Phil Haynes contract clears up one position for Seahawks headed into offseason
5 things that the new deal means for Seattle: Seaside Joe 1450
The Seattle Seahawks have signed Phil Haynes to a one-year contract, the team announced on Tuesday. Haynes’ new deal means a few things for the Seahawks moving forward, so let’s go over those in today’s 1,450th edition of the free Seaside Joe newsletter.
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The Seahawks have three guards now signed for 2023
With Haynes now signed ahead of free agency, Seattle has all three guards who started for them last season under contract for next season. Haynes and Gabe Jackson split time at right guard with Damien Lewis starting at left guard. Haynes was set to be a free agent but now he’s guaranteed to be back.
Gabe Jackson even more likely to be cut
The $6.5 million in savings if released made it super likely that Jackson would be a cap casualty, but getting Haynes under contract increases those odds even more. Look for Lewis and Haynes to be the frontrunners to start at guard headed into training camp.
Seattle has confidence, but not a lot
This is a one-year deal, not a three-year deal. Haynes wasn’t a full-time starter and Pete Carroll doesn’t sound confident that he’s the long-term answer at guard. But the team has always liked Haynes and this is his best chance yet to prove he’s worthy of a full commitment. They aren’t there yet though.
Need for guard in draft is slightly less
The Seahawks didn’t have to do this deal. They could have entered free agency with an opening at right guard, drafted someone in the second round. But instead they’ve opted to clear up the situation at right guard and keep Haynes rather than to dip completely into the unknown. This doesn’t preclude Seattle from drafting a guard on day two, it just makes it less necessary than if the team did lose Haynes and cut Jackson.
Details not known yet
Update: The deal is $4 million, up to $5 million. This is essentially an Austin Blythe cap hit and suggests Haynes is a starter.
No matter the cost, it shouldn’t be a lot. You don’t sign someone like Phil Haynes to a one-year, $10 million contract or anything like that ahead of free agency. If he was that valuable, he would have gotten a longer deal. Maybe it’s $2-$3 million or so. Enough to keep him off the market.
As I just wrote, the Seahawks could stand to spend more on their offensive line and even after this contract, they’re still strongly in 32nd place in OL spending for 2023.
Give your thoughts Phil Haynes in the comments and share Seaside Joe with a Seahawks fan! More free agent updates as they come in.
I’m happy with this move. Phil Haynes is a “Seahawk” and he has provided good play when healthy. He’s a hardworking guy who shows loyalty and a willingness to be flexible when asked to do different things. This also almost guarantees the Gabe Jackson will be cut which saves us a tiny bit of cap space.
It's a good signing in need of competition. Gabe Jackson inches closer to the door. The injury concern with Phil is real . Depending on the size of the contract, we need at least one more "player" at the position. Too bad Stone's leavers are too big to slide inside.