Head Coach Mike Macdonald’s first season in Seattle was not too bad. With a 10-7 record, they came close to the NFC West crown, but sometimes the ball does not bounce your way. And the offseason got interesting when Geno Smith and DK Metcalf got traded. GM John Schneider and the front office brought in Sam Darnold and Cooper Kupp as their replacements. Now, some people might be having second thoughts about it. But Schneider is feeling pretty good about how things are shaping up.
Free agency is a gamble; sometimes you hit, and sometimes you whiff. But after the first wave of free agency, the vibe in Seattle has been optimistic. And with the draft still coming up and a few moves left to play, John Schneider’s latest comments say a lot. On Monday, Schneider talked about the team’s offseason moves so far and how they will go about the draft. “You always feel good about it, you always feel good about the process…sometimes you hit on some guys, sometimes you miss on some guys, especially in free agency. We feel good where we’re at, but it’s so early.” That’s true, but what’s the big update?
Schneider believes that the moves they have made this offseason to strengthen their roster have been pretty good so far, which sets up Mike Macdonald for success in his second year. Schneider stated that there is still “a long way to go” in assembling the team for next season, emphasizing the importance of the upcoming draft, where the Seahawks hold five picks within the top 92 selections.
However, the recent additions to the roster look promising. “We’re really excited about Sam and OT (Josh) Jones. It was huge for us, getting a swing guy. Lawrence, big deal for us, AD (defensive coordinator Aden Durde) knew him really well,” he said at the NFL Annual Meeting.
“There’s still a lot of work to do. We’re in the midst of talking to people down here about a lot of things, trade possibilities, and just getting ready for the next three weeks before the draft,” Schneider added. He also talked about getting on board Cooper Kupp and what the team is expecting from him.
Seahawks eyeing big things from Cooper Kupp
“I don’t agree with the decision and always believed it was going to begin and end in LA. Still, if there’s one thing that I have learned over the years, there are so many things that are out of your control, but it is how you respond to these things that you will look back on and remember.” For Cooper Kupp, the Rams’ decision to part ways with him did not come out of the blue. The WR knew it could happen, despite him wanting to retire wearing the Rams colors only.
LA put Kupp on the trade block but could not find any offers. On March 12, the team released their veteran WR. Two days later, Cooper found his new home with the Seahawks.
“It was evident that Cooper was going to become available. Then once DK wanted to be traded, we decided as an organization we were going to do that,” John Schneider said. The Seahawks signed Kupp to a three-year deal worth $45 million. John said that once they accepted DK Metcalf’s trade request and released Tyler Lockett, the team decided to bring in Kupp. “Once we did that… we had a gap there, and Cooper was the guy we identified. Jake Peetz had coached him in the past, so we felt like we knew the person, knew what we were getting into.” They certainly needed that change, but what next?
Now, the team expects Cooper’s addition to be beneficial for the offense, especially for young WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba. “He’s going to be great for (Jaxon Smith-Njigba); he’s going to be great for the whole team. But you think about a guy like JSN, the guy’s just, what everybody says is he’s the ultimate worker,” said Schneider.
The veteran WR has not been in his best health over the past few years. Since the Rams‘ win in 2021, Cooper has appeared in 23 of 38 games. Kupp has been on the IR for consecutive years in 2022 and 2023. This was a major reason for the Rams to trade him, and it is a bit concerning for the Seahawks as well.
With almost all the pieces set, the Seahawks would be aiming at improving last season’s record. Will Cooper Kupp perform as per the expectations? This will unfold in the upcoming season only. What are your thoughts on this?
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