Kam Chancellor is ending his hold out

In last night’s podcast we discussed why it made sense for Chancellor to report this week (and it’d make our day if you were to check it out). He was losing money. The team was losing games. He wasn’t gaining anything from staying away because the Seahawks weren’t going to cave.

Seattle is at home for three of the next four games. All four are winnable. In fact there’s an opportunity to go on a reasonable winning streak. The Bengals road game on October 11th will be the toughest test. Dallas on November 1st is much less threatening if the Cowboys are without Dez Bryant and Tony Romo.

It’s not unrealistic to suggest the Seahawks can go unbeaten until December. Even if you have the Cincinnati game down as a loss — you could be looking at an 8-3 record going into the final month (which starts with road games in Minnesota and Baltimore). The Seahawks finished extremely well in 2012 and 2014 (and didn’t have to in 2013).

Chancellor wasn’t going to win any battle’s holding out any longer. He’d just lose more money. If the Seahawks do go on a winning streak starting on Sunday, he can use that as leverage in the off-season. ‘You were 0-2 without me, we started winning when I arrived.’

In reality they were going to start winning without him eventually, weakening his position.

This is the only way for both sides to ‘win’ this stand-off. The Seahawks can say they were strong and their stance should dissuade other players from holding out into the regular season. Chancellor also has a stronger case for getting more money pushed into his 2016 salary if he helps lead the team back to another Super Bowl from an 0-2 start.

For both parties the season really starts here. The Seahawks could be 1-1 or 2-0. They aren’t. But they have a healthy roster, all of their key players and a shot to start a long winning run against the hapless Bears this weekend.

149 Comments

  1. Trevor

    I guess you were right about him coming back after week #2 either way. Nice call.

    It will be interesting to see if fines are dropped and how his team mates respond to him missing two of the tougher games on their schedule and putting the team in a bit of a hole.

    I think we win the next couple of games with or without him but we are definitely a better team with him in the line up.

    I still think what he did suck and and I know I will personally never look at him the same as a player / leader.

  2. MoondustV

    The words ET29 said to media was critical. It’s the first time that a seahawk player expressed anger towards Kam’s holdout. Sherman, ADB and Bennett all had expressed support. But after 0-2 something must have changed in locker room.

    • Trevor

      That and the fact that the Owner Allen came out and said thats it no more negotiations. He had two choices sit and loose $7 mil or come back. It has nothing to do with him caring about the team or his team mates it is about $ plain and simple.

      Still the dumbest holdout in the history of sports. Made no sense and hurt everyone.

  3. Ehurd1021

    HE IS BACK

  4. CHawk Talker Eric

    This was well prognosticated in the podcast, so kudos to Rob. Note to any fellow SDBers who aren’t already listening to these, you should. They will raise your football IQ significantly.

    Anyway, this was, quite literally, Kam’s last chance for a graceful way back. His position, already weakened by SEA’s resolve, was never going to be as strong as it is with the team 0-2 but heading into some “should-win” games.

    So my question to any and all is:
    If the 2 early road losses factor significantly into SEA’s post-season fortunes – say for example they can’t win the division and must go as a wild card – will there be any residual issues between Kam and the team/organization/fans?

    • Phil

      Speaking for myself, even if the Seahawks win all of their remaining games, there will be residual issues with Kam. He put himself before his team mates — not the behavior I expected from him as the unofficial leader of the defense. He owes an apology to his team mates and to the 12s.

      • Tien

        I agree with Phil. Regardless of how well the Seahawks do the rest of the season, there will be residual issues between Kam and the team and the fans due to this holdout. If he wasn’t happy with his salary this year and was willing to holdout, there’s no way he wouldn’t still want a new contract/more money if the Seahawks advance deep in the playoffs and/or win the SB. At the end of this season, I think he still has 2 years left on his contract and if we think he’ll still be unhappy with the contract/threatening to hold out, I say we shop him to the highest bidder, hopefully get a 1st rounder, and spend the offseason and training camp getting his replacement integrated into the D.

        • BrianH

          While I agree with the sentiment I don’t think we’d get as much for Kam as people think. His rough style of play puts him at risk for injury and teams have become incredibly reticent to trade draft picks (unless you’re john Schneider of course!) For that reason I hope things are smoothed over and we can get back to winning.

      • JeffC

        Agreed. He could have held out of OTA’s to make a statement. It could have been just training camp. But the two regular season games, whether he factors into a win in either one or not, selfishly cost his team. It went beyond making a statement. Either way, it’s over for now. Go out and win and end this three game losing streak.

  5. nichansen01

    Tharold Simon and Kam Chancellor returning should e enough to fix this secondary, lane returning after Carolina helps as well.

    • David Ess

      Alot of people dont think Lane will return this season. Burley though did pretty good in the slot against Green bay.

      • Tien

        Agreed. Burley played well against Green Bay and if he can sustain that level, we shouldn’t have to worry about the slot CB position.

      • Hoberk Unce

        I was at Lambeau for the game. I thought Burley did well. The defensive scheme for defending the flats could have been better. Linebacker coverage was too far off their assignments when Rogers went to 3 and 5 step drops in the 4th. Thomas made a few glaring mistakes, too. Rogers looked him off a few times, and he got lost in coverage a few times as well. He looked rusty, which I assume is because he didn’t play in preseason. One can imagine that Chancellor will also have some rust to shake off before he gets back to 100%.

