From Mitch Beiter (@MitchBeiter91):
Mitch, for me, it’s been Seattle the whole offseason. There are three big reasons why.
1) Last year’s rookies. Tackles Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas, corners Riq Woolen and Coby Bryant, tailback Kenneth Walker III and defensive end Boye Mafe all had significant roles, with Cross, Woolen and Lucas being starters from Day 1. The group accounted for 4,838 snaps played, which was 22.9% of all snaps for the team, a staggering total for a team that was in the playoffs—not rebuilding. All are important and ascending pieces to the puzzle.
2) This year’s rookies. Would you believe Seattle thinks the 2023 class is just as good? Both Devon Witherspoon and Jaxon Smith-Njigba (before he got nicked up) have come as advertised and are expect to start, Derick Hall is in the defensive end rotation, and both Zach Charbonnet and Kenny McIntosh (who also is a little banged up) should add to what Walker’s bringing out of the backfield. That’s four guys who’ll play, with Day 3 picks Mike Morris and Olu Oluwatimi showing potential, too.
3) I’m buying on Geno Smith. I don’t think last year was a fluke. Neither do the Seahawks, and their willingness to tie this year’s team’s success to him is evidence of it. To me, it’s pretty simple. He was seen as a raw prospect coming out in 2013, with traits and a lot of production in an Air Raid offense in college. He had to play early. Predictably, he stumbled. The people who drafted him were fired. The new guys got rid of him. And he developed as a backup for five years. And now, we’re seeing that the idea he could play wasn’t so far-fetched after all. Especially because, as it turns out, he’s the right kind of guy and worker (which is no small part of this).
Look, I’m not saying this is 2012 all over again. But if the formula then was to pair a couple of off-the-charts draft classes with a quarterback found in a nontraditional way, after taking extra swings (Matt Flynn then, Drew Lock now) at the position, well, then the Seahawks are blazing a familiar trail here. Which I think will put them in the playoffs again.
