Seahawks trade for Quinton Dunbar

This is a classic Seahawks move.

They do their best work hunting for trade value. Jadeveon Clowney for a third rounder and two fringe players, Quandre Diggs for a fifth.

The original golden deals were adding Chris Clemons for a ham sandwich and dealing day three stock for Marshawn Lynch.

Trades like this help build a winning football team. Players with a point to prove, at a good age, discarded by other clubs and with talent that can be harnessed.

You build a foundation through the draft and supplement your core with trades and key free agent additions.

Dunbar is 27 (he turns 28 in July). He ran a 4.44 at Florida’s pro-day in 2015. He’s 6-2 and 202lbs.

The Seahawks badly needed an addition like this. The options in the draft are paper thin. There are barely any cornerbacks with +32 inch arms (their benchmark) and there aren’t any obvious safety converts either.

They weren’t going to be able to draft and develop a fifth round corner prospect from this class. Yet they seriously needed competition at the position.

Dunbar provides that.

This doesn’t mean the end of Tre Flowers. They needed a choice and some options. They couldn’t go into the next season with Shaquill Griffin and Flowers as unchallenged starters again. Now there’s a third legit name to throw into the mix.

So how good is Dunbar?

PFF ranked him #2 for cornerbacks in 2019, second only to Richard Sherman. He had four interceptions last season.

None of this guarantees he’ll be a top five corner for the Seahawks but at least they’re adding a player with pedigree. Now he’ll have to adapt to Seattle’s scheme. That has been a challenge for some veteran cornerbacks in the past.

Even so, this is a positive move. They had to do something for the defense.

I didn’t anticipate them being this restrained at the start of free agency. The pass rush was a glaring need. The defense in general needed a significant injection of talent.

I feel obliged to remind people of the stats:

The Seahawks finished the 2019 season with 28 sacks, second fewest in the league behind only Miami (23). Their sack percentage was 4.5% — third worst overall.

They had only 126 pressures, sixth fewest in the league behind Detroit (125), Oakland (117), Houston (117), Atlanta (115) and Miami (96). Seattle’s pressure percentage was the fourth worst in the league (19.3%) behind Detroit (18.9%), Houston (18.1%) and Miami (16.7%).

Seattle hit the quarterback 68 times — fourth fewest. They had 52 TFL’s — again, fourth fewest.

They gave up 55 explosive running plays on defense, seventh most in the NFL. Yet their explosive run play percentage (14%) was the third worst overall behind only Carolina (16%) and Cleveland (15%).

They also gave up 4.9 YPC — fourth most overall.

The other startling statistic is the sheer number of missed tackles. They had 131 during the regular season — the fourth most.

Two things seemed obvious to me.

Firstly — they had draft picks and cap flexibility that they’ve not had for many years. There were no restrictions on their ability to be pro-active. It was more a question of what they were going to do, not if they were going to do anything.

Secondly — the draft and free agency were aligned perfectly. They could be somewhat aggressive in the veteran market to acquire defensive talent. The draft was stacked at receiver, running back and the offensive line.

I won’t go over old ground too much. The need to upgrade the defense was paramount. Seattle has a top-five offense per DVOA. They have an outstanding quarterback, weapons and a left tackle. You can win a lot of games with those pieces.

The inability to create pressure, complete tackles and defend the perimeter run is pretty much the only thing that cost them a serious tilt at the Super Bowl. They won eleven games. They were an inch away from wining twice against San Francisco and claiming the NFC West.

Yet being as successful as they were in 2019, relatively speaking, shouldn’t mask how poor the defensive performance was. It’s so bad that for stretches last season — even when they were winning — it was hard to take Seattle seriously as a true contender.

With the greatest respect to Bruce Irvin, who we all like, Dunbar is the first splash.

Now it’s time to (finally) fix the pass rush.

Retaining Clowney merely maintains the status quo. Swapping Ziggy Ansah for Irvin isn’t enough. It’s still very possible they’ll lose Clowney. You could end up with Everson Griffen and Irvin — two players who both turn 33 this year — propped up by draft picks from a poor D-line class or low level free agents.

That would be concerning.

The stalemate with Clowney doesn’t seem to be any closer to being resolved. It needs to be — as soon as possible. They’ve been hamstrung by it for too long. The only update today is that Miami offered him $17m a year when the market opened and he said no. According to the local Seattle media, the Seahawks have been willing to go to $18.5m.

Clowney should only be the first domino though. Pairing him with Griffen and Irvin would be an improvement if hardly an answer to San Francisco’s fearsome defensive front.

They also need to add a defensive tackle at some point given Al Woods, a 2019 starter, is a free agent.

I’ve been studying the 2020 draft class again this week with the Clowney saga dragging on. I’ve re-watched all the Senior Bowl practises and the game plus various other games saved on my system.

The best way to describe the class is every player lacks something.

Take Utah’s Bradlee Anae for example. His pass rush repertoire, hand-use and technique is about as good as you’ll see from a college rusher. He’s clearly worked at his craft and benefited from all the games he played for Utah.

He’s also a 4.93 runner at 257lbs and has 32 1/8 inch arms.

How can you invest faith in a pass rusher who is that limited athletically and physically? You want to buy into him. The grit, the attitude, the relentless motor, the production, the technique.

Yet how is his physical profile going to go up against a guy like Lane Johnson? He runs as well as an offensive or defensive tackle. His short shuttle is 4.43 — that’s similar to Jaye Howard’s back in the day.

Then you look at Jabari Zuniga. He’s a Rolls Royce 35% of the time. He glides off the edge and can win with pure speed and fluidity. His physique is like a Roman statue. He ran a 1.61 10-yard split, is one of the most explosive testers to enter the league in the last decade and he has major upside.

Then you watch the tape and he’s on and off like a hot tap. You see a big flash on one down and then you’ll see nothing for five snaps. Clearly he has major physical talent. Yet at the Senior Bowl he was engulfed a couple of times in 1v1’s and ended up on the deck.

If you put Anae and Zuniga together you’d have a great pass rusher. Apart? You run the risk of disappointment.

That runs right through the class.

It illustrates why they’ve got to come up with some veteran answers pronto.

The addition of Dunbar is still a step in the right direction though.

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272 Comments

  1. Scot04

    Wasn’t expecting this to happen before Clowney. Actually wasn’t expecting this at all. Will be interesting to see what we gave up

    • Scot04

      A 5th round pick if true is a great deal

    • AlaskaHawk

      I really like this move. One of their best in free agency if he becomes a starter.

  2. Hawk Finn

    For a fifth per Schefty

    • Aaron

      A 5th? Wow, that’s a steal for a real solid CB. We did need another CB.

    • Scot04

      Nice to see them do something other than an offensive lineman

  3. Trevor

    That seems like a great addition at a reasonable price. Wonder if they are giving him an extension as part of the deal.

    Please address the pass rush now!

  4. Henry Taylor

    Dont hate this, I actually quite like it, very Diggs/McDougald like value for money addition to the secondary.

    But will they ever address the pass rush?

  5. Ghost Mutt

    Kam, Sherm, Diggs, Flowers, we really do have a thing with DBs that cost a fifth rounder.

    Seems like a solid pickup at a reasonable price.

  6. Sea Mode

    #2 rated CB per PFF

    4 INT, 8 PD in 11 games last season. (went on IR with a hamstring injury)

    Has 1 year, $3.4m left on his contract.

    Looks like another situation of Seattle scooping up a discontent player:

    Keim stated that Dunbar had been in extension talks with the previous Redskins regime, but contact fell through after the organization’s overhaul, leaving Dunbar without long-term security.

    It seems as though the team and Dunbar are past reaching a deal, and Dunbar’s plea to continue his career elsewhere comes at an inopportune time for Washington.

    https://riggosrag.com/2020/02/10/redskins-cb-quinton-dunbar-wants-traded-released-2020/

  7. Coleslaw

    Very nice.

  8. Sea Mode

    Outside CB profile

    6015, 201, 32 5/8 arm, 79 wing, 4.44 40yd, 35 VJ, 10’0″ BJ, 4.16 SS, 7.10 3C

  9. dcd2

    Skins eat $1M in dead cap and we get him for $3.4M? Pretty good for a solid CB.

    At least we know John hasn’t Rumplestiltskin’d at this point. Hopefully the first of a few deals that we’ve all been desperate for.

  10. Sea Mode

    Wow, Travis Frederick just retired at age 29. Looks like the Cowboys will need a Center now.

    https://twitter.com/tfrederick72/status/1242212966889598978

    • SoCal12

      Wonder if they’d be interested in a slightly used Justin Britt.

      • Aaron

        ☝️

    • Aaron

      I wouldn’t put it past them to get Ruiz.

    • Rob Staton

      Cesar Ruiz to Dallas will be hard to watch.

      • STTBM

        Yes, I agree whole-heartedly Rob. Grim. I was beginning to hope we’d get him.

      • CHawk Talker Eric

        I wonder if they’d take Ruiz at 17, trade down, or trade up from 51.

        17 seems a bit rich for Ruiz, but we were all a little surprised when they took Frederick (though that was at 31).