        • neil

          We will see just how much difference Chancellor will make. The team can probaby win the nest two games without him.After that we will see if he was that much of a factor in the poor defensive play or it’s on Richards. There were no blitz’s called against rodgers that I remember. Jusgt look at what the Jets did to Luck monday with creative blitzing. Rodgers also escaped the collapsing pocket time after time and no apparant adjustments were made. One thing in life and football is no risk no reward. I hope we are not going to play vanilla defense all season..

          • JeffC

            And we still have that offense to fix.

          • Old but Slow

            It seems to me that Rodgers is not a QB that you blitz. He is very good at reading the blitz and finding the open receiver, so I do not fault that part of the defensive game plan. On the other hand, our normally reliable defenders did not play well, and I think that was a bigger part of the success of the GB offense.

            • Hoberk Unce

              In GB the defensive ends were consistently getting to Rodgers’ 7-step dropback spot, but he was able to step up because there wasn’t much interior pressure. Not sure there were many blitzes, so I think you’re right there. But because they couldn’t get him down for a sack, Rodgers extended the plays and drew the secondary’s attention. Whenever he pulled a defensive back out of position with the scramble, he found open receivers. That’s what happened with the first GB touchdown–Rodgers scramble pulled Thomas out of over-coverage on the receiver that Sherman was trailing, so Rodgers threw between them for the score.

  6. nichansen01

    Cardinals are probably going to finish around 12-4 if Palmer stays healthy, assuming we sweep them, Pittsburgh and greenway should both beat them… That means we might only be able to lose 2 more games to win the division… Also they could very well eat us week 17

  7. Ed

    Win the SB this year and trade him to Jax or Oak for a high 2nd rd pick and 4th. Move Wright for a 3rd. Let Okung, Sweezy go. If Avril loses a step, let him go to keep Irvin. If we can’t figure a way to get the ball to Graham, let him go. If Lynch is done, let him go.

    1st OT/DT
    2nd DT/OT
    2nd RB
    3rd S
    3rd CB
    3rd (comp) OL/DL

    • smitty1547

      and we go 6-10

    • nichansen01

      Why exactly? This makes no sense

    • nichansen01

      I dont think we can afford to lose okung AND sweezy

    • rugby lock

      Closet Niner fan?

      • CHawk Talker Eric

        Or reading a page from “How to Dismantle an NFL Franchise in 3 Seasons or Less” by Chip Kelly?

    • Volume12

      And rookies are just supposed to step in and produce like those dudes? Know an NFL playbook, condition at an NFL level, and eveything else?

      New isn’t always better.

      • Ed

        No, but Okung and Sweezy will probably be too expensive for what they are at this point.

        Shead played just fine and was not the reason they lost in GB. Do we want to spend another offseason with Kam doing this again. No.

        Irvin showed in GB that he is better suited as a DE. He can put pressure on the QB, so why do they keep wasting him in coverage. He is younger than Avril too. If they can keep both because they lose the salary of Okung, great.

        If they aren’t going to get the ball to Graham, why pay him $10. If they fire Bevell, cool. But $10 is too much to pay a blocking TE.

        As for Lynch, that’s more up to him. He doesn’t like the Bevell or the scheme and if he continues to struggle it will be hard to pay $12.

        I don’t think they will go 6-10 and I’m not a closet 49er fan. I just want the team to continually be successful and to do that you need to know when to get rid of players. Look at the Patriots. Hate those cheaters, but on the filed they still continually make it deep in the playoffs and look at all the players they let go. Then you look at the teams that pay and keep players too long and it sets the franchise back years.

        In the next 4 years, the core is Wilson, Wagner, Sherman and Thomas. Maybe Graham and Kam if it works out.

        • Volume12

          Avril isn’t going anywhere and neither is KJ. Kam will get an incentive laden extension or something. They won’t let Okung and Sweezy walk. Maybe Graham if he doesn’t work out.

          Why would you let all these guys go? For who? Have you seen the FA market this upcoming off-season? There’s no one of great value.

          The core is RW, Sherm, ET, BWagz, Kam, Bennett, Avril, KJ, Baldwin, Lynch, possibly Graham, and one of Okung or Sweezy. Maybe Bruce as well.

          • Ed

            With how bad our oline is, replacing two average veterans with potentially better cheaper talent makes more sense to me. Okung and Sweezy have been as bad, if not worse than Gilliam and Nowak. Why would you want to pay 12-15 million on two adequate players?

            • Volume12

              They’ll more than likely pick between the 2. No way that Sweezy or Okung get 12-15 mil.

              I agree that they need a C and another OT. Hands down their biggest weakness. But, who are you replacing them with? A couple rookies? And then we have to listen to people complain about how bad TC is at drafting offensive lineman?

              • Tien

                I haven’t noticed a drop off from Avril so why would we get rid of him and same with KJ. If Okung stays healthy this season, I hope we can resign him. He may not be a dominant LT but he’s a good one and rookie LTs, even those picked high, haven’t panned out well in the last few years. We do need to keep improving our OL by drafting more of them though. Unless Kam has a huge attitude adjustment and quits demanding more money (I’m doubtful), I say we trade him to the highest bidder at the end of the season and draft or trade for his replacement. He’s a great player and in an ideal world, he, ET, and Sherman continue as the LOB but he isn’t so important to the team that we need to make an exception and risk our long-term cap management.

