Reaction to Seattle Seahawks re-signing Rashid Shaheed
Many speculated that Rashid Shaheed would cost more on the free agent market than the Seattle Seahawks would be willing to pay, especially after ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported last week that the two sides were not close in their contract negotiations.
Seahawks Offseason Tracker: Free agents, draft picks and more
But in a somewhat surprising move, the Seahawks are indeed bringing back the speedy wide receiver and return specialist.
On Monday afternoon, Schefter reported that Seattle is re-signing the 27-year-old Shaheed to a three-year, $51 million deal that includes $34.7 million of guaranteed money.
As a returner, Shaheed was a game-changer for the Seahawks during their Super Bowl run this past season. He had two punt return touchdowns and a kick return touchdown in 12 combined regular-season and postseason games after arriving to Seattle in a Nov. 4 trade – including a 58-yard punt return TD that sparked the a pivotal Week 16 comeback win over the Los Angeles Rams.
However, Shaheed didn’t put up big stats as a receiver, totaling just 18 catches for 266 yards over his 12 games with the Seahawks.
That’s why Bob Stelton was a bit surprised when news of Shaheed’s signing broke during Monday’s edition of Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob.
“$17 million per year is a pretty good contract for a guy who, to this point, is not a prominent receiver,” Stelton said. “He’s certainly got the speed. He’s got the tools, but … that’s more than I thought they would go for Rashid Shaheed. Again, his contributions in the passing game were pretty limited. But maybe he becomes a focal point for the new offensive coordinator (Brian Fleury) to get him going.”
Seahawks Radio Network analyst and former NFL linebacker Dave Wyman shared a similar sentiment, because even for as valuable as Shaheed was on special teams, his $17 million-per-year contract seems to indicate that Seattle also envisions him as a difference-maker on offense.
“It just makes me think that they have some special plans for him,” Wyman said.
Wyman wondered if perhaps Shaheed – in addition to become more of a factor in the passing game – could get more touches as a rusher. Shaheed had 11 carries for 86 yards over his 12 games with the Seahawks, including a 31-yard gain on an end-around during their dramatic Week 16 comeback win over the Rams.
Shaheed also impacted Seattle’s rushing attack in an indirect way, as the threat of his field-stretching speed helped the Seahawks face lighter boxes down the stretch.
“I’m wondering if they can get him more involved in the run game – more dedicated to getting him the ball in that way,” Wyman said. “… I wonder if they can start to get him the ball a little bit more in running situations.
“But also, as a receiver, I think they value them and that he can be used more.”
Tune into Wyman and Bob weekdays from 2-7 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.
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