The Complete Seahawks Update

The question everyone is asking is, will the Seattle Seahawks be good next year? With the changes this year like a new coach and new players, many people are uncertain.

On January 31, 2024, Mike MacDonald officially signed a contract with the Seattle Seahawks. After spending two seasons as Baltimore’s defensive coordinator, the 36-year-old coach signed a six-year contract and became the youngest active NFL coach. MacDonald and head coach John Harbaugh led the Ravens to a remarkable 13-4 2023-24 season. Their defense allowed the fewest points in the NFL, they had the most sacks, and they had the most takeaways. This level of defensive dominance is rare in a league as competitive as the NFL, and they even managed to stay consistent throughout the season. 

The quality of the Ravens’ defense was spotlighted when they played against the Seahawks on November 5, 2023, in what would be a very one-sided game. Baltimore demolished Seattle, 37-3, with Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith having his lowest passer rating since joining the team. The Seahawks only had 28 rushing yards to Baltimore’s 298, and Seattle only totaled 151 yards, compared to the Ravens’ 515. The only thing that former Seahawks Head Coach Pete Carroll had to say was, “We couldn’t get it done.” MacDonald’s defense racked up 4 sacks, forced 7 punts, and got an interception. 

As MacDonald took over the role of Seahawks head coach, questions arose about what would happen to long-time coach Carroll. Those questions were answered when the Seahawks announced that Carroll would stay as an advisor to help smooth the transition between coaches. After a disappointing 2022-23 season, the Seahawks had signed two promising defensive players: Julian Love and rookie Devon Witherspoon. After more of the same defensive disappointments in the 2023-24 season, hiring a defensive head coach was the obvious decision. 

MacDonald’s appointment makes a strategic move towards defense, evident from the Seahawks' defeat at the hands of his former team. With a track record of success as a defensive coordinator, MacDonald brings a shift in focus toward the defensive side of the game. His expertise offers a promising opportunity for the Seahawks to shore up their defensive shortcomings and establish themselves as a formidable force in the league once again. 

So we have the coach, but do we have a team? Free agency was a busy time for the Seahawks. They reworked their defense, resigning Lenord Williams, and bringing in Jerome Baker, Tyrel Dodson, K’Von Wallace, Rayshawn Jenkins, and Johnathan Hankins. On offense, our tight-end situation is not abundant. We lost Will Dissly, but on the bright side kept Noah Fant and signed Pharaoh Brown. Drew Lock departed but was replaced by a new and exciting prospect, Sam Howell. 

But what about the draft? As it is coming up in late April, Seahawks fans are worried about who they'll get. The Seahawks have 7 total picks. They have immediate needs on the offensive and defensive line, need help on the edge, and are still not sure if they have the answer to a quarterback in the future. Despite all the free agency action, Seahawks General Manager John Schneider has to work miracles to come away with immediately impactful players. They lost their second-round pick after they traded for tackle Leonard Williams from the New York Giants. They did get a third-round pick from Denver, which they’ll need without that second-round pick.

Troy Fautaunu from the University of Washington looks like our best shot in the first round. He’s an immediate starter on the offensive line and a known player to our new coaches. The rest of the draft is hard to predict, especially given John Schneider’s tendency to trade down to get more draft capital.

At this point, we go into the draft and season with more questions than answers. We have the basics of a competitive team. But with a coaching staff that is largely new to the NFL and depth questions at more than one position, your guess is as good as ours as to whether Schneider and MacDonald can pull off a miracle in Seattle.