SEATTLE — Wednesday marks three weeks since the official beginning of the free-agent signing period, and 22 days until the NFL draft.
Which makes it as good a time as any to examine where things stand with some of the key items on Seattle’s to-do list this offseason.
Solidifying DK Metcalf’s future
Could the Seahawks really consider trading Metcalf? A report from The Athletic stated that while the New York Jets were interested in seeing if Seattle might deal Metcalf, they were told the Seahawks are not “accepting offers.”
The Russell Wilson trade, though, serves as a reminder to never say never.
And as long as Metcalf does not have a long-term deal — he is now eligible for one with just one year left on his rookie deal — nothing can be ruled out, especially with the receiver market exploding.
The latest contract bomb came Wednesday when Buffalo re-signed Stefon Diggs to a four-year deal reported by ESPN to be worth $104 million with $70 million guaranteed, the second-most guaranteed money ever given to a receiver behind the $72.2 million of Tyreek Hill’s recent deal with Miami.
Metcalf is probably going to want something in that range.
But it’s worth remembering that Metcalf remains under contract for 2022.
And while the rapidly-expanding receiver market creates some urgency to get a deal done sooner than later, there is still time.
And while the salary numbers may seem daunting, the Seahawks have all the cap flexibility they need with the trade of Wilson’s contract and the knowledge that the cap is also expected to go up substantially in coming years.
This will simply be a question of whether the Seahawks think it’s worth it to pay what Metcalf will want.
That’s a question the Seahawks will likely deliver a final answer to when the draft rolls around later this month, the logical time to make a trade if the Seahawks were to eventually consider it.
Filling out the quarterback position
One of the bigger head-scratchers is that the Seahawks have not yet re-signed Geno Smith, despite the team making it clear, every time asked, that it hopes to do so, throwing him into the competition with Drew Lock and Jacob Eason, the only two QBs on the current roster.
Smith apparently wants money more commensurate to what would be his status now as a contender for the starting job rather than simply as a backup to Wilson, meaning a raise from the $1.187 million he made last year. And the team has made clear that his arrest on suspicion of DUI in January is not an issue (a decision on whether to file charges has not yet been made).
But he didn’t sign last year until April 22, not until May 14 the year before that and May 15 the year before that.
So it’s hard to figure that won’t get done eventually.
But as coach Pete Carroll made clear at the league meetings, Seattle will add “a fourth quarterback.”
And the Seahawks, as should be expected, are exploring their draft options. It was reported Tuesday that Seattle will have Cincinnati QB Desmond Ridder in for one of its “top 30″ visits — official visits teams are allowed to have with up to 30 draft-eligible players to their facilities — next week.
And, well, Baker Mayfield remains still out there, another situation likely to be resolved by the draft.
For now the intrigue continues.
Re-signing Duane Brown and/or Brandon Shell or their replacements
The biggest positional hole on the Seahawks remains offensive tackle, where at the moment Seattle has just three on its roster — Stone Forsythe, Jake Curhan and Greg Eiland, all second-year players.
But Brown and Shell remain unsigned, and general manager John Schneider and Carroll each said at the league meetings that Seattle still hopes to re-sign each.
One issue with Shell could be that he decided to let his injured shoulder heal without surgery, though he reportedly passed a physical with Denver before the Broncos signed Billy Turner.
As for Brown, there has been surprisingly little buzz around his name considering he was generally considered one of the top free agents available.
Schneider noted last week that it’s still “early in free agency’’ when asked about Brown and Shell.
Seattle could also well be thinking it will take a tackle with any of the top four picks it has among the top 72 and thinking that Brown and/or Shell might still be available depending on how things work out.
Improving the pass rush
This was at the top of Seattle’s to-do list entering the offseason by coach Pete Carroll’s own admission.
And what Seattle has done so far leaves the impression that work remains.
Seattle has added two proven pass rushers — defensive end Shelby Harris via the Wilson trade and Uchenna Nwosu via free agency. Harris had six sacks last year playing end in Denver’s 3-4 while Nwosu had five with the Chargers as an outside linebacker.
The two now carry two of the top seven cap hits for the Seahawks in 2022 — Harris fifth at $7.9 million and Nwosu seventh at $6.2 million.
The Seahawks also brought back end Quinton Jefferson.
But Seattle also released Carlos Dunlap, Benson Mayowa and Kerry Hyder and Rasheem Green also remains unsigned. Dunlap and/or Green could conceivably return
But considering this is regarded as a really good draft for edge rushers and Seattle now has four of the top 72 picks, the Seahawks might well wait to see what they get in the draft before pursuing other free-agent options.
Adding running back depth
After re-signing Rashaad Penny, the Seahawks now have more money tied up in running backs for the 2022 season — $15.3 million — than all but four other teams.
But given that the status of Chris Carson remains unclear as he recovers from neck surgery — and likely will be until he gets some contact in training camp — Seattle would seem likely to add another RB at some point. Seattle currently has six under contract — Penny, Carson, Travis Homer, DeeJay Dallas, Josh Johnson and Darwin Thompson.
Maybe that’s enough — the Seahawks appear to be high on the potential of Johnson, the leading rusher in the preseason last year, and made a quick move in February to sign Thompson, a street free agent signed in February and a veteran of 26 games with the Chiefs in 2019-20 before spending last season on Tampa Bay’s practice squad.
But that, too, could be something Seattle addresses in the draft. Seattle has taken at least one in eight of the past 10 drafts, with one of the exceptions coming last year when the Seahawks had just three picks.
