NFL Free Agency: Top 10 Targets the Seattle Seahawks Should Target

The Seattle Seahawks front office will be quite busy when the NFL's free agency period starts on Tuesday, Aug. 2.  They have as much work to do as any team, as their 23 free agents create a huge hole in their roster.

Prior to signing their drafted rookies and any undrafted rookie free agents to contracts, the Seahawks have approximately $39 million to spend.  The nature of a late first-round pick and no second-round selection should keep the Seahawks below $4 million to sign their draft picks.

The remaining $35 million may sound like enough for Seattle to go on a major spending spree, but enthusiasm should be tempered.  

That money will need to be spread around 18 players.  The Seahawks can expect to spend around $10 million to fill 14 of the remaining spots, leaving them $25 million to ink deals with four high-profile players.

The following list includes 10 players the Seahawks could be considering.

QB: Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle Seahawks

There are two distinct camps among the Seahawks faithful: those that want the team to re-sign the team's best quarterback in franchise history, and those that want him and his turnovers ran out of town.

While both sides have merit, the issue is that Seattle doesn't appear to have a better option at quarterback.  Shy of a trade, Hasselbeck brings more promise than Tarvaris Jackson, Matt Moore or Matt Leinart.

We are just a few days from finding out what general manager John Schneider was referring to when he said, "We had a plan going in (to the draft), and we still have our plan.  We just can’t execute that plan right now.”

It seems as though Seattle has another trick up its sleeve at the most important hole in its roster.

DT: Barry Cofield, New York Giants and Brandon Mebane, Seattle Seahawks

Brandon Mebane could very well be lost via free agency, and Colin Cole will likely start the season on the physically unable to perform list.  The defensive line was quite thin with injury replacements last season and looks to be starting out in the hole in 2011.

The addition of Barry Cofield would allow Seattle to re-sign Mebane and move him back under the guard.  This could very well eat up half of Seattle's salary cap space, but parting ways with Cole could save the team $3.5 million in cap room.

This would leave Seattle still needing options for depth, but there is some hope that Lazarius Levingston will be able to play three positions along the defensive front.

DE: Ray Edwards, Minnesota Vikings or Mathias Kiwanuka, New York Giants

Yes, two of the top three areas of need are on the defensive line.  While the front four provided a solid pass rush at times in 2010, quarterback pressure was inconsistent and made life difficult for the defensive backs.

Ray Edwards has been a popular link to Seattle in recent days, and he certainly would provide a solid threat for Pete Carroll's defense.  The starting combination of Red Bryant and Chris Clemons proved to be a solid tandem, but injuries undermined the positions and Clemons isn't the run-stopper that Edwards is.

Mathias Kiwanuka may have slipped a bit in his rating following a neck injury that put him on injured reserve for most of the season.  He showed promise as a top pass rusher last season, though, and could be a great compliment to Seattle's line.

It is possible the Seahawks could have most of their extravagant spending finished with just the quarterback and defensive line positions.  Not likely, though, as Seattle figures to save money on the quarterback position to round out the squad elsewhere. 

OG: Robert Gallery, Oakland Raiders

It has been a foregone conclusion that Robert Gallery would follow his mentor, Tom Cable, to Seattle.  The Seahawks need a little more starting power on the offensive line and could use a mentor next to Russell Okung that won't roll up on his ankles and hamper his development and playing time.

This move could create pressure on Seattle to make a change with its current staff.  Stacy Andrews is slated to earn $5.25 million next season and $23.5 million over the next four.  He isn't likely to be considered a better option than Gallery, and the drafting of James Carpenter puts his future in Seattle in doubt.

Parting ways with Andrews would free up the salary room for Gallery, making him a "freebie" in my four-marquee-player assumption.

LB: Stephen Tulloch, Tennessee Titans

This will be an interesting free agency period for Seattle and the linebacker crew.  This was a position of strength a few years ago, but the team seemed to surrender more long pass plays to receivers out of the backfield and to TEs than they did on deep passes.

This is a poor reflection on the linebacker crew and an area where improvement needs to be made.

Seattle has Lofa Tatupu coming back from offseason surgeries on both knees and attempting to regain his prior Pro Bowl form.  Much has been made of his contract—he is due $4.35 million in 2011.  It might be difficult for Carroll to use this much of his salary room on a player that has battled health issues the past three seasons.  

Leroy Hill is a talented option on the outside, but he's a free agent and his welcome could be worn out in Seattle.  He might be an affordable option, though, and would give Seattle options at the linebacker position.

Should Seattle wish to shore up the middle of its defense, Stephen Tulloch is the kind of player it can build around.  Parting ways with fan-favorite Tatupu would clear some salary space for him. 

It will be interesting to see what the market is willing to give up to sign one of the top tacklers in the NFL.  He will likely be close to Brian Urlacher money, who is being paid $8 million a year.

Paul Posluszny is another option at linebacker.  The Bills aren't likely to sit and watch him walk away, and they have the salary room to make sure he is wrapped up.

James Anderson of the Carolina Panthers would be a great signing if his price doesn't get too high.

FB: Vonta Leach, Houston Texans

On paper, Vonta Leach would be a great addition...so long as the paper doesn't belong to the accountant and attorney responsible for figuring out the Seahawks' cap implications.

