Seattle Seahawks News

Seahawks rumors: Kamar Aiken reportedly drawing strong interest from Seattle

By Kenneth Arthur@KennethArthuRS Mar 6, 2017, 9:46am PST

The Seattle Seahawks need to add a receiver of note this year (as I wrote recently) and I suggested the likes of Terrelle Pryor for a big signing, Brandin Cooks for a big trade, Anquan Boldin for a veteran low-key signing, or drafting one early; all of those moves would be very exciting for one reason or another.

The Seahawks apparently have other plans that don’t involve excitement: Kamar Aiken.

Former #Ravens WR Kamar Aiken has roughly 6 teams interested in him. #Bills, #Browns and #Seahawks looking like strongest candidates for now
— Jason Cole (@JasonColeBR) March 6, 2017

Per Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole, Seattle is among “roughly 6 teams” (can a number ever be “rough” if it’s as low and precise as six?) interested in Aiken, who is set to be a free agent this week. They were designated by Cole as one of the three strongest candidates alongside the Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills.

At 6’1, 213 lbs, Aiken would give the Seahawks more size at wide receiver, and he fits the profile athletically with a 10’8 broad jump, 36.5” vertical, and 1.57 10-yard split at his 2011 pro day. He caught 75 passes for 944 yards and five touchdowns with the Baltimore Ravens in 2015 after Steve Smith missed more than half of the season, but that dipped to just 328 yards and one touchdown in 16 games last year when Smith and Breshad Perriman returned while Mike Wallace joined the team in free agency.

Aiken’s catching just 58.5% of his targets over the last two seasons.

If Seattle did sign him, I would think that’s a huge signal pointing towards the end of Jermaine Kearse’s time with the Seahawks. Aiken wants a chance to be a starter somewhere so if John Schneider and Pete Carroll lured him to the northwest, I’d imagine there’d be some promise that while he has to compete like every other player, perhaps there’d be less of a road block than how it currently appears. Kearse’s horrendous 2016 season should lead to a release with a post-June 1 designation, but maybe that’s just the hopeful side of me.

Signing Aiken would not make me feel much better, but I also don’t think it would mean that Seattle is done looking for receivers. It would be a low cost move (1-2 years, $4-5 million total?) that hopefully bridges the gap to 2018 depending on the seasons of Tyler Lockett and Paul Richardson. I also don’t believe this rumor will end with Aiken signing with the Seahawks.

Browns and Bills make way more sense in that regard.