Designing a Defensive Blueprint for Seahawks' 2022 Super Bowl Run

After finishing in last place in the NFC West, the Seahawks may seem far away from Super Bowl contention. But as the Bengals just proved, things can turn quickly in the NFL and with a few splashy moves on defense, they can climb right back into the mix in 2022.

With the 2021 season reaching its conclusion on Sunday with Aaron Donald and the Rams edging Joe Burrow and the Bengals in Super Bowl LVI, all 32 teams have officially entered offseason mode and activity will ramp up in coming weeks.

Unlike last offseason, though the COVID-19 pandemic isn't over, there will be a semblance of normalcy compared to the past two years. The NFL Scouting Combine will return to Indianapolis after a one-year hiatus, bringing back a key element of the pre-draft evaluation process for coaches and executives. When free agency opens on March 16, teams will also benefit from a substantial uptick in salary cap room after seeing the number plunge to $182.5 million last year.

Looking to bounce back from an unexpectedly poor 7-10 season, Seahawks general manager John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll enter a crucial offseason with sights on making a run to Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, Arizona. With only a handful of veterans under contract beyond 2022, the franchise's brain trust will have to make some tough decisions attempting to reload the roster with several starters set to hit free agency and a number of stars needing contract extensions.

From a defensive standpoint, what does Seattle need to do this offseason to get back to the big game? Here's a five-step blueprint Schneider and Carroll should follow to vault back up the NFC West standings and facilitate a 2022 Super Bowl run.

1. Sign a pass rushing "alpha dog" to team up with Carlos Dunlap and Darrell Taylor

Since Frank Clark departed in a blockbuster trade to the Chiefs in 2018, the Seahawks have struggled to consistently harass opposing quarterbacks and have played musical chairs at the defensive end spots. First, they traded a third-round pick to the Texans to acquire Jadeveon Clowney in a deal that wound up being a one-year rental. Then they drafted Taylor in the second round in 2020, only for him to miss his entire rookie season recovering from leg surgery, necessitating a midseason trade for Dunlap in the first place.

While Dunlap's arrival spearheaded a remarkable turnaround in the second half of the 2020 season and Seattle finished first in the league in sacks from Week 9 on, those improvements didn't continue into 2021. Thanks in large part to a first half drought from Dunlap, per Pro Football Reference, the team finished tied for 22nd in the NFL in sacks (34) and 26th overall in pressure percentage (22.1 percent). According to Pro Football Focus, Taylor produced the most individual quarterback pressures on the team (36), which ranked 77th in the NFL. That's not going to cut it.

After watching defensive line play once again rule the day in Super Bowl LVI, the Seahawks need to be aggressive and eager to open up the checkbook to ensure they add a premier edge rushing talent to their defense. If general manager John Schneider bucks past trends of being frugal in free agency, he could make a run at two-time All-Pro Chandler Jones or three-time All-Pro Von Miller next month. It's also possible a player such as Vikings star Danielle Hunter could hit the market as a cap casualty between now and then.

If Seattle can't find a way to land one of the aforementioned big name rushers, other quality options could be available at reasonable prices to improve the unit. Among those who may interest the Seahawks, Emmanuel Ogbah enjoyed a breakout year with 9.0 sacks and 61 pressures for the Dolphins in 2021. Just 28 years old, his best football may yet be ahead of him. The same could be said for Charles Harris, a former first-round pick who found his groove with the Lions last season after a tough start to his career. Haasan Reddick may be on the radar as well after posting his second straight double-digit sack season.

But ultimately, after going going the cheap route preferring quantity over quality too often at a critical position, Schneider needs to swing for the fences aiming to make a splash addressing one of Seattle's most pressing needs. While Jones and Miller are both north of 30 years old and Hunter has had injury issues, all three remain outstanding pass rushers capable of wrecking opposing game plans through their disruptive tendencies while creating opportunities for the rest of their defensive line cohorts in the process. Landing one of those talents would be a game changer for the rest of the unit.

