At 6-6 with five crucial games in the season left to play, the Seattle Seahawks still have it within themselves to win three games or maybe more, and still make the playoffs. I don’t greatly care if they do, and that absolutely stuns me.

For the first time since I can ever remember, I find myself feeling this way. Every year up to this point, from Dave Krieg leading this team to the playoffs for the first time when I was a kid, it has always been about making it to the post season. Even in that horrid year of 1992, when they went 2-14, and some dude named Stan Gelbaugh was their starting quarterback, I was blindly thinking playoffs.

I’m not thinking playoffs right now. I’m thinking how to we get this team to become more than what it is, which is the epitome of NFL mediocrity.

Forget about the Super Bowl, how do we get them to become a team that is actually feared in this league like it was a decade ago?

People will say that we need better guards, a true franchise quarterback, linebackers and safeties who can cover and tackle, and play callers who are actually good at their jobs, etc.

Yeah, okay. I won’t argue against that.

I’m nervous, however, this present regime run by Pete Carroll won’t see it this way. I can fully envision Carroll saying at the end of this season that he likes the young nucleus on the offensive line, he loves his coordinators, still thinks Jamal Adams is the player on defense to build around, and he wants to bring a slowed down Bobby Wagner back.

I gotta tell you folks, if those words come out of Coach’s mouth after this team finishes 8-9 or worse in January, I am going to have a hard time wrapping any sort of optimistic embrace around them next year. Hello Darkness My Old Friend may very well be playing on a hellish loop inside my mind every time I reach for one of my many Seahawk hoodies.

Walking this team back next year is not good enough. It would be like the Seattle Seahawks colluding with the Seattle Mariner ownership to suck all the joy and hope out of a PNW fanbase.

My mood meter for the Seattle Seahawks right now is as “meh” as meh can possibly be. Instead of looking forward to games, I am looking at mock draft articles. I’m not fixated on the present, I am almost entirely looking ahead.

Here are the things that I hope this organization is preparing to do to build themselves into a true contender starting next offseason, and winning three out of the next five games and sneaking into the playoffs isn’t likely going to change this list for me.

Shake Up This Coaching Staff

When this team was dominating in 2013-2014, Pete Carroll had an outstanding defensive coordinator in Dan Quinn, and he had an underrated offensive coordinator in Darrel Bevell. Progressively over the years, his coordinators have gotten worse, and thus so have his defenses and offenses.

Pete Carroll is a great culture builder and a master motivator, but I think it’s fair to say that he is not the tactician as other coaches are in this division. He needs great coordinators on his staff. Right now, it appears as if Seattle has two young coordinators who may very well be in over their heads.

Nowadays, Seattle is neither a top offensive team, nor is it a top defensive team. They have become as mediocre as mediocre can be, and if the season ended today, Seattle would be picking 15th overall in the first round of the draft. It quite frankly doesn’t get any mediocre than that, and this needs to drastically change.

In my ideal world, I would have Pete Carroll remain as the head coach of the Seahawks and coach through his contract that expires in 2025. I would have him move off of Shane Waldron as the offensive coordinator, and do the same for Clint Hurtt as the defensive coach. Neither side of the ball is playing well enough for me to believe either coordinator has earned the right to be back next year. The defense is only marginally improved from the god awful mess that it was last year, and the offense has greatly regressed.

At the end of this season, three defensive minded NFL head coaches, who have all been very good defensive coordinators in the past, could be out of a gig. Robert Saleh with the Jets (who used to be on Carroll’s Super Bowl winning staff), Dennis Allen with the Saints, and Matt Eberflus with the Bears could all be available for Carroll to bring in. If I were Seattle, I would make one of these guys a handsomely paid coordinator. Incidentally, each one of these guys prefers the 4-3 defensive scheme which had be a trademark of the great Pete Carroll defenses in years past.

