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In possibly the grumpiest podcast I’ve ever done (apologies, I’ve had a 12-hour and an eight-hour round-trip with the day job since Saturday) — I discuss below the Seahawks’ inactivity in the O-line market and why I’m OK with it.

Below the video I also give my thoughts on the DeMarcus Lawrence & Marquez Valdez-Scantling signings:

On Lawrence, I’m eager to see actual contract numbers. It’s been suggested it’ll be something like two-years for $18m which is palatable. However, he turns 33 in April and hasn’t had more than 6.5 sacks since 2018 — despite having the benefit of playing across from Micah Parsons.

I’m told by a Cowboys fan I know that his run defense and leadership remain big positives, though his pass-rush now lacks juice. Mike Macdonald managed to coax a late-career renaissance out of Kyle Van Noy so maybe he can do the same here.

Clearly they want a rich rotation. This might be more to replace Dre’Mont Jones’ snaps rather than say anything about the pure EDGE players, or their likelihood to draft a pass rusher early.

They had money to spend and they’ve used some of it here. Aden Durde knows Lawrence well. It’s not an electrifying signing but an understandable one.

On Valdez-Scantling, we’ve discussed him for a while, after a decent spell last season with the Saints where he had 347 yards in five games and four touchdowns. He did a great job making plays downfield and he still has the speed to threaten opponents.

The Seahawks have no depth at receiver so this made perfect sense. They will add other players, with this being a rich draft again at the position in the middle rounds.

A final point, all signs currently point to the Seahawks being comfortable focusing on the draft for offensive line additions. I think that’s OK, as discussed in the video above and my article earlier. It’s a good class with high upside players. Having five picks in the top-100 will enable them to address multiple positions.

I woke up on Wednesday and thought to myself, ‘no, you weren’t strong enough yesterday‘. The reaction to Will Fries joining Minnesota was absolutely ridiculous.

Borderline infantile.

I accept why some fans have come to the end of their tether. Armed with cap space and having traded away two players, the expectation was they’d invest in the offensive line. After two days of legal tampering they’ve only signed a cheap depth tackle to replace George Fant.

The O-line problems have gone on for too long and a quick fix was needed. A dopamine hit was required in the form of an Adam Schefter ‘breaking news’ tweet to let everyone know some money was being spent. People just needed to see something. Anything.

It’s understandable. Seattle’s line has been an issue for far too long. It does need fixing, nobody can deny that. It’s a significant blot on John Schneider’s copybook. It’s a problem he hasn’t been able to solve for over a decade.

Let’s take a step back though and actually look at the reality of what’s happened specifically this week.

Firstly, it’s universally accepted that this is a bad year for free agency. Several articles have been written claiming this is the view from inside the NFL. I read reports from Albert Breer and Dianna Russini alluding to this.

The Seahawks, within hours of the tampering window opening, landed Sam Darnold. Frank Schwab at Yahoo Sports and the CBS Sports writers ranked Darnold as the top free agent available. The Athletic ranked Darnold fourth, PFT ranked him second and Gregg Rosenthal at NFL.com ranked him sixth.

Immediately they addressed their biggest need position at a reasonable but high cost. In doing so, they avoided the kind of situation we see the Giants and Steelers in at the moment. They’re both seemingly scrambling around to try and sign Aaron Rodgers. Meanwhile, the Jets gave Justin Fields — a player who can’t throw — a hefty sum to be a place-holder quarterback.

Basically the Seahawks got younger and cheaper at the position, landed a player of similar quality to replace Geno Smith and gained a third round pick in the process. This was an effective start to free agency.

Since then, fans have reacted negatively to the fact they didn’t sign either Drew Dalman or Will Fries. OK, let’s look at the situation.

If we’re being really honest, most people didn’t know who Will Fries was three months ago. NFL diehards would possibly know he was the Colts’ right guard who missed most of the 2024 season with a broken leg. When the season ended, not a single person was clamouring for the Seahawks to sign Fries.

That all changed due to a handful of factors. Klint Kubiak was appointed and declared he was going to run outside zone. This blog and other people like Brian Nemhauser noted the free agents who graded well on PFF for zone blocking. Fries was near the top of the list. People took notice of that.

