Seattle, WA
Insider: Seattle Seahawks could have league’s No. 1 defense
Heading into Year 2 of the Mike Macdonald era, the expectations are high for the Seattle Seahawks’ defense.
And for good reason.
After some initial growing pains last year, the unit evolved into one of the league’s best over the second half of the season. Over the final nine weeks, Seattle ranked fifth in scoring defense, fifth in defensive EPA and fourth in total defense.
And now, with nearly every key contributor returning, the Seahawks can build on the foundation they set during that second-half surge. On top of that, they bolstered the unit with more talent this offseason, adding four-time Pro Bowl defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence in free agency and ultra-athletic safety Nick Emmanwori in the second round of the NFL Draft.
So, just how good can this Seahawks defense be? The Athletic’s Derrik Klassen, co-host of The Athletic Football Show, thinks the sky is the limit.
“I think there’s a chance that they can be the best defense in the league,” Klassen said Friday on Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy.
Macdonald’s brilliance
The biggest reason for Klassen’s optimism centers on the 38-year-old Macdonald, who he termed as “one of the most brilliant play callers in the league” on the defensive side.
Macdonald quickly developed a reputation as a defensive mastermind in Baltimore, where he excelled during his two-year stint as the Ravens’ defensive coordinator. Running an innovative scheme that flustered opponents, Macdonald’s Ravens finished third in scoring defense in 2022 and then made NFL history in 2023, becoming the first defense to lead the league in points allowed, sacks and takeaways.
And as a first-time head coach last fall – after inheriting a struggling Seattle defense that ranked 25th in scoring each of the past two seasons – Macdonald turned the Seahawks into top-five defense over the back half of 2024.
“It just feels like they are never in the wrong call,” Klassen said. “And that’s kind of a hard thing to quantify, but you watch other defenses, and every now and then you just feel like, ‘Ah man, they shouldn’t have blitzed there. Ah man, they really shouldn’t have ran man (coverage) there.’ It feels like Mike Macdonald does the opposite. … It just all feels like they have the right answers at the right time.
“There are very few defensive coordinators where it feels like they are on the front foot against the offense. And Mike Macdonald, to me, is one of those guys. I think he teaches the secondary very well, and then he brings his pressures in a way that is very smart.”
Strength in the trenches
Klassen likes the overall collection of talent on Seattle’s defense. But of all the position groups, he’s most excited to watch the defensive tackles.
The Seahawks’ interior defensive line is led by 31-year-old Leonard Williams, a two-time Pro Bowler who is coming off a sensational season that featured 11 sacks, 16 tackles for loss, three pass deflections and a pick-six. Seattle also has 32-year-old veteran Jarran Reed, who totaled 11.5 sacks over the past two seasons. And then there’s 2024 first-round pick Byron Murphy II, who could be poised for a step forward in Year 2.
“This defensive tackle unit might be insane,” Klassen said. “Leonard Williams, last year, obviously was one of the best defensive tackles in the league. He played at truly an All-Pro level. … And then I think there’s a chance that Byron Murphy really takes a step and is something similar to what Mike Macdonald had with (second-team All-Pro) Justin Madubuike in Baltimore.
“There are obviously some other good players on the defense. … But I really think that defensive tackle room, if this is the best defense in the league, it’s gonna be because of those guys.”
Listen to the full conversation with The Athletic’s Derrik Klassen at this link or in the audio player at the bottom of this story. Tune in to Bump and Stacy weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.
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Seattle, WA
Outreach groups respond to the reported relocation cycle of Ballard’s homeless population
SEATTLE — As people voice concerns about an encampment in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, outreach groups are detailing their efforts and fighting back against encampment removals.
The outreach group We Heart Seattle said it checks on the people in an encampment of at least 20 people weekly to offer water, snacks, personal hygiene items, and access to treatment.
RELATED | Ballard encampment grows after city removes nearby site along Burke-Gilman Trail
The group told KOMO it believes more can be done at the city level, from policy to housing, to get the homeless connected with shelter and services.
A woman working at the Fred Meyer off NW 45th Street and 9th Avenue captured video of a fire near tents at an encampment across the street. A day later, off camera, she told KOMO News she worries about the safety of the people living in the tents and Ballard neighbors, in addition to concerns about alleged open-air drug use at the encampment.
“We became homeless because of certain situations, and we turned to drugs, and unfortunately, addiction comes next, you know?” Crystal Rawlings told KOMO News. She has set up her tent on multiple streets in Ballard, and said she’s approaching one year of being opioid-free.
She believes there’s been more city outreach since the start of the new mayoral administration to connect people living on the streets with services, but knows there’s not enough transitional housing for everyone who needs or wants it.
She and the Ballard Community Task Force on Homelessness and Hunger urge the city to stop encampment removals that push this group to another block.
