Seattle Seahawks 2020 free agent profile: Tackle George Fant

Seahawks tackle George Fant told reporters he wants to sign somewhere where he can compete to start at left tackle, a bad sign for Seattle.

*The Seattle Seahawks are heading into the 2020 offseason with 19 players set to become unrestricted free agents, which should make for another busy spring and summer for Pete Carroll and John Schneider as they look to shore up the roster and contend for the number one seed in the NFC again next year.*

Our free agent series continues with a look at tackle/tight end George Fant.

George Fant’s free agency will be one of the most interesting ones for Seahawks fans to watch. Used primarily in a sixth lineman/blocking tight end role, Fant made it clear to reporters after the season that he wants to find an opportunity where he can compete to start at left tackle – something that almost certainly won’t happen in Seattle with Duane Brown still under contract.

However, the Seahawks could look to bring back Fant to compete at right tackle, especially with Germain Ifedi set to hit the open market and Jamarco Jones a potential option to start at left guard in place of Mike Iupati.

Fant would also be an excellent player to bring back in his blocking tight end role, although it doesn’t seem likely he’ll go for that unless Seattle overpays.

As such, it seems like Fant will look hard for a new opportunity this March, and it wouldn’t be a shock to see a team with a need at tackle pay big money for his services – likely ending his tenure in Seattle.

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Seattle Seahawks 2020 free agent profile: Right tackle Germain Ifedi

Will the Seattle Seahawks finally move on from Germain Ifedi at right tackle during free agency or will he be back in 2020?

The Seattle Seahawks are heading into the 2020 offseason with 19 players set to become unrestricted free agents, which should make for another busy spring and summer for Pete Carroll and John Schneider as they look to shore up the roster and contend for the number one seed in the NFC next year.

Prior to last season, the Seahawks declined to pick up the fifth-year option on right tackle Germain Ifedi, allowing him to test free agency this year instead of re-signing him for roughly $10 million in 2020.

That lays out a rough framework of where the Seahawks value Ifedi, one of the most polarizing players on the team the past few years.

However, there is a league-wide dearth of talent at offensive tackle, and it doesn’t seem outrageous to expect another team to offer Ifedi a contract in the $10 million range annually, especially after he showed improvement across the board in 2019.

Seattle could still look to bring him back as well, with limited options to replace him now that Jamarco Jones has transitioned to guard and George Fant is set to hit free agency.

Ifedi isn’t very many fans’ favorite player, but there’s a decent chance he’s back in the blue and green in 2020.

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The good, the bad, and the ugly from Seahawks’ loss to Packers

The Seattle Seahawks’ season came to a close on Sunday night with a 23-28 loss to the Green Bay Packers in the divisional round.

After a wild back-and-forth season featuring the highest of highs – dethroning the as-of-yet undefeated 49ers in Week 10 – and the lowest of lows – getting stomped by the 4-9-1 Cardinals at home in Week 16 – the Seattle Seahawks finished their 2019 campaign with a heartbreaking 23-28 loss at Lambeau Field against the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Divisional Round. There is plenty to look forward to in the future (those young guys are looking pretty good), and a few things that need fixing before next year. For now, let’s take a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly of the Seahawks’ final game of the season.

THE GOOD

Russell Wilson: The Seahawks tried to establish the run for a good portion of the game, which didn’t work too well (Seattle’s running backs totaled 39 yards on 15 carries). Enter late-game Russell Wilson, who nearly led Seattle to a comeback win after trailing 21-3 at the half. In the last two quarters alone, Wilson went 15-18 with a touchdown after completing just six passes in the first half. It was a fine performance to add to his resume as an elite NFL quarterback, showing why he continues to be one of the league’s most dangerous men under center with the game on the line.

Tyler Lockett: Seattle’s early game plan did not appear to involve Lockett very much, as he was only targeted three times in the entire first half. It may have been a mistake – when he did get the ball, he was incredible, totaling nine catches on 10 targets for 136 yards and a touchdown. Lockett’s ability to make contested catches makes him invaluable to the Seahawks’ offense, and he did everything that he could to carry them against a staunch Green Bay defense.

