The Seattle Seahawks flew across the country with some thinking that they might drop a Sunday Night Football game to the Washington Commanders with their star quarterback Jayden Daniels returning, and they properly beat the holy snot out of the injury riddled DC team for all the nation to see, and they likely ended Daniels’ season, as well. This is how dominant the Seattle Seahawks are capable of being this year, and it has been many years since they have played with this level of shock and awe.
Make no mistake about it. This game was a thorough ass kicking on the road against an inferior opponent, and it was the type of ass kicking that Seattle needed to show the nation after letting the inferior Houston Texans make a game out of their Monday Night Football match two weeks ago. The game in Seattle against Houston should have gone down much like this one last night, but goofy play calling by Klint Kubiak, and up and down play by Sam Darnold let the Texans hang around more than they should have. There was no goofiness from Seattle last night, though. It was all cold blooded business, and it couldn’t have been more satisfying to watch from a Seahawk fan perspective.
The Seattle Seahawks now rest at 6-2, tied for their division lead with the Los Angeles Rams, tied for the conference lead with multiple teams, and it is time for them to be aggressive as the NFL trade deadline approaches this Tuesday. The good news is that it appears they possibly will.
Fox NFL beat reporter Jay Glazer reported Sunday morning that he’d been hearing that the team is looking to be aggressive at several positions including WR, RG, and Edge Rusher. This was an exciting report to hear.
It would be exciting that, come Tuesday, the Seahawks have made significant moves to improve their already explosive offense while have also adding to their impressive pass rush. The NFC is wide open for the taking, and they rest tied a top it. Sam Darnold is proving to be an MVP worthy quarterback through eight games now, Jaxon Smith Njigba is proving to be the best receiver in the game, and the entire defense looks like it could end up being tops in the league.
Now is not the time to rest on laurels thinking you might have a shot at a division title, and a playoff birth in January. Now is the time to strike while your team’s iron is hot, and be aggressive to add a final piece or two on both sides of the ball to fortify your chances of total conference domination for the rest of this season, and in through the playoffs.
For my part, I hope Seattle is aggressive adding another target for Sam Darnold to utilize in this offense. I’m a big believer in Tory Horton who stepped up impressively in place of Cooper Kupp, but the New Orleans Saints have now dropped to 1-8, their season is toast, and they have players who know this Klint Kubiak system, and played well in it last year for him.
Either Chris Olave or Rashid Shaheed added to this Seattle offense would just make it all the more potent. Perhaps the price is too much to pry Olave away, but Shaheed in Seattle’s offense mixing in with JSN, Horton, and Kupp feels exciting, and doable for Seattle’s front office. I say go for it.
Saints right guard Cesar Ruiz also feels like a player Seattle could now be eyeing to acquire. He’s struggled this year for the Saints, but he played well for Kubiak and OL coach John Benton last year. In the next 48 hours could we see a Seattle package sent to the Saints for Shaheed and Ruiz? I don’t think it’s a crazy thought.
I will also just say that I wouldn’t be surprised if we see Seattle get even more aggressive to add more pass rush, believe it, or not. Seattle’s defense has been terrorizing quarterbacks all season long outside of the Tampa game when their defensive player numbers were down, but it still feels like they are one pure edger rusher away from total domination, game in and game out. Most of the sack numbers have been coming from the defensive tackle tandem of Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy. What if Trey Hendrickson, or Kayvon Thibodeaux was added to this mix for the final nine game stretch of the year?
This is probably a pipe dream, but with the Cleveland Browns at 2-6 in a division that is probably hopeless to contend in anytime soon, what if Seattle sent a massive package for Myles Garrett?
It’s crazy, I know, but it would be the ultimate double down on the strength of your team.
Think of it this way; if they have to play without middle linebacker Ernest Jones for a few weeks, Adam Sandler could play MIKE backer in this defense with Myles Garrett, Leonard Williams, Byron Murphy, and DeMarcus Lawrence playing in front of him, and it would be terrifying for any quarterback in this league to face.
I am not expecting Seattle to make this level of more before the deadline on Tuesday, but I welcome John Schneider to go as bold as he wants to go this year. This is how much I believe in this team in year two of Mike Macdonald’s regime. I fundamentally believe in his defense, and I see the vision of the offense, and I know that together, both sides of the ball can be special stuff this season. Add to it, I say.
I’ve alluded to this since the beginning of the season, and I really think it’s playing out to be true through eight games, now. I believe Seattle has found their franchise quarterback in Sam Darnold, he was brilliant against the Commanders (as he has consistently enough been through most of these games), and I want to see them ride his hot hand and connection with JSN, who is having a historic season as a receiver. Adding to this offense, and defense aggressively now feels like the right thing to do right for this team. The best time to strike is when the iron is hot in order to carry momentum through the finish line.
It would have a very 2021 Los Angeles Rams for Seattle’s front office to do this. Back then, the Rams had just made a curious QB swap with Detroit landing Matthew Stafford in exchange for picks and Jared Goff. By the trade deadline, they added premier edge rusher Von Miller, and they added Odell Beckham Junior to an already solid group of receivers. Their defense was already potent, and so was their offense, but they were not going to let off the gas. These bold front office actions helped carry them to a decisive Super Bowl run and victory.
I would like to see John Schneider do something similar over the next couple days. Be aggressive. Be bold. This team is really good right now, but don’t rest on it. Go for it with them.
If Ernest Jones is going to miss a number of games this year, go get a middle linebacker off a losing team. Former Seahawk Jordyn Brooks is sitting out there in Miami leading the league in tackles on a bad club. The DC for the Dolphins was Macdonald’s defensive line coach in Baltimore, so it stands to reason he would return to Seattle with an understanding of this scheme. Could free safety Minkah Fitzpatrick also be had in a package?
I won’t pour through every trade scenario I have floating through my head for the Seahawks, and what they could now look to do, but I think by the suggestions I have made, you all get my point. The NFL season is long, and football is a car collision sport. Injuries are very real, and Seattle is now without their starting free safety for at least the next four games, and they could be without their middle linebacker for a while, as well.
While safety Ty Okada is a great story this year as a replacement player, and linebacker Drake Thomas has been fun, as well, let’s not rest on depth players stepping up when needed. Let’s think bigger than that this year. This team is worth that.
What an incredible weekend for Seattle sports fans. On Friday Night, the Team Of Destiny Seattle Mariners defeated the Detroit Tigers in 15 innings of gritty baseball to advance to the ALCS, and on Sunday evening, they took game one in Toronto against a well rested Blue Jays team. On Sunday morning, the Seahawks kicked off against a talented Jaguars team in Jacksonville, and they beat them down, 20-12, to advance to 4-2, and a three way tie for first place in the NFC West.
After losing a tough high scoring shootout battle against the Tampa Bay Bucs last weekend, I had a lot of Sunday morning nerves about the Seahawks chances in Jacksonville. The Jaguars have been the big surprise storyline in the NFL this season, thus far. They have been winning by playing smart football, establishing the run, and playing impressive defense. Their defense, in fact, had been leading the league in creating turnovers heading into Sunday. Trevor Lawrence, while not at the red hot level of Sam Darnold, or Baker Mayfield this year, felt like a talented young quarterback finally starting to turn the corner as a pro.
Seattle’s defense, last week, played like wet butt against Baker Mayfield, to be brutally blunt. For Seattle to win this game, I thought we would have to rely on Darnold playing another strong game, and we would have to hope that Seattle’s defense would find with within itself to hold it together while missing three quarters of its starting secondary again for the second straight game. That last part felt like a big ask.
Well, apparently Mike Macdonald still knows a thing or two about coaching NFL defenses because Seattle’s defense kicked the snot out of Lawrence, and company on their home turf. Didn’t see this coming, but it was a sight to see. On Sunday, Seattle had the better quarterback and defense, and they won because of that.
The defense wasn’t perfect, and neither was Darnold, but they were pretty damn close to it. Darnold had one bad play where he put the ball in harm’s way at a critical time late in the game, but he was otherwise brilliant as a passer, yet again. In terms of the defense, I still think there remained issues on the backend with coverage minus starting safety Julian Love, and corners Riq Woolen and Devon Witherspoon, and this game showed it. I also think that there remains some concerns with linebacker, as well, but holy smokes did Seattle’s pass rush show up big time when it was desperately needed.
I don’t think it is hyperbole to state the Seattle has perhaps the top DT tandem in the league with Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy pass rushing together inside, and the return of edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence was sight to behold with how he stopped the run and pass rushed.
Still, with all the talent that Seattle has on their defensive line, it was clear that Mike Macdonald felt they had to blitz Lawrence in order to effect Jacksonville’s passing attack. Up until this game, Seattle had not been known as a big blitzing team in the league. Macdonald loves to rush four and drop seven. Against Lawrence, however, perhaps Macdonald sensed a opportunity to go after him a bit more knowing he’s still not the most polished passer in the league, and the blitz would help his depleted secondary some.
This was the sense I got out of this game. If Seattle was in a match with a top tier quarterback, they might have done things differently, and lost like they did last week. This is the main reason why I believe that sitting at 4-2 now, in a wide open NFC, Seattle should look to deal for an impact defender, or two. I want two more pieces, and I want them now.
It is clear that through six games, Seattle has one of the best quarterbacks in the league playing for them. Sam Darnold has played through six games, against six really good defenses, and by most metrics, he’s played elite against them all. I think the chances are that as this season progresses, he and his receivers will only get better.
Would it be fun to add Chris Olave who played for Klint Kubiak last year? Sure. Is it necessary? Not as much as adding a quality linebacker next to Ernest Jones, or safety depth.
Jaxon Smith Njigba feels like a better receiver than Justin Jefferson now, and perhaps the top receiver in the game (not hyperbole). Cooper Kupp is proving a solid complimentary piece to JSN. AJ Barner has significantly progressed as a starting tight end, and Tory Horton remains an intriguing third receiver. Ken Walker and Zach Charbonnet are playing better within this scheme now, and feel like a very solid one two punch together as runners. This young offensive line, while still needing work as a run blocking unit, has been a revelation in terms of how it has pass blocked together.
Then there is Darnold, who is Pro Football Focus’s favorite quarterback. Everything he is doing feels sustainable in this offense, and he feels like he can be the guy here in Seahawk blue for the next six to seven years pretty easily.
All of this leads me to the place of feeling very strongly that Seattle should not feel queasy about surrendering draft picks in 2026 to fortify their defense more. To my eyes, the Seahawks should look to improve their situation at weak side linebacker, and depth at safety. For as much as it was fun to see the pass rush return against Jacksonville, I would love to see them make a big splash at edge rush, if they can, as well, but for my money, I want a quality starting WILL linebacker next to Ernest Jones, allowing Tyrice Knight and Drake Thomas to be quality backups, and I need stronger insurance at safety in place of Julian Love being out, and the potential of Coby Bryant getting banged up, too.
The NY Jets are now starring at 0-6, and they have quality players on their defense despite their losing ways. Veteran linebacker Quincy Williams would be an ideal addition to Mike Macdonald’s defense, but the 49ers have lost All Pro LB Fred Warner for the season with a broken ankle and their DC is Robert Saleh, formerly the head coach of the Jets. With Seattle and San Fran tied for the division lead, it seems destined that both teams will be now looking at making trades, and it seems natural that Saleh would look towards a former player of his, but there are other teams pretty much out of contention now that the Seattle could look towards.
The Miami Dolphins, in particular, are now 1-5, and their head coach is on the verge of getting fired. They have former Seahawk Jordyn Brooks who John Schneider wanted to bring back last year, but couldn’t get a deal done. Miami plays a defense that features a very similar scheme to what Seattle deploys and Brooks played a lot of WILL and MIKE backer in his time. I wouldn’t be surprised if Seattle looked to reunite with him.
Speaking of former Seattle Seahawk, the Titans have also now dropped to 1-5, and Quandre Diggs is playing safety for them. He was a popular player in Seattle for a spell, and at the very least would offer valuable veteran leadership and depth. Could Seattle look to reunite? It’s an interesting thought.
Another former Seahawk defender with the Titans is linebacker Cody Barton who blossomed more in the league after he left Seattle. He’s played well for a good Bronco’s defense last year, and is a natural WILL linebacker who has been good in coverage. I think he’s a consideration.
The Saints are also now 1-5, and they have two talented veteran linebackers that they could look to deal, and they have a very interesting edge rusher in Carl Granderson who would be a fun addition to Seattle’s pass rush, if they want to further bolster it.
Then there is the 1-5 Baltimore Ravens, the team that Mike Macdonald was the defensive coordinator for. The Ravens already dealt off one of their young edge rushers, but what about star linebacker Roquan Smith? He was a Macdonald favorite in Baltimore, the player they traded for from the Bears who solidified his defense into being the best in the league. Could Seattle be eyeing him to come in and partner with Ernest Jones? It’s an extremely interesting thought.
One more Macdonald favorite from Baltimore would be safety Geno Stone who is currently on the 2-4. He was an intercepting machine for Macdonald in 2023. Maybe he’s a guy they now make a play for? It would make sense.
