Seahawks 2025 - WORLD CHAMPIONS

Mike Macdonald's first season was promising. The team still won 10 games despite a complete coaching turn over and to start his second season a majority of the offensive coaching staff and players were sent packing. A lot of media outlets had the Seahawks finishing 3rd or 4th in the NFC West and missing the playoffs. "WE DID NOT CARE!" Coach Mac turned this team around in his second year. His approach to team unity, the process they go through every week, and the type of players and coaches he looks for drove this team to success. 

A lot of people questioned trading DK & Geno, letting go of Lockett, and replacing the entire offense despite their success last season. As a person who's been advocating for these moves, I feel vindicated. The style of offense you need to win in the league, with the defense this team has, is an offense that isn't prone to turnovers and can control the clock. I am very happy with the play of the offense the second half of the season when Darnold went from a gunslinger to a game manager. The run game took center stage and Darnold just had to keep the team ahead of the chains and get them into scoring position. Unfortunately this means the Seahawks have lost some coaches in the off-season and may lose some players too but that comes with the territory of winning. 

Credit: SI.com

Now, let's dip into the off-season and look at who's leaving, who should be replaced, and how to fill the gaps. 

Coaching: 

It's no surprise to see Klint Kubiak leave. Given his family name and his offensive success this season he was bound for a promotion to another team. I'm happy he went to an AFC team so I don't have to root against him. I have nothing but praise for him in putting together this offense in 1 season with a bunch of new starters. He did an amazing job and deserves the success.

Who would be a great OC going forward? The Seahawks have been flirting with promoting coaches within. Given the list of available OCs in the league, this may actually be the best move. This may also help keep more offensive assistants in the building so the team doesn't lose a step next season. 

Now let's look at players and see who's leaving and who should come back.

Free Agents: 

• WR Rashid Shaheed: (Let go) - he had a fantastic 2nd half of the year for the Hawks on special teams but wasn't a factor much on offense. Players returning from injury will fill his roles well and he's owed a big payday at ~$14M/yr.
• T Josh Jones: (re-sign 2 yrs $3.5M/yr) Josh was an incredible backup at tackle who played through injuries and put together amazing depth. At his price he could be re-signed easily to backup both tackles. 
• DE Boye Mafe: (let go) Boye has been a great defensive end but he hasn't fit well in Macdonald's scheme and his production has dropped, while DLaw and DHall have had great success. 
• RB Ken Walker: (Franchise tag) K9 was having a rough start to the season but when Kubiak changed the offensive scheme he took off and ended up being superbowl MVP. The Seahawks would have to sign him to a top 5 RB deal but long term he seems too banged up to last and John isn't the type to lock up RBs to long deals during his tenure. A franchise pays top 5 money for 1 season while Charbo heals and Holani potentially leaves.
• CB Josh Jobe: (re-sign 2 yrs $10M/yr) Jobe was key to the defensive success when other corners were hurt and struggling. He was consistent all year at being the unsung hero. He's due for a big payday. If the Seahawks can sign him to a 2-3 year deal at $9-10M per year then I'd take him over Woolen. 
• ILB Chazz Surratt: (let go) Chazz was great as a backup but honestly he didn't contribute much to the team and was mostly injured all year. 
• S Coby Bryant: (re-sign 2 yrs $10M/yr) Coby is an amazing safety. He fits Macdonald's scheme well. Unfortunately he may get higher offers elsewhere but no safety is worth the price he might go for, regardless of how good they are. 
• S Ty Okada: (re-sign 2 yrs $2M/yr) Ty is a great safety depth piece. He doesn't quite have the ball skills but he has the hitting power against the run and pass. He should be very affordable due to being a backup and under the radar across the league. He'll be needed if Coby takes more money elsewhere. 
• FB/ST Brady Russell: (re-sign 2 yrs $2M/yr) Brady is a key ST piece on this team. He plays hard and the locker room loves him. He should be available for cheap and is a great depth piece at FB. 
• WR Cody White: (let go) Cody is great. He can block, play ST, and gives you depth when players get hurt. Unfortunately he's now aging out at his position and hasn't contributed in a significant enough way to earn his role over potential draft picks or UDFA's. 
• CB Riq Woolen: (let go) I loved Tariq but Riq has been disappointing. He has great ball skills but his lack of physicality makes him a bad fit in Macdonald's scheme. He will make amazing plays followed up by complete blunders by blowing his coverage or making a dumb penalty. He will get his bag elsewhere so no love lost. I prefer to keep Jobe over him. 
• WR Dareke Young: (re-sign 2 yrs $1M/yr) Dareke is awesome as a depth WR. His play on ST and in run blocking are second to none. Injuries hurt him a couple years ago but he looks to be back in full force. He should be a cheap signing. 
• DT Brandon Pili: (re-sign 2 yrs $1M/yr) Pili is a great DT depth piece. There are several interior DTs ahead of him but he's proven he can be reliable when needed. He'll also be a very affordable signing as DT depth. Hopefully they keep him around on the active roster or as practice squad. 
• ILB Drake Thomas: (re-sign 3 yrs $3M/yr) Drake went from a nobody to a huge part of the team. He can run the defense as the green dot when EJ is out and he can be part of base defense in run/pass downs. He is fast, he is smart, and he's a hard tackler. He should be a very affordable ILB depth piece and he fits perfectly in this scheme. 
• WR Jake Bobo: (re-sign 2 yrs $2M/yr) much like Dareke, Bobo is a key WR depth piece for ST and run blockers. The fans and clubhouse love him. He should be a cheap short term signing. 
• LS Chris Stoll: (re-sign 3 yrs $2M/yr) Stoll had a very good season at long snapper and it would make sense to keep the kicking and punting game together for the next few years.
• S AJ Finley: (let go) Finley wasn't much of a factor on this superbowl run and is easily replaced via the draft or free agency as a depth piece. 
• RB George Holani: (re-sign 2 yrs $2M/yr) Holani is a great RB depth piece and with K9 potentially leaving, Charbo being injured most of next season, and KMac coming back from injury, the team will need Holani to come back. He should be an affordable short term signing. 

Non-FA's To Release or Trade: 

RG Bradford: Bradford has been awful at RG. His pass protection is horrible. He may be good in the run game but in passing situations he gets burned or commits a penalty far too often. He cannot be relied upon. Despite winning a superbowl with him, there's many plays that went wrong because of him in almost every big game during the season. Bradford can be replaced in free agency or the draft.

2026 NFL Draft: 

The unfortunate side of winning the last game of the year is the Seahawks dropping to the #32 overall pick. The Seahawks also may get some compensatory picks but those haven't been announced yet so they currently have 4 picks overall (R1 #32, R2 #64, R3 #96, R6 #tbd). 

Draft needs: The Seahawks don't have urgent needs but could use some competition and depth. They should target Oline, RB, S, CB, DE

Overall Expectations: 

For 2026 I'm expecting a tough NFC West again but the Seahawks will have the players and coaches with the ability to repeat as champions. It is very difficult to predict how things will go until players and coaches fall into place. After the draft I'll have a much clearer prediction but for now I say the Seahawks will win the NFC West and compete in the NFC Championship game again. There's no reason not to expect this after they did it previously a decade ago. 

Seahawks 2024, A Wasted Opportunity

The first season of Mike Macdonald's career as a head coach of the Seahawks was both a positive, yet wasted season. On a good note Mike showed a lot of improvements as a head coach when it came to managing the team, managing the game, and managing the media/fans. I saw him transform from a guy who looked completely lost in the middle of the season to a coach who was confident. I saw a guy who was unafraid of cutting players and coaches who got in the way of progress. I really hope to continue to see his growth as a head coach and I hope he gets more say on players and personnel going forward (despite his end of year press conference stating the opposite). 

The wasted part was the hiring of a college OC who had no business being in the NFL and was simply a local fan favorite because he came from the University of Washington in Seattle. This resulted in a sporadic offense that looked horrible at times and inspired Geno Smith to do what you don't want him to do, hold the ball. This resulted in many penalties, turnovers, sacks, and 3-outs.

