The Seattle Seahawks have actually had an eventful offseason, beginning with the monumental resolution to maneuver on from Pete Carroll as head coach (and govt vp of soccer operations). Different high-profile choices embody releasing beginning safeties Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams, letting linebackers Bobby Wagner and Jordyn Brooks stroll in free company, retaining free brokers Leonard Williams and Noah Fant, buying and selling for quarterback Sam Howell, and restructuring Geno Smith’s contract to all however guarantee that he’s Seattle’s QB1 this season. The highest transfer within the NFL Draft was to pick out defensive sort out Byron Murphy II, however extra on that a little bit later.
ESPN’s Seth Walder graded the general offseason strikes of each NFL workforce, and the Seahawks price pretty extremely. Walder gave the Seahawks a ‘B’, citing Mike Macdonald as the largest transfer. He favored the choice to maintain Geno, however the transfer he wasn’t eager on? Re-signing Leonard Williams.
The Seahawks are sticking with Smith at quarterback, which was the proper alternative. Regardless that he’s not a long-term resolution, Smith is healthier than any practical veteran different for the Seahawks, and there have been no worthy QBs out there by the point Seattle picked in first spherical of the draft. Smith additionally has a cut price contract, costing simply $22.5 million in money in 2024. He was 14th in QBR final season.
Seattle is correct up in opposition to the wage cap in 2024 and is projected to be $13 million over the cap in 2025, which was good motive to not signal Williams to the deal it did. Williams is an efficient participant (his win charges have been close to positional averages final season) being paid like a great one. This transfer is even much less crucial looking back after the workforce used its first-round decide on defensive sort out Byron Murphy II.
The unprecedented run on quarterbacks—six have been drafted within the high 12—meant that the Seahawks, who picked at No. 16, by no means had a shot at drafting one except they traded up. They didn’t take a quarterback with their remaining picks, even with a number of alternatives to pick out South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler.
There should still be some doubt over the Leonard Williams re-signing, which might play into some sunk-cost fallacy debate. Seattle traded a second-rounder for Williams eventually 12 months’s commerce deadline, figuring out Williams’ contract was expiring. The Seahawks might’ve let him stroll, however selected to increase him on a three-year deal value as much as $64.5 million.
For those who’re curious, 9 groups graded higher than the Seahawks: The Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas Metropolis Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, and New York Jets.
The Dallas Cowboys, Las Vegas Raiders, and New Orleans Saints (who drafted Rattler) all acquired D+ or D, aka failing grades.
Give us your Seahawks offseason grade within the ballot beneath!
