3 reasons not to worry about Seahawks coaches not attending combine

The NFL Scouting Combine begins next week, and the Seattle Seahawks will have general manager John Schneider there. But many notable faces will not be there for the Hawks, including new head coach Mike Macdonald. In fact, the entire coaching staff will not be attending the combine.

Schneider: Why Seattle Seahawks’ new coaching staff won’t be at combine

“They’re just focused on implementing their systems, so they’re not gonna be going down to the combine next week,” Schneider told Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob on Thursday. “They’re all gonna be here just 24/7 installing everything they need to get installed because it’s basically a race to April 8 when the players come in. Mike had coached in the AFC Championship Game, so there’s a little bit of a feeling that we’re behind the eight ball a little bit. So we’re getting caught up but still staying true to his hiring process and the group that’s come in and just mixing all those people together.”

Is that a big deal? Stacy Rost dove into that during Friday’s Bump and Stacy.

“First, I thought,’ Oh, that’s such a bummer.’ Think of all the great college connections that so many people on this coaching staff still have either coming very recently from the college ranks or literally being hired out of the college ranks,” she said. “I mean, there’s a lot of great schools represented whether it’s USC or Michigan.”

But while some fans are “freaking out” over Macdonald and his staff are staying in Seattle during the combine, Rost says there are three reasons why it’s OK.

“First, the Seahawks will be well represented,” she said. “It’s not just John Schneider showing up without Mike Macdonald all by himself sitting in a booth with no one. It’s an entire front office, it’s scouts, its team personnel experts. They’re all there taking lots of notes.”

Secondly, the combine isn’t the only time that teams will be able to interview draft prospects.

“Don’t forget, you still have top-30 visits,” Rost said. “So while you’re gonna go to the combine and you’re gonna get a chance to see these guys in person and talk to them, it’s not the only opportunity for some of the guys that they already know they’re interested in.”

Additionally, this new era of Seahawks football is different than the 14 years Pete Carroll was the team’s head coach – and vice president of football operations.

“Pete went because Pete had a (final) say in personnel. Mike Macdonald doesn’t,” Rost said. “I don’t think it’s some power thing by John Schneider wanting to go do this himself. I do think this is kind of a one off. I would guess Mike Macdonald and some coaches are there next year, but they just got hired. They just got here, they just announced their coaching staff. They have so much groundwork to lay that I get the decision.”

Rost: Which young Seattle Seahawks need to break out in 2024?

Follow @TheBGustafson