New Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald knows he is not walking into a locker room bereft of talent.

In his first presser Thursday, Macdonald said, “There (are) a lot of great players on this team. We’ve done a great job of drafting. It’s a young core. We’ve got a great opportunity to build a really competitive team sooner than later.”

That jibes with what John Schneider said in his presser after Pete Carroll was fired: “I think it’s a young, talented team that feels like it’s right on the cusp. … I think it’s a great core. I think we’re a very attractive job because of that. I think there’s young talent all over the place.”

Macdonald currently has a full stable of excellent skill players — a capable veteran QB, a great trio of receivers, two good running backs – plus a franchise left tackle. The defense needs some help but has some young impact players to build around: Devon Witherspoon, Uchenna Nwosu, Boye Mafe, Julian Love.  

The Hawks underachieved in 2023, which largely explains why Schneider hired Macdonald – a versatile schemer and excellent teacher who got the very most out of his players in Baltimore over the past two years. Schneider called him a “disruptor” – i.e., someone who resets standards.

Carroll was fired because he had become staid and would not adjust – his coaching was ineffective. Macdonald is the anti-Carroll when it comes to being scheme flexible, saying, “The offenses out there are just too good to run three things and say, ‘Hey we’re gonna beat ya.’ … The system that we run is built on concepts that are adjustable.”

He bends his scheme around his talent. “I’m passionate about trying to put the guys in position to succeed,” he told Seattle Sports 710.

He later told KJR, “We’re going to evaluate the guys we have, and we’re gonna develop the heck out of them.”

While some roster moves will be dependent on Macdonald’s preferences, there are some no-brainer priorities – like trying to re-sign Leonard Williams and ditching some dead-weight salaries to create cap space.

As Macdonald starts filling out his staff and takes stock of the roster, let’s look at the 2024 salary cap situation and the state of each position.

Salary Cap Space

• Even with about $5.7 million rollover, the Hawks are projected to be about $5 million over the expected $242 million cap, per OverTheCap.
• They can easily add $32 million with the expected cuts of Jamal Adams, Will Dissly and Bryan Mone, plus Quandre Diggs and Nick Bellore. Dropping second-round bust Dee Eskridge could add around $1.5 million more.
• All of those moves would give them enough to re-sign Williams, Jordyn Brooks and Damien Lewis – plus maybe Colby Parkinson and Evan Brown. They will need more space if they want to improve the roster in free agency.
• Some fans keep pitching the idea of Tyler Lockett being let go because he is due $17 million in total compensation in 2024. That would weaken the offense, for sure, but they probably need to reduce his cap hit in some way if they want to add a decent veteran guard or linebacker. Trading or cutting him would return about $7 million, but they also could restructure his deal with a pay cut to maybe $12 million.
• Some fans also are concerned about Geno Smith’s contract, which includes a $12.7 million salary (guaranteed Feb. 16) and a $9.6 million March roster bonus. The Seahawks could restructure it if they felt they needed more cap space. Maybe add a void year and prorate to save up to $13 million (pushing that into the next two years). That all seems unlikely – they knew what they were doing when they did the deal last year.

Quarterback

Key free agent: Drew Lock.

There is plenty of speculation that Smith might be let go, but Schneider seems very unlikely to move on from Smith this year. Smith didn’t have quite the season he had in 2022, but he definitely showed up in the clutch in a handful of games. The GM also just said he thinks this team is “on the cusp.” Yes, Smith is a short-term QB – Schneider surely will draft one within the next two years. But give Smith some better blockers and a defense that offers him a few more chances, and he probably can lead Seattle to playoff wins. Macdonald certainly seems capable of making that happen. … Lock made $4 million as the backup in 2023. He will look for a better chance at playing time. Some think the Hawks might give it to him, re-signing him to a similar deal, letting Smith go and then drafting the future QB. Anything is possible, but swapping Smith for Lock seems like an unnecessary move.

Macdonald on Geno: “He’s a really good player. Pretty sure he’s at the Pro Bowl right now. We’re going to build around the quarterback. You’ve got to. … We’ll see how the whole situation shakes out over time.”

