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22 February 2025

• John Schneider clarifies infamous ‘overdrafted’ and ‘overpaid’ comments about guards

  The Seahawks GM elaborated on his eyebrow-raising 2024 remarks regarding guards.

  It was almost exactly one year ago when Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider had this to say about NFL guards:

  Talking about offensive guards, John Schneider said there's a lack of depth and talent at the position, which causes guys at that spot to get overvalued.
  
  “Guys get overdrafted at that position and, in my opinion, they get overpaid.”

  — Dugar, Michael-Shawn (@MikeDugar) March 15, 2024

  Coming off a season in which the Seahawks once again lacked high-level play on the interior of the offensive line, the “overpaid” and “overdrafted” comment frequently surfaces against Schneider.

  Well, Schneider has since clarified those remarks in his recent radio appearance on Seattle Sports 710. Lest you think he doesn’t value the guard position, that’s untrue. He does argue, however, that the Seahawks have been guilty of overpaying/overdrafting at the position.

  “The statement, I guess, is really not a level of importance; it’s truly important. It’s highly valued. But we still, to this day, because of the dearth of talent at the position, will overpay at that position and will overdraft at that position,” Schneider said. “We’ve been guilty of it, and we probably will be guilty of it in the future as well. It’s just based on a level of talent.

  “The philosophy is not ‘we’re not going to overpay’ — we probably will because we have to. But you have to be smart with those decisions.”

  Seattle has had close to zero stability at guard since James Carpenter and J.R. Sweezy left in the 2015 and 2016 offseasons, respectively. During that span, the only time the Seahawks had the same starting guard combo in consecutive seasons was Damien Lewis (LG) and Gabe Jackson (RG) from 2021-2022. Lewis is now with the Carolina Panthers and Jackson isn’t on an NFL roster. They traded a fourth-round pick to the Raiders to acquire Jackson, who received an extension he wasn’t able to complete. It’s more likely than not they’ll have a minimum of one new starting guard next season given Laken Tomlinson is a free agent.

  Schneider also claimed that he previously worked with someone who didn’t believe in paying guards at all, which is a philosophy he doesn’t share and isn’t how the Seahawks operate.

  “Are we going to overpay a guard and lose out on a defensive tackle? No. We’d rather pay the player that we think is the better talent. It’s kind of like drafting for need in the draft.

  “... It’s just like we talked about supply and demand. It’s never like it’s not important or we have this philosophy that we don’t value (guards). I worked with somebody that used to say, ‘A guard is a guard is a guard, and you don’t pay them.’ I did work with somebody like that in my past. But that’s not the case with us. It’s really like, we have to put a value on people at the end of the day.

  “It happens every year and we’ll see it this weekend, too, when we go down to the combine. They’ll be like, ‘this player, we would grade him as a solid backup or a solid starter’...but he’s going to get paid like a difference maker, which is two grades up. It’s like, ‘Whoa.”

  Watch the full video below:
• Your daily Seahawks trivia game, Saturday edition

  Think you can figure out which Seahawks player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game!

  Hey Field Gulls! We’re back for another day of the Field Gulls in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in the Google Form.

  Today’s Field Gulls in-5 game

  If you can’t see the game due to Apple News or another service, click this game article.

  Previous games

  Friday, February 21
  Thursday, February 20
  Wednesday, February 19

  Play more SB Nation in-5 trivia games

  NFL in-5
  MLB in-5
  MMA in-5

  Field Gulls in-5 instructions

  The goal of the game is to guess the correct Seahawks player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it.

  After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form.

  Enjoy!

• Pre-Snap Reads 2/22: How will the 2025 salary cap affect the Seahawks?

  In Today’s Links: our Seatttle Seahawks and their off-season plans will be impacted by whether or not Geno Smith is on the roster; the ‘Hawks coaches preparing for the combine, more from the John Schneider show, a review of the 2024 season, plus, a lil bit more. Our squad heads into a critical time as the draft approaches and salary cap numbers will loom large. Slowly, the NFL news cycle turns. Thanks for sticking with Field Gulls through it all.

