After Sam Darnold signing, Seahawks back to same free-agency approach. And: Comp picks set
The Seahawks followed their uncharacteristic first splash early in free agency with something more familiar.
Nothing.
Day 2 of the NFL’s negotiating (and agreement) period with unrestricted free agents for 2025 produced nothing but frustration for Seattle’s fans and for the Seahawks themselves.
Armed with salary-cap space to spend, they didn’t reach contract agreements with anybody Tuesday.
General manager John Schneider was in on the bidding for 26-year-old guard Will Fries. Seattle reportedly offered him its standard, three-year free-agent contract length. It was believed to be worth over $50 million. It was similar to what Schneider gave defensive end Dre’Mont Jones two years ago, before the former Denver Bronco free agent under-performed his way to the Seahawks cutting him last week.
Fries had competing offers from multiple teams, including the Indianapolis Colts who drafted him and for whom he played his first four pro seasons.
Fries chose the Minnesota Vikings on Tuesday. They need guards as much as the Seahawks do. They out-bid Seattle with a five-year contract. It’s worth $88 million, per his agency, JL Sports.
That’s an average annual value of $17.6 million. The Seahawks could have afforded that. They have an estimated $40 million in salary-cap space to buy the interior offensive linemen they need to protect for new, $100-million quarterback Sam Darnold.
Fries signed the day after his former Colts teammate and center Ryan Kelly also agreed to a free-agent contract with the Vikings.
The top guards available as of Tuesday evening in free agency were Teven Jenkins from the Chicago Bears (who has pass-blocking issues), Kevin Zeitler from the Detroit Lions (who at 34 years old might listen to Seattle’s usual one- or two-year offer) and Mekhi Becton. The former 11th-overall pick by the Jets, Becton revived his career last season moving from tackle to guard with the Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles. He’s only 25 years old.
The Seahawks’ remaining competition in the market includes the Cincinnati Bengals. They also need veteran, starting guards.
Same free-agency approach
The most direct way for the Seahawks to change the offensive line that has been their biggest issue for the last 10 years is to change the process of how they evaluate, sign, draft and develop offensive linemen. Any of the same approach is going to yield the same, porous results.
The Seahawks tried their same ways to sign Fries.
Those failed.
The Seahawks were in with how much they wanted to pay Fries. They lost out to the Vikings on how long they wanted to pay him.
It’s also how they lost out on former All-Pro guard Joe Thuney and All-Pro center Cory Linsley in free agency in March 2021. The Seahawks negotiated with both. Each signed a five-year deal, Thuney with the Chiefs and Linsley with the Chargers.
While he’s given four- and five-year contracts to guys who played for the Seahawks the previous season, Schneider has for the last 13 years signed free agents from other teams to contracts of three or fewer years. Seattle’s only exception was a kicker: Jason Myers in 2019, from the Jets on a four-year deal.
You have go back to 2011 with wide receiver Sidney Rice (five years, $41 million) and tight end Zach Miller (five years, $34 million) to find the last outside free agents from another team (other than the kicker Myers) the Seahawks have signed for more than three years.
Darnold’s contract to replace Smith as the Seahawks’ quarterback is, yes, three years.
Schneider typically buys in the secondary waves of free agency. The result has been a preponderance of one-year contracts with relatively lower cost and low risk, with little to no guaranteed money. That keeps Seattle financially flexible in the present and future against the cap. But it’s proven to not net the top talent this offensive line, in particular, has needed for years.
Fans thought this week would be different because of the unusually large amount of salary-cap space — that is, buying power — Seattle had after trading Geno Smith this past weekend.
The Seahawks have mostly gotten what they’ve paid for.
Or, in the case of Fries, not gotten what they didn’t pay for: more years.
Compensatory picks set
The NFL granted the Seahawks the three compensatory picks in next month’s draft they expected. They are higher picks than many estimated.
Seattle is getting an extra pick at the end of the fourth round, at 137th overall. It also gets two extra picks at the end of the fifth round, at 172 and 175.
Many around the league estimated the team would get one comp pick in each of rounds four, five and six.
The Seahawks have 10 picks in the seven-round draft. Five of those are in the top 92 selections, thanks to the trades of Smith on Friday and Metcalf on Sunday. The Seahawks have the 18th pick in Round 1, the 50th and 52nd choices in Round 2, 82 and 92 later in Round 3, 137 in Round 4, 172 and 175 in Round 5, 185 in Round 6 and 234 in Round 7.
The draft begins with the first round April 24.
The league awards compensatory picks at the end of Rounds 3 through 7 based on a formula of net qualifying, unrestricted free agents lost and signed in free agency from the previous year.
A real Seahawks fullback?
Fullback Kyle Juszczyk is expected to join the exodus of 49ers leaving the Seahawks’ division rival. San Francisco reportedly is going to release the 33-year-old Wednesday when the league year begins and transactions become official.
Seattle coach Mike Macdonald has made it clear in words and actions he wants more physicality in his offense. New Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak has said he is going to use a true fullback in his new Seattle system in 2025.
Expect the Seahawks to inquire about Juszczyk.
The 49ers are also going to cut defensive end Leonard Floyd, per multiple reports Tuesday. Floyd then agreed to sign with the Atlanta Falcons for one year and $10 million.
San Francisco has lost 11 of their 22 starters from the Super Bowl two seasons ago.
Elsewhere in free agency...
▪ Laken Tomlinson, ineffective at age 32 in his only Seattle season in 2024, agreed to a one-year, $4.25 million contract with the Houston Texans.
▪ Days after the Seahawks released Roy Robertson-Harris, the 31-year-old defensive tackle agreed to sign with the New York Giants. It’s reportedly a two-year deal for $10 million.
This story was originally published March 11, 2025 at 6:00 PM.
