Analyst predicts unthinkably-awful finish for Seattle Seahawks in 2025

This whole the Seattle Seahawks will stink in 2025 business has officially jumped the shark. It's natural to have some concerns about how the offense will fare after so many dramatic personnel changes this offseason, including going from Geno Smith to Sam Darnold at quarterback.

However, the growing consensus that this team has taken a huge step backwards is wildly off-base, and the takes are getting too spicy to digest as we've reached the dead portion of the NFL calendar year. The latest grotesque entry in this genre comes from NFL Spin Zone, where the Seahawks made their list of the 10 worst teams in the league this year - coming in second - or ninth.

Naturally, the critcism is all about the QB swap and the DK Metcalf trade.

"I hate the trade of DK Metcalf and then just replacing him with Cooper Kupp, especially when you're also making a change at quarterback. I don't fault the Seahawks for taking a shot at someone like Sam Darnold after his breakout year with the Vikings, but are they going to get more out of Darnold for the next 2-3 years than they would have from Geno Smith? As good as Darnold was for the Vikings, I'm still not sure what you can really bank on with him."

Meanwhile, a projected top-five defense is barely mentioned at all - to say nothing of a draft class that received superb grades all around and was even ranked the best in the NFL by some analysts.

It's fair to prefer DK Metcalf over Cooper Kupp and Darnold may not be able to match the numbers that he produced in Minnesota, but to suggest this team is oing to finish so poorly that they're in line to pick at No. 9 overall in the draft feels so far out of bounds that it's past reasonable doubt.

If it helps to understand the situation, think of it as the Seahawks swapping Geno Smith for both Sam Darnold AND Jalen Milroe, and ditching DK Metcalf for Cooper Kupp AND Elijah Arroyo. The Seahawks also had enough cap space to splurge on DeMarcus Lawrence, which should help turn a good pass rush into a great one.

At absolute worst this team will be a wash compared to the last few seasons - and they'll just need more time to build up the supporting cast around Darnold - especially along the offensive line.

From where we're sitting the Seahawks are far better suited to compete in the long run than they were at this time last year. Time will tell who's right but this debate is getting tiresome.