  Seahawks News

  Seahawks offseason plan: Without Geno Smith edition - Seaside Joe
  How $30 million in additional cap space could impact the Seahawks offseason

  Mike Macdonald Seahawks coaches will be at NFL combine | Tacoma News Tribune
  Mike Macdonald, Seahawks coaches will be at NFL scouting combine Indianapolis. They, GM John Schneider will seek guards, Tyler Lockett, Geno Smith contract fix.

  Seahawks waive 2 players from the practice squad - Seahawks Wire
  Both were on the practice squad in the latter half of the 2024 season

  Seattle Seahawks GM reacts to projected salary cap increase - Seattle Sports
  Seattle Seahawks GM John Schneider explains how this week's reported salary cap range compared to the number they were projecting.

  Seattle Seahawks GM's revelation about a 1st-round pick - Seattle Sports
  The Seattle Seahawks picked RB Rashaad Penny in the first round in 2018, even though GM John Schneider's initial evaluation of him wasn't high.

  Seattle Seahawks receive middling final grade for 2024 campaign - Sports Illustrated Seahawks News, Analysis, and More
  The Seattle Seahawks had their ups and downs throughout Mike Macdonald's first season.

  NFC West News

  49ers defensive coordinator trends since Robert Saleh left - Niners Nation
  Taking a look at how each defensive coordinator has performed since Robert Saleh left

  Why the 49ers Will Inevitably Release Deebo Samuel - Sports Illustrated 49ers News, Analysis, and More
  Trading Deebo Samuel won't be a reality for the 49ers. Here is why.

  BREAKING: Rams Give Matthew Stafford Permission To Seek Trade - Sports Illustrated Rams News, Analysis, and More
  The Rams are willing to part ways with star QB Matthew Stafford, letting him search for a new home

  Tom Pelissero: Rams have given Stafford permission to seek trade - Turf Show Times
  The move bold move by LA was reported by the NFL Network insider on Friday

  Cardinals welcome Coach Deebo to the staff - Revenge of the Birds
  Hear new defensive line coach Winston DeLattiboudere III talk ball

  Arizona Cardinals GM: We Won't Shy Away From Big Trades - Sports Illustrated Cardinals News, Analysis, and More
  The Arizona Cardinals could be swinging for the fences this offseason.

  Around The NFL

  Colts announce their 2025 coaching staff - NBC Sports
  The Colts confirmed that they have hired Jerome Henderson as their new defensive backs coach on Friday afternoon and they announced their entire coaching staff as well.

  2025 NFL offseason: Projecting bold moves in free agency, draft - ESPN+
  Aaron Schatz suggests daring potential offseason moves for every AFC and NFC team. How could each franchise improve with a big swing?

  Penix Jr. developing 'something special' with Falcons teammates - ESPN
  Penix's strong finish to his rookie season has given hope to the Falcons franchise and fans alike.

  2025 NFL Draft: 10 prospects who could rise during pre-draft process - NFL.com
  Will Cam Skattebo convince teams he can be a primary back by the time the 2025 NFL Draft begins? Ahead of the NFL Scouting Combine, Bucky Brooks identifies 10 prospects with the chance to significantly boost their stock in the coming months.

  NFL beat writer mock draft 2025: Giants, Raiders secure their futures at QB - The Athletic
  Good news for teams that want to invest in the trenches: This draft is filled with talent on the offensive and defensive lines.

  2025 NFL RB market: Top free agents, best team fits, projected deals for Aaron Jones, Nick Chubb, other vets - CBSSports.com
  A preview of the best running backs projected to be available in March

  The best QB options for every team in need — 2025 NFL Draft or free agent signing? - PFF
  Several teams are in desperate need of a solution under center, whether that means drafting a future franchise leader or finding a veteran to step in right away.

