Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks are a lot like the Steelers. It’s fairly clear that they have a good team and can make the playoffs. But with two straight divisional round losses, it’s clear they need a roster upgrade to be a real Super Bowl contender.
Seattle entered the 2017 offseason with 19 free agents. So far, three of them have signed — none of whom re-signed with Seattle. Now, should we go freaking out over the losses of Brock Coyle, Steven Hauschka, and Damontore Moore? No. Not at all. But the overall inactivity is troubling.
Now, in the interest of fairness, we do have to point out that the Seahawks have signed Luke Joeckel. In some respects, that’s a step in the right direction.
Luke Joeckel is an offensive lineman. Not a converted defensive lineman. Not a college basketball player. It's an upgrade in that regard.
— Joe Veyera (@JoeVeyera) March 9, 2017
But at the same time, Joeckel has been a complete bust since entering the NFL in 2013. Maybe a move to right tackle will do him some good if he’s not utilized inside at guard. But he’s still a question mark and Seattle’s offensive line was abysmal in 2016. Signing Joeckel is fine. Making him the biggest signing, however, is not. If he doesn’t show significant improvement, it becomes a disaster.
Much like Pittsburgh, don’t expect Seattle’s lack of activity to lead to a 4-12 season. But the Seahawks should be focusing on returning to the Super Bowl.
Based on the activity (or lack thereof) coming out of Seattle, it’s hard to say that this group is being given the best chance to return to the top of the mountain. They better continue nailing the draft, because free agency isn’t doing it for them.