I have nothing personal against Clint Hurtt, but two years into this thing, I think this whole shift to a modified 3-4 has been a frustrating failure, and I would prefer it if Carroll just returned to the 4-3 defense he knows inside and out. Watching Seattle flirt in this 3-4 has been a frustrating mess and I think it’s a bad defense to throw at the San Francisco 49er offense.

As for the offensive coordinator, how about this crazy idea? Why not bring Darrel Bevell back who is now serving at the pass game coordinator for the high octane offense of the Miami Dolphins?

For me, this is not a crazy idea. In fact, I think it might actually be a really good one.

Under Bevell, Seattle had the most success in the Carroll era, offensively. They were a league leading unit in explosive plays, and he figured out a way to best utilize Russell Wilson as a duo threat quarterback that caught the league off guard.

With Bevell down in Miami today, I think it is fair to think that perhaps he has gained insight into how to operate Mike McDaniels exotic Shanahan-esque offense. Personally, I would very much like that offense here in Seattle.

Former players have come back to Pete over the years. Why not this former coach?

Whether Carroll sticks it out or not, the one thing I know is that I don’t know if I can handle another season next year of this team underperforming with the talent it has on this roster, especially on the offensive side of the ball. For me, I think the main issue has been Xs and Os over the Jimmies and Joes. We will see how this season plays out, but right now, I need changes on this staff.

Make The Tough Choices On Expensive Players Not Playing Up To Their Contracts

It’s not fun to write about player contracts and who is living up to them and who isn’t, but good teams do not pay top end dollars for middling results with players. Presently, Seattle has the most expensive starting safety tandem in the league and they do not play dominantly.

In fact, according to Pro Football Focus, Jamal Adams has been one of the worst starting safeties in the league this year, and he has been especially terrible against the run. I have thought for a while that the team should move permanently to a linebacker role, but would you trust him to stay discipline in his technique to make the routine tackle at or behind the line of scrimmage?

His partner, Quandre Diggs, has been a better performer, but he still whiffs a lot in the open field on tackles. Diggs is set to make over $21 million next year if he is still on the team. That is an absurd amount to pay a safety who is decent but not great.

Adams is set to make over $26 million, and that is an insane amount to pay a safety who PFF thinks is one of the worst starters in the league. Even moving him to linebacker where he might function better as a player, paying him this amount seems like a gross dereliction of salary cap management. He has not been nearly the impact player they thought they were getting when they traded for him.

There is no universe where I think it is a good idea for this Seahawk organization to bring both safeties back in 2024 at these high salary rates. If I were John Schneider, I would move off of both of these players, and look to have Julian Love play one safety spot with possibly Coby Bryant competing for the other. I would also look to the NFL draft to see what I can find. Personally, I really dig Washington State safety Jaden Hicks as a possible option in the third round.

Another expensive veteran who is not really living up to the high salary he is earning is tight end Will Dissly. I love Uncle Will as much as the next fan, but he is not a $10 million a year level tight end in the league. I do not see how this team can bring him back in 2024 at this cost.

The most complicated issue salary wise for the team in 2024 might be Geno Smith. In 2024, he is due to make over $31 million dollars, and even though he hasn’t been helped by Waldron as a play caller, even the biggest Geno Smith fan has to acknowledge his regression this year over where he was at this point last year. Most metrics have him ranked at about the 18th best passer in the league this year.

Is it good spending to pay Geno $31 million next year when 17 other quarterbacks have been outperforming him in 2023? Or is it wise to cut him loose and try your hand with Gardner Minshew or Jacoby Brissett and look to the draft that appears deeper than usual at the position?

Lastly, there is the issue with Tyler Lockett and his $26 million set to be due on the books in 2024 when the team has DK Metcalf, Jaxon Smith Njigba, Dee Eskridge and Jake Bobo on the roster who are all younger and less expensive. It sucks to think about moving on from a Mr Seahawk like Lockett, but is $26 million to an older receiver on a roster loaded up with good receivers good spending?

