We’re two days out from flipping the calendar to April, by which point the NFL’s main focus is about the draft. Free agency has mostly died down, but there are still many high-profile names still on the market, including a Seattle Seahawks legend.
ESPN’s list of top 21 unsigned free agents—it’s 20 now that linebacker E.J. Speed has signed with the Houston Texans—includes recently released wide receiver Tyler Lockett… at a surprisingly low 18.
18. Tyler Lockett, WR
2024 team: Seattle Seahawks | Age entering 2025 season: 32
An accountable pro, Lockett has played in at least 15 games in each of his 10 seasons with the Seahawks. Though his speed has regressed on tape, Lockett can still set up coverage and make himself available to the quarterback at multiple levels of the field. He fits as a veteran No. 3 option.
Lockett isn’t even the third-highest ranked option at wide receiver; he sits behind Amari Cooper, Keenan Allen, and for some reason Diontae Johnson. I guess Johnson’s age (28) makes him appealing but his 2024 couldn’t have gone any worse in terms of behavior and lack of productivity.
The common theme in this list is how many of these players are on or set to be on the other side of 30. Including Speed, 15 of the 21 players included are going to be at least 30 years old entering the 2025 regular season. The youngest option is cornerback Asante Samuel Jr, who’s 25 years old and coming off an injury-riddled 2024 campaign with the Los Angeles Chargers. Cleveland Browns offensive lineman Jedrick Wills Jr is the same age but he’s missed a lot of time due to injuries over the past two seasons and was benched for a “business decision.” Running back J.K. Dobbins (26 years old) is still unsigned after one year with the Chargers, but he has a serious injury history that has unfortunately heavily affected his career.
I suppose it’s not impossible for Lockett to return to the Seahawks given Seattle’s cap space situation, but it’s more likely than not that the next chapter of his career will be elsewhere. Ideally, Lockett’s new team will be a playoff contender.
