I had a tweet exchange with Joe Fann yesterday and it got me thinking…
Can build an argument for it being best for all concerned
— Rob Staton (@robstaton) December 16, 2022
I hadn’t really considered the possibility of Pete Carroll walking away at the end of the season. Admittedly there’s a distinct possibility he will carry on.
The old saying is, though, that there’s no smoke without fire. And there’s a little bit of smoke blowing through the air at the moment.
Benjamin Allbright tweeted a list of potential teams looking for a new Head Coach earlier this week. He had the Seahawks on that list. When he was challenged on it, he mentioned a ‘possible retirement’.
Today he went a step further, declaring that Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon could end up being Seattle’s ‘top name’ to replace Carroll if he does indeed depart.
Admittedly it’s all speculation at this point but I don’t think it’s as unlikely as some people believe.
For starters, let’s refer back to everything we talked about yesterday. Carroll has struggled for years to establish his core philosophy in Seattle. The defense has been consistently poor, the running game stalls as soon as the latest running back injury happens and they’ve relied too much on the quarterback over the last few seasons, whether that’s Russell Wilson or Geno Smith.
At what point do you admit defeat and hand over the keys?
People like to paint Carroll as a stubborn coaching lifer who will see out his current contract no matter what. That could prove to be the case. Yet it’s often forgotten that five years ago, leading NFL insider Jay Glazer reported that Carroll was considering retirement at the end of the 2017 season — before his contract was due to expire. He then signed an extension in December 2018, during a largely positive season that had the Seahawks trending in the right direction — both in terms of his philosophy and results (wins vs Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes, for example).
It’s not beyond the realms of possibility he’s in a similar head-space now, contemplating whether to carry on. He might decide to return once again, just as he did in 2017. Yet if he is thinking of walking, this would be a good time.
Carroll has nothing left to prove. His status within football history is secure. He will always be known as a Seahawks legend and there’s something to be said for walking before you’re pushed.
It’s simply not realistic to just keep on going in the hope that you’ll win a Super Bowl to have a fairytale ending. You’ve got to have a team capable of writing that story. The Seahawks are a long way off and Carroll is 72 next year.
If he goes at the end of the year he’ll do so as a celebrated, much-loved figure in Seattle sports. He’ll be able to recharge and consider if he wants to coach again. If not, there are so many areas where Carroll’s skills as a motivator, culture-builder and leader would be valued.
The Seahawks could launch a fresh start with a haul of picks to help the new Head Coach create a new vision. It would help pave the way for a smoother transition than you’d typically expect when a long-standing coach departs.
If Carroll remains and they use the picks to build around the Clint Hurtt and Sean Desai-influenced defense, which is struggling badly, what happens if the results stay the same? Not only would the team be in a bad place but it’d be a horrible situation for a new Head Coach to inherit in the future. It could lead to another major rebuild being required down the line, without the benefit of a Wilson trade to pad out your stock.
I accept that this all might be as far from Carroll’s mind as anything. He might see the picks as simply a great opportunity to build a new defense. He might even be able to pull it off. As I said though, there’s no smoke without fire. Those tweets from Allbright describe a situation where some people in the league think Carroll isn’t necessarily of the mindset that he’s definitely coming back.
I do think there are reasons to think a change is needed. Carroll has unmatched talent as a motivator and leader but too many of the other things simply haven’t been good enough for too long.
He hasn’t been able to properly deliver his vision for this team for a long time. He hasn’t been able to create a proper defense for years and the play over the last couple of seasons in particular is a major cause for concern. The Seahawks are not a good home team (23-16 since 2018 and 16-15 at Lumen Field over the same period with fans in the stadium). Their playoff “success” since the Super Bowl loss to New England is merely three wins — a fluky Blair Walsh-inspired victory in Minnesota, a win against the Lions and a closer-than-it-should’ve-been win at Philadelphia who had to play a backup quarterback in his 40’s.
There hasn’t been an obvious sign of progress for a long time now. When one threatened to emerge this season in the form of a four-game winning streak, the next five games blasted that hope into the stratosphere with some of the worst defensive and complementary football we’ve seen — the two things that are supposed to be Carroll’s bread and butter.
