Seahawks’ potential free agency departures
Jan 30, 2019, 11:26 PM | Updated: Jan 31, 2019, 10:27 am
Seahawks RB Mike Davis had a career year in 2018. (AP)
(AP)
The Seahawks have 13 players who will become unrestricted free agents this March (here’s a quick look at the full list). Seattle has made clear its intention to keep the biggest name on that list, defensive end Frank Clark, with the team for at least one more year.
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Which of the remaining Seahawks free agents are most at risk of leaving to take a contract elsewhere?
FS Earl Thomas
This one is obvious, since Thomas and the team entered into a months-long contract dispute last year. The bigger question here may be whether or not there’s any way Seattle is able to keep Thomas in 2019. (Danny, Dave and Moore explored that very question here.)
RB Mike Davis
The Seahawks were the only team in the league to see three separate players rush for 100 or more yards in a single regular season game, which is a big reason why Mike Davis could be the first casualty of Seattle’s worst-to-first rushing transformation.
The 25-year-old running back saw the best numbers of his career in 2018, when he finished with 728 all-purpose yards and six touchdowns. He recorded the second-most rushing yards behind Chris Carson, and was Wilson’s fifth-most targeted receiver (his 42 targets were the most among all running backs and just one fewer than tight end Nick Vannett). His 4.6 yards per carry were also second to only Carson (4.7).
The Seahawks still have a trio of running backs — Carson, Rashaad Penny, and C.J. Prosise — remaining on rookie deals through at least 2019, which makes Davis’ potential departure a bit more likely. But a healthy rotation is part of what made Seattle’s running game so effective, and outside of Carson, Davis was one of Seattle’s most consistent producers. It’s a role made all the more important by Seattle’s renewed emphasis on the run under offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer.
CB Justin Coleman
Coleman has proven himself to be a reliable veteran, and like Davis, his two most successful seasons have been with the Seahawks. Coleman’s 10 passes defensed and 55 tackles in 2018 were career highs. His three career interceptions, two touchdowns, and two sacks have all come in the past two years. A versatile player who will be just 26 by the start of the regular season, Coleman could tempt offers from other clubs — but as a nickel corner who can contribute on special teams, he may prove too valuable an asset for the Seahawks to give up.
Other potential free agent departures include linebacker K.J. Wright (explored in-depth here) and kicker Sebastian Janikowski.
Check 710Sports.com throughout this Seahawks offseason as Stacy Rost looks at one of the 10 biggest questions facing Seattle in 2019.
Previously in the series:
• Will the Seahawks move forward with — or without — K.J. Wright?
• How much would it cost the Seahawks to keep Frank Clark — and will they use the franchise tag?
• Is there any way Earl Thomas returns to Seattle in 2019?
