On Tuesday night, reports emerged that the Seattle Seahawks were expected to appoint Shane Waldron, the Los Angeles Rams Passing Game coordinator, as the new attacking coordinator replacing Brian Schottenheimer. It was a long two weeks for many fans who were characterized by every name that linked the team and rode up and down the roller coaster of emotions. Assuming the Falcons are indeed going to hire Waldron, it opens up a whole host of questions regarding the future of the Seattle offense for 2021, so here are just a few of them.
What will happen to the offensive line?
This is a big question, and although the answer is important, and perhaps even more important, how the team pays attention to its staffing needs in the offensive line in the coming weeks, it can shed considerable light on how the team plans to put the ball in 2020 too late. Under Brian Schottenheimer, Mike Solari’s attacking coach, a group of massive, insulting linebackers gathered, especially in the interior.
Although large, many of the offensive lineouts that have manned the interior of the Seattle offensive in recent seasons have not been the most agile individuals. Whether you want to watch DJ Fluker, Mike Iupati, Jordan Simmons, Kyle Fuller or Damien Lewis, all the lineouts that Solari brought in were big and powerful. That said, they were not exactly explosive or a navy, which one might initially worry would hamper Waldron if his goal is to use a wide zone-based running scheme like Sean McVay.
This is not necessarily a disaster on the subject, as the Falcons certainly have the basis of a line that can play in a wide zone system in Duane Brown, Brandon Shell, Phil Haynes and Lewis. However, how they want to tackle the depth of the offensive line for 2021 during the off-season may shed light on how the offense plans ahead.
The Rams are a running team, so Seattle is going to keep running, right?
One of the big things that made observers quickly hear about the Rams is that their offense was built around the running game, and especially that Los Angeles was near the bottom of the league in the pass rate during Waldron’s tenure.
The one thing anyone could predict with the OC search in Seattle: the choice of Pete Carroll would be no stranger to offenses aimed at the run. Carroll’s history and comments on the need for more management have taken for granted. Over Waldron’s four seasons with the Rams, they were 25th in the relegation figure.
– Brady Henderson (@BradyHenderson) 27 January 2021
Relapse rate, however, can be misleading. Just as the statistics that the playoffs show are fast at the top of the league, it is often due to the fact that the playoffs run a lot because they win. The same goes for the Rams during Waldron’s four seasons with the team, because during neutral situations (first and second down with the outcome of the game in doubt) the Rams were the fifth happiest team in the league.
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rbsdm.com
Where exactly the Seahawks will fall into that category next year will be interesting. It’s no secret that it looks like Pete Carroll prefers to be closer to the bottom of the list, while head chef Russell Wilson apparently prefers to be closer to the top. Fans and observers can speculate all they want, and it’s the certainty they’ll do it over the next seven and a half months, but probably no one outside the VMAC will have much idea until September 12th.
What does this mean for the broad recipients?
Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf are unlikely to go anywhere, and would have to man the first two spots in 2021. Behind them is where things will get interesting. There have been flashes of David Moore and Phillip Dorsett both flashing at times in their careers, but also not an extensive practice or player experience as a wide spot in the West Coast attack. This is important because of one fact that distinguishes the West Coast Offense from the Air Coryell or Erhardt-Perkins offense in which Dorsett and Moore played during their careers.
To deepen its full meaning is an article that is completely on its own, and that will come at some point. In the meantime, however, suffice it to say that during the off-season the team can discuss the options on the third wide receiver spot, focus on the free agents who spent in the West Coast attack. It’s certainly no guarantee that Moore or Dorsett are out the door, but it’s no surprise if Waldron wants to bring in a player more familiar with McVay’s system.
Whether that means a return for former Seahawks receiver Paul Richardson, bringing Josh Reynolds off the Rams or dropping into a limited free agency to pursue Byron Pringle of the Kansas City Chiefs remains to be seen.
Of course, there will be significantly more questions for fans and observers in the coming weeks and months. How the team can address certain staff questions can help a lot in answering what the offense might look like on the field next season.