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This is a guest article by Curtis Allen…

Leonard Williams.  Ernest Jones.  Rashid Shaheed.  And now Quenton Nelson.

A pattern is developing here.

Death.  Taxes.  A trade deadline move from the Seahawks that moves the needle.

All things that are inevitable.

John Schneider has been feasting on these trades, managing to bring in very talented players that fit the identity he and Mike Macdonald have crafted.

It is not an accident.  Schneider has deliberately built the Seahawks to be able to strike at this time of year to fill needs and add balance to the roster.

Let’s explore why the team can make moves at this time of year and why they seemingly always manage to pay far below market price.

It Is All Part of the Plan

We know the basic formula the Seahawks and other successful teams employ:  Draft well, find undervalued young talent in the Undrafted Free Agent and Street Free Agent markets, extend your key players and only dip into the March Free Agent frenzy when you absolutely must.  And only when there is alignment with availability and cost.

It is all based on a core principle of business: You absolutely must get more than what you pay for to be successful.

The results are obvious:  The Seahawks have key contributors making just over $1 million in players such as Jalen Sundell, Ty Okada, Nehemiah Pritchett and A.J. Barner.  And then you have Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who is putting together a season for the ages with a cap hit of only $10 million.

And on the other end of the spectrum, you have teams like the Tennessee Titans.  They have been among the NFL’s Top 10 in Free Agent spending the last three seasons.  Some of their big spends include Wide Receiver Calvin Ridley ($23million AAV), Left Tackle Dan Moore Jr ($20.5m) and Cornerback Alontae Taylor ($19.3m).

Let’s be honest.  None of those players were considered tops at their position.  Yet, due to Free Agency, they appeared on several “best available” lists and the Titans overpaid to bring them in.

How has Tennessee fared following three straight years of splurging?

Not well.  They have had back-to-back 3-14 seasons and are well on their way to another with a 1-6 record currently.

And yet, when the league year begins in March and the “legal tampering” window opens, even the smartest fans can be swayed by their lizard brains that their team must get into the game and hand out some big checks to fill their roster.

The Seahawks typically save their powder and prefer to extend their own players and put away some cash and cap space to pounce when the market is far more favorable – during the season at the trade deadline.

But why is the market more favorable?  And why can it be so much more beneficial to acquire key pieces in the fall rather than in the spring?

Patience Rewarded

The difference in the market for players in the spring and the fall is staggering.

To put it simply: In the spring it is a seller’s market.  In the fall?  A buyer’s market.

In March, everyone has cash, cap space and draft picks to spend in the market.  Granted, some much more than others.  But the pool of buyers is high.  It truly does feel like a feeding frenzy when the window opens.  You can dry your eyes out, hitting refresh every 10 seconds to get the latest reports that come flying in.

Once the best available talent is signed, teams turn their eyes toward the draft and the trade market.  There is usually a good burst of activity leading up to – and including – draft day.

Knowing that, it is obvious a large swath of teams spend most of their resources in the spring.  This automatically narrows the pool of potential buyers in the fall.  Some teams enter the season with barely enough cap and cash resources to pay their Practice Squad players and do not have the capital to take on a healthy veteran salary.  Many have also made their trades and do not wish to dip into next year’s draft stock.

Then the season starts.  Injuries happen.  Players and teams do not live up to their potential.  The best laid plans of mice and men go awry.

By the time the trade deadline approaches, about a third of the teams in the league are realistically out of the playoff race, a third are contending and a third are somewhere in between.

Those out of the race oftentimes have quality players in the last year of their contract.  For whatever reason, they do not or cannot extend them.

Faced with the possibility of potentially getting a compensatory pick in eighteen months for losing them in Free Agency or getting a pick in six months – along with getting some cap and cash off their books now – teams choose the latter.

The pool of available buyers in the market is therefore cut down to 10-12 teams at most.  Of those teams, some have conditions that take them out of the running:  they might not have a need at the position, they might not have the capital to match up in a trade, or they may be a division rival the seller has no interest in helping become more successful.

The seller is in a position where he really wants to sell.  The buyer is in a position without significant competition.

This is where John Schneider eats his lunch.

Because he has drafted well, because not maxed out the credit card in March and because he has not spent his budget on retaining replaceable players – lining the team up for compensatory picks – he has capital available to negotiate with.

He also has had about 7-9 weeks to assess his roster.  What is working?  What is not?  Who is hurt and unavailable?  Who has emerged as a solid contributor from the crucible of a couple of months of play?

Putting all those factors together, the Seahawks can add quality players at a price far discounted compared to the market in the spring.

It is a very effective way to run your team.

If that is the case, why aren’t more teams operating this way, balancing the spring and fall markets out a little bit and nullifying the Seahawks’ advantage in this area?

Answer: Very few teams have the unique advantage that Seattle has.

Organizational Stability is the Secret Sauce

By effectively building a roster that is perpetually successful, Schneider and the Seahawks have acquired one of the rarest assets: trust and patience from the ownership to the players.

Incoming regimes need to get to work building their roster as early as possible.  They feel the need and the pressure from ownership and the fanbase.  Patience has not been earned.  Making big, splashy signings in March and drafting in the top 5 in April gives the regime visibility and a sense of legitimacy.

The Seahawks do not need to make big splashes early in the league year.  They have a solid roster and make moves in the draft that keep that momentum going.  Come September, the team’s prospects are very good.  They have earned the right to be among the contenders inquiring about quality players at the deadline.

Many teams do not have that right.  The Titans for instance.  In that three-year span I mentioned, they have gone through two General Managers and two Head Coaches.  The three years before that?  Three General Managers and that era ended with them firing Mike Vrabel.

Incoming leadership want “their guys” and are itching to prove themselves and therefore jump into the pool with both feet, unable to see all the way to October or November.

