NFL Trade Rumors: 5 players unlikely to be back with the Seahawks for the 2021-22 season
Some important decisions will be made on the Seahawks roster in 2022. The team needs to further strengthen their offensive line to fulfill Russell Wilson's wishes that have become public, and they also need to fix their defense, a huge problem from last season.
For that to happen, Seattle will have to let some free agent players hit the market to save enough money to fix some roster holes. In this article, we take a look at five Seahawks stars that are likely to leave.
#1 - Quandre Diggs, S
Diggs is coming off a good year in his career and deserves a contract extension. The problem is that the Seahawks will have to judge carefully whether his extension is ideal for the team. There are other holes in the roster, especially on the offensive line and throughout the entire defense, and Jamal Adams is already destined to receive a big extension.
Seattle may make an effort to keep him on the team and increase his salary under the new contract, but other positions also need reinforcement. Diggs will most likely hit the market in 2022.
#2 - Will Dissly, TE
Dissly failed to establish himself as a surefire starter after showing flashes of production, and it's clear Seattle doesn't trust him for the long term, either because of his injury issues or his inconsistency in the passing game.
The signing of Gerald Everett in free agency should considerably diminish Dissly's snaps, as he started in 12 of the team's 16 games last season. He's likely to leave the Seahawks by the end of 2021.
#3 - Rashaad Penny, RB
A former first-round pick, Penny has certainly not lived up to expectations since being drafted by the Seahawks, losing ground to Chris Carson over the past few years.
Seattle declined to activate Penny's fifth-year option, making him a free agent after this season. Despite good flashes on the field in 2019, his serious knee injury and Carson's rise made his stay with the Seahawks unsustainable.
#4 - Ahkello Witherspoon, CB
Witherspoon was a solid signing because of his familiarity with the team's defensive system, similar to that of the San Francisco 49ers, his former team, used with Robert Saleh, a 4-3 base with cover-three variations.
Based on what we've seen of Ahkello on the field over the past few years, he shouldn't be much of an upgrade compared to the other cornerbacks on the team. In other words, he won't solve the Seattle secondary problem and is more likely just a stopgap in 2021.
#5 - Cedric Ogbuehi, T
Like Witherspoon in defense, it's likely that Ogbuehi won't be kept on the roster for long, even if his role is only as a backup.
He simply doesn't have enough quality to play in the NFL, and after Russell Wilson's public complaints over the offensive line, the Seahawks must look for better options to protect their franchise quarterback.