2024 offseason primer: Seahawks press reset with new HC Mike Macdonald
For the first time since 2009, the Seattle Seahawks (9-8 in 2023) will have a head coach not named Pete Carroll.
As the Mike Macdonald era kicks off, the 36-year-old inherits a roster with a handful of young offensive playmakers (Kenneth Walker, Zach Charbonnet, D.K. Metcalf, Jaxon Smith-Njigba) and plenty of young defensive talent to build around (Julian Love, Devon Witherspoon, Tariq Woolen, Boye Mafe, Dre’Mont Jones).
The Seahawks just narrowly missed out on the playoffs in 2023 (they lost four one-score games), and with a little roster tweaking, they could be competing for the postseason again in 2024.
Here’s what you need to know about Seattle’s offseason:
PROJECTED 2024 CAP SPACE: -$1.59M (10th-worst in NFL)
FREE AGENTS | Offense: QB Drew Lock; RB DeeJay Dallas; TEs Noah Fant, Colby Parkinson, Brady Russell; OT Jake Curhan; OGs Phil Haynes, Evan Brown, Damien Lewis
Defense: DEs Leonard Williams, Mario Edwards, Joshua Onujiogu; DT Myles Adams; LBs Bobby Wagner, Devin Bush, Jordyn Brooks, Patrick O’Connell, Darrell Taylor; CB Michael Jackson; Safety Ty Okada
Outlook: Before the Seahawks can do anything, they’ll have to do some finagling to create enough cap space to make some moves. Three of Seattle’s four tight ends are set to hit free agency, and it’s likely it wants to retain at least one of them. While Fant would be a safe bet given his experience and pedigree as a former first-round pick, Parkinson could be the more cost-efficient option. He had a similar number of receptions (25 to 32) as Fant but scored two more touchdowns and could likely be had for a cheaper cap hit.
Lewis and Brown were Seattle’s starting left guard and center, respectively, and the team will likely make a push to keep both as they combined for over 1,800 offensive snaps in 2023. If Wagner, who led the team with 183 tackles this season, can be retained on a minimal salary, he’s a no-brainer to return. Additionally, Brooks (111 tackles, 4.5 sacks, forced fumble, fumble recovery) and Taylor (5.5 sacks, 27 pressures, 18 hurries) are key pieces of the defense, but both might be too expensive to keep.
2024 DRAFT PICKS: Round 1 (No. 16 overall)| Round 3 | Round 3 (via Denver) | Round 4 |Round 5 | Round 6 | Round 7
TOP DRAFT NEEDS (in order): DT, Edge-rusher, LB, TE, OL — The Seahawks may have as many as four defensive linemen they need to replace after free agency plus two linebackers, including two of their top three leading tacklers (Wagner and Brooks). Defensive tackles T'Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy both would make sense at 16th overall and if Seattle wants to add more pass-rushing punch, UCLA’s Laiatu Latu, Washington’s Bralen Trice or Penn State’s Chop Robinson could all make sense.
It also wouldn't be surprising if Seattle grabbed a QB in Round 1 with Washington's Michael Penix Jr., Oregon's Bo Nix or Michigan's J.J. McCarthy all likely in the mix if that happens.
DRAFT PROSPECTS TO WATCH: Jer’Zahn Newton, DT, Illinois, Sweat, DT, Texas; Byron Murphy, DT, Texas; Laiatu Latu, Edge, UCLA; Chris Braswell, Edge, Alabama; Chop Robinson, Edge, Penn State; Bralen Trice, Edge; Junior Colson, LB, Michigan; Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia; Washington; Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State; J.C. Latham, OT, Alabama; Jackson Powers-Johnson, C, Oregon; Troy Fautanu, OG, Washington
THREE 2024 STORYLINES TO WATCH:
- How seamless is the transition from Carroll to Macdonald?
- Is this the year they draft Geno Smith’s successor?
- How can they create cap space to bolster the roster?
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