They are trapped in a cycle and cannot escape it.

That is an extreme example, but many teams are in a similar mode.  They cannot get alignment with a General Manager and Head Coach.  They cannot get a top 15 Quarterback, a top 15 pass rusher and a top 10 offensive weapon onto the roster at the same time.  Ownership meddles or otherwise demands success without having to wait.

Having a revolving door of leadership and the roster destabilizes the organization and does not incentivize players to want to stay.

Their cornerstone star players do not resign when their contracts are entering their last year (Williams, Nelson) or they are talented misfit toys the team has no use for (Jones, Shaheed).

Enter the Seahawks.  Their processes and culture are so sound, they can acquire players on expiring contracts and make their case that they should resign when they could easily get more on the market.

Williams.  Jones.  Shaheed.  A spotless record so far.

There is no reason to think they will not be able to at least have very solid conversations with Nelson when the time comes.

Good drafting.  Good coaching.  Good roster.  A culture worth nurturing.

The Seahawks have these things in spades.

And it is the reason they can plunder other teams in the fall, maintain their roster and ensure consistent success.

The Quenton Nelson trade signifies that the Seahawks mean business and want to make another Championship run this season.

So what else can they do before the deadline in 13 days?

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN has listed 25 potential trade candidates within the NFL. He suggested the Seahawks as suitors for two of the names on his list — Jonathan Taylor and YaYa Diaby.

Three weeks I wrote a piece about why Diaby could be a good fit. He’s a good age, his run defense is very good, he has excellent testing speed and the Seahawks could do with having someone who *might* be able to be part of the EDGE rush plan going forward.

DeMarcus Lawrence is set to retire at the end of the season, it’s hard to imagine Dante Fowler returning and it’s not clear whether Uchenna Nwosu will be back. That would only leave Derick Hall.

Acquiring Diaby wouldn’t guarantee anything for 2027 and beyond but it would at least give you the chance to add a player for the here and now, who at 27, could feasibly be part of your future. That could be important. You don’t want to have to draft and/or sign three new pass-rushers in one off-season ideally.

I explained on Monday why I’ve come around on the idea of Jonathan Taylor. Much will depend on Zach Charbonnet. If he returns for the Bears game and plays well, it lessens the need to acquire a new running back. Especially with Jadarian Price returning too.

However, if the doubts remains over Charbonnet’s health, I don’t think you can risk the deadline passing and being left with Price and Emmanuel Wilson as your two lead runners.

It might be a costly trade — a second rounder plus. However, it’s worth noting that John Schneider had no issue drafting Ken Walker and Charbonnet with second round picks in back-to-back drafts. So the idea of using a first rounder on Price and then another high pick on Taylor wouldn’t be a departure.

Taylor could drive the running game forwards and he’d be under contract for next season — that isn’t the case with Charbonnet.

Around 10 days ago I broke down why I thought a Quenton Nelson trade would be reasonable and make sense. I wrote that I would’ve been happy to pay a second rounder to acquire him and they got him for a third and change instead. A heist.

Perhaps one of the two other players we discussed recently could be next?

Check out this week’s Seahawks Collective where we discussed the Nelson trade in detail:

I was speaking to Bump & Stacy when the Quenton Nelson trade news broke — and if you want to see how I reacted, check out the video below!

The Seahawks have acquired Quenton Nelson for a 2027 third round pick and a 2028 fifth rounder. It’s a steal of a trade and a statement of intent.

Here’s an instant reaction video…

Initially I was sceptical. Yet watching the game on Sunday, I’m now more open minded about a Seahawks trade for Jonathan Taylor.

They clearly set out to run the football with a firm commitment against the Chiefs. They wanted to be balanced and they wanted to keep Kansas City honest. A tried and tested plan.

It worked to an extent.

They dominated time of possession and by the fourth quarter, the running game took over against a tiring Chiefs defense.

However, it’s also worth noting the actual key to success — and it wasn’t productive running.

The Seahawks converted 11/16 on third down to consistently extend drives. Things started off quite manageable. They converted on 3rd and 5 and 3rd and 1. Those are the situations you want to be in.

The next seven third down conversions, however, came on 3rd and 9 (four times), 3rd and 10 (once), 3rd and 7 (once) and 3rd and 6 (once). It’s not back-breaking. They weren’t committing bad penalties or taking sacks to get into 3rd and forever. But they weren’t often in 3rd and short either.

That the Seahawks executed so well on third down basically covered up for that fact the running game, which they often turned to on first down, wasn’t producing great results.

With around eight minutes left in the third quarter, Emmanuel Wilson was averaging three yards per carry. George Holani was on 2.2 and Velus Jones 1.6. That came on a healthy 22 carries between the trio.

The running game only became productive later on. That’s a good thing, a positive. It’s to Wilson’s credit that he busted through, just as he did late against the Cardinals.

Yet there were also a lot of frustrating unproductive runs early in the game, where the admittedly limited runners in Seattle’s backfield struggled to produce much.

I’m not sure you can bank on going 11/16 on third downs that often. They need to find a way to be more productive earlier in the game when they’re running the football, to create more manageable third downs.

Was the blocking to blame for some of the running issues? Abraham Lucas, Josh Jones (after replacing Charles Cross) and Grey Zabel all carried average or slightly above average blocking grades per PFF. Cross was a fraction behind, with Jalen Sundell and Anthony Bradford grading poorly.

For that reason you could perhaps suggest it was a bit of both — blame on the runners and the blockers.

Yet I think it’s also fair to say that Wilson, Seattle’s top healthy back at the moment, is better as a closer. His best two games were when the Seahawks were winning comfortably and he finished it off in the fourth quarter using his power to fight through tired bodies.

