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By Bob Condotta
Seattle Times staff reporter
RENTON — When defensive lineman Leonard Williams joined the Seahawks last October, one of the first things he noticed walking into the building at the VMAC was a hallway leading to the locker room that was lined with large photos of great moments from the team’s past.
The wallpaper images represented many of the most iconic scenes of the Pete Carroll era — Carroll, John Schneider and Paul Allen accepting the Super Bowl trophy, Marshawn Lynch’s “Beast Quake’’ run, Richard Sherman’s tip against the 49ers, Russell Wilson holding aloft the George Halas Trophy following the 2015 NFC title game, among others.
Like Carroll and all of those players, those images are gone, papered over as part of a redecorating of the VMAC that is part of a larger re-imagining of the team following the dismissal of Carroll and the hiring of coach Mike Macdonald.
Williams said the change in décor was something Macdonald made sure to let the players know about when they first gathered last week for the beginning of the team’s voluntary offseason program.
“I remember the first day we came into the team meeting, Mike pointed out that there is empty walls in the hallways and things like that,’’ Williams said. “And I think that made me really excited, and I hope that made the rest of the guys excited. Because we are obviously going to respect tradition and the history of the Seahawks, but I think it’s given us a clean foundation to create whatever we want to be. We are not chasing to be like any other team that’s been here before. We want to create our own identity.’’
The makeover included the removal of the basketball hoop in the meeting room, which was often deployed by Carroll in team-building exercises.
Explained Williams: “He kind of wants to create our own slogans, create our own mantras and things like that.’’
But if the “I’m In” signs, and those of other ubiquitous Carroll sayings may be gone, Williams says the Seahawks appear to be all in with Macdonald so far.
“You can just tell there is a sense of urgency right now in a way that’s kind of bringing everyone closer together, that’s making everyone be so locked in in meetings and the weight room and on the field,’’ Williams said of the feeling in the building since players returned for the offseason program last week.
That’s the kind of feeling Williams was hoping for when he agreed to re-sign with the Seahawks on March 11, the first day of the free-agent negotiating period, inking a three-year deal worth up to $64.5 million with $26.1 million fully guaranteed.
Schneider, holding the title of president of football operations, said re-signing Williams was a “priority,’’ not just to continue to get some payoff for what the Seahawks gave up to get him last October from the New York Giants — a second-round pick in 2024 and fifth-rounder in 2025 — but to give Macdonald a centerpiece player in the middle of the defensive line.
Williams was on a three-week vacation in Japan at the time of the agreement, and returned to Seattle in the middle of the trip to sign his contract.
Williams said he got into Seattle at about 10 a.m. on March 12 and after signing his contract, flew back to Japan to continue the vacation that night around 7 p.m.
The trip to Japan was part of an excursion that also included a stop in Bali, where his girlfriend, Hailey Lott, the daughter of Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott, was doing work in her profession as a yoga and meditation instructor.
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“A lot of flying, but it was worth it,’’ Williams said.
The contract makes Williams the highest-paid defensive player in Seahawks history on a per-year basis at $21.5 million, and fifth-highest of all defensive ends heading into the 2024 season.
But if the money to return to Seattle was surely enticing, Williams said he was attracted by what he feels Macdonald can build.
He also makes clear that he appreciated his time with Carroll.
Williams could have vetoed the trade to Seattle but said on Wednesday that Carroll’s presence was “a big reason’’ he didn’t.
“I was, like, having fun with my guys again,’’ Williams said of playing for Carroll last year. “And that kind of felt like college ball, and it made me play hard for him.’’
Williams, 29 and entering his 10th season in the NFL, said he also understood that change could come after the way the Seahawks ended the 2023 season.
The Seahawks had just beaten Cleveland to improve to 5-2 and move into first in the NFC West when they acquired Williams, who was on the market because it was viewed as unlikely he would re-sign with the Giants. The Seahawks lost six of their last 10 games to finish 9-8 and missed the playoffs.
“I was obviously sad to see him go, but at the same time, you understand this business,’’ Williams said.
The more Williams learned about Macdonald, the more returning to Seattle excited him.
“I mean, I just love that he’s a defensive-minded coach,’’ Williams said. “He had the top defense in the NFL last year [as the defensive coordinator with the Baltimore Ravens] and playing for a defensive head coach really excites me. I’m playing for a guy that knows that games are won on the defensive side of the ball, and that’s how I think.’’
That was not what the Seahawks were able to do last year, finishing 30th in yards allowed and 25th in points allowed despite the best efforts of Williams, who had four sacks and 11 quarterback hits in 10 games with the Seahawks.
Williams said that what he’s quickly learning to appreciate about his return to Seattle is the fresh start Macdonald offers.
“Mike is serious about bringing something different and creating our own identity,’’ Williams said. “ … It just feels like a clean slate. It doesn’t feel like we need to have [the] pressure of trying to chase anything. It’s almost like, just put one foot in front of the other and create our own identity, create our own team and something that we can be proud of.’’
