By now, most people have heard the news that the Seattle Seahawks have released strong safety Jamal Adams, free safety Quandre Diggs, and tight end Will Dissly. While shocking moves to some, more tempered fans who may have been studying Seattle’s roster, salary cap situation, and pending free agents probably saw these actions coming. There could be more on the way before free agency begins next week.

With all respect to Diggs and Dissly being players for Seattle that I really liked over the years, these moves should pave the way for a fun, and active offseason. In this piece, I kinda blend my hopes for what this franchise does with what I think are also kinda likely moves.

With the NFL Scouting Combine now at its conclusion, a neat little picture is forming for how the offseason might go for our beloved Seattle Seahawks. This draft appears rich at interior defensive line, offensive line, wide receiver, quarterback, tight end, and possibly safety. Not so much for linebacker.

This informs us what to expect the free agent market to be. The areas of the draft that appear weak will drive up those same areas in free agency, and conversely, the areas that are deep should make those same positions more affordable on the free agent market.

How this effects Seattle is pretty simple. I feel they should be able to reach a deal with defensive tackle Leonard Williams, but given the fact that both of their starting middle linebackers are currently without contracts, Seattle is likely going to have to pay the piper one way or the other in free agency to settle a position who new head coach Mike Macdonald says he has a special affinity towards.

Seattle has a lot of work to do this offseason. They need to find two quality starting middle linebackers, they have apparent holes at guard, center, and tight end, and, in my opinion, they need to be thinking about a long term plan at quarterback.

The draft can offer some solutions, but they must nail free agency first. Now up to general manager John Schneider to make all the right calls.

The good news is that everything the Seahawks have done, so far, this offseason has been highly encouraging. In short, they made the bold move away from long standing head coach Pete Carroll in favor of bright young defensive mastermind Macdonald, and they paired the new coach with former Washington Husky offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb. They filled out the coaching staff with numerous promising coaches including a dude who looks like he might become a star offensive line coach in the league.

In my last piece, I wrote all my reasons why I am excited about the Macdonald/Grubb partnership moving forward and you can read it here. It is clear that the Seahawks want to become the Baltimore Ravens. They want to play dominant on defense, and they want to be explosive on offense. While this can be said about virtually every NFL team, I believe with these coaching changes paired with the talent already existing on this roster, Seattle is poised to be this team right out of the gates this Fall with a proper offseason of free agency, trades, and the draft.

The Seahawks are committed to Geno Smith this year by restructuring his deal, and that is a good thing. Fans are very polarized about him with some viewing him as a top ten-ish quarterback, and other feeling like he is bottom half. My view of Geno is that he is a solid second tier quarterback. There are only four quarterbacks in the league who I would describe as elite, and then there are everyone else.

For me, I will take a good vet like Geno and partner him with DK Metcalf and others in a Ryan Grubb offense that will lean further into the run and play action. Smart football minds can see the fit with Geno in that style of offense, as he is one of the best deep ball passers in the game. Physically and tools-wise, he is similar enough to Michael Penix Junior.

Offensively, I think Seattle is close to being some special in this league, but it is defensively where I see the most work being needed. Personally, I think there is talent on that side of the ball, but currently, neither middle linebacker is signed to a contract, nor is DT Leonard Big Cat Williams who the team sent a second round pick to the Giants for mid season last year. Personnel wise, there is a lot of work to do on that side of the ball.

Thus, this is what most fuels my wish list for this team moving forward. Here it is.

Commit to the front seven of this defense through free agency and the draft

Enough is enough with sinking nearly $50 million dollars into the safety positions. Seattle needs to start paying for boys that play much closer to the ball and around the line of scrimmage.

The need to work a deal out with Big Cat Williams feels like a given. Seattle sent a 2024 second round pick and a 2025 fifth round pick for him, and those are valuable assets. He is a very good defensive tackle, and losing him to free agency would seem like a bitter blow considering what Seattle gave up to bring him in for half of a season.

However, this free agency cycle appears to be a very good one for the DT position, and I think this is an intriguing draft class for the position, as well. I would think that the hiring of Macdonald is going to be appealing to Williams, who can be a star up front in that defensive scheme, but should he decide to sign elsewhere, Seattle could find a player of similar value out there one way, or another. For me, the goal should be Big Cat, or one of these other talented dudes out there in free agency. Just get one.

