Should Seahawks Roll Dice on Soon-To-Be Free Agent CB Jaire Alexander?
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After seven seasons with the organization, the Green Bay Packers will release cornerback Jaire Alexander, making him an unrestricted free agent. Could the Seattle Seahawks have interest in signing him? [/caption]
Following several months of uncertainty in regard to his future with the franchise, after failing to find a suitable trade partner or agree to a restructured contract this offseason, the Green Bay Packers reportedly will be moving on from veteran cornerback Jaire Alexander.
According to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, the Packers plan to release Alexander, creating more than $17 million in instant salary cap relief and absorbing a $7.5 million dead cap hit in the process. Per OverTheCap.com, the move puts Green Bay at $46 million in current cap space, which could open the door to swing a trade before or during training camp.
With Alexander now set to hit the market for the first time in his NFL career, the two-time All-Pro selection should garner decent interest on the market. Could the Seahawks emerge as a viable suitor? And more importantly, should they be one?
Still just 28 years old, Alexander instantly will become the most talented cornerback available on the free agent market, at least from a name recognition standpoint. When he’s been healthy the past four seasons, he has remained a borderline top-10 caliber boundary cornerback with shutdown capabilities, including allowing under an 80.0 passer rating and a 56 percent completion rate with two interceptions and three pass breakups on only 232 coverage snaps in 2024.
Two years ago, per Pro Football Focus charting, while he did surrender a passer rating north of 100, Alexander produced an interception and six pass breakups on 338 coverage snaps, receiving a respectable 78.6 coverage grade for his efforts. In 2023, he earned Second-Team All-Pro distinction with only two touchdowns allowed, five interceptions, and eight pass breakups, ranking fifth in the NFL among cornerbacks yielding a 66.2 passer rating while consistently getting his hands on the football when targeted by opposing quarterbacks.
Dating back to the start of the 2020 season, according to Pro Football Reference, Alexander is one of only two defenders in the league with 42 or more passes defensed while playing in fewer than 50 total games, showcasing his consistent effectiveness when he has been on the field.
Unfortunately, the number one quality for an NFL player remains availability and as evidenced by that factoid, Alexander simply hasn’t been available much for Green Bay since a breakout 2020 campaign. Over the past four seasons, he has only surpassed 600 defensive snaps once, failing to play in even half of the Packers regular season games every year except for 2022. He missed all but four games in 2021 and suited up for seven games apiece in 2023 and 2024, landing on injured reserve three different times.
If not for his well-documented durability issues, the Packers likely wouldn’t have tried to trade Alexander, let alone ultimately release him. Though his play has been worthy of the massive four-year, $84 million contract he signed in 2022 when he has actually been able to dress, however, missing 34 regular season games over the previous four seasons proves he has been anything but reliable, giving the organization no choice but to cut ties with him for financial reasons.
From Seattle’s vantage point, with north of $30 million in available cap space, the team may be better positioned than most to be able to take a low risk, high reward gamble on Alexander with hopes he can stay healthy. Already with Riq Woolen and Devon Witherspoon atop the depth chart, there isn’t a need for a No. 1 or even No. 2 cornerback, so the veteran wouldn’t need to come on board and assume either one of those roles.
Even behind Woolen and Witherspoon, Josh Jobe re-signed with the Seahawks in March after an impressive 10-start audition last season, and the former Alabama standout should begin training camp starting opposite of Woolen as the second boundary corner in nickel and dime packages. The team also added veteran Shemar Jean-Charles in free agency, helping offset the departures of Artie Burns and Tre Brown.
Still, a healthy Alexander has a much better track record and may yet offer a higher ceiling than Jobe, who will be playing on a one-year prove it deal aiming to show he can replicate his performance from a year ago. At minimum, he’d be a substantial upgrade over Jean-Charles and second-year defender Nehemiah Pritchett, who struggled in limited action as a rookie in 2024.
What Seattle or any other potential interested party would have to figure out to determine whether or not to pursue him, of course, is what Alexander expects to receive as compensation and most importantly, where he’s at health-wise, before taking a shot on him.
Formerly working for the Packers prior to signing on as general manager for the Seahawks in 2010, John Schneider will undoubtedly have as much intel on Alexander as any executive in the league given his contacts with the organization. Before even considering the possibility of signing the oft-injured defender, he will be able to reach out to those connections in Titletown to see if it’s even worth kicking the tires or not.
Depending on the feedback Schneider receives, it will be interesting to see if Seattle decides to jump into the mix for acquiring Alexander’s services. If health continues to be a significant concern, the franchise isn’t desperate enough at the position to justify signing him simply because of his past accolades. It’s far from the biggest weakness on coach Mike Macdonald’s defense.
But at the same time, in today’s pass-centric NFL, there’s no such thing as having too many quality cornerbacks, and statistics as recently as last season indicate Alexander remains just that when able to play. For that reason alone, it wouldn’t be a surprise at all if the Seahawks throw their hat in the ring, and if the price matches up and the two sides have mutual interest, adding another big name to the secondary shouldn’t be ruled out.
