Seattle Seahawks 2013 Free Agency Preview

Dec 9, 2012; Seattle, WA, USA; General view of a Seattle Seahawks helmet during the game against the Arizona Cardinals at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports /

This article was written by Keith Myers of 12th Man Rising.

The Seahawks go into free agency with the uninteresting combination of few players with expiring contracts, few needs, and only enough room cap room to add a player or two.

The Seahawks have just 14 players from 2012 who aren’t under contract already for 2013. Most of those are late season injury replacement players (like Ryan Longwell) or players who were on IR for much or all of last season (like TE Cameron Morrah).

Seattle has just 5 free agents who were significant contributors in 2012: K Steven Hauschka, LB LeRoy Hill, DTs Jason Jones and Alan Brach, and LS Clint Gresham. Only Gresham looks definite to return, and that’s because long snappers only make the minimum salary. Seattle will look for upgrades for the other 4 players, both through free agency and the draft.

I should add that the Seahawks would like to get Jones and Hauschka back, but only at the right price. I guess the same goes for Branch, but it would have to be with a contract that be fitting of a player with a decreased role.

With all of that in mind, Seattle will look to add a DT who can start and be an upgrade over Branch. A player like Cullen Jenkins would make a lot of sense, and he met with the Seahawks on Monday.

Other than a DT, I don’t expect the Seahawks to sign any high profile free agents. They’ll add plenty of vet minimum guys just before the draft (like they did a year ago with Barrett Ruud and Greg Lumpkin) who’ll fill needs if the draft doesn’t fall as they invision, but that is likely it.

Ultimately, this is shaping up to be a very boring and inactive free agency period for the Seahawks.