Credit: Rod Mar/Seattle Seahawks

Let's summarize another season where the Seahawks needed a single win to be able to win the division and sneak into the playoffs. Unfortunately they allowed the Rams to take the division again due to a poorly managed mid-late season filled with all 3 phases of the game struggling at different times.

The defense dramatically improved by the end of season after Seattle got rid of all their starting linebackers and benched certain players. The special teams was still mediocre by season's end and it's surprising to see Jay Harbaugh still employed. The offense was very up and down all year, with lots of turnovers, lots of penalties, and almost no run game.

The offensive slump was not good. We saw a top 10 offense in Geno's first year as a starter. That went to a bottom 10 offense his 2nd year, and another bottom 10 showing in his third year. Geno was top in the league in turnovers and middle of the league in touchdowns. Geno's best games came when there was a run game to run play action off of and a quick passing game full of easy to complete routes. Geno is at his worst when you put the game solely in his hands and have long downfield route concepts. He's always been terrible at reading a defense and finding the open receiver. He needs an offense that forces him to be decisive early or that gets him out of the pocket.

Now, let's dip into the off-season and look at who's leaving, who should be replaced, and how to fill the gaps. 

Coaching: 

It's no surprise to see Ryan Grubb get fired. His offense was never going to work in Seattle. It's also not the style that Macdonald would want to run with the style of play he likes. It was surprising to see this hire and I have to imagine the people up high made this call, not Mike. These are the same people who have allowed the starting QB role to be solely in the hands of Geno and they spent two top 5 draft picks on defense instead of a QB.

Who would be a great OC going forward? The Seahawks have been flirting with promoting coaches with zero OC experience. This has failed in the past if you look at the last 3 OC's in Seattle. Instead they need to focus on an established OC who either left a bad program or failed as a HC. Options such as Pederson would be a good fit. Coach Mike wants to run the ball, run play action, and limit turnovers. A west coast offense would be best where there's plenty of unique run packages that also have RPO and PA elements to them. 

Scott Huff is most likely to leave next. He came in with Grubb and turned the Seahawks poor offensive line into an even worse line, bottom 5 in the league. Jay Harbaugh also led a very bad special teams. This group had multiple turnovers in 1 game that cost them the game. He seems to put the wrong players in the wrong position. He's only a coach because of his name. 

Now let's look at players and see who's leaving and who should come back.

Free Agents: 

• DT Jarran Reed: Re-sign (~2 years $9M) - had a fantastic season (UFA)
• TE Pharaoh Brown: Let go (frees $3.2M) - had no impact (UFA)
• DT Jonathan Hankins: Let go (frees $2M) - lost his starting job mid-season (UFA)
• S K'Von Wallace: Let go (frees $1.5M) - had no impact (UFA)
• DE Trevis Gipson: Let go (frees $1.3M) - had no impact (UFA)
• G Laken Tomlinson: Let go (frees $1.2M) - had negative impact (UFA)
• LB Ernest Jones: Re-sign (3 years $30M) - turned the defense around once acquired (UFA)
• CB Tre Brown: Let go (frees $1M) - had no impact (UFA)
• WR Jaelon Dardon: Let go (frees $900k) - had no impact (RFA)
• TE Brady Russell: Let go (frees $900k) - missed most the season due to injury (ERFA)
• LB Josh Ross: Let go (frees $900k) - had no impact (ERFA)
• T Stone Forsythe: Let go (frees $900k) - missed most the season due to injury but was always bad (UFA)

Non-FA's To Release or Trade: 

CB Riq Woolen: AGAIN, it's very clear Tariq doesn't care about winning or putting the team first. His only thoughts are being good at coverage and avoiding injury by not getting involved in tackles. His attitude on and off the field this season are not the type of culture the Seahawks should be a part of and they should seek some trade capital for him immediately while he still has value. He single handedly cost the team a couple games by being out of position and by refusing to tackle. They need a corner who can play zone, who rallies to the ball, and who can make a tackle. Cutting him would result in ~$1M in cap hit savings.

WR Tyler Lockett: AGAIN, I love Tyler but it's clear at the end of the season he can't keep up anymore. He's sucking oxygen after every drive, isn't getting as open as he used to, and falls down immediately when he makes a catch to avoid getting hit. It's also clear he's growing his relationships and business outside of football given the amount of articles I'm seeing about him doing real estate. Again, I love Tyler, have his autograph, and want him to have a good ending to his career in Seattle, but I think it's time for him to retire and enjoy his non-football life because JSN has stepped up as the clear #2. Also it's ~$17M cap hit savings to cut him.

WR D.K. Metcalf: AGAIN, I've been saying for 2 years that DK isn't helping this team get to the playoffs and they'd be better off getting something for him while they can before he becomes a UFA. This is his last season on contract and he should be traded while he has some value. The draft picks could bring way more value to the future of the team and keeping him around will ensure the Seahawks won't be good enough to get to the Superbowl. 

DE Dre'mont Jones: Dre'mont was a terrible signing by Schneider. He was overpaid for his lack of production and he kept the Seahawks hostage this year as a guy who couldn't play in the schemes that both Pete and Mike wanted to run. At one point this season Mike told him at practice that he would cut him if he was allowed to. That told me all I need to know about this guy's effort. He only cares about the paycheck. Cutting him this season would save ~$11M in cap hit. 

RB Kenneth Walker: It's unfortunate but yet again the Seahawks have a star RB who can't stay healthy. With Charbo stepping up, and multiple injuries piling up, it seems like Walker is done with his career. A post 6/1 release would cost the Seahawks $0 in dead cap and save them ~$1.9M in cap savings so it's potentially likely that he will be cut this summer. 

T George Fant: Fant was brought in for O-line depth, especially with so many players being injured on the line this year. Unfortunately he had a season ending injury early on and contributed nothing. Cutting him after 6/1 ensures the Seahawks have $0 in dead cap and would save them $3.5M in cap savings.

S Rayshawn Jenkins: This is a tough one but Jenkins should be traded and if he has no trade value then he should be cut after 6/1. He has a $0 dead cap hit after 6/1 and would save the team $5.4M in cap savings, which would be huge given he lost his starting job to Coby Bryant. 

QB Geno Smith: This is a stretch but Geno will have a cap hit of $44M in 2025 and has to be restructured to stay around. He may have some trade value prior to 6/1 but releasing him afterwards would have $0 dead cap hit and would wave the team $31M in cap savings. The team will have to restructure, trade, or release him after 6/1. Keeping him on this current contract will be bad for the team. 

2025 NFL Draft: 

The unfortunate side of winning the last game of the year is the Seahawks dropping to the #18 overall pick. The Seahawks also may get some compensatory picks so they are projected with 8 picks overall (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 5th, 6th, 7th). 

Draft needs: The Seahawks need to target QB, RB, WR, G, C, T, CB

Overall Expectations: 

For 2025 I am not expecting much of a difference in the Seahawks results. I project they'll win 9-10 games and be competing for a wild card spot in the NFC. I am expecting big changes to the roster and coaching staff to help the team form its new identity. The important thing is to make the necessary changes to modify the team's trajectory so they can hit a deep playoff run in 2026-2027.

Seahawks Disappointing 2023 Season: What's Next?

It is difficult to summarize this season in a few words or pictures but I think the below captures it well.  After the Seahawks defense laid another terrible performance on the field and got a lucky win, the young players, such as Tariq "Riq" Woolen, think it's worthy of an immature celebration despite the fact they were eliminated from playoff contention. 

Credit: Fox NFL

Let's summarize another 9-8 season where the Seahawks needed a win and Green Bay loss, again, to be able to sneak into the playoffs. After a surprising 2022 season, hopes were very high for this season. The Seahawks were projected to be #2 in the NFC West and top 4 in the NFC, with the Niners, Eagles, and Cowboys. Instead it seems the Rams are back on their upward trajectory while the Seahawks have leveled out in mediocre territory. 

The defense has been historically bad under Clint Hurtt and his horrible 3-4 scheme. It's hard to tell if it's scheme, play calling, personnel, and/or lack of execution. Perhaps all of the above given the historically bad results. Let's break down some stats to understand it better....