Yes, the team is rebuilding. Yes, there have been positives this season — namely the play of Geno Smith and performances of certain rookies. I’m not sure we’ll ever see a great Carroll defense again though. I’m not sure we’ll ever see peak-Carroll football. It’s been too long now. The attempts to bring it back have failed.
Even in a rebuilding year, the defense and running game haven’t been consistently good enough. And let’s not pretend like the defensive unit they’re currently fielding hasn’t seen major investment in terms of picks and money over the last few years. The fact it isn’t good enough is an indictment of their spending.
A coaching change might not work out and I appreciate people will challenge why anyone would hope for that. What’s the alternative though? To never have anyone other than Carroll coach the team simply due to fear that the next guy might be no good?
There are risks with any coaching appointment. I would argue persevering with a coach who hasn’t been able to deliver his vision, his philosophy, a good defense or post-season success for multiple years is just as much of a risk as giving a new man an opportunity to come in and take this team to another level.
People will talk about experience and yet what was Carroll’s experience, with the Jets and Patriots, before he came to Seattle and made a success of it?
If you are minded to hope for change, what are you actually saying? That you want a change now — when the new coach gets to use a bunch of great picks to shape his team — rather than in 2025 when Carroll’s contract runs out and he’s 74-years-old and potentially unlikely to sign another? Are three more years of Carroll really that pivotal? Are they that likely to win a Super Bowl by 2025 or is this a longer term build anyway?
There’s one other thing I want to speculate on.
Why did in-demand Sean Desai take a job in Seattle as an associate Head Coach? Why, after the big meeting with Jody Allen that was downplayed by the media, did Ken Norton Jr lose his job and suddenly we see a move towards appointing Vic Fangio protégés with a defensive scheme change?
It felt like Carroll was ceding some control but what if it was more than that? Is it that out of the question that the new defensive plan and the staff appointments were with a view to the future? A view where Carroll’s scheme and ideas would be less prevalent because he wouldn’t necessarily be here much longer?
Was it part of a succession plan that could be brought into action within the next 1-3 years?
Maybe it’s 2+2=5 but Carroll hasn’t been a big advocate of bringing in outsiders to his coaching staff over the years. Neither has he really wavered on scheme — yet here he was, doing just that.
Or perhaps he was just told to do something different? Or actively suggested it to improve his standing in a meeting that felt bigger than it was reported, given what followed (coaching changes & the Wilson trade).
Again, this is a lot of speculative talk on my behalf. It does feel like a transition has begun though. I think John Schneider gained greater control after the meeting with Allen, for example. It would’ve been great to be a fly on the wall there, to find out exactly what was said and by whom.
I don’t really like writing about this subject because it’s a hot-button topic that makes people angry. There are plenty of Seahawks fans who don’t know what life is like without Pete Carroll. We’re coming up to 13 years since he was appointed. People have grown up with Carroll as Head Coach of the Seahawks and don’t even remember Jim Mora Jr or Mike Holmgren, let alone anyone else.
I think we’d do ourselves a disservice though, as a group of passionate Seahawks followers, to not at least consider possibilities.
People used to mock any suggestion that Russell Wilson would be traded. That continued right up to the point the deal with Denver was announced.
My suggestion would be don’t rule anything out. Do I think Carroll will depart? I wouldn’t bet any money on it. I do think it’s probably more of a possibility than some people think, however.
The next four games could have a big impact on what happens next.
If you’ve enjoyed the work and want to support the blog so that I can consider options for the pre-draft coverage in the new year, please consider supporting the site via Patreon — (click here)
Great article Rob; astute observations in general.
I for one want to see Carroll continue coaching so long as he still has the fire in him- he’s just brings something special to the whole organization that won’t be easily replaced- but I fully acknowledge that his fire may be waning.
I really don’t know if he does anymore.
He’s been here so long it’s just rinse and repeat.
Pete seems like a great guy. The story of the failed nfl coach who brought victory to USC and then returned with his rag tag team of misfits was great.
Now. It’s just a guy saying the same stuff year over year. For all the middle season buzz about coach of the year, Geno for mvp this is 2020, 2019, 2018 all over. Good. Not great. Not able to dominate. Play down to whomever. Still a bad defense. Still a middling run game. A qb shouldering the team.
