In the wake of Seattle sending two mid-round picks to the Saints for Rashid Shaheed, many are saying the Seahawks are in “win now” mode or that they are “going for it” — as if they weren’t already doing that.
Some also are wondering why the Seahawks would give up fourth- and fifth-round picks for a guy whose contract runs out after this season.
Let’s put some perspective on it.
Continue reading Shaheed a ‘win now’ acquisition, but ‘now’ lasts beyond 2025
As the Seahawks take a week off to rest, self-evaluate and prepare for the final 10 games, they are in great position – both for this season and beyond.
At 5-2, they are one of seven NFC teams with a winning percentage over .700 – and right where we thought they would be, positioned for a second-half run into the playoffs.
By DVOA, they actually are rated the best team in the league – thanks to the top-ranked special teams and the No. 2 defense. Their net point differential (plus-57) is fifth.
The Hawks are blowing away Vegas projections, which had the Hawks finishing with seven or eight wins (a 7.5 over/under). We had predicted at least 11 wins. Well, this team is on a pace for 12. Looking at the rest of the schedule, the Hawks look capable of a 7-3 finish – thus a 12-5 record for the season.
This is clearly a playoff team. The bigger question: What happens once the playoffs arrive? Do the Hawks have what it takes to go all the way?
Let’s look at what they have and what they might need to make a Super Bowl run this year and beyond.
Continue reading The promising future of the Hawks this year and beyond
As the Seahawk face the NFL’s best defense on Monday, it is worth noting that Sam Darnold doesn’t have to do it all alone.
Mike Sando of The Athletic does a fun project called the Betrayal Index, which ranks quarterbacks by how much they have to carry their teams (i.e., how good they are vs. where their defenses and special teams rank in EPA).
Darnold is among the top 10 passers in that metric (as he is in pretty much every metric), but he is just one of four QBs who are complemented by top-10 defense/special teams combinations.
And his defense is about to start getting even better.
Continue reading Already supporting Darnold well, defense should get even better
It’s not a big surprise the Seahawks are possibly entertaining trade offers for Riq Woolen.
We have talked about this since last December and pushed for it to happen before the draft. They might have traded him then if they had more cornerback options, which they do now thanks to Josh Jobe, Derion Kendrick and Shaq Griffin.
Jobe and Kendrick have both been stellar in their chances over the first part of the season, while Woolen was a big factor in their Week 1 loss to the 49ers and committed three fouls against Arizona. He is just really inconsistent, and Mike Macdonald does not tolerate guys who make lots of mistakes.
Continue reading Woolen trade has always seemed likely
John Schneider and Mike Macdonald are not finished tinkering with the back end of their roster, but the Seahawks seem about 95% set for the season opener against the 49ers on Sept. 7.
They went heavy on tight ends and fullbacks (six) and light on nose tackles and linebackers – although they are using the practice squad to maximum effect at those spots and also reportedly added a linebacker from the 49ers.
Let’s take a look at all the key moves the Seattle bosses have made this week, what Schneider said and what might be coming next …
Continue reading Hawks relying on practice squad to help front seven
The Seahawks have been plowing through the preseason, ramping up a running game that they plan to make the focal point of their offense in 2025. And it is looking more and more like the guy leading that ground attack – at least in the season opener vs. the 49ers — should and probably will be Zach Charbonnet.
Mike Macdonald seems frustrated that Kenneth Walker III (sore foot) has not been available, and he seemed to drop a huge hint that Charbs is probably the Week 1 starter when he said of Walker: “At some point, you’ve gotta do it on the field so you feel confident to go out there and execute at a high level and play your best football. So that’s something that we’re working through. He’s doing the best he can, and we’re doing the best we can as a coaching staff. We’ve just gotta work together on this thing as it unfolds.”
The way it is unfolding is for Charbonnet to be the main ballcarrier and Walker to potentially be the changeup – a home run back on a snap count.
Continue reading Charbonnet should start over Walker
Summer is still going strong in Seattle, which means there are more good times to be had before football season starts. But, for the Seahawks and the rest of the NFL, the preparation for football season starts this week.
It’s Year 2 of the Mike Macdonald era – with high expectations after his 10-win rookie season. The Hawks have a playoff-amenable schedule and an odd juxtaposition on offense and defense. The latter unit – a top-five defense — returns entirely intact, with two or three additions on top of that. The offense, meanwhile, is being rebuilt almost from the ground up – with just four definite returning starters (after Noah Fant was released this week) and a completely new staff.
It likely will take a while for the offense to jell. It starts with the line, which thankfully has a very solid left side in Charles Cross and rookie Grey Zabel but also has work to do at center and right guard. In the passing game, Sam Darnold, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp need to get synced up. Ideally, Klint Kubiak and his familiar staff can work some magic with the running game early on, to take pressure off Darnold.
The schedule lines up for 11 or 12 wins, by our estimation. That would mean a playoff spot and a shot to do even more.
Continue reading Year 2 of Macdonald era starts — with playoff expectations
The Seahawks have put together the most interesting quarterback room since Matt Hasselbeck and Super Bowl-winning QB Trent Dilfer came along in 2001.
Back then, Mike Holmgren – then in his third year – added Hasselbeck and Dilfer to replace Jon Kitna and Brock Huard. Hasselbeck came in a trade with Green Bay and Dilfer came from Baltimore after stepping in as the starting QB there and winning the Super Bowl the previous year. It took a year or so for Hasselbeck to fully claim the job over Dilfer, but then the Hawks went on a five-year run of playoff seasons that included their own Super Bowl appearance (and controversial loss).
Pete Carroll and John Schneider also cleaned house at the position in 2012, when Russell Wilson and Matt Flynn replaced Tarvaris Jackson and Charlie Whitehurst. Wilson won the job as a rookie and went on to become the best QB in franchise history, overtaking Hasselbeck for that honor, while leading the Hawks to their only Super Bowl title and another Super Bowl that should have been a win.
Now the Seahawks have wiped the slate clean again, with the hope that it will lead to more Super Bowl wins under Mike Macdonald, now in his second season.
Continue reading With Darnold and Milroe, QB room is most exciting since 2001Whether it has been draft misses, bad (or no) free-agent signings, poor coaching or injuries, Seattle just has not fielded a good offensive line during the majority of John Schneider’s tenure – that’s 15 seasons of mostly bottom-10 rankings.
Despite another whiff in free agency in 2025, Schneider has a chance to turn that around. But he needs to do something he has tried only a couple of times: Create continuity with top talent.
We’d call that living the dream.
Continue reading Will Schneider deliver the dream: O-line consistency?
John Schneider’s Seahawks had a stunning first week of free agency, unexpectedly trading both Geno Smith and DK Metcalf and then quickly replacing Smith with Sam Darnold.
They also re-signed two big pieces of their defense, Ernest Jones IV and Jarran Reed. And they brought in Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Cooper Kupp to help replace Metcalf and the released Tyler Lockett. DeMarcus Lawrence was added to beef up their front seven (especially in the run game).
They bid big ($17 million a year) but missed out on the top free-agent guard, Will Fries. But they still might end up with one of the top guards; Teven Jenkins (Chicago) is due in for a visit to the VMAC on Monday.
After a week of free agency, the defense – already on schedule to be a top-five unit in 2025 — is a bit better, and the offense is still rebuilding after the surprising mini-teardown.
Let’s take a look at the roster.
Continue reading After a week of free agency, a look at the roster
CHAWK TALK: Everything being said about the Seahawks 