One thing to keep in mind for Seattle is the wild card of hybrid rookie player Nick Emmonwari who through two games since coming back from his week one injury, as been playing on fire for the defense. Emmonwari plays exclusively a Big Nickel role, which if you do not know what that it, it is like a hybrid of a safety/nickel corner/linebacker. He is being groomed into being the ultimate chess piece in Macdonald’s defense that mostly plays in a 4-2-5 front, and basically, while Emmonwari lists on the roster as a safety, he functions almost more like a linebacker who covers slot receivers and tight ends.
The main reason why I bring this up about Emmonwari is that it is unreasonable to assume that he’s going to take over either of the deep safety roles of this defense anytime soon, if at all. Same with an idea that he could fill in at WILL linebacker. His niche is this Big Nickel spot that will likely be the single most unique trait to the Seahawk defense moving forward. He is Macdonald’s eraser in the flat, making life difficult for tight ends, running backs and receivers in a specific area of the field while also providing blitz abilities. If anything, as he gets more comfortable in this role, his presence might relegate Devon Witherspoon to a more pure outside corner position moving forward.
Which leads me to the Seahawk cornerback position, and my uncertainty whether they need do go out and acquire more talent there. I think this game against the Jaguars showed that if you can get enough competent safety and linebacker coverage play, cornerback for this particular defense might be more plug and play that I had been thinking in recent weeks. If Seattle has two really good coverage backers, and really good safeties, and Emmonwari, perhaps they can survive on Josh Jobe, Derion Kendrick, Shaq Griffin, along with Spoon coming back, and perhaps Riq Woolen can be a player dealt for a veteran at another spot.
Final thing before I close this one out. I have listed linebacker and safety as my biggest needs for this team, and side mentioned edge rusher. I don’t want to dismiss the idea of Seattle making a big shocking move for a big named edge rusher who might be out there on the Market. The Bengals are 2-4 and so are the Vegas Raiders.
Trey Hendrickson is a name long been tossed out as a potential trade target for the Seahawks dating back to training camp. He is 30 years old and is on the last year of his contract. I don’t know if he is someone the Bengals will deal or be very stubborn about, but I don’t think the trade for Joe Flacco is going to save their season, and if Seattle offered their third round pick for him as a rental with a chance to sign back in the offseason, that feels like a pick that could prove valuable to the Bengals as they look to build more through the draft than ever with all the big contracts given to their receivers and quarterback. This would feel like a very John Schneider move to make now, and maybe Macdonald just sees winning with top shelf pass rush as the way to win the division more so than linebacker and safety or corner help.
Then there is the Raiders with one Maxx Crosby, who while he is Mr Raider, at age 28 how much longer does he really want to wait out this team finally getting competent?
They could have pursued Sam Darnold last offseason, but Tom Brady stepped in and waived that away, wanting 35 year old Geno Smith, instead, who has been awful for them. They beat the lowly Titans, 10-20, but again, Geno didn’t look great, and they now have to face the gauntlet of facing the Chiefs, Jags, and Broncos over the next three games. They could easily be 2-7 in a few weeks with a busted season.
It was reported that Schneider asked about Crosby in the Geno trade and was willing to deal DK there in addition for him last offseason. What if Seattle offered Vegas a couple first round picks for Crosby? Vegas would have the draft capital necessary to find their next quarterback, and more properly fill out their roster, and Seattle would get to add a star edge rusher who is contracted through 2029. It feels win win for both organizations.
This is an idea that was floated out last week by Rob Staton of Seahawks Draft Blog, and I think it is a really interesting one. I just don’t know if the Raiders front office would be ballsy enough to trade their most popular player, and supremely piss off the majority of its fanbase, but it is a fun thought for Seattle in terms of going all in.
And, at this point, why not go all in on this team this year? The Rams, Seahawks, and 49ers are all resting at 4-2, so why not create a NFC West arms race battle for the division?
Seattle’s arguably got the hottest quarterback in the division right now, and certainly one of the hottest ones in the entire conference and league. They also have the hottest receiver in the league in JSN. They have an offensive line that is generally not terrible and is actually pretty decent at pass blocking, and I think their run game is showing some signs of turning the corner. While I would love to see them trade for an upgrade at center or right guard, I don’t see quality centers or guards being available on the market.
So, why not make a good defense an absolutely terrifyingly defense now?
I think John Schneider and Mike Macdonald should think big about what might be out there, and go get it. Roquan Smith added to this defense sounds fun. Maxx Crosby sounds franchise altering. I’m ready to think big for this team, and I hope the front office is, too.
This game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers yesterday was one that had my mind filled with emotions, and thoughts. It was the Seahawks 50th Anniversary Game with a halftime celebration of the 50th best players in franchise history, and I would have loved to have been there for that. Due to the significance of it, I really wanted to see Seattle win this one. Then there is the issue with the quarterbacks.
I was very much looking forward to seeing a QB duel between Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold. I liked both quarterbacks a lot coming out of the 2018 draft, and when Seattle was looking towards trading Russell Wilson, they were the two quarterbacks out there who I was most interested in seeing Seattle acquire. I felt either would have been well worth a shot to see if they could be the guy. So, with this particular match, I was really into seeing how these guys would play against each other, and it did not disappoint. I just didn’t love the outcome.
I would also say that Emeka Egbuka was very much a player that I was interested in Seattle drafting last Spring. Given that he was a local kid who grew up a Seahawks fan, that Seattle had some need at receiver, and he was very good at Ohio State, I loved the idea of it (even though I preferred them drafting guard Grey Zabel given the bigger need). So, I could say that his stellar play in this match has given my views on him further credence, as well. Imagine him and JSN together up here with Darnold throwing them darts.
Overall, my biggest reaction to this game is that it was a shame Sam Darnold’s last play in this game ended with a pick over the middle on a pass deflected off of a helmet. Aside from that moment, Sam was having his best game as a Seahawk, and was poised to have perhaps the best game of his career with an opportunity to lead a game winning drive with a minute left to go. Up until that point, he had been damn near perfect throwing for 4 TDS, over 300 yards and completing over 80 percent of his passes.
I imagine there will be some wee bit of dumb talk on sports radio this week and maybe some chatter online that Sam Darnold is not really a franchise quarterback because of that pick. I couldn’t disagree more. Not only do I believe that the Seahawks have their franchise quarterback in Darnold, I would say that I feel even more optimistic about good things coming around the corner for this team, if they properly build it around him.
Let us keep in perspective what Seattle was faced with in this game. They were hosting a very talented and scrappy Tampa Bay team led by one of the hottest quarterbacks in the league. Seattle entered into the game without their pro bowl free safety (Julian Love), without their best edge rusher (DeMarcus Lawrence), and without their best corner (Devon Witherspoon). In the course of the game, they also lost their other starting edge rusher (Derick Hall), and they lost their other starting corner (Riq Woolen). When Darnold and Baker were playing a shootout game, Seattle’s defense was without five of its eleven starters on the field. That’s nearly half of the starting defense.
Still, if it wasn’t for a missed 42 yard kick by the usually dependable Josh Meyers, and a very stupid option play that led to a lost fumble by Jalen Milroe with a red hot Darnold being pulled off of the field for it, Seattle might have won this game in a shootout a bit more easily. In a game that was going to be close, they made more mistakes than Tampa did, and this was the difference.
That said, Seattle appears to now have a formidable offense emerging. With the play calling of Klint Kubiak, the quarterbacking of Darnold, the receiving talents of JSN, Cooper Kupp, AJ Barner, and Tory Horton, and the running styles of Ken Walker and Zach Charbonnet, there is reason to feel very optimistic, especially with a young offensive line that is showing clear signs of improvement. Generally speaking, I feel very good about this offense. This is the silver lining coming out of this game.
The concern, however, is that Seattle’s defense showed its alarming lack of depth when numerous starters are out of the game against a talented offense. If they had played against a bad Titans team, they could have possibly gotten by, but the Bucs right now feel like a proper contender, and this is what happens against a proper contender when you are running a platoon of two players at WILL linebacker, and your safety and cornerback depth is exposed.
Last week, I wrote a piece about the Seahawks making a trade before the deadline, and most of the players I suggested were offensive fellas. After this game, however, if I were John Schneider, I would probably be getting on the phone with teams that who have four losses or more and discuss trading for a defender, most likely a quality veteran cornerback, another middle linebacker, or edge rusher. Perhaps even a safety, even, if a special player is there, and maybe consider shifting rookie Nick Emmanwori to WILL linebacker duties in nickel packages.
The Ravens are now 1-4, so are the Browns, the Saints, the Giants, the Dolphins, the Raiders, and the Titans, and the Jets are now 0-5. Could cornerback Marlon Humphrey, who Macdonald knows well, be pried out of Baltimore? Could they bring corner Denzel Ward into this defense from Cleveland? Could Bradley Chubb be had from Miami? How about former Seattle LB Jordyn Brooks with the Fins, or Saints MLB Pete Werner? Or Fins safety Minkah Fitzpatrick? How about Kayvon Thibodeaux of the Giants?
This can be a very long list of possibilities if I wanted to waste more space on this post. The point is, I suspect there will be deals to be had, and Seattle should be very active.
If it were me, I would say that enough is enough at the split duties at WILL linebacker next to Ernest Jones, and go trade for a quality proven off ball linebacker who can play the run and pass. Then, I would say go get another edge rusher. I wouldn’t be upset at all if they traded a second round pick to Cincinnati for Trey Hendrickson at this point, to be honest, or Thibodeaux, for that matter.
Then there is this issue with the secondary that sorta has me feeling some extra dread after this loss. If I am to be honest, I would say the news of Julian Love and Devon Witherspoon missing this game against the Bucs after ten days rest coming out the TNF game against isn’t the most encouraging.
Against Baker Mayfield and these Tampa receivers, the Seahawk defense needed all hands on the backend yesterday, and who knows how severe and how long Spoon and Love will be out. We need better clarity here with them in order to project what Seattle might look to do next.
At the very least, I think Seattle should now call up Shaq Griffin from the practice squad to get some veteran stability active on game days. He certainly can’t be worse than what Nehemiah Pritchett was in relief duty, and in all probability, I think he would provide a solid fourth option on game days.
But what about safety if Love is going to miss further games? Should they look to the free agent market for a veteran such as Justin Simmons or former Raven safety Marcus Williams? Or is there an opportunity out there in a trade?
I wasn’t necessarily thinking this would be an easy game against the Bucs, and I certainly didn’t foresee a shoutout, but this shootout was encouraging enough to think that perhaps Seattle now needs to get very greedy about their defense. Mike Macdonald was not hired to coach this team to win shootouts. He was hired to coach a team that wins with a dominating defense, and while it is good to know that Darnold and company can play admirably in a shootout, it is time to make sure this defense is more fortified.
So, let’s get back to winning defense, again. Time for John Schneider to cook.
As the Seahawks sit this week at 3-1, many people seem surprised by this, but not I!
I have written many times over that this season could be an exciting one for Seattle, with a strong defense that could be tops in the league, and an offensive that could be better at quarterback and scheme. Thus far, my projections for this team are looking good, and we are now nearing the point of the season where John Schneider has often times made trades to help give his team a boost.
It was around this time of the season, in 2010, where Schneider sent a 4th round pick to Buffalo for Marshawn Lynch who became disgruntled with the Bills. This was also the time of the year back in 2017 when he traded a third round pick to the Texans for veteran left tackle Duane Brown to cement Seattle’s bid for the playoffs. He also plucked safety Quandre Diggs out of Detroit close to this time of year some years back in exchange for a mere 6th round pick.
Aside from the Russell Wilson deal to Denver, I would argue that Schneider’s best trades have generally come mid season for this club. With teams quickly finding themselves out of contention, the value for players generally becomes much better for the buyers as sellers look to acquire as many draft picks as possible while staring at a rebuild. John has proven to be very good at determining what his team’s deficiencies are, and finding good value to correct. Leonard Williams, Duane Brown, Marshawn, Carlos Dunlap, and Sheldon Richardson have all been big name players that he has been able to bring in.
As it stands right now, Seattle is sitting on a rare amount of salary cap space to get a bit splashier with trades this season, if they so choose to do it. Given Schneider’s track record, I am almost certain that we will see a move of two in the coming weeks, and I wouldn’t be surprised if a move comes sooner.
As we know, it has been reported by Ian Rapoport that several teams are sniffing around cornerback Riq Woolen, and this makes sense. Seattle has a rare jog jam at cornerback, and Woolen is in a contract year, and has played probably too inconsistent for the Mike Macdonald’s tastes. He’s still an elite athlete at a highly coveted position, however, and he’s young. This makes him probably a player that Seattle could get some decent value for in exchange, maybe not so much in draft capital, but perhaps in a player for player swap. So, there’s this to think about, as well.
At any rate, here are some players rumored to potentially be on the trade market that I would love to see Seattle consider bringing in at this time. I would venture to say that if anyone of these fellas becomes a Seahawk in the next few days and weeks, I would find it pretty gosh darn exciting.
Saints Running Back Alvin Kamara
I understand if Alvin Kamara to Seattle is a bit of a left field idea for you. Seattle has two talented young backs who split duties, so why bring in an expensive 30 year player to add to this mix? Here is my reasoning.
