Who are the Hawks going to target in FA?

[AgentDib]

The Branden Albert news should be interesting to people looking for tackle help. Any player released from a contract does not count towards or against the compensatory pick formula.

 

[Hyak]

The Branden Albert news should be interesting to people looking for tackle help. Any player released from a contract does not count towards or against the compensatory pick formula.

Of course, I don't expect much if any comp picks for the 2017 Seahawks free agent class.

That said, the options for a veteran LT to bring in to compete with Fant have improved of late. Albert, Whitworth, Reiff, Clady, Beachum, Kahlil, Joekel, and likely Okung will be out there.

 

[AgentDib]

Haushka, Morgan and Willson should all surpass the 2015 threshold so expecting a 6th and two 7ths is perfectly reasonable. It's a minor incentive to pursue players who have been released from a team, and to wait until after the deadline in early May to sign UFAs.

 

[Hasselbeck]

I'd love to kick the tires on Branden Albert, however he does have some mild injury concerns .. but then again, teams aren't cutting elite OL either.

This is a nice write up about how he fared last season. I like it better than PFF (then again I like stubbing my toe more than I like PFF)

http://phinphanatic.com/2017/01/17/2016 ... en-albert/

 

[Hasselbeck]

And look where that has got them with the o line. If they can pay that scrub cary williams they better pay whitworth or remmers the o line is a mess.

If Whitworth wanted to take 3/18 .. pretty sure we'd sign him immediately.

 

[Pandion Haliaetus]

LT Market.

UFAs:
Andrew Whitworth
Riley Reiff
Benjamin Ijalana
Mike Remmers
Luke Joeckel
Matt Kalil
Jake Long
Bradley Sowell
William Beatty
Tony Hills
Mike Adams


RFAs:
Ty Nsheke
Garry Gilliam (potentially)

Cut/Option Declined (As of now):
Brandon Albert
Kelvin Beachum
Ryan Clady
Russell Okung (expected)

Trade?:
Joe Thomas

If you are a free agent LT, and you look around the league for the best opportunity. I don't know how Seattle isn't one of the top destinations. This rings especially true with guys signing a prove it type deal.

1. Competition vs Opportunity

Right now Seahawks have a pair of 2nd year players both developing in Fant and Odhiambo.

2. QB Situation

Russell Wilson is a top tier QB, when healthy his mobility makes your job easier, and as of yet he's never thrown his Oline under the bus.

3. Team Situation

Seahawks are in a window of contention, LT was a black hole for them last year. As a FA you come in and even if your average, you'll be a huge upgrade. You'll help solidify the unit, and if the Seahawks bounce back to the top of the NFC. Your stock will rise with the success if you prove consistent and healthy.

With that said I think its highly likely the Seahawks can entice a free agent to come here on a cheap prove it type deal. Last year the going rate was about 5m plus an optional contract extension.

My Personal Top 10:
1. Russell Okung*
2. Kelvin Beachum *
3. Ty Nsheke
4. Ryan Clady*
5. Brandon Albert*
6. Benjamin Ijalana
7. Mike Remmers
8. Luke Joeckel
9. Matt Kalil
10. Gary Gilliam*

*Non-Compensatory

Whitworth, Reiff, and Thomas are not listed because they'll be to pricey to acquire.

Notes:

I like Beachum more than Okung but because of familarity/learning curve, Okung gets the nod as top target.

You'll notice two guys with the weird named sandwiched between the two other high-profile bounce back veterans.

Nsheke is a 31 year old RFA that got high reviews for his play both at LT and RT for the Redskins. Hes intriguing even at that age, and I place him over Albert and Clady because they are of similar age, N just has upside being relatively new to the league while the other two with injury histories are in Decline. Can play both sides. The question is how high do the Skins tag him for. If it's a 1st or 2nd Round tender, I don't think he's worth the trade. But if untendered, I wouldn't mind competing for his contract.

Ijalana is a 27 swing tackle for the Jets, he isn't highly reputed but has showed improvement in his opportunity last year. At 6-4, 322 if he can't prove hes an LT, he has the making of a nasty RT.