Seahawks Defensive rankings 2022 vs 2023: 

• Yards Given Up per Game: 5th Worst => 3rd Worst
• Plays per Game: 3rd Worst => Last
• First Downs per Game: 9th Worst => Last
• Time of Possession: 2nd Worst => Last
• Punts per Game: 6th Worst => Last
• Rush Defense: 3rd Worst => 2nd Worst
• Penalties per Game: 6th Worst => 5th Worst

The offense also trended down this year with players like Geno and Tyler having less productive seasons and the running game not being as successful as advertised. However, the offense going from top 10 to top 20 wasn't as big of a drop as the defense. The overall trend down, however, is very concerning.

Let's dip into the off-season and look at who's leaving, who should be replaced, and how to fill the gaps. 

Coaching: 

Pete can stay or go. The expectations for next season are low given it's difficult to turn an entire team around in a season and it's the last year on his contract. Given his age it seems like he will retire after the 2024 season and then the search for a new head coach can begin.

Both coordinators should be replaced. After 3 years of Shane Waldron the offense has been middle of the road and 2 years of Clint Hurtt being bottom of the league is a guaranteed firing. I would like to see the Seahawks bring in a more creative play caller on offense and a defensive coach who goes back to a 4-3 so we aren't using pass rushers in coverage and put more emphasis on stopping the run. 

Training staff and doctors could use some changes. Injuries continue to pile up on this team and seeing how poorly they handled Abe Lucas in the off-season makes me question who's evaluating players and recommending decisions. Hopefully Abe finds help outside the organization to get his knee better because the O-line is much better with Cross/Lucas on the ends.

Free Agents: 

• DE Leonard Williams: Re-sign (~3 years $44M)
• ILB Bobby Wagner: Re-sign (~2 years $10M)
• G Phil Haynes: Let go
• QB Drew Lock: Let go if Geno stays, re-sign if Geno leaves (1 year $4M)
• ILB Devin Bush: Let go
• LB Jordyn Brooks: Re-sign (~3 years $30M)
• C Evan Brown: Re-sign (1 year $3M)
• OLB Darrell Taylor: Let go (RFA so if minimum is offered elsewhere then match it)
• DE Mario Edwards: Let go
• G Damien Lewis: Let go
• TE Colby Parkinson: Let go
• RB DeeJay Dallas: Let go
• CB Michael Jackson: Re-sign (~2 years $4M)
• T Jake Curhan: Let go
• DT Myles Adams: Re-sign for minimum
• DE Joshua Onujiogu: Re-sign for minimum
• TE Brady Russell: Re-sign for minimum
• S Ty Okada: Re-sign for minimum
• LB Patrick O'Connell: Let go 

Non-FA's To Release or Trade: 

CB Riq Woolen: It's very clear Tariq doesn't care about winning or putting the team first. His only thoughts are being good at coverage and avoiding injury by not getting involved in tackles. His attitude on and off the field this season are not the type of culture the Seahawks should be a part of and they should seek some trade capital for him immediately while he still has value. 

SS Jamal Adams: I have never been a fan of the Adams trade and especially the huge extension they gave him. I don't understand Pete's love of this kid. He's a liability on the field and a cancer in the locker room. At this point the Seahawks need to trade or release him. If they need to package him with someone else so they can do a contract dump then so be it. 

FS Quandre Diggs: Most likely to stay but hasn't earned his starting roster spot this season. After getting paid Diggs has been lazy on the field. You can tell he's making business decisions by playing at half speed and avoiding hits where he doesn't have the advantage. He's often coming in late to scrums instead of being the first to initiate contact. I do appreciate his leadership in the locker room shaking his head at the young kids who don't care about winning, but overall it's a competition and starting spots need to be earned, not automatically retained. 

WR Tyler Lockett: I love Tyler but it's clear at the end of the season he can't keep up anymore. He's sucking oxygen after every drive, isn't getting as open as he used to, and falls down immediately when he makes a catch to avoid getting hit. It's also clear he's growing his relationships and business outside of football given the amount of articles I'm seeing about him doing real estate. Again, I love Tyler, have his autograph, and want him to have a good ending to his career in Seattle, but I think it's time for him to retire and enjoy his non-football life so JSN, Bobo, and others get to step up.

2024 NFL Draft: 

The unfortunate side of winning the last game of the year is the Seahawks dropping 2 draft spots to #16 overall. The Seahawks also traded some picks for players (such as 2nd and 5th for Leonard Williams) so they are left with 7 picks overall (1st, two 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th). 

Draft needs: The Seahawks need to target QB, FS, RB, WR, G, T, and ILB. 

Overall Expectations: 

For 2024 I am not expecting much of a difference in the Seahawks results. However, I am expecting big changes to the roster and coaching staff. If no major changes are made it's safe to expect another disappointing season and a not so promising future. The important thing is to make the necessary changes to modify the team's trajectory back to heading up so they can hit a playoff run in 2025.

Seahawks 2022 Surprise Season Ends: Looking Forward to 2023

   

Another Seattle Seahawks season has come to an end but this one felt different from many past seasons. The Seahawks did the impossible, despite being slated to finish dead last in their division and bottom 10 in the league, they surpassed all expectations and made it to the playoffs. 

Unfortunately, much like their neighbors the Mariners, their magical season came to an end, but they have the ability to improve on this season greatly through the draft, trades, and free agent (FA) acquisitions so it's time to look forward to 2023. 

The Seahawks have a huge set of decisions ahead in how they want to improve their team. For starters they'll have to start with the QB position, where Geno Smith had the best season in his 10 year career and is currently a free agent who will demand a huge pay bump. Do they pay Geno what he's now worth? Do they let him walk? Will Geno give them a team friendly deal? Do they draft or sign a QB?

On top of the QB decision the Seahawks will need to figure out what to do with the #5 overall draft pick gifted to them by the Broncos. Do they trade it for a player? Do they trade it for more picks? Do they use it to get a once in a generation talent? 

Finally the Seahawks will have to address their defense, which was abysmal under first year DC Clint Hurtt, who made the controversial decision to change the decade old Pete Carroll scheme from a 4-3 cover 3 D into a 3-4 D. The end result was the inability to stop the run, along with a bunch of rookie mistakes in coverage. Should the Seahawks change coaches again? Should they change scheme? Should they make big changes at key defensive positions?

Credit: NFL & Seattle Seahawks

Let's dive into who the Seahawks might keep, who they might let go, and which spots they need to fill to come back stronger next season. Here are the free agents in order of who they might re-sign, with the most notable players first. 

Free Agents: Who to keep and who to let go. When I evaluate this I tend to lean towards the best ability is availability. I also ensure players salaries don't wildly exceed what they're worth so the team can continue to add the pieces it needs to contend without salary cap issues. 

Example: I'd love to re-sign Neal but he's plagued with injuries and will demand a better contract due to having one of the best seasons in the league at strong safety. Therefore, letting him test free agency seems ideal since the Seahawks have 4 safeties hitting free agency and can probably only re-sign 2 of them.

