Via free agency, the Seahawks have swapped defensive tackles with the Minnesota Vikings to get older and cheaper. NFL Network reported Friday that the Seahawks signed Tom Johnson, 34 in August, to a one-year deal to help replace Sheldon Richardson, 27, who signed a one-year deal for $8 million with the Vikings.
The Seahawks will pay Johnson a $2.1 million base salary, plus incentives that could push the value to $2.7 million.
A 6-3, 288-pounder from Southern Miss, Johnson went undrafted in 2005 and spent time with NFL Europe, the Arena League and the Canadian Football League (Calgary) before joining the New Orleans Saints in 2011. He spent the past four seasons with the Vikings, where he had a career year in 2017 — 15 starts, 32 tackles and two sacks, playing 70 percent of the defensive snaps.
He will add depth behind returning tackles Jarran Reed and Nazair Jones. Also included in the group is Malik McDowell, last season’s top draft pick who has yet to play after a severe concussion following an ATV accident last summer. His availability for 2018 is publicly unknown.
The Seahawks wanted to keep Richardson, who cost them a second-round pick and WR Jermaine Kearse in a trade with the New York Jets before the start of 2017. But upon signing, he said he wanted a prove-it deal with a team that has a chance to win big.
“I wanted the best opportunity to win the Super Bowl and I feel like this is it,” he told reporters in Minneapolis. “With them acquiring (QB Kirk Cousins), talking to him, pluck his brain a little bit . . . done deal.”
Trade for CB C.J. Smith rescinded
Apparently because he failed a physical exam, the trade three days ago with the Cleveland Browns for CB C.J. Smith was rescinded. He was acquired for a conditional seventh-round draft pick in 2020.
The Seahawks remains in need of depth at the position after releasing CBs Richard Sherman and Jeremy Lane, while free agent DeShawn Shead signed with Detroit.
SEAHAWKS FREE AGENT TRACKER
Free agents signed
| Date | Player | Pos. | ’17 AAV | New Deal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 14 | Barkevious Mingo | DE | $3.4M | 2 years, $6.8M |
| Mar 16 | Ed Dickson | TE | $1.95M | 3 years, $14M |
| Mar 16 | Jaron Brown | WR | $1.3M | 2 years, $5.5M |
| Mar 16 | Maurice Alexander | S | $528K | 1 year, $880K |
| Mar 20 | D.J. Fluker | OL | $3M | N/A |
| Mar 23 | Tom Johnson | DT | $2.33M | 1 year, $2.1M |
| Mar 25 | Shamar Stephen | DT | $823K | 1 year / $N/A |
Free agents retained
| Date | Player | Pos. | ’17 AAV | New Deal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 14 | B. McDougald | S | $1.8M | 3 years, $13.95M |
| Mar 14 | Dion Jordan | DE | $366K | 1 year, $1.9M |
| Mar 14 | Justin Coleman | CB | $615K | 1 year, $2.9M |
| Mar 22 | Mike Davis | RB | $615K | 1 year, $ TBA |
| Mar 22 | Marcus Smith | DE | $990K | 1 year, $2.7M |
Free agents lost
| Date | Player | Team | ’17 AAV | New Deal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 14 | Jimmy Graham | GB | $10M | 3 years, $30M |
| Mar 14 | Paul Richardson | WA | $1.4M | 5 years, $40M |
| Mar 14 | DeShawn Shead | Det | $1.2M | 1 year, $3.5M |
| Mar 16 | Sheldon Richardson | Min | $3.6M | 1 year, $8M |
| Mar 21 | Luke Willson | Det | $1.8M | 1 year, $2.5M |
| Mar 23 | Matt Tobin | NE | $872K | 1 year, $ N/A |
Remaining free agents
| Date | Player | Pos. | AAV | 2017 Season/Skinny |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| —– | Luke Joeckel | LG | 8M | Missed 5 games with injuries |
| —– | Eddie Lacy | RB | 4.25M | Bust: 179 yards, 0 TDs |
| —– | Michael Wilhoite | LB | 1.55M | Best beard on team |
| —– | Blair Walsh | K | 1.1M | Eight FG misses |
| —– | Oday Aboushi | RG | 975K | Played 8 games before injury |
| —– | Terence Garvin | LB | 855K | Solid special teamer |
| —– | Austin Davis | QB | 855K | Played two snaps, but a veteran |
| —– | Byron Maxwell | CB | 755K | Played well in spurts |
*=Includes incentives
14 Comments
Age 34. Seahawks’ desperation is showing.
Maybe just some insurance . . .
Seahawks have done OK with 30+ interior D-linemen. Youth is not essential at the position.
Like who? Red Bryant is the same age as this guy, and Red has been retired for years.
Do the Hawks ever go a season without picking up a Viking?
Thinking the same thing, ha, ha.
Given how well Harvin worked out, why not keep going to the horned-helmet well?
Today, the Seahawks agreed to terms with another Vikings free agent, tackle Shamar Stephen on a one-year contract.
Their signings and moves show me they have really good ideas on who they want to rebuild with in the draft. They are going for the young guns philosophy again, which I am totally for. The only problem is that they set a new mold for the league and its a copycat league, so many more teams are looking for the same types of players that we dominated the Denver Broncos with. If my observations are correct, I’ve seen a ton of guys drafted in the last few years just ahead of the Hawks’ picks that I think the Hawks wanted.
But the draft results of the past few years have been mostly unproductive. Another team may have snatched their favored choice, but that happens for every team every year. Gotta have a credible Plan B with each pick.
This signing really concerns me. This old and cheap approach can set back a rebuild if that is what they are trying to do. Your not giving young players who you can extend the game time to get better and therefore worth signing in the future. Next year we will have the same problems we have this year unless the current roster makes a big jump forward, not really a fair expectation for players playing decent, or a someone new, including McDowell, just comes out of the gate with Pro Bowl play. There was a reason they gave up so much for S. Richardson.
Also, it is one thing for McDaniel or McDonald to come in on a cheap deal and produce at DT for the Hawks when they have Avril and Bennett also on the field with them to draw away blockers but its another thing entirely for us to expect Johnson to do it without them. Even as a Viking he had plenty of star power on the D-line with him to help him. I think Frank Clark is really going to have trouble this season, he is going to have to really earn every sack, who else is worth double teaming anymore? I would not be surprised if his stats go down this year despite playing a lot more snaps.
Every post I make is spam filtered, after you stop laughing is there something I’m doing wrong? I know I tend to have long posts but I don’t advertise, link, or reference anything. Short posts often don’t cover enough angles and can make my observations look like a brash over-reaction without enough thought.
We don’t filter for you. and I see you now.
Perhaps it is Disqus that filters it. Obviously the above post wasn’t the one that I intended, however, I gave up after multiple revisions also were blocked. Thanks for the reply.