The Seattle Seahawks underperformed this 2023 NFL Season. Undoubtedly, the Seahawks possessed the talent, drive and experience to get back into the postseason. Seattle finished the regular season for a second consecutive season, but this time, missed the playoffs. One major indication was the underwhelming development and coaching of offensive coordinator Scott Waldron. Waldron made too many poor calls during critical moments, didn’t get his offense ready, and undervalued the young impact players. On Friday night, the Seahawks hired former Washington Huskies offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Ryan Grubb before coaching his first game for the Alabama Crimson Tide. There is a big jump from the collegiate to the professional level, but Grubb joining the Seahawks to develop the offense is the best move.
Seattle Seahawks Should Be Happy With Hire For Ryan Grubb
What are the Seahawks getting in Ryan Grubb?
Grubb has been with DeBoer for 12 of the last 17 seasons at the collegiate level. Under DeBoer, Grubb has developed some of the more consistent and aggressive dynamic offenses. Grubb is a long-time offensive line coach who learned the system of DeBoer to translate a stout offensive line to an aggressive, but flexible running game. Much of Grubb’s offense has thrilled off a powerful offensive line, well-balanced running backs and a steady, reliable running back that doesn’t need to be an elusive runner or possess the strongest arm.
Last season, Grubb developed one of the best offenses in college football with an elite offensive line, explosive wide receivers and Heisman Trophy finalist in quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The Cougars finished the 2023 college football season ranked 13th in the nation in points per game (36), 13th in total yards per game (456.3) and third in passing yards per game (337.9). Penix passed for over 4,900 yards and the Huskies had a 1,000-yard rusher and two receiving yard receivers. Penix didn’t have to be the most explosive passer, but he developed into a high-volume passer based on his comfort in the system. Current New Orleans Saints quarterback Jake Haener was a player who developed well in Grubb’s system at Fresno State. Jalen Milroe would have been a great player to develop in Grubb’s system, but Grubb took the chance to come back to Seattle and get into the league.
Players That Will See An Impact From The Wire
Several players and position units will see a significant improvement with Grubb joining the Seahawks. The offensive line was the worst-performing position unit on the offensive side of the ball. This season, the offensive line gave up 38 sacks. The Seahawks, however, had the seventh-worst pass protection grade, according to Pro Football Focus. Among the biggest concerns was the lack of productivity in between the tackles. The Seahawks also showed inconsistencies in run-blocking as they were ranked 28th in the league in rushing yards per game (92.9). It will also help that Huskies offensive line coach Scott Huff is rumored to join the Seahawks coaching staff. The Huskies’ offensive line won the Joe Moore Award in college football this past season. No matter who is starting along the offensive line, there will be improvements.
Quarterback Geno Smith will be learning a system that possesses more balancing in the play-calling. He gets the chance to thrive in an offense that utilizes multiple different receiver routes and develops their slot receivers. This system also helps Jaxon Smith-NJigba, who wasn’t given many chances to showcase his speed and versatility in his route-running. It will benefit an older receiver like Tyler Lockett to run more productive short routes instead of multiple deep routes. Finally, the development of the offensive line and the attention to detail in the run game will help the running backs, including Kenneth Walker III.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s Comments on Waldron are Condemning
On Friday, Smith-Njigba was given the chance to talk about the departure of Waldron and going to the Chicago Bears on the CHGO Bears podcast. Smith-Njigba took a significant pause before saying that Bears fans are getting a “good man.” This left the impression that as a coach, Waldron undersaw the potential of Smith-Njigba and made the offense worse. Waldron was out as the offensive coordinator and was hired for the same position with the Bears on January 23. Smith-Njigba should like this hire by the Seahawks to keep Grubb home in Seattle instead.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s response when asked about his former OC Shane Waldron, who is now with the Bears 😳
pic.twitter.com/ML1RRBxMvM— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) February 7, 2024
Main Photo Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
