Seahawks 2022 Free Agent Primer: Quandre Diggs

After posting a disappointing 7-10 record to finish in last place in the NFC West during the 2021 season, the Seahawks made an earlier than expected transition into what will be a critical offseason for the future of the franchise.

When the new league year opens on March 16, Seattle will have 15 players scheduled to hit the market as unrestricted free agents. Three players will be restricted free agents and 11 will be exclusive rights free agents, while several other key veterans such as receiver DK Metcalf will be entering the final season of their respective deals ready to negotiate extensions.

Over the next several weeks, I will break down each and every one of the Seahawks’ unrestricted free agents by revisiting their 2021 seasons, assessing why they should or should not be re-signed, breaking down an ideal contract, and making an early prediction on whether or not the player will return in 2022.

Kicking off the series, let’s look at dynamic playmaking free safety Quandre Diggs.

Season In Review

Picking up where he left off after earning his first career Pro Bowl selection, Diggs became the first player in the NFL to produce three or more interceptions in each of the past five seasons when he picked off Jaguars rookie Trevor Lawrence in Week 8. Prior to That point, he already had hauled in picks against NFC West foes Jimmy Garoppolo and Matthew Stafford, later adding a second one against the latter in a rematch against the Rams in Week 15. Anchoring the back of the Seahawks defense once again, he led the team with five interceptions while amazing a career-high 94 tackles in 17 starts before suffering a fractured fibula and dislocated ankle in the season finale against the Cardinals.

Why Seattle Should Re-Sign Him

Few defenders at any position have been more reliable than the ball-hawking Diggs over the past half decade. In fact, the former sixth-round pick out of Texas is the only player in the league with at least three interceptions each of the previous five seasons and his 19 combined interceptions rank fifth among all players and second among safeties during that span Seahawks acquired him from the Lions midway through the 2019 season to bring stability to their secondary, he has picked off 13 passes in just 38 games, turning center field into a no fly zone for opposing quarterbacks and receivers. Despite his lack of size at 5-foot-9, 197 pounds, Diggs has also brought toughness to Seattle’s defense as a tackler and run defender, consistently delivering jarring hits to receivers and running backs alike. Off the field, he’s a well-respected leader in the locker room whose loss would be felt far beyond his statistical impact.

Why Seattle Should Let Him Walk

Turning 29 years old in January, Diggs isn’t necessarily an old player by any means, but he will be entering his eighth NFL season next summer coming off a severe lower leg injury. Any team that offers him a multi-year contract would be doing so under the premise he would play all but one of those seasons at 30 years of age or older, which could present some risk. From the Seahawks’ perspective, after already handing Jamal Adams a four-year, $70 million extension, handing another lucrative contract to Diggs would push the team towards $30 million per year invested at the safety position alone. With Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner already carrying $20 million-plus cap hits and DK Metcalf set to cash in soon, that may not be a tenable situation salary cap-wise for the organization.

Ideal contract

Three years, $32.5 million

prediction

While Diggs has thrived starring a vital position in coach Pete Carroll’s defense, there may be hesitation about handing him a multi-year extension worth $11 million or more per year due to the investment already made in Adams, especially after suffering a significant injury. But his value to the Seahawks transcends his on-field production as one of the team’s undisputed leaders and the organization has never been afraid to pay safeties top-tier money as evidenced by locking up Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor to lucrative contracts several years ago. Letting him depart would create a massive hole in the back of Seattle’s defense and with just six draft picks in tow, general manager John Schneider needs to make re-signing him a priority. Even if he has to franchise tag Diggs first to extend the negotiating window, expect the two sides to strike a deal on a multi-year contract to keep the secondary intact.