Happy New Year to everyone.
I think it’s important to review your opinions. I don’t think spending considerable time confirming your priors, under the pretence of ‘context’ or ‘balance’ is the right way to go about things. That’s why, despite being opposed to a ground-zero rebuild, I’ve written so much about it as a possibility — including delving into the top-end of the 2022 draft and the quarterback class.
My opinion on Seattle’s future has changed over the last few days. So here’s my latest reading of the situation…
In a recent interview, Pete Carroll stated he didn’t think a major rebuild was necessary. My interpretation of this is it says a lot about how his future could play out.
I maintain I don’t think he has any interest in overseeing a major, substantial rebuild. Not enough people have discussed how unrealistic that is. The idea of a 70-year-old coach entering a period where he spends an indefinite amount of time looking for a new franchise quarterback is beyond fanciful. That’s the reality of a rebuild.
It could be years until a solution is found. Is Carroll seriously going to go through the prospect of another 5-7 win season for potentially the next couple of years at least? Or, if nothing else, embrace the kind of 7-9 seasons he had in 2010 and 2011? All the while hoping to strike gold at quarterback, with the current situation in college football?
It simply doesn’t make any sense.
My opinion has changed on Carroll though. I sensed a few weeks ago that he would walk away at the end of this season regardless. I no longer think that.
I get the sense, listening to his words, that he doesn’t want to quit. He wants to see if he can turn this around. But he’ll want to do that with Russell Wilson. He won’t want to replace the quarterback.
Think about it. He would probably acknowledge, unlike many fans, that the prospect of Wilson returning to form isn’t all that preposterous. We’re 14 months removed from him looking like the best player in the league.
I think Carroll would be fully prepared to continue in the job, working to put things right, albeit with his franchise quarterback on board.
As he acknowledged recently, unprovoked, he wouldn’t have been in Seattle as long as he has without Wilson. I think Carroll sees his tenure tied to Wilson. And that’s probably why he has remained as steadfastly loyal to him as he has.
I also believe John Schneider would’ve been willing to trade Wilson a year ago and Carroll blocked it. Again, in part because he has little or no interest in a major rebuild. He’s in ‘win now’ mode as a coach. He’s at the extreme end of that, given his age.
When he said he didn’t think a rebuild was necessary — I think he was expressing his own personal lack of interest in the prospect.
The problem is — I suspect that while Wilson and Carroll retain a strong bond and have mutual respect, Wilson is also mindful of his own age and career prospects. He is an obscenely ambitious individual with lofty personal and team goals. I think in his middle-ages he will struggle to reconcile not reaching certain goals in his career, should he fail.
As has been spelled out to us all — he doesn’t believe Carroll’s philosophy is the right approach. He wants to play a different brand of football. He wants more of a say in personnel.
You personally may not agree with those things but that’s how Wilson feels. And frankly, who’s to deny him his right to feel that way?
A lot of fans are content to point out a run of winning seasons. To Wilson, he likely just focuses on one playoff win in five years. And so often in the playoffs, the Seahawks come out flat and unprepared. They’d suddenly be two or three scores down. And then Wilson would be left to mount an improbable comeback.
He’s also seen the wasted resource over the years and bad drafts. Again, whether you agree or not — I can see why Wilson has lost faith. Even while we can all admit he has not played anywhere near well enough post-injury this season or at the end of last season. I think his concerns are still valid and you have to work really hard to try and suggest they aren’t.
The problem for the Seahawks is how this all plays out at the end of the season.
Jody Allen taking decisive action is for the absolute best — regardless of her final decision. At least then everyone knows where they stand.
If she doesn’t do that and if she speaks to the ‘power three’ individually, things could get tricky.
I think Carroll would likely ‘compete’ to give it another go. He would either suggest he can get Wilson back on side or that the team should simply ignore any trade requests or deny any trade offers.
That sounds plausible but it’s not realistic.
It’s plainly obvious that while Wilson is open to staying in Seattle, he wants to see significant changes at the top. To me that means a new GM and Head Coach. If that doesn’t happen, I wouldn’t expect him to wait until the Super Bowl to make his dissatisfaction known this year. I think it’ll happen very quickly, possibly resulting in an official trade request.
It might’ve worked in Green Bay following Aaron Rodgers’ threat to retire last year — but I don’t see any reasonable scenario where the Seahawks go from 5-10 today and become a thriving, successful football team in 2022 if the quarterback requests a trade and you simply say ‘no’ and retain the status quo.
A decision would need to be made.
It could potentially lead to a massive stalemate if such a situation isn’t resolved. And that won’t do anyone any good.
