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: