> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Seahawks Wisely Slow Played Free Agency With 2026 NFL Draft Class in Mind - URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/seattle-seahawks-wisely-slow-played-free-agency-2026-nfl-draft/ - Published: 2026-03-17T20:21:53.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-08T06:15:34.000Z - Author: Corbin Smith - Tags: Analysis, Seahawks, Josh Jobe, Rashid Shaheed, Drake Thomas, Noah Igbinoghene, D'Anthony Bell, NFL Free Agency \[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="2512"\] ![ Seattle Seahawks cornerback Josh Jobe (29) tackles Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (12) during the second quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1d/f2/1df2f77b-83dd-4bc0-a6d2-6d1bb5df89a3/content/images/2026/10/usatsi_27379079-format-original-1.jpg) Seattle Seahawks cornerback Josh Jobe (29) tackles Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (12) during the second quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images \[/caption\] Moments after the NFL’s legal tampering period opened on March 9, Seattle Seahawks fans quickly experienced the downside of bringing home the Lombardi Trophy, as Super Bowl MVP Ken Walker III started the festivities by securing a record-setting three-year, $43 million free agent contract from the Kansas City Chiefs. Less than an hour later, the Seahawks suffered another significant loss from the Super Bowl tax as safety Coby Bryant bolted for another NFC contender, signing a three-year, $40 million deal with the Chicago Bears. Not long after, outside linebacker Boye Mafe cashed in as well, inking a three-year deal with the Cincinnati Bengals worth $20 million per season. One day later, cornerback Riq Woolen joined the exodus, taking his talents to Philadelphia on a one-year deal worth up to $15 million. Before free agency even had officially began, four former starters had flew the nest for lucrative big money contracts elsewhere. For many fans who hoped to see the team run it back, it may have felt like the rest of the NFL had quickly descended on the defending champions like vultures zeroing in on deceased prey and gradually started picking away from the carcass. But for 12s who may only be seeing the glass as half empty right now one week into free agency, the situation certainly could be worse. General manager John Schneider didn’t sit idly on his hands to open the tampering period, at least in the sense of keeping the band together as much as possible, re-signing two key free agents in receiver Rashid Shaheed and cornerback Josh Jobe to multi-year contracts, with the former being the most surprising given the consensus that his price tag would exceed Seattle’s willingness to pay. In reality, none of Seattle’s free agent losses should have been surprising. Walker already had other teams linked to him as soon as he walked off the podium as Super Bowl MVP with his stock likely to never be higher, while Mafe and Woolen both had more value elsewhere with the Seahawks having bigger stars at both of their respective positions already under contract and/or needing extensions themselves. With Woolen in particular, Schneider had a cheaper in-house alternative in Jobe to pair alongside Devon Witherspoon long term, making that decision a simpler one. Of the four departures, Bryant’s exit may have been the toughest for Schneider and coach Mike Macdonald to stomach, as the team tried to work out an extension with him before the start of the 2025 season. But the two sides couldn’t bridge the gap contractually and once they couldn’t hammer out a deal before the clock struck midnight on tampering eve, it seemed inevitable that he would land a bigger deal with another team and the Bears obliged. Through the chaos, Seattle’s front office didn’t deviate from its pre-free agency game plan. Having been through this charade before after winning Super Bowl XLVIII, Schneider knew that the team wouldn’t be able to keep everyone, but he managed to escape the frenzy with the vast majority of the roster intact. Earmarking money for one of Walker or Shaheed, he chose to sign the explosive receiver/return man for a slightly higher salary per year over the running back, and he ensured the secondary would maintain some continuity by re-signing Jobe, who has become one of Macdonald’s favorite players and cost roughly half the price of Woolen. Beyond those two important re-signings, Schneider inked breakout linebacker Drake Thomas to a two-year deal worth up to $9 million several days before free agency began, avoiding using a higher-priced one-year free agent tender. He also locked up several other prioritized restricted free agents who contributed to their Super Bowl run, including defensive tackle Brandon Pili, tight end/fullback Brady Russell, long snapper Chris Stoll, and receiver Jake Bobo, who