Perhaps we should’ve done a better job noting that his grade was near the top of the list based on only 67 snaps? We probably should’ve noted that in 2023, when he played 282 zone snaps, his grade was a mediocre 61.6.

It’s not just about PFF grade though. I knew very little about Fries until I watched his tape just over a week ago. I thought he looked really good and jumped out as an obvious scheme fit. I wrote about it, tweeted about it. Brady Henderson noted the Seahawks were interested in Fries. With increasing chatter about Dalman going to Chicago, Fries became the name to track.

This only grew when it was reported multiple teams were trying to sign him. Suddenly it became a game to be won or lost. Can the Seahawks seal the deal? If they didn’t win this tug of war, there would be criticism.

They didn’t win it. Minnesota did. And the reaction has been predictably OTT. They didn’t swing and miss on Trey Smith, who was franchised. This wasn’t a repeat of not landing Joe Thuney in 2021. They missed out on a player hardly anyone knew about, including me, a few weeks ago.

Adding to all of this, Fries is coming off a broken leg. Who knows how the recovery has gone? Are you even able to get the necessary medical information before free agency officially begins, in order to justify a mega-deal?

It’s one thing to like a player and want to sign him. If the Vikings went above and beyond to sign Fries — and you don’t feel comfortable matching their commitment given he’s coming off a serious injury — is that really a bad thing?

As I noted yesterday, Corbin Smith became so irate about the situation he used the wrong word beginning with ‘A’ to describe how serious the situation was if they don’t now sign Teven Jenkins or Mekhi Becton (more on them in a moment). Over 1,600 people liked his tweet and sadly only a few of the replies pushed back or noted that ‘adjunct’ failure doesn’t make any sense.

Yet here’s the thing. Curtis Allen intelligently noted this on Twitter:

Since the Legal Tampering period opened, OTC has logged over 100 new contracts signed by players.

There have only been 7 contracts of 4 years or more.

And only one contract is for 5 years.

Will Fries.

— Curtis Allen (@curtis93969) March 12, 2025

So there we go. The Seahawks didn’t stretch to a five year deal and are getting hammered for it. Yet not a single other team has done this, for any player at any position, apart from the Vikings for Will Fries.

Maybe it’s a symbol of the Seahawks not being willing to push the boat out for offensive linemen like many are saying? Or maybe, if we’re being honest, the Seahawks might’ve done the right thing? Just as they did by not paying Aaron Banks over $19m a year by the way. Good luck with that contract, Packers.

I know writing this way won’t satisfy many people who just want to hammer the Seahawks and Schneider because they just want to see something happen. This isn’t a good way to approach team building. You can’t just sign players at great cost to appease fans. You have to keep a cool head, you have to think rationally. The worst thing to do is try to ‘win’ free agency on Twitter.

What about Dalman though, you might ask? It’d be contradictory of me to claim I voiced any concern about him in the build up to free agency. I also think the contract given to him by Chicago is perfectly reasonable and one I would’ve celebrated if he’d joined the Seahawks.

It also needs to be acknowledged that he isn’t duty bound to go to Seattle. It’s been something of a worst kept secret that he’s been destined for the Bears. Only Creed Humphrey is paid more at his position. It’s not the end of the world that he’s not coming to the Seahawks. It’s a disappointment not to get him, as it was with Fries. It’s not a death knell to the franchise though and not worthy of claims Schneider’s job hangs in the balance as a consequence.

So what should happen next? The key to building a good offensive line is not just to sign players for the sake of it. People like Corbin (and many others) are latching on to Jenkins and Becton. Firstly, the Bears just got rid of Jenkins and re-made their entire interior O-line because he’s not good enough. He hasn’t completed a full season in his NFL career. Does anyone really think he’s the answer?

Becton meanwhile completely flopped with the Jets with major questions about his application and commitment. It took going to the Eagles to play with the best linemen in the league, and for the most respected O-line coach, to whip him into shape. Philadelphia haven’t exactly busted a gut to retain him since the end of the season. Can you really trust him? I wouldn’t be so sure.

These are not players to covet, in my opinion. It’s sheer desperation to think they can be the answer. The objective, however hard it may be, should be to try and build a top-10 offensive line. I cannot imagine Jenkins or Becton being the catalyst for creating a top-10 line in Seattle.

