Some post-Chiefs thoughts for Saturday

— It’s getting to the point where it’ll be disappointing to see Thomas Rawls start ahead of Chris Carson in Green Bay. That’s no slight on Rawls — but Carson has competed for a job and earned a role with his performances in camp and pre-season. He’s physical, decisive, explosive and has shown an ability to get the tough yards while also making plays in the passing game. He’s also no slouch in pass protection — the usual hurdle rookies have to clear. It’s not unfair to suggest he has the potential to be a ‘complete’ running back. A Chris Carson and Eddie Lacy one-two punch against the Packers is an enticing thought and could help Seattle set a tone. And unfortunately, both Rawls and C.J. Prosise can’t have any complaints if it happens. Carson and Lacy are out there competing. Rawls and Procise are banged up again.

— The snap counts were interesting from the Chiefs game but provide more questions than answers. Shaquille Griffin played only 25% of the defensive snaps, despite seemingly edging towards a starting role. Is he now retreating into more of a backup/redshirt type role or do they just want to look at other players? Pierre Desir was given 40% of the snaps. He was well graded by PFF in weeks 1-2 — were they taking a closer look at him? David Bass also got some nice playing time (43% of the snaps). They could also be gathering tape to use in possible trade talks this week. And while it was assumed the virtual benching of Alex Collins was a clear sign his days are numbered, a lack of snaps could just as easily indicate a desire to try and sneak him onto the practise squad.

— The Seahawks clearly are still looking for a bit more on the D-line, thus they’re bringing in former Raider and Brown Desmond Bryant (per Bob Condotta). Speaking before the Chiefs game John Schneider reminded everyone that the Seahawks are the most aggressive team in the league at this time of year in trying to improve the roster. It won’t be a surprise if they’re very active this week, before or after the Oakland game on Thursday. The D-line still looks like an area where they can use some further depth. As well as Bryant they might look at recently released Kony Ealy or Ahmad Brooks. The game last night showed Seattle has some good but not great EDGE depth. Do they have enough guys who can play inside though? Is the run defense any kind of concern in pre-season? Do they have enough interior rush? This part of the roster is still a question mark.

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160 Comments

  1. Myfanwy365

    Had the same thought about Ealy when saw he was released.

    My only query from last night & bearing in mind this was at 1am UK time, why no Kasen with the 1s?
    Maybe I missed him but didn’t look like he got on the field with Russ

  2. red

    Ealy will most likely get claimed before we get a chance since he is not a vested veteran with 4 years accured.

    • Lewis

      Think he was released outright.

      • red

        He goes through waiver wire 25 teams before us.

        • red

          We could have probably had him for a 7TH but only get one year of control, but if he had decent year going into free agency could have got comp pick.

  3. Brandon Adams

    Desmond Bryant is a solid rotational player who sounds like he’d be most at home at the 5-tech, based on what Browns fans are telling me. He isn’t reliably healthy, though.

    With our embarrassment of riches at RB, do you think Seattle now has more trade ammunition, Rob, to take another pass at Sheldon Richardson?

  4. Colin

    Where is Nick Vannett? Do we need to file a missing persons report? He’s been a massive disappoint for a 3rd round pick.

    • House

      He had some good blocks and a nice in-seam catch last week. He had 2 notable blocks last night as well.

      • FAN Person

        He also had a great special teams play on a kick or punt coverage…

        • Hoberk Unce

          And Vannett looked open a couple of times when Boykin was spraying passes around the field.

  5. FresnoBrad

    Trade or cut Rubin? How has Jefferson been doing?

    • cha

      Rubin looked out of shape the day I went to camp (the day of the Ifedi-Clark fight). He’d do a single warmup DL drill, then drop to his knees and get a breather. Or go over and get water. The other DL’s were doing drill after drill.

      That said, maybe it takes a man that big longer to get into shape…I hope.

      • COLSON

        I’m pretty down on Rubin this year. In the past I didn’t really see what the front office and coaching staff saw in him. 1.) Clearly no pass rush ability, but everyone knew that 2.) He has trouble anchoring, just not that much size/power to him….more fat short guy with no burst. 3.) He’ll never be in the conversation as being as good as Mebane, let alone Tony McDaniel or Branch 4.) I’ve seen him wiff on numerous tackles and not getting off blocks.

        Jarren Reed was also getting manhandled by the Chiefs. If you are a run stuff specialist, you at least need to be good at that.

        • FresnoBrad

          That means DT will be drafted next year if we don’t trade for 1 soon

  6. CharlieTheUnicorn

    Kony Ealy was just released by NE. Any interest? ~ House (Previous article)

    (1) I think there might be interest, but I’m not sure where he would fit and (2) would Seattle really want to bump off another guy who has been “in the program” the whole offseason / training camp ??

    The other issue is if he won’t play in the scheme of he defense… then he could be more of a liability than an asset. Seattle needs guys who play their role…. to maximize their defensive prowess as a unit. BB is a big believer of this… so I’m not seeing PC taking a swing on a free lancer.

    • House

      I agree with you. I don’t see anyone I’d kick for him. I tried to see if he’s played any snaps at DT and couldn’t find any evidence of it. I feel we’d need interior DL/competitor.

    • cha

      Crazy to think he had such a dominant Super Bowl season before last, to getting traded for a relatively small return (swapping picks) to getting cut. Rapaport says not a talent issue, but a scheme fit issue. But who knows.

