The Seattle Seahawks opened the offseason by raiding the Baltimore Ravens coaching staff, hiring defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald as head coach. With NFL free agency beginning on Monday, Seattle could now take from the Ravens roster.
It took Macdonald two years to turn Baltimore’s roster into one of the best defenses in the NFL. A similar transition period is expected in Seattle, but one way to speed up that process is by bringing in veterans who know his complex system. Fortunately, many of his most important defenders are available in NFL free agency
Baltimore kept defensive tackle Justin Madubuike off the open market, but several key starters and role players will be available for other NFL teams. Among them are linebacker Patrick Queen, edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney, cornerback Ronald Darby and safety Geno Stone.
Previewing the Seahawks’ offseason, ESPN’s Dan Graziano believes that Queen is the likeliest former Ravens player who will sign with the Seahawks this offseason. He ranked Clowney as the second-likeliest with Stone behind them.
Seattle is very familiar with Clowney. The former first overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft played for the Seahawks in 2019, but only compiled 13 quarterback hits and 3 sacks in 13 games. However, he blossomed in Macdonald’s system last season and could be a very effective edge defender for the Seahawks.
Jadeveon Clowney stats 2023: 19 quarterback hits, 9.5 sacks, 9 tackles for loss
Queen would be the perfect replacement for Seattle, especially with Bobby Wagner and Jordy Brooks heading into free agency. The 28th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Queen earned second-team All-Pro honors this past season after setting career-highs in solo tackles (84) and pass deflections (six).
Considering the difficult transition rookie linebackers face entering the NFL, spending on an off-ball linebacker like Queen could be the smarter move for Seattle.
