The Seattle Seahawks want a cornerback. The team wants one that is tall and physically imposing. This isn't simple speculation, but an interpretation of what Seattle has done in free agency over the last month or so.
General manager John Schneider did not choose a cornerback in the 2025 NFL draft. This implied he was OK with giving most of the reps to Riq Woolen and Devon Witherspoon. If the team needed a third corner on the field, Josh Jobe might have been the most likely to get those reps.
The only reason to think otherwise is Seattle's flirtation with bringing long-lost Shaquill Griffin back. He was drafted by Seattle in 2017, and left in free agency in 2021. Since then he has played for four teams. He is good, but not good enough to earn any team's long-term CB1 or CB2 reps.
Seahawks reportedly visit with veteran cornerback Rasul Douglas
Griffin is 6 feet tall, but he is big enough to be solid against the run and pressure wide receivers at the line of scrimmage. So is Rasul Douglas. He is 6'2" and 210 pounds. He is a true outside corner, and capable of playing outside corner opposite Woolen. That is, if he was three years younger.
His issue is that he will turn 30 years old just before Week 1 of the 2025 season. That is not old for many position groups, but for a cornerback who has already played eight seasons, it might be. According to the NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, he is reportedly visiting the Seahawks this week, and he might not leave town without a contract.
After not taking a cornerback in the draft, bringing in Griffin twice for a look, and having Douglas visit, it is clear is that the Seahawks are not sure of their cornerback room heading into 2025. The truth is, however, Griffin or Douglas might not be the answer for the Seahawks.
Douglas allowed 72.6 percent of the passes thrown his way to be completed last season, and his quarterback rating allowed was 116.9. That is not good.
This follows three years where he had a QB rating allowed under 100, so the question is whether he is suddenly digressing. Skill position players can do that quickly in the NFL, and cornerback is the equivalent to receiver. A receiver getting past 30 is often not good. The same is true of cornerback.
The Seahawks will almost certainly continue to look for a veteran corner. Douglas should not be the answer. He could be the 2025 answer to how bad Cary Williams was in 2015.
