The Seahawks’ offseason moves have had fans either nodding in approval or shaking their heads in disbelief. On one hand, they got younger, cheaper, and—depending on who you ask—better at quarterback by swapping Geno Smith for Sam Darnold. On the other hand, ESPN’s Ben Solak thinks Mike Macdonald and Co. took a step back, calling out their decision to move on from DK Metcalf and questioning whether Darnold can sustain his Minnesota-level play in Seattle. “I don’t see the vision,” he said.

And honestly? No one can argue otherwise. Fair criticism.

But maybe, this latest signing could show that vision… First, it has to draw some heads. Some attention. Because it’s flying under the radar—and might actually pay off. The Seahawks just signed safety D’Anthony Bell, a guy who’s made a name for himself grinding it out on special teams.

Now, he may not be a blockbuster addition. But when you need someone to bring the heat on kick coverage or step in as a depth piece in the secondary, Bell’s the kind of guy you want on the roster.

His journey? Far from conventional. Bell went undrafted out of West Florida in 2022. Yeah, that kinda storyline: pulling his socks up, locking in and moving up the ladder. He clawed his way onto the Browns’ roster. Over three seasons in Cleveland, he appeared in 50 games, racking up 61 tackles, two picks, four passes defended, and a forced fumble.

More importantly, he owned special teams, logging over 1,000 snaps and leading the Browns with 28 special teams tackles over that span. In 2024 alone, he ranked fourth in the entire league with 15 special teams tackles.

Bell knows what it’s like to fight for a roster spot. Back in 2022, he admitted the waiting game was brutal. “I have to put my phone on ring,” he said after his final preseason game with the Browns. “I am really nervous. Hopefully, God will help me make this team.” That’s the kind of hunger you want in a player—someone who isn’t just happy to be here but is willing to put in the work to stay here.

In Mike Macdonald’s system, Bell could carve out a meaningful role. With K’Von Wallace currently a free agent and Rayshawn Jenkins recently cut, the third safety spot is wide open. Bell has the size (6’1”, 211 lbs) and the experience to compete for snaps beyond just special teams. And knowing Macdonald, a coach who loves versatility in his secondary, Bell might just find himself in the mix sooner rather than later. As for the Hawks? It’s a low risk, high reward kinda situation for them.

But the question mark on their offseason moves isn’t going away with just this one move. Because they need sorting out to do on the other side of the ball.

Mike Macdonald should know what’s best for Sam Darnold

And that’s a good O-line. Seattle’s O has been, well… let’s just say, concerning. Ranking 29th in 2024? Yikes. That’s not exactly the kind of protection Sam Darnold wants to see when he drops back. Last season, the Seahawks finished 25th in ESPN’s pass block win rate, and Charles Cross gave up 42 total pressures.

They made some moves—adding Laken Tomlinson and Nick Harris—but are those upgrades, or just filling seats? Meanwhile, Minnesota, where Darnold just had a career revival, had a top-10 O-line that actually kept him upright. See the problem here?

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Seattle’s front office doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to fix it, either. The Seahawks let Will Fries walk without even hosting him for a visit. Guess what happened? He took the bag from Minnesota. Since then, Seattle has played host to three free-agent linemen: Teven Jenkins, Lucas Patrick, and Dillon Radunz. Jenkins signed with Cleveland. Patrick went to Cincinnati. That leaves Radunz as the last man standing. And if the Seahawks are smart, they won’t let him leave town without a contract.

Radunz isn’t some superstar, but compared to what Seattle’s working with? He’d be a major upgrade. A 6’6 wall, to be honest. The former second-rounder finally got his shot as a starter at right guard for Tennessee last season and outperformed both Laken Tomlinson and Anthony Bradford. The Seahawks need that kind of improvement. But here’s the catch—Radunz has already visited the Saints. If Seattle drags its feet again, he could be out the door just like the rest.

At some point, patience turns into negligence. The Seahawks had multiple shots to improve their O-line, and they let them all slip away. Now, it’s down to one guy. And if they fail to land Radunz, they’ll be sending Darnold into battle behind one of the worst offensive lines in the league. That’s a great way to make sure he doesn’t recreate his Minnesota success.

So, John Schneider, it’s time to make a move. The Seahawks can’t afford to sit back any longer. Either they sign Radunz now, or they leave Darnold to fend for himself. And we’ve seen that story before—it doesn’t end well.