Clady is a better fit than Albert but both these guys scare me much more than Okung and Beachum.

Remmers to me is a glorified Justin Britt who has started 35 games the last 2 years, and has been solid. He might be the 3rd highest paid OT FA behind Whitworth and Reiff, so that's why he drops on the list. He is likely a better fit at RT than LT.

Joeckel and Kalil, once upon a time struggling high drafted prospects like these were Cable's bread and butter where he could maximize their talent and churn value. These guys likely won't break the bank and their talent is intriguing enough where if they want to come here on cheap prove it deals, I wouldn't mind seeing what Cable can do.

Gilliam followed by Sowell and Jake Long are the bottom line.

Long has that experience and former pedigree where you can see them throw a bone at and see where it goes on a vet min deal.

Both Sowell and Gilliam bring familarity and will surely only cost the minimum for thier respected years accrued. Sowell vet min, Gilliam RFA min.

I'm still a firm believer Gilliam potentially is a better fit at LT than RT. I would like to see him get the chance to prove himself there. Again, his chance last year was derailed with a knee scope which the recovery lost him valuable TC reps paired with Webb being a complete waste of air forcing Gilliam back to RT. I think some of which why Gilliam regressed had to do with never getting that opportunity at LT, in which he spent his entire off-season preparing for, produced some bad blood that affected his passion/concentration. Or he just wasnt as prepared, was affected by his injury, marginalized by a rookie RG, and exposed by an immobile QB and inconsistency at the RB position. So if I'm the Seahawks I offer Gilliam a 2nd chance and at least see what he has at LT. You won't find many players available with his raw athleticism especially in this draft where most of the OT profile better as RT in the NFL.

With that said I'm also high on Fant, I think he has all the physical tools that will only continue to get better as he continues to transform his body from PF to TE to NFL OT.

I just think he just needs time to develop his mental game and technique. 1-2 seasons and he'll be a much more capable LT.

 

[Hyak]

FYI for the Beachum/Okung/Clady contracts. Teams declining their option and making them free agents results in them being unrestricted FA's and subject to compensation rules.

Albert, being cut, does not.

 

[Hasselbeck]

The Dolphins are now said to be trying to trade Branden Albert, instead of outright cutting him.

 

[Hyak]

And no trade can happen until the 1st day of the new year.

Cap wise, Albert's deal isn't crazy and he could serve as a bridge to Fant or a draft pick if that's the route they want to go.

 

[Missing_Clink]

I just saw an interesting name on defense that hasn't been mentioned yet....Melvin Ingram. This is a guy I wanted the Seahawks to take in the 2012 draft. I thought they moved up to get him but they picked Bruce Irvin. Ingram is a premier pass rusher. He'd be a great in the OLB spot that Irvin left. Chargers may franchise him so there's that but if they don't, I'd like to see the Seahawks make a play for his services.

Sorry to bust your bubble on Ingram, but with 18.5 sacks his last two years and still only 27 years old, he is going to get a top-of-the-market deal like Olivier Vernon, 5 years $85 mil with $40 mil guaranteed. There is absolutely no way the Hawks can give another defender that kind of money. I agree he'd be great, but it is impossible I'm afraid.

 

[sdog1981]

I just saw an interesting name on defense that hasn't been mentioned yet....Melvin Ingram. This is a guy I wanted the Seahawks to take in the 2012 draft. I thought they moved up to get him but they picked Bruce Irvin. Ingram is a premier pass rusher. He'd be a great in the OLB spot that Irvin left. Chargers may franchise him so there's that but if they don't, I'd like to see the Seahawks make a play for his services.

Sorry to bust your bubble on Ingram, but with 18.5 sacks his last two years and still only 27 years old, he is going to get a top-of-the-market deal like Olivier Vernon, 5 years $85 mil with $40 mil guaranteed. There is absolutely no way the Hawks can give another defender that kind of money. I agree he'd be great, but it is impossible I'm afraid.

Conor Barwin will be closer target for the hawks.

