The Seahawks are in the midst of interviewing candidates for their open head coach position for a reason. The shock of Pete Carroll’s removal may not have fully set in for many fans, but the hard truth is that Carroll’s team underperformed this season given the level of talent they had – and Carroll’s defenses had been below average far longer than that.
A coach who occasionally zigged where Carroll would have zagged could have won this team 2-3 more games this year and made the playoffs. That’s why Carroll is now an “advisor” for the team and someone else will be replacing him soon.
To put it another way, the players weren’t the problem.
The team’s salary cap situation won’t make it easy, but Seattle should try to retain at least a handful of defensive free agents who could push this team back into the postseason as soon as 2024 with the right leadership. Here are the top four they should re-sign.
1
DE Leonard Williams
Re-signing Leonard Williams is the definition of a no-brainer. The Seahawks gave up second and fifth-round picks to get him in the first place and Williams was the team’s top defensive player down the stretch. Even in return for a high comp pick, it would be foolish to let Williams leave – especially given what we have learned about the value of disruptive interior linemen. Even if they have to cut every guard and safety on the team, they have to find a way to pay 99.
2
LB Bobby Wagner
There are strong arguments to make in favor of letting Bobby Wagner go given his age and the team’s transition to a new head coach. However, given what Wagner is making these days (his cap number was $5.5 million this year) it’s literally impossible to find a better value at middle linebacker. Wagner is still the best tackler and run defender on the team by far and keeping him will make this team more competitive. As far as we’re concerned, Wagner can have this job as long as he wants it.
3
LB Devin Bush
When Jordyn Brooks was sidelined by his ankle injury late in the season Devin Bush stepped up and performed quite well. While Brooks performed admirably, it might make more sense to bring back Bush for that role next season instead. For one thing, Bush is a year younger than Brooks. He will also cost a fraction of what it will to re-sign Brooks.
4
CB Artie Burns
The back end of Seattle’s defense had a lot of problems all season. Artie Burns was not one of them, though. Traditionally a boundary cornerback, Burns put in time in the slot this season and did a splendid job of it. In 14 games for the Seahawks he had his best coverage year yet, allowing no touchdowns and an 89.4 passer rating. Re-signing Burns would mean getting back an exceptional and versatile depth piece at what should be relatively small price-tag for a solid DB.
