NFL execs go against the crowd with takes on Seahawks, Sam Darnold

One anonymous executive tells The Athletic the Seahawks landed on their feet.

Dec 22, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) reacts after passing for a touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks during the first quarter at Lumen Field. Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Ask most of the media and they'll probably tell you the Seattle Seahawks took a step back last month after a series of franchise-shaking moves. Among them, they traded Geno Smith and replaced him with Sam Darnold, then did the same with DK Metcalf and Cooper Kupp. Along the way, Seattle saved a large chunk of salary cap space and picked up two more top-100 draft picks. However, the vast majority of the commentary on this string of moves has been negative.

Going from Smith to Darnold seems to be the main objection - as most analysts see this is a downgrade despite Darnold's big breakout year with the Minnesota Vikings in 2024. Some projections might back that claim up, but it sounds like those inside the league are higher on this move than the media.

One anonymous NFL executive told Mike Sando at The Athletic that the Seahawks landed on their feet getting Darnold, while another suggested the perception is that Seattle is better now.

"If you are Seattle, would you rather have Cooper Kupp, Sam Darnold, a second-round pick, a third-round pick and $10 million, or would you rather have Geno Smith and DK Metcalf?... Does anybody think you are different with Darnold, Kupp, the picks and $10 million? People probably think you are better now."

Oct 6, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider signs sutographs during pregame warmups against the New York Giants at Lumen Field. / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

We're feeling a abit vindicated from these quotes, as there's not much company in the pro-Darnold/Kupp camp compared to those who prefer DK/Geno.

Darnold may only be a modest upgrade on the field compared to Smith, but the additional cap savings and Darnold being seven years younger gives this team a lot more wiggle room at the game's most important position. The biggest dynamic we're banking on is the potenial for Darnold to continue growing and possibly perform even better than he did in 2024 at some point down the line. Meanwhile, we've probably seen Geno peak these last three years.

Even if Darnold flops and regresses back to the Jets-era Darnold the Seahawks structured the contract in such a way that it's easy to get out after one season. Taking into account that fact, plus the draft capital and the cap savings, the simplest way to put it is that this team has a lot more flexibility going into the future than they did one month ago.

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