  11. Coleslaw

    Between Dunbar, Griffin and Flowers we have a really nice outside corner group. I like Flowers and Griffin but his ballhawking skills are very much welcome. for a 5th too?

  12. SoCal12

    Interesting. I assume he’s starting over Flowers? Tre does seem like he needs some more time to marinate.

    • Jamho3

      Trey21 doesnt need anymore time he just needs to play better. What it’ll take for that to happen IDK? Hes only got 2 yrs at the position, things ought to turn out OK for all involved. Great opportunity.

  13. cha

    Cowboys C Travis Frederick retires per Rappaport and Schefter

  14. dcd2

    From PFF: https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-pff-rankings-top-25-cornerbacks-through-week-17

    2. QUINTON DUNBAR, WASHINGTON REDSKINS
    Don’t look now, but Quinton Dunbar has stolen the show from Josh Norman in our nation’s capital. He has excelled in off-coverage in both man-to-man and zone, and he finished the regular season with an 87.6 PFF overall grade that ranks second among the league’s cornerbacks.

    The below play* shows Dunbar’s great vision and anticipation against combination routes. While in a three-deep zone, Dunbar has enough depth to defend the vertical route into his zone, but he also maintains vision for the intermediate route developing underneath. He covers a lot of ground and ultimately gets to the point where he can essentially defend both receivers.

    *Video in link above

    Dunbar allowed a passer rating of just 56.9 on throws into his coverage in 2019, the sixth-lowest mark among his peers. He excelled in off-coverage, where he would often play the sticks, and allowed only 17 first-down receptions across his 52 total targets, which ties for the 10th-best rate in the NFL. Now in his fifth season, Dunbar has proven to be incredibly valuable, as he allowed just two touchdown passes across 347 coverage snaps. He is the kind of cornerback Ron Rivera is sure to love in Washington.

  15. Shadow

    Great move at a good price!

  16. Sea Mode

    2. QUINTON DUNBAR, WASHINGTON REDSKINS

    Don’t look now, but Quinton Dunbar has stolen the show from Josh Norman in our nation’s capital. He has excelled in off-coverage in both man-to-man and zone, and he finished the regular season with an 87.6 PFF overall grade that ranks second among the league’s cornerbacks.

    The below play shows Dunbar’s great vision and anticipation against combination routes. While in a three-deep zone, Dunbar has enough depth to defend the vertical route into his zone, but he also maintains vision for the intermediate route developing underneath. He covers a lot of ground and ultimately gets to the point where he can essentially defend both receivers.

    Dunbar allowed a passer rating of just 56.9 on throws into his coverage in 2019, the sixth-lowest mark among his peers. He excelled in off-coverage, where he would often play the sticks, and allowed only 17 first-down receptions across his 52 total targets, which ties for the 10th-best rate in the NFL. Now in his fifth season, Dunbar has proven to be incredibly valuable, as he allowed just two touchdown passes across 347 coverage snaps. He is the kind of cornerback Ron Rivera Pete Carroll is sure to love in Washington Seattle.

    https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-pff-rankings-top-25-cornerbacks-through-week-17

  17. Michael

    I was hoping the seahawks would trade a 5th for another Washington defender in Ryan Kerrigan. but you know coverage > pass rush

    • Davido

      I wonder why they don’t shop Kerrigan.

  18. Volume12

    Love this move. Former WR.

    You give Flowers some competition as well.

    • Volume12

      Flowers IMO probably needs to be the 1st corner off the bench. A Tharold Simon type. I do think Seattle will give him every chance to lock that spot opposite Shaq down though.

      • Coleslaw

        Right now, I agree. I wouldnt have minded Flowers starting, as hes gotten better every year and throughout the season. But I’ll happily take Dunbar as an immediate upgrade. Flowers will still improve on the bench and QB has an injury history, so Flowers provides great depth in the case he goes down. Very good fit for us!

        • Volume12

          This move and BJ Finney have been lowkey great.

          • Coleslaw

            Definitely my 2 favorite moves so far. I LOVE the Finney signing! Bruce was a great move too, just cant be our biggest DE signing

      • Whobody

        Why would you bring the #2 PFF CB off the bench and leave the #6524 one on the field. Make sense please.

        • Sea Mode

          Make sense please.

          Read more carefully please.

        • Volume12

          Him being the #2 ranked CB from PFF guarantess him what?

          • CHawk Talker Eric

            Plus he’s new to the scheme and the style. He needs to learn the kick step first.

      • LLLOGOSSS

        Given that Dunbar has played NCB, my ideal scenario is that he starts on the outside and shifts inside in Nickel. Gets Flowers on the field, but limits his exposure. I don’t think they are giving up on him.

        But since I think it’s the way to go there’s probably no way that’s how they see it.

    • Sea Mode

      Yeah, I just saw that he only converted to CB when they saw that he was good at jamming gunners on ST in training camp.

      From that to the #2 rated CB per PFF is a pretty nice climb. Let’s just hope he can stay healthy. He’s never played a full slate of games. Kind of the Chris Carson of CBs in that sense…

      • Volume12

        He was a decent wideout at Florida too.

  19. Trevor

    JS did say a bunch of times he was not happy with the secondary play last year. Dunbar is a nice addition. Adding Diggs and Dunbar has massively upgraded the secondary for the cost of (2) 5th round picks.

  20. CaptainJack

    PFF LOVES this guy.

    I guess we’ll see this season if their rankings mean anything.

    Not super surprising based off of some of Pete’s comments on Trey Flowers

  21. HOUSE

    I think this is a good love. Griffin played great last year, but I can’t say the same for Flowers. I have no idea if Dunbar comes on to fight Flowers for the other outside CB spot, but I can’t imagine that’s not on the table. May the best man win the spot.

    Let’s work on the DL now!!!

  22. cha

    Is this a Qundre Diggs level move right here?

    • Volume12

      Maybe. Lets see how he holds up. He has a nerve issue in his hammy that’s thought to be degenerative.

    • Eburgz

      Sure feels like it.

  23. Gaux Hawks

    looking more and more like trading up into rounds 2/3 is a possibility. maybe a more targeted approach this year? needs: DT, RB, WR, LB (after signing Clowney & Yannick).

    • Nick

      I think DT, LB, DE are points of emphasis, as you noted. WR is probably going to be in there as well. Tho, given the depth of the WR class, I’m guessing they go defense with their first pick (if not their first two).

    • Jamho3

      Why would we want to trade up? Dont we have an extra 2nd anyways giving us 3 picks in the top 60 or so?

  24. Scot04

    Now we just need a pass rush, so our corners don’t have to cover forever each down.

    • Jamho3

      Preach!

  25. Sam

    I don’t think this is just about Flowers. Griffin had some awful breakdowns at the end of the season. He could just as easily replace Griffin. Or they might think he could be a big nickel, even though he was an outside corner in DC. Akiem King replacement at the very least.

  26. CaptainJack

    Don’t mind the price because we were probably going to spend the fifth on a DB anyways.

    4.4 million is a little pricey though for a player who may have a major medical red flag.

    But anyways he’s probably an upgrade from Flowers, but I doubt he lasts the entire season.

    • Sea Mode

      I’m seeing $3.4m cap hit on Spotrac. Where are people getting $4.4m from?

      https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/seattle-seahawks/quinton-dunbar-17456/

      • cha

        $4.4m is the cap hit for Washington which includes $1m of dead $

        So only $3.4m against the Hawks.

      • Dcd2

        $1m signing bonus owed by skins

  27. Volume12

    There’s people upset about this?!?

    • Sea Mode

      You referring to this, or the fans?

      Jim Nagy
      @JimNagy_SB
      ·15m

      The #Redskins trade of Quinton Dunbar had to be difficult for many in building. They developed an average college WR into a quality NFL starting CB. Dunbar wasn’t even a sought after UDFA (only $1k bonus). For an organization that frequently gets ripped, Dunbar was a huge hit.

      • Coleslaw

        Bungles, Skins and Texans continue to be the worst franchises lol.. feel bad for them

      • Volume12

        No, some of the fans.

        There’s more than 1 way to add talent. I know this is a draft blog and it sounds weird, but draft picks can be highly overrated.

    • Troy

      Yeah I have seen some complaints cause he wants to be paid, cause of the cap, etc. Dont really understand it myself. I think its a 1 year get and unless they changed the compensatory picks and how they are given… a decent chance we get a higher pick for him if he goes off somewhere else next season.

      I know his hammy has an issue but maybe we see Dunbar v. Griffin for a long term deal play out next off season.

      Heck part of me thought maybe he gives us the ammo needed to trade someone for a pass rusher as well. I dont think that will happen but who knows…Schneider can work some magic.

      I really want pass rush help but hard to argue against this move. If someone is upset about the cap hit I would tell them to go look at the money these OL guys were bringing in before questioning a move like this.

      • mishima

        Unlikely because Carroll loves him, but I could see McDougald on the move.

        • Jamho3

          Big Bradmac fan but can we pls sign E. Reid too? Pls & thx.

  28. Scot04

    I can’t imagine any Seahawk fans being upset about it. Maybe Washington fans though.

    • Sea Mode

      Not singling you out or anything, but I’m genuinely just wondering why there have been so many reply fails in the past couple weeks.

      Is this happening to people on mobile? I haven’t had any problems either on mobile or PC.

