This is the fourth part of a guest-post series written by Curtis Allen
#4 Tight Ends
Roster Notes
Players under contract for 2021: Will Dissly, Colby Parkinson
Players under contract for 2022: Colby Parkinson
Restricted Free Agents: none
Unrestricted Free Agents: Greg Olsen, Jacob Hollister, Luke Willson, Stephen Sullivan
Exclusive Rights Free Agents: none
Practice Squad/Futures Candidates: Tyler Mabry
Salary Cap Notes
2021 Cap Commitment: $2.7 million (1.51% of $178m cap)
2020 Season Overview
What truly forgettable season for the tight end group.
The Seahawks employed a strong emphasis on the position group in the offseason.
They committed $10.25m –- almost 20% of their available cap room — to the position before the league year even started on Greg Olsen and Jacob Hollister.
They had Will Dissly coming off another serious injury and earning raves for his rehab commitment, drafted Colby Parkinson and traded up for Steven Sullivan in April.
They then brought Luke Willson onto the roster for eight games at a prorated $1m number.
What were the results of their investment?
You should stop reading now if you are looking for good news.
Greg Olsen had the least productive season of his career. One touchdown catch and 16 first downs in 11 games. The pick-six that bounced off his hands in Week two was indicative of his entire season.
Jacob Hollister was practically unused. In 12 of his 16 games he had three or less targets.
Will Dissly produced worse receiving numbers in 16 games this year than he did in 5.5 games in 2019.
Luke Willson recorded ten offensive snaps — at least three of which were victory formation kneel downs. Yet he was frequently active on game day, occasionally preventing players who desperately needed NFL snaps to develop (Alton Robinson in particular).
Colby Parkinson was injured and blocked on the roster by the depth above him. His only meaningful reps were in garbage time in the Jets game blowout.
Steven Sullivan’s only active reps were on defense. Apparently, he was a great pass rusher in high school.
Where did the position group rank among NFL teams in terms of production?
Targets – 20th
Receptions – 20th
Receiving Yards – 22nd
Touchdowns – 21st
First Downs – 20th
Sensing a pattern here? Only 10-12 NFL teams got less production from their tight ends in 2020.
But in terms of cap dollars spent in 2020 on the position group? The Seahawks were eighth.
That’s right. Only seven teams in the NFL spent more than the Seahawks. Those are your teams paying Gronk, Weller, Ertz, Kelce, etc and making the tight end position a centerpiece of their offense.
$10 million dollars spent. That’s a Calais Campbell or a Jack Conklin.
Was this just a one-year anomaly? Were the coaching staff and Russell so focused on getting Metcalf and Lockett their targets they could not find touches for the group they had invested so much in?
Did everyone in the TE group just collectively have a terrible year?
Was the Olsen signing just a sop to Russell Wilson? And if so, was the $7m worth it?
How could it possibly be that this offense so frequently sputtered? Maybe because they were calling long-developing deep passes to David Moore on third and four and Russell Wilson was running for his life instead of targeting their first down makers?
With four active tight ends on most game days, why didn’t the staff employ some serious creativity in short yardage situations and have a multiplicity of ready options to bleed the clock, relieve a staggering defense or just plain put the game on ice? Was this a blind spot for Brian Schottenheimer?
Russell Wilson had a career-high 68.8 completion percentage. What could it have been if he had targeted the tight ends more?
Why couldn’t they blow defenses off the ball in the run game with 4 active tight ends? The answer to that of course is Willson, Hollister and even Olsen are nobody’s idea of road graders. So then, why collect 3 players with similar skill sets for a narrower-use position like tight end?
Were they so reactionary to their thin depth last year they zealously stocked their roster without considering what they would actually do with these players? Was Luke Willson’s ‘special spirit’ really so valuable during the no-fans COVID year they had to keep him on the active roster and never actually play him in games? They couldn’t have just signed him to the practice squad and had him deejay Techno Thursdays, while using his game day spot on players who could have contributed?
The Seahawks suffered a terrible amount of offensive confusion in 2020 despite their overall numbers. Nowhere was that confusion more readily evident than in the tight end group.
Offseason Questions to Address
1. So what do the Seahawks do now?
Do they get the band back together and bring Hollister back? What would motivate either side to do that?
What would it cost? Have the Seahawks set Hollister’s contract expectations at a $3m number with their tender?
Another season of collecting expensive players who are better pass catchers than blockers and then not throwing them passes is just as ridiculous as it sounds.
So what is the plan? Are Pete Carroll’s words about re-committing to the running game a signal that they will lean towards pursuing tight ends with better blocking skills?
Or will they be just as active pursuing pass catchers as they were last year? Can they solve their offensive woes with some off-season analysis and proper planning for 2021?
2. Is Will Dissly ever going to be the player we had hoped?
A season ending injury in 2018.
A season ending injury in 2019.
A dreary season in 2020.
It is very possible that his body needed 2020 to recover and he needed a season of practice and play to regain his trust in his legs after all those injuries.
He frequently was a key target for Russell in 2019 and they had some great trust and chemistry. Russell could throw a ball to Dissly when he was not widely separated from his defender and Dissly would come down with it.
Did having Greg Olsen on the roster disrupt that relationship? Or was Russell too enamoured with Metcalf? Or has Dissly lost a step and could not get into his breaks quickly enough to keep up with the rhythm and timing of the offense?
He is clearly the top option currently on the roster going into the offseason. A return to form and another full season in 2021 would be a huge step in the right direction and help the Seahawks maximize efficiency.
It would also be in his best financial interests. Dissly is a free agent in 2022.
He may never be a top end player but based on his ability and his play before those horrific injuries, he should be able to provide something far more impactful than he did in 2020.
It would appear he will have to find the same dedication he displayed in rehab and apply it to regaining some speed and his route-running ability this offseason.
3. What do they have in Parkinson? Do they bring Sullivan back?
Parkinson did not get much game action in 2020.
Sullivan got no tight end snaps, ended the season on the practice squad and is currently a free agent.
Pete Carroll has raved about both players.
Parkinson has gotten a lot of commendation for his blocking as well as his route running abilities. He had a couple nice catches in the Jets game and ran a seam route where he was wide open but not seen by the QB.
He seems on track to take the #2 tight end spot next year but currently he is not a known quantity. At the very least, he should have a role as a red zone box-out safety with his height, length and ball skills. One of those players that when he comes into the game, the defense knows he will be targeted but they still cannot stop him.
Sullivan has been modelled as a physical and testing ideal and a motivated player with an inspiring backstory. He had a strange journey in 2020. He was likely going to go undrafted but the Seahawks traded to snag him in the seventh round, signed him to a standard rookie 4-year deal and then cut and resigned him to the practice squad. Then they used him as an emergency pass rusher. Good night!
Sullivan is much closer to a project player than a useful piece you can plan on. We do not know the degree to which he stopped working as a tight end during the season and focused on being a pass rusher. Let’s hope that strange experiment hasn’t stunted his development.
Bsed on Carroll’s raves, they will try to bring him back in 2021. It is probably safe to assume he’ll be fighting for the 4th tight end spot in 2021 and may be a cut depending on roster construction.
Can these two players step onto the roster and give the team 15-20 quality snaps a game between them next year? The Seahawks are in a very tight cap situation. It would be a massive win for these two to join Will Dissly as their primary tight end group in 2021.
Rob’s Potential Draft Targets
Kyle Pitts is obviously going to go very early. I think Pat Freiermuth is a highly talented player who justifies the ‘baby Gronk’ moniker. He’s so fluid for his size, he contorts his body to make difficult catches and he has massive potential.