2. Run it back with Al Woods, add Akiem Hicks to bolster interior defensive line

While the Seahawks ranked towards the bottom of the NFL in passing yards allowed in 2021, their run defense once again ranked among the league's best. Opponents rushed for just 3.7 yards per carry against them, the second-lowest total among 32 teams, and they earned the third-best run defense grade from Pro Football Focus.

A big part of that equation - literally and figuratively - was the presence of Al Woods, Poona Ford, and Bryan Mone stuffing the middle and keeping linebackers Bobby Wagner and Jordyn Brooks free to rack up tackles in bunches. After sitting out the 2020 season due to COVID, the 34-year old Woods didn't miss a beat, dominating in the trenches as he established new career-highs with 50 tackles, three pass deflections, and five quarterback hits. Ford also enjoyed another stellar season with 53 tackles and a career-best 33 quarterback pressures.

At the conclusion of the season, Woods told reporters he had already had discussions with the team about returning in 2022. Though he will turn 35 in May, bringing the veteran nose tackle back for another season would be a wise move and he shouldn't cost much money to re-sign. Ford will return entering the final year of his current contract, while Mone can be tendered as an exclusive rights free agent for a modest $895,000, so Seattle should be able to keep its core together.

But for Seattle to get back into title contention, Schneider has to find creative ways to improve as many position groups as he can within the confines of the team's budget. This includes the interior defensive line, where adding a proven veteran such as former Pro Bowler Akiem Hicks could be a difference maker filling multiple roles as a 335-pound hybrid big end/3-tech defensive tackle in Carroll's defense. Though he might be a bit pricey, moves could be made cutting Kerry Hyder and/or Benson Mayowa to free up space to sign him.

Injuries have been a problem for Hicks in recent years and he will turn 33 in November, but new Seahawks associate head coach Sean Desai coached him last year as the Bears' defensive coordinator, so that familiarity may help lure him to the Pacific Northwest. Only two years removed from posting 53 pressures and 18 quarterback hits in 2020, he has produced at least 49 pressures in four of the past six seasons. Teaming him up with Ford, Woods, and Mone would give the team one of the league's most formidable interior lines while adding extra pass rushing punch.

3. Extend Bobby Wagner and/or add void year to contract to lower cap burden

In terms of production, Wagner remains one of the NFL's best linebackers. Before missing the last two games with a knee sprain, he led the league with 170 tackles and had already eclipsed his own franchise single-season record. He was named a Pro Bowl starter and also earned Second-Team All-Pro recognition, extending his lead for the most All-Pro selections in team history.

But away from his gaudy tackle numbers, Wagner didn't make as many impact plays as he has in previous seasons. Regressing some in coverage, he produced only two pass breakups, his lowest total dating back to 2016. In part due to limited blitz opportunities, he only recorded a single sack and a career-low 10 quarterback pressures. He also wasn't near as disruptive creating plays behind the line of scrimmage, generating only three tackles for loss, the second-fewest in a season for his entire career.

Set to turn 32 in July and carrying a massive $20.3 million cap hit in 2022, Wagner's diminishing overall production and declining athleticism have created speculation his days in Seattle could be numbered. But while his cap number isn't a tenable one at a non-quarterback position, he remains a quality linebacker and the team would undoubtedly be worse without him next season. Cutting him would be a huge slap to the face to a future Hall of Famer and franchise icon who can still play.

So what should Schneider do? Somehow, the front office needs to find a way to lower Wagner's cap number without the ability to use a traditional restructure. With just one year left under contract, the team could try to negotiate a one-year extension to lessen the cap burden this year while keeping their long-time star happy. Though they would prefer to avoid using void years, such a mechanism could provide another way to lower his cap percentage for this year and push some of his base salary down the road when the league's cap is expected to rise.

If an extension or restructured contract can't be reached, the Seahawks may have no choice but to cut Wagner and move forward with Cody Barton as his replacement. They can't afford to have such a large cap hit on the budget sheet right now with so many other needs to address. But the best case scenario would be keeping him around at a cheaper price next to budding star Jordyn Brooks for at least one more season and they should work to make that happen by whatever means necessary.

