Chairperson Jody Allen and the rest of the Seattle Seahawks front office did not like the way the team was headed this offseason. The team had not been bad for the last two seasons, but Seattle also was not good enough to make a deep run in the playoffs. In 2023, Seattle missed the postseason all together.
Seattle had a bad offensive line, a poor defensive scheme, and atrocious tackling. Still, the team was one win away from making the postseason. In other words, the team had talent, but there was not a good enough plan to take advantage of the talent.
A lack of good direction from the coaching staff could be seen in individual players as well. Boye Mafe was fantastic through the first half of the season, but then only had one game after Week 10 where he had a sack or a tackle for loss. The coaches could not help him adjust. That time is over now.
Three bold moves the Seahawks made this offseason
Seattle removed Pete Carroll of his duties
Any team moving on from a coach who has been in charge for a decade-plus has a bit of guts. There is not a question of whether Carroll should have been removed; he should have. His defenses were terrible, and he was a defensive-minded head coach. If he could not fix the defense - and he obviously could not - then someone needed to be brought in who could.
Still, the Seahawks knew what they were getting from Carroll. The franchise understood what his message would be, and how the culture of the team was supposed to be. Moving away from that after 14 years meant jumping off a cliff and not knowing if there was water underneath. The team had no way of knowing what would come after Carroll left.
A change was needed, though, and Seattle, though they may have waited a few years too long to make a move, made the change. Carroll was dismissed from his coaching duties and his ability to have the final say over all roster moves. This put general manager John Schneider in charge of that last bit for the first time.
Seahawks traded for Sam Howell
Geno Smith should be given some credit for his confidence as many other players might have seen such a move as a personal affront to their livelihood. There is only one spot for a quarterback on the field, after all, and a player with less confidence might have thought Seattle was bringing in Howell to replace Smith.
That could still be true, of course. At least, eventually. Heading into the 2024 season, Smith should be QB1 and Howell should be QB2. If Smith doesn't execute new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb's offense, though, Seattle might see if Howell can. Howell started every game for the Washington Commanders in 2023, and he is ten years younger than Smith.
The chance that the Seahawks took, though, was upsetting the culture a bit. Most of Seattle's offensive personnel remain the same as last year. The offensive line has changed a bit, but DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Kenneth Walker III, and Noah Fant might have complete faith in Geno Smith. They might see Seattle adding Howell as a sign of an uncertain future for everyone.
The trade to get Howell might prove to be a brilliant move, though. Both he and Smith are signed through 2025 so Seattle should not need a quarterback for two seasons. Should Smith falter, Howell could replace him. If Howell thrives under Grubb, plus having a much better offensive line than he had with the Commanders, then Howell could end up being Seattle's quarterback for years to come while being inexpensive for the foreseeable future.
Schneider and new head coach Mike Macdonald want Smith to succeed, of course. If he does then likely the team overall is succeeding too. However, should Howell take over as QB1 then Seattle could release Smith next offseason and the team would have a lot more cap flexibility.
Seahawks waited, and waited, and waited for Mike Macdonald
Seattle appears to have wanted Mike Macdonald throughout their coaching search even though they had not spoken with Macdonald. The team couldn't because a team looking for a head coach cannot interview a coach whose team is still playing. While they appeared to be waiting to interview Macdonald, whose Baltimore Ravens reached the AFC championship game, other coaches were getting hired.
Seattle could have waited too long, had Macdonald said that he would rather stick with the Ravens, and then the Seahawks would have been left to choose a coach they did not truly want. That would have caused a horrific situation where the team would have hired a coach they hoped might turn out but could be gone in a year or two. Jim Mora 2.0, if you will.
Seattle not only was able to hire the 36-year-old Macdonald, but they cemented the deal by giving him a six-year contract. If Macdonald had any concerns as to how much Seattle wanted him to be the team's coach, a six-year deal for a first-time head coach would have erased any doubts. The contract also pays the coach $9 million a year.
Now Macdonald just has to do what he has proven to be good at as a defensive coordinator and transpose that into being a good head coach. His first priority should be to fix the defense. In his first year, if he can get Seattle to be a top-half of the NFL defense, Seattle will make the playoffs. By 2025, the team could truly be dangerous again.