Why the Seahawks are looking for a new OC, and why time is on their side

RENTON, Wash. -- As the Seattle Seahawks behaviour their 2nd search for an violative coordinator successful 11 months, wide head John Schneider and coach Mike Macdonald will person astatine slightest 1 important advantage that they didn't person connected their first attempt.

More time, and frankincense much options.

Consider that this clip past year, the statement was still conducting first interviews for its caput coach. The Seahawks weren't capable to behaviour an first question and reply pinch Macdonald during the Baltimore Ravens' playoff bye week. They had to hold for the Ravens to suffer successful the AFC Championship Game to speak pinch him for the first time.

Macdonald was hired Jan. 31 and was the seventh of 8 coaches hired during the past rhythm -- which near he and Schneider scrambling to combine a staff. By the clip they tabbed Ryan Grubb arsenic violative coordinator successful early February -- contempt Macdonald's misgivings astir his pass-heavy résumé, arsenic 1 squad root described it -- their database of viable alternatives had dwindled. In that sense, the Grubb prosecute was to immoderate grade a usability of timing.

But the hunt for his replacement was already underway erstwhile Macdonald held his end-of-season news convention connected Jan. 7, 2 days aft the Seahawks vanished 10-7 and missed the playoffs.

"The metallic lining of being successful the business is, and the opportunity that you're presented pinch is, you do person a caput commencement connected the remainder of the convention to a definite extent," he said. "So this is thing we really person to make judge we return advantage of. This is simply a position we don't want to beryllium successful ever again, truthful hopefully make the astir of it."

The Seahawks had requested interviews pinch astatine slightest 3 candidates arsenic of Thursday day -- Detroit Lions violative statement coach Hank Fraley, Chicago Bears interim caput coach Thomas Brown and New Orleans Saints OC Klint Kubiak. Brown and Kubiak person called plays astatine the pro level while Fraley -- who had a 10-year NFL profession arsenic a halfway and has only coached the violative statement -- has not, though Macdonald said that isn't needfully a prerequisite for the job.

Even if it's not arsenic a playcaller, extended NFL acquisition would seemingly entreaty to Macdonald fixed really the Grubb research went.

Grubb spent his full coaching profession successful assemblage earlier joining the Seahawks, making for a steep learning curve arsenic he adjusted to the narrower hashes, a moving timepiece and amended players. Whereas successful assemblage he could place anemic links and prime connected definite protect personnel, Grubb acknowledged adjacent the extremity of the play that he's had to study to onslaught schemes and structures successful the NFL, wherever the talent disparities aren't arsenic great.

"That's been astir apt arsenic large of a process arsenic anything," Grubb said, "just knowing that portion of it is that location are different families defensively that show up successful the NFL and schematically wherever their things travel from and really to onslaught those things."

But the reasons Grubb was fired spell beyond his increasing pains and the bottom-line results for Seattle's offense, which vanished 14th successful full yards (332.2 per game) and 21st successful scoring (20.0). It besides goes beyond the hostility that developed from Grubb not precisely being a characteristic fit, pinch squad sources describing him arsenic being group successful his ways.

"It really conscionable was conscionable an alignment point and a imagination thing," Macdonald said, "and that's why we made the decision."

That was Macdonald's fearfulness each along.

Grubb caught the Seahawks' oculus while coordinating an explosive discourtesy adjacent astatine the University of Washington complete the past 2 seasons. They were intrigued by his move passing game, according to a squad source. But he and Macdonald made for a funny brace -- a defensive-minded caput coach who wants to tally the shot and a coordinator who had led immoderate of the nation's astir pass-heavy offenses astatine Washington and Fresno State earlier that.

Grubb had to person Macdonald successful the question and reply process that he could beryllium balanced, according to the source, and he did truthful successful portion by touting his anterior acquisition arsenic an O-line coach and run-game coordinator.

"It conscionable didn't manifest itself the measurement that we expected," Macdonald said, "and I deliberation ... the guidance that was going, it conscionable wasn't the measurement that I wanted it to go."

Another rumor successful Grubb's modulation to the NFL was his reliance connected the shotgun, a staple of the assemblage crippled that tin make life easier connected the backmost but difficult connected the violative statement since it reduces the threat of the run. In Weeks 1 done 9, their shotgun threat percent was 80.8% (fourth successful NFL). It was mostly astatine Macdonald's behest erstwhile they started to run much nether halfway aft the Week 10 bye, which coincided pinch betterment from the offense. Their shotgun threat percent dropped to 71.4% successful Weeks 10 done 18.

The discourtesy appeared to beryllium hitting its stride successful Seattle's Week 14 triumph complete the Arizona Cardinals. In what was possibly the champion practice of really Macdonald wants to triumph games, the Seahawks ran 31 times for a season-high 176 yards, allowed nary sacks and 2 QB hits connected Geno Smith, took the shot distant doubly and vanished pinch a time-of-possession advantage of six minutes.

"I deliberation that crippled we played complementary football," Macdonald said -- 1 of 4 times he utilized that building -- successful his wrap-up news conference.

But the Seahawks didn't do capable of that, finishing 28th successful rushing yards per crippled (95.7), 17th successful yards per transportation (4.2), 29th successful designed unreserved complaint (33.7%) and 28th successful mean clip of possession (28:53).

To perceive Macdonald picture DK Metcalf's season, it sounds for illustration he'll want his adjacent coordinator to person a amended scheme for utilizing the prima receiver than his past 1 did. Metcalf was disconnected to a scorching commencement erstwhile he suffered a knee wounded successful October that sidelined him for 2 games, but he didn't apical 70 yards successful immoderate of his last 8 games.

"He's specified a unit retired there, it's not conscionable bully capable to get the sum tilted for him," Macdonald said. "We sewage to fig retired much ways to springiness him the shot consistently and fto him effect the crippled pinch the shot connected his hands alternatively than conscionable moving sum that way."

Macdonald said nary in-house violative coaches were presently nether information for a promotion to coordinator. He wants to onslaught a equilibrium betwixt ratio successful the hunt and thoroughness.

"It's not conscionable like, 'Hey, I person to person A, B and C,'" he said. "We want to person an unfastened mind. We want to effort to find the champion fresh for our shot squad and the guys we person connected discourtesy correct now."