Ryan Grubb was the target of the Seattle Seahawks all throughout its search for the franchise’s next offensive coordinator, according to a report from The Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta. The delay in getting him back from Tuscaloosa to Seattle was influenced, in part, by the 30-day transfer window that opened following Nick Saban’s retirement.

Grubb, Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald, and general manager John Schneider met Friday night and reports emerged shortly after that he was NFL-bound.

In recent days, there had been a renewed sense that Grubb would settle in at Alabama and stick on Kalen DeBoer’s staff. On Wednesday, Grubb introduced himself at a booster function by saying, “I’m Ryan Grubb, I’m your new offensive coordinator.” But the school had yet to formally announce his hire.

According to The Times, Seattle interviewed UCLA coach Chip Kelly — who took the Ohio State offensive coordinator job on Friday — and entertained the idea of Detroit passing game coordinator Tanner Engstrand, but Grubb was the priority all along and Seattle felt confident about its positioning even after Grubb’s remark on National Signing Day.

Condotta’s report for The Times states that one reason for waiting to make the hire official was to allow the 30-day window for Alabama players to enter the transfer portal to shut. Saban opened that window on Jan. 10. It closed Friday night.

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The next window for FBS undergraduate players opens on April 16 and closes on April 30. Alabama holds its spring game on April 13.

Alabama should be a major player in that spring window. The winter transfer market saw 28 portal departures from the Crimson Tide. Eighteen of those players made their decisions before Saban’s retirement and 10 made them after. Eleven more Crimson Tide players left for the NFL Draft.

The resulting roster makeup leans incredibly young. Depth was a casualty this offseason. Alabama is no stranger to roster turnover, but how DeBoer manages that churn could be very different from his predecessor.

The Crimson Tide will also enter in spring ball under the prescribed NCAA scholarship limit. So getting through the extended winter window without suffering any more attrition was likely a sticking point for DeBoer.

It remains to be seen who DeBoer will tab as his next offensive coordinator. Multiple reports suggest Grubb is taking offensive line coach Scott Huff with him to Seattle, which would presumably call into question if anyone else will follow.

An offseason marked by significant change will roll on a little longer.