Seahawks 2022 Free Agent Targets Per Team: NFC East

Ty Dane Gonzalez: WR Cedrick Wilson

Overshadowed by the likes of Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup, Wilson has quietly been a relatively productive pass catcher down in Dallas. The 6-foot-2, 197-pounder has primarily lined up in the slot, boasting solid route running prowess, sure-handedness, impressive physicality and decent after-the-catch ability. With several injuries in the Cowboys' receiving corps this past season, he was able to put all these tools on full display as he recorded career-highs across the board, tallying 45 catches on 61 targets for 602 yards and six touchdowns. Furthermore, over the past two seasons, Wilson developed into a bit of a trick-play artist for Dallas, completing all five of his pass attempts for 111 yards and a score. As Gallup also gets set to hit unrestricted free agency and trade rumors swirl around Cooper, a permanently expanded role could be in the cards for Wilson if he stays with the Cowboys. But if not, there's a lot to like here from the Seahawks' perspective. 

Colby Patnode: G Connor Williams

On the surface, adding another guard makes a lot of sense. Gabe Jackson was solid in his first year in Seattle, but it appears that Damien Lewis may not have progressed as well as the team would like. Williams is coming off a Pro Bowl caliber season, earning a 76.1 overall grade from Pro Football Focus in 2021, allowing just 1.0 sack in 948 snaps. Williams is a smaller guard than what Seattle has typically preferred in recent years, but that appears to be the direction it intends to go after promoting zone-blocking master Andy Dickerson to offensive line coach. Williams is going to be pricey, likely earning between anywhere between $12 million and $15 million APY. But paying a little extra to secure a stalwart offensive lineman is worth the money.

Gonzalez: EDGE Lorenzo Carter

Carter is one of my favorite dark horse free agent targets for the Seahawks as a 3-4 outside linebacker. He was relatively quiet for most of the 2021 season, but really came on strong over the last four weeks—starting with a dominant performance against the Cowboys in which he recorded seven pressures, 2.0 sacks, a forced fumble and his first career interception. In all, he put up a personal best 5.0 sacks on 31 pressures, showing good burst off the edge, the ability to efficiently fill passing lanes and better run defense than his 56.9 grade from Pro Football Focus would indicate. His career thus far won't warrant a hefty price tag, but he's a solid upside play for a Seattle team needing more options to run its new defensive scheme.

Patnode: TE Evan Engram

Somebody please save Engram from the Giants. He’s got blazing speed and would probably be the best athlete Russell Wilson has ever had at the tight end position. He does a lot of the things Gerald Everett can and possesses even more upside than Everett. Engram doesn’t have the best hands and drops have been an issue in the past. But with Will Dissly and Everett both heading towards free agency, the former Mississippi standout is a fascinating buy-low option with first-round pedigree. A team may fall in love with his upside and surprise the league (hello, Jacksonville), but he’ll likely be looking at a market somewhere in the $6 million APY range.

Gonzalez: G Brandon Scherff

Frankly, I'd be stunned if the Seahawks pulled something like this off, or even showed interest in doing so. Scherff is one of the game's top guards and he reportedly just declined an extension offer from Washington that would have paid him as such. He should have no issues finding a similar opportunity on the open market, which will likely keep him in the average annual salary range of $16 million to $18 million. Aside from those astronomical numbers, even more dominoes would have to fall for Seattle to legitimately pursue Scherff, namely a separation from veteran right guard Gabe Jackson and/or a move to center for third-year man Damien Lewis. It's an incredibly complicated scenario that takes a ton of mental gymnastics to even work through. But for those that feel the Seahawks should employ more of a Rams-style, "all-in" approach to the upcoming offseason, this is certainly one way to go about it. And in the end, as I've said in previous installments of this exercise: some of these picks are not based on what we feel is the most realistic outcome. We have to balance that with which free agents fit the Seahawks best, and it's impossible not to connect the dots with Scherff's top-tier production in a zone run scheme. 

Patnode: G Brandon Scherff

In this exercise, sometimes there is a temptation to pick a name that nobody else has, and sometimes there’s only one answer that really makes sense. This is a case of the latter. There are a few interesting role players to be had from Washington, but none carry the type of impact Scherff could. When healthy, he has been a premier guard in this league; and in a division with arguably the two most talented front-sevens in the entire sport, interior offensive line play needs to be valued properly. Because of the injuries on Scherff’s record, there may be an opportunity to get a small discount on a Pro Bowl player, but he’s still going to require a sizeable commitment. A three-year deal worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $40 million is probably where negotiations start. However, to land a massive upgrade at a major area of need, spending that type of money has to be on the table. 

Gonzalez: RB Jordan Howard

If the Seahawks move on from rehabbing running back Chris Carson (neck), Howard is an intriguing veteran to potentially bring in and pair with impending free agent Rashaad Penny. In his second stint with the Eagles, he reaped the benefits of being in the league's most efficient rushing offense and turned his dwindling career around with a solid effort in 2021. The sixth-year back started the season on Philadelphia's practice squad and was signed to the active roster in November, going on to appear in seven games and rush for 406 yards and three touchdowns on 86 carries. A neck injury forced him to miss back-to-back games in Weeks 12 and 13, and a positive COVID-19 diagnosis held him out of the team's season finale as well. But all in all, it was a promising bounceback campaign for the UAB and Indiana product. He would provide Seattle with some decent depth on the cheap. 

Patnode: CB Steven Nelson

There are shockingly few choices when looking at the Eagles' pending free agents. Nelson is coming off a quality seaon in Philadelphia, but he’s not gonna to demand a large contract this offseason. The Seahawks may be looking to replace Sidney Jones, who may have played himself into a bigger contract than Seattle can afford after it expectedly re-signs impending free agents Quandre Diggs and D.J. Reed. Nelson is a veteran with plenty of experience to fall back on and, at worse, becomes a solid insurance policy should rookie standout Tre Brown struggle in 2022.