      Sure is tempting, watching that SB footage. Just to have another guy who can rush the passer to keep Avril, Bennett, etc fresh. Wouldn’t need to play 40 snaps a game, just rotate in the occasional key down and slide Bennett inside. The Hawks could be a really attractive option for Ealy. The pitch would be easy to make. Come play with a dominant defense, you won’t need to be the anchor guy, but you’ll get plenty of press for some key sacks and another deep playoff run.

      But maybe they already have that guy on the roster in Bass.

      • IrishNW

        he had a good game in the superbowl and thats it. Effort seems to be the problem with Ealy. The former second round pick has had a below average career at best

      • COLSON

        He’d be an upgrade over Marsh and not get pushed around vs the run.

        • Rob Staton

          Marsh had a great game on Friday

          • COLSON

            I don’t disagree, but when I saw Ealy in the Super Bowl vs. the Broncos, I remember him being the only player putting up a significant pass rush. He’s tall and big at 275. The problem with Marsh is he has not fast/quick when he was bigger, so he’s gotten very lean and small, looks about 255, but he lacks power on run plays as evidenced by he tried out for SAM. He often gets overpowered.

            I put him in the good little player mold.

    • WALL UP

      Actually, obtaining both Ealy & Bryant would be a great coup, something that is very JS like. Both Avril & Bennett took off when placed in the right environment.

      Ealy plays best in a 4-3 scheme not a 3-4 that the Patriots were using. At 6-4 274 lbs, he would mirror Bennett at the 5Tech position & rotate inside alternating with Bennett. At 25 yrs, could be a candidate for his 2nd contract with the Hawks. Maybe a prove it 1-2 yr contract, and still have another opportunity for the next contract.

      Bryant is a true professional. An added Vet in the DL group will be well received. Also, Im sure he would be motivated to get a ring at this stage of his career. Granted, he did miss the entire 2016 season due to a weight training incident. But he had 6 sacks that year (2015), leading the team as well. At 6-6 311 lbs, he would fit well in the rotation at 3 Tech. He could add to the group of veteran leadership that could mould McDowell into a real pro.

      • WALL UP

        Ealy will probably be picked up by someone off waivers. His rookie contract should makes that a head scratcher as to why the Patriots bailed on hem.

  7. Ukhawk

    -At the least, I’d like to see Carson as a situational runner on short yeardage & redzone.
    -Would guess PC & Richard vs the Packers will err toward using the vets if heathy ala Brock & Lane.
    -Glad they will remain aggressive, getting Brock was a coup. Hopefully they can do the same on the DL as we need an inside penetrator &/or extra run D depth. They’ve don’t it the FA way before with McDaniel but a 3T will require a trade. Hopefully depth at RB, WR, DB can generate an equitable trade.

  8. cha

    “benching of Alex Collins was a clear sign his days are numbered, a lack of snaps could just as easily indicate a desire to try and sneak him onto the practise squad.”

    Is he eligible for the PS? He has 11 games on his stat sheet for last year. Is <9 games still the magic number for eligibility?

  9. Aaron

    Good points Rob. I agree that we still need a player or two to round out the roster. We need an inside/out d linemen and maybe another OT. A crazy amount of cuts are coming next weekend so I’m excited for us picking up a few gems. Maybe Sheldon Richardson? Might be a pipe dream but just imagine what we’d be with him!

  10. AlaskaHawk

    It is interesting how the new style of keeping players until end of preseason is working out. Teams can trade to fill in weak areas of their teams. It could be an interesting week ahead = trade wise.

  11. coach

    I’m surprised everyone is talking about Ealy. I think Ahmad Brooks should be the guy we target. A veteran who I always thought was the playmaker on SF’s D-Line. He would be an integral part of the rotation and make plays in the run and pass game!

    Thoughts? Go Hawks!

    • cha

      Ealy is younger and more versatile.

      • D-OZ

        The report was> Ealy did not fit into their Locker Room.

    • Coleslaw

      +1 Brooks is a stud he might be old but he’s depth for us so he should be able to contribute and stay healthy

  12. dumbquestions

    Just musing:

    The Seahawks don’t face many elite defenses in this schedule. Broadly, that’s a good thing; Odhiambo should be OK for the most part if he plays at the level he’s showing. The O so far gives me hope. Barring injury, RW might be poised for an excellent year.

    Conversely, the D will have to stop good offenses (GB, Tennessee, Atlanta, Dallas).

    The stretch in week 5-7 (Rams, Giants, Texans) is the nastiest bit. That’s where the trap games are.

  13. C-Dog

    I think the Desmond Bryant visit is intriguing and makes a lot of sense. With Naz being a
    rookie, Reed in his second year, Jefferson kind of an unknown, adding a veteran DT makes sense, especially one that has length to Disrupt. Right now Naz is probably showing the best potential as an inside rusher, but how much are they going to entrust in a rookie, and what happens should he get
    Injured? Q Jeff could do some of that, but is he big enough to rotate inside on run downs should he be pressed into action?

  14. nichansen01

    Why on earth did New England cut Ealy?

    That would be an absolute steal for us to sign him.

    • cha

      Jets just claimed Ealy per Mike garafalo

    • Trevor

      Not a scheme or attitude fit most likely.

  15. Volume12

    I’m watching a ton of EDGE guys this year, and my god!

