Tomorrow I’m going to delve into the defensive line data and on Wednesday it’ll be quarterbacks. Today it’s the turn of the offensive linemen…

Zone blocking free agents

I wanted to identify the best possible scheme fits within the free agent class. However, just looking at zone blocking data for the 2024 season can be deceptive. For example, Evan Neal of the Giants had a 90 grade in zone. He only had 78 zone snaps though. Therefore, I calculated a two-year average in zone for every free agent.

Only eight interior line free agents had a grade above 70:

Drew Dalman — 86.6 (454 snaps)
James Daniels — 79.6 (275 snaps)
Ben Bartch — 79.5 (57 snaps)
Trey Smith — 79.3 (482 snaps)
Kevin Zeitler — 79.2 (462 snaps)
Teven Jenkins — 78.1 (284 snaps)
Will Fries — 76.4 (349 snaps)
Coleman Shelton — 73.0 (309 snaps)

Mekhi Becton (67.3) and Ryan Kelly (66.6) were just on the outside. In case you are wondering, here are the five worst graders in zone:

Daniel Brunskill — 56.4
Ben Bredeson — 54.8
Brandon Scherff — 54.0
Josh Myers — 50.7
Jedrick Wills Jr — 50.4

It’s also possible Garrett Bradbury (74.4) and Trey Pipkins (70.3) could be cap casualties. If the Chiefs were willing to part with Joe Thuney via trade — an unlikely scenario, admittedly — his average grade was a 73.0.

Takeaways

It’s not exactly breaking news but by far the most impactful players the Seahawks could sign in free agency to improve their offensive line are Drew Dalman, Trey Smith and Kevin Zeitler. They all have +400 zone snaps in the last two seasons and have excelled in the scheme.

If only it were as simple as signing a couple of these guys, eh?

Sadly they are likely to be three highly coveted targets, or in the case of Zeitler he might be unprepared at the age of 35 to move to the west coast after a career on the east.

Drew Dalman is the ideal signing in terms of need, scheme fit and age (26). If the Seahawks go all-in on anyone, it probably should be him. With this being such an incredibly thin center class in the draft, most of the league might be interested in Dalman.

The Seahawks would have to pull out all of the stops to acquire him — both financially and in terms of selling the vision of moving to Seattle. This will be extremely difficult. Many expect the 49ers to pursue Dalman. He grew up in California and went to Stanford. You might not be able to compete with geography.

It would be a blow to see him join a division rival, especially if he continues his upward trajectory in his career. I think they have to be prepared to gamble a bit on cost because the fit is so good. Klint Kubiak’s suggestion that they need an elite center for the system to excel underpins the need to be aggressive here. Dalman is a top-five graded center — not just in zone. We’ll see if they can make it happen.

There is something else to note with Dalman. When John Schneider talks about doing a better job identifying and developing players, here is a classic example. Dalman’s overall blocking grade in his final year at Stanford was an 86.9. His grade in zone was a 91.2. He ran a 4.51 short shuttle, which for a center is typically indicative of strong upside potential. Dalman was always going to last to the round four range (it’s where I had him graded on my 2021 horizontal board) due to a lack of size (299lbs) and length (32 inch arms). Yet he had big hands (10.5 inches) — another indicator for future success at his position.

Dalman didn’t start a single game as a rookie, before taking over the job in year two. The Seahawks aren’t alone in this by any stretch — but they haven’t done a good enough job noting who has ‘the right stuff’ to be a potential hit in the kind of range Dalman was taken. He ticked a lot of boxes for a good starting center.

Of course, this was the 2021 draft that the Seahawks pretty much wrote-off because of Covid. They took Dee Eskridge instead of Creed Humphrey. They had only three draft picks after the nonsensical Jamal Adams trade, effectively taking them out of a class that included, aside from Humphrey, Landon Dickerson, Alim McNeill, Milton Williams, Osa Odighizuwa, Quinn Meinerz, Nico Collins, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Trey Smith, Ernest Jones, Chubba Hubbard, Dalman and others. There’s no hindsight thinking here either — I interviewed McNeill, Williams and Meinerz pre-draft (among others) because we rated them highly.

When the Seahawks did take a shot on a center — Olu Oluwatimi in 2023 — his grading was good (80.4 overall, 74.1 in zone, 80.0 in gap) but not close to Dalman’s level. His testing results (4.68 short shuttle) were also far weaker and he has tiny hands (8 5/8 inches). This is a very different profile, one that doesn’t suggest ‘future top center potential’.

There isn’t a single player in the 2024 draft with similar grades to Dalman. We’ll see if anyone can measure up physically in terms of testing. Ultimately, the Seahawks might be best signing a proven player (Kelly) for the next two years and kicking the can down the road, if they can’t sign Dalman. Or they could try to convert a day three prospect (Clay Webb, Connor Colby, Luke Kandra) behind the experienced starter. A better plan is needed here, though, than annually just signing a cheap one-year band-aid.

Trey Smith is going to re-set the guard market and maybe get close to receiver-level money. The teams with major cap space are likely to be the big players for his services, or he might just stay in Kansas City.

Kevin Zeitler played in Detroit for $6m in 2024. What a bargain. If he continues playing, he might just stay with the Lions.

I’m not sure there’s anyone else who can provoke immediate change. It won’t be a surprise if the Bears — boosted by the fact their quarterback is on a rookie contract and clearly in an aggressive mood having appointed Ben Johnson — pull out all the stops to land Dalman and Smith to make a statement. This is the kind of power-play that would elevate the Seahawks in a big way but it just seems absolutely fanciful (and might be for the Bears too).

So what can they do?

Ryan Kelly is a reasonable short-term fallback option for Dalman even if his age and grade are not ideal. Keep an eye on Coleman Shelton as another alternative.

Teven Jenkins could be an option but it depends on his market. If he gets a Damien Lewis level salary, forget about it. He’s too inconsistent. If he’s available on a cheaper prove-it deal, he could interest Seattle.

As discussed last week, San Francisco’s Ben Bartch could be a sneaky target. The 49ers have earmarked him to replace Aaron Banks. Can you steal Bartch from them? He’s also 26 and has a ton of potential within this scheme. Unlike Dalman, Bartch is originally from Oregon — so he might be open-minded about coming back to the PNW. He grades well in zone but he’s taken significantly fewer snaps than the other players listed earlier, so there’s an element of the unknown here.

James Daniels would be an option but it’s unclear when he’ll be healthy after suffering a torn achilles. He might remain a free agent deep into the summer when his rehab concludes. Lucas Patrick (67.7 average grade in zone) could be a good draft hedge after playing for Kubiak in New Orleans.

Overall there aren’t a ton of attractive options. You better prepare yourselves, Seahawks fans.

Zone blocking grades for draftable prospects

Because free agency could be a struggle unless they pull off a major coup, I think the Seahawks are banking on a good offensive lineman being available at #18. If they want to inject quality into their O-line this is possibly the only way to do it. The problem is, they already have a very young offensive line. Relying on the draft will be risky. It might place a greater emphasis on signing someone experienced like Ryan Kelly (if Drew Dalman isn’t available).

I can’t list everyone because it’s unfair to publish PFF’s full in-house grades but here are the key linemen who did well in zone and after tape study, I believe would be fits within the system:

Charles Grant — 93.0
Wyatt Milum — 90.3
Armand Membou — 87.5
Jack Nelson — 86.4
Logan Brown — 85.2
Clay Webb — 84.9
Grey Zabel —- 84.8
Kelvin Banks Jr — 81.5
Connor Colby — 81.3
Jared Wilson — 78.9
Luke Kandra — 76.5
Will Campbell — 74.5
Josh Conerly Jr — 73.7
Donovan Jackson — 73.2

I think Tyler Booker can operate in outside zone. His grade (65.5) isn’t good but it was worse in gap (63.0). I think his performance overall in 2024 is indicative of a struggling Alabama unit. In 2023, he had a 71.6 grade in zone. I would happily take him at #18 — although I don’t currently think he will last that far in round one.

