Shortly after the NFL draft concluded, the Seattle Seahawks brought a whopping 17 undrafted free agents onto the roster to compete for spots in this unique, mostly virtual offseason.
Most of them won’t make the final roster, but with a bigger gameday roster and a bigger practice squad to work with, it makes sense for Pete Carroll and his staff to take a look at as many interesting players as they can get their hands on.
While it’s not always a direct correlation, we do have an idea who the team might be favoring by looking at the signing bonuses given out to Seattle’s undrafted free agents, information that was revealed by ESPN’s Brady Henderson.
Anthony Gordon, the quarterback from Washington State who was unexpectedly left undrafted, got the biggest bonus at $12,500 dollars. He was followed by $11,500 for Mississippi State tackle Tommy Champion, $10,000 each for Maryland tight end Tyler Mabry and Baylor safety Chris Miller, and $8,000 for Albany defensive end Eli Mencer.
Of the Seahawks' 17 undrafted rookies, Washington State QB Anthony Gordon got the highest signing bonus at $12,500, according to a source. The next four: $11,500 for OT Tommy Champion; $10,000 for TE Tyler Mabry and S Chris Miller; and $8,000 for DE Eli Mencer.
— Brady Henderson (@BradyHenderson) May 12, 2020
The signing bonuses are usually more an indication that other teams were interested in said prospects, not necessarily that they have a better chance of making the active roster.
Gordon is the most likely candidate to break camp with the team, as he is the only other quarterback on the roster besides Russell Wilson.
Champion and Mencer seem like they have decent chances as well, playing at positions of need for the Seahawks that also don’t have a ton of depth.
Until we can see these guys on the field, which may be a while, it will be hard to know what Seattle has with their undrafted free agent pool – although this team has had plenty of success finding diamonds in the rough in recent years.
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