This is a really good interior O-line draft. I know you don’t want to rely totally on a youth movement up front but maybe that just has to be the way it is? There are legitimately players who can be ‘great’ at the next level in this class.

Not just good. ‘Great‘.

Grey Zabel and Tate Ratledge have elite-level physical tools. Their testing profiles and workouts at the combine jumped off the screen. Sometimes you can just tell when a player has that extra bit of quality and it makes it easy to project their NFL pathway. I firmly believe these two players could form the base for an exceptional interior O-line. They look like the kind of players the Eagles draft.

I’ll also repeat what I said about Tyler Booker on Monday. Everyone’s given up on him as a zone blocker because he tested badly. Watch his on-field session in Indianapolis below. I refuse to accept this is a player who can’t be considered for a zone blocking system:

 
No way am I ruling him out for the Seahawks. He moves well enough on tape and in that video above. To me he’s the best pure guard to enter the league since Quenton Nelson. He’s a plug-in-and-play talent who will enhance your culture, competitiveness, leadership and quality from day one.

Donovan Jackson is another early round option, while the likes of Logan Brown and Jack Nelson could provide swing potential or could be developed to be full-time guards (just as Will Fries was after playing tackle at Penn State).

The center class is paper thin. However, here’s what an anonymous AFC National Scout says about Texas’ Jake Majors:

“That building is crazy about him because of his leadership and just how sharp he is. He can make protection adjustments on the fly like an NFL veteran.”

That sounds to me like the kind of player the Seahawks need. His tape is very good too. Then there’s Georgia’s Jared Wilson who possesses a physical profile similar to Dalman’s.

The Seahawks have five picks in the top-100. The best player available at the positions where they’re due to pick could, more often than not, include an offensive line option. In a perfect world they would’ve signed two proven, legit veterans and they could’ve called it a job well done. Now they have to pivot. The draft provides an opportunity to set up a cost-effective O-line for the long haul.

If you believe in Christian Haynes, you’re really talking about drafting one quality guard — one of Zabel or Routledge perhaps — to feel comfortable. If they ended up drafting Zabel, Ratledge and Majors — you won’t find any complaints from me. I don’t think it’s likely but you could do a lot worse.

The broader point here is to offer needed perspective when Seahawks Twitter, and some of the people who cover the team, seem to be losing their cool. It’s unnecessary. The first wave of free agency rarely ever provides the answers you’re looking for. Look how well the Dre’Mont Jones signing was received for a good example of that. He was a disastrous signing, yet one most fans approved of.

As someone who’s criticised the Seahawks plenty of times over the years for various poor decisions, I don’t think it’s necessary at this time.

Players I’d consider signing on shorter-term deals (but won’t be rushing to complain if they don’t sign):

Elijah Moore (WR) — seems to have had his career sabotaged by being forced to play with the Jets and Browns. Only 24 and worth giving an opportunity to.

Azeez Ojulari (EDGE) — a player who has failed to take the next step but is still a reasonable rotational rusher. He’s 25 and might be the kind of player Mike Macdonald can unlock.

Julian Blackmon (S) — he can cover and roam and play in the box and tackle. He might not be the most electric playmaker but he’s 27 and can do a job for a team needing a bit more at the position.

Marquez Valdez-Scantling (WR) — after a strong spell under Klint Kubiak in New Orleans, why not bring him to Seattle as a draft hedge?

And a final thought…

In October 2023, the Seahawks gave the Giants a second round pick to rent 10 games of Leonard Williams. They ended up re-signing him in free agency on a big contract ahead of his 30th birthday. Williams has been sensational for Seattle and a true impact player.

Would this spur them on to try and do something similar for Trey Hendrickson? He’s 30, he’s also a big-time EDGE rusher (35 sacks in the last two seasons). He’d require a big contract but the Seahawks have money to spend. He could tilt Seattle’s pass-rush into elite status.

The Bengals are notoriously difficult to trade with but they face the prospect of having to try and feed too many mouths. Trading Hendrickson could be the platform to extend Ja’Marr Chase. Would one of Seattle’s second round picks get it done?

Last week I wrote an article highlighting Will Fries’ fit in Seattle. He was the ideal signing for the zone scheme and would’ve been a really good addition. Per Brady Henderson, there was legit interest in his services.

