The Seattle Seahawks have some tough decisions to make this offseason.
With a brand new coaching staff, it’s hard to predict who will remain among their 14 free agents.
Linebacker Jordyn Brooks is considered the team’s most valuable free agent behind Leonard Williams.
According to Spotrac.com, Brooks is expected to earn a four-year, $45 million contract.
Seattle’s former first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft is a pending free agent after the Seahawks declined to extend his fifth year.
opportunity last season. Brooks’ option would have left him with a fully guaranteed salary of $12.72 million through 2024.
Instead, after returning from a torn ACL late in the 2022 season, he played the final year of his rookie deal for just under $2.28 million in base salary. salary .
ESPN reporter Jeremy Fowler believes the Seahawks could lose Brooks to the Dallas Cowboys in free agency.
“Dallas may be in the market for a quarterback after struggling last season,” Fowler wrote on March 3.
“Jordyn Brooks, from the Dallas area and one of the best free agents, would be a good fit.”
Bachar agrees. “Brooks could be a potential solution at the linebacker position as he has topped 110 combined tackles in each of his past three seasons.
He also recorded a career-high 4.5 sacks in 2023, including eight for a loss.”\ n\ nLast season, Brooks recorded 111 total tackles, 5 quarterback hits, 4 passes defended and 1 interception with six picks.
Randy Mueller of The Athletic rates him as the fifth-best player in free agency.
Seahawks GM John Schneider called retaining Jordyn Brooks a “priority”View this post on Instagram Post shared by J Brooks (@jordyn.brooks1) \ n
The Seahawks have about $7.1 million in effective cap space, which means CEO John Schneider has his work cut out for him.
In addition to Brooks, Bobby Wagner and Devin Bush are pending free agents.
If all three walk, Seattle won’t have a player with starting experience under contract in 2024.
When asked if he wants to re-sign with Seattle after the season, Brooks said, “Sure,” Brooks said.
Mike Dugar of the Athletic. “It’s home for me, the beginning of my career, so I’d like to come back.”
Schneider also seems eager to keep the Texas Tech alum in Seattle.
“Jordyn was a first-round pick, we didn’t draft last year. He struggled, trying to work his butt off with injuries and everything.
But [he and Williams], they’re all priorities,” Schneider told reporters at the NFL Combine.Dugar predicts Brooks will stay in Seattle.
“Based on Schneider’s history, re-sign Brooks and pair him with a low position . cost partner seems like the most likely move forward.” Dugar wrote.
Does Jordyn Brooks fit into Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald’s game plan?
Seahawks linebacker Jordyn Brooks at Lumen Field on October 22, 2023.\ n n
After the exit of Pete Carroll, Seattle hired their new head coach Mike Macdonald and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb.
Leslie Frazier is their new assistant head coach and they hired Aden Durde as defensive coordinator.
While Schneider can lean on homegrown talent , Macdonald may have a different view of Brooks.
After Macdonald’s hiring, Seattle is rumored to have poached Baltimore Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen only to get stronger.
When Seattle selected Brooks with the No. 27 overall pick, the Ravens selected Queen at No. 28.
At the time, Macdonald was Baltimore’s linebackers coach.But Queen would pay nearly double Brooks’ price.
Spotrac .com projects his market value to earn the 24-year-old a five-year, $92.6 millions.\ n
SI Corbin K. Smith suggested Seattle could let Brooks walk to make up for the missed game.
Last season, Brooks missed 21 shots, 16% of his chances. “In his four years in Seattle, he never rose to his elite status,” Smith speculates.
But after allowing 13 touchdowns in his first three seasons in Seattle, he allowed zero last year.
Between his age and the progress he’s shown, Smith believes Macdonald will keep Brooks.
“His youth, production, athleticism, durability and competitiveness should make him the best long-term investment who will be a key part of Macdonald’s defense for years to come.”
Emily Bicks covers the NFL for Heavy.com, focusing on the Bills, Seahawks and Chiefs.
He has been contributing to Heavy since 2019 and has interviewed some of the sport’s biggest stars, including Jerry Rice, Shaquille O’Neal and Stefon Diggs.