After that there are a couple of standout options. Brevin Jordan is a dynamic athlete and in the right offense has the potential to be highly productive. Kenny Yeboah is a big slot who does a great job creating a mismatch in the passing game.
A wild card option could be Notre Dame’s Tommy Tremble. He’s not much of a pass-catcher but he’s a tremendous run blocker. They could add him simply to be a dynamic full back. At SPARQ he ran a 4.20 short shuttle and jumped a 36 inch vertical.
Tre McKitty also might be a name to watch. He earned positive reviews for a consistent week at the Senior Bowl for his catching and blocking. While he’s not the fastest in terms of straight line speed, he ran a 4.13 short shuttle at SPARQ and jumped a 35 inch vertical.
It’s not a deep group though. The Seahawks need someone who can convert some third downs and a quality tight end should be a better option than we’ve seen in the Carroll era so far.
With so few picks I think they’d be better off signing Gerald Everett instead in free agency. The Seahawks place a lot of faith in agility at tight end. He ran a 4.33 short shuttle and a 6.99 three cone — both fantastic times. Plus he is familiar with Shane Waldron and the Rams offense and he plays with fire and a great attitude.
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What could be money(cap hit) for Everett?
PFF says $5m a year over three years. So low year one.
100 times than Hollister. I will not sign Hollister even on minimum deal he had some very bad games
Feels like he could be a possible target for sure depending on money.
Good work cha. I’d like an experienced TE, we already have enough youth at the position. Might be hard to find though. The hope is that the new OC makes more with Dissly and Parkinson. I was hoping that Colby would be used more given his ball catching skills, maybe next year.
Otherwise, yey I can see Senior Bowl 😀
Kellen Mond is looking horrible today
I liked KJ Britt, I hope Seattle doesn’t get creative with a new LB though.
Mond ended up getting the Sr Bowl MVP
Another good positional write-up cha. Thanks.
I have close to zero interest in employing any draft capital for the TE position. I like Dissley a lot, showed some real promise the previous two years, though I will admit that this season will be telling as to whether he can get back to and advance from that previous level post injury. He seems to have the heart and work ethic to do so, so I’m not writing him off, though we definitely need a plan B.
I’m a Pac 12 guy so was quite familiar with Parkinson. He torched the Huskies a few times on 3rd down in what weren’t the easiest beats. I took notice. He’s certainly got the size and moxie to carve out an NFL career of sorts. So I see him and Dissley being two out of our top three on the roster.
The question is who’s the other top three TE’s on the roster?
We’ve just have to develop a more sophisticated passing attack. It’s hard for me to properly evaluate the position as it stands now.
Anyway…good write-up again.
It’s my little girls fourth birthday today, so I’m watching the Senior Bowl on catchup.
It took two and a half minutes for Deonte Brown to give up a sack because he’s 40lbs overweight and just flat out bad.
He’d be an UDFA on my board.
Watching him on that screen play try to get out and make a block was so embarrassing he is definitely not getting drafted
Happy Birthday to your daughter, hope you spend some quality time together
Thanks
Bring him in as a FB.
When my daughter was four, she was a big Shawn Kemp fan. Even a four year old could tell what was unique and spectacular.
Enjoy the kiddos! They are the best.
Thanks
Wow. 4. That was 25 years ago for me. I have 3 daughters: 35, 29, 28. Cherish every single moment. I love them all so much! Also have 2 others, but we won’t name names! 🙂
Darn, I forgot the beginning of the prior post. Happy Birthday to your 4 year old!
Thanks Tom
Rob,
Got her breaking down fullback tape yet?
Working on it
PS> Now that we’ve got the OCing positions nailed down, the Jamal Adams contract situation is quickly becoming a redux of the Clowney situation last year, though with a couple of differences. It’s that gigantic first contractual domino again. God I hope they learned their lesson from last year. Whatever you do, at least do it with conviction and in a timely fashion.
Anyway…
I want them to set a deadline and stick to it. And that, to me, has to be before the start of the new league year. Either you get a deal done or you move him.
Also, set a hard limit on the salary and don’t get crazy with it. With the money we pay Adams we can get two safeties, so don’t overpay.
Another Senior Bowl player standing out is Patrick Jones II, but Steelers seem to be high on him.
Patrick Jones had the worst week of anyone in Mobile. Awful in practise.
Totally agree. The Clowney saga gave me a long lasting football headache last off-season, and their indecisiveness led to some of the weakest series of Plan B decisions that you’ve so painfully displayed time and again.
You would think that they realize they need to move on from most of this group. Hopefully they plan well first and then spend to fit the plans as I think you may very well be right in saying the may have overreacted to the previous year’s injuries and made stockpiling talent at TE a (semi-desperate) priority.
My concern is Dissly. I’m not sure another off-season will bring his play up to previous levels. He never had top end speed or anything and if all the serious injuries have permanently taken away some of his cutting/short area burst then he may never amount to much again and if I recall he suffered a patellar injury which can definitely be the type that a player never truly recovers from.
It’s very possible.
But I keep coming back to this 2020 offense headed by Schottenheimer. It’s not like Hollister and Olsen were lights out and Dissly was struggling to keep up.
I’d like to see what he can do with the new staff.
Something still “sticks in my craw” about the way the 2020 offense ended. There didn’t appear to be any adaptability and I refuse to think that any OC in the NFL can’t adapt to what the defenses are giving them…. either via game planning prior to the game or during the game “in game” adjustments. It is one of the 1+1 = 5 type of deals….. something doesn’t add up from the outside looking into the team.
Was it the HC, the OC, RW or some combination of all 3 (or more)?
My take was…. RW was locking into DK a bit too much on some plays and when DK was out a few plays or series of plays, he looked like the old RW.. distributing the ball to who was open (making good reads). But, the HC/OC should have been putting him in positions to succeed….. and sometimes he was put in tremendously difficult positions to pull plays off (pull rabbits out of hats).
I agree wholeheartedly. This felt like a stubborn tug o war between PC, RW, and Schotty. That RW could through shear determination and stubborn will power, they could throw deep despite every D game planning against it. They got away with it early because of their talent, but NFL defenses are too good for that. Hopefully they can be on the same page with the new OC and his assistant and actually develop a more flexible approach.
I was just thinking. It does stand to reason that if you draft a non pass rushing LB in the first round in Brooks, then you clearly see him as somewhat of a special talent. And if you do, then you probably want him him to become a regular fixture of your defense for years to come ASAP. Why play him somewhat out of position at OLB rather than his most effective position at ILB?
I do think that Bobby Wagner and his massive contract are going to come under intense scrutiny this off-season, or at least should. It’s unpleasant to think in such terms given his stature in the Seahawk pantheon of all time great franchise players. But you do have to think and act in regards to the salary constraints imposed on teams in the CBA in relation to the future success of the franchise. You just do.
I agree that the BW situation must be on the table as others have mentioned around here.
Agree 100% – Bobby’s status and contract should be examined.
But I think everyone needs to be prepared to see Bobby on the 2021 roster with a large cap hit.
It’s time for Pete to mix things up.
No sacred cows.
Half joking/half serious:
PC loves Bobby Wagner.
I know this because reporters asked him every week to declare his love and he did so without reservation.
Haha!
Very true. But Pete needs to go to Bobby and ask him to take a pay cut, otherwise he might have to move on.
Like Tyler Lockett. Love him, but hate third contracts, too.
I’m with you on that.
If only they had some picks to bring in an heir apparent.
Especially in this draft.
Any chance you think Bobby agrees to a reasonable pay-cut?
Wagner reset the ILB market two years ago off the back of the Jets’ ludicrous Mosley contract. He’s still making $3.5 mill more (avg/yr) than any ILB contract signed since.