I don’t know Pete used to bring hope and excitement. Big balls Pete.
Don’t you mean “rinse and re-Pete?”
Probably. Lol!
People are saying the same about Belichick. Can’t coach forever. Both are legends already and the orgs will find a way for them to exit gracefully.
Gut feeling-wise, seems like chances of him leaving are better if we somehow win 2 of 3, and he gets to leave on a winning note.
If I had to bet though – doesn’t feel to me like he’s going anywhere yet. Agree w you that there’s been some smoke, but for better or worse, I think he’s here another couple seasons after this one.
Interesting.
I kind of feel the opposite.
Pete has such a positive outlook on any perceived “success”, that I imagine he’d interpret a couple of meaningless victories as a sign that things “feel like 2012”, and we are about to be a Super Bowl contender.
Agree. He won’t leave if they have good ending to this season, he might definitely think the draft haul will make them a contender instantly.
The only way he leaves is if he feels there is lot of work required to bring this roster to a championship caliber level and he doesn’t have that much time left realistically.
I really hope that Pete calls it quits after this season. He has already stayed too long. He doesn’t have a clue on how to field a competent defense anymore. He should have left when Russ got traded. He wanted to prove that Russ has been the primarily problem for the Seahawks not being very good the past few seasons.
Russ may be a declining asset, a primadona, and not a great teammate, but he wasn’t the problem. The porous defense has been the problem for multiple seasons. Pete got his revenge against Russ in the first game. Walk away now and he can leave on decent terms. Have another losing season next year with an atrocious defense and a lot of fans and media will be calling for his head.
Russ being gawd awful this year has clouded his poor coaching and roster management but that cloud will lift at some point.
Scenarios (in no order):
1. Russ keeps sucking and we win a superbowl in 2-3 years….feels unlikely
2. Russ keeps sucking but we keep being irrelevant. Seahawks are not “winners” in the trade as our few good players start to get paid or leave.
3. We keep being mediocre but russ gets good….feels doubtful but we end up losers in the trade. Feels unlikely.
I wish a new coach could come in and take these new picks like Pete did and reinvent the team.
I’m like 99% sure Pete doesn’t hold any grudge against RW. He said if Russ was not the QB he wouldn’t been here for this long.
JS and teammates might not like Russ (especially Sherm and that gang), but Pete really likes him. Wanted to beat him W1? Sure. Wants to prove he’s still a great coach without RW? Absolutely. But that’s friendly competition only
Two goofy peas in a pod. I’m sure they probably still like each other.
Some of the things Pete had said in his press conferences lately have had me thinking he might be getting ready to step away.
If he were to leave I do think a high number of fans would be less than thrilled to bring in a defensive coach. Love the idea of Gannon and bringing some of the Eagles offense with him as well.
Rob if Pete were to step away, who would you like to see the team look at to take over for him?
What did he say to indicate he was considering retirement?
It wasn’t anything he came out and said, it was just the way I kind of read between the lines. I could be totally off in my thinking, just his tone when he was discussing Di mixing the issues won’t be a one week thing.
Here’s a question.
Are we more likely to select a QB with our first pick if Pete Carroll departs?
Guessing that if Pete stays he will attempt to do the best he can in the shortest time period possible. In other words, adding as much talent as he can to the Geno Smith led Seahawks. Should he leave, it’s possible that a longer term vision comes into play. John or whoever is pulling the trigger might believe that a shot at a ‘franchise’ QB is the way to go & is our best chance at a championship over the longer term.
Additionally…WTF Indy?!?! That could prove costly to our draft slot down the road.
Great stuff, Rob. I’ve been hoping for a new face for 5 years now. It’s unfortunate, but I was truly one of the few who was beyond pumped at the initial hire of Pete. I am a die hard USC fan and saw what he did with that program.
By year two – it was so obvious that something special was happening. You could not only see it, but you could feel it. Even an ugly game against the Browns – you could see what was possible.
The magic is gone and has been gone for years now. It’s like a movie series or tv show that should have been cancelled seasons ago. It just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I really hate how I have come to have a little animosity toward Pete and the super bowl team in general (they evolved from lovable underdogs to obnoxious, in a lot of cases, bad guys).