Here’s how many pressures the group above conceded in 2024:

Donovan Jackson — 19
Will Campbell — 18
Kelvin Banks Jr — 10
Tyler Booker — 10
Connor Colby — 10
Armand Membou — 9
Jack Nelson — 9
Charles Grant — 9
Luke Kandra — 8
Grey Zabel — 7
Clay Webb — 7
Wyatt Milum — 6
Jared Wilson — 5

The following players gave up the most pressures within this draft class:

Cameron Williams 26
Emery Jones — 25
Marcus Mbow — 25
Donovan Jackson — 19
Will Campbell — 18
Jonah Savaiinaea — 15
Jake Majors — 15
Aireontae Ersery — 13
Joshua Gray — 12

Here’s how many sacks the targeted zone group conceded:

Will Campbell — 2
Donovan Jackson — 2
Connor Colby — 2
Charles Grant — 2
Kelvin Banks Jr — 1
Jack Nelson — 1
Grey Zabel — 1
Clay Webb — 1
Armand Membou — 0
Tyler Booker — 0
Luke Kandra — 0
Wyatt Milum — 0
Jared Wilson — 0

The following players gave up the most sacks within this draft class:

Cameron Williams — 5
Jonah Savaiinaea — 4
Marcus Mbow — 3
Connor Colby — 2
Donovan Jackson — 2
Will Campbell — 2

Takeaways

I think there are some excellent zone blocking options in this draft and not just in the early rounds. As I mentioned, they might be banking on one of Tyler Booker, Armand Membou, Kelvin Banks Jr and possibly Will Campbell or Donovan Jackson being available. All can play guard, all would add cost-effective talent and upside. Three of the players have positional flexibility.

An ideal scenario for them might be for one of Booker, Membou or Banks Jr to be there.

They might then focus their attention on the defensive line in round two. As we’ll detail in tomorrow’s piece, the 50th pick could be a real D-line sweet-spot.

Then, it could be about taking a quarterback in round three. That will be discussed in Wednesday’s article.

In terms of later round guards, Clay Webb excites me. He might’ve played at Jacksonville State but he was a former five-star recruit who originally attended Georgia. He’s an excellent athlete with a strong wrestling background. His tape and Senior Bowl performance jump off the screen in terms of zone blocking. I think he could be a better option to come in and compete to start at left guard than some of the players being touted for rounds one and two.

Connor Colby at Iowa has played 50 games of college football, has consistently helped establish a strong running game (with no support from the Hawkeyes’ passing game) and he’s a top athlete (said to be able to run a 4.47 short shuttle). His tape shows a gritty blocker willing to do everything you need to establish an outside zone attack.

Cincinnati’s Luke Kandra is someone I only studied at the back end of last week but I was quickly sold on his ability to function at a high level in this scheme. Another terrific athlete (projected 4.90 forty), he has an ideal body-type for zone blocking and plays with aggression and mobility — showing he can pull and move around the line and reach up to the second level.

These three players in particular just struck me as what you need to make this scheme work. And really, that’s what this is about isn’t it? For the first time in a while the Seahawks appear to have a clearly defined blocking plan in place. It’s time to draft and develop for the system and put down some roots.

Some of the names I’ve discussed in this piece are tailor-made zone blockers. You have a very experienced offensive line coach in John Benton, who is extremely well versed in this system. It’d be great to hand him top-end talent, via free agency and the draft, but it might not be possible. You might have to try and find solutions. There are solutions, in my opinion, throughout this draft, not just in round one, but I do think they might be banking on taking an offensive lineman with their top pick.

This will feel underwhelming to many — but signing Bartch as a draft hedge and letting the draft come to you, which could mean drafting zone specialists later on, to me isn’t a crazy idea. The Seahawks need to build around a system, not simply draft big names in the early rounds.

The key is finding a center to anchor everything — and it’s why Dalman is such an important target, with Kelly as a legitimate Plan B.

I’d also say that Jack Nelson is tremendously underrated at Wisconsin and could kick inside to guard or act as a swing tackle, Logan Brown is strictly a tackle but could be a useful backup, Grey Zabel is clearly an option but could go earlier than some of the names mentioned above and Jared Wilson is an intriguing center prospect with all the tools you need — he might just need a bit of time to develop. The question is whether he’ll last to a range where the Seahawks feel like taking a chance on a player who might not start in the first year or two. Not having a fourth round selection until the comp picks could be an issue, if Wilson even lasts that far.

Create cap room

Cutting Tyler Lockett ($17m), George Fant ($3.8m) and Roy Robertson-Harris ($6.6m) is necessary to get the team back into the black in terms of effective cap space. You save another $11.6m by cutting Dre’Mont Jones.

Lockett’s contract makes a parting inevitable but all of the other players are replaceable and cost too much for what they are producing.

Restructuring Uchenna Nwosu’s contract can create $9.5m.

These moves will enable the Seahawks to raise funds — but they need more…

Work out a new contract with Geno Smith

It feels inevitable at this point that the two parties will reach a compromise. This is a big lever the Seahawks can pull to create cap space. They can reduce Smith’s cap-hit of $44.5m considerably with an extension, give him more money in 2025 and still retain annual outs for the future to retain flexibility.

Extend DK Metcalf’s contract in the summer

They can do this sooner if needed but given his last extension came in July and they re-organised Leonard Williams’ contract to free up space suggests they’re expecting a slightly longer timescale.

That isn’t an issue. They can use all of the cap space created above in free agency, then a Metcalf extension can lower his cap-hit considerably later in the year. This will reduce his cap hit of $31.9m, giving the Seahawks enough money to do everything they need to do from August — including paying for a practise squad, injured reserve and any additions they want to make during the season.

The structure of Brandon Aiyuk’s extension with the 49ers should suit both the team and player. It guarantees Metcalf around $45-50m but gives the Seahawks a manageable cap-hit for the next couple of years, with potential outs down the line.

Re-sign Ernest Jones & Jarran Reed

It’ll be interesting to see what Jones’ market is. The Rams didn’t want to pay him and ended up trading him to the Titans for a ham sandwich. Then Tennessee moved him to the Seahawks rather than paying him. It worked out in Seattle but it might be that the rest of league won’t make him a big offer.

Jordyn Brooks signed a three-year deal with the Dolphins worth $8.4m per year. Patrick Queen agreed a deal worth $13.6m over three years. It’s difficult to project where Jones falls in the hierarchy of contracts but you would anticipate that one way or another, the Seahawks will get this done.

They should also work to bring back Reed, a genuine leader on the defense who is cost-effective and a great part of their D-line rotation. His last deal was worth $4.5m a year for two seasons. They might be able to reach a similar agreement.

Go and get your center early in free agency

Klint Kubiak made it very clear — the key to a successful zone blocking offensive line is an elite center. The Seahawks need to do what the Atlanta Falcons did in 2016 when they hired Kyle Shanahan and immediately signed Alex Mack. They need to go and land the best center on the market.

That is 26-year-old Drew Dalman. He is worth pushing the boat out for. He’s one of PFF’s top-five highest graded centers, next to the likes of Creed Humphrey and Frank Ragnow. In the last two seasons he’s graded at 82.3 and 90.9 for zone blocking (an 86.6 average — best among all free agent offensive linemen). He’s the ideal player to invest in.

The Seahawks should be prepared to outbid the market, as they did for Dre’Mont Jones in 2023 and Leonard Williams last year. A contract that slots between Humphreys’ $18m a year and Ragnow’s $13.5m a year makes sense.

If they can’t get Dalman, they should pivot to Ryan Kelly. He had a strong zone blocking grade of 75.4 in 2023 and would provide leadership and toughness up front. Longevity might be a concern though given he turns 32 in May. Olu Oluwatimi is an adequate backup if needed.

They don’t have any better alternatives than these two free agents if they want this blocking system to realise its potential.

Sign additional help for the offensive line

It’s not realistic, unfortunately, to expect the Seahawks to go on a massive spending spree. Trey Smith will likely cost too much with too many suitors. Even Mekhi Becton, who will probably be retained by Philadelphia, could get a significant pay-day.

Assuming Christian Haynes is given a new lease of life under Kubiak and John Benton (Haynes’ zone blocking grade at UConn was an impressive 89.2) and if they add a veteran center, they can let the market come to them at left guard, with the intention of also drafting a player down the line.