The market says middle linebackers aren’t worth that much, and Bobby’s also lost a step since signing. He wouldn’t get the same deal on the open market.
Maybe.
They need to put that to him, though. Either you take a pay cut or you might get moved.
💯✔️:
Not being a sycophant with Rob, here (well, okay-sometimes I am-just not now); I sense a strong undercurrent going this direction in many of the posts today. Here’s my wish list, then:
-move early and decisively on Adams. Whichever way it goes, have a vision for what it will be, and stick to it
-Add at least two picks in the first 3 rounds (guess this sort of telegraphs which way I lean on item 1🤫)
-clear some cap
-hope for some relief on that front from the league/NFLPA in the wake of the league meetings. 🤞
I chuckled reading “guess this sort of telegraphs which way I lean on item 1”
The first step in admitting an problem is accepting that you have a problem! Get RID of the Adams!
There. Now on to step 2…
I don’t think they view WILL as out of position for Brooks. Weakside and middle linebacker are extremely similar positions in this defense, and could be called inside linebacker1 and inside linebacker2 for most of their calls
Great second half from Kellen Mond. Some big time plays.
Carter’s TD made me think of Marshawn. BTW Radunz is a great player.
I think ‘great’ is an overstatement. Mid-round OL, might need to kick inside.
True, by all means, not a top 10 pick. But if he lands in Seattle we can definitely work with him.
I’m not that excited about him to be honest. I think there are several others I’d prefer. Including our friend from UWW.
Final thought on the Senior Bowl.
I came away less excited about this draft class than I did coming in.
But I still want the Seahawks to get back into this draft badly, to target specific players who I think can really help this team improve in a big way in 2021.
How much money did Patrick Jones lose this week?
A ton.
I think two rounds he dropped.
I agree. Do you think this could be another year where the juniors make up the quality of the draft? My wish list for the Seahawks is for them to draft Quinn Meinerz and Javonte Williams, but it won’t happen if we don’t get back into Days 1-2 of the draft.
I am on board with your wish list, 100%.
I hope we get a shot at a decent WR, Lockett is not getting younger.
Tony Pauline getting my hopes up, saying the NFL should contact Jim Nagy in order to work out how they can put on a combine after a highly successful Senior Bowl.
Make it happen!
Almost 4000 tests and only one positive. That’s impressive.
Overall, the NFL did a pretty good job with testing and trying to keep the guys healthy.
Only a few teams had major slip-ups, but that was more a team problem than the NFL overall problem.
The COVID threat environment has increased tremendously the last month. With the South African CVOID strain being highly problematic, adding additional burdens upon an already outstretched health care system, ethically the combine should not happen in Indianapolis.
Absolutely no reason why a carefully managed, safe (albeit streamlined) combine couldn’t take place.
How well do Dissly and Parkinson block? How about Everett?
Fantastic article, cha. Really appreciate the work you put in on this!
Glad you enjoyed it. It’s really not work to me.
We really are so lucky to have you and Rob at our Seahawksian disposal!
I know that Dee Eskeridge is getting a lot of pub and deservedly so, but I’ve heard Demetric Feltons name a lot this week too.
He could fill the role Tavon had the first year or two in the offense. Imagine him on the jet sweeps.
Stafford and Goff trade. Rams just got tougher
Two firsts, Goff and a 3rd!!! Dang!
Can we trade Russ to Houston for two firsts, Watson, and a third?
The preceding post is not intended to be taken seriously.
And the Rams get two 3rd rounds (‘21 & ‘22) compensatory picks for losing Holmes to Detroit.
Well, they’ve mortgaged the future but in the short term, the Rams are gonna be dangerous. No more Goff goofs for the Seahawks.
!!!!
Rams will have $22.2m dead cap hit in 2021 for trading Goff and pay Stafford $19m in 2021.
So this pushes the Rams cap overage by about $7m if my math is right. About $37m over now.
Seahawks: “We don’t have salary cap room, we can’t make any big moves.”
Rams: “Hold my beer.”
Wowsers!
Also, RIP Colts fans.
This stafford Deal just got me thinking on how much we overpay the Jets on the Adams trade. Jesus
Don’t worry, we’ll likely overpay again when we give a safety 18 million a year.
I just cried a little…….because you’re likely correct.
Big time! We paid the price for a QB on a blitzing safety. Tough pill to swallow right now. I’m not 100% on board with trading Adams even though I’m a fan of the player.
*now
However let’s keep in mind that Adams is on his first contract and is 25.
Stafford is 33.
I forgot to add that I think the Adams trade was a mistake, and while I respect his skillset, JA should be traded for as big a haul as possible unless he can be signed for 12-14 million.
Scary aint it
Pete Carroll, ain’t it
That’s a great haul for the Lions.
NFC West could have Deshaun Watson, Russell Wilson, Kyler Murray and Matthew Stafford.
I’m not ok with this.
Also, to my mind, this drastically increases the probability of the Niners going balls-to-the-walls and trading for Deshaun. They are now the worst QB situation in the league by far.
Hey man, the more the merrier! Let’s be the toughest division and if Pete can’t keep up, then show him the door! (just sayin’)
Indy has Jacob Eason on the roster and nothing more.
My bad. I meant “in the division.”.
I like Matt Stafford but I’m kinda ‘meh’ about playing him twice a year.
The Seahawks struggle against McVay every time anyway. This doesn’t make them unbeatable or anything.
And they are completely all-in on the next two years now. They seem to be scared to death of Justin Herbert being in their building/city.
I don’t know, Rob. Stafford is a a better QB so it will be interesting how he does in Sean’s offense. But if he is only marginally better, it might not make that much difference. We’ll have to see when the teams start playing next year.
They gave up a lot for this to happen, we’ll have to see if it pays off.
Yes he’s better. But it’s still Matt Stafford.
Right!
I think it’s a bad deal for the Rams. They didn’t upgrade. Its slightly better for above average. Also dont think McVay liked losing a couple of his top guys to a divisional rival besides the ‘inside info’ stuff.
I think, they pretty much knew they overpaid massively on Goff. And McVay and his FO energetically acted to fix the situation. I’m just not sure that Stafford is the solution.
But what did they really gave away? A pair of first rounders they obviously don’t need?
I suspect they feel that while ever they have Aaron Donald & Jalen Ramsey they can plug holes in the rest of the defense on the fly — and with a competent QB + McVay they can work around any holes on offense.
They are spread very thin though.
Let’s just pray, that the 2021 Hawks edition is not even thinner.
Plus, you’re entirely right. IMO, they are completely sound in their thinking. They improved their OL game from dead last to #3, with mid round rookies. When they continue to hit on mid round guys, things will turn out well.
Offense: complementary RB, TE, depth at WR, C and depth LT
Defense: complimentary Edge, corner and a MIKE.
Even if they trade back into the 100-150 range, taking on three picks, there are valid options to delve into:
– Trey Sermon, RB, Ohio State
– Drake Jackson, C, Kentucky
– Daelin Haynes, DE, Notre Dame
– Elerson Smith, DE, Western Iowa
– Jonathon Cooper, DE, Ohio State
– Dazz Newsome, WR,, North Carolina
– Simi Fehoko, WR, Stanford
– Brady Chrisensen, T, BYU
– Robert Hainsey, T, Notre Dame
– Cameron McGrone, LB, Michigan
– Paris Ford, S, Pitt
– Israel Mukuamu, CB, North Carolina
– Thomas Graham Jr, CB, Oregon
Haven’t studied the TE class yet. Keith Taylor, CB, Washington, whom I conceived a mid round target, may have played himself into top 50 consideration.