                • onrsry

                  I think they will let Sweezy go.They have Glowinski and Sokoli, they wont be worse then him,likely better than him. Sweezy’s min salary will be 4-5M $, they wont have to pay him.Like Carpenter. Jets gave him 4.75M $.We can’t.

                  • AlaskaHawk

                    Sweezy is only worth 2 million. He gets manhandled by strong defensive players.

            • BrianH

              So the fix to an already snotty o line is two get rid of the only veterans and replace them with rookies? And somehow that will lead to better play? Cheaper definitely… And in all likelihood much worse. I am all for drafting new blood and letting them get in there and compete. But let’s not advocate cutting guys with no backup plan.

    • David M2

      Ed,

      Did you forget to drink your coffee this morning?

      • Ed

        Nope. Why, because I value Irvin over Wright? Because I don’t want the continued issues with Kam next year? Because the line has been bad for many reasons (talent/philosophy/scheme), so why overpay for 2 injury riddled or penalty riddled parts of that line? I talked about moving on from Lynch and Avril if their play falls off. Didn’t say cut regardless.

        • Old but Slow

          Irvin did not play well against GB, except for the sack. For two games now, teams have been successful running around left end, right at Irvin. Usually he has been out of position. He needs to become more disciplined, learning when to rush and when to stay in position for the run.

    • JeffC

      This is a garage sale of the worst kind.

  8. Alaska Norm

    Glad he’s back but it will be interesting to see the team dynamics the next few weeks. Combination of 0-2, JG discruntled, Kams attitude… Possibly PC’s biggest challenge yet as athe Seahawks coach. Winning cures all but another loss or two in the next few games could spell disaster.

    • Madmark

      They were 3-3 last year and turned it around last year.

      • nichansen01

        I would rather be 4-2 than 3-3, 4-2 is really doable right now but winning in cinncinati will be key

  9. CC

    Happy he’s back, but I’ve seen a few things that says he’ll forgive the fans and teammates who weren’t supportive bothers me a lot. Kam was my favorite player, but I’ll be looking for a new one – Tyler Lockett and Bwagz moving up quickly.

    • sdcoug

      His statement also kind of struck me the wrong way; not quite what I was expecting but glad he’s back.

      Like you, I will celebrate along with Kam moving forward but will probably never remember him the same way. But hey, I’m also the Griffey heretic that can’t forget how he demanded a trade to Cinci. I did not rejoice in his return along with the rest of seattle.

      • cha

        We have a winner in the Twitter snark-off…

        @30AcreFortress

        Hi, I’m Kam Chancellor, and I have DirecTV. And I’m forgiving-teammates-for-me-not-showing-up-to-get-cash Kam Chancellor, and I have cable.

        7:41 AM – 23 Sep 2015

        • sdcoug

          Haha that’s great. Sums it up perfectly

          • Miles

            Does anyone really expect Kam to understand the anger of the fans? He is an alpha male of alpha males. He is the captain of the Seahawks defense, and therefore, the captain of the Seahawks. He is the baddest mother of bad mothers. I do not expect him to be sympathetic with fans. I totally expect him to only see it his way. As long as he’s out there laying the metal on people, that’s all that really matters for me. If he thinks little of me or any of the other fans, is that really of any significance? It’s just a given that he will act that way. He’s a BA alpha male.

  10. Wsugrad2006

    Kam’s stance that he will forgive fans and teammates for not being supportive is baffling. While I understand players want to support each other, with the current system of a hard cap any increase in Kam’s salary is taken from other players potential earning. This isn’t baseball where there is no limit to pay. Just goes to show Kam’s arrogance and lack of understanding on how the cap actually works. Most players like to spout about how they want to be paid what they are worth and then expect the support of the lessor players that the money must be removed from to give them a bigger salary. It is a zero sum game they all refuse to acknowledge and instead blame the GM. I use to love Kam but unfortunately at the end of the day I hope he is traded the day the new league year opens to the highest bidder.

    • Rob Staton

      There’s only one man who should be seeking forgiveness.

  11. M

    This should come as a surprise to absolutely no one–especially Kam and his agent.

    You commit to a holdout that requires the Seahawks to set a detrimental precedent and you do so with negative leverage (the more time passes, the more money you lose). As I said before, good luck with that.

    The Seahawks played this exactly as they should have and I would be very surprised if the Seahawks waived all the fines. In the end, Kam may get some money pushed forward but at a net loss in total value.

    Should have just taken out an injury policy.

    • JeffC

      I would like to see him respond to the “Was it worth it?” question on 710.

  12. cha

    “But they have a healthy roster, all of their key players”

    Exactly! That’s the most under-rated talking point of the season. This year has been catastrophic for some teams in that department. Having a healthy roster will automatically give the Hawks a big advantage.

  13. smitty1547

    Glad he’s back and I will cheer him on as a Hawk but on an individual basics he’s done to me, he is my least favorite player to include practice squad guys.

  14. CHawk Talker Eric

    I agree his text to SAS was for a couple of reasons. To me, the biggest was mentioning Marshawn, as opposed to say, oh I don’t know, Earl. I wasn’t aware that Kam and Lynch were so tight. Did I miss that? Or was he maybe making a veiled reply to ET’s comment that Kam’s doing himself instead of the team?