What’s the market like for Teven Jenkins? His average zone blocking grade over the last two seasons is a 78.1. Will Fries’ average is a 76.4. Could you take on Evan Neal as a reclamation project, similar to Becton in Philadelphia? His zone blocking grade in 2024 was a 90.9 (albeit on 78 snaps). Lucas Patrick from the Saints looks like a good draft hedge, given his experience in the system and 67.7 average grade in zone. There are two potential cap casualties who could interest the Seahawks. Garrett Bradbury (74.4 average) and Trey Pipkins (70.3) could become available.

Is there a dark horse candidate at guard?

Ben Bartch isn’t a household name but he could be a key target. He spent the last two years with San Francisco having previously been a fourth round pick for the Jaguars. When Aaron Banks suffered an injury late in the season, Bartch replaced him at left guard and excelled against Buffalo.

In the limited time he’s had on the field, he recorded a 79.7 zone blocking grade in 2023 and a 79.0 grade in 2024. There’s a feeling the 49ers will try to re-sign him to replace Banks, who is also a free agent.

Bartch knows the system Klint Kubiak will use and he’s shown promise when he’s started, unlike other San Francisco linemen. Stealing him away could provide the Seahawks with a cost-effective starting guard at a good age (26) while spoiling the plans of a division rival.

Are there any big moves they could make at guard?

If the Chiefs want to transfer cap space to Trey Smith, they might be willing to part with Joe Thuney (although I think it’s unlikely). They’d save $16m by dealing him. You would inherit a $15.5m cap-hit. He turns 33 in November so this would only be a short-term move — yet adding Thuney and a good center to your offensive line would give it a real shot in the arm.

The Chiefs won’t give him away so you’d have to come up with a creative package. For example, if you don’t have any interest in giving Tariq Woolen a big extension given his erratic level of performance, maybe you can dangle him as a trade chip? It’d be risky given Woolen’s immense upside but can you trust him to mature and find a level of consistency? I’m not sure.

There are veteran free agent cornerbacks worthy of consideration as potential replacements and I’m not sure Mike Macdonald completely trusts Woolen.

Seek value in free agency

This is actually quite an interesting free agent class, full of untapped potential.

It’s particularly strong in the secondary. Cornerbacks like Asante Samuel Jr, Charvarius Ward, Byron Murphy, Carlton Davis and Nate Hobbs could be interesting. At safety, if you wanted to cut Rayshawn Jenkins to save $5.4m, you could look at Jevon Holland, Andre Cisco, Talanoa Hufanga, Tre’Von Moehrig, Cam Bynum and Julian Blackmon.

Safety is a position that has seen a decreasing market in recent years. There might be some good opportunities here.

There are plenty of intriguing defensive line free agents. DJ Jones, BJ Hill and Bobby Brown could be good interior additions. Marquez Valdez-Scanting excelled with Kubiak in New Orleans. Could he be your new third receiver?

Finally, with Kubiak declaring a desire to have a fullback on the roster, Baltimore’s Patrick Ricard is a free agent and could be added. Adam Prentice was his fullback in New Orleans, he’s also available.

There are players here who can help the Seahawks take the next step and there could be some good value to be had.

Best player available with your top draft pick

Address your biggest needs in free agency then let the draft come to you. This is the best approach to take and it’s one the Seahawks have seemingly committed to since the dreaded start of the 2019 draft.

It’s possible the best player could be an offensive or defensive lineman. In particular, if one of Tyler Booker, Armand Membou or Kelvin Banks Jr lasts to #18, they’d be excellent picks. Similarly, it’s easy to imagine the Seahawks having interest in some of the defensive linemen projected to go in round one.

However, it’s also very possible the best player available won’t be a lineman. It could be a defensive back. Texas’ feisty Jahdae Barron has the football character, toughness, intelligence and playmaking to warrant consideration as a possible cornerback or ‘STAR’ hybrid. If Azareye’h Thomas tests well at the combine, he could be seen as a plug-and-play corner. Nick Emmanwori and Malaki Starks could be intriguing additions to Macdonald’s defense, while some see Jihaad Campbell as a viable top-20 pick.

The Seahawks will likely stick to their board and rightly so. At #18 they might have an opportunity to draft a good player. It might not be at a position most are currently projecting. They will hope — as with last year — players with legit first round value last into the middle of round one.

One thing is for sure though — football character will play a significant part in their final decision.

Draft a quarterback on day two

Contrary to what many other people say, this feels like the time to do it. There’s a middle class of players with upside talent and success in college with high character and leadership qualities.

At #50 or #82 (or in-between if they move around the board) they could be in the market for Will Howard, Quinn Ewers, Riley Leonard and perhaps Jaxson Dart or Tyler Shough. I wouldn’t even totally rule out Jalen Milroe, despite the extremely disappointing end to his Alabama career and Senior Bowl performance.

I talked about why I think Howard, Ewers and Leonard could be targets in more detail here.

Jalen Hurts wasn’t viewed as a sure-fire future starter when he was drafted by the Eagles. He started the draft process viewed by many as a likely fourth round pick. He gradually built his stock up until he was drafted 53rd overall by the Eagles. I think the quarterbacks in this class can repeat that process and can equally come into the league, develop (Hurts only started four games as a rookie) and potentially work into a lead role in the future.

Build the team you want to be

The key to fixing the offensive line isn’t just adding veterans and drafting first rounders. It’s about finding the kind of players who ‘fit’ the mentality and style of team you want to be. They’ve passed on too many players who felt like good fits. They might not like that assessment but the proof is in the archive. Several good linemen with physical, gritty playing styles — that we and others talked about — have gone elsewhere and succeeded.

Even if the Seahawks add veterans before the draft, they should still be adding younger players with the idea of succession plans, depth and development. That’s how the Eagles have built a champion line.

If you want to run the ball effectively with good quality zone blockers, target someone like Iowa’s Connor Colby. A reminder — the Hawkeyes ran for 200+ yards in eight games in 2024. Wisconsin’s highly underrated Jack Nelson can be a swing-tackle or guard. Grey Zabel at North Dakota State has every chance to make it as a starting guard, even if the Senior Bowl hype has been a bit over the top. Someone who had an underrated week in Mobile was Clay Webb — a former 5-star recruit from Georgia with an impressive wrestling background who transferred to Jacksonville State and excelled. After re-watching his Senior Bowl tape, I thought he had an excellent week.

All four of these players grade highly for zone-blocking:

Jack Nelson — 86.4
Clay Webb – 84.9
Grey Zabel – 84.8
Connor Colby – 81.3

Chuck in Wyatt Milum (90.3), Dylan Fairchild (77.2) and Tate Ratledge (74.3) too. All of these players compete with a physical edge, they are scheme fits, some are expected to test well at the combine and you can build the kind of interior O-line you want with these types of players.

Seattle’s best plan for their line will be to sign two good veterans, allowing them the opportunity to draft for the future outside of the first round — freeing them up to go best player available at #18 (which could still be an offensive lineman).

I’d also be very prepared to trade down in round one if a suitor was available to acquire extra stock so you can take multiple shots at players like Nelson, Webb, Zabel, Colby, Milum, Fairchild and Ratledge in rounds three and four.

If you want to be nasty and physical up front, make it happen

Fix the O-line with physical gritty players who excel in your scheme. Sign a full back like Patrick Ricard. Then go and get a devastating blocking tight end.

The best one in this class is Jackson Hawes of Georgia Tech. If you’re keeping Noah Fant, he and AJ Barner can be your top-two pass-catching options at the position. Hawes can be the muscle. Notre Dame’s Mitchell Evans is underrated and a complete tight end with plus blocking and receiving skills. He’s a good alternative option.

For too long the Seahawks have talked about being physically dominant up front. Now make it happen. It’s time to finally be a team nobody wants to play again. It’s time to actually be physically dominant up front. It’s time Lumen Field was a dreaded place to visit once more.

For more on the offensive line options, watch my new video below:

This is a guest article by Curtis Allen

Kirk Cousins has been thought of by some Seahawks fans as a potential option for the team at quarterback.

The rise of Michael Penix Jr in Atlanta and the weight of a massive contract have elevated the idea that Cousins may be available.  The connection to Seattle may have gotten stronger when the Seahawks hired Klint Kubiak – whom Cousins has worked with before – as their new offensive coordinator.

