The Seattle Seahawks didn’t make the kind of offseason noise the Los Angeles Rams did, but ESPN’s Seth Walder still came away liking their work a little more.
Walder handed Seattle a B- in his offseason report card for decisions made in the 2026 offseason, and the move he highlighted as the biggest one was the extension for wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. His favorite move was the deal for offensive tackle Charles Cross, while the decision he disliked most was letting edge rusher Boye Mafe leave in free agency.
That’s not exactly a quiet offseason, even if it wasn’t a headline-grabbing one. After winning the Super Bowl, Seattle was always going to lose some pieces.
Super Bowl MVP running back Kenneth Walker III signed with the Chiefs. Safety Coby Bryant went to the Bears.
Cornerback Riq Woolen landed with the Eagles. Mafe joined the Bengals.
Offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak also left to become the Raiders’ head coach.
With all that movement, the Seahawks chose a clear path: keep the core they could keep and spend on their own players instead of shopping heavily elsewhere. Smith-Njigba, the reigning Offensive Player of the Year, got a huge extension worth $42.15 million per year.
Cross received a $26.1 million extension after his work at left tackle. Derick Hall was also rewarded with a middle-tier edge rusher deal at $14 million per year.
Seattle additionally brought back cornerback Josh Jobe and wide receiver Rashid Shaheed.
Walder’s main gripe centered on the Hall-Mafe decision. He said he would have preferred Mafe, pointing to how effective he has been against both the run and the pass on a per-snap basis. He also suggested Seattle might have been able to trade Hall and still pay a bit more to keep Mafe.
He did add some context that softens the blow. Charles Cross was actually extended during last season, so technically that move should not have counted as an offseason decision.
And while Mafe was a useful rotational player, Walder argued he was not on the level of DeMarcus Lawrence or Uchenna Nwosu in terms of importance. He also noted that Hall likely would have played even more if not for injury and suspension issues that cost him most of three games.
Walder ultimately leaned toward Hall’s deal over Mafe’s, saying that given Mafe’s contract and Hall’s price tag relative to his production and upside, he would “keep Hall 10 times out of 10.”
The Seahawks’ B- stood in contrast to Walder’s view of the Rams, who he gave a C+. That grade was driven in part by the Ty Simpson draft pick. He also was not a big fan of the trade and extension involving cornerback Trent McDuffie, and he pointed to the value the Rams gave up in Jared Verse after acquiring Myles Garrett.
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