      • Scot04

        Unsure. In my case i just click on reply. Type in response and hit submit. I’m using android mobile.

      • Rob Staton

        There might be an issue with the site.

        • Kelly

          I’ve never been able to reply on my Google Pixel. Always have to use the laptop.

  29. Sea Mode

    Quinton Dunbar 19′ “CHOSEN1” HIGHLIGHTS
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1uxdcGYPPo

  30. Paul Cook

    This seems good. Took some urgency away from the CB position.

  31. DC

    The Seahawks really like to build the defense from the back to the front. With Diggs & Dunbar added into the fold it really seems pretty solid in the secondary. Now on to the front???

  32. Zeke

    Had no idea he was even available.

    A ton of luck for sure getting Clowney, Diggs and Dunbar for very little compensation and cap hits these past few months.

    Clowney and Griffen = Super Bowl

  33. Seahawk65

    Rob. Your passion and level of commitment to what you do (voluntarily) is just incredible. I found this site several years ago and have been following since. Really appreciate all you do. I have an indelicate question. I know you ask for financial support. What is a fair amount? I want to help keep you going, but I don’t have unlimited funds. I also don’t want to insult you. Can you provide a suggested amount?

    • Rob Staton

      To be honest my suggested amount would be $0.

      I set up the Patreon account simply because people had been asking for a donate button. And after years of resisting I figured it wouldn’t hurt to have a bit of money coming in from something that takes up about as much time as my day job.

      It’s there for people to chip in a bit if they want but without any pressure and certainly only if people can afford it.

      All contributions, however big or small, are much appreciated.

      But I get a kick out of doing this. I think you have to after +11 years. So don’t feel like you have to. I’m most grateful that anyone cares what a British guy has to say about all of this.

      • Producehawk

        Rob your accent is just the cherry on the sundae of your wonderful work!

      • Troy

        Just signed up to be a Patreon for you Rob. I’ve gotten so much enjoyment out of your site, its only fair to compensate the creator.

        • Rob Staton

          Thanks Troy, much appreciated!

      • DJ 1/2 Way (Sea/PDX)

        The quintessential reply of all time. Of course that is what you would say. Thanks Rob. I hope your suffering over the pass rush ends soon.

    • TatupuTime

      A nice reminder Seahawk65 – I’ve been meaning to do this for awhile. Just signed up to be a Patreon. This blog has been a welcome distraction while working from home with young kids. With no live sports going on there has been precious little to pay attention to outside of NFL FA. Thank you Rob.

      Now if the Seahawks could finally get around to signing Clowney and Griffen (or trading for a DE to go with Clowney), that would be super.

      • Rob Staton

        I have bought some new software today that enables me to record Skype and Facetime interviews. If/when we’re all in permanent lockdown, I intend to do some regular interviews and broadcasts. I made this investment because a few people signed up for Patreon this week. So I hope this will help keep people entertained.

  34. EmperorMA

    Just did the mock draft simulator on Pauline’s site:

    27. Jalen Reagor WR – TCU
    59. Neville Gallimore DT – Oklahoma
    64. Jabari Zuniga DE – Florida
    101. Willie Gay Jr. OLB – Mississippi State
    133. Michael Ojemudia CB – Iowa
    144. Logan Stenberg G – Kentucky
    162. Hakeem Adeniji OT – Kansas
    214. Lamar Jackson CB – Nebraska
    I would actually like this draft very much. I think I did a helluva job!

    Obviously, I did this draft right before I found out about the Seahawks signing Quintin Dunbar. That would have changed my pick at 133.

    • Rob4q

      Yeah, that simulator is pretty cool – I like it! Here’s mine after a few trades:

      40. Raekwon Davis – DT Alabama
      59. Isaiah Wilson – OT Georgia
      64. Bradlee Anae – DE Utah
      75. Cam Akers – RB Florida State
      87. Darrell Taylor – OLB Tennessee
      133. Logan Stenberg – G Kentucky
      144. John Hightower – WR Boise State
      173. Netane Muti – G Fresno State
      214. Bryce Huff – OLB Memphis
      246. Dalton Keene – TE VA Tech

      • Tecmo Bowl

        Agreed. Dig the new simulator.

        37.Julian Okwara DE Notre Dame
        59.Raekwon Davis DT Alabama
        64.Brandon Aiyuk WR Arizona State
        71.Willie Gay Jr. OLB Mississippi State
        101.Cam Akers RB Florida State
        133.Saahdiq Charles OT LSU
        144.Nick Harris C Washington
        214.Daniel Thomas S Auburn

        • RugbyLock

          Just did my first draft. Fun stuff! Assuming that they do more to fix the pass rush

          27. Cesar Ruiz
          59 Ezra Cleveland
          64 Brandon Aiyuk
          101 Hunter Bryant
          133 A.J. Dillon
          144 Alton Robinson
          , EDGE
          Syracuse
          214 Alex Taylor
          , OT
          South Carolina State

          • Qoolio

            Many thanks for sharing the site… this has been a welcome diversion.

            50. Javon Kinlaw (though Raekwon Davis was here too for a bit more realism)
            59. Jabari Zuniga
            64. Isaiah Wilson
            76. Willie Gay Jr.
            101. Chase Claypool
            117. Leki Fotu
            145. Joshua Kelley
            161. Hakeem Adeniji
            173. Nick Harris
            185. Lamar Jackson
            214. Steven Montez

          • Travuw

            SEA 9.
            Isaiah Simmons
            OLB Clemson

            SEA 59.
            Raekwon Davis
            DT Alabama

            SEA 101.
            Hunter Bryant
            TE Washington

            SEA 144.
            Nick Harris
            C Washington

            SEA 214.
            Malcolm Perry

  35. Tom Lynch

    I wonder if Quil could play some slot too. If tre takes a step forward.

    • EmperorMA

      Dunbar is here to start at outside CB and take the opposing team’s best receiver out of the game. Tre gets to move to slot and battle Amadi for the starting job or be first off the bench.

      This should give Clowney some more sacks, too. Coverage helps!

      • Eburgz

        Dunbar isn’t following the opposing teams best receiver. Even prime sherm sticked to his side besides a couple games.

      • Volume12

        It gives them options.

        Shaq and Dunbar could start and one slides inside to nickel while Flowers plays the other outisde spot. And you still have Amadi too.

        • Greg Haugsven

          I could for sure see Griffin and Dunbar as your starting outside corners. Then seeing Griffin slide into the slot in nickel and have Flowets come in to take Griffins spot. Flowers would essentially be your 3rd corner but he wouldnt play nickel.

  36. Cwagner

    Good move. Definitely a position we needed help with. Not a pass rusher, but perhaps it will help a bit with the pass rush in the sense that with better coverage, our pass rushers will have more time to get to the QB??

  37. Troy

    Looking at the defense right now and assuming we get Clowney or some added help at defensive end… we are looking at worst in my opinion of having a very good bend but dont break defense. Maybe not dominant at the line of scrimmage but a team that can keep things in front of them and then really tighten up in the red zone.

    What looks to be a very good secondary, a good linebacking core, and hopefully at least a average pass rush with Russ being able to do his thing on offense. Thats my hope anyways. Im struggling to envision a scenario where we can be anything more than average in the pass rushing though.

  38. Brett in AZ

    Well, there’s one trade for the defense. There are many ways to try and process the lack of FA activity so far, but one way might be using draft stock to trade for what you need. Especially with PCJS and their tendency to find market weaknesses to exploit. Sometimes they might, in fact, get ‘too cute’. But they generally ‘go for it’, and attack the offseason with some kind of grand thematic plan. And they rarely tip their hands on trades. Might explain some of the silence to-date. Perhaps they just didn’t like what the draft was offering or the deals they see in FA as much as they like trading with this setup? Let’s hope there’s more in the pipeline.

  39. TJ

    Aside from the pass rush, it seems like Seattle is doing a nice job of creating depth. Perhaps they are creating the type of depth right now that sets them up for an early trade up to land an impact player – quality over quantity – which they don’t do often. Maybe I’m also just grasping for straws after this confusing week.

  40. Sea Mode

    Sounds like Dunbar is going to want an extension right away. I guess it could be good to tie him up for a couple more years before he gets too expensive, if he continues to improve. But it could also be a big risk with his injury history and without him knowing PC’s technique. Will be interesting to see what PC/JS have planned.

    • Eburgz

      Doubt they extend him off the bat.

  41. Sea Mode

    John Keim
    @john_keim

    When Dunbar’s trade demand was first made, I reached out to a few people about his value. Most said probably a 4th. What hurt: injuries; also sure some teams questioned his handling of this. Didn’t help. Loved how Dunbar made himself into a good CB. but

    The Redskins were not in a spot to get any sort of max value (a 2nd? no chance.) for someone w/1 year left off injuries making noise. Rivera clearly decided he didn’t want to bring him back. would it become an issue? With TW: Stronger track record; more ability for better return

    Dunbar’s rise was excellent. Studied. Worked. But if you’re a first year coach who doesn’t know the player and all u know is that he’s good, but hasn’t played 16 games? You’ll take what you get and move on. Other teams were offering 6/7th round picks. That was the value.