• Former Seahawks starter among early cap casualties across the NFL

  Teams are shedding salary in preparation for the new league year, and former Seahawks tight end Gerald Everett is one of those affected players.

  We’re less than three weeks away from the start of the 2025 NFL league year, which coincides with the beginning of free agency. You can expect to read about many players being released over the next few weeks for (primarily) salary cap purposes. Whether the Seattle Seahawks will be a part of the storyline remains to be seen.

  One former Seahawks starter is among those who will be looking for a new team. Tight end Gerald Everett, who started 12 games for Seattle in the 2021 season, was let go by the Chicago Bears. Everett signed a two-year, $12 million contract last offseason and had a grand total of 8 catches for 36 yards in his lone season in Chicago. His deep experience working with Shane Waldron likely spurred on the signing, but Waldron was fired midseason as offensive coordinator and Everett failed to make any impact in the Bears offense. The former Los Angeles Rams second-round pick also spent two seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers, amassing 109 receptions, 966 yards, and 7 touchdowns.

  Releasing Everett and defensive lineman DaMarcus Walker will free up about $10 million in cap room for the still rebuilding Bears.

  Here’s an early list of notable salary cap casualties around the NFL:

  Carolina Panthers

  • CB Dane Jackson

  Cincinnati Bengals

  • DL Sheldon Rankins

  Chicago Bears

  • TE Gerald Everett
  • DL DeMarcus Walker

  Miami Dolphins

  • RB Raheem Mostert
  • CB Kendall Fuller
  • TE Durham Smythe

  New England Patriots

  • LB Sione Takitaki

  Pittsburgh Steelers

  • OLB Preston Smith

  It should be noted that if/when they sign with new teams, none of these players will count toward any compensatory pick formula. Only players who were scheduled to be unrestricted free agents are part of the equation, not cap casualties who still had time on their contracts.

• Seahawks waive 2 players as start of 2025 league year approaches

  The Seahawks made a couple of minor roster transactions on Friday.

  The Seattle Seahawks made a couple of roster subtractions on Friday, three weeks out from the start of a new league year and NFL free agency.

  Former Kansas City Chiefs draft pick and wide receiver Cornell Powell and defensive back Ryan ‘Bump’ Cooper were waived, according to the NFL transaction wire. Both players were on Seattle’s 2024 practice squad, although neither Powell nor Cooper ever played for the Seahawks and indeed never even got elevated to the active roster for gameday.

  Powell and Cooper were among 11 players signed to reserve/futures contracts following the conclusion of Seattle’s regular season. When the season is over, the practice squad dissolves and everyone on the squad becomes an unrestricted free agent. Players who sign a reserve/futures deal are under contract with the team when the new league year begins in early March.

  Here are the current Seahawks players who will enter next month on the roster through reserve/futures contracts.

  Seattle Seahawks players on reserve/future contracts

  • DT Quinton Bohanna
  • LB Michael Dowell
  • CB Tyler Hall
  • C Mike Novitsky
  • DE Kenneth Odumegwu
  • S Ty Okada
  • LB Jamie Sheriff
  • LB Tyreke Smith
  • CB Damarion Williams
  • G Sala Aumavae-Laulu - Non-Seahawks practice squad signing
  • CB JT Woods - Non-Seahawks practice squad signing

• Your daily Seahawks trivia game, Friday edition

  Think you can figure out which Seahawks player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game!

  Hey Field Gulls! We’re back for another day of the Field Gulls in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in the Google Form.

  Today’s Field Gulls in-5 game

  If you can’t see the game due to Apple News or another service, click this game article.

  Previous games

  Thursday, February 20
  Wednesday, February 19
  Tuesday, February 18

  Play more SB Nation in-5 trivia games

  NFL in-5
  MLB in-5
  MMA in-5

  Field Gulls in-5 instructions

  The goal of the game is to guess the correct Seahawks player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it.