Agreed. Would love them to get Dazz Newsome or Ihmir Smith-Marsette from Iowa at receiver, Israel Mukuamu at CB, and a center. Center or Guard should be the first pick unless a dynamic talent like Javonte Williams or (fingers really crossed) Najee Harris drops into striking distance. TE i like at the end of the draft or UDFA is Tony Poljan from Virginia2021/Central Michigan (2018-20). He may be a bit to similar to Dissly as a blocker with soft hands but he has a real knack for getting open against zones and making tough catches in traffic. He will contribute somewhere in the NFL. I would be content with 4 pick that covered those and fill out with cap cast off free agents worst case. Would love to have more bites at the 2-5 round range though if they can swing some picks.
I really think with Stafford the Rams are head and shoulders better then the Seahawks it’s actually scary not to mention they have proved they don’t need 1st round picks to stay competitive
wow, love the activity… but my immediate thought: rams overpaid, by a lot.
The cap details on this are very interesting: https://twitter.com/JuMosq/status/1355720904181952519
Interesting how the Rams wanted Goff outta there at all costs – I’m not even sure that it was about drastically upgrading from Goff than it was about dumping Goff’s contract.
This also sets Detroit up in a variety of different ways. Either they invest a high R1 on BPA or take their future QB and groom behind Goff. They also now have two years of two R1s, so building around that young QB will be much easier. Plus, per the tweet, the Goff contract is not really all that terrible for the Lions.
Fascinating to see which team is better off 2-3 years from now.
Might take longer. Those first rounders are 2022 and 2023.
Fun fact: The Rams have not made a first round pick since trading for Goff, and they won’t until 2024 barring a trade to net one.
Goff trade part I, Cooks trade, Ramsey trade, and now Goff trade part II.
*2019 they had a first round pick but traded down out of the first round.
I think its a win for the lions.. 100%.. 3 draft picks and a QB thats atleast serviceable for a top picl to sit behind..
They essentially bought a draft pick or two and a qb thats above average..
First time I’ve said these words in a very long time….” I like what the Lions have done here”.
They appear to be looking at a long range rebuild. It would be nice to see them get better just as ut was with the Brownies this year. Moribund franchises becoming relevant is always enjoyable (unless they’re in the NFC West).
I think, this trade was win-win.
Matt Stafford can really inhalate a playbook, manage a game with few errors and can make any throw. He is just what McVay needs at QB.
Jared Goff will get his chance in Detroit. If it works, the Lions will look like geniuses trading a young #1 pick and still getting two frist rounders. IMO, its 50/50. Goff will get, what he lacked the last two seasons… a need to compete to stay in the NFL. The Lions could also draft a mid round talent like Kellen Mond oder Jamie Newman, to assert pressure.
If it doesn’t work, the Lions will be unbelievable bad, picking in the Top 5 in 2022. Goff will then be offloaded like a hot potato, and the Lions will draft or trade for a replacement.
The problem is the fact, that the 2022 QB class will be bad.
This deal is similar to when Houston paid Cleveland a 2nd round pick to take Brock Osweiler and his $16m cap hit off their hands.
The Rams were that desperate to get rid of Goff.
So they paid dearly for extending Gurley too soon, and now are paying for extending Goff too soon.
They would have a ton of dead cap if they didnt trade goff.. but also take on dtaffords contract which is less .. 33.5m vs 27m.. and hes better so..
Im glad the rams spent so much for him.. hes an upgrade, but its matt stafford…..
We shall see
wonder if the lions can trade goff again before the season starts… “buying” first round picks!?
I think they might cut him
Good so now we know for sure Watson does not go to Rams. Please 49ers trade Jimmy and two firsts for Wentz and we’re good 😀
I’m still saying Wentz ends up in Indy with Reich who was his OC when he didn’t suck.
I’m disappointed that their won’t be a combine this year. I understand COVID 19 is dangerous, but it can be as or more dangerous for a 19 year old to drive to a team practice. I’ve had family get sick with Covid, they don’t have any pre-existing conditions mind you, but my sister, her kids, husband recovered and are back to work/life. My cousins had a bit harder time but they’re rather heavy and
much older.
I do hope that team doctors can take a look on players, often times heart conditions and spinal issues can go undetected.
This is not a political statement, I just think it’s a bit overblown for a sport with many healthy individuals who run into each other full contact for a job.
The main point for me is it is FAR more dangerous to have numerous schools host pro days with people from all over the country attending, than it is to have a one-location environment with a strictly managed testing system and organised social distancing.
The NFL really F-d this one up. They’ve basically washed their hands of this problem and put it on to the schools.
Agree. Guessing it’s a liability thing as in they don’t want to risk being held liable because it’s their organized function.
Is Stephens even on the team still?
If Goff gets that much, what the heck will Watson get??
Wow the Rams really don’t like to first round draft picks didn’t they trade a couple picks for ramsey now stafford for 2 more.i am not sure if this is true but I think Rams ask goff to take a pay cut he declined that they couldn’t wait for him to get out of the building.i don’t think the Seahawks should invest too much in tight end.why Superbowl years Zach Miller was there mostly just to block or dump off it was always either kearse or baldwin wasn’t it.and jimmy graham was somebody who Russ seem to over throw once the Seahawks got in the red zone. I could be wrong but Graham and olsen were semi forgettable why invest in it
If you are a veteran player on the Rams you should be very concerned
Even at his age, Whitworth is a bargain at that price.
Unrelated note. Wow… If Jared Goff can be traded with that enormous cap hit for Stafford’s enormous cap plus two first rounders than I’m much more convinced anything can happen this offseason.
Lol
They had to do what they had to do to get out of that massive Goff contract.
I’m curious to see whether it’s Stafford himself who is just ‘meh’ or Stafford on the ‘meh’ Lions. The #1 defense in the NFL having your back will surely be a welcome change to him.
Guess he did have a good defense once in 2014:
https://twitter.com/idkwhyiwatch/status/1355737168447107074/photo/1
I thought I read recently that Sullivan got poached. Was he released again that quickly? (too lazy this morning to look it up)
I had seen that too about Sullivan, though I can’t remember the source, or exactly how long ago. Anybody have a solid update on that one?
Ah-he had a free agent visit with Carolina on Jan. 22, but nothing in the article claimed any deal was made.
Think he was having a tryout in Carolina.
How will the Hawks EVER rushn the passer next season without Sully?
Bring back Sully, bring back Sully, bring…………….!!
I was really bummed when I heard Sully isn’t part of the team anymore. Guess will just be a 6-10 next year…
Talk about trying to win now, trading smart(er) & betting on your coaching/scouting ?!
Very jealous of the Rams thru ‘22 – particularly top of their roster.
Adding a great QB (at 22APY!) to a great D
NFCW is going to be fierce; Especially if Niners respond in kind.
I think we still got the best QB in NFC West, it’s just a matter of building a roster that allows him to perform at maximum skills.
🍿🍿🍿 (as long as it’s not to the 9ers…)
Stay in the AFC please! Dolphins or Jets would be fine.
If Brees bows out and Rodgers keeps suffering ‘oh so close’ demoralizing defeats Russ will be the only NFC sheriff in town here pretty quick.
I guess Brady could play until he’s 50 but that supply of vampire blood has to run out eventually doesn’t it? The day it does he will just turn into dust.
Rob i truly appreciate all the constant, well thought out and in depth content you have provided since the season ended.
It’s surprisingly helped me get through our unnecessary early exit from the playoffs much easier.
Curtis for the positional reviews
You and Robbie’s Podcasts as well as the others you’ve put up.
The Talk with Jim Nagy was an Excellent podcast really enjoyed it.
