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It wasn’t solely because of their pass-rush that the Seahawks were a bottom-third defense by most measures. They missed too many tackles, struggled against the run and got suspect play out of some of their defensive backs.
Then again, more heat on the opposing quarterback would have made life a lot easier for that group. The Seahawks had the third-lowest rate of pressure on opponents’ dropbacks, at 22.9%, per ESPN charting. They were 16th, at 42.8%, in ESPN’s Pass Rush Win Rate. That was with Clowney finishing fifth in individual PRWR, at 24.8%.
Clowney was the only part of the Seahawks’ plan to replace Frank Clark that worked. They hardly got anything from Ezekiel Ansah (another pending free agent) and even less from L.J. Collier, whom they drafted with the extra first-round pick they acquired in the Clark trade.
The Seahawks can’t tag Clowney and thus can’t keep him from reaching the open market, where his price could skyrocket, as he is one of the best available players at one of the most sought-after positions. It won’t be impossible to re-sign him, but it’ll be difficult.
After pulling off a blockbuster trade to acquire Clowney last summer, Schneider might have to do something equally creative and drastic to replace him. Even if the Seahawks are able to keep Clowney, 2019 made it all too clear that they’ll need more around him.
Here’s what else you need to know about Seattle’s offseason:
The rest of the free agents
Former sixth-round pick Joey Hunt replaced an injured Jusitn Britt at center and is a restricted free agent. Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire
