The Seahawks may be taking a page from the NFL's hottest team in their search for their new offensive coordinator. That team is, of course, the Detroit Lions. The candidate probably isn't the first name you'd guess, though.
The Hawks expected to have a much-improved offense in 2024. Ryan Grubb guided one of college football's most dynamic offenses in 2022 and 2023 at the University of Washington. Unfortunately, that didn't translate to the NFL as well as we had hoped. The Hawks rolled up 364 points in 2023. Despite all the promises of multiple sets and motions, Seattle added just four points to that output in 2024. Exit Mr. Grubb.
So, Seattle is on the hunt for their next OC. They hope to find a coach who's more in tune with Mike Macdonald's vision. As he explained Tuesday, “It really just was an alignment thing and a vision thing. And that’s why we made the decision.” As Gregg Bell noted in that same article, this will be Seattle's fourth OC in six seasons. It's critical that they get it right this time.
The Seattle Seahawks are interviewing Lions OL coach Hank Fraley for the coordinator job
When you want to run a dynamic offense, it makes sense to look at the staff runing the league's best. And no team has put on a better display of offensive firepower this year than the Detroit Lions. They were one of only four teams to score over 500 points. They easily outpaced the second-place team, the Bills, 564 to 525. More to the point, they scored the Hawks by 189. That's 11 points per game, and that is a massive difference.
Now, you'd think that John Schneider and Mike Macdonald would want to talk with the Lions current offensive coordinator, Ben Johnson. Thye might, but it would make zero sense for him to make a lateral move. Plus, he's given every indication that for now, he's happy to remain in Detroit. Which brings us to the real candidate, the offensive line coach, Hank Fraley.
The Seahawks are interviewing Lions OL coach Hank Fraley tomorrow for their offensive coordinator job, per sources. Fraley has done groundwork, too, in trying to find a pass-game coordinator he'd pair with.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) January 9, 2025
Fraley has helped the Lions build the league's best offensive line in his seven seasons in Detroit. He's coached up so many All-Pro's and Pro Bowlers, I frankly lost count. He's coached the offensive line for the past five seasons. Under his guidance, Detroit consistently ranks among the league's best in both pass protection and run-blocking. That, dear 12s, isn't easy, as we've seen here in Seattle.
Fraley also helps coordinate the Lions running game. As lineman Penei Sewell said, “Hank each and every week emphasizes on getting to these guys, especially those ‘backers. They can run, and that was emphasized this week. If we just get a hat on, then we’ll be alright.” Note that Jahmyr Gibbs ran for 1412 yards and 16 scores, while David Montgomery added 775 yards and 12 TDs. That could very well have been the stats for Kenneth Walker II and Zach Charbonett behind a line that good.
The one glaring problem for the Seahawk has been what, 12s? That's right, the offensive line. They must have popped up a dozen times in the 17 "problems to fix" articles I wrote this season. I'm pretty sure I left them out a couple of times because I was wearing the print off the O and F keys one my keyboard. I like the thought process, and Mike Macdonald has made it very clear that he wants to rejuvenate the running game for the Hawks.
And it's not like Jared Goff, who was dismissed from the Rams because he wasn't good enough, hasn't turned into one of the league's best QBs in Detroit. By all means, let's see the vision Coach Fraley has for the Seahawks for 2025.