The Seattle Seahawks are the reigning Super Bowl LX champions and it hardly feels like the rest of the country even realizes it. Seattle has been perhaps the most overlooked defending champs in recent memory, as just about everyone and their mothers are busy fawning over the Los Angeles Rams . You know, the same Rams that squandered their opportunity to win homefield advantage and represent the conference in the Super Bowl by losing two out of three games to the Seahawks... including the NFC championship game.
Well... just about everyone.
Recently, ESPN's Seth Walter shared an article where he ***** igned letter grades to each team for how they did during the offseason. For the first time I can think of, the Seahawks actually managed to get a better grade than the Rams! It wasn't a wide gap, but it was higher. Walter ***** igned Seattle a B- grade, while Los Angeles received an average C+ mark. The biggest reasoning for the Rams' mediocre grade is directly related to their confusing pick of backup quarterback Ty Simpson at No. 13 overall during the 2026 NFL draft. Walter writes :
"On offense, the Rams extended Stafford, guaranteeing him $50 million in 2027 and ensuring the reigning MVP would stick around. But they swerved drastically from their Super Bowl window-maximizing approach when they drafted Simpson with the No. 13 pick. Selecting a player who won't play without a Stafford injury is the opposite of maximizing their current window. And it looks even stranger after the Garrett trade. It's not because backup quarterbacks don't matter -- they do -- but a veteran backup could have been had for much less capital. Not to mention that Simpson was a reach at No. 13; the Rams could have traded back and still had a good chance to select him later. The argument that it wasn't the Rams' original pick (it was the result of the Falcons trading up to draft James Pearce Jr. in 2025) and therefore was "extra" is irrational -- it's still worth the same! It was a big missed opportunity to add a non-quarterback (like a third wide receiver) who could have helped in 2026."
As for the Seahawks, Walter praised Seattle for managing to maintain "homegrown" talent like Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Derick Hall with new extensions. Additionally, making sure Rashid Shaheed and Josh Jobe remain in the Pacific Northwest contributed to Seattle's grade. However, what dinged the Seahawks in Walter's eyes is related to a player they let walk in free agency. No, it's actually not Kenneth Walker III or even Riq Woolen . It's linebacker Boye Mafe !
Well... just about everyone.
Recently, ESPN's Seth Walter shared an article where he ***** igned letter grades to each team for how they did during the offseason. For the first time I can think of, the Seahawks actually managed to get a better grade than the Rams! It wasn't a wide gap, but it was higher. Walter ***** igned Seattle a B- grade, while Los Angeles received an average C+ mark. The biggest reasoning for the Rams' mediocre grade is directly related to their confusing pick of backup quarterback Ty Simpson at No. 13 overall during the 2026 NFL draft. Walter writes :
"On offense, the Rams extended Stafford, guaranteeing him $50 million in 2027 and ensuring the reigning MVP would stick around. But they swerved drastically from their Super Bowl window-maximizing approach when they drafted Simpson with the No. 13 pick. Selecting a player who won't play without a Stafford injury is the opposite of maximizing their current window. And it looks even stranger after the Garrett trade. It's not because backup quarterbacks don't matter -- they do -- but a veteran backup could have been had for much less capital. Not to mention that Simpson was a reach at No. 13; the Rams could have traded back and still had a good chance to select him later. The argument that it wasn't the Rams' original pick (it was the result of the Falcons trading up to draft James Pearce Jr. in 2025) and therefore was "extra" is irrational -- it's still worth the same! It was a big missed opportunity to add a non-quarterback (like a third wide receiver) who could have helped in 2026."
As for the Seahawks, Walter praised Seattle for managing to maintain "homegrown" talent like Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Derick Hall with new extensions. Additionally, making sure Rashid Shaheed and Josh Jobe remain in the Pacific Northwest contributed to Seattle's grade. However, what dinged the Seahawks in Walter's eyes is related to a player they let walk in free agency. No, it's actually not Kenneth Walker III or even Riq Woolen . It's linebacker Boye Mafe !
4 months ago