The more daunting issue for the defense might be middle linebacker with starters Jordyn Brooks and Bobby Wagner both being free agents. For me, I think Seattle will probably move on from Wagner at this stage, but might make an effort to bring back Brooks at the right cost.

I don’t think Brooks coming back is a given, though, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Macdonald chooses to sign a couple middle linebackers from outside who he feels might be better suited for his scheme. Currently, I am leaning more towards this idea.

Instead of seeing this team drop a huge amount of money on a big name free agent like Patrick Queen, I would rather see them add two very good veteran coverage linebackers who would fit Macdonald’s scheme well, and then see whatever the draft brings. Maybe they add former Washington State Cougar Frankie Luvu who has played well in Carolina with 123 tackles, 6 sacks, 11 QB hits, let him have his homecoming, and then pair him with promising Bills linebacker Tyrel Dobson who earned high honors from Pro Football focus as being one of the top coverage linebackers in the league last year. That could be a dream scenario, and it would give Seattle a solid and affordable one two punch at middle linebacker.

In the draft, just keep depth adding pieces to the linebacker room and the D line. You can never have enough defensive linemen.

Find the Quarterback Of The Future

I need this team to start an honest search for the Quarterback Of The Future. Geno will turn 34 this October, and his salary in 2025 inflates to a whopping $38.5 million. I don’t see Seattle bringing him back next year at that cost, and their choices will be either to move on or sign him to another extension that will bring that 2025 salary number down.

There are many reasons why Seattle should be actively looking for its next franchise quarterback. Geno, while good, is probably at his ceiling, and is only going to get older, but even if he keeps playing well enough, he will continue to be an expensive good not great quarterback. Therein lays the problem.

In the rough economics of the NFL, there are huge benefits to having a quality franchise quarterback playing on a rookie contract for a while, but even if he plays into an expensive deal, time and youth will still be on his side. Continually extending a good not great Geno Smith until he is near 40 is not a great path towards getting another Super Bowl ring, in my humble opinion. How well has that worked out for the Minnesota Vikings and Kirk Cousins?

What I would like to see this team do this offseason is either take a shot on one of the seven or eight quarterbacks in this draft who look like they could become promising NFL starters, or trade for a young talent already in the league. If they walk back Drew Lock to be QB2 again on a one year deal behind Geno, and don’t address the position again, it will feel like a let down.

Next year’s quarterback class doesn’t feel nearly as promising as this year’s does, and Seattle will likely be too competitive in 2024 to earn a top ten pick to draft a quarterback worth it this year. Because this year’s QB class feels unusually deep, it feels like this is the year to take a swing at one. I hope they do.

Anyone who has regularly reads my writing knows how strongly I feel about the Seahawks drafting Michael Penix Junior. I think his arm talent is A+, and he’s a lot more athletic than people are making him out to be. He can extend plays, but he does his best work from inside the pocket, and if you are to run a committed play action offensive such as Mike Macdonald has said he wants to see in Seattle, well then, Penix was the best play action passing quarterback in college last year. He just ticks so many boxes for what it appears Seattle wants to be moving forward. If Macdonald wants an explosive offense, Penix has the arm talent to deliver that exact threat, make no mistake about it.

There are others in this draft I fancy, as well, and I don’t have a great preference over any of them, to be honest. I would just love to see Seattle take a shot at one.

Some people are freaked out about the idea of Seattle trading up for one of these guys. If Seattle did that, I would be flipping out with excitement. I trust John Schneider to find his guy, and if he sees one in this class that he really loves and doesn’t want to wait around to see if he falls to 16, I say just go get that dude.

Alternatively, if they felt inspired to trade a page out of the Mike Holmgren book and trade for a young QB who might have some upside, I wouldn’t be opposed to seeing them take a shot on Sam Howell, if Washington drafts a QB second overall. There was a rumor a couple years ago that Howell was the quarterback Seattle was considering drafting after they traded Russell Wilson. Howell is a good deep ball passer and has some fun duo threat abilities as a runner. Maybe it is just me, but I feel like there could be something there with him, and he has two years left on his rookie deal to find out. I think it would be worth a shot, if they choose to go another direction in the draft. Just a thought.