I don’t know…long-winded way of saying we are so overdue for change. I may be alone, but I’m so close to losing all appreciation for the Super Bowl/LOB years. This has become the definition of insanity.
Spot on. I feel very much the same, although I was definitely not a USC fan. Go Beavers!
I haven’t cared for Pete since the 2018 wild card stubborn debacle in Dallas. RRP for the whole 1st half and then we unleashed a hot RW.
This trash has gotten old and he’s far too conservative. I didn’t care for his smug attitude when we were 6-3. Go watch the pressers! “Who da thunk it?” And then the childish digs at RW for not wearing a wrist band. So childish.
The Hawks look lost and the excuses for losses are old. Just say the Hawks got whipped up front and we couldn’t stop the run. He loves to say if we hadn’t fumbled or had done this blah blah blah. We’re getting whipped in the trenches, STILL.
Stay on as President but we need a more aggressive coach. Tired of the pom poms. The act has run it’s course. Relationships end and you move on. This relationship is over, so step down, Pete.
I definitely think this was the case, more so than putting a succession plan in place.
I’m not saying it can’t work, but is there any franchise today that successfully executed a succession plan? Maybe Todd Bowles in Tampa at 6-7? And was it a true succession plan or just Tom Brady shoving Bruce Arians into an upstairs office?
And of course we all know how well it worked the last time the Seahawks tried it. They paid Jim Mora for three seasons not to coach the Seahawks.
I think Carroll was feeling the heat and Norton had to take the fall. Saying they’d been ‘arrogant’ on defense was as close as we’ll ever get to Carroll publicly admitting the defense was not working.
But I also feel that he has dug himself a major hole. One of two things happened, and neither of them are good:
a) PC promoted Hurtt and brought Desai & Curtis in from outside the fold as an outward show of faith, then promptly ignored them and ran the defense out of his own office.
b) PC fully meant to make the changes but made several tactical errors, from bringing in and/or retaining the wrong personnel to run the system, to (once again) not being able to properly prep the players in the system, to making so many knee-jerk adjustments the players don’t even know what their assignments are anymore.
I wonder how Desai feels about all this. According to Jake Heaps, he was lured to Seattle with the promise of access, a voice on personnel and a clear role in prepping the defensive game plan.
He was a rising young coach with a DC’s pedigree and came with other suitors pursuing him and Bears fans and players not happy about his departing.
This year may be like an anchor on his resume.
Good points Cha. Not sure if Desai’s contract allows, but it would be telling if he left as soon as the season ends.
As for Carroll’s bread and butter, this team would have starved 6 years ago.
He isn’t an actual DC, just assistant head coach, right?
So, where does that stand in the rules for a departing coach? Is a head assistant not able to become a DC somewhere else?
I’m sure desai will be fine.
Once in the fraternity you rarely get bounced and even then you can still come back.
Desai is a young (for a coach) guy, rising star or otherwise he hasn’t really done anything yet. It’s not like the bears were world beaters under him. I assume with his mind for teaching if he gets out of here he should do well assuming he can actually coach.
I’m rooting for Desai as much as anyone. But, assuming PC made good on those guarantees, his body of work thus far suggests that while he may be a good communicator, he may not be a great defensive mind. And if PC has in fact reneged on those promises and sidelined Desai, that doesn’t bode well either.
Alternately maybe Shead should be considered a future defensive leader.
Woolen
Neal
I know Pete has a hand in that of course but who is doing the day to day coaching?
Karl Scott?
Most likely he as well.
Lots of good points brought up today.
I have been thinking about what the Seahawks would be like with a more active owner like Jerry Jones at the helm. Jody Allen doesn’t speak up publicaly about the team and seems to have a minimal management of the team. I’ve also been thinking Pete Carroll would finish his contract and searching for reasons why (besides that he is making great money)
And I just realized that maybe Pete Carroll feels some obligation to finish his contract because Jody Allen is just hanging in there till the team sale. He would be deserting her when she needs help, and the best help he could give is to turn the team around.
I don’t want an owner that active. Every owner like that turns the team into their show. They have to have control and don’t know what they were doing. Paul was perfect. He didn’t get involved until he had to. Otherwise he was out of the limelight.