    W.Forest EDGE Duke Ejiofor? Man crush 2018. This kid is unreal Freaky athleticism. Ran a 4.53 in HS and 39″ vert!

    There ain’t many true EDGEs this year. They’re more hands in the dirt guys. But this kid is unreal. His hand use is phenomenal. He just gets ‘IT.’ Its like watching a 5 year vet from the next level.

    I’d bet the house on Seattle being all over this kid (they’ve scouted Wake already). He’d a film rat, his parents came from Nigeria and he watched them make a life for him and his brothers, descended from royalty. Just a special, special pass rusher.

    • nichansen01

      Where do you think he’ll go in the draft? Based on your scouting report doesn’t sound like Seattle would have a chance to draft him, unless we bomb the season.

      • Volume12

        Depends. Who declares early, who gets hurt, who improves, but he’s got a ton of potential to go early.

        Remember, don’t over rank these guys. We saw it last year and most (75-80%) went right in the slot they were rumored to all year long.

        early 2nd right now. Its a loaded class at the top this year.

      • Attyla the Hawk

        Will depend on season.

        Tony Pauline has his slated as a 3rd round pick: http://draftanalyst.com/scouting-acc-wake-forest

        My guess is he will rise as the season progresses. I kind of think he could be in the 50-70 overall range. But if he develops and improves that could be in the 20-40 overall. Pass rushers are always high in demand. He doesn’t have the same momentum as a player like Charles Harris did going into the season. More like Taco Charlton who parlayed a strong final season to a late first.

        All things being relative though, this pass rush class doesn’t seem to have quite the same quality as last years class at this early stage. So he could rise based on lack of supply. Could also be pushed back due to high number of QB talents, good RB talents and last years’ lack of OT talents. Lots of teams went into 2017 needing OTs and didn’t get them. Two years is a long time to go without addressing OT.

    • Coleslaw

      The pass rushers look awesome in this class. Great to hear your thoughts Vol.

  16. Volume12

    Boy, RB Chris Carson is a stud ain’t he? 😉

    • nichansen01

      Best pick we made in the draft.

      Naz and Carson looking like the clear best two picks.

      • Volume12

        Agreed. Thing I like about this class is we’re gonna have some guys be impact players next year for us too.

    • Trevor

      Agree completely about Carson Vol!

      He has looked amazing in pre-season even doing the little things well that most rookies struggle with like pass pro.

      Sounds crazy to even say but his kind of upright running style reminds me of AP. Truly think if he stays healthy that he will be our lead RB in 2018. Seems like the perfect read and one cut runner for the ZBS.

      Only thing that worries me is how he carries the ball away from his body at times. I hope fumbles do not beome an issue. Am I seeing something that is not really an issue?

      When Pete makes a personal pick and is public about it we should know the kid will have talent!

      • Coleslaw

        I agree on the AP thing. Similar build and running style. Carson doesn’t appear to be made of steel like Adrian though lol, he goes down a lot easier if you’re tackling him from begin or the side

      • DC

        Carson had zero fumbles at OSU.
        Had a problem at his previous school and coach told him another fumble and he wouldn’t see the field. Hasn’t put one on the ground since from what I read.

  17. Volume12

    Iowa OT Ike Boettger.

    Man. Is this is a TC O-lineman or what? Big, nasty, athletic, mover in the run game. Former TE turned LT. Best OT that isn’t being talked about. Would like to see him strengthen his lower body, but this dude is fun to watch.

  18. John

    How was Marcus Smith’s performance? Also, what happens when Jordon is back?

  19. D-OZ

    A player to watch on final cut down is Chris Odam D-E. UDFA Atlanta. Small school prospect who has flashed. Nice back story leading up to the draft. I believe he is from Arkansas ST.

    • Coleslaw

      McKissic was from Arkansas state too

  20. D-OZ

    They may have to try to sneak him onto their PS. Mckinnley sure looked good for Atlanta, by the way. Hmmm?

  21. nichansen01

    We need another dominant DT. We were hoping it was McDowell, but it wasn’t. I wonder if it’s going to be rookie next year.

    I’d love vita Vea on this team…

    • CharlieTheUnicorn

      Top 15 pick….. so, not happening.

  22. D-OZ

    By the way Q. Jeff looked pretty good in the limited amount of snaps he had.

    • C-Dog

      I thought he did, as well.

  23. D-OZ

    Vita would be awsome!!! I wouldn’t think he would last till Seattle’s pick though. He will pick up a lot of traction come draft time. It is ridiculous where some sites have him ranked…

    • Volume12

      Vea is a top 16 talent. He’s a blue chipper.

      • Volume12

        If this were last years draft, Vea is top 10 and he still might go this year in a class were 2-3 QBs, and 2-3 DEs will go top 10 as well.

        • D-OZ

          Top 12 anyway 🙂

    • AlaskaHawk

      I’m not so sure. He is a run stuffer and will get double teamed a lot. Lots of positives there. Usually run stuffers go in the second round. I like him and think he would be a great addition, I just figure other defensive tackles will rise above him and he will fall by end of season.

      • AlaskaHawk

        Just looked at his rank on a draft board, #3 Nose Tackle and #6 among all defensive tackles. I like him – I just think he will be available in the second round.

        • DC

          People thought Solomon Thomas would be available in the 2nd round too early last season. Vea got 5 sacks last year. He’s the complete package at DT. So glad he came back.