I’m completely unaffected by the fact he’s signed for the Vikings instead.

Fries has agreed a five-year $88m deal. We need to see the details but it’s a big contract. It’s a lot of money for a player coming off a broken leg. The chances are he won’t match the value of the deal. That’s the reality of the vast majority of big free agent signings.

The Colts have cap-space remaining and chose not to make a big push to re-sign him, instead prioritising big-money additions at safety and cornerback.

There’s also some online speculation, which I don’t know anything about so can’t add anything, that this might be an ownership issue rather than a front office one. This isn’t anything new in the NFL by the way. Look at what the 49ers are going through currently.

As someone who hailed and praised the Dre’Mont Jones addition two years ago — as most people did — these deals often look great on paper but rarely pay off.

The best deals are always the ones where age meets talent meets value. Julian Love is the best example of this. We’re now entering a period of free agency where value can be easier to find. There are still offensive linemen out there. There are still players at other positions who can be added without blowing a load of money.

I couldn’t resist replying to this tweet by Corbin Smith earlier, suggesting Seattle’s free agency would be an “adjunct failure” (I think he means ‘abject’) if they didn’t sign Teven Jenkins or Mekhi Becton.

Come on. Really? I don’t think Jenkins is that good and Becton did a good job rebuilding his image with Philadelphia last year — while playing next to the best offensive linemen in the league, playing for one of the best offenses, led by arguably the best O-line coach in the league. There’s nothing to say his success is repeatable outside of the Eagles organisation.

There are really good players in the draft who are better than these two players. The Seahawks have five picks in the top-100. Spending two of those picks on the O-line is perfectly plausible, acceptable and can provide value.

It would’ve been good to sign Fries but it’s not the end of the world. Like everyone else, I would’ve loved to see an element of aggression shown by the Bears and Vikings to fix needs. I don’t think they’ve actually missed out on anyone ‘that’ good though.

Regulars to this blog know I’ll criticise the Seahawks when I think it’s warranted. There’s nothing currently that makes me want to complain or throw the baby out with the bathwater.

As long as they don’t fritter away their remaining cap-space like they did in 2020, spending a lot of money for almost no tangible return, this can still be a very productive off-season.

If you want to see what players could be available for the Seahawks in the top-100, check out my horizontal board below:

As expected, Sam Darnold is Geno Smith’s replacement in Seattle. They gave him the contract they probably would’ve been comfortable giving Geno Smith.

It’s important to acknowledge what this actually is. Lost amid an online battle between those sour over Smith’s departure and those who aren’t as bothered is the reality of the situation. The Seahawks don’t have a long term answer at quarterback. That was true last week and it remains true today.

While they look for that, they need a bridge. Smith was a convenient bridge until his price became too rich. All power to him if Pete Carroll and the Raiders are willing to give him a contract the Seahawks were not.

You can’t blame John Schneider for moving on. He pivots to a younger, cheaper player who — for me at least — is probably on a par with Smith in terms of current day abilities, with the potential to be better. Meanwhile, the swap of quarterbacks also netted the Seahawks a third round pick.

‘But what about the offensive line!’ has been the cry from those who’ve spent the last few days bemoaning this completely understandable move. That comes next. There’s free agency and the draft to upgrade the line.

As I’m writing this blog post, only Aaron Banks of the big-name guards has been signed. Drew Dalman and Ryan Kelly are also off the board. However, Will Fries — easily the best player and fit for Seattle’s scheme — remains available. Several other guards are also still on the market.

I wouldn’t panic if the Seahawks miss out on Fries and others. This is a good draft for the offensive line. It might not be ideal to rely on a youth movement up front but you can’t physically force players to want to sign for your team. There are 32 franchises, many with huge needs on the offensive line.

Neither can the Seahawks go ridiculously overboard on salary just to quench an O-line thirst.

If they have to do the bulk of their work in the draft, so be it. They have five picks in the top-100. They can get a lot done in April. There’s little need to panic because the Seahawks haven’t started spending on the first day of free agency.

As Jeff Simmons rightly noted in the stream we did earlier (see below), the best thing to do is try to find the next Julian Love. Or in the case of the Super Bowl Champion Eagles, the next Zach Baun and Mekhi Becton. Good players who can be added on motivational contracts, with the ability to become core pieces.