He hasn’t felt like someone who can necessarily carry your running game early on, to try and establish those leads.

Maybe they don’t need him to be if Jaxon Smith-Njigba keeps playing the way he is? I just couldn’t help but think though — what would the Seahawks look like with a top runner in the backfield? Now teams would find it even harder to constrict Seattle’s commitment to the run, while keeping an eye on JSN.

It’s possible Zach Charbonnet and Jadarian Price are the solution. Here’s the issue though. Charbonnet, who seemingly was expected to play Kansas City right up until Friday, remains a question mark. Mike Macdonald would only say on Seattle Sports today that “we are sticking with our plan” with the former UCLA runner. We’ll be waiting to see whether he’ll be active against the Bears.

When Charbonnet does eventually return, how will he perform? Expecting him to carry the load having only just returned from a bad knee injury feels like a lot to put on his plate.

Meanwhile, Price is clearly talented but he’s three games into his NFL career and so far is best known for two fumbles and a stint on IR. Ideally you want to get a first round pick immediately involved and regularly active. It might be best to embrace his role in 2026 as a nice complement. He doesn’t need the pressure either of having Seattle’s running success placed on his shoulders.

The best case scenario would be to give them both a chance to play together, then assess after. Yet the trade deadline is two weeks tomorrow. You simply don’t have the luxury at this point to see if they can come in and lead your running game.

I like and appreciate Emmanuel Wilson. But it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that Charbonnet can’t get back to his best this year, or has a setback, with Price going through some rookie growing pains.

Do you want to place your faith on a Championship run with Wilson, Holani and Jones?

It might be a situation where being over-stacked at running back is better than being thin on talent. Especially for a team like the Seahawks, right in the middle of their window of contention.

And here’s the thing — with the way the Seahawks played yesterday, they can be a big-time contender again. You’d hate to squander that due to a lack of quality in the backfield. Especially if you intend to play like you did yesterday.

That doesn’t mean doing whatever it takes to get Jonathan Taylor. The price has to be right. I wouldn’t pay a first rounder. I’m also not going to be so stubborn to say I wouldn’t pay a second. That’s the same cost of DK Metcalf and, given the 2028 value recedes one round, AJ Brown.

It might be worth it — especially if he runs very well and the Seahawks launch another Championship run. Nobody will care about the pick then.

Would I rather have Quenton Nelson? Yes. But the Colts would be mad to trade him. I don’t think you’ll get him for a third rounder like some are suggesting. There will be a big market for him. And I think the Seahawks will continue with their line, rather than move people around to accommodate Nelson — rightly or wrongly.

Even with Nelson, I’m not sure I’d want to rely on Wilson, Holani and Jones in the backfield. I’d still want to add there.

Adam Schefter named-checked the Seahawks first yesterday among the list of teams that could pursue Taylor. I’m open-minded about it. He’s one of the best backs in the league. Put that with JSN and a world-class defense and we might still make it back to California in February.

That’s a lot more like it.

The Seahawks, for the first time in weeks, played to their strengths. Their dominating, suffocating defense played up to the boa constrictor Leonard Williams likes to compare it to. They shut down Patrick Mahomes and Ken Walker — a remarkable feat.

The offense just had to stay out of its own way. Keep the scoreboard ticking over. Put some drives together. This week they managed it — in large part thanks to the brilliance of Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

I’ve only watched the Seahawks for 20 years so I haven’t seen all of the greats who’ve played in Seattle. However, I do wonder if we’re watching a player with the talent to one day emerge as the Seahawks’ most talented ever player. JSN’s ability to remain consistently inevitable, even during the offensive struggles this year, is a privilege to witness.

That he’s also a fantastic pro, incredibly likeable and completely level-headed is the cherry on the cake. What a player.

Sam Darnold also deserves credit for delivering accurate, impressive throws on his bigger plays tonight. That shouldn’t be overshadowed just because of his one ugly interception.

By and large the offense did enough — and if they can continue to play at that level (or slightly better) this team can return to a contending level.

It was the ultimate team defense. Players flew to the ball, shut down the running game and made life uncomfortable for Mahomes throughout. The Chiefs never settled into a rhythm. They’d been prolific for weeks this year — and for years prior to this with Andy Reid and Mahomes running the show. To see the Seahawks nullify them so emphatically was highly impressive.

This could easily have been a much bigger win than 20-3 and felt a bit like the 13-3 win in Santa Clara in week 18 last season.

Nick Emmanwori was excellent (his play on the interception was pure physical brilliance) and others within the front seven excelled — but every man on the field played their part.

Walker’s yards-per-carry average coming into the game was a stunning 6.3 YPC. In this game he managed 2.6 YPC. That says it all — the Seahawks are the only team so far to slow him down, taking some of the sting out of the argument for letting him walk (at least for now).

Darnold looked far more comfortable and assured apart from the one big error. He threw late on the interception and his internal clock should’ve told him to launch it into row M. Instead he tried to force it into a packed end-zone on a play call that had Smith-Njigba and Rashid Shaheed (plus their two covering defenders) running into the same area.

The red zone offense has to be better generally and the running game produced a few too many 1-3 yard runs on early downs. Yet they figured out the run late on to finish the game with Emmanuel Wilson getting to 100 yards.

I did spend the game wondering what a top back would look like in this offense. The weird situation with Zach Charbonnet — where it was clear they thought he’d play, Ian Rapoport reported he’d play a lot, only for him to be then made inactive — makes you wonder when he’ll be available.

Meanwhile Jadarian Price feels like he needs to be a complementary piece as a rookie, especially after two fumbles and one stint on IR.

Ideally you’d be patient and wait a while but the trade deadline is only two weeks away. They can’t afford to be caught short if Charbonnet’s return stalls. They might have to add someone and embrace being over-stacked versus short at the position.