To briefly run through the contract numbers for the Falcons: Cousins has $37.5 million of bonus proration money still left and is owed a $27.5 million guaranteed salary this year, meaning they have an eye-watering $65 million on their books no matter what they do with him.  There is also a contract kicker: if Cousins is on Atlanta’s roster on March 17 of this year, a $10 million roster bonus due in March 2026 becomes guaranteed, which would make their total commitment $75 million.

General Manager Terry Fontenot has attempted to sell to the press with a straight face that he is perfectly fine with Cousins backing up Penix Jr — but the likelihood of that happening is slim.

Many fans have spun a scenario where the Falcons cut Cousins, eating the $65 million as dead cap money and have Cousins signing with a team for the veteran minimum of $1.255 million — just as Russell Wilson did this season in Pittsburgh after being cut by the Broncos.  Seattle, with Kubiak as the offensive coordinator, would seem like a potential destination.

However, through a Twitter conversation in recent days in which I thought out loud a bit, it made me wonder if the Seahawks can acquire Cousins in a way that gives their search for a quarterback of the future a charge?

What if they traded for Kirk Cousins?

Honestly, the probability of this happening is low.  If just the idea at first blush seems outrageous to you, I get it.  It will take a bit of work to reason this out.  But in the spirit of ‘no stone unturned’ it could be a creative way to help the Seahawks acquire a young quarterback to build around – while remaining competitive.  That’s the dream.

Give me a little space to work with here.

Let us examine the numbers and see how the Seahawks could make this work.

If they acquired Cousins via trade, they would be responsible for his fully guaranteed $27.5 million salary for 2025 and the $10 million 2026 roster bonus guarantee would also trigger for a total Seahawks commitment of $37.5 million (he also has non-guaranteed salaries of $35 million in both 2026 and 2027 – you would hear the Seahawks acquired a 3-year, $107.5 million contract but keep in mind only $37.5 million is guaranteed).

This is where we cut hard against the grain in logic.  Why would the Seahawks commit to $37.5 million for Cousins and send capital to Atlanta for the privilege – when they could just wait the situation out and pay only $1.255 million without anything spent in trade?

Answer: The Falcons might be thrilled to cut $27.5 million off their $65 million dead cap hit for cutting Cousins, making it a far more manageable $37.5 million.  They also eat the entire dead cap this year – even gaining a little room in the process – and therefore clear a whopping $57.5 million off their 2026 cap, giving them over $139 million of room to operate.  They can build their team around Penix Jr without restriction.

So thrilled, they would pay the Seahawks to take him off their hands.  And that payment would be made in the form of draft picks.

And when you rarely draft in the top three, stockpiling draft picks is how you find a quarterback in the draft.

What a Cousins Trade Would Look Like

Is there a precedent for a deal of this kind?  There is.

In 2017, the Houston Texans sent Brock Osweiler and his $16 million dead cap hit, along with their 2017 sixth-round pick and their 2018 second-round pick to the Cleveland Browns, in exchange for their 2017 fourth-round pick.

According to the Fitzgerald-Spielberger Draft Trade Value Chart, the Texans sent an estimated net 636 points of trade value to Cleveland to cover the $16 million.  That cap number represented 9.5% of the total 2017 salary cap.

Factoring for cap inflation, 9.5% of the projected 2025 salary cap works out to $25.9 million.  If we increase the number up to Cousins’ $27.5 million salary, we arrive at 675 points of trade value.

What about the $10 million roster bonus?  The Falcons are not officially on the hook for it but the Seahawks would be if they made this trade.  So, let’s split the difference and add $5 million, making 797 points of trade value.

Let’s use the chart to come up with some ideas for trade compensation:

This gives you an idea of what the $37.5 million will buy the Seahawks.

If the Falcons were to even consider this, which of these scenarios would they pick?  I would guess the bottom two.  Why?  The Falcons only have four draft picks this year.  Depleting their stock even more just to unload Cousins would be a hard sell to the fanbase, even if it makes logical sense.

To grease the wheels a bit the Seahawks could even send a player they plan on cutting loose anyway in the deal to sweeten the idea to Atlanta fans.

Maybe Dre’Mont Jones.  The Falcons could always use more linemen.

Noah Fant could be offered.  Ask fans to imagine what Penix Jr could do with Bijan Robinson, Kyle Pitts, Drake London and Fant.

But you see where the genesis of this idea lies:  If Atlanta trades 2025 stock, the Seahawks can get an extra pick in the first or second round this year – which supplements their stock and gives them multiple options to add to the trenches as well as picking a quarterback.  With Cousins as the quarterback in 2025, the staff would get a season to groom and train the rookie to take the offense in 2026.

Or if Atlanta chooses to trade 2026 picks, it comes with all kinds of implications.  If they own Atlanta’s first-round pick, they could package them in a trade up for a top quarterback prospect.  The idea would be that the Seahawks fill out their trenches with free agent additions and draft picks this year. The defense takes a major step forward in 2025 to become the strength of the team and the stage is set for a young quarterback to step into a loaded situation and succeed.

There may be a third option.  If the Seahawks like one of the quarterbacks in the 2025 class – say in the second or third round – and he shows promise with a year of development, the Seahawks then have two first-round picks to spend in 2026 on pure talent.  A defensive game-wrecker and a top offensive linemen could be in play with that kind of capital.  Or they could send one of their firsts in a trade for an established veteran and still have another first in the bank.

The possibilities are tantalizing.

But that darn $37.5 million the Seahawks would have to absorb.  That seems like an ugly number and a major obstacle to even considering this.  Is there a way to work with this?

There is.

The Salary Cap Implications

It is obvious that if the Seahawks made this trade, Geno Smith would not stay on the roster.  He would be released or traded to pick up $31 million of cap space.

Therefore in 2025 terms, the Seahawks would gain that but then add $27.5 million to the cap for a net gain of only $3.5 million.  The $10 million bonus due in 2026 makes it a net loss of $6.5 million.

The resulting cap hits would look like this:

Therefore, a trade like what we outlined in its fullest form would look like:

Geno Smith (with 1yr of team control) + $10 million in 2026 cap dollars

For:

Kirk Cousins (with 3yrs of team control) + a healthy draft pick + $3.5 million in 2025 cap dollars

A re-commitment to Smith means more guaranteed money coming to the cap in 2026 and 2027 – I would guess $25-30 million at the low end.  It would also likely make a move to trade or cut Smith in 2026 very punitive.

Whereas a trade for Kirk Cousins gives the Seahawks flexibility for both 2026 and 2027.

Think of it this way: The Seahawks are going to add $37.5 million to their cap this offseason at the quarterback spot either way, be it Cousins or Smith.  So, trading for Cousins’ contract is not taking on some massive new debt that loads the team down.

Trading for Cousins benefits the Seahawks if they want to get creative with his contract to open cap room.

OTC says a Geno Smith extension could save the team approximately $23.8 million, taking his 2025 cap number to down $20.7 million.

The Seahawks could nearly match that number without any additional commitment if they restructured Cousins’ contract.  They would do it by converting the bulk of his 2025 salary to a signing bonus and stretching it out over the life of the contract like this:

In 2026, they have options.  They could cut Cousins and pick up $26.252 million in cap room.  They could keep him and convert some salary to bonus to lower his number.

If they need to, they can approach Cousins about reworking his contract to keep him on for another season.  There is a line of reasoning that Cousins has played the game as well as anyone, chasing the top dollar in the market.  He has $293 million in career earnings.  Why not sacrifice some salary to stay on a team that could really make some noise in the playoffs?

If they choose to move on in 2026, they could even get slick by converting his $10 million roster bonus to a signing bonus, and then cutting him in a post-June 1 move:

The cap situation and options are better than extending Geno Smith.

The draft picks that would come in return favor trading for Cousins instead of retaining Smith.

There is a third factor that may be difficult to parse.

What Kind of Production Could the Seahawks Expect from Cousins?

Here is the rub.  After an excellent start in 2024, Cousins stumbled down the stretch and was benched in favor of Penix Jr.

That puts a real damper on his current outlook.  It should be noted that Cousins recently revealed that he was injured in Week 10 in two places on his throwing arm and he never got right the rest of the season.  At that point, the Falcons were 6-3 and in the thick of the playoff race.  They went 2-6 the rest of the way and that sunk their season.

