Seattle Seahawks 2021 free agency outlook

The Seattle Seahawks finished the season with a 12-4 record and the NFC West title, before a disappointing loss in the playoffs to the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card round. Now with the offseason on tap, the Seahawks are looking at a lot of change to the roster with two dozen players scheduled to be unrestricted free agents this year. That includes some key players on both sides of the ball that would be hard for the team to replace.

Lost revenue due to COVID-19 will impact every team, but with so many free agents the likely drop in the league wide salary cap number could make things difficult. The 2020 number was around $198 million, while the 2021 number could drop to $176 to $180 million, according to Over The Cap, but is subject to change.

Franchise/Transition Tag possibilities

Of Seattle’s 24 unrestricted free agents, a number of them are starters, including K.J. Wright, Chris Carson, and Shaquill Griffin, all three of whom also happened to make Pro Football Focus’ list of the top 100 free agents this year.

Griffin is probably the top candidate of the group for a tag. A starting cornerback since he was drafted in 2017, injuries sapped his play in 2020, but when he’s healthy he’s a quality starter. Another issue in the secondary for the Seahawks is that their other starting cornerback, Quinton Dunbar, is also a free agent this year.

Carson has 681 rushing yards and five touchdowns along with 287 receiving yards and four scores as a pass catcher in 12 games. He’s a valuable part of the offense, but Seattle also has Rashaad Penny and DeeJay Dallas waiting in the wings.

Wright has been a pillar of the defense since being drafted in 2011. A tag might be a touch expensive for an outside linebacker who’s not a pass rusher, so the Seahawk may look to extend him on a more reasonable deal.

Salary cap

Estimated 2021 cap space: ($399,271)

2021 transactions

Free agent signings

TBD

Free agent departures

TBD

Trades

TBD

Notable unrestricted free agents

* Denotes Restricted Free Agent (RFA)