The Seattle Seahawks have gone from the oldest head coach in the NFL in that of Pete Carroll to the youngest within the matter of weeks.
It was reported on Wednesday that Seattle has hired 36-year-old Mike Macdonald to be its next head coach in what is an obvious youth movement in the Pacific Northwest.
Going from the most successful era in franchise history to a complete unknown will lead to a bit of anxiety in Seattle. It is also an opportunity for the organization to forge ahead after a few pedestrian seasons.
Seattle has a ton of young talent on both sides of the ball. It is bringing in a widely respected young defensive mind to lead the ship. The Macdonald hiring is going to have wide-ranging ramfications throughout the organization. Here, we look at three moves Seattle needs to make after this home run of a hire.
Related: New report contradicts Pete Carroll’s version of the reasoning for his Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks hire Greg Roman as offensive coordinator
It might not excite fans in Seattle. Roman is seen as somewhat of a retread when it comes to fans around the NFL after spending time coordinating offenses with the San Francisco 49ers, Buffalo Bills and aforementioned Ravens.
With that said, Macdonald needs to get an experienced play-caller in there on the offensive side of the ball. That is without question. Roman has a decade of experience in this regard in the NFL. That includes a stint as the Ravens’ offensive coordinator when Macdonald ran the defense in 2022.
The fit here is obvious. In his decade as a coordinator, Roman has led a top-10 rushing offense each season. The focus in Seattle is going to be on a dominant defense and a ball-control offense under Macdonald. With Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet leading things on the ground, Roman would be an ideal fit. Though, Seattle might have some competition in this regard in the form of the Los Angeles Chargers.
Seattle Seahawks roster adds Pro Bowler Patrick Queen
We know very well that Macdonald is going to want to bring in some of his own guys from the Ravens’ defense. The good news is that Baltimore has 11 impending free agents on that side of the ball. Look for Seattle to add multiple former Ravens once NFL free agency opens in March.
Queen would make the most sense. The inside linebacker is coming off his first ever Pro Bowl appearance. He also earned Second-Team All-Pro honors in 2023, recording 133 tackles, six passes defended and 3.5 sacks. With Roquan Smith doing his thing in Baltimore, the Ravens are not going to be able to afford to re-sign Queen. Seahawks linebackers Bobby Wagner and Jordyn Brooks are also slated to become free agents. Why not bring in Queen as a defensive play-caller for Macdonald? It almost makes too much sense.
Find Geno Smith’s heir-apparent
The other aspect to Seattle’s offseason is going to be finding a replacement for Smith moving forward. The Pro Bowler is likely etched in stone as the Seahawks’ starter next season. But given his regression in 2023, it makes sense for Seattle to find a long-term replacement.
| Year | Comp % | Yards | TD | INT | QB rating |
| 2022 | .698 | 4,282 | 30 | 11 | 100.9 |
| 2023 | .647 | 3,624 | 20 | 9 | 92.1 |
Smith is 33 years old. He’s not going to be part of the youth movement in Seattle. The Seahawks can get out from his contract following the 2024 season while saving nearly $14 million against the cap. With Seattle boasting the 16th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the team could get one of those Teir 1 QB prospects. Someone like Bo Nix from Oregon would make sense here.