Be aggressive fixing the offensive line

Listening to Ryan Grubb discuss how much he values his offensive line play the other day got me ridiculously pumped. He wants an aggressive offensive line that will dictate the tone of his offense. This was the Washington Huskies for the past two years with him running the offense.

Seattle has some pieces in place on the line that can probably play to that style. I think they need possibly two more on the interior at guard and center. This is looking like an insanely good draft to add a guard and a center, and it doesn’t even have to happen in the first rounds.

My ideal approach would be to solve one spot with a quality veteran and use the draft for the other. I won’t lie, I think it would be perfectly fine to bring back left guard Damien Lewis, or center Evan Brown, and use the draft to fill the other spot.

I think you want to give Anthony Bradford (drafted last year) legit shot at the other guard spot. He is a massive athletic freak of a player who offensive line coach Scott Huff should be tasked to develop into a monstrous starter. I think his upside is pretty special, to be honest.

It would be incredibly tempting to sit at pick 16 and take the best guard or center prospect, but I think 16 is way too rich for those positions. Rounds 2 and 3 tend to be the prime spots unless there is a true blue chip Steve Hutchinson type player sitting there (Wasington’s Troy Fautanu might be that guy, if they don’t go quarterback).

This is why I feel the best move for Seattle might be to find a trade partner who is picking in the twenties and willing to move up by adding a second round pick to the deal, and they make that deal. It may not happen, but it opens the possibility of Seattle being in position to draft QB of the Future and a talented offensive linemen with their first couple picks. Then in round three with two picks there, they can take shots at safety to replace Quandre Diggs, or a tight end to replace Dissly.

At any rate, Seattle needs to dip into the offensive line in this draft, and preferably double dip. Even if they wait it out into the middle rounds, it looks like the value will be there. Just seize it.

Bring back Noah Fant at tight end

At first thought when thinking about this offseason, I felt Seattle could probably let Noah Fant walk in free agency, rework Will Disney’s expensive 2024 salary to get the cost down, and then draft a tight end. Upon further reflection, I have shifted to thinking the opposite.

As much as I love Uncle Will, I think Seattle was right to release him, and now maybe use those dollars on Fant who is a superior athlete and receiver. Ryan Grubb loves to feature tight ends in his offense and Fant has the speed and pass catching ability to stress a defense. He also has a built in chemistry with Geno Smith. In Grubb’s offense, I think Fant has a real chance to become the star he was meant to be when Denver drafted him in the first round.

The Seattle front office appears to think highly of him, as they themselves considered drafting him in the first round of the 2020 draft, and demanded that he be part of the Russell Wilson trade to Denver. So, why not commit to him long term? It makes perfect sense to do this.

Sign Fant, and use then draft for depth. This appears to also be a good draft for tight ends.

Or how about this wild idea? Have Jake Bobo add weight and convert him into a tight end. Bobo is a natural route runner with great hands, and good size, but will never have the speed to truly work the perimeters. Converting big receivers into tight ends isn’t foreign in the league as Vegas did this very successfully with Darren Waller a few years back. Just a thought.

Find a way to keep Tyler Lockett

Tyler Lockett is the name that some folks are locked onto these days as either a cap casualty or a trade candidate. His 2024 cap hit is $27 million, and Seattle would be able to save about $8 million by moving on from him pre June 1st, and considerably more afterwards. With DK Metcalf and the emergence of Jaxon Smith Njigba, Lockett does feel like the eventual odd man out, especially considering how easy it is to draft and develop receivers these days, and this draft is crazy deep at receiver.

For me, Tyler Lockett feels too much like a Mr Seahawk to just cut bait with him, though. Instead, I would rather this team work out a short extension that will free up 2024 dollars, and give him an opportunity to retire here. He has a great chemistry with Geno, and is still very productive. He is also a supremely awesome teammate. My feeling is that Lockett would be receptive to this idea, and a deal can get done.

If the goal is for Seattle to win games early with this new coaching staff, and be a playoff contender in year one of this new regime, I think keeping Lockett makes tons of sense. I want it to be the case. We shall see.

Continue developing this roster from within

John Schneider has done a great job of drafting the last couple years, finding immediate starters in the 2022 and 2023 classes. For Seattle to truly take the next step into building a contender, it’s probably not so much as what they do in free agency and this draft as it is for this new coaching staff does developing and uncorking these current youngsters on the roster.