Running Back

Key free agent: DeeJay Dallas.

This position is locked down with Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet as the 1-2 punch. Kenny McIntosh, a seventh-rounder in 2023, also is still on the roster, which could mean Dallas is headed elsewhere. Otherwise, he could come back on a minimum deal ($1.125 million).

Wide Receiver

Key free agent: None.

For several years, fans had been clamoring for a talented third receiver to go with DK Metcalf and Lockett. So Schneider made them happy in 2023 by using one of his first-round picks on Jaxon Smith-Njigba — and the Hawks suddenly had one of the best receiver trios in the league. Now, a bunch of fans want the Hawks to drop Lockett to save cap space. We addressed the money aspect of it above, but is Lockett really washed up at 32, as some think? It’s true he had his worst season since 2017 in yards (894), touchdowns (five) and catch percentage (64.8), and the 11.3 yards per catch were the second fewest of his nine-year career. But the Hawks were 4-0 in the games in which he scored, and he beat Arizona with his late TD and two-point conversion catch. He is still an effective receiver. If the team wants some cap relief from him, he probably would be amenable to working with the team to stick around.  

Tight End

Key free agents: Noah Fant, Colby Parkinson.

Will Dissly will not be back at his cap number. Schneider’s move to pay him $8 million a year in 2021 was one of the GM’s dumbest moves ever. The Hawks can reclaim about $7 million in cap space by cutting him – an extreme no-brainer. … Parkinson should be an easy re-sign, maybe on a two-year deal averaging $3 million. … Fant played on a $6.85 million option in 2023, but he caught just 32 balls. PFF ranks him as the third best TE free agent and projects him to get $9 million a year from some team. Schneider has a history of overpaying tight ends, but he needs to stop doing that. Local boy Dissly probably would return for cheap and they can draft a guy or sign another cheap veteran. There is no reason to pour a lot of money into this position.

Offensive Line

Key free agents: Damien Lewis, Evan Brown, Phil Haynes, Jake Curhan (RFA).

The Seahawks need to improve this unit. Outside of left tackle Charles Cross, they are completely unsettled. At this point, their projected line has no left guard and otherwise would be Cross, Olu Oluwatimi at center, Anthony Bradford at RG and Stone Forsythe at RT. Not nearly good enough. … Abe Lucas’ future is in question due to a mysterious knee ailment that cost him most of 2023; he had surgery Jan. 17, so fingers crossed that is all it takes to get him back to health. If not, the Hawks might need a new right tackle to go with the other spots. … They certainly need to upgrade the interior of their line, which was a big reason their running attack ranked 28^th (just 92.9 ypg). Even if they think Olu will step up at center, the guard spots are questionable. Haynes should not be back. Lewis is projected by PFF to get $10 million a year and the Hawks will need to pay it unless they find a better option. … The Hawks paid just $20.5 million to their offensive line in 2023 (third least in the league). They have been in the bottom quarter of the league in paying their O-line for most of the past decade – it often has been the main thing that has held them back from winning playoff games. It’s time Schneider changed his approach.

Free-agent watch: Top pending free agents at guard include the Rams’ Kevin Dotson, Miami’s Robert Hunt, and Detroit’s Graham Glasgow and Jonah Jackson. Good veteran centers who might be available include Las Vegas’ Andre James and Denver’s Lloyd Cushenberry. Any of these guys likely will cost at least $10 million. Schneider needs to be willing to pay to upgrade the interior.

Defensive Line

Key free agents: Leonard Williams, Mario Edwards.

The Hawks gave up a second-rounder in this draft and a 2025 fifth-rounder for Williams, and Schneider needs to make that trade count by re-signing the 29-year-old, who tallied four sacks and nine tackles for loss in 10 games and became the first NFL player in modern history to play 18 games (he never got a bye due to the trade). PFF projects a deal worth $17 million a year, but odds are pretty good his market will remain around $21 million. The Hawks should pay whatever it takes. … Macdonald stresses scheme versatility and would find the best way to use Williams, Jarran Reed and Dre’Mont Jones as the anchors of the defensive front. … The Hawks still need to find a stout nose tackle – a la Baltimore’s Michael Pierce — to help clog up running lanes. … Cameron Young and Mike Morris did nothing as rookies, so we will see what Macdonald can do with them in 2024. Morris played for Macdonald at Michigan in 2021.

