Bump: What Seahawks gain and lose from swapping QBs, WRs

If there’s one thing we know will be true about the 2025 Seattle Seahawks, it’s that the offense is going to look much different than it did last season.

The best thing we heard from new Seattle Seahawks WR Cooper Kupp

Out are quarterback Geno Smith and wide receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. In are QB Sam Darnold and wideouts Cooper Kupp and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. On top of it all, there’s the addition of Klint Kubiak as offensive coordinator.

What that all amounts to is yet to be seen, but a look at the numbers starts to give some sort of feeling of the difference between the 2024 and 2025 Seahawks offenses.

During his Four Down Territory segment Wednesday on Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy, CW football analyst and former NFL wide receiver Michael Bumpus dug into the numbers and explained what was gained and what was lost in the shuffling of players during Seattle’s retooling of its offense.

Darnold vs. Smith

Seattle’s first big move of the offseason came when it traded Smith to Pete Carroll’s Las Vegas Raiders for a third-round pick. Just three days after the Smith news broke, reports surfaced that Darnold was joining the Seahawks on a three-year deal after a breakout season with the Minnesota Vikings.

Here are the numbers Bumpus highlighted for the quarterbacks:

• Red zone completion percentage: Darnold 70%; Smith 48%
• Red zone TDs: Darnold 20; Smith 10
• Red zone INTs: Darnold four; Smith five (league high)
• 20-plus-yard completions: Darnold 64; Smith 54
• 30-plus-yard completions: Darnold 20; Smith 14
• Inaccurate passes: Darnold 90; Smith 71
• Drops by receivers: Darnold 20; Smith 33
• QB hurries: Darnold 55; Smith 41

“You’re clearly getting better in the red zone,” Bumpus said. “You are getting better when it comes to the deep ball. I think the offense (Minnesota ran with Darnold) has something to do with that, and I think you’re getting better when it comes to the hurries – that has to do with the offensive line and the play-calling.”

Kupp & Valdes-Scantling vs. Metcalf & Lockett

Seattle’s wide receiver room started to shift with the expected release of the veteran Lockett. Just minutes after Lockett was released, reports came out that Metcalf had requested a trade. The Seahawks dealt Metcalf and a 2025 sixth-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers for 2025 second- and seventh-rounders. The addition of Valdes-Scantling (who played for Kubiak in New Orleans last season) on a one-year deal followed. The Seahawks then brought Yakima native Cooper Kupp back home on a three-year deal after he spent his first eight pro seasons with the NFC West-rival Los Angeles Rams.

Cooper Kupp makes the grab! Rams are in FG position 👀

📺: #LARvsBAL on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/pWMED8SAQa pic.twitter.com/rG0bt0GLpT

— NFL (@NFL) December 10, 2023

Here are the numbers Bumpus highlighted for the wide receivers:

• 10-plus-yard receptions: Kupp 25, Valdes-Scantling 12; Metcalf 47, Lockett 27
• 30-plus-yard receptions: Kupp 2, Valdes-Scantling 4; Metcalf 6, Lockett 3
• 50-plus-yard receptions: Kupp 1, Valdes-Scantling 2; Metcalf 2, Lockett 0
• Longest catch: Kupp 69, Valdes-Scantling 71; Metcalf 71, Lockett 37
• Broken tackles: Kupp 3, Valdes-Scantling 1; Metcalf 4, Lockett 1

“It balances each other out,” Bumpus said. “You don’t get the consistent big-play ability (like you did) out of DK when you match him up with (Valdes-Scantling), but I also think that Kupp gives you a bit more than what people actually realize. He’s on par with (Lockett) a little bit, but a bit better when it comes to the 20-yard gains, 30-yard gains and of course the 50-yard gains – and breaking tackles. I was surprised with this.

“You’re definitely losing the downfield threat consistently with DK. MVS is going to do that for you, but DK showed that if you give him the targets, he’s going to get it done.”

Bumpus: What Cooper Kupp at 31 gives the Seahawks’ offense

Hear the full conversation at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Listen to Bump and Stacy weekdays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.

More on the Seattle Seahawks

• How the Seattle Seahawks and NFC West will benefit in 2025
• Rost: What’s the Seattle Seahawks’ plan for the offensive line?
• Mock Draft Roundup: What options do Seattle Seahawks have at No. 18?
• The Seattle Seahawks’ reported free agent visits, including three O-linemen
• Cooper Kupp grew up watching the Seahawks, now he plays for them

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