The Seattle Seahawks’ hire of Mike Macdonald as head coach raises hope that his defensive expertise will bring an end to the annual Kyle Shannahan-led offensive embarrassment of the Hawks. 

The Seahawks hired Macdonald Wednesday ushering in a new era for Seahawks football.

Mike Macdonald is most known for this past season with the Baltimore Ravens where he led the defense to be the No. 1-ranked in the entire NFL and almost generated 397 PRESSURES which is the most in the NFL since 2006! Before Baltimore, he was a Defensive Coordinator at University of Michigan under Jim Harbaugh, where he led them to be one of the top defensive teams in the Big10. 

The Seahawks’ cap space is currently at -$800,000; obviously, changes and roster adjustments are needed to bring this team to where it needs to be to contend for a Super Bowl. 

The Hawks could cut Jamal Adams, who is owed $27 million in 2024, equivalent to 10.8% of their salary cap. If Seattle decides to cut him post-June 1, they will save around $16.5 Million and incur a $10 million cap hit for the 2024 and 2025 seasons. 

The Hawks could also part ways with the beloved Tyler Lockett, a Seahawks legend for the last six years. He will count for $26.9 million against the cap, once again 10.8% of Seattle’s cap. With Jaxson Smith Njigba on track to become WR2 and Lockett being on the back end of his career, it is unlikely for him to stay on the Seahawks unless a restructuring/pay cut is done. 

Quandre Diggs, who is due $21.2 million against the cap. The Hawks restructured his contract last year, so it’s unlikely to happen again, making him a potential cap casualty. 

The last “Big Name” Seahawk that we could be saying goodbye to is Will Dissly, who will account for $10.1 Million. The Seahawks already have Colby Parkinson under contract, and finding blocking tight ends is not very hard. Unless Dissly is willing to take a restructure or sign a short-term extension to help with the cap, he could also be gone.

General manager John Schneider and MacDonald could sign several players to provide some long-overdue upgrades. The Seahawks have not been able to generate a consistent pass rush for almost a decade. With Macdonald coming in and bringing his defensive scheme, it’s obvious they will be moving to a 3-4 front. 

With that being said, I could see Seattle bringing in former Seahawk Jadeveon Clowney, who had a career year in Baltimore, and Dante Fowler Jr., along with Denico Autry, who is a STUD and can be a force for the Hawks, with Leonard Williams in the middle of the defensive line. If Seattle can clear up some cap, a HOT name who they could bring in is Josh Uche from the New England Patriots; he will give immediate production. 

Another position I could see the Hawks targeting is the Linebacker position. Two names jump to my mind immediately: Devin White and Patrick Queen. Both are great linebackers who have proven themselves; White is a solid coverage LB who can also blitz at an elite level. Queen is a great tackler, as well as a coverage LB, and he is a superb run-stuffer; he also comes from Macdonald’s No. 1-ranked Ravens defense.

 Another position is the secondary; we saw with the Ravens that MacDonald was able to elevate his players, especially in the secondary. Some names are Rock Ya Sin, who’s a Cornerback, and Geno Stone, who is a Safety, both from the Ravens, performed very well under MacDonald. 

Former Seahawk Ryan Neal is also slated to be a free agent, and we could see a reunion, especially if Seattle cuts one or both of our starting safeties. The last defensive player I could see Seattle potentially grabbing is Jordan Whitehead; he is a young, hard-hitting safety who would fit well in the MacDonald defensive scheme.

If we move into the offensive side of the ball, I believe the three biggest holes are Center, Right Guard, and Left Guard. I believe we will retain Damien Lewis (Left Guard), and I think the Seahawks will address the rest of the interior offensive line in the draft.

 I think the hawks could use some help at the wide receiver position; for certain players like Kendrick Bourne or D.J. Chark are going to be available and provide great depth and quality. A tight end to keep your eyes on if we don’t retain Noah Fant is Irv Smith Jr. from the Bengals; he is a good blocking tight end and can be dynamic in the pass game. Seattle’s offense doesn’t really have too many holes aside from quarterbacking, but that will be addressed next year when Geno Smith’s contract won’t have such a negative hit on our cap.

All the players I listed as potential signees in free agency are realistic, BUT it will all trickle down to cap space and how Macdonald and Schneider view the current roster situation.