Free-agent watch: Top free agents here include Miami’s Christian Wilkins, Cincinnati’s D.J. Reader and Indy’s Grover Stewart, but the Hawks won’t pay top dollar to three D-linemen (Jones makes $17 million a year). If they cannot keep Williams, they will need to add another vet and make sure to draft someone.

Morris on Macdonald: “I know everything that he put into Michigan … and everything that he’s going to put into now.”

Edge Rusher

Key free agent: Darrell Taylor (RFA)

In Baltimore last season, Macdonald helped one-time Seahawk Jadeveon Clowney have one of his best seasons (9.5 sacks), and 33-year-old Kyle Van Noy had nine sacks. So imagine what the coach will do with Nwosu and Mafe – each should hit double digits in 2024. He also should get a lot more out of Derick Hall, who had a forgettable rookie season. … As we said last year at this time, the Hawks should have traded Taylor, who is a liability against the run. He had value then, after 9.5 sacks in 2022. But he tallied just 5.5 sacks in 2023 and was still terrible against the run. Now the Hawks have to decide whether he is worth a $2.8 million tender. They probably will tender him and then cut his salary, as they have done with players in the past. Macdonald likely can get more out of him if he is back.

Linebacker

Key free agents: Bobby Wagner, Jordyn Brooks, Devin Bush.

Macdonald had the luxury of two former first-rounders, Roquan Smith and Patrick Queen, playing inside in Baltimore. The Seahawks have no inside linebackers right now, so Schneider needs to completely remake this position to suit Macdonald. Brooks is worth maybe $6 million a year to Seattle, but PFF expects some team to offer up to $11 million. Will Schneider want to pay that? … Wagner, who received far too many accolades for his play, should not be back at age 34. The draft features what seems to be a pretty good class of linebackers, so the Hawks need to add a couple there.

Free-agent watch: Macdonald probably would love to bring Queen over from Baltimore, but Queen wants north of $17 million a year. The Hawks already did that once, with Wagner. No need to go there again. … Carolina’s Frankie Luvu (a Coug), Tennessee’s Azeez Al-Shaair and Houston’s Blake Cashman also could get at least as much as Brooks. Buffalo’s Tyrel Dodson, Cleveland’s Sione Takitaki and the Chargers’ Kenneth Murray might be cheaper options.

Secondary

Key free agents: Artie Burns, Mike Jackson (RFA)

Pro Bowler Julian Love is the only sure thing at safety – he should be extended later in the offseason. … Adams has been Schneider’s biggest bust deal and certainly will be cut, bringing back $6 million this year and a whopping $28 million in 2025, which the team will need. … Diggs is a big question. The Hawks could reclaim $11 million by moving him via trade or release. The question is whether Macdonald thinks Diggs could be a lot more effective in his scheme than he has been the past two years in Carroll’s. Kyle Hamilton and Geno Stone were an excellent safety tandem in Baltimore. … The Hawks do have Jerrick Reed, a promising sixth-rounder from 2023 who could compete with a rookie or cheaper vet if Diggs is let go. … At corner, Witherspoon is a star and the Hawks still have Tre Brown, Tariq Woolen and Coby Bryant. In 2023, Woolen regressed unlike any Seahawk in recent history; he will need to show Macdonald he cares enough to compete for a roster spot, let alone the starting position. … The Hawks probably don’t need to tender Jackson; if they do, it would be at the minimum $2.8 million and then they probably would reduce the salary later.

Free-agent watch: Would the Hawks bring in Stone? He had seven picks in Macdonald’s Baltimore defense in 2023, including one against Seattle. He could come in and teach the secondary the Macdonald way if the Hawks are willing to pay him what they are paying Diggs (or a bit more).