On Monday it was revealed that the Seahawks had reworked a veteran player’s contract, while they saw a former first-round draft pick sign elsewhere and learned how many picks they might have in 2025.
Let’s recap Monday’s Seahawks news:
Cornerback Jackson signs new deal
In the recent NFL draft, the Seahawks selected two cornerbacks, Auburn’s Nehemiah Pritchett and D.J. James, leading to speculation that a move might be made at that spot to create salary-cap space.
And Monday it was learned the Seahawks indeed had redone the contract of veteran cornerback Michael Jackson to open up almost $2 million in cap space. The cap space was needed as the Seahawks begin signing their draft picks.
Jackson’s new contract was updated on OverTheCap.com, and it was confirmed by a league source.
Jackson this spring signed a restricted free-agent tender that would have given him a salary of just over $3.1 million if he makes the 53-man roster — but contained no guaranteed money.
All of that counted against the cap for now, though.
The Seahawks cut that cap number significantly by signing Jackson to a new deal that is worth $1.22 million and gives him a $167,500 signing bonus.
In the process, they went from $300,000 over the cap to just over $1.5 million under it, according to OverTheCap.com.
The Seahawks needed to do something after signing first-round pick Byron Murphy II to his slotted four-year rookie deal Friday, which counts for $2.94 million against the cap.
Jackson’s new deal makes it clearer that he will be in a stiff fight for a roster spot in training camp.
Seattle has a projected top three of Devon Witherspoon, Tre Brown and Riq Woolen at cornerback. Nine other players are listed as cornerbacks on the roster: Jackson, James, Pritchett, Artie Burns, Lance Boykin and Andrew Whitaker, as well as undrafted free-agent signees Ro Torrence and Carlton Johnson and Coby Bryant (who is listed as a corner and safety but could be used more at safety).
Jackson has played right and left cornerback with the Seahawks, starting on the left side in 2022 when Woolen emerged as the starter on the right side and for three games late in the 2023 season due to injuries. But he was listed as the backup on the right side for most of the season and started a game there. He most likely will compete for a backup spot on the right side. Pritchett played primarily on the right side in rookie minicamp last weekend.
The Seahawks have typically kept five cornerbacks and sometimes six on their 53-man roster and usually have two and sometimes three on the 16-man practice squad.
The 27-year-old Jackson, a sixth-year veteran, started all 17 games for the Seahawks in 2022 and four games last season. He moved to a reserve/rotational role last season after the drafting of Witherspoon and return to health of Brown.
Seahawks president of football operations John Schneider said during an appearance on Seattle Sports 710 last week that the team was “tight” against the cap but had plans on how to create space.
Jackson’s contract was the first move, but there could be other restructures or reworkings of contracts as the Seahawks sign the rest of their eight draft picks.
Penny to sign with Panthers
Former Seahawks running back Rashaad Penny, the team’s first pick in the 2018 draft, “plans to sign” with the Carolina Panthers, according to ESPN.
Penny played for the Seahawks from 2018-22 and is the 12th-leading rusher in team history with 1,918 yards. He signed a one-year deal for the 2023 season with the Eagles but played sparingly, on the field for just 38 snaps and gaining only 33 yards on 11 carries despite being healthy.
Penny visited the Seahawks last month, and Schneider said after the draft that the door remained open for him to return.
But Penny is heading to Carolina, where he will be reunited with new coach Dave Canales, who was a Seahawks assistant during Penny’s time in Seattle. The Panthers have five other offensive assistants who were with the Seahawks during the Pete Carroll era.
The Seahawks have six running backs on their roster — returners Kenneth Walker III, Zach Charbonnet and Kenny McIntosh and undrafted rookie free-agent signees George Holani of Boise State, Kobe Lewis of Florida Atlantic and TaMerik Williams of North Dakota State.
According to the NFL Network, Holani received $115,000 to sign — a $15,000 bonus and $100,000 in guaranteed salary.
Seahawks projected for two comp picks in 2025
The deadline has passed for when the signings of unrestricted free agents factor into the formula for determining 2025 compensatory draft picks.
Under the formula, teams receive picks as compensation for what is determined to be an overall loss of unrestricted free agents.
According to OverTheCap.com, the Seahawks are projected to receive a fourth-round pick for the loss of guard Damien Lewis to Carolina and a fifth-rounder for the loss of Jordyn Brooks to Miami. Other free-agent losses were offset by free agents the Seahawks signed.
That leaves them with a projected eight picks for the 2025 draft. They are scheduled to have all of their own other than a fifth-rounder sent to the New York Giants in October as part of the Leonard Williams trade.
That is the only future Seahawks pick that they have traded.
The Seahawks did not have any compensatory picks in 2024 but worked their way to eight picks through a couple of trades.
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