Matt Calkins: Seahawks GM John Schneider faces most crucial offseason

Matt Calkins, The Seattle Times on Jan 22, 2025

Published in Football

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SEATTLE — When Pete Carroll was let go last January, the Seahawks became a team shrouded in mystery.

How would this organization fare without the coach who'd led them to two Super Bowl appearances and five division titles? Who would replace him and how would he round out the staff?

Were other key personnel changes coming? Was a new quarterback on the way?

All fair questions from a fan base that has been conditioned for success.

But amid all the unknowns, one thing became clear: This was general manager John Schneider's team now. All praise and criticism regarding transactions fell squarely on him.

How he did in Year 1 with that autonomy begets mixed reviews. You can look at that incessantly underwhelming offensive line and gripe that he did little if anything to improve it. You can wonder if using that first-round draft pick on defensive tackle Byron Murphy II — ranked by Pro Football Focus as the 91st best defensive lineman in the league — was a miss.

But you can also admire that long-term contract that defensive end Leonard Williams signed, just as you can acclaim that midseason trade for linebacker Earnest Jones IV.

Sure, perhaps the latter was to fix a mistake at that same position, but it still seemed to boost a defense in disarray.

All that said, Seattle still missed the playoffs for the second straight season. And that 10th win in Week 18 has an asterisk considering the Rams played few of their starters in the regular-season finale.

Expectations weren't met. And if that happens again — assuming there aren't an excessive wave of unforeseen injuries — a lot of eyes are going to be looking directly at Schneider. Maybe they already are.

In other words, this may be the most crucial offseason of his career. This is his opportunity to lift the Seahawks out of the doldrums of mediocrity and back into the team that was once feared around the league.

So what does he have to do? Well, first — and this feels like a statement on loop — fix the offensive line.

The Seahawks entered that meaningless final game of the season with an O-line that ranked 31st in the NFL, according to analytics site Pro Football Focus. If there has been one area that has seemed to doom the Seahawks in the post Legion of Boom/Super Bowl era, it has been that particular position group.

It doesn't mean that there haven't been some solid moves or picks. Charles Cross, the left tackle selected with the ninth overall pick last season, has been solid, albeit not a Pro Bowler. Duane Brown, whom Schneider traded for in 2017, was a second-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler for the Seahawks.

But those finds/deals have been sparse, and Schneider has produced almost nothing on the interior of the line. Surely this played a role in the Seahawks finishing 28th in rushing this year (although they were 17th in yards per carry). Just like it played a role in quarterback Geno Smith being sacked 50 times this year — the third most in the league.

Yes, there is only so much capital each team can allocate. Sometimes certain areas have to be neglected. But Seattle's O-line has been too costly for too long. Schneider knows that.

There are other concerns, too. Stellar as Williams was this year — he finished with 11 sacks and a career-high 16 tackles for a loss — the defensive line was middling. Defensive end Dre'Mont Jones, who signed a three-year, $51 million contract last offseason — had just four sacks, the fewest since his rookie year, when he played in four fewer games. The aforementioned Murphy, had a half sack and started just nine games.

Rushing offense was a problem all year. Rushing defense, however, was the primary culprit when the Seahawks lost five out of six games midway through the season.

And, of course, there is the situation at quarterback. Geno has had some All-Pro moments since re-emerging as an NFL starter in 2022. He also has proven himself to be one of the more turnover-prone signal callers in the league. There were 15 interceptions this season, with several coming in the red zone. Yes, his completion percentage was a career-best 70.4. His 4,320 yards were the most of his career well. He hit three $2-million incentives in Week 18, but still hasn't shown he can be the quarterback of a true contender.

I don't think there is a better option than Smith in free agency. And with Seattle picking 18th in the draft, there may not be a great option in the draft, either. Schneider's ability to make an instant upgrade here will be difficult, but if he can clean up some of the areas pointed out above, Geno might be enough.

This is Schneider's team now. He earned his keep by helping to construct one of the mightiest rosters of the 2010s, and has kept this team relevant throughout his tenure.

But relevant isn't enough for this fan base. It's Schneider's move this offseason. Make it count.

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