  24. Volume12

    Anybody see the Browns play this year? I know. Why would ya its the Browns. But if ya haven’t yet, check out QB DeShone Kizer. He’s the real deal. Some of the throws he makes are jaw dropping. He’s playing extremely well.

    It’s sad that human dumpster fire aka ND HC Brian Kelly never aided Kizer’s progress and development. Now he gets it with HC Hue Jackson and looks like the highly touted QB we heard about last off-season.

    • Rob Staton

      Have to say, I thought Kizer looked undercooked in the Tampa Bay game. Like he wasn’t ready. Not seen the previous two games.

      Mitch Trubisky has been extremely impressive though IMO.

      • Volume12

        Haven’t seen Trubisky yet, but I liked him a lot coming out.

        Kizer’s gonna go through some rough patches and his mechanics are a little clunky still, but he makes a bunch of ‘wow’ throws. Him and WR Corey Colman look like one hell of a 1-2 punch.

        On the opposite end of the spectrum, Denver QB Paxton Lynch looks awful. Can’t drive the ball to save his life.

      • vrtkolman

        The Bears in general look pretty impressive. Their offensive line is very good, along with having a lot of running back depth.

    • Trevor

      I think Kelly hurt his development last year but he has amazing talent.

      • Volume12

        He absolutely did. Did him no favors by throwing him under the bus every chance he got. He’s obviously shown enough to be named the starter for the season.

        If I’m a Cleveland fan or a fan of any team that hasn’t had good QB play in awhile, ‘I’ll take the growing pains over the groans any day.’ Saw someone say that. Cant remember who, but I couldn’t agree more.

        Cleveland is actually playing really well. They got a nice D, big time weapon in WR Corey Coleman, seem to enjoy playing together.

        • C-Dog

          I liked what I saw from Cleveland’s defense.

    • Ishmael

      Oh man for real. Brian Kelly is everything I dislike about college football.

      I’m really hoping Cleveland have finally turned a corner, they’re starting to pull some fun pieces together. If Kizer can be even a top 15-20 quarterback this year, that’ll be an enormous step forward.

  25. HOUSE

    Cameron Meredith from CHI just went down with a torn ACL. Potential spot for Kearse…

  26. vrtkolman

    Kyle Shanahan really is brilliant. You almost can’t play zone against his offensive scheme, he will rip that apart.

    • Volume12

      So brilliant that he neglected to run the ball, passed 3 times in FG range late in the game up 25 f***ing points!

      He’ll sh*t the bed before long like he has everywhere he’s been.

  27. WALL UP

    It’s interesting that the Jets claim Ealy, having a similar 3-4 scheme as the Patriots. Obviously he’s best with his hand in the dirt as a 4-3 DE. Something has to give, since Richardson is listed as OLB, the same position that Ealy would be playing.

    Perhaps, the speculation of moving Richardson may come to fruition?

  28. nichansen01

    What’s going on with Malik?

    We have no idea what his injury is. It’s bizarre and it’s weird we have all stopped talking about it. What in earth is going on.

    I think Malik will be a hall of famer if he gets onto the field.

    • C-Dog

      The team has been reluctant to discuss it in detail out of respect to the wishes of his family, which only clouds speculation, and does add a little weirdness to the situation. It doesn’t seem to be career threatening, but it also doesn’t seem like he will be ready to play this season, which in a shame. Really, this benefits Naz Jones’ development more than anything else.

      • Old but Slow

        My question is where is he? In most cases, even with a concussion, there would be some value in being with the team, learning the defense, watching film, and whatever, but it seems that he is not even ready for that. Head injuries are not predictable in many cases, and the apparent caution may indicate some complications or uncertainty. I have hopes for the kid.

        • C-Dog

          It sounded like he had to get back to Michigan to heel up more, but I think it was maybe Condotta just the other week who tweeted that Malik had flown back into Seattle again. There didn’t seem to very be any other mention of it.

          • Logan Lynch

            There was a tweet going around last week that seemed to show McDowell with Maurice Kelly (SEA VP of Player Engagement) walking around SEA. Cosmetically, you couldn’t tell much about his facial injury so my pure speculation guess is that he had a very severe concussion which explains why they don’t want to commit to him playing this season. No way to know how he’ll come back from it.

      • CharlieTheUnicorn

        They actually can’t discuss his injury, since it is medical related and off the field. It would violate the law….. unlike an injury on the field, in-front of millions of people, while doing your job.

        • C-Dog

          Ah, that clears things up quite a bit.

  29. CuriousHawk

    Wishing Malik the best of luck but am afraid that something “cognitive” happened. Anything from memory loss to being more severe and experiencing seizures. Why else is it so hush hush? On the other hand I have a small bet going on with my father-in-law on wins/losses for the Hawks. Right now I project losses against Green Bay, Giants, Atlanta and Rams. Thoughts?

  30. Alex Higgins

    Jarran Reed has been a big disappointment. He does nothing for me. Seahawks see it too. They will add a DT after the cuts. They can improve by taking a veteran who’s cut for cap reasons. The good thing is that DT is one of the easiest positions to “plug and play”. Not a lot of “scheme” or other playbook issues to learn.

    • vrtkolman

      Big disagreement there. Rubin has been the disappointment if anything.