  42. Sean

    So would we consider putting Shaq at the slot on Nickel downs?

    I feel like he is quick enough to play slot.

    So in base we ould start
    CB1:Shaq
    CB2: Dunbar

    And in Nickel:
    Cb1 Dunbar
    Cb2 Flowers
    Slot: Shaq

    • Sean

      Ooops someone already brought this up my bad.

    • LLLOGOSSS

      Dunbar having played there already why wouldn’t the team move him to NCB in nickel packages, and put him outside in base? Rhetorical question, who knows if that’s how they see it.

      Flowers, to me, doesn’t resemble a NCB — but that’s based only on intuition.

      If you get Flowers on the field in Nickel, I’d prefer it to be outside, with a guy who has had success and experience there (Dunbar) taking the slot.

  43. Gaux Hawks

    one sly trade.
    two left on my wishlist.
    three rolls of toilet paper.
    four used linemen.
    five non-guaranteed years of clowney.
    six rookie draftees.
    seven day forecasts.
    eight in the box. (forty)
    nine super bowl hangovers.
    and ten more years of john schneider…

    merry free agency, seattle.

    • Sea Mode

      Quarantine is getting to you, my friend! 🙂

  44. Donger

    I’m really stoked on this Dunbar trade. I was worried we’d sign another OL, Rob would lose it, do a post on the new Rams logo, and then leave us all here unmoderated until next year. Which do you hate more, the LA logo or the modernized Ram?

    • TomLPDX

      I see the Rams logo and think they are trying to rip off the Chargers lightening bolt.

      • Sea Mode

        My favorite jokes were the Trump hair and the old Internet Explorer logo.

  45. GoHawksDani

    I love it. Not a Flowers fan but if Flowers make a big step Dunbar could still play nCB.
    Not a passrush sign but good coverage helps the passrush too.
    I hope we can sign at least Clowney and draft Okwara/Zuniga/Greenard AND Davis or Madubuike (hopefully I didn’t butcher his name too much).
    Not the big push but with better coverage and with some luck we can have Clowney – Reed between his 2018 and 2019 play (like 6 sacks) – rookie DT or Poona makes a step forward – Irvin/Green/Collier/rookie if one of those can make a big step we might have a solid passrush. Not amazing but better than last year.

  46. Erik

    Looks Dunbar lost quite a bit of time over the last two years due to injury. Hopefully this doesn’t become a problem in Seattle. It probably drove his value down as well.

    • Scot04

      I’m assuming the deal won’t be finalized until he has a physical, and they feel comfortable with his overall health. If all good I’m guessing extension.

  47. RWIII

    I absolutely LOVE this move. This is a move that was desperately need. There are so many good wide/slot receivers not only in the NFC West but the entire NFC Conference. Plus you have a NFL draft next month where you have 25 receivers with a 1st-3rd round grade.

    Now here is a side bonus. John Schneider gave up a fifth round pick for Dunbar. After what happened last year in the draft John Schneider will have NO PROBLEM trading down and acquiring MORE draft picks.

    • BobbyK

      He also traded up in the draft twice on day two last year (DK & Barton).

    • EmperorMA

      We don’t need more low round draft picks. We need quality NFL players.

      • Hawktalker#1

        LOL ok

        • EmperorMA

          Please name current R5 picks who are contributing to the Seahawks success.

          • Gohawks5151

            Dickson

          • hawkcrazy

            Quandre Diggs was traded for a 2020 5th round pick

  48. BobbyK

    Very nice get. I don’t value 5th round picks because I know they’re easily available to get on draft day. If the Seahawks move down from 27, which is what they will probably do, then they’ll easily get picks like this back again (which is great because, ultimately I DO love 5th round picks) and more.

    • Hawktalker#1

      So you don’t value fifth round picks, but you love fifth round picks? I don’t get that.

      • Group captain mandrake

        I think it’s that there’s not a lot of value for a fifth rounder, but the joy is in finding a gem like Richard Sherman.

  49. One Bad Mata'afa

    Wait…when Josina says “I’m told” or “sources tell me”, is that by phone or in person? She didn’t clarify so I’m a bit confused

  50. Simo

    I wish John had a pocket full of 5th round picks! He frequently turns them into quality NFL players either via draft or trade!

    • BobbyK

      Like Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor.

  51. Greg Haugsven

    Very off topic here but who is more crazy in the Tiger King? The loud Joe Exotic or the quiet Carol? That lady gives me the creeps.

  52. SoCal12

    President of the NFL physicians is saying they’re stopping physicals for now. Could be another snag in Clowney negotiations unfortunately.

    • Hawktalker#1

      Doubtful. They know his medical situation better than anyone else.

      • Simo

        Let’s hope this is a snag for Tennessee or any other teams in the mix to sign him. This would seem to limit JC’s options more, unless he’s willing to wait things out long term.

  53. Greg Haugsven

    They are going to have to do some maneuvering though to be able to sign Clowney and even more to get Clowney and Griffen. According to Over the Cap they had about $18.3 million in cap space but that doesnt figure in Irvin, Shell, Ogbuehi, Warmack Willson or Dunbar. Warmack and Willson will be so low that its not even worth computing as they can give each of the an MSB contract. If you guesstimate it could look like this.

    Starting $18.3:

    Ogbuehi…Its been reported that his contract is up to $3.3 million but we dont know what that means so for arguments sake we will put his cap hit at $2 million

    Shell…He signed a two year $11 million deal so if we take a guess maybe his cap hit will be at $4.5 million in 2020

    Irvin…He made about $4 million last year so lets just go with that.

    Dunbar…we know his cap hit is about $3.4 million

    Guesstimate Total…$13.9 million

    Now when we add these four players into the equation we have to remove 4 guys from the list to fit them in under the top 51. Those 4 to remove would be:

    John Ursua $695k
    Bryan Mone…$674k
    Demetrius Knox…$612k
    Justin Johnson…$612k

    Total…$2.6 million

    Total net cap space taken…$11.3

    Subtract that from $18.3 and that leaves us with about $7 million left.

    • Coleslaw

      B.J. Finney’s cap hit is $3.5M this year, too. So after swapping a low end player, you can probably add just under $3M to that.

      Bringing it down to just over $4M.

      • Greg Haugsven

        Finney is already included in the $18.3

    • Gohawks5151

      I’m not a cap guy. In fact I hate that side of things. But were we not supposed to have over 50 million dollars in space? Besides Reed at a high APY where did it all go?

      • king.

        I completely understand where you are coming from. I hated the cap stuff too, until this offseason, when I wanted to have a clearer picture of Seattle’s situation. Now that I have learned a little, I find it interesting. It also helps me have realistic expectations.

        A (fairly) straightforward answer to your question:

        $3m: The final salary cap number came in lighter than expected ($198m vs $201-202m).

        $9.4m Reed’s 2020 cap hit

        $5.5m Olsen’s 2020 cap hit

        $9.5m Hollister, Moore, Hunt, Jackson

        $3.5m Finney’s 2020 cap hit

        This brings us down right about where OverTheCap has Seattle right now: $18.3m (it’s not exact because these numbers aren’t exact, but they are close enough)

        But there are some numbers we know are going to count against the cap, even if we aren’t exactly sure what they are:

        ~$6m Teams have to reserve some cap for draftees and assundry.

        That brings us down to the ~$12m you may have heard bandied about lately.

        $3.4m Dunbar’s 2020 cap hit (but don’t necessarily get comfortable with that number as part of the reason his draft compensation was so low is because he is looking for an extension).

        ~$4.5m Shell’s 2020 cap hit. I kicked $1m down the road, which is about the same percentage Reed’s backloading was.

        ~$3.3m Ogbuehi’s 2020 cap hit. We don’t know the details, but that is the number we have seen on a 1 year contract.

        ~$4m Irvin’s 2020 cap hit. This is his 2019 number, but it is all we have to go on. He probably out-performed that number and won’t be looking to take a pay cut, but that is speculation on my part.

        I haven’t seen any details on Warmack, nor have I gone looking because I was under the impression this was likely a negligible cost. It occurs to me, though, that I shouldn’t assume this.

        So even if you go on the conservative end of all the estimates, it brings the available cap down to zero or negative.

        And that’s where it all went/is going.

        Seattle hasn’t been inactive. They’ve spent what they have and more. If they are going to make some splash moves on the DL, they are going to have to be very creative.

        • Rob Staton

          They don’t have to be ‘very’ creative.

          They’re carrying contracts that are unnecessary.

          And they can easily back-load deals once they’ve created room.

          They’ve not even cut Ed Dickson yet.

    • Scot04

      If they really want to make it happen they can.

    • charlietheunicorn

      This is the least of my concerns right now.

      Sign the guy(s) you want and get it done.
      You can work out the fancy math later.

      • king.

        That is how the 2018 Rams became the 2020 Rams.

      • GoHawksDani

        Backloading the contract is not an issue. But by backloading salaries you must also backload GTDs. And that can be an issue. I don’t really want Clowney to have 30-40m GTDs in 2022+2023. That is too risky.
        Obviously we can cut some guys and restructure some contracts which could give us like +15-18m. But I really hope if Clowney and Griffen comes then KJ, Britt, Dickson, etc will go. I don’t want big contracts with 5-6m first year hit

  54. Coleslaw

    Al Woods signing with Jacksonville.. Sucks to see him go, but I’m curious to his price, we need a DT and this should give some clarity on the current market.

