JAKE AND STACY

Which big-name free agents should the Seahawks target and avoid?

Jun 26, 2021, 12:27 PM

Seahawks CB Richard Sherman...

The Seahawks and CB Richard Sherman could still reunite before the 2021 season begins. (Getty)

(Getty)

Are the Seahawks done adding key pieces this offseason?

Heaps: Why Hawks aren’t done making significant additions to roster

Former NFL quarterback Jake Heaps doesn’t think so, and he outlined why on Friday’s edition of 710 ESPN Seattle’s Jake and Stacy. You can read that story and listen to the full segment in the podcast at the bottom of the article.

But if the Seahawks are going to add, who might those players be? And which players should the Seahawks avoid? Heaps shared his thoughts on that as well.

Former Seahawks

LB K.J. Wright

The man who was the Seahawks’ longest-tenured player during the 2020 season, linebacker K.J. Wright, remains unsigned roughly one month before training camp.

That’s a bit of a surprise, too. Over the last two seasons combined, Wright had 218 total tackles, 16 tackles for loss, two sacks, four interceptions, 21 pass deflections, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.

Heaps’ co-host, Stacy Rost, thinks Wright should be the Seahawks’ top free-agent target going forward.

“For me, if they can find the money, (it’s) K.J. Wright,” she said. “Although, I think in a perfect world for Seattle, they wouldn’t because it would mean a failure for either Jordyn Brooks or Darrell Taylor.”

Brooks and Taylor were the Seahawks’ first two draft picks in 2020 and Brooks will be Seattle’s starting weakside (WILL) linebacker once again while Taylor, who was originally drafted as a defensive end, is the current favorite to be Seattle’s starting strongside (SAM) linebacker.

Wright was Seattle’s WILL linebacker for many years before switching to SAM partway through 2020 while Brooks assumed the starting WILL spot.

Heaps thinks that Brooks has no impact on whether or not Wright returns to Seattle in 2021.

“I honestly don’t think Jordyn Brooks is even part of the equation. They’re riding with Jordyn Brooks and he’s going to be the guy,” he said. “This is all on Darrell Taylor. And if Darrell Taylor does not work out for them at that SAM linebacker position, then yes, K.J. Wright for sure is somebody front of mind.”

Like Rost, Heaps is very high on Wright and a potential reunion between the soon-to-be 32-year-old linebacker and the Seahawks.

“If the Seahawks had a big board (of free agents) and a list, K.J. Wright would be No. 1 and it wouldn’t even be close,” he said.

Luckily for the Seahawks, Heaps said, they’re still the favorites to sign Wright this offseason.

“There’s always that possibility that K.J. Wright returns if he’s not snagged up by anybody else in the NFL, and quite honestly I don’t think that he will be,” he said. “… For the Seahawks to be in the position they’re in with K.J. Wright is a big win for them that he hasn’t already been snatched up because as John Schneider alluded to before the draft, they were anticipating he’d be signed and gone by now.”

CB Richard Sherman

After starring as a key member of the Legion of Boom defense from 2011 to 2017, Sherman signed with Seattle’s rival, the San Francisco 49ers, and played well there the last three seasons.

Now, the 33-year-old cornerback is on the open market and with Seattle’s cornerback room being unproven, there’s been some discussion that Sherman could return to the Seahawks. Heaps doesn’t see that happening.

“Richard Sherman isn’t somebody I anticipate them signing,” he said. “I don’t think they would sign Richard Sherman unless they absolutely had to.”

Heaps made it clear that his thoughts weren’t a “slight” on Sherman, but that it would take a very particular set of circumstances for Sherman to come back to Seattle this offseason.

“I just view it very much in the same way as the Marshawn Lynch situation,” Heaps said, referring to when “Beast Mode” returned to the Seahawks late in 2019. “When (Lynch) came back the second time, this team was in desperate need of a running back and they went back to the well of not only a fan move, but someone that could maybe provide a spark. I think Richard Sherman fits in that category.”

WR Golden Tate

Wright and Sherman aren’t the only members of Seattle’s Super Bowl winning team of 2013 who are currently free agents. One key member of that team who is currently on the open market is wide receiver Golden Tate, who left the Seahawks in free agency after that Super Bowl.

The Seahawks boast a top receiver duo in DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, but the No. 3 spot is unclear. The two top contenders for that role are 2021 second-round pick D’Wayne Eskridge and 2020 sixth-round pick Freddie Swain.

Those two are young and unproven, while Tate is a relatively known commodity. Is there a chance he comes to Seattle this year?

“I don’t believe he brings the juice that some people think he might still have out there for some team,” Heaps said. “If he did, this is a proven enough guy at a premier receiver position that somebody would have signed him by now.”

Defensive line additions

An area that Heaps thinks the Seahawks need to address is the defensive line, especially the interior. The two names that he brought up are veterans Geno Atkins and

Says guys he sees the Hawks signing are defensive tackles Geno Atkins and Jurrell Casey.

“That is an area I really, really truly believe is a weak point for this group,” Heaps said. “You look at that defensive tackle position and it’s something they have to solidify if they’re going to go up against the big bad NFC West where you’ve got teams who can run the football, that have a physical presence about them. It’s important that your front seven is dominant and can weather the storm as well, and I think defensive tackle is (a position) they’re going to keep an eye on along the way.”