• Geno Smith: Re-sign for 3 years ~$60M. He's in the twilight of his career and has only had 1 productive season, but he's the best option Seattle has right now as long as he signs a team friendly deal. QB's around his age and skill are making on average $35M/yr. If he demands this amount then the team would put themselves in cap risk and would need to consider other options in free agency, the trade market, and the draft. (79.8 PFF rated QB)

• Cody Barton: Re-sign for 2 years ~$4M total. Cody had the first full season of his career but was a huge downgrade over Bobby. Seattle made a huge mistake letting go of Bobby as it's clear BWagz was one of the highest rated ILB's in the league and Barton was bottom of the pack. He struggled with coverage, finding the right run gaps, tackling, and had a hard time getting off blocks. That being said Seattle is not deep at ILB and Barton could prove that another year learning from his mistakes could lead to a bounce back season, as long as the price is right. I would not given him starter ILB money and would look at FA's instead if that's the case. (63.7 PFF rated LB)

• Travis Homer: Re-sign for 2 years ~$2M. Homer's season was cut short due to injuries and sharing play time with other backups, but he still shows flashes of brilliance when he's healthy and gets a chance. He's a good 3rd down back capable of occasionally busting out a large gain and does well in pass blocking. He's also still young at 24. The hope is he's willing to come back on a friendly deal for a couple more seasons as the Seahawks have little veteran depth at RB. (63.2 PFF rated RB)

• Tyler Ott: Re-sign for 2 years ~$3M. Ott spent the entire season on IR and was replaced by Tinker. However, Ott is younger and more consistent than Tinker so if his injuries are behind him it would make more sense to go back to Ott who has more experience with the existing special teams unit. (5th best LS in the league based on critics. LS have no PFF rankings)

• Teez Tabor: Re-sign for 1 year ~$1M. Tabor played well as the 3rd string safety this season due to key injuries to Adams and Neal and poor play from Jones. He's a good backup option for Seattle again since he'll be relatively cheap and has experience in the system at both safety positions. (58.5 PFF rated S)

• Jonathan Abram:  Re-sign for 1 year ~$2M. Abram was a good stop gap when injuries piled up at strong safety, but with Adams coming back I'm curious if a former first round pick will take a pay cut and play the backup role. That being said if he accepts a one year veteran minimum deal then I'd choose him over Neal as the backup since he is younger, far less banged up, and would be more affordable. (49.7 PFF rated S)

• Tanner Muse:  Re-sign for 1 year ~$0.8M. Muse has been good on special teams and a decent backup at LB. He knows the system and outplayed Barton statistically in his limited experience. He's a restricted FA so the Seahawks should be able to get him at a minimum deal. (69.3 PFF rated LB)

• Penny Hart:  Re-sign for 1 year ~$0.8M. Hart has not been a good backup WR for the Seahawks but it's hard to ignore that he does have potential for the price. He's still relatively young at 26 and is a restricted FA so the Seahawks can get him on a minimum prove it deal for another season. (55.5 PFF rated WR)

• Jon Rhattigan:  Re-sign for 1 year ~$0.8M. Rhattigan was a beast in pre-season but never got to see the field in regular play. He could finally take the leap this season and perform on special teams and be a decent backup at LB. He knows the system but hasn't had any real NFL experience yet. He's an ERFA so the Seahawks should be able to get him at a minimum deal. (unrated due to no play time)

• Ryan Neal: Gone, ~$2.5-3M/yr saved. This is difficult because I love the energy Neal brings and he was one of the highest rated safeties in the league when healthy despite being a backup. Unfortunately injuries have piled up and he's going to want to make more money next season to capitalize on his tremendous year. The Seahawks can't afford to pay a backup SS starting money when they already have Adams. He currently makes $920k/yr but could be in line for 2-3x that next year. (85.6 PFF rated S)

• Austin Blythe: Gone, $4M/yr saved. Austin was ok this year but once teams figured him out he got destroyed by most DT's in run and pass blocking. He's hardly an upgrade over what the Seahawks had in Fuller despite his much higher contract. (51.2 PFF rated C)

• Poona Ford : Gone, $6.2M/yr saved. Poona was amazing as an undersized nose tackle his first couple years in the league. Unfortunately once he got paid, and had to adjust to a new scheme, his production fell off a cliff, especially for his contract. Seahawks need better at DT. (56.2 PFF rated DT)

• Rashaad Penny: Gone, $5.75M/yr saved. I said it last season and I was proven correct so I'll say it again. This is tough because Penny is explosive when healthy but he spent his entire career being hurt and doing next to nothing overall. The Seahawks run game demands availability and he isn't it. FA and draft have a lot of options to consider for a backup to K9. (70.2 PFF rated RB)

• L.J. Collier: Gone, $2.7M/yr saved. Collier hasn't lived up to his draft potential and Seattle has wanted to get rid of him his entire career, so they clearly regret the pick. It's obvious that he's physically talented but isn't willing to put in the work to be a good DL in the league. (39.2 PFF rated DL)

• Phil Haynes: Gone, $2.5M/yr saved. Haynes has been a career backup at G and hasn't shown any flashes of ever being a potential starter, nor being a reliable backup when a starter goes down. (51.2 PFF rated G) 

• Nick Bellore: Gone, $2.2M/yr saved. Bellore is a beloved name in Seattle but his production at FB and special teams have all fallen off. I believe he's going to retire. (47.3 PFF rated FB) 

• Artie Burns: Gone, $2M/yr saved. Burns has been a consistently good CB his entire career and would've been an automatic plug-in for Reed who left for the Jets. For some reason Pete decided that Jackson was the better starting CB and sat Burns all season. I don't see the Seahawks re-signing a veteran CB when the team prefers to start their inexperienced CB's instead. (69.5 PFF rated CB)

• Drew Lock: Gone, $1.75M/yr saved. Lock is a fan favorite because of his fun attitude and his ability to not be afraid to get the ball downfield. However, his playstyle is in opposition to what Pete wants in a game manager who limits possessions and turnovers. I see the Seahawks picking up a QB in the draft and they never hold onto more than 2 QB's on the active roster. If he came back it would be on a friendly short term deal and he'd have to compete with a rookie for the backup job. (60.0 PFF rated QB) 

• Marquise Goodwin: Gone, $1.2M/yr saved. Goodwin was a pleasant surprise this season as Geno's third favorite target. He individually saved multiple games with breakout performances. Unfortunately he's near the end of his career and is plagued with injuries which limits his upside. The Seahawks already have a couple options for their third WR on the active roster. (64.5 PFF rated WR)

• Kyle Fuller: Gone, $1.2M/yr saved. I would've cut Fuller after last season but for some reason Seattle brought him back to be backup C once more. He got very limited playtime behind Blythe but he didn't improve at all in his limited snaps. (55.6 PFF rated C)

• Justin Coleman: Gone, $1.1M/yr saved. I was surprised to see Coleman come back despite Seattle being deep at CB this year and wanting to reserve all play time for rookies. He added depth but didn't get much action at all. Much like Burns I don't see them bringing him back again. (59.3 PFF rated CB)

• Carson Tinker: Gone, $1M/yr saved. Tinker did well in place of Ott this season but he was only elevated off the practice squad due to injury. I don't see him getting preference over Ott when he's older and less experienced at the position. If nobody else signs him I hope the Seahawks get him back on the practice squad. (unrated LS on PFF)

• Josh Jones: Gone, $1M/yr saved. Jones should've been cut. His play cost the Seahawks several games this season. He's constantly out of position and misses tackles like it's his job. Abrams was a much better backup to Neal and even Tabor did better. (52.0 PFF rated S)

I would also let the following players explore free agency and only bring them back on the practice squad if nobody else picks them up: 

• Cullen Gillaspia
• Isaiah Mack
• Darryl Johnson

My projected re-signs would cost ~$30M per year and the players gone would free up ~$30M thus breaking even. Hitting in the draft and FA to replace players leaving with cheaper alternatives would be the best way to improve the holes in the team currently.

Seahawks top priorities in FA and draft:
G, C, DT, DE, ILB, RB, WR, QB

Potential FA signings to fill top priorities:

• OL: Depends on who the Seahawks keep around but most likely will lose 2 Centers and 1 backup G. Additionally, Lewis and Jackson are FA's next season.
• C: Ethan Pocic is actually available and just had the best year of his career. Perhaps the new system will serve him better than the old one under Russ. Some other good options at C are McGovern, Bradbury, Brendel, and Levin.

• DL: Seahawks are full of DE and DT who have all underperformed this season. They'll need to shore up the trenches if they intend to stop the run next season. 
• Edge: Right now the Seahawks aren't losing any starting rushers but the existing lot isn't getting the job done. I'd like to see the Seahawks either pick up one of the amazing rushers available in FA (Quinn, Ngakoue, Smoot, Ingram, Houston, Okoronkwo) or trade for one, while trading away one of their existing DE's for draft compensation.
• DT: The Seahawks have plenty of DT depth this season, even if they lose Ford, but they are shaky at stopping the run unless Woods is in. I'd like to see them trade away a DT for compensation or release one and pickup one in FA or the draft who can supplement Woods.

