Seahawks Free Agency: Will Devin Bush Return in Revamped Linebacker Corps?

Playing seldomly with Jordyn Brooks making a rapid return from a knee injury, Devin Bush didn't get a chance to jumpstart his once-promising career as hoped with the Seattle Seahawks. Could another one-year deal provide that opportunity in 2024?

On the heels of a disappointing 9-8 season that ended without a playoff berth and the departure of long-time coach Pete Carroll, the Seattle Seahawks have plenty of roster questions to address heading into a crucial offseason with a new regime in place.

When the new league year opens on March 13, Seattle will have 14 players scheduled to hit the market as unrestricted free agents. Four players will be restricted free agents and five will be exclusive rights free agents, while several other key veterans such as Pro Bowl safety Julian Love will be entering the final season of their respective deals ready to negotiate extensions.

Over the next several weeks, I will break down each and every one of the Seahawks' unrestricted free agents by revisiting their 2023 seasons, assessing why they should or should not be re-signed, breaking down an ideal contract, and making an early prediction on whether or not the player will return in 2024.

With Seattle set to potentially hit the reset button at linebacker, could Devin Bush remain in plans as a low-cost veteran option in the middle?

Season in Review

Signed as insurance in case Jordyn Brooks wasn't able to return from a torn ACL for the start of the season, Bush unfortunately didn't get a chance to start until December with his teammate making an astonishing recovery in time for Week 1. Held out as a healthy scratch on multiple instances in the first two months of the season, he eventually tallied 30 combined tackles in Seattle's final three games, wrapping up the year with 37 tackles and five tackles for loss on just 250 defensive snaps.

Why Seattle Should Re-Sign Him

In limited action, Bush proved effective at getting ball carriers to the ground and rarely missed when he got his hands on opponents, averaging nearly seven tackles per game when he logged at least 25 defensive snaps while missing only two tackle attempts the entire season. He finished with a stellar 76.2 tackling grade, which ranked 19th out of 92 qualified linebackers, and his 5.7 percent missed tackle rate ranked eighth and nearly equaled his All-Pro teammate Bobby Wagner.

© Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK

From a disruptive standpoint, Bush used his top-tier athleticism to produce the second-most tackles for loss in his career, finding his way into the backfield frequently, including registering two tackles behind the line in Seattle's season finale at Arizona. As a result, he posted a respectable 3.4 yards of average depth per tackle against the run, which ranked 32nd out of 82 linebackers with at least 125 run defense snaps.

Why Seattle Should Let Him Walk

Weighing just 234 pounds, Bush continued to battle issues working off of blocks, which has been a persistent problem for him throughout his NFL career to this point. Struggling to disengage when blockers reached him at the second level, particularly against his former team when the Steelers came to town and pulled a road upset in Week 17, he either found himself getting drove out of the play or making tackles several yards downfield. This contributed to the Seahawks late season woes defending the run giving up 190 yards on the ground per game in the final three weeks.

Compared to his peers, Bush provided minimal impact as a blitzer or coverage linebacker. On nine rush attempts, he didn't generate a single pressure, while quarterbacks completed 16 out of 20 targets against him with the defender producing no pass breakups and yielding a 95,6 passer rating in coverage.

Ideal Contract

One year, $2.5 million

Prediction

After playing last season on a $4 million contract, Bush will be hard-pressed to find such value on the open market after starting only three games for the Seahawks in 2023. Despite once being a highly-touted first-round pick, interest in him will likely be lukewarm at best in free agency, as he hasn't been able to fully bounce back from a torn ACL suffered in his second season in Pittsburgh.

Building The Seahawks Standard: Durde Details Vision For Defense

Given Seattle's salary cap situation and the fact Wagner and Brooks also will be free agents on March 13, however, re-signing the 25-year old Bush to another one-year contract could be a shrewd move for the franchise. His athletic ability as a sideline-to-sideline linebacker could appeal to new coach Mike Macdonald and since he's still a young player, he may benefit from working with renowned inside linebacker coach Kirk Olivadotti. Assuming the team will only be able to afford re-signing one of Wagner or Brooks or an outside free agent, it wouldn't be a surprise at all to see the ex-Michigan standout return as a complementary starter or experienced backup.

Previous Seahawks Free Agency Previews

Leonard Williams

Damien Lewis

Jordyn Brooks

Noah Fant

Bobby Wagner

Colby Parkinson