The Seattle Seahawks have officially climbed the mountain, shutting down the New England Patriots to earn their second Super Bowl title in franchise history. But while the party is just getting started in the Pacific Northwest, the NFL calendar never takes a day off — and the Seahawks front office is going to start working on next season's roster practically before the confetti clears.
John Schneider and Co. built a championship-caliber roster, but if they hope to become the third team to repeat as champs in the 21st century, they're going to need to either re-sign or replace some key names from this Super Bowl run.
RB Kenneth Walker III
Walker no doubt would've preferred to have his running mate, Zach Charbonnet, with him in the backfield this postseason. But Charbonnet's torn ACL forced the Seahawks to finally give their former first-round pick a full workload — and boy, did he show prospective free agent suitors what he could do with it.
Walker nearly cracked 100 yards in the first half on Sunday, finishing with 135 yards on 27 carries for the game to cap off a spectacular few weeks of football. Injuries have been a problem in the past, but his ability to stay healthy this season and display his usual combination of explosiveness, patience and contact balance will put him right behind Breece Hall among free agent running backs this offseason. He'd look particularly good for a Texans offense that could desperately use some more juice in the ground game.
Landing spot: Houston Texans
WR Rashid Shaheed
Shaheed is a bit of an odd case. No one doubts his game-breaking speed, which was on display both as a deep threat and as a kick returner after coming over to Seattle at the trade deadline. But he's also something less than a WR1, a complementary piece who makes the most sense on a contender that already has its alpha in place and is looking to add an extra dash of dynamism.
So why not the Falcons? Drake London is the clear-cut No. 1 for Atlanta, but this team could use some more verticality in its passing game to take a little pressure off of both him and Bijan Robinson. Plus, you know they're familiar with him from his time with the rival Saints.
Landing spot: Atlanta Falcons
CB Riq Woolen
Woolen can have a maddening lack of discipline at times, but he is fierce, fast and physical on the outside, and his traits at 6-foot-4 don't come around very often. The upside here is through the roof, which makes him feel like a perfect fit for the Eagles — a front office that loves getting the most out of big-time athletes and just happens to have a need at CB2 opposite Quinyon Mitchell.
Landing spot: Philadelphia Eagles
EDGE Boye Mafe
Mafe isn't cut out to be a team's leading pass rusher, but he's a smart, all-around player ideal for anyone looking for a complementary edge who's also more than capable of holding up against the run. Don't let his dip in sacks this season fool you: He combined for 15 between 2023 and 2024, and it's not his fault that the Seahawks had a fleet of talented linemen around him.
Landing spot: Baltimore Ravens
S Coby Bryant
Bryant can do a little bit of everything. He's not cut out to be a full-time box safety, better suited as a deep-half defender who can occasionally come down and set the edge. But he's smart, versatile and more than capable of making plays on the ball, a valuable piece for any defense looking for some more maturity and security on the back end.
Landing spot: Cincinnati Bengals
CB Josh Jobe
Woolen and Devon Witherspoon soaked up all the attention this season, but don't sleep on Jobe, the third corner on this defense who nevertheless put up very strong numbers on a per-snap basis. He can be had a bit on jump balls on the outside (he's just 5-foot-11), but he competes and is technically sound, and you can never have enough corners.
Landing spot: Washington Commanders