Seattle Seahawks News & Rumors

Seahawks GM Addresses QB Geno Smith’s Future

February 29th, 2024 at 9:26pm CST by Adam La Rose

9:26pm: The Seahawks may be ready to end the trade speculation. Schneider is believed to have informed Smith he will be on the roster on his current contract next season, Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz tweets. Similar assurances in the recent past have led to some course changes; this does come two years after Pete Carroll said at the Combine the intention was not to trade Wilson. That said, the Seahawks appear to be planning for a third season with Smith at the controls.

10:36am: Entering the offseason, questions were raised about the Seahawks’ commitment to quarterback Geno Smith. Despite the veteran’s multi-year extension signed in the wake of his impressive 2022 showing, the team had a path to releasing or trading him with minimal cap penalties.

However, the recent moves made by Seattle point in the direction of Smith being retained for at least one more campaign. His $12.7MM base salary has already become fully guaranteed, and the team agreed to a restructure last week. As a result of that move, Smith’s roster bonus was converted to a signing bonus, saving 2024 cap space and accelerating a payment which was due next month.

Many had pointed to March 18 (the time at which Smith’s roster bonus was due to vest) as a deadline for Seattle to work out a trade sending Smith elsewhere. With that option now off the table, the 2022 Comeback Player of the Year is on track to remain the Seahawks’ starter. New head coach Mike Macdonald declined to offer a firm commitment in that respect before the restructure, but general manager John Schneider‘s remarks downplayed the significance of the financial maneuvering.

“Other people made a bigger deal out of that than we did in the building,” the latter said, via Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic (subscription required). “Is he gonna be here? Is he not gonna be here?’ He was going to be here. It’s a matter of when are we going to tell him we’re doing this with his roster bonus?”

Schneider added that Smith, 33, is atop Seattle’s depth chart “until he’s not.” Backup Drew Lock is a pending free agent, but he is expected to seek out a starting gig on the open market. Part of the Russell Wilson trade package, Lock made only a pair of starts during his Seattle tenure, something which could hinder his market. Schneider is believed to have played a central role in having the former second-rounder included in the Wilson deal, so a re-up could still be in the cards. On the other hand, Seattle taking the draft route is something Schneider also touched on.

The 14-year GM noted that the team’s track record of selecting only two passers in his tenure is “not something that we’re necessarily proud of,” leaving open the door to a draft addition this April. Seattle did homework on the top passers in last year’s class before ultimately selecting cornerback Devon Witherspoon fifth overall. The team still has first-round needs on defense which outweigh the urgency to draft a Smith successor, especially given his current financial situation. While Schneider declined to give the two-time Pro Bowler a full endorsement, his remarks point further toward stability under center for 2024.

NFC Coaching Updates: Falcons, Vikings, Garcia, Glenn

February 25th, 2024 at 6:21pm CST by Ely Allen

As the offseason chugs along, teams continue to reconstruct their coaching staffs. The Falcons made a number of moves just before the weekend, according to Michael Rothstein of ESPN. The staff continues to take shape under new head coach Raheem Morris.

On offense, two announcements were made on assistants looking to hold over from Arthur Smith‘s staff last year. Rothstein reports that assistant offensive line coach Shawn Flaherty and offensive assistant Patrick Kramer, who each came to Atlanta last offseason, will be retained in their previous positions.

A new hire was announced, as well, with the team naming Jacquies Smith as their new outside linebackers coach. Formerly a seven-year NFL defensive end, the former undrafted player out of Missouri will now accept his first NFL coaching position. After disappearing from the NFL-world for a spell and making an appearance in the XFL, Smith worked with draft-eligible players in pre-draft training. He most recently spent the 2023 season as an assistant edge coach for the Texas Longhorns.

In the front office, the team announced the hires of John Griffin as director of player performance and Rob Dadona as manager of coaching operations. Griffin follows Morris after spending the past three years with the Rams. Dadona replaces Brian Griffin, who departed to serve as Chief of Staff at the University of Maryland. Dadona spent the past five seasons with the Jets, serving as assistant to the head coach for the last three.

