Do we have a playoff roster?

[TheLegendOfBoom]

John basically said they fired Pete because the team underperformed. On paper, the team is better. So, a playoff roster should be the expectation.

I think in a way, all teams “underperform” that didn’t win the Super Bowl….

But it’s cool, Jody Allen, wanted change and I’m sure glad she did!

 

[Spin Doctor]

I think we’re borderline like this years team.

The biggest issue here is going to be coaching. Macdonald is one of the top up and coming defensive minds in football. When it comes to X’s and O’s he knows his stuff. Everywhere he has gone he has built a dominant defense.

That being said, there are a couple of potential issues I see here. Lack of experience is the number one problem.

Both Grubb and Macdonald don’t have much experience. Grubb is a great caller at the collegiate level, but the NFL is a different beast all together.

Macdonald is an elite coordinator but being a HC is a whole different ball game. Nolan over in SF was an elite defensive mind, but as a HC he failed to put things together.

Another thing we need to consider is the scheme. Most of the players on this roster were handpicked to run Carroll’s scheme.

Seattle might have some teething issues. Macdonald has a vastly different approach to the game than Carroll did. There are a lot more moving parts and complexities that simply never existed in Carroll’s team.

We’re also potentially missing some key contributors such as linebackers. We have fill in guys, but it’s clearly a liability, which is a big deal in Macdonald’s system.

This team is very hard to get a reading on. I can see domination and I also could see so called underperformance based on a HC that is trying to learn the ropes and install a difficult scheme.

We have some decent pieces and some holes. At the end of the day we need Macdonald to bring everything together in order for this team to be competitive or playoff worthy.

Even if he struggles his first year, I think we could still have everything come together at a later date. The system is my main question, just simply due to schematic fits and more moving parts.

 

[Hawkinaz]

Every team in the NFC except for the Giants has a playoff roster

 

[BlueTalon]

In the end what brought Pete and Holmgren down was essentially the same thing. The hubris of their system not having to adapt to the players or the changing nfl.

What's sad to me about that is, as I see it, that it's not how Pete started. It is, however, how he ended up.

 

[Oly]

As others have said, given the fact that "playoffs" = ".500 team" then sure, the Hawks probably have a playoff roster.

But given that the real question is probably "do the Seahawks have a roster to be in the top 2 or 3 tiers of teams," then no. Not yet. Let's look by position:

QB: solid, middle of the pack, not upper tiers.
RB: Tough to say because of injuries and bad scheme last couple of years. But talent-wise, I think so.
WR: Hell yes
TE: See QB
OL: Not yet. Cross is solid enough, but nothing to get excited about. Lucas' knee is a huge question mark, but the talent is there. There is promising IOL talent, but it's too young (and they haven't played together), so I think this OL is league-average-at-best this season, but could be top-10 by next season at the earliest.
DT: Yep, Williams alone puts them in the top tiers, and with Murphy? Easy call for me.
DE/EDGE: Probably good enough with Mafe/Nwosu to be in the top couple of tiers, but the depth is questionable and I don't see elite talent there to rise much higher.
LB: Who tf knows, but I wouldn't put money on it.
CB: If Woolen gets his mojo back, then yeah. Otherwise, there's Spoon and some decent role players. Top-5 potential, but we'll see what version of Woolen we're getting this season. It could also be just league-average.
S: Uhhh....no
P/K: all hail Dickson

Under the best case scenario—our rookie coaching staff doesn't have growing pangs, Lucas is healthy, Haynes hits the ground running, the coaching unlocks Fant and the RBs, Murphy is DPOY level, Dodson's great season wasn't an aberration, Woolen rebounds, and our safety room holds its own—this team could definitely win a playoff game. But I don't see them challenging SF even in that scenario, at least not this year. I'm bullish on 2025, and especially 2026.

Under the worst case scenario—none of those things above happen—this is a 5-6 win team. Again, this is the worst case scenario.

Under a more realistic scenario—some of those things happen, but not all—I see talent for a .500 team that underperforms a game or two because of early season transition to a new scheme and coaching staff.

 

[toffee]

As others have said, given the fact that "playoffs" = ".500 team" then sure, the Hawks probably have a playoff roster.

