5 reasons for optimism as Seattle Seahawks report to training camp

Seattle's Ryan Grubb experiment failed after one season. While the personnel away from the offensive line was good, the pieces just never fit together in Grubb's college offense. That was primarily due to a refusal to run the ball that made the unit one-dimensional and, in turn, extremely predictable.

The Seahawks ranked 14th in total yards (332.2 per game), eighth in passing yards (236.5), 28th in rushing yards (95.7) and 18th in scoring (22.1) and 26th in turnovers (24). Those numbers don't paint a picture of a terrible offense, but it does show how the reliance on throwing the ball limited what Geno Smith, Grubb and Co. were able to accomplish.

Exit: Geno Smith, DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. Enter: Sam Darnold and Cooper Kupp. The addition of Grey Zabel should help bolster the interior offensive line. New offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak's emphasis on a wide zone rushing attack with extra blockers should add much better pacing, and Darnold should benefit.

4. Defensive continuity is critical

The Seahawks didn't have a single earthshaking loss on defense this offseason. Dre'Mont Jones likely would have been a cap casualty this offseason anyway. Tre Brown was a depth cornerback at best (and was frequently injured) and Rayshawn Jenkins and K'Von Wallace barely saw the field by the end of the season. Roy Robertson-Harris and Artie Burns are the only ones who likely would've still seen regular snaps on the 2025 version of the defense, but their roles are replaceable.

Seattle's defense was one of the best in the league over the final stretch of the season, and all of the integral pieces during that run are returning. Edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence and cornerback Shaquill Griffin gave the team more depth at key positions as well.

It's no secret Macdonald's system takes some time to be installed and mastered by the players. The coaching staff on that side of the ball is intact, and now they can build on the end of 2024.

3. Former first-round pick could make a leap

At times, the Seahawks coaching staff seemed perplexed on how to best use 2024 No. 16 overall pick Byron Murphy II in Macdonald's defense. It didn't help that his opportunities were also limited, missing three games due to injury. Murphy finished his rookie season with 36 tackles, two tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks — well below expectations based on his draft position.

Murphy appeared to struggle a bit as a backup to Johnathan Hankins at nose tackle, so sliding him to 3-tech more in 2025 could help him produce more consistently. Training camp will be big for working out that role. He appears to have all the tools, but needs a chance to shine in the right situation.

2. The rookie class has potential to be one of the best in a decade

Macdonald hopes he has found his "Weapon X" in safety Nick Emmanwori — potentially planning to use him as a box safety, deep coverage safety, linebacker, cover corner and more. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound freak athlete out of South Carolina fell to Seattle in the second round, and he was too good of a prospect to pass up. Expect Emmanwori to immediately have a big role in Week 1, and he could be another critical disruptor.

The Seahawks doubled down on their young tight ends by releasing Noah Fant this past weekend, creating even more opportunities for former Miami standout Elijah Arroyo to flourish. Arroyo will likely be a hybrid between a wide receiver and tight end, allowing Kubiak to be creative with his role. As long as he can stay healthy (multiple knee injuries in college), that's a promising addition.

We already discussed Zabel, but he could be a true difference maker for the offense up front. The wide receiver depth was much-needed, and quarterback Jalen Milroe could add a wildcat dimension to the offense in 2025.

1. If they can win the close ones, this is a playoff team

Seattle lost two games by less than seven points last season (Week 9 vs. Los Angeles and Week 16 vs. Minnesota), both of which were easy to point to after the season as the games that cost the Seahawks a playoff berth.

If those games pan out slightly differently, the Seahawks could have been as high as the fourth seed with a division win over the Rams. Entering 2025, Macdonald has to focus on cleaning up the little things to come out on top in those contests. This was already a good team, and last-minute heroics could take them to the next level.