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.

Everything is pointing to Sam Darnold being Seattle’s replacement for Geno Smith. So what does it mean? Why is he the person they’re targeting? What is the bigger picture?

Why has this happened?

Simply put, I suspect the Seahawks don’t see a big difference between Smith and Darnold apart from the price-tag.

Reports are saying Smith wanted $45m a year. We’ll see what contract he agrees in Vegas. If Darnold is closer to $30m, it’s not insignificant. The Seahawks will probably structure the contract to contain annual outs, too. It likely won’t be a firm commitment. They’d just be switching to a younger, cheaper bridge.

Frankly, that makes sense.

Why do they want a bridge?

It all comes down to drafting a quarterback. That has almost certainly been the plan since trading Russell Wilson in 2022. It was always going to be the plan, whether Smith stayed or whether they pivoted to someone else.

The reason it hasn’t happened so far isn’t anything to do with Seattle’s wants and desires. The 2022 quarterback class was extremely poor. They didn’t pass on anyone who has flourished in 2023. Last year, six quarterbacks went in the top-12 and then there was a gap to round five. The opportunity to invest in a good, young quarterback with a realistic chance to be a starter hasn’t existed.

Now, for the first time in four drafts, there’s a pool of quarterbacks who are interesting and potentially within a reasonable early-round range for the Seahawks. It doesn’t mean a fantastic franchise passer will emerge from the group. But there will be an opportunity for Seattle to invest in a signal caller to see if they can become a capable starter with upside for more.

That’s what it’s all about. Finding the next guy in the draft. Yet in order to bridge to that player and guard against missing out, you still need a starter on the roster. That’s just common sense.

I know some people viewed Geno Smith as more than a bridge. The Seahawks didn’t agree. This is all about hedging for April and if the player or players they want are available, they will draft a quarterback this year.

Don’t underestimate this draft class

In a recently published board, Todd McShay included four quarterbacks in his top-30 — Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders, Jaxson Dart and Tyler Shough. I don’t think anyone should be surprised if all four of those players go in round one. Meanwhile, Quinn Ewers will likely be a top-50 selection and we could still see Jalen Milroe and Riley Leonard go earlier than many are projecting.

We have a habit of running with narratives online within the football community. This isn’t a bad quarterback class. It lacks top-end talent. But it’s not bad and potential starters exist, even if some players will need plenty of development.

Can Darnold help Seattle compete in 2025?

Seattle’s new scheme will share DNA with Minnesota’s, where Darnold played as part of a 14-win team. He’s reuniting with an offensive coordinator he knows well. This scheme has been quarterback-friendly in the past.

There are positives to Darnold’s play. Only Josh Allen, Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson threw more ‘big time throws’ last season. His PFF grade when he has less than 2.5 seconds to throw (81.0) is better than Geno Smith’s (77.9). He only threw two turnover worthy plays in that scenario, compared to Smith’s three.

Darnold ranked 14th per QBR, while Smith was 21st. Darnold was ninth for EPA, Smith was 14th. For EPA with low-leverage passes weighted down, Darnold was eighth and Smith 12th.

There are also things to be concerned about. He threw a league high 27 ‘turnover worthy plays’. We all saw how poorly he played in Minnesota’s final two critical games. It’s also worth noting that Smith’s worst grades in 2024 came against the Bears, 49ers, Lions, Packers and Vikings. All key games. He also had a significant pick-six against the Rams. He had his bad moments too.

Neither player is the answer long term. There’s not much to say one is worth $10-15m more than the other though. And that’s the point.

What about the offensive line though?

Whoever was the quarterback this year, the line would need improvement. The Seahawks know that. Armed with $60m in effective cap space, they’ll likely be aggressive on Monday when the legal tampering period begins.

I don’t want to repeat myself too much but Will Fries is the ideal addition — potentially pairing him with a center he’s familiar with in Ryan Kelly. Drew Dalman is a better option at center but it might be tricky to sign Fries and Dalman — with the Bears said to be leading the chase for the Atlanta lineman.

I keep seeing comments that Darnold wouldn’t have coped behind Seattle’s 2024 O-line. The point is, he won’t have to play behind it in 2025. Moves will be made next week to change things up.

Why the meltdown?

Is Geno Smith really worth it? Really?

A 35-year-old increasingly expensive quarterback who has some excellent physical qualities but also isn’t likely to take you to the promise land.

I’ve seen people talking about becoming a Raiders fan, people hammering the Seahawks, some even ridiculously claiming that Seattle’s fan base has negatively influenced John Schneider, forcing him into this decision (like he’s taking any stock of what’s said on social media in his decision making).

Let’s put it this way. If Smith is as good as some people say — why didn’t any team outbid the Raiders for his services? It would’ve been easy to do. Why is he only worth the #92 pick? Why weren’t the Titans, Giants, Browns and Jets offering more? Was there even another suitor apart from Pete Carroll’s new team?

I appreciate the people who constantly went OTT in their criticism of Smith were equally annoying and their victory laps over the last 24 hours are unpalatable. But there’s a group of media types and Seahawks Twitter contributors who seem to think any person who doesn’t agree with them on Geno Smith is an idiot. These people need to get a grip.

What happens with DK Metcalf?

I’m really intrigued to see what happens here. As I said 10 minutes into our instant reaction stream, I think yesterday’s news increases the chances he will stay. Others have said similar. Could he end up extending his contract? Will he still be traded?

This is the next big domino to fall. It’ll be fascinating to see what happens.

The Seahawks beat the Bears 6-3 on Boxing Day. It wasn’t an entertaining or festive experience. After the game, 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?

The Seahawks have a new offensive staff. They will have a new quarterback. Next week I firmly believe they’ll spend money on their offensive line. As discussed in the week, Colts guard Will Fries is the clear best fit for their blocking scheme.