If we take him at his word, consider those last eight games lost and just look at the first nine and compare them to Geno Smith’s:

On balance, Cousins’ numbers beat Smith’s in nearly every category.  It should be noted that the Falcons played six of those nine games against teams that made the playoffs, whereas the Seahawks only played four of their nine against playoff teams (including one in Bo Nix’ first ever NFL game).

Factors in Cousins’ favor: Bijan Robinson and an effective offensive line.

Factors in Smith’s favor: The Seahawks fielded a superior defense over Atlanta’s by a healthy margin.

An argument could be made that a healthy Cousins is a more effective option than Smith.

The Seahawks need a thorough physical to ascertain whether Cousins’ arm (and ankle) troubles are over and time to investigate whether his claims of injury to explain poor performance have merit.

If they do think Cousins can exceed or even just match Smith’s output in 2025, they should strongly consider whether Atlanta would be interested in a move like this.

Another factor in Cousins’ favor: The Klint Kubiak angle.  He already has an advantage over Smith in familiarity with Kubiak’s style, terminology and system.  He no doubt would be a leader in communicating and teaching it to the rest of the offense (and more so if they go out and add Cousins’ 2024 center – Drew Dalman).  Whereas Smith would be working with his third Offensive Coordinator in 3 seasons.

Is that enough to tip the scales?  It just might be.

Conclusions

There are many, many “ifs” in this thought line.  Possibly too many, if we are honest.

The Seahawks in recent days have indicated that they want Smith as their quarterback.  They could possibly view upgrades at key spots like the offensive line and a new coordinator as the key to ultimate success.  Frankly, after Sunday’s Super Bowl with Jalen Hurts beating Patrick Mahomes, that seems more plausible.

I will say this, though: Talk is cheap.  They may want Smith back but they may be unable to reach an agreement on an extension and be forced to look at other options.

Another big consideration: Cousins has a no-trade clause in his contract.  He would need to be convinced to accept this trade.  By all outward appearances, he has been a real professional in handling his demotion.  But internally he may be convinced that a move to a familiar coach with multiple weapons to work with is the best move for him right now.  Or he may make a non-football decision and want to stay in Atlanta where he has family.

Again, the Falcons must be highly interested in saving cap space and be open to aggressively pursuing an option like this.  Is that a possibility?  Yes.

Fontenot said this when the Falcons traded Matt Ryan and ate $40.5 million of dead cap in the deal:

“We’re taking it on the chin this year,” Fontenot said. “But taking it on the chin this year and how you look at where we are next year, it’s significant. If not, if we don’t do that, we could’ve restructured his contract or done something with his contract and kept him this year, and then we would still have to trade him after the season or if we keep him next year then you’re still in a really tough salary cap situation. With this, you take it on the chin this year and it’s our job to find value in free agency and to draft well and to put a good football team on the field this year, even with that dead cap. It’s an obstacle, but we look at it as an opportunity, and that’s our job. We’re not making excuses about it. Us taking it on the chin right now, it makes a significant difference for us next year and the future.”

With this viewpoint, we can at least feel confident that he would take the Seahawks’ call and consider an opportunity like this.

Remember, the baseline construct of this trade would be to acquire a quarterback of the future.  Swapping Geno Smith and Kirk Cousins are pit stops on the way to a larger goal.

We have seen how hard it is to acquire a franchise quarterback.  Russell Wilsons in the third round and Brock Purdys in the seventh are the exception rather than the rule.  You need to be aggressively searching for your next quarterback if you do not already have a long-term solution.

If they can acquire a strong veteran quarterback, add some draft stock and maintain cap flexibility?  That is a win on all counts.

This idea – no matter how farfetched in conventional terms – is presented with that goal in mind.

For more from Curtis, check out his appearance this week on the HawkZone Rundown podcast…

Prepare for a center priority

The most illuminating comment from Klint Kubiak during a day of interviews yesterday was a remark he made to Softy & Dick on KJR:

“If you’re going to be successful in the zone scheme, it all starts with an elite center.”

With the greatest respect to Olu Oluwatimi, he is not an elite center. Given the Seahawks replaced him right before the 2024 season began with a player who retired after week eight, I’m not sure they see elite potential in the former fifth round pick.

As Jeff Simmons noted on our stream yesterday, the first move made by Atlanta when they appointed Kyle Shanahan as offensive coordinator was to sign free agent Alex Mack. It was an inspired move. Mack led the line as they made the Super Bowl in his first season with the Falcons in 2016.

Based on Kubiak’s comments, you’ve got to believe the Seahawks are looking for a center upgrade. So is an elite player available?

The top five graded centers in 2024 per PFF were Creed Humphrey, Frank Ragnow, Tyler Linderbaum, Drew Dalman and Zach Frazier. Dalman will be a free agent. He seems like a clear target. He also had an 82.3 grade for zone blocking, good enough for sixth among centers. None of the rest of the top-10 zone blockers are available (unless the Vikings cut Garrett Bradbury, who ranked ninth). In 2023, Dalman’s zone blocking grade was even better — an elite 90.9.

In terms of age (26), fit and positional need — he ticks every box.

Ryan Kelly is an alternative if they want experience. His zone blocking grade was poor in 2024 (57.8) but he graded well in zone in 2023 (75.4). It’ll likely come down to how much you believe he has left in the tank. If you can’t get Dalman, signing Kelly is probably the best alternative. His experience would be very useful and you’d just need to take a chance on him regaining his best form.

One other option could be James Daniels. He switched to guard in the NFL after playing center at Iowa. Among all NFL offensive linemen in 2024 he ranked third for zone blocking grade (93.2). Moving Daniels back to center could be a fit. The concern is he tore his achilles in September so how is his recovery going and will his play be effected by the injury? He could be cheap but he could also be a major gamble, unless he comes at a bargain price.

This isn’t a good draft at center with extremely limited options. Given what Kubiak is saying, it also stands to reason they might want someone with starting experience. It’s been noted by many that the scheme relies on the center to call protections. This doesn’t feel like a job for a rookie.

I’ve been projecting the Seahawks to make an offensive line splash early in free agency, just as they did last year by retaining Leonard Williams and the year prior by signing Dre’Mont Jones. After hearing Kubiak today, I’m convinced Dalman could be a target, potentially to the tune of a deal between Ragnow’s $13.5m a year and Humphrey’s league-leading $18m a year. If it’s not him, Kelly feels like a probable next man up. I think the Seahawks will sign one of these two players if they reach the open market.

I had previously thought Green Bay’s Josh Myers could be an option but his zone blocking grade has been consistently poor. Unless they think he has untapped potential (and the Packers tend to get the most out of their linemen) he feels like an unlikely fit.

Zone blocking matters?

I’ve been arguing not to read too much into zone and gap schemes when judging who may or may not be drafted by the Seahawks. My main reason for this was the Saints drafting a big, physical mauler in Taliese Fuaga with their first round pick a year ago. I was 100% wrong for holding this view.

Fuaga actually had an outstanding zone-blocking grade at Oregon State (91.3). His gap-blocking grade was still good (78.9) but it’s clear he excelled more in zone. This probably convinced the Saints to take him.

Given Kubiak has stated the base for his blocking scheme will contain a lot of outside zone, with O-line coach John Benton being a big proponent of the system, it seems pretty clear that we should be focusing on zone blocking experts in free agency and the draft.

It’s also worth noting that Christian Haynes, Seattle’s third round pick a year ago, also excelled as a zone blocker at UConn (89.2). Don’t be surprised if Haynes receives a fresh start and a new lease of life in 2025, potentially getting the opportunity to start at right guard. He was a day two pick after all. I would imagine he’ll get a second chance to make that job his own.

Who are the available veterans and draft prospects who grade well in zone?

Even if the Seahawks don’t sign James Daniels to convert him back to center, it makes sense to consider signing him to compete at left guard. Trey Smith (82.8) has a good zone-blocking grade but will be extremely expensive and potentially out of reach. Mekhi Becton (74.8) surprisingly performed well in zone for his size. He might be expensive too after helping the Eagles win the Super Bowl.

