Mike Macdonald has a backlog of tasks to
The Seattle Seahawks may be active in free agency in an attempt to entice one or more of Mike Macdonald’s former Baltimore Ravens players to the Pacific Northwest, but first they must overcome financial obstacles. Which ones have the highest chance of achieving free agency?
Mike Macdonald officially took over as head coach of the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday. He has a lot of work ahead of him to get his new team back into the elite division in the NFL.
Although Macdonald will inherit a roster that features a fun mix of young talent and seasoned veterans, Seattle currently has a limited amount of cap space, so before free agency opens on March 13, the front office will have some tough choices to make regarding players like quarterback Geno Smith, safety Quandre Diggs, and others. Making cap space a priority means that big changes like reorganizations, extensions, and regrettable cap casualties will need to take place in the coming weeks.
During his inaugural press conference, Macdonald discussed the Seahawks’ approach as the team approaches the beginning of a new league season, making many references to his previous players. Considering the Ravens led the league in turnovers, sacks, and scoring defense the previous season, adding one or two of those players could help the new coach adjust to life on his new squad.
Which free-agent Baltimore defenders might be joining Macdonald in the Pacific Northwest? Here are four unrestricted free agents that are now pending and the likelihood that Seattle will sign them this offseason. These players may rejoin with their previous coach.
Defensive Tackle Justin Madubuike
With Macdonald in the driver’s seat, Madubuike, who started the season as a rotational reserve but developed into one of the NFL’s best interior pass rushers during his rookie deal, blasted off, racking up 18.5 sacks, 42 quarterback hits, and 20 tackles for loss in the previous two seasons. In 2023, not many players caused as much disruption as the former Texas A&M standout. According to PFF, he finished with the most sacks (14), the sixth-highest pressure total (64) and the 10th-best pass rush win percentage (20.9%) among eligible defensive tackles in true pass sets.
Since entering the league as a third-round choice, Madubuike has also grown exponentially as a run defender. Out of 68 eligible defensive tackles, he finished with a respectable 9.2 percent stop rate and the 16th-best run defense grade (65.6). The 26-year-old versatile defender will probably command top-five defensive tackle money if he manages to reach free agency, but the Ravens have the franchise tag at their disposal to keep that from happening. He played over 400 snaps as a 3-tech defensive tackle and over 200 snaps covering the tackle as a base end last season. In any case, unless the Seahawks pull off a series of cap-creating transactions, this looks too rich for them.
Possibility of Signing with the Seahawks: less than 1%
Linebacker Patrick Queen
During his first two lackluster seasons, Queen missed tackles in large quantities and gave up five touchdowns in coverage, giving the impression that he was an uncommon first-round flop for Baltimore. However, following his return to the position of defensive coordinator, Macdonald found success in the middle alongside fellow linebacker Roquan Smith. In 2022 and 2023, he amassed 163 solo tackles, eight sacks, and three interceptions. In addition to recording 24 pressures and a career-low 489 yards in coverage this past season, he also produced three pass breakups and an interception, showcasing his versatility.
Over the previous two seasons, Queen recorded 18 tackles for loss in her role as a run defender, demonstrating her propensity to cause mayhem in the backfield. Over his four NFL seasons, he has yet to record a missed tackle rate below 13 percent, indicating that missed tackles have continued to be a problem for him. At just 24 years old, though, such problems shouldn’t have much of an effect on his market value. Should the Ravens be unable to come to an agreement with him, he will command a high price when free agency begins in a month and may even demand salary comparable to that of a top-five linebacker, which would blow a hole in the Seahawks’ budget.
Safety and Geno Stone
Under Macdonald’s guidance, Stone went from being a seventh-round choice out of Iowa to an All-Pro type player. Stone is the most recent example of Baltimore’s outstanding scouting and day three drafting. In a breakthrough 2023 season, he more than tripled his interception total (which was just one in his prior three seasons) with seven picks, the highest of any safety this year. He also held opposition quarterbacks to a pitiful 50.8 passing rating and just 7.5 yards per reception when they targeted him.
Stone, who will turn 25 in April, appears to be at the peak of his career. Judging by his coverage statistics, he might be a highly sought-after player when he becomes a free agency. Though he has struggled as a run defender, missing 15 tackles and has a missed tackle percentage of approximately 20 percent, interested teams might be hesitant to overpay for just one season. If he hits the market, his worth could be one of the biggest unknowns among secondary players, but if Seattle moves on from Quandre Diggs and/or Jamal Adams, he could make a ton of sense as a replacement. Baltimore will investigate bringing him back.
Outside linebacker and edge player Jadeveon Clowney
In contrast to the first three players on our list, Clowney, who will shortly turn 31, is no longer a developing young player and has spent the last five seasons on one-year contracts with four different teams. Despite his age, the South Carolina native who was once selected as the top choice overall still carries a powerful punch. He excels in Macdonald’s scheme when he plays off the edge, combining his strength, speed, and length to record 9.5 sacks, 19 quarterback hits, and two forced turnovers. He also tied for sixth place among edge defenders with four batted passes at the line of scrimmage, according to PFF, and finished 11th overall with 71 pressures.
Clowney has had a good NFL career with 52.5 sacks and 128 quarterback hits, but he hasn’t lived up to the enormous hype that surrounds him coming out of college as a pass rusher. His finest quality could be his physical run defense. In his final season with the Seahawks in 2019, he set a firm edge in run defense with an excellent 80.8 grade, making him borderline dominating. He finished with a quality 72.3 run defense grade the previous season. In Macdonald’s defense, he would be an intriguing player to bring back to the Pacific Northwest alongside Boye Mafe and Uchenna Nwosu, despite his age and history of injuries making him unlikely to command much money in free agency.
50 percent chance of signing with the Seahawks