  After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form.

  Enjoy!

• Pre-Snap Reads 2/21: What are the biggest non-offensive line needs for the Seahawks

  We know the Seahawks need to improve the offensive line. What else do they need to improve?

  Happy Friday! The Seattle Seahawks are three weeks away from the start of free agency. We know the offensive line needs improving, but what else needs improving? Also, John Schneider clears up the “overdrafted and overpaid” line from last season and talks about the performances of Geno Smith and DK Metcalf. Thank you for being here. Chat away in the comments!

  #np Sugar by Men I Trust

  Seahawks News

  Seahawks GM talks Geno Smith and if guards are still overpaid - Seaside Joe
  Seahawks actually do value guards, says Seattle GM John Schneider, but they're hard to find

  Derick Hall was the most improved Seahawk in 2024 - Seahawks Wire
  Hall is now a key member of Seattle's defensive core

  Rost: 3 needs for Seattle Seahawks besides the O-line - Seattle Sports
  Stacy Rost takes a look at three potential needs – aside from the offensive line – that the Seattle Seahawks could address in the NFL Draft.

  Bump: A new Seattle Seahawks O-line draft target to watch - Seattle Sports
  Michael Bumpus explains why he likes North Dakota State's Grey Zabel, who has emerged in mock drafts as a potential Seattle Seahawks first-round target.

  Seattle Seahawks GM clarifies past comments on OL position - Seattle Sports
  Seattle Seahawks GM John Schneider's comments about guards being "overpaid" and "over-drafted" aren't about the value of the position.

  The Seahawks want Ernest Jones, and he wants to stay. What might a new contract look like? - The Athletic
  Jones is the Seahawks' top free agent, but he wants to re-sign. Here's what it might take to get a deal done.

  What John Schneider said about Seahawks' most-important pending free agent - Sports Illustrated Seahawks News, Analysis, and More
  What will it take for the Seattle Seahawks to lock down their top linebacker long term?

  NFC West News

  Arizona Cardinals Coaches Crack NFL Top 50 List - Sports Illustrated Cardinals News, Analysis, and More
  The Arizona Cardinals have two coaches that are notable names to watch in the future.

  Closer Understanding of Drew Petzing’s Offense - Revenge of the Birds
  What are Drew Petzing’s priorities and 2025 goals?

  Would Rams really trade Matthew Stafford to Giants? Examining a potential deal - The Athletic
  The Giants are desperate for a quarterback, while the Rams might not want to pay Stafford what it takes to keep him happy in Los Angeles.

  Rams reverse Q&A: What storylines aren’t getting enough attention? - Turf Show Times
  If not Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp, what do you want to talk about?

  New Salary Cap Increase Could See Rams Keep Both Stafford and Kupp - Sports Illustrated Ram News, Analysis, and More
  The NFL's 2025 salary cap was higher than expected, giving the Rams enough money to keep their heroes from Super Bowl LVI

  Which 49ers player exceeded expectations most in 2024? - Niners Nation
  The San Francisco 49ers had a disappointing season after failing to live up to their usual lofty expectations in the 2024 regular season. Still, that doesn’t mean there weren’t memorable performances.

  49ers Veteran Offensive Lineman Calls it a Career - Sports Illustrated 49ers News, Analysis, and More
  This veteran offensive lineman stepped up when the 49ers needed him in 2023 on the way to a Super Bowl appearance.

  Around The NFL

  NFL working to ensure field conditions are better in Brazil in 2025 - NBC Sports
  The NFL announced Wednesday that the Chargers will host the league's second regular-season game in Brazil.

  For Anthony Richardson to improve, here are areas Colts need to address - ESPN
  The biggest priority may be offensive line, although the Colts' first-round draft pick may be used on a tight end.