This is a guest post by Curtis Allen…

The Seahawks exit a mini-bye with more questions than answers.

After two soul-crushing self-inflicted losses, they need to right the ship.  And quickly.  Mike Macdonald has not had a three-game losing streak since early in his tenure in 2024.  This team is resilient and they are going to need all of that quality to make progress this season.

Still, they are a few missteps from being a five- or six-win team.  An uneven and flawed one, to be sure.

Coming into town are the undefeated Chiefs.  They have a lot of familiar elements (Patrick Mahomes creating, Travis Kelce having a field-tilting play down the seam, Chris Jones and George Karlaftis providing pressure) but also have some new ones (Kenneth Walker taking a large role in the offense, defensive backs Nohl Williams and Mansoor Delane rounding into fine form).

They force turnovers and do not much turn the ball over themselves.

It goes without saying that the Seahawks will need to execute well and avoid catastrophic events like multiple turnovers, penalties that keep the ball in their opponent’s hands and missed scoring opportunities in the kicking game.

Aside from that, how can they manage to come out of this game with a win?

Control the Line of Scrimmage on Defense

There is so much about the Chiefs’ game that makes winning at the line of a vital proposition.

First and foremost is Patrick Mahomes.  When we think of Mahomes, we think of dazzling creativity, keeping plays alive until someone uncovers and he can deliver a back-breaking play.

And while a lot of that is true, the meat and potatoes of Andy Reid’s offense has been utilizing the Quarterback’s ability to read defenses quickly and get rid of the ball before the pass rush has time to make themselves a factor.  Mahomes is one of the quickest, spending an average of 2.2 seconds in the pocket.

With him getting the ball out so quickly, it means the offense is reliant on Yards After the Catch.  And Mahomes is comfortably #1 in the NFL with 7.6 yards after the catch per completion.

The Chiefs rely on their playmakers to make the first tackler miss and gain yards and first downs.

Therefore, a key component is bringing those receivers down on the first try.  If they can keep the game in front of them and make tackles, it will minimize the damage and keep Andy Reid from mixing his plays up.

Good news here:  The Seahawks defense is #2 in the NFL in fewest Yards After Catch Allowed.  So, this is a titanic matchup.

This is where a player like Tyrice Knight can be very effective.  With his speed and vision, he can cover a lot of ground and keep the flats and five-yard depths clean and make sure to limit potentially explosive plays.

The Seahawks defense has conceded the fewest amount of 10+ yard catches in the NFL.  The Kansas City offense is gaining them at about a league-average level.  Advantage Seattle.

Controlling the edges of the offense will also help with their defense of Kenneth Walker.  Walker can slash through defenses behind the right guard, but he is at his most dangerous attacking the edges with his speed and lateral ability.

Here is where the Seahawks have a clear advantage.  Both of the Chiefs’ starting Offensive Tackles will not be playing.  DeMarcus Lawrence, Derick Hall and Uchenna Nwosu must win the majority of their engagements if the Seahawks are to succeed.

Setting the edge and taking Mahomes off his spot will be critical.  A well-devised plan executed properly can make this a very long day for the Chiefs indeed.

The Seahawks are on a great streak of not allowing 100-yard rushers.  It is acceptable if Ken Walker snaps that streak if it takes him 28 carries to do it and every rep is a battle.

While the interior matchup of serious players Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith against Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy will be a premier matchup, this game may be won or lost on how the edges work out.

A potent combination of interior pressure and edge containment to keep Mahomes from scrambling and improvising may just be the ticket to bottling up this offense.

Use the Tight Ends and Quick Passing to Blunt the Pass Rush

We can thank the Raiders for modeling this approach for us.  Kirk Cousins is the master of quickly getting rid of the ball and using his Tight Ends liberally to move the offense down the field.

In Week Four, Cousins gashed the Kansas City defense with Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer to the tune of 14 catches for 168 yards.  Ten of those catches went for First Downs.

Cousins was not sacked despite facing a 34% pressure rate.  He masterfully moved around in the pocket and was decisive when he needed to make quick decisions.

The Chiefs have a weakness for defending Tight Ends.  Only three teams have given up more catches.  To be fair, they have faced Bowers and Tyler Warren so far this year.

A.J. Barner is not at those players’ level.  Still, getting him running routes and presenting a big target – and quickly – will be a tremendous help to Sam Darnold in keeping off the turf.

Cousins also had a play that we can all envision Darnold making.  Being harassed in the pocket, finding a way to escape and with eyes up throwing a strike downfield on the run:

KIRK COUSINS MAGIC FOR THE TOUCHDOWN!

@KCvsLV on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/ADaylXSjLZ

— NFL (@NFL) October 4, 2026

The most numbing aspect of Seattle’s frustrating start to the 2026 season, aside from the three losses and the performance of the offense, has been the return to fractious online discourse.

This article is a hail mary to try and push back on it. It probably won’t work. Yet every now and again a football goes up in the air, a bunch of blokes jump up for it and occasionally, your team comes down with a miracle play. Sometimes, a helpful replacement referee is required to make it happen, but they all count I guess.

This hasn’t been a good run of four games for the Seahawks. They’ve played a fairly horrendous brand of offense. It isn’t just one thing holding everything back either.

The quarterback is throwing too many interceptions, looks absolutely flustered and his poise has disappeared. His footwork looks antsy, he’s making poor decisions and he didn’t look this way in either of the previous two seasons when he played in two 14-win teams, winning a Super Bowl.

The offensive line is a mess. It feels like Darnold is going to get sacked every time he drops back. Abe Lucas and Grey Zabel have played really poorly. I don’t think it’s right that Charles Cross has been getting a pass — he’s had his moments too. Nobody on the line has played to the expected standard and this is a problem.