Ken Walker is a highly talented running back who is in a contract year like Riq Woolen, and has yet to really prove that he is a fit for the zone blocking scheme of Klint Kubiak. Not only is he still showing a tentativeness behind the line of scrimmage that leads to negative plays, I have seen film breakdown of him against the Cardinals on TNF where he showed an inexcusable laziness running a check down route that led to Sam Darnold having to dirt the ball away instead of getting an easy completion under pressure. This had to have been a play where his coaches probably didn’t love that, and it stands to wonder how many more plays like this he has before he has reached Woolen status with Macdonald and Kubiak, as well.
Let me explain this to you in the easiest terms I can use regarding Seattle’s offensive scheme. It is fully designed to marry the pass game to the run, and it requires quick decisions from the QB, receivers, and runners. QBs need to make quick reads, and make fast and accurate throws. Receivers need to run quick and precise routes. Running backs must hit their holes decisively, and have the vision to see lanes, however minuet those creases might be, to make cutback moves for positive gains.
Some backs have very natural instincts for this, and other backs struggle with it, but you cannot play hesitant behind your blockers no matter how muddy it is in front of them with defenders. Any hesitation behind the line of scrimmage by a running back can seriously fuck up an offensive series, especially against a good defensive front.
This is the negative impact that K9 can have on the Seattle offense if he cannot get these tendencies out of his game. I see little evidence, thus far, even with that nice game against the Steelers, that leads me to believe he can fit this thing here. I think Zach Charbonnet can, but when K9 is in the game, it feels very boom or bust on a series. He will make plays that will lead you to believe he’s one of the very best backs in the game, but then he will do things that will pull your hair out in frustration. I, for one, am tired of that frustration.
I don’t think Seattle would get much value to trading away K9 right now, so I am not suggesting that Seattle should necessarily deal him away. I will say that I lack trust in him as Seattle’s featured runner, however, and I feel more trust in Charbonnet.
The problem with this two headed monster for Seattle, in my view, is that it appears that the coaches prefer Charbonnet as the third down back because of his better pass blocking and maybe receiver skills. This means that they probably want to preserve this role for him, and use K9 more on first and second downs, and right now they are living with the potential collateral damage of K9 doing some weird ass thing on any given play in the hopes that he hits it right.
Alvin Kamara understands Kubiak’s offense, having played in it last year. He had nice production in it last year for the Saints, and at age 30 with an expensive contract, the trade compensation for Seattle probably wouldn’t be much. In fact, Seattle could deal Riq Woolen probably straight across for him, and maybe even get something in addition back, as well. The Saints would then have the rest of the season to see if Woolen is someone who they would want to extend long term, and Seattle would get better stability in its the run game.
I just know that, in this particular scheme, Seattle needs running backs that get it, and can offer positive plays with regularity. Karama is still a talented runner, and he’s a good pass catcher. You can rely on him, even at age 30. That’s why I am into this idea for Seattle. I really like it a lot, and if this creates a log jam at running back, that is a log jam worth having for this offensive philosophy.
Saints Receiver Chris Olave
What if I were to tell you that in next few days or weeks, Seattle deals Riq Woolen to Vegas for a third round pick, and then they send that third rounder and maybe a late round pick to New Orleans for wideout Chris Olave who also played for Klint Kubiak? Would you get excited about that?
Or how about Woolen and a 5th round pick to straight across to NOLA for Olave? How would that make you feel?
Sam Darnold would have Jaxon Smith Ngijba (who is having a sensational start to the season), Olave, Cooper Kupp, promising rookie Tory Horton, and Jake Bobo all as viable passing targets to carry forth his own impressive start to the season, and he would have Olave signed through 2026. I think this is a pretty fun thought.
Olave knows the system, has played with JSN back in their Ohio State days, and offers youthful proven insurance for the potential of Kupp wearing down, or JSN getting injured. He has the speed to stretch defenses, and like JSN, he can run every short to intermediate route, as well..
His concussions are a concern, and probably to the extent of hampering his trade value, but with the depth Seattle would have at receiver with his addition, he likely wouldn’t be asked to be The Guy. JSN is The Guy in this offense. Darnold also has chemistry with Kupp and growing chemistry with Horton. Olave could come in without the pressure of having to be at the forefront right away, but rather being the guy who can provide big catches as the season wears on, and potentially being the Sundance Kid to JSN’s Butch Cassidy in future seasons.
For these reasons, I really dig this idea a lot.
Saints Guard/Center Cesar Ruiz
I am going to stay with New Orleans one more time here and suggest that if they drop to 0-4, and begin a fire sale, perhaps Seattle could decide to take the opportunity to fortify their young offensive line by trading for Cesar Ruiz who is currently the Saints starting right guard but also has a lot of center in his background. Anthony Bradford has been playing well for the Seahawks this year at right guard, but what if Klint Kubiak sees an opportunity to land Ruiz and have him play center here?
Ruiz hasn’t played very well for the Saints this year, but last season was his best year as a pro while he was coached by the bulk of Seattle’s offensive staff. He knows this blocking scheme, and he knows the offensive line coaches very well. The Saints have Erik McCoy as their starting center, and he’s one of the best ones in the game, so Ruiz had to find a home at guard to get on the field. He played center in college, however, and it isn’t hard to imagine that he could take that position over for the Seahawks now, and have it solidified for the next several seasons.
This move could see Jalen Sundell in the role of a valuable swing offensive lineman capable of playing all five positions on the offensive line in a pinch. Sundell has not played terrible for Seattle this year at center, but sometimes I wonder if he’s got enough premium strength inside to hold up to bigger stronger DTs in the league. Center is not a position that requires the strongest guys on the OL, but having a strong ass M’fer inside at the position doesn’t hurt, either. Ruiz is that kinda player, and he is very familiar with the zone blocking scheme.
An offensive line that consists of Charles Cross, Grey Zabel, Cesar Ruiz, Anthony Bradford, and Abe Lucas feels potentially very young and formidable. Jalen Sundell could provide the ever valuable swing player in that group as he came into the league as an undrafted left tackle and impressed Mike Macdonald with his intelligence and athleticism.
I don’t know if the Saints would entertain parting with Ruiz even in his struggles this year, but they might. Therefore, a player for player trade of Woolen for Ruiz straight across doesn’t seem all that crazy to me. Perhaps both players need new landing spots.
Dolphins Receiver Jaylon Waddle
Like the Saints, Miami is a team that appears on the verge of being early sellers at the trade deadline. They host the Jets on MNF. If they drop to 0-4 after that game, I think there’s a decent chance their head coach gets fired, and they go into a fire sale mode.
People are pointing to Tyreek Hill as being a high probable trade candidate for clubs, but Seattle won’t likely be suitors. Under Mike Macdonald, they are even more character driven as a club than they have been in year’s past, and Hill’s character is simply not a fit up here.
But could Jaylen Waddle also be a potential trade option? Waddle is younger than Hill, less of a headache, and would probably net more value for the Dolphins who could be staring at a major rebuild yet again.
Given the fact that Waddle also comes with a bit of an injury history, like Olave, I don’t think that trade compensation for him would be very backbreaking for an NFL front office. A mere third round pick might be enough to do it, and if that is all it is, Seattle would acquire a guy who is a field stretcher, and plays in a similar scheme, and would be locked into a contract through 2027. One would think that perhaps player for player trade involving Woolen might get it done, as well.
It’s a fun thought on par to the Chris Olave idea.
Dolphins Middle Linebacker Jordyn Brooks
I am going to stay with the Dolphins here and switch to defense for a moment. Seattle’s defense has pretty much been lights out through four games, but depth at the inside linebackers spots still make me a bit nervous. I love Ernest Jones as a Seahawk, and I am happy with how Tyrice Knight and Drake Thomas have platooned at weak side linebacker together.
I’m nervous as to what happens with Seattle’s defense should Jones get injured. Knight and Thomas feel like classic, run, cover, and hit WILL linebackers, and I am not sure if they could handle the MIKE spot.
Seattle had an interest in re-signing Brooks during the 2024 offseason. They lost out on their pursuit for him, however, to the Dolphins when they were in an 11th hour period of heavy negotiations to extend star defensive tackle Leonard Williams on the eve of official free agency. It felt like a rare dropped ball by John Schneider, and one he admitted to being disappointed that they couldn’t get it done with him.
Is the Dolphins are to soon be big time sellers, does it not make sense for Seattle to explore getting Brooks back up here? I think it does.
He’s proven to be a very good run and hit WILL linebacker and he’s also proven that he can handle the MIKE spot, as well. Having him and Ernest Jones roaming the middle of the field is a fun thought, and I don’t think there was ever any ill will between Brooks and the Seattle’s front office. He just chose the sunshine and views on Miami Beach over the overcast damp days of Seattle in the Fall.
If Seattle doesn’t make a move on offense to strengthen its depth at receiver, or running back, decides that linebacker is an area they see an opportunity to further strengthen, I would not be upset with that, and I don’t imagine that the mid season trade value for Brooks would be that high. It wasn’t for Ernest Jones last year at mid season, and Jones is a better player. Riq Woolen for Brooks straight across feels very fair, if not altogether funny from a Seattle perspective.
Cowboys Defensive Tackle Mazi Smith
Mazi Smith was the first round pick for a Dallas Cowboys in the 2023 NFL Draft. He is a massive human being at 6-3, 337 lbs, and he’s got unique athleticism for his size. He has not lived up the billing for the Cowboys, however, and the team acquired pro bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark from the Packers in the Micah Parsons trade.
There is a lot of speculation that they are ready to punt on Smith who is now in his third season, and they are also a team that happens to have a need at cornerback in order to improve their defense. I think this is a scenario where Seattle could deal Woolen to Dallas in exchange for Mazi Smith and maybe even get another pick or player in exchange, to be honest.
Smith played his college ball for Mike Macdonald when Macdonald was the architect of that impressive Michigan defense that featured Aidan Hutchinson. Macdonald knows him as a player, and the Seahawks defensive coordinator Aden Durde also knows him from his days coaching Dallas defensive linemen.
The strength of the Seahawks defense is their defensive tackles and their secondary. I think there is value in the idea of making your strength even stronger, however, and Seattle would have a season and a half with Mazi Smith to see if they can turn him into a quality starting nose tackle. In the meantime, adding him now would provide an even deeper DT rotation which I think would be pretty darn sweet, especially if you might get a bit weaker at corner after a Woolen trade. You can never have enough quality defensive linemen, especially the big ones.
Look at what the Eagles did last year with their deep DT rotation. They won the whole damn thing with it. They dominated. I want to see Seattle dominate teams on defense again. This is why Macdonald was hired, and that is why I am into this idea.
Giants Edge Rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux
To be honest, I’m not sure Seattle would have much interest in Thibodeaux even though he’s a young player at a premium position, and he played college ball in the PNW. There were some rumblings a while back that when Seattle had a top ten pick in the 2022, he was a player who was off their list of prospects. Thibodeaux came out of Oregon as a guy with a bunch of hype, and a vibe that perhaps he was more concerned with his off field brand than being “all ball” on the field.
Being a LA kid, he also seemed inclined to prefer a destination that offered him a lot of bright lights, and a scene. That’s not Seattle, Washington, and I suspect that the Seattle front office, after dealing with high maintenance Russell Wilson for years wasn’t much interested in investing their first round pick on a player such as that. He was taken before Seattle picked, but the rumor is that Seattle wouldn’t have taken him if he was there, anyways.
Over recent years, the NY Giants appear like maybe they are ready to move from him. They traded for Brian Burns, and they drafted Penn State star edge rusher Abdul Carter.
Thibodeaux hasn’t been a bad player for the Giants, but he’s not been the type of spectacular athlete that you would expect from a high NFL lotto pick, either. Personally, I don’t think he’s any better than Boye Mafe who Seattle took early in the second round of the same draft he was selected in.
So why would Seattle any have interest in acquiring him now?
Well, the Giants picked up his fifth year option on his rookie contract and he’d come to town with two years left on a rookie deal when Mafe is set to be a free agent, and that’s something in a salary cap driven game. Another thing is that you can never really have enough quality edge rushers.
Also, DeMarcus Lawrence is 31 years old, and Uchenna Nwosu has been very injury prone, as we all know. Derick Hall and Mafe appear to be the future, but what if Seattle is leaning more towards choosing Hall over Mafe in terms of contract extensions, and that will lead a hole on the roster next offseason as they allow Mafe to enter free agency. They could use the presence of Thibodeaux here in that scenario, and maybe a change of scenery and getting with a great defensive head coach is the thing Thibodeaux will crave as he looks to ascend as a player before he hits free agency in 2027. He’s played college ball up here in the left hand corner of the USA, so he would know what to expect even if it lacks the glitz he prefers.
Again, I don’t know how likely this would be a thing for Seattle. They might be very out on him still if those rumors were true, but you never totally know.
I think trade compensation would be fairly steep, easily a day two pick, but what if Seattle and the Giants discussed a Riq Woolen for Thibodeaux scenario? Seattle gets another talented young pass rusher, and the Giants get a young cornerback who still possesses the rare physical traits to be one of the better shutdown corners in the game, and they can look to franchise tag next offseason to work out a long term contract with.
