What’s going on with Earl Thomas and Russell Wilson?

Updates on the Earl Thomas situation are few and far between but Jason La Canfora is still suggesting a trade is on the cards:

The Giants are not inclined to pay Beckham what the market will yield him elsewhere, and, likewise, Thomas is not in line to get another payday from Seattle at this point. Both teams are transitioning – if not rebuilding – and holding on to these star players won’t make much sense. Beckham’s holdout would be a mess for the Giants, and while Thomas won’t fetch the first-and-third the Seahawks hoped for, he’ll land multiple other picks.

La Canfora predicts Thomas will be dealt before the start of the draft — in three weeks time.

This still feels like a stalemate. The Seahawks are clearly open to offers but don’t want to lose a future Hall-of-Famer on the cheap. Interested parties know the Seahawks are re-tooling and need picks. The longer they wait, the more likely it is the price comes down.

So the wait goes on. And it could go on beyond the draft. ‘No deal’ is a possibility. It has to be. You can’t just give Thomas away. Then the Seahawks run the risk of losing Thomas in free agency for no more than a comp pick in 2019. Franchising him is an option — but this is a team seemingly unwilling to hand out big contracts at the moment.

You might say, why don’t they just keep him? And they might. But I think we can say with some certainty now — they won’t be giving him a third contract. So one way or another a parting of ways is on the cards. Whether that’s in the next three weeks, a year or two years.

Why would they even entertain moving him? It’s not an easy question to answer on the outside looking in. But it looks like it comes down to two things:

1. A desire to avoid long, expensive contracts for ageing players

2. A need to replenish the lost draft stock

What about Russell Wilson?

There’s been a lot of talk recently about his future. First Jason La Canfora suggested both parties might be considering their options over the next 12 months:

Will the Seahawks be talking about a five-year deal worth $30M a year for Wilson come this time a year from now? If not, will there be trade rumblings? (Given the supply/demand problems in the quarterback market, a hypothetical Wilson trade would have to be the blockbuster to end all blockbusters, right?) Is Carroll, the oldest coach in the NFC, inching closer to retirement by then if this team is outside the playoffs again?

Personally, I have a hard time seeing a generational talent at quarterback like this leaving the team that originally drafted him in his prime, and Schneider has displayed the ability in the past to kickstart a rebuild with a single draft. I wouldn’t bet on him being down for long, but with the draft just over a month away and spring finally upon us, the Seahawks can’t be considered among the handful of Lombardi favorites for the first time in a long time, and much work remains to be done to return to the lofty perch their fans have come to expect during the Carroll/Schneider era.

After this report, John Schneider was seen actively attending the USC and Wyoming pro-days to watch, among others, Sam Darnold and Josh Allen.

Now Jim Trotter is discussing a possible parting of ways next year:

Trotter repeated this during three separate NFL Network hits in the same day.

Trotter clearly has connections within the Seahawks organisation. Here he is discussing Wilson’s last contract situation, along with the future of Bobby Wagner:

So what do we make to all this?

I think you can file it in the ‘no smoke without fire’ category. Clearly the ideal scenario is Wilson has a fantastic season, the Seahawks make the playoffs and the quarterback signs a big extension. Knowing how difficult the negotiations were last time, however, plus the transitioning of the roster, this might be unlikely.

Furthermore, Wilson has seen Kirk Cousins gambling on himself and making a lot more money as a consequence. The franchise tag, for quarterbacks, no longer looks such a daunting prospect. And with unproven players like Jimmy Garoppolo also earning close to $30m a year — future negotiations are going to be tricky for a number of teams. The Seahawks (Wilson), Falcons (Matt Ryan) and Packers (Aaron Rodgers) must all be a little bit anxious about what happens next.

The chances are all three will find a way to make it work. You don’t let franchise quarterbacks walk out the building. Look how much it cost the Jets just to have an opportunity to find out whether Josh Allen, Josh Rosen or Baker Mayfield is actually any good.

However, preparing for all eventualities is important. That’s why I mocked the Seahawks drafting a quarterback in round three this week. It wasn’t an attempt to fill a hole at backup QB. It was an attempt to create some insurance.

Take a quarterback this year. Spend a year with them. See what they’re capable of and how the players act around them. Find out if they have starter potential.

If all you get out of it is a backup quarterback — well at least you’ve solved that issue for a few years on the cheap. Down the line you might get a trade offer or a comp pick anyway.

At least you’re prepared for a scenario where things get difficult with Wilson. If moving on somehow becomes a realistic proposition, you might have a solution. Or at least you tried to find one.

So if that’s Luke Falk, Kyle Lauletta or another. See what they’ve got. Cover those bases.

The last time Seattle took a quarterback in round three it worked out pretty well. Now might be the time to see if lightning can strike twice.

A quick final note for today. Here’s the latest example of moderate weirdness regarding Derrius Guice.

If this didn’t actually happen, then what’s going on?

It follows this report from Tony Pauline detailing character concerns with Guice:

I’m told Guice did nothing to move the needle in his favor today and documented off-field issues are weighing heavily on his draft grade. Several teams do not hold a positive view of Guice and some have characterized the talented ball carrier as a “loose cannon.”

Will his on-field talent be enough to offset character concerns?

Dan Hatman tweeted similar concerns while Bob McGinn’s sources also provided this note:

“He’s got a lot of off-field stuff you’ve got to worry about.”

For a team seemingly trying to do things differently this year after the Malik McDowell mess — Guice increasingly feels like an unlikely pick for the Seahawks.

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208 Comments

  1. Trevor

    With all the other options at RB in this draft the last thing he Hawks need is any risk character wise. Hope they just cross Guice off the board.

    Jones after a trade back in Rd #1 certainly looks like the best option to me.

    • DC

      Cross Guice off? Nah, just drop him down.

    • McZ

      Wonder, what the Hawks defense would look like, if they would not have Frank Clark and his character concerns. So, making too much out of this bizarre story is the worst thing the Hawks could do.

      He is a guy who carries the offense. To me, he can do naked mountainbiking through Bellevue if he likes it, if he carries 1,000yd+ in a Seahawks dress.

  2. Pedestrian

    Great article Rob! Russell definitely has a bit of an ego (I think most QBs do), and he will want to be the highest paid QB in the league. I think finding talent at the QB position is almost always necessary. Having that mindset let’s players know they aren’t untouchable and someone younger and cheaper could replace them – better competitive philosophy.

    If the Seahawks take a QB in rounds 2-3, I won’t hate it. Ultimately, they’ll likely get a deal done with Russell.

    • Tatuputime

      Russell Wilson is a top 5 QB. I’m not sure he needs to be the highest paid, but the three guys mentioned in the article probably become the top 3 highest paid in the next year. If he was slightly lower in the QB hierarchy I could see trying to go QB on the cheap, but he’s just too good to let go in my opinion. Maybe he rubs some people the wrong way, but at worst he’s a do-gooder with a bit of an ego. That’s not really that big a problem. None of the departed guys have really said anything bad about him. Bennett was complimentary in one part of his book. I think they probably pay the man his $30M +.

      • DC

        Two years down the road $30 million might look cheap. How many franchise/ring bearing QBs have been traded in their prime???

        • RealRhino2

          Virtually none. But it’d be interesting to see if this axiom — don’t let a “franchise QB” leave the building — is actually smart. I think the short-term thinking that sometimes plagues the American presidency also sabotages NFL teams. GMs can’t make better decisions for the team if it means they get fired in the meantime.

          Bucky Brooks recently had a piece on NFL.com that was supposed to be a cautionary tale on “reaching” for QBs in the draft. Went through the 2011 draft and noted how teams reached for Gabbert, Locker, Ponder, etc., rather than all the great players they could have had. But the message I got was it looked like all those teams that “reached” were doing as well or better than all the “smart” teams, six years down the road.

          PC and JS are in exactly the kind of situation (well, except for Pete’s age) where they could afford to trade the untradeable “franchise QB” and rebuild the whole thing to see if it’s as hard as everybody thinks. History seems to show that another shot at the brass ring is just a few years down the road.

          • peter

            Titans < patriots

            Jax with 2 reaches < patriots

            Maybe the vikings, maybe are better than the packers. But probably not until they win the division when Rodgers plays the whole season.

            Maybe the real formula for fans of this thought experiment is that you never give anyone a second contract. and only sign players that don't go against your comp picks so you always head for he draft with about 10 picks? I mean that seems like it could work.

            • peter

              Because really how many championships does jj watt or paying aaro n Donald really get you? It’s just strange that the money path way or flowchart is only oriented in this way….

              don’t pay big money to and because that’s fools gold minus of course Tom Brady who Madoff something ridiculous like 162 million…But take him out of the data set….But DO pay high priced defensive players.

              And most importantly do not factor the part that the lob in Seattle’s case couldn’t win until Wilson got there and that Wilson hasn’t done anything (superbowl win) w/o them. could it possibly be that both parts are needed? Or if you were a great coach you could have a young hungry defense with an expensive an just as likely as you could have an expensive defense with a cheap qb? Or better yet like Seattle a cost effective team all around minus a small amount of players.

            • RealRhino2

              Patriots are an outlier, in part because they’ve managed Brady’s salary to have a low cap hit.

              And the Vikings ARE better than the Packers. They have a better roster, and part of that may have to do with not putting all your eggs in one basket (the QB). Guys get hurt. Vikes had two QBs get hurt, still better than Packers. Who is better right now, Jax or, say, Cowboys? Jax took Gabbert, Cowboys got Tyron Smith. WAY better player, but Jax is currently the better team, IMO. Titans or Texans? Titans were better than Texans last year. The point isn’t that teams with bad QBs are as good as teams with good QBs, it’s really that missing out on a good non-QB doesn’t seem to hurt much in the long term because if your QB reach fails, you get another shot at it quickly, and can build a good roster w/o the QB expense.

              • Mark Souza

                Vikings spent more on their QB than we did, and way more than us this year.

