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Antoine Winfield is a good signing for the Seattle Seahawks, there’s not a whole lot of debate about it. He flat out makes them better on defense. But you know there’s always a catch. In this case, it’s the fact that Winfield is an old football player. 2013 will mark his 15th season in the NFL, and quite possibly, his final season as a pro. The question – does he have enough gas left in the tank to make a difference for the Seahawks?
Winfield no doubt has enough gas in the tank to be effective, if he can stay on the field. Over the past four years, he’s missed a total of 18 games with various injuries. It’s not a question of whether Winfield is still good, because he is, it’s a matter of staying healthy to be able to contribute.
The Seahawks have to be smart with the soon to be 36-year old, and limit his snaps. It’s pretty clear that he’s the teams third/slot corner, it’s what he’s good at, and that figures to continue with the stacked secondary in Seattle. I don’t know if you can say Winfield is a signing that puts the Seahawks over the top, but it does help the franchise keep pace with the San Francisco 49ers.
It’s been interesting to see these two teams go back in forth in recent weeks, trying to secure Super Bowl-caliber rosters. Adding Winfield to the mix only furthers Seattle’s status as the league’s best defense, and if he stays healthy, the Seahawks will be sitting in very nice position.
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