Analyzing Seattle Seahawks' Offseason Moves, Julian Peterson Trade

Two days before free agency began, Seahawks General Manager Tim Ruskell made some fairly sarcastic comments—well, at least they appear sarcastic now—on the topic of free agency.

"We're not going to be big players."

"Getting Leroy Hill, we're already big, right?"

"We're going to wade in cautiously and use it strategically."

"You're not going to write about us that way."

On March 3, at the press conference announcing the signing of the top receiver, and one of the top players of free agency, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, he wisely and quietly said, "Well, you could probably just wad that plan up and throw it away."

As it stands, the Seahawks have been one of the most active teams in free agency, if not the most active, besides the Denver Broncos. They are using free agency in a way I have been waiting to see for a while now: to free themselves to draft whom they want—well, sort of.

Here's a list of the comings and goings in free agency.

 

Signed

• WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Bengals (I love this signing)
• DT Cory Redding (Trade), Lions (good move)
• DT Colin Cole, Packers
• TE John Owens, Lions
• T Ray Willis, Seahawks
• LB D.D. Lewis, Seahawks
• LB Lance Laury, Seahawks

 

Gone

• DT Rocky Bernard, Giants
• RB Maurice Morris, Lions
• LB Julian Peterson (Trade), Lions
• G Floyd Womack, Browns

 

Analysis

The Seahawks' signing of Housh was huge, and a great signing. He's a perfect fit for a West Coast offense and gives our Pro Bowl QB his best target...EVER...correct me if I'm wrong. Matt Hasselbeck had a rapport with Darrell Jackson, but Jackson was not the caliber of Houshyourmama. 

That move not only gives the Seahawks a legit No. 1, but also frees them up to draft whoever they want, whether it be one of those premier T's like Jason Smith, LB Aaron Curry (Peterson trade), a CB like Malcolm Jenkins (see hole in secondary where Josh Wilson and Kelly Jennings reside), or even Michael Crabtree. Nothing is out of the question.

By signing Housh, Deion Branch becomes a ridiculously good No. 2 WR, and Nate Burleson becomes a ridiculously good No. 3. Signing Bobby Engram, or another free agent (Joe Jurevicius, anyone?), would make Seattle's weakness last year the best four-receiver set in the entire league without question.

Losing Rocky Bernard was not a huge loss by any means, and all the Seahawks did was sign someone bigger and younger in Colin Cole. The defense is undersized, and they now have a big body that can draw double teams and free up our LBs and our freakish DE Patrick Kerney to make some plays. I question this signing though, and I'll get to that later.

Signing Ray Willis was also something I did not expect, because I thought he would get starter's money on the open market. He gives us even more additional flexibility in the draft because he is young, plays with a mean streak, and is a talented young tackle with tremendous upside. I was very happy to see them sign him.

Owens, Laury, and Lewis are all quality backups. D.D. Lewis is a former starter and can fill in at any LB spot, Laury is young with some upside, and Owens is a good blocking TE who logically replaces Will Heller, who is a free agent.

When I woke up this morning, I would not say I was shocked by the Seahawks trade of Julian Peterson for Cory Redding and a fifth round pick, because Peterson refused to take a pay cut, which was logical because he was not worth the $8.8 million cap hit they would take for him. 

But, I was disappointed because he was a very good player, and for all Seahawks fans who remember that vile creature Steve Hutchinson, he took some of the sting away from that loss because we signed him on the same day. But this move makes sense for a number of reasons, and I am slowly becoming a supporter of the move.

By trading Peterson, they were able to attain a DT who made the Pro Bowl with the Detroit Lions in 2006. Regardless of what year, it takes some talent to make the Pro Bowl when you play for that garbage disposal of a team—they are simply dreadful. 

I cannot recall the Seahawks having a good or great DT since Cortez Kennedy, just like I can't recall having a great WR like Houshmandzadeh since Steve Largent. By trading Peterson, they free up $4 million in cap space, which logically should go towards re-signing Leonard Weaver, our dynamic fullback who has drawn interest from several teams like the Eagles and—GASP!!!—the Vikings. 

Trading Peterson allows us to focus on drafting LB Aaron Curry, who is being RAVED about by everyone. I have not heard someone knock him yet, but there's a first time for everything.

IF the Seahawks can get Curry—we can only cross our fingers and pray the Chiefs don't draft him or trade their pick—this move will look ingenious: picking up a Pro Bowl-caliber DT, while picking up the top prospect in the draft, and getting roughly 10 years younger at LB, and forming what looks to be the best trio of young LBs in the league, IF Curry realizes his potential. 

Yet again, correct me if I'm wrong, but show me a better trio of LBs (if Curry is as good as they say), and then try and show me a better trio that's younger.

The Redding trade now makes the Colin Cole signing a waste of money. Sure, he's a big body, but we paid $4 million for him to START. Now he's going to be a rotational guy at best. But that's a heck of a rotation, if we envisioned him starting, and it gives us an insurance policy, and God knows we need one after last year's plague of injuries.

Free agency is not over, and there is one position they should still address—CB. 

There are some savvy veterans who I am very surprised have not found new homes: Chris McAlister, Dre' Bly, Samari Rolle, and former Seahawk Ken Lucas. Any of those four would become an immediate starter and allow Jennings and Wilson to move to where they belong—nickel, and dime. Doing that, and drafting Curry, leaves not just the defense, but this entire team, in great shape.

I have no qualms about labeling this team a legit Super Bowl contender if they find a way to draft Curry or replace him with someone relevant (Derrick Brooks?) and provide depth on the offensive line and the secondary.

Remember, for all the draft busts we have endured in the Ruskell era (Chris Spencer, Kelly Jennings, Deion Branch trade, Lawrence Jackson, which has yet to be seen, but he was dreadful this year), he knows how to strike gold with linebackers.