Seattle, WA
Huard: 3 Seattle Seahawks contract moves to make this offseason
The future looks bright for the NFC West-leading Seattle Seahawks, who appear to be finding their stride under first-year head coach Mike Macdonald.
That future will include some major decisions this offseason.
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There are still four weeks left in the 2024 regular season, but based on what has transpired so far, what are three contractual moves the franchise should make when next offseason comes around? Former NFL quarterback Brock Huard was posed that question during Tuesday’s Blue 88 segment on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk. Below are the three moves he mentioned.
• Extend LT Charles Cross
After a promising first two seasons in the NFL, 24-year-old Charles Cross is performing like the foundational left tackle the Seahawks envisioned when they made him the No. 9 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. The 6-foot-5, 311-pound former Mississippi State standout doesn’t become a free agent after the 2025 season, but he likely has shown enough at this point to warrant an extension prior to the final year of his rookie contract. Cross has been a steady force all season, starting every offensive snap for Seattle and ranking 11th out of 80 tackles across the league in Pro Football Focus grading.
“Charles Cross is playing great football,” Huard said. “These guys don’t grow on trees. They’re unique. They’re unicorns. He does everything right. So you’ve got to lock in your left tackle. … He is a building block at one of the most important positions on a football team. You take care of him first and foremost.”
• Move on from WR Tyler Lockett
Tyler Lockett is the second-leading receiver in franchise history, having racked up 8,505 receiving yards over his decorated 10-year career in Seattle. But over the past two seasons, the 32-year-old wideout’s production has declined. After four consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons from 2019 through 2022, Lockett finished with 894 receiving yards last year while playing through a nagging hamstring injury. And this year, he’s on pace for 668 receiving yards – which would be his lowest total since 2017.
Lockett’s dip in production coincides with a breakout season from second-year wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who ranks sixth in the NFL with 911 receiving yards. Lockett still has one year remaining on his contract, but likely carries too big of a price tag to warrant keeping him around in 2025, given his status as Seattle’s No. 3 receiver behind DK Metcalf and Smith-Njigba. According to Over The Cap, Lockett’s salary cap hit would surge from nearly $18.9 million this year to nearly $30.9 million next season, which would account for 11% of the team’s 2025 cap space. The Seahawks would save $17 million in cap space by parting ways with Lockett this offseason, according to Over The Cap.
“This is probably it for Tyler,” Huard said. “He has been awesome. … Absolutely incredible. But when you look contractually, it’s just the way it works in the NFL when you’re an older guy and all of a sudden you’re not producing at a (high) level. The one that is the most team-friendly to free up a bunch of money on that cap will be Tyler.”
• Re-sign Ernest Jones IV
Jones has been a revelation since arriving in an Oct. 23 trade with the Tennessee Titans. The fourth-year inside linebacker has been a steadying force in the middle of Seattle’s defense, helping key a dramatic midseason turnaround that’s resulted in the Seahawks holding each of their past five opponents to 18 offensive points or fewer in regulation. The 6-foot-2, 233-pound Jones has racked up 63 tackles and an interception in his six games since joining Seattle, while playing a major role in helping fix the team’s run-defense issues.
“You can’t do a deal yet with (second-year cornerback) Devin Witherspoon or some of those other (young players), so I think it’s Charles Cross first,” Huard said. “I think it’s saying goodbye to Tyler Lockett and hugging him on the way out. And (then) it’s making sure that (Jones) and Tyrice Knight can be your two linebackers for years and years to come.”
Listen to the full Blue 88 segment at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Tune in to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.
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Seattle, WA
Outreach groups respond to the reported relocation cycle of Ballard’s homeless population
SEATTLE — As people voice concerns about an encampment in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, outreach groups are detailing their efforts and fighting back against encampment removals.
The outreach group We Heart Seattle said it checks on the people in an encampment of at least 20 people weekly to offer water, snacks, personal hygiene items, and access to treatment.
RELATED | Ballard encampment grows after city removes nearby site along Burke-Gilman Trail
The group told KOMO it believes more can be done at the city level, from policy to housing, to get the homeless connected with shelter and services.
A woman working at the Fred Meyer off NW 45th Street and 9th Avenue captured video of a fire near tents at an encampment across the street. A day later, off camera, she told KOMO News she worries about the safety of the people living in the tents and Ballard neighbors, in addition to concerns about alleged open-air drug use at the encampment.
“We became homeless because of certain situations, and we turned to drugs, and unfortunately, addiction comes next, you know?” Crystal Rawlings told KOMO News. She has set up her tent on multiple streets in Ballard, and said she’s approaching one year of being opioid-free.
She believes there’s been more city outreach since the start of the new mayoral administration to connect people living on the streets with services, but knows there’s not enough transitional housing for everyone who needs or wants it.
She and the Ballard Community Task Force on Homelessness and Hunger urge the city to stop encampment removals that push this group to another block.