That could be someone like receiver Elijah Moore — a talented 24-year-old who simply had the misfortune of being drafted by the Jets and then traded to the Browns. You can make a play for him on a prove-it deal and he only needs to look at the roster to see he’ll get opportunities.

Another option could be Chauncey Golston in Dallas. He just turned 27, had a breakout year in 2024 for the Cowboys and could add to Seattle’s defensive end rotation.

Your best team building occurs during the draft. I said after the combine, Grey Zabel and Tate Ratledge look like great options and future NFL stars. I still think Jake Majors can be a very competent starting center, including in a zone system. Logan Brown and Jack Nelson have swing potential to play inside or out.

I’d also challenge anyone to watch the video below and tell me Tyler Booker is an immobile sloth. His testing was awful, I get it. He didn’t look like his testing numbers suggest in the drills below. If you watch the rest of the linemen at the combine, very few moved as well as this:

 
The point is, there are options in the draft. Capable options to set the O-line up for years to come.

Then you look at other positions. Donovan Ezeiruaku, Jihaad Campbell, Nick Emmanwori, Will Johnson, Jahdae Barron — defensive possibilities in the first frame. Look at the receivers slated to go between rounds 2-4 — Jaylin Noel and Jack Bech ooze pro-quality, while Tai Felton, Jayden Higgins, Tory Horton and Kyle Williams are all very talented. The middle-round tight-end options are strong and there are defensive tackles and pass rushers deep into the heart of this draft.

Click here to see my updated post-combine horizontal board.

I also think the quarterbacks are better than most are giving them credit for. The signing of Darnold acts both as a draft hedge, a time-buyer to sit and develop a quarterback and misdirection to other teams if they are targeting a signal caller.

I will sit and hope for news of Will Fries signing, or of alternative additions. Whatever happens though, I’ll be fairly relaxed. I think you should be too.

If you missed my live stream with Jeff earlier, check it out here:

On the 27th December, after the Seahawks had just beaten the Chicago Bears to move to 9-7, I wrote the following:

The Seahawks didn’t fire Pete Carroll to win nine games. They made that change because they thought the roster was underachieving and the changes would bring about better results. Things about the team may be different — such as the defense — and that’s good news. But the end result is virtually the same — and the team is no closer to being taken seriously as a post-season contender.

Maybe more drastic moves are needed to elevate to the next tier? Perhaps those moves will carry risk of failure? Do you need the courage to risk failing, sometimes? Rather than just going year after year with the end result being very similar?

Maybe it’s time for some risk/reward? New approach to the O-line, new offensive staff, new quarterback?

Credit to the Seahawks. It’s very easy to relax into the comfort zone of the middle ground. A lot of the reaction from those outside the Seahawks’ sphere is to question why a team finishing 10-7 and just missing out on the playoffs is making such sweeping changes.

The reason is simple. They’re not settling for being better than the NFL’s bottom feeders. They are prepared to take some risks to try and be great in the future. There’s no guarantee it’ll work out but they’ve only won one playoff game in eight seasons. They’ve gone 35-34 (including playoffs) in the last four years. They lose too many games at home and they’re not close to serious contention.

Not being the Browns or the Titans isn’t what a serious franchise aspires to be. They should be looking to win a Championship. The Seahawks were not on a pathway to doing that in 2025, so why not make changes to try and begin a new journey?

There was nothing wrong with refusing to pay Geno Smith $40-45m a year, including making commitments beyond next season to Smith as the starter. There won’t be anything wrong if they replace him with a younger, cheaper version in Sam Darnold — essentially setting up a different bridge quarterback with a third round pick thrown into the mix from the Raiders.

There was nothing wrong with opting not to pay DK Metcalf $33m a year and turning him into a second round pick — creating extra cap-room in the process to improve other areas of the roster. They now have a chance to finally build the kind of team they say they want to be, with a focus on the trenches.

There won’t be anything wrong with using the millions they have to spend on the offensive line in the coming days, nor was there anything wrong with replacing Ryan Grubb with Klint Kubiak and his vastly experienced support staff.

The Seahawks have around $62-65m to spend in free agency and can tap into a league-leading amount of room in 2026 too. They now possess five picks in the top-100 of a draft rich in day-two talent.

