SEATTLE — The Seattle Seahawks were firmly among the middle class offensively in 2023, above the dredges of the league but also far behind the game-breaking offenses.
It's not a comfortable place to be in if the goal is to be a legitimate contender. The team's 9-8 record reflected a similar tune: This team was better than average, sure, but not good enough to truly push the elite teams in the league.
Will 2024 be any different?
The Seahawks made key changes at head coach and offensive coordinator, as it became apparent that the Pete Carroll era was winding to a close. Much of the key pieces from the previous season remain in place, but perhaps a new framework and mindset could pull the Seahawks from mediocrity into something much more formidable.
Here's what to look out for offensively for the 2024 season.
Quarterback
- Starter: Geno Smith
- Depth chart: Sam Howell
- Last season's leader: Smith (3,624 passing yards)
- NFL rank last season: 14th in passing yards (230 yards per game)
One year after winning the Comeback Player of the Year and leading the National Football League (NFL) in completion percentage, Smith fell back down to the earth in 2023.
The traditional metrics tell one story: Smith threw for 600 fewer passing yards and 10 fewer touchdowns in 2023.
Those numbers don't tell the whole story of Smith's season, however. It was far from a failure. Smith led the NFL in comebacks (four) and game-winning drives (five), as he guided the Seahawks to a 9-8 record, good enough for a second consecutive postseason berth.
Seattle missed out on the playoffs via tiebreaker, of course. Even Smith's late-game heroics could not mask a talented offense that was less than the sum of their parts (17th in points per game).
The task for new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, fresh off a scintillating season leading the dynamic Huskies offense, is to mold the offense into a unit that can exceed the sum of its parts.
Smith should be capable enough to lead the Seahawks to an improvement in 2024.
Running back
- Starter: Kenneth Walker III
- Depth chart: Zach Charbonnet, Kenny McIntosh
- Last season's leader: Walker III (905 rushing yards)
- NFL rank last season: 28th in rushing yards (92.9 yards per game)
Aesthetically, Walker III and Charbonnet - two running backs selected early in the last few NFL Drafts - mesh well together. Walker III is the game-breaking profile of a running back, who can beat any defender in space for an 80-yard touchdown. Charbonnet is more measured and patient, capable of churning through defenders for consistent chunk gains.
And, yet, the Seahawks were among the NFL's bottom feeders in rushing yards per game last season despite the respective talent and Pete Carroll's penchant to run the ball.
The math isn't mathing here.
The buzz around Seahawks camp has been consistently positive in Walker III's favor this season, indicative of a possible third-year breakout. Last season, Walker III improved upon his success rate in his sophomore season but lagged in yards per carry and total yards.
If the Seahawks can find a way to deploy Walker III and Charbonnet optimally, the offense could be one of the toughest to gameplan for every week. Can Grubb solve the mystery of the Seahawks running game in 2024?
Wide receiver
- Starter: DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Jaxon Smith-Njigba
- Depth chart: Jake Bobo, Dareke Young, Laviska Shenault Jr., Dee Eskridge
- Last season's leader: Metcalf (1,114 receiving yards)
Strip the Seahawks to its spare parts and you'll see the makings of a successful offense. There's a dynamic running game and a heady veteran quarterback who is unfazed by any situation. Pair those pieces with a three-headed wide receiver core the likes of Metcalf, Lockett and Smith-Njigba and you have the structure many NFL teams dream of.
For the most part last season, the Seahawks struggled to find Smith-Njigba's role in the offense alongside Metcalf and Lockett. After spending the 20th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on Smith-Njigba, the Ohio State product was essentially a glorified tight end in the first month of the season.
Smith-Njigba was catching passes near the line of scrimmage, instead of down the field where he could utilize the traits that made him the first receiver selected in his draft class. Eventually, the Seahawks acquiesced and trusted the rookie with deeper passes.
Smith-Njigba paid off the tactical shift by making a game-winning grab to beat the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football. This preseason Smith-Njigba's average depth of target was over 10 yards, a hearty role that could mean more lucrative numbers in 2024.
As Lockett reaches the tail end of his career, and Metcalf remains an athletic marvel in the peak of his prime, Smith-Njigba is the dynamic key that could unlock the Seahawks' passing attack.
Offensive line
- Starters: Charles Cross (left tackle), Laken Tomlinson (left guard), Connor Williams (center), Anthony Bradford/Christian Haynes (right guard), George Fant (right tackle)
- Depth chart: Raiqwon O'Neal (LT), McClendon Curtis (LG), Olu Oluwatimi (C), Sataoa Laumea (RG), Stone Forsythe (RT), Abraham Lucas (RT)
- NFL rank last season: 10th in sacks allowed (38)
We are just two seasons removed from a remarkable stretch where rookies Cross and Lucas bookended the Seahawks' offensive line, gifting Smith with plenty of time to move through his reads.
Lucas, a key part of the 2022 offensive line, was out for much of the season with a knee injury. Earlier this offseason, Lucas had knee surgery but his return is still in question.
As the Seahawks hope for Lucas to return to full health, the organization selected three offensive linemen in the 2024 NFL Draft (Christian Haynes, Sataoa Laumea and Michael Jerrell) to give itself plenty of young options to protect Smith.