Seahawks make offer to keep restricted free agent David Moore a target for Russell Wilson
While the Seahawks wonder (in their backs of their minds, anyway) if the NFL will reinstate Josh Gordon from his latest indefinite suspension, they have taken a step to retain another downfield receiver to team with Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf.
Seattle tendered an offer to restricted free agent David Moore Monday. It’s an original-round tender. That means Moore is guaranteed a salary of $2,144,000 for 2020.
If another team gives Moore an offer, the Seahawks will have the right to match it to keep him. If they choose not to, Seattle would get a seventh-round pick if Moore were to sign elsewhere.
The news was first reported by Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic.
It’s far from the big receiver news in the NFC West on Monday. The Cardinals were the recipient of the Houston Texans’ giveaway: three-time All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to Arizona, for aging running back David Johnson and a second-round draft choice.
Yes, the same Texans who traded three-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney to the Seahawks for next to nothing Sept. 1.
As for Moore, teams can elect to use first-round, second-round or original-round tenders on their restricted free agents each offeason. The higher round designation, the higher the guaranteed salary offer to the player in that year.
The Seahawks drafted Moore in the seventh round from small East Central University in Oklahoma, in 2017. He emerged in November 2018 with four touchdowns in three games as a bigger target outside Russell Wilson was trusting.
He has only three touchdowns in 26 games since then. He had 17 catches for big yards, 17.7 yards per reception, last season.
At 6 feet but a sturdy 215 pounds, Moore tends toward coach Pete Carroll’s stated goal last offseason to get bigger at wide receiver, after now-retired Doug Baldwin and Lockett had starred for years with Seattle. The team drafting the hulking Metcalf (6-4, 229 pounds) certainly addressed that goal.
The Seahawks have five wide receivers under contract for 2020: Lockett, Metcalf, 2019 rookie John Ursua, plus 2019 practice-squad players Penny Hart and Cody Thompson. Moore will likely make six.
Seattle is talking to free agent Phillip Dorsett about possibly adding the about-to-be-former New England Patriot, according to ESPN’s Josina Anderson.
The Seahawks’ contract for 30-year-old veteran Jaron Brown has ended. He’s likely to leave after free agency begins Wednesday. The former Arizona Cardinal had just 30 catches in the two seasons the Seahawks paid him $5.5 million.
