Seahawks could turn to a familiar face to fill need at linebacker

The Seahawks may have a need at linebacker. Malcolm Smith, a former Super Bowl MVP for the team, is on the market. 

The Seahawks could be down a couple of linebackers coming into the 2021 season with K.J. Wright, Bruce Irvin, and Shaquem Griffin in free agency.

There’s a chance Seattle won’t be able to afford or be interested in giving Wright a new contract. Irvin and Griffin could also be allowed to walk.

Who should they turn to in that case? Seahawks expert Ty Gonzalez suggests former Super Bowl MVP Malcolm Smith and it’s an incredibly compelling case.

Does Malcolm Smith make sense for the Seahawks?

Irvin was brought back to Seattle after an odyssey through Oakland, Atlanta and Carolina, but he’s coming directly off concerning injuries. Griffin has never been more than a special teams figure. Smith would be an upgrade on both.

The crazy thing is, Wright and Smith are almost exactly the same age. They were born less than a month apart. Why let one aging veteran go to sign another?

It makes sense when you consider how much cheaper Smith would be to sign than Wright. The latter cost the Seahawks $7.5 million in 2020. The former cost the Browns just over $1 million.

Both are unrestricted free agents looking for new deals, but Smith will come at a considerably lower cost.

That’s not to say Smith is better than Wright on the field. Wright had 11 tackles for loss while filling a need for the team at strongside linebacker. That level of play will require a financial reward.

However, Smith had a productive season in Cleveland with 72 tackles, three tackles for loss, a sack and an interception. Browns fans appear to want him re-signed based on his resurgent play.

Smith could provide some relatively cheap but reliable depth while allowing a younger prospect like Jordyn Brooks a greater opportunity to expand his role.

It’s not the craziest idea in the world.