Here are a few other staff updates from around the NFC, starting with a couple out of Minneapolis:

The Vikings announced two staff additions this weekend, naming assistant offensive line coach Shaun Sarrett and assistant to the head coach Henry Schneider IV. Sarrett replaces Justin Rascati, who departed for Los Angeles to serve as the Chargers pass-game coordinator. The two essentially swapped places, as Sarrett spent the past three years in the assistant offensive line coaching role with the Chargers. Schneider spent the last five years with the Raiders, most recently as the manager of coaching operations.
The Cowboys added a hot, young name out of Washington to their defensive staff this weekend. Cristian Garcia, who spent part of last year as the Commanders interim defensive backs coach, will head to Dallas as a defensive quality control coach, per Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News. Garcia was a name that former Commanders head coach Ron Rivera turned to for leadership after firing defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio. Now he’ll join the NFC East rival.
Washington added their own coaching assistant last week. According to ESPN’s John Keim, John Glenn will join the staff as the Commanders’ new assistant special teams coach. Glenn replaces Ben Jacobs, who had served in the same role since following Rivera from Carolina in 2020 but was not retained by the new staff. Glenn changes roles a bit after spending the past six seasons as the Seahawks linebackers coach.

2024 NFL Cap Space, By Team

February 24th, 2024 at 9:33pm CST by Adam La Rose

The NFL provided clarity to its teams on Friday by setting the salary cap ceiling ($255.4MM). Franchise tag figures have been locked in as well, and clubs can now proceed with their offseason planning knowing exactly where they stand with respect to financial flexibility. Courtesy of Over the Cap, here is the current landscape in terms of salary cap space:

Washington Commanders: $79.61MM
Tennessee Titans: $78.66MM
Chicago Bears: $78.34MM
New England Patriots: $77.96MM
Indianapolis Colts: $72.34MM
Houston Texans: $67.58MM
Detroit Lions: $57.61MM
Arizona Cardinals: $51.1MM
Cincinnati Bengals: $50.67MM
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $43.68MM
Los Angles Rams: $43.11MM
Las Vegas Raiders: $42.94MM
Minnesota Vikings: $35.81MM
Carolina Panthers: $34.57MM
Atlanta Falcons: $33MM
New York Giants: $30.8MM
Philadelphia Eagles: $27.35MM
Jacksonville Jaguars: $24.68MM
Kansas City Chiefs: $18.19MM
Baltimore Ravens: $16.63MM
Seattle Seahawks: $12.97MM
New York Jets: $12.76MM
Pittsburgh Steelers: $9MM
Green Bay Packers: $2.3MM
San Francisco 49ers: $5.07MM over the cap
Cleveland Browns: $7.76MM over
Dallas Cowboys: $9.86MM over
Denver Broncos: $16.81MM over
Los Angeles Chargers: $25.61MM over
Miami Dolphins: $27.92MM over
New Orleans Saints: $42.11MM over
Buffalo Bills: $43.82MM over

All teams must be cap compliant by the start of the new league year, but it will of course be more than just those currently over the limit which will make cost-shedding moves in the near future. Cuts, restructures and extensions are available as tools to carve out space in advance of free agency. Several have already taken place around the league.

That includes the Dolphins’ release of defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah and the planned cut of Xavien Howard. The latter cannot be designated a post-June 1 release until free agency begins but once it happens, Miami will move much closer to cap compliance. The Saints have moved considerable commitments into the future via restructures (as usual), but more transactions on that front will be required even with the cap seeing an historic single-season jump.

The roughly $30MM spike from 2023 will provide unforeseen spending power for teams already set to lead the pack in cap space while also making the task of those at the bottom of the list easier. Spending more on backloaded contracts this offseason at the expense of future space obviously carries risk, however. Still, the news of a higher-than-expected ceiling will add further intrigue to each team’s financial planning.