We just need someone who wants to be an owner and smart enough to know what needs to be done to run a team.
Agreed. Paul was a great owner in this regard. We should look to someone in the Rooney/Mara mold to emulate
So actress Rooney Mara?
She was great in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
as a Swede, I must protest. Noomi Rapace did it better!
perhaps she could outperform Jodi Allen too? LOL
Aw, you guys…🤣
Also, how does a defensive “genius” end up with the saddest D-lines in the NFL. Especially when he also controls the draft. Is there a precedence of a HOF defensive HC struggling with stopping the run? Fans/Owner should be mad about mishandling of this franchise for so long.
Lots of food for thought here Rob and plenty of the same from others. Damned good community.
If you missed Buffalo v. Miami you missed one hell of an entertaining football game.
That was a heck of a game. This time I decided to watch the WHOLE game, unlike earlier when I turned the Vikes/Colts off at 33-0…
It is time to retire
*inserts MCU Hawkeye “Don’t give me hope” GIF*
It’s been time for a while now. The expectation was this team would struggle but that the youth would be given an opportunity to grow, showing promise leading into next season. The team peaked mid-season, which was delightful but has crashed back to Earth, with a likely 1-2 record remaining in the schedule. Had the team’s first half looked more like the team has in these past few weeks, followed by a run of wins that brought them to .500, there might be cause for optimism.
Personally, when the Hawks would flounder at season’s end in years past, I’d be angry at the wasted potential and the asinine coaching. Now, however, I just find myself disappointed at watching a great coach and leader being reduced to a doddering figurehead. The worst part of it is that this has been self-induced on Pete’s part. I’ve no doubt that he loves the game and believes his system can still guide the team to championship results but he (and the team) have been drifting aimlessly for these past 4-5 seasons.
We’ll always have the ecstasy of XLVIII and the agony of XLIX (and everything that followed, honestly). He’s forever a legend in the city and for 12s, the world over. I fully anticipate before he’s shuffled off this mortal coil that the field the Hawks call home will be renamed for him, regardless of which corporate entity is pimping out the stadium at that time. Should JS stay on to rebuild the front office and coaching staff in his image, great. If he takes another route and steps down from his post as well, so be it. The roster is ineffective and philosophy has gotten stale. The local press is too accommodating and friendly. The time is now.
Sometimes these long tenures run out of gas and both parties need to move on. Andy Reid and Philly both benefited from that split. Sometimes it’s just time. Tomlin, Belichick… things get stale (or you get exposed without your long-time QB).
I really really really wish Pete would call it a day, but I do not think that is what will happen. As Rob and other articulate regulars have long pointed out, the team has been stuck since 2017. The band aids (old middling players overly compensated), Hail Marys (that trade, you know the one), and cute football adjacent storylines have not worked out on the field, the Seattle press and the majority of the fans seem ok with the distractions (griffin bros, voting, bringing back og players that are way past their prime, how good is (fill in the blank), Russ sucks!, Geno is great!, and the one that chaps me the most: how great the rookie class is but not asking why said class isn’t getting more playing time).
If Pete was going to quit why is he playing Bruce instead of Boye? Pete is still talking (and maddeningly people seem to be agreeing with this) that the hawks were close to beating the 9ers. They were not. At no point was that game even close.
I realize that I am just ranting here, and that I have no real reasons why Carroll will be back, other than just a really frustrated feeling that the same shit is going to repeat itself. Again and again.
That Geno can play as well as he has, and that the Seahawks play this weak of a schedule, and to have the results be the same as last year…it’s just the same dreck. Purgatory.
I’d hire Jonathan Gannon from Philadelphia! As our head coach, he could run the defense and Waldron could run the offense. Then, we could add some analytics and lead the league in youthful innovation.
Analytics and innovation?
I’ll take a “top” 16 defense and this team would be sitting at 11-12 wins right now.
Legendary, that is what Pete Carroll is in his mind.
His best decision would be to announce his retirement prior to the 2 remaining home games left. That will deflect any critism for getting CRUSHED by the Cheifs.
My opinion is if he does not announce his retirement before this season is over, he will be back for another season minimum.
