Here’s the second part of my seven-part series looking at where the Seahawks stand heading into the offseason, position by position. Salary numbers for 2016 are courtesy of OverTheCap.com. Players signed to futures contracts are not included. Unrestricted free agents can sign with any team. Restricted free agents can either have offers matched by Seattle, or the Seahawks receive compensation. Exclusive rights free agents are under team control unless not offered a contract.
WIDE RECEIVER
Under contract
Doug Baldwin ($5,600,000)
Paul Richardson ($1,285, 319)
Tyler Lockett ($776,688)
Kevin Smith ($525,000)
Kasen Williams ($450,000)
Unrestricted free agent
Jermaine Kearse
Restricted free agent
Ricardo Lockette
The skinny: The Seahawks, long considered to be deficient at receiver, are actually in pretty good shape. Baldwin emerged as a legitimate No. 1 option this season, while Lockett had a rookie season that marks him as a future star. Adding a healthy Richardson to the mix — which is no guarantee, as he has a history of injuries — could make for an explosive trio.
Baldwin is entering the final season of his contract, so he’ll likely be looking to renegotiate and will be in line for a substantial raise. This will strain the salary cap.
What happens with Kearse? The Seahawks could really use him back as a trio of Baldwin, Lockett and Richardson would be tiny, while Kearse offers a somewhat bigger target. It will be interesting to see what Kearse demands on the open market. He’s been very valuable for Seattle, but has he done enough (49 catches for 685 yards and five touchdowns this season) to convince another team he’s worth a big-money contract? Hard to say. And if anyone is going to give the Seahawks a hometown discount, you’d think it would be the local kid (though his agent has said there will be no discount).
Lockette is an unknown, as it’s still not known whether he’ll be able to come back from his neck injury.
If the Seahawks are able to re-sign Kearse, receiver should not be a priority either in free agency or the draft.
TIGHT END
Under contract
Jimmy Graham ($9,000,000)
Luke Willson ($719,633)
Unrestricted free agents
Chase Coffman
Anthony McCoy
Exclusive rights free agent
Cooper Helfet
The skinny: Graham should be back from his season-ending knee injury, so that would add another weapon to Seattle’s offensive arsenal next season. On the other hand, Graham is due a lot of money next season, and none of it is guaranteed. Seattle’s offense didn’t suffer one bit in Graham’s absence, so cutting Graham loose would free up all $9 million under the cap. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll has talked about how excited he is to get Graham back, so I doubt Seattle would release Graham. But it’s at least worth pointing out.
Willson has shown his value to the team, either as a starter or as the No. 2. He has a cap-friendly number, too, but as he’s entering the final season of his contract he’s probably looking for an upgrade. There’s no guarantee the team will keep any of the other three.
As long as Graham is around tight end will not be a priority acquisition. But neither Graham nor Willson is known for his blocking, so a blocking specialist could be a useful addition.
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