With Dak Prescott and Deshaun Watson each set to carry record-breaking cap hits for 2024, the Cowboys and Browns will be among the teams most in need of working out a deal to lower those figures. In Dallas’ case in particular, an extension would provide immediate breathing room in addition to clarity on his future beyond the coming season. For Cleveland, Watson’s fully-guaranteed deal has already been restructured once and will need to be again to avoid consecutive years of a $64MM cap charge over its remaining term.

If the Commanders and Patriots add a quarterback with the second and third picks in this year’s draft, each team currently in the top six in space will enjoy the benefits of having a signal-caller on their rookie contracts. That would allow for an aggressive approach to free agency, although the Chiefs’ success after Patrick Mahomes signed (and re-worked) his monster extension has proven it is possible to win Super Bowl titles with a substantial QB investment on the books.

Seahawks Restructure Geno Smith’s Deal

February 22nd, 2024 at 8:46pm CST by Ben Levine

It’s been seeming increasingly likely that the Seahawks would hold on to Geno Smith for the 2024 campaign. Thanks to today’s cap machinations, the organization all but confirmed that notion.

According to ESPN’s Field Yates, the Seahawks have restructured Smith’s deal, converting $9.6MM of his roster bonus into a signing bonus. The move will save the Seahawks around $4.8MM in 2024 cap space, and Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times adds that the move reduces Smith’s cap hit from $31.2MM to $26.4MM. Smith’s $12.7MM base salary shifted from an injury guarantee to fully guaranteed last week, further increasing the chances that he’d be sticking around for at least 2024.

That $9.6MM roster bonus wasn’t set to vest until March 18, a deadline that could have bought the team some extra time to figure out a trade for the veteran QB. While the Seahawks compromised their flexibility by making today’s move, there were also benefits. Condotta notes that the restructuring allowed the front office to spread the cap hit across two seasons, and Smith obviously won’t complain about getting that money sooner.

Following his breakout 2022 campaign, the Seahawks signed Smith to a three-year, $75MM extension. Still, that contract was heavy on incentives and performance escalators, meaning the Seahawks effectively had the opportunity to take it year-by-year. Assuming the Seahawks don’t make an unexpected trade, the organization will likely face the same decision next year. As Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com writes, the Seahawks will now be left with $13.5MM in dead money if they cut Smith in 2025.

By carving out that extra $4.8MM in cap room, the Seahawks are now just about at the estimated cap for the 2024 campaign. The organization can still rework Smith’s base salary in an attempt to open more breathing room, but there’s less urgency on that front.

Seahawks To Add Josh Bynes To Staff; Chargers, Ravens Showed Interest

February 20th, 2024 at 6:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

Josh Bynes announced his retirement in December; he already has a coaching gig lined up. Bynes will bypass the quality control level as well and join former coach Mike Macdonald in Seattle.

Enjoying three stints as a Raven, Bynes will reunite with his former defensive coordinator soon. He accepted an offer to join the Seahawks’ staff, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. This came after an interesting derby for the veteran linebacker. It is unclear if other teams extended the former linebacker offers, but Wilson adds the Chargers and Ravens interviewed Bynes this offseason.

Bynes, 34, will step in as the Seahawks’ assistant linebackers coach. He will join fellow recent linebacker retiree Daren Bates on Macdonald’s first Seattle staff. Known for his special teams work, Bates is onboard as the Seahawks’ assistant ST coach. Given Bynes’ background with Macdonald, he should be quite familiar with the system the Seahawks plan to run.

Initially a Ravens UDFA back in 2011, Bynes returned to Baltimore in 2019. Macdonald was his position coach during that stint, working as the Ravens’ LBs instructor under Don Martindale from 2018-20. When Bynes came back for his final tour of duty in Maryland — from 2021-22 — Macdonald had ascended to the defensive coordinator role. Bynes made that season his last in the league.

Despite Bynes’ journeyman status, he remained a Ravens starter to open the 2022 season. The team turned to the veteran alongside Patrick Queen for the season’s first seven games, keeping that arrangement in place until trading for Roquan Smith before the 2022 deadline. Bynes did not play following that trade, though he remained with the Ravens on a practice squad deal. Following the likes of NaVorro Bowman and Dont’a Hightower, Bynes will transition from linebacker duty straight onto an NFL staff. Bynes will also be working under DC Aden Durde and senior assistant Leslie Frazier.