If he comes back, he will tarnish his image badly.
I think it reflects the mood of this board that I am currently looking at Tankathon, watching Red Zone, and going over the draft scenarios with our schedule.
The Texans are really close to clinching that #1 pick. Losing to the Rams actually helps us.
watching the Texans put pressure and get sacks on Mahomes. the 1-11 Texans.
Off topic. What a WC final! Regardless or rooting interest, I don’t know if there had ever been a better one.
Well Rob you were ahead of the curve on this one again with your praise of the Pete Carroll esque https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7quyQ-N_cYM , someone made a video “how one man ruined nfl defense” highlighting how the Vic fangio coaching tree is not doing too well at the moment
💯💯💯
Like Rob, I’m not particularly an x’s and o’s guy. I get the schemes, understand the concepts, but don’t really dive into the technical aspects of the game. So this video is informative for me.
And my admittedly low-info hot take is that the Fangio defense is a gimmick defense, and the League has figured out the gimmick and how to exploit it.
At this point, I don’t know that Fangio could successfully implement his own scheme. At least not without superstar safeties, LBs and DTs.
In a nutshell, the Fangio gimmick is disguising coverage pre and at the snap to confuse QBs. But the trade off for that gimmick is ceding the first 10-15 yards of the field from the LOS. No press coverage, no jamming WRs at the line. And most importantly for the Seahawks, no stacking the box to counter the run.
As the videographer astutely states, Fangio’s defense…
Red…Bryant.
That powerhouse Carolina run game that ran it down our throats last week has 14 YARDS RUSHING at halftime vs. Pittsburgh.
Of course
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/35271981/sources-nfl-teams-spent-800m-fired-coaches-execs-last-5-years
Interesting.
I cannot imagine this will dissuade teams one bit, but I could be wrong.
I think this article hits the nail on the head. Thanks for posting Cha.
So when Pete leaves who do we replace him with? How many seasons do you give a new coach to turn things around? The teams that are perennially at the top seem to have stability in the franchise, front office and have patient ownership.
I don’t know what the answer is but when I listen to interviews from ex players they have nothing but good things to say about Pete. Does that mean he is too soft. Maybe. I don’t think so though. I think he is just old and the game has changed. I hope we give the next person enough time to get their system together with their players. Dan Quinn?
That’s not something you have to pre-determine.
The decision makers will go through the process and will do their best, obviously, to find the suitable candidate. Then you see how it plays out and judge accordingly. If you get it wrong you don’t just stick with it for the sake of giving someone time. Equally, if you can see the green shoots and time is required, then clearly you have cause to stick by the plan.
I don’t think he’s soft. He’s clearly an excellent coach and mentor who has impacted a lot of players in a very positive way. But he’s been here 13 seasons now and the last few haven’t been good. He has failed to install his philosophy and vision for the team. I think all parties would benefit from a change.
Rob I admire your courage to write about difficult topics, not easy with the wave of pink happiness everyone expects this year around the Seahawks just because they aren’t as bad as the Texans.
Jonathan Gannon’s defense looks good to me…
I will start reading more into the tea leaves when/if Pete starts to get a bit more emotional in post game pressers, especially if they get throttled by the Chiefs.
To me, that will be the indicator that a decision has been made.
Remember when Russ was hurt last year and they started losing games? Pete had a mea culpa moment, talking about him not having a job without Russ and his heroics.
A very rare, completely raw honest take on his tenure in Seattle, by the man, himself.
It really would be the perfect way for him to go, though. Having just drafted multiple promising starters and so many high picks this year. A great parting gift to the next regime.
You gotta hand it to the Texans. They are not rolling over for the top pick. They are playing hard.
Yes I hear alot of people talking smack about teams with losing records. But none of them are easy to beat. Sure they all have problems but on any given day…
Texans are playing with the abandon of a team with a #1 draft pick LOL.
They’re playing like they want to keep their jobs.
Jaguars Trevor Lawrence just had the ball batted out of his hands when he was scrambling for a first down. Dallas closing in on a win.
So two of the worst teams in football – by record, have tied with two of the best teams in football. Overtime is king! That’s team parity for you.