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Amid injuries, Germain Ifedi has anchored Seahawks offensive line

Seattle Seahawks right tackle Germain Ifedi has been a steady presence on the offensive line, and his performance improved in 2019.

The Seattle Seahawks offensive line, perhaps more than any other position, has been beleaguered by injuries this season.

In fact, only one player, right tackle Germain Ifedi, managed to appear in all 16 regular season games.

Ifedi is by no means an elite, or even above-average right tackle, but coach Pete Carroll saw improvement and consistency from his performance during the 2019 season.

“I think he’s been solid throughout the year,” Carroll said on Friday. “He has been very consistent. He’s been a solid performer. He’s been one of the real anchors. He’s been able to stay out there the whole time which has been good. He continues to grow as a pro and he’s doing a nice job.”

Ifedi finished the regular season with a 56.2 grade from Pro Football Focus, which falls under the ‘replaceable’ category, but he did make improvements in his pass protection, a big area of growth for the fourth year pro.

Additionally, while his 13 penalties were fifth in the NFL, it was also an improvement for Ifedi – and not too bad considering he played the second most snaps among NFL offensive linemen this season.

Seattle declined Ifedi’s fifth-year option this offseason, meaning he will hit the open market in March. Carroll has previously expressed interest in bringing him back, and his performance this year likely didn’t do anything to dissuade him.

The Seahawks appear to be transitioning Jamarco Jones to guard, likely replacing Mike Iupati next year, and they love keeping George Fant in that extra lineman role, so they have very little depth at tackle – making a reunion with Ifedi all the more plausible.

For now, he’ll have his hands full with a vaunted Green Bay pass rush on Sunday when the Seahawks look to win their ninth road game of the season against the Packers.

Kickoff is at 3:40 p.m. PT.

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The one fatal flaw for every wild-card team

No matter how great any NFL team, there’s always that one potentially fatal flaw. Here are the things that could upend each wild-card team.

No NFL team is perfect, no matter how great they may be. The 1972 Dolphins, the only team in NFL history to put up a perfect season from start to finish, lived in an era where they didn’t need much in the way of quarterback performance. So, they could deal with the broken leg and dislocated ankle that cost quarterback Bob Griese eight games in the regular season. The 2007 Patriots, who came within one game of joining the 1972 Miami team with a perfect season, found it more and more difficult to pace themselves through a defensive regression that started with linebacker Rosevelt Colvin’s foot injury in late November.

So, if even the greatest teams in NFL history have potentially fatal flaws, what does that say about the eight wild-card entrants in the 2019 postseason? It says that, for each of those teams, they’ll have to overcome the things that could upend them from the first round on, hoping that the things that make them great are more present at the most opportune moments.

Here are the most obvious flaws for each of those teams as we head into wild-card weekend.

Buffalo Bills: Josh Allen’s ceiling

The Bills have an exciting run game with veteran Frank Gore, rookie Devin Singletary, and quarterback Josh Allen. They have perhaps the strongest defense from front to back in this particular wild-card group. They have Tre’Davious White, the only cornerback this season to pick off six passes without allowing a touchdown. Were it not for the relatively low ceiling Allen brings as a passer, they might be the most formidable team in the 2019 postseason. But Allen’s low ceiling is there, and it might be a problem.

Allen has been reasonably efficient. He’s thrown just three interceptions this season since his three-interception meltdown against the Patriots in Week 4, so at least he’s learned to minimize the damage to his own offense. And he does have 17 touchdown passes in that time period, so productive plays are a possibility — especially in concert with John Brown, who may be the NFL’s most underrated receiver. And certainly, Allen’s two-touchdown game against New England in Week 16 was a nice summary of his growth as a passer this season. But if the Bills wind up in a one- or two-touchdown hole in the playoffs, can Allen turn it loose effectively enough to mount a comeback? For a guy with a big arm, he’s been relatively quiet on bog downfield plays — just 18 completions on 68 attempts for 589 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions on passes of 20 or more air yards this season. And he’s not been terribly efficient under pressure this season, with a 41.2% completion rate and five touchdowns to four interceptions when his dropbacks have been disrupted.

