Clayton: Is a K.J. Wright return in the cards for Seahawks or are they done in free agency?
Apr 12, 2021, 2:57 PM
K.J. Wright remains available nearly a month into NFL free agency. (Getty)
(Getty)
The Seahawks’ re-signing of Damarious Randall as a cornerback pretty much finished the main portion of Seattle’s free agency and trade additions.
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It was interesting that Randle came back instead of Quinton Dunbar. Dunbar signed a one-year, minimum salary deal with the Detroit Lions. That made you wonder if he wasn’t happy the Seahawks were talking to him at the minimum salary or if the Seahawks had concerns about his knee or injury history.
What’s fascinating is the cornerback position will likely be handed over to two former San Francisco 49ers: Ahkello Witherspoon and D.J. Reed.
Witherspoon signed a one-year, $4 million guarantee contract. He is now the Seahawks’ second-highest paid cornerback after the departure of Shaquill Griffin. Tre Flowers is making $2.183 million on his fourth-year escalated contract while Reed makes $920,000. Randall is expected to get a minimum salary deal.
The Seahawks have their money more invested at safety, where they have two Pro Bowlers: Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs.
So what’s next? The Seahawks started to bring in veteran offensive linemen that could sign for the minimum salary. Chance Warmack, who signed with Seattle last year but opted out of the season due to COVID-19, and Danny Isidora, who was signed late last season by the Steelers off Kansas City’s practice squad, were two of the candidates.
The Seahawks will also look for options to come in at a low salary to compete for the third receiver job.
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I’m not getting good vibes on a potential return to Seattle from linebacker K.J. Wright. Wright said he would not want to take a hometown discount to stay, but what would have been considered a discount is now his market. Veterans in their thirties are getting destroyed with low offers. He’s also an outside linebacker from a 4-3 defense and those kinds of players aren’t generating big contracts with the salary cap down 8 percent.
Wright had mentioned the Dallas Cowboys as a team that interests him, but they aren’t in the market now. They signed former Atlanta Falcons safety Keanu Neal to a one-year, $4 million deal to be a weakside linebacker for former Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, who is the Cowboys’ new DC after his tenure as Falcons head coach ended last year. The Raiders also aren’t looking for an outside linebacker in their 4-3 defense for Gus Bradley, another ex-Seahawks DC that Wright played for.
To come back to Seattle, Wright might have take less than half of the $7 million a year contract he previously had. The Seahawks could go young at outside linebacker with Jordyn Brooks and Cody Barton.
The Seahawks have had an excellent offseason. They got better at defensive end. They got better along the offensive line. They have depth at cornerback. They were able to get tight end Gerald Everett and re-sign running back Chris Carson.
With only three draft choices, the Seahawks can make a few more low-cost moves to add to the depth of their roster.
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