  2025 NFL free agency: Players who could be overpriced/underpriced on the open market - NFL.com
  With the start of free agency just around the corner, Kevin Patra spotlights players who could be overpriced/underpriced on the open market. On which side does Sam Darnold fall after making his first Pro Bowl?

  Five biggest 2025 draft takeaways from Daniel Jeremiah’s pre-NFL Combine conference call - NFL.com
  What possibilities are in play for the Titans with the first overall pick? Could Matthew Stafford really be an option for the Giants this offseason? NFL Network draft guru Daniel Jeremiah tackled those questions and more during a conference call on Thursd

  Final 2024 grades for all 32 NFL teams: Eagles, Commanders ace season-long test; Cowboys receive failing mark - CBSSports.com
  Every NFL team's final grade for the 2024 season

  PFF 101: The top 101 players from the 2024 NFL season - PFF
  The 2024 NFL season featured star players across all positions. Here were PFF's 101 best players from the past year.

• Daniel Jeremiah has surprising answer for possible Seahawks quarterback draft target

  This Louisville quarterback could be the latest of college late bloomers. Could he also be a possible fit for the Seattle Seahawks?

  Longtime NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah held a media conference call ahead of next week’s Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

  Seemingly as the only Seattle Seahawks representation, Field Gulls was on this conference call, which ran two hours and 45 minutes. At least 160 people asking north of 200 questions in this marathon session. This isn’t like a one-on-one interview where you have a boatload of questions and/or too many opportunities for follow-ups upon follow-ups is a need to respect everyone’s time in the queue. Most people had a maximum of one question and that was it.

  For transparency, here was my question.

  “The big story up here in the Pacific Northwest regarding the Seattle Seahawks is whether or not they extend Geno Smith and keep him as a starter in 2025, but even if he does stay, there is the possibility that Seattle could actually draft a quarterback this year, which is something they’ve only done twice ever under John Schneider.

  “There are a lot of options, seemingly, in the late day 1, day 2-3 range. The most common names I’ve seen mock drafted to Seattle are Will Howard of Ohio State, Kyle McCord of Syracuse, Quinn Ewers of Texas, and Jaxson Dart of Ole Miss, whom I think you suggested could be an option for Seattle at No. 18. With the expectation of a run-oriented, play action-based, more under center offense under Klint Kubiak, which of the quarterbacks do you believe best fits the new Seattle offense?”

  The following is from the official transcript of the call as provided by NFL Media.

  ---

  Jaxson Dart - Ole Miss

  “Look, coffee would probably be a little rich for me at 18 for Jaxson Dart. I have him in the 40s. He’s my third quarterback there.”

  To provide some extra context since he didn’t elaborate too much on Dart in the response, here’s his breakdown of Dart later on during the call. This was not from my question.

  “The things that you like about Jaxson, I see — there’s some similarities, people will maybe raise their eyebrows on this, but I do see some similarities to [Jalen] Hurts when Hurts was going through the process. Got kind of a similar build, similar frame. They’re both really good athletes. They’re both beloved by their teammates, say the right things, do all the right things, do all the stuff on and off the field. There’s a lot of similarities there. I thought with Jalen, he got better every year. He kept taking steps.

  “We’ve seen it since he’s come into the league, he just keeps getting better and better and better. He’s got great wiring. He works really hard, and there’s a competitiveness and a toughness to him.

  [...]

  “So that’s some of the things that I really like about Jaxson. This offense, they’re not going to get real deep into progressions. Lane [Kiffin] does a really good job of getting to the point where early in progressions you’re going to have places to distribute the football. You’ll see some RPOs. You’ll see some seams, some — they take a lot of deep shots, but they’re kind of designed deep shots. You kind of know where the ball is going, but he throws a nice deep ball to work on from that regard, not just kind of getting deeper in progressions. There’s times where I think his eyes can be a little bit ahead of his feet, just kind of syncing that up, marrying that up a little bit better, and just continuing to be cautious and careful with the football in some key moments. That’s some areas for him.