ended up getting a right of first refusal tender worth $3.52 million as a means to prevent him from hitting the market and allowing them to match if another team offered him a contract. When the dust settled last weekend after two days of tampering and three days of free agency, the Seahawks had re-signed nine of their unrestricted and restricted free agents compared to losing five players. Schneider had also started making moves to plug gaps on the depth chart at various positions with external free agents, signing former Packers running back Emanuel Wilson to help offset Walker’s departure and adding a trio of veteran defensive backs to the mix, including former first round pick Noah Igbinoghene and bringing back safety D’Anthony Bell, who spent most of the 2025 season with the organization. With Schneider actively playing the compensatory pick game with four projected fourth and fifth round selections coming in the 2027 NFL Draft thanks to the losses of Walker, Bryant, Mafe, and Woolen, putting a cherry on the sundae, all four of those outside signings will come in at price points that don’t qualify for the compensatory formula. Looking deeper into Seattle’s decisions on who to re-sign and who to let walk, there was a method to the madness for Schneider, with in-house replacement options and the strengths of the 2026 NFL Draft class weighing heavily on those choices. In the backfield, the Seahawks never were going to jump above $10-11 million per year to keep Walker, even with Zach Charbonnet expected to miss at least half of the 2026 season recovering from a torn ACL. Instead, they will turn the keys over to George Holani, who has drawn rave reviews from Schneider on multiple occasions this offseason and could be ready for an expended role, along with a healthy Kenny McIntosh and Wilson, leaving open the possibility of drafting a running back early to further fortify the group. Defensively, the writing already appeared to be on the wall for Mafe after he turned in his worst statistical season in 2025, finishing with only two sacks and four quarterback hits. Rather than overpay to bring back a player whose numbers had dipped two straight seasons, Schneider likely has eyes on a talented crop of EDGE defenders in this year’s draft class, which includes the likes of Missouri’s Zion Young, Illinois’ Gabe Jacas, Michigan’s Derrick Moore, and other quality players who could be options as early as pick No. 32. As for the secondary, along with Jobe’s presence making Woolen expendable, the Seahawks had an excellent hedge in place for a possible Bryant departure with Ty Okada returning as an exclusive rights free agent. Okada performed at a high level starting 11 games in place of Julian Love and Bryant last season, and having him under club control for at least one more season on a cheap rookie deal made it easier to not jump into a bidding war to keep Bryant. Much like the EDGE position, cornerback and safety also stand out as areas of strength in this year’s draft class, which certainly contributed to Schneider’s decision not to match on either Woolen or Bryant. Cornerback may be arguably the best position in the class, with some analysts projecting as many as five or six corners to be selected in the first round next month, and Seattle already has shown some interest in top prospects from the position, including a top-30 visit with San Diego State standout Chris Johnson. Even with only four selections currently, including only one pick in the final four rounds after trading away a fourth and fifth-round selection to the Saints for Shaheed last October, the Seahawks could feasibly plug gaps for all four positions that they lost key players in free agency with affordable rookies. This isn’t to say that they will easily replace Walker in the backfield or find an EDGE who immediately matches Mafe’s best production or land a cornerback who immediately pushes for a starting job. But it’s the nature of the beast that comes with winning in a league built on the principle of parity, as the best organizations that consistently compete for championships must be able to overcome losing great players in free agency by drafting/developing to fill the voids left behind. Aside from maybe Howie Roseman of the Eagles, nobody understands that better than Schneider. As things stand in mid-March, Schneider deserves props for keeping most of the Seahawks’ Super Bowl squad together, as all 10 offensive players who logged 700 or more snaps last season will be back and 11 of the 13 players who hit that mark on defense will be back. In the process, he also smartly based personnel and budget decisions on the strengths of the upcoming draft class, which should pay dividends next month as the team tries to maximize on their wide open title window and quickly restock the cupboard with young talent as they embark on their title defense.