      • House

        Reed needs to take a step forward…

        I agree that Rubin has been disappointing. He appears to be going through the motions, but doesn’t seem “in it”. I don’t know if its just the preseason or if he’s got something else going on

        • vrtkolman

          It’s certainly possible that Rubin is not going all out.

        • Aaron

          I think the first team d line is going through the motions to conserve energy for when it really matters. The only guys giving 100% are rookies like Naz and guys like Bass who are trying to make the squad. I’m sure Pete doesn’t like these guys going through the motions, but he’ll love it if they’re fresh after Thanksgiving, when the pretenders and contenders separate themselves. Those guys on the d line got worn out last year, especially from the Packers game onward. A great running game and going through the motions now will pay dividends later for guys like Bennett, Clark, and Avril.

    • AlaskaHawk

      I think Reed is valuable and also cheap while on his rookie contract.

      I would rather pick on Rubin= who apparently was not in shape for camp. He is getting pushed around and doesn’t have the endurance needed. He would probably be adequate if he was in shape, but as is I’m not impressed by his play.

    • C-Dog

      I thought Reed looked good in the first two preseason games. Reed, Jones, and Rubin didn’t start off well against the Chiefs. He’s a young player with a lot of talent. It takes most DT’s a while to get going coming out of college. I think he’s going to be a good player.

  31. vrtkolman

    Now that the dress rehearsal games are over, which prospects that you followed from the draft have looked great, and which have disappointed so far?

    Alvin Kamara was the most impressive rookie running back in the preseason. He looks like the Saints’ Pierre Thomas 2.0. He’s a game breaker. Derek Barnett had a very impressive preseason. George Kittle has looked pretty solid for the 49ers. The Vikings are a defensive end factory, Tashaun Bower already looks like a solid contributor for that team. Taylor Moton looks outstanding at tackle for the Panthers.

    I thought Kevin King has looked pretty bad for Green Bay which is very surprising. Maybe Green Bay can’t develop cornerbacks? They have spent a lot of draft capital on the position over the past few years. Haason Reddick has been invisible so far, the conversion to inside linebacker is going to be a process.

    • Volume12

      Barnett, Kizer, and Joe Mixon for me. S Shalom Luani has played some excellent ball as well.

      Huh. Moton is good. Imagine that. j/k

      Reddick has a HUGE learning curve in front of him. He made his bones attacking the LOS, but he might be too small to do that at this level.

      • vrtkolman

        Great call on Luani. Yeah he’s been playing great.

      • Trevor

        I am with you with Barnett and Mixon Vol! Loved both guys as players coming out and think they have pro-bowl potential.

    • Trevor

      Really like how Foster has looked with SF. He is a tone setter and was a steal IMO.

      • Ishmael

        Foster is the scariest LB I’ve seen coming out in years, really special talent. Absolutely a steal if he can stay healthy.

        • Trevor

          Agree and the Hawks could have had him.

      • vrtkolman

        Really glad the Cardinals took Reddick instead of Foster.

    • C-Dog

      I really liked King coming out, but also felt he was a bit overrated, and that maybe a lot of Hawks fans were clamoring for him possibly because he was a Husky who had a good year and some crazy workout numbers.

  32. Logan Lynch

    So, Carroll said Bennett, Avril, Joeckel, Lockett, and Wilhoite are all out of town receiving Regenokine treatment like KJ did. Is this the new market inefficiency? Always compete!

    Side note, Clark hurt his wrist on Friday. No bueno. I noticed he had ice on the opposite hand that was already wrapped up. He better work on his “club” move.

    • vrtkolman

      He’s going to see a specialist for his wrist. Not sure what that means.

  33. Ukhawk

    Ragland to Chiefs for a 4th, would’ve like the Hawks to get involved as he brings the thump.

    DE Ealy picked up on waivers by the Jets, is Richardson finally moving?

    • Ukhawk

      Ps. Go get Marcel Dareus and help the Bills finish cleaning house

      • Ukhawk

        Scratch that & his 16m cap hit this year

      • vrtkolman

        I’m still hoping on a Sheldon Richardson trade.

        • Hawk Eye

          Ragland is all reputation and no game. I live near Buffalo, hear their radio all the time (lots of tears….). Ragland cannot play, might be the knee injury, but was not impressing. Dareus does not show up all the time, lots of off field issues and HUGE cap hit. Ealy might not make the Jets, had 1 good game in his career. Remember Chris Matthews? He had 1 good game also. But a DT who can penetrate would be helpful. Although a couple that can stop the run seems to be the issue after 3 pre-season games

          • Kenny Sloth

            He had some odd red flags that contributed to a drop starting around the combine last year.

            Shoulder injury identified by combine physicians that they ruled disqualifying. This purportedly angered Ragland and caused him to storm out in a scene.

            Maybe he’s just a super intense guy, but there’s gotting be somethinf wrong with him to be moved not 4 months later

            • Kenny Sloth

              Sorry thats all Ragland info from this last year.

              Disregard

              • Kenny Sloth

                Rueben Foster*

          • nichansen01

            Bills are having a 49ers style melt down.

    • CharlieTheUnicorn

      “conditional 4th”

  34. Old but Slow

    Anybody else feel like an impending big trade in the next day or two? Been thinking of calling the earthquake scientists at UW to find out if there has been any tremors in Sodo lately.