Yay Jags! Eff the cowpukes
Nope
Did anyone else notice Al Michaels say during the broadcast that he was told that there is no timeline for Jody Allen to sell the team, she has full say when and if the team even gets sold.
Yeah I heard that too. We definitely seem to have been getting mixed messages for the last several years. Wish we knew the actual truth.
I don’t think there’s any time frame specified in Allen’s trust. Rather, any requirements, restrictions, etc. on sale would address benefits and liabilities to the trust, the organization, community.
If there’s a deadline of any kind for the sale of the team, it’ll be from the League. I’m no expert but I don’t think the current ownership of the team is permissible long term. I think there has to be a living owner(s).
So pretty “open ended” it would seem.
As open ended as a call/no call for DPI, or what constitutes a catch/fumble, for two examples, it would seem
What if one of the only conditions for Pete to step away is that he picks his successor? He would pick Dan Quinn to come in and that would be fine with me
Jim Harbaugh to the Hawks, lmao!
Anyone else see Tom Cruise’s commercial for the streaming release of TG:M?
Gave me an adrenaline rush
😮
He’s crazy. Absolutely insane.
But that brand of crazy leads to some amazing shots in movies.
He’s well known as the hardest working actor in Hollywood. Love or hate him
Broncos and Cardinals tied at 3-3 nearing halftime. Cmon Colt (McCoy), you can get that W
Woo hoo! Cardinals with a FG, lead 6-3 at the half.
Someone with good video editing skills needs to make us a Christmas card for the Broncos.
They are the gift that keeps on giving!
Okay, what Roger McCreary just did was a Legion of Boom type of play.
Broncos update:
McCoy out for a concussion check. Trace McSorely in for the Cardinals
Aaaaaaaaaaand there goes the lead.
Saw that 😞
Cmon on Cardinals!
I take back the Christmas card idea. Broncos are getting coal in their stockings.
Someone call the police. Kyle Dugger just committed grand theft larceny against Derek Carr.
Crap Denver’s run game suddenly coming alive
17-9 over Arizona
Donkeys TD. Now lead 17-9. Not looking good. 😒
And after a McSorely INT, Denver score another TD
24-9 Broncos with 9 minutes or so in the 4th
By the end of the season , our pick and the one from Denver will be in the lower top 10.
Another Denver TD. So not only did the Hawks lose but salt in the wound with a (very likely) Denver win.
Cards aren’t going to win another game.
This Broncos win puts our draft slot in a much more precarious position. Another win against the Rams next week and we’ll risk dropping out the top 5.
Guessing we’ll be #5 at absolute best by end of season. So no Carter, Anderson, or 2 of the top 4 QBs. We need to hope Denver loses last 3.
I was worried they’d win 2 of last 4; looks likely now
We needed the Rams & Cardinals to be full strength, unfortunately they’re the exact opposite.
I could see Denver ending with 6 wins & totally killing the top 10 draft vibe. Hoping I’m wrong & 5 is max.
Really we need the Gawks to lose both of their games against AZ and LA.
My hatred for the Cardinals only increases..
I wonder if Kliff Kingsbury is going to get fired today.
I don’t know man, Bidwells are notoriously cheap. Not Spanos level cheap but not far behind.
Between Hopkins missed games and Murray’s missed games, he will get a pass this year. Then you add in the big contract extension he just signed and you get another couple of years of Kliff.
Welp that’s it.
Denver win
We need to pray Russ plays next week against the Rams who have always had his #. If they lose out we still have a top 4 pick.
Sucks to lose position but that’s a bad cards team. Rams probably get Donald back and they haven’t been that bad on D. They won’t get gashed on the ground like AZ which opened up the pass.
Pete retiring certainly wouldn’t break my heart. However, I would really prefer we don’t hire a defense-first head coach.
We’re an aggressive draft toward having a powerful long term offensive based team, with a talented monster line, 3 great WRs, a QBoTF, and a strong RB and TE groups.
A defensive hire is going to put resources into fixing the defense. Don’t do it!
Load the offense up instead! Go aggressive offense, build a powerhouse, then fix the defense with the back half of the draft, a couple vet signings, and future focus.
