SEATTLE — At a glance, the Seahawks’ salary cap situation at the start of the offseason looked dire, with Seattle sitting roughly $30 million over the projected spending limit.
“Doomsday,” general manager John Schneider said on a Seattle Sports 710-AM radio show.
Schneider was being sarcastic, because in reality, the Seahawks had a clear path that would take them from being several million in the red to having enough cap space to be active when free agency begins next week.
That plan included the releases of Tyler Lockett and four other players this week — saving roughly $44 million against the cap. That was after an earlier restructure of Leonard Williams‘ contract freed up roughly $14 million.
The Seahawks now have around $32 million in cap space, according to OverTheCap.com. They could add significantly to that total with an extension for quarterback Geno Smith and/or a restructure of Uchenna Nwosu‘s deal, which would lower their respective cap numbers of $44.5 million and $21.2 million — though a big new deal for their quarterback could take a significant bite out of their cash budget.
The news of star receiver DK Metcalf requesting a trade, and the Seahawks exploring it, adds another layer.
Dealing him would free up another $10.9 million in cap space, not to mention the $18 million in cash he was set to make this season and the money Seattle would otherwise have to commit to him on an eventual massive extension.
But no matter what happens with Metcalf, the Seahawks are headed towards the opening of the negotiating window on Monday with ample money to spend — perhaps on an interior offensive lineman.
Here are two things to keep in mind:
With or without Metcalf, help is needed at receiver
If the Seahawks were to trade Metcalf, the natural deadline wouldn’t be until sometime before the draft, which would allow them to use the draft capital they get in return on a replacement.
In that sense, Schneider and coach Mike Macdonald could wait things out, perhaps buying time for the situation to cool down and for the two sides to work out an extension.
But if they’re so far apart in contract talks and/or if the relationship has become irreparably strained, trading him before the first wave of free agency is done would make sense.
Consider that with Lockett departing, the Seahawks are already going to have to replace their No. 3 receiver — even if that doesn’t end up being a significant role in Klint Kubiak‘s offense given how infrequently the new coordinator uses three-receiver sets relative to the rest of the NFL.
Trading Metcalf would leave them next to no proven players at the position outside of Jaxon Smith-Njigba. They would likely draft at least one receiver to fill the voids, but signing a proven veteran to fill one of the top three spots would be much more ideal than fielding a top three with two rookies and a third-year player in Smith-Njigba.
And while some have speculated that Lockett could return in the wake of Metcalf’s trade request, expect him to be playing elsewhere next season either way.
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Seahawks release WR Tyler Lockett
Take a look at some of the numbers behind Tyler Lockett’s release from the Seahawks.
Look for the Seahawks to add a veteran O-lineman
And they might even spend some money, too.
Under Schneider, the Seahawks have rarely been big players in free agency, typically opting to stay away from expensive, first-wave signings. That is especially true along their offensive line, where they’ve opted for value signings like their one-year deal last year with veteran Laken Tomlinson.
But things could change this year, with a big hole in the interior of their offensive line and the money to plug it.
“We know exactly what our deficiencies are,” Schneider said on his radio show, referring to the O-line. “We can all see it, right. We have a plan to address everything.”
Could that plan include Indianapolis Colts guard Will Fries? Some observers have presumed Atlanta Falcons center Drew Dalman to be a potential target given his scheme fit and Kubiak’s comment about how zone blocking systems need an elite center. But Fries is a name to watch.
A seventh-round pick by the Colts in 2021, he became a full-time starter in 2022 and has played well enough to command a sizable deal in free agency — even as he recovers from a broken leg that ended his 2024 season in October.
One NFL agent estimated that Fries could command roughly $13 million per season. That would be a huge departure from Seattle’s MO in free agency, but it would provide a needed upgrade, allowing the Seahawks to take the best player available with their first-round pick as opposed to pushing a lesser offensive lineman up their board in order to fill a need.
