Everything is 'On the Table' For Sliding Seahawks

Though they didn't make any moves at the trade deadline, the Seattle Seahawks are going back to the drawing board during their bye week.

Nov 3, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks center Connor Williams (57) snaps the ball to quarterback Geno Smith (7) during the second half against the Los Angeles Rams at Lumen Field. / Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Head coach Mike Macdonald and general manager John Schneider haven’t been conservative with the Seattle Seahawks’ personnel adjustments this season — both forced due to injury and otherwise.

The team has made numerous trades, both in-season and prior, including a deal that sent starting linebacker Jerome Baker to the Tennessee Titans in return for Ernest Jones IV, who has displayed All-Pro potential at the same position. They identified a need and addressed it.

After losing five of their final six games before the bye week, the Seahawks are going back to the drawing board. The defense has been up and down, primarily struggling in run defense in a majority of games this season. Quarterback Geno Smith and the offense have struggled with consistency through the air and on the ground as a result of putrid offensive line play.

“It’s our job as coaches to really eliminate that drag and make it clear for the guys … you got to go into these things with the mentality that everything’s kind of on the table,” Macdonald said during his press conference on Monday.

Macdonald didn’t expressly say what was on the table for the team at first, but he was asked whether personnel, the scheme and training strategies were being looked at, among other things.

“All the above,” Macdonald responded. “I mean, I think we’re doing a lot of good things, but if you go in kind of just with a myopic view of, ‘Hey, it’s only over here,’ then you might miss something. I don’t want to miss something. So let’s go through it with a fine-tooth comb, and let’s be honest, and let’s go.”

Apparently, that didn’t include making a trade to shore up the offensive line. With Tuesday’s trade deadline in the rear-view mirror, Seattle opted not to acquire any new pieces. That leaves the Seahawks with a front-five that is 29th in run-block win rate (67 percent) and 25th in pass-block win rate (53 percent), per ESPN analytics.

Additionally, Smith has become the most pressured quarterback in the NFL (153 pressures) so far in 2024. That’s not a good formula when he’s leading the league in attempts as a result of the struggling run game.

Jacksonville Jaguars former All-Pro guard Brandon Scherff, who will be a free agent after this season, was probably the most discussed trade target for Seattle. Scherff will be 33 in December but would be an immediate upgrade at right guard with the added possible bonus of right tackle making his season debut after the bye.

Younger guards or other offensive lineman may have been available as well. That possibility, however, has come and gone. The Seahawks will either have to continue with their current personnel or continue searching the available free-agent market for backup.

Some changes to the starting lineup on both sides of the ball may still be incoming. But the scheme needs to be tweaked as well to help the team avoid self-inflicted mistakes. Through Week 9, the Seahawks are the most penalized team in the league (74) and are tied for 30th in turnovers (15).

Nov 3, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald interacts with a referee during the second half against the Los Angeles Rams at Lumen Field. / Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

At least for the rest of this season, Macdonald and his coaching staff will likely have to make do with the players they have in the building — a notion the Seahawks head coach has stressed multiple times he believes is sufficient.

“We’ve got the right guys. We just have to make it come to life. But our backs are against the wall, and we’ve got to go,” Macdonald said postgame following Seattle’s 26-20 loss to the Rams on Sunday.

The Seahawks have a chance to bounce back from a brutal six-game stretch after the bye. Macdonald is hoping the team can get healthy and correct the issues that have made them slide to last place in the NFC West standings after sitting in first ahead of Week 8.

“We’re trying to get done and have a great plan for next week so we can really hit the ground running on Monday and ramp into the second half of the season, which is critical for us because we’ve got to start producing better results,” Macdonald said. “Everybody knows that, and onward we go. But we’ve got a big week ahead of us.”

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