The Seahawks have several key players ready to hit free agency in just one week, including someone who has been their best and most consistent defender for more than two years.
It will be Pro Bowl free safety Quandre Diggs, who has recorded 13 interceptions since coming to Seattle in a mid-season deal in 2019. Diggs quickly became a top playmaker for the Seahawks in 2019, taking out three passes, and he followed it up with back-to-back five-interception seasons, resulting in Diggs making back-to-back Pro Bowls.
Diggs broke his leg and dislocated his ankle in the final game of 2021 Seattle, but head coach Pete Carroll told reporters that Diggs is fully prepared to come to training camp.
Carroll and the rest of the Seahawks organization expect Diggs to return for 2022, but what if he's in a different uniform when training camp rolls around? That's the question former NFL players Michael Bumpus and Dave Wyman, as well as Bob Stelton, asked "What if Wednesday?" At 710 ESPN Seattle's Wyman & Bob.
The Bumps, Wyman, and Stelton all agree that Diggs is Seattle's top off-season target, but what if the two sides don't agree to a reunion?
"I think Quandre is so important because he is one of the top five free safes in the league, in my opinion," Bumpus said. "And if you don't sign that or you don't use the franchise tag (for about $13 million) ... you're going to be on the market and try to find another free security. If you want to replace the top-notch protection with some other top-notch (protection), you're going to pay about $12 to $14 million. So I'm like fixing that."
Diggs is the Seahawks' top franchise tag candidate and if the team goes that route, Diggs will be under a $13.5 million contract in 2022. But the Seahawks don't use the franchise tag as often as Pete Carroll and John Schneider's shipwreck. Since 2010, Seattle has only used the tag twice.
So if the Seahawks don't tag Diggs and he walks, who do the Seahawks use in free safety next year?
"If you're healthy you've got the Marquis Blair and Ryan Neal, I guess. Or you go to the draft and there's some safaris," said Bumpus. Got a baby from Brit. Pete also mentioned that he likes to develop young talent. So if Quandre isn't signed I think they're going to get into the free security market in the draft.
Stelton said it will be interesting to see how the Seahawks can change the salary cap if they can keep Diggs because he will likely command a salary closer to that $13.5 million franchise tag number. Stelton also noted that reports have emerged that the Seahawks and Diggs are discussing a new deal.