Talking draft on Cleveland was great, glad you were able to share your great analysis with others.
The Senior Bowl coverage.
The mock drafts and player break downs.
Everything since the season ended has been on point.
Your post after our new OC hire. Nice to be pleasantly surprised once in awhile.
Was definitely worried on what could have been there.
The Adams Article was so dead on. I can’t believe it’s already been that long. It seems like yesterday i complained how much i hated it when they made it. My feelings have never changed.
They brought up your article on KJR 950 the other day. Ofcourse they’re saying they’re hearing most we would get a 2nd at best. I definitely don’t agree with that assessment. Obviously you don’t either. There are a few good fits out there. We just aren’t one of them.
I remember right after the season ended you commented how the Seahawks needed to make a decision with JS. If they believe he’s the man for the job then extend his contract. No reason to wait. Followed up by they need to look outside for OC; and make a decision on Adams quickly.
Well two down and as hoped. Both were fairly quick.
Hopefully the 3rd goes the same.
Adams needs to go in my opinion as well. Unless there is no market for him which i would find hard to believe.
I’m hoping we can land a 2021 1st & 3rd. Anything more I’d be surprised, but happy. As long as his physical post surgeries goes well, I’m guessing his value should stay around there.
Again thanks for all the great content by you and the others.
A godsend for me. Looking forward to your thoughts on what we need to do to move forward in 2021.
A Happy B-day to your daughter as well.
One other thing; Of topic a bit. Any thoughts on Orlando Brown Jr. as a possible acquisition. Obviously an Adams trade would need to come before i can see us doing much of anything on the trade front though.
Cheers,
Scot
Thanks Scot, that was a really nice message to read. I didn’t know they’d mentioned the article on KJR so good to hear (even if they countered it a bit).
I think with Brown, you’re looking at a R1 pick plus for a guy who wants to play LT now and would command huge money. I don’t think it’s likely in any situation really.
👍
Holy Cow
The trade to start off the offseason……. now who will get dealt next!
Only managed to watch the first half of the senior bowl game yesterday, but a player who stood out to me was CB Benjamin St Juste. Obviously a very Seahawky frame but was also making some great plays on the ball. What sort of range is he expected to go?
I haven’t studied him personally. Anyone else watched him?
Yes! My guy!
https://seahawksdraftblog.com/why-the-seahawks-should-trade-jamal-adams#comment-555644
Not sure about range; hasn’t gotten much buzz this week besides the couple PBU’s yesterday.
All I can say is: we’ve been scouting “Seahawky” CBs for a long time now, and he jumped out at me after watching the first two days of 1v1s. Still need to check his tape though, especially for tackling.
Thanks man, I’ll have a look back at his 1v1 stuff. I watched a highlight tape of him that shows him making tackles, obviously not a measure of if he does it consistently, but the willingness to get in there is there.
No prob, glad you brought him up again. I just watched highlights right now too and he tackled well, even lined up in the box a couple times and fought through blocks.
I also found that he ran a 3.86 short shuttle at the Opening 2016! (@188 lbs.)
4.58 40yd
3.86 SS
36.6 Vert
I’m already pretty much sold on him as our next CB project. Just looking at the list of those with 32″ arms and watching the drills, I thought he by far had the best feet and hips out there.
Plus, he’s from Canada, so we know we can get Trevor on board the train easily… 😜
Zero career INTs isn’t great, though. 10 PBU in 2019 at least, fwiw…
Hmmm, Oct 2019 coach said he’s “quiet”
But he sure is talkin on Twitter. Easy way to see some of his PBUs from this week compiled (re-tweeted) together:
https://twitter.com/benj_juice?lang=en
That does look like a physical ideal for a Seahawks corner prospect, the lack of picks is a problem our secondary has been pretty poor at making interceptions the last couple years other than Diggs.
Would be great to snag him day 3 and sit him behind Sherm for a year to work on that aspect of his game.
Indeed, that would be the idea.
4.58 seems a bit slow. I’d feel he needs to get help over the top all the time
1. That time was in high school, so he’s probably faster now.
2. Sherm ran 4.53
3. He looked just fine running with the WRs this week.
Good summary. TE was arguably the weakest position on the team. Those one last year vet signings (almost in any sport) can often either be a key cog in a title run or a total waste. I felt like they always planned to trade, renegotiate or cut Hollister but maybe the injuries to Colby and then Olson gave them pause. Hollister is OK as niche 3rd TE but this is 2 playoff loss in a row where he looks like he doesn’t belong physically or want the ball. Parkinson seems to be a McVay style TE and maybe one of the practice squad guys take a step forward. Would like Everett on a reasonable deal.
Just gonna leave this here again, in case it maybe got swallowed up in all the Jamal trade talk…
Kam Chancellor, S, Virginia Tech: 6032, 231, 33.00 arm, 76 1/2 wing, 9.5 hand
Divine Deablo…, S, Virginia Tech: 6033, 226, 32.75 arm, 79 1/8 wing, 9.5 hand
https://twitter.com/HokiesFB/status/1338189444508213255
4 INT this season as a 5yr Sr.
Really eager to watch his games and learn his story.
Oooh, somebody approves…
https://twitter.com/KamChancellor/status/1338341544903004164
Oh, wow. He came to VT as a WR and only switched to DB after his redshirt season. Then he switched from FS to SS his last final year.
This is really good progress for a player so new to that side of the ball:
Having trouble finding his SPARQ numbers, but he had offers from a ton of big schools, including Clemson, Florida, Georgia, Ohio St.
I can think of someone who switched from WR to DB and then helped us get to the SB two times.
Pretty sure Cam switched from QB to Safety…
I meant Sherman, WR to CB.
What could be his draft range? R2-R3?
Probably not. I’m thinking more early day 3, R4 or R5. Or maybe that’s just me subconsciously knocking him down so the Hawks will have a better shot at him.
It’s hard to really say confidently at this point. I just try to think: is he a top 100 player in this draft? Cause that’s what it means to be selected in R1-R3.
https://www.nfl.com/news/seahawks-jamal-adams-i-d-run-through-a-brick-wall-for-pete-carroll
Jamal Adams seems pretty happy where he is right now, and I have to be honest I’d be stunned if they traded him. Is it way too optimistic to think he loves being here enough to be reasonable with his contract demands despite what we gave up for him?
I would recommend going back and looking at what he said about being with the Jets 12 months ago.
He was part of the combine coverage during the DB on-field workouts. Spent the whole broadcast talking about how happy he was now, that the issues with the Jets were in the past, that he was at home in New York, that they were going to sort things out with a new contract… etc etc.
Meanwhile the GM Joe Douglas said at the combine: “the plan is for Jamal to be a Jet for life”
Look how that turned out.
They couldn’t imagine that a team would be so desperate as to offer QB compensation for him.
Let’s hope some other team feels that they desperately need Adams this off season, and makes us an offer we cant refuse.
I get why the Rams did this trade – even at the cost they paid – they’re all in during the prime of their best defensive players – and felt they were one big piece away. getting rid of Goff’s deal obviously a key part of it from their perspective.
haven’t watched Stafford as much of late, b/c Detroit has been such an uninspiring team- but he will clearly be hungry and into it. I always thought Goff was good – subject to a key factor – O-line protection (which I guess you could say about every QB), when he had time, he made all the throws. Does Stafford have more mobility, playmaking ability, not sure.
One thing to note about the Rams going into a new season, their coaching staff has really been picked over. At some point, as we Hawks fans know too, that takes its toll.