    • CHawk Talker Eric

      text to SAS was *strange*

    • Volume12

      I don’t remember ET rockin’ Kam’s jersey in support of him. Marshawn is close to some weird cats on this team. TE Cooper Helfet has lived with him in the off-season. I for one, never thought those 2 would be tight. Is it an Oakland thing?

      • CHawk Talker Eric

        Brock Huard tweeted he thought it was pretty clear Ray Lewis and Marshawn Lynch got Kam to return.

        Lewis I get – that was a powerful thing he said about being there for your brothers no matter what.

        Lynch? You’re right he was wearing Kam’s jersey during preseason practices. Maybe he offered some useful advice, having recently gone through a similar process himself.

        • matt

          They finally talked some sense into him. Kam was hurting himself and his brothers. Happy he showed up for work today!

  15. Trevor

    I hope he is a little more in touch with reality when he meets team mates and media today and does not play the whole I forgive you for not supporting me card because that wont play well.

    I really want him to just be quiet the rest of the year and play hard and help the team get back to the SB then in the off season trade him and plan for next year without him.

    • David

      My (uninformed) take on his press conference was that 1) he did not want to be there answering questions and was made public by the team but was not really comfortable doing it hence the offputting replies and 2) his smile seemed sheepish and he prob feels a little bit ashamed or something. I’m sure there is nothing more he wants than to just get back to football and leave this behind him for the rest of the season.

      • Rob Staton

        He was almost certainly briefed on the press conference with all parties agreeing it’d be best to get it out of the way ASAP. I suspect Chancellor wasn’t overly comfortable which is why Carroll stood next to him. Either that or it was a public show of togetherness. But Chancellor knew he had to talk to the media one day, best to get it out of the way.

  16. Volume12

    Hell yeah! About damn time. He’s the heartbeat of this team. They will play some inspired football from here on out IMO.

    Who are we to go digging in a grown man’s pockets? Pride is a powerful thing my friends.

    • MarkinSeattle

      Wait, who is digging into whose pockets? Are we doing into Kam’s, or is he doing into Paul Allen’s?

    • Willyeye

      The reality is that, due to the salary cap, Kam is actually digging into the pockets of his teammates. The more money he gets, the less it leaves for players that are just finishing up their rookie contracts. Maybe instead of being so vain, Kam should learn generosity towards his teammates.

  17. CHawk Talker Eric

    @stephenasmith:

    I believe the @seahawks are headed back to the Super Bowl and this time they will win.

    • JeffC

      For once, I hope he’s right. Art Thiel predicted two losses to start the season and a 10-6 regular season with a wild card. He thinks it will take till December for the oline to gel. Then, they will be unstoppable and win on the road all thru the playoffs and into the sb.

      • nichansen01

        17-2

  18. Steele

    It is a relief that he is back, despite acrimony that has only been put off.

    The question is how well and how quickly he gets things right on the field, and more. This defense has problems that go well beyond Kam. What accounts for the D line getting largely beat, unable to penetrate or impose its will like it should? What accounts for Sherman, who should be just as much of a tone setter as Kam, looking ordinary, and Wagner missing things? Cary Williams is still vulnerable. Burley had a good game, but jury’s still out.

    If Kam’s mere presence fixes a lot of these things, then he will more than prove his value. I’m not sure, though.

    0-2 eliminated the margin for error for this horrific schedule for the season. I don’t see them running the table, still see a realistic 10-6.

    • Volume12

      Who said they were running the table? D-line unable to penetrate? They chased Rodgers all night. Got him off his spot, moved his feet, pressured him consistently. Getting Rodgers on the ground might ge one of the hardest things to do in football.

      Give it time man. No one in the leage is playing mitaske free ball. The first few weeks will be sloppy. BWagz ha never started the season hot, and Sherm isn’t necessarily a tone-setter. He’s probably still hurt.

      • neil

        That is right ,Rodgers escaped to his right all night long, into a huge voided area, no one was there. No adjustment was apparently made, that is on Richards.

        • Steele

          GB was able to run and pass effectively. Doesn’t matter how the stats average out the realities, GB drove down the field, Rodgers had a great night, whenever it counted. The GB o-line won the battle. Scoreboard. Hawks didn’t make the stops when it counted.

          D-line, O-line, trenches.

          • Rob Staton

            I think it’s a bit more complex than ‘Seattle didn’t win in the trenches’. They sacked Rodgers and moved him off his spot plenty. He might be the best QB to ever play the game. He’s undoubtedly one of the best. Sometimes that just wins the day, especially at home. Alternatively if Doug Baldwin doesn’t stutter slightly on that deep ball, if Bennett doesn’t jump offside on that early third down (etc etc). There were plenty of reasons Seattle lost, and some reasons why they could’ve/should’ve won.

    • CHawk Talker Eric

      Through 2 weeks, SEA’s pass rush has produced the highest level of pressure on a per-snap basis than any other team.

      According to PFF, SEA’s opponents have registered the lowest PBE – Pass Blocking Efficiency. In week 1, STL was ranked #31 with a PBE of 60.5. FWIW, SEA was ranked #29 with 65.6.

      In week 2, GB posted an NFL worst 58.3 (compared to SEA’s 79.7, good for #17).

      Also, Cliff Avril has more QB hurries and is ranked higher than any other pass rusher other than Justin Hunter. That includes JJ Watt.

