Damien Lewis, Seattle Seahawks.
Before the 2022 season began, almost everyone wrote off the Seattle Seahawks. At best, they might eke out 5 or 6 wins. Instead, the Seahawks shocked everyone by going 9-8 and reaching the NFL Playoffs. So what now?
The Seahawks brain trust has some decisions to make this offseason. The answers depend on who General Manager John Schneider and Head Coach Pete Carroll think they are.
Are the Seahawks a contender who is a few pieces away from competing for a Super Bowl? Was the 2022 season a mirage that used a last-place schedule and good draft to fool themselves into thinking they’re closer to real contention than they are? Where Schneider and Carroll land on those questions dictates what happens next.
According to the 12s on social media, Seattle should:
Those are all interesting ideas, but not very likely to happen. There are more realistic solutions. We have a three-pronged plan for the Seattle Seahawks to build off what they accomplished in 2022.
In Part 1, we covered who should lead the offense. That was followed up by boosting the defense in Part 2. The series wraps up with improving the offensive line.
As has been the case in recent years, the Seattle Seahawks offensive ranked among the bottom half of the NFL. For a coach like Carroll, who favors pounding the ball down his opponent’s throats, that’s a problem.
But things are looking up a bit. From the 2022 draft, the Seahawks found a set of bookend tackles that should be with them for a long time. Count on both Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas to make developmental leaps heading into year two.
The interior line is a different story. Their play was more of an issue as the season wore on, and defenses were able to generate pressure on quarterback Geno Smith up the middle consistently. So is there room for improvement? Yes.
Left guard Damian Lewis has been an above-average pass blocker and solid run blocker per PFF rankings. Before the Wild Card Game loss, he had actually cut down on his penalties this season.
With better talent around him, Lewis doesn’t have to think he has to take on the defensive line alone. That should further cut down on his
On the other side, Gabe Jackson has been mediocre. While he only allowed two sacks in 2022, he’s been beaten on pressure far more often.
Jackson’s $6.5M salary looks like it could save the Seattle Seahawks some money if they moved on from him, but it isn’t that simple. Due to signing and restructuring bonuses, he counts $11.2M against the cap, and either releasing or trading him would mean a near $4.8M dead cap hit.
It might make more sense to keep Jackson and draft a guard to challenge him in training camp and develop as his successor.
In the middle, center Austin Blythe was by far the team’s worst offensive lineman. His contract is up, and considering Pro Football Focus ranked him 33rd among 38 centers in 2022, Seattle shouldn’t bring him back.
Phil Haynes, who was the primary backup at all three interior spots, was awful. Almost anyone would be an upgrade, surely Schneider can find a low cost replacement.
An upgrade at center and expected improvement from the tackles could pay huge dividends next season. It would allow the Seattle Seahawks to maintain continuity for the most part up front while improving their weakest position.
Keeping Jackson provides some flexibility, so the Seahawks wouldn’t rely on a rookie or lower-tier free agent in his spot.
So there you have it. Geno returns, the defense improves, and the offensive line solidifies. There are some smaller housekeeping things to address, like wide receiver depth, adding another running back and moving on from Penny, etc.
The pieces are in place for this year to be the beginning of another run of playoff appearances and NFC West titles. If Schneider and Carroll can hit big on a few more picks this year, who knows… maybe a run at even more.
What personnel changes do you think the Seattle Seahawks should make in the offseason?