Before the Seattle Seahawks can truly assess how strong their chances of repeating as Super Bowl champions are, they will need to do some important housekeeping in the coming days and weeks.
A number of their key contributors will be free agents, including running back and Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker III, safety Coby Bryant and cornerback Riq Woolen. Defense is what made the Seahawks world champions, and losing even one of their studs on defense could seriously suppress their chances of earning another Vince Lombardi Trophy.
If Woolen moves on, he could end up joining one of Seattle’s biggest NFC West rivals in the San Francisco 49ers, per Matt Barrows and Vic Tafur of The Athletic.
“If Riq Woolen doesn't re-sign with the Seahawks, several NFL executives and coaches think the 49ers will have interest in the 6-foot-4 cornerback. Woolen had some ups and downs winning a ring in Seattle but was pretty consistent locking down receivers, has speed and is only 27. He wouldn't be cheap - The Athletic had him No. 26 in our free-agent rankings with a price tag of four years and $76 million - but would be an improvement over Renardo Green.”
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When the 49ers have been successful during head coach Kyle Shanahan’s tenure, they have not only been healthy, but they have won with defense, not unlike the Seahawks. This past season, despite a slew of injuries to key players, especially on the defensive side of the football, they went 12-5 and won a number of games by getting big defensive stops in crunch time.
But their secondary could use a bona fide stud, and Woolen could fit the bill.
Woolen, a fifth-round draft pick in 2022, made the Pro Bowl as a rookie while leading the NFL with six interceptions and registering 16 passes defended. He has had at least 11 passes defended, one interception and 41 total tackles in each of his four seasons in the league.
This past season, he lost his starting job by midseason, but he still posted 12 passes defended during the regular season and four passes defended in three postseason games. At age 26 (he will turn 27 in May), he could be a member of the Niners’ core for years to come.
The $76 million price tag over four years that The Athletic projected for Woolen could be a bit too much for San Francisco, even though it is projected to have nearly $40 million in salary cap space. The team may want to save its money for someone who can upgrade its pass-rush attack or perhaps give them a legitimate pass-catching threat. But if it believes Woolen is one of its missing pieces as far as getting its sixth Super Bowl championship, perhaps owner and CEO Jed York will open up the vault for him.
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