But given that the real question is probably "do the Seahawks have a roster to be in the top 2 or 3 tiers of teams," then no. Not yet. Let's look by position:

QB: solid, middle of the pack, not upper tiers.
RB: Tough to say because of injuries and bad scheme last couple of years. But talent-wise, I think so.
WR: Hell yes
TE: See QB
OL: Not yet. Cross is solid enough, but nothing to get excited about. Lucas' knee is a huge question mark, but the talent is there. There is promising IOL talent, but it's too young (and they haven't played together), so I think this OL is league-average-at-best this season, but could be top-10 by next season at the earliest.
DT: Yep, Williams alone puts them in the top tiers, and with Murphy? Easy call for me.
DE/EDGE: Probably good enough with Mafe/Nwosu to be in the top couple of tiers, but the depth is questionable and I don't see elite talent there to rise much higher.
LB: Who tf knows, but I wouldn't put money on it.
CB: If Woolen gets his mojo back, then yeah. Otherwise, there's Spoon and some decent role players. Top-5 potential, but we'll see what version of Woolen we're getting this season. It could also be just league-average.
S: Uhhh....no
P/K: all hail Dickson

Under the best case scenario—our rookie coaching staff doesn't have growing pangs, Lucas is healthy, Haynes hits the ground running, the coaching unlocks Fant and the RBs, Murphy is DPOY level, Dodson's great season wasn't an aberration, Woolen rebounds, and our safety room holds its own—this team could definitely win a playoff game. But I don't see them challenging SF even in that scenario, at least not this year. I'm bullish on 2025, and especially 2026.

Under the worst case scenario—none of those things above happen—this is a 5-6 win team. Again, this is the worst case scenario.

Under a more realistic scenario—some of those things happen, but not all—I see talent for a .500 team that underperforms a game or two because of early season transition to a new scheme and coaching staff.

All that and Young Macdonald has a System.

 

[flv2]

The 2024 Seahawks have playoff potential, but they'll need more than their fair share of luck. Essentially they'll need to stay healthier than other teams and have a favourable schedule. By that I mean beat the weaker teams early in the season and then match-up against 'stronger' teams once those teams are suffering with injuries. The Seahawks will gain 2025 compensatory picks, which indicates they got weaker in free agency. They followed that with less than average Draft capital through not having a 2nd round pick. The cap situation was also poor. It's going to be tough, but there are good reasons to be optimistic.

 

[chris98251]

Fantasy guys and Gen Z and Millennials will not be happy this season, not soon enough for them, you need to build from the ground up, they typically want a completed house with all the amenity's in the first week.

 

[TheLegendOfBoom]

I think we’re borderline like this years team.

The biggest issue here is going to be coaching. Macdonald is one of the top up and coming defensive minds in football. When it comes to X’s and O’s he knows his stuff. Everywhere he has gone he has built a dominant defense.

That being said, there are a couple of potential issues I see here. Lack of experience is the number one problem.

Both Grubb and Macdonald don’t have much experience. Grubb is a great caller at the collegiate level, but the NFL is a different beast all together.

Macdonald is an elite coordinator but being a HC is a whole different ball game. Nolan over in SF was an elite defensive mind, but as a HC he failed to put things together.

Another thing we need to consider is the scheme. Most of the players on this roster were handpicked to run Carroll’s scheme.

Seattle might have some teething issues. Macdonald has a vastly different approach to the game than Carroll did. There are a lot more moving parts and complexities that simply never existed in Carroll’s team.

We’re also potentially missing some key contributors such as linebackers. We have fill in guys, but it’s clearly a liability, which is a big deal in Macdonald’s system.

This team is very hard to get a reading on. I can see domination and I also could see so called underperformance based on a HC that is trying to learn the ropes and install a difficult scheme.

We have some decent pieces and some holes. At the end of the day we need Macdonald to bring everything together in order for this team to be competitive or playoff worthy.

Even if he struggles his first year, I think we could still have everything come together at a later date. The system is my main question, just simply due to schematic fits and more moving parts.

I’ll take my chances with “new and inexperienced” head coaches and coordinators over experienced and middling 9-8, 8-9, 10-7 seasons over and over and over again.

Sometimes the unknown is more appealing….because of what it could eventually be and the experience is dull and dry and you’ve seen enough of it already….

 

[Scout]

If the Hawks improve enough in the trenches they have a shot to compete with other NFC playoff contenders. Media heads this time of the year write off the Rams, Saints and Bucs but those teams emphasized building the trenches year to year and why they can compete despite "salary cap hell".

True salary cap hell exists for teams that do not have good coaching and systems. And do not draft and develop their players within their systems.

