Seahawks Re-Sign Bradley McDougald
The Seahawks have agreed to re-sign Bradley McDougald. The safety will stay in Seattle with a three-year, $13.95MM deal, according to NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo (on Twitter). 
McDougald was originally signed to be a reserve last offseason, but he wound up starting when Kam Chancellor was lost to injury. This year, Seattle’s numbers crunch could lead them to move on from Chancellor, so McDougald could wind up as a Week 1 starter.
The Seahawks have already cut ties with cornerback Richard Sherman, who agreed to a deal with the 49ers, and Earl Thomas is set to become an unrestricted free agent following the upcoming season. Chancellor is set to enter the first season within his three-year, $36MM extension signed prior to last year and is slated to make $6.8MM in base salary with a $9.6MM cap hit. Chancellor, 29, is expected to return to the team next season despite making hints toward retirement on social media last year.
Entering Monday, the Seahawks had $30.7MM in available cap space, which put them at No. 15 in the NFL. The Seahawks also have Delano Hill, Tedric Thompson and Jordan Simone on the roster at safety. Cornerback Byron Maxwell was the only other players in the Seahawks secondary due to hit unrestricted free agency outside of McDougald.
The Seahawks signed McDougald, 27, to a one-year, $2MM deal prior to last season. In his first season with Seahawks, he played in all 16 games, starting nine, and made appearances at both safety spots and cornerback. He finished the year with 46 tackles and four pass defenses. He had a career-high 10 pass defenses and matched a career-best with two interceptions with the Buccaneers in 2016. The Chiefs originally signed McDougald as an undrafted free agent in 2015.
Three Teams To Meet With Benson Mayowa
The Redskins aren’t the only team on Benson Mayowa‘s docket. The Jets have the first meeting with the former Cowboys defensive end, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). After the Jets, Mayowa is then slated to take his visit with the Redskins. If Mayowa doesn’t sign with either club, the Seahawks and Colts are also expecting visits with him. 
Mayowa had an up-and-down two-year tenure with the Cowboys, but he still has quite the market after him. When the Cowboys signed Mayowa in 2016, he was a hot restricted free agent property out of Oakland with interest around the league for his perceived potential. He largely excelled in his first season with Dallas, nothing six sacks. However, things tailed off last year as he had just one sack in 14 games.
There aren’t a ton of high-end pass rushers in free agency, particularly after the Lions opted to franchise tag Ezekiel Ansah. The Jets, who have two free agent pass rushers of their own to consider in Mike Pennel and Kony Ealy, could go hard after Mayowa given the dearth of other options available.
Seahawks Interested In ASJ
- Austin Seferian-Jenkins and the Jets may be a bit out of sync as far as terms go, but the team remains intent on retaining the tight end, per JLC. Now armed with the most cap space in the league, the Jets would be able to meet ASJ’s reported $7MM-AAV asking price. But it’s uncertain if they will. La Canfora connects the Falcons and Seahawks as being interested in Seferian-Jenkins.
Seahawks Turned Down Sherman For Landry Swap In 2017?
No players have dominated the news more in the last two days than Jarvis Landry and Richard Sherman. On Friday, the Browns kicked off their trading spree by landing the Dolphins wideout in a deal for draft picks. Earlier in the day, Sherman was released from the Seahawks and then signed with the division-rival 49ers Saturday Night.
At the time of the proposed deal, presumably before the trade deadline, Sherman was healthy and the Seahawks were looking to advance to the postseason for the sixth consecutive. Trading away a key member of the secondary and an influential figure in the locker room doesn’t appear to make much sense.
Seahawks To Release CB DeShawn Shead
The Seahawks plan to release cornerback DeShawn Shead on Monday after his contract tolls to give him a chance to become an unrestricted free agent, 950 KJR in Seattle’s Curtis Crabtree hears from the player’s agent Cameron Foster. 
