Moves in free agency, draft helped build Seahawks' Super Bowl roster

RENTON, Wash. — John Schneider was hired a little over 16 years ago as general manager of the Seattle Seahawks, a job he has had since.Schneider added the title of president of football operations in 2024. But when asked Thursday if he could have imagined being in charge of the Seahawks' personnel for that long, the 54-year-old had a simple answer: "No.""It's a total blessing," Schneider said. "I read this really cool article the other day about culture as an artifact of relationships. Is it that hard to just treat people the right way, work your (butt) off and do it the way you want to do it?"With the Seahawks preparing to face the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl, it's clear that Schneider's approach was successful this season. His shrewd moves in free agency and the NFL draft helped the Seahawks build a deep, talented roster that won 14 games in the regular season and two home playoff games as the NFC's top seed.Schneider brought in quarterback Sam Darnold on a three-year, $100.5 million contract while also signing veteran defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence and wide receiver Cooper Kupp, among others.Darnold made his second straight Pro Bowl and stabilized the most important position on the field. Lawrence, in his 12th season, had 11 tackles for loss, six sacks and returned two fumbles for touchdowns."When you're bringing people into your building, especially in free agency, you want to make sure that the quality of the person, do we know exactly what we're getting?" Schneider said. "So we had a great background with those guys, the character, the person, the work ethic, love of the game, the grit, all the things you've heard for years and years."The Seahawks have also benefited from a bold move Schneider made four years ago.In March of 2022, Schneider traded quarterback Russell Wilson to Denver for a package of draft picks and players. Schneider used those picks to select All-Pro cornerback Devon Witherspoon, left tackle Charles Cross and a pair of edge rushers, Boye Mafe and Derick Hall.If that wasn't enough, Schneider has a strong record with first-round draft picks in recent years.This year's first-round pick, left guard Grey Zabel, upgraded the offensive line. Defensive tackle Byron Murphy II, taken in the first round in 2024, had seven sacks.In 2023, when he also took Witherspoon, Schneider drafted Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who blossomed into the NFL's leader in yards receiving this season."Man, Spoon is a heartbeat guy, the whole building feels him," Schneider said. "They're just these completely different personalities, but in their own right. Everybody just totally respects Jax, the way he handles himself. It was amazing to have two guys that we thought were top five to seven players in that draft."Seattle has one of the youngest rosters in the NFL, but at the moment, Schneider isn't focused on the future beyond Feb. 8 in Santa Clara, California, when his team will meet the Patriots with the Lombardi Trophy on the line.It's a rematch of the Super Bowl 11 years ago, when Schneider's Seahawks fell agonizingly short of repeating as champions — by losing to New England."Tried not to think about that too much," Schneider said. "That was an amazing game, though. But no, it really doesn't (matter). It's, OK, what's the next team we're playing?"