I believe Derick Hall has a chance to be a very good edge rusher in this league mixing in with Boye Mafe, and Uchenna Nwosu. They have to get him ready to take the same step forward in 2024 as Mafe took in 2023.

Cameron Young and Mike Morris need to be developed as starter types on the defensive line mixing in with Jarran Reed and hopefully Leonard Williams. If Morris can take a big step forward, he has the traits to become a really effective pass rusher.

Coby Bryant is too talented to be lost in the depth chart of this secondary. This coaching staff needs to decide what his position is and have him own it. Perhaps he is a reason why the coaches felt they could move on from Quandre Diggs, and they will lock him down at free safety.

Anthony Bradford has too much size, and physical talent not to be a mauling force of nature guard on the offensive line. He must be made a starter this season.

Kenny McIntosh has too much playmaking potential to be buried in the depth charts of the running back group. He should be developed as a legitimate third down back at the very least.

Riq Woolen needs to be developed and used in ways that complement his unique blend of size and speed at corner. Have him play to his strengths or move on from him.

We can talk about what Seattle should do at quarterback, free agency, and the draft, but the number one task of this new coaching staff under Mike Macdonald must be developing this roster from within. This is the Baltimore way, and in the early years of Pete Carroll, it used to be the Seattle way, too. Time to get back to exactly that.

Final thoughts

I don’t think the recipe for building this team up into a proper contender is that daunting of a task. Having the right young coaching staff prepared to be bold in their schemes, and having an ability to coach young players up is the biggest key, and it feels like Seattle is on the right track there (even though it is probably too early to really call it).

I have faith in this new staff, though. So much faith that I feel Seattle can afford to be bold at going after a young quarterback, if they so choose. It is nothing against Geno Smith. He is a fine quarterback to ride with right now. I just have a very particular feeling that Seattle should make the move on a quarterback this offseason, if they can.

That said, quarterback is not the end all be all of needs and wants. I want better coverage linebackers, and that is why I am not totally sold the absolute need to bring back Jordyn Brooks or whether there are other players in free agency who would suit the Mike Macdonald defense better.

I love my idea of adding Frankie Luvu and Tyrel Dobson to be the new starting linebackers. After all, this is no longer Pete Carroll’s team, so why not have Mike Macdonald put his own stamp on it now by adding new blood with players who will be “His Guys” moving forward?

The one player who I do believe suites his defense is Leonard Big Cat Williams, though, and I hope Seattle works out a deal with him, or lands another DT with similar traits. Something tells me that Seattle and Big Cat will get a deal done. I can see him wanting to play for Macdonald, and feeling like this team is close to really competing.

I need Seattle to add to the offensive line. I need a quality veteran player added and I need them to draft there. I wouldn’t mind seeing a couple picks in the draft go to the offensive line.

Finally, onto the more sensitive topic of what to do with Tyler Lockett. This is tough. I would like to see them figure out a way to bring back Noah Fant as the starting tight end, and keep Tyler Lockett. I just don’t know if that is going to happen. As much as I want Tyler back, I can see John Schneider making a tougher call to save dollars with the belief he can draft his replacement in this class.

With new regimes, often surprising moves are made with players. It wasn’t surprising to see the team cut Jamal Adams, Quandre Diggs, and Will Dissly. These were all bad contracts given out to good not great players playing non premium positions.

I won’t lie and say that there isn’t some small part of me who thinks the true stunner around the corner might being Lockett, though. A lot of money can be freed up if this team trades or releases him.

What if they want to go really aggressively into free agency signing top tier players to the offensive and defensive lines? Those guys would prove quite expensive and the $36.5 million opened up by releasing the two safeties and Will Dissly won’t cut it if they also want to find a couple starting linebackers and possibly a safety, as well.

Therefore, something tells me that Lockett might be the surprising odd man out of this equation with the offense moving forward. Receivers are easier to draft these days based on what is happening in college, and Seattle might simply see Lockett’s replacement in this draft easier than it sees other veterans they want to keep.

My hope remains that they can rework his deal to drop the 2024 costs down, but we shall see. Right now, I can’t call it either way.

At any rate, I’m excited. Are agency begins next week, and I am ready to get this offseason going. Let’s do it.

Go Hawks!