Seahawks Notes: Shead, McDowell
- Seahawks cornerback DeShawn Shead recently had another knee cleanup surgery, as Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times tweets. That’s not necessarily bad news though as coach Pete Carroll says the procedure could accelerate his return. Shead is not expected to be ready for Week 1, but the team is hoping to have him back in action as soon as possible.
- Seahawks rookie defensive lineman Malik McDowell is reporting to the team on Tuesday, but his status for the 2017 season is still up in the air, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times writes. McDowell suffered head injuries in an ATV accident two weeks ago and he is dealing with a multitude of injuries as a result. The team will take a closer look at him this week to get a handle on his situation. The good news is that McDowell has said his injuries are not career- or life-threatening.
Seahawks, Kam Chancellor Agree To Deal
The Seahawks and safety Kam Chancellor have agreed to a sizable extension. It’s a three-year deal worth $36MM, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The pact includes $25MM guaranteed, though his full guarantee will almost certainly be less than that. 
Chancellor was scheduled to earn a base salary of $6.8MM and count for ~$8.125MM against the cap in 2017 before becoming a free agent next spring. The safety has been pushing for a better contract ever since 2015 when he held out until Week 3 of the season, but it took a while for the two sides to find common ground this summer. Just six weeks ago, head coach Pete Carroll said that talks were not active between the two sides:
“We would very much like to work something out,” Carroll said. “We’re working at it. And that’s really all we’ll say. But we are working at it with every intention of taking care of business. It takes awhile. Things take awhile. His frame of mind and our frame of mind are in a really good place. And we’re going to work hard to get something done. We’ll see if we can.”
With an average annual value of $12MM on his new deal, Chancellor is now the third-highest paid player on the team, behind only Russell Wilson ($21.75MM per season) and cornerback Richard Sherman ($14MM per season). The Seahawks have done an impeccable job of keeping their core together over the years and they have now bought themselves at least a year before they have to stress over new deals for Sherman and Earl Thomas. Both players are under contract through 2018.
The 29-year-old Chancellor started 12 games in 2016, playing on roughly two-thirds of Seattle’s defensive snaps while grading as the league’s No. 3 safety, per Pro Football Focus. There’s no doubt that he is an elite player at his position and the new deal reflects his standing in the NFL. The deal will also allow him to retire as a member of the Seahawks, something that he has said is extremely important to him.
Seahawks Sign LB Mike Morgan
The Seahawks are bringing back linebacker Mike Morgan, according to his reps at Reign Sports (on Twitter). It is expected that Morgan will join Seattle for practice on Monday. 
Morgan, 29, was technically the Seahawks’ starting strongside linebacker in 2016, but he didn’t see a ton of snaps since the team spent lots time in the nickel formation. He was also held back by injury, spending eight weeks on injured reserve with a sports hernia. All in all, Morgan played only 138 defensive snaps and posted just ten tackles.
The Seahawks project to start Cassius Marsh and K.J. Wright at the outside linebacker spots. Seattle also added a pair of free agent OLBs in David Bass and Terence Garvin. Morgan will compete for one of those backup spots, potentially unseating one of the two spring additions.
The Jaguars and Saints were the only teams known to have worked out Morgan this offseason.
Malik McDowell Could Miss 2017 Season
Seahawks rookie defensive tackle Malik McDowell could potentially miss the season after being involved in an ATV accident, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). McDowell suffered a concussion and facial injuries in the mishap, per Mike Garafolo and James Palmer of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Seattle released a statement today indicating McDowell is currently undergoing care in Michigan. McDowell himself, meanwhile, tweeted that his injuries are not career- or life-threatening, and added that he expects to rejoin the the Seahawks soon.
Given that he’s unable to practice, McDowell has been placed on the reserve/did not report list, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. To fill McDowell’s roster spot, the Seahawks have signed fellow defensive tackle Rodney Coe, per Condotta.
McDowell, a Michigan State product, was the Seahawks’ first selection in the draft and the No. 35 overall pick. Originally holding the No. 25 selection, Seattle traded down three times — acquiring a bevy of extra draft capital in the process — before picking up McDowell at the top of the second round.
A defensive tackle for the Spartans, McDowell had been expected to also play defensive end for the Seahawks. While Seattle is well-stocked along the defensive line, the club was surely hoping to see what it had its rookie interior defender in 2017. If McDowell is forced to miss his rookie campaign, defensive linemen such as Jarran Reed, Ahtyba Rubin, Dion Jordan, and Marcus Smith could see more playing time.
Seahawks Waive Two
- Marcel Reece‘s return to the Seahawks will add a big-name fullback to the equation, and it will cut short fullback Algernon Brown. Seattle also waived linebacker Nick Usher, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets. Usher was part of the Hawks’ UDFA contingent in May, but the team needed to make room for Marcus Smith. Brown’s exit leaves only Reece and Kyle Coleman as Seattle fullbacks, Condotta tweets.
