ESPN: Seahawks made 4 of the NFL's top-50 most-impactful offseason moves

Seattle's front office has been busy making league-shaking moves this year.

Dec 22, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) and Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) hug after the game at Lumen Field. | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Say what you want about the offensive line and how it's all supposd to fit together, but you can't accuse the Seattle Seahawks of sitting on their hands this offseason. No other team in the NFL made bigger changes to their roster since the end of the 2024 season, hands down.

It's not just the Seahawks that have changed, either. Their blockbuster trades of Geno Smith and DK Metcalf also reshaped the Raiders and the Steelers, respectively. All together, this team was by far the most-impactful around the league this offseason. In fact, ESPN has ranked four of Seattle's moves among the 50 biggest in the NFL this year.

Sam Darnold signing at No. 8

The highest-ranking move the Seahawks made was signing their new (maybe) franchise quarterback Sam Darnold to a three-year, $100 million deal that might actually be a one-year deal, depending on how things go. Either way, Seattle scored the top quarterback in free agency or in the draft this year.

Geno Smith to Raiders ranked No. 11

Next, ESPN had Seattle's big deal that sent Geno Smith to Pete Carroll and the Raiders ranked just outside the top 10, coming in at 11th on their list. Smith gives Las Vegas a massive upgrade at quarterback, where they arguably had the worst unit in the NFL last season. The Seahawks used the No. 92 overall pick they got back on rookie quarteback Jalen Milroe out of Alabama.

DK Metcalf to Steelers ranked No. 14

The Seahawks weren't done yet, though. They also sent star wide receiver DK Metcalf to the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he'll be working with four-time league MVP Aaron Rodgers in what will be his final season in the NFL. Metcalf netted the Seahawks the No. 50 overall pick in the draft, which they used on Miami tight end Elijah Arroyo.

Grey Zabel pick ranked No. 49

In a surprise addition to the list, ESPN included Seattle taking NDSU offensive lineman Grey Zabel in the first round of the draft at No. 49 on their list. Zabel projects to start at left guard as a rookie, but he was ranked the top interior offensive line prospect in this class and can also play center or right guard, as needed.

Overall, the Seahawks have set themselves up to compete better in the long run, especially rostering their first developmental quarterback since Russell Wilson. However, none of it may matter if their offensive line is as bad as most people are expecting.

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