With a full week for NFL free agency in the books for the league, I thought it would be good to do a little reflections on how this past week went for the Seattle Seahawks. I wrote a fairly lengthy reaction to the Seahawks signing Sam Darnold as a replacement for Geno Smith, but after that, I sorta wanted to go dark for the rest of the week to see what else unfolds, and then let it breathe. Here are some of my overriding thoughts as I have digested what was one of the most wildly active weeks I can remember out of any start to free agency for the Seattle Seahawks.

After trading cutting Tyler Lockett, and trading away Geno Smith, and DK Metcalf, I feel like there was an immediate reaction from fans and media members such as Mina Kimes that proclaimed John Schneider was steering Seattle into a seemingly unnecessary rebuild after a respectable 10-7 season. I am not here to say that Kimes and others are overly dramatic in response, but I could not disagree with this take more.

I don’t think Tyler Lockett was ever going to be a great fit for the Kubiak scheme that Seattle is adopting, at all. I had some mild concerns about Seattle signing Geno to another big time contract given his age, and whether he has peaked out as a player. Additionally, if I am being perfectly honest, while I have always been a big DK supporter, I was never a hundred percent sure if his inconsistencies as a route runner was going to fit for this thing, either.

I felt certain that Tyler was going to be gone, but I also wondered if Seattle would be aggressively move off of the other two, as well. Sounds like they wanted to keep DK, and tried to work it out with him, but the sudden move away from Geno feels much cloudier, at best.

I suspect that once they realized how affordable Sam Darnold was going to be, the more incentivized they were to trade away Geno Smith. If you just take emotions out of the equation, it makes a lot of sense from a basic football perspective. If you are moving into a new offensive scheme with a new OC, would it not make sense to move towards a quarterback who has a deeper background in the scheme, success in the scheme, and relationship with the OC, especially if he is seven years younger than the QB you have in house? I believe it does.

So while I appreciate how smart of a football mind Kimes is, I do not see this as any sort of wave the white flag, tear it down, rebuild project for Seattle this year, at least by their thinking. I think they are in the midst of a major retooling, bringing in players who they see as better fits, and I am patient to see how it will look after the draft in April before fully judging too much, one way or the other.

The overriding theme I keep saying with each of these signings is “system fit.” I anticipate we will see maybe a couple more acquisitions next week where “system fit” is going to be the major descriptor for them.

Here are my grades on each signing, thus far.

Quarterback Sam Darnold: A+

If you are not the same Sam Darnold enthusiast that I am, I will not hold it against you. For me, I believe Darnold could prove to be a quality upgrade over Geno Smith, and I have confidence in this belief.

If you want to gleam valuable insight into how well an NFL player is, I invite you not to rely solely on an advanced metric chart that some Seahawk fan shares on social media, or listen to a content creating Seahawk YouTuber. Instead, give a good long listen to whatever NFL Films analyst Greg Cosell has to say. Greg Cosell pours over every play of each NFL player with key insight to what NFL coaches value and look for in a given play. He is very on board with Sam Darnold coming to Seattle. In fact, he views him being a better fit for the Kubiak offense than Geno Smith.

A lot is now being made of the real numbers coming out on Darnold’s three year contract with Seattle. It is obviously very team friendly, but I would be careful to label it as a one year contract with team outs in 2026 and 2027, and expect that Seattle will be drafting his replacement in April. Seattle has done similar contracts like this in the past with Geno Smith, and even Russell Wilson. Let’s face it, if Darnold plays well, and Seattle does well, he will likely stay through this three year span, and he will very likely sign a bigger extension by the 2027 offseason.

Seattle got younger at quarterback, possibly better at quarterback at a price that is perfectly team friendly, and they acquired a third round pick in exchange for Geno Smith. This is a big time win, and I have a sneaking suspicion that Darnold will prove to be better here than some realize. If I am wrong on this, and he stinks, well then, Seattle can get out of this deal, and will most likely be better positioned next year to select a quarterback in a draft class that is thought to be much stronger at the position.