That’s not to suggest this was 100% by design. The intention to replace Ryan Grubb clearly was, as was the likely internal acknowledgement that the offensive line had to be an off-season priority.

The quarterback situation was different though. A parting with Geno Smith wasn’t inevitable. They were never going to take on a $44.5m cap hit. Neither were they going to make a firm commitment financially or with term. There had to be a compromise — an arrangement that ultimately enabled the Seahawks to manage cost and retain flexibility. They wanted the ability to move on when they wanted to. That’s the nature of a bridge quarterback.

Smith wasn’t interested in that clearly. With the Raiders missing out on Matthew Stafford, an opportunity emerged. One that felt distinctly possible following Pete Carroll’s appointment in Vegas.

The Seahawks get a third round pick (#92) for Smith. The Raiders will give him the contract he desires. A win-win for all concerned, I’d suggest.

I never agreed it was impossible for the Seahawks to replace Smith this off-season. They replaced Matt Hasselbeck and Russell Wilson. They can replace Geno. It’s of some considerable relief that the endless discussion about Smith is over, at least in a Seahawks context. One side constantly claiming you’re an idiot for thinking he’s anything less than excellence personified, the other going over the top in their criticism with virtually every incomplete pass.

The reality was somewhere in the middle, which is where Smith deserves to be ranked as a quarterback in this league. He possesses highly impressive physical traits, can complete throws many wouldn’t even try and he won games for Seattle during his time as a starter. He also struggled in the red-zone, had too many turnovers and had moments of erraticism and occasionally lost his composure.

Playing behind a bad offensive line was a major hindrance. Yet he also made mistakes without excuse — including a rotten pick-six against the Rams last November. It was a back-breaking moment in a critical game. He also, too often, failed to take shots to DK Metcalf — something that irked the receiver enough to be one of the reasons why he fancied a fresh start (although let’s be right, contract talks are always king in these instances and Metcalf might want to try something new as he enters the defining years of his career).

I wrote during the season that the Seahawks might pivot to Sam Darnold. John Schneider attended his pro-day and for a brief moment he was linked to Seattle after Adam Schefter tweeted Russell Wilson’s four-team trade list in 2021. The fact he’s worked with Klint Kubiak makes it an obvious connection and Schefter tweeting that the Seahawks will be a suitor is massively telling. This is on the cards.

Darnold’s market is said to be cooler than many anticipated. Albert Breer says the Seahawks were looking at $35m a year for Geno Smith but the Smith camp wanted $45m. If Darnold is more open to a Baker Mayfield contract ($33.3m per season) that would be an obvious, more cost-effective option.

Such a deal wouldn’t make Darnold the confirmed ‘franchise quarterback’ of Seattle — although I’m sure that’s how it would be billed. In 2012 the exact same thing happened with Matt Flynn and he never played a down for the Seahawks. Adding Darnold would be the perfect foil for a dalliance in the draft. I’ve been saying it for weeks — I think this is the year John Schneider drafts a quarterback.

I’ve thought for a while he admires Quinn Ewers. Plenty of teams will be intrigued by Jaxson Dart. Will Howard definitely has fans in important places. I think many people in the league have been surprised by how much they like Tyler Shough during this draft process so far. There are also going to be teams who believe in the upside of Riley Leonard and Jalen Milroe plus the analytics of Kyle McCord.

You’re going to hear a whole bunch of stuff about this being a bad quarterback draft class. Utter bunkum. It’s not an elite class. You’re not going to get the next Jayden Daniels at #18 or #50 or anywhere in-between. Is it possible to get a player who can be your answer to Bo Nix, in a system that has been friendly to quarterbacks in the past (see: Brock Purdy)? Absolutely, yes.

I think that will be part of their thinking. My prediction is they will sign Sam Darnold and draft a quarterback within the first two rounds of the draft.

Here are some other ‘thinking out loud’ ideas…

— I wonder if a new deal for DK Metcalf is more likely now than it was before Geno Smith’s departure? Just a thought.

— Reportedly the Seahawks pitched the idea of swapping Metcalf and Smith for Maxx Crosby. The Raiders said no, emphatically. However, I wonder if — with extra stock acquired and potentially more on the way through Metcalf — whether the Seahawks would call Cincinnati about Trey Hendrickson? He’s 31 this year and wants a new deal but he does have 35 sacks in the last two seasons. Some Bengals fans think he could be available for a second round pick. I think the Seahawks are determined to add a true game-changing EDGE rusher and Myles Garrett likely won’t be available until after June 1st because of his contract (if at all). The Seahawks have the resources to make something happen with Hendrickson if they want to.

— Aside from Will Fries — do the Seahawks now have the money to aggressively go after other players? Can they compete with Chicago for Drew Dalman to properly fix their O-line? Will they look at the pass rush or safety market — where interesting options are available? If they trade Metcalf, will they make a bit of a splash at receiver? They suddenly have $60m in effective cap space (spending money) and can raise more by trading Metcalf ($10.8m) and/or re-working Uchenna Nwosu’s deal.

— I think the Seahawks deserve credit and praise for being bold. Sometimes you’ve got to have the courage to take a chance. I mentioned this the other day — there’s too much fear of change within this fan base. People didn’t want to move on from Carroll, yet 12 months on the defense improves and the team didn’t regress in the win-column. The idea of parting with Russell Wilson was too much for others. The Seattle Seahawks were not a serious contender in 2024 and haven’t been for some time. The chances are they won’t be a contender in 2025 either. Trying to get to that stage sometimes requires risk. Otherwise you just end up stuck in the middle. Nobody wants to be there — we should be grateful ownership and the front office agree with that sentiment.

If you missed our instant reaction live-stream to today’s news, check it out here: