What do you get the team that has everything?
That’s the question facing Seahawks general manager John Schneider, coach Mike Macdonald and the rest of the team’s coaches, scouts, personnel execs and others who will descend on the NFL scouting combine this week in Indianapolis.
While the highlight of the event are the tests for the 300-plus potential draftees who will take part — the 40-yard-dash and bench press usually getting the most attention — the combine also serves as the unofficial start to the next NFL season.
Media sessions with coaches and GMs begin Tuesday and officially kick off the combine. On-field drills begin Thursday and run through Sunday.
It’s a date that arrives faster than ever for the Seahawks, who less than two weeks ago were parading through the streets of Seattle celebrating their Super Bowl win over New England.
Now Macdonald, Schneider and the rest have to quickly turn their attention to putting together the 2026 roster, an already loaded group that will try to become just the 10th team in NFL history to successfully defend a Super Bowl title.
Here are four Seahawks-related thoughts and questions as the combine kicks off.
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Seahawks to get a sense of free agent market
As important as anything that happens in Indy are meetings between team execs and agents of prospective free agents, often the first real talks each side has with the other.
It was in Indy last year when the Seahawks first got a sense that negotiations with quarterback Geno Smith might not be as smooth as anticipated, leading to his trade about two weeks later.
The Seahawks have six starters/key rotational players who can be free agents: running back Kenneth Walker III, cornerbacks Josh Jobe and Riq Woolen, safety Coby Bryant, receiver Rashid Shaheed and rush end Boye Mafe.
Walker’s price tag may have gotten some solidity over the weekend when Dallas signed running back Javonte Williams to a three-year deal worth up to $24 million with $16 million guaranteed.
Williams is about six months older than Walker, who will turn 26 in October, and coming off a similar season — 1,201 yards, 4.8 yards per carry, 11 TDs — minus the postseason heroics.
How much to factor in playoff success can be a tricky aspect of negotiations.
Williams’ deal seems a potential starting point — maybe close to an end point — for each side. Such a deal would put more immediate money in Walker’s pocket than a franchise tag — projected at $14.5 million for one year — especially if the guaranteed is ratcheted up a little. It assures he’d hang around a little longer, with the potential of hitting free agency again when he’s still in his prime years.
Talks here could give Seahawks a better sense of where things really stand with Walker.
Could Seahawks find replacements in the draft?
The Seahawks have just four picks for the 2026 draft.
That haul includes one in each of the first three rounds at 32, 64 and 96. They also have a pick from Cleveland in the sixth round via the Nick Harris trade in 2024, projected at 212 but subject to change based on how compensatory picks are doled out.
Picking last in each round is a by-product of being Super Bowl champs and means that the Seahawks don’t necessarily have to worry much about scouting the players at the top of the draft — as they did in 2022 and 2023 when they had picks nine and five thanks to the Russell Wilson trade — and can look a little more broadly.
The Seahawks have never actually picked 32nd, trading their first-round selection in 2014 after winning the Super Bow and selecting receiver Paul Richardson at 45.
Their draft needs will be based in part on what happens during free agency next month and which of the six players previously mentioned stay or move on.
The Seahawks will use the combine to get a better sense of what may be realistically available at those positions with their picks and that could influence how they proceed in free agency.
The good news is the draft appears strong at some of the positions where the Seahawks may need reinforcements.
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“It’s another exciting class, with some of the strengths of this draft really being along the defensive line, particularly the edge rushers,” NFL Network draft insider Daniel Jeremiah said on a conference call previewing the draft last week. “Another great group of wide receivers, a linebacker group that runs deep and a corner group that runs really deep. So it’s a good draft.”
What’s the running-back market like?
Not only did Williams re-sign with Dallas over the weekend, it was reported that the Jets may use the franchise tag on Breece Hall. That would take out two of the top potential free-agent running backs and potentially make Walker’s market that much hotter. And who knows if the Seahawks might re-evaluate the apparent decision, as reported last week by ESPN, that the Seahawks are “unlikely” to use it on Walker.
Other potential free-agent running backs available include Jacksonville’s Travis Etienne, Carolina’s Rico Dowdle and Tampa Bay’s Rachaad White.
The Seahawks could target the draft as a way to replace Walker as well as gaining depth at the spot with Zach Charbonnet recovering from an ACL injury (he posted on social media that he had surgery on Friday).
Pro Football Focus listed just one running back in its top 60 draft prospects — Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love at sixth.
PFF lists eight between 61 and 134, indicating there is some mid-round depth the Seahawks could dip into. That group includes UW’s Jonah Coleman, who is 78th on PFF’s Big Board, the third running back overall.
Fans will hear from Macdonald and Schneider
Speaking of Macdonald and Schneider, each is scheduled to make media appearances. Schneider is set for a podium appearance on Tuesday and Macdonald on Wednesday.
It used to be just about every coach and GM spoke here.
But this year, at least 12 coaches do not appear to be speaking. The list of those not on the initial schedule of coaches to meet the media includes Sean McVay of the Rams, Kyle Shanahan of the 49ers and Klint Kubiak of the Raiders, who was officially announced as Las Vegas’ new head coach two weeks ago after spending the 2025 as the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator.
Bob Condotta: bcondotta@seattletimes.com. Bob Condotta is a sports reporter at The Seattle Times who primarily covers the Seahawks but also dabbles in other sports. He has worked at The Times since 2002, reporting on University of Washington Husky football and basketball for his first 10 years at the paper before switching to the Seahawks in 2013.