Dear John Schneider…

Each year around this time I like to send a letter to Seahawks GM John Schneider that outlines the things I’d like to him to do with the roster in order to keep me happy. While he has refrained from responding in kind or acknowledged my existence in any way, I just assume he gets the letter, takes it to heart and tries his best to perform the listed tasks because they’re all totally great ideas.

Below is the letter for 2016, obtained exclusively by Emerald City Swagger and now shared with you.

Dear John Schneider,

It’s me, Justin. We almost did it again but it was certainly a memorable season. I know you’re busy with the Senior Bowl evaluations and whatnot, but here is the list of things you should do over the next few months to get the team back to the big game. You can study it between film sessions or whatever.

1. Do not trade the first round pick this year for Joe Thomas or any other player, for that matter. It didn’t work with Harvin, it didn’t pan out in year 1 with Jimmy, and that pick could be used on a young, hungry, athletic, cap cheap rookie at a position of need that has the opportunity to become a core team player in time. Like Sheldon Rankins.
2. Do re-sign Jermaine Kearse and extend Doug Baldwin’s contract before March. When a quarterback and wide receiver develop a relationship that can only mature over time through thousands and thousands of reps into a non-verbal mind-meld, the results transcend the individual player talents. Baldwin is a leader and core member of the team, and Kearse is more valuable here than anywhere else as the resident clutch target.
3. Do not sign a 30+ year old free agent from another team to a 2^nd tier contract. Cary Williams was a panic move in response to Byron Maxwell’s inevitable departure that blew up in your face. That was predictable. It happens every year in free agency and the Seahawks need to spend any available money this year on twenty-something free agent offensive linemen whose play is still on the rise or at its peak. Like Jeff Allen and Amini Silatolu.
4. Do draft a quarterback on day 3 of the NFL Draft. This draft is ripe with developmental prospects that shouldn’t be asked to lead an NFL franchise right away but could blossom into ideal backup signal callers. Allowing a guy like Jacoby Brissett or Jeff Driskell to watch and learn from Russ could blossom into outstanding insurance over the next several seasons.
5. Do not cave in to renegotiating demands from Kam or anyone else for that matter. The Chancellor situation was detrimental to the team in September and was a catalyst for the slow start. That level of selfishness should never be rewarded.
6. Do re-up your own contract for at least another three years, along with the head coach. I know the lure of home (Green Bay) is always clear and present but it is not time for you to make that move yet. Not by a longshot. There is still a chance- a good chance- to help make Seattle the Team of the Decade and that’s a pretty cool thing. This should probably be bullet point number one.
7. Do not assume the offensive line will get better with time on its own and leave it as-is. Sometimes players just aren’t good enough, regardless of experience. It’s time to bring in at least one free agent that will provide immediate help. Two guys to consider are Jeff Allen (KC) and Amini Silatolu (CAR). Neither will break the bank, Allen would help immensely, and Silatolu could be a cheap, low-risk addition coming off injury that pays huge dividends. Both have the kind of mean streaks you recently mentioned are needed.
8. Do get us to another Super Bowl because taking the resulting pics like this one will never, ever get old.

So there you have it- the foolproof blueprint to recaptured glory. Thanks for reading, John, and if you need any more advice, hit me up on the Twitter.