Seahawks Shake Up Roster in Pursuit of a Longer Playoff Window
Since Pete Carroll took over as head coach, the Seattle Seahawks have never fully embraced a rebuild. Instead of tearing everything down and starting from scratch, they prefer to “re-tool” or tweak their roster. The only real exception came in 2010 when they overhauled nearly their entire team with more than 300 roster moves.
Since then, Seattle has undergone several transformations, from the dominant *Legion of Boom* era (2011-2015) to the *Russell Wilson years* (2016-2021) and the short-lived *Geno Smith era* (2022-2024). Last month, the franchise took another big step in reshaping its future by making a series of significant roster moves aimed at increasing flexibility and extending its playoff window.
The most notable of these decisions was swapping Smith for Sam Darnold. While many analysts view this as a downgrade, some NFL executives see it differently. The Seahawks appear confident in their revamped lineup, and head coach Mike Macdonald expressed optimism at the league’s annual owners’ meetings. According to *The Athletic’s* Mike Dugar, Macdonald had this to say about the move:
> “Macdonald said he ‘absolutely’ believes Seattle can win the Super Bowl with Darnold… ‘We have to create an environment where we get the best version of Sam… you’ve got to figure out how to get guys open, solve some of the problems guys are coming across. We have to do that with Sam just like the rest of the team. But yeah, we can definitely win with Sam, absolutely.’”
At this moment, Darnold might be a slight upgrade over Smith, but if he continues to improve and builds on his previous season, he could develop into a significant asset. More importantly, the Seahawks are acquiring him at a much lower cost than what it would have taken to retain Smith.
While some may question the team’s decision to not pursue offensive linemen more aggressively in free agency or raise concerns over the contracts given to Cooper Kupp and DeMarcus Lawrence, the financial benefits of moving on from Smith are clear. By saving over $10 million annually, acquiring a younger quarterback, and securing a top-100 draft pick, the Seahawks believe they’ve positioned themselves for long-term success.
Macdonald is justified in believing Seattle can compete—and potentially contend—with Darnold at quarterback. The same could have been said for Smith, but in order to transition from a 9-10 win team to a true championship contender, significant improvements along the offensive line will be necessary. Whether the Seahawks can execute that plan remains to be seen, but the move from Smith to Darnold gives them more time, cap space, and draft capital to make it happen.
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