The Seattle Seahawks have made a lot of changes this offseason, but they have yet to make a major move to improve the roster at their most critical area of need. They have no one to blame for this other than their general manager, John Schneider.
After missing out on the top free agent guard this year, Schneider whiffed again. This time, Teven Jenkins spurned the Seahawks' offer to sign elsewhere. Okay, I get that Fries opted to join the Vikings. They did make the playoffs last year, after all. That had to be a factor. The Vikes' offer of a five-year deal certainly didn't help the Hawks' chances.
But Jenkins signed with the Browns. As in the 3-14 Cleveland Browns, a team that's gone 57-106-1 in the past 10 seasons. The Browns have managed just two winning seasons in the past decade and went 1-2 in the playoffs. In this millennium, Cleveland has 10 seasons with no more than four wins. You have to go back to 1997 - 1998 for the last time they've had two consecutive winning seasons. And that team was a more attractive destination than the Hawks.
John Schneider has ruined the the Seahawks chances to sign a decent guard
All 12s know that John Schneider has never held guards in particularly high regard. Just over a year ago, he infamously said that guards are overdrafted and overpaid. Not by the Seahawks, they're not. The last guard they drafted in the first round was Germain Ifedi in 2016. He played most of his career in Seattle at tackle. Christian Haynes was drafted in the third round, as was Damien Lewis. Oh, a reminder, from Michael-Shawn Dugar:
Talking about offensive guards, John Schneider said there's a lack of depth and talent at the position, which causes guys at that spot to get overvalued.
— Dugar, Michael-Shawn (@MikeDugar) March 15, 2024
“Guys get overdrafted at that position and, in my opinion, they get overpaid.”
Lewis was allowed to test free agency after 2023. He alternated fine years in Seattle with mediocre seasons. His PFF grades from 2020 through 2023 were 71.2, 57.3. 72.5. and 59.6. Full Pro Football Focus grades are by subscription only. Last season with the Panthers, he again graded well at 75.5, good for 12th in the league. Laken Tomlinson was 44th at 62.1, and the Seahawks even let him walk.
Schneider has since attempted to walk back from that comment. The problem is, he's wrong.
The top-ranked guard last season (per PFF) was the Falcons' Chris Lindstrom. He was the 14th overall selection in the 2019 draft. Quinn Meinerz of the Broncos was ranked second, and yes, he was a third-round pick. But then you have Kevin Zeitler, who ranked third. He was another 1st-round selection. Quinton Nelson was ranked number fourth and was yet another 1st-round pick.
So, in a major shocker, the best guards tend to be drafted the highest. Just like every other position in the league. So when John Schneider says guards tend to be overdrafted and overpaid, he can try to walk back that comment all he wants. The guys who play that position have clearly paid attention.
Will Fries signed elsewhere. Teven Jenkins signs with a really bad team instead of Seattle. Zeitler signed with the Titans, while Mekhi Becton signed with the Chargers. 23 guards have now signed with new teams, and exactly zero have signed the dotted line with the Seahawks. This is despite reports that the Hawks have offered the same money, albeit in shorter contracts.
In my mind, it would appear that in the case of the Seahawks and free agent guards, John Schneider's recanting of his earlier statement has most definitely not been accepted. Better draft a guard high this time. For one, it usually pans out. For another, it doesn't look like any guard with anything left is interested in Seattle.