The Seattle Seahawks have 14 unrestricted free agents this season, not to mention a handful of restricted free agents and cut candidates that could give them a very different looking team in 2019.
Many of their free agents are defensive backs, a position group that already looks considerably different now that the Legion of Boom era has officially come to a close – following the unlikely return of free safety Earl Thomas.
Justin Coleman and Neiko Thorpe are both unrestricted free agents, giving Seattle no one who plays the nickel back position on their current roster. We discussed Coleman’s free agency profile, and now we will take a look at Thorpe.
Thorpe spent the last three seasons in Seattle, primarily as a special teams player. He played in 41 games, racking up 19 combined tackles, three fumble recoveries and two passes defended.
While the numbers aren’t elite, Thorpe’s presence on the special teams has been critical for the Seahawks, especially coming off a lackluster season on the punt and kick coverage teams.
Additionally, he has shown the ability to play either corner position, and nickelback.
Still, Seattle has a bit of a budget crunch this offseason, particularly if they plan to extend Frank Clark, Russell Wilson and Jarran Reed in the next two seasons. Bringing back a player like Thorpe is more of a luxury than a need, and if they decide to keep Akeem King (who will likely cost much less) he could fill a similar role.
Thorpe is a fan-favorite, but his skill-set, while important, isn’t an exact need for Seattle at this time. Should they re-sign him or let him find another opportunity in free agency?
