Seattle Seahawks Offseason Grade: Big Bets, Bold Moves, and a High-Stakes Gamble
Why the Seahawks Nailed the Offseason ... But Still Might Bust
The Seattle Seahawks’ offseason has been like unleashing a 22-year-old in a Las Vegas casino.
Imagine your casino game of choice, whether our exuberant young gambler spent the past six months studying counting cards and decides to split 10s at the blackjack table, throws his most recent paycheck on red, or is sweating out the river in a high roller’s Texas Hold 'Em room, that’s what it feels like the Seahawks are doing to build the roster ahead of the 2025 campaign.
After all, it’s a big bet that Sam Darnold’s late-career renaissance will continue outside of the friendly confines of quarterback-whisperer Kevin O’Connell’s system built around Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison’s elite field-stretching ability.
Likewise, shipping off DK Metcalf to the Pittsburgh Steelers and replacing him with Cooper Kupp and Marquez Valdes-Scantling alongside Jaxon Smith-Njigba is a bet on quality depth over big-play production.
Whether either move works out will likely dictate the Seahawks’ ceiling in a suddenly wide-open division.
What I liked about the Seattle Seahawks’ offseason
Given that the Seahawks believed that Geno Smith had taken them as far as he was capable of, combined with the quarterback-barren landscape of this offseason, signing Darnold has the potential of being the most impactful move of the entire offseason across the entire NFL.
“Seattle is changing coordinators,” an NFL general manager told me, moments after the Seahawks signed Darnold, back in March. “And going to a wide-zone and play-action, 49ers-type scheme. Sam’s had exposure to it in San Francisco, and with the Los Angeles Rams, and to an extent with Minnesota last season.
“Sam goes to the West Coast, which is great for him, because he’s been through the ringer. Seattle’s offensive line is decent, but will need a wide receiver overhaul. He’ll be okay, bottom-third of the league starter, because his turnovers will travel.”
Darnold lands in the Emerald City off a career-high 4,319 yards with 35 touchdowns to 12 interceptions, and schematically, could be an ideal fit for Klint Kubiak’s offense. That is, if those turnovers stay behind in Minneapolis.
If Smith-Njigba makes a Year-3 leap from his career-high 100 catches for 1,130 yards and six touchdowns playing in the shadow of Metcalf, and Kupp can outrun Father Time, this offense has the potential to be prolific.
Defensively, adding veteran edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence is a gamble on health and the 34-year-old’s ability to contribute meaningful snaps in his return from a Lisfranc injury that ended his 2024 campaign after just four weeks.
Meanwhile, the Seahawks’ first two picks in the draft have the potential to be monumental additions; guard Grey Zabel spent the week leading up to the Senior Bowl simply obliterating whichever defensive lineman had the misfortune of lining up against him on a given rep. Zabel’s arrival should be a major boost for Darnold and running back Kenneth Walker. Similarly, Nick Emmanwori is arguably the premier safety in this year’s class, and he lands in an ascending secondary. Additionally, Elijah Arroyo has the potential to be an instant impact player at tight end, and could quickly develop into Darnold’s security blanket.
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What worries me about the Seattle Seahawks’ offseason, 2025 outlook
As you can see above, there’s a lot to like about this sudden Seahawks revamp.
But, so much of Seattle’s outlook on offense hinges on the combination of Kupp and Valdes-Scantling replacing Metcalf’s production.
Kupp, 31, hasn’t surpassed 1,000 receiving yards since 2021 and has seen his production dip each season since. Can the veteran be a chains-moving complement to Smith-Njigba’s field-stretching? Time will tell.
Inside the Steelers’ Baffling Offseason: Executives Sound the Alarm | 4 Downs
This week, teams across the NFL are preparing to begin OTAs, and the page is officially turning from the roster-building offseason to the preparations for the 2025 campaign ahead.
Seattle Seahawks Offseason Grade: A-
The Seahawks get bonus points for hiring Kubiak, who seems tailor-made to maximize the players Seattle has on offense, and he just might be able to extend Darnold’s late-career success in ways that mirror Baker Mayfield’s and Jared Goff’s across the league.
Likewise, Seattle may have had the strongest draft in the NFL as far as matching playmakers to need while picking up instant contributors such as Zabel, Arroyo, and Emmanwori, along with former Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe who will likely contribute in a package of plays built around his mobility.
Much of the optimism for the Seahawks hinges on where the roulette ball stops bouncing when the Sam Darnold wheel stops spinning. And, right now, that’s just about anyone’s guess.
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Sam Darnold will fall off this season, in my opinion