Kenneth Walker III, Seattle Seahawks
Getty
(Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
After theSeattle Seahawks decided not to use the franchise tag, the future of Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker III could become clearer in the coming days, as the NFL legal tampering period opens on March 9.
Despite Walker’s playoff and Super Bowl performances, Seattle doesn’t appear willing to overspend on a running back, even though the team has roughly $58 million in salary cap space,per Over the Cap.
On March 8, CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones shared the latest on Walker and whether a potential return to the Seahawks is still on the table, despite the team allowing him to test the open market.
“You look around the league and ask who could want Kenneth Walker III,”Jones said during an appearance on CBS Sports HQ. “It would have been the Denver Broncos, or could the Kansas City Chiefs want to use some of that money there? The Jacksonville Jaguars, could they enter the chat at some point? I know a lot of people talk about the New York Giants. I would be surprised if the Giants got in on Kenneth Walker III at that top-tier price. We’ll just say that for right now.
“So he could land at any one of those spots, or he could go back to Seattle. The Seattle Seahawks rarely use the franchise tag, and for a lot of their guys, they say, ‘Look, go ahead and test out free agency. Let us know what you get. If we can work something out with you once you test the market, then we’ll try to do that.'”
A Return to Seahawks Remains a Possibility
Moreover, Jones notes that it would be in Seattle’s best interest if Walker doesn’t find what he’s looking for in the open market and returns to the Seahawks, considering the team won’t have an RB1 after the torn ACL injury to Zach Charbonnet.
“[The Seahawks] have Zach Charbonnet, who’s coming off that ACL that he suffered in the playoffs,” Jones added. “Right now, they don’t have their Week 1 running back, it wouldn’t seem.
“So is it possible that, after not tagging Kenneth Walker III, after allowing him to go to free agency, that maybe K9 finds out that, ‘Gosh, the money that I really wanted, Seahawks are right, it’s not out there, and I would rather go back to the place that I just won Super Bowl MVP.’ That is certainly still in the cards here for Kenneth Walker III.”
Could Seattle Draft a Running Back in the Draft?
Nonetheless, if Walker does sign elsewhere, could the Seahawks use the draft to find his replacement? Recently, Seattle Sports’ Brock Huard believes Washington Huskies’ Jonah Coleman would be an ideal fit for the Seahawks.
“The one I’m most intrigued about is Jonah Coleman,” Huard said on Feb. 24 (h/tSeattle Sports). “Could Jonah Coleman be a Seattle Seahawk? So how does he run? How does he jump? He did an unbelievable job transforming his body, which is both good and bad.
“Because if that body needed transformation in college, that’s not always a great projection into the NFL. But he did it, and he’s going to be in phenomenal shape here this week. Keep an eye on (him). In a very weak running back class with a couple of guys at the very top, he will be one of the more intriguing backs, especially if he runs and jumps really, really well.”