Lemuel Jeanpierre Joins Seahawks As Assistant
- Former offensive lineman Lemuel Jeanpierre will be joining the Seahawks coaching staff as an offensive assistant, according to Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com. The 2011 undrafted free agent out of South Carolina spent six seasons in Seattle, appearing in 63 games (11 starts). The 30-year-old also appeared in nine postseason games, and he earned a ring after the Seahawks won Super Bowl XLVIII.
[SOURCE LINK]
Seahawks Sign Marcel Reece
Seattle Seahawks
Chiefs Trade LB D.J. Alexander To Seahawks For LB Kevin Pierre-Louis
The Chiefs and Seahawks have agreed to a swap of linebackers, as Kansas City will send D.J. Alexander to the Seattle in exchange for Kevin Pierre-Louis, the Chiefs announced today.
Alexander, 25, was selected in the fifth round of the 2015 draft, and has primarily contributed on special teams thus far in his career. He’s appeared in all 32 games in two seasons with the Chiefs, but has just one start. Last year, he posted five tackles while playing 48 defensive snaps and 358 special teams snaps. Alexander earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2016, and was named as one of the league’s best special teamers by Pro Football Focus.
Pierre-Louis is a remarkably similar player to Alexander. Also 25 years old, Pierre-Louis was drafted one year earlier than Alexander, albeit in the fourth round. Like Alexander, he’s essentially a special teams-only player: in 2016, he played 71 defensive snaps and 227 special teams snaps. All told, Pierre-Louis racked up seven tackles.
The primary difference between Alexander and Pierre-Louis is team control. Alexander is signed for two more seasons, with base salaries below $800K in each year. Kansas City will only get Pierre-Louis through 2017, however. He’ll earn $690K next year.
Seahawks To Sign DE Marcus Smith
The Seahawks have reached an agreement with former first-round pick Marcus Smith, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Smith was waived by the Eagles earlier this week.
This isn’t the first time Seattle has taken a chance on a disappointing high draft choice, as the club agreed to deals with offensive tackle Luke Joeckel (No. 2 overall in 2013) and defensive end Dion Jordan (No. 3 overall in 2013) earlier this year. While Joeckel landed $8MM on a one-year pact, Jordan signed for the minimum salary with no guaranteed money. While financials haven’t been released on Smith’s contract, his deal will likely be more in the Jordan vein.
Smith, who made the transition from outside linebacker to defensive last season, has never broken out since being selected with the 26th pick in 2014. While he’s appeared in 37 career games over three seasons, he’s never made a start and has registered only four sacks. In 2016, the 25-year-old Smith played on only 20% of Philadelphia’s defensive snaps, but did see action on 40% of the team’s special teams plays.
Smith won’t be assured of a roster spot in Seattle, as he’ll compete with Jordan and Garrison Smith to earn a place as a reserve defensive end.
Offseason In Review: Seattle Seahawks
After finishing first in Football Outsiders‘ DVOA efficiency metric in each season from 2012-15, the Seahawks fell to ninth in 2016. The fact that that ranking was Seattle’s lowest since 2011 speaks to the consistency of the organization, especially at the top (John Schneider and Pete Carroll each finished among the NFL’s top three general managers and head coaches, respectively, in Patrick Daughtery of Rotoworld’s excellent leadership lists). The Seahawks have advanced to the divisional round of the playoffs in each of the past five campaigns, and have shown a remarkable ability to lock up core players in order to maintain their run of success.
That’s not to say Seattle didn’t have areas to address this offseason, however, so let’s take a look at how Seattle fared:
Notable signings:
- Luke Joeckel, T: One year, $8MM. $7MM guaranteed.
- Eddie Lacy, RB: One year, $4.25MM. $2.865MM guaranteed. $1.3MM available via incentives.
- Luke Willson, TE: One year, $1.8MM. Fully guaranteed.
- DeShawn Shead, CB: One year, $1.2MM. $1MM guaranteed.
- Bradley McDougald, S: One year, $1.8MM. $750K guaranteed.
- Neiko Thorpe, S: Two years, $1.75MM. $600K guaranteed.
- Michael Wilhoite, LB: One year, $1.55MM. $500K guaranteed.
- Oday Aboushi, G: One year, $975K. $200K guaranteed.
- Terence Garvin, LB: One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K guaranteed.
- Austin Davis, QB: One year, minimum salary benefit. $50K guaranteed.
- Blair Walsh, K: One year, $1.1MM.
- David Bass, LB: One year, minimum salary benefit.
- Arthur Brown, LB: One year, minimum salary benefit.
- Marcus Cromartie, CB: One year, $690K.
- Dion Jordan, DE: One year, $640K.