4. Re-sign D.J. Reed to multi-year deal, keep Sidney Jones as a potential fallback option while exploring depth in the draft

During the first month of the 2021 season, the Seahawks' cornerback situation could only be described as a mess. The team's efforts to replace departed starter Shaquill Griffin had failed miserably, as free agent signee Ahkello Witherspoon didn't even make it out of camp before being dealt to the Steelers and incumbent Tre Flowers won a starting job by default. Not surprisingly, opposing quarterbacks had a field day against their secondary in the first three games.

But once Flowers was benched and ultimately cut by the team, D.J. Reed returned to his comfort zone on the right side and from Week 4 on, few corners played at a higher level than the former Kansas State standout. Over the final 15 weeks of the season, he didn't allow a single touchdown in coverage and per Pro Football Focus, he ranked second among qualified corners in completion rate (47.9 percent), sixth in yards allowed after the catch, and fifth in opposing passer rating (49.0). He also produced a pair of interceptions and six pass breakups.

After impressing in the second half of the 2020 season and turning in a strong 2021 campaign, while they won't enter a bidding war if it presents itself, the Seahawks shouldn't hesitate to pay the 25-year old Reed as a long-term starter. While he doesn't check off the size and length requirements the franchise has typically preferred at the position, he plays the aggressive brand of football Carroll covets, exhibits outstanding technique, and excels at taking away the deep ball. He also can play the slot in a pinch.

What may help Seattle's chances of bringing back Reed at a fairly affordable rate? This year's incoming cornerback group in the 2022 draft class is expected to be one of the best in recent memory. Many teams may opt to bypass overpaying in free agency and instead choose to draft a corner who will be on an inexpensive rookie deal for four years.

Aside from Reed, the Seahawks could also bring back veteran Sidney Jones, who played well in the second half after Tre Brown suffered a season-ending knee injury. It will all depend on how his market shapes up in free agency and what kind of offers other teams throw his way. But with Brown set to return and six picks at their disposal, assuming Reed returns, it may be wiser to save money rather than pay two corners and go the draft route to fill out the depth chart pursuing a prospect such as UTSA's Tariq Woolen in the middle rounds.

5. Re-sign Quandre Diggs to multi-year deal, lock up safety tandem for foreseeable future

Since arriving in a midseason trade during the 2019 season, Quandre Diggs has arguably been one of the top five free safeties in the NFL. A ball hawk who has turned the back end of Seattle's defense into a no fly zone for opposing quarterbacks, he's the only player in the past five years to have at least three interceptions each season and ranks fifth in the league with 19 picks in that span. 13 of those have come in a Seahawks uniform in less than 40 regular season games.

But the Seahawks opted not to extend the 29-year old Diggs before the final year of his contract, instead agreeing to a restructured deal with game bonuses turned into base salary in 2021. The decision not to re-sign him earlier may prevent them from re-signing him, as he could have a healthy market of suitors next month after leading the team with five interceptions and earning his second straight Pro Bowl nod. Complicating matters, they already have $70 million invested in Jamal Adams and extending Diggs could mean upwards of $30 million per year spent on safeties alone.

While that may seem like an untenable cap situation, however, Seattle has never shied away from paying safeties and they shouldn't here either. The position remains far more valuable in Carroll's defense than some other schemes and there's no denying Diggs and Adams are two of the team's most talented players. Their skill sets compliment one another well and improving chemistry between the pair was evident last year before the latter suffered a season-ending shoulder injury.

Well-ran teams pay their best players and Diggs has more than earned a lucrative multi-year deal. Losing him would be a huge blow to the Seahawks, who learned the hard way what life can look like without a quality free safety when they tried - and failed - to replace Earl Thomas with Tedric Thompson in 2019. His absence would also be felt in the locker room, as he quickly emerged as one of the team's unsung leaders.

To avoid a similar situation potentially unfolding by entrusting a rookie safety or unproven player like the injury-prone Marquise Blair manning center field, Schneider must keep all cards on the table to ensure Diggs returns and the Seahawks maintain their dynamic safety duo for 2022 and beyond. This includes the seldom-used franchise tag, which would extend the negotiating window for a long-term deal beyond the start of the new league year and pay out a fully-guaranteed $13.55 million salary next year.