Seahawks To Sign CB Dontae Johnson
The Seahawks are signing cornerback Dontae Johnson, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. Johnson becomes the first significant free agent addition at cornerback for the Seahawks this year following an offseason of upheaval all around. 
The Seahawks retained corner Justin Coleman this offseason via the second-round tender, but they’re looking to bolster the group after parting ways with Richard Sherman. Needless to say, Johnson is not a one-for-one replacement for Sherman (who is now with Johnson’s former team), but he will provide depth in an area of need.
Johnson started all 16 games for the Niners last year, but he didn’t necessarily play up to that billing. The 26-year-old ranked near the bottom of Football Outsiders’ yards allowed per pass and success rate. Meanwhile, he graded out as the fourth worst qualified corner in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus, as he placed 118th out of 121 possible players.
For now, the Seahawks project to start Justin Coleman and Shaquill Griffin at cornerback. Neiko Thorpe, Deandre Elliott, and Alex Carter are also slated to return as reserves.
Dolphins To Sign LB Terence Garvin
The Dolphins are signing former Seahawks and Redskins linebacker Terence Garvin, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Garvin started in three games last year, but he has made his name as a special teams standout. 
Garvin, 28, entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of West Virginia in 2013 and spent the first three years of his career with the Steelers. He then went on to play for the Redskins in 2016 and the Seahawks in 2017.
Last year, Garvin saw the most defensive playtime (18%) of his career in 2017 due to injuries. All in all, he tallied nine tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble in 15 games for Seattle.
Garvin will serve as a reserve for the Dolphins while their search for a third starting linebacker continues.
NFL Draft Rumors: Rosen, Dolphins, Hurst
Is UCLA star Josh Rosen the top quarterback in this year’s draft? Josh Rosen thinks so.
“I’m the best QB in the draft,” Rosen told Sam Alipour of ESPN The Magazine. “A lot of guys are flashier, but I think I’m the most efficient, monotonously consistent QB in this draft. Rodgers has some flair, but if you watch Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, there’s nothing that’s explosive or Johnny Manziel — like. It’s just quarterbacking.”
Rosen has gotten some flack for his willingness to speak on social issues and interests outside of the game of football, but he says that he is focused on winning games and titles at the next level.
Here’s more draft news:
- South Carolina tight end Hayden Hurst had dinner with Dolphins brass on Tuesday night and has a top 30 visit with the team on Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Dolphins are in need of a tight end as Julius Thomas and Anthony Fasano remain unsigned. Hurst, a former pro baseball player who walked on as a tight end for the Gamecocks, may have the most upside of any tight end in this year’s draft.
- Key members of the Seahawks brass including GM John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll spent Tuesday at Arizona St. privately working out Texas A&M wide receiver Christian Kirk, Rapoport tweets. The Seahawks lost Paul Richardson to free agency this year and could use an impact player like Kirk to replace him. For now, Seattle projects to start Doug Baldwin and Tyler Lockett and also have offseason pickups Jaron Brown and Marcus Johnson in the mix. With the No. 19 pick in their possession, the Seahawks could be in range for the Aggies star.
Seahawks Likely To Trade Down
- Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times would be “stunned” if the Seahawks end the 2018 draft with just the eight picks they currently have. He fully expects Seattle to trade down in an effort to fill multiple holes left by this year’s cap crunch.
Sebastian Janikowski To Visit Seahawks
The Seahawks are set to meet with an acclaimed kicker, and Sebastian Janikowski may have a taker for what would be his age-40 season.
Janikowski will make a Tuesday trip to Seattle to visit the Seahawks, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
This represents Janikowski’s second visit of the offseason. Both have been on the west coast, with the 40-year-old kicker meeting with Chargers brass last month. The Raiders opted against re-signing Janikowski, having pivoted to Giorgio Tavecchio. The Seahawks aren’t as stable at this position.
Jason Myers signed a reserve/futures contract with the Seahawks. Seattle experienced difficulties last season, with Blair Walsh‘s struggles continuing. Myers is now the incumbent, despite having not yet kicked for the Hawks in a game.
Janikowski was not a much-rumored player from 2000-2016, kicking for the Raiders for 17 straight seasons, but he accepted a pay cut last offseason and then suffered an injury that ended his bid for an 18th season as Oakland’s kicker. The Raiders did not pull Janikowski off IR, instead letting Tavecchio take his place, and he’s now looking for another opportunity.
Latest On Russell Wilson’s Future In Seattle
We recently heard that the Seahawks could explore a new deal with quarterback Russell Wilson next offseason, and that such a contract could carry an AAV of $30MM. However, even if the two sides do ultimately come to terms, the negotiations are not expected to be pretty.
Several weeks ago, Seattle GM John Schneider attended the pro day for Wyoming signal-caller Josh Allen — one of the top QB prospects in this year’s draft — and as Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (citing a segment from the NFL Network’s Jim Trotter) writes, Wilson’s camp wanted to know why. Indeed, agent Mark Rodgers or someone on his team called the Seahawks and asked “if there is anything we need to know.”