Mike Macdonald seems to especially love his defensive line, and wants it to be a deep and rich rotation, and he seems to know what he likes at cornerback and the backend. It’s early in his tenure here, but it feels like he prefers to emphasize strength in the trenches. This is the main reason why I wouldn’t rule a trade like this out for this club.
Closing Thoughts
These are trade scenarios that if Seattle made in the next week or so that I would get pretty excited about. I am sure there’s other possibilities out there, as well, that make decent sense, but these are the type of moves I want to see the Seahawks go attack.
In addition to these proposals, I could see Seattle having particular interest in Saints receiver/returner Rashid Shaheed, who knows the Kubiak system, and is a legitimate deep threat. I could see Macdonald especially liking his special teams value on top of improving receiver depth, and not necessarily taking reps away from promising rookie Tory Horton, either. He’s one to watch for Seattle.
It’s also worth noting that Raider receiver Jakobi Meyers wants out of Vegas with a new contract, and if Pete Carroll covets Riq Woolen, Meyers for Riq makes sense for both clubs, although I think Meyers and Cooper Kupp on the same team together has a redundant vibe. Right now, I’m sorta so so on that idea, but I could warm to it.
I suppose one should never rule out Seattle pursing Cincinnati edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, either. I wouldn’t hate the idea. He’s a great pass rusher, and would definitely be a spark up front as Seattle looks to preserve leads late in games. I just don’t know how altogether well he would fit Macdonald’s hybrid front that asks its edge rushers to play end and linebacker. Hendrickson has only ever played in standard 4-3 defensive fronts, and asking him to do exotic drops at 6-5 270 pounds might make him limited on the field in certain situations. Seattle’s scheme requires ends who can also legitimately play linebacker, and I don’t know if that is in his game. I know it is with Thibodeaux.
Of these players mentioned, the two that I have the strongest interest in are most definitely Alvin Kamara, and Chris Olave. Both players know this scheme well, and I feel alright for Seattle to continue developing Sundell and Bradford at guard and center, and seeing where that goes. I would love to add more stable weapons around Sam Darnold as he leads this thing further along the coarse of the season. Either one of these guys would be an exciting get.
If I had to choose one single player for Seattle to go get, however, it is most definitely Alvin Kamara based on what I’ve seen through four games on the year. Seattle has got to get it’s run came going consistently through the remainder of the season, and it is fairly reasonable to expect that a young offensive line with some decent talent now with much better coaching will settle in better, but then it comes to the running backs here. I think we can be much better there.
I’ve been very harsh on K9 in this blog, perhaps too harsh, but in my view, his issues simply have not progressed enough entering into his fourth season here. He makes me nervous. I don’t want to see Sam Darnold play in a lot of third and long situations this year, I want to see mostly third and short, or at least third and manageable. I want runners who know, and trust, and have instincts for this particular scheme. I want running backs who know how to net positive yards even if the blocking isn’t totally there on a play. Alvin Kamara, I feel, is still very that type of player in this league.
So, I say go get him.
Woolen for him straight across? I would not be upset about that.
In many ways, I feel like it’s a bit of a positive for Seahawk fans to have watched this lackluster effort from the Seattle Seahawk offense in this third and final preseason game. I like Jalen Milroe a lot, and I think he was as good as any developmental quarterback to have come out of this year’s draft, and I was fine with Seattle using their third round pick on him.
But he is a developmental quarterback, and I think it is important for Seattle fans to understand this. He is not Russell Wilson who came out of the third round of the draft thirteen years ago ready to start on a talented Seattle roster. He lacks polish as a passer, and it was evident in this game when he played against starters on the Green Bay defense, and then back end talent of the GreenBay defenders later on.
He wasn’t terrible, and I don’t mean to make this piece sound like a hit job against his day. There were plays he made with his arm, and legs, and he had a beautiful touchdown run called back after a hold, and that, in itself, is encouraging as to what he can become, but he is not ready to start NFL games. Not in my view, in the offense that Seattle that is reliant on timing and anticipatory throws. He works best when designed runs are called for him with frequency, when he is balanced by effective running backs, and he is not asked to throw out of the pocket on third and long.
Aside from the sacks he took in this game, and the fumbles that happened in various ways with him, I thought his day of throwing was fairly erratic, especially when he would try to get out of the pocket and throw on the run. He’s not the throw-on-the-run-master that Russell Wilson always was, and this was evident early when he badly missed on an open receiver as he tried to throw right while rolling out.
He will tease you with some beautiful dimes downfield, though, which was the case more in the second half. I just think that it is good to have some Seattle fans see what four quarters of Jalen Milroe would be like if he were to start as a rookie. It is fun to fantasize about his upside, but it is important to understand that Sam Darnold, and probably Drew Lock, as well, are way ahead of the curb over this guy, and he is appropriately the third string quarterback for a reason.
I feel like some who cover the Seahawks have built up an unreasonable expectation for fans on Milroe through their practice reports on how good he has looked Seattle’s third string defenders all through training camp. I was at the game last week against the Chiefs, and there was nothing out of Milroe that made me belief he was close to being able to start in this league, and in after this game, I feel less certain. That is fine. Seattle will finds ways to take advantage of his raw athleticism in other ways this year.
Seattle can use him in special packages, and I feel almost certain that they will, but to that, I say “Mother of God, youngster, hang onto that damn football.”
The best rookie on the football field for Seattle in this 7-20 loss against the Packers was, undeniably so, undrafted free agent defensive end Jared Ivy. People covering the team have been hyping him for a while, and I am now on board with him. He feels like a long, tough, Baltimore Ravens style defensive lineman who is just going to play pissed off and mean against the run, and plowing into quarterbacks. I hope he makes the final 53 man roster.
Aside from this lopsided loss, I thought the reserve Seattle defenders played pretty well. Milroe coughed the ball up twice early in the game, which gave the Green Bay offense the advantage of short fields to score with, and they did. Had the rookie held onto the ball during a sack and a QB draw, this final score could have been much closer than it was. Jared Ivy was a big part of Seattle’s valiant defensive effort on the day.
The other Seattle rookie I enjoyed watching was undrafted rookie running back Jacardia Wright. I have enjoyed him all preseason, and I actually prefer him over drafted running back Damien Martinez. Wright made the highlight play on offense with a great 64 yard run into the red zone that the offense could not capitalize on getting points off of.
Cut down day will be this Tuesday. I suspect Seattle will look at outside players to fill out depth, perhaps at middle linebacker, possibly guard, and perhaps they add another pass rusher.
On my bus ride home from last night’s game, this was the comment I saw a few times over when the Seattle Seahawks posted on social media that their offense had rushed for 268 yards against the Kansas City Chiefs (shout out to my Seahawk Santa pal for inviting me to sit in his kick ass seats with him again behind the team benches).
It’s just preseason, indeed. No nuance to any of this comment. No effort to display any ounce of buy into the new offensive scheme and coaching. Just a curmudgeon-y display of good old fashioned PNW freeze from a few fans who felt the need to stamp out any optimism from diehard Twelves who saw plenty of reason to celebrate a dominant preseason win against one of the best franchises in all of football.
I get it, though. For several years now the Seattle Seahawks have rested the realms of being a mid level NFL team. Not a terrible team, but nothing to feel overly excited about, either.
Being middle of the pack for multiple years in a row can have a draining effect on many fans. Your team isn’t ever terrible enough to think they are going to have a shot at drafting a franchise altering quarterback like a Jayden Daniels, and it is never good enough to believe that if it does slip into the playoffs, it’s going to make any serious run towards a title.
For my money, the surest way for Seattle to get above this middle of the pack rut is not to suck for a season, and then try to draft some young savior type who is going to play under center for the next decade of Seahawk football. For me, that is setting your franchise up for relying on the ultimate crap shoot gamble pro sports has to offer fans, and teams that commit to this horse shit strategy generally stay garbage franchises for a long time (see the New York Jets). I am not going to go through the long list of failed first round pick quarterbacks to demonstrate why the percentages aren’t great, most NFL fans should be aware enough to know these numbers. Instead, I am going to offer a more practical method becoming a dominant NFL franchise.
Play great defense, and run the holy snot out of the mother flipping football.
If your team can annually do these two things, your team should generally be good for 11 to 12 wins per season regardless of who is playing under center, and should be contending for division titles year in and year out. If you pair a top five defense, with a top ten rushing attack offense, your football team will be badass.
Football is not a patty cakes sport, so why allow offensive coordinators to dial up drop back passes like they are offering up lines of cocaine backstage of a Van Halen concert in 1984?
The Seattle Seahawks have been a mid level team for years not because they don’t have the next great NFL quarterback. They have been mid because they systematically have gotten away from the formula that won them a Super Bowl over a decade ago by placating to their then franchise quarterback instead of doubling down on their model. This is it, period.
After watching what the Seahawks did offensively against the Raiders last week, and then watching them further double down against the Chiefs last night, I have high confidence that, come hell or high-water, Mike Macdonald return Seattle Seahawk football to its glorious roots of over a decade ago. I am highly confident in that. Here is a list of things I have observed that are big confidence boosters for me as of this moment.
The Offensive Line feels badass and purposeful
For two preseason games in a row, the Seattle Seahawks offensive line has played surprisingly clean, connected, purposeful, and overall fairly badass. They have been doing this while their starting left tackle has stayed sidelined recovering from finger surgery to get him ready for the regular season.
You can go onto Youtube and watch any numerous film breakdowns are what they are going in these games, but generally it is a pretty easy to write synopsis.
Gray Zabel looks like a great first round pick at left guard, clearing defenders, making holes, sealing backside lanes for his runners, and being a reliable pass blocker. His former North Dakota State teammate Jalen Sundell looks more than capable at center, and Anthony Bradford looks like a completely different player at right guard knocking down front seven defenders, and playing with much better balance and technique. Abe Lucas looks healthy and dominant again at right tackle.
This is all, of course, good stuff to see, but the level of play hasn’t really dropped off when the reserves take the field. The execution has felt very similar. The running backs have continued hitting their lanes, and backup QBs Drew Lock and Jalen Milroe have had plenty of time to throw and hit receivers.
For me, I think the unspoken heroes in what has amounted to 268 yards of rushing Friday night are clearly longtime NFL offensive line coaches John Benton and Rick Dennison acting as OL coach and run game coordinator. Klint Kubiak was wise to bring these two fellas into the fold for Seattle when he took the offensive coordinator job. It is obvious that both men have coached up this line and run game at an extremely high level.
The real season is long and injuries happen, but there is reason to believe that Seattle will play better up front because their depth will be better coached up than in years past. Through these two games, it is okay to feel optimism about that now.
The Seahawk QB situation is better than national people think
I could write an entire separate piece about this subheading, and perhaps in the future, I will, but for now, let me just say the following. I think the Seattle quarterbacks are getting very good coaching out of Klint Kubiak and QB coach Andy Janocko. Here are some quick thoughts on each of Seattle’s passers as I have observed them.
Drew Lock has always had a talented arm, but it is his footwork that feels night and day better than it was two years ago when he was backing up Geno Smith. Of the three quarterbacks, he had the flashiest night stepping up into the pocket delivering accurate throws, making plays with his legs and arm.
If we would have seen this version of Lock coming into Seattle as part of the Russell Wilson trade, I think it would have been much harder on Pete Carroll to have justified anointing Geno as his starter, even if that was his deep down preference. I know Lock threw that bad pick against the Raiders last week, and perhaps that is always something that is going to sorta be in him, but I gotta be honest and say that through these two games, I have a lot more confidence in him as a quarterback than I have had previously, and I was at that game two years ago when he started against the Eagles, and beat them.
Jalen Milroe came out of college last Winter an extremely raw looking passer. His season started out promising at Alabama but it absolutely collapsed on him down the last stretch of games when his passing mechanics completely abandoned him. It was so bad that it was actually quite shocking that he declared for the draft, and when he was at the Senior Bowl practicing in front of NFL scouts and GMs, he looked terrible as a passer. Like, really rough, don’t draft him until the fifth round type of stuff. He didn’t look that much better weeks later at the NFL scouting combine. When Seattle drafted him in the third round, my immediate thought wasn’t that we just took our next Russell Wilson, it was that we just gave Klint Kubiak his new version of Taysom Hill.
Even though Milroe has made huge leaps forward through OTAs and preseason training camp as a passer under the tutelage of Janocko and Kubiak, I still see Taysom as his floor (which, in my view, is a good floor), but I also see Jalen Hurts as a fairly realistic ceiling for him. I think in a run heavy offense, a savvy coordinator can get by with Milroe as a good duo threat quarterback if he continues to develop as a passer, but he will have to be further developed.
Right now, I think he is appropriately Seattle’s third quarterback in this system. Kubiak’s scheme is QB friendly but it requires nuance with timing and rhythm to truly get into the playbook, and for as much as fans want to be excited about Milroe, I think the other two quarterbacks are a lot more ahead of the curb than he is.