    While the team seems to clicking along, Pete is sounding some hesitation, probably strategic (or is that tactical, I get confused), but it may be a lead up to something startling. Rumors of Lockett to Wash? (?) Something with Jets? Richardson?

    Teams could be salivating over our depth. DB, WR, RB, or TE? Everybody loves skill positions.

    Who is off the table? Obvious: Wilson, Thomas, Chancellor, Wagner, Wright, Sherman, Avril, Bennett, Britt, Griffin, Baldwin, Graham, and not sure.

    Our TE Willson could be a candidate, of course Kearse, Lane, Marsh, and Collins seem to be talented but not critical.

    After the last game, when all the cuts are made, acquisitions will be by waiver position, so many teams may prefer to make an offer for a player they want, rather than take a chance.

    This is John Schneider’s wheelhouse. If he is not all over this I will drown myself in beer. I may anyway.

    Let’s get this party started.

    • Myfanwy365

      No way we trade Lockett surely

      I could maybe see Rawls getting shipped off with Lacy & Carson showing well vs the Chiefs. Think it was Davis Hsu who made the point Mike Davis has one more year of club control than Rawls(RFA next year)

      Wouldn’t be averse to see P-Rich going away, let his injury proneness be someone elses issue

    • 503Hawk

      Yah, Lockett is not going anywhere.
      Richardson might be decent trade bait, but I think they hold on to him for insurance purposes until Lockett is up and running full speed, which might be the entire season.
      I think they will try to get something for one of the RBs (Collins?) and one of the DBs (Desire?)

      • 503Hawk

        BTW, seriously doubt Rawls is going anywhere. Way too much potential even if they only get a year or two out of him.
        Kearse wont be leaving either, for the same reason as Richardson; Lockett is still recovering and Darboh is the big unknown. Say what you want about Kearse, but he is a stabilizing force. (At least for this year.)

    • C-Dog

      I don’t sense a big trade unless they are able to unload the contracts of Kearse and Lane to the Jets for Richardson, but that feels like trading in Madden.

      I can see possibly a smaller trade happen, or even more likely, they get active adding a few players after the cuts.

      • Attyla the Hawk

        Would need to clear about 5M in cap space and a small restructure to fit Richardson in.

        Trade options at positions of depth:

        Lane (1.5M)
        Lacy (2M)

        Cut options (post June 1 so kicks dead money down the line)

        Kearse (2.2M)
        Rubin (2.2M)

        Realistically, you would probably have to send Lacy in trade, cut Kearse and Rubin. All three position groups are pretty deep this year, and Rubin alleviates that depth strain by swapping those roster spots.

        At that point, you’re talking trading our 3rd and Lacy for Richardson. Kind of steep. But also a pretty decent upgrade at a position of high impact and high need.

  35. ZHawk

    Saints have released former Seahawk DT Jason Jones. Is this a potential pickup for some interior pass rush help?

    • C-Dog

      I might be in the minority on this, but I they might look to add another bigger bodied DT with experience to blend in with Rubin, Reed, and Jones. QJeff has flashed inside and can get skinny, but is he a player they want rotating inside on early downs if needed?

      • AlaskaHawk

        I think they may add a DT and cut Rubin. Not sure he has the gas to play this year.

        • Rob Staton

          They won’t cut Rubin. Barely any financial benefit and they’re already thin there.

          They might add a DT but it’ll be an additional pass rusher not a replacement.

  36. Ishmael

    The Browns are apparently looking around for a WR trade. Wonder if they might be interested in Kearse. Experienced pro coming out of one of the best teams in the league, can help show Coleman how to be an excellent pro, solid 3rd WR-type behind Coleman and Britt, decent ST value etc. Absolutely wouldn’t be a game changer for them, but he’d be the sort of ‘good player’ who’d help take them from awful to average.

    • Rob Staton

      Contrary to the thoughts of many fans — I still think Kearse is most valuable here in Seattle. Knows the offense inside out, has chemistry with the QB. Lockett recovering from injury, Richardson is somewhat injury-prone. Removing Kearse removes one of the more experienced WR’s on the roster and his potential replacement (Darboh) hasn’t shown much.

      • Ukhawk

        +1

      • Ishmael

        I agree with you, I’m not calling him a bum and trying to run him out of town. There is serious value in knowing the offense, and having chemistry with the QB. I’m more just thinking about if the Hawks are having a think about opening up a bit of cap room to make a swing at a someone – or even to hang on to Joeckel (for example) next year. Tough cuts are going to have to be made somewhere.

      • Attyla the Hawk

        To be fair, Kearse’s replacement on the depth chart is going to be Lockett or Richardson. So not quite as steep as one might think.

        As far as role/prototype is concerned, it’d be McEvoy/Darboh/Williams. Not sure in a scenario where Kearse is dealt, one could expect Darboh to dress on the active 45 if two of those three are kept.

        • Rob Staton

          Kearse is a very different player though and Richardson is injury prone and Lockett still recovering. Not sure you get rid of one of the few players the QB has serious chemistry with.

          • C-Dog

            +1

          • Attyla the Hawk

            True. It doesn’t really do a lot for the team to trade him.

            What we’d get back would be minimal (day 3 pick). Only real value would be the option to keep 2 of the following: Kasen Williams, Amara Darboh, Tanner McEvoy. At this point you’re probably only keeping one.

