How Ryan Grubb’s new Seahawks offense is ‘right on schedule’ -- and fits Geno Smith’s skills

Ryan Grubb is used to having the best quarterback in his level of the sport.

He’s just months removed from having Michael Penix Jr. lead major college football in passing yards, spark the University of Washington on a 21-game winning streak, Pac-12 title and into January’s national championship game — all while leading Grubb’s offensive system.

Now Grubb is two months of offseason practices and meetings into his new job as Seahawks offensive coordinator.

What does he think of his first NFL quarterbacks, Geno Smith and Sam Howell?

“They are awesome. They are freakin’ awesome,” Grubb said Monday, following Seattle’s seventh of 10 organized team activities practices (OTAs).

Smith is the clear starter. He’s been that the last two Seahawks seasons making the Pro Bowl replacing traded Russell Wilson.

Howell is the former Washington Commanders starter Seattle acquired this offseason in a trade. He again ran the second offense in a practice heavy in 11-on-11 drills in the red zone and in 2-minute offense Monday.

“They are intelligent, and I know it means a lot to them,” Grubb said of Smith, 33, and Howell, 23. “I think their leadership in the room and how they react and work together says a lot about the kind of guys they are and are in the team concept. ...

“I couldn’t be more happy with where we are at.”

Where are the Seahawks in the final days of voluntary offseason work and before the mandatory team minicamp over three days next week?

“I would say we are closing in on 50% of our installation,” Grubb said.

“I think early on we tried to do a good job on both sides of the ball of getting some of the critical exchanges and all the things we need to know and understand about the nuances and broad vision of the offense. ...

“I think the guys have done a really good job, especially in the last week and a half, of getting that where we could feel good about building on top of some of those things.”

Grubb said of the offense being about half installed: “I think we’re right on schedule. I think we’re in a good spot.”

Late last month, following the second OTA practice, new head coach Mike Macdonald estimated he had installed about 20% of his new Seahawks defense.

Between that and Grubb’s assessment Monday, it’s clear these remade Seahawks will be learning and growing within their entirely new systems well into training camp. That begins July 26.

“It’s a challenge right now,” Macdonald said. “We’re chasing execution.

“It’s this constant chase of what we want.”

Part of that “chase,” one of Macdonald’s pet words: He and Grubb have been giving Seahawks more no-contact, 11-on-11 scrimmaging, to hasten the assimilation on how the new systems work. OTA practices over the last three weeks have been predominantly 11-on-11 work, with relatively less time devoted to 7-on-7 and other group drills of previous Seahawks offseasons and preseasons.

For the final session of practice Monday, Macdonald had the players take off their helmets. At one end of the field, Smith and the starting offense walked through plays and looks against the starting defense. At the opposite end, Howell and his No. 2 offense did a walk-through of plays against the second-team defense.

It’s all about looks now, to understand the new systems. The execution of it through hitting, blocking and tackle will come in August, in training camp.

“I think the more communication you can have and the realistic looks for a quarterback I think are always important. You have a rush in front of you and things like that,” Grubb said.

“The more of those situations you can bring up for the guys that they have to communicate and execute with full vision, I think is always better.”

Geno Smith: Ryan Grubb’s system fits

Smith is on his fourth offensive coordinator in six years. That dates to his final season as a backup for the Chargers, in 2018.

In Seattle, he had Brian Schottenheimer for the ‘19 and ‘20 seasons Smith backed up Wilson. The last three years before now Smith had Shane Waldron as his Seahawks OC and play caller.

Smith knew of Grubb from the Seahawks QB working out with Penix last summer, before the Huskies quarterback’s final college season. This spring, Atlanta selected UW’s 2023 Heisman Trophy runner-up eighth in the NFL draft.

Smith completed 64.7% of his passes last season for 3,624 yards, 20 touchdowns and nine interceptions, his second and final year playing under Waldron’s quick-throwing offense. In 2022, Smith led the NFL by completing 69.8% of his throws. He set a Seahawks record with 4,282 yards passing in 2022, with 30 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, plus the first playoff start and Pro Bowl selection of his career two years ago.

Yet that career year of 2022 began with Waldron having Smith throw the shortest passes in the league in the first few games of that season, under 4 yards per attempt.

Grubb was famous at UW for having Penix drop deep in the pocket and heave 40-plus-yard bombs to the Huskies’ waves of future NFL receivers. Penix led major college football in passing yards each of the last two seasons with Grubb’s UW offense.

Penix had average yards per completion of 12.8 and 13.5 the last two Huskies seasons.

Smith’s average yards per completion the last two years with Waldron’s Seahawks offense: 10.7 and 11.2.

“I feel like I’m a drop-back passer,” Smith said two weeks ago, “and I feel like this is a drop-back offense, an offense that’s going to spread the ball around, trust the quarterbacks to make the right decisions. That’s pre- and post-snap.

“I think that’s something that I’m really good at.”

Grubb is too wise to announce to NFL defenses his is solely one type of offense.

“I think that there is a really good marriage there with some of the skill set that Geno has,” Grubb said. “I think that we ask our quarterbacks to do a lot.

“Luckily for us, Geno’s really athletic, as well. I think for us, we don’t have to limit it to just drop back. I think he’s really good in the play-action game, as well, which will be a big part of our offense. And I think for us, it’s not just the five-step (drop) all the time.”

Soon after he took the Seahawks job this winter, the 48-year-old Grubb went back in his study on Smith to the QB’s time starring at West Virginia University more than a dozen years ago.

Grubb said one of Smith’s best traits is his ability to throw the ball accurately on time. That is key to meshing passes with his linemen’s called protection.

“I do think that Geno is really good at getting the ball out on time and very efficient with the football, which he obviously showed in 2022 (when he) led the league and completion percentage,” Grubb said. “I think that’s something that that marriage, understanding how to get the ball out on time and really take care of the football is something that works really well.”

Seahawks offensive line

Nothing Grubb calls or Smith does in the 2024 season will work the way they want if Seattle’s offensive line doesn’t improve. That’s in pass protection, for all the short, medium and deep passes Grubb is layering into the Seahawks’ offense. And it’s in run blocking for lead backs Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet.

The starting line during OTAs has been Charles Cross at left tackle, Laken Tomlinson the left guard, Olu Oluwatimi at center, McClendon Curtis at right guard and George Fant the right tackle.

Rookie third-round pick Christian Haynes was again a second-team guard Monday. But the Seahawks drafted the 48-game starter at Connecticut with their first pick on day two with the belief he could start as a rookie. Anthony Bradford started 10 games in 2023 at guard as a rookie fourth-round pick. He’s been sidelined by injury during OTAs.

The line meshing with Smith and Walker is so important new offensive line coach Scott Huff, who arrived with Grubb from UW this offseason, has been beginning OTA practices having the starting QB and lead back in with the starting linemen doing drills on run fits and pass-protection calls.

“We’ve got a little ways to go there,” Grubb said of the offensive line.

“That’s the next step for us is continuing to build continuity within that group. And we’re coming.”