The Seattle Seahawks have had a busy free agency in the first few days, but none of their moves have seemed to satisfy their fan base. Questions arose when the Seahawks decided to part ways with Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf, and Geno Smith, and their additions to the roster have only fueled more frustration.
Seahawks Given Worst Free Agency Grade
- Notable signings: QB Sam Darnold, WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling, DE DeMarcus Lawrence
- Notable departures: QB Geno Smith (trade), WR DK Metcalf (trade), WR Tyler Lockett, S Rayshawn Jenkins, DL Dre’Mont Jones
Seattle’s biggest move was trading Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for a third-round pick. They signed Sam Darnold as his replacement, and although he ranked higher than Smith in PFSN’s QB+ rankings, Darnold comes with a ton of risk — especially on a three-year, $100.5 million deal, which includes $55 million guaranteed.
Here’s what analyst Sterling Xie wrote about Darnold in PFSN’s Top 121 Free Agents list:
“Darnold is a solid value in a vacuum, but now he’s leaving the environment that allowed him to thrive in 2024. Given Seattle’s weaknesses at offensive line and perimeter receiver, it’s hard to imagine Darnold thriving to the extent he did in Minnesota.”
Trading Metcalf for a 2025 second-round draft pick could be considered a good move, but releasing Lockett raised several questions. Adding Valdes-Scantling to the receiving corps only added to fans’ confusion, as the former New Orleans Saints receiver had just 19 receptions for 411 yards and four touchdowns last season.
The most puzzling move of the Seahawks’ free agency so far is the signing of DeMarcus Lawrence to a three-year, $42 million deal ($14 million per year). He turns 33 next month and is coming off a season in which he played only four games due to a foot injury.
“DeMarcus Lawrence may have been a Pro Bowler in 2022 and 2023, but his most impactful years came last decade. Unless it turns out this contract is heavily incentive-driven, the Seahawks are overpaying by quite a bit.”
The Seahawks also overpaid for Jarran Reed, who turned 32 in December, which is part of the reason PFSN’s Stats and Insights team gave Seattle a D- grade for free agency.
“Seattle Seahawks fans are likely to be nervous about what they have seen during the first portion of this offseason. Sam Darnold is technically a slight upgrade on Geno Smith in terms of QB+ from last season, having ranked 12th compared to 15th for Smith. However, Darnold comes with a lot more risk than Smith, and that is scary, but he also comes with a higher ceiling if they put the right pieces around him.
“The issue for the Seahawks is that they have allowed both Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf to depart, leaving Jaxon Smith-Njigba as the only show in town at wide receiver. Smith-Njigba is talented, but asking him to be the No. 1 is a big step suddenly. Marquez Valdes-Scantling adds some deep speed but has never eclipsed 700 receiving yards and turns 31 in October.
“The Seahawks retained some key pieces on defense in Ernest Jones IV and Jarran Reed, but then signed DeMarcus Lawrence to a puzzling $14 million per year deal for three years. The 33-year-old Lawrence only projects as a rotational edge rusher at this stage of his career, but the Seahawks are paying him to be far more than that.”
Fortunately for the Seahawks, they still have over $60 million in cap space and can afford to overpay a few players if needed. Seattle also has a league-high five draft picks in the first three rounds this year, so it will be interesting to see if they can put together a playoff-contending team.