Seattle needs a bruiser to open holes for its running backs and to be a little active out of the backfield as a pass catcher.  Leach fits the bill, but he wants to be the highest paid fullback in the NFL.  That likely means a $4 or $5 million-per-year contract.  While he is a better option than John Kuhn or Lawrence Vickers, the extra salary will be better served elsewhere.

Seattle figures to find an upgrade to Michael Robinson, but don't expect it to value the fullback position enough to overspend here.

SS: Dawan Landry, Baltimore Ravens

Dawan Landry would provide an excellent addition to the Seahawks secondary.  Seattle needs a strong safety that can stop the run and provide blitz package options.  

The Seahawks had this with Lawyer Milloy, but he looks to be finished in Seattle.  He wants to be paid more, but more importantly he is looking for an opportunity to play on a team that has a shot to win a Super Bowl; neither of these fit with Seattle.

While Quintin Mikell might be a better option, his age makes him unlikely in Seattle.  They already have Kam Chancellor, and Seattle will likely enter training camp with him as the front-runner for the starting position. He is a hard-hitting safety with the size and speed to be the future in Seattle. The only question is when the future arrives.

My seven-round mock draft for Seattle had the Seahawks drafting Jeron Johnson from Boise State.  By Tuesday he could be with the Seahawks and challenging for a roster position.

Paul Oliver of the San Diego Chargers could be an affordable option to provide additional competition at the position. 

K: Shayne Graham, New England Patriots

One need Seattle must address is the kicker.  Olindo Mare has been a solid option, but Seattle can upgrade the position with the free agents on the market.

Shayne Graham might be a long-shot for Seattle to add to its roster, but CenturyLink Field does offer a better kicking atmosphere than New England.  Graham has been a consistent performer who might prefer to play on a team that struggles to get the ball across the goal line and opts for a lot of field goal attempts.

Matt Prater is the gem of the free agent kickers, but I can't see a team parting with a second-round pick to sign him.  Connor Barth would also require surrendering a second-round draft pick.

Ryan Longwell and Adam Vinatieri are better short-term options, but they are both 38 and don't figure to be as solid when Seattle is truly ready to compete in the NFC.

Bold Predictions: Seahawks Free Agent Signings

While I've alluded to a few expectations in the prior slides, it is only fair to go out on a limb and make some bold predictions on what the Seahawks will be able to accomplish in free agency:

QB: Seattle will sign Tarvaris Jackson and Matt Leinart to challenge Charlie Whitehurst at the quarterback position.  While few fans will be excited about seeing Matt Hasselbeck depart, Seattle will continue to put more emphasis on other positions that will make the team better in the future.  The fix at quarterback will have to wait until the 2012 NFL draft.

Scott Tolzien of Wisconsin and Pat Devlin of Delaware are two players that will likely get a phone call from the Seahawks.

DL: I am making a big assumption that Seattle will value fixing its defensive line more than any other unit.  Look for the Seahawks to sign Barry Cofield or another top defensive tackle, re-sign Brandon Mebane and sign Ray Edwards.  This accounts for three of four possible major signings and a major overhaul of what became their worst unit in 2010.

They will also look for options to fill holes from undrafted rookies.  Ian Williams (Notre Dame), Pierre Allen (Nebraska) and Brandon Bair (Oregon) are three potential signings to watch.  Colin Cole could be finished unless he wants to take a big pay-cut to stay in Seattle.

One last name to add to their watch list is Vernon Gholston who was released by the New York Jets in March.  He certainly didn't fit in their 3-4 system, but could find new life in a different defensive front in Seattle.

OL: I expect Robert Gallery to be in and Stacy Andrews to be out.  Seattle may also be looking at a center in free agency to provide some depth and most certainly will be reaching out to a few undrafted players.  Kris O'Dowd (center, USC) and Jake Kirkpatrick (center, TCU) are two players that could enter the picture.

LB: I don't anticipate Seattle will make a big splash here.  It could very well opt to keep Leroy Hill in Seattle, and Lofa Tatupu will be given an opportunity to show if he has rebounded from injury issues.  Mark Herzlich (Boston College) would be an intriguing option among the undrafted rookies, and the aforementioned Anderson might be an affordable addition.

FB: Instead of using one of their big signings on a fullback, look for the Seahawks to be a bit conservative here and save money for adding a linebacker and a kicker.  Kuhn would be a solid addition.

CB: Some fans would love to see Johnathan Joseph (Cincinnati Bengals) become a Seahawk.  I don't see it happening, as Seattle will look at other positions.  It made a few additions to the position in Brandon Browner and Richard Sherman.  

K: Seattle will make a push for a kicker like Shayne Graham or Matt Bryant, but could end up "settling" for Olindo Mare's return.  There are several teams looking to sign a kicker and there will be transition at the position this year as teams will not value a big leg on kickoffs as much as they have in years past.

WR: Seattle doesn't look to be a team looking to add a top free agent, but will need to add a few camp guys that could turn into a prospect.  Terrence Toliver (LSU), Jeff Maehl (Oregon) and Ricardo Lockette (Fort Valley State) are thee players Seattle should look to sign.