Cowboys Named ‘Good’ Candidate to Sign Seahawks $45 million Starter

This offseason, the Seattle Seahawks face a number of difficult decisions. With an entirely new coaching staff, it’s tough to anticipate which of the 14 upcoming free agents will be retained.

Linebacker Jordyn Brooks is regarded as the team’s second most valuable pending agent, trailing only Leonard Williams. According to Spotrac.com, Brooks is expected to receive a four-year, $45 million contract.

Seattle’s former first-round choice in the 2020 NFL Draft is an upcoming free agency after the Seahawks declined to pick up his fifth-year option last season.

Brooks’ option would have put him into a fully guaranteed $12.72 million contract in 2024. Instead, after recovering from an ACL tear sustained late in the 2022 season, he completed the final year of his rookie deal with a basic salary of slightly under $2.28 million.

ESPN analyst Jeremy Fowler feels the Seahawks may lose Brooks to the Dallas Cowboys in free agency. “Dallas could be in the market for a linebacker after last season’s struggles at the position,” Fowler wrote March 3. “Jordyn Brooks, a Dallas-area native and one of the top free agent linebackers, would be a good fit.”

Zach Bachar of Bleacher Report agrees. “Brooks could be a future solution at the position, as he has surpassed 110 combined tackles in each of his previous three seasons.” In 2023, he recorded a career-high 4.5 sacks and eight total tackles for loss.

Last season, Brooks has 111 total tackles, 5 quarterback hits, 4 passes defensed, and one interception for a pick-six. Randy Mueller of The Athletic ranks him as the fifth best linebacker entering free agency.

Seahawks GM John Schneider Calls Keeping Jordyn Brooks a ‘Priority’

The Seahawks now have around $7.1 million in effective cap space, indicating that general manager John Schneider will have his job cut out for him. In addition to Brooks, Bobby Wagner and Devin Bush are upcoming free agents. If all three walk, Seattle will not have any linebackers with starting experience under contract in 2024.

When asked if he wanted to re-sign with Seattle once the season finished, Brooks answered, “Of course,” according to The Athletic’s Mike Dugar. “This has been home for me, the start of my career, so I would love to be back.”

Schneider also appears to want to keep the Texas Tech alum in Seattle. “Jordyn was a first-round pick; we did not exercise the option last year. He struggled, trying to fight his ass off despite the bruises and everything. “But [he and Williams] are all priorities,” Schneider told reporters at the NFL Combine.

Dugar expects Brooks will stay in Seattle. “Based on Schneider’s history, re-signing Brooks and pairing him with an inexpensive running mate would appear to be the likeliest path forward,” he said.

How does Jordyn Brooks fit into Seahawks head coach Mike MacDonald’s game plan

Following Pete Carroll’s departure, Seattle appointed Mike MacDonald as new head coach and Ryan Grubb as offensive coordinator. Leslie Frazier is the new assistant head coach, and Aden Durde has been named as the defensive coordinator.

While Schneider may prefer homegrown talent, Macdonald may have a different opinion on Brooks. Ever moment Macdonald was hired, whispers of Seattle acquiring Baltimore Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen have grown.

When Seattle chose Brooks with the 27th overall pick, the Ravens took Queen with the 28th pick. At the time, Macdonald was the linebackers coach for Baltimore.

However, Queen would cost roughly twice as much as Brooks. Spotrac.com predicts that the 24-year-old’s market value will earn him the $92.6 million deal over five years.

SI’s Corbin K. Smith speculated that Seattle may let Brooks depart due to his missed tackle rate. Last season, Brooks missed 21 tackles, or 16% of his possibilities.

“Throughout his four years in Seattle, he never has truly made the jump to elite at his position,” Smith said. However, after surrendering 13 touchdowns in his first three seasons with Seattle, he allowed zero last season.

Smith expects Macdonald will keep Brooks, citing his age and demonstrated progress. “His youth, production, athleticism, toughness, and competitive juices should make him the top priority to invest in long-term as a centerpiece of Macdonald’s defense for years to come.”