Looking to stockpile weapons for quarterback Russell Wilson and retool a tight ends group that severely underachieved in 2020, the Seahawks took a one-year shot on free agent Gerald Everett last offseason.
Despite a slow start to the year—which included a two-week bout with COVID-19 and a month-long absence for Wilson—Everett ended up posting career-high numbers across the board.
But the market he is set to step into is a saturated one, which may complicate his search for a longer—and more lucrative—contract than the one-year, $6 million deal he inked with Seattle a year ago.
While a good portion of their heavy lifting this offseason will consist of retaining their own free agents, the Seahawks also have to bolster a roster that finished at the bottom of the NFC West in 2021.
Now, Rob Gronkowski won’t be walking through the doors of the Virginia Mason Athletic Center—or perhaps any facility that Tom Brady isn’t in, for that matter—this spring; and younger tight ends fresh off big seasons like Mike Gesicki, Dalton Schultz and Tyler Conklin may be priced out of Seattle’s range.
For the first five years of his career, Engram was relegated to catching passes from the likes of quarterbacks Daniel Jones, Mike Glennon and a severely regressed Eli Manning.
Although this could have been a mere act of due diligence on Schneider’s part—especially when trading for Ertz would have incurred a $7.7 million salary cap hit—he has been known to circle back on past interests.
Notably, pass-catching is the calling card for many of this year’s impending free agent tight ends, whereas run blocking is an area the majority struggles in.
While this year’s class of tight ends doesn’t boast an elite-level prospect, there are several names getting early-round attention in the buildup to the late April event.
Parkinson has had to battle through several injuries during his first two years in the NFL and was rarely utilized in 2021, hauling in five catches on eight targets for 33 yards on 23 percent of the offense’s snaps.
In summary, the Seahawks have a ton of options at tight end—almost too many to count.