The running game has been awful. Granted, the two best runners are out injured. Yet the Seahawks knew Zach Charbonnet wouldn’t start the season. They also spent a first round pick on a player in Jadarian Price who was never the starter in college. They had to create a better bridge to Charbonnet’s return and they didn’t. Emmanuel Wilson and George Holani are simply not good enough.

Everyone is fumbling. Price, Wilson, Holani, Rashid Shaheed. Combined with Darnold’s seven interceptions, it’s far too much. This is such a chronic problem that it doesn’t feel adequate to put it down to sheer misfortune.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba has somehow reached new levels and is basically carrying the whole offense on his shoulders at the moment. Yet everyone else has felt like a bystander. It’s amazing how they’ve been unable to get the tight ends involved in the passing game. Shaheed was supposed to be a major impact player after having a summer to properly get used to life in Seattle. Tory Horton is virtually anonymous. What’s going on?

If it was one player or position group that was the issue, we could focus on moderate short-term improvement to easily imagine better results. When the quarterback, O-line, running game, pass-pro, receiver and tight end usage and ball protection all has to get better — you’ve got problems.

For some reason, pointing that out has been viewed through the prism of being overly or deliberately negative by many online.

I get it to an extent. When people point out inconvenient truths about your football team that aren’t easily countered, it’s easier to fight back by implying the person raising the concern is not of clear mind. In the last week I’ve been accused of being unhinged, overly emotional, an idiot and constantly negative — plus a few other things.

Of course, the opposite was true from the period of March 2025 until August this year. I predicted a 13-4 season last year (and was delighted to be one win short). I raved about the decision to move on from Geno Smith and DK Metcalf. I celebrated every one of their draft classes between 2022 and 2025. This year it was effectively the ‘summer of love’ among Seahawks content creators. Even when we didn’t completely agree with certain things, the benefit of the doubt was always offered.

Yet despite having a clearly very talented roster and a top performing defense, they’re 1-3 in their last four games. It’s not beyond the realms of possibility things get worse this weekend against a red-hot Kansas City Chiefs with a particularly motivated star running back.

It’s inevitable that negatives were going to be discussed — and in more detail than some of you might be comfortable with.

If you are minded to maintain faith — of the justified or blind variety — all power to you. I’m not going to come after anyone who wishes to think positively or simply hope and believe that things will turn around.

Please offer me the same courtesy. It’s OK that I have a different opinion. I don’t think my view — that the offense is abysmal currently — is unfair. I personally believe the offensive coordinator warrants tremendous scrutiny. I fear he’s not cut out for this. Most of the players from last season are back, as are most of the staff. The end product, however, is a lot worse.

This is no more evident than what we’re seeing with Darnold. He thrived under Kevin O’Connell and Klint Kubiak, two tremendous and proven offensive coaches. Under Fleury, he looks like he did for the Jets.

Does Darnold need to play a lot better? Yes. But his dramatic loss of form has, unfortunately for Fleury, coincided with his arrival. As has the fall-off for the O-line. As has the massive increase in turnovers. As has the disjointed ‘JSN or bust’ look to the offense.

I accept this is not a ‘positive’ thing to say. But neither is it unfair. Nor unjustified.

I remember having similar concerns about Ryan Grubb. Sometimes you can just tell something isn’t working. Those of us who voiced concerns about Grubb were proven right. I hope I’m wrong about Fleury. I just want the Seahawks to win. I fear that I’m not wrong and that if things don’t improve pronto, Mike Macdonald and John Schneider will have no choice but to consider their options.

This is a wide open NFC again, even if the San Francisco 49ers have all but wrapped up the NFC West division. Look at it this way. If they go 6-5 in their remaining 11 games, they’ll still get to 12-5. I challenge anyone to look at their schedule and argue they’ll go 6-5 the rest of the way. Heck, when they played with a laundry list of injuries last season, they still kept winning.

Even if the 49ers do finish 12-5, the Seahawks would need to go 10-1 to finish the season to beat them to the division outright. Does anyone seriously think that’s realistic?

I don’t fear the 49ers though. I think they are very beatable in the playoffs, if you can get there. I think every team is beatable in the NFC. The challenge for the Seahawks is to try and reach their best level in sufficient time to make the playoffs and go into the post-season as the team nobody wants to play.

That only happens if you fix the offense. We’ll see if getting Charbonnet, Price and Anthony Bradford back makes things sufficiently OK that they can build momentum. I’m not convinced that’ll do it. Imagine writing a year ago that Charbonnet and Bradford were the difference between shambolic and competent.

What Charbonnet are you even going to get? The fact he’s still not ready to play against the Chiefs this weekend makes you wonder when he will be ready. He’s recovering from a serious knee injury after all.

I hope I’m wrong — but don’t think a pessimistic view based on the last few weeks in inappropriate. My opinion will adjust, obviously, if results improve.

I think they might’ve gotten the Fleury appointment wrong. I don’t blame them for that. It was an incredibly difficult hire to make given the timing situation after the Super Bowl. It was similar to how they stumbled upon Grubb in 2024, after waiting for Baltimore’s playoff run to end before hiring Macdonald.

I believe this season is worth fighting for because of the opportunity available to this team with so many proven, Championship caliber players. For that reason, everything should be on the table — including a coordinator change if necessary.

If you’re in charge of the offense and every facet of the unit is performing very badly, the buck stops with you. It’s up to you to find solutions. If you go five weeks without finding those solutions, it’s fair to wonder if Fleury every will.

It’s also fair to wonder if someone else, such as Justin Outten, could get things closer to the way they were last season, if not quite reaching peak-Kubiak — which may not be attainable.

That isn’t overly negative, emotional, unhinged or even wrong to say.

It’s simply my view — and you are welcome to disagree with it.

