What is the Seahawks greatest positional vulnerability?

Answering Super Joes questions on offense, defense, and MVP: Seaside Joe 1908

Once again, I have asked the Super Joes for questions, comments, and topic suggestions. As always, they have come through with the goods.

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Seasider Scott M: I'd love to see an analysis of the depth chart. Injuries are a concern every year. This season will inevitably see someone go down. I'm curious how you view the Seahawk's depth and whether we have the firepower to withstand injuries at each position and which injuries could pose a real problem for Seattle's growth and ability to remain competitive.

Definitely trying to hit on this recently with posts on the OL, the pass catchers, and Tuesday’s 53-man roster. More to come on depth chart topics between now and camp. I’ll pull what I think could be a question from your question: “What is the Seahawks greatest positional vulnerability?”

I don’t think it’s quarterback. If most teams lose their starting quarterback, it is a huge problem. In Seattle’s case, I consider it more of a compliment to Sam Howell than a diss to Geno Smith to say that I am less worried about that scenario than I was three years ago when Russell Wilson got injured.

Offensively: Charles Cross and left tackle

I could just as easily say Abe Lucas and right tackle, but the Seahawks signed a contingency plan for Lucas when they brought back George Fant. I would assume that Fant is also the backup for Cross on the left side, but I still don’t see Fant as an above-average player at his position. Cross missed three games last season and although the offense scored 98 points in that stretch, I don’t want to see a repeat of Seattle’s tackle injury issues in 2024.

Defensively: EDGE Rusher

As important as defensive tackle, linebacker, and safety are going to be in the Mike Macdonald system—with questions lingering at all of those positions—the Seahawks have had such a difficult time hitting a home run with an outside pass rusher in recent years that it feels like this is a unit that is always going to struggle without a true number one. And if anything happens to their “number two” options like Uchenna Nwosu and Boye Mafe, what can we say about this group other than it has the potential to be one of weakest in the league?

(Not sure why Nelson Ceaser didn’t make ESPN’s depth chart here, but he’s on it too.)

Nwosu is better served playing opposite a star, although if Byron Murphy II turns out to be a steal that is just as valuable as long as there’s someone else respected enough to draw a double-team. Mafe’s good, he’s got to get better. Hall is still seeking his first career sack.

The fact that the Seahawks didn’t draft one outside linebacker tells me that Macdonald is confident that his system will generate opportunities for Nwosu, Mafe, and Hall that they can handle, at a higher rate than what we saw under Pete Carroll. So perhaps the most important “player” in this group is Macdonald’s defensive play calling. However, we also need to see better execution from the players.

Seasider zezinhom400:

- How MacDonald could get fired in his first year (eg Reich, Hackett et al)

- Which Hawks rookie is going to the Pro Bowl (Tariq went in 2022, Spoon in 2023, it's a threepeat!)

I know that you don’t think there’s much of a chance that Macdonald could be fired after one season and are just curious like “HOW bad would it have to be?” and the only answer I can come up with is: Unpredictably bad.

Firing a head coach less than a year after hiring him reflects just as poorly on the organization and ownership as it does the coach himself, so it’s hard to fathom what would have to happen for Jodi Allen and Vulcan to take that sort of hit to their reputation, especially pre-sale. The two examples you cite were also tied to quarterbacks who contributed to them getting fired, so Macdonald is practically at an advantage coming into a situation where the quarterback position remains unsettled.

If the Seahawks went 1-16, I still don’t think Macdonald would be fired just for that alone. In fact, it would be enticing to see what Macdonald could do with the player Seattle drafts first or second overall next year, especially because it might be a defensive player. Some of the top defensive prospects in 2025 are Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce Jr., Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham, Michigan CB Will Johnson, and Colorado CB/WR Travis Hunter.

With a pair of Michigan products in there, Macdonald would at least have familiarity with their coaches, even if he didn’t coach them directly.

As to the rookie Pro Bowler, I can’t say anyone stands out other than Murphy and that would be a tall order in the NFC. Even with Aaron Donald retired, defensive tackle is stacked and the league doesn’t and out those opportunities to rookies very often. Last year, Kobie Turner of the Rams posted nine sacks and didn’t make the Pro Bowl, losing out to Kenny Clark and Javon Hargrave, who a lot of people said didn’t have a great season.

Same goes for Christian Haynes. Being named to the Pro Bowl at an offensive line position is heavily weighted on reputation, so a third round pick beating out someone like Landon Dickerson or Chris Lindstrom would be shocking.

It would probably have to come from a special teams position, so we’ll have to wait and see who is returning kicks next season or standing out in coverage.

