The Seattle Seahawks will be entering their first season without Pete Carroll as head coach since 2009, and wide receiver Tyler Lockett is excited to see what the future holds.
Lockett is specifically looking forward to a more structured system under new coach Mike Macdonald.
“With Mike I like the fact that he's bringing structure because it's like hey, this is who we are, this is how we're going to be and you got to be able to tap into that and you got to be able to buy in, and if you're not going to buy in then you're pretty much not going to be here,” Lockett said on The Rich Eisen Show. “So I love that type of structure because it almost like magnifies that college structure again.”
While Lockett said that he “loved” the “freedom” that Carroll allowed, he seems to appreciate the rigidity of Macdonald, who had previously been serving as the Baltimore Ravens' defensive coordinator.
Lockett definitely isn't criticizing Carroll here, but it does seem like he felt a change was needed.
Seahawks' Tyler Lockett has been the subject of trade rumors
Lockett has spent his entire nine-year career with the Seahawks, but there are some who feel his tenure in Seattle could be coming to a close.
Trade speculation has surrounded Lockett throughout much of the offseason, especially with the rise of fellow wide out Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Lockett could very well be relegated to the role of a third wide receiver in 2024 if Smith-Njigba continues to develop (D.K. Metcalf is obviously the No. 1). Some have even wondered if he could be released.
The 31-year-old did agree to a two-year, $29.66 million restructured contract earlier this offseason, but $15 million annually is still a lot to pay for a WR3.
Lockett is coming off of a 2023 campaign in which he caught 79 passes for 894 yards and five touchdowns. Those are hardly bad numbers, but it marked the first time since 2018 that Lockett did not post a 1,000-yard season. Does that indicate the start of a potential decline?
The Kansas State product was originally selected by the Seahawks in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He made the Pro Bowl and earned a First-Team All-Pro selection as soon as his rookie campaign, although that was primarily due to his work on special teams.
Lockett has not made a Pro Bowl since, but he has been one of the most reliable pass-catchers in football. He owns a lifetime catch percentage of 70.8 percent, and in 2018, he caught 81.4 percent of balls thrown to him. He also logged catch percentage of 74.5 and 75.8 percent in 2019 and 2020, respectively.
He certainly doesn't have the freakish ability of a Metcalf, but there is no question that Lockett has been an integral part of Seattle's offense for the better part of a decade.
Chances are, Lockett will begin the 2024 campaign on the Seahawks' roster. Perhaps Seattle would consider moving him if it appeared to be out of playoff contention by the trade deadline.
If the Seahawks did make Lockett available, there would be no shortage of teams interested in the veteran.
Follow Us
Subscribe
