Designing an Offensive Blueprint for Seahawks' 2022 Super Bowl Run

After finishing in last place in the NFC West, the Seahawks may seem far away from Super Bowl contention. But as the Bengals just proved, things can turn quickly in the NFL and with a few notable changes on offense, they can climb right back into the mix in 2022.

With the 2021 season reaching its conclusion on Sunday with Aaron Donald and the Rams edging Joe Burrow and the Bengals in Super Bowl LVI, all 32 teams have officially entered offseason mode and activity will ramp up in coming weeks.

Unlike last offseason, though the COVID-19 pandemic isn't over, there will be a semblance of normalcy compared to the past two years. The NFL Scouting Combine will return to Indianapolis after a one-year hiatus, bringing back a key element of the pre-draft evaluation process for coaches and executives. When free agency opens on March 16, teams will also benefit from a substantial uptick in salary cap room after seeing the number plunge to $182.5 million last year.

Looking to bounce back from an unexpectedly poor 7-10 season, Seahawks general manager John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll enter a crucial offseason with sights on making a run to Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, Arizona. With only a handful of veterans under contract beyond 2022, the franchise's brain trust will have to make some tough decisions attempting to reload the roster with several starters set to hit free agency and a number of stars needing contract extensions.

From an offensive standpoint, what does Seattle need to do this offseason to get back to the big game? Here's a five-step blueprint Schneider and Carroll should follow to vault back up the NFC West standings and facilitate a 2022 Super Bowl run.

1. Restructure Russell Wilson's contract to open up cap space, attempt to put trade speculation to rest

On the surface, the Seahawks look to be in good shape from a salary cap perspective. According to OverTheCap.com, the team currently has the eighth-most total cap space and seventh-most effective cap space at $34.74 million. But this money will dry up quickly once Schneider starts re-signing their own free agents, making it difficult to add talent on both sides of the football without additional moves to create extra financial flexibility.

Unfortunately, given the way the organization prefers to backload contracts, Seattle doesn't have many viable options to open up cap room through traditional contract restructures. Receiver Tyler Lockett and safety Jamal Adams both recently received extensions and neither player has a base salary of more than $3 million in 2022, meaning restructuring either contract would barely net the team any additional savings. Guard Gabe Jackson could have his contract restructured, but at most, the team would create just $2.44 million in cap room.

While Wilson's future remaining a hot topic and trade rumors swirling once again, the Seahawks could make a statement squashing such speculation by re-structuring his contract. The quarterback doesn't have to sign off on the move - he's said on multiple occasions he would have no issue with it anyway - and by doing so, the team could instantly open up $11.4 million to use improving the roster.

Of course, this has never been a strategy Schneider likes to employ kicking salary down the road and Wilson's cap number would balloon to $51 million in 2023. But that's the final year of his current contract anyway and if the Seahawks hope for him to be under center for the foreseeable future, they need to do everything they can in their power to add legitimate difference-making talent around him. The best way to achieve that goal revolves around restructuring his deal.

2. Upgrade the center position with a proven veteran who fits coordinator Shane Waldron's offensive scheme

The ability to win in the trenches and control the line of scrimmage remains imperative to success in the NFL. This truth was once again on display on Sunday night, as the Bengals weren't able to keep Aaron Donald and his line mates away from Burrow throughout the second half and the Rams did a fantastic job protecting Matthew Stafford down the stretch to engineer a comeback victory for the Lombardi Trophy.

As has been the case for most of Carroll's tenure on the sidelines, the Seahawks' offensive line wasn't good enough in 2021. Some of that had to do with the franchise's head-scratching decision to neglect an obvious area of need at the center position, as they opted to re-sign incumbent starter Ethan Pocic and backup Kyle Fuller rather than make a lucrative investment in free agency or use their second-round pick on Oklahoma prospect Creed Humphrey.

Unsurprisingly, Schneider's decision to go cheap and inexcusably maintain status quo at center blew up in Seattle's face. Injuries prevented Pocic from beating out Fuller for the starting job in training camp and the duo combined to allow 35 quarterback pressures and four sacks on the season. Both players earned dismal pass protection grades below 45.0 from Pro Football Focus and finished in the bottom five among qualified centers in that department.

Meanwhile, Humphrey started all 17 games at the pivot position for the Chiefs, earning the highest overall grade among all centers from PFF and receiving All-Pro votes as a rookie. Corey Linsley thrived in his first season with the Chargers after netting a record-breaking contract in free agency, while David Andrews continued to play well for the Patriots after receiving lukewarm interest from other teams such as the Seahawks on the market.

Luckily, Schneider has a chance to make amends this spring and with some of the money saved by restructuring Wilson, he should be able to pursue a quality upgrade in free agency. From a scheme perspective, Brian Allen of the Rams would be a perfect fit in Shane Waldron's offense and he's coming off an impressive season in which he earned PFF's ninth-highest overall grade at the position. Ben Jones of the Titans and Ryan Jenson of the Buccaneers may also be possibilities.

The draft also features several intriguing prospects who should be on Schneider's radar, though there may not be another Humphrey available to them in the second round. Dohnavan West of Arizona State, Zion Johnson of Boston College, and John Michael Schmitz of Minnesota could be possibilities at pick No. 41 in April.

No matter what, Seattle can't afford to rest on its laurels again and proceed with Pocic as the starter in 2022. The team must find superior option through whatever means necessary to anchor the offensive line and with several viable alternatives to choose from, Schneider has no excuse for coming up empty this time around.

