Shrewd moves in free agency and NFL draft helped GM John Schneider build Seahawks' Super Bowl roster

RENTON, Wash. (AP) — John Schneider was hired a little over 16 years ago as general manager of the Seattle Seahawks, a job he has held 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 Thursday. “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?”

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider speaks during a news conference at the NFL football team's facilities ahead of Super Bowl 60, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider speaks during a news conference at the NFL football team's facilities ahead of Super Bowl 60, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider, center, speaks during a news conference at the NFL football team's facilities ahead of Super Bowl 60, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

Seattle Seahawks president of football operations/general manager John Schneider speaks during a news conference at the NFL football team's facilities ahead of Super Bowl 60, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

Iran fired missiles at Israel and some Gulf nations while explosions could be heard around Tehran and the central Iranian city of Isfahan on Friday, as the United States prepared to further reinforce its already significant military forces in the Middle East.

As the war that began Feb. 28 was to enter its sixth week, Israel, Bahrain, Kuwait warned about incoming missile fire, although it was unclear if anything was struck. Activists reported strikes around Tehran and the central city of Isfahan but it wasn’t immediately clear what was hit.

Iran’s attacks on Gulf region energy infrastructure and its tight grip on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas transits in peacetime, has sent oil prices skyrocketing.

Oil prices surged while Asian financial markets rose moderately during cautious trading. Benchmark U.S. crude rose 11.4% to $111.54 a barrel. The price of Brent crude, the international standard, jumped 7.8% to $109.03 per barrel.

U.S. President Donald Trump said U.S. forces will keep hitting Iran “very hard” in the next two or three weeks.

The largest American aircraft carrier in service sailed out of Split, in Croatia and “remains poised for full mission tasking in support of national objectives in any area of operation,” the Navy’s 6th Fleet announced.

It was unclear where it was going. The USS Abraham Lincoln remains in the Arabian Sea and the USS George H. W. Bush aircraft carrier departed Norfolk on Wednesday to head to the Mideast.

Here is the latest:

Oil prices continued to surge on worries of a prolonged Iran war but the Asian markets that were open Friday rose moderately in cautious trading, while others were closed for the Good Friday holidays.

Benchmark U.S. crude rose 11.4% to $111.54 a barrel. The price of Brent crude, the international standard, jumped 7.8% to $109.03 per barrel.

The U.S. only relies on the Persian Gulf for a fraction of the oil it imports, but oil is a commodity and prices are set in a global market.

The situation is very different in Asia. Japan, for example, relies on access to the Strait of Hormuz for much of the nation’s oil import needs and would need to rely on alternative routes. But some analysts say Japan and oher nations are counting on an agreement with Iran to allow transports.

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 gained 0.9% in Friday morning trading to 52,938.62. South Korea’s Kospi jumped 2.1% to 5,344.41. The Shanghai Composite sank 0.5% to 3,899.57. Trading was closed in Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Indonesia and India.

Wall Street, where trading is closed Friday, finished its first winning week since the start of the Iran war, although trading started out with a decline driven by a surge in oil prices.

Bangladesh is curtailing office hours and enforcing early closure of malls and shops beginning Friday to handle its energy crisis related to the war.

The country’s cabinet ordered 30% spending cuts for fuel and power at government offices, suspended some staff training and stopped purchases of new vehicles, ships and aircraft. Decorative lighting will not be allowed for celebrations.

Bangladesh, a nation of more than 170 million people, is seeking alternative fuel sources and $2.5 billion in external financing for imports, which account for 95% of its fuel.

Australian Energy Minister Chris Bowen on Friday urged motorists getting away for a long weekend during the Easter holiday to fill up in cities because most of the nation’s fuel shortages are in rural areas.

Among 2,400 gas stations in New South Wales, Australia’s most populous state, 182 had run out of diesel by Friday.

In Australia’s second-most populous state, Victoria, 76 gas stations were out of diesel. In the remaining states ranked by the most populous first, Queensland had 75 stations without diesel, Western Australia had 37, South Australia had 28 and in Tasmania there were seven.

“For those Australians planning a road trip this weekend, given our shortages are predominantly in rural and regional Australia, it makes sense to fill up in the city to help the country if you can,” Bowen said in Sydney.

The government, which blamed regional shortages on panic buying and distribution problems, is concentrating on delivering fuel to farmers for planting crops.

Israeli security forces and rescue teams inspect a site struck by an Iranian missile in Petah Tikva, Israel,Thursday, April 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

Members from the Popular Mobilization Forces attend a funeral of fighters who were killed in a U.S. airstrike, in Tal Afar, Nineveh province, north of Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, April 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)

A man with burn wounds from an Israeli airstrike on southern Lebanon sits on a bed at the Sidon Government Hospital in Sidon, Lebanon, Thursday, April 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

A boy who fled with his family following Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon sits inside the van they are using as shelter in Sidon, Lebanon, Thursday, April 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

President Donald Trump arrives from the Blue Room to speak about the Iran war from the Cross Hall of the White House on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool)