Seattle Seahawks’ Draft Strategy Shaping Up

For a draft-and-develop-minded organization, the Seattle Seahawks did not reap much in the way of first-season benefits from their 2013 draft class. This trend must not continue in 2014.

With the major shots in NFL free agency already fired, the Seahawks are looking at a net loss in terms of free agency additions/subtractions. Having just missed out on defensive end Jared Allen, who shunned the Seahawks’ offer for a heftier one from the Chicago Bears, the Seahawks have made it clear that their successful 2013 campaign of draft first and aggressively add veteran targets second, is now going to be followed up in 2014 by draft first and … that’s about it.

All the Seahawks’ marbles are in the draft basket with a little more than one month to go before the 2014 draft on May 8 – 10.

How they got there

The Seahawks, despite their championship season, boasted significant playing time from really only two rookies: seventh-round tackle Michael Bowie and fifth-round tight end Luke Willson. Bowie was called upon to fill in for the since-departed and oft-injured Breno Giacomini and Willson ably filled the No. 2 tight end position behind starter Zach Miller for much of the season in Seattle’s sub-mediocre passing game. The rest of the Seahawks’ rookie crop either wound up on injured reserve, didn’t make the squad or played sparingly.

Flash forward to the start of the 2014 NFL year. The Seahawks, as reigning Super Bowl champions, have been victims to the typical Super Bowl drain: veterans Golden Tate (Lions), Chris Clemons (Jaguars), Sidney Rice (unsigned), Red Bryant (Jaguars), Clinton McDonald (Buccaneers), Chris Maragos (Eagles), O’Brien Schofield (unsigned), Brandon Browner (Patriots), Walter Thurmond (Giants), Paul McQuistan (Browns) and Giacomini (Jets) have all been released or not had their contracts renewed. That’s a lot of ex-Seahawks — including many 2013 starts — in one month.

To counteract their roster losses, the Seahawks have barely made a ripple in the free agent waters. They re-signed tight end Anthony McCoy, who was lost to last year’s championship run due to injury and re-signed breakout defensive lineman Michael Bennett to a long-term contract. The Seahawks also managed to re-sign kicker Steven Hauschka and backup quarterback Tarvaris Jackson. Doug Baldwin has been offered a second-round level tender. That’s not many familiar faces retained so far, and zero new faces expected to make a significant impact.

Seahawks genuine draft

Clearly, the Seahawks are all-in on this year’s draft crop (extolled as an unusually deep draft field by many “experts”) and the continued development of their 2013 newbies. NFL coaches typically expect their rookies to make significant jumps in their second years in the league. If the Seahawks benefit from this phenomenon, they may be looking at a combined bumper crop of as-yet-unseen talent from 2013 to add to a new draft crop this spring.

If the Seahawks brass hits the jackpot this May, then, look out. The potential exists for a lot of cheap, young talent on-hand to augment the Seahawks’ plans to repeat as league champions.

The needy champions

Here is where Seattle’s roster needs scream the loudest: wide receiver, guard, tight end, cornerback and defensive line. Expect the Seahawks to upgrade their 26^th-ranked passing offense first and foremost with the 32^nd pick in the 2014 draft. Most likely this means adding the top remaining wide receiver or tight end. The Seahawks do have Percy Harvin installed as their No. 1 wide receiver, which isn’t bad. Unless you expect Harvin to play all season long, injury-free. In which case, that’s bad.

Also high on the Seahawks’ priority list is a starting-caliber guard via the draft. NFL teams are often loath to expend a high draft pick on the guard position, but with the Seahawks’ picking last in every round, selecting a guard at 32 is in keeping with conventional NFL logic.

The Seahawks’ 2014 strategy makes sense: the team is banking on contributions not yet seen from their 2013 rookie crop and they’re in a financial position where they need to save their cap space for new mega contracts for Earl Thomas and Richard Sherman (likely this year) and Russell Wilson (top priority after the conclusion of the 2014 season).