I see no bad angle at taking this shot with Darnold this year, though. I am excited to see what happens, and this all feels very win/win for the team, and potentially the player, as well.

Offensive Tackle Josh Jones: C+

Quietly nestled under in the huge Sam Darnold news last Monday was the news that Seattle agreed to terms with Baltimore offensive tackle Josh Jones on a one year contract to be the swing tackle for Charles Cross and Abe Lucas. For me, he’s a valuable signing given the health history of Lucas, and he is something rare for a Seattle signing. He is known as a better pass blocker than a run blocker. This is a decent move, if not a spectacular one, and it is good to see this team appreciate a more veteran presence at this spot than being forced to trust a rookie. They need to make a much bigger splash on the offensive line in this veteran market than this, though, and hopefully that move is around the corner this week.

WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling: B-

MVS is essentially a poor man’s version of DK Metcalf, and with DK gone, Seattle needed someone reliable who can take the top off of a defense. This is MVS’s game, and he comes to Seattle familiar with Klint Kubiak and his scheme. I like this signing because of the very obvious need. They need skill players who know what to do in this scheme and can be relied on to start and/or add knowledgable depth.

It would be tough to argue that MVS is an upgrade over Tyler Lockett because Lockett is a significantly more accomplished receiver, but it is possible that MVS is a better fit for this scheme. He also comes to Seattle with a Super Bowl ring from his time with the Chiefs, and in that, could offer valuable leadership in a receiver room that will now need it.

DE DeMarcus Lawrence: A-

I will be honest, when the news broke that Seattle signed this guy to a big three year contract, I flipped out with excitement. It was a move that I wanted to see this team make because of the type of player he is, and the connection he has to defensive coordinate Aden Durde from their Dallas days together. I did not think Seattle would go here, though, and therefore, wasn’t expecting this.

Obviously, I am not concerned much about D Law’s age, nor am I concerned about the injury he sustained last year. For me, he is a significantly better system fit at rush end than Dre’Mont Jones was, and he is a stellar run stopper as well as being a solid pass rusher.

Seattle’s defense needs his level of badass on the edge. They have some badass dudes inside at DT, but D Law rounds the front four out as a rush end. Seattle’s improving defense likely got stronger with this move. He might not be the pass rusher he was a few years ago, but Macdonald has a pretty solid track record with getting good production out of older defensive linemen. Very worthy risk to take with this guy even if age and his injury from last year are a bit of a concern.

WR Cooper Kupp: A

The only thing that prevents this from being an A+ signing for me is his injury history the last few years. I adore this signing, though. I rooted hard for it to happen the second Seattle traded away DK Metcalf.

By every metric and film tape, Cooper Kupp is, unquestionably, a better overall fit for the Kubiak scheme than DK Metcalf would likely be, even if his ability to get separation has diminished. That is not to say that DK couldn’t have evolved, and excelled greatly in it. It just means that Kupp is, right now, better equipped to do all the right things that Kubiak will require at reciever, and it’s a cherry on top that he comes to Seattle at half the financial cost of that it would have been to extend DK.

He will come in with a superb understanding of the outside stretch zone offense. He is a Super Bowl MVP, and that is going to give him a ton of status on this youthful roster. Young players will look up to him, and likely follow his example.

So many of his intangibles go beyond the field of play. They will be there at practice, and on the sidelines, and in the meeting rooms.

He will also be extremely motivated to play well here, and prove the Rams wrong. He did not return to his home state to be second class in the NFC West. He came home to play in front of friends and family, to stick it to the Rams twice a year, and to win the division, and bring another Super Bowl victory to his home team. If he accomplishes this feat, his legacy will be as big here as it is in Southern California. I suspect he will be highly driven to accomplish this for himself, and his family who are diehard Seattle Seahawk fans.

