It’s NFL Draft week in Detroit! The Seattle Seahawks have a complete lot of query marks pertaining to either side of the ball as we enter the primary season of the Mike Macdonald period. Within the lead-up to the draft, we’ll check out the highest tales and questions we’ll presumably have answered subsequent Thursday-Saturday. As we speak, we’ll focus in on the offense, with an apparent nearer take a look at the offensive line.
5.) A working again/kick returner?
Seattle is seemingly open to a reunion with Rashaad Penny, so maybe this minor storyline could also be moot. Kenny McIntosh was injured and didn’t play any offensive snaps as a rookie, which signifies that he shouldn’t have a roster spot reservation this 12 months.
The Seahawks want a brand new third-down again and return specialist following the departure of DeeJay Dallas. There may be zero purpose for Seattle to spend an early-round draft decide on a working again for the umpteenth time, however taking a Day 3 flyer on an RB3 who may present a spark underneath the brand new kick return guidelines is greater than justified.
Purdue’s Tyrone Tracy Jr switched from large receiver to working again after transferring from Iowa, and possesses deep expertise as a pass-catcher, rusher, and cross protector. On particular groups, Tracy recorded a 98-yard kick return TD.
Louisville’s Isaac Guerendo has handled a litany of accidents over six collegiate seasons, however with a 4.39-yard 40-yard sprint and two years of kick return expertise (23 yards on common), he’s a attainable pickup. The potential rejuvenation of the kick return sport might place a distinct worth on backs with return expertise. That is additionally not a excessive precedence by any means.
4.) Any extra pass-catching threats?
It’s settled that DK Metcalf, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Tyler Lockett would be the prime three targets. Noah Fant is the undisputed TE1, whereas Jake Bobo is (for now) WR4 forward of Dee Eskridge, Laviska Shenault Jr, and Dareke Younger. And but, not one of the receiving group aside from JSN is underneath contract after 2025. The one Seahawks I’m moderately assured shall be long-term options on this offense are DK (on a brand new deal) and JSN. Everybody else is completely up within the air; some might not even make the 53-man roster this 12 months.
It is a deep receiver class, and there are some gifted tight ends available not named Brock Bowers. I’d be disenchanted if the Seahawks didn’t at the very least attempt to kick the tires on unearthing one other receiving goal. The splashy draft decide could possibly be Western Kentucky’s Malachi Corley, who’s a superb yards after catch risk with great tackle-breaking potential (one thing Seahawks receivers proceed to wrestle with). With Rome Odunze seemingly off the board early, former Washington teammates Ja’Lynn Polk and Jalen McMillan may each draw Seattle’s consideration.
At tight finish, Bowers is a first-round lock, then there’s a little bit of a dropoff. Theo Johnson didn’t have constantly high-level play at Penn State however he examined extraordinarily nicely on the NFL mix. I’m keen on Kansas State’s Ben Sinnott, a projected Day 3 decide with dependable fingers, clean route-running, and expertise as a blocking fullback.
3.) The Abe Lucas contingency plan?
Proper sort out Abe Lucas had an injury-shortened 2023 and there’s been a giant thriller over what’s been ailing his knee. He had offseason surgical procedure and whereas John Schneider indicated that he ought to be prepared for the beginning of the season, I’m in full “consider it after I see it” mode.
Seattle was not nicely ready to cope with even one sort out lacking, not to mention each, therefore Jason Peters was referred to as out of semi-retirement. The Seahawks need to keep away from that predicament once more by bringing again George Fant, who can play at both sort out spot. Stone Forsythe was a proper sort out possibility however the Seahawks went out of their option to rotate him and Peters.
I’m fairly positive that Charles Cross goes to be the beginning left sort out and regardless that he hasn’t been spectacular, he’s been stable sufficient to not have his job underneath risk. Proper sort out is a query mark within the long-term solely due to Lucas’ well being. That doesn’t imply spend a first-round or (acquired) second-round decide on a sort out, however it might behoove Seattle to bolster their sort out depth. If the Seahawks go for a sort out early and intend to play them at sort out… Code Crimson on Abe.
Some Day 2-3 choices embrace Washington’s Roger Rosengarten, Texas’ Christian Jones, Penn State’s Caedan Wallace, and Georgia State’s Travis Glover (who met with Seattle in an official 30 go to).
2.) What’s the plan at guard?
