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Seattle Seahawks News & Rumors

Raiders Trade OL Gabe Jackson To Seahawks

March 17th, 2021 at 7:31pm CST by Ben Levine

Gabe Jackson‘s stint with the Raiders has come to an end. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the Raiders are trading the offensive lineman to the Seahawks for a 2021 draft pick. NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets that the Raiders will receive a fifth-round pick.

It seemed inevitable that Jackson was on his way out of Vegas; we’ve heard for several months that the team was planning to cut the offensive guard. However, we learned earlier today that the Raiders were still shopping the veteran, and it sounded like the organization had a handful of potential trade partners.

Jackson has two years left on the five-year, $56MM extension he signed with the Raiders in 2017. A third-round pick in 2014, Jackson has spent all seven of his pro seasons with the Raiders. He’s been a full-time starter since his rookie year, and has only missed more than three games once, in 2019 when he missed five.

Jackson has always been a solid but not spectacular starter, but Jon Gruden felt he could no longer justify the double digit million AAV of his contract. They shopped him around this time last year, but nothing got done and he started all 16 games for Gruden in 2020.

The Raiders offensive line has already seen a bit of turnover this offseason. The team ended up trading center Rodney Hudson earlier this week, a move that reportedly “freaked out” Raiders target Kyle Long (who ended up signing with the Chiefs).

The Seahawks had been in the market for some offensive line help this offseason, although they struck out on a pair of targets in Kevin Zeitler and Joe Thuney. This trade leaves Seattle with only three picks in this year’s draft.

Seahawks, TE Gerald Everett Agree To Deal

March 17th, 2021 at 6:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

Gerald Everett will stay in the NFC West. The four-year Rams tight end agreed to terms with the Seahawks on a one-year deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The deal is worth $7MM, including $6MM guaranteed (per Rapoport on Twitter).

There were some high hopes for Everett when he was selected in the second round of the 2017 draft, but he’s yet to put together a standout NFL season. 2020 was arguably a career year for the 26-year-old, but he still only finished with 41 receptions for 417 yards and one touchdown (plus the first rushing touchdown of his career).

It seemed clear that his stint with the Rams was coming to a close when the organization inked fellow tight end Tyler Higbee to an extension. Everett was also mentioned as a potential trade candidate towards the beginning of the 2020 season.

He will now join a Seahawks team that has been searching for tight end stability for a bit now. Seattle relied on the trio of Greg Olsen, Jacob Hollister, and Will Dissly in 2020, with that grouping combining for 73 receptions, 709 yards, and six touchdowns. Olsen has since announced his retirement, opening a spot on the depth chart.

 

Seahawks, DT Poona Ford Agree To Two-Year Deal

March 16th, 2021 at 8:15pm CST by Rory Parks

8:16pm: Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times reports that the two-year pact has been agreed upon (Twitter link). The NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero adds some more context (via Twitter), reporting that the deal is worth close to $14MM with incentives. Ford will receive $4.4MM in 2021, which is just shy of the first-round RFA tender amount. The 25-year-old will have a chance at bigger money in 2022, and he’ll hit unrestricted free agency in 2023.

6:42pm: The Seahawks lost one of their top unrestricted free agents earlier today when they saw Shaquill Griffin sign with the Jaguars, but they are trying to keep a key RFA in the fold. Per Brady Henderson of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Seattle is working on a two-year deal for defensive tackle Poona Ford.

A former college free agent out of Texas, Ford started all 16 games for the ‘Hawks last year, recording 40 tackles and a pair of sacks. He graded out as Pro Football Focus’ 15th-best interior defender, with PFF scoring him especially highly in run defense (he finished with the exact same overall score as Giants DL Leonard Williams).

Instead of giving Ford an RFA tender, the Seahawks are trying to buy out his first year of UFA eligibility and keep him around through 2022. He has served as a quality anchor for the club’s defensive front, so it makes sense that Seattle would want to continue the relationship for another couple of years.

The deadline to tender Ford is tomorrow if the two sides cannot come to terms on a multi-year pact.

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/16/21

March 16th, 2021 at 6:35pm CST by Zachary Links

Tomorrow is the deadline for NFL teams to extend tender offers to their own restricted free agents and exclusive rights free agents. We’ll keep tabs on the latest here:

RFAs

Tendered: 

Non-Tendered:

Seahawks To Sign CB Ahkello Witherspoon

March 16th, 2021 at 6:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 49ers have brought back two members of their huge class of free agent cornerbacks, but another appears headed to one of their top rivals. Ahkello Witherspoon is expected to sign with the Seahawks, according to veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson (on Twitter). Per Matt Barrows of The Athletic, it will be a one-year pact for the Colorado product (Twitter link). Witherspoon will join a Seattle team that just lost Shaquill Griffin.

A third-round pick in the 2017 draft, Witherspoon turned in a strong rookie campaign, but he regressed in his second professional season. He was benched several times in 2018, and he ultimately graded out as the worst full-time corner that year, per Pro Football Focus’ metrics.

He did show some signs of life in his platform season, however. Though he started just four games and appeared in only 32% of San Francisco’s defensive snaps in 2020 — both career-low marks — PFF considered him a top-10 corner in terms of coverage ability. He is not a perfect replacement for Griffin, who agreed to a three-year, $40MM deal with the Jaguars earlier today, but he will come much cheaper.

According to Barrows, Witherspoon also generated interest from the Jets, Broncos, and Panthers, among other clubs. The ‘Hawks did get to see him up close quite a bit over the last four seasons, and they clearly liked what they saw.

Rory Parks contributed to this post.

Seahawks Shut Down Bears’ Russell Wilson Push

March 16th, 2021 at 4:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bears made a move to address their uncertain quarterback situation Tuesday afternoon. It was not the splash most Chicagoans likely wanted, but Andy Dalton has a connection with OC Bill Lazor and nine-plus years’ worth of starter experience.

However, Chicago did begin a “very aggressive” Russell Wilson pursuit, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Thus far, the Bears have been the team most closely connected to making a run at the somewhat disgruntled Seahawk, but Seattle has thus far rebuffed any trade inquiries. The Seahawks informed the Bears they are not trading Wilson at this time, Schefter adds.

The “at this time” part of this report certainly sticks out, but Wilson has not requested a trade and has spoken periodically with Pete Carroll during this saga. Wilson expressed frustration at points last season and made it known he would like the Seahawks to better address their offensive line. They have yet to do so during the legal tampering period, but the team did receive Wilson’s blessing when hiring OC Shane Waldron earlier this offseason.

Chicago now has Dalton and Nick Foles on its roster. While the team may well continue to try to acquire Seattle’s superstar QB, potentially including one of its veteran passers in a trade package that would need to be fronted by far better pieces, the Seahawks have put the Wilson-to-Chicago rumors to rest for the time being.

Buccaneers’ Leonard Fournette Considering Seahawks Offer

March 16th, 2021 at 10:03am CST by Zachary Links

So far, the Buccaneers have kept most of the band together. Meanwhile, running back Leonard Fournette is considering a competitive offer from the Seahawks, according to Albert Breer of The MMQB (on Twitter). 

The former fourth-overall pick was unceremoniously let go by the Jaguars at the end of the 2020 preseason. He ultimately had to settle for a one-year, $2MM deal with Tampa Bay, and he served as Ronald Jones‘ backup during the early parts of the season. Fournette filled in as starter in Week 15, and he didn’t let go of that role through the rest of the season and playoffs. He brought his best during the postseason, collecting four scores and 448 yards from scrimmage in four games.

“We’ll see,” Fournette said of his Bucs future in a recent interview. “Right now, I’m just enjoying the process right now with this W with this organization and my team. You never know what the future holds for me right now, you know? I wound up ending on a great note. I’d love to be back. We’ll have to talk to my agent and see what they’re talking about.”

The Seahawks recently decided against franchise tagging Chris Carson, which would put them in the market for help at running back. Of course, quarterback Russell Wilson would probably prefer the team to put more of their resources towards building a stronger offensive line.

Latest On Seahawks, Russell Wilson

March 15th, 2021 at 7:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

Russell Wilson trade winds continue to blow, but this process may not reach that point in the near future. The Seahawks are not believed to be seriously listening to offers at this point, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link).

The Bears’ rumored push for Wilson has yet to move the needle for the Seahawks, Rapoport adds, though it is unclear if an offer has come from Chicago. The Seahawks have received calls on Wilson since around Super Bowl LV, after which he took his concerns about his situation public.

While Wilson and Pete Carroll were viewed to be at odds at points last season, the two Seattle power brokers have spoken periodically this offseason, Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com report (Insider link). This communication has not progressed to a sitdown meeting between the longtime coworkers, but it would back up talk about the Seahawks being uninterested in moving their franchise quarterback.

It would cost the Seahawks $39MM in dead money to deal Wilson before June 1 — by far a record dead-cap hit — and it would certainly be a major hit to the team’s contention hopes were it to unload the best quarterback in franchise history. Wilson has not formally requested a trade but has identified four destinations. Three of those — the Bears, Raiders and Saints — would remain viable, with the Cowboys having extended Dak Prescott last week.

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/12/21

March 12th, 2021 at 3:40pm CST by Zachary Links

The restricted free agent and exclusive rights free agent tender decision deadline is fast approaching. Some teams are already making their calls in advance of March 17. We’ll keep tabs on the latest here:

RFAs

Non-tendered: 

ERFAs

Tendered:

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/10/21

March 10th, 2021 at 9:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

The restricted free agent and exclusive rights free agent tender decision deadline is a little more than a week away. Some teams are already making their calls in advance of March 17. We’ll keep tabs on the latest here:

RFAs

Tendered:

Non-tendered: 

ERFAs

Tendered:

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