4 Seahawks who'll benefit most from John Schneider's roster overhaul

Edge rusher Darrell Taylor should breathe a sigh of relief

Seattle could have let Taylor walk away as a restricted free agent and not paid him the $3,136,000 that he is owed in 2024 since the team tendered him. The edge rusher has not shown he is capable of playing the run consistently well at all and isn't a very good tackler. To make matters worse, Taylor has flashed an ability to chase down quarterbacks but he hasn't proven he has the ability to game-in and game-out be productive in that area.

2024 will likely be a prove-it year for Taylor, assuming he makes the team. Seattle could still release him before final roster cuts and save $3 million. Maybe Seattle wanted to keep Taylor on the squad so that Mike Macdonald could have a long look at him to see how well he can use him in the new defensive scheme. Maybe Macdonald can teach Taylor to be a better player overall.

Macdonald showed when he was the DC for the Baltimore Ravens that he does like players who can be interchangeable. The coach should likely have a very good idea of when to plug the edge rusher in and maximize his capability. If Taylor is not consistent, Macdonald won't play him, and Taylor will be with another team in 2025.

But thinking positively, Macdonald's streamlined approach to communicating his scheme might be exactly what Taylor needs to succeed. Perhaps Taylor not having to think too much and simply reacting to what is happening in front of him would be best for the player. We will certainly know the answer to this next season.