          • DC

            As a conscious fan from about 1983 on I can write without question that I waited from 83 to 12 for a Russell Wilson on the Hawks. He’s as special as they get. Is he the best? No but he is the best we’ve ever had by several country miles. I’m grateful to witness the RW era.

            • peter

              Minus my tablet having a melt down…..I’ve been a fan almost as long as a young kid to middle aged crank…..and I’ve waited that whole time for wilson as well.

              • RealRhino2

                Maybe you were waiting for Pete Carroll. I mean, starting in ’83 we went to the playoffs 4 of 6 years. Then a dry spell, but with Hasselbeck we went to playoffs 6 of 9 years, including 5 straight, just like now. We just never quite got over the hump until we had one of the top 5 NFL defenses of all time. I guess my point is that while finding a great quarterback is hard, finding one good enough to field a successful team isn’t — if you have a good coach and GM — and to me it’s not a settled question that continuing to pay market rates (and above) for a good QB is the best way to go about winning championships. I think it’s more a settled question that it’s the best way for the GM not to lose his job, which is why they think it’s settled.

                • peter

                  I’m just saying that jokes aside since Pete was able to build a top five defense prior to contract extensions wouldn’t the most effective way to build a team be a constant churn rather than weighty contracts.

                  It seems to me then problems building this team came when players started getting highly paid and to that end what if a team reserved a certain percent for high value free agents but everyone else was traded or cut after small feel good extensions or nothing for that matter so the core was always hungry players?

                  Ultimately as history is written Seattle only won one superbowl with an expensive defense and a cheap qb. The next year The same faces were there and they didnt get over the hump.

                  I think a top five defense is your surest path to victory but I’m not convinced anymore that an expensive top five defense does anything for a team. Other than hamstring them going forward with contracts.

                  • jdk

                    It just so happens that I’ve been doing this research over the last couple of days. I am tabulating the data for all top 10 running, passing, and defensive teams by DVOA. I shortened it to top 5 to address your comment about top 5 defenses being the surest path to victory. I am only 7 years in (my real job is pesky about getting in the way of my amateur football analysis), but here are the results over 7 years:

                    Top 5 rushing teams by DVOA (2011-2017):

                    Won 334.5 games.
                    Missed the playoffs 15 out of 35 teams.
                    Made the playoffs 20 out of 35 teams.
                    5 teams lost in the Wild Card round.
                    9 teams lost in the Divisional round.
                    2 teams lost in the Conference Championships.
                    4 teams lost the Super Bowl.
                    0 teams won the Super Bowl (Seattle was ranked 7th in 2013).

                    Top 5 defensive teams by DVOA (2011-2017):

                    Won 365 games.
                    Missed the playoffs 14 out of 35 teams.
                    Made the playoffs 21 out of 35 teams.
                    3 teams lost in the Wild Card round.
                    7 teams lost in the Divisional round.
                    5 teams lost in the Conference Championships.
                    3 teams lost the Super Bowl.
                    3 teams won the Super Bowl.

                    Top 5 passing teams by DVOA (2011-2017):

                    Won 407 games.
                    Missed the playoffs 3 out of 35 teams.
                    Made the playoffs 32 out of 35 teams.
                    5 teams lost in the Wild Card round.
                    12 teams lost in the Divisional round.
                    6 teams lost in the Conference Championships.
                    5 teams lost the Super Bowl.
                    4 teams won the Super Bowl.

                    Feel free to play around with different measures of top 5 (total yards, Y/A, etc) and/or extend the number of years. I guarantee you that the results will be similar. I am going to keep whittling away at this until I go through all the DVOA data. If defense or the running game make a comeback as I go through the data, I’ll let you know.

                    I have not found one shred of non-anecdotal evidence that the passing game is not the single most important factor in building a winning football team. Factor in the fact that maintaining an building an elite defense is as hard as finding an elite QB, and it is even harder to maintain because there are so many moving parts. If you have an elite QB (and I believe RW qualifies) you absolutely do not trade him.

                    The research I am doing is actually an effort to find a link between rushing (not necessarily efficiency) and passing efficiency. I believe it must exist but I can find no statistical evidence that it does.

  3. FresnoHawk

    It’s a long process unfortunately for Guice. #18 is a good pick with 6 1st round QB’s possible. It’s possible we get a large haul for Earl & decide to target QB as well as RB, OL, DE, LB, CB etc.. I think there are many scenarios for Seattle that are currently being explored.

  4. Brandon Adams

    Russell Wilson fell to the third round for reasons that no other QB is likely to match, including the fact that John Schneider was talked down from taking him in Round 2. Unless you’ve got a bizarrely unique or a new QB paradigm that could redeem a lower pick, it remains unlikely to be anything but a backup.

    • Rob Staton

      Unlikely but not impossible. Kirk Cousins has been relatively successful for a fourth round pick. Dak Prescott was a fourth round pick. Wilson was a third.

      It doesn’t mean the Seahawks are going to hit the jackpot again. But you don’t just assume you can’t/wont.

      • Thorson

        Also New England has a pretty good quarterback that I believe was chosen in the 6th round.

      • peter

        cousins hasn’t been that great. He’s on the edge of getting found out and becoming a journey back up.

        Let’s give Prescott a mulligan for last year and review after this season.

        I think if you did your due diligence hard enough you could in time find a good or great an in any round.

        • EBurgz

          Cousins looks like he is on track to win a ring with the Vikings. Last year he lost all his top pass catchers (D Jax, garçon and reed was injured) and still put up really good numbers. The last couple years you could make the argument he has been a top 5 qb.

          • peter

            I’m framing this under the category of wins, playoff wins, and championships.

            cousins has his moments but he presses a little hard and it shows in a much higher td to int ratio

            • Mark Souza

              And I will say, none of those teams thought they were drafting a franchise QB, otherwise they wouldn’t have risked passing on them round after round. It just turned out that way. When you draft a QB from Rd 3 on, you’re hoping you find someone who’ll make the team and provide a serviceable back-up. And maybe in the darkest recess of your mind, you’re praying maybe you might strike gold

    • Adog

      All evidence suggest that you build a quarterback around the team and not otherwise. Russel wilson was good…but not a franchise qb when they won the title, and it’s vital to remember that he was not payed like one in those super bowl years.

  5. Josh Emmett

    Best running backs in the league are outspoken and swagged out. Beast mode was too. Just sayin

    • Nick

      Frank Gore says hi!

    • Rob Staton

      I think you’re missing the point.

      None of the complaints are about being ‘outspoken’ or ‘swagged out’.

      • Greg Haugsven

        I actually like my running back to be a little short of a six pack. Just get in there and smash some people.

  6. Ben Ft. Worth

    If Guice is sitting on the board at the end of round 2 or middle of round 3??? And you haven’t taken a RB. Then what?

    • Rob Staton

      That would mean the Seahawks simply didn’t address the position and stumbled into this position with Guice still on the board. I think Guice could drop into that range but I think the Seahawks will have addressed RB by then in all likelihood.

    • EBurgz

      You take him and thank your lucky stars that he lasted that long

  7. Pugs1

    I got a chance to talk with Mike Detillier (www.mikedetillier.com) if you want to check him out. He refuted the bad character concerns and believes the negative stuff about Guice is being floated by a team trying to get him to drop. Mike lives in Louisiana and is very juiced in with the LSU program. He grew up with Coach O and has several inside sources in the NFL. He also freely trashed Arden Key so I didn’t get the impression he was just carrying water for LSU and propping up their players. Take it for what its worth but I’ve spoken with him several times and he’s always had good info and been a straight shooter with me.

    • Rob Staton

      While I appreciate the info, Tony Pauline is the most trustworthy draft insider I’ve come across. If he’s saying it, and if Bob McGinn’s scouting sources say it, I’m not willing to believe this is a rogue team hoping to destroy Guice’s stock in a crafty attempt to make him fall. Which would be totally unnecessary in this draft class loaded with RB’s.

      Besides, we’re getting an insight into it now. Read the PFT piece. It’s…. strange.

      • Pugs1

        I’ll checkout the PFT piece. I don’t want you to think i was calling you or anybody out for their sources being wrong. I was just throwing out some info i got. Keep up the good work!

        • Kenny Sloth

          I think his information isn’t quite sourced so much as it is an informed opinion. He knows a lot of people that think highly of Guice so perhaps he supposes that anyone getting a different vibe or entering contrary reports must be up to something.

          Like I doubt someone told him that those reports were false. He is saying those reports are false because of his own supposition and deep background knowledge.

          Nobody has all the answers, keep feeding us anything decent you find, pal!

          • Pugs1

            I’ll be intrigued to see if Guice falls into the late second third round range its safe to say the character concerns are real but lets say NE takes him in the first I’d totally buy that a team spread misinformation. This is why every year the draft is so interesting!

            • Kenny Sloth

              So true. I don’t think Guice will fall that far, but I also don’t think he warrants a pick any higher than that.

              Someone will pull the trigger, but they will likely get Thomas Rawls++

              He’s got a great spark and if he gets clear of these hurdles and allegations, he could develop into a longtime fan favorite for a team because of his style and character, but that is best case for me.

              I think mid to late second sounds about right. Probably go to a team in the playoff hunt that can put him in a position to succeed while he develops.

              I don’t see him doing much in year 1. Maybe 800 yards if he’s healthy and splitting carries.

              • peter

                So…..the seahawks is what you’re saying………

                • Kenny Sloth

                  I thought the same as I posted

            • Patrick Toler

              Yeah, I’m not a huge Guice fan, but if he lasts into the third that’s a hell of a deal.

      • icb12

        I mean, it’s not quite Manti Te’o strange…

        But it’s strange for sure.

        • Rob Staton

          Not much is ‘Manti Te’o’ strange to be fair!

          But if he did make all that stuff up. I just don’t know what to do with that information. It’s totally bizarre.

          • EBurgz

            If he made it up. That’s friggin weird. Why??

            • Mark Souza

              To be making false allegations against your future employer while you’re still in your interview? Weird. They don’t make flags bigger or redder than that.

