Can Seahawks Pull Off One-Year Reload? Precedent Exists in NFL
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The 2021 Seahawks are a mess; there is no getting around it. Their offense is stale, their defense is unreliable and the decisions up and down the coaching staff have been puzzling at times. They now sit at 5-10, in last place in the NFC West, eliminated from playoff contention and facing a losing season for the first time in a decade.
We all can see the holes in this team. The question is: can it be fixed in one offseason? Can the Seahawks get back to contention in 2022? For those that say it's impossible, allow me to give some precedent to that goal and perhaps some ways the organization can learn from past success stories.
The Packers were mired in a disappointing run from 2017 to 2018 with head coach Mike McCarthy. They finished in third place in the NFC North both of those years, with a combined record of 13-18-1 over that stretch. Folks might dismiss the 2017 campaign, since perennial MVP candidate Aaron Rodgers played in just seven games.
However, basically the same Packers team, with a healthy Rodgers playing all 16 games, went 6-9-1 the following season. Rodgers himself had a subpar year for his standards, with a rare sub-100 passer rating and just 25 touchdown (he averages almost 32 per season). Russell Wilson is certainly having an uncharacteristic season, yet with a higher passer rating of 99.4 compared to Rodgers' 97.6 mark of 2018.
Just a year later, the Packers hosted the NFC Championship Game following a 13-3 year. So what changed? What had to happen in Green Bay to merit such a dramatic turnaround? Rodgers was still in town, along with most of his supporting cast, with weapons like Aaron Jones and Davante Adams holding over from the previous year of mediocrity. The most glaring difference is the change they made at head coach, firing McCarthy in favor of the younger, more innovative Matt LaFleur. Now they feature a lethal offense and Rodgers won yet another MVP following the 2020 season.
A similar situation could happen in Seattle. McCarthy was able to bank a lot of goodwill in Green Bay due to winning Super Bowl XLV following the 2010 season. The front office overlooked a lot of his flaws for several years after, based on his past success. Does that sound familiar?
Pete Carroll has done wonderful things in Seattle—things that should put him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, including bringing the franchise its first Super Bowl title. However, now eight seasons removed from that championship, things are growing stale or worse around the Seahawks' organization. Will they make the bold move to move on from their Super Bowl-winning head coach, while keeping their generational talent at quarterback? It seemed to work out for the Packers.
That wasn't the only move they made to improve. Green Bay's defense went from 22nd in scoring in 2018 to ninth the following season. How did the Packers do it? They traded up in the draft to select safety Darnell Savage Jr. in the 2019 draft and signed two elite pass-rushing "Smiths" in Za'Darius and Preston, who combined for 25.5 sacks that year.
While Seattle may lack the draft capital, it has the cap space necessary to make moves like Green Bay did with its two premier pass rushers. The biggest questions are: will the Seahawks even try? And can they actually find the right fit? Can this front office still be trusted to evaluate talent at a high level?
Looking for an example that doesn't include parting with the head coach or all-world quarterback? Look no further than the 2015-16 Falcons. Atlanta finished 8-8 in former Seattle defensive coordinator Dan Quinn's first year at the helm, missing the playoffs for the third straight year. Its franchise quarterback, Matt Ryan, had a down season, throwing 16 interceptions to just 21 touchdowns. Its offense ranked 21st in yards and its defense wasn't much better, ranking 16th.
The next season, the Falcons went 11-5, making their second-ever Super Bowl appearance, and Ryan won MVP. Quinn and Ryan remained, so what changed?
First, they hit on several draft picks, starting in 2015 with No. 8 draft pick Vic Beasley. In the Falcons' run to the NFC title during his second season, Beasley earned first-team All-Pro honors, leading the NFL with 15.5 sacks and six forced fumbles. Atlanta also found two-time Pro Bowl nose tackle Grady Jarrett in the fifth round. In the 2016 draft, it selected two future Pro Bowlers on defense in safety Keanu Neal and linebacker Deion Jones, and it found a productive tight end in Austin Hooper in the third round.
The Falcons also signed perennial Pro Bowl center Alex Mack to spearhead their offensive line, which did wonders for the offense. Then they brought in veteran receiver Mohamed Sanu to compliment All-Pro talent Julio Jones.
What can the Seahawks learn here? Hitting on several draft picks and making splash signings to fortify the offensive line and weapons around the quarterback can work if you find the right fits. They could use some juice along the offensive line as well as more proven compliments for the likes of Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf, who draws comparisons to the likes of Jones.
Obviously, the Seahawks have swung and missed on several high draft picks recently and several free agents did not work out how they originally planned. Half of the battle is getting lucky enough to find players who will fit the mold you need in your organization, which is easier said than done, of course. However, as we can see from the Packers and Falcons, it can be done.
The biggest question of the offseason will likely be the fates of Pete Carroll and eight-time Pro Bowl signal-caller Russell Wilson. Which one will leave, if any? Will they both leave? Who stays? Obviously, the fate of the 2022 season may rest in the answer to those questions. If the Seahawks can at least retain Wilson, the NFL absolutely is built for them to be able to reload quickly with a few savvy moves.
