Which Seahawks Will Benefit Most From Shane Waldron Hiring?

Now that Seattle has reportedly tabbed Waldron as its new offensive coordinator, the offense could undergo significant schematic alterations moving forward. Which Seahawks stand to gain the most from his arrival?

After spending two weeks vetting and interviewing candidates, the Seahawks are expected to hire former Rams passing game coordinator Shane Waldron as their new offensive coordinator.

Though he offers no prior play calling experience in the NFL and last served as an offensive coordinator at the high school level, Waldron has spent the past four years learning under esteemed coach Sean McVay and previously has spent time on Bill Belichick's staff as well. His arrival should lead to significant changes in how Seattle operates schematically, including more under center looks, play action passes, and pre-snap motion.

While we won't have a clear idea how similar the Seahawks' offense looks compared to the Rams until training camp and the preseason, it's not too early to think about which players will benefit most from Waldron's arrival.

Russell Wilson

Wilson made it clear earlier this month that he would be involved in the process finding a replacement for Brian Schottenheimer and he should be ecstatic about this hiring for a number of reasons. Waldron will want to incorporate a play action-heavy offense with plenty of bootlegs and rollouts, moving the pocket for his mobile quarterback and playing to Wilson's biggest strengths. The incorporation of pre-snap motion from receivers, tight ends, and running backs with a clear purpose should help scheme receivers open for easier completions.

Playing to his greatest strengths, expect to see Waldron incorporate more bootleg and rollout action to move the pocket for Russell Wilson.

There will also be more of an emphasis on quick-hitting concepts in the passing game, which played a part in Jared Goff only being sacked 80 times combined over the past three seasons, to help set up downfield shot plays that Seattle will still want to take. Most importantly, he should have ample control at the line of scrimmage in a more up-tempo attack, allowing him to read defenses and adjust play calls accordingly.

Colby Parkinson

If Waldron's offense operates anything like the one McVay runs, a strong argument can be made all of Seattle's tight ends will reap the rewards of playing in this system. But after barely seeing action as a rookie, Parkinson may wind up becoming the greatest benefactor of his arrival. At 6-foot-7, the former Stanford standout offers sub 4.80 40-yard dash speed, possesses soft hands as a receiver, and has the frame to get stronger and become a reliable in-line blocker. The Rams love to motion tight ends all over the formation to create mismatches out of 11 and 12 personnel groupings and have found great success with Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett in recent seasons. The duo combined for nearly 1,000 yards in 2020 and was even more productive with over 1,100 yards the season prior. As long as he stays healthy and hits the weight room this offseason, Parkinson could emerge as a focal point in a scheme that emphasizes tight ends in the passing game.

Rashaad Penny

Injuries have derailed Penny's career thus far in Seattle, limiting him to just 27 games and 823 total rushing yards in three seasons. Coming off an ACL tear, he only played in three games last year, carrying the football 11 times for 34 yards. But with Chris Carson and Carlos Hyde both heading towards free agency, the former first-round pick could take on an expanded role as the Seahawks feature back in 2021, especially considering how well he should fit into Waldron's system.

Penny has been most comfortable running from under center formations, which have been a staple of Sean McVay's offense in Los Angeles.

Dating back to his time at San Diego State, Penny has typically been at his best running the ball from under center formations, which have been a staple of the Rams' offense under McVay. With an emphasis on wide zone runs, Penny's speed and explosiveness should be featured as long as he can stay healthy. He also should get his hands on plenty of passes out of the backfield, including in the screen game.

DK Metcalf/Tyler Lockett

Metcalf and Lockett both eclipsed 1,000 yards last season and set multiple single-season franchise records. But like the rest of Seattle's offense, their production dipped substantially in the second half of the season and as Metcalf pointed out in an interview with former NFL receiver Brandon Marshall earlier this week, opponents "figured us out." Assuming Waldron utilizes pre-snap motion in similar fashion to McVay, he should be able to help create better matchups for the two star receivers, particularly in the short-to-intermediate game where the Seahawks struggled so mightily to execute down the stretch against two-deep safety looks. They should be hopeful that Waldron can do a better job of scheming secondary receiving options open as well, which should only make life more difficult for teams trying to take away the deep ball. Also of note, Metcalf and Lockett could also be utilized more as part of Seattle's ground game with jet sweeps and end arounds that have become a signature part of McVay's offense.