  8. CC

    I’m not a Guice fan at all, but if he falls a few rounds because of his actions pre-draft I might be okay taking him in a lower round. Currently given our pick situation, I’d go with Nick Chubb, Kalen Balage or Royce Freeman and hope one of them is around when we pick.

  9. Kenny Sloth

    Guice seems like a good guy, maybe immature, insecure, and a loose cannon, and that’s definitely something you can’t always trust as a pro, but if getting arrested and throwing footballs at opponents heads isn’t a loose cannon, maybe I’m missing the point.

    I think Guice has a steep learning curve as a professional. Pretty kiddish in his interviews.

    (Imagine if Baker Mayfield had the same background and skin color as Guice, the media would likely tear him to shreds)

    • Rob Staton

      I don’t think we can or should compare, or make this into a race thing.

      • Kenny Sloth

        True, completely different situations.

        And to be fair… Without all the off-field stuff, Mayfield could have been the sure-fire first guy off the board with his obvious competitiveness and leadership.

        So it’s not like It’s completely in the dark.

        • Rob Staton

          I think the issue with Mayfield is he’s a bit of a jerk. But that might also be a good characteristic for him, in a weird way. He seems to have this burning determination about him even if occasionally, his enthusiasm is misplaced. And I think part of him being a jerk is he’s extremely competitive. The arrest though shows he needs to mature (which is pretty obvious). So that’ll be a concern for some. To me he seems like the kind of guy where you might find five teams who absolutely love him and five teams who won’t touch him. Personally I would be wary of Mayfield but then if I was someone making the decision, I’d have a lot more information.

          Guice’s issues are different. I have my own feelings on him which I’d rather keep to myself. But there are strange things out there. I’d be worried about drafting him too but for very different reasons. There have been a few things on social media where I’ve thought…. hmmmm. And now this very strange story.

          • Kenny Sloth

            I think you’re spot on with Mayfield. I bet his life flashed before his eyes with that arrest and he’s on a path of maturation because he is the type of guy that understands what it takes to be a franchise QB and wants to shoulder that burden for a city. I think I can see him with a team for 10 years+, but I’m not sure what the character concerns actually mean for his pro prospects.

            Guice dresses like he’s in the NBA
            Pink suits and bowties.
            Very attention seek-y from Guice.

            And then revealing an awkward question from the combine? Thats for the undrafted guys, D. Or the guys already in the pros.

            He’s probably my least favorite fit for Seattle from the top backs.
            Are we hoping for Chubb/Kerryon/RoJo, then?
            If Freeman, Michel, Penny, and Guice don’t do it for ya as a feature back, you have to find one of those 3, yeah?

            • Rob Staton

              I think they’ll be hoping for one of Jones II, Chubb or Kerryon.

          • SeventiesHawksFan

            I wouldn’t draft Guice now either. Players who will make things up and get it splashed all over the media aren’t just ‘loose cannons’. They are potential ticking time bombs. The risk just isn’t worth it.

    • Trevor

      Mayfield does get killed for his behavior and is likely not high on some teams boards.

      The Guice thing just seems silly. Why lie about something like that? Just an odd thing to do and create drama around yourself.

      • Kenny Sloth

        We dont know their boards and the questions they’re asking him. But I did say media. It’s basically not talked about at all. Except by me all the time.

        My thoughts exactly!! Why lie?

        Maybe he read more into it than they meant. Maybe they worded it so that the league could find no wrongdoing.

        Maybe the league is covering it up so their franchises don’t face lgbt backlash?? 😮

        Lol this is the hyper controversial thread

    • McZ

      TBH, he can be all weird and kiddish he likes if he runs for 1,000yd+ in a Seahawks dress next season.

      And the comparison with McDowell is a bit unfair; McDowell’s action shows just plain stupidness.

  10. Hawk Eye

    Wilson trade talk is much ado about nothing.
    We had similar stories before his last contract. And too many media members are just rumour mongers.
    Russell will squeeze every dollar he can from the Hawks, that is why he has a baseball agent.
    And the Hawks won’t trade him away to then use the assets they just got to take a chance on a rookie QB. Easier to find some bargains at other positions to balance the payroll.

    If they let Thomas go after this season they WILL NOT get a comp pic. With over $80 mil in cap space, they will be signing free agents. Far more realistic that they franchise him for 1 or 2 years if they cannot get a good trade offer or agree on a contract. I don’t think they are opposed to giving him an extension, but I do think it is a matter of term and guarantees.

    • Rob Staton

      I don’t recall much trade talk last time regarding Wilson. It was more like a feeling it would get done… then it didn’t… then it dragged out… then there was some mild concern… then they signed and all was well with the world.

      This has a slightly different dynamic. And Jim Trotter certainly isn’t one to just toss rumours out there, even if JLC is more inclined to throw the occasional dart.

      I don’t think the Seahawks will trade Russell Wilson. But I think there probably is some truth to a few things surrounding these reports. Seattle might be wary of how the negotiations are going to go, they might not be willing to meet extreme demands, Wilson might be wondering about the direction of the team and his ability to max out his career — in terms of wins, earnings and profile.

      And thus, they need to be prepared for the worst.

      I personally think the days of big spending are done in Seattle. They may well add some free agents that eliminate the comp pick. It’s possible. I’m not sure they are that concerned though. They weren’t this year. The priority right now seems to be minimal commitment financially, no third contracts that carry reasonable risk. Franchising him is an option. So is letting him walk. Which they might do. They just cut Richard Sherman. Nothing’s off the table anymore.

      • Hawk Eye

        not trade talk last time, but a lot of wild speculation that Russell would let his contract expire and force the Hawks to Franchise him, he wanted fully guaranteed contract, etc.
        I agree it has not been Trotters style, but it does seem there is a lot more of this type of reporting now, not just about the Hawks. Click bait works.
        I think Russell is too concerned about his image to force his way out of town. And Cup half full Russ is thinking he can win the SB this year.
        regarding Thomas, they have the room to franchise him next year, but it also depends on how he plays, and what the Hawks plans are after this year. I don’t think they know until the year is played out.
        I agree that they won’t be throwing out big FA contracts or giving away high picks for players for a while. I think they go back to hunting for bargains and playing kids. Fast and hungry.

      • C-Dog

        I agree with all of this.

      • SoCal12

        Richard Sherman seems like completely different situation though. He was trending towards being past his prime, and was starting to be more of a distraction that didn’t buy into the team. He’s contribution was not meeting his contract. Russell is a like THE leader of the Seahawks right now, and the number one pusher of Pete’s philosophy who is just hitting his prime. I think he is worth every penny of what we are and will pay him.

        I get your point about having insurance though. I’m not necessarily opposed to it in theory, though I admit I’m a little afraid it’ll continue to stoke the ‘trade Russell’ as a hawt take and click-bait flame, which I’m already sick of seeing this off-season.

        • Rob Staton

          The point on Sherman was in reference to them letting Earl Thomas walk. They cut Sherman, so I was saying they might just let Thomas walk next year and not franchise him.

          • SoCal12

            Ah I misunderstood that point then. Thanks for clarifying. I agree it wouldn’t be surprised if they just let him walk next year too.

    • Patrick Toler

      Yeah. There is speculation about many top QBs when they start to get near the end of their deals. Respectable folks were thinking Brees could possibly leave a month ago. In the end it has never happened. When Brees did move early in his career, he wasn’t yet the QB he went on to be in NO. I think this has about a 2% chance of happening. Of course, Pete and John are about as likely to break the mold as anyone.

      • Mark Souza

        It is the NFL reporting cycle dead zone when reporters will say anything and speculate about everything just to have something to say.

  11. Rick Mirer Fan Club

    Regarding the discussion about trading Earl Thomas – I can understand the value in draft capital and getting younger. My concern is if they haul in, for example, a 2nd and a 3rd in exchange – then you almost need to turn around and take one of your draft pick and assume that in some way shape or form, it’ going to fill that position as it then becomes a position of need – at the very least backup insurance if they plan to roll with Thompson/Hill etc… whether or not they choose to do that, you still don’t replace that caliber of play. While I can get on board with additional picks and some degree of cap relief, I can certainly understand why no move has been made yet.

    • Rob Staton

      That’s the difficult situation with this. Would they need to draft a safety? Possibly so.

      I will repeat though a point I’ve made a few times on this topic. Earl is amazing. But they don’t necessarily need to replace Earl with a younger version. Only one team has an Earl Thomas. And yet other teams not only succeed on defense, they succeed playing a similar scheme to Seattle without an Earl Thomas type.

      No doubt Seattle has already considered this possibility quite strongly. So if they deal Earl they’ll have a plan.

      • Rick Mirer Fan Club

        That is a great point Rob. I get the feeling they want to move towards smart/fast/aggressive/chip-on-the-shoulder types and away from the McDowell/Harvin experiments. You hear the discussion all the time from former players about winning at the line of scrimmage being critically important, and I can’t help but think with the moves they have made and the discussions we have seen that this could be their focus moving forward. Win at the line of scrimmage, run the ball effectively, win the turnover battle – seems to be an underlying theme.

      • Greg Haugsven

        They have Alexander, Thompson, McDougald, Hill. They usually plan ahead. I dont think safety would be a priority if they did trade Earl. If one was available when you pick thats a different story but personally I think we would be fine.

  12. BobbyK

    The Bobby Tweet to ET after the Rams game last year is telling to me. Bizarre, yes. But where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

    The Hawks seem to be open to a third contract for Wagz. They do not seem to be open for ET.

    There’s more going on with team chemistry and “buying in” than anything. Why else would Carroll fire every important coach on the team AND gut the defense of all of its strong personalities (Sherman and Bennett)?

    While ET is one of the most intense players I’ve ever seen, there is definitely more that we aren’t privy to on the outside and it should be fairly obvious if Wagz is going to see a third contract and ET does not.

    The power of everyone being on the same page is extremely important. We’re seeing how the organization feels that way, too.