Perhaps the 2019 playoffs is when Allen hits the proverbial next level. If that’s the case, the Bills instantly become as tough an out as you’ll find in this postseason and beyond. If not, everything else will have to work perfectly for a long postseason run.

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Seahawks’ recent 1st-round picks continuing to struggle

The Seattle Seahawks are 8-2 despite a trio of struggling first-round picks.

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Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider has proven to be excellent at finding high-quality NFL players in the later rounds of the draft, and his recent trades have paid off handsomely as well.

However, if there is one area of weakness for Schneider and his staff, it is in the first round.

Earl Thomas and Bruce Irvin were two of Schneider’s earliest first-round picks, and while both of them were extremely successful, the first round has not gone well for Schneider and company since then.

The Seahawks have only made three picks in the first round since Irvin: tackle Germain Ifedi (2016), running back Rashaad Penny (2018) and defensive end L.J. Collier (2019). In 2017, they traded their first-round selection to the Falcons in a draft-pick swap.

While Ifedi has gradually improved, his issues with penalties and struggles in pass protection have been well documented over the past few years. The team declined to give him a fifth-year option, potentially bringing an end to his Seahawks tenure after this season.

Penny is in his second NFL season, and he has already fallen out of favor in Seattle’s run game. Chris Carson dominated the last two seasons, and Penny has struggled to find his footing in the league. He has carried the ball just 36 times for 167 yards and one touchdown on the year, and got benched in Week 10 against the 49ers after just three snaps, one of which included a fumble.

As long as Carson is in tow, Penny’s role will likely be limited to a change-of-pace back — not what you want out of a first-round pick.

Lastly, Collier was selected late in the first round of the 2019 draft. He suffered an ankle injury during training camp, which caused him to miss the entire preseason and has slowed his development.

Collier has been a healthy inactive for a handful of games and has only played a total of 69 defensive snaps, recording two solo tackles.

While there’s still time for Collier, and potentially Penny, to develop into big-time contributors, it’s clear Schneider excels at finding great players in the later rounds and not as often in Round 1.

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Fumbles and ball security sore spots in Seahawks win over 49ers

The Seattle Seahawks were able to escape the San Franciso 49ers Week 10 despite five fumbles – three for losses – Monday night.

The Seahawks were able to head home with a victory Monday night against the San Francisco 49ers, although it wasn’t always pretty. Seattle struggled with ball control throughout the game, posting three lost fumbles for a total of five fumbles throughout the contest.

Wide receiver DK Metcalf and running back Rashaad Penny both turned over the ball but San Francisco was unable to capitalize on the takeaways. Tackle Germain Ifedi, however, originally recovered a Russell Wilson fumble on a play before his own lost ball and had to watch the 49ers score a defensive touchdown as a result.

“We did a terrible job taking care of the football tonight, a miserable job,” coach Pete Carroll told reporters. “I don’t even recognize us when the ball is flopping around like that. We got a lot of work to do. We won’t win if we keep doing this. We have to take care of the football better than that.”

Carroll has always preached ball security but the concepts were lost on Seattle Monday night. For a team with the fewest turnovers in the league last season, it was difficult to watch at times.

There was one shining moment in the turnover battle when center Joey Hunt was able to save a Chris Carson fumble.

“It was a miserable night there, but one of the great plays of the night was Joey Hunt’s fumble recovery,” Carroll said. “You guys don’t make a big deal about that. Joey laid out, slid into it, cut it up just the way he’s supposed to. It was a huge play for us, because we come back and score after that. I think it was, we wound up second and 11 and we still overcame it, so a big play.”

Seattle has a bye week before facing the Eagles Nov. 24 and you bet ball security will be a point of emphasis when the Seahawks return to practice next Monday.

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