Seahawks secret weapon in 2024 might not be a player

There should be some grand hopes for the Seattle Seahawks that they are much better on defense in 2024 than they have been in many years. New head coach Mike Macdonald has proven he knows how to lead a defense to an elite level in the NFL. What he has not proven - yet - is that he can lead an entire team to excellence.

Macdonald has never been a head coach before, so he hasn't had to be the guy to make final decisions on offensive personnel and special teams. Seattle hired new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb and special teams coach Jay Harbaugh this offseason, and Macdonald should trust them to do their jobs, but he still has the final say in the on-field product of the team.

Macdonald is going to mistakes as every head coach does. The issue is that Macdonald has never made some of the kinds of mistakes he will, so he does not know yet how he will respond when small crises occur. Hopefully, he will react and adjust quickly, but he might need some help in learning to do so.

Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald grateful to have Leslie Frazier to lean on

This is where the Seahawks' potential secret weapon comes in. Leslie Frazier, a long-time NFL coach with a lot of head coaching experience, was hired to be Seattle's assistant head coach. That is his title anyway. His true title would be Mentor to Seahawks Head Coach Mike Macdonald. Frazier's approach is different from the more laid-back Pete Carroll and what is interesting is that Seattle understood this when hiring Frazier after letting go of Carroll. The Seahawks wanted a culture reset.

Importantly, Frazier and Macdonald have worked together before so there was already a trust built before both were hired in Seattle. Both were defensive coaches for the Baltimore Ravens in 2016. Frazier is also nearly 30 years Macdonald's senior and Macdonald obviously respects Frazier as a person and a coach. If Macdonald finds himself in a pinch during the season, he knows he can rely on Frazier for guidance.

In other words, Frazier is probably going to help Mike Macdonald be a better coach which is going to make the Seahawks a better team. Potentially, if the defense is better, as expected, Seattle could make a deep run in the playoffs this year.

In a recent press conference, Macdonald praised Frazier for being a part of the organization, saying, "Leslie is an elite communicator, a loyal person, a loyal coach...A resource to me personally, just direction and steering the ship, seeing around corners which I've talked about in the past."

The fact that Macdonald is aware that there are things he does not know yet is refreshing. His willingness to lean on Frazier is a positive as well. And the combination of Macdonald and Frazier may mean Seattle exceeds expectations in 2024.

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