    Did anyone else see the Sando tweet earlier about the difference in Russell Wilson after the Atlanta play-off loss vs. his end of season comments this past year? Russell used to be “all football,” but he doesn’t have that same focus (from the tweet). I think actions speak louder than words and, again, where there’s smoke, there’s usually at least a little fire.

    • Sean-O

      I do think it’s kind of interesting that during ET3’s time in Seattle, he’s generally never been known as a leader. At least if you go by the team voting who wears the “C” on their jersey. There’s no doubt he’s a little different than your normal NFL superstar. Like the article above, I can’t see SEA offering him a third contract.

      As far as RW goes, his priorities have changed over the last few years. Being a father, a husband, money, endorsements, the face of a franchise & some would say of the NFL will do that too ya.

      I’m no insider but I seriously doubt anyone needs to worry about RW’s commitment to football & being the best QB he can be.

      • RealRhino2

        But Pete seems worried about it, and he should know. What do you think his comments about Russ getting a “master class” in QBing were about? And getting a whole new offensive staff that could better “connect with” and “challenge” Russ (I might have got the words a little wrong)? The obvious implication to me was that Russ wasn’t being reached by the old OC and QB coach. His play at the end of the year sure showed that.

        Sometimes being too positive can preclude you from taking the steps necessary to fix the problem because you don’t see the problem in the first place.

        • Sean-O

          The “masters class” thing was a couple of years a go I believe. PC said that in regards to a couple of guys I think. I also think commitment & not being challenged by the now former staff are two different things.

          We’re all hopeful that a new voice, scheme & most importantly an effective running game will get RW where he needs to be to help make this team successful.

          • C-Dog

            He said that regarding RW and ET. He wanted RW to understand defenses the way a defensive mind would, and ET to understand offenses the way an offensive mind would. My hunch is that it was a term he loosely tossed out there and all the media ran with it. A year or so later when he was asked about it, you could sense his surprise. He just blew it off by saying that league restrictions didn’t make it possible.

            I think with RW, there is a very reasonable chance he fell into free lancing too much in 2017, and perhaps Bevell couldn’t pull him back. I thought about this for a while, and if you look at the fact he gutted through 2016 without his legs, I think it does make sense healthy 2017 RW might have fell victim of his own hubris thinking he could now chase the big play instead of just taking what defenses offer. Choir boy Bevell might not have had it in him to chew some RW butt. Brian Schotty is known to lay into his QBs, if need be.

            It wouldn’t be a bad thing for Russ. He’s never had that type of coaching in Seattle. He’s always been pretty steadfast protecting the ball, but if you don’t think you’re going to be challenged, hard to keep that up by yourself, perhaps.

            • EBurgz

              Hoping the coaching change is a good thing for Russ off the bat. Lots of times it takes a year or so for an OC and QB to get on the same page (Kyle Shanahan & Matt Ryan for example).

              Russ was far from ordinary last year (as suggested below). But he did take some super deep drops and miss some wide open receivers last year. Don’t want to see him running backwards like he did sometimes last year (out of necessity many times). Those 20 step drops make it tough on the tackles,

              • C-Dog

                Fixing the run game will fix everything else. I have no doubt it will help RW.

    • Del tre

      I trust Pete to have a young, fast hungry defense rolling by week 13, if they unit has played together all year their chemistry in the cover 3 will make them great.
      Not to mention the huge boosts from Bobby and KJ.
      I must say I’m not in love with trading Earl, but if we must i could deal with a combo of Isaiah Oliver, Shaq Griffin and Tedric Thompson roaming the backfield. I know they haven’t spent high picks on corners before but Oliver strikes me as someone who understands nuances to the cornerback position that make him more NFL ready.
      But that would mean spending a pick on a corner early, and thar would be pretty unusual. But I’m allowed my draft darling, and if i must cope with losing Earl’s dynamic Hall of Fame all pro talent, i need to invision the defense with a new at least pro bowl talent.
      That being said i think the hawks surprise us with an earlier pick at corner than we are expecting.
      What’s more likely is that trading Earl is more a show of committment to Russell, they might spend more capital on offense than any if us are expecting.

    • BobbyK

      Okay. So it’s obvious nobody saw the Sando Tweet from early today (and wanted to comment on that).

  13. schuemansky

    A-Dog brought up a scenario earlier, where Dallas already agreed to trade for ET.
    And with the draft being held in Dallas it is kept secret.
    I guess the best case would be their first rounder, but I would be fine with their second and fourth.
    Obviously, JS will trade down anyway. Let’s say they give up 18 for the Browns 33, 64 and 114 picks.

    At 33 they could pick their favorite RB (I guess one between RoJo, Chubb, Johnson and Guice, at least 3 should still be there).

    I would love Goedert to be their second pick (if he’s still there), otherwise, it could be OG, DL or Bates (if they like him a lot) with their second and third.

    No picks in R3.

    But then my favorite part of this draft class, R4 and 5. Seven picks to make.

    BJ Hill, Shepherd, Ford, Jacobs, Holland, Aruna, Leonard, Griffin, Burks, O’Daniel, Holton Hill, Nelson, Kam Kelly, Wadley, Samuels, Smith, Scarbrough, Gallup, Lazard, St, Brown, Cantrell, Schultz, Smythe, Dissly, Whitehead, Apke, Jamerson, Moore, Woodside, Shimonek, Litton, …

    Some of them won’t be there, most of them will. This could be the year where JS gets back to finding gems on day 3. At least he will have a lot of shots.

    • Sean-O

      You never know. I can see Jerry Jones trying to make a big splash at the draft by announcing a trade during it, but now a days it’s so hard to keep news from leaking out. We’ll see.

  14. Greg Haugsven

    Is there absolutely no other players that could possibly be drafted from Wyoming? If the answer is yes then who cares if he was at Wyoming’s pro day?

    • Sean-O

      If we’re to believe the first Jim Trotter vid, JS told the RW camp he was just doing his due diligence. It makes sense. You never know what could happen during the draft.

      • BobbyK

        It’s not Wyoming is a long trip from Seattle. It might be different if he flew from Seattle to Maine to check out their QB (and came straight back again).

  15. Kenny Sloth

    Rob, as it becomes more and more apparent that our RB targets are going to be Kerryon Johnson, Nick Chubb, and Ronald Jones II, I took a look at some of the teams that have met with each player to get a feel for what their stock is likely to be

    Nick Chubb, RB, Georgia
    Buccaneers (PRI)*
    Falcons (PRI)
    Jets (COM)
    Panthers (PRI)
    Falcons (WOR)

    Ronald Jones II, RB, USC
    Eagles (COM)
    Falcons (PRO)
    Giants (COM)
    Redskins (WOR)*
    Saints (PRO)

    Kerryon Johnson, RB, Auburn
    Giants (COM)
    Titans (COM)
    Steelers (COM)

    I would be over the moon with any of these guys. Some of these teams would have to move to get into range.

    Steelers scare me for Kerryon
    Eagles scare me for RoJo
    Buccaneers scare me for Nick

    • Kenny Sloth

      Kerryon has met with John Lynch and John Elway

      • peter

        Excellent look at team meeetings.

    • Hawktalker#1

      Great staff Kenny, thanks.

      Confirms my fear that Phi is a risk at 32 and that if Rojo is really our RB target, be better get him by 31 at very latest. Even at 31 he is not a sure thing there.

    • Trevor

      Kenny I think you nailed the 3 teams that will target those RBs!

      The only thing that would change it is if the Steelers sign Bell to a big deal before the draft and then I think NYG or Det targets Johnson.

  16. JimQ

    I’d like to pass along a couple of pages on draftscout.com that some may not be aware of. I have found these to be very helpful references in the pre-draft process. More knowledge is always good!

    (1) 2018 Player Rankings, Value chart view. – Shows offense/defense ratings by position and round. Although, one can question a few of their rankings a little, it’s really nice to see them shown in the
    approximate round they may get drafted. Modify the results all you want.
    @ http://www.draftscout.com/members/ratings/valuechart.php?draftyear=2018

    (2) 2018 Pro Day Leaderboard – Seemingly pretty up to date Pro Day results that helps to find those unlikely gems or just to research previously unknowns that performed well, or pro day improvements over the combine testing. Rankings are by best performances in each event.
    @ http://www.draftscout.com/members/ratings/pdleaders.php?draftyear=2018

    • JimQ

      Here is a kid that had a great pro day. A smaller type RB from a smaller school, but if a 1.5 ten yard split is
      to be considered elite, then a 1.4 must be somewhere beyond that (although, hand held, still quick).

      RB-Trenton Cannon, Virginia State, 5-102/185, 17-reps, 38.5″-vert, 10′-9″-broad jump, 4.04/20-yd shuttle,
      4.02/3-cone AND a 4.40/40, *** 1.49/10-yd, *** 2.60/20-yd (all HH at pro day.)
      2017: 11-games, 212/1638/7.73-ypc, 17-TD’s.
      Career: 32-games, 554/4035/7.28-ypc, 44-TD’s, (4-fumbles on 554 carries = fumble rate 138.5)
      Could be well worth a look, maybe? Lots of players to check out on that “pro day leaderboard”. I plan on
      taking looks at WR-Caleb Scott, CB-Christian Campbell and OT-Gerhard de Beer among others. There goes
      my weekend, I’ll be mining for gems.

      • JimQ

        7.02/3-cone, darn it.

  17. Hawk Eye

    In the “I already knew what his press release would say” Thomas Davis failed IQ test, I mean PED test.
    Was “taking a supplement”. With a league full of PED’s, I just want to hear one guy come clean, or have the NFL say – we give the guys so many chances to pass, we can’t help it if the odd one screws up and fails it by mistake. We don’t want to catch them all, this isn’t pokeman go!

  18. Greg Haugsven

    What would everyone want to do with Earl if they got a decent trade offer? Keep him or trade him?

    • Rob Staton

      A lot of fans will ultimately want to keep Earl because he’s Earl. Then there are fans who want to fantasise about draft picks and they’ll want to deal him for a haul.