Here is the stark reality facing this team in 2024 that a lot of fans don’t want to think about right now, but I will share. This team is going to be tighter against the cap, and they don’t have a starting linebacker contracted in 2024, nor do they have a starting tight end, starting left guard, or a starting center. They also just traded a second round pick and fifth round pick to the Giants for starting defensive tackle Leonard Williams who is set to be a free agent. This is a grim outlook.

If I were the GM of this team, I would absolutely cut my losses with Jamal Adams, and I also would cut loose Quandre Diggs. Those two moves would free up about $13 million dollars, and that would be the money I would look to use for signing Leonard Williams to a multi year contract. Williams provides a stoutness up front on their defense line that is more important than middling safety play on the backend.

If I were the GM, I would move off of the Will Dissly contract and use that money to try to retain starting linebacker Jordyn Brooks who at this stage, is probably more impactful of a player than Bobby Wagner is. If I can’t keep him, I look to free agency to add a younger linebacker, and I look at the draft.

If I were the GM, I would begrudgingly move on from Geno Smith’s contract, and use that money to bring in a cheaper veteran solution at quarterback, and I would look to the draft. I have made my steadfast desires about this team drafting Michael Penix Junior well known, but there are others in this draft class who would also get me pretty excited.

Seattle can free themselves of the Geno contract, and open up nearly $30 million in cap space to go after a solid veteran guard and possibly a solid veteran center, as well, and finally fix this offensive line right, instead of continually shelling out one year prove it deals on journeymen players such as Phil Haynes and the countless players they’ve tried to plug at center over the years. They could add someone like Gardner Minshew who has been a somewhat decent starter, and they set themselves up to draft a player to be the next franchise passer.

If I were GM, I would move off of the weirdly big contract this team gave backup nose tackle Brian Mone, and I think they probably will. Someone needs a noogy on their head for even signing him to that deal in the first place.

If I were GM, I would hang onto Tyler Lockett even though he’s expensive. I like having one of the deepest wide receiver rooms in the league, and if I am drafting a quarterback, I want him to benefit from that.

Add To The Trenches In Free Agency

The only players set to be free agents that I would be greatly inclined to bring back would be Leonard Williams, Jordyn Brooks, and tight end Noah Fant.

As stated above, this team needs to quit toying around with their offensive and defensive lines. Teams like the Eagles and 49ers annually look to add to their lines, not subtract, and low and hold, they are annually NFC powerhouses. Football is not rocket science. The teams that run better and stop the run better generally do better at winning games.

Here is a short list of quality NFL guards set to be free agents in 2024. Robert Hunt of the Dolphins, Jonah Jackson of the Lions, Jon Runyan of the Packers are all probably big upgrades over Damien Lewis for the Seahawks. For my money, if Robert Hunt hits the open market, I would love to see Seattle pounce on him.

Here is a short list of pending free agent centers. Connor Williams of the Dolphins, and Lloyd Cushenberry of the Broncos, and Andre James of the Raiders. Getting Connor Williams to pair with Robert Hunt both from the Dolphins would be an ideal scenario for Seattle. Retaining Evan Brown actually wouldn’t be a terrible move for the team as a Plan B, as he has been the one consistent player on the unit all season, but I want greatness at that position, for once.

As for the defensive line, just work out a multi year deal with Leonard Williams, and develop DTs behind him. I like the players around him enough on this unit to feel like Seattle is building something if they can just retain him. So, do it.

Draft A Quarterback To Develop Into A Starter

This coming draft class could involve as many as ten quarterbacks who could be viewed as eventual starters in this league. I think it’s likely that six could easily be drafted in the first round. If the season ended today, Seattle would hold the 15th overall pick. If Seattle finishes at 8-9 or worse, that pick could easily climb closer to the top ten. This should put Seattle in position to draft one of these quarterbacks.

As already stated, I have been very outward in my belief that Seattle should have UW’s Michael Penix Junior high on their draft board. He has an elite arm, he can make every single NFL throw, he’s accurate, he’s big and athletic enough, and he has a pension for winning games. His age and injury history almost might make him the fourth or fifth quarterback on a lot of teams’ draft boards in a draft that could also include Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, JJ McCarthy, and Bo Nix.