      The only thing missing from their rush is finishing the job more often.

      • Volume12

        You mean Justin Houston right?

        Yeah, I can’t for the life of me figure out why people don’t think Avril is an impact defender. His get-off is almost unrivaled. Your right. Finishing is what their lackng. That and another interior rusher with size. Like Jordan Hill. DeMarcus Dobbs ain’t the answer.

        • CHawk Talker Eric

          Yes, Houston. Thanks V12. Apparently I have a problem.

          Hill is starting to show up the way he did towards the end of last season. He was getting penetration on a lot of snaps in the 4th vs GB.

          I read a comment from PC earlier this week about how they’re still working on getting the right mix on DL rotation, and that it can take a couple of games to get that right. It may not have been as noticeable in seasons past because the LOB was at full strength. But give them time.

          SEA’s loss @STL and IND’s loss vs NYJ on MNF demonstrates the power and effectiveness of a strong pass rush. Even a football demigod like Luck can’t make plays with a defender barreling down on him. The primary difference between those 2 games (and their outcomes) was the play of the DBs.

          • Volume12

            LOL. It’s all good man. I knew what ya meant. We seem to be on the same wave length.

            Your right about Hill. I just think they need another guy like him in case he goes down. A Clint McDonald type. Plus with Bane, Rubin, Dobbs, and whoever else, they’ll need another DT anyways. I also think they’ll grab a Tony McD comp as well.

            Again, I’m in agreement with ya on the D-line. They just need time, kind of like the rotation of 2013.

            • CHawk Talker Eric

              Check out A&M DT Daylon Mack. 6’1′ 330lbs, only a freshman.

              • Volume12

                Stud. That A&M team is loaded man. On both sides of the ball. So much NFL talent this year and next.

                Can’t wait to watch them face off against Arkansas in 3 days. I’m looking forward to getting to see my favorite draft eligible RB Alex Collins mainly.

                • Volume12

                  Arkansas has no passing game to speak of and ‘Budda’ aka Alex Collins is killing it this year. Going off my checklist, he has 3 elite traits. Pad level, burst, and feet.

  19. smitty1547

    I see several mentions of SAS on here today, the one that got me was how he said Lynch, Sherman, Wilson,Wagner, earl and so on all got theirs and Kam didn’t. I call BS to that Kam was one of the first who got his. He is not playing under his rookie contract he was extended!

    • glor

      even today, he is still the highest paid ss in the league

  20. Volume12

    I hate to go OT here, and apologize. Is it just me or does Utah HB Devontae Booker have some Fred Jackson to his game? Would Seattle be hesitant to draft a 23-24 year old RB?

    • Old but Slow

      OT? This is a draft blog, isn’t it?

      • Volume12

        LOL. Your right. It just seems like sometimes my ‘draft tidbits’ bring the conversation to a halt.

        • CharlietheUnicorn

          I think fans are just excited to see the team back together….. draft talk can wait a few days. 🙂

  21. Trevor

    The sad part about the Chancellor holdout is that the Hawks went 0-2 in two close games that they could have won with him in the lineup potentially. No guarantees but they have a good shot at both.

    This means that the NFC likely goes through GB not SEA now no matter how well the Hawks play. Given that the Hawks have never lost a playoff game at home under Carroll this is huge. If I was a team mate I would be pissed.

    • glor

      depends on how things go, kind of like GB not worrying about their slow start last year, ended up coming back to bite them in the ass and not getting home field due to the tie breakers. If we are out of this by 1 game or a tie breaker, then yes, it is all on him. I don’t think we win that GB game even with him there.

      • Volume12

        There was maybe 1-2 plays in GB were Kam would’ve made a difference, but yeah that game was lost due to stupid mistakes. The STL game however, Kam absolutely helps win that game.

    • David M2

      Green Bay is always one QB injury away from not having a great season… Never want to see anyone injured, but you never know what’s going to happen week to week.

    • Hoberk Unce

      If not through GB, then through Glendale. Although we lost, for the better part of third quarter we took GB to the woodshed. Sucked the energy right out of Lambeau. As it looks right now (having not played them to get a better read on the situation), if Arizona stays healthy I think they’ll be a bigger challenge in the playoffs.

      • CHawk Talker Eric

        Or both. Could be we go wild card this year

        • Hoberk Unce

          Considering where we are in the standings today, it’s possible we’ll get a wild card berth, then play at AZ or GB for the divisional round then at GB or AZ for the NFC Championship. Tough, but doable if the coaching straightens out.

  22. Forrest

    I’m glad he’s back, but in the process he lost pretty much all of my respect. Hope it was worth it Kam, sure doesn’t look like it from where I’m sitting…

  23. Volume12

    JS was at Utah today. The above mentioned Devontae Booker or Peter’s boy SS Tevin Carter? Both?

    • CHawk Talker Eric

      I’m very interested to watch him against Oregon.

    • peter

      Brian Allen 6-3 corner

      Gionni Paul

      • Volume12

        Gionni Paul? Isn’t he like a 5’11, 230 some odd pound LB? I’d think LB Jared ‘skateboard’ Norris moreso than Paul.

