Seahawks cutting 2021 lead sack man Carlos Dunlap. Kerry Hyder could be next. Here’s why
The Seahawks need more pass rush like Seattle needs sun right now.
So they just cut Carlos Dunlap, the team’s sack leader last season, the veteran who revitalized the pass rush the year before that?
What in the name of Jacob Green are the Seahawks doing on their defensive line?
Remaking it.
Coach Pete Carroll and defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt further emphasized their change from Seattle’s old, 4-3 defensive schemes to faster, versatile 3-4 schemes in 2022 by releasing two-time Pro Bowl end Carlos Dunlap Friday.
The exit of Dunlap three weeks after his 33rd birthday will save the Seahawks $5.6 million against their 2022 salary cap. The move was first reported by ESPN Friday.
The Seahawks traded with Cincinnati to get Dunlap in the middle of the 2020 season. He had two sacks to end Seattle wins upon his arrival, and his new team won the NFC West.
Last season, coaches mothballed Dunlap in November into December. He played 17, four and seven snaps in consecutive games against Arizona, Washington and San Francisco. He got increasing playing time while collecting seven of his 8 1/2 sacks last season over the final four games.
He ended up playing a career-low 38% of snaps in 2021.
He joked in January he’d never felt so fresh at the end of a season.
“I feel great, you know. You guys are aware of my snap count the last few games,” Dunlap, wryly.
“So I feel great.”
Dunlap leaves the team two days after Seattle signed former Los Angeles Chargers rush linebacker Uchenna Nwosu two $20 million, two-year contract. The 25-year-old Nwosu had 9 1/2 sacks the last two seasons charging off the edge in the Chargers’ 3-4 system.
The Seahawks intend to feature in their new 3-4, outside-linebacker pass rush Nwosu with Darrell Taylor, the outside linebacker they tried some at rush end in the 4-3 last year. Taylor had 6 1/2 sacks in his first full NFL season after he missed his rookie year with Seattle following leg surgery in 2020.
Alton Robinson is another defensive end the Seahawks think will fit well in a faster, more versatile system.
“Just the continuity of it is going to fit really well with outside backers that play defensive ends. And so, that’s how you go from 3-4 to 4-3 (and vice versa),” Carroll said this month at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis.
“We need to advance ourselves in developing our edge talent. Darrell Taylor is one of the young guys on the defensive side. Couldn’t be more in line with what we’re looking for.”
The change means Kerry Hyder may be following Carlos Dunlap out of Seattle. Hyder is a 4-3 end. The Seahawks signed him after he had 8 1/2 sacks for San Francisco in 2020. He had 1 1/2 for Seattle last season.
Releasing Hyder, who turns 31 in May and would be entering the last year of his Seahawks contract, would save the team another $1.7 million against the cap.
Carroll said two weeks ago at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis changing and fixing the pass rush was his top priority for the Seahawks in 2022.
Last season the sporadic, ineffective pass rush was a large reason the defense produced just 18 turnovers in 17 games. That was the fewest over a full season in Seahawks history.
“We need more pressure, yeah. We need the pressure on the passer,” Carroll said at the combine this month.
“There’s not enough things happening to the passer....need to be more aggressive. And so Clint is bringing an aggressive step forward in how we transition right now. ...
“Really, everything we do is designed in rushing the passer because it all happens right there. And so, everything we can do to make advancements is what’s at hand.”
This story was originally published March 18, 2022 at 1:37 PM.
