The Seattle Seahawks have been one of the most active teams in free agency, making major changes on offense.
Seattle has parted ways with quarterback Geno Smith, along with wide receivers Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf. While they’ve added Sam Darnold and Cooper Kupp as replacements, the Seahawks are still receiving one of the worst free agency grades in the NFL.
Seahawks Receive One of the Worst Free Agency Grades
Seattle left its fan base puzzled after trading Smith and Metcalf while releasing Lockett. It also parted ways with safety Rayshawn Jenkins and defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones. And so far, the Seahawks’ replacements haven’t fully addressed the team’s biggest needs on paper.
That’s why PFSN’s Stats and Insights team gave Seattle a D+ grade for free agency. The Kansas City Chiefs and the Las Vegas Raiders are the only other teams with grades this low.
“Seattle Seahawks fans are likely to be nervous about what they have seen during the first portion of this offseason. Sam Darnold is technically a slight upgrade on Geno Smith in terms of QB+ from last season, having ranked 12th compared to 15th for Smith. However, Darnold comes with a lot more risk than Smith, and that is scary, but he also comes with a higher ceiling if they put the right pieces around him.
“The issue for the Seahawks is that they have allowed both Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf to depart, signing Cooper Kupp to pair with Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Smith-Njigba is talented, but asking him to be the No. 1 is a big step, while Kupp’s injury history and potential redundancy in the slot with JSN make him far from a slam dunk add.
“The Seahawks retained some key pieces on defense in Ernest Jones IV and Jarran Reed but then signed DeMarcus Lawrence to a puzzling $14 million per year deal for three years. The 33-year-old Lawrence only projects as a rotational edge rusher at this stage of his career, but the Seahawks are paying him to be far more than that.”
Kupp’s addition to the receiving corps seems to be the biggest bright spot of Seattle’s free agency, yet both he and Smith-Njigba operate out of the slot, creating a potential fit issue for head coach Mike Macdonald.
Seattle’s season will likely hinge on how Darnold performs. He’s coming off the best season of his career — throwing for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions — leading the Minnesota Vikings to a 14-3-2 record and a playoff berth.
However, Darnold’s early career struggles are hard to ignore, and even if he replicates his 2024 production, the Seahawks haven’t built an offense designed to maximize his strengths. Seattle’s offensive line remains a major question mark, which is a concern given that Darnold has struggled most under pressure.
What About the Rest of the Seahawks Offense?
While Seattle has radically redone the offense, two areas that needed to be addressed, the offensive line and rushing attack, have been left by the wayside. According to PFSN’s offensive line rankings, the Seahawks’ offensive line ranked 31st in the NFL.
PFSN’s Ben Rolfe explains, “On the season, Seattle allowed a 39.4% pressure rate (30th) and an 8.3% sack rate (24th). They struggled whether opponents blitzed or not, and their numbers all around leave much to be desired following plenty of investment in the line in recent years.”
“Seattle ranked third-from-last in RBYBC/rush (0.66) and 28th in RBWR. Based on these numbers, it’s not a huge surprise that they struggled to sustain a playoff push week over week consistently and were ultimately eliminated in Week 17,” Rolfe said.
Running backs Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet have the talent to produce out of the backfield, but the lack of rushing lanes and effective blocking has hampered their abilities. After breaking 1,000 rushing yards in his rookie season in 2022, Walker has watched his total drop the past two seasons, rushing for 905 yards in 2023 and 573 yards in 2024.
Charbonnet has fared better in the RB2 role behind Walker, seeing his season rushing yard total jump from 462 to 569 from 2023 to 2024. His touchdown total jumped from one to eight as well. However, the lack of consistency on the offensive line needs to be addressed.
Seattle has the ammo to address some of these holes with three picks in the top 52 of the 2024 NFL Draft, but will any rookie additions be ready to roll in Week 1 while also being an improvement?