When Milroe gets into the game, Kubiak shifts into more shotgun run pass option stuff that the youngster is clearly more comfortable with, but in that, it sorta also takes away from the window stressing stuff that this Kubiak/Shanahan style offense is known for. In a nutshell, for as much as I can future trip and get excited about Milroe, I am dubious to fully buy into the Kubiak scheme being ideal for him, but time will ultimately be the teller.
The guy who I do believe is potentially an ideal fit for Kubiak continues to be Sam Darnold, and the opening drive of the offense in this game did nothing to dissuade my belief in him. It was one drive that was run heavy with only four passes for 34 yards, but Darnold was so smooth and decisive in his execution of those plays that it had me doubling down in my buy into him. I think a run centric play action offense is the perfect system for Sam Darnold to function in. He is tailor made for it. In this one series, I saw the same exact Sam who came into Lumen Field last December and confidently out dueled Geno Smith for a big time win for the Vikings when both teams needed that win for the playoffs and division titles.
Behind the scenes of the VMAC, it also feels like there is growing internal buy into Sam from current players, former players, and current coaches. Veteran leaders like defensive tackle Jarran Reed are talking about how excited they are to play with him. Mike Macdonald is stating how much of a pain in the ass it is to call the defense against him now because of how decisive he has become. Jaxson Smith Njigba recently commented about how he would rather play with a quarterback like Darnold who can throw with anticipation and have the ball out before he breaks on his routes.
Media members and fans can remain as skeptical as they want to, but in the last week, we had two appearances of Sam on Marshawn Lynch’s and Mike Robinson’s Get Got podcast, and Richard Sherman’s podcast, as well, and all three Super Bowl champs seem genuinely impressed with him. Sherman, in particular, who can be blunt in his criticism of the Seahawks, at times, seemed impressed as he vibed with Darnold talking X’s and O’s in this Shanahan style scheme. I am here to tell you now that Darnold does not go onto these popular podcasts if the hosts of them aren’t impressed in what they see and sense out of him.
For me, I think this all bodes well for the Seahawks moving forward. Time will tell if they have their franchise quarterback already rostered. I’m optimistic. I see good coaching happening. I see positive potential in each of these guys. I see them taking to this system. I’m excited to see what unfolds.
The Seahawk running back room is talented and deep
I love what I am seeing out of George Holani through two games. Heading into preseason, he was a total afterthought in my mind in a crowded running back room. I had bought into the draft hype of Damien Martinez, I was a Kenny McIntosh believer, and I loved the two headed monster of Zach Charbonnet and Ken Walker.
It is two preseason games with a much more productive run blocking offensive line, but it appears like George Holani is potentially a great fit for this outside zone blocking scheme that Kubiak wants to set the tone with, and build off of. Like, he just gets it, without hesitation gets it.
This scheme is known for producing a lot of quality looking running backs. Last night, it looked like Charbonnet could be a monster featured back in this offense running with speed, power, and decisiveness. Holani, on the other hand, looks like someone, at the very least, could be a quality change of pace relief runner who could probably handle some starting duties, if needed.
Martinez ran fine last night, much better than a week ago against the Raiders, but undrafted Jacardia Wright is pushing him for potentially that fourth running back spot on the roster. Wright has a physical sudden style that continues to impress and make plays. It would not stun me if he surprises and makes this roster.
This leaves me to Ken Walker, who we have not seen, nor will we in the preseason. I think he will be a part of this thing this year, but I am unsure of he will be the starter, and there is at least some outside chance that I am wondering if Seattle would be willing to include him in some sort of splash trade for maybe some sort of dominant edge rusher. My guess is not, but it is an interesting thought considering the depth and production we have seen through two games.
Seattle has a badass fullback situation brewing and I am here for it!
I cannot say enough about the fullback usage in this offense, and the impact rookie Robbie Ouzts appears destined to have on this offense both as lead blocker and pass catcher out of the backfield. Two preseason games in a row that he catches the pass out in the flat and charges upfield with bad intentions on tacklers. I’ve very quickly become a huge Ouzts fan, and I like what Brady Russell is doing in fullback duties, as well. I can easily see a scenario where both players are kept and Russell pulls double duty at a fullback/tight end in this scheme.
But I am severely tempted to make Robbie Ouzts my next player jersey that I purchase.
Jake Bobo is making this team and they will be better for it!
JSN will probably be the new face of the franchise at the end of this year, and I am incredibly high on rookie Tory Horton. I think Cooper Kupp will have a solid impact as a player and leader, and will provide a solid chain moving target for Darnold to look towards. I also like what I am seeing out of Dareke Young, finally.
That said, I don’t see a scenario where this team parts ways with Jake Bobo. He provides too much value in terms of impact as a blocker, team chemistry, special teams, and I think his route running prowess perfectly suits the Kubiak thing. I also think he could be a very positive red zone target for Darnold this year. I am saying this now, and putting myself out there a bit because this seems to be said annually, but I truly believe this is the year that we see More Jake Bobo in this offense. I think Cooper Kupp is going to have a positive effect on him, and we will see him pop more on Sundays, in result.
I think the bigger question is if this team carries Marquez Valdes-Scantling, or if Dareke Young surprisingly beats him out for the fifth and potentially final roster spot for receivers.
This defense is going to be a badass unit this year, no question about it
Through two preseason games, we are not seeing star defensive linemen Leonard Williams, DeMarcus Lawerence or Jarran Reed. Mike Macdonald sees no reason to play them. That is a really good sign.
We are seeing starting middle linebackers out there, and safeties. Our young duo edge rushers Boye Mafe and Derick Hall played some, and we got to see more of hybrid player Nick Emmanwori. Riq Woolen was out there for a bit at corner, and had decent pass defense. On the whole, nothing really wowed with these guys, but the scheme was kept noticeably simple, and the fundamentals of good tackling felt present.
The depth of defensive tackle feels really good with Brandon Pili and Quinton Bohanna, and this level of depth is perhaps one of the sneakier reasons why I have great confidence in Seattle’s defense this year. Having great DT depth allows Macdonald to move Leo Williams around more between DT and DE, and Mike Morris can mimic that. We could see Byron Murphy less at the nose tackle position and more at three technique where his natural athleticism can be more on display.
Having great DT depth allows your middle linebackers to make more plays, as well as safeties and edge defenders. For years, I have been pleading for Seattle to invest more at DT, and it feels like Macdonald sees the virtues of this with his defense.
Right now, I won’t lie and say the middle linebacker depth doesn’t concern me, maybe Seattle doesn’t need bit more at edge rusher. But I really think that the hallmark of most great defenses really needs to start up front in the gabs between center and guard and guard and tackle. This is where I think Seattle is potentially very, very good.
There could be more pieces of the defensive puzzle added before we get into real season games, and my guess is that there likely will, but these DTs got me feeling pretty damn good about life. I think we are one Jadeveon Clowney reunion away from having a sickly talented defense front. This is kind of the move I expect Seattle to make to round it out before week one. We shall see.
Closing thoughts
Yes, it is just preseason.
Yes there is a potential that Sam Darnold might turn into a pumpkin at some point.
Yes, the injury bugs could occur on defense and on the offensive line that could derail the Seahawks 2025 season.
We could also be struck by as massive asteroid in a few years and 80 percent of all animal life could all die off because of it.
You could also board a plane to Disneyland and the plane could crash and you could perish because of safety regulations slipping with air traffic controllers.
A new virus could hit us in a few years and the lack of federal dollars going to infectious research could catch us with our pants down, and lots of Americans could die in result.
You could be taking your family out to dinner next week, and be shot in public because of all the guns on the streets and lack of police numbers.
All of this bad shit could happen. All of it.
But since the dawn of time, there has been and always will be two different mindsets in life. There are those who will see life with optimism, and those who will not.
In my diehard Seahawk fandom, I will almost always see reasons for optimism, so take that for whatever it is. That said, I see more reasons for optimism this year than I have seen for many years in that past.
I don’t really care if Mike Florio doesn’t believe in Sam Darnold, and neither does former beat writer now national guy Shiel Kapadia, or local beat writer Michael Shawn-Dugar. It is fine. Hang your hat on whatever you choose to believe.
For me, I like the direction of this team. I dig what it wants to be, and what it thinks it can get out of the pieces. I love the clear vision.
Play good defense, and run the damn ball.
This is what I want Seattle Seahawks to always be about, and if you want this too, I do not know how you watched that game last night and were not excited about what you saw.
The older I get the more I try not to get overly hyped about a Seattle Seahawk rookie class, especially considering the there are 31 other fanbases in the NFL who believe their rookies are going to be special. It is the preseason, after all, and with that, hope springs eternal for most NFL fans as they view their teams.
49er fans believe this is the year that Kyle finally gets them a title with Brock Purdy and George Kittle. Cardinal fans are probably pretty optimistic, as well. I am sure Bears fans and Raiders fans have reasons for hope this year. I could go on, but you get my point.
This all said, as I watched last night’s preseason game occur against Pete Carroll’s Raiders (weird to say), I could not help but think how much GM John Schneider kicked the living crap out of the draft last April. I mean, I have really liked the last three drafts of Seattle’s, but I cannot remember watching a preseason game where this many rookies jumped off the screen at me in big ways. Let me go through the list and break each one down a bit.
Left Guard Grey Zabel
Seattle ran at will on the left side, and backup quarterback Drew Lock had a clean pocket to function out of for the entire time Zabel was in there. The best compliment you can give an offensive lineman is when you don’t notice because the ball was moving and the quarterback was kept clean.
Fullback Robbie Outs
I understand it this position is not the sexiest part of an offense for many fans, but I could not help feeling overjoyed seeing the return of the I formation with a bonafide fullback leading the way. I have a feeling that Robbie Ouzts is going to become an instant fan favorite, and there was a noticeable difference at the position when he was playing it over tight end convert Brady Russell. Ouzts is a natural blocker who sprung George Holani for his big touchdown run, and he also showcased his own playmaking abilities by grabbing a Drew Lock pass out of the flat, making a key first down, and absolutely clocking the DB who was trying to tackle him. Fans are going to love this guy.
Safety Nick Emmanwori
As I watch Emmanwori play in Mike Macdonald’s defensive scheme, I am not sure I feel a hundred percent right calling him a safety, but since that is his roster designation, I will roll with it. Geno Smith had one series of play with the Raiders, and made a nice pass play on a scramble out to his right, but the next time he looked to throw, he stayed in the pocket, and the blur on the screen of my television to his left was Emmanwori who shot right past his left tackle and forced a quick incompletion. Geno had no chance to get the ball off. Emmanwori also made his presence felt at the line of scrimmage as a run stopper, and looked fluid in coverage. It appears that this guy has the ability to play safety, off ball linebacker, nickel, and edge rusher in this scheme. In a word, WOW.
Wide Receiver Tory Horton
I am not one to overly attach myself to receivers like I see many other fans often do. Seattle has a rich history of receivers dating all the way back to the seventies and eighties with Steve Largent, and for most fans, this is the position that they cannot help most gravitate towards, buying their jerseys, and talking about with their friends. They are the playmakers. They make first downs, and touchdowns, and they help fantasy team owners win.
I am here to tell you now that I think Tory Horton has the stuff to be a new fan favorite. I really liked him coming out of college, I thought he would be a round two or three consideration for Seattle, but because of a knee injury, the struck gold getting him all the way back in round five.
In this game, he caught first down passes, and you saw his skill making a catch and run score in the red zone. Horton showed sure hands, route running, run after the catch juice, and playmaking vibes. It would not shock me in the slightest if after the end of this coming season, Horton is widely regarded as the steal of the 2025 draft. That’s how much I believe in him, and he showed me nothing in his appearance against the Raiders to dissuade that belief.
Tight End Elijah Arroyo
Arroyo made a first half grab of 10 yards or so out in the middle of the field and he was so fast and fluid in his route that I thought he was a receiver. He was largely outshined by other players on offensive who were either runners or catches, but this play jumped off my screen in a big way. I’m excited to see more.
Quarterback Jalen Milroe
It is impossible for me resist the training camp hype building off of Seattle’s third string quarterback. He is the most toolsy quarterback I have ever seen in a Seahawk uniform, more so than Russell Wilson. Anyone watching this game bore witness to his electrifying running abilities, but I thought in the times he threw, he generally showed well enough going through his progressions with good enough accuracy to think there is something positive there in him as a passer, as well.
His long scrambles were things straight out of a video game, but it was his play action roll out to his right on his lone touchdown leading drive where he hit his tight end down the seam that felt especially electric on the night. You could feel his threat as a thrower on the run, and how that can stress out defenders.
I am a Sam Darnold guy, admittedly, but the drive that Milroe led for a touchdown was so run heavy setting up play action that it left an impression on me that was kick ass to the point in which I could legitimately see a future where Milroe is QB1, and Seattle is playing in title games. He wasn’t perfect on the night. He took a sack when the year needed him not to in the end, he threw on fourth and short long and the pass was not completed when he could have probably made the first down with his legs, but this was a good game to build off of and learn from. Personally, I hope he gets that last preseason game where he is playing most of the quarters, if not all.
