The Seattle Seahawks are looking to boost their secondary by bringing back a former third-round pick who played his best NFL seasons in Seattle.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that the team is looking into signing 29-year-old cornerback Shaquill Griffin, who came into the league as a third-round pick of Seattle in 2017. Griffin has made a number of stops since leaving Seattle and could soon return to the place where his NFL career started.
Seahawks in Discussions With Shaquill Griffin
The report noted that the Seahawks have been in discussion with Griffin to re-sign with the Seahawks, though it was not clear just how far the two sides had gotten or if a new contract was imminent.
Griffin has appeared in 106 games in his career with 82 starts, earning a Pro Bowl nod with the Seahawks in 2019.
Fowler noted that the signing could help boost a secondary that struggled at times last season.
#Seahawks are in discussions with free-agent corner Shaquill Griffin on a potential reunion, sources told @BradyHenderson and me.
Seattle is looking for veteran corner help and has Griffin – who made a Pro Bowl as a Seahawk in 2019 – high on its list. No deal reached as of now.
“#Seahawks are in discussions with free-agent corner Shaquill Griffin on a potential reunion, sources told @BradyHenderson and me,” Fowler shared in a post on X. “Seattle is looking for veteran corner help and has Griffin – who made a Pro Bowl as a Seahawk in 2019 – high on its list. No deal reached as of now.”
Though Griffin once landed a $45.5 million contract with the Minnesota Vikings, he would likely be a more affordable pickup for the Seahawks. The veteran cornerback signed a one-year deal with the Houston Texans last season worth up to $6 million.
He ended up appearing in 17 games with three starts in Minnesota, making two interceptions and 41 total tackles.
Seahawks Made Another Big Investment in the Secondary
The Seahawks just added another key player to boost the secondary, trading up 17 spots in the second round of the NFL draft to land South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori.
Justin Melo of USA Today’s Seahawks Wire suggested that Emmanwori could become an immediate contributor.
“Schneider traded up 17 spots to land former South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori in the second round,” Melo wrote. “The Seahawks have Coby Bryant and Julian Love at safety, but expect Emmanwori to play a role in big nickel and dime packages. [Head coach Mike] Macdonald will find a way to get his versatile, athletic defensive back on the field.”
While Emmanwori will still need to prove himself this summer, he became quickly attached to the team and paid homage to Super Bowl-winning quarterback Russell Wilson. Even though Emmanwori wore No. 7 in his career at South Carolina, he picked No. 3 to wear with the Seahawks to honor the Pro Bowl quarterback.
“Russell Wilson wore it last,” Emmanwori said, via SI.com. “I was looking for single digits. Seven wasn’t available. I was looking at the next number that could mean something to me. Russell Wilson was one of my favorite quarterbacks growing up with that Legion of Boom defense. Respect to Russell. He did a lot for this organization. Did everything he could. I am going to do what I can in this number. I’m going to make it special on defense in my own way.”
