Seahawks position breakdown: specialists

Here’s the seventh and final part of my seven-part series looking at where the Seahawks stand heading into the offseason, position by position. Salary numbers for 2016 are courtesy of OverTheCap.com. Players signed to futures contracts are not included. Unrestricted free agents can sign with any team. Restricted free agents can either have offers matched by Seattle, or the Seahawks receive compensation. Exclusive rights free agents are under team control unless not offered a contract.

SPECIALISTS

Under contract

K Steven Hauschka ($3,525,000)

LS Clint Gresham ($860,000)

Unrestricted free agent

P Jon Ryan

The skinny: Hauschka is coming off an excellent season, but his salary is on the higher end for a kicker, so the Seahawks will have to decide whether that money is better spent shoring up a different area and taking a chance with a less-proven commodity at kicker.

Ryan is the longest-tenured Seahawk, having spent the past eight seasons with the team. Ryan’s contract was modest, and one has to think Seattle finds a way to bring him back.

The Seahawks signed Andrew East to a futures contract, so Gresham now has some competition as the long snapper.