Barnwell ‘hopeful’ but ‘skeptical’ of Seahawks’ offensive playmakers

ESPN writer Bill Barnwell ranked the Seattle Seahawks' collective group of offensive playmakers (wide receivers, running backs, tight ends) 19th out of 32 NFL teams in his annual rankings. Barnwell stated this middle-of-the-pack placement reflects the uncertainty surrounding the team's new-look offense following an offseason overhaul, indicating the skill-position group features both potential upside and significant question marks.

Barnwell described his view as "hopeful, but also skeptical," which aligns with the 19th-place ranking. A primary source of this mix of hope and skepticism is veteran wide receiver Cooper Kupp, who signed with the Seahawks in March after they traded DK Metcalf. Kupp had a standout eight-year career with the Los Angeles Rams, amassing 7,776 receiving yards and 57 touchdowns, including a historic 1,947-yard season in 2021 (second-most in a single NFL season).

However, injuries have significantly impacted Kupp over the past three seasons, limiting him to only 33 out of 51 games. While he averaged 90.2 receiving yards per game in 2022, his production dropped sharply to 61.4 yards per game in 2023 and 59.2 yards per game in 2024, marking two of the three lowest averages of his career. Barnwell noted that while Kupp was an elite, upper-echelon receiver as recently as two years ago, his recent injury history makes it difficult to assess his current level of play.