Seattle Seahawks Guaranteed Significant Money to UDFAs

Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider was aggressive in trying to bring in undrafted free agents after the 2024 NFL Draft.

Jan 8, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; Washington Huskies tight end Jack Westover (37) is tackled by / Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

The Seattle Seahawks made eight selections in the 2024 NFL Draft with six coming on day three. The depth of the roster is better than it was going into the annual selection meeting and it got better after the draft with the undrafted free agent process.

In what draft analyst Thor Nystrom calls the "dessert draft," the Seahawks weren't shy in bringing in UDFAs with general manager John Schneider signing 16 of them. In doing so, there were many guarantees going to those players, as it's a fight to get them to commit to you. It's relatable to college football recruiting but a much more sped up process.

South Dakota State s Garret Greenfield yells in celebration with friends after the team beats / Erin Woodiel / Argus Leader / USA TODAY

The Seahawks gave $721,500 in salary guarantees to their undrafted free agent class per Over The Cap. Of that guaranteed salary, $165,000 ended up being in signing bonuses. How that works is fascinating because the Seahawks may be on the hook for all of the remaining $556,500 or not have to take on any dead cap.

The practice squad salary is $225,000 with a weekly salary of $12,500. That number does count toward guaranteed salary. For example, offensive tackle Garret Greenfield got $175,000 guaranteed with $20,000 of it in signing bonus. Greenfield would have to be on the roster for 13 weeks in order to not incur any dead cap. Guaranteed salary does work with practice squad contracts.

Now, just because the Seahawks cut a player like they did with Chevan Cordeiro on May 8th, doesn't mean that they have to pay out the guarantees. If Cordeiro ends up on a practice squad for two weeks, the Seahawks could have that obligation taken away due to offset language.

Is it wise to pay this kind of guaranteed salary with how tight the Seahawks are with the salary cap? That is up for discussion. However, it's important to note that the Seahawks are likely to have most of these players on the active roster or practice squad once the season starts, which would allow them to avoid dead cap. The only thing they would have to eat is the signing bonus money given out.