Around this time last year, Mike Macdonald had just become head coach of the Seattle Seahawks and had to assemble his staff in very short order.

This year, he was down in Mobile, Alabama watching some of this year’s top draft prospects at the Senior Bowl.

Head coaches usually have say in personnel decisions, but rarely do they travel across the country to scout a college all-star game in person. The Senior Bowl and events like it provide a chance to see more than tape alone can provide, though, and Macdonald was chomping at the bit for just that.

“That’s the driving force of why we’re down here,” Macdonald said, per Seahawks.com. “You talk about chasing edges. That little margin of, yeah, I can watch it on tape, but how do I feel guys in person? It’s different. It’s like being at practice and feeling players at practice vs. watching them execute on tape. It’s a similar relationship.

“Just watching one on ones, seeing how they handle it if they lose a rep, or when they win a rep, and watching them talk to teammates. There’s just little things you can pick up here and there. You’re trying to just feel them. Just feel who they are without them always being on their best behavior when they’re in a meeting or something. Just trying to get that extra angle of understanding what the type of player they are and what type of person they are. It’s been cool, it’s been a fun experience.”

Of course, Macdonald still tended to his coaching responsibilities while in Mobile, most notably helping new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak get acclimated. For the most part, though, his eyes were on the prospects in front of him.

Macdonald showed throughout his first season that he’s not afraid to make big moves. In the middle of the season, the Seahawks traded starting linebacker Jerome Baker for an upgrade in Ernest Jones IV and released Tyrel Dodson, their other starting linebacker, just weeks later. Sure, general manager John Schneider may have made those decisions, but Macdonald, a defensive guru, undoubtedly had a say in them.

Seattle, which holds the No. 18 overall pick in April’s draft, wants to make the jump from a good team to one that can really compete in the playoffs. Having Macdonald’s expertise for the scouting process should only help in that endeavor.

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