• LB: Let's face it, the Seahawks linebacking core without Wagner has been a disappointment. Meanwhile Bobby went on and had the 3rd best season of his career. Barton isn't getting the job done, BBK had a near career ending injury, and there isn't much depth for a natural ILB in the current scheme and roster.
• Anthony Walker or Tremaine Edmunds are my targets to replace Barton as starting ILB. Walker is more intriguing because he'll command half the salary as Edmunds. If Barton re-signs for cheap then I can see him competing in camp for the starting ILB role against a FA signing or draft pick.

• RB: The Seahawks lost Carson last season and could lose Penny and Homer this season. This would leave Walker and Dallas as the only RB's with experience left on the roster. Given both their recent injuries I'd say the Seahawks not only need to draft a RB but need to pickup a couple in FA as well, or possibly trade one of their mediocre players for a quality backup RB who is relatively young but also has starter experience.
• This season's FA market is full of RB's. I'd look at Kareem Hunt, Jamaal Williams, D' Onta Foreman, Boston Scott, Samaje Perine, Ron Jones, Miles Sanders, D'ernest Johnson, David Montgomery, Devin Singletary, Damien Harris, James Robinson, Ty Johnson, Myles Gaskin, or Marlon Mack

• WR: The Hawks aren't losing their top 2 WR's to FA so this isn't really a big need BUT there's a good opportunity here to trade DK Metcalf for draft capital and to fill his void with a cheap veteran who can still produce. I still feel like the Seahawks should get rid of him while he has value. Tyler is getting older and more injury prone and the Seahawks may lose 2 backup WR's that need replacing.
• There's a bunch of potential WR's on this year's FA list including DJ Chark, Allen Lazard, Jakobi Meyers, Deonte Harty, Cam Sims, Jamison Crowder, Sammy Watkins, Zach Pascal, Keelan Cole, Breshad Perriman, Mecole Hardman, Rashard Higgins, Deandre Carter, Phillip Dorsett, Marquez Callaway, Darius Slayton, and Scotty Miller to name quite a few.

• QB: The Hawks could lose Geno if he demands more than they can afford. Based on his record setting season he could easily earn top 10 QB money which may force the Seahawks to turn to FA to find a stop gap until they can draft and develop their next QB. This year has some intriguing names available for less than $20M if Geno walks.
• Tom Brady, Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Jimmy G, Teddy 2 Gloves, Daniel Jones, Taylor Heinicke, Tyler Huntley, and Gardner Minshew

Draft: 
The Hawks are now loaded with draft picks the next couple seasons due to fleecing other teams, most notably the Broncos. Currently they have 9 total picks in rounds 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5, 6. This includes the #5 overall pick which could result in a trade down for more picks. There's a chance for more picks if they choose to trade a current player and they could also gain compensatory picks if players leave for big contracts elsewhere. 

Expecting them to draft OL (G and/or C), S, DL (DT and DE), RB, LB, WR and QB. 

I expect the Guards to remain the same next season so my hope is the Seahawks draft someone mid-late rounds to groom as a potential starter next season.. 

Safety needs to be for the future as Adams and Diggs won't both be on the team in a couple years.

DL is a huge priority and the Seahawks need a run stopping DT and a great pass rusher/edge setter at DE.

RB will be for depth and to be a potential starter in a few seasons when Walker inevitably is spent like Carson was.

LB will be for depth as well as to challenge the current starting roles which were weak this year.

WR will be for depth and to compete with the WR3/WR4 spot.

QB will be a potential backup to Geno or could compete for starting job if Geno walks.

Coaching staff changes: 
The Seahawks have been relatively quiet on potential coaching changes. While the offense had a few bad performances against good teams, and the defense was terrible most of the season, I could see putting most of the blame on the team being young and adapting to new schemes and players around them. I could see most of the important coaching positions remaining the same another season to wait and see if it was really the players or coaches/scheme.

Projected starters: This is assuming there's no major trades or moves made this off-season.

Offense:
QB: Geno Smith
RB: Ken Walker
WR1: Tyler Lockett - 
WR2: DK Metcalf - (there's a chance he's traded for a 1st round pick)
WR3: FA signing
LT: Charles Cross
LG: Damien Lewis
C: FA signing or draft
RG: Gabe Jackson
RT: Abe Lucas
TE: Noah Fant

Defense: (swap back to 4-3)
RE: Darrell Taylor
DT: Shelby Harris & Al Woods
LE: Uchena Nwosu
CBs: Tre Brown & Tariq Woolen (Coby Bryant in nickel formation)
LBs: Jordyn Brooks, Cody Barton, & Boye Mafe
SS: Jamal Adams
FS: Quandre Diggs

Seahawks 2022 (Update 3/9)

  

Update: I wanted to account for the Russell trade and Bobby release, along with other rumors we're hearing such as DK and Lockett being shopped. Note that this rebuild was suggested in an earlier post here.

Another NFL season has come to an end, and after one of the worst seasons in Seahawks history, it's time to look forward to 2022. 

The Seahawks have a lot of work to do between finding their identity with coaching changes and dealing with a lot of free agents potentially leaving the team. It will be hard for the Hawks to find room to fill all their gaps so they will have to get creative with trades, free agency, and what little draft capital they have if they plan to compete in 2022.

Let's dive into who the Seahawks might keep, who they might let go, and which spots they need to fill to come back stronger next season. In order of who they might re-sign and most notable players first. Note that the Seahawks had a terrible year so moving on from a majority of players may be the best so they can re-tool and make a playoff run.

Free Agents: Who to keep and who to let go

• Duane Brown (re-sign for 2 years ~$18M, he's aging and slipping in his ability to stay healthy and competitive but the Seahawks don't have a better option at tackle with Jones or Forsythe but they shouldn't break the bank either as this is likely Brown's last contract ever, 71.6 rated T)
• Sidney Jones (re-sign for 2 years ~$5M, Sidney is a decent and young CB who seems to struggle with injuries but when he's healthy he's serviceable. However, I wouldn't sign him beyond 2 years because Tre Brown is the future at corner in Seattle once he heals from surgery in a year, 70.2 rated CB)
• Ethan Pocic  (re-sign for 2 years ~$4M, Pocic was a mediocre center who lost his job to a backup then only regained it because the backup was worse. Hawks can upgrade here through FA but have nothing better available on the current roster so they should keep Pocic at least as a backup, 67.3 rated C)
• Alex Collins (re-sign for 1 year veteran minimum, Collins has always been good since his Arkansas days and the hawks should've never let him go the first time. Collins is a great backup and affordable. He can provide a burst off the bench when needed but shouldn't be signed above league minimum because he's not starter caliber. 66 rated RB)
• Ryan Neal (re-sign for 1 year veteran minimum, Neal proved for another season that he's a great backup safety. He seemed to outplay Adams when he came in during the first niners game and shutdown Kittle. However, he's not elite as he's prone to mistakes and isn't the long term solution at safety with Adams' big contract. 59.6 rated S)
• Rasheem Green (re-sign for 2 years ~$2M, Rasheem hasn't panned out as a high draft pick but he wasn't terrible either. The hawks need depth at DE and he provides that. He should be worth a cheap deal to be a backup DE when the seahawks have no good DE outside of Dunlap who's nearing retirement. 50.2 rated DE)
• John Reid (ERFA so re-sign for 1 year veteran minimum, The seahawks need depth at CB and Reid is a young vet who provides that. Similar to Sidney Jones he could be the other backup CB next season. 66.8 rated CB)
• Will Dissly (re-sign for 2 years ~$5M, Dissly finally survived an entire season, even if it wasn't as productive as his first couple when he blew out his knees. Dissly is a quality starter who can block and catch. However, he won't wow you with his play or his stats. 63.8 rated TE)
• DJ Reed (re-sign for 2 years ~$8M, Seahawks need to keep a starting caliber CB and that's Reed. What he lacks in size and athleticism he makes up for in sheer determination. He's never intimidated or scared to matchup with anyone. He's also a cheap solution as a starter opposite of Jones/Brown. 78.6 rated CB)
• Quandre Diggs (gone, this is hard because I like Diggs over Adams, note Adams is top paid safety in the league yet ranked worse than Diggs. The hawks definitely chose wrong in their future at S, but Diggs just broke his leg and is due a large payday ~$13M/yr which the hawks can't afford so they need to stick with Adams. 71.2 rated S)
• Gerald Everett (gone, Everett is a good TE but he also cost the hawks an entire game with his turnovers. The hawks also have a few backup TE's who can fill the role, 63.5 rated TE)
• Brandon Shell (gone, Shell was never amazing but he wasn't horrible either. He had a problem with injuries and will most likely get a better deal elsewhere. Curhan will compete for this spot if the Hawks don't hit in FA, 67 rated T)
• Rashaad Penny (gone, this is tough because Penny had an amazing end to the season and was a big reason for the wins at the end but he spent 3 years being hurt and doing nothing. The Hawks already lost a 1st round pick on him and shouldn't lose more on a big deal when he inevitably gets hurt again. FA is ripe with good veteran RBs the hawks should consider instead as their starting RB if Carson doesn't come back, 80.5 rated RB)
• Al Woods (gone, big Al is getting old and while he had a good season, he's showing signs of slowing and the hawks need to retool at DT to get back to the playoffs, 75.4 rated DT)
• Geno Smith (gone, I never got the hype around Geno. He was a wasted pick by the Jets and proved it when he started in place of Russ. With his off field issues it's easily time to move on to a new backup. 73.9 rated QB)
• Kyle Fuller (gone, Fuller lost his starting job and possibly cost the Seahawks some games this year with his poor play. I'd be shocked if he was on any depth chart at the start of the season. He's practice squad at best. 46.5 rated C)
• Bless Austin (gone, Bless has the tools to be a great CB yet doesn't show it on gameday which is why he hasn't landed a starting CB role. He's a serviceable backup and if he goes unclaimed the seahawks should get him back on the practice squad someday. 51.2 rated CB)
• Bryan Mone (gone, Mone was never that great of a DT and this is a position the seahawks need to invest in after a terrible year here. 48.9 rated DT) 
• Penny Hart (gone, Hart hasn't done anything in his career and is easily replaced in FA and draft. 62.7 rated WR)
• Jamarco Jones (gone, Jamarco is inconsistent and usually blows big plays with his blocking or lack thereof. The hawks can improve their backup utility Oline spot easily. 56.9 rated G)
• Dakoda Shepley (gone)
• Jon Rhattigan (gone)
• Marcus Webb (gone)
• Nigel Warrior (gone)
• Marcellius Sutton (gone)