    • Coleslaw

      1 year $2.75M

    • GerryG

      Scew Al Woods, his suspension completely screwed a team that was hemorrhaging injuries.

      • Aaron

        +12

      • Hughz

        Yep! I bet that’s why JS didn’t sign him.

    • Zane

      Unfortunate – don’t see why they wouldn’t resign him; he played extremely tough to my eyes.

  55. Erick

    More then never i think that we will draft a RB with our first pick…
    I think that will be jonathan taylor if he will be availablein our first pick…
    But i he have gone early i think they will trade down…

  56. HOUSE

    Rob,

    Another great write up, as usual… I think this was a move that helps, but I would still put others ahead of this.

    I know his name has been brought up in the past, but what are your thoughts on Suh? I think he actually had a decent year in TB last season and I’m not exactly sure what he’d cost. Do you have any thoughts/names of other potential DTs we should be looking at?

    • Rob Staton

      I think the thing with Suh is he’s going to expect a certain salary. I’d guess about $8m. And the Seahawks really need to start focusing on the pass rush now.

  57. All I see is 12s

    So, when this news first broke I thought they were talking about Vaughn Dunbar and I really couldn’t understand why everyone was so excited for the Hawks. I mean, do we really need an aging third down back? Is that guy even still playing? – These are the thoughts that went through my head. After a little more investigation I’m very happy with this. That’s my cue to go to bed. Good night everyone.

  58. millhouse-serbia

    For a long time now I think Zuniga will be Seahawks first pick (after trade back)…
    1. Special traits
    2. Position of need
    3. Perfect fit

    And they know he will be there after trade back, because he will be little bit of a reach at start of the 2nd round (because of last year where he had injury problems) and John loves to take players who had better 2nd or 3rd year than the last one…

    And when we are speaking about special traits:

    Then you look at Jabari Zuniga. He’s a Rolls Royce 35% of the time. He glides off the edge and can win with pure speed and fluidity. His physique is like a Roman statue. He ran a 1.61 10-yard split, is one of the most explosive testers to enter the league in the last decade and he has major upside.

    • Davido

      Totally agree, im just wondering how he would look compared to other classes. In this DE class he looks the part to me.

    • Rob Staton

      Yes he has the traits. But he also has a lot of moments where the Rolls Royce turns the engine off.

  59. millhouse-serbia

    I saw some questions where are money when we didnt sign any star player and we are at around zero(few milion in +) “true” cap space…

    there are two reason why we have 15mil less than we thought we have just month ago…

    first is that we lose(just like everybody else) 5mil with new CBA(bigger minimum salary) and other one is that spotrac had us at 10mil roll over for few months (they were wrong) and now they think its around 1.5mil (which is correct as I understand)…I dont know why over the cap still dont count that money…
    so Greg I think right now you shoud start your calculation with 20mil not 18,3.

  60. Bankhawk

    An open question (or maybe 2 or 3)
    -which of these moves so far this offseason feel ‘plotted and planned’ to you; (eg.Olsen)?
    -whích seem like moves of pure opportunity (as in ‘look what just fell out of the apple tree!’); (any)?
    -does the accumulation of replacements/draft hedges on the O line feel the harbinger of a trade up in the draft and/or predraft for major Def. talent?

    • Robert Las Vegas

      Rob you are 💯 percent correct this is the type of trade the Seahawks make it makes sense to me. I like this trade a lot. My question for you today I remember that the Seahawks had a formal interview with Jonathan Greenard at the combine fo you put anything into that could the Seahawks be really interested in Greenard.

  61. Ukhawk

    Rob.

    Love how you’re using the time wisely by studying – same as my kids home from school readying for GCSEs!

    On this: “ The best way to describe the class is every player lacks something”. Great point, really resonated for this draft.

    But it also occurred that we’ve all got to all remember that they look for what guys can do well, not what they don’t.

    Liking the CB trade. How injured has Dunbar been, seen it mentioned? Will be interesting contractually as Griffen is up for a new contract too at the end of the season. Guess downside might be getting a pick back on Dunbar if he doesn’t work out.

    • Ukhawk

      But it also occurred that we’ve all got to remember that they look for what guys can do well, not what they don’t.

  62. Henry Taylor

    Rappaport is saying no one has even come close to Clowney’s asking price and he’s willing to wait for the offers to come up.

    Which would suggest 2 things:
    A: We won’t be getting a resolution to this anytime soon.
    B: Perhaps the Seahawks aren’t being unreasonable with him and they’ve offered more than anyone else, but he wants a significantly better offer from a team that would be bidding against themselves.

    I wonder at what point it might be worth moving on and trying to get Griffen and Ngokoue?

    • Rob Staton

      It depends though. Because some reports have said they’ve offered $18.5m and he wants $20m. If that’s the case it’s ridiculous that this is still going on.

      The success and failure of this team next season cannot be left up to waiting weeks for Clowney to make a decision. The pass rush is not fit for purpose even with Clowney. It’s time to move on if there’s no breakthrough forthcoming.

      • Henry Taylor

        My thinking is “not even come close” suggests the gap is more than $1.5m. I would assume from this the Seahawks are either offering the low $13-14m range that’s been reported and he want closer to $20m; or they’ve offered him $18.5m and Clowney wants to get into the Mack/Donald range. The latter being completely unreasonable from Clowney’s part, and the former being the Seahawks low-balling a player that didn’t deserve to get low-balled, but can you really blame them for not upping the best offer by $5-6m?

        With your second statement I agree, but with limited options available how much is it going to cost to trade and sign Yannick? Because a pass rush of Griffen and Irvin isn’t exactly thrilling. It’s looking more and more like the best chance to be a contender next year is major progression from Green and/or Collier.

        • Rob Staton

          I’d forget that last point now. There is no chance… none at all… of the Seahawks becoming a contender because of anything to do with Collier or Green. They know that too.

          They’ve completely fudged their pass rush over the last 12 months and waiting this out and risking being even worse isn’t acceptable. It’d be a failure of gross proportions and it deserves more attention than it’s getting in the local media.

          • Henry Taylor

            What would be your plan of action at this point?

            Put your “best offer” on the table for Clowney, if he turns it down go and do whatever it takes (within reason) to trade for Yannick and then see if you can fit Griffen in the the cap after that?

            • Rob Staton

              Make a call on Clowney.

              And if it’s a no then sign Griffen and acquire another pass rusher.

              • LLLOGOSSS

                +1.

          • millhouse-serbia

            It is really unbelievable…you know that I didnt agree with your assessment they will sign two star pass rusher, but this…this is unacceptable…its not anymore about cap space, now its about available options…and there are none on the market besides Clowney and 33y old Griffen (who shold be asset and not leading pass rusher)…I am writing this and just cant believe at what position they allowed themself to be…

            • Kenny Sloth

              I dont think we’ve reached “unacceptable” yet.

              Sign Clowney. Make a move. It’s far from time to panic.

              I thought we were always more likely to trade for an edge than to sign a big deal outside Clowney.

              • Rob Staton

                I think it’s unacceptable.

                They’re over a week into free agency and all they’ve done is swap Bruce Irvin for Quinton Jefferson. They could still lose Clowney. Many of the alternative options are off the market. They’ve severely limited themselves. And they’ve not delivered the player they said was a huge priority.

                They can turn it around, sure. But it’s unacceptable how inactive they’ve been to fix this issue.

                • Kenny Sloth

                  Cant win the off-season a week in.

                  • Rob Staton

                    Platitudes are not going to sufficiently counter some of the valid concerns discussed over the last 3-4 days.

                • Kenny Sloth

                  But really man, if they sign Clowney and trade for Von Miller (eg) in a week’s time you’ll have been moaning for nothin

                  • Rob Staton

                    Yes you’re right.

                    If they do something massively unrealistic that is 99.9% unlikely that at this stage nobody should expect, it’ll all have been for nothing.

                    And if the more realistic scenario of that not happening occurs, the ‘moaning’ would have been completely justified.

                  • Kenny Sloth

                    The 99.9% unexpected?

                    Boy, have I got the GM for you 😉

                    Excuse the platitude

                    • Rob Staton

                      If they were trading for Von Miller’s contract it would’ve happened by now.

                      Not even been a rumour about him. He seems destined to stay in Denver.

                  • Kenny Sloth

                    No, you’re definitely right and I’m not gonna pretend to have any concrete answers, but I don’t want to pile on the narrative that they aren’t doing the work necessary to rebuild this contender during a rapidly shrinking window.

                    When the time comes to pass that they didnt do enough, I’ll be the first to put their whole feet in the fire

                    • Rob Staton

                      It’s not a ‘narrative’.

                      We’re eight days into free agency and the only DL addition they’ve made is Bruce Irvin.

                      They might lose Clowney. They’ve lost Jefferson. A lot of the alternative options are gone.

                      That’s not good enough. That’s not a ‘narrative’ or a ‘hot take’. It’s just what’s happened.

                  • Kenny Sloth

                    I just can’t imagine someone with a history like Schneider’s sitting on his hands.

