Getty Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll.
The Seattle Seahawks are headed into an intriguing offseason with more than $50 million in projected cap space for 2023, per Spotrac. The Athletic’s Bo Wolf outlined the top potential free-agent targets for each NFL team and labeled Rams defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson as a great fit for Seattle.
“Their Achilles’ heel all season has been a 26th-ranked run defense (by DVOA), which has surrendered season highs to a litany of players,” Wolf wrote on December 13, 2022. “That’s where Robinson comes in, as one of the league’s best individual run stoppers. No defensive lineman in the league has played more snaps against the run than Robinson (172) with as high a rate of run tackles (22.1 percent), per TruMedia.”
Robinson is set to hit free agency this offseason after playing on a two-year, $17 million contract with the Rams. The Seahawks are in desperate need of a boost for their rushing defense with the unit giving up 161 yards per game, the second most in the NFL.
Robinson Is Projected to Land a $24 Million New Contract
The key to defeating the Shanahan led 49ers starts with shutting down their rushing attack. In the NFC championship victory, the Rams held San Francisco to only 50 rushing yards on 20 attempts. Greg Gaines and A’Shawn Robinson played at a high level, winning the trenches
Spotrac projects Robinson will land a three-year, $24 million contract, something Seattle would be able to afford within their available cap space. Robinson notched 67 tackles, two sacks and two forced fumbles in his 17 regular-season appearances during the Rams’ Super Bowl run in 2021.
Seattle’s decision on Geno Smith’s future could dictate how the rest of the offseason plays out. The Seahawks could sign Smith to a lucrative long-term contract but structure his new deal in a way that allows the team to be aggressive in free agency.
Smith Could Sign a Similar Deal to Tannehill’s $118 Million Contract, Says Insider
“To be honest…people didn’t really think I was good or anything like that. They probably thought I wasn’t good.”
Geno Smith discussed his perception before the season and what his perception is now.
Full interview airs tonight at 7et @nflonprime
Seattle is headed into a bit of uncharted territory during the Pete Carroll-John Schneider era with the first full offseason without Russell Wilson at quarterback since 2011. The Seahawks also have money to spend in free agency as well, but Seattle has been notoriously frugal during this period under Schneider.
Instead, Seattle has been more aggressive re-signing their own free agents as well as trading for other stars. It will be interesting to see if the Seahawks deviate from this path in 2023. As for Smith, The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar views Ryan Tannehill’s $118 million contract he signed with the Titans in 2020 as a notable comparison to what the Seahawks quarterback may command.
“The 2023 franchise tag, estimated to be north of $32 million, might provide a baseline for negotiations with Smith,” Dugar noted on December 23. “A relevant contract structure might be the four-year, $118 million deal Ryan Tannehill signed with the Titans in 2020 after winning NFL Comeback Player of the Year, an award Smith is the odds-on favorite to take home this year. If negotiations stall, Smith could be tagged and play next season on a substantial one-year pay raise.”
The question is whether Smith’s massive raise will come with the Seahawks, or if Seattle will opt to let the veteran walk in free agency. A reasonable solution would be for the Seahawks to use the franchise tag on Smith which is slated to eclipse $32 million, but would give Seattle another full season to make a more permanent decision on the quarterback’s future. Regardless of who Seattle has under center in 2023, the Seahawks will need to upgrade the defense to have a chance at contending in the NFC West.