Seahawks Roundup: Julian Love’s Leadership, Embracing Change And Other News (2024)

Good morning, 12s. Here's a look at what's going on out there and any news you might have missed, about your Seattle Seahawks this week.

John Schneider joined the show to talk about the off-season, meeting with draft prospects and preparing for the upcoming NFL Draft.

Seahawks players met with the media this week and their initial reactions and takeaways from the new coaching staff and being back in the building is how much has changed, but how ready this coaching staff seems ready to go. All the players who spoke with the media, receiver Tyler Lockett, safety Julian Love, linebacker Uchenna Nwosu and quarterback Geno Smith have had a coaching change over the course of their career.

"Nwosu had two different head coaches in four years with the Chargers, and Love had three in four seasons with the Giants. Lockett had multiple offensive coordinators through his first nine seasons in Seattle, but changing head coaches is foreign to him. Smith is in Year 6 with the Seahawks, but Seattle is his fourth NFL team, and he experienced coaching turnover with the Jets and the Giants, so he's not new to this process.

"The real thing is you've got to buy in," Smith said. "No matter who the coach is, no matter who's leading this thing, you've got to buy in. All the guys have got to buy in. That's the key message. Right now, I feel like that's what is happening. The guys are attentive and buying in, trying to figure things out, learn as much as they can, be coachable (and) allow these coaches to coach you and critique you.""

And although the players are learning new playbooks, and learning the ins and outs of coaches, the players know that head coach Mike Macdonald is the right fit.

"Macdonald's Baltimore defense completely shut down Seattle's offense last season, so the Seahawks already have a good feel for what their new coach can bring as a schemer and play caller. But Love said what stands out about Macdonald's is his commitment to evolving and searching for an edge, knowing that roster churn and changes to how the game is played each year require his scheme and style of play to be adaptable. Macdonald has often referred to this as his "growth mindset."

"He's a good one," said Love, entering his second season with the Seahawks. "He's incredibly smart. That comes across when you talk to him. He knows the game, knows ball. He's just an innovator. He is conscious of growth in his scheme, and it's developing each year. It's not going to be the same thing they ran last year in Baltimore. He's always trying to maximize the players. The takeaway across the locker room is all great so far.""

Saftey Julian Love is heading into his second season with the Seahawks and will build off his Pro Bowl season in 2023 to help bring more leadership to the locker room. Seattle Times columnist, Mike Vorel, covered Love's college playing days with the fighting Irish at Notre Dame and says there are similarities, even almost eight years later.

"Essentially, Schneider and Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald bet that the sixth-year safety — who has one year left on his two-year, $12 million deal, and an $8.09 million salary-cap hit in 2024 — can continue to raise his game, while providing leadership in the locker room.

Which brings me back to the Alamodome.

"When you talk about leadership as a freshman, it's how he handles himself both on and off the field," Kelly said that day in 2016, dispensing unique praise for a first-year player. "People will follow him, and they'll follow him because they respect him. He's not afraid to get on his teammates if they're not doing the right thing."

From a personality standpoint, the Seahawks safety hasn't changed. He doesn't fit the mold for a speechmaking, decibel-drowning motivator. He's introspective, soft-spoken, with the same wide smile.

He wins his own way."

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Social Post Of The Day

Seahawks linebacker Uchenna Nwosu talks about helping out his dad's village in Nigeria.

Helping out his community. 🇳🇬@UchennaN_42 | @NFLAfrica pic.twitter.com/cU7z7IyzKK

— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) April 12, 2024