According to ESPN’s Brady Henderson (Twitter link), the Seahawks are honoring their statement to allow him to become a free agent despite the NFL recently deciding that his contract should toll. Shead has a meeting scheduled with the Lions, but Henderson also adds the team is hoping to bring back the veteran cornerback, who missed all but two games in 2017 in his return from tearing his ACL in a playoff game against Atlanta in January. The move is not related to the team’s recent defensive transactions that have seen the departures of Richard Sherman, Michael Bennett and Jeremy Lane.
According to the collective bargaining agreement, a player’s contract will toll — roll over to the 2018 season — if a player in the final year of his contract remains on the physically unable to perform list past the sixth game of the season. A restricted free agent in 2016, Shead signed a one-year deal with the Seahawks for $1.2 MM. He would be owed that same amount in 2018 if his contract tolled. Foster commended the team for the move.
“They called me and they said, ‘just giving you a heads up that we’re going to release DeShawn on Monday, but that doesn’t mean we don’t want him. That means we are living up to our word and we’re going to release him, otherwise his contract would be required to toll.’ So kudos to the Seahawks for doing the right thing.”
Shead signed with the Seahawks in 2012 after going undrafted coming out of Portland State. The following season he was promoted from the practice team and helped the Seahawks win Super Bowl XLVIII over the Broncos. In 2016, he started 15 games and registered an interception with 14 passes defensed.
Paul Richardson Likely To Hit Market?
- One player Witherspoon may not be guarding twice next year is Paul Richardson. The UFA wide receiver sent out a tweet that certainly makes it look like he won’t be playing for the Seahawks next season. A 2014 second-round pick who didn’t impress much until his contract year, Richardson caught 44 passes for 703 yards and six touchdowns last season and is expected to have a competitive market. And the Seahawks still have Doug Baldwin and Tyler Lockett under contract. However, this wouldn’t be the first time a Seahawks wideout indicated he was likely headed out the door only to return to Seattle. Jermaine Kearse was more declarative about departing the Pacific Northwest in 2016 before re-signing to stay in his home state shortly after.
Sherman Released With Failed Physical Designation
On Friday, the Seahawks officially released Richard Sherman. The team added a failed physical designation upon his release, allowing the cornerback to be eligible for a $1.15 MM injury guarantee if he never plays again, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
The likelihood of that coming to fruition is not high, as Sherman seems intent on playing in 2018. On Nov. 9, 2017, the star cornerback ruptured his Achilles vs. Arizona, but he claims he is just months away from returning to full health.
In a letter to the Seahawks, Sherman thanked the organization, teammates and fans, and penned, “As this chapter comes to a close I am looking forward to what the future holds.”
Though he issued a heartfelt letter to the organization and is reportedly interested in joining the Patriots, the cornerback did not close the door on a return to Seattle.
“They are gonna let me explore free agency with the hope that I can return,” Sherman told ESPN.com’s Josina Anderson (on Twitter). “They just wanted the financial flexibility.”
With the release of the four-time Pro Bowler and three-time First Team All-Pro selection, the Seahawks saved $11 MM against the salary cap.
Seahawks Release CB Richard Sherman
The Seahawks have officially released cornerback Richard Sherman. Sherman will be free to explore free agency and his seven-year run with the Seahawks may come to an end. 
[RELATED: Seahawks Trade Michael Bennett To Eagles]
Interestingly, Sherman says that the door to a return is not completely closed.
“They are gonna let me explore free agency with the hope that I can return,” Sherman told ESPN.com’s Josina Anderson (on Twitter). “They just wanted the financial flexibility.”
By cutting Sherman, the Seahawks will save $11MM for the coming year. He stands as one of the best free agents cornerbacks available, along with Trumaine Johnson and Malcolm Butler.