      We’d need to know what the team knows to make a properly educated opinion on this one.

    • SoCal12

      Depends on the offer. I woudn’t trade him for anything less than a high-to-mid first or something of equivalent value on the chart. If that is what’s offered though, I think I’d probably deal him. If not I’d keep him, but really sit him down and try and work out some sort of extension that works for both parties.

    • Hawktalker#1

      It may all come down to whether the Seahawks would be prepared to franchise ET or not. If not, they don’t seem interested in extending him, so they should take the best viable trade offer they can get. Even a second and a fourth would be better than cutting him and not even getting a comp pick.

      If they do have interest in using the franchise tag after the season, then they would likely hold out for a stronger trade offer before considering a trade. If they don’t get the trade offer they want, then just franchise him.

      • Greg Haugsven

        I was simply looking for the words “keep him” or “trade him”. Im just not sure where I stand. There is a ton of variables that we dont know.I guess I would lean towards trading him if I had to pick one.

        • Hawktalker#1

          If they don’t want him on the team and are not going to franchise him, trade him. There it is

  19. Ishmael

    This offseason isn’t much fun. I don’t especially like Wilson, and I thought he was pretty ordinary last year, but if the choice is between him and Josh Allen…

    As for the NFL finding nothing went wrong in the meeting with Guice. Well. When have the NFL ever, ever, come down on the players side?

    • Greg Haugsven

      I think this off-season has been very fun. Lots of moves, whether they work out or not is another story.

    • SoCal12

      I’m sorry but how was Wilson ordinary last year? He literally accounted for 81% of our offensive yards last year. I’m a bit flabbergasted that a fans of this team are turning on him, and it’s part of why I loathe the trade rumors floating out there.

      • Hawktalker#1

        +12

      • lil'stink

        He looked like a lower tier QB for the first 3 quarters of the game for much of the season. Some of it was the lack of a run game, some of it might be on the coaches. But some of it is definitely on Wilson. I think his gaudy stats were largely fools gold. To me he really only had 2 good games against a quality opponent all year long – Houston and Philadelphia.

        Yeah, the complete absence of a run game killed any chance we had last year regardless of QB play. But IMHO Russ didn’t improve in the areas he needs to be able to play at a high level during his 3rd contract. I actually think he regressed in several ways. He was incredibly indecisive for long stretches and his pocket presence was equally poor. He looked like a one read and then bail on the pocket QB way too often IMO. He still relies on his legs too much, and teams have gotten so much better and disciplined at playing him when he goes into sandlot mode. That’s what worries me about making him the highest paid player in the league when he’s well into his 30’s.

        So yeah, his numbers looked great. Especially with our horrible run game. But he just seemed off despite the stats.

        • Hawk Eye

          i think that is a pretty good analysis.

        • peter

          I like the one sentence about the lack of the run game.

          Like that’s all analysis needs to describe the failings of a run first team.

          Also what areas is Wilson supposed to be improving in? Seriously curious. Is he supposed to stand in non existent pockets and make reads? I know fans like to point out the pockets when he bails but what about pointing out when teams have free rushers straight at him. I mean he doesn’t average 43 sacks a year by himself.

          and are these areas where there’s another player involved? Maybe wr’s and te’s being more efficient between the chains.

          ‘he relies on his legs too much,’. See the above area about lack of a run game.

          I guess I’d like to see a year where the oline drifts to mid pack. I’ll have an honest conversation with people about Wilson bailing too soon when he gets protection. I’ll also have an honest conversation with people about how he is a one read qb when at that time that he gets protection he scans for a quarter second and bails.

          I hate going deep into history but for much of hasselbeck’s career it can easily be argued he played with a far superior line and shaun alexander five great years to Wilson and this horrible line and only three great years of lynch and guess what…Wilson has literally done more with significantly less.

          Finally why do fans care what he gets paid? He’ll be the highest paid qb and probably player in the league literally only until the next top 12 an signs a deal. That could be prescott, rodgers, goff, wentz, Watson there’s easily five that will take the mantle right after wilson.

          • Hawk Eye

            I think the point is, why is 4th qtr Russ so great and the First half Russ mediocre?
            Pretty much same cast of characters involved in both, same lack of run game, etc.
            Not to put it all on Russ, but I think he has a shift in mentality during games that has to happen sooner.
            I think PC must see this and that is why he talks about a new OC challenging him, etc.
            and totally agree about hoping to see an average o line and see what happens in that situation

            I don’t care if he gets top dollar, that is a rotating title and at least you can argue he is worth it. Hard to call JG, Stafford or Cousins as the the best player in the league let alone top 5 QB

          • lil'stink

            I’m not saying Wilson stinks, or that we need to trade him. It really is a chicken/egg argument for me. How much is on the OL? How much is on the coaches or horrible run game? How much is on Wilson? I’m just starting to think that enough of it is on Wilson that I have serious reservations about making him the highest paid player in the league if that’s what it takes to keep him.

            But I also can’t forget how brilliant Wilson was down the stretch in 2015. I was at that game against Pittsburgh. Most amazing sporting event I have seen live. But we really haven’t seen that same Russell Wilson except for a few isolated instances.

            You’re absolutely right abut the free rushers. That makes for a lost play, but I don’t think that’s were the majority of the problem is coming from. There was a stretch where the OL was doing a decent job in pass blocking. A pocket is just that: a pocket. It can be tight at times. A pocket isn’t an impenetrable wall that keeps every pass rusher 5 yards in front of the QB at all times. As Davis Hsu has pointed out on Twitter, offensive linemen aren’t really trained to block for a QB that is frequently 10 yards or more behind the LOS. The deeper the drop the more advantage the edge rusher gets.

            Remember our 2014 game against the Chargers? Phillip Rivers was making throws with defenders hanging off of him. He was throwing from a phone booth for most of the game. You almost never see Wilson do that. And it’s not just because the protection is never there. So he bails. The problem is that defenses are clearly playing him better when he leaves the pocket like that.

            When a guy like Wilson has the athleticism, and the legs, to make those special plays that’s great. But I wonder if, over time, that special athleticism causes other areas of his game to become a bit stunted. Drew Brees doesn’t have Wilson’s athletic ability. He can’t make those plays with his legs. So he learned to stay in the pocket, even if it meant standing on his tippy toes. He learned how to read a defense and make adjustments because he had to. So that’s what I mean when I talk about Wilson relying on his legs too much. I think he needs to evolve, especially since defenses have caught on to how to play him.

            And Wilson was just so indecisive last year. It’s little things – I’ve never seen a QB pump fake so many times as Wilson did this last year. He wasn’t using pump fakes trying to fake a defender out; he would lock on to a receiver, start to throw, and then change his mind. And that 1-2 seconds it takes him to readjust and go the next receiver (or escape the pocket) is an eternity in NFL time. The defense is now in control on that play.

            And his decision making was problematic, too. The 2 picks he threw against Washington were horrible throws. The 2 turnovers against the Atlanta game – a horrible throw to a very open Tyler Lockett that got picked, and a fumble when he got sacked as he tried to do his patented “spin move while running away from the LOS”. And the end of the JAX game. Final drive, 3rd and 1. Tyler Lockett’s defender is 10 yards off him. All Wilson has to do is make an easy pitch and catch to Lockett, he gets a few yards, we get a new set of downs. But Wilson doesn’t even recognize it.

            If you can, go back and watch the Titans game. Wilson was flat out bad for long stretches, and it had nothing to do with the OL or receivers. Same thing in their week 2 game against the 49ers. The JAX game, too. Outside of a few plays the OL actually held up well against a very good Jaguars defense. We even had some success running the ball. And Wilson was just… off. Bad throws, bad decisions, and a loss.

            He’s allowed to have bad games. Everyone is. But to the point I mentioned earlier, how many good games did he actually have last year? And then comes the chicken/egg part again – how much of it was due to coaching, no running game, or Wilson himself?

            • peter

              You make great points across the board. Honestly. and I don’t totally disagree that a lot of the stats are pointless coming in losses.

              It’s just hard for me to square talk about Russel when, meaningless stst s or not, his star line did improve. so if he was getting into luck cousins territory of an int per two touchdowns I’d start to worry.

              I don’t totally disagree that the slow starts aren’t partially his fault. However as noted by Jimmy graham, per example, I think there may have been some pay calling issues. I mention graham because it took a fruitless 3 years to use him as a red zone threat. things like that are not in wilson. Not is a non functioning oline. sure different allocation of funds maybe could have retained players but then it’s possibly true that Seattle could have decided not to pay a ton of money to defensive stars only to let them go or have downgraded for nothing.

              could that money have been used to retain haushcka? Maybe a functioning sweezy? Who knows.

    • EBurgz

      Russell Wilson? Ordinary??

      Oh man that’s a good one!

      If your not joking, uhhhh…Did you watch the games?

    • C-Dog

      Pretty ordinary? He had a pro bowl year. I’m going to guess your standard for QB play, without any sort of run game supporting it, is exceptionally high.

    • RealRhino2

      Well, the last two times it was reported that NFL teams asked inappropriate questions of prospects, the NFL found out the teams and told them to cut it out. So the answer is that every time it’s alleged to have happened — until this time — the NFL has come down on the players side.

      I said right when it happened that this seemed bogus to me. As an attorney I’ve interviewed hundreds of witnesses and I think I have a decent sense of this stuff. The way he tossed it off so casually when asked raised some questions.

    • Hawk Eye

      do you not like Russ the player or Russ the person?
      I understand the flaws in his game, but when I compare him to other QB’s I can argue he is top 5, and only a fool would not say he is top 10 (looking at you Andy Benoit). I see Russ as a bit flawed until you consider the other options, then I get back on board Team Russ.

      as for his personality and his whole image he has created, I am skeptical. I think he has a weird blend of honesty and fakeness, if that makes any sense. I am not on board off the field Team Russ.

      • Ishmael

        The person. He’s a creepy little corporate bot with extra religion on the side. He freaks me out.