Heaps also thinks Seattle could still bolster its defensive end depth and he has two players to keep an eye on, the first being Justin Houston, who has 97.5 career sacks in 10 seasons and at least eight every season since 2017.

“I would love it. Honestly, I would love it,” Heaps said of the Seahawks potentially signing Houston.

Heaps noted that the Seahawks have older players on the edge like Carlos Dunlap (32), Benson Mayowa (30 in August) and Kerry Hyder Jr. (30), so Houston (32) makes sense for Seattle in that regard.

There’s also the ongoing legal situation involving Aldon Smith, who signed with the Seahawks this offseason. Smith, 31, was arrested for an alleged batter in Louisiana earlier this offseason just days after signing with Seattle. Smith has had numerous off-field incidents during his professional career and didn’t play in the NFL from 2016 until the start of 2020 due to suspensions.

Heaps thinks Smith’s murky status should prompt the Seahawks to sign Houston, who has had no off-field issues since entering the league back in 2011.

“Instead you (could) have someone like Justin Houston who consistently over the last couple years … has been producing six-plus sacks year after year,” Heaps said.

The other defensive end Heaps is interested in for the Seahawks is Melvin Ingram, who has spent his entire nine-year career with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers. After being named a Pro Bowler in 2017, 2018 and 2019, Ingram played in only seven games in 2020 due to injury before hitting free agency. Heaps thinks the Seahawks could be better off with Ingram than relying on Smith.

“Unless he has a really bad medical, which very much could be the case as he (missed a lot of time in 2020) due to a knee injury (Seattle should have some interest),” Heaps said. … He has a ton of upside and again, he’s a very good locker room guy. I just don’t understand the infatuation of keeping a guy like Aldon Smith.”

Running back depth

The Seahawks re-signed Chris Carson this offseason and still have 2018 first-round pick Rashaad Penny, 2019 sixth-round pick Travis Homer and 2020 fourth-round pick DeeJay Dallas on the roster, as well as Alex Collins, who returned to Seattle partway through 2020 and re-signed earlier this offseason. So do they need any more running backs?

Penny is the easy choice to be the Seahawks’ No. 2 back behind Carson, who has had his share of injuries during his four-year NFL career, but Penny tore his ACL late in 2019 and barely played in 2020 and underwent a cleanup surgery on that same knee this offseason.

So could Seattle target a veteran running back in free agency, especially after losing Carlos Hyde in free agency to the Jacksonville Jaguars? Rost suggested two big-name players.

“They’ve also had a lot of injuries at running back,” Rost said. “You know who’s still available? Todd Gurley and Le’Veon Bell.”

Gurley was one of the NFL’s dangerous playmakers before knee injuries derailed his career, but he has ties to new Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron from their time with the Los Angeles Rams.

Bell was also a top back in the NFL for years, but he sat out all of 2018 due to a contract dispute and then signed with the New York Jets in 2019 and had little success. He was released by New York in 2020 and signed with the Chiefs, where he had 76 total touches for 353 yards and two touchdowns. But Bell made media waves by dissing Chiefs head coach Andy Reid this offseason, which Heaps said was shocking given Reid’s reputation as one of the better coaches and people in the NFL.

But besides Heaps not being interested in Bell or Gurley for a variety of reasons, he thinks Seattle should roll with its current running back situation.

“You have to find out what you have in Rahsaad Penny,” he said. “You have to let that guy play. And I think that’s something that they’re not going to dip in the waters of in that running back market.”

Listen to the full discussion at this link or in the player below.

Follow Brandon Gustafson on Twitter.

Huard: Why Dunlap — not Adams — needs to lead Seahawks in sacks

Jake and Stacy

Seahawks Drew Lock...

Stacy Rost

Seahawks Practice Snapshot: Good day for QB Drew Lock and offense

Stacy Rost details the latest from Seahawks practice as they're just days away from beginning the preseason against the Steelers on Saturday.

2 years ago

Michael Bumpus Stacy Rost...

SeattleSports.com Staff

New Seattle Sports show: ‘Bump and Stacy’ with Michael Bumpus and Stacy Rost

The next chapter of middays on Seattle Sports begins Monday with the debut of Bump and Stacy, co-hosted by Michael Bumpus and Stacy Rost.

2 years ago

Seahawks Sean Desai...

Brandon Gustafson

What new assistants Desai and Scott revealed about Seahawks’ defense

Jake Heaps breaks down some encouraging comments from new Seahawks defensive assistants Sean Desai and Karl Scott about the defense.

2 years ago

Seahawks Broncos Drew Lock...

Brandon Gustafson

Should Seahawks be OK going into 2022 with Smith or Lock at QB?

Are the Seahawks really comfortable with Geno Smith or Drew Lock as the starter? Jake Heaps thinks that isn't "an ideal situation."

2 years ago

Jake Heaps Stacy Rost...

SeattleSports.com Staff

Seattle Sports’ Jake Heaps announces departure from Jake & Stacy show

After four years with Seattle Sports, Jake Heaps will be leaving the Jake and Stacy show to enter a new chapter in his career.

2 years ago

Seahawks 49ers Jimmy Garoppolo...

Stacy Rost

3 things Seahawks fans should know about potential Jimmy G trade

The possibility of the Seahawks acquiring quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has picked up steam this week. Stacy Rost examines its viability.

2 years ago

Which big-name free agents should the Seahawks target and avoid?