In Pro Bowl tight end Greg Olsen, Seahawks get a playmaker — on terms they like
While they wait for Will Dissly, the Seahawks are adding a proven tight end.
On their kind of deal.
The Seahawks have agreed to a one-year contract with three-time Pro Bowl tight end Greg Olsen worth up to $7 million, continuing its trend of past offseasons of adding veterans on short-term, cost-effective deals to fill immediate needs.
The Seahawks confirmed the agreement Tuesday afternoon. It comes one week after Olsen made Seattle one of his three free-agent visits.
The rebuilding Panthers announced a three weeks ago they were parting with Olsen after his nine seasons in Carolina.
Russell Wilson wants playmakers
Quarterback Russell Wilson said last month he wants play-makers for his Seahawks offense. Olsen has been one of those in his career. He had 718 receptions with 59 touchdowns for Carolina.
Wilson was all for this deal. At least that’s what he indicated on his social-media account following Tuesday’s news.
He turns 35 next month. He is broadcasting XFL games this offseason. That’s why he fits the Seahawks’ style of signing veteran free agents to one-year deals with incentives and no future costs beyond this year.
The Seahawks have cap space to spend in free agency this offseason. But their top priority is to re-sign top pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney, and that’s going to cost potentially $20 million per year.
Olsen also talked to Buffalo and Washington. He chose the Seahawks over his former coach in Carolina; Ron Rivera is now Washington’s head man.
Seattle believes it has a special tight end in Dissly. But the former University of Washington defensive lineman will be returning from his second season-ending injury in as many years in the league. Dissly ruptured his Achilles tendon in mid-October during the Seahawks’ win at Cleveland.
The team isn’t certain Dissly will be ready for the start of training camp in late July.
“He’s killing it. He’s killing the rehab. Will is doing great,” coach Pete Carroll said three weeks ago. “He’s spending some time down in L.A. to get right, and he’s really fired up about the people that he’s working with and the progress he’s making.
“He’s been around a lot. He’ll get it done. Will will get it done. There’s no question he will.
“But, it’s a long process. It’s going to be some tough work for him.”
Other tight end options
The Seahawks are likely to release tight end Ed Dickson this offseason to save $3.25 million in space against their 2020 salary cap. The 32-year-old Dickson has been hurt in both seasons since Seattle signed him from Carolina to a three-year, $10.7 million deal to replace departed Jimmy Graham as the No. 1 tight end.
Dickson missed all of last season following knee surgery in the summer. He was one of the team’s two players it designated to return from injured reserve.
He did, in November. But after one practice he went back on IR for the remainder of the 2019 season.
Dissly’s and Dickson’s injuries forced Seattle to sign Luke Willson off the street in the middle of this past season and put Jacob Hollister into a far more prominent role than the Seahawks wanted.
Put it this way: Seattle absolutely did not plan for Hollister to come off the practice squad to be the guy to whom Russell Wilson threw on the final offensive play of the NFC West title game.
San Francisco linebacker Dre Greenlaw stopped the light-ish, 240-pound Hollister short of the goal line. The Seahawks fell from the division title and home playoff game to a wild card on the road for the playoffs. And the 49ers rode the conference’s top seed into this month’s Super Bowl.
This story was originally published February 18, 2020 at 3:52 PM.
