I really hope that the Bears fall asleep at the wheel this offseason and fail to franchise Melton. I think he's the guy this team has been looking for for a long time and I think the Seahawks would be all over him. If they do tag him, then I think you look at Starks. After watching Starks help destroy the Hawks O-Line in the Miami game, I've seen enough to know that Starks is the real deal. I don't think he'll come that much cheaper, or for that much shorter of a deal, than Melton. Versatile DT's like Starks who can shut down the run and anchor a pass rush by collapsing the pocket with regularity are at a premium, especially when it might be their last chance to break the bank in free agency.
Whether it's Starks or Melton, the Hawks will likely have to break the bank. It'd be worth it in my opinion. I'd prefer Melton because he seems like the PC/JS type of guy. Athletic, young, fast, strong, and with tons of potential. He would fit the mold of Sidney Rice/Zach Miller "accelerate the process" type signings. Plus, we know how much JS loves guys who have played different positions in their lives, many people forget that Henry Melton was used as a running back at Texas when he arrived to Austin.
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If you get Melton, the rest of the pieces start to fall into place. Keep Jones for peanuts because he'd make an excellent backup for Melton and might have a bounce back year. As a backup he will be relied upon less, can make more of an impact, and might not get so dinged up. I'd keep Branch as well. He and Mebane would create problems for teams at the other DT spot. Round out that group with the winner of a Clinton McDonald/Jaye Howard battle in camp and you've got a pack of 5 DT's that's pretty solid and versatile within the system.
Doing all this allows you to add a weapon for your biggest weapon to play with. Yup, DeAndre Hopkins in the 1st round. Just pray that the draft "word" on him stays mum.
Getting all of this done, financially, would probably take moving Matt Flynn but to me solving the 3-tech problem is more important than worrying about our backup quarterback. Deal Flynn, shed his salary, draft a guy like Matt Scott.
Bottom line, whatever they do, I think the Seahawks are going to be VERY AGGRESSIVE this off-season. I fully expect them to have a "Toronto Blue Jays" type of offseason. Put it this way, by the time training camp rolls around in the summer, Vegas and everyone else a like will be talking about how the Seahawks are probably the heavy favorite to win the Super Bowl in Jersey.
