After Pete Carroll’s departure, Macdonald inherited a team that just barely missed the playoffs last season, so the expectation is that he’ll get the Seahawks over the hump in 2024. Schneider made changes to the roster in the offseason but he kept most of the core intact without spending heavily on any notable free agents. This suggests that Schneider and the front office believe overhauling the coaching staff will be the change this franchise truly needs to get back to championship contention. Unlike some of the other coaches hired during this cycle, Macdonald is walking into a situation in which he’s expected to win big, and do it immediately.
Interior offensive line: Seattle’s projected starting interior offensive line was left guard Tremayne Anchrum Jr. (one career start), either Nick Harris (four starts) or Olu Oluwatimi (one start) at center and right guard Anthony Bradford (10 starts). Even after the signing of Laken Tomlinson, a likely starter at left guard, it’s setting up to be an inexperienced offensive line with players who haven’t put much on film to suggest that they’ll be elite players at their respective positions. Offensive line coach Scott Huff has his work cut out for him in his first year coaching the position in the NFL, even if Seattle uses its first-round pick on a guard.
Linebacker: Free-agent signees Tyrel Dodson and Jerome Baker are capable starters, but they’re both on one-year contracts, so Seattle would be wise to draft at least one inside linebacker to have depth in 2024 and a potential starter in future seasons. And that assumes Dodson and Baker continue to play like capable starters in Macdonald’s scheme. Baker was a consistent player in Miami, but Dodson is coming to Seattle after only one year of production in Buffalo, so there’s no guarantee he will blossom into a star right away.
Safety: Seattle swapped Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs for K’Von Wallace and Rayshawn Jenkins. On paper, that’s not an upgrade when all parties are healthy, but Adams’ injury had to be a legitimate concern for Seattle, which appears to believe that versatility at safety will be the key to improving the defense. Julian Love, Wallace and Jenkins have overlapping skill sets: box safeties who can, in certain situations, play the deep part of the field. But this unit could use another game changer in the draft, because only Jenkins is under contract beyond this season.
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