It is hard to counter a convincing argument. It’s much easier to portray the person voicing said argument as nuts, lazy or in some way compromised (eg — you are doing this for clicks, when, trust me, the financial reward for being positive 24/7 is far greater).

I think I’ve shown over the years that when I think things are very positive, you’ll find nobody more willing to shout about it. Yet when things aren’t going right — I’ll do what Mike Macdonald often suggests is best. I’ll run through it, not around.

Week seven of the college football season was one dominated by injuries. Several draft eligible prospects were impacted.

Kenyatta Jackson (DE, Ohio State), Colin Simmons (EDGE, Texas), Zabien Brown (CB, Alabama) and Julian Saying (QB, Ohio State) all left their games. KJ Bolden (S, Georgia), Ryan Coleman-Williams (WR, Alabama) and Austin Siereveld (G, Ohio State) didn’t play at all. Meanwhile Kewan Lacy (RB, Ole Miss) was in and out of the line-up as he battles through a niggling injury.

It’s unclear how serious these issues are. College Football teams are not forthcoming with information in the way NFL teams sometimes are. The injuries to Jackson and Simmons looked quite serious at the time but unlike with Sayin (expected to miss the season), there’s not been any news.

I’m going to bullet-point my notes this week and break down the various thoughts I had on individual players.

— Julian Sayin is not a high draft pick. I was amazed to read over the last two weeks the growing fervour for Sayin. Todd McShay and Dane Brugler were talking him up. McShay called him a second round pick. There was no evidence for this. It’s simply the latest example of draft media whiffing so badly on this 2027 class. Sayin was exposed against Indiana prior to his injury. His physical limitations were clear for all to see. His accuracy is not good enough to compensate. He has to play within structure and there is no improvisation. If Quinn Ewers is a seventh rounder, Kyle McCord a sixth rounder, Riley Leonard a sixth rounder and Will Howard a fifth rounder — how on earth can we say Sayin is a second rounder? There is no evidence for this — and his season-ending injury surely puts an end to the idea. There is no way he should rush to the NFL. He should stay in college — because the truth is, he almost certainly has no future as a NFL starter.

— It is impossible not to like Indiana receiver Charlie Becker. His body control, route running, consistent hands, ability to win contested catches, ability to create enough separation to provide a reliable outlet for his quarterback. He just makes so many difficult catches look easy. Nothing particularly stands out about his physical profile. He’s not massive and he’s not going to threaten any forty-yard dash records. Yet he just has a knack for producing in the big moments. I’m not convinced some other receivers, such as Wyatt Young as Oklahoma State, will transfer their production-machine status to the next level. Becker has a real chance to do it. It’s very easy to imagine him being a very productive NFL receiver.

— Once again Ohio State safety Earl Little Jr led his team in tackles. He also recovered a fumble against Indiana. His tackling is so on point and he’s a plus cover-safety. He doesn’t get much attention because the big plays aren’t there but if you need a talented, extremely reliable, versatile safety — this is your guy. I like him a lot.

— It was a real shame to see Colin Simmons get hurt during Texas’ game against Florida. He is a legit top-five prospect along with South Carolina’s Dylan Stewart and has every chance to become a top pro. I would caution against anyone hoping he’ll fall in the draft though, if his injury is serious. He’s just too good. It’s the same with Stewart, who was suspended by his team after an immature flounce against Alabama. I guarantee teams will look at these two and run to the podium, overlooking any slight risks. There aren’t enough good EDGE rushers coming into the NFL. These two can be really good pro’s.

— We’re finally getting to the point where draft media is coming to terms with the reality on Arch Manning. The talk this week is he could even be benched. I suspect that’s an attempt to motivate Manning, but it also speaks to just how badly he’s played. At no point during his time at Texas has he looked like a high draft pick. His second name has done so much heavy lifting and the media fell for it, consistently projecting him in the top-five of big boards and mocks. He’s not good enough — and while he’s the biggest example of a quarterback being massively overrated, he’s not alone when it comes to 2027 draft eligible QB’s.

— Speaking of which, let’s move on to CJ Carr. With Manning’s draft stock falling through the floor, the media has needed someone to fill the void. Step forward Notre Dame’s quarterback, who Todd McShay is ridiculously calling a top-five pick. Give me strength. He’s operating in a one-read system. You never see him going through multiple progressions post-snap. He lacks top-end physical tools and he can’t improvise or play off script. His accuracy is not sufficiently excellent to mitigate everything else. He sits in the shotgun, they snap and he throws quickly. When he has to wait, he telegraphs every pass by staring down his target and waiting for them to uncover or simply get into position. Given Notre Dame’s schedule, it often works. You can’t play this way in the NFL. There’s just nothing that says ‘difference maker’ about Carr. I haven’t watched him once and thought, ‘wow — this guy is the real deal’. What’s special about him? He is not a first round pick for me, let alone a top-five pick. Absolute madness.

— It’s similar with Darian Mensah, who McShay is currently grading in the top-10. What are we doing here? He’s a mid-round prospect at best operating within a great situation. Malachi Toney is, for me, the most talented player in college football. He doesn’t have Jeremiah Smith’s physical size but he’s the most naturally gifted player overall and frankly, I don’t think it’s close. Toney could easily be the #1 pick in 2028, that’s how good he is. When you’re playing in the ACC and you can basically just throw it in the general direction of Toney, of course you’re going to succeed. Mensah isn’t a big, physical difference maker. He’s more mobile and creative than Carr and Sayin but he’s hardly Russell Wilson. Against Florida State he threw an awful interception early in the third quarter, throwing it up for grabs when (for once) he experienced some pressure. On a routine 4th and 2 he skipped a pass into the turf when his receiver was open. Nobody this time last year was calling him a top-10 pick when he was at Duke — so why are people being fooled, just as they were with Cam Ward, now he’s gone to a far more favourable environment?

