One, printable word for how fans feel with Seahawks’ no start to free agency: frustrated
Russell Wilson thought he was frustrated a month ago ...
The beginning of a most unusual NFL free-agency market was, well, fascinating.
To many Seahawks fans, “frustrated” and “fascinating” are the about the only printable descriptions to use about a Monday that tested their faith — and their restraint.
The league’s salary cap has dropped this year for only the second time since it began in 1994, from $198.2 million in 2020 to $182.5 million per team for 2021. Teams have the choice to buy into this depressed market that inevitably will rise next year, or proceed cautiously now with less cash overall to spend on their entire rosters.
Monday, the start of free agency, the Seahawks didn’t proceed cautiously with their $17.1 million in cap space.
They didn’t proceed at all.
Coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider did what they’ve always done since taking over the team in 2010. They stayed still while other teams struck the first and richest deals.
Later Monday, Seattle lost its first free agent of 2021. Wide receiver Phillip Dorsett agreed to sign with the Jacksonville Jaguars — without ever playing in a game for the Seahawks. He missed all of 2020, his only season with Seattle, with a foot injury then surgery in November. Seattle had talked to Dorsett about re-signing with the team and believed there likely wouldn’t be much of a competitive market for him.
Then Carlos Hyde, the team’s No. 2 running back behind Chris Carson last season, reportedly agreed to sign with the Jaguars, too.
The Seahawks have had better Mondays.
The New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers did the opposite of the Seahawks. They bought in the down market. Hugely.
The Patriots, Chiefs and Chargers, most prominently, have decided to invest in the most expensive free agents now ahead of player-contract values soaring over the next few years. The league is about to strike new television and streaming-rights deals with networks. Those new TV and streaming deals are expected to be finalized this offseason at prices 80-90% richer than the NFL’s current broadcast contracts.
Those deals are expected to prompt a larger-than-usual spike in the salary cap beyond simple post-pandemic market correction for 2022 and ‘23. With that should come a corresponding surge in the values of free-agent contracts.
The NFL’s so-called “legal tampering period” that allows unrestricted free agents to begin negotiating with other teams started at 10 a.m. Monday. By early afternoon, the best and most expensive center and left guard were already off the market.
Center and left guard are the most pressing issues for the Seahawks — and for Wilson, their franchise quarterback.
“I’m frustrated with getting hit too much,” the NFL’s most-sacked QB the last nine years said famously last month.
Wilson’s likely further frustrated seeing Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert get the best free-agent interior offensive linemen available.
Seattle, meanwhile, will be sifting through the secondary, bargain tiers of veterans at positions of need. Again.
It’s the way the Seahawks do business. Even with urgent needs, and with all eyes — including Wilson’s — on the team to fill them.
The biggest blows came in succession early Monday afternoon.
Green Bay Packers All-Pro center Corey Linsley agreed to a $62.5 million, five-year contract with the Los Angeles Chargers, NFL Network reported Monday. The deal makes Linsley, 29, the league’s highest-paid center at $12.5 million per season. He gets $26 million in the first two years to snap and protect Herbert, the Chargers’ 2020 rookie wonder at quarterback.
The Seahawks’ starting center last season was Ethan Pocic. The team’s former second-round draft choice initially failed as a backup tackle and guard. Pocic’s contract expired with the 2020 season. He is a free agent.
The Seahawks are bringing back Kyle Fuller, a backup center last season, as an exclusive-rights free agent, ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson reported. The 27-year-old Fuller has started three games in his NFL career. It began in 2017 with Houston. He also played for Washington in 2018. He made his first and only start for Seattle in November 2020 at center against the Los Angeles Rams, when Pocic was sidelined by a concussion.
Just before the Linsley news broke, Joe Thuney, reputed to be the best free agent at left guard, agreed to leave the New England Patriots to sign a five-year deal with the AFC-champion Kansas City Chiefs, his agent said. That deal is reportedly worth $80 million for five years — also the highest-paid player at his position in the league.
Thuney will protect Mahomes on Kansas City’s remade offensive line. Thuney allowed two sacks in 2020, one in 2019 and none in ‘18, according to Pro Football Focus. He went an entire season in 2019 without being penalized, a rarity for offensive linemen.
The Seahawks’ left guard the last two seasons was Mike Iupati. The 33-year-old veteran had nerve issues in his neck late in 2019 and again in ‘20. He said last month he is retiring.
Jordan Simmons has played well for years as a fill-in starter at guard for Seattle. But the Seahawks have decided not to tender Simmons a one-year contract as a restricted free agent, Henderson reported. That makes Simmons an unrestricted free agent, able to sign with any team, including Seattle at the team’s cost instead of a restricted tender one.
The Patriots finally missed the playoffs in January in their first season after 20 with quarterback Tom Brady. They spent $146 million on four free agents in the market’s first hours Monday. New England signed: pass rusher Matt Judon ($56 million for four years); tight end Jonnu Smith ($50 million for four years); strong safety Jalen Mills ($24 million for four years); and defensive tackle Davon Godchaux ($16 million, two years).
Shaquill Griffin, the Seahawks’ Pro Bowl cornerback in 2019, and Chris Carson, Seattle’s leading rusher, remained available in free agency into Monday evening.
Griffin could get more than $10 million per year from another team at a position of premium importance in the pass-a-rama league.
Carson is the top free-agent running back available. He’s likely to command at least $8 million, which is also likely too expensive for the Seahawks to afford.
Carlos Hyde, four years older than Carson, is more likely to re-sign with the team as a free agent. He gained 351 yards as Carson’s backup last season when his base salary was the league’s minimum for veterans.
This story was originally published March 15, 2021 at 3:33 PM.