It would be pretty damn fun to do that & it would make some sense with the view that a defense can come together quicker. It’s at least a 2 offseason project to contention regardless.
Not gonna happen but I wouldn’t cry if we made offense the early priority. Establish an identity & then the bulk of the remaining picks this year & next year can go toward the defensive side. Something like,
Bijan Robinson RB Texas
Broderick Jones OG Georgia
Sedrick Van Pran C Georgia
Zay Flowers WR Boston College
Pete’s offense absolutely NEEDS a great feature back (on the field) to function. I’d have no problem with Bijan as long as we also fortify the interior OL. Add a zippy WR to our dynamic duo paired with a solid TE group & Seattle would be known for something. Identity achieved.
The LOZ…Legion of ZOOM
Bengals remind me of the LOB era Seahawks. Man, I really miss that exciting brand of football.
Built differently, but killer instinct, fun personalities, defense FLIES around. What a fun group.
Not only is that Cards team bad, going forward they’re reliant on Kyler Murray. There’s something concerning about him. He’s frustrated and frustrating. His body language at times is horrendous. I detect some prima donna in him. But I could be wrong; it could be diva I’m sensing. Pretty sure it’s one of the other.
Anything, re: today’s loss to the Broncos, thanks for nuthin Cardinals.
Honestly very funny!!
“Could be prima donna….but might be diva.”
Murray might need to write Wilson a thank you card for being a bigger story. Though he tried his best with the goofy social media moves, the open letter to tge cardinals, and the contract that may have had language about study time.
I want the Seahawks to have a young Edge Defender like Thibodeuax for Christmas. Do you think the Giants would trade Geno for him?
Probably not…
” after the big meeting with Jody Allen that was downplayed by the media”
huh? It seemed to me like it was topic of the day for weeks around here.
That’s not the point
Certain sections of the media kept saying it was simply a routine, run of the mill end of season get together
Clearly it wasn’t
Another thoughtful commentary by Rob asking good questions. We can only hope.
I enjoyed the post Rob and just got done watching The Rebuild video on YouTube. It would be interesting to see if Carroll is around in 2023 or if he retires. I was thinking about the potential of Jonathan Gannon coming over. I was curious what your thoughts of potentially signing Javon Hargrave would be. 30 years old, provides a good pass rush from the interior DL and could help facilitate Gannon’s defensive install.
When the movement at the top of the draft, I think a QB should still be the answer with the pick we acquire from DEN. Also, watching this NYG/WAS, seeing the Commanders using their WRs is impressive. They even mentioned during the game that the draft of Jahan Dotson and having a solid 3WR is smart and a must for teams to have.
As always, amazing work and I look forward to what you have on tap this week
Rob I wonder sometimes if Pete would ever consider coaching in Los Angeles again if for some reason the chargers don’t make the playoffs or get bounced out badly in round I would that job appeal to Pete if offered.i seem to recall a rumor a year ago or so right. Another thing I wanted to say I went to the Florida and Oregon State game I was my thought is Garvon Dexter will probably be a draft two guy because of his size but he needs to add more strength and seems to have slow hands. But I wanted to know if you have any thoughts on the Florida safety Dean 111 or Ventrell Miller the linebacker he seems 😍 aggressive
If the team decides to re-sign Geno and aren’t able to land either Carter or Anderson, I wonder the likely-hood of trading down.
What’s the #3/4 pick worth?
Which teams are likely to want to move up?
Considering the team has needs everywhere, should more selections be one of the objectives of the 23 draft?
Ninety percent of NFL “journalism” is smokeless fire. Carroll isn’t going anywhere.
Just like the Wilson trade
That never happened either
Bore off Paul
In looking down rounds a bit I wonder if going after Max Duggan in 3rd and the center Oluwatimi from Michigan in the 4th would make sense. Both these players seem to be simply winners and not combine darlings
I wouldn’t take Duggan in R3
Love that he gives absolutely everything to TCU. The ultimate competitor.
But I don’t think he’s a day two pick
Thanks , do you have opinion on Jarrett Patterson vs. Olawatimi, just seems like Seattle needs to go heavy on interior lineman. Patterson especially seems like a fit at guard as well as center, most likely 2nd round? Whereas Olawatimi might slip.