                    We could look back on this period as them setting up their trade-up for Isaiah Wilson, Rob.

                    Get some real legit competition at corner, some plus depth for the OL and bringing back some DL they know and like.

                    It’s definitely a narrative and it’s played out. Clowney met a cold market and might be back on a team friendly deal because we won’t cave.

                    There is a lot to look forward to from this FO man. You know it better than anyone.

                    • Rob Staton

                      You’re not countering anything Kenny.

                      You’re just taking the fair critique of their inactivity and saying, ‘it’ll be OK.’ But you don’t know that.

                      If people want to bury their heads in the sand and hope for the best, be my guest.

                      I’m not going to see blind faith as an adequate challenge to the points raised, however.

                  • Kenny Sloth

                    But Rob.

                    It WILL be ok 💚💙 LOB

                  • LLLOGOSSS

                    Said this below, but Elway has the perennial delusion that Denver can contend. FML, I really think Von Miller is the rug he answer, but it won’t be happening.

              • GerryG

                Put me in the unacceptable camp. Especially when you factor in the cap aspect. They have spent a big % of the cap, and have not really improved the team much. TE and CB have improved. OL has held par, at best, considering the loss of continuity, perhaps a step backward. DL, is currently weaker. Everything else is the same.

                Yes, they can make moves for the cap space they need, but that also creates more holes, some holes are bigger deals than others.

                Im just an average fan, but I just dont see much to be excited about thus far.

                • Kenny Sloth

                  Unexcited so far = unacceptable.

                  • JimQ

                    At some point during a tough negotiation there comes a time for one side to make their best and final offer with a deadline set. The Seahawks have a major need at EDGE and if their #1 target won’t play ball and deal reasonably, it’s likely time to move on to option #2.

                    IMO-PC/JS need to set a specific deadline and move on if Clowney isn’t really receptive to their best offer. I’d personally set the deadline in the next couple of days and be prepared to move on if necessary.

                    An additional thought, perhaps the Seahawks know a lot more about Clowney’s current injury situation and they have concerns that precludes them from offering anywhere near 20 million due to his uncertain ability to stay healthy & available? It might be somewhat understandable if Clowney doesn’t get that.

  63. millhouse-serbia

    Where did you see/hear that?

    • Rob Staton

      It was on NFL Network yesterday. There’s a 50 second video on NFL.com.

      • millhouse-serbia

        Tnx.

        After listening I have two thoughts.

        1. Rumors about 18.5 multiyear offer are false, because Ian said nobody come close to what Jadeveon wants (and 18.5 mil.isnpretty close to 20mil)

        2. If he is willing to wait, seahawks shouldnt be(and he wont be seahawks if that’s the case imo)…just go and try to find at least one proven pass rusher via trade (or Griffen)…call for Yannick, for Von…if not call Redskins for Kerrigan and then use 1st pick on edge…will it be enogh its question mark, but when everyone are gone you need to do best you can and best possible…

        • LLLOGOSSS

          Clowney and Von Miller were my dream scenario all along, but Elway seems to be stuck in a perennial delusion that Denver can contend. Doesn’t look like he’ll be made available.

    • Henry Taylor

      I read it on a Bleacher Report rumours article – Quarantine makes a man dig deeper for his sports entertainment.

  64. Davido

    Now looking back the trade doesn’t seem all that bad for the Texans. No way they would have signed him if he really demands such a contract. They got Jacob Martin who can be part of their pass rush in the future and a draft pick for losing out a year of Clowney in which he was holding out.

    • Rob Staton

      Sometimes you’ve just got to accept the offer that’s out there.

      Seattle should’ve done that with Earl Thomas.

  65. Denver Hawker

    I suspect Clowney is misplaying his hand here. If other teams haven’t stepped up yet, he’s going to wait for nobody. Sure, $14MM for another year of Clowney sounds great, but not if he’s a malcontent.

    Put me in the Griffen, Yannick/Okwara, Raekwon camp at this point. Far less than ideal for sure though.

    • Rob Staton

      Clowney may well be misplaying his hand. Or he might think these offers will be around two months later so there’s no point making a call now. Might as well wait until after the draft.

      For the Seahawks though — to wait for this long for this to play out? Not good enough. They said they had six targets. Time to work on what’s left of the list if they can’t get it done with Clowney. Going into next year with Bruce Irvin, Rasheem Green, LJ Collier, Branden Jackson and whoever they get in the draft shouldn’t be acceptable to any Seahawks fan.

      • Nolan Thomas

        What if they tried other options and lost?

        • Rob Staton

          Then they’re not fit for purpose any more.

          But I doubt that has happened.

  66. Trevor

    I would think there is zero chance the Hawks wait much longer hoping that Clowney will make a decision. They spoke very clearly at the combine that there was a massive need to address the D-Line and have done nothing so far. I expect that if something is not done in the next 48 hrs they will move on from Clowney and go to plan B which is likely sign Griffen and trade for YN.

    I would prefer Clowney because we really need the draft capital but it is looking more and more like Plan B will be the end result. Anything less than one of these two scenarios will mean one of the leagues worst DL will only be worse next year in all likelihood.

    • millhouse-serbia

      One question for all…

      If we trade for YN, and cut Britt and some other players like T2 , Dickson etc to make room for his contract…and we find ourself in position that we dont have any more space for Griffen…would you cut KJ to make that room for Everson?

      • Davido

        Cutting KJ seems pretty unlikely at this point because we would have saved 1 million by cutting him before Monday. Also cutting KJ would create a situation in which you fill a hole by opening a new one. There is nobody on this roster that we should have any reasonable trust to fullfill KJ’s role. What people often forget in this conversation that he is the backup for Bobby. I don’t want to see Barton or BBK as our MLB if Bobby is hurt “knocking on wood”.

        • Sea Mode

          I think Barton’s best fit is at MLB. He might be the long-term succession plan for Bobby.

          Would definitely like to see them address WILL with another pick regardless of what happens with KJ. Look at Willie Gay or even Logan Wilson.

          To me, BBK is a great ST player, but no more than a backup at LB.

          They will probably also re-sign Kendricks and could possibly play him alongside Bobby together with a nickel CB. We’ll see.

          Will be hard to let KJ go without pissing off Bobby. Not sure how they’ll manage that.

      • Trevor

        I love KJ one of my favorite Hawks of all time but if I had the choice of Griffen on KJ given the makeup of our roster I would go with Grifffen. I think they could make room for both if the sign Clowney or YN longer term and structure the contract to reduce the cap hit year #1.

        • Simo

          You have to also consider that cutting KJ means they are left with only one of their starting LB’s, as Kendricks is still unsigned at this point. That makes for an awful lot of change in the LB group, and I just can’t imagine they are quite ready for that.

          It may be more likely that they restructure KJ, or try to resign Kendricks on another cheap one year deal. It may still come down to making tough decisions like cutting KJ, if they end up needing extra cap space to fix the pass rush.

          Regardless, not a great position the Hawks are in right now. Wait out Clowney? Lose out on Griffen, Ngakoue, others while you wait? Try to trade for someone else? Ugh…

      • mishima

        If you can’t fix the DL, esp. pass rush, why hold onto Wagner and Wright? To give opposing guards a target? Sentimentality?

        Linebackers are relatively cheap, available/replaceable and arguably not as essential as a pass rush. Easier to get by with average LB play than average DL play. Further, they need to get faster and more rangy at the position.

        IMO, they should do whatever necessary to fix the pass rush. Otherwise, they are just wasting time.

        • Rob Staton

          Seattle’s LB’s are also both players who need good line play to be at their very best. Otherwise they’re sitting ducks in coverage and are forced to operate vs the perimeter run.

          The key in the modern NFL is excellent pass rush and speed at LB. Look at the Niners for case #1. Seattle has expensive ageing linebackers and no pass rush. Go figure.

          (They also have a LB who gets blocked by quarterbacks pushing 40 years of age but oh I’ve brought it up again sorrreeeee).

          • mishima

            Agree.

            Saw what happened last year when they couldn’t keep Wagner and Wright clean, able to defend the run, esp. outside/perimeter. Opponents’ average of 5 YPC won’t cut it. IMO, they need much better DTs and slot play to be effective.

            49ers are who I had in mind.

            • mishima

              (You’re either able to edit after posting or I’m going crazy. LOL)

          • LLLOGOSSS

            Haha, what happened, I forget. Was that McCown? On who, KJ?

            • Rob Staton

              No. It was Aaron Rodgers blocking Cody Barton.

  67. ChrisClem

    I really like the Dunbar trade. I didn’t know a lot about him before yesterday, but what I have seen and read since has been great. But I guess he wants a new contract. What would that look like? He had a really good year in 2019, but has stuggled to stay on the field. Griffin is also in the last year of his contract, and he is “their” guy. Will they both get new deals this offseason, and how much money can they spend on CBs?

  68. Sea Mode

    Tom Pelissero
    @TomPelissero
    ·9m

    How badly did the #Panthers want QB P.J. Walker after he lit up the XFL? Source says they gave Walker a two-year, $1.565 million contract that includes a $150,000 signing bonus and a $25,000 workout bonus next year. Nice deal for a street free agent.