Final thoughts
I don’t know what is to become of Seattle’s quarterback situation this year or long term, but I cannot help but think that the solution might already be rostered and I didn’t fully think that in recent years with Geno Smith, as much as I really liked Geno. Last night, Milroe gave me hope that it could be him, but it also wouldn’t completely shock me if we ultimately see him push Sam Darnold into building off his 2024 Vikings campaign in a way in which it will be hard to unseat him further down the line. For the first time in over a decade, I am really fascinated by Seattle’s QB situation with all of its unknowns and possibilities.
I am not going to pit one Seahawk QB over the other in any of this. I embrace this situation with an open mind and heart. In the same breath, I will not fault a single Seahawk fan for being dazzled by Milroe and wanting him even more to become the guy. I totally get that.
But time will be the big teller in this, and I am excited to see what unfolds out of it. I think Seattle’s QB situation might be one of the sneakier ones in the league this year.
Aside from taking QBs, I thought through four quarters, I really felt Klint Kubiak’s offensive scheme, and I fell in love with it. I love the use of the fullback, the tight ends, the running backs looked liked they knew what they were doing, and where they were going. I feel like it really does have the makings of being a strong compliment to Mike Macdonald’s defense.
If I am to nitpick roster concerns a bit, I thought the third string Seahawk defense showed warts in coverage against third string rookie QB Cam Miller and made him look great at times, and I am a bit concerned about the depth at off ball linebacker, as well. This unit let the Raiders back in it when the second string defenders were largely kicking ass.
I was also a bit surprised and disappointed that we didn’t see more out of drafted rookie running back Damien Martinez as a runner. I was expecting more out of him with some of the hype. These next two preseason games could be huge for him because second year back George Holani looked stellar, and undrafted back Jacardia Wright also impressed quite a bit.
Kudos to the offensive line generally not sucking, and playing pretty well at times. It is either that they are improved with the new scheme and coaching, or the Raiders defensive front totally sucks. Could be a little of both. Probably is but we will see.
Okay, that’s it. I am going to spend the next week trying really hard not to be overly hyped about Milroe but I don’t believe I will be successful at it. I won’t blame you at all if you are having the difficulty.
This is a very exciting time to be a Seattle sports fan.
The Mariners feel very relevant this year, and just made three significant trades before the trade deadline to put all their chips on the table to compete for the division in 2025. Long suffering Mariner fans cannot ask for more than that. If they do not reach the playoffs in the Fall, it will not be for lack of effort from their front office, and ownership. I believe they will get there, and adding Josh Nailor with now yesterday’s efforts of landing Eugenio Suarez, and Caleb Ferguson doesn’t just make them playoffs contenders, but title contenders in an American League that is a bit up for grabs.
Even the most pessimistic Mariner fan has to be getting excited these days. I know I am, and I have been a curmudgeon about the M’s for two decades now.
Overshadowed a bit by the splashy move for Suarez yesterday, the Seattle Seahawks made a big move of their own by extending GM John Schneider through 2030, tying him together their bright young head coach Mike Macdonald for the next five years. People can feel however they want to about this decision from Seahawk ownership, but they obviously felt this was vital to do, and I applaud them for it. It shows the players and fans that there is total unity and stability within the power structures of the organization, and the importance of that cannot be underestimated, in my view.
Good NFL teams have stability and harmony between their coaching staff and front office. Bad NFL teams generally do not.
On the whole, I really like the breaking news of the Seattle Seahawks extending their general manager John Schneider long term through 2030. I appreciate that there exists differing views of Schneider amongst the fanbase, and if someone wants to make a snarky remark that the team he assembled hasn’t done much in recent years, they are welcome to it. I hold a different opinion, and it is one that is heavily backed up by ESPN.
On Monday, ESPN published an extensive article that ranked the NFL teams with the best rostered talent under the age of 25. The Houston Texans with star QB CJ Stroud, corner Derek Stingly and pass rusher Will Anderson were ranked number one, but the Seattle Seahawks were ranked number two, just ahead of the Washington Commanders with Jayden Daniels (a team and QB that is a sexy pick in NFC to make a big splash in the playoffs this year).
ESPN noted that Seattle has three blue chip players on rookie contracts in WR Jaxson Smith Njigba, CB Devon Witherspoon, and DT Byron Murphy, all players that play premium positions. By definition, a blue chip player is someone with the talent to be a regular pro bowl player, as well as being All-Pro. Having that quality of talent at premium spots is a huge benefit for Seattle, and the fact that they are young gives reason for longer termed optimism for this team moving forward.
EPSN also singled out rookie QB Jalen Milroe as a player with value and potential, along with the upside talents of pass rusher Derek Hall, rookie safety/linebacker Nick Emmanwori, left tackle Charles Cross, rookie guard Grey Zabel, and running backs Ken Walker and Zach Charbonnet. It is clear they appreciate what John Schneider has been doing in the draft the past few years, even if the common fan is growing a bit impatient with this process.
This, for me, is why I am fully aboard keeping John Schneider around. With final say of the draft finally placed on his shoulders instead of resting for years with Pete Carroll, Schneider is building this thing in the classic Ron Wolf Green Bay Packer way, I believe. For about four years now, since trading away Russell Wilson, Schneider has primarily been taking best players on his draft board instead of chasing needs like they did when they drafted LJ Collier and Rashaad Penny in round one years back.
In result, Seattle has stayed more competitive each year than the Vegas odds makers penciled them being before each season, and while I get it if records of 9-8 and 10-7 don’t impress fans who are pining for the old Legion Of Boom days, I, for one, appreciate watching meaningful NFL football in December instead of watching a team that is completely out of the hunt with four games in the regular season to go. Been there, and did that far too often in the nineties.
This year, I have more excitement about the Seahawks than I have in years. I believe in the new coaching staff under Mike Macdonald. I think the defense has potential this year to be very exciting. I believe that the Klint Kubiak offensive scheme can be an ideal match to the Macdonald defense, in time.
I am not thinking Super Bowl or bust for the Seahawks this year, and I don’t know if I will be thinking that next season, but we will see. If Sam Darnold guides this offense well enough, and Jalen Milroe puts in all the hard work developing behind him, I will take a ton of comfort in John Schneider continuing to draft the way he has been doing lately, though, and there are other methods to building a championship contender that are going in the favor of Seattle moving forward.
In 2026, the Seattle Seahawks will have one of the very best cap space situations in all of professional football for the first time in ages, and it even gets better in 2027. Jody Allen isn’t stupid as an NFL owner, and in my opinion, it was a smart of her to get Schneider locked in long term, and matched with the long length of Macdonald’s contract. Let these two men work together building this team with a cohesive vision. This feels right to me.
I would also say that this signing might be an indication Jody isn’t intending to sell this team anytime soon. If she is, locking Schneider down long term doesn’t feel very incentivizing, especially considering how new owners love to bring in their own regimes. Why do that to John?
Nah, I might have the total wrong read on this, but I kinda feel like this might be signaling that Jody isn’t looking to rush to sell this team in order to fulfill her late brother’s trust. If anything, extending Schneider might actually buy her time to find the right ownership group she wants this team to have, and that ownership group might even include herself.
But that is another bit of writing for another time.
For now, I am just happy about this news. It makes the Seattle Seahawks feel even more stable as an NFL franchise. I like stable.
I can now see a vision of Seattle sports in the near future that have the Mariners and Seahawks being class organizations in their respective professional sports. Two teams that entered their leagues together at the same time in the 1970’s. Rarely have I had this level of optimism with both teams simultaneously, but I do today, and this is awesome.
This last Tuesday was a rough one for me, I won’t lie. The news of Ozzy Osbourne passing away hit me, quite unexpectedly, like a runaway locomotive. People who know me well, know how much of an old school metalhead I am, and how much this guy meant to me. Therefore, I had a hard time holding back emotion when folks reached out to me, and after a few different back and forths, I didn’t really want to talk much with folks.
Ozzy was such a unique soul, and heavy metal is still such a polarizing genre of music that I feel when I am forced to share my views on the music to people who are not fans of it, it puts me in a very defensive position to which I derive very little enjoyment out of, if I am being perfectly honest. I feel the same way when talking about football to people who don’t much like American football, and feel it is too barbaric, and beneath them to understand it.
“You don’t like football.. cool.. please, there is absolutely no need on my end to have a discussion with you about why you don’t like it.”
“Okay, you don’t get the fanfare of Ozzy Osbourne.. cool, cool.. cool.”
Yeah, the passing of Ozzy put me in a spot, but instead of wallowing in mourning, I very much wanted to spend Tuesday evening with my family at Climate Pledge Arena watching some quality Summertime WNBA basketball with the upstart Seattle Storm hosting the inferior Dallas Wings. A quality Storm win was exactly what my soul yearned for that night.
Well, the Storm laid an absolute egg in front of me, woefully losing in a blowout, and as I walked out of the arena, out about $350 dollars, having to reassure a young grade schooler that the Storm have beaten the Wings before, many times over, I had an overwhelming thought in my head that had become my singular beacon of hope in this sea of darkness.
Thank God that the Seattle Seahawks are starting training camp.
For many months now, I think the news cycle has been a continual masterclass shit show in global and national news. This is not a blog that weighs into social issues and politics, but if I ever needed sports and entertainment to provide pleasant distractions, this would definitely be the time, and the place for it.
The Seattle Mariners have proved to be a fun story this year, and more than a pleasant distraction for even for the more skeptical M’s fans. How can one not get wrapped up in the Cal Raleigh magic, and the thought that if this team makes the postseason, they would be poised to make perhaps historic damage?
That said, heart of hearts, I am a pure football fella, and this is a pure football blog devoted to the Seattle Seahawks, the team that I love in almost unnatural and in very irrational ways. So, let’s fucking go with this training camp, preseason games, and the 2025 season. I need it like I need a water fountain in the desert in late July.
I have no idea how 2025 will go for the Seahawks, but I am more excited about them this year than I have been in quite some time. It is not so much an excitement built on the belief that Seattle can be a top contender this year, but a gleeful excitement in seeing how well they can transform into being a quality team with a clear identity that will prove to be a very tough out on Sundays.
It is more than fair to be skeptical about them this year, and I don’t get bent up about any pessimistic national takes. Nobody knows how good (or bad) Sam Darnold will be as the new QB1, and we don’t know how quickly new coordinator Klint Kubiak will positively transform the offensive line, and get this offense moving in the right steadfast direction that head coach Mike Macdonald would like to see it become as a compliment to his defense. If you are skeptical that Seattle doesn’t have enough at receiver after trading away DK Metcalf, I am not going to waste any breath trying to convince you they will be fine. Let’s just see where all this goes.
I have genuine optimism that Macdonald’s defense will be elite this year, and history shows that if an offense can crack near the top ten in rushing yards and it is matched with a top five defense, that is generally good for 10 or 11 wins, regardless of who the quarterback is on the team.
So the mission for the Seattle Seahawks in 2025 is clear as daylight on a mid Summer day. Run the snot out of the ball in a “fuck the pass game” sorta offensive scheme, and play great defense. Sounds like something pleasantly familiar in the Pacific Northwest. I’m ready for it. I need it.
Here are a few things that I am really excited to see this preseason.
General Sam Darnold And Commando Jalen Milroe
I get it that many fans are nervous about how things will go for the Seattle Seahawks at quarterback this year. However, I am not one of them.
I am genuinely more excited about Seattle’s quarterback room than I have been since peak Russell Wilson, and I say this knowing full well that it is a total mystery how well this room will be in 2025. I like the vibe of Darnold, Milroe, and Drew Lock, though. They are young, athletic, and they all appear to be genuinely good dudes who are going to be working hard to push each other, and make a potentially good room a great one.
The guy that I think most fans are nervous about appears to be QB1. That’s fine, I guess. Personally, I don’t get why, and I have heard all the narratives around Darnold about how he handles pressure (or doesn’t). In my opinion, I think a lot of that is overblown, and the people who are the loudest about it are also self professed huge Geno Smith fans, which I have no problem with, but it does paint a picture of how dug in people can be with their prior views.
In the world of social media darlings, content creators on YouTube, and people who get paid handsomely on sports media platforms, it becomes harder to back down off of takes, I believe. I can easily see a reality where Darnold guides Seattle into the playoffs, and there will be people saying that had they stuck with Geno Smith, they would have gone even farther, or done better. I would be willing to lay sizable cheddar on that being a thing.
For me, however, being a Geno Smith fan, I find the decision to not pay Geno and move onto Darnard a very interesting one, and have stated so on this blog multiple times over. What is the gamble really?
Do diehard Geno Smith fans honestly believe that he is going to out duel Patrick Mahomes and the the Kansas City Chiefs for the AFC West division this year, or next?
Even if you are a big time Sam Darnold skeptic, it is not like Seattle has committed anything long term to him, at all, and I think his mostly solid play of 2024 more than warrants a good long look to see if he can be the franchise quarterback here. I am not going to say one way or the other whether Darnold will be a hit, but if he does prove this year that his campaign last season wasn’t a fluke, you would have to feel pretty damn good about that moving forward, wouldn’t you? I know I would.
I would also just simply say that everything Klint Kubiak wants this offense to be fits the things Darnold has shown to do very well. It’s playing under center, mixing run plays with play action, and motion. If you were to dig into the metrics of how well Darnold plays under center, throwing out of play action, you would be pleasantly surprised, and this isn’t just isolated by his one solid year last year with the Vikings.
