But while continuity is the theme on defense, Seattle’s offense will look quite a bit different this season. The Seahawks started their offseason by making a change at offensive coordinator, with Klint Kubiak taking over in that role, bringing several assistant coaches with him from New Orleans or from other stops in his career. The Seahawks also made some big changes on the roster, trading Geno Smith and DK Metcalf and releasing Tyler Lockett in a salary-cap related move, and signing Sam Darnold, Cooper Kupp and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
Players will miss their friends and former teammates, but they’re also excited about the new players added to the roster, as well as what Kubiak will bring.
“I’m super excited,” said receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who made the Pro Bowl in his second season, tying a franchise record with 100 receptions “I love to play ball, love the Seahawks, love having ‘Seahawks’ on my chest. Talking to Mike and John (Schneider), the direction we want to go, I’m all on board with that. I can see it from the first day with Klint; he’s just on top of it, ready, telling us what to expect from him, and also what he expects from us. Just starting over with a clean slate is exciting. I get to prove myself once again to this team and this organization, and for me, my eyes always light up at that opportunity.”
Asked about Kubiak’s offense, Smith-Njigba said, “It’s built for tough players, smashmouth players, players who want to win, players who are going to get the job done, plain and simple, whether that’s blocking a safety or whatever is asked from you. We’ve got a lot of tough players on this team just looking around this offense. It’s just a tough, hard-nosed offense, and we’ve got the players to fit that style.”
Added left tackle Charles Cross, “Everyone’s really excited. Kubiak’s bringing a new system in, everyone’s excited to learn it and understand the nuances of it, and really just bring it to life.
“I feel like it’s going to help everyone as far as the scheme and skillset of the offense, running off the ball, getting the ball out quick. I feel like it’s an O-line’s dream to play in a system like this.”
When it comes to the two highest-profile free-agent signings, Darnold and Kupp, players who have faced them are excited about what they’ll bring to Seattle.
“For me, who they are as players embodies the core of our team right now—just hard-working guys who aren’t about the extra stuff, they’re just trying to compete and just get after it every single play, every single game,” said Love. “Cooper Kupp, he’s incredibly savvy, obviously I’ve guarded him over the years, and every year you play him, you just have so much respect for how he attacks the game, how he works. And Sam Darnold, it’s the same thing. You talk about a guy who had his back against the wall a couple of times in his career, and people have doubted him a ton, and he’s continued to work and grind and prove himself. I’m excited to have both of them, they come with a great mindset and obviously a lot of talent.”
Smith-Njigba, who spent his first two seasons learning from the likes of Smith, Metcalf and Lockett, is excited now to pick Kupp and Darnold’s brains and learn from a couple more accomplished veterans.
“You go down the list of teammates that I’ve had, I’ve been blessed,” Smith-Njigba said. “To have Coop here this year, it’s the cherry on top. I can’t wait to learn from him, I’ve already learned a ton from him in just two days and some text messages. Just to get a different perspective on the game is something I’ll always value and respect. I can’t wait. We sat next to each other in the meeting room today, and there’s going to be a lot of questions that I ask. That’s just how I am, that’s how I’m built, asking DK, asking Tyler, asking the guys who have been there before, and Cooper Kupp’s at the top of that list.
“And being with (Darnold) at the Pro Bowl, meeting him, I can sense his love for the game. He’s been through some battles, some ups and downs, and that’s always great. He’s been tested, and his testimony is great. It’s awesome. He’s a player who had a great year last year, I enjoyed watching his film from last year, and it just puts a smile on my face and gets me ready to go, because I know he can sling it. He wants to get the ball in players’ hands and let us do our thing, and as a receiver, I love that.”