Sherman’s offseason departure from Seattle has been a rumored possibility for months, though the Seahawks probably tried to talk Sherman into taking a pay cut. Since Sherman should be able to come close to his $11MM salary in free agency, a substantial pay cut didn’t make much sense for him. The Seahawks also dangled Sherman in trade talks, but they apparently did not find a deal to their liking. There was also a question of whether Sherman would actually be able to be traded before passing a physical.
Given that Sherman should still find a competitive market for his services, it’s hard to envision him re-signing with the Seahawks. In order for that to happen, Sherman would probably have to give Seattle some degree of a hometown discount.
Sherman is still rehabbing from surgery to fix a torn Achilles as well as a minor surgery to remove a bone spur. By his own estimation, he expects to be able to resume training by June. His medical issues may limit his market somewhat, but teams will still line up to try and sign one of the league’s most impactful cornerbacks.
Sherman has three First-Team All-Pro selections and four Pro Bowl nods to his credit and was a driving force behind the Seahawks’ Super Bowl victory to cap the 2013 season. The cornerback is in a rare class of athletes for Seattle fans and his release is sure to upset many. Ultimately, cutting Sherman was not something the Seahawks wanted to do, but something they basically had to do in order to address other needs for the upcoming season. Heading into this week, the Seahawks were in the bottom third of the league in cap space and trailed every other team in the NFC West in flexibility. Between the trades of Michael Bennett and the release of Sherman, they have a bit more room to work with.
We heard last week that Sherman would be receptive to joining the Patriots, so that’s a team to watch as he explores the market.
Seahawks To Release CB Jeremy Lane
Richard Sherman isn’t the only corner being cut by the Seahawks. Fellow Legion of Boomer Jeremy Lane will also be released today, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). 
Lane, 28 in July, saw the most playing time of his career between 2016 and 2017. Although he has made 15 starts over the past two seasons, he has not been a high-level contributor, according to the advanced metrics. Lane graded out as one of the five worst cornerbacks in the NFL last season, according to Pro Football Focus.
Lane entered the league as a sixth-round pick of the Seahawks in 2012 and has been with the club ever since. For his seventh year in the league, he’ll be suiting up elsewhere. His departure from Seattle nearly happened back in October, when the Seahawks agreed to send him to Houston as a part of the Duane Brown deal. Lane’s failed physical forced the two sides to adjust the trade and remove the cornerback from the swap.
By cutting Lane, the Seahawks will save nearly $5MM with $2.5MM in dead money left on the cap.
Latest On Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas
The Seahawks could be ready to abandon a Richard Sherman trade attempt soon. Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets Sherman is likely to be released Friday.
Sherman’s been a subject of departure rumors throughout the offseason, and this week has been wishing teammates farewell following a meeting with team brass. It’s been suggested Sherman could opt to return to Seattle at a lower price, but Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap noted that wouldn’t make much sense on a market that could see the high-profile cap casualty command $11MM per year.
If the Seahawks were to cut Sherman, they would save $11MM. The decorated corner will turn 30 later this month and is coming off a torn Achilles’ tendon, but he still figures to have a competitive market if he becomes available. He’d join the likes of Trumaine Johnson and Malcolm Butler as high-end free agent corners.
As for Earl Thomas, the Seahawks do not seem prepared to move on from him, after all.
Some trepidation about committing to another deal with the top-tier safety existed on the team’s part after Thomas’ comments about the Cowboys, but Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (video link) the team has since found out Thomas is committed to the team.
This comes after Thomas made multiple comments about a potential holdout. He’s entering the final year of his second Seahawks contract and after surmounting a broken leg would appear set to sign another top-market deal.
While Seattle would be willing to take “whatever it can get for” Sherman, it’s set a high price on Thomas. And Rapoport estimates the three-time All-Pro safety will be back in the Pacific Northwest next season and beyond.
Beyond would involve a high-end extension, which would be interesting given the purge that’s happening this week and the uncertain futures around some of the Seahawks’ other Super Bowl core members dealing with serious injuries. But Thomas will only be 29 in 2018 and would seemingly have plenty of quality seasons left.