 

[hawkfan68]

I just saw an interesting name on defense that hasn't been mentioned yet....Melvin Ingram. This is a guy I wanted the Seahawks to take in the 2012 draft. I thought they moved up to get him but they picked Bruce Irvin. Ingram is a premier pass rusher. He'd be a great in the OLB spot that Irvin left. Chargers may franchise him so there's that but if they don't, I'd like to see the Seahawks make a play for his services.

Sorry to bust your bubble on Ingram, but with 18.5 sacks his last two years and still only 27 years old, he is going to get a top-of-the-market deal like Olivier Vernon, 5 years $85 mil with $40 mil guaranteed. There is absolutely no way the Hawks can give another defender that kind of money. I agree he'd be great, but it is impossible I'm afraid.

I know. It's about as far-fetched as hoping they sign Calais Campbell. It'd be great but realistically not happening.

 

[j hawk]

I would love to get Conner Barwin on a 2 year deal. Make it happen.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

I would love to get Conner Barwin on a 2 year deal. Make it happen.

He's still got one more year on his deal, but yes he'd be a perfect fit in our DE rotation.

Mario Williams was released by Miami today, he'd also be someone John and Pete will probably look at.......he's a perfect Clemons type that could take 30% of the snaps and spell our starters.

 

[Hyak]

They definitely need another pass rusher. I do wonder how much Mario has left in the tank though. He's been a real disappointment the last 2 seasons. Crazy as it sounds but someone like Dwight Freeney may have more to offer in such a role.

 

[DJrmb]

I'm with you JTB, I don't know if Mario Williams has anything left. After a disappointing 2015, blaming his coaches, he came into 2016 talking about how focused he was and how he was going to prove everyone wrong and then ... did nothing... and that's on a defensive line where he's playing with Ndamukong Suh and Cameron Wake.

I think I'd rather role the dice on Julius Peppers or Chris Long as a rotational pass rusher than Williams at this point.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

They definitely need another pass rusher. I do wonder how much Mario has left in the tank though. He's been a real disappointment the last 2 seasons. Crazy as it sounds but someone like Dwight Freeney may have more to offer in such a role.

if you look at Williams snap count last year, he definitely wore down as the season progressed, and they started managing his snap count.

That's why I said he'd a be a good role player getting 20-30 snaps a game spelling our starters.

 

[Hyak]

Actually, MW got benched after 5 games. In the 11 games as a rotational player, he had 4 tackles and half a sack.

Perhaps he could be an interior pass rush option but I think his days of being a viable edge pass rusher are over.

 

[SoCalSeahawk]

There is some serious talent coming in the draft on the dline that I don't think the team is going to throw all its money at Campbell. He's proven and it would be a big pick up but there should be a choice of 3-4 guys at our draft spot that could really bolster the dline going forward without a big cash splash. I tend to think that despite the talk they will throw some money at the oline, they're in win now mode and they need a right tackle. I think they're set on Fant as the lt but the rt position was a problem all year so I believe they solidify that.

My thoughts as well. This is the year to spend on the oline in free agency. Whitworth on a two year and a younger RT would be ideal, but even an older RT that could fill the gap for even one year would be OK with me. The defensive talent in this draft is very good, no reason to spend big in free agency on that side imo.

 

[pcbball12]

There is some serious talent coming in the draft on the dline that I don't think the team is going to throw all its money at Campbell. He's proven and it would be a big pick up but there should be a choice of 3-4 guys at our draft spot that could really bolster the dline going forward without a big cash splash. I tend to think that despite the talk they will throw some money at the oline, they're in win now mode and they need a right tackle. I think they're set on Fant as the lt but the rt position was a problem all year so I believe they solidify that.

My thoughts as well. This is the year to spend on the oline in free agency. Whitworth on a two year and a younger RT would be ideal, but even an older RT that could fill the gap for even one year would be OK with me. The defensive talent in this draft is very good, no reason to spend big in free agency on that side imo.

Overall, this draft is very deep and talented. However, interior DLine is not a strength in this draft at all, especially if you're looking for a guy that can rush the passer from inside. This draft is deep in secondary talent, RB, WR, TE, and interior OL. So, targeting an interior rusher in FA is the better route IMO. Would rather attack the talent in the draft.