I think this is exactly what they needed to do, as noted in that article back in December and reaffirmed on Thursday when I said they should trade Metcalf and Smith — 24 hours before all of the drama unfolded. Frankly, they should be applauded for having the gumption to execute the plan.

So what happens next?

Sign a quarterback

The reported talks with Aaron Rodgers are likely nothing more than due diligence. All of the well-sourced reporters are saying they expect Sam Darnold to join the Seahawks. With hours still to go until the legal tampering window opens, it makes sense to be prepared for every eventuality.

However, I would anticipate the Seahawks will land Darnold on a contract that gives him a chance to make the job his own — yet provides flexibility for the team in the future. Essentially, the offer they would’ve been comfortable giving Geno Smith.

I expect the Seahawks to draft a quarterback in this draft, unless the board actively works against them. I believe the plan always was to draft a quarterback since they dealt Russell Wilson and the last three drafts simply didn’t pan out to make it possible.

The aim would’ve been to draft one this year with Darnold or Smith on the roster. When you don’t have a leading franchise quarterback, you have to take multiple shots to find the answer.

Darnold could end up being the next Matt Flynn, he could be a useful bridge to the future or he could be the starter for the long term. He only turns 28 in June.

Improve the offensive line in free agency

Will Fries is the best player available for the Seahawks and the brilliant Brady Henderson reckons he’ll be a target. Signing Fries would deliver the impact addition they need to get the ball rolling for a big O-line upgrade. He should be the #1 target along with Darnold.

Many believe Drew Dalman is destined for the Chicago Bears. It’d be great to land him as well — and they have the money to do it. We’ll see if they can get in the mix, or whether Chicago already has this one tied up. He might be too expensive even if you can afford it. He isn’t worth $20m a year for example.

The key is not to miss out on both players and be forced to overspend on someone like Aaron Banks who isn’t as good.

If the Seahawks can make some key O-line signings in the next few days, it’ll set them up for the draft. By opting not to pay Metcalf, they can transfer that money to the trenches. It’s time to create the kind of transformational off-season they need by making impact signings for the O-line.

They also have enough money to look for opportunities and potentially sign an impact player to the defense — perhaps a safety, given the strong options available. I would take a chance on Elijah Moore at receiver as a reclamation project.

Two players who had to be re-signed — Jarran Reed and Ernest Jones Jr — both agreed terms with the Seahawks on Sunday on high-value contracts. It’s a great start to an important week in the veteran market.

They can add good players in this class

They’d have options to go ‘best player available’ at #18. If they get lucky like a year ago, perhaps someone like Jihaad Campbell falls to them. If not, there will be other good options like Boston College pass rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku — a player who feels like a total fit for the Seahawks based on his production, testing and character. They could add to their offensive line too, with Grey Zabel an ideal scheme fit.

Alternatively, they could take a quarterback at #18. I wouldn’t rule it out, with Jaxson Dart and Tyler Shough names to keep an eye on.

At #50 and #52 there will be other good defensive and offensive linemen available. This could be a range where they feel comfortable taking a shot on someone like Quinn Ewers. It’d also be a great spot to potentially replace DK Metcalf — with the likes of Jaylin Noel and Jack Bech feeling like good options.

With two third round picks, they could target a young center. Jake Majors was hailed at Texas for the way he handled protection calls, something he’d be tasked to do in Seattle. Jared Wilson has an ideal physical profile for a zone-blocker. The receivers last deep into rounds 3-4. Tai Felton and Tory Horton are a couple of names to monitor.

This is an off-season that will shape the future direction of the team. It’s an exciting period. And for me, they needed this level of change.

If you want to watch our live reaction to the breaking news on DK Metcalf, check it out here:

We’ll start at 3:40pm PT…

The Seahawks now want a second round pick for DK Metcalf

Dianna Russini initially reported Seattle wanted a first and third rounder. Now she’s saying they’ve lowered their asking price and they’ll take a deal centered around a selection in round two.

Clearly they’re not getting the market they hoped for. The need to pay Metcalf a massive contract, months after Brandon Aiyuk’s deal became an albatross for the 49ers, is an issue for buying teams. It feels like the Seahawks are eager to get the best deal they can now to move on. We’ll see if anyone bites to satisfy that desire, or whether they’ll end up having to wait this out. This news could give suitors a jolt to move things along.