My fear, based on how Carroll and John Schneider reacted a year ago, is if they’re permitted to just ‘carry on’ — they’ll ignore Wilson’s dissatisfaction and simply do nothing. I get the sense they thought that was a really clever move a year ago. It wasn’t. The cardboard cutouts at the press conference might’ve felt funny at the time. Denying the Wilson saga was a story could’ve been a bunker approach to a challenging situation. The story, which was legit, cast a cloud over the franchise and needed resolving one way or another.
It wasn’t, it predictably lingered and this can’t keep going year after year.
I’m not convinced Allen will be so passive. Yet I also accept none of us have any idea what she’ll do next. I don’t think her actions relating to the Portland Trailblazers are much indication and neither are the long contract extensions given to Carroll and Schneider a year ago. A lot has changed since then and the situation with Wilson completely changes the dynamic.
The positive side of this is I don’t think Wilson will allow the situation to drag on. We’ve seen he’s willing to operate through the media. The Adam Schefter tweet was gobsmacking a year ago and a sign of how aggressive Mark Rodgers is willing to be.
Within days of the final game — I think all parties will have had their say and Allen, if she hasn’t taken affirmative action, will be left with a clear picture as to what her options are. From that position, it should be possible to pick a path — although personally I hope she already has clarity and is simply waiting for the season to end before she enacts her plan.
I don’t know what she’ll decide but I do think a decision will be made and acted upon.
I still have no idea or good guess as to what happens with John Schneider but I don’t think there’s a future with Schneider and Wilson together minus Carroll. I think that relationship was seriously impacted last off-season. I think Schneider took it badly when Wilson spoke publicly in the way that he did and then with the infamous Schefter tweet. I think the relationship between Schneider and Mark Rodgers is poor to say the least. As I’ve said, I think Schneider would’ve dealt Wilson a year ago and that’s why he went to North Dakota to have a meeting with Chicago GM Ryan Pace.
If Carroll retired but the other two members of the ‘power three’ remained, both Schneider and Wilson would probably share mutual interest in a trade.
This to me is a fairly reasonable projection of the lay of the land. I also think it’s fair to say it isn’t influenced by an agenda, which has driven so much of the discourse — especially on Seahawks Twitter — in recent weeks.
You all know my preference and I don’t try and portray myself as not having a horse in the race. You know where I stand — but I also hope you feel like we’ve covered a lot of bases and tried to review what’s going on with a critical eye — without emotion or attempting to confirm priors.
I will stress again that I think the wheels were falling off this franchise in 2019 and despite the winning records that year and in 2020, what has happened in 2021 hasn’t felt the least bit surprising. It has felt entirely predictable.
I don’t think this team has been close to being a serious contender for a long time. The quality of the quarterback has enabled them to consistently qualify for the playoffs but go no further. I want to be in the mix for Super Bowls and I think this team, for too long, has only been good enough to win a Wild Card game at best. With Wilson playing well below his best, the issues have been exposed both during individual games and in the team record.
I think money and picks have been wasted to an unforgivable extent.
I don’t want to watch an offense led and/or influenced by Pete Carroll, Darrell Bevell, Brian Schottenheimer or Shane Waldron any more. I don’t want to watch a defense led by Carroll and Ken Norton Jr. I don’t want Carl ‘Tater’ Smith or the Head Coach’s son to be go-to-guys for home truths. I don’t want the architects of the 2018-21 reset, or the Jamal Adams trade, to be in charge of the resources over the next few years — especially if the prime asset is traded to produce extra stock.
Nothing lasts forever. I want the Seahawks to be bold and ambitious to find the next great Seahawks leader and move forwards. I want to remember the Carroll era fondly, not look back on it as something that went on longer than it should and became really crap — like ‘Friends’.
You know what I think the next move should be because I put it in writing. I’ve argued, in numerous pieces, why I think change is necessary.
I simply don’t think a quote from Matt Hasselbeck, who played one season for Carroll 11 years ago, is of equal merit. Especially when the quote isn’t fleshed out. Or that interpreting a Kam Chancellor tweet (when he liked another Tweet complaining about the extent of Carroll’s power in Seattle) or speculating on why Tyler Lockett doesn’t attend Wilson’s summer camp is in any way ‘context’ or a valid argument for ownership sitting tight.
Any argument in favour of retaining Carroll should be able to explain, in detail, the following things:
1. Why he is the right man to oversee a rebuild potentially more challenging than the 2010 one he inherited.
2. Why he will be able to install the right coaching staff to properly elevate this team to the next level.
3. Why he is schematically the right person to drive this team forward.
This is all that really matters. And in each instance there’s a key point that needs to be acknowledged and debated. He’s already overseen the 2018 reset and how has that gone? His coaching staff appointments have been getting progressively worse. And schematically, where do we begin? The defense can’t get off the field and the offense can’t stay on the field.