        IDK if ya’ll saw my last post, but I liked Booker, than cooled on him, but he’s caught my eye again. IMO he’s got Fred Jackson and Lynch’s mentality to his game. He doesn’t do any one thing great, but he just grinds out tough yards, has top-notch hands, highly confident, checks off the overcoming adversity/tough upbringing box, seems very mature, and has shown this year he can handle a heavy workload. Plus we all know how productive he’s been and is.

        SS Tevin Carter checks off a lot of the same boxes. Dude is a grown a** man. Looks like he’s in his early 30s and just brings an intimidation factor with him.

        • peter

          I mention Paul because Seattle isn’t afraid to draft special teams players. I think Paul could be one of those “set it and forget,” types who sets the tone on special teams for a long time.

          Heck they traded a pick for Leon washington and word from bevell was Lockett was picked in the third just to be a returner.

          I think booker looks more well rounded then turbin did in college. I also like that he’s able to get his yards equally from pass or run depending on what works that gane

          • Volume12

            Fair point about Gionni Paul.

            I agree about Booker in regards to getting his yards equally, whether it be runs or receptions. He just runs hard. And has enough speed to get to the edge. I said he didn’t do any one thing great, but after watching him last night against UCLA and Wazzu (from 2014) his ‘one cut and go’ or ‘cutback’ skill-set is one of the best I’ve seen in CFB this year.

            How sweet would it be to add a guy like Booker this year and then someone like Nick Chubb or Royce Freeman in 2017? IMO Booker can/could handle enough carries to be a workhorse at the next level, but he would make a fantasic no. 2.

            • peter

              Thats a,pretty good set up

  24. matt

    It’s great to have Kam back, and personally hold no ill will towards him. Kam’s return has, understandably, overshadowed some troubling news about Jimmy…

    From the PI:”Jimmy Graham is pissed. Pissed off. Make no mistake about it,” Freeman said. “He hates what’s happening in Seattle, where he’s being barely looked at, barely apart of the offense. I’ve had several Seattle players tell me this. It’s a fact. He is pissed off. I can’t blame him.”
    “He is telling players, according to players I’ve talked to in that locker room, ‘Why did you bring me here if this is how you’re going to treat me?'”

    Graham is already bitching after 2 games. I get his gripe. He’s used to being a focal point in a pass first offense. Now he’s more of a decoy in a run first offense. Bevell needs to use him better. I liked seeing more 2 TE sets and less shotgun. I’d like to see him lined out wide more often. Hope Graham’s happiness, or lack thereof, doesn’t become a locker room cancer…kind of like the last offensive weapon that we traded for. :/

    • JeffC

      If Jimmy is pissed, I’m on board with Jimmy. If Darrell is a genius now is the time to prove it. This is not Percy Harvin who was an in space threat when he got the ball but not an accomplished receiver. Jimmy is accomplished. Use him. Put pressure on the defense. You make them do that by fearing Jimmy. MAKE THEM DOUBLE TEAM HIM, DARRELL.

      • sdcoug

        It’s funny cause my buddy and I had this very conversation after the StL game, that if things don’t change in a hurry Jimmy is gonna be pissed! And you’re absolutely right; I don’t blame him one bit.

        One of the two biggest mismatches in football and we can’t figure out how to use him? Or spring him open? Or need time to integrate him? Makes no sense. There’s 60 games from N.O. telling us exactly how to get him open. And I’m a little shocked we haven’t dragged Jimmy across the middle with Russ on a bootleg. How do you stop that??

        We don’t always need plays 25 yds down the field, but it’s as if we haven’t even ran specific plays just to move the chains on a 12 yd curl or quick slant.

        Frankly, we should be passing to him every dang play until a defense overcompensates freeing up Lynch, Russ, Lockett, etc.

        • JeffC

          What’s weird is that in 2013 we played NO twice, and before both games I was in fear of how they would stop Jimmy. This, despite having Kam and KJ, and Irvin to harass him. No team had those three weapons defensively (and more). Yet, I still feared him. So what gives?

          The coaching staff is confused with Jimmy. I’m not so sure we have all these “geniuses” on staff as Dave Wyman calls them. We have great talent evaluators. Overall, good coaches. But geniuses?

          Find a way to use Jimmy’s talent. Find a way to put together more than a third qtr of good offense, and I’ll shut up. Find a way to put together a complete game of moving the ball, not just second half comebacks. C’mon Darrell Bevel, surprise me and shut me up.

        • CHawk Talker Eric

          NO successfully ran a lot of trips formation with Graham split wide opposite all by himself.

          If he got man coverage, Brees hit him all day long. In 1-on-1, if the pass is placed properly, there really isn’t a DB in the NFL that can cover him.

          If he was doubled, Brees went to the trips side to exploit the mismatch there.

          In SEA’s offense, add the wrinkle of RW rushing. Then do that play repeatedly, up tempo, no huddle, to wear down the defense. Could be devastating.

          • DC

            The best coaches in my mind are the ones who adapt to the talent they have. Let’s get on the MoFo. Like you all are posting, there is years of footage out there on how to use J Graham successfully. We don’t have to re invent the wheel here. With our O Line’s current play we might have to pass more to set up the run. It’s time to trust Wilson more anyway to carry this team with his cranium, his arm and his legs. If the coaches aren’t comfortable adapting then it’s time to get uncomfortable.

            • Glor

              At the end of the day, we gave up a probowl center and a 1st round draft pick for a guy that isn’t being used. Wilson needs to figure it out, because it is all on him.

