Seahawks
17 Mar 2023, 19:50 GMT+10
Keeping track of all the Seahawks’ moves in free agency.John Boyle
Free agency is here with the start of the new league year, so here at Seahawks.com, we'll be tracking all the Seahawks comings and goings in free agency. We'll update this article as Seahawks moves become official, so you can make this your one-spot shop to keep track of Seahawks signings, re-signings and free agency departures.
To catch you up, the Seahawks made several moves prior to the start of free agency, signing four players to contract extensions before they could hit free agency: quarterback Geno Smith, kicker Jason Myers, guard Phil Haynes and special teams captain Nick Bellore. The Seahawks also released a pair of veteran defensive linemen, Shelby Harris and Quinton Jefferson, as well as guard Gabe Jackson.
FREE AGENTS RETAINED | FREE AGENTS ADDED | FREE AGENTS LOST
Free Agents Retained
QB Geno Smith
What it means: The Seahawks answered the biggest questions facing them this offseason by signing Smith, who is coming off a Pro-Bowl season that saw him earn Comeback Player of the Year honors. Drafting a quarterback is still an option, but won't feel like a must after getting a deal done with Smith.
K Jason Myers
What it means: Myers is coming off a Pro-Bowl season that saw him lead the NFL in scoring, so keeping him provides a big boost on special teams.
LB/FB Nick Bellore
What it means: In re-signing Bellore, the Seahawks not only keep one of the most productive special teams players, but also a leader on the field and in the locker room.
G Phil Haynes
What it means: After splitting time with Gabe Jackson last season, Haynes becomes the leading candidate to start at right guard following Jackson's release.
QB Drew Lock (agreed to terms)
What it means: After keeping Geno Smith, the Seahawks also were able to re-sign Lock, giving them continuity and quality depth at the game's most important position.
Free Agent Additions
DE Dre'Mont Jones
What it means: The Seahawks made an early splash in free agency by adding Jones, one of the top defensive linemen available. The versatile 26-year-old should bring the type of disruptiveness Seahawks coach Pete Carroll is looking for on his D-line.
DE Jarran Reed
What it means: Reed, who spent his first five seasons in Seattle, gives the Seahawks a disruptive presences capable of getting to the quarterback as an inside rusher. The Seahawks have plenty more to do to rebuild their defensive line, but bringing Reed back is a good place to start.
C Evan Brown (agreed to terms)
What it means: Austin Blythe's retirement means the Seahawks need a new center, and while they very well could still add to that position, bringing in Brown gives them a solid option with starting experience. While Brown has primarily played center in his career, he also can play guard, having started at right guard for the Lions last season.
Free Agents Lost
RB Rashaad Penny (Eagles)
What it means: When healthy, Penny has been one of the most productive backs in the league. While the Seahawks love what they have in Kenneth Walker III, the loss of Penny means they'll need to add more depth at this position.
LB Cody Barton (Commanders)
What it means: Barton was productive in his first season as a starter, and his departure, combined with a late-season ACL injury to Jordyn Brooks, leaves the Seahawks needing to find more off-ball linebacker depth, either in free agency, the draft or both.
RB Travis Homer (Bears)
What it means: Losing Homer not only affects Seattle's running back depth, it's also a significant loss on special teams, a phase in which Homer has been a key contributor throughout his Seahawks career.
March 16
Seahawks Sign DE Jarran Reed
After spending the past two seasons with Kansas City and Green Bay, Jarran Reed is back with the team that drafted him in 2016.
Reed, a former second-round pick out of Alabama, appeared in 72 games with 63 starts during his five seasons in Seattle, recording 22.0 sacks, 194 tackles and 58 quarterback hits. In 2020, Reed's last season with Seattle, he had 6.5 sacks and 14 quarterback hits while starting all 16 games, and in 2018 he had a career-best 10.5 sacks and 26 quarterback hits, making him just the third defensive tackle in franchise history to record 10 or more sacks in a season along with Hall of Famers Cortez Kennedy and John Randle.
After being released for salary cap reasons in 2021, Reed signed with Kansas City and started all 17 games, recording 43 tackles, 2.5 sacks and 12 quarterback hits. Last season Reed started 14 of 17 games played for Green Bay, again recording 2.5 sacks to go along with a career-high 52 tackles and 14 quarterback hits.
