Daniel Jeremiah: What Seahawks should look for in next OC
Jan 16, 2025, 8:17 AM | Updated: 2:39 pm
An offensive coordinator hire is expected to be the first big news that comes out of the Seattle Seahawks’ offseason.
What we learned about Seattle Seahawks OC candidate Klint Kubiak
After an inconsistent year offensively, the Seahawks moved on from Ryan Grubb after only one season calling the plays. Four known candidates have emerged to replace Grubb thus far: Detroit offensive line coach Hank Fraley, Chicago interim head coach Thomas Brown, New Orleans offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and Minnesota assistant quarterbacks coach and assistant offensive coordinator Grant Udinski.
That quartet brings an array of candidate styles. There are former players in Fraley and Brown, the latter of which has some experience calling plays at the NFL level. There is a candidate who grew up around the NFL in Kubiak, whose father, Gary, won four Super Bowls between his time as a head coach and assistant coach. And there’s a wunderkind like Udinski, who at just 28 years old is reportedly set to interview for the job.
But what exactly should the Seahawks be looking for in an offensive coordinator hire? NFL Network insider and former league scout Daniel Jeremiah was asked that question Wednesday during his weekly conversation with Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk.
“First and foremost, just to have some clarity, know exactly what you want it to look like. I always get a little bit nervous when you come in and you’re like, ‘Well, we can do a little of this. We’re going to take a little bit from here and a little bit from there. We’re going to blend all these things together,’” Jeremiah said. “I want you to have a very clear vision of what that looks like based on the personnel that we have on our roster, and you can paint that picture very clearly. So that’s like kind of the 30,000-foot view.”
For Jeremiah, part of that messaging means clearly showing how different aspects of the offense complement one another.
“I want you to, as an offensive coordinator, to show me how we’re going to marry run and pass. And I think the great offenses, there’s a reason why so many of them have just come out of the Shanahan system, because they do such a good job of marrying up their run game with their pass game,” Jeremiah said. “Those should not be two completely different entities. … That’s a question I would definitely want answered as you come through and try and find that right guy.”
Of course, being able to connect with a quarterback is key, too.
“I don’t think you can just be kind of a brainiac who’s just calling plays and has no personal skills to be able to have a good feedback relationship with your quarterback,” Jeremiah said.
A ‘beloved’ figure
Jeremiah was asked if he had any familiarity with the four known Seahawks offensive coordinator candidates. As it turns out, Fraley was a member of the Cleveland Browns when Jeremiah was a scout for the team from 2007-08.
“He was a classic example of a bad body, good player. Like, he was just kind of a little sloppy looking, but he was so physical and so tough, and he was beloved in the locker room,” Jeremiah said. “He was definitely one of the leaders of the team. Not one of the best players on the team, but one of the leaders of the team, and I know the brand of football he believed, how he played, and obviously you can follow around where he’s been and what he’s done. Physicality is going to be a big part of whatever he brings.”
Fraley has been an offensive line coach with the Detroit Lions since 2020. The former NFL center has been coaching at the college or NFL levels since 2012, but he’s never held a position outside of coaching the offensive line, which means he’s never called plays in the league. Is that a concern?
“Well, I think he’s gonna have to hire his weaknesses and hire around him, on staff, passing game coordinators, quarterback coaches that can help frame the rest of that,” Jeremiah said. “In terms of play calling, that would be interesting. I would imagine it would be a little bit more of a collective where he’d have control of the run game and maybe allow for a little more input in the pass game. But I would be shocked if he came in and said, ‘I have a mastery of the passing game and I’m gonna rely on myself in that part.’”
Listen to the full conversation at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Tune in to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6-10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.
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