It's time for the Seattle Seahawks to admit that they have gone as far as they can go with their current core of key players and attempt to rebuild with a younger group. While they were correct to move on from head coach Pete Carroll last year, they should take the makeover one step further and rip the band-aid off.
The biggest reason to blow it up is that they aren't going to win a playoff game unless they radically, dramatically transform their offensive line from one of the worst in the league (PFF ranked them 31st to end the season) to at least an average unit. Another good reason is they are currently on pace to be $30.7 million over the salary cap for the 2025 NFL season, which will require some painful decisions.
Cutting veteran wide receiver Tyler Lockett is the most obvious move to make in that department, but that won't be nearly enough to even get this team out of the red - let alone make a genuine investment in their offensive line. Former Seahawks safety Jordan Babineaux believes the team will move on from both Geno Smith and DK Metcalf during this offseason. Here's what he said about DK, per Seattle Sports radio.
Jordan Babineaux on DK Metcalf
"This was really the first year that we saw (Metcalf’s) production drop off... And again, his development or growth as a pro fell short of 1,000 yards this season. I don’t think that’s the big reason. I think a lot of it too is about bringing something fresh and something new … DK is a star, No. 1 receiver. (But) what I don’t believe is that they’ll bring him back at the number at $30-plus million.”
Obviously there are a lot of reasons to keep Metcalf around, but the other side of that argument is getting notably stronger. If the Seahawks were to designate Metcalf as a post-June 1 cut they would save a ton of cap room - over $18 million according to Over the Cap.
For another, Seattle has a new number one wide receiver in Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and paying Metcalf (or anybody else) over $30 million per season to function as a WR2 is a questionable investment - especially given how poorly they perform in the trenches.
Cutting DK does seem extreme, especially considering the sizable dead money hit it would involve. A better path may be exploring a trade. Metcalf still has a lot of value and this may be the ideal time to cash in on that before he begins to decline physically. If the Seahawks get offered multiple mid-round picks for DK in a trade with a wide receiver-needy team like the Chargers or the Patriots they should at least consider it.
More Seahawks stories
What Mike Macdonald said about Geno Smith's future with the Seahawks
Seahawks ranked among best teams who may return to playoffs in 2025
Seattle Seahawks predicted to draft 'top-notch athlete' from Oregon at 18
