Schefter's post on X somewhat contradicts ESPN colleague Brady Henderson's long-form article on the trade, which saw the Seahawks give up third- and fifth-round picks to Washington and receive fourth- and sixth-round selections along with Howell. Henderson notes Seahawks general manager John Schneider's public position is Howell will serve as Smith's backup, but adds that Schneider also talked up the third-year signal-caller extensively during a radio interview following the trade.

Despite finishing 2023 with career lows in catches, receiving yards and touchdowns, Fant opted to re-sign with the Seahawks on a two-year, $21 million deal. The Iowa product hasn't lived up to the expectations as a 2019 first-round pick, but Duggar believes Fant will have more opportunities as the No. 1 option at tight end after Will Dissley and Colby Parkinson departed in free agency. At 6-foot-4 and 249 pounds, Fant should be a matchup problem for opposing defenses and provide quarterback Geno Smith a large target in the passing game alongside wideouts DK Metcalf and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

Smith won the starting quarterback job for the Seahawks in 2022 and went on to have the best season of his career. He was awarded with a three-year, $75 million contract in March of 2023, and while his numbers dipped that season, Smith earned his second Pro Bowl selection. He will turn 34 this October, and given his age and 2025 cap hit of $38.5 million, coupled with the Seahawks trading for former Commanders starting quarterback Sam Howell, Duggar believes that Smith will need to prove in 2024 that he is more than a stopgap option for Seattle.

Witherspoon is coming off a strong rookie season in which the fifth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft posted three sacks among his 79 tackles while adding 16 passes defensed. The nickel cornerback offers a rare mix of coverage skills and physicality. The latter trait allows Witherspoon to excel as a blitzer out of the slot, and Sando anticipates that Witherspoon will get a chance to go after the quarterback more frequently in defensive coordinator Aden Durde's scheme than he did under Clint Hurtt in 2023.

Mcdonald told reporters during minicamp that he plans to "play a little matchup ball" by moving Jones around to exploit weaknesses in the opposing offense's scheme. Jones recorded a career-high 49 tackles over 17 regular-season games in 2023, but his 4.5 sacks were his lowest since his rookie season in 2019. Jones spent the first half of 2023 lining up primarily at defensive tackle, but he shifted over to defensive end for the second half after Uchenna Nwosu sustained a season-ending torn pectoral injury and Leonard Williams was acquired via trade from the Giants.

Smith-Njigba's rookie 2023 campaign was by no means a washout, as he recorded 63 receptions for 628 yards and four touchdowns while playing in all 17 regular-season games. Nevertheless, Brooks envisions even bigger things for him in his sophomore NFL season, as new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb is set to run a high-powered attack that will focus more on getting the ball to a speedy receiver like Smith-Njigba out of the slot.

Murphy's first NFL offseason got off to a highly inauspicious start when head coach Mike Macdonald publicly stated following rookie minicamp that the one-time Longhorn needed to get in better shape. However, Murphy did make strides as the offseason went along, and Williams stated he was taken with both his new linemate's football IQ and work ethic during their limited time together thus far.

Seattle figures to have three new starters along the line after a busy offseason, and right tackle Abraham Lucas will also return from a knee injury that cost him 11 games last year. Smith had a breakout 2022 campaign behind a unit that ranked eighth in pass block win rate, but the Seahawks' offensive line fell to 25th in that metric last season, giving the quarterback little time in the pocket. Improved protection will give the 33-year-old a strong chance of regaining his form.

Eskridge has been a disappointment since the Seahawks selected him in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft, and he failed to record a catch in 2023. Despite his draft pedigree, Eskridge is behind DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Laviska Shenault and Jake Bobo on the wide receiver depth chart ahead of training camp, leaving him in a battle for a roster spot. Eskridge missed the final six games of the 2023 season due to a rib injury.

The former Commander has already started 18 NFL games in his career, but he's the same age as 2024 prospects Michael Penix Jr. and Jayden Daniels and is a year younger than Bo Nix. Howell's presence on the roster after a March trade with Washington should allow Seattle to focus its attention elsewhere in the draft, continuing a pattern that has seen the franchise draft only two QBs over the last 15 years and none since 2018.

Schefter noted that with Seattle's No. 2 quarterback the last two seasons, Drew Lock, signing with the Giants, Howell has one less obstacle to potentially wresting the starting quarterback job. Schefter's ESPN colleague Brady Henderson reports that Seahawks general manager John Schneider has taken the public position that Howell is considered strictly a backup for the 2024 season, but given Schneider praised Howell's potential and prior body of work effusively in a radio interview after the trade, Schefter's report could ultimately prove prescient.

Schefter's post on X somewhat contradicts ESPN colleague Brady Henderson's long-form article on the trade, which saw the Seahawks give up third- and fifth-round picks to Washington and receive fourth- and sixth-round selections along with Howell. Henderson notes Seahawks general manager John Schneider's public position is Howell will serve as Smith's backup, but adds that Schneider also talked up the third-year signal-caller extensively during a radio interview following the trade.