My projected re-signs would cost ~$45M next season and the players gone would free up ~$34M thus resulting in a cap hit of ~$11M. However, restructuring some current deals could help here, along with hitting in the draft and FA to replace players leaving with cheaper alternatives.

Seahawks top priorities in FA and draft:
OL, DB, TE, RB, WR, DT

Potential FA signings to fill top priorities:

• OL: Depends on who the Seahawks keep around. Potential to lose Pocic, Brown, Jones, Shell, and Fuller. I can't imagine they'd lose them all but they'll need a starting caliber T at the very least as keeping Brown and Sheel seems unrealistic.
• Plenty of starting C & G available in FA in the $1-$5M range with ratings similar to or better than Hawks. Expect the Hawks to grab at least one of them.

• DB: Diggs will demand a big contract so Hawks will have a tough time keeping him for the future. Hawks will need to find a starting caliber FS in FA. At CB the Seahawks could use an upgrade, especially if Tre Brown isn't ready to go. 

• TE: The Seahawks could lose Everett and Dissly but it's hard to imagine they'd lose both. They have plenty of backups but it wouldn't hurt to find a starter at TE if Everett leaves.

• RB: I would expect the Seahawks to figure out the Carson/Penny situation before the draft. If they feel they can't afford to keep Penny or Carson deems himself unfit to play again then they'll have no choice but to find a free agent. They still have Dallas and Homer as backups.

• WR: The Hawks aren't losing their top 4 WR's to FA so this isn't really a need BUT there's a good opportunity here to trade DK Metcalf for draft capital and to fill his void with a cheap veteran who can still produce and not act like a cancer to the locker room.

• DT: The Hawks could lose 2 of their top 3 DT's to FA. They need to find 1-2 quality veterans or hit on a DT in the draft.

Draft: 
The Hawks are decimated in picks for a couple seasons due to recent trades, most notably for Adams and Dunbar. Currently they have 6 total picks in rounds 2, 3, 4, 4, 5, 7. There's a chance for more picks if they choose to trade a current player and they could also gain compensatory picks if players leave for big contracts elsewhere. 

Expecting them to draft OL, DB, DL, QB.

Coaching staff changes: 
The Seahawks have already filled their coaching staff needs. However, it's worth keeping an eye on offensive positions as the offense sputtered the 2nd half of the season 2 years in a row under the current regime. 

It's quite possible the Seahawks could look for a new OC now that Russ is gone. Waldron was his pick not Pete's.

Projected starters: Due to the Russell trade and Bobby drop there's going to be some huge changes to the team. Also I don't think the Hawks are done with the moves and fully expect a WR to be traded and possibly swapping some draft picks for a starting QB if they don't sign a free agent. I don't think Lock is going to be the starter but right now he's the best/only option they have.

Offense:
QB: Russell Wilson - (there's a slim chance the Hawks could make a blockbuster deal for a starter QB and 3+ first round picks) Drew Lock (some potential fill ins until the Hawks draft their future: Gardner Minshew, Mitch Trubisky, Jordan Love, JimmyG)
RB: Chris Carson - (there's a chance he is medically unable to perform and a FA RB could take over if Penny isn't coming back)
WR1: Tyler Lockett - (there's a chance he's traded for a 1st round pick)
WR2: DK Metcalf - (there's a chance he's traded for a 1st round pick)
WR3: Freddy Swain
LT: Duane Brown or FA (chance he leaves now that Russ and Bobby are gone)
LG: Damien Lewis
C: Ethan Pocic or FA
RG: Gabe Jackson
RT: Jake Curhan or Stone Forsythe
TE: Will Dissly or FA  Noah Fant

Defense:
RE: Rasheem Green 
DTs: Poona Ford 
LE: Carlos Dunlap
CBs: Tre Brown & DJ Reed
LBs: Bobby Wagner, Jordyn Brooks, Cody Barton, BBK
SS: Jamal Adams
FS: FA or Amadi or Blaire

Seahawks 2021 Season Imploding: Is this the End of an Era?

Every year I try to limit myself to 1 Seahawks post because I just don't have time to cover the team full time outside my career and life. You can see my last post here where I broke down the end of last season and the moves I thought the Seahawks would/should make.

However, this Seahawks season is the worst I've seen in my adult life and it's especially perplexing given the individual successes of the talent and staff on the team. I thought I'd chime in on a few things I'm seeing that have been trending in a bad direction. 

1) Ownership: Jody Allen isn't as good as her brother plain and simple. 

You can see this with both the Portland Trailblazers in the NBA as well as the Seahawks in the NFL. Jody has little to no experience with owning or running a professional sports franchise and is too proud to admit it. Paul was a passionate fan and caring owner who wanted the best for his teams and fan bases. Jody is in it for the fame and fortune, and not so much the love of the sports.

Both franchises have been slipping under her ownership and it's only a matter of time before major shakeups happen in the form of team sales or her bringing in help to rebuild both franchises. Keep in mind she inherited billions so selling the teams or allowing them to slip into mediocrity will not bother her one bit unless she is truly a fan and truly cares. All signs this year in both leagues point towards her not caring about team success as long as they keep bringing in the cash. 

Another thing I've noticed about the Seahawks under her tenure is their reaction to some really impactful political and world issues. I felt like the Seahawks were much more involved, vocal, and quick to act during the political craziness of 2020 and it angered a good portion of the fans, and screwed over some season ticket holders as well. I do not feel like the Seahawks would have been on the forefront of the politics under Paul Allen, especially given his hot takes on his former business partner Bill Gates. I feel Jody and her choices of people running the team, have divided her team, coaches, and fan base on these issues. All in all the team's leadership could've been much more tactful during those fragile times.

2)  Management: John Schneider may not be the genius we all thought he was during the LoB era. 