I also get why they made the trade, as sometimes you just have to take a chance, like the Hawks did with Adams. They’re clearly betting a lot on their belief Stafford will be an upgrade from Goff. Personally I think they are correct in that belief, but I’m not sure he’s enough of an upgrade to justify the fairly high cost they paid! We’ll see how well it works out. Stafford does have some injury history they should be concerned about as well.
Its certainly possible a big reason for the trade was the Lambs wanted to get rid of Goff’s terrible contract, even though they incur a pretty high dead cap hit this year.
We should feel really lucky though that they didn’t figure out a way to trade for Watson, man that would have been the worst case scenario. Let’s also hope that SF doesn’t figure out a way to bring Deshaun to the Bay!
I think it also shows the NFL is inching closer to the NBA model.
Trading contracts instead of players.
While I also understand the Rams trade. It’s nothing like the Seahawks trafe for Adams. The Rams trades have been for premium positions. Also they have been pieces they felt were making themselves contenders. Both Ramsey and Stafford trades made absolute sense. Even if expensive.
We needed pass rush and front 4 pressure to help us fix what we were lacking.
So we way overpay for a position we didn’t need. Then have to scheme for him to get sacks making our pass coverage weaker. While Adams is a great player it was a horrible trade; that made 0 sense on so many levels.
Dunlap is far more important to this team in my opinion as is Reed.
Maybe the Seahawks did for some reason thought Adams was a piece to put them over the top. I just don’t see the how our why. Hopefully they see what is obvious and fix it, unlike the passrush last year. They need to trade Adams and address greater needs.
I don’t disagree with much of what you said Scot. My point in bringing up the trade for Adams is only that the Hawks were trying to go for it, similar to what I think the Rams are doing by trading for Stafford.
I understand QB is a premium position, but is Stafford really a premium QB? They gave up a lot to add a good (not great) player. Two R1 picks plus a former #1 overall pick for Stafford seems like an awful lot, even if Goff is a disappointment.
I’m not sure how the Adams situation is going to play out, but I think there’s a reasonable chance they trade him if the compensation is good enough. The Hawks need picks and Adams should have some trade value.
I think most are in the trade Adams camp. If we can get value. If not a 1st & 3rd. I think I’d even take 36 & 50 from Miami at this point.
If we do keep him I just don’t want to see us go over 15m.
Absolutely no question the Hawks gave up to much for Adams, and Rob has pointed out many times it was a move made out of desperation. When they didn’t get Clowney back, or sign any other top DL talent, they went all in on Adams.
Obviously don’t think they would make that same trade a year later, although Adams is a very good player.
Picks 36 and 50 wouldn’t be to terrible I guess, although it would be nice to get 18 from Miami so we can get back into the first round. John would probably trade back three times so he can get more picks. I just can’t see the Hawks standing pat with 3-4 total picks.
Stafford is a very good QB but won’t be the difference-maker to threaten the Hawks as long as we take care of our own business this off-season. But taking the long view, I gotta say I’m pretty happy about a division rival taking themselves out of the first round for the foreseeable future! For the Rams this might be classic short-term gain, long-term pain.
Sheil Kapadia grading the trade an A for the Lions and a C for the Rams on The Athletic.
I think he I can be the difference maker, in the 3 games in which we faced Goff last year. Goff missed some easy throws that any consistently above average QB would make. Not to mention Mcvay has owned the Seahawks since he started coaching for the Rams.
John I couldn’t agree more stafford and Mcvey are going to dominate the Seahawks even more then they all ready do
A prediction: DeShaun Watson will not be on a roster by opening day. I believe the Texans will dig their heels in because that’s who they are, a POS franchise. I don’t think Watson will cave either.
Feel bad for the kid and I sincerely hope hen does get traded (AFC please as mentioned here previously).
I have a feeling you may be right but Houston needs draft capital badly and they need to rebuild the team.
Indy should be all in on getting Watson. Man that team would be something then!
There is as much chance of Russell Wilson going to San Fran as Watson going to the colts it will never happen
I don’t feel bad for him at all.
He signed a massive new contract with the Texans a year ago.
Can’t be that bad.
I dont either. They are a dumpster fire of an organization, no arguments there.
Agree. He knew the organization and Bob as HC yet signed the extn. He will reluctantly play for Texans till the org feels to move on.
I feel like the Rams and Niners have the two best non-QB rosters in the NFC West. Not only am I worried that the Rams upgrading their QB from terrible to fine will be enough to win the division, I’m also worried that this puts more pressure on the Niners to push a Watson deal through to keep up. If we no longer have the edge at QB in this division, the rest of this roster isn’t making up the difference.
Question: Would the Hawks have made the same deal as the Lions – trade R Wilson for Goff and the draft picks? Stafford and Wilson are the same age. I wouldn’t. Think the Rams got in a hole extending Gurley and Goff.
No, we don’t do that deal.
Keep in mind they have the #7 pick this year and Stafford wanted out. Plus, Russ is better than Stafford IMO.
And the picks from the Rams the next two years will likely be in the mid 20’s, barring catastrophe.
Great write up Cha, you’ve really nailed it again. Enjoy your little girls birthday Rob! Out of all the decisions this offseason, the Olson signing was my least favorite. It was cool for DK to have a teammate in common with his dad, but I think PC gets caught up in cool stories a bit too much. Its going to be interesting to see how the change at OC is going to change player types, and team needs.
Happy hawk, only if the Hawks and Rams weren’t in the same division, would it be a possibility but Goff is overpaid and not that great so wouldn’t make much sense anyway in my opinion. The Texans is the team I’d love to make a QB swap with, but I don’t think Russ would take that move.
Unfun fact:
Chris Carson only managed to get 20 touches in a game once this season.
Unfun Fact 2
He was in only 13 games, including playoffs… with 195 total touches.
As much as I respect and admire Carson’s heart and rugged running style, I have somewhere between little and no faith in him as being bell cow back for us in the next few years. In other words, no way I pay him the money that signifies that. As of now, I don’t think any other team pays him that either.
I think we need to expend some draft capital at the position, as little of it that we have. I don’t think we can afford to play wait-and-see with Penny at this point. I haven’t put him on the *bust* shelf yet, but he’s looking more and more like a day three pick at best now.
That’s terrible. You can’t be a dominant run first offense when you’re too scared to get your RB injured. It’s absolutely critical that they draft a running back. It’s also critical for them to draft and/or sign an iOL as well. If only we had the money and draft stock…
I woke up this morning to read of the Goff/Stafford trade. What a bizarre trade. I really had to think for some time about who was the winner of the trade, or, better put, which end I would prefer to be on?
At first blush, I immediately thought the Lions with the draft capital they accrued. But then I thought what Lion fans must think…they gave up THAT much to us to get Stafford? What kind of an albatross did we just get saddled with at the most important position in professional team sports? To the casual Lion’s fan who doesn’t get much into the weeds of draft capital, they’ve certainly got some PR work to do.
Then I came around to the Rams. Is Stafford really going to be that much of an upgrade for the price they paid in cutting bait with Goff? Stafford’s got arm talent galore, but has he ever consistently displayed the kind of moxie and leadership from the position to think he’s going to advance your divisional and playoff aspirations from where they are now? I guess they’ve made the bet that their coaching staff and the talent around him will add some real delta to his game.
This trade is going to be a real wait-and-see thing for me. The proof-in-the-pudding is not so easily recognizable to me now.
See, I don’t find it bizarre at all. I think it was a fair trade that made perfect sense and a win-win.
Word was already out weeks ago of the rift between McVay and Goff and Stafford had already publicly requested a trade. Both teams felt the had gotten as far as they could with their respective QB.
For the Lions, instead of just taking a R1 pick this year which they reportedly were offered from several teams, they get a greater future haul and a bridge QB while they rebuild.
