Seahawks Analysis: How Seattle Creates Cap Room to Build Around Geno Smith

After weeks of negotiations, the Seattle Seahawks rewarded Geno Smith with a lucrative multi-year contract to remain their starting quarterback. But to now add talent around him, the front office will have to be creative and make some difficult choices.

Now officially in offseason mode following a 41-23 loss to the 49ers in the wild card round, the Seahawks will be looking to improve their roster in coming months to gain ground on their division rivals.

Anchored by an outstanding 2022 draft class featuring rising stars such as Ken Walker III and Tariq Woolen, Seattle already has a strong foundation in place to contend for years to come. Based on comments by coach Pete Carroll, the team also believes in Geno Smith as the long-term answer at quarterback, as evidenced by their decision to re-sign him to a three-year deal worth up to $105 million.

Peering into the crystal ball, what options does Seahawks general manager John Schneider have at his disposal to create cap space to not only pay Smith, but also bolster the talent around him in the process?

Here's a look at potential cap casualty, extension, and restructure candidates heading into what should be a fascinating offseason in the Pacific Northwest:

Cap Casualty Candidates

These aging veterans carry hefty cap hits heading into the final year of their respective contracts, potentially putting their roster status at risk.

Gabe Jackson

When the Seahawks acquired Jackson from the Raiders for a fifth-round pick in March 2020, his arrival was expected to immediately bolster a struggling interior offensive line. But in two seasons with the team, he has dealt with a troublesome knee issue and his performance hasn't met expectations, particularly in pass protection. According to Pro Football Focus, he surrendered 34 quarterback pressures and four sacks on only 433 pass protection reps, posting the fourth-worst pass blocking efficiency (95.6 percent) rate among qualified guards. Set to turn 32 in July, his best football looks to be behind him and releasing him would open up $6.5 million in immediate cap space.

Shelby Harris

Joining Seattle as part of the Russell Wilson trade, Harris played a key role in the team earning a wild card bid, grading 15th overall among 60 qualified defensive tackles with at least 518 defensive snaps per PFF. For the second time in his career, even though he only registered a pair of sacks as a pass rusher, he reached 30 quarterback pressures and generated four pass breakups. His leadership presence cannot be understated either, as his maximum effort and passion for the game rubbed off on younger teammates. But as well as Harris, who will turn 32 in August, played in his first season with the Seahawks, his production doesn't justify paying him north of $12 million in 2023 and cutting him prior to June 1 would open up close to $9 million in cap relief.

Quinton Jefferson tortured quarterbacks in the final month of the season, but a large cap hit creates questions about his future in Seattle / © Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Quinton Jefferson

Returning to Seattle for a second tour of duty after brief stints in Las Vegas and Buffalo, Jefferson rebounded from a somewhat quiet first half to be one of the most disruptive interior pass rushers in the NFL down the stretch. Over the final five weeks of the regular season, he produced the fourth-most quarterback pressures among defensive tackles, posting an elite 21 percent pressure rate that was higher than Chiefs All-Pro Chris Jones, Colts star DeForest Buckner, and Steelers standout Cam Heyward during that span. After amassing a career-high 5.5 sacks and finishing 14th in pressures among defensive tackles, it would be a surprise if the Seahawks moved on from him with a base salary of $3.85 million in 2023. But cutting him would create nearly $4.5 million in cap space, so such an option may be on the table.

Al Woods

Speaking with reporters during locker cleanout day earlier this week, Woods made it clear he intended to play out the two-year contract he signed with the Seahawks last March. But the 35-year old dealt with a sore heel late in the season and wasn't quite as dominant in the trenches when he did suit up, posting fewer tackles and quarterback pressures than 2021. With Bryan Mone unlikely to be ready to return for the start of the season after suffering a torn ACL and other knee damage, Seattle likely will keep Woods around as the starting nose tackle. But if they find a suitable replacement, preferably a younger one at a cheaper price tag through free agency or the draft, it's not out of the question they could cut bait to save $3.67 million.

Bryan Mone

As explained earlier, Mone's injury situation presents a conundrum for the Seahawks, who gave him a two-year extension last summer. On one hand, there's a reason they signed him to a new deal, as they view him as a potential heir to Al Woods as the starting nose tackle in their 3-4 scheme. But coming back from a bad knee injury won't be easy, especially considering he suffered more than a clean ACL tear, which could further extend his recovery timeline into the 2023 season. Interestingly, the contract was structured to create a potential out with minimum guarantees or injury clauses and releasing him would open up $2.675 million in cap relief.

Extension Candidates

These players turned in strong seasons in 2022 and sticking with their typical formula, the Seahawks could look to extend their contracts with a year remaining on their respective deals as a reward for their efforts.