            Trading would give virtually no cap relief. If they need cap space, they do better by cutting him. Which I think they may well do if they look to be creative in getting a talent like Richardson.

  37. Logan Lynch

    Could Tramaine Brock be in line for an Antoine Winfield type cut? He hasn’t exactly played that well so far and in my humble opinion, Pierre Desir has seemed to be pretty decent. In Brock’s defense, he hasn’t been here very long and just came off the street so some rust is inevitable. He also has a lot of slot experience, which seems thin after Lane. Brock also has a very team friendly contract. Thorpe is too valuable on ST and they kept DeAndre Elliott around last year. Interesting roster decisions to make there.

    • Rob Staton

      It’s possible they cut Brock — but the price of the deal works in his favour. It really depends on how much they rate DeAndre Elliott or one of the other younger guys like Desir.

      • HOUSE

        I think the same thing. With no money guaranteed and at a total of $980K, he will outperform his bill. I was almost certain the Brock signing was a sign Lane would be moving, but I’m not so sure anymore. CB depth has plagued us in the past and a bunch of fresh guys is better than barrel scraping if an injury occurs

        • Logan Lynch

          I agree. The only thing I could see being an issue is club control since Brock was signed to a 1 year deal.

          • HOUSE

            That is a year that pressure is off guys like Griffin and even Shead and his recovery. If Shead doesn’t make it back and has a hiccup, he might be likely to sign with us again for sticking with him through the injury.

            Brock could stick with us following the season or if he does really well, moves on and possibly earns us a future comp pick

            • Old but Slow

              It is the depth of the secondary that makes a trade more likely. Even teams looking for a competent backup will be attracted to guys like Desir, Thorpe, Elliot, and McCray. Lane would start for many teams, IMO, and would give us some cap relief.

              Having wealth in such a valued position is a positive, and I trust that John S is well aware of that and knows how to turn it to his advantage.

              I am so ready.

  38. cha

    Rapaport says browns cut Joe Haden

    • HOUSE

      Saw this too. Worth a shot?

      • H M Abdou

        Probably not, he will be too expensive as several teams bid for his services.

      • cha

        His agent says he’ll have a new contract/team by the end of the day. So probably not with the Hawks.

        I see why the Browns did it, he isn’t what he used to be, but it would have been intriguing to see what he could do with a good front 7 and Jabril Peppers wandering around at safety.

        • HOUSE

          I completely agree. I think he’ll be a Steeler. Looks like CLE traded Erving to KC for a 5th rd pick next year.

          Im curious to see if any other bigger name players get cut in the next few days.

    • CharlieTheUnicorn

      I admire the Browns…. they decided it wasn’t working… and they are dropping the bomb on the team. Advanced metrics must have shown he was not as good as his name on his jersey suggested. Money-ball at its core.

      • HOUSE

        Haden is signing a 3-yr/$27M deal with PIT. That was quick

  39. Jason

    SI Mock has us taking Nnadi. After watching his tape last year I was disappointed he didn’t come out.

    https://www.si.com/college-football/2017/08/30/2018-nfl-mock-draft-top-prospects?xid=nl_siextra&utm_source=si.com&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=si-extra&utm_content=2017083011AM

    • CharlieTheUnicorn

      17. TENNESSEE TITANS: VITA VEA, DT, WASHINGTON

      This guy is going top 10. He is exactly what most of the NFL is looking for … another Aaron Donald.

  40. James

    The 53

    Having to keep a backup KR/PR on the roster (McKissic) is something no team wants to do, because it costs a player at another position, but with Lockett still in recovery, there seems no choice but to keep McKissic, probably at the cost of Jordan Roos or Tanner McEvoy.

    Here are the bubbles:

    CB – keep one of Brock, Elliott, Desir or Thorpe. Desir and Elliott would be practice squad eligible, but almost certainly would not clear waivers. Tyson can probably be stashed on the practice squad, but I have not seen him do anything to warrant that. Is Pete hiding Tyson so he can slip through?

    LB – usually keep 6, but need to go with 5 this time, due to pressing needs to hold onto players at other positions. The 6th LB would not be active anyway, and a decent one can be kept on the practice squad for depth. Wagz, Wright, Garvin, Wilhoite and Alexander.

    WR – it doesn’t seem possible to keep more than 6, besides McKissic, so they will be Baldwin, Lockett, Richardson, Kearse, Williams and one of Darboh or McEvoy. McEvoy has the knack for making plays and no team can afford to give away a player as productive as he is, yet Darboh is a R3, which never gets cut, so between a rock and a hard place. Lawler and Moore have a decent chance to make it to the practice squad, as does Grayson unless Dodds at the Colts snatches him up.

    DL – if Bass is kept, then there probably is no room for Smith. Has Jefferson done enough to make it as the 4th DT (not that I have seen)? Can this be a position where the slot is unfilled so McEvoy or Roos can be retained instead? Probably depth can be stashed on the practice squad in the persons of Coe and Harris. Reed, Rubin and Jones are the run stuffers, and Bass, Bennett and Clark are DTs on passing downs, so maybe they can get away with just 3? Bennett, Avril, Clark and Marsh are set at DE.

    OL – Ifedi, Glowinski, Britt, Joeckel and Odhiambo are locks, as are Aboushi and Pocic. Joey Hunt is probably destined for the practice squad, since it is unlikely another team is going to claim a 6-1, 295 backup C who can play no other position. The final spot will be between Tobin or Roos, unless a cut is made at another position as noted above. Tobin cost a R5, and Pete says Roos will be on the team for a long time, so…?