Let me preface this by saying that I actually doubt that kicking Lucas to proper guard goes to be a factor. He has as many snaps at guard as I do courting again to school. There wasn’t even a complete lot of pre-draft discuss shifting Lucas to protect, so that is purely speculative to consider a positional swap for Abe.
With all of that mentioned, the Seahawks’ guard scenario isn’t inspiring. Tremayne Anchrum Jr was a profession backup with the Rams, McClendon Curtis shall be competing for a roster spot come preseason, Laken Tomlinson has been sturdy however he was not good with the New York Jets, and Anthony Bradford was top-20 in stress charge allowed amongst guards (min. 200 snaps performed).
Troy Fautanu is the apparent reply for the Seahawks. Not solely was he an excellent left sort out at Washington, he tasks to be an ideal left guard with excellent athleticism and power. One other prime first-round prospect is Duke’s Graham Barton, who was recruited as a prime highschool guard, performed at heart as a freshman, then switched to sort out. He can play any place however most certainly his future within the NFL is at guard. Barton isn’t the athlete that Fautanu is, however he performs with nice (good) aggression, notably within the run sport, and is just too gifted to fully dismiss as a attainable Seahawk.
A bit deeper within the draft, Kansas State’s Cooper Beebe, Boston School’s Christian Mahogany, Michigan’s Zak Zinter, South Dakota State’s Mason McCormack, and UConn’s Christian Haynes are attainable later spherical targets for Seattle.
John Schneider believes guards are overpaid and overdrafted? Nice. Historical past suggests he’s not bluffing given his previous method. I hope that Seattle doesn’t do the naked minimal and hope that Scott Huff and the remainder of the teaching workers can elevate this group.
1.) The quarterback choice
Geno Smith’s deal was restructured and his wage for 2024 is assured. There’s no purpose to assume he’s getting traded. His contract is up after 2025, at which level he’ll be 35. “Quarterbacks can play at a excessive stage till they’re 40” is true in idea, however that’s typically reserved for upper-tier guys both within the Corridor of Fame, will ultimately be within the Corridor of Fame, or a lock for the hypothetical Corridor of Very Good. If I simply used a easy instance of quarterbacks who’ve thrown at the very least 20 touchdowns of their age 35 season, you’ll not discover many Geno Smith equivalents on the listing. Simply because Geno hasn’t had a typical profession for somebody in his mid-30s doesn’t imply we must always count on him to have the athleticism of a mid-20s participant for for much longer.
In the meantime, Geno’s new backup is Sam Howell. The circumstances might not have been favorable in Washington, however the reality of the matter is that Howell was one of many worst quarterbacks within the NFL by PFF grade, DVOA, and EPA. For all the sacks he took, he was one of many worst offenders at creating his personal stress, and the Commanders’ cross blocking rankings had been rather a lot higher than Howell’s sacks counsel. I really feel prefer it’s honest to consider the Commanders are a clown present however it’s additionally dishonest to absolve Howell from his position within the offense’s ineffectiveness. I’m not anticipating some profession turnaround and I don’t see a ceiling of a high-end NFL starter.
The upside of Howell is that his cap hits are beneath $1 million apiece for his closing two seasons of his deal, in order that shouldn’t deter the Seahawks from taking a quarterback they like. In fact, for nearly solely native causes, Michael Penix Jr to Seattle is the most typical fantasy amongst those that need a QB. Penix’s faculty OC is the Seahawks’ OC, and his unbelievable arm and deep passing talents are tantalizing. We’ll get to Penix extra in-depth later within the week, however realistically him and Bo Nix would be the solely massive names obtainable to Seattle at No. 16, and Nix in all probability isn’t value a first-rounder.
I have to admit that all through my heavy skepticism and criticism all through his faculty profession, I’m warming as much as South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler as a third-round alternative. He’s not the identical man he was when Lincoln Riley benched him at Oklahoma, and he has nearly as good an opportunity as anybody to succeed as a non-Spherical 1 prospect.
John Schneider’s lack of drafted quarterbacks post-Russell Wilson has been mentioned to dying. In equity to him, I can solely think about the shitstorm that will’ve transpired previous to 2020 had Schneider and Pete Carroll taken any notable quarterback early, and it wasn’t like Russell Wilson was enjoying at a stage the place there was an inkling that he ought to be dealt. John has had two alternatives because the Wilson commerce to draft a QB and didn’t do it.
How Schneider approaches quarterback on this draft will inform us every little thing about how he feels in regards to the class, in addition to Geno and Howell. Not like earlier years, there’s no Pete Carroll round to imagine made the true closing name on the draft choices.