Uchenna Nwosu

Signed to a two-year contract last March, Nwosu has already outperformed that deal, emerging as one of the best signings made by general manager John Schneider during 13 years at the helm. A perfect fit for Clint Hurtt's 3-4 scheme, he finished 13th in the NFL among edge defenders with 62 quarterback pressures along with recording a career-best 9.5 sacks and three batted passes. In addition, Nwosu excelled against the run as well, posting a career-high 12 tackles for loss and finishing second among edge defenders with 44 stops constituting failed plays for the offense per PFF. Just 26 years old and entering the prime of his career, Seattle could save itself some money up front and lower his $13.01 million cap hit for 2023 by signing him to a lucrative multi-year extension.

Shelby Harris

As mentioned earlier, Harris may not have had gaudy stats compared to his peers. But he's been a reliable all-around defensive tackle for half a decade, offers ample experience playing in a 3-4 scheme, and is beloved in the locker room, so the Seahawks may be more inclined to negotiate a new contract with him to save some money rather than outright releasing him. While net savings wouldn't be quite as much as cutting him, his presence in the middle remains a valuable one and pairing him with a rookie such as projected top-10 picks Jalen Carter or Bryan Bresee as a mentor would be a beneficial move for all parties.

A reliable target for Geno Smith and a much-improved blocker, Seattle may strongly consider extending Noah Fant as part of future plans / © David Reginek, USA TODAY

Noah Fant

Statistically, Fant posted the lowest receiving yardage output (486) of his four-year NFL career, which may lead some to pause on the possibility of handing him a long-term deal. But he still caught 50 passes and four touchdowns and most importantly, while Pro Football Focus' grade didn't reflect the improvement, he made major strides as a blocker, proving himself capable of contributing in the run game as an in-line tight end as well as an H-back in the backfield. After picking up his fifth-year option last May, the Seahawks will probably want to play out the 2023 season before committing to him long-term, but striking a deal now could save a few million bucks to help facilitate other moves this offseason.

Restructure Candidates

While Schneider normally avoids kicking cap hits down the road like the plague unless he absolutely has to, with the salary cap expected to grow exponentially in coming years, he may be more willing to do so in order to create some extra cap space for other roster moves in the present.

Tyler Lockett

Coming off his fourth straight 1,000-yard season, Lockett isn't going anywhere in the near future with three years remaining on a four-year extension he signed in 2021. Already carrying cap hits exceeding $20 million in the final two years of the deal, re-structuring his contract in 2023 would only further bloat those totals by $3 million in 2024 and $2 million in 2025, but Seattle could open up as much as $5.69 million in cap relief by choosing to do so.

Quandre Diggs

Midway through the 2022 season, speculation ran rampant about how the Seahawks would proceed with Diggs after the veteran struggled by his standards out of the gate. Carrying an $18 million cap hit in 2023, some even wondered if the team might consider moving on from him just one year after signing him to a three-year, $40 million extension. However, the ball hawking defender finished the season a strong note with four interceptions in the final eight games and earned his third straight Pro Bowl nod along with All-Pro votes, so he shouldn't be going anywhere. Restructuring his contract would save north of $6 million, but the cap hit on the final year of his deal would soar to jump to $21 million in 2024 as a result.

Recovering from a significant injury for a third straight offseason, Jamal Adams faces a make-or-break year with the Seahawks / Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Jamal Adams

Rehabbing from a torn quad tendon that ended his 2022 season after one quarter of play, the Seahawks may have some difficult decisions looming with Adams, who has struggled to stay healthy since being acquired from the Jets for a king's ransom of draft picks in 2020. But releasing him isn't on the table even if the organization wanted to go that direction, as doing so would decrease Seattle's cap space by $6 million. Keeping fingers crossed he makes a full recovery and returns to All-Pro form in 2023, it seems unlikely, if improbable, Schneider would contemplate a restructure to save $6.6 million at the expense of increasing his cap number to nearly $25 million in 2024 for a player whose long-term future remains cloudy due to durability concerns.

Will Dissly

Slowly recovering from what coach Pete Carroll called a "rare" fracture at the top of his fibula, Dissly appears to be making steady progress and should avoid surgery, setting him up to be ready for training camp. His status with the team isn't in question due to his value as a receiver and blocker, but if Schneider wants to create a bit of cap flexibility without compromising future finances too much, the ex-Washington standout could be an ideal restructuring option. Making such a move would increase Seattle's cap space by $2.28 million, and while that won't move the needle much in terms of signing other players and facilitating other transactions in the scheme of things, the positive tradeoff is that the cap would only go down $3 million in 2024.

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