Washington Football Team: Three free agent linebackers to target
2. OLB K.J. Wright
Another savvy veteran presence, long time Seattle Seahawk K.J. Wright would be an answer for the Football Teams coverage woes from their linebacker group.
Wright has been most known for his skills in coverage, but as well as his versatility and range. Similar to Lavonte David, Wright projects to be a WILL linebacker in Del Rio’s/Rivera’s system.
Despite Wright having a significant down year in terms of tackles, he still recorded 86 tackles, two sacks, 10 pass breakups, and a pick in 2020. His 2019 campaign would be hard for him to reproduce, as he had 132 stops that season, but his 2020 year wasn’t bad by any stretch.
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Posting the seventh-best coverage rating according to PFF of 79.2, Wright’s savvy coverage instincts showed him to have 10 passes defended, but he was also stout in the run game as well.
Wright had 11 tackles for loss last season, the second-highest mark of his career. He also posted a grade of 67.6 when playing against the run, and a pass-rushing grade of 67.3. Both of which are well above the league average.
Similar to Lavonte David, Wright can bring leadership and versatility to that linebacker group. A room that severely lacks leadership and that true impact player at the position, Wright has Super Bowl pedigree that has shown to be tried and true throughout his career.
A deal for the 31-year-old WILL would look like this: Two years, $17 million
With Jordyn Brooks arriving and seemingly improving as the season went on in Seattle, Wright’s time as a Seahawk is likely over. This deal would be beneficial for Washington as it gives them a leader and pass coverage guru in Wright, but Wright also gets his money and security going forward.
Wright gains two more years of money and structure, placing him in the teens as far as highest-paid outside linebackers. That’s not too bad for a guy who is set to be 32 this summer.