The Seattle Seahawks will not tender restricted free agent contracts to cornerback DeShawn Shead and linebacker Brock Coyle.
According to Tim Booth of the Associated Press, the agent for both players, Cameron Foster, confirmed the Seahawks’ intentions to not offer tenders, making both players unrestricted free agents.
Shead suffered a torn ACL in Seattle’s playoff loss to the Atlanta Falcons in January that certainly made the difference in the team’s decision to tender him a contract or not. He isn’t expected to be ready to play until sometime around midseason as he recovers from surgery.
“It was really unfortunate for the young man. He would be in a different world right now if not for that injury,” Foster said.
Despite being with the Seahawks five years, Shead was just reaching free agency after his first full season as a starter. He spent two years primarily on the team’s practice squad and was a game shy of accruing enough service time in 2013 to reach restricted free agency a year sooner. He started 15 games for the Seahawks and had an interception, forced fumble and 14 passes defended.
Coyle has been a core special teams contributor for Seattle and a backup middle linebacker to Bobby Wagner. Coyle as appeared in 35 games in three season while making five starts.
