Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider has spent the last 14 seasons without full control of personnel decisions, but in 2024 he\u2019s the main man in charge after Pete Carroll\u2019s departure as both head coach and vice president of football operations.<\/p>\n
Much has been made over the share of responsibility between Carroll and Schneider, particularly over higher profile moves such as the Jimmy Graham, Percy Harvin, and Jamal Adams acquisitions, the trading of Russell Wilson, and the draft process. Was Carroll overriding Schneider\u2019s decisions? Were some moves \u2018Pete decisions\u2019 and other moves \u2018John decisions\u2019? We\u2019ll probably never know the full answer, but on his weekly Seattle Sports 710 radio show, Schneider indicated that Carroll pulling rank was a rarity. When host Bob Stelton asked how much his role had changed without Carroll, who had final say over personnel decisions, Schneider insists nothing has changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe never said, \u2018Hey, we\u2019re not doing this or we\u2019re going to do this.\u2019 It was more along the lines of, I could tell he didn\u2019t feel good about a trade or an acquisition or whatever. I could feel that, so why would we force that and why head down that road? But, yeah, it hasn\u2019t changed in that regard.\u201d<\/p>\n
You can choose to believe Schneider is providing a diplomatic answer and that there was more dissenting than he\u2019s letting on, or take him for his word and conclude that this was a largely harmonious, successful partnership in which Schneider has had a hand in the great, good, bad, and horrible moments the entire time. He\u2019s not denying that there have been some overrides\/rejections\/reservations, but he specified that it wasn\u2019t frequent.<\/p>\n
Schneider also indicated that the types of players the Seahawks are looking at in the draft won\u2019t change much with Macdonald as coach.<\/p>\n
\u201cPete and I would always joke, \u2018Oh, you know, the Seahawks, they like those big, tall corners that run 4.3.\u2019 Who doesn\u2019t?\u201d Schneider said. \u201cIt\u2019s like the Mariners guys: \u2018You like the guys that hit home runs, right? And steals bases?\u2019 We like those guys, too. Yes, we\u2019ve listened to [Macdonald and his staff]. Obviously we want to know what they\u2019re looking for by position and everything, but it really hasn\u2019t changed all that much. I don\u2019t think anybody really goes into it saying that you want to play with a corner that looks like me, you know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s exactly the same,\u201d Schneider said. \u201cPete was amazing in terms of\u2014he could have been that guy that put his foot down and was like, \u2018Contractually, at the end of the day I have final say here.\u2019 He rarely, rarely did in 15 years.<\/p>\n