Jadeveon Clowney's return to Seattle doesn't seem likely at this point, but Pete Carroll might turn to a familiar face or two to fill the Seahawks' void up front.
Seattle has interest in veteran linebacker Clay Matthews and defensive end Everson Griffen, NFL Network's Michael Silver reported.
Griffen remains a free agent despite coming off a Pro Bowl season in 2019, and he could find a home with a team featuring Carroll, whom Griffen once called coach at USC. Carroll and Griffen each took their steps from college to the NFL following the 2009 season, leading to a successful decade for Carroll with the Seahawks, and for Griffen in Minnesota, where he's spent his entire career to this point.
At 32, he's no longer in line for a lucrative deal but could chase a ring if he latches on with the right team. A pairing with Carroll seems like a natural fit.
The same can be said about Matthews, who already spent 2019 as a mercenary with the Los Angeles Rams after 10 seasons with the Green Bay Packers. Unlike Griffen, the 34-year-old Matthews did not post a Pro Bowl-caliber season in 2019, though he matched Griffen's sack total of eight and also played under Carroll at USC.
Griffen posted a disruption rate (combined total of hurries, pressures or sacks divided by total number of pass-rush snaps) on par with or near that of franchise tag recipient Matt Judon, new Ravens acquisition Calais Campbell and Browns defensive end Olivier Vernon at 11.8 percent. Matthews was even better on about half as many pass rushes, finishing with a rate of 14.3 percent.
The point: Both still carry value that could help the Seahawks effectively replace what was lost with Clowney's departure. The familiar culture established by Carroll could make for a seamless transition and maximize their potential production in the late stages of their careers, too.
