We expected changes, but what we have had is pretty extreme. Both QB Geno Smith and WR DK Metcalf requested to be traded during their contract negotiations. GM John Schneider is not one to keep players who do not want to be here and so we had a minor exodus on our hands. Seattle addressed this in free agency and likely may further address in the draft.

QB:

This was Geno’s team. I really believe that Schneider and the coaching staff would have had Geno’s back until he retires. I hope that Coach Carroll can provide that for him too. Regardless, Seattle is now Sam’s team. After losing Gino, Seattle signed the top free agent quarterback available and now will have QB Sam Darnold at the helm. I hope you did not think that I meant QB Sam Howell! Darnold has either resurrected his career while at Minnesota or just managed to have a good season behind a good offensive line and play calling. Either way he is a step down from Geno, but it could have been much, much worse. And with the added cap space for free agents and the draft pick, Seattle is arguably ahead.

Seattle lost out on being able to improve their offensive line in free agency when none of the big names wanted to come to the Pacific Northwest. Too bad for them. But we want players who want to be here. We did sign OT Josh Jones and OG Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, but they are likely backups. I think Seattle’s likely starters are; LT Charles Cross, LG Christian Haynes, OC Olu Oluwatimi, RG Anthony Bradford, and RT Abe Lucas. Having all of these guys healthy and playing in Coach Kubiak’s scheme is already going to be an upgrade over last year. But I expect that as many as two guys will be added in the first 92 players taken. Seattle has 5 in the top 92 with two of those being from the Smith and Metcalf trades.

It would not surprise me if pick 92 from the Geno trade was used to take a flyer on one of the middle tier quarterbacks like QB Riley Leonard, QB Jaxson Dart, QB Dillon Gabriel, or QB Quinn Ewers. If so and they hit as a future starter then this offseason will go down in history.

RB:

I do not want to count my chickens, but the new scheme should work out well for both RB Ken Walker and RB Zach Charbonnet. Both had massive yards per carry and miniscule attempts. Behind a line designed to maximize the ground game this could be a whole different ball game. Last summer I was so impressed by Charbonnet that I thought he might supplant Walker. Then he laid some duds in limited play only to come back later in the season with some big chucks of yards again. Still, keep an eye on Charbonnet’s value early. RB Kenny McIntosh made good improvement too, but will likely only see a good number of carries if one of the other guys is injured.

This draft is weird in that there are a number of very good running backs and Seattle is really set here after drafting high in two consecutive drafts. That said, I ran one mock draft where RB Ashton Jeanty was available at 18! I had to take him, the value was just too high! Of course the trading engine in the mock drafts did not give me what I wanted for value but in real life that would likely enable Seattle to trade back and get 7 players in the top 100. Which happens on a good portion of my mock drafts anyway. The more likely situation will be that Seattle will nab a decent running back on day 3 just because there are so many.

WR:

Out go WR DK Metcalf and WR Tyler Lockett and then Seattle brings in Washington native WR Cooper Kupp and backs him with WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling (MVS) to join the other three character abbreviation WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba (JSN) and WR Jake Bobo. Seattle got the 52nd pick for DK and I am usually seeing that go for a good guard like OL Jonah Savaiinaea or a nose tackle like DT Deone Walker who could free up DT Byron Murphy to do more things he can do. With as little production as DK actually had last year, I think this is going to be a net positive for Seattle especially considering the overall reduction in salary going to the receivers spot.

TE:

I do not get this, but that is okay. TE Noah Fant is getting bank to play for a team that intends to use him as a blocking tight end and he has never been one. But that is where we are. This is also a tight end heavy draft and I could see one of those top 92 going to someone like TE Mason Taylor or maybe a late 3rd on TE Mitchell Evans, or TE Jackson Hawes.

Defense:

Again we have some free agency churn, but man we get to line up DE Demarcus Lawrence next to DT Byron Murphy for a couple of years. The way DE Leonard Williams was already bringing the pain and DT Jarran Reed being no slouch either… This line is looking darn good. And listen, doing all these mock drafts for fun has shown me that it is really, really hard not to take a defensive tackle early. There are so many good big guys in this draft. I mention Walker up above, but there are a lot of choices that come along where Seattle picks that it only makes sense for them to grab some depth to enhance this strength.

Seattle needs to add to the linebackers. It would be really tempting to nab LB Jihaad Campbell in round one if he falls to 18. More likely they will be grabbing someone late in day 2 or early day 3. I kind of like the mocks I do that net me LB Jack Kiser or LB Teddye Buchanan at pick 172.

Speaking of mocks I like. Most of those start with picking FS Nick Emmanwori in round 1. What a freak of nature. That guy will be a star and it would be nice to have him be a star for Seattle. Other than that, Seattle is likely to nab a corner on day 3 and likely a safety too assuming they do not get Emmanwori. The free agency adds in the secondary of SS JT Woods and CB Shemar Jean-Charles are really about depth and getting more bodies in the draft would be welcome.

Go Hawks!

End.