The Seattle Seahawks underwent another offseason of considerable change. To Seattle’s credit, when the team falls short of its goals, the franchise never wastes time deciding on whether or not to pivot in a new direction. Such is the case for the Seahawks now, as they decided to completely renovate their offense.

Much has been talked about with regards to Seattle’s quarterback position, as the Hawks moved on from Geno Smith and went with Sam Darnold. Obviously, this was indisputably their biggest move of the year. In a recent ESPN article where author Seth Walder graded each teams’ offseason, the Seahawks earned a grade of B-, however, Walder is one of the few in the national media landscape that is favorable to Seattle’s choice at quarterback.

Here is what Walder wrote of the change:

In a vacuum, I still prefer Smith to Darnold, but having seen how it shook out and the costs associated with each player, I’m changing my tune. The biggest factor is the contract Darnold received as a free agent — a three-year deal averaging $33.5 million per year and, most critically, only $37.5 million fully guaranteed, per OverTheCap.com. That number is crucial because while it’s worthwhile for Seattle to see what it can get out of Darnold, there’s a decent possibility this is a one-year arrangement. If so, the cost is reasonable.

While Walder did offer a nuanced take on the quarterback position, the reason he is giving Seattle a B- grade is the fact the team did not reinvest its savings on the offensive line in free agency. The Seahawks boldly decided to not sign any of the available free agent guards or centers on the market. They opted to stick with what they already had (in the hopes a new coaching staff can help bring the most out of the current players) and address the need in the draft.

While the Seahawks spent their first-round pick on guard Grey Zabel, they did not sign a free agent at the position (they did add tackle Josh Jones, who has played guard in the past). Instead, they appear poised to start Anthony Bradford or Christian Haynes at guard, which was a missed opportunity considering players such as Teven Jenkins, James Daniels and Mekhi Becton signed for relatively cheap and Will Hernandez is still available.

Walder also considers the drop-off from DK Metcalf to Cooper Kupp will be “significant” and would have preferred the team pay Metcalf instead.

This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Seattle Seahawks earn a B- from ESPN for their offseason