The Seattle Seahawks made some bold moves over the offseason, trading quarterback Geno Smith and wide receiver DK Metcalf. Those were some rather eye-opening moves by head coach Mike Macdonald.
Seattle brought in Sam Darnold to replace Smith, and cutting ties with Metcalf was surprising, as with Jaxon Smith-Njigba, they could have been a tough combo for teams to defend for another season. Those moves are paying off seven weeks into the season. One NFL insider, Gilberto Manzano of Sports Illustrated, thinks the Seahawks are a dangerous team because of those moves.
Seattle’s New Roster Makes Them a Dangerous Team
It could be easy to second-guess the moves at the time, but Darnold has been very good with the Seahawks through seven games. He has thrown for 1,754 yards, 12 touchdowns, four interceptions, with a QBR of 72.5%. As for Smith-Njigba, he leads the NFL with 819 receiving yards on 50 receptions and four touchdowns this season without Metcalf.
“Keeping Metcalf and Jaxon Smith-Njigba together looks great on paper, but it didn’t make much financial sense to retain a disgruntled receiver looking for a pay raise while knowing that the emerging young wideout will soon cash in after a breakout Year 2. The Seahawks gained cap-space flexibility, a few draft picks, and paved the way for JSN to be a superstar after shipping Metcalf to Pittsburgh,” wrote Manzano.
As for swapping Darnold for Smith, it is a move right now that has been one of the more underrated moves of the offseason.
”Swapping in Sam Darnold for Smith has also paid off, with the former playing better than his lone season in Minnesota and the latter struggling in his Las Vegas reunion with Carroll. All these correct decisions from Schneider and Macdonald were on full display for Monday night’s late game, with the Seahawks cruising against the Texans, 27–19, in a game that wasn’t as close as the final score. Seattle improved to 5–2 and are in a three-way tie for first place in the NFC West, along with the 49ers and Rams,” added Manzano.
Tough Road Ahead For Seahawks After Bye
Seattle enters their bye tied with the SanFrancisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams atop the NFC West at 5-2. They lost at home to the 49ers in Week 1, 17-13, and have yet to play the Rams. They will visit Los Angeles on November 16 and host them on December 18 on a Thursday night. The Seahawks close out the season at San Francisco on January 4.
There is a lot to still be determined between now and Week 18. After the bye, Seattle plays the Washington Commanders on November 2 for Sunday Night Football.
“Seattle hasn’t played the Rams yet and fell to the 49ers at home during the season opener. Maybe it’s safer to wait a few weeks before saying the Seahawks were right about their offseason decisions, but it’s difficult to not shower them with praise with how well Smith-Njigba has played with his new quarterback and play-caller. Moving on from Ryan Grubb and hiring Klint Kubiak as offensive coordinator is another swift, bold decision that has paid off for Macdonald,” Manzano wrote.
There is no doubt that Seattle’s offense is thriving with the offseason moves. Smith-Njigba is establishing himself as one of the top receivers and playmakers in the NFL with what he’s doing without Metcalf. There is still a lot of football left in the season, but right now, it’s hard not to argue that if they stay healthy that they are a threat in the NFC come postseason time.
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