It’s Olsen, not Olson; maybe this year I’ll finally have it down cold.

I would rarely call Tight End a huge need for any team, but if it ever were, I’d say the Seahawks benefit more than most by having a quality group at the position. Or, at least we seem to suffer the most when our TE room is awful.

I’ve liked what the Seahawks have done at the spot in recent years. Will Dissly is elite, but he can’t seem to stay healthy. I’ve always liked Luke Willson as a solid #2 guy, and I thought he proved he still has the chops last year, coming in off the streets to help out. Jacob Hollister was a revelation, and ended the season as our #3 pass-catching target. I mean, that’s not ideal, obviously, but he was up to the task! Even Ed Dickson, when he was able to play, brought a lot to the table; but he’s done. It’s over. He had a good run.

On its face, the signing of Olsen seems to be as a Dickson replacement. He’ll be 35 years old this season, and really we’re talking about a 1-year deal for $7 million ($5.5 of which is guaranteed). Between that and the savings we’ll generate by cutting Dickson, this is as low-risk of a move as they come in the NFL.

Greg Olsen – at one time – was in the Top 2 or 3 tight ends in the entire NFL. We obviously remember him from his 9 seasons with the Panthers, and while his production has started to slow down in recent years, he still played in 14 games in 2019, on a VERY bad Carolina team. 52 receptions for 597 yards would fit quite nicely in this Seahawks offense.

While he’s a Dickson replacement, he’s also Dissly insurance. If you figure Hollister will be back as this team’s #3 tight end (primarily in passing situations, one would expect), you still need a quality blocker to throw into our jumbo packages (especially with George Fant all but gone from the team). We might not ever be able to count on Dissly to make it a full NFL season, so having someone like Olsen is a godsend.

But, Olsen is in his own battle, with Father Time, so how much can we count on him? He only made it 7 games in 2017 (foot injury) and 9 games in 2018 (same foot, new injury); and I think the games he missed in 2019 were due to a concussion? I refuse to find out. I guess the hope is that two potentially injury-prone tight ends will equal one fully-healthy tight end across the entire season. Like a couple of codependent junkies just trying to make it through this crazy thing we call life!

As I said (I think), I like the signing. It’s one year, he’s not breaking the bank, he still has something in the tank (it would appear), and every little bit helps. You can’t have too many weapons. You can have too many divas, you can have too many conflicting personalities in a locker room, but you can’t have too many complementary pieces whose goal is to score points, win football games, and ultimately get this team back to the Super Bowl.

Greg Olsen just wants to win. He’s not here to take over the offense (a la Jimmy Graham); he knows he fills a role – a very valuable role for this team – and I think he can be a great safety valve for Wilson on 3rd Downs, and when he’s scrambling out of the pocket.

I also believe the Seahawks would probably be wise to invest in the position for the future. Draft someone, have him learn under Olsen, and if Dissly proves he’ll never be able to stay healthy, then we can let him go when his rookie deal expires.

I would also mention that this doesn’t cost the Seahawks a comp pick for 2021, but I don’t think that’s going to matter. I think the Seahawks are going to be really active in outside free agency this year, so it’s doubtful we end up with any comp picks next year anyway.