Seasider Grant: It seems like the top running back free agents did alright for themselves in 2024 while wide receivers had a tougher time getting their perceived value. You have touched on this topic before, but are we seeing the impact of changing positional values saturating the market with good players at WR and depleting the running back pool? Will next offseason be a good buy low at WR and sell high at RB point for guys like DK and KW3, respectively?

I’m not sure that the receiver market was oversatured, as teams still place a premium on starters who capable of making a significant impact. New WR contracts this year (average annual salary): A.J. Brown ($32 million), Amon-Ra St. Brown ($30 million), DeVonta Smith ($25 million), Michael Pittman ($23 million), Calvin Ridley ($23 million), Mike Evans ($20 million), Jerry Jeudy ($17.5 million). Plus, the Bengals tagged Tee Higgins ($22 million).

The only one of those players allowed to hit free agency was Ridley and he’s gone through an unusual set of circumstances in his career plus the Jaguars had to weigh the fact that a contract extension would have cost them a higher draft pick to trade back to the Falcons.

And Jerry Jeudy getting over $17 million per season would be like…Rashaad Penny getting $17 million per season. Teams are apparently still willing to take huge risks at receiver, even if it’s not as easy as it used to be to trade these players for first round picks as we’re seeing in the cases of Higgins and Brandon Aiyuk.

As I wrote in the pass catchers article the other day, I have no doubt in my mind that DK Metcalf is going to cost $28-$32 million per season depending on what happens in 2024. Right now, only four receivers make that much but this is before Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase, and Aiyuk sign extensions.

If the Seahawks lose DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett retires next offseason, I wouldn’t hold my breath for Seattle to sign immediate replacements of equal value. The next-best receivers to hit the market were Gabe Davis, Darnell Mooney, Curis Samuel, Kendrick Bourne, Josh Reynolds, and Mike Williams after he was released by the Chargers. In 2023, the best receivers on the market were Allen Lazard, Jakobi Meyers, DeAndre Hopkins, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Adam Thielen.

Free agency is usually not the best place to find the best players, but that could be especially true at wide receiver and that could be part of the reason so many of them get drafted in the first three rounds every year. I just hope that the Seahawks are able to draft one next year who is able to play outside as a complement to Jaxon Smith-Njigba and possibly Metcalf if he’s retained.

On running back, I did write back in February that maybe the position could become a valuable trade chip. However, I just want to see Kenneth Walker spend his entire career in Seattle. I still value Walker as the most valuable running back on the team, and possibly the second or third-most valuable player on offense period.

Seasider Paul G: Between them, Nick Harris and Olu Oluwatimi have five NFL starts. Harris is undersized in the bargain. If center emerges as an obvious weak link during training camp, any chance that Schneider will sign, say, Mason Cole despite the history of disinterest in the position?

“Disinterest in the position” is exactly why John Schneider would rather scour the market for options in September instead of March and May.

Pop Quiz: Can you name the last center who was drafted in the first round who made the Pro Bowl and won a Super Bowl with the team that picked him?

Seasider Rusty: Barring a major trade, we have a good idea of who the major players will be for the Seahawks. Who do you think is the most likely offensive mvp and defensive mvp for the hawks, and why.

Offensive MVP is DK Metcalf. If Abe Lucas is healthy and I can vote for players who would never actually win any awards, then I’d like to put a word in for him. However, as previously touched on I don’t see any reason for the Seahawks to pull any stops with their most expensive non-QB on the team.

Ryan Grubb and Geno should build the passing offense around DK and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, of course complemented by the run game but Walker and Zach Charbonnet should be sharing the load there. Let’s see what happens when DK gets 180 targets (his career-high is 141) as it will only make him more valuable should the team or the player feel like a separation could follow in the near future. I’d rather have DK be balling out than have another 1,100-yard season because in either case he’s still going to want a huge extension.

Defensive MVP is Devon Witherspoon. Touched on this many times, including how he could be like the “Russell Westbrook” of defense, so I won’t slow down there. He should have a ton of entertaining matchups this season.

If that answer is boring, I’m holding out hope for Riq Woolen and I think Rayshawn Jenkins will at least have one of the most important roles on defense. Without Bobby Wagner, green dot duties and the first voice in communicating to the other 10 players could be Jenkins next season.

To go with an even deeper sleeper, why not Jarran Reed? All the mixing and matching with different defensive line combinations and disguising the blitz feels like the perfect formula for a nose tackle like Reed who has thrived in situations where the coaching staff has schemed him free lanes to run through.

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