RELATED | City removes Ballard encampment as neighboring businesses raise housing concerns
“We’re not abominations. We’re not obstructions, and we’re not trash, so stop sweeping us,” Rawlings stated.
The city is still aiming to reach Mayor Katie Wilson’s goal of adding 1,000 new units of shelter in 2026 and recently opened a tiny home village in nearby Interbay, but fell short of the goal of 500 new units by June.
Andrea Suarez with We Heart Seattle estimates at least 20 people living on the street keep getting moved around Ballard, from behind the Albert Lee store to Leary Avenue to NW 45th Street behind the Fred Meyer.
“This encampment has people that’ve been homeless for more than five years. We know their names and faces. They’re still here. They’re still stuck in late-phase addiction, frankly because it’s permitted,” Suarez explained.
RELATED | Viral makeshift homeless shelter with chimney dismantled by Seattle city crews
She believes a camping ban on city sidewalks would help encourage more people to accept shelter, and help stop the cycle of moving people without
“It is an underserved community. I think it is unfair,” Suarez added. “We’ve tried to balance between enablement and really giving people a hand up, but without the teeth and backup for the work of outreach workers, it starts to feel futile, and that’s why we get burned out.”
The mayor’s office was working to send data about its homeless response in Ballard as of Wednesday afternoon.
The Ballard Community Task Force on Homelessness and Hunger estimates there have been nine Ballard-area encampment removals so far this year.
SEATTLE – Wednesday will be another warm day with highs in the mid to upper 80s for parts of western Washington. Eastern and central Washington will reach near 100F with high fire danger. The coast and north interior will be cooler, only in the 60s to 70s.
Wednesday will be another warm day with highs in the mid to upper 80s for parts of western Washington.
Fire Weather Watch
A Fire Weather Watch goes into effect Wednesday evening through Thursday evening for thunderstorms and gusty winds. Lightning strikes could create new fire starts and, with very dry conditions in place, any new fire could spread quickly.
A Fire Weather Watch goes into effect Wednesday evening through Thursday evening for thunderstorms and gusty winds.
What’s next:
An upper level low will move into the Pacific Northwest, bringing scattered showers and a chance of thunderstorms. The heaviest showers will be in the morning hours and will turn more scattered into the evening hours.
An upper level low will move into the Pacific Northwest, bringing scattered showers and chance of thunderstorms.
Looking Ahead:
High pressure will build again Friday and into the weekend, increasing temperatures and sunshine. We will start to see highs reach the upper 80s to low 90s by early next week.
High pressure will build again Friday and into the weekend, increasing temperatures and sunshine.
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The Source: Information in this story came from the FOX 13 Seattle Weather Team and the National Weather Service.
After so many disappointing seasons with the interior offensive line, the Seattle Seahawks made a commitment last offseason to improve the unit. They started one big step at a time by drafting North Dakota State guard Grey Zabel in the first round, 18th overall pick, of the 2025 NFL Draft. This one was one of the last steps for the Seahawks to create one of the most productive offenses in the NFL.
Zabel wasn’t perfect in his rookie season, but he was good enough to validate the decision to draft him in the first round, and he showed improvement. Zabel is already a favorite among some Seahawks fans and some media outlets as they love his determination and spirit. It was a big jump from the FCS collegiate level to the NFL and this season, he has a chance to show why he might be a top-half-of-the-league guard.
Why Zabel Could Be Ranked Higher?
The Seahawks wanted a determined workhorse when looking for a guard. That’s exactly what they got in Zabel. Last season, he appeared in 1,051 snaps, which is only 10 fewer snaps than right tackle Abraham Lucas, who had the most offensive snaps. Zabel got better as the season progressed. Pro Football Focus gave him an overall grade of 81.5 and a run-block grade of 81.2 in Week 14 through the NFC Championship Game.
There were times last season when he looked like a monster against several defenders. He was pushing some defenders completely out of the way on pulling plays and even ran to defenders after the pass-catcher caught the ball. This is the mentality the Seahawks expect him to have going into his second season in the league. He has more experience and the complete trust of the team to be a franchise player on par with Lucas and left tackle Charles Cross. If he continues to improve, he will be another steal for the Seahawks.
Why Zabel Could Be Ranked Lower?
There were times last season when he didn’t quite catch up to the learning curve of the NFL. Zabel allowed two sacks, four hits and 24 pressures in 2025. The Seahawks expect those numbers to decrease significantly as he is experienced and capable of playing at an efficient level. While Zabel is impressive, he might not be the best player the Seahawks have selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. That honor belongs to slot cornerback Nick Emmanwori, who is stepping up to be the steal of the draft.
Zabel is easily one of the best second-year players and is one of the top offensive linemen, but there are players behind him because they haven’t proven to be consistently explosive for the Seahawks. There is going to be even more pressure on him this upcoming season. The Seahawks hired a more run-friendly coach in Brian Fleury as offensive coordinator. His ranking at the end of the season might be much better if he improves, or worse if he fails to reach expectations.
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