The evaluations keep rolling in. Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report assembled his offseason report cards for all 32 NFL teams. While the Seattle Seahawks were one of the busier teams in the league this offseason, Knox wasn’t necessarily enamored with GM John Schneider’s work.
“It would seem that the Seahawks are attempting the difficult balancing act of reloading the roster while also trying to stay competitive,” explained Knox. “Seattle released longtime receiver Tyler Lockett and traded both starting quarterback Geno Smith and star receiver DK Metcalf. The team then took a $100.5 million flier on quarterback Sam Darnold, signing him to a three-year deal in free agency, and added Cooper Kupp to the receiving corps.
While betting on Darnold may seem like a big gamble, it’s really not. If the 2024 Pro Bowler flops, the Seahawks can release him with a post-June 1 designation next offseason and save $27.5 million in cap space. If Darnold replicates last year’s success, he’s more likely to be Seattle’s long-term quarterback solution than Smith, who will turn 35 in October.
While the NFL analyst gave Seattle a C grade when it came to free agency and trades, the news was a bit better when it came to the draft. The Seahawks earned a B as the club selected 11 players.
“The Seahawks also took a flier on former Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe in the draft,” added Knox. “He’ll be a project at the NFL level, but he has elite dual-threat upside, which will appeal to head coach Mike Macdonald, who spent two seasons with Lamar Jackson in Baltimore. Seattle also drafted potential rookie starters in Grey Zabel and Nick Emmanwori, and both have the potential to be long-term building blocks.
“Replacing Smith with Darnold is risky, but it makes plenty of sense from a long-term perspective. Macdonald now has a chance to develop “his guy,” and if that isn’t Darnold, it might eventually be Milroe. It was never likely to be Smith, at least, not for more than another season or two.”
All told, Knox gave Schneider and the Seahawks a C-plus for their offseason work. It will be very interesting to see how it all plays out in 2025, especially when you consider the numerous changes the team made on the offensive side of the ball. Seattle posted winning records in 2023 and 2024 and still managed to miss the playoffs. Will it be a different story in 2025?