Seattle Seahawks Rumored To Have Interest In Pair Of Defensive Veterans

The Seattle Seahawks are still in the market for a veteran defensive addition, and NFL insider Michael Silver reported on Twitter on Thursday that they’ve narrowed their sights to one of two names.

Silver said the Seahawks are considering signing either former Minnesota Vikings defender Everson Griffen, or former Green Bay Packers and Los Angeles Rams linebacker Clay Matthews. The analyst said no matter who the team decides on, a deal could happen “soon.”

Silver’s report came amid news that the Seahawks seem to have moved on from Jadeveon Clowney. There had been some talk he might end up returning to the franchise he spent the 2019 season with, but the longer he remained a free agent, the less analysts believed there was much of a chance of him coming back to Seattle.

As The Inquisitr reported late last month, where and when Clowney ends up might not be determined for quite a while. He ended up not signing with the Seahawks until mid-September and it seems likely he’s going to mirror that situation this year.

Jonathan Adams of Heavy pointed out the Seahawks have one open roster spot, but he added there is a chance the franchise could end up with both Griffen and Matthews. He pointed to the amount of cap space they have as one reason they could end up splurging on both. He believes the former Viking is going to demand more money.

Those demands likely come from him being in the middle of a small bidding war. There is some talk the defensive lineman could return to Minnesota. The Packers are said to have some interest as well.

Adams said that the fact Seahawks head man Pete Carroll coached both veterans in the college ranks likely plays at least some part in why the front office is considering them. Both played for USC in their college days, so there’s familiarity with how they approach the game.

When talking about Matthews, Carroll previously admitted he didn’t realize what he had in the linebacker. Years ago, he talked to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel about the player when he was still on the Packers.

“Maybe because of the way he came up, it took him a long time to develop, and didn’t recognize the great heart that he had, and unbelievable competitiveness and the great savvy that he demonstrates now,” Carroll said then. “It’s really one of my big misses. I should have figured that out a lot sooner than I did. He made the rest of it history and been an extraordinary player ever since.”