I know this is an interesting take on the situation because most people want to blame the coaches and players but let's take a look at the things John has done since escaping the former Redskins and their devilishly run organization. His drafts haven't been that good and he's made some terrible trades, but most importantly he's done a bad job of addressing areas of need and managing the cap space by overpaying a handful of players.

• Drafts: Aside from a few lucky picks in the LoB and Russell Wilson, John has missed hard in his drafts, especially in the first round. I'm a huge fan of his strategy of trading down and stockpiling midround picks because it all assures that he'd hit on 1 or 2 of his picks. However, in the last few seasons he's been trading away draft capital for players the Seahawks didn't really need. Looking at the last decade of drafts you'll notice there's maybe 1 or 2 recognizable names in his draft classes and that's it. Not a lot of impactful or long lasting players coming off the board, especially in recent years.

• Trades: During the start of John's tenure he made some brilliant trades. Getting rid of bad players for picks in the draft, as well as bringing in Beast Mode. Unfortunately, since the Seahawks lost the Superbowl on the 1 yard line, he has made some desperate boneheaded trades in a failed attempt to try and be champions again by trying to bring in a big name player instead of focusing on continually building through the draft.

2013:  Traded 1st, 3rd, 7th round picks for Percy Harvin. Those Vikings picks included Xavier Rhodes and Jerick McKinnon. 2 pro bowlers for a guy who created locker room controversy and only 1 good play in Seahawks history. 

2015: Traded Max Unger and 1st round pick for Jimmy Graham. The Seahawks lost a good draft pick and a perennial pro bowl offensive lineman. 2014 was the last time I felt like the Seahawks had a decent offensive line as they traded away their best lineman for someone who couldn't block.

2017:  Traded Kearse, 2nd & 7th round picks for Sheldon Richardson. Traded 2nd & 3rd round picks for Duane Brown. Sheldon wasn't bad and Duane has been a decent LT for multiple seasons but the Seahawks lost in the divisional round to the Falcons and lost 4 draft picks in the process that season. 

2018: Traded 6th and 7th round picks for Brett Hundley & Shalom Luani. The trade for Hundley made a tiny bit of sense because the Seahawks wanted a backup QB with experience but he didn't last long in Seattle. Trading for Luani didn't make sense because he never saw the field and was cut from the team.  

2019: Traded Jacob Martin, Barkevious Mingo, 3rd round pick for Jadeveon Clowney. The Seahawks lost 2 players who saw a lot of play and a high draft pick for a known injury prone player who didn't stick around and didn't see the field much at all. 

2020: Traded two 1st round picks, a 3rd round pick, and Bradley McDougald for Jamal Adams. This may be the worst move in John's tenure and probably the one that will cost him his job. Jamal was known to be weak in coverage, have a bad attitude in the locker room, and demanding to be the highest paid player at his position. He hasn't disappointed in any of those categories. Seahawks not only lost a starting safety and 3 high draft picks in the process, but they broke the bank and assured they couldn't afford better players at positions of need. Adams can be attributed to ruining the Seahawks 2021 season and it's on John for giving up too much and breaking the bank for a mediocre safety. Don't get me wrong he's great in the box when stopping the run or rushing the passer, but he makes very bad decisions in coverage and isn't worth top safety money. Diggs is the best safety on the team and deserved more than Jamal. Sadly the Seahawks would've been better off never trading for him and using their picks on positions of need. 

3) Coaching: Pete Carroll, Shane Waldron, Ken Norton. Yeah this is an easy one as we've all seen some questionable play calling, scheming, and bad in-game adjustments in recent years. Nothing as bad as this season though.  

Pete is getting old, and in his old age I believe there's a certain stubbornness to him to not adjust to the modern game. On top of that though, I think he tries to be a player's coach a bit too much and sometimes needs to favor competition and discipline on the team. These are things he used to push on but you can tell he's gotten soft in his old age. To top it off I don't believe Pete has done a great job of surrounding himself with great assistants. If you look at the team they have ranked fairly poorly on all sides of the ball. You can blame the players for not executing, but you also have to think after seeing similar issues year after year that the coaches are also to blame. Bad blocking, bad run game, bad pass defense, blowing leads, turnover margin, penalties, missed tackles, etc... 

Looking at the defense you can tell Ken Norton just takes a long time to adjust to the roster he has but once he has figured it out (usually halfway through the season) he seems to get dialed in. Unfortunately he cannot sustain a full season of running a decent defense. 

Looking at the offense you can tell Shane Waldron was not the answer and this is on Pete for caving into Russ for picking the coach the QB wanted, instead of the coach who best fits what Pete wants to do. Shane looks lost as a play caller and is so scared of angering Russ (who helped him get the job) that he's caving into the calls Russ wants to do (which is mostly bomb it into 2 deep coverage and run it when it's 3rd and long). 

4) QB play from Russell Wilson: When you break the bank on a franchise QB you're expecting a certain level of sustained greatness. Unfortunately there's only 1 Tom Brady in the league and even he makes less than Russ. This is proof that you can't overpay any player, but also that nobody ages well. Russ's advantage was his ability to escape and elude pressure to make miracles happen, while also avoiding injuries. This is not the case any longer. Age and non-football activities have shown up and Russ hasn't adapted well at all. He looks slow, scared, and unable to execute how he used to. All the close games that were won at the end because of his play are now turning into losses because he can no longer execute game winning drives like the old days, can no longer escape pressure and scramble, and suddenly can no longer be accurate in the intermediate passing game. If Russ demands a trade I say the Hawks get as much as they can out of him and thank him for his service. If he demands even more money I say they let him walk. There's no way the Seahawks can afford to pay him what he believes he's worth if he can no longer go out there and win games for the team. 

Credit: NFL.com

All in all it feels like a good time for a Seahawks rebuild. If the team continues to be in the basement of the NFC through the end of the year they should do what they can to replace the GM and coaches, trade their highly paid players to get draft capital back, and turn the franchise around in 2-3 years. It's very painful to admit but this just may be the end of the John/Pete/Russ era. The only saving grace I see from them is admitting their faults and starting a rebuild now, similar to what the Mariners finally did.

Seahawks 2021

 

As the crazy pandemic and politics filled NFL season has come to an end it's time to look forward to 2021. 

The Seahawks have a lot of work to do between finding a new Offensive Coordinator and dealing with a lot of free agents potentially leaving the team. Overall the Seahawks don't have a lot of cap space, which will make it difficult to retain almost all their starters, but after a first round playoff exit that's probably for the best. 

Let's dive into who they might keep, who they might let go, and which spots they need to fill to come back stronger next season. In order of who they might re-sign and most notable players first.

Unrestricted Free Agents:

• KJ Wright (re-sign if less than $9M, lifetime Seahawk coming off a great season after moving back to his og position, ranked #22 overall LB)
• Shaq Griffin (re-sign if less than $8M, expecting big offers similar to Dunbar but $8M/yr lands him where he ranks, #26 overall CB)
• Ethan Pocic (re-sign if less than $5M which is ~#20 ranked C/G spot, very good when healthy, #23 overall C)
• Benson Mayowa (re-sign if less than $3M, he's below avg at his position but showed promise once healthy, #64 overall DE)
• Nick Bellore (re-sign if less than $1.5M, probowl season in ST and affordable)
• David Moore (re-sign if less than $900K, one of his best seasons but Hawks can find similar production easily so he'll be on a short leash, #70 overall WR)
• Cedric Ogbuehi (re-sign if less than $3M, versatile and affordable backup, #60 overall T) 
• Damarious Randall (re-sign if less than $1.1M, an underrated backup, #18 overall S)
• Chris Carson (gone, Hawks want to re-sign but projected a big payday of 4 years/$28M, also very beat up after his rookie contract so production will drop most likely, #8 overall RB, frees $600k)
• Greg Olsen (gone, injury prone and will retire to the booth, frees up $7M)
• Bruce Irvin (gone, injury prone and his career seems over, frees up $5.5M)
• Mike Iupati (gone, injury prone and likely to retire, #18 overall G, frees up $2.5M)
• Jacob Hollister (gone, price tag too high for a 3rd string TE, #52 overall TE, frees up $3.3M)
• Quinton Dunbar (gone, injuries and off field drama made his Hawks debut sour, DJ Reed outplayed him, projected 3 year/$52M contract, frees up $1.9M)
• Carlos Hyde (gone, Hawks have too many RB's behind him who cost less, #31 overall RB, frees up $2.75M)
• Geno Smith (gone,  Hawks will draft a QB and bring in another to compete for backup, #45 overall QB, frees up $1.2M)
• Neiko Thorpe (gone, injuries and avg lately, frees up $1.2M)
• Branden Jackson (gone, not very good productivity and potential health issues with spine, frees up $1.05M)
• Phillip Dorsett (gone, out all season with injuries, frees up $1.05M)
• Josh Gordon (gone, out all season with off field issues, frees up $1.05M)
• Damontre Moore (gone, out most of the season with off field issues, #90 overall DE, frees up $900K)
• Lano HIll (gone, out most of the season with injuries, Hawks have Randall and Neal as better backups, frees up $800K)
• Jayson Stanley (gone, converted WR to CB who couldn't make Jags, Hawks, or Falcons active rosters, frees up $675K)

