The Seahawks locked up an important piece of their defense Wednesday, agreeing to terms with Jeremy Lane on a new contract that will keep the versatile cornerback in Seattle.
Lane, a sixth-round pick in a fruitful 2012 draft class that also included the likes of Bruce Irvin, Bobby Wagner, Russell Wilson, Robert Turbin and J.R. Sweezy, first made his mark in Seattle as a special teams standout, then later established himself as a valuable and versatile corner capable of playing both on the outside and in the nickel role covering slot receivers.
After missing the first 10 games in 2015, the result of serious knee and arm injuries suffered in Super Bowl XLIX, Lane returned to play a big role in Seattle's defense down the stretch. With Lane and DeShawn Shead both possessing the versatility to play multiple roles in the secondary, the two split time both at right cornerback and in the nickel role, giving Seattle the flexibility to mix things up depending on the matchups from week to week.
"We just think it's going to just make us better for whatever the needs are," Carroll said late last season of his cornerbacks' versatility. "And then we look at the matchups too that we'll have on the slot. Marcus (Burley) has done a good job for us too. So we just feel that we have some flexibility, so as we get prepared through the weeks, we'll look at the matchups and make some decisions and kind of unveil that on game time."
With Lane locked up, everyone from last year's secondary is under contract or has been tendered as an exclusive rights free agent (Burley and Shead), meaning a position group that has lost starters like Byron Maxwell and Brandon Browner in recent years should have some continuity heading into 2016.
