'Just Scratching Surface' of Potential, Julian Love Eager to Grow With Seahawks

While the term "love at first sight" may not necessarily apply to free agent visits, Julian Love immediately knew Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks were the right match and he's ready to blossom in a star-studded secondary for his new team.

When it comes to NFL free agency, there's no rest for the weary. Just ask veteran safety Julian Love, who experienced the chaos first-hand for the first time last month.

With the new league year just getting underway, Love received a late call from the Seattle Seahawks at the 11th hour, literally hearing from the team at 11 PM from his place in Chicago. Within hours, he found himself boarding a plane to the Pacific Northwest and before he even arrived at the VMAC, an offer already had been pitched to him during a layover on his quick trip west.

Once he arrived at the team facility two mornings later, blown away by his meeting enthusiastic coach Pete Carroll, it didn't take long for him to decide he wanted to continue his career with the Seahawks. Hours later, he happily agreed to terms with the team on the same day, bolstering an already talented secondary with a two-year contract.

"I thought I saw a great opportunity to join a good team, who's led by I think a great head coach, who I think just gets it," Love told reporters on Thursday. "And so that's what I was looking for, looking for a nice fit. The culture is great. And so I think that kind of fits my style, my brand of football. I think Seattle was the perfect fit for me."

If one theme kept cropping back up during Love's introduction to local media, the allure of playing for an organization with a long-standing tradition of winning as well as a renowned culture played the biggest role in swaying him to join the Seahawks.

In particular, nearly every one of Love's responses seemed to circle back to the presence of Carroll, who sold him on his fit with the team and instantly developed a rapport with the former Notre Dame standout. While their discussion started off talking about family and life, eventually they transitioned into a deep conversation "talkin' ball" and breaking down game film, which left a strong impression on the young football junkie and provided the assurance he needed to know this was the best landing spot for him to reach his potential as a player.

"I'm always looking for the ability to to grow. I feel like this past year, I was just scratching the surface of the player I can be in this league," Love said. "And so throughout free agency, I just wanted that opportunity to be at a place where that was possible... That's what the reassurance came from."

Previously entering the league as a fourth round pick in 2019, Love had to bide his time waiting for a full-time starting spot in New York. But from the outset, his ability to play multiple positions helped him see the field as an important reserve chess piece, as he logged at least 400 defensive snaps and 180 special teams snaps in each of his first three seasons despite only starting 11 games in that span.

A true Swiss army knife playing in multiple schemes for different coordinators, Love has played everywhere in the secondary and even saw action in the box, seemingly lining up everywhere except defensive tackle. According to Pro Football Focus, he has played at least 500 career snaps at free safety, strong safety, and slot cornerback while also playing 225 snaps at outside cornerback and 121 snaps off the edge.

Everything came together for Love in the final year of his rookie contract last season, as he started 16 games for the Giants while seeing extensive action at both safety spots as well as in the slot. Making plays all over the field, serving as a team captain, and donning the green dot as defensive play caller for a portion of the season, he established career-highs with 124 tackles, two interceptions, and six tackles for loss.

Playing at a high level at multiple positions and demonstrating outstanding leadership skills, even with Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams under contract, Love's rare versatility made him a coveted asset for the Seahawks in free agency. As evidenced by how quickly they flew him to the facility and made a quality offer for his services, Carroll and his staff put on the full court press with hopes of bringing him into the fold, making it an easy decision for him to sign the dotted line.

"They were excited about having the ability to put three safeties on the field. And I think they saw me as a good addition to who they have in the room right now," Love explained. "And so that's what I wanted. I fortunately have the opportunity to grow with two savvy vets, you know, I'm a veteran myself now. But I'm still 25 years old. So I'm still learning the game, still trying to improve. And so that's kind of how this helped me fit as I continue to improve and grow in their system."

Comfortable from the moment he stepped foot on campus in Renton and energized by what the franchise looks to be building, the opportunity to learn from one of the most respected coaches in the NFL as well play alongside Diggs and Adams was one Love simply couldn't pass up as he looks to take the next step in his career.

After dealing with the free agent whirlwind of what he described as a "funky" safety market, Love expects to relocate to Seattle next week with the start of the offseason program right around the corner. Having already reached out to Diggs and Adams, he's eager to get to work and add his own unique skill set to the equation, opening up a world of schematic possibilities for Carroll, Hurtt, and the rest of the defensive staff.

As for Love's own expectations for how the Seahawks will deploy their new weapon? After playing everywhere in the secondary dating back to college, he doesn't have a preference and will be ready to rock wherever the team needs him to make an impact.

"Whenever I make plays, wherever I can make plays is where I'm most comfortable. I like to be in the action. I think I play a tough brand of football and that's why I think they'll utilize me in that way."

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