RELATED | City removes Ballard encampment as neighboring businesses raise housing concerns
“We’re not abominations. We’re not obstructions, and we’re not trash, so stop sweeping us,” Rawlings stated.
The city is still aiming to reach Mayor Katie Wilson’s goal of adding 1,000 new units of shelter in 2026 and recently opened a tiny home village in nearby Interbay, but fell short of the goal of 500 new units by June.
Andrea Suarez with We Heart Seattle estimates at least 20 people living on the street keep getting moved around Ballard, from behind the Albert Lee store to Leary Avenue to NW 45th Street behind the Fred Meyer.
“This encampment has people that’ve been homeless for more than five years. We know their names and faces. They’re still here. They’re still stuck in late-phase addiction, frankly because it’s permitted,” Suarez explained.
RELATED | Viral makeshift homeless shelter with chimney dismantled by Seattle city crews
She believes a camping ban on city sidewalks would help encourage more people to accept shelter, and help stop the cycle of moving people without
“It is an underserved community. I think it is unfair,” Suarez added. “We’ve tried to balance between enablement and really giving people a hand up, but without the teeth and backup for the work of outreach workers, it starts to feel futile, and that’s why we get burned out.”
The mayor’s office was working to send data about its homeless response in Ballard as of Wednesday afternoon.
The Ballard Community Task Force on Homelessness and Hunger estimates there have been nine Ballard-area encampment removals so far this year.
SEATTLE – Wednesday will be another warm day with highs in the mid to upper 80s for parts of western Washington. Eastern and central Washington will reach near 100F with high fire danger. The coast and north interior will be cooler, only in the 60s to 70s.
Wednesday will be another warm day with highs in the mid to upper 80s for parts of western Washington.
Fire Weather Watch
A Fire Weather Watch goes into effect Wednesday evening through Thursday evening for thunderstorms and gusty winds. Lightning strikes could create new fire starts and, with very dry conditions in place, any new fire could spread quickly.
A Fire Weather Watch goes into effect Wednesday evening through Thursday evening for thunderstorms and gusty winds.
What’s next:
An upper level low will move into the Pacific Northwest, bringing scattered showers and a chance of thunderstorms. The heaviest showers will be in the morning hours and will turn more scattered into the evening hours.
An upper level low will move into the Pacific Northwest, bringing scattered showers and chance of thunderstorms.
Looking Ahead:
High pressure will build again Friday and into the weekend, increasing temperatures and sunshine. We will start to see highs reach the upper 80s to low 90s by early next week.
High pressure will build again Friday and into the weekend, increasing temperatures and sunshine.
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After so many disappointing seasons with the interior offensive line, the Seattle Seahawks made a commitment last offseason to improve the unit. They started one big step at a time by drafting North Dakota State guard Grey Zabel in the first round, 18th overall pick, of the 2025 NFL Draft. This one was one of the last steps for the Seahawks to create one of the most productive offenses in the NFL.
Zabel wasn’t perfect in his rookie season, but he was good enough to validate the decision to draft him in the first round, and he showed improvement. Zabel is already a favorite among some Seahawks fans and some media outlets as they love his determination and spirit. It was a big jump from the FCS collegiate level to the NFL and this season, he has a chance to show why he might be a top-half-of-the-league guard.
Why Zabel Could Be Ranked Higher?
The Seahawks wanted a determined workhorse when looking for a guard. That’s exactly what they got in Zabel. Last season, he appeared in 1,051 snaps, which is only 10 fewer snaps than right tackle Abraham Lucas, who had the most offensive snaps. Zabel got better as the season progressed. Pro Football Focus gave him an overall grade of 81.5 and a run-block grade of 81.2 in Week 14 through the NFC Championship Game.
There were times last season when he looked like a monster against several defenders. He was pushing some defenders completely out of the way on pulling plays and even ran to defenders after the pass-catcher caught the ball. This is the mentality the Seahawks expect him to have going into his second season in the league. He has more experience and the complete trust of the team to be a franchise player on par with Lucas and left tackle Charles Cross. If he continues to improve, he will be another steal for the Seahawks.
Why Zabel Could Be Ranked Lower?
There were times last season when he didn’t quite catch up to the learning curve of the NFL. Zabel allowed two sacks, four hits and 24 pressures in 2025. The Seahawks expect those numbers to decrease significantly as he is experienced and capable of playing at an efficient level. While Zabel is impressive, he might not be the best player the Seahawks have selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. That honor belongs to slot cornerback Nick Emmanwori, who is stepping up to be the steal of the draft.
Zabel is easily one of the best second-year players and is one of the top offensive linemen, but there are players behind him because they haven’t proven to be consistently explosive for the Seahawks. There is going to be even more pressure on him this upcoming season. The Seahawks hired a more run-friendly coach in Brian Fleury as offensive coordinator. His ranking at the end of the season might be much better if he improves, or worse if he fails to reach expectations.
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