After a 5-8 start to the season, questions must be asked of the Seattle Seahawks franchise and, in my opinion, big changes need to be made in the Pacific Northwest. In that quest, these are the Seahawks’ ideal offseason moves that need to be made to get the franchise back on track and trending upwards towards the future.
The Seattle Seahawks’ Ideal Offseason
Head Coaching Job
Firstly, the head coaching role. Pete Carroll has proved time and time again that he is not up to scratch with today’s NFL. Week in and week out, he has been out-schemed and out-coached by younger and more inventive coaches who do not hesitate to try new things and adapt to the changing landscape of the league. As of Week 12, Seattle ranks second to bottom in terms of offensive yardage, behind only Houston for bottom place. For a team with, arguably, a top 5 QB in Russell Wilson and two top-20 WRs in Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf, this is practically unheard of.
It is no secret that Russell Wilson has been quite disappointing after his return from injury, but this is ridiculous. The last time the Seahawks had even half as bad an offense as they do now was in 2011, the year before Wilson was drafted, however, this was counteracted by the fact that they had a top-10 defense in terms of yards allowed. This year is different. The Seahawks not only have the second-worst offense in the league but also have the worst defense in the league in terms of yards allowed. For a defensive coach like Carroll is, this is unforgivable.
As part of the Seahawks’ ideal offseason, I feel that this should be Carroll’s last season as the Head Coach of the Seahawks. They should look to replace him with some of these options:
- Luke Fickell, Head Coach, Cincinnati Bearcats. Luke Fickell has transformed the Bearcats organization from 4-8 in his first year, to 12-0 this season. Their unbeaten record is largely in part to the 8th ranked defense that they possess, one that operates under Fickell’s scheme that he brought over from Ohio State
- Kellen Moore, Offensive Coordinator, Dallas Cowboys. Kellen Moore has revitalized the Cowboys offense with Dak Prescott under center, the Dallas Cowboys currently possess the best offense in the NFL in terms of yards and are third-best in terms of PPG. Given what he could do in Dallas, imagine what he could do with the Seahawks’ star-studded offense
- Byron Leftwich, Offensive Coordinator, Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Despite also having one of the best defenses in the league, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ success can also be attributed to their high-powered offense, currently third in yards and first in PPG. Byron Leftwich’s offensive schemes and playcalling have been at the heart of Tom Brady and his offense winning another Super Bowl.
Roster Management
Russell Wilson
Next in the Seahawks’ ideal offseason quest, what does Seattle do with Russell Wilson? Amidst reports that Wilson was unhappy with the way the team was being run coming out the last offseason, it would not be surprising if he shares the same discontent this offseason due to their tragic record. The reports last year suggested he would want a move to a team that would be in position for a Super Bowl run, but lack the QB to make it happen.
Last year it was the Bears, but since then they have drafted Justin Fields as the QB of the future. This year, a team like the Carolina Panthers could potentially make a move for Wilson. They have a loaded defense and a pretty amazing offense but have been let down by QB play. The Bears, reportedly, offered three 1st round picks, a 3rd round pick, and two “starters” (most likely Akiem Hicks and Kyle Fuller). Given his inconsistent play and injury throughout the 2021 NFL season, Wilson’s trade value will have declined slightly. I believe he is still worth at least two 1st round picks, a 3rd rounder, and one starter.
The Panthers, in search of good QB play, could be looking and willing to pull the trigger on a trade deal like this:
- Panthers get Russell Wilson
- Seahawks get 2022 1st round pick, 2023 1st round pick, 2022 3rd round pick and a starter along the offensive line or in the secondary, like AJ Bouye for example
For the Panthers, they get a sure-fire Pro-Bowl caliber QB for at least the next 5 seasons, a time in which they will most likely push for a Super Bowl on the back of their elite defense and now similarly elite offense. Russell Wilson will offer proven capability at the QB position that no rookie from this year’s class will do for certain.
On the other side of the trade, the Seahawks get what could end up being 3 top-100 picks over the next two years. The Panthers’ pick this year is also predicted to be a top-10 pick, which they haven’t had since 2010. Seattle could use this pick extremely effectively in a wide range of positions, which I will get onto later.
Bobby Wagner
They could also look to deal away Bobby Wagner for more picks. He is the 3rd highest-paid ILB and is over 3 years older than the two highest-paid ILBs. He is one of the best tacklers and one of the best coverage linebackers in the NFL and many teams could be interested in him. The Titans are a team that needs a linebacker in this year’s draft.
The Titans, in search of a top-quality linebacker, could line up a trade like this:
- Titans get Bobby Wagner
- Seahawks get 2022 1st round pick, 2021 6th round pick
The Titans get a defensive leader to help their Super Bowl push next year and get one of the best LB in the NFL. The Seahawks get another 1st round pick to help rebuild into the future.
Free Agency
I don’t believe that the Seahawks’ ideal offseason should include being big players in free agency. This is because I do not think that they are in the position to make moves and pay big money for any veterans this year as they are not ready to make a push for the playoffs. However, I think that the Seahawks should sign a veteran QB, to replace Wilson for a year. Either to nurture a QB that they draft this year or to tank next year to then draft a QB in the 2023 Draft.
The Seahawks could sign:
- Marcus Mariota – 2 years, $7 million
- Teddy Bridgewater – 2 years, $8 million
- Mitchell Trubisky – 2 years, $5 million
2022 Draft
As mentioned earlier in the Seahawks’ ideal offseason, they would have (predicted) the 10th overall pick, the 27th overall pick, and the 37th overall pick. They could go with offensive line, secondary and defensive line.
An ideal draft would be:
- 10th Overall Pick – Tyler Linderbaum, IOL, Iowa OR George Karlaftis, EDGE, Purdue OR Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida
- 27th Overall Pick – Nik Bonitto, EDGE, Oklahoma OR Nicholas Petit-Frere, OT, Ohio State OR Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia OR Roger McCreary, CB, Auburn
- 37th Overall Pick – Christian Harris, LB, Alabama OR Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati OR Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington
Overall, I believe that all of these pieces would make up a Seahawks’ ideal offseason. I also believe that the long run for them would be very good and that there would be no doubt that in the next 10 years, a Super Bowl ring will return to the Pacific Northwest.
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