Will Fries (91.2) has shown to be an excellent zone-blocking guard, while there’s a thought Trey Pipkins III (74.0) could be a cap casualty for the Chargers. Teven Jenkins, another free agent, graded at 70.5 but in 2023 he scored an 85.7. Ben Cleveland in Baltimore, someone I really liked when he was at Georgia, had a 2023 zone blocking grade of 81.9 (albeit from just 39 snaps). Coleman Shelton struggled in zone in 2024 (58.7) but the previous year excelled (87.3).

Could the trade market come into play? If the Chiefs move to retain Trey Smith at a high price, could Joe Thuney become available? His zone blocking grade was a 79.1 in 2024. Kansas City can’t pay everybody.

It’s also worth thinking outside of the box. Jedrick Wills wasn’t much of a run-blocker in Cleveland but I think he’s been playing out of position at tackle. Kick him inside to guard and maybe he can be this year’s answer to Becton in Philly?

There also has to be a chance Lucas Patrick comes in as a draft hedge. He had an acceptable 68.7 grade in Kubiak and Benton’s zone scheme for New Orleans last season. As an experienced veteran he’d be an obvious signing to make — especially to cover the possibility you miss out on a guard in the draft.

In terms of the rookie class, there are several players who graded well in zone.

William & Mary left tackle Charles Grant leads the way with a 92.8 grade. However, he feels very much a tackle rather than a natural fit at guard. Wyatt Milum, the West Virginia left tackle who is also projected to guard, had a 90.3 grade in zone.

There are a host of other players who graded 80 or above in zone per PFF:

Charles Grant (T) — 92.8
Wyatt Milum (G) —- 90.3
Armand Membou (T/G) —- 87.5
Jack Nelson (T/G) —- 86.4
Logan Brown (T) — 85.2
Clay Webb (G/C) — 84.9
Grey Zabel (G/C) —- 84.8
Cameron Williams (T) —- 84.0
Marcus Mbow (T/G) —- 81.6
Kelvin Banks Jr (T/G) —- 81.5
Connor Colby (G) —- 81.3

It might be worth keeping an eye on Iowa’s Colby. The Hawkeyes are good at producing linemen and tight ends. He’s played both guard spots and right tackle. He apparently ran a 4.47 short shuttle and jumped a 30 inch vertical in High School. He started 50 games at Iowa, the second-most by an offensive lineman in the Kirk Ferentz era. The Hawkeyes ran for 200+ yards in eight games in 2024, the most by the team since 2015.

Seahawks fans aren’t going to be dancing in the streets with mid-round picks on Iowa linemen but this might be exactly what they need. Listen to him speak and watch his tape. He’s a tough, athletic, gritty foundational blocker. As much as I want to see a big effort to invest in the line, adding players like Colby, Jack Nelson and Grey Zabel is a way to build structure and fit. You don’t have to avoid drafting a guard early but if you go in a different direction it’s not the end of the world.

Jared Wilson the Georgia center is just outside the 80’s range with a 78.9 but again, I’m not sure how keen the Seahawks will be to draft a center early. Jonah Monheim (69.4) and Jake Majors (63.8) graded surprisingly poorly in zone given the style and schemes they play in.

If you extend the list out to the 70’s, Aireontae Ersery (77.3), Dylan Fairchild (77.2), Will Campbell (74.5), Josh Conerly Jr (73.7) and Donovan Jackson (73.2) all grade reasonably well. I’m not worried about Tyler Booker’s 65.5 in zone — I’ve seen enough on tape to think he can play either scheme at a high level and believe he will be coveted by many teams. Tate Ratledge, equally, should be able to block well in zone. He graded at 71.4 in 2024 and a 74.3 the year before.

There are plenty of options here — whether they want to go early or wait until the middle rounds. Ideally, given the dearth of draftable centers and need for ‘elite’ qualities at the position, they acquire a top center. In a perfect world, they also add a quality left guard. Whatever happens, they have plenty of good zone blocking offensive linemen in this draft to target — either to compete to start immediately or to draft and develop behind a new veteran presence.

The Seahawks should be able to take a step forward on the O-line this year. It might not be a Chiefs-style 2021 rebuild, creating an instant turnaround up front, but that isn’t realistic based on what’s available.

Best player available is probably the key

The Seahawks have been very disciplined in the draft in recent years, rejecting forcing needs and relying on their grades with their highest picks. It felt like a reaction to the 2019 draft, where they reached to fill a defensive line need in round one (LJ Collier).

They haven’t forced anything since, instead preferring to let the board come to them. They’ll likely maintain that approach in 2025.

It does mean making some free agency moves on the offensive line to set up the opportunity to go best player available with their top pick. If they get that done, anything is on the table at #18.

Understandably at the moment most mocks pair the Seahawks with an offensive or defensive lineman. It could easily be the case that a trenches player is BPA in round one. It’s absolutely critical they make signings in free agency to create the opportunity to let the draft come to them. This is one of the things that has really served Howie Roseman well in Philadelphia in recent years.

I wouldn’t react too badly if you see a mock, like Lance Zierlein’s, where he paired the Seahawks with Luther Burden. If he lasted to #18, he could easily be best player available. He’s one of the most talented players in the draft. You also see Colston Loveland last to #18 in some mocks or linebacker Jalon Walker.

Seattle’s approach of BPA plus high football character will likely shape what they do with their top pick. If a quality offensive lineman (Booker, Membou, Banks Jr) lasts to #18 — need could match value. If they sign veterans to upgrade the O-line, they’ll have great flexibility in the draft.

Don’t underestimate the football character aspect either — it’s clearly played a big part in their thinking in recent drafts. The likes of Tyler Booker, Jalon Walker, Jahdae Barron and Jack Sawyer are celebrated for their toughness, leadership and football character. This is also why I think the quarterbacks will interest Seattle — there are several high character, high upside signal callers in this class.

Everything the Seahawks do in the media is deliberate.

Last year they weren’t being non-committal over Geno Smith — while constantly changing the subject to Drew Lock during press-conferences — for a laugh. I think it’s pretty clear they wanted to try and persuade Lock to return and felt the best way to do that was to promote him publicly and give the impression he could compete to win a job in Seattle. It didn’t work and he signed for the Giants.

It wasn’t the only reason for their messaging, though. The not-so-subtle reporting from Adam Schefter, discussing Smith’s value to potential trade suitors over his contract, was as close to a ‘come and get him’ plea to the rest of the league as you can get. They were clearly open to offers. Then, once the combine had come and gone and presumably nobody took the bait, suddenly the Seahawks pivoted and started promoting Smith as the unchallenged starter.

This year, we’re seeing very different messaging. Mike Macdonald’s recent interview with Fox-13 was fairly emphatic. He said Smith was their guy and he believed they could win a Super Bowl with him. At the conclusion of the Super Bowl the Seahawks then tweeted this from their official account. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Smith is front and centre in the image.

Is the purpose of this simply to try and eliminate questions about Smith’s future? Is it a definitive commitment to the quarterback?

Or is there something else going on?

Here’s my best guess…

Firstly, I think there has to be more to this than simply a firm commitment. We all accept the Seahawks are going to enter into negotiations with Smith and his representatives in order to work out a new contract. Nobody expects them just to throw money at Smith and this is going to have to be a compromise agreement to lower his cap-hit in 2025 and retain annual outs and flexibility for the team.

I sense that the Seahawks feel a public show of support is the best thing for the forthcoming talks. A repeat of last year could be thrown back at them. It’s easier to say ‘we want you here, we’ve made that clear — but it has to be on our terms’.

In many ways it could be similar to what they tried with Lock 12 months ago, albeit they’ll hope with a different conclusion.

I have to believe there’s a bit of this going on otherwise Macdonald’s words would simply serve as fantastic leverage for Smith’s camp when it comes to talks.

Secondly, I don’t think there’s any misdirection here or any attempt to barter leverage in trade talks. They’d find it really hard to be this publicly supportive and committed to Geno Smith and then turn around a few weeks later and say, ‘ah yeah, about that, we’re now moving him’. The language Macdonald used is not ‘we have no intention of trading him’ ala Russell Wilson. He was unequivocal in his backing for Smith staying in Seattle and I think he was being honest. Smith isn’t going anywhere short of a big breakdown in talks.

