Seahawks Should Have Waited to Sign Devonta Freeman Instead of Jumping the Gun on Carlos Hyde

Following season-ending injuries to Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny, it was always expected that the Seattle Seahawks would be in the market for a running back this offseason. Though the franchise waited longer than initially anticipated, it signed free agent Carlos Hyde to a one-year contract last week.

While Hyde will serve as needed insurance for Carson and Penny, we are a tad confused as to why the Seahawks pressed the issue to sign him with a player of Devonta Freeman's caliber still available.

The details of Hyde's contract have yet to be disclosed, but it's reported to be worth up to $4 million. Freeman surely demanded a steeper price at the outset, but his value will only drop the longer he remains unsigned. Considering the lack of buzz we've heard regarding potential suitors, who knows what the two-time Pro Bowler will go for?

Not only is Freeman younger than Hyde, but he's the more productive player, and a better overall fit for the Seahawks offense. It's no secret that oft-pressured quarterback Russell Wilson loves to target his backs in the passing game, and in a two-year span from 2015-2016, the former Atlanta Falcons star registered a combined 127 receptions. That's just two fewer than Hyde has posted in his entire six-year career.

We seriously doubt that Freeman is dumb enough to sit out the entire 2020 campaign. Eventually, you have to figure he'll sign with a team on the cheap. With that in mind, Seattle shouldn't have abandoned its pursuit of the 28-year-old once he declined their initial low-ball offer. We're not saying that signing Hyde was a bad move. Far from it, actually. There's just no denying that the Seahawks will look foolish if Freeman, the better player, signs elsewhere on a reasonable deal in due time.