        I’d absolutely say he’s in the top 5-10 QBs in the league, but I thought last year was probably his worst since his rookie year. He left a lot out there, regardless of O-line complaints. I’ve got no interest in trading him, we’re not going to do any better any time soon, but he needs to improve.

        • Hawk Eye

          not going to argue on the personality. Too contrived. Did not like his “God told me the int was part of his plan” excuse after SB 49. Would like a better explanation, but neither party is answering my calls…..

          he is a top 5 QB, but he did not seem to grow last year, his 4th qtr stats just inflated his overall numbers in a lot of games where he did not pay well enough at the start.
          If the bad 1st halves continue, not sure where this goes.
          Hoping o line improves with a run game and the OC gets him in a different mind set

  20. Old but Slow

    Let’s draft already. The silence is deafening. I am not feeling patient. Thank dog for the commentary in here so I can keep whats left of my sanity. Thanks again Rob.

  21. RWIII

    Rob: Hypothetical question. Let’s say Cleveland traded their first three picks in this draft (1,4,33). Plus 1st round picks in 2019, 2020 for Russell Wilson. I know Cleveland would never do it. But let’s say da Browns offered John Schneider those 5 pics to Seattle. Do you think Schneider would pull the trigger?

    Also I was listening to Mayock. Very deep RB class. He likes Jones, but he thinks Guice is more Seattle’s style. Personally I like Guice but his running style is to similar to Carson/Davis. This makes less challenging for opposing Defensive Coordinators. Now with Jones that creates more problems for opposing defenses. With Jones you can open up the playbook. Mayock said their are good running backs in the middle rounds

    Finally, Mayock likes Griffin a ton. Called Griffin a football player. Mayock thinks 4th/5th round on Griffin. Personally I say 3rd/4th round on Griffin.

    • EBurgz

      I agree with Mayock. Guice is more Seattle’s type than rojo. Either would be great. Chubb and Kerryon look more like hawks RB’s than either of those two though. Also great choices. I like Michel and Penny too (less so). So I’m not super picky , just want a baller RB.

    • C-Dog

      Dave Wyman and Danny O’Neil had great responses to a similar question asked on 710 this afternoon. In short, they both answered emphatically no, they would not make that trade. The reason being that they already know they what they have in RW, which is an elite franchise QB. There is no guarantee Darnold, Rosen, Allen, etc will become that, and there’s a risk the rookie QB could bust.

      I firmly agree with this. I think there is a natural fantasy with some fans that it would be great to get a good young QB on a rookie contract, but there is no guarantee that player will emerge, especially as successfully as RW did. I think if you got a franchise QB as good as he is, you hang onto him and build around him.

      • DJ 1/2 Way (Sea/PDX)

        If JS takes that Cleveland load maybe he uses 1 and 4 on Barkley and Nelson, picks up a QB later and brings Kap in on the cheap. Maybe JS trades 1 and 4 down a few times and comes up with ten day two picks in the next two years.

        I would take it. Who has won the SB with a 30 million dollar QB? How about a 20 million dollar QB? How about any player making over $20 million? $18?

        The front office seemed to make too many mistakes in the last couple of years. Change any one of Joekle, Mcdowel, Alex Collins, Lacey and Hauschka and it is a playoff season. Change two or three and it is a deep run. Here we are talking about trading our two best players because the window is closed.

        • C-Dog

          Yeah, I’m going to say we differ greatly on this. Brady, Manning, Brees were not cheap Super Bowl winning QBs. The price of franchise QBs is going up, but also so is the cap.

    • Rob Staton

      I think JS probably would pull the trigger. But that offer isn’t forthcoming.

      I feel like I/we have talked about the Guice situation enough to not feel like we need to alter our view just because Mike Mayock, like a lot of other national analysts, tosses out Guice is a fit in Seattle.

      We’ve done the homework on what they’re doing this off-season, the type of player they’re avoiding, the type of physical traits they want in a runner. We know all this by now.

  22. EBurgz

    If Guice fabricated the story about being asked if he “liked men” and if his mother “sold herself” then that’s a big red flag. I don’t like liars and I don’t like thieves. Was he giving examples of the types of questions they ask? Nah he said that’s what they asked him point blank. He shouldn’t have said anything anyway if he was smart.

    Maybe they did ask him and he just ain’t no snitch haha. Weird haha, if true you drop him down a little.

    • EBurgz

      Maybe a lot or take him off the board if he doesn’t have a good explanation.

  23. Josh Emmett

    Anybody else hear Mayock on with Danny, Dave, and Moore? He was talking about the running back depth in the draft. Of course they asked which running back would be a goid pick for Seattle in the first round and he said Guice. Then he brought up the depth and said there will be some good RBs in the 4th round if the hawks wait. He was saying if Marcus Davenport is there at 18 you take him. Lots of different possibilities.

    • Rob Staton

      Mayock is a fun analyst, he’s perfect for long-form broadcasting about the draft and he knows enough about each prospect to carry the combine coverage. A very impressive, integral part of the draft coverage.

      But if you want critical analysis of prospects and an expert opinion on who fits the Seahawks, he’s about as much use as the people in the national media projecting corner to Seattle at #18.

  24. Gohawks5151

    This is why people love/hate us. We are drama all day, every day. I know never say never but im going to say it. This will never happen with Wilson. It reflects no strategy whatsoever. I realize this is a draft blog. We all love draft picks! No amount of draft picks will be worth an accomplished, youngish QB. It is the most difficult position to evaluate and project success. I have said it before regarding Sherm and Earl, young and hungry doesn’t equate to success. Im not one to judge the teams success the past few few drafts though some do. But historic circumstances led to the most success in team history. There is no “trusting the process” anymore if they get rid of the best player at the most crucial position in all of sports. The more news like this comes out, the more I wonder about the front office. Bennett focused on politics, Sherms toxic attitude, Earl is weird and now Russell is not as dedicated. It all sounds like excuses absolving management of blame any time they make a controversial move. If these guys were all football at one point and now they are not, how can some blame not be on the coaches who are supposed to control the situation? It’s just weird. All this is to say I 100 percent expect him to resign long term. Haha

  25. CharlieTheUnicorn

    A thought that struck me recently was that Seattle has pared the roster of any big money contracts. Could this be a the precursor for Paul Allen to sell the team in 2019 or 2020?

    The Panthers are up for sale this year, and gosh darn, they are going to fetch 2.5+ BILLION dollars. The reasons he would sell, perhaps his health is declining ….. or some other unknown reasons.

    Not saying this would happen or will happen…. but it is slightly curious and intriguing to think about.

    • Rob Staton

      No, there’s no need to worry there.

    • D-OZ

      Charley, are you trying to add to the rumor mill?????

    • Hawk Eye

      Paul Allen is the richest owner in the NFL and pretty sure the hawks turn a profit.
      Anything is possible, the Montreal Expos actually had the richest owner in the Bronfman family, and they got rid of the team.
      But I don’t think it is likely occurance.
      side note, Paul Allen was a terrible owner for the TrailBlazers for along time, helped turn them into “The Jailblazers”, so we should not worry too much if he sells and is replaced by someone else. Might not make a difference.

      • DC

        Trader Bob Whitsitt turned them into the Jailblazers. Got to admit that they were a very talented team that met the NBA Lakers and couldn’t get past them.

        • Kenny Sloth

          Now it’s the warriors . 😌

          • DC

            When the Sonics got hijacked I chose the ‘to hell with the NBA’ response. The only interest I have now is that OKC lose every year & the enduring hope that Shultz ends up incarcerated. It’s a league that would do itself a competitive favor by contracting. There are only a handful of fan bases that can even daydream of a title the day the season begins. That’s not very interesting for those without a team. Happy for Durant that he got a ring though. Wasn’t mad at the players.

        • Hawk Eye

          yes, Whitsitt should take a good chunk of the blame, Allen just signed the checks. But he is the boss. They brought in a bad mix of personalities, tried to buy a championship and the team lost its direction. I became a fan during the Walton era, loved the way that team played, the Clyde the Glide era broke my heart (Damn Michael!), but I dumped the team when the Jailblazers got out of hand. Around that time I live a kilometer (0.6 miles to you non-metric folk) from the ACC and became a Raptor fan. Just exchanged frustrations I guess.

    • LouieLouie

      Maybe Paul Allen could sell the Hawks back to Ken Behring. Oh wait; there’s already two teams in LA now.

      • CharlieTheUnicorn

        😀

        There is always room for 3 teams ….

  26. EBurgz

    Rewatching week 5 against the Rams. You don’t trade earl and you don’t trade Wilson. You pay them top dollar (unless they are unreasonable or have behind the scenes issues or injury problems). They are some of the best players in the nfl. Draft picks are a roll of the dice.

    The chop was such an epic play. Hope we don’t trade earl. We won’t trade Russell.

    • peter

      You are a big fan of earl. How do you approach the negotiations? He and eric berry have set the table pretty high for pay but the current safety market is ice cold.

      How do you look at the player who made the safety market so high and say “hey you’re not getting world beating money because there’s no market?…..”

      you mention too dollar and I agree earl is worth whatever that is but current top dollar and top dollar four years ago seem like very different things as of now.

      • Trevor

        The last 3 big $ Safety contracts for guys Erals age have been absolutely disaterous for the teams. JS will not make the same mistake again.

        Jones Miami
        Berry KC
        Chancellor Hawks

        My guess is the max offer the Hawks would make Earl is a 2 yr /$20 mil extension with $14 mil guarentees a more likely scenario is they do not offer any extension at all.

      • EBurgz

        I’d offer at least what we gave Kam with Barry’s contract being the upper limit. Try to keep guaranteed money low after the first 2 years. If he wants to be paid more than Barry you probably have to let him play out the last year of his contract.

