3 moves to help the Seattle Seahawks return to NFL Playoff contention

The Seattle Seahawks have not been legitimate conference championship contenders since all the way back in 2014 when they lost the Super Bowl to the New England Patriots.

Despite earning a playoff appearance in each of the past three seasons, Seattle has regressed since the glory days of “Legion of Boom.”

That’s been taken to a whole new level under recently-extended head coach Pete Carroll this season. Following Monday’s loss to the Washington Football Team, these Seahawks find themselves at 3-8 and having lost six of seven.

The backdrop here is an uncertain future surrounding franchise quarterback Russell Wilson after he expressed frustration with the Seahawks’ organization this past off-season. Now firmly out of playoff contention and with major question remarks remaining, there’s no telling where the Seahawks go from here. Below, we look at three moves Seattle must make in order to return to playoff contention.

Seattle Seahawks fire general manager John Schneider

“Like any player, you never want to get hit. That’s the reality of playing this position. Ask any quarterback who wants to play this game. I think that the reality is I’ve definitely been hit. I’ve been sacked almost 400 times, so we’ve got to get better. I’m frustrated (about) getting hit too much. I’m frustrated with that part of it. At the end of the day, you want to win.”
Seattle Seahawks’ Russell Wilson back in February

Wilson wasn’t directing those words solely at Schneider. What we do know is that the general manager is one of the primary reasons Seattle has taken a step back in a big way. Since Wilson entered the league as a third-round pick back in 2012, the Seahawks have selected one offensive lineman in the first round. That has played a role in Wilson being hit too much.

A lack of draft picks coupled with first-round misses under Schneider has also played a role here. Just look at the team’s past three first-round selections

2020 — Jordyn Brooks, linebacker: 16 starts, 156 tackles, one sack
2019 — L.J. Collier, EDGE: 16 starts, 29 tackles, three sacks
2018 — Rashaad Penny, running back: 1 start, 866 rushing yards

All three of these selections were seen as reaches at the time. That’s not a way to win in today’s NFL salary cap era, and it should spell the end of Schneider’s tenure in the Pacific Northwest.

Seattle Seahawks sign franchise left tackle

At 36 years old, there’s no telling how much left tackle Duane Brown has remaining in the tank. He’s also slated to hit free agency this coming spring. Either way we spin it (and no matter who is under center in the Pacific Northwest), pass protection needs to be better.

Whether it’s a big-name player like Orlando Brown Jr. from the Kansas City Chiefs or someone of less significance, this must be a primary focus for Seattle. Cam Robinson of the Jacksonville Jaguars is another option that potentially comes to mind.

Seattle Seahawks trade Russell Wilson

Let’s face the reality of the situation. These Seahawks are not going to be playoff contenders in the next season or two. That’s especially true with the Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers existing in the NFC West.

There was also talk about Wilson requesting a trade this past off-season. While that might have been a bit overblown, there’s an obvious rift between the Super Bowl quarterback and his organization. It might be time for this marriage to come to a conclusion.

Despite his injury issues earlier this season, Wilson would net Seattle a whole host of draft picks and young players in return. We’re probably looking at three first-round picks and a quarterback as the starting-off point.

Perhaps, the Las Vegas Raiders come calling by offering up those selections and three-time Pro Bowl quarterback Derek Carr. That would help Seattle recoup some of the draft capital it gave up in the Jamal Adams trade with the New York Jets ahead of the 2020 season. Meanwhile, Carr could be a stopgap option to help keep the Seahawks above water.