The Seattle Seahawks have already undergone a major change this offseason, moving on from head coach Pete Carroll. He was replaced by Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, who will have the tall task of filling the shoes of the best head coach in franchise history.
One of the things Macdonald needs to figure out early in his tenure is how to get the defense back on track. There are some nice building blocks to work with on the Seahawks’ defense, but as a whole, the unit struggled in 2023.
Seattle ranked 25th in points against, surrendering 402. They were even worse when it came to keeping opponents from moving the ball up and down the field, as they were 30th in yards allowed.
NFL News & Rumors: Leonard Williams, 2024 NFL Free Agency, Seattle Seahawks Updates
It will take a little while for a complete turnaround to occur, but the 2024 offseason will present Macdonald his first chance to get things headed in the right direction. Expect some player personnel changes to come, as the Seahawks could be relying on some new faces next season.
One player who could be on the move is defensive tackle Leonard Williams. Set to be a free agent, the Seahawks acquired Williams from the New York Giants ahead of the 2023 trade deadline.
That is one of the reasons why Brady Henderson of ESPN believes that Williams is the most important free agent Seattle has this offseason. Retaining him is important not only because of the price they paid to acquire him but the skill set he brings to the field.
“The Seahawks gave up a second-round pick (plus a 2025 fifth-rounder) when they acquired Williams and his expiring contract from the Giants in October, which left no doubt that they would try hard to re-sign him this offseason. But it won’t be easy.
NFL News & Rumors: Leonard Williams, 2024 NFL Free Agency, Seattle Seahawks Updates
The Seahawks are projected to be about $4 million over the cap before subtractions and restructures, and they’re already paying big money to linebacker Uchenna Nwosu and defensive end Dre’Mont Jones. Williams outproduced and got more snaps than Jones in his 10 games with Seattle, making it hard to imagine him taking anything less than the $17.2 million yearly average that Jones is making,” wrote Henderson.
That is quite a dilemma the Seahawks’ front office is going to have to work through. They aren’t overflowing with cap space and there is a floor Williams will be looking to hit based on what other players are earning at his position and on the team.
Trading away a second-round pick is as motivating as any to get a long-term deal done with Williams. Surrendering that kind of capital in exchange for only 10 games played is a bad way to do business.
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