The Seahawks named Mike Macdonald the ninth head coach in franchise history last week, an important decision that will help shape the future of the team. That decision also means I can stop dodging all of your mailbag questions about who the team will hire as its next head coach, so with that, and with apologies for the delay, let's once again open up the mailbag and answer some questions from you, the fans.

As always, thanks to everyone who asked questions this week, and apologies if I couldn't get to your question this time around.

@weekapaug009 asks, "Will John and Mike be going on a pro day road trip to get to know each other better?"

A: I'm assuming you mean John Schneider and not me, right? Because I did once go on a pro day road trip in 2017 with Ed Dodds, then the Seahawks senior personnel executive and now the Colts’ assistant GM. But dumb jokes and shameless plugs aside, I do not know of the team's plans for visiting pro days, but based on past years, I would imagine Schneider and Macdonald will spend some time together on the road scouting upcoming draft picks, and in doing so will also get some extra time to get to know each other. That being said, even if their trips didn't line up—teams don't always send everyone to every pro day—it's a safe bet to assume that Macdonald and Schneider will be spending a ton of time together this offseason. That's true both because it will be a necessity of their jobs as they plan for the 2024 season and beyond, and also because Schneider, having had such a close relationship with Pete Carroll, recognizes how important that head coach-general manager relationship is to the franchise.

As Schneider said in last week's press conference to introduce Macdonald, "It comes down to relationships and trust, and it happened quickly with Mike."

@splitphacedub asks, "How much influence will Macdonald have on the draft?"

A: John Schneider will have the final say when it comes to draft decisions, but Macdonald will no doubt have a big voice in the process. Again, as mentioned above, Schneider understands how important the coach-GM relationship is, and a good front office wants to be adding players who can work well with the coaching staff. Schneider and Macdonald will have discussions about the draft leading up to the actual event, and I'm sure on draft day Macdonald will have a voice, even if the final decisions are Schneider's.

@mattyfbrown asks, "What does 'chasing edges' look like?"

A: This is a reference to something Macdonald said on Seattle Sports 710AM last week, part of a longer answer when asked about the culture of the team that was established by Pete Carroll and John Schneider.

"There's a great culture here, so I don't think you fix what's not broken," Macdonald said on the Bump and Stacy show. "I'm interested to hear more from the players and the people in the building as we get moving, but our culture is built on respect. We want to stay cutting edge. We're going to use a term around here called 'chasing edges.' There's going to be a sense of urgency with what we're doing. We're going to work extremely hard, we're going to be relentless in the pursuit of it. One thing you'll learn about me is I'm going to be relentless, and there's different ways that that will manifest itself. But it's going to be a positive environment, we want people to be excited to come to work. And we want to be a positive influence on the community as well."

I'm sure there will be opportunities to talk more about "chasing edges" with Macdonald down the road, but presumably he's talking about the trying to pursue every edge and advantage the Seahawks can find in a league designed to create parity. However for now, I'm choosing to picture Macdonald on a practice field actually chasing edge rushers like Uchenna Nwosu and Boye Mafe, because, well, that sounds fun.

@DanCohen17 asks, "Why is the first D in his last name not capitalized?"

A: Thank you, Dan, for asking the hard-hitting, important questions. I don't have an answer, and to be honest it's probably not going to be at the top of my list of questions the next time I get a chance to talk to Macdonald. But what I can say is that the late, great Norm Macdonald also rocked the lowercase D, and that guy was a genius, so there you go.

And now I'm thinking about Norm Macdonald, so you all get to watch him at his absurd best (stay with it to the end. It's worth it, I promise).

Susan from Sallisaw, Oklahoma asks, "Are the Seahawks currently looking for another quarterback?"

A: Depends on why you mean by looking for another quarterback. If you're asking if they're looking to draft or sign someone to compete for the starting job, that I couldn't tell you, and even if you were to ask John Schneider, he wouldn't tell you. But if the question is whether or not they will look to add to that position in some form or another, then the answer is yes. Even if they don't actually draft or sign someone in free agency, they will be looking. Schneider has pointed over and over again to his time in Green Bay teaching him the value of drafting a quarterback every year even if there is an established starter, but obviously that hasn't taken place during his time in Seattle. Even so, we know Schneider still thinks about that strategy, because he mentions it just about every year, so perhaps, with Drew Lock set to become a free agent, this is the year the Seahawks really do draft a quarterback. Or maybe the play is to re-sign Lock and/or look for another quarterback in free agency.

And I fully acknowledge that that previous paragraph is just a pretty long non-answer, but the truth is that, this time of year, there are just so many different variables in play that very few, if any, people in the building know exactly what the quarterback room will look like come September. And I can assure you that if there are people who know that plan, they're not filling in the team reporter.

@wenfot asks, "I saw a photo of Mike's wife with an adorable dog. Can you tell us more about the pup and if he will meet Rye the groundskeeper dog?"

A: Macdonald and his wife, Stephanie, have a 4-year-old dog named Bruce, who I'm sure is a very good boy. And yes, hopefully Bruce will get to the Virginia Mason Athletic Center soon to meet Rye for a puppy playdate, in which case we'll hopefully have cameras rolling.

@WasEinHumburg asks, "When will you come to Germany again?"

A: I have no knowledge of plans to return to Germany, but I definitely hope that will be in the team's future. The reception in Munich for the Seahawks and for the NFL in general was fantastic, and the gameday environment was something special.

Considering what a success that game was for the NFL, and how many fans the Seahawks have in Germany, I feel like it's more a matter of when they return rather than if they do. Hopefully the wait isn't too long, because I'd love to go back.

Michelle from Belleville, Illinois asks, "If the Seahawks did a reverse Ted Lasso type coaching hire, who do you think would be the hire?"

A: This question came in before the Seahawks hired Mike Macdonald, so it's now a moot point (or moo point to the "Friends" diehards). It's also a moot point not just because the job is filled, but also because "Ted Lasso" is a TV show—a great one at that—and not reality, and no major professional team would hire a coach with no relevant experience. But hey, the question was asked, so what the heck, let's answer it anyway. While I love the addition of Macdonald, had there still been a vacancy this week, the obvious answer would be Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp, who last week announced his decision to step down from that job. Klopp has won everywhere he's been, and like Ted Lasso he seems to really care about his players and build good culture, which in the ridiculous scenario of a coach taking over a team in a different sport, would probably be pretty important since in that hypothetical he wouldn't know much in terms of Xs and Os.

Dan from Langley said, two weeks ago, "I vote for Jim Harbaugh as the next head coach."

A: Sorry, Dan, but how would you feel about that young up-and-comer who had Jim's Michigan defense humming in 2021?