Seahawks news: Last year's and next year's

What happened in February 2024 and what will happen in February 2026?

These days news is served, eaten, and expelled so fast that something that happened only an hour ago can feel like it’s already making you sick. Today’s news is yesterday’s news, so why don’t we make today’s news literally yesterday’s news?

And tomorrow’s.

BONUS ARTICLE: KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM JOHN SCHNEIDER’S RADIO APPEARANCE ON THURSDAY, INCLUDING ON GUARDS, FREE AGENCY, AND GENO SMITH/DK METCALF

These are three stories about the Seahawks from February, 2024, and three stories that you should expect to read about the Seahawks in 2026.

February 13, 2024 - Seahawks announce 7 additions to coaching staff, including the coordinators

It was one year and one week ago that Seattle officially announced Ryan Grubb, Aden Durde, and Jay Harbaugh as the 2024 coordinators. It was only a couple of weeks ago that the Seahawks named Klint Kubiak to be Grubb’s replacement.

Of Grubb, Mike Macdonald said this:

"He's been on my radar, watching his teams perform, throughout the season, obviously thinking that a situation like this might come about," Macdonald said. "Then getting to know him throughout the process, the type of guy he is, he's been a winner everywhere he's been. I just think it speaks to his football character, things that him and Kalen have over time—everywhere they've gone they've really rebuilt the culture where they've been and they've won immediately. Having that type of growth mindset, being able to adapt to the players that he as, and his scheme, I just respect what his offense looks like."

The Seahawks probably did the best job of hiring an offensive coordinator as they could at the time since Seattle was basically the last team to hire a head coach in 2024. That put them behind other teams in the process, but knowing that Grubb wasn’t going to be the guy for them moving forward, the Seahawks were able to target Kubiak early on and solidify him as the guy they’ve wanted all along.

What else would you say about the guy you end up hiring, really? But Kubiak’s resume is much more solid than Grubb’s, who had never been in the NFL and had always been attached to Kalen DeBoer, a more prominent offensive coach.

As far as Durde, I’m not sure how anyone could really form an opinion about his contributions if you don’t actually work for the Seahawks and know what’s happening behind the scenes. Macdonald plans to continue calling plays for the defense.

Harbaugh may have drawn just as much criticism from fans as Grubb, especially during Seattle’s disastrous special teams gaffes — fumbles and blocked kicks that could be directly tied to losses — but probably benefits a little bit from the fact that he a) has a history with Macdonald, unlike Grubb and b) isn’t under the same microscope as an OC.

Next year’s Seahawks news: Does Durde have a future as DC?

A coach should never feel too safe in the NFL, but Macdonald and Kubiak would seem to have at least two more years in Seattle, for different reasons. Barring a disaster, Macdonald should get at least a few years on the job to see if he was a good hire or not, and the Seahawks probably don’t want to change OCs again in 2026.

Durde’s job should also be safe, but maybe only because we don’t exactly know what his job is.

If Macdonald gets to a place where he’s comfortable handing off play calling duties to Durde, maybe he becomes the actual DC in 2026. If not, the Seahawks could potentially lose Durde to a team that wants to hire him and hand over full control of the defense. Though Macdonald probably can block a team from interviewing Durde (rules state that coordinators do not need to call plays for a play-calling job to still be a lateral move), at what point do the Seahawks feel like they owe it to him?

And Durde could be a very popular DC candidate:

• He worked for Dan Quinn from 2016-2023

• He’s now worked for Macdonald

That’s a really good defensive coaching tree and there are plenty of teams in need of really good defensive coaches.

February 20, 2024 - Daniel Jeremiah mocks Byron Murphy II to Seahawks

If we give people like Jeremiah credit for mock drafts, it shouldn’t be when he takes a random swing at Murphy to the Seahawks in February and happens to be proven right in April. If we did that, it would only be fair to note that in his final mock draft he had Seattle taking Terrion Arnold over Murphy.

Instead, I think the value lies in the number of names out of 32 that eventually do become first rounders, giving us a rough idea of who is going to get picked on day one and be available on day two.

These are some of Jeremiah’s other notable picks and non-picks in the mock he posted exactly one year ago today.

Daniel Jeremiah’s mock from this time in 2024:

• Had Moons taking Drake Maye, not Jayden Daniels

• Had Daniels going 6th to the Giants

• Had J.C. Latham going 14th (he went 7th)

• Terrion Arnold at 13 (he went 24th)

• Nate Wiggins at 15 (he went 30th)

• Jackson Powers-Johnson at 19 (he went 44th)

• Ennis Rakestraw at 22 (he went 61st)

• AD Mitchell at 26 (he went 52nd)

• Troy Franklin at 32 (he went 102nd)

• No Michael Penix (he went 8th)

• No Bo Nix (he went 12th)

Jeremiah posted a mock this week and had the Seahawks selecting guard Grey Zabel, a prospect I have mentioned a few times already, which…fine, whatever. I still don’t see John Schneider picking a guard in the top-20, but Seahawks fans should come to expect that every year most mocks will have them taking a guard or center in the first round because that’s always going to be the most glaring hole.

To which the question should be asked:

If people don’t think teams should draft “for need”, then why do they always make mock draft picks based on each team’s biggest need?

Going back to Jeremiah’s 2024 mock draft, Powers-Johnson went in the middle of the second round instead of the middle of the first and that’s a common theme with the highest-rated interior linemen every year. They tend to be mocked in the first based on need, then become available on day two because teams usually draft for value.