              • CHawk Talker Eric

                FWIW, Hugh Millen sez:

                Graham was the primary WR 9 times, and in the progression (reads 1-4) 15 other times vs GB. He also thinks RW only made wrong choice about Graham about 2-3 times.

              • mrpeapants

                agreed Wilson needs to throw him the ball even when covered. not many(if any) defenders are gonna out jump, out position themselves over graham. just throw high and jimmy will get it. if mike Williams can have success with hass doing that then theres no reason RW and JG cant do the same.

                is anyone else worried that RW football IQ might not be where it should be?

    • CharlietheUnicorn

      Matt, you sound like a 49ers fan. Go back to ninernation, they need you.

      • CharlietheUnicorn

        as for not using Graham, watch what happens Sunday. I think they will feature him.

  25. Screeching Hawk

    Boom boom is back back! I feel disappointed about the whole thing but it was his business. GOooo Hawks!!!

    • Hawkfan086

      Yous ment Bam Bam is back

      • Screeching Hawk

        No I was calling him Boom Boom dude. I’m on top of everything I ever say! For the most part. Smiley Face

        • rowdy

          In defense of hawk fan, you do say some of the wall shhhhh lol

  26. rowdy

    I remember jee Scott said he seen kam after the season once and made fun of him for looking skinny. Kam told him after the season he needed emergency surgery for internal bleeding. Kam has to do whats best for kam! He sacrifices his body more than anyone else! I don’t blame at all.

    • Volume12

      Wow! Didn’t know that. Only here would we learn something like that.

      I forgive Kam and honestly was never really against him. We all make mistakes and if PC/JS’s draft philosophy have taught as anything as fans of the game and human beings in general, it’s that everyone deserves 2nd and sometimes 3rd chances.

      • JeffC

        I don’t blame any player for wanting more money. The whole issue with me was the no exit strategy. You have to know when to fold your hand. And this whole “in god’s hands” is annoying. They should take god out of this, RW, Kam, Tebow, all of them.

        God has better things to do than watch football games and worry about contracts.

  27. Old but Slow

    The NFL contract system is broken, and it is not favorable to the players. Compared to the baseball system, it is a joke. A contract is only a contract for the team? If they cut you, they are not liable?

    It is no mystery that the other players are not angry at Kam. They recognize that he is dealing with a fixed system, so while they wished he was back, they could sympathize with his situation. For those of us that deal with normal contracts, his position seems idiotic, but it is the NFL plan that doesn’t make sense.

    • JeffC

      The players are in a tough position. They tried to break the owners in ’87 (Bosworth’s rookie year) and it failed. Replacement games didn’t draw crowds but were accepted as part of the regular season.

      I don’t know what they can do because the NFLPA bought off on the latest CBA.

  28. Jason

    Any thoughts on Frank Clark? I haven’t heard his name called once during the 1st two games.

    • Cysco

      my guess would be that the last two games have been to high pressure and close to put him out there. I’d imagine we’ll see a good bit of him this week against the Bears.

      • Volume12

        They’ll probably bring him along slowly like they do with most of their rookie D-lineman. No need to put too much on his plate and overwheom him at this point.

        In STL he played only a handful of snaps I think, and batted a pass down and flushed Foles once or twice.

        • cha

          Agree – I think they’ll use him situationally like they did with Irvin his first year (not position wise, but rotation of snaps wise).

          He’ll be interesting this season as a “fresh legs disruptor” who gets 20 snaps a game and makes the QB uncomfortable.

          • cha

            Also, are my eyes deceiving me or has Marsh developed into a really effective run defender? He’s made some easy to spot good plays but I haven’t specifically watched him on every play.

            • Volume12

              No I think your eyes are good my man. I’m a big fan of Marsh myself. Next year will be his third and if he keps developing, we should probably expect some big things from him.

              I love his energy, relentlress style of play, helluva STs player, and he’s just one of those guys that will do all the little/dirty things. The kind of player every guy wants next to them in battle and very coachable as well.

              • CHawk Talker Eric

                Smart player becoming even smarter with each game. I think he’ll be an integral part of the rotation by mid season.

    • CHawk Talker Eric

      SEA has a pretty strong/deep DL rotation, so they’re easing him into it. He played 14 snaps @STL, and 17 @GB. No splash plays so far, but he battles hard on pass rush. He looks a little lost vs the run.

  29. Ukhawk

    I’d like to understand financially speaking what happens if the Hawks guarantee Kams salary for next year either now or after the end of the season. What is the impact on the cap??

    • cha

      Check out overthecap, it has a great way of looking at things like this.

      http://overthecap.com/salary-cap/seattle-seahawks

      I’m not an expert but essentially guaranteeing the salary makes the cap charge bigger if the Hawks were to decide to cut Kam. Look at 2017, which I would assume Kam is most concerned about – $1m hit and $7m+ cap savings if cut. He’s in effect vulnerable to be a cap casualty or (if he’s been hurt / not performed up to par) can be asked to take less $$ in lieu of being cut.

  30. smitty1547

    2 things, I knew we and graham was in trouble when I read beavell thought the best thing about him was he was plug n play into current system. That told me a lot right there none of it good.

    Second I do think the system favors the owners and management unlike basketball and baseball, with out all the guaranteed money. One of the things that makes the game great keep the Albert Haynesworth turds to a minimum. As compared to basketball and baseball at least.