The Seahawks are also expected to hire Jeff Howard as their defensive backs coach, per 247Sports’ Matt Zenitz. Howard worked as an assistant under Frazier in Minnesota. He served as pass-game coordinator under Joe Woods in Cleveland from 2020-22, coaching the Browns’ DBs, and stopped in as the Chargers’ linebackers coach last season.

RB Mike Davis Retires

February 19th, 2024 at 2:37pm CST by Adam La Rose

Mike Davis enjoyed an eight-year stint in the NFL, but the veteran running back will not make another run at finding an opportunity ahead of the 2024 season. Davis announced on Monday that he has retired.

The news comes on Davis’ 31st birthday, and it confirms he will hang up his cleats after a full season out of the league. His most recent game action came with the Ravens, who signed him in May 2022. Baltimore moved on in December of that year, and no teams provided an opportunity during the 2023 campaign.

Davis entered the league in 2015 with the 49ers, though he only spent two years with the team. Another two-year run ensued during his tenure in Seattle. It was with the Seahawks in 2018 that Davis first received over 100 carries and put up notable production (514 yards, four touchdowns). Those totals did not prevent the former fourth-rounder from bouncing around the league, however; Davis went on to play for the Bears, Panthers, Falcons and Ravens over the course of his career.

The 2020 season was comfortably the most productive of Davis’ career. He topped 1,000 scrimmage yards and scored eight total touchdowns, helping maintain his free agent value. The end of his two-year, $6MM Panthers contract lined up an intra-divisional move to Atlanta on a $5.5MM pact of the same length. A stint as the Falcons’ lead back did not produce the desired results, though, and Davis was let go after only one season.

The South Carolina alum played a total of 87 NFL games, as well as a single postseason appearance with Seattle. In all, Davis totaled roughly $13.3MM in career earnings. His attention will now turn to his post-playing days, but he used his retirement announcement to reflect positively on his career.

“As I turn 31 today, I sit back and look on my NFL career and how thankful I am to be a part of a brotherhood,” Davis said on social media. “This game has allowed me to make a lot of friends and memories. I’m grateful for every organization in [the] NFL.”

Latest On Seahawks LBs Jordyn Brooks, Bobby Wagner

February 17th, 2024 at 8:59pm CST by Adam La Rose

The linebacker spot could see plenty of upheaval this offseason in Seattle. Jordyn Brooks, Bobby Wagner and Devin Bush are each pending free agents, and their chances of being retained vary.

Brooks, 26, is set to see his rookie contract expire since the Seahawks declined his fifth-year option last spring. That move fell in line with those made by other teams in the same position, but it set up the 2023 season as a platform campaign. Brooks delivered another impactful season (111 tackles, a pick-six and a career-high 4.5 sacks). He could soon parlay his production into a new deal.

Michael Shawn-Dugar of The Athletic notes that Brooks wants to re-sign with the Seahawks (subscription required). He adds that the Texas Tech product is a key free agent priority for Seattle and is the likeliest of the LB trio to be retained. Brooks has been a mainstay on defense since becoming a starter, and he led the NFL in solo tackles in 2021. An ACL tear ended his 2022 campaign, but he managed to recover in time for the start of this past season.

Brooks’ play saw an uptick with the return of Wagner following his one-and-done Rams campaign. The latter’s Seattle departure, Shawn-Dugar notes, was driven more by general manager John Schneider than head coach Pete Carroll. With Carroll having shifted to an advisory role, Schneider now has full roster control. Shawn-Dugar thus describes another deal with Wagner as “unlikely.”

The 33-year-old added to his considerable accolades in 2023, earning second-team All-Pro honors and receiving a Pro Bowl invite. He is committed to playing next season, but the Seahawks have a number of decisions to make at the LB position among others. A new deal for defensive lineman Leonard Williams could soon be on the table, and Seattle will be looking to improve its front seven after continuing to struggle against the run.