While Wilson, who is under club control through 2019, will remain under center for Seattle in 2018, Condotta writes that both sides have sent an “opening salvo” in what he believes will be contentious contract discussions. The club is letting it be known that it is exploring quarterback options — even though there is virtually no chance it could land Allen even if it wanted to — and Wilson’s camp is letting it be known that it is taking note.
The last negotiations between player and team were hardly smooth, and the way they unfolded suggested that anything was possible down the road. And, for the first time in Wilson’s career, the Seahawks have made significant changes to their offensive coaching staff, and one of the reasons for those changes was to get more out of Wilson. As such, Wilson’s future in Seattle will largely hinge on what happens this season. If all goes well, then it will be easier for the two sides to commit to each other for the foreseeable future. If not, then both parties will be exploring alternatives.
The Chargers, who have not needed to look for a QB for a long time, are meeting with the top signal-callers in the 2018 rookie class, and Trotter mentioned the Bolts as a potential trade partner for the Seahawks if they try to deal Wilson. Wilson, who typically spends much of his offseason in SoCal, would likely be amenable to that scenario, per Condotta.
Larry Stone of the Seattle Times says the most likely outcome is another long-term deal between Wilson and the Seahawks, but he, like Condotta, expects the road to that deal to be a bumpy one.
NFL Draft Rumors: Vander Esch, Steelers, Bills
The latest NFL Draft news:
- Linked to Leighton Vander Esch for several weeks this offseason, the Steelers met with the Boise State outside linebacker on Monday night, Tony Pauline of Draft Analyst reports. Pittsburgh has used first-round picks on either inside or outside ‘backers in four of its past five drafts. Three of those players remain on the team, but only two will be able to play this season. Ryan Shazier has been declared out as he attempts to recover from his frightening spine injury. Pauline wrote in March that Vander Esch won’t get past Pittsburgh at No. 28.
- Next up for Vander Esch met the Cowboys on Wednesday morning, James Palmer of NFL.com tweets. After that, he has the Cardinals and every team picking between No. 12 to No. 24, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Aside from the aforementioned clubs, the teams picking from No. 12-24 are the Bills (twice), Redskins, Packers, Ravens, Chargers, Seahawks, Lions, Bengals, Bills, Patriots, and Panthers.
- LSU pass-rusher Arden Key met with the Saints and Lions before his pro day on Wednesday and will visit with the Bengals on Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Due to injuries, key only started in eight games last year, but he still finished out with 33 tackles, 5.5 for loss, four sacks, and a forced fumble. He is widely projected to be a first round pick later this month.
Mingo Was "Pretty Much" Top Hawks Priority
- John Schneider said Barkevious Mingo was “pretty much” the Seahawks‘ top priority this offseason, and Pete Carroll detailed (via Brady Henderson of ESPN.com) what the former top-10 pick’s role will be in Seattle. Mingo will slide into the spot Bruce Irvin used to occupy, playing outside linebacker in base sets and shifting to defensive end on passing downs. Schneider said the former LSU standout will have more pass-rushing opportunities with the Seahawks than he’s had at other stops. Mingo has recorded two sacks over the past three seasons.
- Despite Tom Johnson being a Vikings starter last season, the Seahawks want his former teammate who trekked to Seattle with him, Shamar Stephen, to be a starter over Johnson this year. Henderson notes Stephen, not Johnson, is in line to start alongside nose tackle Jarran Reed. Seattle’s eyeing the soon-to-be 34-year-old Johnson as a rotational presence. A 16-game starter for the 2016 Vikings, Stephen played a depth role behind Johnson and Linval Joseph last season.
Seahawks Not Expected To Pursue Kap
- The Seahawks are again in need of a backup quarterback. The team waived Trevone Boykin, and Austin Davis remains unsigned. Colin Kaepernick does not appear to be in the team’s plans, per Brady Henderson of ESPN.com. Kaepernick visited the Seahawks last year before the team signed Davis. Geno Smith met with the team this week, and Mark Sanchez has also been linked to Seattle. Sanchez’s former backup with the Jets, Kellen Clemens, also has ties to new Seahawks OC Brian Schottenheimer. The 34-year-old backup could interest the Seahawks, per Henderson. Clemens also worked under Schottenheimer with the Rams.
Jets Sign RB Thomas Rawls
The Jets announced the signing of running back Thomas Rawls. Terms of the deal are not yet known, but it’s likely an inexpensive one-year pact. 
Rawls first entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2015 with the Seahawks. He broke out in his first NFL season when Marshawn Lynch was sidelined with an abdomen injury. In his first start, Rawls amassed 104 yards off of 16 carries and later turned in a 209-yard game. Things trailed off after that, however. He missed significant time in 2016 with a fractured fibula and became an afterthought in 2017.
If Rawls can return to his old form, he could serve as a complementary piece behind new addition Isaiah Crowell and Bilal Powell.