3. Re-sign Duane Brown to a one-year deal, add competition for Jake Curhan on the right side

Center isn't the only current vacancy along Seattle's offensive line, as veteran tackles Duane Brown and Brandon Shell will each become unrestricted free agents in March. While fans will clamor for the front office to make a big splash by signing a top-tier free agent such as former Saints All-Pro Terron Armstead to protect Wilson's blind side, limited cap space will likely prevent such a move from happening, especially if they make a significant investment at center.

Instead, after watching him allow only one sack in the final nine games of the 2021 season, Schneider's best course of action in the short-term would be to put the 36-year old Brown on the Andrew Whitworth year-to-year plan and re-sign him. Given his age and the fact he's publicly expressed interest in finishing his career in the Pacific Northwest, the two sides should be able to strike a deal that keeps everyone happy without breaking the bank. Behind him, Stone Forsythe can continued to be groomed as his heir apparent or the team could draft another successor candidate.

Where things get more interesting is on the right side of the line. After coming over from the Jets two years ago, Shell did an adequate job when healthy with the Seahawks, including earning a stellar 80.3 pass blocking grade in 2020. However, he missed a grand total of 12 games has battled injuries throughout his career, putting his future with the team in question.

While Carroll didn't rule out the possibility of Shell being brought back, even if he does return, it won't be with a guaranteed starting spot thanks to the emergence of Curhan. Signing with Seattle as an undrafted free agent, the former California standout impressed in Shell's absence late last season, playing a key role springing Rashaad Penny for almost 700 rushing yards while starting each of the last five games. Carroll and the coaching staff seem high on his upside and the team may have unearthed its latest undrafted gem.

Despite how he played to close out the year, however, Curhan shouldn't enter his sophomore season as the undisputed starter. He endured his share of struggles in pass protection, allowing four sacks and 20 pressures on 230 pass blocking reps per PFF. Whether it's re-signing Shell or Jamarco Jones, signing another veteran free agent, or drafting a tackle such as Kentucky's Darrian Kinnard, Seattle needs to bring in competition to push him and make him earn a full-time starting gig moving forward.

4. Maintain continuity at tight end while signing affordable competition to push Dee Eskridge and Freddie Swain at receiver

Though the Seahawks finished 16th in the NFL in scoring, from a personnel standpoint, they should have the skill players already on the roster to rebound nicely with a healthy Wilson under center in 2022. While trying to improve depth at receiver and tight end should be a goal, Schneider shouldn't have to make any drastic changes at either position group.

Few teams in the league have a better receiving duo than Lockett and DK Metcalf, who still combined for over 2,000 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns last season despite the offensive struggles further exacerbated by Wilson's injured right middle finger. Behind them, Eskridge stumbled through a disappointing rookie season hindered by injuries, but he still should have a bright future in Waldron's offense. Swain doubled his numbers across the board compared to his rookie season, proving himself to be a quality No. 4 receiver, if not a viable No. 3.

As for tight end, the Seahawks should like their odds of retaining Everett at a fair price with a number of talented players at the position set to hit the market, including O.J. Howard and Evan Engram. Though he struggled with drops at times, he still finished third on the team in receptions and receiving yardage, brought much-needed aftet the catch capabilities to the passing game, and seemed to find his groove catching passes from Wilson in the final month of the season, so re-signing him should be a priority as long as the price fits.

Away from Everett, Will Dissly remains an important component to Seattle's run game and since his pass-catching production has been limited over the past two years, he shouldn't be expensive to re-sign either if the team wants him back. Former fourth-round pick Colby Parkinson started to become more involved in the passing game in December and assuming he can avoid another injury, he has a chance to take a big step forward next season.

If there's anything Schneider should be looking for in regard to upgrades at either spot, landing a receiver with a kick/punt return background could be beneficial. Washington's DeAndre Carter and Pittsburgh's Ray Ray McCloud stand out as two possibilities who would fit Seattle's budget and at minimum improve special teams play while adding invaluable depth at receiver. This year's draft class also features good depth at tight end for the team to find mid-to-late round value at that position if desired.

5. Aim to re-sign Rashaad Penny, but regardless of whether or not he returns, use a draft pick searching for future feature back

The Seahawks may not have many questions at receiver and tight end, but that's not the case at running back, a position that remains in flux both from a short and long-term scope. Long-time starter Chris Carson will be attempting to return from neck surgery, while Penny and Alex Collins will both be unrestricted free agents, leaving only Travis Homer and DeeJay Dallas under contract.

Among the many tough decisions he will have to make next month, Schneider will have to decide how much he prioritizes re-signing Penny, a dynamic runner who finally broke out in December and January after being saddled by constant injuries in his first three-plus seasons. Still just 26 years old, he proved he could perform like a true workhorse back in the final six games and Seattle should be focused on retaining him. But if he has a healthy market, his price point may exceed what the team is willing and able to pay for a player with durability concerns.

Keeping that in mind, especially considering Carson and Penny have both had major issues staying on the field in their respective careers, the Seahawks should head into April's draft with running back as one of their top needs to address. Even if both veteran ball carriers return, history suggests the team will need reinforcements at some point next season and this year's class offers great depth for them to snag a potential feature runner at some point on day three.

Among the late round backs who could be available on day three who should intrigue the Seahawks, Dameon Pierce of Florida and Abram Smith of Baylor both run with the physical, downhill, tackle-breaking style Carroll prefers. Coming off strong Senior Bowl showings, both players will likely go at some point in the fourth or fifth round and would provide excellent insurance policies regardless of whether Penny comes back or not.