Wagner led the league in tackles last season, so he would likely be a productive contributor for the Seahawks or another interested team. Seattle is currently slated to be $5.2MM over the cap, though, and teams rarely make lucrative commitments to more than one inside linebacker at a time. If Brooks is indeed seen as a higher priority, then, Wagner could once again find himself on the move in free agency.

Seahawks To Add Charles London To Staff

February 17th, 2024 at 2:28pm CST by Ely Allen

New Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb have their new quarterbacks coach in former Titans assistant Charles London, according to Jonathan Jones of NFL on CBS. It’s a nice get for Seattle after seeing London interview for offensive coordinator jobs is the past few offseasons.

London’s coaching experience in the NFL dates back to 2007. After three years at his alma mater, Duke, London accepted an offensive quality control coaching job with the Bears. Three years later, he would spend a year with the Titans as an offensive assistant before heading back to the college ranks for two years at Penn State. London would split the next seven years between Houston and Chicago coaching running backs.

After mostly focusing on running backs up to this point in his career, London made a switch when he accepted the Falcons quarterbacks coaching job in 2021. After two years in Atlanta handling the transition from Matt Ryan to Marcus Mariota and Desmond Ridder, London took the same job with the Titans last year after initially interviewing for their offensive coordinator job. In Tennessee, London once again handled a quarterback transition after veteran Ryan Tannehill was benched for rookie second-round pick Will Levis following an injury.

While London’s experience in the passing game doesn’t jump off the stat sheet, he is widely respected in offensive coaching circles. Last year, the Titans weren’t the only team with interest in London as a play-caller as the Commanders also requested to interview the veteran coach. The year before saw both the Dolphins and the Rams interview London for a coordinator position, as well.

In Seattle, London will now be tasked with mentoring veteran quarterbacks Geno Smith and Drew Lock. It’s hard to envision the Seahawks moving on from Smith after seeing him rejuvenate his career in the past two seasons, but at 33 years old, Smith is getting to be one of the older starters in the NFL. Not that this is the team’s intention, but London’s experience transitioning offenses from a veteran passer to a new starter would then come in handy should Seattle need to move one from Smith in the near future.

So, after landing their running backs and wide receivers coaches earlier this week, the Seahawks get the new mentor for their veteran passer. With offensive line coach Scott Huff following Grubb from Washington (and Tuscaloosa) and Jake Peetz in place as pass-game coordinator, this leaves tight ends coach as the only position left to fill on Grubb’s offense.

Seahawks Updates: Schneider, Walker, Jackson, Polamalu

February 16th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

With the departure of long-time head coach Pete Carroll, who played a distinct role in the team’s roster decisions over the years, Seahawks general manager John Schneider has been handed the reins for personnel in the new regime moving forward. Schneider now also holds a new title. Previously the general manager and executive vice president, Schneider’s new role sees him take on the president of football operations title for 2024, per Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times.

According to Schneider, his new role “largely signifies (that the) coaching staff now reports to him.” The staff used to report to Carroll, but Schneider reportedly had it put into his contract six or seven years ago that he would inherit that responsibility when Carroll’s tenure ended.

While he will now function as their supervisor, Schneider claims that his role in the process of hiring assistant coaches is “very much like support.” He says that the staff will be of new head coach Mike Macdonald‘s making.

