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The Seattle Seahawks may have settled one major offseason question, but their next roster move could still shape what the rest of free agency looks like.
Seattle locked up wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba with a new multiyear extension, and that shifted the focus toward what comes next. The Seahawks still have flexibility, but this is also the point in the offseason when even modest roster decisions can influence how aggressive a team wants to be moving forward. Sports Illustrated suggested two cuts may be coming for the Seahawks this season: Drew Lock and/or Jarran Reed.Â
That is what makes the next move worth watching.
Why Seattle’s Next Move Matters Now
The Seahawks are not in an immediate cap bind, which is important to establish up front. This is not a panic story about Seattle scrambling to get compliant.
The more interesting question is whether the Seahawks want to create additional breathing room as they move through the rest of free agency and continue planning for future extensions. Once Smith-Njigba got paid, the broader roster picture became more relevant again, especially with Devon Witherspoon still looking like one of the obvious long-term priorities on the roster.
That is why this conversation matters now. Seattle may not need to make a move, but if the front office wants more flexibility for another addition or simply wants cleaner cap positioning later in the offseason, a couple veteran contracts stand out.
Drew Lock Could Be the Easiest Way to Create Room
Drew Lock is the cleaner football and financial decision.
If the Seahawks believe Jalen Milroe is ready to handle the backup role behind Sam Darnold, Lock becomes an understandable place to trim. The logic would not be about dissatisfaction with Lock as much as it would be about roster efficiency. Backup quarterback is one of the easiest spots to revisit when a team feels comfortable with a younger option.
That is what makes Lock an important name here. Moving on from him would be one of the simplest ways for Seattle to create extra flexibility without touching a more important part of the starting lineup.
It would also tell fans something meaningful about how the Seahawks see the quarterback room going into the season.
Jarran Reed Would Be the Harder Decision
Jarran Reed is a different conversation entirely.
Unlike Lock, Reed is tied more directly to the identity of the defense. He is a veteran presence, a familiar leader, and still part of the front’s stability. If Seattle ever decided to move on there, it would not feel like a routine depth-chart adjustment. It would feel like a more serious roster choice with real consequences.
That is why Reed’s name carries more weight in this kind of story. Yes, his contract can be viewed through a cap lens, but the football side matters more here than it does with Lock. The Seahawks could create room that way, but they would also be weakening a proven part of the roster.
And that is really the point of the story.
Seattle’s next move is not just about saving money. It is about what kind of flexibility the Seahawks still want, and how much of their current roster they are willing to disturb to get it. If they do make another notable move, it could say a lot about how they want to navigate the rest of free agency.
Erik Anderson is an award-winning sports journalist covering the NBA, MLB and NFL for Heavy.com. He also focuses on the trading card market. His work has appeared in nationally-recognized outlets including The New York Times, Associated Press , USA Today, and ESPN. More about Erik Anderson
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