— Drew Mestemaker had a poor first half against Houston before recovering in the second. He threw a turnover worthy play with 7:27 left in the third quarter when the defensive back had position and he threw it straight to him (the ball was dropped). He underthrew a deep shot, delivering late to Wyatt Young. If the corner turns around it could’ve been picked. His running back did a lot of heavy lifting in the recovery, including a big catch and run for a touchdown. He also made some good throws (a key 4th down completion) and kept Oklahoma State in the game. Still, not the smoothest performance. His pass-pro was very good throughout too which helped. There are really nice things to Mestemaker’s game including the way he generates so much velocity when he flicks his wrist, his accuracy and ability to layer throws plus his ability to take off and make big gains as a runner. However, he’s still so inexperienced at the position. In an ideal world he’d return to college next year — but at the moment I’d suggest he and Trinidad Chambliss are vying to be the first quarterback taken, so he could be swayed by that opportunity.

— Chambliss had a really sloppy first half against Missouri — often throwing behind or off-target. We’ve not seen him do that for a while. We’re talking about wide open throws where he just missed. Don’t get me wrong, he also had some good touchdown passes as Ole Miss dominated their opponent. There’s a lot to like about his game but as of today, would I feel confident drafting him in round one to make him ‘the guy’ for your franchise? Not really. I don’t think there’s any quarterback I’d be rushing to take in round one next year, unless Mestemaker can continue his rapid rise and finish in a superb fashion.

— There had been some suggestions Missouri quarterback Austin Simmons might consider the NFL given the way he’s played this year. He’s been terrific in a number of games — throwing with accuracy, not turning it over and his arm strength is top notch. He really fires the ball out and fits it into all sorts of tight windows. However, the Ole Miss game was a good reminder that he’s so inexperienced and this is his first year starting. He’s not ready. He also pats the ball far too much before throwing and his release is really elongated and needs tightening up (if he can without impacting his obvious throwing talent). He has an absolute laser of an arm though and will be on the NFL radar for 2028 for sure.

— I’m a big fan of Ole Miss receiver Deuce Alexander but he had a sloppy game against Missouri. He had a wide open drop with 4:04 left in the first half. It was his first dropped pass of the season and it was disappointing. Chambliss kept missing him and they struggled to connect, which is weird because we’d not see this in previous games. He had a quiet day with three catches for 20 yards.

— Ole Miss’ Kewan Lacy is clearly the most talented draft eligible running back. I don’t think it’s even close, frankly. However, he’s been banged up all season and got hurt again against Missouri after an electric start. He left the game but returned after half-time and promptly fumbled the football. He bounced back and whether he’s accelerating into space, breaking through tackles, hurdling defenders — he’s just on a different level to everyone else. He finished with 122 yards on 16 carries, plus two catches for 11 yards. He’s an exciting player and purely based on talent, he’s a first rounder.

— Ole Miss defensive tackle Will Echoles had a big third down sack in the fourth quarter. He bullied his way through the tackle and guard, showing quickness and mobility for his size. He will just work his way through you unless you get a big anchor on him early. He’s also an excellent talent — big men don’t often have his multi-faceted skill-set where they have the size to play stout and the electricity to be a good pass-rusher, shooting gaps and slipping off blocks. First rounder.

— Safety KJ Bolden did not play for Georgia vs Auburn. It’s been described as a right leg injury. He’d played in the previous 20 games for the Bulldogs. They really missed him — his replacement was at times all over the place — and I don’t think it’s a coincidence Georgia lost in his absence. He might not necessarily be Earl Thomas and Ed Reed as a ball-hawk but he’s just a really good football player who can run and hit, cover and wear a number of different hats positionally.

— Georgia cornerback Ellis Robinson continues to really grow on me. He’s just so quick to break on the ball. On the first defensive snap of the game he broke up a pass and he was like lightning to the receiver. KJ Bolden’s replacement ran into him on an under-thrown pass downfield enabling a long touchdown for Auburn, which was a costly play. Robinson also gave up a critical DPI in the end-zone leading to an Auburn touchdown. However, he’s just so fluid in transition, he’s quick to close space when playing off, he can carry receivers downfield and he’s well sized. I think he’s going to be a very high pick.

— Linebacker Chris Cole was flying all over the field against Auburn in the second half, after a quiet first two quarters. He’s a tremendous talent but I’ll repeat what I’ve been saying the last two weeks. In order to truly max-out his potential he needs to do more when he lines up off the EDGE. There are too many easy blocks — and he’s extremely raw playing in this role. Arvell Reese a year ago made the most of every single snap he took off the EDGE. I don’t feel that way about Cole and feel he might be being wasted in that area. He’s such an amazing run-and-chase linebacker, with great size and length, and unlike Reese — he might just be best sticking in that position.

— Team-mate Raylen Wilson doesn’t have Cole’s physical upside but he was a warrior with his tackling, blitzing and hustle against Auburn. They were tied for team tackles (10 each) with all of Wilson’s 10 being solo tackles. He also had a sack. Testing-wise he probably isn’t going to be anything special — and we’ll need to consider his coverage limitations compared to his thumping, old-school style. I do see a NFL role for him though.

— I feel like I watch the same game by Yhonzae Pierre at Alabama every week. He’s very competent sealing the EDGE as an outside linebacker and playing the run. He almost always collects one sack, or a notable pressure. He looks the part. Yet I never come away from any game feeling like I’m watching someone with legit next-level pass-rushing potential. I don’t think you can take a good run-defending OLB that early. He simply doesn’t have enough ankle-flexion and bend to be a dynamic EDGE. But if you want someone who can chip-in and play outside, give everything and be stout vs the run, he’s your man.