Here are a few other staff updates from the Emerald City:

The Seahawks interviewed Raiders offensive assistant Fred Walker for their vacant quarterbacks coaching job, according to Jonathan Jones of NFL on CBS. In several previous college coaching jobs, Walker’s focus was often on quarterbacks, working with such passers as former Duke Blue Devil Daniel Jones and former Mississippi State star Dak Prescott. He has spent two years in Las Vegas and is looking to earn his first NFL position coaching gig.
Also on offense, Seattle is making the move to hire Frisman Jackson as their new wide receivers coach, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. This will be Jackson’s fourth NFL receivers job. While his first NFL coaching season in Tennessee saw an uninspired group of Rishard Matthews, Eric Decker, and Corey Davis put up pedestrian numbers, Jackson followed that up with a 2020 season in Carolina that saw D.J. Moore and Robbie Chosen reach the 1,000-yard mark with Curtis Samuel (851 yards) not far behind. He spent the past two years mentoring Diontae Johnson, George Pickens, and company in Pittsburgh.
Finally, the Seahawks are set to add veteran NFL running backs coach Kennedy Polamalu to the same position in Macdonald’s new staff, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Polamalu has a strong history of building running back tandems over his time in the NFL. After first breaking into the league with the Browns in 2004, Polamalu spent five years coaching up a legendary tandem of Fred Taylor–Maurice Jones-Drew in Jacksonville. After returning to the college ranks for a spell, Polamalu came back to the NFL to build the Dalvin Cook–Alexander Mattison tandem in Minnesota. He’s spent the last two years coaching Josh Jacobs and the Raiders’ backs in Vegas but was not retained when Antonio Pierce took over as the official head coach following his interim tenure.

Panthers Hire Nate Carroll, Pat McPherson, Daren Bates

February 16th, 2024 at 1:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

Nate Carroll and Pat McPherson enjoyed rare stability as assistant coaches, remaining with the same team for 14 years. The Seahawks kicking Pete Carroll to an unspecified advisory role changed both staffers’ paths, but each will have another chance with one of the longtime HC’s former staffers.

Dave Canales will reunite with both McPherson and Nate Carroll. The Panthers hired McPherson as their tight ends coach, while Nate Carroll is coming aboard as Carolina’s pass-game coordinator. Nate is Pete’s son; this will be the younger Carroll’s first coaching gig outside of Seattle. While Pete Carroll’s background is on the defensive side, his son has come up through the offensive ranks.

Canales and Nate Carroll worked together for 12 years. That is quite the extended stretch for assistants, given the turnover the NFL’s coaching carousel brings. Pete Carroll’s longevity allowed for that, and his son will benefit and become a key part of the Panthers’ second go-round developing Bryce Young.

Nate, 36, moved up the ladder in Seattle, shifting from an offensive assistant to working as assistant wide receivers coach under Canales, who served as the Seahawks’ wideouts coach from 2010-17. Nate Carroll slid to a senior offensive assistant post over the past two seasons but will have a chance at his most significant role to date in Charlotte. The Panthers are still pot-committed with Young, and their complex developmental effort — which featured the blending of Frank Reich and then-OC Thomas Brown‘s concepts, with QBs coach Josh McCown a key voice — sputtering in 2023.

Whereas Nate Carroll bounced around on his father’s staff, Pete kept McPherson in one job throughout his Seattle stay. McPherson, 54, coached the Hawks’ tight ends from 2010-23. This represents remarkable consistency in the modern NFL. McPherson, though, does have a pre-Carroll past. He coached the Broncos’ quarterbacks from 2003-06, with that span covering Jake Plummer‘s four-year Denver career. Mike Shanahan shifted McPherson to tight ends in 2007, setting him up for a long run in Seattle coaching the likes of Jimmy Graham, Will Dissly and Noah Fant.

The Panthers are also hiring former linebacker Daren Bates as their assistant special teams coach and adding Keli’i Kekuewa as their assistant O-line coach. Bates operated as a backup for the Rams, Raiders, Titans and Falcons from 2013-21, focusing on special teams. He broke into coaching last season with the Seahawks. Continuing the Seattle-to-Charlotte theme, Kekuewa served as the Seahawks’ assistant O-line coach during each of Shane Waldron‘s three seasons as OC. There for two of those seasons, Canales will bring another ex-Seattle staffer with him on a staff that will feature considerable familiarity.

Canales’ staff certainly will not be light on restaurant recommendations for Seattle or Tampa trips. The new Panthers HC already identified a few Buccaneers assistants, including OC Brad Idzik, for his first staff.

Load More Posts