I believe they fully intend to strike a deal and as noted for some time now, my expectation is they will. It will need to be a compromised arrangement though. They’re not going to give Smith a deal that locks him in as the starter beyond 2025, especially given he turns 35 in October.

Thirdly, I do think there’s something else at play here that I’ve not seen discussed anywhere else. It plays off my hunch that this is the year the Seahawks will finally draft a quarterback.

If there are one or more QB’s they are targeting in the draft, it makes absolute sense to make it seem to the rest of the league that Geno Smith is 100% the guy. Other teams might not buy it, especially if the new contract structure contains year-to-year flexibility. If you want to try and throw teams off the scent though, so that they’re less suspicious of you being in the quarterback market, it makes sense to have the Head Coach come out and announce that you have complete and total faith in the incumbent.

Again, I’m not saying Macdonald fibbed for leverage in the draft. I think he truly believes what he said. Yet the added advantage of having consistent messaging supporting Smith in the media is it might cast doubt in the minds of some teams that you might take their guy at quarterback on day two.

Signing Matt Flynn in 2012 probably did more than anything to help the Seahawks make other teams think they weren’t going to take one in round three of the draft. They didn’t sign Flynn purely for this reason (obviously). It was an added bonus though and they caught many off guard when they selected Russell Wilson in round three.

The same can be said for this current situation. Re-signing Geno Smith to a new deal and taking every opportunity to promote him to the media could be a good plan to get to the position the Seahawks want to be in. That is — having Smith as the starter, while bridging to a younger quarterback taken in the draft.

As I’ve said a few times now, I think there will be a middle-class of quarterbacks in 2025. I also think there are quarterbacks the Seahawks will be interested in. I don’t think it’s out of the question that their messaging in the media this week is about making Smith feel wanted and more open-minded to a compromise agreement, while also trying to conceal their interest in drafting a quarterback as a future replacement.

The Philadelphia Eagles winning the Super Bowl is good news for the NFL. It shows that you can still win a Championship with a great defensive performance and that you don’t necessarily need a legendary quarterback (Mahomes, Brady) to reach the pinnacle of the sport.

There are a few things that need to be noted though, as Seahawks fans inevitably second-guess moves made by their own team in comparison to moves made by Eagles GM Howie Roseman.

In 2020 the Eagles took Jalen Reagor with the 20th overall pick. The player taken 21st overall was Justin Jefferson. Nothing else needs to be said.

In that same draft, they took Jalen Hurts with the 53rd pick. Todd McShay called it a “mistake” to build around Hurts, criticising his accuracy and noting he was replaced by Tua Tagovailoa in Alabama. “Can you win a Super Bowl with Jalen Hurts?” questioned McShay.

Eytan Shander from Philly Voice wrote an article in 2020 titled: ‘Drafting Jalen Hurts puts more pressure, criticism on pretty much everyone’ — noting:

What happens now is on everyone involved and it begins with the people who brought Hurts to Philadelphia. We know – or at least we should by now – that it’s not Howie Roseman taking over the draft board like a belligerent Chip Kelly.

Over the years the Eagles have whiffed several times with high picks. Andre Dillard was a bust in round one. We’ve already mentioned Reagor. Jordan Davis hasn’t worked out as intended with the 13th overall pick. Nolan Smith is kind of in the Boye Made/Derrick Hall territory of player.

It’s not just the draft. Bryce Huff, a $51m signing last off-season, was a healthy scratch against the Chiefs.

Prior to the Eagles’ first Super Bowl title in 2017, they’d gone 7-9 in the two previous seasons. Before losing control of personnel decisions to Chip Kelly, Roseman was GM from 2010 to 2014. Within that period, the Eagles’ record was 42-38. After beating the Patriots in the Super Bowl, Philadelphia were 31-33 over the next four seasons.

So while Roseman has done a tremendous job building his team, to the tune of a likely place in the Hall of Fame one day, he isn’t flawless. Neither is what he’s achieved impossible to copy.

So what can the Seahawks learn from his approach? The key thing he has done that the Seahawks haven’t, in my opinion, is the same thing the 49ers did in order to elevate themselves into Super Bowl contention. They’ve acquired brilliant veterans to combine with the hits they’ve had in the draft.

The 49ers trading for Trent Williams and Christian McCaffrey took San Francisco to a new level. Combined with intelligent picks (George Kittle, Fred Warner etc) and some splashes in free agency (Charvarius Ward, Javon Hargrave) they crafted a team capable of competing at the highest level.

The Eagles adding AJ Brown via trade, Saquon Barkley in free agency and then having the nouse to see opportunities in Zack Baun and Mekhi Becton helped take the Eagles to the top of the game, combined with the draft picks they hit on.

Both teams also found quarterbacks outside of the first round.

This is where the Seahawks are currently lacking. They haven’t been hopeless. Acquiring Leonard Williams has been a hit. Signing Julian Love was also an intelligent piece of free agency work. More is needed though. Generally speaking they haven’t done a good enough job in free agency — either in terms of landing top players or by finding rough diamonds to bring in and develop. They haven’t been able to draft a quarterback who can be the future either — although they haven’t whiffed on anyone in the years since trading Russell Wilson, so this is understandable.

The point I’m making is I don’t think it’s impossible for the Seahawks to promote themselves to Philadelphia’s level in the future, especially if Mike Macdonald can produce an exceptional defense. If they’re going to do it though they’ll need to be better in several areas.

They have to do a better job in free agency. Whether it’s the pro-personnel department or a bigger involvement from Mike Macdonald, they need to find the big opportunities available in free agency. Whether that’s adding big names or hidden gems, the Seahawks simply haven’t used the veteran market well enough.

Who’s the next Mekhi Becton? Is it Jedrick Wills, for example, who is leaving Cleveland? Who’s the next Zack Baun? Who can come in like Charvarius Ward and tie down a cornerback slot? What is the next brilliant move, finding impact and value, that the Eagles appear so good at finding?

When there’s a rare opportunity to add a blue-chipper, make sure you’re ready to capitalise. The Eagles did with Barkley. At the end of the day, elite talent matters. It’s why the Seahawks need to have their finger on the pulse when it comes to Myles Garrett’s situation in Cleveland. You need a certain number of world class players to win a Super Bowl and the Seahawks are limited in this area.

In the draft, don’t overthink things and prioritise big men when the grading is similar. The Eagles didn’t reinvent the wheel when they identified players like Landon Dickerson and Cam Jurgens, both blog favourites. Draft players like this, with very obvious pathways to starting in the NFL. Put down some roots on your O-line too, you can’t keep chopping and changing at positions like center and guard every year.

It’s not just the offensive line either. Milton Williams’ testing results and profile made it clear he had an excellent chance to become a very good NFL defender. I interviewed Williams in the build up to his draft. Traits matter on the defensive line and it’s why I’m intrigued to see how Darius Alexander performs at the combine after an eye-catching Senior Bowl where, at times, he looked Chris Jones-esque.

Finally, be ready to draft a quarterback even if you’re criticised for doing so. I can just see it now. Seahawks Twitter having a meltdown if they use the #50 pick on a Will Howard or Quinn Ewers. Just like there was a meltdown about the Eagles drafting Hurts when they already had Carson Wentz.

Hurts didn’t have standout traits but what he did show in college was a level of grit, production, high-character and he could throw a pretty football. He went to a team able to tailor a system to his strengths and give him a strong supporting cast.

The likes of Howard, Ewers, even Riley Leonard and Jaxson Dart are not a million miles away from where Hurts was coming into the league. He received a 6.14 grade from Lance Zierlein in his NFL.com draft profile. He was compared to Tim Tebow. Lance has adjusted how he grades since 2020 so it’s difficult to make a direct comparison but he’s given Ewers a 6.24 grade and Dart a 6.19. He’s yet to grade the likes of Howard and Leonard.

For all the talk of this being a ‘bad’ quarterback group — I do think there’s a middle class within it for the first time in a long time. There are experienced players available who have played in big college football environments, in big games, and have some of the qualities needed to stick in the NFL. They won’t thrive regardless of the situation they end up in, like Joe Burrow. Can you still find a guy in day two this year who can be brought in to develop? Yes, in my opinion you can. I think the team might feel this way too which is why they’re intending to work out an arrangement with Geno Smith to continue as a bridge. I think this will be the year the Seahawks draft a quarterback.

