With winning comes attrition, and the Seattle Seahawks were not immune to this reality after becoming Super Bowl LX champions.
The calendar never stops, though, and after Klint Kubiak left to become the new head coach of the Raiders, the Seahawks had a vacancy to fill. By hiring Brian Fleury, they're not straying far from the approach that helped them win their franchise's second Lombardi Trophy.
"It looks very similar to the one that just won the Super Bowl," Fleury said Thursday when asked how his offense will operate. "It's more about how you play than what you actually are doing schematically. We're gonna be fast and violent and aggressive in every way that we possibly can. Put pressure on defenses, both schematically and from a tempo standpoint. And just always have that type of mindset."
While much of Fleury's answer leaned on typical platitudes, the intent is clear: Don't mess up a good thing. Kubiak's offense was undoubtedly good, ranking eighth in yards per game and passing yards per game, and finishing third in points scored per contest (28.4). Paired with an elite defense, the Seahawks' offense outscored the team that ranked one spot ahead of them (New England at 28.8 points per game) in Super Bowl LX, burnishing Kubiak's reputation as a brilliant coach with a bright future.
It will be up to Fleury to maintain such excellence. The new offensive coordinator pointed toward the value of continuity he expects to exist in Seattle, where Fleury -- a product of the same Kyle Shanahan tree that produced Kubiak -- aims to retain much of what Kubiak installed and utilized.
"I do think one of the advantages of taking this job is there is gonna be a lot of continuity," Fleury said. "I've already started to dive into everything that Klint [Kubiak] was doing here last year, and the goal would be to maintain as much of that as possible, but there's also areas where we can supplement that with things that we've developed and done in San Francisco. … So, that's going to be the goal, is to keep as much as we can, the same. But I think there's areas where we can grow, some different ways we can challenge the players, that they should be looking forward to when they get back here."
Some parts will inevitably change, of course. No two rosters are ever the same from one year to the next, and with the Seahawks becoming the new kings of the NFL, plenty of other hungry teams will be looking to poach from Seattle's stock.
Two names immediately come to mind because of their value on the open market and their importance to Seattle's run to a title: Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker III and in-season acquisition Rashid Shaheed. Both are headed toward unrestricted free agency, and if the market dictates it, the Seahawks might have to choose between the two.
Fleury hopes both choose familiarity over change, even if it might not be quite as lucrative.
"I think they're gonna be very happy with the continuity that would exist here," Fleury said. "Obviously, they're coming off of very significant years, Rashid, obviously, like got here midway through the season, but had an impact right away. And then, you know, kind of obviously see a Super Bowl MVP. I can't dive too much into that because of the contract situation. But I would love the opportunity to work with either one of them."
It's never easy to replace a play-caller who just won a Super Bowl, but it's the opportunity that landed on Fleury's proverbial desk. He'll aim to follow in Kubiak's footsteps.
