On the official first day of the NFL’s new league year, the Seahawks celebrated by making a bunch of moves.
In a dizzying few hours, the Seahawks added three players — one, George Fant, who is making a return to where his career began, and another, Rayshawn Jenkins, who will likely be counted on to start at safety — and kept five others who could have become free agents, including 2020 second-round pick Darrell Taylor.
That stood in marked contrast to the first two days of the free-agent negotiating period when they made just three moves — two of which were re-signing their own players in tight end Noah Fant and defensive lineman Leonard Williams, the other signing tight end Pharaoh Brown.
Here’s a review of the day’s activities.
Seahawks reunite with George Fant
On the day it became official that Bobby Wagner would be moving on, signing with the Washington Commanders, the Seahawks brought back a name from the past in Fant.
Fant played for the Seahawks from 2016-19 after making the roster as an undrafted free agent. He spent three seasons with the New York Jets and last year with the Houston Texans and will add insurance and maybe competition for Abe Lucas at right tackle.
Fant started 13 games last year for Houston and played in 16 overall, playing 874 snaps at right tackle and 41 at left tackle.
The Seahawks have returners at each spot — Charles Cross at LT and Lucas at RT.
Lucas played just six games last season while battling knee issues and had surgery after the season.
President of football operations John Schneider said at the NFL scouting combine the hope is that Lucas will be healthy for the 2024 season. They could view Fant as competition and insurance at right tackle, and he could give the team options in how to use its offensive line, maybe using a tackle to help fill the voids at guard.
Fant has 73 starts overall in 99 career NFL games, including 24 in his first stint with the Seahawks. That included 10 at left tackle in 2016 as a rookie when he took over after Seattle did not re-sign Russell Okung.
Jenkins an Adams/Diggs replacement
Jenkins, a starter the last three seasons with Jacksonville and a veteran of 80 NFL starts, will help replace the departed duo of Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams, each released last week.
Jenkins was released last week by Jacksonville in a cost-cutting move — he was entering the final season of a four-year deal worth up to $35 million he signed with the Jaguars in 2021 — and reportedly visited Seattle on Monday and was said to have a visit scheduled in San Francisco.
Terms of his deal were not immediately known.
The Seahawks likely view him as a potential starter at safety alongside Julian Love in a remade back end of the defense after the releases of Adams and Diggs.
Jenkins was the 113th overall pick of the 2017 draft by the Chargers out of Miami and started 31 games in the 2019 and 2020 seasons before moving on to Jacksonville.
Jenkins, who turned 30 in January, is listed as a strong safety. But he was used liberally at both safety spots last year by the Jaguars. According to PFF, he had 489 yards at strong safety, 335 at free safety and 188 in the slot.
A Husky returns home
The Seahawks began filling out their offensive-line depth Wednesday, reaching an agreement with former UW standout Nick Harris on a one-year deal.
The NFL Network reported it’s worth up to $3.26 million with a base value of $2.51 million.
Harris played at UW from 2016-19, crossing paths there with Seahawks offensive-line coach Scott Huff for the last three years of his Husky career.
Harris was a fifth-round pick of the Browns in 2020 and has played in 40 games over four years with Cleveland, with four starts. He missed all of the 2022 season with a knee injury but returned to play in 17 games with two starts in 2023.
His playing time has come primarily at center, but he has also played some guard.
Harris may come in to compete with Olu Oluwatimi for the starting center spot to replace Evan Brown, last year’s starter who is a free agent. He could compete for time at guard where they will be looking for a replacement for left guard Damien Lewis, who has reached an agreement with Carolina.
Seahawks extend Taylor, tender Jackson and Rhattigan
The Seahawks retained three of their restricted free agents before Wednesday’s 1 p.m. deadline, reaching an agreement to extend Taylor and tendering cornerback Michael Jackson and linebacker Jon Rhattigan.
They did not tender offensive lineman Jake Curhan, making him an unrestricted free agent.
ESPN also reported they tendered exclusive rights free agent Brady Russell.
There were no immediate details on the contract for Taylor. But reaching an agreement with him means he will stay on the roster for at least another season.
Taylor was a second-round pick out of Tennessee in 2020 at No. 48 overall who missed all of his rookie year because of a leg injury. He has played in 49 games over the last three seasons with 21.5 sacks.
He had 5.5 sacks last season in what was regarded as something of a disappointment after he had 9.5 in 2022.
RFAs given tenders can still negotiate with other teams but the tender gives Seattle the right to match any offer and possible compensation.
Jackson was given a fifth-round tender, assuring him a salary of $3.116 million for 2024 if he makes the roster, and meaning the Seahawks can get a fifth-round pick as compensation in return if he signs with another team, or can match any offer he might get.
Rhattigan was given a right-of-first-refusal tender, giving him a salary of $2.985 million if he makes the roster, and the Seahawks have the right to match any offer he might get, but no compensation if he signs elsewhere.
Seahawks keep Burns
The Seahawks kept another of their pending unrestricted free agents in the fold Wednesday morning, agreeing to terms on a one-year deal with cornerback Artie Burns.
Burns, 28, started one game and played 231 snaps overall last year as a reserve/situational cornerback and figures to contend for a similar role again this season.
Re-signing Burns means they have their top-five corners from last year all set to return, the others being Jackson (assuming he doesn’t get an offer as an RFA and leave) and Tre Brown, Riq Woolen and Devon Witherspoon, who are all under contract.
Wednesday’s moves left the Seahawks with six of their unrestricted free agents unsigned: Brown, Curhan, linebacker Devin Bush, defensive end Mario Edwards Jr., offensive lineman Jason Peters and guard Phil Haynes.