Next year’s Seahawks draft news: Jeremiah mocks guard Roderick Kearney to Seattle

It’s not quite 2026 mock draft season yet, but the highest-rated guard on the NFL Draft Buzz website (and fourth overall) in next year’s class is Florida’s Roderick Kearney.

I’d say he’s a pretty safe bet to fit Seattle’s biggest “NEED” in 2026. Schneider has made it a point to let people know that he’s not as concerned with the offensive line as outsiders are, so getting to the 2026 offseason without long-term answers at guard and center wouldn’t be surprising.

But if you want to pivot in another direction — the other position that is annually mocked to a Seahawks team that never actually drafts it in the first round — than 2026’s quarterback class will undoubtedly produce a QB prospect to consider no matter where Seattle ends up picking.

This 2026 mock draft at Walter Football has the Seahawks taking QB LaNorris Sellers at 16.

However, what the Seahawks need more than “a guard” or “a quarterback” or filling a need is simply to draft more players who are great. Seattle has picked ahead of Philadelphia in each of the last three years (Charles Cross over Jordan Davis, Devon Witherspoon over Jalen Carter, Byron Murphy over Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean) and now like the rest of the NFL they’re trying to catch the Eagles.

When you have a roster as good as Philadelphia’s, you can draft Jalen Hurts in the second round and win a Super Bowl with him.

Fans only complain that a team didn’t fill a need in the draft when the picks fail to produce. As long as the Seahawks use their picks on good-to-great players (but really need more “great” than good), the team will get better and fans will be happy.

February 2, 2024 - Bobby Wagner says coaching change doesn’t affect his free agency decision

"I wanna keep playing ball, I wanna keep showing I can play at a high level. I'm fortunate enough to be around a lot of these guys, but also guys like Ray Lewis and Peyton Manning and those guys, stealing knowledge from them, talking about how they were able to last as long as they did, so I'm excited about that, just figuring out what that looks that."

"Obviously, I want to be in Seattle, but I also know the business; I've been around a long time."

Wagner lived up to his promise of proving to people that he could still play at a high level and not just because he got votes for All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors. Wagner has now been to the NFC Championship game more times than Pete Carroll.

(Come to think of it, Dan Quinn has now been to twice as many.)

But the Seahawks absolutely had to move on from Wagner, Quandre Diggs, Jamal Adams, and Jordyn Brooks. It was the right time for them to leave and despite linebacker being such a mess for Seattle in 2024, the team will be better off in the long run because they’ve learned the lessons with players who are younger and cheaper to replace.

There were a lot of Seahawks fans and some bloggers who didn’t want to consider that the team could live without Wagner, Diggs, and Brooks. That feeling has now shifted to a handful of upcoming free agents and cap casualty candidates…but Seattle can survive without most of them too.

Next year’s Seahawks free agency news: Will Seahawks actually have to use franchise tag this time???

As boring as Seattle’s 2025 free agent class is — the team could truly have no movement there — the 2026 group is absurdly important and the Seahawks certainly can’t extend/trade/release all of these players before next March:

• WR DK Metcalf

• LT Charles Cross

• RT Abe Lucas

• RB Kenneth Walker

• OLB Boye Mafe

• CB Riq Woolen

• QB Geno Smith

• TE Noah Fant

• S Coby Bryant

• P Michael Dickson

• OLB Dre’Mont Jones

• QB Sam Howell

• WR Tyler Lockett

• S Rayshawn Jenkins

• OL George Fant

• WR Dareke Young

So we can definitely assume that Lockett will either not be around or be a lower priority, if not retire. Same for Jenkins and Fant. Dre’Mont Jones cuold also be cut.

Most expect that the Seahawks will either extend Geno or part ways with him this offseason, but if they ride out the year together than he’s going to be a 2026 free agent and then he might be a franchise tag consideration. It’s the same story for DK.

Cross will probably get the fifth-year option picked up (although Seattle has never exercised one before) and one of the best reasons to do that is the fact that Lucas is set to be a 2026 free agent. It will be hard to negotiate extensions for both tackles simultaneously and you can only tag one if you have to. The option means that the Seahawks can delay dealing with Cross by another year.

Even after you scratch off those names, you’re still left with Walker, Mafe, Woolen, Fant, Bryant, and Dickson! What if the Seahawks need to use the franchise tag on Michael Dickson!

BONUS ARTICLE: KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM JOHN SCHNEIDER’S RADIO APPEARANCE ON THURSDAY, INCLUDING ON GUARDS, FREE AGENCY, AND GENO SMITH/DK METCALF

The best way to get ahead of this?

• Extend Dickson in the offseason

• Extend Walker towards the end of the regular season (if he’s healthy and earning it)

• Weigh potential trade offers for Woolen and DK

• Pick up the fifth-year option on Cross

It’s hard to imagine Geno being worth a franchise tag at 36, so then that really leaves Boye Mafe as the ONE player they want to be able to save that decision for. The only other possible road block left is Abe Lucas because Seattle can’t feel comfortable extending him until they’ve seen him play a full season again.

If all goes well, the Seahawks shouldn’t have a problem extending all of the players they want to keep — the cap continues to go up and Seattle has plenty of space to use next year — but it’s always better to keep your options open and not end up losing your best player to a poison pill.

Nobody’s thinking if the Seahawks will use their franchise tag in 2025, but outgoing free agency will be the talk of the community in 2026.

Seaside Joe 2181