Trade DK Metcalf. Trade Geno Smith.

I would seriously consider it.

A fresh start. Move on. A new direction for this team.

I think it’s time for this to be a serious consideration. Metcalf has made his feelings known and it appears it’s a matter of ‘when’ not ‘if’ he is dealt. Smith is yet to agree terms on a new contract, with a March 16th deadline looming when a $10m roster bonus triggers.

I suspect at least some of the motivation for Metcalf’s trade request is due to the relationship between quarterback and receiver not being ‘great’. You only need to listen to Hugh Millen’s tape assessments. He’ll frequently break down in detail the number of times Metcalf was open and not thrown to. I would imagine that led to a degree of frustration, perhaps adding to other issues, and I’m not sure Metcalf and Smith saw eye to eye. Call this an educated guess. It doesn’t necessarily mean this was the defining factor in the request — contract negotiations are always king at the end of the day. I would imagine it played a part, though.

Moving on from both will be somewhat risky but I don’t think the Seahawks are knocking on the door of contention anyway. I feel more confident writing this after the combine. There are quarterbacks in this draft who can be competitive starters in the league. Perhaps not ‘elite’ players — but certainly competitive.

You would need a new bridge. You don’t go into the draft with only Sam Howell on the roster.

Numerous reporters are noting a modest market for Sam Darnold. He has familiarity with Klint Kubiak from their time in San Francisco together. I would consider pivoting to him, especially if he is suddenly available on a far more reasonable contract than many thought at the end of the 2024 season.

I would also consider putting faith in your system. The Shanahan scheme has produced results with a type of quarterback. Including, it has to be said, young players. Look at Brock Purdy for example. I think you can create a pathway that enables the team to set up a bright future with a cheap placeholder on the roster as a draft hedge, before selecting the future at the position.

Some people will read this and recoil in horror. Seahawks fans typically don’t like change. They often never want players to leave. There’s a comfort zone and a fear of worst case scenarios. We saw it with Pete Carroll. Yet 12 months on from his departure, we already see a rapidly improved defense and a win-loss record that was actually improved (and could’ve been better).

We also saw it with Russell Wilson before his trade to Denver. Yet his backup, Geno Smith, stepped into the starting role and replaced him.

The defense moved on from the old guard and showed signs of life. It might be time to do the same on offense. Create a young, vibrant unit. Accept the prospect of growing pains. Play the longer game.

It’s not a plan to ‘tank’ or any nonsense like that. It’s about plotting a new course with the intention of building into a contender. The aim is to win in 2025, while appreciating the serious contending might be more likely in the future.

The fact that the Smith negotiation is still ongoing days after the combine, without resolution, perhaps speaks to his intention to gain a level of commitment from the Seahawks that they’re just not comfortable with. If you can retain him on a modest, flexible deal then it’s understandable. Smith is not leading you to where you want to go though. Despite what Mike Macdonald said during interviews recently, I’m not sure anyone truly believes Smith is ‘the guy’.

Let someone else make that commitment. See what the likes of Las Vegas are willing to offer. Or Tennessee. Or the Giants. Or Cleveland.

Likewise, I think Metcalf desires a fresh start and should be granted one. Get the best deal you can — preferably including a top-40 pick as part of any package.

These moves would not only bolster your draft stock, you’d save $31.9m in cap space. Added to what’s already available in effective cap space (spending money) you’d have a $60m war-chest for free agency. That’s more than enough to go and land someone like Will Fries, who as we’ve been noting is the best fit for Seattle’s blocking scheme in free agency, and perhaps challenge the Bears for Drew Dalman (they appear to be the frontrunners for his signature).

You’d also have the money to land a replacement veteran quarterback — whether it’s someone more expensive like Darnold or a cheaper alternative.

Armed with multiple top-100 picks, you could inject cost-effective talent onto the roster. It is a deep class, making up for a lack of blue-chippers at the top end.

More importantly, I’m starting to think there are quarterbacks in the draft who can start for you sooner rather than later. I think, for example, Tyler Shough could do that job. I found it interesting that Todd McShay has moved him up to #30 on his board, just behind Jaxson Dart. Either player could potentially start for you and maybe, just maybe, emulate some of what we saw from Bo Nix as a rookie. As with Nix in Denver, I think you have the offensive system to guide a player early in his career.

I was incredibly impressed with Shough’s attitude during combine interviews, the way he embraced the situation and delivered an excellent performance. He has the tools and the mentality, I think, to start quickly. I have a hunch that Sean McVay might like him enough to take in round one as the heir apparent to Matthew Stafford in 2026.

As we discussed a couple of weeks ago, there’s a decent chunk of analytical data working in Dart’s favour too.

We’ve seen how a young quarterback can energise a franchise in Washington and Denver. The fans in Chicago are certainly buzzing about their prospects under Ben Johnson — and Michael Penix Jr flashed a bit at the end of last season. I don’t think it’s beyond the realms of possibility you can do this too, with this class of quarterbacks. With a system that is friendly to quarterbacks.

The upside of this situation is enormous. It completely opens up your cap so that you can invest in the trenches and you can build an excitement around the team that is currently absent.

Other quarterbacks, like Quinn Ewers and Will Howard (and certainly Jalen Milroe and Riley Leonard) will need time and development. They could also be possibilities if you did sign a more capable veteran starter.

On the 27th December I wrote about the Seahawks needing a disruptive off-season. I spoke about the challenge of Metcalf’s future, the need for a new offensive coordinator, a rebuild of the O-line and whether they should move on from Geno Smith.

Here’s a passage from that article:

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?

They replaced Ryan Grubb. Metcalf’s on the trade block. Next week, I’m certain they will be in the mix to sign free agents to fix the offensive line (they have no choice). I believe it’s also time to think about Smith’s future.

The disruptive off-season they needed is happening. Now it’s time to see it through to its fullest conclusion.