At the moment, it seems likely the Seattle Seahawks will end up losing the bulk of their soon-to-be unrestricted free agents.
ESPN senior NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler reiterated that point Wednesday, telling Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk that he expects most of the Seahawks’ six top pending free agents will be too expensive to retain.
ESPN’s Fowler: Seahawks likely to lose ‘a bunch’ of their FA class
Super Bowl MVP running back Kenneth Walker III is expected to earn a contract worth somewhere between $12-16 million per year in free agency, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.
Wide receiver/return specialist Rashid Shaheed could earn up to $18 million per year, according to a report from ESPN’s Brady Henderson on Wednesday.
The Athletic also projects edge rusher Boye Mafe’s open-market value at $18.25 million per year and cornerback Riq Woolen’s value at $19 million per year.
That would leave safety Coby Bryant and cornerback Josh Jobe as the most likely to re-sign out of Seattle’s top six pending free agents. According to The Athletic, they’re both projected at a more palatable $10 million per year.
The idea that the Seahawks could lose at least four starting-caliber players from their 2025 Super Bowl-winning team is undoubtedly causing some angst among fans across the Pacific Northwest.
But James Palmer, co-host of The Athletic’s “Scoop City” podcast, offered some more big-picture perspective Thursday on Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy. Palmer pointed to Seahawks general manager John Schneider’s long track record of success, which includes a spectacular run of decision-making over the past four years.
“I think John is arguably the best general manager in football,” Palmer said. “I’d put him right up there. … And I think the way the way he goes about it is what sets him apart. He’s so forward-thinking. He doesn’t like to look back. He doesn’t like to hang on to things too long. He’s done it with coaches. He’s done it with coordinators. He’s done it with star players. He’s done it with a quarterback that was a perennial MVP (candidate).
“He always is looking to make sure that he stays a step ahead, because he does believe teams in this league that try to hang on to the group too long oftentimes find themselves in financial issues, and oftentimes find themselves getting older at key positions quicker than they should.”
The Seahawks are in a healthy salary cap situation, currently sitting with the sixth-most salary cap space in the NFL at approximately $58.1 million, according to Over the Cap. However, a significant chunk of that is expected to go toward long-term contract extensions for star 2023 first-round draft picks Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Devon Witherspoon.
“John’s always very measured in terms of building a team through the draft and then rewarding the players that he drafted,” Palmer said. “He has two monster contract extensions on the horizon with JSN and Witherspoon, so they do have other things they need to figure out.
“But if you look at as talented as they are and how he’s been able to operate, they’re still not in a bad cap situation. … John’s being very diligent in how he’s operating with this, and I think that’s keeping you a step ahead.”
Seattle Seahawks offseason coverage
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• Report: Seattle Seahawks’ Rashid Shaheed to test free agent market
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