Restricted Free Agents:

• Jordan Simmons (ERFA so Hawks can re-sign for league min of ~$825K, versatile backup, tied with Lewis at #44 overall G) 
• Bryan Mone (ERFA so Hawks can re-sign for league min of ~$750K, affordable backup, #66 overall DT) 
• Ryan Neal (ERFA so Hawks can re-sign for league min of ~$825K, affordable backup, #3 overall SS) 
• Linden Stephens (ERFA so Hawks can re-sign for league min of $825K, serviceable backup and ST contributor, #120 overall CB) 
• Kyle Fuller (re-sign if less than $1M, RFA so Hawks can match offers, versatile and affordable backup, tied for #23 overall C with Pocic) 
• Poona Ford (re-sign if less than $4M, RFA so Hawks can match offers, very productive during rookie contract, #43 overall DT) 
• Shaquem Griffin (gone, productive on ST but will have to compete with rookies for playtime, #99 overall LB, frees up $750K) 

My projected re-signs would cost ~$39.725M next season and the players gone would free up ~$32.225M thus giving the Hawks $7.5M against their cap space.

Seahawks top priorities in FA and draft:
OL, DB, TE, RB, WR, DT

Potential FA signings to fill top priorities:

• OL: Depends on who the Seahawks keep around. Potential to lose Pocic, Iupati, Simmons, Ogbuehi, and Fuller. I can't imagine they'd lose them all but it seems a starting caliber G would be ideal if Iupati retires or leaves.
• Plenty of starting C & G available in FA in the $1-$5M range with ratings similar to or better than Hawks. Expect the Hawks to grab 1-3 of them.
• 25 OL are expected to go in the first 5 rounds of the draft so the Hawks could grab a quality OL in the draft too.

• DB: Adams will demand a blockbuster extension so Hawks will have a tough time keeping Adams, Dunbar, and Griffin together for the future. Expecting Reed & Flowers to hold the RCB side another season and Griffin to re-sign to stay starting LCB, unless another team is desperate for his skills.
• If Hawks lose Griffin and Dunbar there's very few quality starters available at affordable prices. Expect most to demand big money in the $8M+ range. 
• There are about 10 or so starting FA CBs available for < $8M/yr so expect the Hawks to sign one if they lose both Dunbar and Griffin.
• Draft is also stacked with 18 CBs expected in the first 5 rounds so expect the Hawks to draft a CB.
• Adams will want to be the top paid S in the league the next few years so expect him to demand $15M/yr for 3-4 years, which would eat a little over half the Hawks' cap. 
• Hawks could also trade Adams if he doesn't get the offer he wants and he may also sit out until he's paid or traded. Adams proved to be great tackler and pass rusher but his discipline in pass coverage needs major improvements. He's also going to have several off season surgeries.
• Notable starting alternatives available at SS are McDougald (who the Hawks traded for Adams along with draft picks), Neal, Joseph, Sendejo. 
• 11 Safeties are expected to go in the first 5 rounds of the draft so don't expect the draft to fill this spot for the Hawks

• TE: With the loss of Olsen, and possibly Hollister, this will be a huge hole. Hawks drafted a couple TE last year, but they haven't panned out so far (one even played DE for a game). Hawks need a quality TE to replace Olsen and to compliment injury prone Dissly.
• Notable names at < $5M in FA are Eifert, Lewis, Everett, Burton, Rodgers, Alie-Cox. Expect the Hawks to grab a decent TE in FA.
• Only 5 TE's expected in the first 5 rounds of the draft so drafting one this year is unlikely.

• RB: It's unlikely the Hawks can afford to pay Carson what he's owed. Especially if they want to keep Adams and Griffin. Unless he takes a home team discount expect him to move on. So far Homer and Dallas feel like busts and Penny is injury prone, thus leaving a big gap for a work horse RB. If they also move on from Carson and Hyde then it's FA or draft time.
• There is a long list of notable FAs available at < $5M price tag so expect the Hawks to grab one.
• 12 RBs expected to go in the first 5 rounds of the draft so the Hawks could also draft one.

• WR: If Hawks keep Moore then they simply need someone who competes with him and Swain for WR3/4 to add some depth behind Metcalf and Lockett. They will need an affordable veteran who is willing to block.
• Quite a few WRs are available for < $1M but none who would re-sign for that value have better ratings than Moore & Swain so don't expect a notable WR signing unless the Hawks move on from Moore.
• 24 WRs are expected to go in the first 5 rounds of the draft so expect the Hawks to definitely grab 1 or 2.

• DT: If the Hawks lose Poona then they will down to just Jarran Reed as a starting quality DT, with a handful of backups to rotate in. Every season the Hawks sign a couple veteran DTs so I expect the same. 
• There are plenty of FA DT's at Poona's < $4M price tag so expect the Hawks to grab at least one.
• There are 13 DTs expected to go in the first 5 rounds of the draft so don't expect the Hawks to draft one.

Draft: 
The Hawks are decimated in picks for a couple seasons due to recent trades, most notably for Adams and Dunbar. Currently they have 5 total picks in rounds 2, 4, 5, 7, 7. There's a chance for more picks if they choose to trade a current player and they could also gain compensatory picks if players leave for big contracts elsewhere. Expecting them to draft OL, DB, RB, WR, DL.

Coaching staff changes: 
The firing of OC Schotty was a bit surprising because Pete said prior to playoffs he planned to keep his primary coaches around for next season. However, after the loss they decided to move on. It's not so surprising as you could see the offense sputtered midway through the season and Schotty was unable or unwilling to adjust from "let Russ cook" to "let's control the clock and eliminate turnovers" which is what Pete prefers. 

Pete will need to find a solid OC who has a good history with a solid run game and play action play calling. A little creativity with Russ, DK, and Lockett would also go a long way, but not too much. Any OC coming in has to understand this is Pete's team and he'll always prefer an old school game plan to a new school one. 

There are plenty of assistant jobs at jeopardy as well. Player injuries, especially on defense, killed the Hawks this season and the OL ranked fairly poorly on the right side, so expect some changes to assistants.

Projected 2020 starters: Not expecting too many big changes to existing starters unless too many players leave in Free Agency.

Offense:
QB: Russell Wilson - (there's a slim chance the firing of Schotty and the run first offense could irk Russ to demand a trade. If so expect the Hawks to trade for someone starting caliber in addition to draft picks so they can bolster their future)
RB: Rashaad Penny
WR1: Tyler Lockett
WR2: DK Metcalf
WR3: David Moore/Freddy Swain
LT: Duane Brown
LG: new FA signing
C: Ethan Pocic 
RG: Damien Lewis
RT: Brandon Shell 
TE: Will Dissly

Defense:
RE: Rasheem Green (backup LJ Collier)
DTs: Jarran Reed & Poona Ford 
LE: Carlos Dunlap
CBs: Shaquille Griffin & DJ Reed
LBs: KJ Wright, Bobby Wagner, Jordyn Brooks
SS: Jamal Adams
FS: Quandre Diggs