During the second half of a lost season in Carolina back in 2022, when their coach got fired and their interim coach took over, Darnold was reinserted into the starting lineup over none other than one Baker Mayfield, and they went on a nice stretch of winning football running the piss out of the ball with Darnold during what he does best; play action passing. You might remember the Panthers coming to Seattle and running the snot out of the football against Pete Carroll’s defense and Darnold handily game managing them to victory. I remember it well.
So, yeah, I do have confidence in Darnold this year, and possibly beyond. The style of offense that they will be going after is probably only going to ask him (or any other quarterback) to throw 25 times a game, and out of those 25 passes, the vast bulk will ideally be play action. This is what Brock Purdy does for San Francisco, and this is what Jared Goff does for the Lions. That’s it.
But neither the Lions nor the 49ers have an intriguing ace up their sleeve that Seattle appears to have with Jalen Milroe, and it is this ace that Seattle could play in each and every game that has me most excited. I have said it before, and I will say it again, Jalen Milroe was one of two QBs in last year’s draft that I was interested in them drafting. I liked Jaxson Dart, and I liked Milroe. Of the two, Milroe had me the most excited because of his immense upside as a runner and deep ball passer.
Every time Milroe steps onto the field for the Seattle Seahawks this year, he will potentially be a nightmare inducing runner on third and short, fourth and short, and in goal line situations. It isn’t just his freakish athleticism and speed, either.
His running instincts feel on par with Lamar Jackson, and I can see scenarios, as the season advances, where Kubiak just randomly throws him into games midfield when it isn’t third and short, but first down, just to fuck with defensive coordinators. I can also see scenarios where he badly beats defenses with his arm rather than legs when everyone is sucking up to stop his running prowess.
The single most exciting news that came out of June mini camp was the last two days of practices where Jalen Milroe looked noticeably improved as a passer to all media eyes watching. So much so that, by some reports, he looked like the best player practicing on both of those days.
Jalen Milroe has always had a good deep ball to his game, and he has shown through college an ability to go through progressions from the pocket, but if he successfully improves his footwork mechanics as a passer, and thus improves his short to intermediate accuracy, then I do believe that Darnold’s tenure in Seattle could be a short one even if he play well in this scheme.
Milroe has superstar potential, that is his upside. It is not franchise quarterback upside, it is superstar quarterback upside, and it is not a crazy thought to think he couldn’t develop into a franchise quarterback in the quality of a Lamar Jackson, or a slight notch below, if his accuracy improves and it sounds like he is working his ass of to improve it.
So, yeah. I am excited about Seattle’s QB room. This is top of my list of intrigue.
Young talented offensive linemen emerging with proper NFL coaching, finally
I will push back on any suggestions that Seattle didn’t do enough this offseason to fix their offseason line, even with drafting Grey Zabel in the first round. Zabel was the right player to pick in round one, no question, but I don’t think this was a great free agent class to throw money at guards and center outside of one center who seemed determined to sign elsewhere and one guard with a questionable knee injury who balked at coming to Seattle for a physical before signing with the Vikings.
I am going to take a contrarian view that says Seattle did more than enough to address their offensive line by bringing in veteran offensive line coaches John Benton and Rick Dennison in addition to drafting Zabel. There is talent on Seattle’s offensive line that has not been fully tapped, I strongly believe that. Most of this issue has to do with prior coordinators not committing enough to the run, and not committing enough to specific blocking scheme.
You do not improve an offensive line by throwing big money at marginal veteran talent just because they are out there and you have a need at the position. You improve your offensive line by drafting well and coaching the talent up in ways that fit what they do best. This is what I think Seattle is now set to do this year. They hired really good veteran offensive line coaches, and they are committing to a scheme that will better serve the talent that they drafted the past few years. I am excited to see how it comes together, and I say that knowing that it might take until the midway point in the season where we see it all gelling.
Seattle has offensive tackles perfectly built to run outside zone concepts, and last year, they drafted a guard in Christian Haynes who was one of the best pure zone blocking guards in college football. What did former coordinator Ryan Grubb do? He passed the fuck out of the ball instead of running it, and then he adopted gap scheme concepts to mix in with zone, never really letting his young as original sin offensive linemen to gain confidence and chemistry together.
Those horseshit days of offensive coaching are over with in Seattle. Kubiak may not win personality contests, but he will make damn sure that his offensive line wins with a fuck ton of run blocking down the stretch of the 2025 season. I am all about it. I could print a blue and green t-shirt that reads “run the damn ball” and wear it every Sunday this Fall.
This offensive line may not be tops in the league this year, but they sure as shit won’t be bottom. Bank on it.
A Heavy Metal headbangingly fun ground attack
“Run to the hills. Run for your lives!”
Ah, the sweet sounds of Bruce Dickinson’s voice souring high above Steve Harris’s galloping bass line of the epic 1982 heavy metal classic Run To The Hills by Iron Maiden. This song should firmly be in my brain every time Seattle is on offense this year. Run early, run often, hit some easy play action gimmes, and fucking run it some more, gosh darn dang it all.
I could give two flying fucks if whether Ken Walker has the big breakout year fans have been pining for out of him. It would be awesome if he did, and he finally lives up to his superstar potential, but Seattle feels especially loaded up at running back this year, and that is what landing Damien Martinez late in the draft does to my thoughts and feels. I think Martinez is legit RB1 potential in the league, and most definitely Zach Charbonnet is that already. I am also very high on Kenny McIntosh and feel like this zone blocking scheme is really going to fit his style well.
Seattle is going to keep all four of these talented backs. I expect them all to play, and play well. If K9 finally puts together a full healthy season, awesome, but if not, I don’t have a lot of worries here. Just an overwhelming dose of optimism for this unit that will also feature rookie fullback Robbie Outz who played with Milroe at Alabama, and would know immediately how to play with his unique skillset. Keep that in mind as you watch these preseason games unfold.
I need that Run The Damn Ball t-shirt printed. I might need several of them for every other day of the week this Fall.
Mike Macdonald’s Seal Team Six Defense
You fair weathers want to know what the difference is between Pete Carroll’s legendary Legion Of Boom defense, and the one that Mike Macdonald has designs on building here is?
Pete put together a very simple scheme but he collected smart, talented badass men to pull it off who were a fascinating combination of bigger, stronger, and faster at different spots. Offenses knew what to expect, but they still had to face it, and it was like a legion of jacked up berserkers coming at them with every snap of the ball. It was truly terrifying with terrifyingly bad intentioned players, but it had a shelf life. The league changed its rules that prohibited much of its style, and its star players eventually started to breakdown physically from all the years of ultra violence that it played with.
Mike Macdonald doesn’t ask his players to play with the same reckless abandon. He wants them to be physical, but he insists upon them to be schematically very smart and versatile. He wants every player to know what every other player does on every play so that they can also fill those roles if called upon with a given play to do so. His defense is all about disguise and confusion for quarterbacks. He wants his guys to play fast, and forceful, and smart, and completely connected together. He doesn’t want marines, or viking berserker warriors, he wants his players to be elite special forces on the football field. He wants delta force guys, navy seals.
This style of defense takes time to mold. It took him two years to mold it in Baltimore before it became the best unit in the league without a bunch of big named players.
We got a good glimpse of this defense turning the corner during the second half of the season last year. I am excited to see it fully take hold this season.
There is a lot of national buzz and expectation that we finally see the return of a great NFL defense in Seattle, Washington this year, even with those who are reluctant to buy into Darnold, and Kubiak, and the state of the offensive line. I guess that the old adage of defense winning championships isn’t what it used to be.
It will be fun watching Seattle remind the world that without a great defense, offensive stats are for losers, and fantasy football owners. Ask Joe Burrow his thoughts and feels about having a good defense. Joe knows.
Of all the things that I am most ready and excited for in 2025, it is this defense in Seattle to come in an ruin Sundays for quarterbacks and receivers. That’s heavy metal.
In closing..
It is preseason. Fans in 32 markets across America are excited and optimistic.
There will inevitably be disappointment when the regular comes along and concludes. There will be teams that were in the playoffs last year that will not make it back this year. There will be teams nobody is taking seriously right now that will surprise. There will be at least one serious contender who will fall disappointingly flat, probably due to injuries, and maybe even age.
The AFC is, by far, the harder conference to play through than the NFC is. It is not a given that Pete Carroll and Geno Smith will fair well together in Vegas. The team is not devoid of talent, but that is going to be a tough division that they will be in, and it’s inside a tough conference. This is why I don’t totally understand the Raider fanfare and hype is seemingly this big this year, but if it does work out for them, it would be pretty cool. I would enjoy seeing them do well.
Seattle, on the other hand, gets much less fanfare, and I actually kinda like that. There is not a lot of flash with these Seahawks right now. There is no big chiseled x receiver, there is no quarterback who is going to provide juicy soundbites and be active online, there is no big named pass rusher, or superstar middle linebacker.
Still, there is talent, and more importantly, there seems to be a connectedness with the players unlike anything we have seen here in a long time. Everyone showed up to mini camp, and I cannot remember the last time that ever happened here in Seattle, even at the height of Carroll, or Mike Holmgren.
I think these guys really dig Macdonald, they believe, and they want to put in the work. This is why I think this is the real year one for Macdonald here. Last year, it wasn’t his preferred offensive coordinator, and there were guys here that proved to be more Carroll holdovers that fellas buying in. They are gone, and what remains are solely Macdonald dudes.
The Macdonald commandos and seal team sixes. That is what we are about it see unfold.
Who knows if whether Jalen Milroe will ever blossom into a quality NFL quarterback in Seattle, but let me throw out three names for you to mull over.
Lamar Jackson, Michael Vick, and Randall Cunningham.
Over the decades, these are quarterbacks who I have especially loved to watch play football. They are rare air stuff at the position who have threatened defenses on every single down with their legs and arm, in elite ways, that few could ever do.
Independent of the Seattle Seahawks, Lamar Jackson is my favorite football player to watch. I have told people that I would be willing to offer Baltimore five first round picks for him, if I were the Seattle GM, and that is not hyperbole.
I believe that, pound for pound, he is the most physically gifted football player on the planet given the position his plays. His legs negate a defense’s ability to function in man coverage, and he has developed the pocket talent to beat your defense whenever they are in zone. He can still dial up twenty yards on the ground at any point in the game while surveying from the pocket, even against zone when eyes are on him.
Best of all, Lamar enhances your offense’s ability to run the football independent of your offensive line, and running backs. He does this not only as a runner himself, but as a guy defenders have got to account for against read options, zone read, and any other situation where you have got to decide as a second level defender to choose targeting him or the running back with a potential hand off.
If that last sentence is a lot to chew on, let me make that more succinct. He makes your linebackers and DBs more tentative on run plays, and therefore, makes it easier for any running back to run the football. Look at what 30 year old Derrick Henry was able to do as a player last year as soon as he went to Baltimore. He could have easily been made league MVP with the rejuvenated he had paired with Lamar.
Now, let’s talk about former Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe finding his way to Seattle during the NFL draft. There is a lot of meat on this bone to chew on for Seahawk fans who cannot help but daydream about what Milroe could become for their favorite team down the road.
It would be highly presumptive to assume that Jalen Milroe is going to be the second coming of Lamar Jackson a few years down the road for the Seahawks. It would be equally presumptive to make an assertion that Sam Darnold is set to be the Matt Flynn to his Russell Wilson, and Milroe is going to light training camp on fire and steal the QB1 job out from under Darnold’s nose this Summer; that is highly unlikely that will happen, and I cannot stress that enough.
That said, Jalen Milroe has out of this world physical talents as a quarterback. Pound for pound, he might be the most physically gifted athlete in this entire 2025 draft class. He’s big at 6-2, 217 pounds, and jacked up with muscles. He runs at an elite 4.4 speed, and some believe he might be the best instinctual running quarterback to ever come out of college (I can see that). He has a cannon arm that effortlessly launches beautiful deep passes downfield with pretty good accuracy, actually.
He also has a ton of work to do in order to develop as a functional passing quarterback. Whenever his mechanics would get sloppy in college, it would lead to some horrendously inaccurate throws. He has got to learn to properly marry up his feet to his arm with consistently in order to deliver reliable short to mid range passer. This will be his first step towards becoming a dependable starting quarterback in the league, and it isn’t impossible for him to clean this up, but it could take time.
This is why he fell all the way to pick 92 for the Seattle Seahawks.
He has tape that will absolutely excite you as a talent evaluator both as a runner and passer when his feet are set right, but he also has tape that will turn you off. His ceiling is through the roof in terms of what he can be as an overall QB1, if he develops properly, but his floor suggests he’s coming into the league as guy who can do some truly special things on the ground with his legs, but it is going to be an adventure with him as a passer if he is forced to start right away.
The clay that he has is really good stuff but the mold is not ready to bake in the oven yet.
Due to this, I cannot say, with any sort of certainty, whether the Seattle Seahawks just drafted an exciting quarterback of the future, or an exciting career backup who will come into games for a hand full of plays, and offer a spark with his legs a la Taysom Hill, or Cordell Stewart. Time will tell, but I can say that I am incredibly excited to find out.