Seahawks Sign DE Dre'Mont Jones
The Seahawks haven't frequently jumped into the early stages of free agency under Pete Carroll and John Schneider, but they made an exception in order to acquire Jones on Day 1 of free agency. Jones, a disruptive and versatile pass-rusher in Denver, is the first piece in what the Seahawks hope will be a rebuilt and improved defensive front in 2023.
The 26-year-old Jones, who was a third-round pick out of Ohio State in 2019, had 6.5 sacks along with 47 tackles, nine tackles for loss, and 10 quarterback hits in 13 games last season. In four seasons, Jones has 22 sacks, including 5.5 or more in each of the past three seasons.
Seahawks Agree To Terms With QB Drew Lock
Drew Lock, who backed up Geno Smith last season, is coming back for 2023, having agreed to terms on a deal Thursday, general manager John Schneider announced on Seattle Sports 710 AM.
Lock, who began his career in Denver as a second-round pick out of Missouri, joined the Seahawks last season as part of the trade that sent Russell Wilson to Denver. Lock competed with Smith for the starting job in camp last year, but the combination of Smith's strong play, combined with some bad luck-Lock came down with COVID-19 the week he was scheduled to start Seattle's second preseason game-kept him in the No. 2 spot. In retaining Lock, the Seahawks keep a talented passer who also has familiarity in the system, an ideal setup for the backup job behind Smith, who went on to earn Pro Bowl honors and win the Comeback Player of the Year award, then signed a contract extension last week.
Seahawks Agree To Terms With C/G Evan Brown
Seattle's starting center in 2022, Austin Blythe, retired earlier this offseason, so that position was an obvious need for the Seahawks, and it's one they addressed early in free agency by agreeing to terms with Lions lineman Evan Brown.
Brown, who went undrafted out of SMU in 2018, has started 24 games over the past two seasons, playing center in 2021 and guard last season. While Brown has the versatility to play both spots, general manager John Schneider said the Seahawks see him primarily as a center.
LB Cody Barton Signs With Commanders
Barton took over a starting role last season and played well, recording a career-best 136 tackles as one of Seattle's two inside linebackers along with Jordyn Brooks. Losing Barton means the Seahawks will need to address this position at some point this offseason, either in free agency or the draft, or very possibly both. The Seahawks love what they have in Brooks, but coming off a late-season ACL injury, there are no guarantees he's ready for the start of the season, and even if he is, they'll need to add more to this group to find Barton's replacement and have adequate depth.
March 15
RB Rashaad Penny Agrees To Terms With Eagles
After a breakout 2021 season, the Seahawks brought Penny back on a one-year deal last season, and while it started off with promise, he unfortunately suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 5. Carroll said he hoped to bring Penny back again, but the former first-round pick is instead moving on to Philadelphia. The Seahawks have a starting back in Kenneth Walker III, who rushed for 1,050 yards and nine touchdowns as a rookie after taking over for an injured Penny, but losing Penny means the Seahawks will need to add another back or two into the mix.
A 2018 first-round pick, Penny was one of the NFL's most dynamic backs when healthy the past two seasons, including a stretch in which he led the NFL in rushing yards over the final five weeks of the 2021 season. Injuries, including a torn ACL in 2019 and last year's ankle injury and fibula fracture, limited Penny to just 42 games in five seasons, however.
RB Travis Homer Agrees To Terms With Bears
Homer, one of the Seahawks' top special teams players during his four seasons in Seattle, is headed to Chicago. The move, along with the departure of Penny, leaves the Seahawks a bit thin at running back at the moment, though there's plenty of time to add to that group via free agency and the draft. A 2019 sixth-round pick, Homer appeared in 49 games over four seasons, rushing for 453 yards and catching 52 passes for 464 yards, working mostly as a third-down back. On special teams, Homer handled numerous duties from coverage teams to kickoff returns to serving as the upback on the punt team, a job that requires making any last-minute protection adjustments. From that role, Homer scored a73-yard touchdown on a fake punt in 2021, helping him earn NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors. Homer also scored a touchdown that season by returning an onside kick 44 yards for a score.
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