    • David

      This. Jimmy Graham is a generational talent and they should treat him as such to maximize his effectiveness. Draw up some plays that NO used or that NE currently uses with Gronk (eg splitting him out wide in goal line formation) and taking advantage of the 1v1.

      Why in the world would they try to mold him into “their” current system as an inline blocking TE. Might have well just kept kept Willson who is faster of the line if that is the case. I would be upset if I was Jimmy too.

      • Glor

        I think Bevel is right, you do just plug him in.. and then you convince your QB to throw him the damn ball, even if he looks covered.

    • JeffC

      I don’t think the owners will ever budge on the guaranteed money. I think they’d let the players strike again rather than fold on that issue. And should they? Are the state of basketball and baseball all that great of a model to emulate?

      It seems the only option for the players is to take the Chris Borland route

      • cha

        All guaranteed contracts are a disaster for the NBA. One of the dumbest things I ever saw was when Keith Van Horn “unretired” for 30 days to facilitate a trade for Jason Kidd, and got $4.3m for his trouble.

        • JeffC

          Baseball as well. The contract for Cano will probably be 4 or 5 years of hell paying 24 million for a marginal player. Kenji Jojima and Kasahiro Sasaki did them a favor by opting out and returning to Japan, but Figgins punked them the entire deal.

          The NBA is a horrible league. Nothing like the 70s and 80s.

  31. nichansen01

    Tharold Simon, Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor, Richard Sherman Vs Jimmy Cluasen, Matt Stafford, Andy Dalton, Cam Newton, Colin Keapernick and Brandon Wheedon… We got this

  32. Old but Slow

    Any thoughts on Oregon’s LT, Johnstone? Seems to have decent feet and will block on the second level. And would likely be available in the 2d or 3d.

    • Volume12

      He’s definety an athletic O-lineman who seems to fit what TC prefers. The thing with him is injuries. How confident are you in him holding up against stronger players? Is a team going to be comfortable investing a high pick on a guy with his meducal history at such a premium position? Those knees of his are a big thing to monitor come cimbine time, because I agree that he could be a fast riser and potentially someone the Hawks like.

  33. CharlietheUnicorn

    All I have to say is… poor Bears

    • cha

      They said on the radio this morning that some Vegas oddsmakers have taken Chicago-Seattle off the board. That doesn’t bode well.

      Wonder how many people are picking the Seahawks in their survivor pools.

  34. Chris

    Seeing how close Kam apparently is to Lynch, and their viewpoints that they are the “souls” of the offense and defense, it seems likely that the Seahawks capitulation to Lynch last year may have played a role in Kam’s decision to hold out this year.

  35. line_hawk

    The question I ask is will the Hawks trade Chancellor in the off season instead of having to deal with this again next year? They will have more time to find Kam’s replacement then.

    Also, is there a chance they move on from Lynch next year given his cap & probable decline? Should SS & RB be the focus of the draft?

    • CHawk Talker Eric

      I don’t think Kam is going anywhere, unless he has some sort of career-impacting injury during the season.

      SEA’s position during the holdout was not that Kam didn’t deserve more money. In fact, I don’t think the FO has ever publicly addressed how much he does deserve. In fact, you could argue that privately, they conceded as much by offering to move money from 2017 to 2016.

      SEA’s position was not to rip up a contract with more than 2 years remaining. Mission accomplished.

      • Volume12

        I agree. PC will fight tooth and nail for Kam. He knows what he means to this defense and locker room.

        IDK if ya’ll heard Black Santa’s comments the other day but it was something to the effect of ‘Kam was back there calling out checks that we ain’t heard in forever. I was like, oh damn, Kam’s back.’

        Once Kam gets his feet under him condition wise, this defense ain’t going to be so vanilla or predicatble IMO.

        • line_hawk

          Kam is going to be 28 next year and he isn’t going to keep playing his physical style forever. Plus, he will potentially hold out again next summer. I think its worth trading him if he plays well this year and as a result, they get a first or second for him.

    • cha

      Good questions. Hard to answer now, we’ll know much more as the season progresses and how things play out.

      This offseason will bring a ton of interesting choices – Okung, Sweezy, Irvin, Mebane, Kearse etc are FA’s, Kam & Lynch’s contract issues, Jimmy Graham has zero cap hit and $9m relief if he is cut.

      And that doesn’t include the unknowns like catastrophic injuries, coaches moving on, disciplinary things.

      • line_hawk

        I highly doubt Graham is in doubt of being cut, considering they just spent a first on him. I agree this off season is going to bring many interesting choices. My main concern is Lynch falling off and the team still feeding him with the ball just to be conservative and a run-first team. At some point, you have to hand over the reins to your star expensive quarterback and let him win the game.

  36. AlaskaHawk

    Rob- Could you give us a place/blog for Saturday to comment on college players that we like? I enjoy seeing other peoples comments but don’t want to dig through an unrelated post to find them. and I want to post on Ole Miss players if they show that game in Alaska. Thanks.

    • Rob Staton

      Yes I will start an open thread ahead of Saturday’s games.

  37. Volume12

    Cincinnati WR Chris Moore is one helluva deep threat! I liked watching this kid last night. Makes big plays for his QB, raw speed, and showed some real toughness playing at only 70%.

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