The Seattle Seahawks are expected to address their pass rush this offseason. Whether they turn to the draft, where studs like Montez Sweat, Brian Burns and Jachai Polite await them, or the remaining free agent pool, which could net them Ziggy Ansah or a reunion with Dion Jordan, Seattle will likely have some fresh blood rushing the QB next season.
However, coach Pete Carroll certainly seems excited about some of the options Seattle has on hand – most notably Jacob Martin.
Speaking to John Clayton on 710 ESPN Seattle, Carroll had very high praise for Martin’s performance last season, saying he had a “really impressive year” despite his limited snap count.
“He was active, his pressures were up there percentage-wise – three sacks in 200 snaps or something like that – (and) he’s going to be a factor for us again,” Carroll continued. “We need to develop him physically and maintain his girth, he lost 20 pounds over the season, and so that affected him some near the end. But he’s still an attractive guy because of his motor and his quickness.”
Martin not only recorded three sacks, but he also forced two fumbles, recovering one, while recording eight quarterback hits. It’s no surprise that Carroll wants to see the versatile edge rusher, who was a sixth-round pick last year, in a bigger role next season.
“We’re just looking for activity and problem-makers,” Carroll went on. “Usually you can look to that pressure percentage; how many times when they rush do they affect the quarterback. That’s where Jacob Martin, if you look back at his numbers, he was way up there.”
Martin had the 19th-highest pass rush percentage among edge rushers last season, and it sounds like Carroll wants to see him in an even bigger, more disruptive role next season.
