Ted’s Talk: Remembering Seattle’s last free agency before John Schneider

There are plenty of Seahawks fans perturbed at how John Schneider has approached 2024 free agency. Was it better the last time someone else was the general manager?

This free agency period has went pretty much as expected. Seattle only gave out one big contract, keeping Leonard Williams in the fold. The rest of the deals have been short-term contracts for low and mid level money that plug holes and focus on value. Even though this has been the status quo for all of John Schneider’s tenure as general manager in Seattle, some people are surprised and/or mad.

Maybe they’re longing for the days before Schneider when free agency decisions were absotively posolutely better? Like 2009, the last season where someone else besides Schneider was in the GM seat.

Actually, that season has some similarities with 2024 on the surface. Mike Holmgren, a coaching icon, had just walked into the sunset and there was a new head coach in town – Jim Mora. The GM, Tim Ruskell, was already in place and had been with the team for several seasons. This tandem would make the decisions to lead the Seattle Seahawks into a new era.

So, how did they do?

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Hmm, ok?

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Ah yes, a true Seahawks Legend.

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Oh, boy…

Is that the kind of haul you’d rather have in free agency?

Colin Cole got a 5-year, $21M contract to plug up the middle of Seattle’s defense. He lasted two seasons for the Seahawks.

Edgerrin James was coming off a down year for the Arizona Cardinals but maybe the 31-year-old would resurrect his career in the Pacific Northwest? He played in 7 games and rushed for 125 yards without a touchdown before being released in November.

The true gem of 2009 free agency for Ruskell was landing one of the top free agents available in former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver TJ Houshmandzadeh, who signed a 5-year, $40M contract. At least he lasted longer than James, playing in all 16 games with 79 catches for 911 yards and 3 TDs. That was the only season he would play for the Seahawks.

Ruskell made some other moves during free agency that year worth noting. Leroy Hill signed a 6-year $38M contract after Seattle rescinded the franchise tag prior to the draft, allowing him to test free agency. A familiar face in Ken Lucas was brought back to Seattle to give some depth to the cornerback room.

There were also plenty of departures that Ruskell oversaw. After refusing to take a pay cut, Julian Peterson was traded to the Detroit Lions for Cory Redding and a fifth-round draft pick. Bobby Engram was released and signed with the Kansas City Chiefs. Rocky Bernard left for the New York Giants. Leonard Weaver, the “Face Cleaver”, signed with the Philadelphia Eagles. Maurice Morris went to the Detroit Lions.

Feeling a little better about the 2024 free agency period after reading that? That’s a lot of turnover and long-term contracts that would never see even half of their duration in Seattle. I wonder why Ruskell and Mora were fired after 2009??

Maybe Schneider’s value approach to free agency isn’t so bad after all.