  “I have met him. He’s a really, really good kid, presents himself really well, and I think there’s a lot of tools to work with. That’s why I have him as the third quarterback.”

  Will Howard - Ohio State

  “You know, Will Howard had the hot playoff run. He’s got obviously the size. Almost 6’4”, 240 pounds. Ultra competitive kid. I love the fact that he won at two spots at K-State. Then obviously this year at Ohio State. He’s a touch thrower. He is quick to get to No. 3 in his read.

  “The big question is just going to be the arm strength. Had a couple of brain cramps during the year, but I thought he cleaned all that stuff up. Everybody is going to look at the Oregon game. The first meeting with run the clock out there at the end of that ball game and some turnovers against Penn State. I thought he got better and throughout the year. I just want to see him throw live. I’ve never seen him throw live. I want to see what his arm looks like.”

  Tyler Shough - Louisville

  “Tyler Shough from Louisville is older; he is 25. He has four degrees, so he’s probably going to be as well-educated as anybody on your football team. I can’t imagine anybody having more than that.

  “He can drive the ball. He is big and strong. He’s another one who can get to No. 3 in the progression. He can throw off balance. He has a lot of arm talent. There’s a lot to like there. One of the things with him is just pocket awareness stuff. He bails too much instead of just sliding, shuffling, and finding space within the pocket, but he’s a big, strong dude.”

  Quinn Ewers - Texas

  “Ewers, there’s a few guys that are on my list to go back after the combine after I get some time after watching all these guys and go back to ‘23 tape. I know he wasn’t healthy this year, but he did not take the step I was hoping he would take. He is still young at 21. He has quick feet, quick release, but he got in a lot of bad habits.

  “I didn’t think he played with any conviction. Just not trusting what he is seeing. Got real sloppy with his feet and everything kind of got away from him. The team had tremendous success, and he obviously made some big-time throws in the playoffs.

  “Overall, not the step forward I was hoping for him.”

  Kyle McCord - Syracuse

  “Last one was Kyle McCord after Syracuse. Reminded me a lot of Derek Carr at Fresno. Quick feet, quick eyes. You see some RPO stuff there. He is accurate. He has a touch down the field.

  “He can gas it up and give you some velocity when needed. Just played real aggressive and was a little bit frenetic at times and also ran himself into some sacks.”

  Who’s the best fit for the Seahawks offense?

  “All those guys have different strengths and weaknesses. They’re all intriguing type players. To me they’re more ideally you would love to get them in the third round. I think Dart will be gone by then, but I think the rest of the guys that’s more the range that I have them.

  “In terms of someone you would want to work with, gosh, it sounds weird even though he is older, but for what they’re doing, I mean, Tyler Shough to me would be someone I would be interested in maybe taking a flyer on there in the third round.”

  ---

  Incidentally, not a single person asked about Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe until two hours in. Jeremiah was not bullish on Milroe largely because of his limitations (particularly his footwork mechanics) as a passer.

  Shough is not only 25 years old but he’ll be 26 in September. He was in college for seven seasons, starting at Oregon (where he was Justin Herbert’s backup) before going to Texas Tech and then Louisville. His final season at Louisville was his first “normal” full season as a starter—he started every game for Oregon in a pandemic-shortened seven games in 2020—and it was his most productive, throwing for 23 touchdowns and 6 interceptions and over 3,100 passing yards in 12 games.

  Obviously Jeremiah doesn’t have serious reservations about drafting Shough that high given his age and status as a late bloomer within the college ranks. Shough was one of the better performers at the Senior Bowl, where the Seahawks have had deep ties and drafted many players who’ve participated in it.

  The Seahawks’ quarterback situation is still uncertain given the looming March 17 deadline for Geno Smith’s $16 million roster bonus. Even if Smith stays, it’s more than reasonable to continue looking at the QB class to see if Schneider will finally select a young, promising prospect... although in Shough’s case, not thatyoung.