New Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb met with the media following Monday’s OTA session. The offensive coordinator position has been sort of a revolving door for Seattle in the last several years. Following Darrell Bevell’s tenure from 2011-2017, neither of his two successors lasted more than three years.
Fast forward to today and the Seahawks sport an all-new coaching staff altogether. Former offensive coordinator Shane Waldron accepted the offensive coordinator role in Chicago following a frustrating season in Seattle in 2023. It was time for a change, probably beneficial to both sides.
Seattle made waves with two major coaching hires this offseason, including luring former Washington Huskies’ offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb away from the University of Alabama. Grubb led the Huskies to the College Football Playoff championship game behind one of the best offenses in the country. Working with head coach and defensive guru Mike Macdonald, Grubb should have full and total control of an offense capable of being very explosive in 2024.
Five reasons to be excited following Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb's recent comments
No. 1 - Grubb plans on implementing "explosive, confusing" offense in Seattle
After being asked what traits his offense with the Seahawks may have, Grubb started by saying his philosophy "grows and evolves every year", which is refreshing to hear as a fan after watching offensive coordinators start to get stale fairly quickly. Another tidbit Grubb mentioned was planning an offensive scheme for utilizing the talent the Seahawks have. This is another encouraging comment, as it seemed prior offensive coordinators remained stubborn in their schemes and game plans, even if they didn't fit the personnel.
Grubb mentioned the run-pass balance, something that I consider to be one of Shane Waldron's biggest flaws over the last two seasons. Being able to recognize when to use the run game to open up the passing game, or vice versa, is the difference between a good play-caller and a great play-caller. Grubb did shout out both Ken Walker and Zach Charbonnet by name and emphasized he wanted to remain a physical team on the ground while at the same time being "explosive, confusing" to opposing defenses.
No. 2 - The Seahawks quarterbacks are "freakin' awesome"
Heading into 2024, there were whispers of the team moving on from Geno Smith. Obviously, that was not the case, as Seattle retained Smith. However, pundits alike still predicted Seattle would draft Smith's eventual replacement in April's draft. But the Seahawks traded for former Washington Commanders starting QB Sam Howell in March, giving Seattle a promising young quarterback to develop under the tutelage of both Ryan Grubb and Geno Smith.
Grubb sang the praises of both quarterbacks on Monday, calling out their diligence and intelligence in picking up the new offense. It's also encouraging to hear that both Smith and Howell are becoming locker room leaders individually. It's not that surprising that Smith and Howell have a healthy relationship and are rooting for each other because it is not that dissimilar from what we saw with Smith and Drew Lock over the last few seasons.
Both guys appear to be team-oriented, and while both guys are surely chomping at the bit to start and play reps with the first team, both quarterbacks understand it's a team game and are buying into the culture of "team first". There's reason to be excited because when both quarterbacks are rooting for each other, it's a healthy locker room, which leads to efficient and productive play on the field. If Howell does end up playing in 2024, for whatever reason, having the confidence of the team as well as your fellow quarterback could be a massive boost to Sam Howell's development.
No. 3 - Charles Cross and Laken Tomlinson are setting the tone on the left side of the offensive line
One individual player that all Seahawks fans would like to see a big leap forward from this season is Charles Cross, the ninth overall pick from two years ago. Cross was a solid rookie left tackle in 2022, but really plateaued last season amidst a season of flashes, mistakes, and overall average play. To live up to his top-10 selection and to solidify his status as a franchise left tackle, Cross absolutely leap forward in 2024. And it sounds like he's making a good start.
Ryan Grubb, when asked about the status of the offensive line thus far in OTA's, gave a not-so-great answer, stating they "have a little ways to go". That's not necessarily the worst thing in the world considering it's a fairly new group learning a totally new system in a setting that doesn't allow for full contact.
However, Grubb did allude to the fact both Charles Cross and newly-signed veteran guard Laken Tomlinson have shown positive continuity, building a mesh on the left side of the line -- Geno's blindside. There are other question marks on the offensive line but knowing that Charles Cross is standing out while building a nice rapport on the left side of the line should be very encouraging for fans.
No. 4 - The Seahawks' revamped coaching staff is already trusting each other
Seattle did not just move on from their head coach and their coordinators. The Seahawks essentially cleaned house and brought in a totally new staff to take on a completely different approach to the team. Grubb spent some time detailing this new staff and the trust and cohesion they've already built in a short time.
Firstly, Seattle was able to bring in Scott Huff, a fellow Washington Husky who worked alongside Grubb for the last couple of seasons. Huff, who developed future NFL draftees such as Troy Fautanu and Roger Rosengarten just this past season, already has a great relationship with Grubb.
Grubb also mentioned wide receivers coach Frisman Jackson, who had spent the last two seasons developing guys like George Pickens and Diontae Johson in Pittsburgh and even developed DJ Moore in Carolina. New running backs coach Kennedy Polamalu, who spent the last two seasons with Josh Jacobs in Las Vegas got a shoutout as well.
Grubb mentioned being able to watch tape and notice issues that he could take to any of these guys who come up with quick and efficient solutions. It's a new coaching staff that will need time to gel, but it sounds like it's happening fairly quickly and easily. And he says they're having fun doing it.
No. 5 - The Seahawks have not had to punt yet in OTAs!
For anyone who doubted that Grubb's game from the college level could translate to the NFL, this should be very encouraging. Now of course the OTA defenses aren't playing at the speed, physicality, and aggressiveness they'll be playing come September. But at the same time, we should absolutely be cautiously excited to hear that the Seahawks are picking up on the new offensive scheme. Grubb said at this point in the summer, the offensive unit has installed about 50 percent of the total offense.
Grubb acknowledged that expected that there are some things you can get away with at the college level that likely won't work on Sundays, but a lot of what he did at Washington could seamlessly transition into the Seahawks' playbook this season. The fun thing about installing a totally new offense is the fact the players themselves can use their input and their specific skill sets to enhance the scheme.
This is a progressive and new-age style of offensive philosophy that Seattle desperately needed from an offensive coordinator after the days of Darrell Bevell, Brian Schottenheimer, and Shane Waldron - three good offensive coordinators who were detrimentally steadfast in their scheme.
It's worth being excited, but the offense still has a long way to go. Fortunately, it sounds like the offense is making nice strides and is on pace to be in really good shape for the start of the season. But it's worth remembering it is an all-new coaching staff running all-new schemes with a lot of new players. There will be hiccups, and it won't be totally smooth at first, but the trend is looking good and there's a lot to be encouraged about.