Who do you keep: Sheldon Richardson, Paul Richardson, or Jimmy Graham?
Jan 26, 2018, 1:19 PM | Updated: 1:38 pm
Sheldon Richardson finished his first season in Seattle with 27 tackles and 1.0 sack. (AP)
(AP)
The Seahawks have 15 unrestricted free agents entering the 2018 season. With limited cap space and plenty of holes to fill on both offense and defense, general manager John Schneider and head coach Pete Carroll will be forced to make more than a few tough decisions.
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ESPN’s Brady Henderson helped Mike Salk and Jesse Jones with one of those hypothetical decisions while filling in for Brock Huard during Friday morning’s Blue 42 segment of Brock and Salk. Defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson, wide receiver Paul Richardson, and tight end Jimmy Graham will command the biggest contracts if Seattle decides to re-sign them, meaning the team will likely only be able to retain one.
So, which do you keep?
“It’s not to say you wouldn’t want Jimmy Graham’s 10 touchdowns or Paul Richardson’s speed on the outside,” Henderson said. “But I think in terms of need, you need Sheldon Richardson the most when you consider what else you’re going to be losing on that defensive line. You’re probably going to be losing Cliff Avril, and there’s a decent chance you might lose Mike Bennett, who could be a salary cap casualty. Sheldon Richardson, for a guy who is coming off a second contract plus a fifth year option, he’s still only 27, which would accomplish that goal of getting younger on that defensive line. I think the price tag is going to turn some people away, whatever that might be, it’s going to be north of $10 million, probably north of $12 million, but I think Sheldon Richardson was a lot more productive than people realize playing inside. You’re not going to rack up those sack numbers, you want a guy who’s going to be disruptive, who can be stout against the run, who can make some big impact plays, and I think he did that last season.”
Henderson also says who he believes will be the best quarterback in the 2018 NFL Draft, and talks about Pete Carroll’s future with Seattle.
Listen to the whole Blue 42 segment here.
Big names mean big contracts.
If Seattle can only afford keep one of these free agents, which player should they re-sign?
Our guest @BradyHenderson gives his answer: https://t.co/iVIyalergA #Seahawks
— 710 ESPN Seattle (@710ESPNSeattle) January 26, 2018