    • Kenny Sloth

      End Times

  69. Kenny Sloth

    Our top resigning priority met a cold asl market and we’re mourning the loss already.

    Too on the nose, Seattle.

  70. Kenny Sloth

    Cam Newton set to be released today.

    Who gets him and do they become a contender?

    • Robbie

      My guess is the Patriots pick him up or the Chargers.

    • Logan Lynch

      Some AFC team, maybe the Colts or Chargers. Patriots would be funny.

      And no, they potentially get worse.

    • mishima

      Houston because Watson is out the door.

    • Henry Taylor

      Yeah I think people seem to be forgetting how bad Cam has played since his MVP year. They were genuinely better with Kyle Allen in 2019. I feel if he hadn’t gotten injured last year no one would have any interest in him, might be the case anyway.

    • cha

      Here’s a wildcard. The Cowboys.

      JJ can’t resist a big news splashing story.

      And then they could go to Dak and be like “your call, man. Do you want to play for us? Because we have options.”

      • Rob Staton

        My prediction is Cam won’t play in 2020.

        Teams can’t get him in for a medical. And by the time they perhaps can he won’t be able to learn a new offense.

        • Kenny Sloth

          😮

  71. cha

    Rubgy commentator gets bored, starts narrating real life

    https://twitter.com/nickheathsport/status/1241417950579634177

  72. Greg Haugsven

    Everyday I have woken up excited to hear news about Clowney. Today is the day he will sign. Today I woke up and dont really care. This whole thing is wearing me down. I’m sure I’ll get excited if it comes but for now I’m over it.

    • Rob Staton

      I’m assuming there won’t be any announcements on his future until the draft now.

      If he’s waited this long, then the only logical thing is to wait until the draft and hope a team with money didn’t get the pass rusher they need.

      Probably won’t make any difference but that’s where we’re at.

      Even then he might now just wait until teams can do medicals.

      Stalemate.

      And if that’s the case the Seahawks should move on.

      • Scot04

        100% agree. Seahawks can’t continue to just wait. Give Clowney your best offer now. Both long and short. Then start moving on if it’s not good enough.

      • Submanjoe

        What is the comp pick cutoff date? Is it early may or june? It would be disappointing to say the least if clowney signed elsewhere so late that seattle loses the comp pick…

  73. Rob Staton

    Per Sheil Kapadia:

    “Last season, the Seahawks produced a sack or QB hit on just 14.4 percent of opponents’ pass plays — the worst rate of any defense.”

    Seattle’s response — sign Bruce Irvin, wait it out with the priority re-sign. Don’t add anything.

    Not good enough.

    • cha

      The community at large 2 weeks ago..

      “yeah, the Hawks will lock down Clowney immediately, and they will consider Reed if they have the cap room and he’s affordable”

      Today: we’ve had Reed locked for a while now, and who knows what on Clowney and we’re all stuck in our homes about ready to chew our arm off.

    • Trevor

      The worst part is that now their options are so limited that other GMS and Agents no have all the leverage in any negotiation. That combined with an awful edge rushing draft class paints a pretty bleak outlook IMO. I am sure they will pull something off I am just loosing hope that it will be enough to significantly improve the defense in any meaningful way.

  74. Paul Cook

    It seems like team PC/JS were either…

    a) Caught somewhat off guard with the Clowney stalemate/slow dance, or…

    b) Were prepared to accept the consequence of having to scramble to fill out their DL needs from an increasingly disadvantageous position

    Don’t quite know another way to look at it now.

    • Simo

      Being caught somewhat off guard is probably understandable, but being caught with their pants completely down and only a few options left available is another thing entirely. It’s feeling more and more like the latter scenario is occurring!

    • Rob Staton

      I think they expected Clowney to accept their crappy offer because his market was cold and he told them to get stuffed, I’ll wait it out.

      • Scot04

        With the cold market it sounds like they had the chance to get him at 20M per year. This is a number most thought he would surpass if he hit free agency. Instead of paying around 20M they go cheap. They should have felt lucky and grabbed him at 20M. If it’s truly 20M he’s asking for. Hard to be upset with Clowney for stalling out for a chance to get closer to what he feels is fair value. If it’s a 1 or 2 year deal and I’m him I’d go elsewhere with a better defense, like Tennessee. For us Seahawks fans it’s very disappointing.

      • Simo

        It does seem like Clowney is prepared to wait things out until after the draft, and at this point he may not have much to lose. He’s so talented, he will still likely find a team and situation he’s satisfied in several weeks. Remember Clowney already showed he’s willing to play hard ball in negotiations last year after Houston tagged him.

        What Pete/John do is the real question now. It just doesn’t seem like they can afford to wait this situation out. If there’s any of the elusive six candidates still available, they better get busy!

        They should still be able to circle back to Clowney later on as well, although it may require some cap management at that point.

        • Rob Staton

          Clowney will play football for millions of dollars next season whatever happens.

          Seattle doesn’t have to have a crappy pass rush that wastes the season — but it’s possible.

          What does this mean? Much more at stake for Seattle.

          • Paul Cook

            Yeah, Clowney has the edge here. The only thing he risks is the guaranteed money from a longer term contract in the event he signs a short term deal. Some team is going to pay him decent short term money even if Seattle moves on from him.

    • mishima

      Other, cynical take, not my opinion or hope:

      Low offer based on their medicals, experience with his health and availability (was he always less than 100%) AND/OR took advantage of situation, knowing teams wouldn’t be able to conduct interviews, perform physicals.

      Many reasons, but no happy endings. IMO, time to move on. Maybe another trade forthcoming? Use the force, John.

  75. cha

    Sorry if this is a repost or just aggravates the situation…

    Matty F. Brown
    @mattyfbrown
    The 2 year $27million contract Seattle proposed to Jadeveon Clowney on March 17th featured two conditions COVID-19 impacts:

    1. Required Clowney to pass a physical administered by the Seahawks’ head physician
    2. Fully guaranteed

    Clowney is coming off surgery, has injury history

    • Rob Staton

      I like Matty.

      But I think it’s time for people on Twitter to stop talking about things like two-years $27m is a fact or expecting us to believe ‘sources’.

      Twitter has contributed a lot of bollocks over the last week. From Ink Zone bloke to the random Jaguars guy to that obscure account that Jake Heaps was suddenly validating to Corbin Smith and now Matty.

      I don’t want to hear any more ‘reports’ or talk of ‘deals’ until someone says: ‘It’s done’ or ‘It’s off’ and then this is announced shortly after and we can congratulate whoever gets the scoop.

      Until then, stop.

    • Cameron

      “Coming off surgery” is likely the key in all this. Regardless of Seattle having his medicals, him having been with the team in 2019, there’s little doubt they feel an absolute need to do a post-surgery physical to verify his recovery and status.

      With him being down in Houston when the COVID-19 situation hit, that could very well be a big part of the hold up in anything developing there.

    • mishima

      Wasn’t the 2/27 figure based on one source, @E_Dilla? Matty looking gullible.

  76. UKHAWK

    Listened to Clayton podcast and he had an interesting point made with a co-host

    -Hawks asked Clowney to ‘wait’ before signing and give them last chance to match. Clayton said somthing like “Perhaps Clowney and his agent are now asking the Hawks to give him last ‘look’ before they sign an ‘alternative’ DE ?

    -Clayton thought they’d sign Griffen OR Clowney…not both given cap room. (I agreed with Rob previously here that they may/need to sign >1 but Clayton thinks their resources are dwindling for this year’s cap).

    Im wondering if they should get an agreement in principle with Griffen to leverage a decision from Clowney?

    Also wonder if they need or will be forced to wait longer to do a sign and trade with guys like Ngakoue given the timing of free agency vs draft vs sign/trades?

    I know that DL/Pass Rush is a big missing piece at the moment but i do like what they are doing which is classic JSPC: plug holes, add depth, improve the roster, get younger & better raw upside, create future value (re-sign/FA comp picks), etc

    But What i love most – and what keeps me happy as i pine to see them sign Clowney – is they havent YET really committed long-term cap to key any foundational-type players: only RW, Wags is signed for ’22 and only 5 guys RW, Wags, Brown, Reed, Tyler thru ’21. This is awesome as it means they have the bandwidth to change the roster and sign key, ‘superstar’ guys – hopefully on defense – to long-term contracts.

    I believe they want Clowney to be one of those long-term key guys and that, if not this year, we will see another ‘superstar’ added to the roster as another key long-term guy.

    • Scot04

      They need them this year or they’re just wasting another year; putting us in the same situation next offseason.

  77. RWIII

    This trade for Dunbar is a steal. Check out this video. Why Quinton Dunbar is the Most Wanted Cornerback in the NFL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NXAn6bAl7Y I can’t believe JS got Dunbar for a 5th round pick. Dunbar 6’2. 200lbs. more physical than Sherman. Dunbar also is a former receiver who converted to cornerback.

  78. Rob4q

    So let’s go ahead and assume that Clowney won’t sign anywhere until the draft now. Let’s also assume that JAX asking price for YN is too high and he won’t be moved until the draft either. Griffen doesn’t like any of the offers he is seeing either, so he decides to sit back and wait as well. Balt isn’t moving Judon, Wash is holding on to Kerrigan. Now what?

