The Seattle Seahawks always knew they weren't going to make a ton of flashy moves this offseason. Even though they had plenty of available money to spend big bucks, they just needed to retain some of their key guys and make minor tweaks.
So far, that has been the case. Jaxon Smith-Njigba's contract extension was their biggest offseason move, and it should be just a matter of time before they also get a new deal done with Devon Witherspoon.
Meanwhile, the San Francisco 49ers haven't done so great in their attempt to return to the top of the NFC West. While they've made a couple of solid moves, most of those reek of desperation, and they could still lose one of their stars.
The San Francisco 49ers' offseason won't help their case against the Seattle Seahawks
Losing defensive coordinator Robert Saleh was a huge blow to Kyle Shanahan's defense. They hope that replacing him with Raheem Morris and bringing back Dre Greenlaw will help mitigate that, but Saleh was a master of patching things up when their stars got hurt, and if there's something anybody can put their money on, it is that the Niners' best players will get hurt at some point.
The Niners signed Mike Evans and Christian Kirk, two wide receivers past their primes who are coming off disappointing seasons, when they could've just tried to work things out with Jauan Jennings, who's now going to take his talents elsewhere. That's all happening while they have an All-Pro wide receiver in Brandon Aiyuk, who continues to try to force his way out of the organization.
Talking about players who want out, the Niners are trying to get All-World tackle Trent Williams to lower his massive $37 million cap hit. He has no incentive to play for anything less than the $33 million he's slated to make, and they may have no choice but to trade or release him if they can't get a deal done. That's the last thing Brock Purdy needs after an injury-riddled campaign.
The Seahawks dominated the Niners two out of three times last season. They outscored them 54-9 in their last two meetings, including an absolute beatdown in the playoffs. An offensive guru like Kyle Shanahan could only put 26 points against them in three meetings.
Mike Macdonald's team will bring back most of its core, outside of a couple of pieces. They should continue to be the team to beat in the league, and while the Los Angeles Rams will pose a legitimate threat in the NFC West, they should love their chances vs. the rest of the division.