As I noted when assessing the Seahawks’ most pressing needs heading into the offseason, Seattle’s offensive line could have been listed first, second, and third on a list of the club’s glaring weaknesses. After ranking 25th in adjusted sack rate and 26th in adjusted line yards in 2016, the Seahawks and general manager John Schneider addressed the problem in free agency — something they didn’t do a year ago — by adding former No. 2 overall pick Luke Joeckel on a one-year pact.
Joeckel received $8MM from Seattle, with $7MM of that total coming as a full guarantee. It’s an astonishing figure for a player who’s been considered a complete bust, and it’s hard to believe Joeckel was drawing enough interest to force the Seahawks to land at that number. Other offensive linemen earning ~$8MM include Marshal Yanda, Mike Iupati, Morgan Moses, and Brandon Brooks, all of whom are in a different stratosphere from Joeckel in terms of production. Former first-round selection D.J. Fluker scored only $3MM from the Giants on a single-season deal this spring, and Joeckel should have come in around the same amount.
Even more surprising is that Joeckel may not even play left tackle! The Seahawks are reportedly considering placing George Fant, who graded as Pro Football Focus‘ single-worst tackle in the NFL last season, on the blindside, meaning Joeckel would likely stick at guard, or perhaps even be forced to act as a reserve. Either way, Seattle’s financial commitment to Joeckel makes no sense if he’s not at least starting at left tackle, as his $8MM salary would make him the 11th-highest-paid guard in the league.
After securing the No. 2 pick in the 2013 draft in Joeckel, the Seahawks also brought in the third overall selection from that draft: defensive end Dion Jordan, who’s been an even larger disappointment during his NFL tenure than Joeckel. The 27-year-old Jordan hasn’t played in a game since December 2014, with PED-related suspensions and knee issues delaying his return to the field. Seattle’s gamble on Jordan is more palatable than its Joeckel bet, especially given that Jordan only inked a minimum salary deal with no guaranteed money. If Jordan does earn a roster spot and perform well, the Seahawks can control him through 2018 as a restricted free agent.
While the Joeckel and Jordan risks are based on performance concerns, the main uncertainly with cornerback DeShawn Shead is his health, as he’s coming off a torn ACL suffered in Week 15. After being non-tendered and then re-signed, Shead is expected to begin the season on the physically unable to perform list, as head coach Pete Carroll said in March he’d be “really surprised” if Shead was able to suit up for Week 1. A 15-game starter a season ago, Shead played more than 1,000 defensive snaps and graded as the league’s No. 37 corner, per PFF.
Joining Shead in the defensive backfield will be Bradley McDougald, an excellent value signing by the Seahawks at cost of only $1.8MM. McDougald, who started 31 games for the Buccaneers over the past two years, will serve as a third safety for Seattle, but could conceivably be forced into action based on injury questions with the Seahawks’ starts. Earl Thomas is expected to be ready for the season opener as he recovers from a broken leg, but complications could certainly arise. Kam Chancellor, meanwhile, is working his way back from multiple ankle surgeries and wasn’t yet at full speed as of March.
Seattle didn’t make many other notable additions on defense, although it did load up on linebackers/defensive backs with special teams experience. While the Seahawks graded among the top half of the league in special teams DVOA, their No. 13 ranking was a ten-spot drop from 2015. Perhaps with the intent of pushing that ranking back up, the Seahawks signed Terence Garvin, Michael Wilhoite, David Bass, Neiko Thorpe, and Arthur Brown, all of whom played on more than 45% of their respective team’s special teams snaps in 2016. Not every member of that cadre will end up making Seattle’s roster, but as a group, it’s a cheap investment with an eye towards special teams improvement.
The Seahawks’ most high-profile signing was former Packers running back Eddie Lacy, whom Seattle landed on a one-year contract worth $4.25MM. Lacy hasn’t posted a complete, healthy season since 2014, and given that his conditioning has been questioned, the Seahawks inserted weight clauses into Lacy’s deal. He passed his first weigh-in last month, earning $55K for tipping the scales below 250 pounds. Lacy, who is still only 26 years old, will join a Seattle backfield that also includes Thomas Rawls, C.J. Prosise, Alex Collins, and Mike Davis. Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times indicated last month that Lacy and Rawls will likely split basedown touches while Prosise handles passing game work.
After considering Colin Kaepernick, the Seahawks landed on Austin Davis as their free agent quarterback addition. Davis hasn’t played since 2015, and has only attempted only 378 career passes, but it’s not even clear that he’ll in fact be Russell Wilson‘s direct backup. Trevone Boykin, a 2016 undrafted free agent who served behind Wilson last year, has avoided jail time for at least one legal incident and isn’t expected to be suspended by the NFL. If he’s available, Boykin will likely relegate Davis to the No. 3 job (or off the roster).
