The Seattle Seahawks represent the biggest challenge to the Rams in their quest for the NFC West title. Both teams have made significant changes to their coaching staffs and on-field personnel, with the Rams addressing their biggest weakness by acquiring Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson from the Chiefs. Trading for Myles Garrett will have Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald wracking his brains trying to scheme around the reigning Defensive Player of the Year.
The Seahawks, on the other hand, did very
little to upgrade their offense or defense.
Seattle lost 4 Super Bowl starters
Significant free agency departures from the Seattle Seahawks in 2026 include running back Kenneth Walker (Kansas City Chiefs), cornerback Riq Woolen (Philadelphia Eagles), safety Coby Bryant (Chicago Bears), and outside linebacker Boye Mafe (Cincinnati Bengals).
I’m not sure what was behind the Seahawks’ decision to let Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker leave, but they drafted a pretty nice prospect in Jadarian Price. Prospect is the keyword there; hoping to replace a very good running back with a rookie is always a gamble.
They also drafted a pretty good CB, Julian Neal, to replace Riq Woolen, and signed Dante Fowler to replace rising star Boye Mafe. To be fair, the Hawks are pretty deep at linebacker, and Mafe’s snap counts were shrinking year over year due to the rotations utilized by Coach MacDonald, but Fowler is going to be a situational piece and doesn’t have Mafe’s upside.
Seattle also added two others, Irvin Charles and Bobby Hart. Charles is a special teams ace, while Hart can best be described as a journeyman lineman. I can’t see either of these players making much of an impact on the team’s overall performance.
Key Seattle coaching changes
Seahawks’ offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak departed after being hired as the next head coach of the Raiders. Quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko followed Kubiak to Las Vegas to become its offensive coordinator, and run game coordinator Rick Dennison left to become their offensive line coach. Brian Fleury, previously the 49ers’ run game coordinator and tight ends coach, was hired as Kubiak’s replacement.
Kubiak came up with a great scheme in the NFC Championship Game, moving Jaxon Smith-Njigba all over the field and leaving the Rams completely confused at times, while Kenneth Walker delivered the game of his career. He will be sorely missed by Hawks fans.
While coaching changes happen frequently in the NFL, take the Rams, for example, this wholesale turnaround is notable for the fact that the biggest surprise in Seattle’s improvement last season was Sam Darnold’s play. Taking away his quarterbacks coach, run game coordinator, and Kubiak all at once could lead to a pretty serious slide in production.
Rams personnel upgrades
In the three games against Seattle last year, the Rams had the upper hand offensively, but their defensive backs and special teams let them down. In the first game, they were up by nine late in the fourth and barely hung on for the win. In the second game, they led by 16 at one point and couldn’t hang on for the win. In the NFC Championship, they muffed a punt at their own 17-yard line, then couldn’t make a crucial stop during Seattle’s last possession when Darnold threw for 3 first downs, effectively running out the clock.
The upgrades to the defensive backs and the signing of Garrett, which I mentioned at the top, should move this defense into the league’s top 5.
Rams coaching changes
Nate Scheelhaase was promoted from in-house to replace Mike LaFleur, who departed to become the Arizona Cardinals’ head coach. A highly regarded up-and-comer, Scheelhaase was already heavily involved in the Rams’ offense, and the transition should be seamless.
Kliff Kingsbury takes over the assistant head coach responsibilities following Aubrey Pleasant’s departure. Kingsbury is an established NFL coach who brings a wealth of experience to the team.
Jimmy Lake stepped in as defensive pass game coordinator and secondary coach. All eyes will be on Lake as he tries to turn the Rams’ greatest weakness into a strength. Les Snead has certainly provided him the tools to make it happen.
Additionally, Bubba Ventrone was brought in as the team’s special-teams coordinator to correct previous unit struggles. Snead brought in 2021’s Mr. Irrelevant to bolster the special teams, giving Ventrone a leg up on the job.
The Rams win
However you look at it, the Rams have done everything a fan could ask for this offseason in terms of recognizing the weak spots and turning them into strengths. The Seahawks, on the other hand, made what can at best be described as sideways moves. On paper, at least, the Rams are the superior team.