    Well, we’ve talked about how bad this draft is for EDGE players but the Seahawks will have to start thinking about which one really fits them the best. Okwara, Grenard, Zuniga, Anae, Weaver, Taylor, Huff…I think like Rob stated before each of these guys has some positves but a lot of question marks. There really isn’t a sure thing in the bunch and they will probably have to spend a high pick on one just to find out!

    We know how inadequate the options are with what they already have and we saw the results last year – as Rob posted again to remind us! They clearly know it wasn’t good enough and needs to get better. It also wasn’t just the pass rush as the stats above identified that both run defense and tackling were near the bottom of the league as well. Other than Irvin and bringing back Reed, they haven’t done anything to fix the problem and have even seen Jefferson and Woods leave.

    So where does that leave them?

    Leo – Irvin, Griffin
    5T – Collier, Green, Jackson, Jones
    3T – Reed, Mone
    1T – Poona, Christmas

    That doesn’t look very promising for improvement does it? Irvin should be a rotational player at this point in his career, not a full time starter. And Griffin at 220 lbs is really not a LEO and probably should be a ST player that can add some snaps on defense when needed. So who could we potentially add in the draft:

    Jabari Zuniga & Bryce Huff

    The only position with some promise and depth is 5T…but isn’t that Clowney’s spot? And that’s counting on a big jump from Collier and/or Green. Jackson & Jones may not even make the roster so there isn’t much depth there really. Let’s add a player there for depth, maybe a player who can play 5T and rotate inside on passing downs:

    Raekwon Davis

    Lets also assume that Reed and Poona are locks to start at DT no matter what this season. Upgrading their back up spots in the draft could be a start – Mone was okay when he played but we know nothing about Christmas at all and these were UDFA or late draft picks that weren’t expected to contribute anyway. Let’s say one of them is servicable in the Al Woods role this year and replace the other spot with a draft pick:

    McTelvin Agim

    Now the DL looks like this:

    Leo – Irvin, Zuniga, Huff
    5T – Collier, Green, Davis
    3T – Reed, Mone, Agim
    1T – Poona, Christmas, Davis

    So we’ve added 4 players to the D-line in the draft in Davis, Zuniga, Huff & Agim which based on their current projections would be doable. And while that’s spending 4 picks on the D-line, it does still leave them with other picks to address WR, RB and possibly OL as needed…especially if there is the annual JS trade down! Would that be a servicable D-line rotation? Who knows, but it’s sort of what they might be stuck with in this crazy year. It would be very young and cheap over all and certainly has some upside. But there is a ton of risk as well. Obviously we all had dreams of Clowney, E. Griffen and Irvin + a draft pick but maybe we’re now looking at plan C or D for the Seahwaks because of what’s happened.

    And sorry for the long rant, just tired of the Twitter posts that don’t tell us anything and trying to look at other options…

  79. JJ

    Who did Mel have the Hawks taking?

    • Rob Staton

      Utah Gross-ma-toast

      • Henry Taylor

        Is it bad I want us to draft him just because that name is hilarious?

  80. John Gryffys

    Perhaps now we are seeing why Houston traded Clowney to the Seahawks. He has an inflated sense of his value and his sense of entitlement is through the roof. Houston tried for over a year to sign him to a mega deal. Remember when he threw a temper tantrum and fired Bus Cook over Miami only to rehire him the next week. What if the Seahawks learned/decided finally Clowney would not be the long term answer.

    Or even better they should have just tagged him despite the specious “promise” not to tag him. Has anyone actually seen a written, countersigned version of the “promise.”

    • Rob Staton

      If he’s a pain in the arse, move on.

      They haven’t moved on.

    • dcd2

      Wow. “Should have just tagged him despite their promise”??? That’s just plain shady.

      You don’t pull that period. Not only will every player and agent know what you did, he would likely sit out the year (or through week 10) all while burning a huge chunk of cap space and giving a half-assed effort when he does report. Not to mention it’s just wrong and once you burn your trust, you aren’t making that up any time soon.

  81. Denver Hawker

    How do y’all think the lack of pro day workouts will affect the draft? Seems like guys that opted out of the combine could be at risk to fall.

    • Rob Staton

      Yep.

      Should’ve done the combine.

  82. Rob Staton

    Was listening to a podcast today.

    Had to turn it off.

    The names they were discussing for Seattle to sign at defensive end were depressing.

    • Sea Mode

      At least they know what we need is pass rush. The guys at PFF want to give us a CB…

  83. Ashish

    Clowney train seems to be passed, now Hawks should consider plan B, to get someone at pass rush. Griffen sounds good to me atleast we will have some talent on roaster. We still have time to land few more but later stages we might not get the best (like now, rather start of free agency).

    I hope JS strike pass rusher soon, if clowney decide he will plus.

    • Rob Staton

      Well at least if they don’t I won’t need to write anything next year. Can just republish all the same articles from this year.

      • Ashish

        I know you will write 100 more articles without sleep, I trust in JS/PC and I know we all. There must be some plan. Positive news is round the corner, I fell it.

        • Rob Staton

          If they waste this season for a lack of pass rush I will struggle to do another off season like this.

          It will destroy any motivation I have. If it’s obvious to us it should be obvious it needs properly sorting.

  84. Gohawks5151

    I wonder how much the peer recruiting is impacting Clowney’s decisions? Duane Brown and Russ were big reasons that Clowney came here in the first place. If Seattle is low balling him and he has a legit bigger offer are those 2 keeping Seattle in the race? If they are 1.5 million off a deal are they working the phones to convince him? Player recruiting is always an interesting topic.

    • Ashish

      Fair point, we should not low balling especially we know what player he is even without numbers. But at the same time we should not over pay him. We don’t know exact discussion they are having, twitter may or may not be true.
      If we fans are so frustrated, can’t believe PC and JS situation. I hope they are trying to figure something out. Hang on guys…

  85. cha

    Ben Arthur
    @benyarthur

    With help from colleague
    @ByAlexHalverson
    , can confirm that federal sentencing of former #Seahawks LB Mychal Kendricks for insider trading has been postponed again (as
    @John
    P. Gilbert noted). New date is May 29.
    So Kendricks’ sentencing has been postponed six times.
    11:04 AM · Mar 24, 2020</blockquote

  86. cha

    ig: josinaanderson

    @JosinaAnderson

    WR Phillip Dorsett just texted me he is going to the #Seahawks on a 1-year deal.
    11:58 AM · Mar 24, 2020

    • Logan Lynch

      He was my favorite receiver in the draft that year. Never lived up to the hype, but I’m glad we’re taking a flyer on him.

    • Sea Mode

      Oooh, so her phone does texting too…?

      Anyways, great call on him, Rob.

      • TomLPDX

        Saw this and just had to laugh! Thanks for the chuckle Sea Mode!

    • Ashish

      SBD is best place to hear the news, one place to get all news. Thank you cha.

  87. Sea Mode

    Well, the trade from yesterday and this signing today give me some hope that they will somehow manage to put the pass rush together, even if it’s not in the prettiest of ways.

  88. cha

    Interesting…

    Adam Schefter

    @AdamSchefter

    Cam Newton had a physical in Atlanta yesterday coordinated by the Panthers and his agency team, per sources. Newton passed the physical and is healthy, per source, with both his shoulder and foot “checking out well and he is hungrier than ever and eager for the next opportunity.”
    11:50 AM · Mar 24, 2020

  89. LLLOGOSSS

    Okay, SDB… we “know” that Clowney wants >$20 mil apy. We *know* that nobody has given him this offer. We “hear” that nobody has come even close. There are reports — of varying dubiousness — that suggest he’s been offered $18.5 mil (Seattle), $13 mil (Seattle), and $17 mil (Miami).

    To my eye, the pass-rush market was slightly depressed this offseason; I expected Fowler to top $16 mil per, and I think a lot of guys’ market value surprised me by a couple million. That could explain part of it.

    But before the offseason people were throwing out crazy projections for Clowney. Bank-breaking stuff. The talent on display vs Santa Clara had the national media humming.

    My question is this: what is it that is kept teams from making a serious play for this guy?

    I can’t understand it.

    I especially can’t fathom a $13 mil apy offer. That seems absolutely bananas to me. To me eye he’s at least a $17 mil per year talent on the open market. His sack totals were down on a bad unit last year, but can anybody look at the impact and say he’s a lesser player to Fowler at $16 mil per? Fowler, who has had just one impact season?

    No, he isn’t a double-digit sack artist, but he does average a very respectable sack total, typically around 8-9, which is valuable if you can count on it along with his other contributions.

    The narrative that he is always injured or his medicals suggest something concerning is, I think, utterly false. He’s typically been a healthy player.

    He’s young enough to have untapped potential, and certainly young enough for his production to remain steady on a second contract.

    I also don’t buy that he’s a bad locker room guy.

    I’ll ask again: how does this make real sense?

    The only thing that makes sense to me, so far, is that nearly everything we’ve heard about this situation — which isn’t reliably much — is somehow false, and we’re trying to put together a puzzle on bad intel.

    Thoughts.

  90. CaptainJack

    Covering all the bases besides pass rush. Hilarious.

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