 

[Rat]

If the league goes to a 14-team playoff for each conference, sure.

 

[BirdsCommaAngry]

I don't know. Let's play an NFL season and find out.

 

[RiverDog]

No one here is saying that merely making the playoffs is some great accomplishment but it is progress.

I don't think that merely making the playoffs is necessarily 'progress.' We made the playoffs with a 9-8 record in 2022, barely missed them with the same record in 2023. If we happen to qualify with a 9-8 record and are one-and-done, I'm not going to pronounce the season as 'progress' based on that result.

For example, we surrendered 400+ points in 17 games in both 2022 and 2023, bottom 1/4 in the league. If we surrender 400+ points in 2024, go 9-8, qualify for the playoffs, and are one and done, IMO no one is going to consider that 'progress.'

Having said that, under the conditions noted above, I won't necessarily not consider making the playoffs 'progress', either. It would depend on what I saw on the field.

 

[SeaWolv]

I don't think that merely making the playoffs is necessarily 'progress.' We made the playoffs with a 9-8 record in 2022, barely missed them with the same record in 2023. If we happen to qualify with a 9-8 record and are one-and-done, I'm not going to pronounce the season as 'progress' based on that result.

For example, we surrendered 400+ points in 17 games in both 2022 and 2023, bottom 1/4 in the league. If we surrender 400+ points in 2024, go 9-8, qualify for the playoffs, and are one and done, IMO no one is going to consider that 'progress.'

Having said that, under the conditions noted above, I won't necessarily not consider making the playoffs 'progress', either. It would depend on what I saw on the field.

Since the last SB appearance the Hawks have gone:
2015 9-7 (WC, DIV)
2016 10-6 (WC, DIV)
2017 9-7
2018 9-7 (WC)
2019 10-6 (WC,DIV)
2020 11-5 (WC)
2021 7-10
2022 9-8 (WC)
2023 9-8

Other than 2020 and 2021, where they went 11-5 and then 7-10, they've were hovering between 9 and 10 wins every other season. NFL purgatory. The franchise plateaued under Carroll. Just looking at these records from a numbers standpoint it's hard to see progress, which is why a coaching change was made. That, in and of itself, may prove to be progress.

However, from a players perspective making the playoffs can be progress for those on this team who have never been there before. Teams don't often go from missing the playoffs to making the SB the following season. It's a progression that often starts with making playoffs and losing that first round due to a bad draw or winning that game and then losing the next. That experience is valuable for players who have never been there before.

 

[RiverDog]

However, from a players perspective making the playoffs can be progress for those on this team who have never been there before. Teams don't often go from missing the playoffs to making the SB the following season. It's a progression that often starts with making playoffs and losing that first round due to a bad draw or winning that game and then losing the next. That experience is valuable for players who have never been there before.

You're confusing the term "progress" with "satisfactory." Going 9-8/one-and-done might cause some players, fans, coaches, et al a sense of satisfaction with the team's efforts. Although it does happen from time to time, no one expects Rome to be built in a day. But the results can't be considered 'progress'.

The other thing here is the time span we're looking at. You're looking from February of 2024 to January of 2025, and yes, a person can say that they made "progress" looking at it from that period of time. But the issue here is comparing the team from February of 2022 to January of 2025.

 

[Appyhawk]

I've been shooting for 25 or 26 as our next deep run year. That till seems about right to me. And this roster can do it! But I expect we will have acquired a new QB somewhere along the line and that will require some time to settle. We will see how it all works out but I have full faith our new HC will get the job done.

 

[SNDavidson]

Yes, we do. The team has been flipped. Geno and O will be good for 27 pts a game, we have an ol and rb's to kill clock in the fourth, and we have what looks like on paper to be a nice front, middle lb, and db crew. All depends on cohesion, we do have a deep, young, playoff roster.

 

[AROS]

Absolutely we do.

 

[toffee]

If the Hawks improve enough in the trenches they have a shot to compete with other NFC playoff contenders. Media heads this time of the year write off the Rams, Saints and Bucs but those teams emphasized building the trenches year to year and why they can compete despite "salary cap hell".

True salary cap hell exists for teams that do not have good coaching and systems. And do not draft and develop their players within their systems.

Young Macdonald is a XO genius and he has a system !

 

[SoulfishHawk]

If they make the playoffs in 2024........they absolutely do.

Love, Capt. Obvious