Champions Reloaded – Seattle Seahawks Offseason Shopping List

A loss in the Super Bowl does not mean it’s time to panic or re-assess everything.

But a little re-loading and some better playmakers on both sides wouldn’t hurt, and is exactly what can keep the Seahawks from falling behind the curve they started two years ago.

Young playmakers Byron Maxwell, Jermaine Kearse, and Ricardo Lockette all need new contracts or new homes this offseason. Kevin Williams and Malcolm Smith, while perhaps not key cogs in the defense, need to be considered as well.  Marshawn Lynch will need a new deal by the end of 2015-16, and rumor has it that he will be extended for the rest of his NFL life. Russell Wilson has well out-played his rookie deal, and needs to be extended, and is rumored to be getting perhaps the biggest payday of all active QB’s. The Seahawks should have 26 million to work with to stay under the cap, which sounds like a lot, but in the NFL, that could be eaten up by Wilson’s contract alone.

If Wilson gets a higher paying deal than Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers, currently the league’s highest paid quarterback, he would be paid very well. And if the brass in Seattle design Wilson’s deal to be backloaded  as Rodgers’ is, (salary increases as the years go), he would be well paid and help the team find some key supporting players to help them get back to and win the Super Bowl.   There are three key positions that need to be addressed this offseason, and some money that needs to be spent to do it.

1. Running Back – whether or not Marshawn Lynch returns next year, a long-term plan does not appear to be in place for his heir. That needs to change with a 1^st or 2^nd round pick. A first-rate runner isn’t available at a reasonable rate in free agency, so it’s time to spend a high round pick on the player that will be gaining the tough yards when Russell Wilson hits 30. That guy is not currently on the roster, and cutting corners at one of your key needs is not advisable. Melvin Gordon or Todd Gurley would be ideal candidates, but if trading up in the draft is not realistic, the team needs to pursue Mark Ingram, Ryan Mathews, Knowshon Moreno, and Ben Tate. None of them jump off the page, but they are all power runners that could take over for Lynch when he needs a breather and eventually hangs them up. Pursuing a rookie high in the draft and signing a veteran would be the best way to go to cover all your bases and spend the least amount of resources, best case scenario they would have some trade bait in years to come.

2. Wide Receiver – Do you buy Baldwin, Kearse, and Lockette as long term options? I don’t. Sure, they’ve all exceeded expectations and are bargains for what they produce, but none of them are scaring defenses. While Lynch is on the roster, teams can’t afford to do more than single cover Seattle’s wideouts, which leads to so many open looks and lots of yards after the catch. But how many more years does Lynch have, and will his replacement be as dominant? It’s time to hope for the best, but plan for needing more out of the vertical passing game. There are some quality wideouts on the open market this offseason, and Seattle needs to be aggressive in pursuing them. Denver and Green Bay both have big contracts to sign if they want to bring home Demariyus Thomas and Randall Cobb, and Dallas is in a similar boat with Dez Bryant. It’s unlikely that any of those three are allowed to test the open market, but if they are, Seattle needs to go after them with aggression, an open wallet, and an open mind. If they can’t make a big splash, Jeremy Maclin and Torrey Smith would be valuable additions as well even if they haven’t proven themselves as true number one wideouts.

3. Cornerback – Does Byron Maxwell deserve a big payday? Perhaps. It will be interesting to see how many quality secondary members Seattle lets walk away before they run out of options. Jeremy Lane has had ups and downs, and I doubt any Seattle fan wants to see Tharold Simon covering the offense’s first or second best receiver. That doesn’t mean that Lane and Simon are not quality players, it just means that they haven’t passed the eye test, not yet anyway. There was a time when Maxwell’s potential was a shoulder shrug, but he has proven that he can contain the NFL’s best receivers, even if he can’t do it as well or in the same way Richard Sherman does. Carry your own shoulder pads, that’s all Seattle asks of its corners, and Maxwell has answered the call. Do they trust Lane or Simon to do the same? Perhaps. I suppose we’ll know for sure when free agency opens, and if they don’t make a move there or the draft, it could be trial by fire for the youngest members of the Legion of Boom. With proven veterans Antonio Cromartie and Tramon Williams on the market and young-ish Brandon Flowers and Walter Thurmond also available, settling for Lane or Simon shouldn’t be the answer if Maxwell wants a bigger deal than what’s possible.

With at least 26 million to work with and perhaps just 10 contracts to find a way to fit in to a tight budget, Seattle has some hard decisions to make but the money and options to make it work and field a better team. Improving on your last effort does not mean the team you had was not good enough, it just means you’re keeping your eye on the prize, and valuing winning over all else, which is what makes champions, well, champions.

If it were in my hands, I’d lobby to keep Maxwell at a reasonable price, and let Kearse and Lockette play the market while looking for better options even if they are much more expensive. “Money ball” wins the hearts of owners, but fans and players alike want championships, and being loyal to productive players just because they’ve proven themselves and have a smaller contract, doesn’t always equate to winning on the field. As much as it sucks in a “what have you done for me lately” NFL, the Seahawks probably need to walk away from some of their better, cheaper, and younger players and add some big names to their locker room to get back to where they were at the end of 2013.