    • James

      * can probably keep 2 CBs of Brock, Elliott, Thorpe or Desir.

    • CharlieTheUnicorn

      OL: I think Hunt might make it as a long snapper. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen him in on ST playing center / snapper. I could see them keeping both Tobin and Roos on the team. Cable mentioned that they went too young last year… not this time.

      I’m surprised you didn’t mention RB. That is one of the hardest ones (RB/FB) to read clearly.
      Specifically who are they keeping at FB, if they keep one. I’m kind of trending towards Tre Madden myself.. after I saw a few nice blocks he threw in preseason. You know he can rush the ball, so they would lose nothing.. except age by going with him over Reece.

      RB specifically, Lacy, Rawls, Carson are locks. So what to do with the last 1 or 2 spots…. you have McKissic and Procise. They duplicate some of the same intangibles they bring to the team. They both have some cross-over with Lockett. Are we all over valuing Carson?

      CB: Desir is my darkhorse to make the team. The other 3 mentioned have been up and down, so do you want long and lean or compact CBs as your 3rd CB on passing downs???

  41. HOUSE

    I was feeling it and wasn’t sure over the last few days

    http://twitter.com/diannaESPN/status/903020119420538881

  42. Dylanlep

    Being reported that the Hawks are trying to trade Kearse …

    • vrtkolman

      My hope? Free up money for Sheldon Richardson. My god the hype.

  43. FresnoBrad

    Kearse on the chopping block! Saw this coming a mile away with Moore on the roster. Anxious to find out which CB’s are staying & if we can improve DT.

    • HOUSE

      I don’t know if Kease gone means Moore on the roster. I would lean more towards McEvoy.

      I think helping our DT spot is a must

  44. KAM$$

    Glad we are finally looking to get rid of Kearse. He may be responsible for some big plays over the years but if you look at the stats he is possibly the worst starting WR in the NFL over the past 3 years. ‘Bout time we got rid of him.

    • Rob Staton

      The worst starting WR in the NFL? Behave yourself.

      • H M Abdou

        I don’t think he’s the worst starter, but I don’t think he should start. In the SB run of 2013, he was mostly 4th receiver, which is just about where he should be, imho.

      • Kam$$

        Pro football focus rated him as 111 of 115 receivers last year. He caught 41 of 89 passes for only 1 TD, that is pretty awful.

  45. dumbquestions

    Random thoughts, post-Raiders:

    1. I’ll always love Jermaine Kearse for that catch that won the Packer game, which brought me to tears. His rapport with RW is important, but there are times when it’s felt too important, as though Russ looks for him too much when he shouldn’t.

    I don’t want to see JK go – he works, he blocks, and he provides all sorts of intangibles and smarts, but it’s also clear that other players are flashing enough to outdo him. The question re Kearse is not whether he’s good enough — it’s whether the other guys (chiefly Williams) can fill the gap on the intangible HInes Ward stuff that he provides. That’s a very hard question, and I’m not sure I have the answer. It seems to me that Kearse isn’t the best option for the passing game, but I don’t know if the tradeoff for others who lack his game awareness would be enough to make up for his loss.

    2. Anyone suggesting the Seahawks should unload Jimmy Graham is dreaming. That would be a thoroughly foolish move. They are cloaking him in preseason. I think he’s poised to have his best year.

    3. I’m tempted by the longshot prospect of Sheldon Richardson, because I still think the D-line remains the iffiest area for this team going forward, in a year that might represent the last best championship opportunity with the current group. Malik McDowell was supposed to be the answer, but you all know what happened.

    The stars are aligning for some good offense. The running game will be strong. The passing game will be better. The schedule is very favorable, and the team won’t have to cope with too many elite defenses, which means Odhiambo will be serviceable.

    The Hawks do face a few elite offenses, however, and that’s the issue going forward. I haven’t seen the run-stuffing quality to a satisfactory degree yet, and it’s my biggest worry. Richardson would provide an instant, perfect answer. Surely that’s why the rumor mill said they were looking at him. The problem, apart from the money, is his flakiness.

    The posts above (from Rob and others) have focused solely on the cap difficulties. I understand that — but it also seems that the Jets, like Cleveland, are taking an NBA-style tanking approach, and just dumping talent and salary with an eye toward losing and accumulating picks. Given that, is it unreasonable to imagine an mini-version of the Brock Osweiler deal, where the Jets agree to pick up a small portion of SR’s salary — say $2.5 million — in order to unload the contract? Could you imagine a series of deals where Collins and Kearse are traded for mid-round picks with other teams, and then those picks plus Lane go to the Jets?

    4. Collins is gone. McKissic stays. He’s nice and versatile, and he provides insurance for Lockett. Carson will be featured. This is dead obvious. They’ve sent a message to Prosise. Let’s hope he gets it.

    5. Jeremy Lane is a starting right corner, whatever anyone says. You can hope that Brock and Griffin make up for him, but he’s a pretty useful chess piece who knows the scheme. Others suggest Collins and Kearse are the most valuable trade chips. I say it’s Lane – but the only reason to trade him is the Sheldon Richardson angle. The loss of Elliott tonight is a complicating factor. If we keep Lane, I won’t mind.

    Go Hawks.

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