3 problems the Seahawks need to fix before the 2024 season begins

The Seattle Seahawks must address three major problems to rebound in 2024. Most 12s expect them to do just that, but it could be a long season for the team and their fans if these issues aren't cleared up.

The Seahawks made more changes this offseason than that old Toys R Us that's now a Spirit Halloween store. New coaches, new linebackers, new safeties, new linemen- someone might want to check Blitz and make sure they haven't replaced him, too. Spoiler alert - they haven't. Blitz may still be in Seattle, but over 30 players have moved on to other teams this year. That's a sizeable turnover.

That's not exactly bad news, though. Changes have to be made when you're coming off back-to-back 9-8 seasons, Most 12s believe that John Schneider made the right move when he hired Mike Macdonald and pulled off another solid draft as well. I've seen a suggestion that the release of D.J. James was a scouting failure on the part of the Hawks.

I don't know, about that. It seems like six of your seven picks making the team would be a much better indication of scouting success, than cutting your second selection of the sixth round. The Hawks certainly have more pressing issues than releasing the 192nd pick of the 2024 draft.

The Seattle Seahawks won't win in 2024 unless they solve these problems

The health of the offensive line

This was a major issue for Seattle last year. The Hawks backup tackles played 1,021 snaps in 2023. Compare that to the Niners, who only saw 268 snaps with their backup tackles on the field. This season is starting off on shaky ground again, with right tackle Abe Lucas starting the year on the PUP list. It could be months before he returns to the lineup.

Seattle does have a solid backup in place there with George Fant, but when Lucas was healthy, he was an absolute force. Another worrisome spot is at center. The Seahawks pulled off a great move by getting Connor Williams from Miami, but he's only been practicing for a couple of weeks at this point. Can we expect his knee to hold up after surgery for his torn ACL? Well, probably, yeah. But there just are no guarantees.

Communication of players that missed most of camp

The fact that Williams has missed so much of camp brings up another major concern for this team. So many key players have missed time in camp that I'm concerned about the communication on the field. Macdonald has preached the gospel of communication since the day he arrived in Seattle. All too often, that was an issue with the Hawks' defense over the past couple of years. We saw the backup players miss some key assignments in the preseason this year, too.

My concern is that if players like Williams, who'll be calling blocking assignments on the offensive line, miss time, that's going to throw the Hawks into some disarray, at least early in the season. On the defensive side of the ball, linebacker Jerome Baker and safety Rayshawn Jenkins have also missed the vast majority of camp. Both returned to practice on Tuesday, but having what will be in essence a two-week training camp can't be the best preparation for an NFL season. Sure, they've been in every meeting, but that's not the same as making those plays on the field.

The Seahawks have to stop the run

Ah, and here's the big one. The Hawks were absolutely gawdawful against the run last year, and you can be certain that every team knows it. Even a dope like Jerry Jones probably knows it. It isn't as if John Schneider didn't take steps to correct that issue, The Seahawks do have Byron Murphy II on the squad, after all.

The problem here is the injury to Uchenna Nwosu. This will be about the 37th time I've mentioned it, but with him in the lineup, the Hawks allowed 79 yards rushing per game. Once he was out - and Seattle relied mainly on Darrell Taylor to step up - they allowed a disastrous 170 yards per game. Thankfully Taylor is gone and Derick Hall has been reborn as a legit NFL linebacker - at least in preseason. But we won't know for sure until week 1 versus the Broncos. Frankly, we'll all be happy when Nwosu is back on the field.

All three of these issues could be resolved in time for that first game, it's true. Well, not Nwosu's absence, but if Hall continues his fine play, the Hawks will be just fine. At worst, it might take Seattle a couple of games to shake out these problems. The problem there is that these first two games, Denver and New England, should be wins on paper.

The Seahawks can't afford to throw away two of their best opportunities for victory, especially not with all the changes they've made this season. As for the possibility of a short stay in Seattle, I think Mr. Macdonald will be here for as long as he likes. Hopefully, that's at least a couple of decades.

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