  27. SoCal12

    I remember some of you are wrestling fans on here. Well it looks like Daniel Bryan may or may not be rocking some familiar hometown colors at Wrestlemania:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCim_b8wKIQ

  28. Coleslaw

    Why are we talking about trading Russ? Really? It’s not going to happen. Absolutely 0 chance. Never in a million years. Let’s talk about something else..
    Nick Nelson gonna be pushed into range of a late day 2, early day 3 pick after the torn meniscus. I don’t even care about it, he’s a baller, hes smart, he’ll be healthy for the season, nothing to worry about imo but he’ll drop 2 extra round now. A gift for Seattle if they want to capitalize.

    • Del tre

      I agree, we should be doubling down not showing a lack of confidence.

    • Rob Staton

      We’re not talking about trading Wilson. We’re reflecting on what has been reported by trusted journalists and discussing why it’s preferable to cover bases by taking a QB in this draft.

      • SheHawk

        Agreed. IMO it’s logical and expected and has little to do with RW. Let’s not forget we have only one QB on roster. We should draft a QB because we need to solve the Back up issue#1. Rookies are less expensive than Free agents with upside they can potentially step up if we can’t renew RW or as Rob pointed out fetch a decent trade later.

  29. mishima

    What if picks #2 and #4 are Barkley and Chubb, respectively? Could see a top QB fall to #11. Maybe a trade with Oakland for #10? Weird happens.

  30. schuemansky

    Does anybody know whether the Seahawks were present at Wake Forest’s pro day to watch Jessie Bates III?
    If so, I hope they took notice of Keion Crosse, CB, Western Carolina.
    5’9”, 178, 4.33 forty, 39,5 VJ, 10’11”” BJ, 6.67 3-cone, 10,72! 60-yd shuttle.
    His highlights look great (like anybody’s I guess): great coverage skill, impressive recovery speed, willing tackler, … He even has 32,1/8 arms.
    Could be a slo CB or FS project worth one of our day 3 picks.

    • Trevor

      Those are impressive #s for Crosse. Definitely have to check him out.

      • schuemansky

        Actually it’s Keion Crossen.

        He also did track. Ran the 100m in 10.33 last year.

        No character flags (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efGegORCeW0).

        Bills and Patriots held private workouts with him.

        • Ishmael

          I like guys who ran track, if only because they get taught how to run properly. 10.33 is serious wheels as well. Great numbers across the board, very interested in him as a project.

  31. red

    I saw that Webster DB from Rams was released, trying to figure out what his market is. 32 1/2 arms 4.41 forty. If the hawks trade Earl they should have another 8.5mil of cap space if they add a Webster and Bennie Logan maybe we could focus on LBs and DE in the draft.

    • McZ

      I hope, that Logan deal will happen. I also think,.we should re-sign Joeckel, if it is 3m or lower.

      But, Webster? There is plenty of secondary talent on the market, Eric Reid, Kenny Vaccaro. If they trade Earl, those are the players to spot.

      • D-OZ

        Joekel for 3 mil. or lower? That won’t happen.

        • McZ

          Well, it’s not that other teams are exactly interested. If he wants to play, 3m are much more than zero.

  32. Alex6674

    Maybe the FO are hoping that WIlson will play better football (i.e. less mistakes and better decision making, which he has been accused of especially the last couple of seasons) going into next season. I doubt they want rid, and I doubt he wants to ever leave. But if you are a top 5 QB and know that your job is safe, you need other ways of being made to feel uncomfortable and motivated to keep you playing at that top 5 level.

    • Hawk Eye

      I think along the same lines.
      Russ is great, but he tends to be under rated by some and over rated by others.
      I think they want Russell to play better than he did last year.
      Hard to look at their season and say he had any great 1st quarters, but he did have great 4th quarters.
      You can’t keep getting behind and then coming back.
      Plenty of blame to go around for that situation, between o line, coaches, etc.
      But Russ is the guy on the field with the ball in his hand and in control so why the big difference between 1st quarter Russ and 4th qtr Russ?

      • peter

        IF that’s the case then maybe russel should walk/look to get traded. I mean if a run first team is going to build a terrible O line and not have any running backs worth a lick then it’s Wilson’s fault the game plan goes off schedule?

        It’s just a strange statement from fans that the front office would need Wilson to play better but not have to build a better team.

        He literally had his second best td to int ratio, threw for almost 4000 ran for nearly 600. If you are a fan of the Seahawks for any length of time you would have killed for a qb that good during any era.

        Does Wilson over throw sure. But every qb has problems and the teams job is to work with all the players weaknesses and hide them.

        • McZ

          Plus, his workplace is behind still one of the worst lines in pro football.

        • Hawk Eye

          “It’s just a strange statement from fans that the front office would need Wilson to play better but not have to build a better team.”
          those are not mutually exclusive statements.
          The team has to play better around him, and the coaches have to do better. But Russ has to do better in first halves, he has not been good and the team gets behind. Why is he great in 4th qtr and mediocre in first half? Same players, same coaches. Looks like a mental issue where Russ has to get into his 4th qtr mentality sooner. Brady is stepping on your throat from the first play of the game, so does Rodgers. Russ has to improve in that area.
          Not looking to replace Russ, but why not try to improve a weakness in his game?

          • peter

            Better game planning. That’s one area that could be different. Perhaps Wilson plays better because he’s no longer listening bevell, who knows.

            Again Brady rodgers, better overall average protection (based on average sacks over same period) and in the case of Rodgers a better at corps.

            But really I think it’s okay calling. People accuse Wilson of not taking what’s given, okay. I’ll agree he does that. However bevell and Pete dialing up deep shots early on hasn’t really helped the team stay on schedule.

          • McZ

            The point is, you play to a game plan and a play book. The Seahawks play book was crap the whole season. Unimaginative, two-dimensional, play action non-existent. The RB always ran the same.routes, which directly lead to injuries and mismatches.

            If you are 10pts behind 4th, what do you do as a QB. You play the hell out of a no huddle offense, and as soon as they did, they started to put points on the board.

            Points with a plan: A few.
            Points with Russ playing instinct football: A lot.
            It’s perfectly clear, that it only takes you so far. Rams game being the perfect example.

            Russell is a heck of a player. What he needs is finally an OL, and a dependable RB, especially on third downs (which is why Nick Chubb is no go IMO, but this is another debate).

            P.S. Brady in ast years SB? Crap for 3 quarters, comeback victory in the 4th.

    • C-Dog

      Here’s how they can get him to play better; give him a functional run game and an OL that handles Pass Pro better.

      Honestly, if I were RW or in his circle, and I saw what happened with Seattle’s failed 2017 run game, and all of Ifedi’s false starts, etc.. and if I got wind that JS was looking at Josh Allen, a career sub 60% completion passer in CFB, as a means to motivate me or get me to play better, I would be extremely hard pressed not to hold back telling JS “hey, why don’t you do a better job evaluating RBs and OL in free agency and the draft, and not worry so much with what I can do backed by a functional run game and some dependable pass pro.”

      • peter

        For to say I agree. Less trying to motivate russ to carry the team and more changing the approach on how you solve the running game or in this off season how you approach a basically empty receiving corps.

  33. Dave Ashton

    Joshua Jackson is getting a LOT (and I mean a LOT) of love to Seahawks in a plethora of mock drafts. Do we all think there is any chance Seahawks buck their past and go corner early?

    • Rob Staton

      No chance at all

    • D-OZ

      Never say never….

      • CHawk Talker Eric

        SEA drafting a CB in R1 under JSPC?

        Never

  34. RWIII

    Josh Jackson has a number of qualities that JS/PC are looking for at the cornerback position . With that said Mike Mayock believes this is a fairly deep draft for cornerbacks. I don’t see Schneider going with a first round pick at cornerback. Remember Griffin was a third round pick. Sherman was selected in the 5th round. JS has proven that he can find value in the mid rounds of the draft at the cornerback position . I like Jackson a lot but the Hawks have other needs that also must be addressed.

    • Dave Ashton

      I agree I just find their draft strategy kinda unpredictable over the years. Keeps it interesting I guess! Although from time to time this means prioritising players I don’t like over players I do.

    • Rob Staton

      They aren’t drafting a corner in round one.

      We know better than that.

    • D-OZ

      They need a Ball Hawk in the secondary. Something not to underestimated by PC. we haven’t had that in the last couple of years. See Sherman….

      • CHawk Talker Eric

        They didn’t take a CB in R1/R2 last year, when the likes of Kevin King, Gareon Conley, Tre’Davious White, Sidney Jones, Quincy Wilson, Teez Tabor, Chidobe Awuzie or Akhello Witherspoon were all available.

        Based on their draft history under PC, I’d bet money they aren’t taking a CB this year. But it’s even more unlikely when you factor in the team’s most pressing needs this year (RB/OL/DE/LB)

        Don’t let me stop you from hoping if that’s what you want them to do. But it’s not happening.

        • CHawk Talker Eric

          *taking a CB EARLY this year

  35. schuemansky

    Another FS prospect almost nobody talks about.
    Anthony Sherrils, Missouri, 5’11’, 204, 32 1/8 arms. On his pro day he posted some nice numbers:
    4.42 40yd, 35′ BJ, 10’1” VJ. A little disappinting with a 7,21 3-cone.
    Had to overcome a severe car accident in 2014. Coming back from the concussion took him 18 months (Still hope for Malik, maybe).

  36. House

    The ET situation will likely come to an end soon. I see us getting 2 picks for him. The DAL thing was completely inappropriate and showed he wasn’t “All in”. That being said, I’d love to keep him, but also get the feeling there’s zero chance of him staying a Hawk after the ‘18 season. They might as well move him, front load an extension for Clark or someone and give the guys on the roster a chance.

    I heard Trotter yesterday speak on his speculation earlier in the week. He said something along the lines of “this is my speculation and I had a feeling”. I don’t think it’s farfetched that Russ’ agenda may have changed with all the changes in his life. I know he loves Seattle and he may want to stay forever. I also know Josh Allen to Seattle (unless a crazy draft plummet happens) isn’t going to happen. JS going was due diligence. I envision Russ getting an extension worth the $30M APY as it will become the going rate (damn near already has) and with the cap going up every year, the increase will eat Russ’ raise.

