Analysis: Which Veteran CB Would Be Best For Seahawks to Sign?
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Rasul Douglas (left) and Shaquill Griffin (center) have already visited with the Seattle Seahawks, while Asante Samuel Jr. remains available as well. [/caption]
With OTAs set to kick off on May 29, the Seattle Seahawks have remained active looking for ways to shore up their 90-man roster, including re-signing veteran nose tackle Johnathan Hankins earlier this month.
While Hankins’ return plugs a significant void in the middle of Seattle’s defensive line, general manager John Schneider continues to take a look at veteran cornerbacks after choosing not to select one with any of the team’s 11 picks in the 2025 NFL Draft and losing both Artie Burns and Tre Brown in free agency. Prior to the draft, eight-year veteran Shaquill Griffin visited his old stomping grounds and left without a contract, while Rasul Douglas reportedly visited earlier in the month and also left without signing, signaling the franchise’s desire to add depth at the position.
Heading into the final phase of the offseason program, which seasoned veteran cornerback would be the best fit to add to the roster as either competition for Josh Jobe or as a reinforcement on the depth chart in coach Mike Macdonald’s defensive scheme? Here are four free agent defenders who could make sense and a final verdict on who the team should ultimately sign:
Shaquill Griffin
Starting his career with the Seahawks as a third-round pick out of UCF, Griffin broke into the starting lineup early in his rookie season and enjoyed four strong seasons with the franchise, including making the Pro Bowl for the first and only time in 2019. Though he didn’t have a ton of interceptions in his time in Seattle, he did post two seasons with 14 pass breakups, regularly getting his hands into passing lanes when targeted in coverage. His tackling efficiency proved to be hit and miss during that span, as he had two years with under a 10 percent missed tackle rate and two years exceeding a 16 percent missed tackle rate, illustrating his consistency issues despite a willingness to partake in playing the run.
Since leaving as a free agent to sign with the Jaguars in 2021, Griffin hasn’t quite been able to return to prior form while spending time with three teams in four seasons, though he did have a bit of a resurrection in Minnesota last year with two interceptions and two pass breakups as a rotational reserve. With 82 career starts under his belt as he approaches his 30th birthday, even if he would be playing in a different scheme than the one he previously did under former coach Pete Carroll, his athleticism and overall skill set would seem to be a solid fit to bring onboard as competition for Jobe on the outside.
Rasul Douglas
Starting out of the gate as a third round pick for the Eagles, Douglas has had a fascinating career chocked full of ups and downs to this point. Early on, he struggled as a tackler and though he had good ball production in his first three seasons, his propensity for giving up chunk plays ultimately led to his departure from Philadelphia during final roster cuts in 2020. Following a decent, yet unspectacular season in Carolina, he bounced around with four different teams in 2021, eventually landing with the Packers, where he enjoyed a career renaissance with five interceptions and two defensive touchdowns in just 13 games.
From 2021 to 2023, Douglas produced a whopping 14 interceptions and 23 pass breakups with the Packers and Bills, emerging as one of the best ball hawks at the cornerback position in the entire NFL. Unfortunately, he didn’t have a good year in Buffalo in 2024, finishing without an interception for the first time since 2020 and recording just three pass breakups while allowing three touchdowns and a 116.9 passer rating in coverage. Interested teams will have to hope that poor production was an aberration and not a sign of things to come for a defender on the wrong side of 30 years old, but his size (6-2, 209) and track record of creating turnovers warrant a closer look by the Seahawks as a viable threat to unseat Jobe.
Asante Samuel Jr.
Drafted in the second round out of Florida State in 2021, Samuel turned in a productive rookie season for the Chargers with two interceptions and seven pass breakups in 12 starts. Though he did allow 12 touchdowns and over 1,400 yards in coverage over the next two seasons, he demonstrated moderate improvement in the ball production department with seven picks and 22 pass breakups, flashing the traits that made him a high selection. Tackling was not his strong suit, however, with 32 combined missed tackles in his first three seasons, making him a liability against the run.
Entering the final year of his rookie deal with Los Angeles, Samuel wasn’t able to cash in on his opportunity due to a significant shoulder injury that ended his season after just four games. In that limited action, he registered one pass breakup while missing 22 percent of his tackle attempts, continuing the past trend of being above average in coverage and struggling as a run defender. Coming off a substantial injury, his well-documented issues as a tackler may write him off as a possible alternative for the Seahawks, but he’s still only 26 years old and if healthy, there’s plenty of untapped upside that could make him worth taking a low risk, high reward flier on.
Kendall Fuller
After four average seasons to open his career, from 2020 to 2023, few cornerbacks had better overall numbers in coverage than Fuller, whose second stint with the Commanders in the nation’s capital was deserving of far more accolades than he ultimately received playing on a bad football team. During that time, he tallied 10 interceptions and 35 pass breakups, earning coverage grades of at least 75.4 in three of those four seasons from Pro Football Focus, adding two defensive touchdowns for good measure.
As a reward for that production, the Dolphins signed Fuller to a two-year contract prior to the 2024 season, but he battled through multiple concussions while starting just 11 out of 17 possible games. He failed to generate an interception for the first time since his rookie year and despite allowing just one touchdown with five pass breakups, Miami released him as a cap casualty in February. His concussion history may be the biggest reason why he has yet to find a new home and he’s now 30 years old, which may limit him to one-year contracts at his point. Macdonald coached his brother Kyle in Baltimore and health permitting, those past ties coupled with his consistent ball production prior to 2024 could lead to interest from Seattle as OTAs draw closer.
Final Verdict
Players sitting on the free agent market after the NFL draft typically remain unsigned for a reason with age, injuries, and declining numbers often the most common factors behind their continued unemployment. Every one of the aforementioned players checks off at least one of those boxes, with Griffin, Douglas, and Fuller all set to open the 2024 season at 30 years of age and Samuel and Fuller coming off of injury-marred seasons.
While those circumstances may not seem ideal when it comes to signing a veteran for depth purposes or to potentially vie for a starting job, there’s still plenty of value that comes with all four of these players, as their contracts likely won’t be much above league minimum with minimal guaranteed money. At that price tag, all four players would be solid additions to Macdonald’s secondary in Seattle, helping offset the departures of Brown and Burns and providing much-needed experience on the depth chart.
As for who would be the best option to sign, while Griffin’s past experience for the franchise and Samuel’s possible upside stand out as positives, Douglas has been the most productive player of the bunch manufacturing interceptions and pass breakups over the course of his career and offers the most versatility of the bunch with extensive experience as a boundary corner as well as a safety and slot defender. He also doesn’t have the injury history that Samuel and Fuller do, and with Macdonald valuing the ability to create turnovers and positional flexibility, he would seem to have the most value to bring on board and push Jobe for a starting role.