The bizarre move for me was the Rams giving Goff the monster extension even though they clearly weren’t very convinced of him. And that’s the only reason they had to give up as much capital as they did to dump him now.
Is Stafford an upgrade? I think it’s a shot well worth taking for the Rams to find out. Look at this image of the defense and run game rank Stafford has had to support him in Detroit:
https://mobile.twitter.com/idkwhyiwatch/status/1355737168447107074/photo/1
Now he will have a top 3 defense and good, creative run game to lean on and support his arm talent.
Will the Rams be in cap hell soon? Maybe. Or maybe not if the new TV deal is as big as expected. Either way, at least they went all in and shot their shot when they had two generational players in Donald and Ramsey.
Fair enough. Perhaps bizarre wasn’t the word I was really reaching for.
Goff hit the jackpot. Much like Dallas with Prescott, they were forced to pay market rate… which was 35-40M / year. You can thank RWs contract for that and then Mahomes really blew the doors off with his deal.
Ultimately I believe the winner is the Rams, only because they got rid of a 100M albatross off their neck. Pressure is on Snead to deliver the good in FA and with limited draft capitol. Stafford is a competent QB and can give you 1-2 years of service for a reduced rate…. and increasing your fiscal flexibility in starting 2022… specifically leading into 2023.
The Lions were rebuilding anyway, so might as well have Goff take some Ls for you, fighting for a top 10 pick in 2022. Got a few draft picks, but they now have reduced spending ability in FA for the next few years, unless they rework the Goff deal. Not ideal when you (and everyone acknowledges) are rebuilding.
Rams only have 3 native picks left this year (R2, R6, E7), but then, if I’m not mistaken, they get 3 R3 comps cause of that stupid new rule and Fowler and a likely R4 for a Littleton. So they are not actually that bad off. (Imagine what a godsend those picks would be to the Seahawks right now…)
As for the Lions, I think you focus on the draft anyways the next 2 years while you find and groom your QB of the future, then you spend big in 2023 FA to surround him with talent while he’s still on his rookie deal.
I don’t think Stafford is an upgrade over Goff. Goff was in the doghouse for turnovers and “lack of improvement”. Stafford is not great with turnovers, either. And has he ever lifted the Lions out of mediocrity? No. He’s also immobile. To me, Stafford is a sideways move.
If only the Seahawks had a great pass rush that they could use to tee off on Stafford.
Agree 💯.
It’s also weird to me that they paid Goff like they did. That’s ‘all in, no doubts in our mind, he’s the guy at the QB position for us’ type $.
Crazy to think if they’d just let Goff play his rookie contract out + the 5th year option they could just walk away this year with no dead cap hit and no extra picks in return for taking Goff on.
👀 Man! Your right. That’s absolutely wild to think about.
The Seahawks could trade for Kelce who will win the mvp next Sunday and results would slightly increase. For whatever reason Russel Wilson ability to involve the tight end has gotten worse with each new mega contract. Long gone are the days of Zach Miller and Anthony McCoy. They did in fact trade for Kelce…ahem Jimmy Graham and it was a bad trade. To give your qb the tallest and most athletic tight end in the league…and the only pass he can throw to him is a fade. Bevell knew something about Russel that we did not when he called all those fades on third down…maybe it was fear of turnovers or 20 yard sacks which are essentially a turnover. All pro tight ends and Russel Wilson are like shit on a shingle.
100% bias from only reading SDB… but this is my current fantasy draft list:
Aaron Banks
Milton Williams
Divine Deablo
Landon Dickerson
Benjamin St Juste
Let’s see them turn around and deal Goff to one of these teams who were interested and keep stockpiling even more picks…
And as for anyone who thinks the 49ers aren’t actively trying to upgrade from Jimmy G…
I love the move by the Lions.
Acquired two first round picks for a player who was on the way out, to kick off what will likely be a three-year rebuild anyway.
Now acquired a QB who is either an asset to trade for MORE stock, or someone who is a viable starter either short or long term.
Yup. They pay 25m this year and 22m next or something like that in years they will spend rebuilding anyways.
And thank goodness this didn’t happen:
Now I just wonder if the Texans will follow suit. Different situation, obviously, but not that different. Outside of Tunsil and Fuller on the last year of his deal, they have a bunch of aging players around Watson and not much talent. Hopkins long gone. JJ. Watt sounds done there too. If I’m them, I follow Detroit’s footsteps and give the new regime a clean slate to start undoing O’Brien and McNair’s mess.
If I were them, I would trade Watson for a haul.
It seems past the point of no return. There’s no point prolonging the agony.
But I think they’ll do the opposite.
I always liked what the Rams did (or what they said they did I suppose) when they put the #2 pick in 2012 up for bid.
They told all teams they had a certain deadline. Send your best offer by that deadline and they’d take the best offer. They netted three first round picks (One of them was #6) and a second round pick.
Blockbuster.
I’d trade him too. And like I said yesterday, I think they’ll dig their heels in and not do so. McNair after all.
It seems unbelievable to me that the Texans would dig in their heels and hold onto Watson, just for spite. I know stranger things have happened so this isn’t out of the question, but man how dumb of a move would this be.
Watson is a top QB in his prime, under contract for the next several years, a proven performer, an so on. If they play this situation right (or even close to right) they can command an absolute haul for him and get on with the rebuild under new leadership (GM and head coach at least). Watson wants out and it doesn’t seem like the relationship is repairable, so they should load up on picks and perhaps a good young player.
Oh I could not agree more. And they eventually traded Duane and Clowney when they wanted out so maybe I’ll be wrong.
4000 word off-season plan coming tomorrow. My plan, not a projection.
Mock draft later in the week.
Another instalment of Curtis’ position reviews.
Maybe a podcast? Maybe another interview (I’m working on an exciting one).
That’s the week ahead.
Thanks Rob! Keep it coming
Where’s the fawning puff piece on Goff that simultaneously manages to trash bloggers, analytics people, Troy Aikman and Sean McVay?
Oh. Never mind. Michael Silver’s got that covered already.
Incredible article from a smug, obnoxious weirdo.
Nice. And you already explained step 1 in detail: trade Jamal…
Content is a beautiful thing. Looking forward to all of it.
Trade Adams!
So my guess is their offense will look for more deep plays, perhaps drafting a speedy WR with their R2 pick. Some have posited it would be interesting to bring in Marvin Jones too.
AJ Green, keep an eye on where he lands.
He would be a nice #2 WR with DK as the #1 and Lockett the #3 in the slot.
Good mixture of experience and size as well as some speed inside and outside with this look.
**He also makes some sense for the Rams (and a handful) of other teams needs some WR help.
I must admit: the thought of McVay actually being able to run his full offense without being held back by his QB’s turnovers and limitations is pretty scary…
He has had some durability issues the last 2 seasons, but he can “routinely” toss a deep ball unlike Goff.
Yet he/they still beat the Seahawks. 🙁
SMDH
Details on the offers made for Stafford and interest. As said above, if I’m the Lions, I call and see if anyone is interested in offering this kind of package for Goff…
What McVay wanted:
Interesting stat:
https://www.si.com/nfl/2021/02/01/mmqb-super-bowl-week-matthew-stafford-trade-negotiations-los-angeles-rams
I’m not saying Stafford isn’t a good QB, but he’s quite far from Brees, Rodgers, Wilson and Big Ben. But it makes sense to have all the mentioned NFL teams give it at go at him, as he is an improvement over what they currently have. I think the Jets have better options though. And he’s better than Goff, but not scary better. Watson would have been a much better deal for the Rams and the price would have been somewhat similar, I’m glad they didn’t go there.