Either way, his traits will bring immediate value to Seattle’s transforming offense, and that matters. Milroe gives Klint Kubiak something few other coordinators in this league have; a young developmental quarterback who will see the field now in certain packages, and will work to develop his game for starting down the road.
Gun to my head, if I had to choose whether Milroe develops as a starter for the Seahawks or stays a career backup, I honestly would not bet against his development, eventually. I don’t say this as a hopeful Seattle Seahawk fan, either.
For as much as we can get excited about his physical potential as a player, it is the inner intangibles that Milroe possesses that make me leery to ever bet against him. For as impressive of a physical talent as he is on a football field, it is what rests inside the young man that makes me think “yup, go ahead and take a shot on that guy.”
It has now come out that through the draft process, NFL front offices absolutely fell in love with Milroe, the person. Teams loved the way he conducted himself in interviews answering hard questions about what happened to him in Alabama during the final stretch of games that saw his mechanics erode. He gave straightforward responses, assuring GMs and coaches that he was very aware that he will need time to develop.
This is why, in the final days leading up to the draft, there was a positive growing buzz around Jalen Milroe. Teams fell in love with the quality of the person over the rawness of the player. Who knows if Vegas was waiting in the weeds after Seattle’s pick at 92 with two late third round picks, but one would think that Pete Carroll, especially, would had a fondness for him as a developmental player behind Geno Smith.
I will also admit that when I saw that Seahawks had brought him into the VMAC a couple weeks before the draft, I got nervous. I didn’t want to see Seattle draft a quarterback high this year after they signed Darnold in free agency. I was good with taking a mid round flyer on someone, but I wanted to see an early and often selection of offensive linemen like most fans probably wanted.
When it got to Seattle’s pick at 18, I got really nervous when Grey Zabel was still on the board, but so was Milroe, and Jaxson Dart. That is why I exploded with excitement when the pick was made, and Zabel’s name was called, but I gotta be honest, in early day two, when Seattle moved up from 52 to 35, I thought it was going to be for Milroe, and it was stressing me the fuck out. I didn’t want him there, either.
When the pick finally happens at 92, later in round three, I was more than fine with it all. My heart sank a bit for Darnold, but I was fine with the selection. The third round felt like ideal value for Jalen Milroe, a passer with unbelievable natural talents, but who will need a lot of developing.
As the dust has settled on this pick, and the overall draft for Seattle, I have gone from liking the Jalen Milroe selection a lot to being head over heels in love with it. It is, by far, my most favorite selection the team made, and I needed that Zabel pick, and I loved the value Seattle found later on in the draft with receiver Tory Horton, and running back Damien Martinez.
Let me quickly break down the two fundamental areas of Milroe’s game that have made me come to love this pick as much as I do, and why I think it all matters greatly for Seattle.
Jalen Milroe the running quarterback
There is hype around Milroe that suggests he is perhaps the greatest pure running back to ever come out of college. Personally, as a Lamar fan, I am hesitant to put my stamp of approval on that take, but I can see why some people say it.
If you look at his tape, it is not just the blinding speed he has as a runner in the open field that impresses. It is that coupled with his instincts inside the muddiness of a pocket, when the pressure breaks down, and he can squirrel between the creases to find open space past the rushing defensive line, forcing the linebackers to come up for the tackle, cutting against them, making them miss, and then hit the jets towards a bunch of DBs who aren’t strong enough tacklers to haul him down with any sort of ease.
This is the stuff that you want to see your starting running back do as an inside runner in a zone blocking scheme. Go look at Milroe’s highlight tape when he keeps the ball and runs. He is just an incredibly gifted, instinctive runner. This is what makes him different.
He is built powerfully to run this way, too. He is a young man carved out of granite. I don’t think it is hyperbole to say that if he came out as a running back, he would have absolutely gone in the first round with the way offensive coordinator’s love to be creative these days. He could be a RB1 with a skillset to launch gorgeous deep balls down field.
But that is not what Jalen Milroe wants to be, and that is not how the Seattle Seahawks see him.. at all.
Jalen Milroe the passing quarterback
His running traits are very obvious, but what he is as a passer, and what he could develop into is where there is real meat on the bone when discussing Jalen Milroe. The best way I could probably describe Milroe, right now, as a thrower of a football, would be Jekyll and Hyde.
When, he’s Jekyll, and he’s in the pocket, keeping his mechanics clean, surveying through his progressions, he can layer gorgeous accurate passes downfield with the best of them. This is why it is a very lazy narrative saying he’s an inaccurate passer. To the contrary, he has shown a good ability to play action out of shotgun, hang tight inside the pocket, and deliver impressive strikes downfield while surveying the field.
When things get clunkier for him, and it leads to Mr Hyde like throws out of him, is when his feet aren’t set, and he still tries to strong arm it downfield, and the pass sails over his open receivers head. When you see that come out of him, that’s when you’re like “whoa, that was pretty bad.”
The problem with him right now, in terms of fitting this new scheme, is that it appears as though his mechanics stay cleaner inside the pocket than when he rolls out, and has a to throw an accurate dart on the move. It looks as though he hasn’t figured out how to tie his feet to his arm yet when he has to throw this way, and that is a big reason why Sam Darnold has a have big leg up on him in this offense right now.
To become a QB1 in a Klint Kubiak system, you have got to do two things fundamentally really well. You have got to play a lot of football directly under center, which Jalen Milroe did not do a lot of in college, and you have got to throw accurately on the move.
Therefore, these are probably the two biggest areas that he will need to clean up a lot before he can truly compete for the QB1 spot. These are the two things that Darnold does really, really well based on how things finally took off for him last year playing for the Vikings.
There is also a third hurdle that Milroe will need to overcome in his development for him to step into the QB1 role, and play with good productivity as an NFL quarterback. He is going to have to learn how to anticipate his throws better.
What do I mean by that?
Kubiak runs a system that is built on timing. It requires receivers who will precisely run patterns to be open at right times in certain areas of the zone coverages, and it is up to the quarterback to properly anticipate when those receivers will break into those open windows (even if they are small windows), and then throw an accurate ball there.
Brock Purdy proved to be a natural at this despite not having a strong arm or great athleticism. There is some stuff with Milroe’s college tape that suggests it will take him time to get there.
It is not that he doesn’t read the field and go through progressions. He has shown that he can do that. It is that there were times on tape where a receiver is breaking open in an area of the field based on the way a defense is playing against the routes, and Milroe doesn’t appear to be anticipating that. That showed up more in 2024 when he was playing in DeBoer’s scheme, which asked more out of him as a passer than what Nick Saban was asking him to do in 2023.
Now, if I am being honest with you, I would say that learning to play under center, fixing your mechanics so that everything with them is second nature, and learning to throw within a timing offense with proper anticipation are all three pretty big hurdles for a young quarterback coming out of college such as Milroe to overcome. Let’s just be clear on that.
That is not to say that he cannot overcome those hurdles, however, and it appears that he has a very serious mindset to get to work on them right away. He’s a very smart kid, a great academic athlete, and he is very self aware. That is why I would never bet against his development.
I also believe that these are the combined traits within him that made Seattle target him, and it is why it feels as though Mike Macdonald is very excited about the young quarterback that John Schneider was able to acquire for him in round three. I get a genuine vibe that Macdonald believes in this guy, and he was his preferred quarterback prospect all along.
What is it that we can most likely expect from Milroe this year and beyond
Jalen is not going to compete for the starting quarterback gig in Seattle this year, but he also hasn’t been drafted to become Taysom Hill 2.0 for Klint Kubiak, and Mike Macdonald made both of these things very clear in his press conference right after they drafted him. Sam Darnold is the starter, Drew Lock is the likely QB2, and Milroe is a unique QB3 who will see the field with special packages designed solely for him to quarterback out of this season. It sounds as though they would like to get him out on the field six to ten plays a game.
My guess is Macdonald would love to use his own version of the tush push with Milroe in short yardage situations, as he was on the record a few weeks back saying how much he loves that play. I can see packages being used around the goal line, as well, where he can threaten with QB keepers and also choose to throw it.
I can also see that, at various points in a game, they might want to go tight end heavy, have Jalen work out of shotgun with run pass option plays, kinda like a wildcat quarterback, but with an arm that will absolutely torch a defense, if defenders decide to sellout versus the run. Macdonald talked about finding ways to use players that fit their special strengths, and this would be a definite strength of Milroe to catch a defense off guard for a bit.
These would be logical ways to use Milroe now while he develops as a more complete passer.
I will also say this about Jalen. If they can successfully smooth out his mechanics, and get him comfortably working under center in a play action roll out offense, I think they will likely see his short range accuracy improve to the point where they could start considering him for the QB1 gig then and there.
That third thing I mentioned in his game that needs work, the throwing with anticipation thing, yeah, I’m not too sure how much that gets fixed behind the scenes as a backup. It is entirely possible that it does, but it also might have to be a thing that improves over time after he ascends to QB1 status, and he gains more experience.
If their intention is to develop him enough to pass the baton to him as a starter in a few years, his process of development might mainly just be about fixing his mechanics. It wouldn’t be impossible for him to be ready to go with it by 2026, but it could be take longer, and if Darnold is playing well enough, they might not feel the hurry to switch out quarterbacks. This is why it is so murky to predict when an appropriate transition to Milroe would be likely, if it happens.
It is a fun thought thinking about Jalen transforming himself into roll out quarterback in this offense, though. Even if his accuracy still gets away from him, here and there, when rolling out, his genuine threat to run will place a ton of pressure on the back end of any defense, and that would allow things to open up further downfield for his receivers.
Kubiak has to be considering ways for which he can take advantage of his skillset in a manner such as this, and how he can draft up an offense that will stare the shit out of linebackers and DBs with any given play. If Milroe can just cleanup his fundamentals, Kubiak could also be the biggest benefactor as he looks to ascend the coaching ranks.
Think about it. If Kubiak does with Milroe what his old boss Kyle Shanahan didn’t achieve with Trey Lance, take a raw but exceptionably athletic college quarterback and turn him into a functionally good passer, he could be the hottest coaching candidate out there with his choice of where he wants to go to build a program.
As for Macdonald, and what he is likely hoping to see come out of this, I think that is even more clear. He spent years in Baltimore watching Lamar as he coached defense. He knows better than anyone in Seattle outside of Schneider what it means to have a true top level duo threat quarterback. He just watched the Eagles win a Super Bowl over the Chiefs with Jalen Hurts.
Macdonald’s ideal stat line for Milroe might be 15 to 25, 220 yards, 2 TDs, but also 10 carries on the ground for another 100 yards and 2 more TDs. If he gets this type of production out of him, week in and week out, it means his offense is running the snot out of the football with Milroe is being efficient and productive enough while his defense is kicking the pants off of the other team’s offense all game long.
If you want to be a physically dominant team that plays great defense, and runs the ball exceptionally well, having a developed Jalen Milroe at quarterback is probably a very good way of going about it. I mean, even if he doesn’t get quite to Lamar heights, if he’s simply a stronger armed version of Jalen Hurts, that’s still pretty damn good, as we all just witnessed a few months back. Hurts, in fact, might be the better, and more achievable pro comp for Milroe.
So there is a lot of incentive out there for Seattle to develop this guy. It would be a gigantic feather in the cap of John Schneider to have found two different franchise quarterbacks in the third round, cementing his status as an all time great NFL GM. It would be massive for Macdonald to have a guy under center who he fully believes in, and plays the game how he appreciates it, and it would be a huge thing on Kubiak’s resume to see him developed.
But for Jalen Milroe, it would be achieving everything that he thought he could be, and should be. A bad ass QB1 in the National Football League.
Time will tell if this happens for him and the team, but they are going to try. This is why he was drafted, and I would not bet against him to figure it out. The more I sit with this pick, the more confidence I have him Milroe’s character to stay grinding and figure it out for him.
If I were to compare him to a big named athlete, in terms of where he is now, and what he can be, I wouldn’t use Lamar or Hurts. I would comp him to former Mariner ace Randy Johnson.
When Johnson came into Seattle, he had incredible rare stuff with his arm and physical traits, out of the atmosphere upside, but he was raw as could be, and some of his pitches were the most wildly inaccurate stuff as you would ever witness. When he was on the bound in the early 1990’s, it was an adventure. He was Jekyll and Hyde personified.
But he loved baseball, and he was determined to figure it out, and he did.
Jalen Milroe loves football, and he has strong inner belief in himself to improve. You can get excited about that intangible and comparison to Randy.
I really hope it happens for him. He will be an easy guy to root for on Sundays, just you wait. I am here for it.
Temper your expectations of him, though, if you believe Seattle just landed a guy ready to jump into the role of QB1, and is going to grow into Lamar 2.0. That is a gigantic expectation to have for him.
At the same time, if you did not like this selection of him at 92, try to have an open mind. It is okay to daydream some about him, and be excited about these special packages that Seattle is intending for him this year. Those packages, alone, could be well worth this selection, and could be the difference in wins, and getting back to the post season again.
12th Life 