The Five Worst Seattle Seahawks Contracts in 2016

OL- Unknown (Reserved for free agent offensive lineman)

Dec 21, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; Seattle Seahawks offensive line coach Tom Cable spits against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Seahawks defeated the Cardinals 35-6. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

It’s imminent. No way around it. The Seahawks are going to pay a free agent offensive lineman more money than he’s truly worth in March. Book it. They may even overpay two of them. Or three. Because the 2015 version of Seattle’s offensive is as historically awful as it is and is going to cost them either a playoff spot or a playoff game, team brass will stew on it all offseason and knee-jerk react by spending too much capital in an effort to fix it quickly in the first week of 2016 free agency. This will be a classic free agency folly that will damage the cap immediately and get worse with each passing season. Brace yourself. It’s gonna happen.

TE-

(2016 Cap hit = $9M in 3

rd

of a 4-year deal)

Nov 1, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys cornerback Byron Jones (31) and strong safety Barry Church (42) defend a pass intended for Seattle Seahawks tight end Jimmy Graham (88) during the first half at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Once again, we have a situation where the player isn’t necessarily to blame for the chasm that exists between cap hit and production. Notice this is applying to only players on the offensive side of the ball. Jimmy Graham didn’t suddenly get significantly worse than last year. He just isn’t going to be afforded the opportunity to do what he’s capable of because, again, the offense he’s in has a built-in throttle that chokes the life out of superb athletes.

Graham is on pace to score four touchdowns this season. Four. His TD totals in his previous four seasons are 11, 9, 16 and 10. This team traded a #1 draft pick and a competent center to New Orleans for Graham and his top-of-the-food-chain red zone abilities. Yet, here we are, half-way through the season and our matchup nightmare tight end has two touchdowns. One was against the Bears. Does that one even count?

Trading for Graham was a knee-jerk reaction to having to try to throw a Super Bowl-winning pass to an undrafted free agent special teams demon and part-time wide receiver two months prior. It predictably isn’t working out because there’s more involved than assuming touchdowns will just automatically transfer from one team to another. When a Formula 1 automobile goes from being driven by a race car driver to my cousin Toby the gimp, the car’s performance will suffer.

Bevell is Toby, by the way, if you didn’t follow that analogy.