We don’t know if the price for Watson would have been somewhat similar, I would argue the price for Watson will be much steeper, and to the point, where Rams can’t compete without offering at least a top 5-10 pick among other 1st round picks.
Rams also could only make a deal with a team willing to take Goff’s contract to fir their salary cap constraints, so that limits their options.
Agree on the price for Watson Rokas
Exciting interview possibility coming up this week. In the process of being arranged.
This is interesting view on first round picks… I think i read somewhere that only 50% of first rounders sign multiyear second contract… And thats for all 1st rounders, not late ones…
https://twitter.com/CableThanos_/status/1184255531147390976
😀
It’s so simplistic for that person to say firsts are overrated.
You could also point to the number of big flop trades and make the same case.
Judge every class and every trade on its own merits.
How can the Rams feel justified in trading away so many first round picks?
They’ve got one of the best players in the world in Aaron Donald.
How did they acquire him again?
#logicloopshurtmybrain
Say what you want about first round picks, I guarantee you that the percentage of success goes downhill from there.
There’s probably a reason this “former NFL VP” has title “former NFL…” in his resume. Probably because he’s a moron who was fired. First round picks are your best chance at adding extra picks. That means something.
Just a rumor, but… lateral move?
Oh that’s another trade I’d find great for us, perhaps even better than Wentz.
IMO, it’s a lateral move to trade for Cousins (although I’d love to see it happen).
To me, other than trading for DW, the only real upgrade that the Niners could get at QB would be Matt Ryan. Don’t know if the Falcons would want to trade him, but if the Niners traded Jimmy G and a 3rd in a post-June 1 move, Ryan actually ends up being cheaper than Garroppolo. Not saying Aiyuk and Mostert are 2016 Julio and Devonta Freeman, but Ryan and Shanahan are an exceptional duo.
Personally, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Niners even offer a 2nd and Jimmy G after June 1 so that they can have a real shot at matching the NFC West’s QB battle.
Actually, now that I think about it, a R2 and Jimmy G is unrealistic. I’d imagine a sole R2 or two R3s and Jimmy would get it done if the Falcons had interest.
Shanny loves Kirk
I like this comp from Breer. Fits well and would be a great pick for the Seahawks:
With the QB market heating, wonder if Geno gets some interest from other teams and/or his price tag spikes a bit.
I’d love to see Tyrod Taylor as QB2.
Not sure he’s affordable and would want a job where the chances are he’ll play are nil.
Definitely a step up from Geno imo.
Yeah, he should be looking for a place where he will have a chance to start. Washington, Carolina, maybe even Indy.
@Rob: https://i.giphy.com/media/9SIXFu7bIUYHhFc19G/giphy.webp
😉
SDB right now: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DoUV7Q1C1SU
https://12thmanrising.com/2021/02/01/seahawks-tyler-lockett-trade/2/
The talk is starting…
I love Tyler Lockett. Can’t say that enough.
But that Miami R2…….well, it certainly gives us some options.
Same. I doubt you can get pick 36 for him but they should do it if they can.
Minnesota got pick 22 for 27 year old Stefon Diggs, locked into a very team-friendly 4 year contract.
If somebody wants to give us a high 2nd round pick for 1 year of 29 year old Lockett, well, stranger things have happened. But it’s unlikely.
I rarely wax poetic about the Falcons front office, but how on God’s green earth did they get the Patriots to surrender a R2 for an agressively mediocre WR in Mohammed Sanu?
I’m sorry but an article on 12th man rising is not ‘the talk is starting’
Ursua time?
I have zero interest in trading Tyler Lockett. You can draft someone with similar speed, but not similar smarts for finding holes in zone and mind meld with Russ in the scramble drill. That takes years of playing together. If secondaries only have to worry about DK, our offense won’t work.
I think Miami would only offer #50 anyways. Not worth it in my book. Trade Adams instead and trade down to recoup picks.
I’ve talked about trading Lockett in the past.
3 reason for me
1) he starts off hot, but he’s disappeared during the 2nd half of the season each of the last 3 years
2) I don’t want to pay him $15 mil a year when I can pay Marvin Jones $8-10 mil
3) I do not think that he’s going to age well. Once he loses a step he’s going to be JAG. Mike Shawn Dugar mentioned that for his size, Lock is not a shifty receiver he’s basically a speed receiver who does not gain much in YAC.
1) I don’t think it’s him dropping off, but our OL and Russ which obviously hurts his production. I mean, was he not getting open or dropping lots of balls?
2) His deals have always been super team-friendly. Structure it wisely to taper off once DK will need to be extended. Marvin Jones is fine, but I think the connection with Russ is way more valuable and worth the extra.
3)He wins with speed, yes, but also with smarts and savvy. He’s great at finding holes in zone and in scramble situations with Russ. He might lose some deep speed, yes, (personally I don’t think he ever got back to as fast as he was before his injury) but I don’t think he will lose that much of the rest by age 32. RAC was never his thing anyways, so it’s not really relevant.
Lockett didn’t disappear late in 2018
I think it is bad business practice to get rid of your best customers or your best workers. Lockett and Wagner have proven themselves and should be kept to the end of their contracts. How do you think the younger players will react if you trade away the best of the veterans? Not well. Show some loyalty and finish the contracts.
Unfortunately we have to take that risk for the greater good. As great as they both have been, it’s time to move forward and collect some stock back before it’s too late. Both are at positions where we have young players that can step up.
Yeah trade Tyler instead of admitting you overpaid for a guy that doesn’t work within your scheme that you could likely get more for. But hey, saving face is more important, right Pete?
Speaking of the Dolphins, what do you think they should do? Here’s my idea: build around Tua.
R1P3: Sewell- Put him at RT (Tua’s blind side) and kick Robert Hunt inside to guard. Add to a strength, so that you can then draft…
R1P18: Najee Harris- huge upgrade at RB. Young QB’s best friend.
See if Seattle bites on R2P36 + R2P50 + 2022 R2 + change for Jamal Adams. Xavien Howard (extend), Byron Jones, and Jamal Adams would be quite the group.
If not:
R2P36: Eskridge- a RAC weapon and speedster alongside Parker and Preston Williams.
Buy an upgrade at DE in FA to line up next to Wilkins and Raekwon Davis.
What an enviable spot to be in…
If a bunch of Dolphins players think that Tua sucks – that probably doesn’t bode well for wanting to build around him.
Well, I just read now that was 3 anonymous Dolphins players.
Fine, but Fitzpatrick or any other QB who becomes available moving forward is going to benefit from a good OL and a strong running game.
Assuming the Texans’ front office digs in and refuses to move Watson, which seems likely to me, are you suggesting they should take a QB at 3? Or Devonta Smith, as many are clamoring for?
I think Houston saying they’re keeping Watson is just trying to maximize their leverage.
Their star QB saying he wants out publicly is not your best play when taking phone calls, so they’re just doing some damage control.
They got an assist from the Rams.
Realistically though, the Dolphins and Jets are probably the only two teams that could even sniff the asking price, unless the 9ers want to dig years into the future stock AND include Bosa.
BTW, I was just thinking: what in the world is it with Houston sports teams? The Astros cheating scandal, the Westbrook and Harden trades saga, now Watson…
If the Texans brass was dumb enough to get themselves into this mess, they might be too dumb to get out of it as well…
I think they can’t deal for Watson or another experienced QB, they should pick a WR at #3, whoever they consider best, and Harris at #18. There’s enough options at OL to use your second round picks on that.
Would be nice to get both Kirk and Stafford in the division. Lots of decent mediocrity there. Big advantage to the Seahawks still.