Clock Ticking For Seahawks to Land Desired Offensive Coordinator

Now entering their third week of interviews, the Seahawks may need to hasten their offensive coordinator search with new competition entering the mix.

Minnesota Vikings assistant quarterback coach Grant Udinski watches the action from the sideline during a preseason game. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

By dismissing Ryan Grubb less than 24 hours after a season-ending win in Los Angeles, though the Seattle Seahawks missed the playoffs, coach Mike Macdonald viewed the timing as a silver lining with the team set to pursue an offensive coordinator for the second time in as many offseasons.

If there's an advantage to narrowly missing out on the postseason as Seattle did, Macdonald wasn't wrong surmising that the disappointing finish created a chance to get a jump start on other teams seeking a new play caller. Immediately getting to work sending in requests for interviews, they would be afforded the benefit of not having to rush into finding a successor for Grubb, ensuring they would have proper time to identify the best candidate.

"The opportunity that you're presented with is you do have a head start on the rest of the league to a certain extent." Macdonald told reporters on January 7. "So this is something we really have to make sure we take advantage of. This is a position we don't want to be in ever again, so hopefully make the most of it and now we're kind of spring boarding into creating those opportunities."

But as Macdonald pointed out in his final press conference of the season, the Seahawks needed to execute a balancing act in this process, exercising both patience and efficiency. With a hire yet to be made and several new teams entering the fray looking for coordinators, including the NFC North champion Lions, the clock will inevitably now speed up inside the coaching carousel, creating a heightened sense of urgency.

With Detroit being upset by Washington in the Divisional Round on Saturday, the window opened for offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to accept Chicago's head coaching position on Monday, while defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn appears to be closing in on a head coaching job with either the New York Jets or New Orleans Saints with interviews scheduled in the next two days.

Thanks to those departures, Lions coach Dan Campbell will now have two high profile coordinator positions open for one of the NFL's best teams, which should make it an ideal landing spot for candidates seeking a job this cycle.

Among those who may immediately be positioned to succeed Johnson, Detroit could turn to offensive line coach Hank Fraley as the new offensive coordinator. Both Johnson and Glenn may have interest in him as they build their first staffs as head coaches as well, which could be problematic for Seattle after the team met with Fraley in person for a second interview on Tuesday.

If the Seahawks view Fraley as the favorite, it's possible general manager John Schneider and Macdonald are in the midst of putting a full court press on him to make sure he doesn't leave without signing a contract. But if he isn't given an offer on Tuesday or doesn't commit to taking the job, the chances of him replacing Grubb will decrease exponentially, as the door remains open for him to either return to the Lions or take a coordinator job under Johnson or Glenn.

Away from Fraley, the Seahawks also recently held second in person interviews with Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and Vikings assistant quarterback coach Grant Udinski, opting not to make a hire in the aftermath of those meetings. Both of those coaches remain under the radar as candidates for other teams, including Kubiak potentially being in the mix to replace Johnson with the Lions and Udinski reportedly meeting with the Patriots, who ultimately hired Josh McDaniels.

Looking at the landscape of the current coaching carousel, even after the Patriots chose to re-hire McDaniels, the Bears, Cowboys, Jaguars, Jets, Lions, Raiders, and Saints all still have offensive coordinator vacancies to fill. With as many as four of those teams potentially having a new head coach by the end of the week, even more competition may be gunning to hire Fraley, Kubiak, Udinski, or even Thomas Brown and Byron Leftwich, the other two candidates who spoke with the Seahawks.

Considering the sheer number of teams still seeking a play caller and all of the dominos that have already fallen in the aftermath of Detroit's early playoff exit, it's not an overreaction to believe Seattle needs to pounce quickly if it wants to hire its top candidate.

The past two weeks granted Macdonald and Schneider the opportunity to be thorough and cast a wide net, but now, putting the final touches on the hiring process needs to be expedited or the Seahawks risk missing out on the best option and having to settle for a consolation prize.

More Seahawks News

Seahawks OC Candidate Interviews With AFC Team

Seahawks, Lions O-Line Coach to Meet For Second Offensive Coordinator Interview

Ranking Seahawks Free Agents: Who Should Be Prioritized to Re-Sign?

Is Byron Leftwich Dark Horse to Land Seahawks' Offensive Coordinator Job?

Seahawks Request Interview With Saints OC Klint Kubiak