Alex Mack opts out of contract, becomes free agent

Browns Pro Bowl center Alex Mack has opted out of the final three years of his deal with Cleveland and will become an unrestricted free agent. Mack has been a cornerstone piece for the Browns offensive line for six years, only missing time in 2014. He'll find a lot of suitors even at age 30 and shoots toward the top of the list as one of the best free agents on the market, especially at offensive line.

The obvious question you'll have if you're here reading Field Gulls is: Will the Seahawks be interested?

It's going to be interesting to see what happens here. On one hand, the Seahawks have said, and shown, that they're willing to get involved with nearly every free agent on the market just to see what happens and how the market for that player shakes out. Most of the time, nothing comes of it, and these free agents get big money elsewhere, but Seattle's front office likes to be very thorough and at least gets a foot in the door in the negotiations. I would not be surprised if that's the case here, and we could hear about how the Seahawks have interest.

That said, they don't have a ton of cap space and Mack likely won't come cheap. Seattle has a lot of free agents of their own to re-sign, and it's not like Mack is a spring chicken. Additionally, signing Mack would mean that Seattle would likely lose out on a higher-round (3rd/4th) comp pick in 2017 with the expected loss of Bruce Irvin and/or Russell Okung in free agency. It's a trade off.

Regardless, the temptation should be real for Seattle. Offensive line -- particularly the center position -- was a huge need for the Seahawks in 2015, and Mack is one of the best in the league. He has also played extensively in a zone-blocking scheme so there's a real fit there as well. If Mack and the Seahawks both have interest in a deal, this is something that could get done. Seattle regularly structures deals with low cap hits in the first year of the deal, so even with limited playing money, it's possible.

Do you think the Seahawks should pursue Mack?