If a deal is struck, I wouldn’t expect a high second rounder in return.

The market is what it is. The Seahawks can’t force teams to make a great offer. Ultimately they have to decide how prepared they are to let this linger for weeks until the draft and possibly beyond. Are they absolutely willing to let Metcalf’s future be a talking point going into training camp and the season?

I’d suggest this story getting out today makes it seem any potential new contract with Metcalf, in light of the Geno Smith trade, is not on the mind of either party.

There is something to note about the suggestion some are making to just keep him. People talk about compensatory picks all the time but rarely mention it also means the Seahawks not being active in free agency. If you bring outside free agents to your team, it cancels out any outgoings.

With a league-leading $155m in cap space for 2026 at the moment, I’d suggest it’s very unlikely the Seahawks will be inactive enough in 12 months to secure any comp picks for Metcalf.

They could always franchise him but do they really want to play that game, instead of just getting something now?

The Chargers at #55, Panthers at #57 and Texans at #58 seem like plausible destinations for Metcalf but do they want to trade away a second rounder? He apparently wants to go to a warm weather city. The Seahawks don’t have to sanction that, he doesn’t have a no-trade clause. That could keep Green Bay at #54 in the mix, or Denver at #51 and Pittsburgh at #52. But are these teams thinking they can get him for less if they’re patient?

On my updated horizontal board (see below, click to enlarge) I have 51 players with a true second round grade or higher. It’d be nice to pick within that range:

Free agents the Seahawks should target tomorrow

The ‘legal tampering’ period is pretty much already underway, that’s why we’re seeing a number of re-signings this weekend. Players know what their market is already and the ones staying with their teams can sign now. I’d imagine most of the big-name free agents already know who they’ll be joining and all will be revealed on Monday at noon eastern time.

Will Fries (G, Colts)
Fries is the player to target within this free agency class. A perfect fit for the zone blocking scheme, he provides positional flexibility and could start at either guard spot. He only turns 27 in April and after studying his tape, there’s no doubt he would give the Seahawks’ O-line the biggest boost among the players available. For me, he’s a must sign.

Sam Darnold (QB, Vikings)
The Seahawks need a quarterback who can win in the NFL, providing a clear direction for 2025 and hedging against the draft. Signing Darnold will essentially be delivering a cheaper, younger version of Geno Smith — with caveats in the contract should Seattle select a quarterback next month. Darnold’s familiarity with Klint Kubiak makes this a no-brainer.

Drew Dalman (C, Falcons)
Signing Dalman would secure a vital position within Kubiak’s system. There’s been speculation he might get as much as $20m on the open market, which would be a massive outlay. Fries needs to be the main target based on talent but if the Seahawks somehow pulled off a way to land Dalman too, it could set the table for a transformational off-season. I would go all-in to try and make it happen.

Tre’von Moehrig (S, Raiders)
Moehrig feels like one of those players whose best football is still ahead of him. He doesn’t turn 26 until this summer and there’s been talk of a $12m-a-year price tag which sounds extremely reasonable. He can cover and play in the box so he’s versatile enough for Mike Macdonald’s scheme. He would provide a further injection of talent on the back-end of the defense. If the Seahawks miss out on the top O-liners (and fingers crossed that doesn’t happen) they could pivot to someone like Moehrig as a ‘big signing’.

Justin Reid (S, Chiefs)
As with Moehrig, this feels like a good opportunity to add a quality starter to the secondary. You have to play the market that is presented to you — and there are safeties in this free agency class who are interesting. Reid is still only 28 and he’s a great run defender (as is Moehrig). I’d also check into Talanoa Hufanga’s market.

Kevin Zeitler (G, Lions)
Throughout his career, Zeitler has produced a high standard of play. It’s surprising he’s moved around as much as he has. He turned 35 on Saturday so he’s very much in a year-to-year situation. You’d expect he’ll re-sign with the Lions. However, his zone blocking grade is good and the Seahawks need to inject proven quality into their O-line. He would do that.

