The San Francisco 49ers have had a rough offseason. Deebo Samuel and Jordan Mason were kicked to the curb via trade, and others such as Aaron Banks, Javon Hargrave, and Charvarius Ward left during free agency. Mix in the fact that Brock Purdy has yet to sign a lucrative contract extension and some fans may be looking to restart their franchise mode to take a different path.
Unfortunately, that’s not an option for John Lynch. But it doesn’t stop 49ers fans from taking a chance to laugh at their rivals. One of them is the Seattle Seahawks, who have a new quarterback in Sam Darnold and a few questionable moves, such as trading D.K. Metcalf to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
While getting rid of one of their top offensive weapons is a choice, so is a debatable foray into free agency where an aging player can be something that helps San Francisco laugh through the pain.
Seahawks Will Regret Signing DeMarcus Lawrence in Free Agency
The Seahawks got older over the offseason, adding Cooper Kupp to replace Metcalf. But their biggest mistake came on the defensive end when they signed Demarcus Lawrence to a three-year, $32.5 million contract.
Lawrence didn’t record a sack during his rookie season but became one of the best pass-rushers in the league with 34 sacks in 57 games between the 2015-18 seasons. He hasn’t recorded more than 6.5 sacks in a season since, however, and missed significant time with a foot injury that limited him to four games last year.
Looking at the Seahawks’ current depth chart, it’s easy to see why they made the decision. Leonard Williams led Seattle with 11 sacks last season, but he’s entering his age-31 season. While Jarran Reed had 4.5 sacks, he’s also getting long in the tooth coming into his age-33 season. Boye Mafe represents some youth in the Seahawks’ front as he recorded six sacks at age 26, but they need to find more talent to flesh it out.
That’s why Lawrence may not be a fit. Lawrence was productive with three sacks in four games before his injury, but he may have issues staying on the field. He’s also entering his age-33 season, which gives Seattle another aging veteran in the trenches.
Lawrence’s past suggests he can help a team that finished in 10th with 45 sacks and eighth with a 24.8% pressure rate last season. But it’s been a long time since Lawrence was a double-digit sack player, and it could lead Seattle to some buyer’s remorse.