With the 2023 NFL draft now in the rearview mirror, teams only have one way to improve their rosters before the start of the season: hitting up free agency. Seattle is well represented on that market right now. Doug Farrar at Touchdown Wire has published a list of the top available free agents and three former Seahawks players made the cut.
1
RG Gabe Jackson
Gabe Jackson was likely always going to be a salary cap casualty in 2023, no matter how he performed on the field last season. That said, he didn’t help his case. Jackson often looked a step slow on film and had arguably the worst year of his career. Pro Football Focus gave him poor marks in both pass blocking and run blocking anda career-low 55.0 overall grade. Jackson is also now 31 years old. However, he remains a remarkably powerful lineman and has loads of experience, having played 131 games at this level. We believe Jackson will eventually land on his feet and start for someone.
2
iDL Shelby Harris
Compared to Jackson, Shelby Harris getting the axe was much more of a surprise. While he’s also 31 years old, Harris was Seattle’s top-performing interior defensive lineman last season – and they weren’t well-positioned to absorb the loss of a good one. Harris didn’t do much as a pass rusher, only managing two sacks and six QB hits. He was quite effective against the run, though – a rarity for this unit in 2022. They might miss him in some ways, but cutting Harris saved the team nearly $9 million in salary cap room.
3
DE Frank Clark
It’s been several years since the Seattle traded Frank Clark to the Chiefs. While the move has saved the team a ton of salary cap space over the long run, the edge rush rotation has unquestionably suffered without him. Meanwhile, in Kansas City Clark has become a perennial clutch playoff performer. Clark now ranks third all-time in postseason sacks. Seattle doesn’t have the space to sign Clark (or anybody else) right now, but if they get creative and clear some room a reunion would make sense.