If Penix manages to land at whatever pick Seattle is selecting at in round one, I pray they do not overthink it, and take another player. Penix fits what Carroll wants to do as a big armed deep passer working off of play action, and he’s a high character dude. Even more so, he’s now firmly a local legend. Fans will likely be more patient with Penix than they are at this point with Geno Smith, or possibly a different drafted quarterback.

But like I said, there are others in this coming draft class who could present really interesting options. For my money, I would probably be just as excited if Seattle landed Jayden Daniels or Bo Nix. Just go get one of these guys, and look at other areas of need afterwards.

Final Thoughts

This team is not built to compete with the 49ers, and I don’t know if it’s even built to compete with the Rams. I fear that continuing the status quo will give Arizona an opportunity to surpass them in the division with their new coaching staff, and upcoming draft capital.

Last year, Arizona ownership said enough is enough with Kliff Kingsbury, and moved on when it was clear that mediocrity was about as far as Kingsbury would take them. It should be noted that they did this after gifting him a brand new contract extension the year before.

Would Jody Allen and her Vulcan crew do the same in Seattle if Carroll leads this team to a losing season?

I have my doubts, but she may insist on new coordinators, and she may grant general manager John Schneider more autonomy from Carroll’s overriding powers of the front office. This is my realistic hope for this team.

I’m not convinced it was Schneider who wanted Seattle to overspend for Jamal Adams in that trade with the Jets and then sink nearly $48 million dollars into two starting safeties. My gut tells me those were all of Carroll’s desires.

I think this team needs to move on from Jamal Adams this offseason. His play doesn’t warrant his salary, and fans are growing tired of him not living up to the billing.

Also, when I watch Adams play, and I don’t see a great team guy. I see a person who loves to celebrate with over the top antics whenever he makes a play, and I see a dude who misses too many tackles and isn’t a great cover safety. He also often behaves like a total jerk, and the way in which he most recently went after a NY Jet reporter on Twitter taking shots at his wife is a terrible look.

I don’t want a guy like this on the team I root for, and I don’t think he is doing this culture any favors. I think it would best for the team and the player if they parted ways after the season is done.

I like Quandre Diggs as a player but not at $20 million APY. I don’t see a safety in the league worth with this contract, to be honest.

Lastly, I don’t really want to see this team part ways with Geno Smith in the coming offseason, but given the fact that this roster is in no way shape or form ready to truly compete with San Francisco, I see logic in freeing up cap space to go out and truly land two high quality veteran additions to the interior of this offensive line. If Seattle hangs onto Geno in 2024, I don’t think they will be in a position to make these sort of moves even if they cut their safeties, Will Dissly, and Brian Mone, and also try to retain Leonard Williams, Noah Fant, and Jordyn Brooks.

The easiest way to properly build this roster up to win games against San Francisco might just be to release Geno Smith in February. If they did that and it landed them a stud guard, and a really good center, and they brought in Gardner Minshew or Marcus Mariota, or whoever else at a cheaper cost to compete with a rookie quarterback, I would get totally behind that.

This is where I oddly find myself with this team presently. I don’t have much faith in them over this final stretch of games. I have found myself more frustrated in the coaching of this team than I can ever remember beyond the brutal Mike Flores era of Seahawk football. That is saying something.

I love Pete Carroll, but I cannot handle this continual lack of discipline, and I really can’t handle frustrating play calling, and odd schemes that don’t appear to be working. I am long past tired of the antics of Jamal Adams paired with his underwhelming play. I am really super tired of the offensive line being a nonstop issue with this team.

I need change.

Frankly, I kinda think Geno Smith deserves better than this after winning Comeback Player Of The Year last year. I kinda think maybe playing for a team like Minnesota next year might be a really good thing for him while Seattle finally starts to sort all this shit out.. finally.

This is my mood meter. It is as “meh” as it can be for the team I love most. I would like it to change.

Go Hawks.