Mike Macdonald exceeded expectations in his first season with the Seattle Seahawks because, to be fair, no one was quite sure what to expect. He had never been a head coach before. 12s hoped he could make the defense a lot better, and he did. But 10 wins were a great start.
Macdonald also clearly likes working with players he has worked with before, though. This offseason, general manager John Schneider made a concerted effort to bring back most of the important pieces for the team's defense last year. Historically, players have made a second-year jump in Macdonald's system.
The Seahawks should bring back a player who is familiar to both 12s and Mike Macdonald, only at different points in his career. Edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney is still a free agent, and his addition would make a very good Seattle D just a bit better.
Seattle Seahawks should sign Jadeveon Clowney
In 2023 with the Baltimore Ravens, a team that Macdonald was the defensive coordinator of, Clowney arguably had the best year of his career with 9.5 sacks and 78 total pressures. He also had 28 run stuffs, which is one of the keys to Clowney's game.
He is a versatile old-school defensive end who does every exceptionally well except for tackling at times. He has also proven to be a fantastic fit in Macdonald's scheme. The Seattle Seahawks might have a good group of edge rushers already, but adding another player only keeps the others fresher.
Plus, at times, DeMarcus Lawrence and Jadeveon Clowney would be lined up on opposite sides, and there is nothing the two players haven't seen in their careers. That kind of experience cannot be overvalued.
Adding Clowney would give the Seahawks the deepest edge rush group in the league. Mike Macdonald likes to bring a variety of blitzes, but keep them disguised. Having Clowney, along with Lawrence, Boye Mafe, Derick Hall, and (hopefully) Uchenna Nwosu, is going to cause opposing offenses to account for where they are on the field.
That frees up players such as cornerback Devon Witherspoon and rookie safety Nick Emmanwori to show up where opposing quarterbacks don't expect them to be. Seattle is going to win at a high level if the defense is elite, and Clowney would put the defense into that category.
How much would it cost to add Jadeveon Clowney? Likely less than $10 million, and the Seattle Seahawks have the cap room for that. Macdonald knows best how to use Clowney, and there would be no learning curve for the edge rusher, already having worked in the scheme.