    • McZ

      We will see.

      If the Jags with the damn most unimpressive QB corps win the SuperBowl next year- because the Pats are in transition, too – the question will arise, if teams are made through highly-paid QBs, or through improving the average team player.

      • peter

        I think it’s improving the average player.

    • Lewis

      That’s the thing. I want to keep him, IF he wants to be here and we can resign him. If not, I’d rather get something while we can.

  37. Coach

    Hey there! I know we’ve talked about Bates and Reid at safety if we trade Earl (which by the way I think Jerry Jones is waiting until the draft to do it so it will be an exciting draft day in Dallas). What do you think of this guy? I haven’t heard any talk about him.

    Tarvarius Moore, S, Southern Miss
    The 6-1, 195-pound Moore caught my attention with a scintillating pro day that included a 4.32-second 40-yard dash, a 38.5-inch vertical leap and an 11-foot, 1-inch broad jump. When a player produces speed and explosive numbers like that, it requires an extra look at the game tape because those traits are going to be highly coveted by NFL teams. What I found on tape was a safety with good size, play speed that matched his timed speed as well as the smooth footwork and athleticism needed to handle his coverage duties. Moore has cover skills and he’s a downhill run supporter. He has quality ball skills and instincts. Somehow, Moore wasn’t invited to the NFL Scouting Combine and has flown well under the public’s radar, but NFL teams are all very well aware of him. He’s likely to come off the board on Day 2 (Rounds 2-3) of the draft. He has the potential to be a good NFL starter.

    Go Hawks!

  38. Kenny Sloth

    Updated Seahawks visits

    Abdullah Anderson, DT, Bucknell (WOR)
    Tony Brown, CB, Alabama (PRO)
    Will Dissly, TE, Washington (COM)
    Leighton Vander Esch, ILB, Boise State (PRI)
    Poona Ford, DT, Texas (PRI)
    Dallas Goedert, TE, South Dakota State (WOR)
    Shaquem Griffin, OLB, Central Florida (COM)
    Derrius Guice, RB, LSU (PRO)
    Khalid Hill, FB, Michigan (PRI)
    Manase Hungalu, ILB, Oregon State (WOR)
    Natrell Jamerson, S, Wisconsin (PRO)
    Christian Kirk, WR, Texas A&M (WOR)
    Keith Kirkwood, WR, Temple (PRI)
    Kolton Miller, OT, UCLA (PRO)
    Nick Nelson, CB, Wisconsin (PRO)
    Foye Oluokun, OLB, Yale (PRI)
    Dante Pettis, WR, Washington (PRO)
    Justin Reid, S, Stanford (PRI)
    Josh Sweat^, DE/3-4OLB, Florida State (PRO, PRI)
    Akrum Wadley, RB, Iowa (SR)
    Zaire Franklin, LB, Syracuse (PRI)
    Maurice Hurst, DT, Michigan (PRO?)

    Abdullah Anderson and Manase Hungula would be the newest name.

    • DC

      No trade Hawk mock sprinkled with some of those guys.

      #018 Isaiah Wynn, OL, Georgia
      #116 Dalton Shultz, TE, Stanford
      #132 Shaquem Griffin, OLB, CF
      #137 Auden Tate, WR, FSU
      #147 Akrum Wadley, RB, Iowa
      #159 ?, DB, ?
      #200 Poona Ford, DT, Texas
      #222 Khalid Hill, FB, Michigan

      • Trevor

        I like this mock actually!

      • McZ

        No too shabby, but John Kelly would be better than Wadley.

        Isaiah Wynn IMO is he #1 Panthers target, I fully expect them to trade up. So, we have some leverage here, but not by pretending, we are drafting RB first (we could still do it, but there should be a smokescreen).

    • FuzzyLogic

      Why would we have a private workout with LVE? Isn’t he an exclusively middle linebacker? The Kolten Miller interview makes me happy. Wouldn’t mind getting him on the roster.

    • C-Dog

      They are also bringing in Madison Cole.

      • Kenny Sloth

        I like that. I always thought highly of him. Seems like he would have been a Cable guy. Versatile, intelligent

        • Kenny Sloth

          That is, if you meant Mason Cole

          • sdcoug

            Cole Madison

            • C-Dog

              Yup! Dyslexia of the brain without enough early morning coffee. Go Hawks!

  39. FuzzyLogic

    If the Browns offered #1, #4 & 33 I would seriously consider trading Russ. I know it seems blasphemous
    but consider the fact that his next contract will probably be in the $35 million a year range. Does anybody here actually think we’re going to win the SB in the next 4 years?

    With those picks along with #18 we could get:

    #1. Darnald/ Rosen
    #4. Barkley/B. Chubb
    #18. Rojo/ Landry/ K. Miller….
    #33. N. Chubb/ Wynn…..

    Would you trade Wilson for say Darnald, Barkley & Wynn? Basically we would be the Browns the next year.lol.

    • Jace Ahern

      I think you are on the right track. What if it is a trade for the #4 (and assorted picks) for Russell? Scot McCloughan is handling the talent evaluations for the Browns this draft. He loves Russell. I would do it that deal.

    • peter

      Well Sam darnold didn’t have a great college career not when compared to Wilson’s so that is problem one.

      I don’t think it’s blasphemous to consider trading wilson.

      I think the first gm to do that and make it work is going to heralded as a genius. I’m just not sure js will be the one to pull that trigger.

      None of the qb s in this draft excite me in the slightest. Maybe Lamar Jackson with the right team.

      • DC

        All you have got to do to be a genius GM is to win the Super Bowl. Being a NFL genius is perishable though.

        • Hawk Eye

          Subject to some luck and timing. Would Belicheck be a genius if he had to play in a division with the 2012/13 hawks and 49’rs? If he did not have Brady? Would Brady be the GOAT if he played for the Browns?
          Alan Greenspan was a genius before Sept 2008, not so much after that.

          • peter

            1. Excellent what if on belichek. I harp on this point about 5 times a year. Robert Kraft and his obvious deal down at the delta to make sure the afc east has been….well the afc east for about 20 years.

            2. Awesome analogy to greenspan

  40. Kenny Sloth

    Florida State’s Matthew Thomas and Jacob Pugh both had great pro days in front of Seattle as front seven playera

  41. LouieLouie

    Hey Rob:
    Regarding Guice; Marshawn Lynch was a guy with lots of off the field issues. Buffalo was ready to get rid of him. In his first couple years Lynch deserved that label. But then he seemed to pull his head out of you-know-where and became a probable hall-of-fame Running Back. Who knows, If he had Carroll as his head coach for the first two years they might have been different.

    Guice has the potential talent to play at a Marshawn Lynch level, but his off field antics are cause for worry. I’m guessing that it wasn’t the Seahawks that asked him that question.

    • Rob Staton

      I’d respond with two points to this:

      1. The Seahawks tolerated Marshawn in a way a lot of other teams wouldn’t and thus reaped the benefit. But I think we should be absolutely clear on this — Lynch was a constant headache. I think by the time he retired there was almost a feeling of relief. I can’t imagine the Seahawks are going to actively seek another situation like that. Marshawn is a Seattle legend. But he was also a pain in the arse.

      2. Guice does not have the potential to play at a Marshawn Lynch level. Doesn’t mean he’s terrible. But he simply isn’t on the same level as Marshawn.

      • Hawk Eye

        I think the pain in the ass factor played into letting Bennett and Sherman go. You tolerate when you win. And this is not about Bennett’s politics, there are stories that he was a difficult guy to coach, going back to college I think. I like Bennett, admire his willingness to take a hit for his beliefs, but I can understand the team saying he had to go.

      • Trevor

        Two great points Rob.

    • CHawk Talker Eric

      Don’t forget that PC knew Lynch personally for years before trading with BUF for him — PC recruited him HEAVILY out of high school — and was intimately familiar with Lynch’s strengths and weaknesses. No other head coach was interested in Lynch when he was with BUF, just PC, and almost assuredly because of his extensive familiarity with the man.

      There’s no such connection with Guice.

      • CharlieTheUnicorn

        When you have Lynch, Harvin and Tate all in the same locker-room…. and win a SB…
        one of the most under-rated achievements in my opinion.

  42. H

    What if the draft comes and goes, and then we get a trade offer for Earl? But for 2019 picks, maybe we even get the 1st and 3rd we were going for.
    Deal or no deal?

    • FuzzyLogic

      I wish but sadly don’t think so. I say if a team wants to give us a 2nd and 3rd either this year or next we should take it. We are in serious rebuilding mode now and all the draft picks we can get will help a great deal.

      • Frank

        It would be kind of nice to get some picks for next year, especially if that’s what it took to get a 1st round pick in the trade and a third this year. You could still move 18 for a number 2+. Get to see what some of our redshirted players can do and spend next years pick a little better informed of what we already have in house.

  43. CharlieTheUnicorn

    Jake Martin, EDGE, Temple
    …. Martin has similar size and testing numbers to former Owl and 2017 first-round pick Haason Reddick. Martin plays with good upfield burst as a rusher and has a better rush plan than expected. He’s an urgent player who might have the ability to transition into a 4-3 linebacker role with the potential to rush off the edge in sub packages.

    Reddick was a guy we talked about extensively in 2017….. so perhaps the guy Seattle is watching really closely may not be Guice (per sai), but this guy… since he is going to be a value pick in the later rounds.

    There were some other intriguing guys, but Martin fit the Seahawks the best imo.

    http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000925315/article/2018-nfl-draft-lsu-wr-fsu-rb-among-diamonds-in-the-rough

  44. Trevor

    Rob a little off topic but what are your thoughts on Wisc RB Johnathan Taylor? It is hard to judge Wisconsin RB at times but purely as a runner he looks incredible with patience and explosion.

    Have you identified any RBs you like for the 2019 draft?

    • Rob Staton

      I haven’t studied Taylor yet — the one name that clearly stands out for 2019 is Damien Harris. Hopefully Seattle nails the RB position this year though.

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