They traded away veteran quarterback Geno Smith and star wide receiver DK Metcalf in a pair of blockbuster deals. They released veteran Tyler Lockett \u2013 one of the most accomplished receivers in franchise history \u2013 in a salary-cap-clearing move.<\/p>\n
In free agency, they turned around and filled those voids with quarterback Sam Darnold, one-time All-Pro receiver Cooper Kupp and speedy wideout Marquez Valdes-Scantling. They also signed four-time Pro Bowl defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence and re-signed a pair of key defensive pieces \u2013 linebacker Ernest Jones IV and defensive tackle Jarran Reed \u2013 to bolster a defense that evolved into a top-five unit in the league over the back half of last season<\/a>.<\/p>\n They overhauled their offensive coaching staff, bringing in offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and his Shanahan-style scheme<\/a>.<\/p>\n And then in the NFL Draft, they added a highly intriguing 11-player class<\/a> that includes first-round offensive lineman Grey Zabel, ultra-athletic safety Nick Emmanwori, field-stretching tight end Elijah Arroyo and a third-round lottery ticket in dual-threat quarterback Jalen Milroe.<\/p>\n It was a whirlwind past few months, but plenty in the national media aren\u2019t sold by what the Seahawks did.<\/p>\n Among the skeptics is The Ringer\u2019s Sheil Kapadia<\/a>, who gave the Seahawks a C-plus grade for their offseason<\/a>. Kapadia, who used to cover the Seahawks for ESPN.com, was then asked to explain his reasoning during an appearance on Seattle Sports\u2019 Brock and Salk last week \u2013 while enduring some good-natured ribbing from Brock Huard<\/a> and Mike Salk<\/a>.<\/p>\n Kapadia said he\u2019s \u201cbullish\u201d on the Seahawks\u2019 defense, which he thinks will be a top-three unit this season. But ultimately, his doubts are centered on Darnold and the quarterback spot.<\/p>\n \u201cI understand their plan \u2013 what they wanted to do offensively, what they wanted to do at the quarterback position,\u201d Kapadia said. \u201cI think it just comes down to what I think is the most likely scenario is different than what maybe (general manager) John Schneider and the organization thinks is the most likely scenario with Sam Darnold.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u2018The most likely scenario\u2019<\/p>\n Darnold is coming off a breakout 2024 campaign with the Minnesota Vikings, but there are questions over whether last season was a flash in the pan for the 27-year-old former first-round pick, whose NFL career had been a disappointment prior to last fall.<\/p>\n Kapadia pointed out that Darnold had a favorable situation last year in Minnesota, where he was surrounded by offensive-minded head coach Kevin O\u2019Connell, two-time All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson and top-tier offensive tackles Christian Darrisaw and Brian O\u2019Neill.<\/p>\n Kapadia doesn\u2019t think Darnold will have those same benefits in Seattle.<\/p>\n \u201cI look at Sam Darnold as a quarterback who was in a great situation last year \u2013 with a great play-caller, with good offensive tackles, with a No. 1 wide receiver and a very good receiving corps \u2013 and had a career season,\u201d Kapadia said. \u201cBut I like larger samples, and I\u2019ve seen a different version of Sam Darnold when the circumstances weren\u2019t as good.<\/p>\n \u201cSo now I look at him coming to Seattle with an unknown as an offensive coordinator, an offensive line that I think projects to still be below average and one pass catcher that I can really rely on, and I think the most likely scenario is that we don\u2019t see the same version of Sam Darnold this year that we saw last year.<\/p>\n \u201cSo that\u2019s why I had them at a C-minus. I liked their draft and am bullish on their defense. It really comes down to my expectations for their offense.\u201d<\/p>\n Kapadia was then asked whether his grade is based solely on how this offseason impacts for the Seahawks for 2025, or whether it also factors in the longer-term impact on how it sets up the franchise for 2026 and beyond.<\/p>\n Kapadia said his grade probably leans more toward the 2025 impact, but that he doesn\u2019t think this offseason moved the needle much for Seattle in the long-term.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I look at how this season might go and how it might look like after the year, I think the most likely scenario is they\u2019re still gonna have a hole at quarterback, they\u2019re still gonna need to build up the offensive line and they\u2019re still gonna need to add to the wide receiver room,\u201d Kapadia said.<\/p>\n Listen to the full conversation with The Ringer\u2019s Sheil Kapadia at this link<\/a> or in the audio player near the middle of this story. Tune in to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.<\/p>\n More on the Seattle Seahawks<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0Schlereth: Seattle Seahawks WR Cooper Kupp \u2018like having an extra tight end\u2019<\/a>
\u2022\u00a0What we learned from Seattle Seahawks QB Sam Darnold on Rich Eisen Show<\/a>
\u2022\u00a0Brock: A pivotal trait for Seattle Seahawks\u2019 O-line position battles<\/a>
\u2022\u00a0Salk: Seattle Seahawks\u2019 defense isn\u2019t elite, but a trade could change that<\/a>
\u2022\u00a0An early Seattle Seahawks 53-man roster projection for 2025<\/a><\/p>\n
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