The Seattle Seahawks offseason is underway sort of. They won't make decisions on players to release until after the Super Bowl. But Seattle is currently looking for their next head coach after the team moved on from long-term head coach Pete Carroll after the season ended.
That change of coach could slightly affect some dates for the team this offseason. Teams with new head coaches can get a jump on other teams who didn't lose their coach when it comes to offseason workouts. Of course, there won't be tackling during these workouts, but at least it lets the players get to know their new coach.
The hope is that Seattle will have their coaching search completed by next week. That is just a guess on my part, and the Seahawks might want to wait on coaches such as Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald. Both work for teams still involved in the playoffs.
Everything you need to know about the Seattle Seahawks offseason
Looking to work your personal life around everything the Seahawks do? (You might not want to do that, however. Your family and friends might get upset with you.) But if you don't care about those people, here are some important dates.
February 20th: Teams can begin to assign franchise and transition tags
February 27th - March 4th: NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana
March 5th: Deadline for teams to assign a franchise or transition tag to a player
March 11th: Teams can negotiate contracts with 2024 free agents (legal tampering period)
March 13th: New league year begins and teams can sign 2024 free agents to contracts
April 1st: First day the Seahawks can begin their 2024 offseason workouts due to having a new head coach
April 25th - 27th: 2024 NFL Draft in Detroit, Michigan
May 3rd - 6th or May 10th - 13th: Seahawks rookie minicamp
Seattle Seahawks 2024 free agents
Seattle's unrestricted free agents:
LB Jordyn Brooks
C Evan Brown
CB Artie Burns
LB Devin Bush
RB DeeJay Dallas
DE Mario Edwards Jr.
TE Noah Fant
G Phil Haynes
G Damien Lewis
QB Drew Lock
TE Colby Parkinson
T Jason Peters
LB Bobby Wagner
DE Leonard Williams
If I had to guess, I would think Bobby Wagner is not back. He was terrific for the most part of 2023 but still struggled in coverage. Plus, the Seahawks have cap issues so signing Wagner to a contract for $5 million or so might not be possible. As far as linebackers go, however, hopefully Jordyn Brooks is back.
I doubt tight ends Noah Fant and Colby Parkinson are back either. They were wasted in Shane Waldron's system. But Waldron is now gone so depending on who the new head coach hires as offensive coordinator, possibly Fant and Parkinson will be interested in returning.
Seattle's restricted free agents
T Jake Curhan
CB Michael Jackson
LB Jon Rhattigan
LB Darrell Taylor
Jackson has played well in the last two years and should be brought back. Rhattigan would be nice to bring back, too, but he is a special teams player only. Taylor is terrible against the run. If another team wants to sign him, the Seahawks should let Taylor walk.
Seattle's exclusive rights free agents
DE Myles Adams
T McClendon Curtis
T Raiqwon O'Neal
LB Joshua Onujiogu
TE Brady Russell
Adams might be nice to re-sign as he could be good against the run with a better defensive coordinator. The others are projects at best.
Seattle Seahawks selections in the 2024 NFL Draft
First Round: Pick No. 16
Third Round: Picks No. 78 and 81
Fourth Round: Pick No. 118
Fifth Round: Pick No. 150
Sixth Round: Pick No. 193
Seventh Round: Pick No. 232
The Seahawks gave up their second-round choice in a midseason trade with the New York Giants when Seattle added Leonard Williams. Williams was very good for the Seahawks after coming to Seattle, but that might become meaningless this offseason. Even with Williams, Seattle missed the playoffs and lost a high-end draft pick, and Williams will be a free agent.
The hope might be that general manager John Schneider works some draft magic and gets Seattle's second-round choice back. How does that happen? I have no idea. But then that is why Schneider makes the big bucks and I am just sitting here typing this article.
At least Seattle has two picks in the third round and both are midway through the round. But this draft looks nothing like the last two drafts when Seattle had multiple first and second round choices in which to hopefully make the team better. That has not happened yet, but players such as Kenneth Walker, Boye Mafe, Zach Charbonnet, and Derick Hall are still young enough to make high-end impacts in the near future.
Biggest offseason questions the Seahawks need to answer
Who will be Seattle's next head coach?
Seattle is now reportedly going through a second round of interviews with many of the coaches they spoke with the first time. The first interviews were virtual and the second round will be in-person. There is no timetable on when the Seahawks will choose their new head coach. There is also a mix of offensive coaches and defensive coaches so which direction Seattle might be leaning is difficult to read as well.
The candidates potentially to be in the top three could all be former head coaches. This includes former Tennessee Titans HC Mike Vrabel, current Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris (he was the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2009 to 2011), and current DC of the Dallas Cowboys, Dan Quinn (Quinn was the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons from 2015 to 2020). But that is just my guess.
Which roster cuts will be made?
The Seattle Seahawks could clear a ton of cap space if they release safeties Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs, tight end Will Dissly, and defensive tackle Bryan Mone. There is literally no way of knowing what Seattle will do with these players as the new head coach will want to have some input. But currently, Seattle is 25th in terms of cap space heading into the offseason and has nothing to spend. Some players are going to have to be cut just to make more room.
Will Seattle replace Geno Smith?
There is a great likelihood that Smith will return. The Seahawks might draft a quarterback to take his place eventually but a new coach probably would love to have a veteran quarterback to begin with. Smith was also 12th in the NFL in total QBR so he isn't a bad quarterback.