The offseason never really feels quiet in Seattle.<\/p>\n
It just shifts from game planning to long-term planning. That\u2019s exactly where this next episode of The Hawks Eye is focused.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m joined by Corbin Smith of Emerald City Spectrum<\/a> and Locked On Seahawks<\/a> for a deep dive into what\u2019s next for the Seattle Seahawks following a Super Bowl championship season.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n The central question driving our conversation is simple: How wide open is Seattle\u2019s Super Bowl window?<\/p>\n We\u2019ll start there.<\/p>\n Is this roster built for a multi-year run, or is the pressure already on to maximize the next 12\u201324 months? With a young core in place, an ascending defensive identity, and key decisions looming financially, the Seahawks aren\u2019t navigating a rebuild they\u2019re managing expectations at the highest level. We\u2019ll break down whether this team is structured more like a sustainable contender or a group that needs to strike while the iron is hot.<\/p>\n Corbin Smith\u2019s take on Seattle\u2019s Super Bowl window<\/p>\n \u201cI think with Sam Darnold still being a young quarterback and being under contract at a very tenable salary, and how many players they\u2019re still going to have that are on rookie deals\u2014even if Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Devon Witherspoon get extended this year, they\u2019re still going to be on their rookie contracts on the values for the next couple years. So you you have to take advantage of that. That\u2019s where the window lies more than anything.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n \u201cI would say they\u2019ve probably got two or three years minimum where that window is going to be wide open. And if Sam Darnold continues to play at a high level, if you\u2019ve got a franchise guy under center and you\u2019ve got a defensive coaching mind like Mike Macdonald, a lot of the youth they have on this roster, then that window could extend wider than that. But I I think the safe bet is two or three years with the financial flexibility that they have.\u201d<\/p>\n From there, we map out the offseason road ahead.<\/p>\n Free agency priorities. Internal extensions. Cap flexibility. Where should Seattle be aggressive, and where should they trust internal development? Every contender eventually faces the tension between retaining core contributors and preparing for the next wave. We\u2019ll discuss how John Schneider and the front office should approach that balancing act.<\/p>\n We\u2019ll also turn our attention to the draft. Even teams at the top must draft with purpose. Are the Seahawks targeting depth? Future starters? Premium positions? Corbin and I will highlight intriguing prospects who could fit both the scheme and the long-term roster vision.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Corbin Smith\u2019s top cornerback in the NFL Draft<\/p>\n \u201cMy number one corner, it\u2019s not one of the guys that\u2019s being picked in the top 10 in all these mock drafts:Chris Johnson from San Diego State. I absolutely love this kid and he screams Mike Macdonald cornerback. He had a 16.7 passer rating against in coverage this year. That is not a typo. 16.7. Four interceptions, a boatload of pass breakups, didn\u2019t allow a single touchdown, and oh, by the way, has a career miss tackle rate under 6%. He is a dog.<\/p>\n \u201cHe gets up field, hits people, very clean tackler, tough-minded, fluid athlete. I\u2019m curious to see how he runs at the combine, but [with] Riq Woolen and Josh Jobe being free agents, that is a natural fit at pick number 32 if he\u2019s there. I could see him being a guy that\u2019s gone much earlier than that, especially if he tests really well in Indianapolis, but I\u2019m a huge Chris Johnson fan.\u201d<\/p>\n