The Seattle Seahawks need to create cap space, despite the fact that thanks to the cap increase this offseason, Seattle suddenly has some money to spend. That extra space does not include signing draft picks or practice squad players. Furthermore, Seattle needs to build up its roster with quality rather than just the number of players it can afford.
Seattle might release safeties Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs before of free agency. Moving on from Diggs and Adams would save almost $18 million combined. That should be too much to pass up for Seattle. In Adams’ situation, the Seahawks should dismiss him since he hasn’t demonstrated he can remain healthy enough to make the squad and is horrible in coverage.
If Seattle waives Adams and Diggs, they will likely need a couple more guys to fill their spots. That is, unless Seattle believes a player already on the roster, such as Jerrick Reed II, can come in to take starter snaps. Even so, Seattle must sign one safety in free agency.
Seattle Seahawks should pursue Kevin Byard in free agency.
Kevin Byard is someone who should be of interest to them, particularly new coach Mike Macdonald. The Philadelphia Eagles dismissed Byard on Friday, after trading for him during the 2023 season. He spent the first five-plus seasons with the Tennessee Titans.
The disadvantage for Byard is that he will be 31 years old before the 2024 season starts. He did see a dip in the quality of his coverage in 2023, but he was still superior to Adams and somewhat equal to Diggs. But Byard outperformed Adams and Diggs. For example, Diggs missed 12 percent of his tackle attempts, whereas Byard missed only 3.9 percent.
Byard has always excelled at tackling. His greatest missed tackle percentage is 7.2, however it occurred in 2018. In four of his last five seasons, he missed 3.9 percent or fewer of his shots. That is special.
Byard has also been named to the First Team All-Pro and the Pro Bowl twice. That was in 2017, and it could still be in 2021. Because Macdonald prefers to play three-safety sets more than any other coach in the NFL, adding Byard would be an overall boost over Adams and Diggs, and Byard could be paired with Julian Love to improve Seattle’s safety group significantly in 2024.
Furthermore, Byard, who has earned at least $9.1 million in every season since 2019, would see a reduction in what he is promised. His primary difficulty is his age. The Seahawks can certainly afford him and offer him a one-year contract. Byard could then serve as a bridge for Seattle’s next long-term safety, but he would also be a valuable veteran voice in the locker room, helping Seattle address its tackling issues from previous seasons.
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