Wyman: 4 free-agent linebackers the Seahawks should consider signing

The Seattle Seahawks have plenty to address this offseason, most importantly who the team’s head coach will be. And one key position group on defense is certainly going to be a focus for the team’s front office.

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Bobby Wagner returned to the Seahawks and made his ninth Pro Bowl and Jordyn Brooks played in 16 games and had another solid season. But those two linebackers are pending free agents, as is backup Devon Bush.

So who are some outside names we should know and who the Seahawks should take a look at once free agency kicks off March 13? Who better to break it down than Seattle Sports’ resident linebacker Dave Wyman, who shared four pending free-agent linebackers he’s keeping a close eye on.

“I’m looking at some of the linebackers (out there), and this would mean you’re not going to bring back Jordyn Brooks, but Patrick Queen has some pretty amazing numbers with the Ravens,” Wyman said during Tuesday’s Wyman and Bob.

Brooks and Queen were both first-round picks in the 2020 NFL Draft with Brooks going 27th overall to Seattle and Queen getting selected a pick later by Baltimore. Neither linebacker received a fifth-year option by their respective team, and thus both are set to hit free agency barring a late extension or a franchise tag.

Queen has not missed a game in his career and in 2023 he had a career-high 133 tackles with 3.5 sacks, an interception, nine tackles for loss and six quarterback hits. Queen was a Pro Bowler and second-team All-Pro this season.

Queen is also worth keeping an eye on as his defensive coordinator, Mike Macdonald, is a candidate for the Seahawks’ head coach opening.

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Wyman also likes a pair of free-agent linebackers who are currently teammates.

“Lavonte David, who I’ve talked about for a long time, although I think it’s gonna be really hard to get him out of Tampa Bay,” Wyman said.

David has spent his entire 12-year career with the Buccaneers and is a three-time All-Pro.

“He’s just been down there, he’s just a career Tampa Bay guy, and he’s taken I think less money to stay there, so I don’t think he’ll get there,” Wyman said.

David’s linebacker partner, Devin White, is also someone Wyman has been a fan of, but White saw his playing time decrease, including in the playoffs.

“I love Devin White, who kind of fell out of favor this year,” Wyman said. “K.J. Britt, he was starting more than Devin White. He was out there with Lavonte David.”

White is a one-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro who was the fifth overall pick in 2019. He had 83 tackles – a career-low – in 2023 as well as 2.5 sacks and two interceptions.

Wyman also likes another NFC South linebacker, and it’s a player some Seahawks fans may know as he played collegiately at WSU.

“There’s a guy named Frankie Luvu, an old Coug that just brings it. Carolina linebacker,” Wyman said. “I love this guy. If you want to go to like a real hitting-type of defense where we’re just going to punish guards, I love him.”

Luvu, an undrafted free agent in 2018, has had back-to-back 100-tackle seasons. He has 12.5 sacks over his last two seasons, as well as an interception and 20 quarterback hits.

“There’s a lot of really good linebackers,” Wyman added. “And since you can’t use up your entire draft (on one spot) – you’ve got to get a couple of linebackers in the draft – I would love to see the Seahawks sign a couple of these guys that I just mentioned.”

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