— Notre Dame’s Boubacar Traore is quite overrated as a draft prospect. On the first drive of the game against BYU he had an awful late-hit targeting penalty that got him kicked out of the game. It was a key mistake. He’s productive for the Irish but I don’t see the skills required to think it will translate to the NFL.

— Florida State’s Duce Robinson had a great 75-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter, running away from defenders. He then showed great ball-tracking in overtime for a big third down touchdown in the end zone. The ball hung in the air and he showed great body control to keep his feet in bounds. He doesn’t always live up to expectations but you see flashes from Robinson that are intriguing given his size.

— Oregon’s passing game has obviously collapsed and that’s hurting the likes of Jamari Johnson and Evan Stewart (although it seems they’re also doing all they can to make life even harder for themselves at the moment). Johnson still had an outstanding touchdown catch with 28 seconds remaining as the Ducks beat Nebraska. The situation with their passing game shouldn’t mask what a great talent Johnson is.

Quarterback scouting notes

CJ Carr (Notre Dame)

Plays in a system that demands very little of him. He executes fairly well but it does not paint the picture of an above average NFL talent. Often sits in the gun and it’s just a case of snapping and throwing immediately to the target, with no reading the field.

He doesn’t play in a progression-based system and when it’s not a snap-and-fire he will lock onto his primary target frequently. Typically waits for receivers to uncover when protected and doesn’t move off his first read.

Does not possess difference making physical tools (arm/mobility/size). Does get the ball out quickly but again, it’s without any post-snap challenge.

Has shown a degree of high quality accuracy on some throws. Had a play vs North Carolina where he’s stood on the 36-yard line and waited for his receiver to get downfield and layered the pass beyond the cornerback and safety. Fit it into the right area with timing and accuracy — it was a very pretty throw. It was still only one read on the play — in the NFL, a safety might take that away with ease.

Throws with decent loft on fades and gives his receiver a chance. I don’t think he will turn pro as a redshirt sophomore.

I just think there’s a fairly limited ceiling here and I don’t see a ton of upside. He’s not a player who plays out of structure — he isn’t going to improvise.

Feel like his entire game will need to be built from the ground up. Will need to learn to make quick, decisive reads in a pro-system, including the drop-back passing game, and move off initial target quickly. No idea how consistent pressure will impact his decision making. Also not sure how he will handle having to scramble, extend or move up in the pocket because he doesn’t have to do a lot of that.

Feel like we see this kind of player get over-drafted all the time.

Jayden Maiava (USC)

You see plenty of evidence of him going through his progressions.

When his receivers are covered he will try to extend plays and make things happen. He’s a willing scrambler but also keeps his eyes downfield.

There is legit productivity when running a bootleg and getting out of the pocket/throwing on the run. I also like his drop & set technique and his throwing base.

When he doesn’t have time to properly set his feet, his footwork suffers as does his accuracy.

There is natural ability here and I think he can operate an offense at the next level. I’m not sure he has the big-time physical tools to be special, or even start at a high level. That could be the thing that holds him back. But he’s also not limited physically — this is just a question of ceiling.

There’s more natural flare and translatable tape, more so than other quarterbacks. He can have moments of inaccuracy — eg throwing high or low.

He will manipulate and hold safeties with his eyes. He needs to be careful throwing late to the sideline — he sometimes throws risky passes that can be undercut and will be at the next level. I think he trusts his arm too much on those throws and it isn’t strong enough to just force it in there.

He has to really put his body into the throw to generate torque downfield.

Throwing over the middle, he has shown he can fit passes into tight windows. He will take risks, including at times where you’d rather he didn’t.

Can imagine the highly established offensive gurus thinking they can work with him. Lincoln Riley has put quarterbacks into the league and they’ve started quickly and had a degree of success.

I would rather take my chances on Maiava later than some of the other quarterbacks early.

Drew Mestemaker (Oklahoma State)

An inexperienced player with only a couple of proper seasons at quarterback.

He possesses good size and athleticism —- he’s 6-3 and 215lbs and can run. He flashed legit sprinting ability on his huge 75-yard scamper vs Oregon.

He’s light and bouncy on his feet enabling him to scan the field and adjust position, change his throwing angle. When he makes his mind up he’s capable of generating great velocity with just a flick of his wrist.

He will put the ball in harm’s way and has nine TWP’s and six INT’s in his first six games this season. Clearly he’s still learning and would ideally stay for another year at Oklahoma State.

His ball placement is at times fantastic —- see his wonderful pass downfield vs West Virginia over the middle to Wyatt Young. He often makes difficult throws look effortless.

He can deliver passes with very little base, thrown in a crowded pocket, with downfield accuracy.

He manipulates the pocket well to get the throwing angle he desires. He’s patient to let routes develop and doesn’t panic when pressure arrives.

His arm strength is good and he can vary touch/pace. Lofted passes drop from the air with a touch of venom and that’s exactly what you want to see.

Clearly he’s capable of layering passes in between defenders, over the middle, and at a medium/longer range. He can also be decisive in the red zone and gets the ball out quickly.

His fade passes could use more air sometimes. He can push the ball downfield and there are no limitations with the deep ball. His internal clock in the pocket moves quickly.

He has had a high number of +20 yard throws in the first part of the season this year.

He’s very young and only turns 21 in January.

For some reason vs Houston he kept throwing into traffic. However, his throwing angles on the run can be top level — as you saw with the big downfield play to Young vs Houston on the out-and-up route.

As with most college quarterbacks, there’s not a lot of post-snap progression.
He also doesn’t take the ball under center, as hardly anyone does, so he’ll need to learn how to do that.

He does remind me a little bit of Daniel Jones. There’s plenty of potential here but I hope he stays in college to continue developing.