So there are things for the Seahawks to aim for this off-season. They need a better approach to veteran acquisition and need to hit in this area when the new league year begins. They need to be ready to act if elite players become available, while also identifying the value and quality hidden within the market. They need to do a better job not overthinking the offensive line and they should draft one of the quarterbacks in this class on day two.

The Eagles have shown that intelligent team building, quality in the trenches and connected football can still win big. The Seahawks and others can realistically try to emulate their success.

The Seahawks don’t have a glorious history of big trades. Percy Harvin, Jimmy Graham, Jamal Adams. This hasn’t been an area where they’ve had a great deal of success.

However, I do think more often than not you need to make an inspired trade and/or a savvy free agenct signing to become a contender.

Look at the Eagles, in a second Super Bowl in three seasons. The AJ Brown trade was an absolute steal. When you pair that move with the addition of Saquon Barkley, it’s clear why the Eagles have had as much success as they have.

Granted, they’ve also done a better job than most at building their trenches. It doesn’t have to be an either/or situation though. It’s possible to add talented veterans and still build a good O-line and D-line.

The 49ers are an even better example. Trent Williams and Christian McCaffrey provided the benchmark for San Francisco’s run to two Super Bowls. The Rams won a Championship with an ‘F-those picks’ mentality, inspired by multiple veteran deals.

The obvious exception to the rule is the Kansas City Chiefs. They’ve built a dynasty around homegrown talent. However, they had the wisdom to identify, draft and develop a player destined to become, potentially, the greatest quarterback to ever play the game. Swap him out for Jared Goff and it’s unlikely the Chiefs would have the same level of success. Trying to emulate the Chiefs is akin to trying to emulate the Brady and Belichick era in New England. It’s virtually impossible. Another Patrick Mahomes isn’t coming any time soon.

The Seahawks are not a contender in the NFC currently. They’ve missed the playoffs in back-to-back years. When they last made the playoffs in 2022 they were swatted away by the 49ers.

There are several reasons why they aren’t a post-season threat. The offensive line isn’t good enough. Geno Smith is far from a bad quarterback but neither is he an elite difference maker, capable of covering up issues on the roster. The defense has some talented players but really only Leonard Williams who you’d consider a true difference maker.

They’ve tried to build a contender through the draft. However, at the moment they have a bunch of players in the ‘good not great’ category. Between 2010 and 2012 they were able to unearth elite talent across the different rounds. They haven’t repeated that. It means they have a roster that is thoroughly decent but too often hasn’t been able to win big games. In 2024, they only had two wins against teams with a winning record — the Broncos in week one (Bo Nix’s first pro game) and the Rams in week 18 (fielding a bunch of backups).

As much as fixing the offensive line has to be a priority, there are a couple of things to consider. How much improvement can actually be made in one off-season? A lot of people want the Seahawks to pursue Trey Smith but how realistic is that? Aside from Smith, there aren’t any other elite linemen available on the open market. There are options in the draft but the Seahawks already have a young O-line.

Kansas City’s 2021 off-season is often highlighted as something to try and emulate. The Chiefs drafted Creed Humphrey as well as Smith. They signed Joe Thuney to a big free agent contract and traded for Orlando Brown Jr.

Sheer brilliance from Brett Veach and arguably not realistic to copy. For starters, it’s a paper thin draft class at center. It’s not easy to find a talent like Smith in round six. The competition to sign him as a free agent will be fierce — and Thuney’s decision to go to Kansas City was likely inspired by the ability to play with Patrick Mahomes.

Truth be told, the Seahawks can improve their O-line this year but a transformational off-season is a little far-fetched. It’s probably going to need to be a bit of a slow burn. The constant changes to the coaching staff and personnel have removed any opportunity to build chemistry and consistency. Klint Kubiak and John Benton have to put down some roots. They’ll need to develop the players already on the roster, create a functioning scheme and build. This probably isn’t going to be a situation where the Seahawks add two big-ticket free agents and everything is peachy.

I suspect we’ll see one splurge on a lineman when free agency begins, at least if the opportunity is there. But I’m also not sure using #18 on a lineman and signing one big name in free agency will elevate the line sufficiently that the Seahawks become contenders. This is in part because other issues will remain. They still won’t have an elite quarterback or enough blue-chip players on the roster. The offense might function at a smoother rate and they might be able to make the post-season. A deep run, however, is probably beyond them. They don’t have enough difference makers.

In any off-season scenario, they’re still going to need to consider drafting a young quarterback and that’ll be the case until they strike gold. They might never be a serious playoff threat until they pull this off. However, the Eagles — who are winning with Jalen Hurts playing at a fairly middling level (ranked 15th among quarterbacks per PFF grade) — are an example of what can be achieved without excellence under center.

Adding greatness with a legit game-changer, while working to fix some of the other areas of the team, will do more to accelerate your chances of becoming a contender again. That’s why the Seahawks should at least be in the conversation to acquire Myles Garrett.

Every team will feel this way. The Falcons, for example, will be priming themselves for a big move. They’re in a similar spot to the Seahawks. It’s easy to imagine Miami and Tampa Bay being interested. This is the problem. Aside from the obvious contenders who will be sniffing around (Buffalo, Washington, Detroit, Baltimore, Green Bay, Minnesota, possibly even the Chiefs) — you’re going to have a bunch of teams, some picking earlier than Seattle, who see Garrett as a route to legitimacy.

The Commanders in particular feel like a great fit. They have momentum, they just made the NFC Championship game so they’re close, they have an exciting blossoming superstar at quarterback, they have new owners who are making a difference. This is a franchise you can imagine Garrett having interest in. It’s also easy to imagine they’d be quite aggressive in acquiring someone like Garrett, with Jayden Daniels’ rookie contract creating an amazing opportunity to make a splash.

Even so, the Seahawks have to force themselves into the conversation. They don’t have any truly special players. This is an opportunity to acquire a rare gem, someone capable of doing what Aaron Donald did for so long — wreck games on his own. This would give the Seahawks an opportunity to have one of the best, if not the best, defensive units in the NFL. That’s a great platform to work on improving the offense and connecting everything together, to try and get the team in a position to win big.

It’d take an almighty effort. They’d have to sell Garrett on the project, first and foremost. They’d have to go above and beyond to acquire him. Two first round picks would be the starting point in negotiations. Other picks and players would likely have to make up the package. They can’t do ‘whatever it takes’ as there will be a price point that is too high. Still, the Seahawks have to look into this.

Garrett isn’t a gadget offensive player, a finesse tight end or a noisy box safety. He is an actual generational talent, a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer in the making, a destructive pass-rusher who strikes fear into every opponent. He can win you games, big games. He is one of the 15 best players in the league at any position.

No other player can elevate the Seahawks like Garrett, in the draft or free agency. His arrival would be a statement of intent. It would be a declaration of seriousness about actually trying to win a Super Bowl, instead of treading water in the middle ground. The Browns won 11 games in 2023 with Joe Flacco at quarterback because of the impact of players like Garrett combined with a strong running game. The Seahawks can try to recreate Cleveland’s physical style from the season before last.

This is an opportunity to give Mike Macdonald a chance to build something special on his side of the ball. It won’t guarantee a Super Bowl or even an appearance in the NFC Championship game. It would enable the Seahawks to think it might be possible, though — especially if Kubiak and Benton can get the running game going and create a non-disaster situation on the offensive line.

Adding a good young guard at #18 or a pass-rusher with potential makes a lot of sense but it might just lead to more of the same — a team desperately seeking greatness at key positions and only ending up with ‘good’.

They need to be in the thick of trade talks, they need to try and find a way to get in a room with Garrett and see if they can convince him that he can achieve his career goals in Seattle.

It’ll be more expensive than the 49ers trading for Williams and McCaffrey. This can be their version of those moves though — an inspired addition injecting serious quality into the roster, enabling the team to improve in a way rookie draft picks probably won’t be able to. Garrett isn’t Harvin, Graham or Adams. He’s an elite player at one of the three most important positions in the game. They have to be in the mix, because there’s a real threat they’ll just be picking in the late teens for years to come unless they can add special players.

If you missed my four-round mock draft yesterday, including detailed thoughts on Seattle’s picks, check it out by clicking here.