The Seattle Seahawks are adding to the edges of their depleted defense with athleticism — and with bets on pass-rusher promises finally being fulfilled.
Seattle, on Wednesday’s first official day of free agency, agreed to a two-year contract with Barkevious Mingo, the former sixth-overall draft choice in 2013 who played last season for Indianapolis. The Seahawks also tendered a 2018 contract offer to restricted free agent Dion Jordan, the third-overall pick in that same draft, as expected given their dearth of pass-rushers.
Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reported the Seahawks are giving Mingo the chance to earn from $6.8 million to more than $10 million over the next two seasons in an incentive-filled deal. It includes a guaranteed $1 million in base pay this year.
Mingo had five sacks in his rookie season with Cleveland. He has just four total in the past four seasons combined, for the Browns, Patriots (2016) and Colts (2017).
He is seven months younger than Jordan. The Seahawks signed Jordan last spring after the Miami Dolphins gave up on their former star of the draft five years ago after a $20.5 million, four-year contract. A knee surgery delayed his Seattle debut and first NFL games in three years until November. Jordan played in five games last season for the Seahawks — and acknowledged Seattle is his last chance in the league after suspensions and injuries.
The NFL’s official list of free agents for the start of the league year showed a first-round designation under Seattle’s tender offer to Jordan. Because he is a former first-round pick, the Seahawks got a break in being able to give him an original-round tender at the lowest level at the lowest cost of $1.907 million with a first-round designation because that was in fact his original round drafted.
Any team that may want to make Jordan a contract offer would have to give the Seahawks a first-round draft pick as compensation for signing him if Seattle decided not to match. The Seahawks get the bigger bang for a lower buck with Jordan.
Keeping Jordan via a tender was almost assured. Adding Mingo fits coach Pete Carroll’s love to stockpile pass-rushers — and projects. After last week’s trade of Pro Bowl end Michael Bennett and the uncertainty whether fellow Pro Bowl end Cliff Avril will ever play again because of a neck inury, Fank Clark was the only other proven pass-rusher on the roster before Wednesday.
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