Seahawks left tackle Russell Okung is one of several members of the team set to become an unrestricted free agent next month and his status heading into that phase of the offseason is complicated by shoulder surgery he had just after the end of the season.
Okung dislocated his left shoulder during Seattle’s playoff loss to the Panthers and described the surgery he had as a precaution to “mitigate any risks moving forward.” He’s already let teams know that he will be ready to go in a few months in a letter he sent because he’s going without an agent as he works to land a new deal this offseason.
Okung said he’s “not nervous about” going that route because he feels he’s well versed on how things will play out in the next few weeks. He also believes that being an established starter at a key position works in his favor.
“I think the value speaks for itself,” Okung said on 710 ESPN in Seattle. “I think there’s a necessity in my position league-wide and we’ll just have to see where it goes. Really excited about the opportunity, though.”
Okung’s not wrong about the value of left tackles. It remains to be seen if he’ll be able to maximize it while representing himself in the wake of shoulder surgery, however.