No matter how much Jaxon Smith Njigba is becoming an ascending talent in Seattle, Cooper Kupp will be a valuable featured player in this offense. He will know the routes, the concepts, he will understand the finite spacing, the run blocking nuances, and he will most likely provide Sam Darnold a very reliable outlet against zone defenses. He will be a superb mentor to JSN, and whoever else Seattle might grab in this year’s draft.

While it is likely that he will miss a game here and there, his overall value to this team will most likely greatly outweigh injury concerns. Just draft someone to groom behind him. Like Darnold, there is no risk to bringing him in, and there is a very real chance of this paying off big time. I love this move so much.

Cornerback Shemar Jean-Charles: D+

Seattle needs cornerback depth, and they don’t have much beyond Josh Jobe backing up Riq Woolen and Devon Witherspoon. As much as an optimist as I am, I find it hard to get excited about this addition. SJC has some starting experience in the league, but the way he has bounced around on and off teams and practice squads gives an impression that this is purely a depth move. I wouldn’t be surprised if cornerback becomes a bigger target for the team in this draft with Woolen heading into a contract year, and I also wouldn’t be surprised if they add another vet. We shall see.

Thoughts moving into the second week of free agency

This is the week where I super duper want to see the Seahawks make a significant addition (or two) on the offensive line. Josh Jones might be a really nice depth player capable of playing multiple positions at the offensive line, but I see a glaring need at left guard, and center possibly even more.

Former Bears left guard Teven Jenkins is scheduled to meet with Seattle on Monday. This is encouraging. He is a big athlete guard who would be a good fit for their zone blocking scheme. He’s at a good age being only 26 years old. He has had a bit of an injury history, though, and that is why Chicago chose to move on from him.

If Jenkins reaches a two or three year deal with Seattle, that would tell me that things went really well with him during the meet, and they are willing to live with his injury risks. If they sign him to a one year contract or move on without an offer, that means that selecting a guard in the early stages of the draft in April will be inevitable. It is that simple. This visit will tell us a lot about where they are going with the offensive line, one way, or another.

The move that I would most likely see Seattle do with the offensive line this week isn’t at guard, though, it’s at center. Klint Kubiak was very outward after his hiring that he would like to see a smart, experienced, capable player come in and take over his center spot.

In his scheme, the center is arguably the most important player on the line outside of left tackle. That is the guy who takes pressure off the quarterback calling out the pass protection adjustments. Trusting a rookie to do this in 2025 would be a way bigger roll of the dice than replacing Geno Smith with Sam Darnold, in my view. Therefore, I would like to see Seattle go get Sam’s center in Minnesota who is now available for a trade after the Vikings signed Ryan Kelly.

Go get Garrett Bradbury. Seattle Sports personality Brock Huard went on air late last week pushing for this move, and he made sense in his reasoning. Darnold and Bradbury have a solid chemistry with each other. That QB/Center chemistry takes time to build. While Bradbury might be an average starting center, and that’s the reason why Minnesota shifted to Kelly, he would be a significant upgrade to what Seattle has rostered here. Not only is he familiar with the quarterback, he is also very familiar with the zone blocking scheme.

Therefore, for these reasons, I put a higher value on bringing Bradbury in than I do Teven Jenkins. A quality rookie can step into left guard and net positive results in his first year. Center is a position in this scheme that would likely be much harder for a rookie to immediately take over, and expect good results.

If Seattle cannot swing a deal for Bradbury through trade or free agency if he is released, there is a very short list of other center options on the free agent market that I hope they consider. Here are my alternative choices.

Former Raider Andre James is at a good age (26 years old), and was thought of in recent years as being one of the better developing young centers in the game. Vegas drafted a center in the first round last year and will be shifting towards him. I prefer Bradbury given his chemistry with Darnold, but I can be convinced that James is an equal, if not better option.

Trystan Colon is another young option possibly worth taking a long look at. He started his career out in Baltimore as an undrafted free agent, but found himself a few years later starting in Arizona. He has guard and center starting experience, and while this would not likely be an option that would excite Seattle fans, he might have some upside left, and prove serviceable. His PFF grades in 2024 were very good after being forced into starting at right guard for injured Will Hernandez.. so good that it is not unreasonable to think he could be an option at guard, as well.