Ryan Kelly (C, Colts)
There will be concern after an injury-hit 2024 season, especially as he prepares to turn 32 and with the Colts seemingly ready to move on. However, his zone blocking grade in 2023 was decent enough and he’d provide a ton of much-needed experience and grit to the offensive line. Pairing him with Fries would make sense as they’d deliver built-in chemistry. If they can’t sign Dalman, Kelly would be a reasonable Plan B.

Elijah Moore (WR, Browns)
A former blog favourite going into the 2021 draft, Moore has suffered because he’s had to play for the Jets and the Browns. He turns 25 later this month and still has plenty of time to show what he can do. A former #34 overall pick, he has the quickness and agility to separate. He’s worth rolling the dice on.

Aaron Banks (G, 49ers)
There’s been talk about Banks landing Robert Hunt money in free agency, a curious suggestion given he’s never really been anything more than average in San Francisco. However, this is where the Seahawks are at. They need to add players to their offensive line. If they miss out on Fries and Dalman, they’ll need to pivot. If nothing else, Banks knows the scheme.

Brandon Stephens (CB, Ravens)
I’m not sure Mike Macdonald believes he can trust Riq Woolen and you wonder if the Seahawks would listen to offers for his services going into a contract year. Either way, they need extra depth at cornerback. Stephens excelled in Baltimore under Macdonald in 2023 but his play regressed in 2024. This might provide a prove-it opportunity under a coach who knows him well.

Isaiah Rodgers (CB, Eagles)
When he was asked to fill-in for Darius Slay he excelled, earning a 76.0 PFF grade. He’s not the type of player you bring in with the objective of being an unchallenged starter but as depth and competition to push someone like Woolen, you could do a lot worse.

James Daniels (G, Steelers)
He started last year strongly before suffering an achilles injury. He’d be higher on this list if that hadn’t happened. Instead, you have to wonder how healthy he is and when he’ll be able to return to his best level of play. That could present an opportunity to get him on a cheaper prove-it deal to either provide depth or fill a spot at guard or center if you miss out on other options.

Marquez Valdez-Scantling (WR, Saints)
The Seahawks don’t have enough speed or depth at receiver. That’ll be further exacerbated if they trade DK Metcalf. MVS is hardly going to come in aged 30 and be a 1000-yard receiver but he showed flashes in New Orleans under Kubiak. He won’t be expensive so you could do a lot worse than add him to the mix.

Jarran Reed & Ernest Jones Jr
It’s critical the Seahawks keep these two players. Reed provides toughness, leadership and underrated production at defensive tackle. Jones Jr helped turn Seattle’s defense around last season and might not garner the absolute maximum in contract talks, given his recent procedure on a knee issue.

EDIT — Jarran Reed agreed terms on a three-year extension with Seahawks today

Setting things up for the draft

This is the key for the Seahawks. They want to be able to go into the draft feeling like they can go BPA at #18. They don’t want to feel like they have to force anything on the offensive line — which is why it’s so critical to make improvements this week.

We know certain players won’t last to #18. I’d suggest that includes Tyler Warren, Ashton Jeanty, Armand Membou and Colston Loveland. It’s possible others, such as Jihaad Campbell, Jahdae Barron and Will Johnson, could make it to Seattle’s pick. You’d like the opportunity to capitalise on that if it happens.

You also want to leave open the possibility of taking a quarterback at #18. For example, I suspect that in a month’s time we might be seeing some mocks projecting Tyler Shough in the top-10. There’s momentum behind his stock, with teams being unexpectedly impressed by his interviews and play at the Senior Bowl and combine.

When John Schneider spoke last week about doing additional work on a couple of quarterbacks who impressed in Indianapolis, I’m guessing he’s referring to Shough. I think multiple teams are now contemplating taking him in round one — including the Seahawks. In order to be in a position to comfortably do something like this, you need to address your offensive line in free agency.

Shough won’t be the only one under consideration. Whether it’s at #18, #50 or somewhere in-between — Jaxson Dart, Quinn Ewers and Will Howard could also, easily, be in the mix.

I’ll also add — I’m pretty sure the Seahawks are determined to add another EDGE rusher this off-season. The options aren’t great in free agency but they are decent in the draft. Again, you can comfortably take a pass rusher at #18 or #50 provided you address the offensive line in the coming days. I really believe Donovan Ezeiruaku could be a firm favourite within Seattle’s draft room and keep an eye on Bradyn Swinson too.