Seattle Seahawks: John Schneider, Pete Carroll Preparing for Must-Free Draft

The Seattle Seahawks entered the 2012 NFL free agency period with a distinct list of needs. After two days it appears clear that Pete Carroll and John Schneider have every intention of entering the 2012 NFL Draft with those concerns behind them, leaving them nothing they "must" do on draft weekend.

The Seahawks have a young roster with a lot of talent, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. They have turned over most of the roster in two seasons with draft picks, undrafted free agents and even a Canadian Football League standout.

The Seahawks took care of one issue early on Day 1 by re-signing their run-stuffing defensive end, Red Bryant. However, they desperately need a pass rusher to platoon with Bryant and apply pressure to the quarterback.

Seattle also has two starting linebackers in free agency, neither of whom is likely to receiver a significant offer from the Seahawks. David Hawthorne is a solid run-stopper, but not elite. He struggles in pass protection and misses too many assignments with tight ends. 

"Heater," as he's become known, isn't an ideal fit for Carroll and will likely get a more attractive offer from another team.

Leroy Hill had another brush with the law in late February. Even though charges were dropped, simply being remotely tied to another marijuana infraction will impact his free-agent value.

Hill, like Hawthorne, is a good run defender. He is also useful in blitz situations, but pass protection isn't his forte. The Seahawks may consider bringing Hill back for around the veteran minimum, but not much more.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Seahawks are still looking for a long-term answer at quarterback. They also need a complementary back to work with Marshawn Lynch.

There have been some concerns with the Seahawks offensive line. They struggled early in 2011, and faded toward the end of the season when three starters were lost for the year to injury.

Aside from surrendering 50 sacks on the season, they were also saddled with penalties for holding and false starts. 

One of the worst offenders was Robert Gallery, who followed Tom Cable to the Seahawks from the Oakland Raiders. Seattle opted to save $5 million in salary and $4.67 million against the cap by releasing Gallery. They re-signed the versatile Paul McQuistan and appear ready to bring Steve Hutchinson back to Seattle.

These moves should provide solid starters and quality depth.

Schneider and Carroll have proven to be a solid scouting team, witnessed by personnel decisions such as Kam Chancellor, K.J. Wright, Richard Sherman and Brandon Browner. Schneider was also part of the front office in Green Bay that drafted Aaron Rodgers in the first round despite not having pressing needs at the position.

They will certainly want to enter the draft without any glaring holes, allowing them to maneuver their picks or select players based on value.

The Seahawks have a few moves remaining to enter the draft not being tied to a particular need. However, they are laying the foundation. The aforementioned discussions with Hutchinson would help solidify the offensive line. 

John Clayton is reporting that the Seahawks have been in contact with Curtis Lofton's agent. While he'll likely carry a decent price tag, he has the speed and skill-set Carroll wants from the position. 

Lofton is the linebacker Bleacher Report had targeted as the best fit for the Seahawks in Seattle Seahawks Free Agency: Tracking 2012 Signings, Targets and Rumors. He would fill a huge need, leaving an array of options in free agency and the draft to round out the position group.

Seattle has been mentioned in the Mario Williams sweepstakes, but his prolonged stay in Buffalo and projected price tag make him a stretch to land in Seattle.

The Seahawks have Dexter Davis on the roster, who is a promising pass rusher. He hasn't been able to stay healthy, though. Seattle needs to sign a known commodity.

Jason Jones is expected in town on Thursday. He can provide an edge rush, but excels at pressuring the quarterback from the interior. He wouldn't eliminate the need for the Seahawks to draft a defensive end, but it would open up possibilities and negate the need of using an early pick on the position.

The last roster issue, and the most difficult to fill, is the quarterback position. The Seahawks showed major interest in Peyton Manning, but his attentions appear to be elsewhere.

There is still a slim chance Manning will head to Seattle, but the Seahawks have an opportunity to take a positive step in establishing competition at the quarterback position this week. They will be hosting Matt Flynn, whose market options have slimmed significantly this week.

The Cleveland Browns have stated they aren't interested in Flynn, as they already have an equivalent option on the roster in Colt McCoy.

The Miami Dolphins are still hoping to secure Manning, but want to keep Flynn on the back-burner. With Flynn down to two realistic options, the Seahawks are in a solid bargaining position.

If Miami ends up with Manning, there will only be one team left with a strong interest in Flynn. His value would take a steep hit...a situation his agent will most certainly want to avoid.

Seattle is in a position to make a reasonable offer, but well below the original $10 million per year projections. Flynn is still an unproven commodity, but he would certainly add solid potential to the quarterback competition. 

Signing Hutchinson, Lofton, Jones and Flynn would would take the bulk of the dollars the Seahawks have available to sign free agents. It would also free their hands in April's draft, allowing the team to continue to build through the draft.

Given Schneider's track record, he will almost certainly find solid value and continue the transformation of the Seahawks into a powerful franchise.