp game likely plays out

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With the Seahawks expected to lose as many as five top free agents, we said earlier this week that it looked like John Schneider seemed prepared to play the comp game.

Fans have started dreaming about having a basket of third-round picks in 2027, while others (us included) point out that Schneider has never done well with comp picks.

Let’s take a look at what the comp options might be and then how Schneider has used them in the past and how he might be able to use them this year (despite not getting them until next year).

Continue reading Hawks won’t get four 3s; here’s how comp game likely plays out →
Free agency

Shaheed testing market; Greenard an edge option?

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As free agency looms ever closer, the scuttlebutt is heating up and the drama is building.

The latest for the Seahawks, based on various reputable reports:

  • Rashid Shaheed is their top priority, but they have not offered enough to keep him from testing the market.
  • Kenneth Walker III could get as much as $16 million a year.
  • Tyler Allgeier is indeed on Seattle’s radar as a possible replacement for Walker and the injured Zach Charbonnet.
  • At pass rusher, a cheaper option than Maxx Crosby may have emerged.

Let’s break it down.

Continue reading Shaheed testing market; Greenard an edge option? →
Contracts, Free agency, Trades

The expected plan: Shaheed, trades, comp picks, extensions

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With more intel and scuttlebutt emerging from the Combine, we think we have a good idea how John Schneider and the Seahawks are going to approach the new league year next week.

All signs point to Kenneth Walker III leaving Seattle along with Riq Woolen, Coby Bryant and Boye Mafe. Some fans are wondering why the team would not want to pay them top dollar when the Seahawks have the sixth-most salary cap space in the NFL: “Why not pay them all and run it back with the same crew?”

It is simple: The Seahawks have to plan beyond 2026, and they have better needs and desires for that cap space.

In a nutshell, here’s how we think it is going to play out:

Continue reading The expected plan: Shaheed, trades, comp picks, extensions →
Contracts, Free agency

Hawks saved $30M in 2025 swapping out QB and receivers

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Ever since the Seahawks
essentially swapped Geno Smith, DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett for Sam Darnold, Cooper Kupp and Marques Valdes-Scantling, plus a couple of Day 2 picks, fans have debated whether the Hawks made a good aggregate deal.

Now that we have numbers on all of Seattle’s contracts, we can compare the money (pending Smith’s new deal with the Raiders).

Continue reading Hawks saved $30M in 2025 swapping out QB and receivers →
Free agency, NFL draft

OL: After free agency whiff, it is all on the draft now

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It is no big surprise that the Seahawks once again missed out on adding a
notable veteran lineman.

It has been apparent since Teven Jenkins — an injury risk — left the VMAC without a deal that the Hawks likely were going to end up settling on a middling one-year vet again – a la Laken Tomlinson in 2024.

But John Schneider needs to get serious about the offensive line in this draft.

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Free agency, The roster

After a week of free agency, a look at the roster

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John Schneider’s Seahawks had a stunning first week of free agency, unexpectedly trading both Geno Smith and DK Metcalf and then quickly replacing Smith with Sam Darnold.

They also re-signed two big pieces of their defense, Ernest Jones IV and Jarran Reed. And they brought in Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Cooper Kupp to help replace Metcalf and the released Tyler Lockett. DeMarcus Lawrence was added to beef up their front seven (especially in the run game).

They bid big ($17 million a year) but missed out on the top free-agent guard, Will Fries. But they still might end up with one of the top guards; Teven Jenkins (Chicago) is due in for a visit to the VMAC on Monday.

After a week of free agency, the defense – already on schedule to be a top-five unit in 2025 — is a bit better, and the offense is still rebuilding after the surprising mini-teardown.

Let’s take a look at the roster.

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Coaches, Free agency, X's & O's

Macdonald, Kubiak are building an offense that can hit the ground running

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Mike Macdonald intends to win playoff games in 2025 – and he has a pretty clever plan for making sure it happens.

It’s called familiarity. He is returning nearly his entire 10th-ranked defense from 2024 (and making it better), and he his putting together an offense that he expects to literally hit the ground running.

It started with bringing in a veteran offensive staff full of guys who had worked together before. Macdonald knew Klint Kubiak would bring run game coordinator Rick Dennison, offensive line coach John Benton and quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko. All have worked with him in the past.

Then, when free agency began this week, Kubiak was key in the Seahawks recruiting both Sam Darnold and Marquez Valdes-Scantling – who both know Kubiak and the offense.

Continue reading Macdonald, Kubiak are building an offense that can hit the ground running →