Former Patriots center David Andrews has found himself available on the free agent market after recently being released. He is 32 years old, and is coming off of a serious injury. I would not hate this signing, but I would have a difficult time not seeing it as being anything other than another short term fix, which I am getting really tired of seeing at center for this team. If they were to opt for him, my hope would be that they would see a long term solution in the draft that he would be the hedge for.

The only other free agent moves that I would really like to see John Schneider do is to go a more significant addition at corner, bring in a quality option at fullback, maybe one more bigger defensive end type to fill the role that Roy Robertson-Harris played last year, and to add another safety. It is very possible that some of these moves will be filled in the draft, but here are a few veteran names that I like at each of these spots.

This will probably not happen, but I wouldn’t mind seeing Seattle taking a swing at corner Assante Samuel Junior. He’s young and has a strong NFL pedigree. While his PFF grades aren’t great, they aren’t all together terrible, either. If he can be convinced to come into Seattle on a short term contract, I think that could be a quality signing, but I don’t think Seattle needs to splurge on anything long term with him. It would be a measured gamble on something that could pay off nicely for them in 2025.

Kansas City DE Charles Omenihu has the size and length to be an upgrade of RRH, and is only 27 years old. Mike Macdonald’s hybrid defense has roots in what Steve Spagnuolo does in KC, so Omenihu would seemingly come in with knowledge of how to play here. There are promising options in the draft to fill this role, but this guy would be an interesting veteran option.

Colts safety Julian Blackmon is only 26 years old, and has strong PFF coverage grades in 2024. His run defense leaves you wanting, but it is reasonable to think that aspect of his game can be coached up. I wouldn’t hate it if Seattle brought him in on a two year contract to mix in with Julian Love and Coby Bryant.

I really wanted Seattle to make a run at Kyle Juszcyk when he was released by San Francisco, and it was a bit deflating for me to see him ultimately return there on a new deal. Adding him with Cooper Kupp would have been really exciting in terms of scheme fit, and poaching from NFC West rivals. However, that did not happen. Therefore, here are a couple options to pivot towards.

The Saints have not released Taysom Hill as many expected them to do. He might be too valuable for them to let go, but if he was made available, he would be a player I would absolutely want to see Seattle pounce on and use him in a fullback/tight end role.

Alternative to Taysom, I see no harm in them bringing in fullback Adam Prentice who played for Kubiak last year in NOLA, as well. He offers little in terms of a runner or receiver, but is a well rounded blocker who knows this scheme.

Alternative to these two guys, I do wonder if Seattle can get creative at fullback be either converting a tight end to the position, or a running back. Thinking super outside of the box, with this draft being super rich at running back this year, would it be crazy to consider converting Zach Charbonnet to a fullback role where his running and natural pass catching traits can serve as a very unique threat on the field? He would have to be very open to it, if he believes the move would provide him a uniquely advantageous playmaking role, but I feel it is a thought worth considering, especially if a very good running back can be had in the middle rounds of this draft like things are projecting a bit.

An in house alternative to Zach making this shift could be tight end Brady Russell being converted to fullback. He is well sized for the role, and would offer a playmaking outlet at receiver when they function in two receiver two back sets.

At any rate, these are my current thoughts about the team. I would generally give the first week of free agency a solid B grade, overall. I would have liked to have seen a splash move on the offensive as much as the any Seattle fan, but the bold move to Darnold has me more excited than some would have it. I think the Kupp and D Law moves were excellent gambles, as well.

I need to see them make a stronger push towards adding proven veteran talents, though. I know that at this stage of free agency, most players out there are not perfect answers, but Seattle’s offensive line was so inexperienced and problematic last year that just getting a couple average-to-slightly-above-average starters would likely be a big improvement.

Right now, I need to see a solid option at center added more than anything else. Go get me a center, please.

Go Hawks!