The Seattle Seahawks are stuck.

After a perfect 3-0 start to kick off the Mike Macdonald era, the Seahawks thought they could see the blueprint to success. Seattle hastily completed trades for linebacker Ernest Jones IV and defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris from the sinking Tennessee Titans.

However, the moves proved to simply be a belated attempt to find the right players to thrive in Macdonald’s system. They have served as nothing more than bandaids; the 4-5 Seahawks have lost five of their last six games, conceding at least 26 points in five games while allowing an average of 412 yards over that stretch.

The Seahawks are in an odd situation. While it’s close, the NFC West franchise now finds themselves bottom of a poor division behind the surprisingly competitive Arizona Cardinals, the ascending Los Angeles Rams, and struggling San Francisco 49ers.

Seattle perhaps acted too fast as buyers with their moves for Jones and Robertson-Harris, even though the defense needs to rebuild – or rejuvenate itself. The most frustrating element of all is the fact that the dynamic offense is performing at an exhilarating level.

Through nine weeks, quarterback Geno Smith has faced an NFL-high 93 pressures charted as originally blocked and still became a pressure within 2.5 seconds. This means the Seahawks are correctly identifying who to block, but the line simply isn’t strong enough.

Despite the porous offensive line, Smith remains more than productive; with 2,560 yards, the veteran leads the NFL in passing yards midway through the season. But it will be frustrating for Seattle fans to know that with effective protection, the Seahawks would possess an offensive juggernaut.

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DK Metcalf was the subject of trade calls - but the Seahawks did not pick up

DK Metcalf was the subject of trade calls – but the Seahawks did not pick up ( 

Image:

AP)

Ahead of the trade deadline on Tuesday, the Seahawks received calls for DK Metcalf, but they decided not to move on from the star receiver. Given the 26-year-old’s contract situation, the emergence of Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and the Seahawks’ other roster needs, the team could have conceivably moved on from Metcalf, who they selected in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

Ahead of the 2022 NFL season, Metcalf and the Seahawks agreed to terms on a three-year, $72 million extension with $58.2 million guaranteed and a $30 million signing bonus. He is set to enter the final year of this deal next season and is eyeing a blockbuster deal.

However, while moving Metcalf to gain assets to either target future draft picks or bolster the offensive line could be a good move, it is also bold and risky. Bona fide star receivers don’t grow on trees, and he is still clearly viewed as a core piece of the Seahawks offense moving forward.

But, at 4-5, the Seahawks are in trouble. The offensive line will remain a problem for the rest of the season, and it looks likely to be a problem that isn’t going away. If the defense also continues to falter, the Seahawks have no hope in 2024 – even with the offense rolling.