They don’t do anything ‘well’ on offense, can’t feature their best players, can’t run the ball consistently and they’ve never been able to build a really good O-line.
On defense they’ve had pass rush issues for three straight seasons, at times it feels like the NFL installed a rule to say Seattle cornerbacks can’t intercept the ball any more and the areas where they’ve succeeded — such as the ‘bend but don’t break’ red zone defense — feel somewhat unsustainable, as we saw when it mattered against the Bears.
I don’t think these are ‘gotcha’ questions for a Carroll backer, either. I think some people are capable of offering a compelling argument in favour of keeping Carroll. I’m yet to see it though.
Too often these issues are unexplained — just as alternative plans to Carroll are brushed off, as are concerns about the 2022 draft class or the quarterback situation in college football.
In place of these arguments are the Hasselbeck quote, vague talk of the importance of ‘culture’ and this trendy argument that ‘it’s harder to replace a Head Coach than a franchise quarterback’.
People will listen to any argument that confirms their priors, if we’re being honest. My appeal to fans, though, would be to try and park that at least for one evening and just have a serious think about what’s best for the team. There’s not one right answer to this and I think increasingly the argument around this situation is turning into a typical Twitter row.
Pick a side, argue endlessly to confirm your priors, rinse and repeat.
We’ve been here with ‘pro or anti running game’, ‘Let Russ Cook’ and now the future of Carroll and Wilson. Seahawks Twitter is peerless in the amount of crap arguments it has, that never seem to end, often led by the same people.
And I speak as someone who is often incapable of avoiding wading in. The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem… I guess.
Other notes
— College Football is on its knees. The most recent season was boring. The SEC has become too powerful and that won’t change with new teams being added, transfer portals and the introduction of money into the game. The playoffs are only interesting when the Clemson and Ohio State types are capable of competing with the SEC’s best. There are too many Bowl games. It’s sad to see what’s happening.
— Desmond Ridder had a big chance to make a statement against Alabama but he didn’t really show anything. Granted, I never expected Ridder to take on Alabama or win the game. Equally, Cincinnati’s game plan felt very conservative. I didn’t feel like I was watching a difference maker though. This was a legit chance to show what he can do against NFL-level talent. I could easily imagine what we saw last night in a NFL game — just a lack of anything to get excited about. I wouldn’t write him off but even if he’d just shown a few flashes, there would’ve been that. He showed virtually nothing and it validates my thought that he is more mid-round flier than anything more substantial.
— I know I talk about it a lot but it’s remarkable how poor this quarterback class is. It feels like a two-way battle now between a 24-year-old rookie with 8 1/4 inch hands (Kenny Pickett) and a player with a serious knee issue who already lacks any kind of mobility (Carson Strong). On the periphery, you have a 6-0 200lbs signal caller who excels in the nice and easy Lane Kiffin scheme, when he isn’t pressured. You have a Liberty quarterback whose throwing technique is all over the place (but he’s a great athlete). And you have Ridder. Do you know how many times I’ve heard any of these names mentioned when people discuss moving on from Wilson? Zero.
— Unless you get a green light on Strong’s knee and you’re prepared to build a scheme for a talented albeit statuesque passer — I’d be inclined to take a flier on UCLA’s Dorian Thompson-Robinson. He has as much upside as anyone and he’ll be available later. I like him. Stanford’s Tanner McKee is another intriguing name. I’d rate them both higher than some of the ‘big name’ quarterbacks in this class. Keep an eye on Kentucky’s Will Levis too. He’s a player we talked about last year as one for the future. He’s a Penn State transfer and could declare as a junior. We’ll see. He’s only had one year as a starter. But while he hasn’t got a lot of publicity in the media, he has more upside than most and has the tools to be a very interesting pro-prospect. If he declared, I’d probably consider him as a candidate to be the best QB eligible. Tony Pauline says he’s very likely to return to Kentucky so one for 2023.
— Two years ago it felt vital to tap into any aspect of LSU’s Championship team when the draft came around. They were that good. This year, I think every team should be targeting players in Georgia’s front seven on defense. It is full of impact talent. If you draft a defensive lineman or linebacker from Georgia this year, you’ve probably made a good pick.
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Yes, Carroll’s recent comments have me thinking he would like to stay, but under certain conditions…
– Wilson is “good for one more go”.
– He retains his current powers (well beyond coaching).
Now I think there’s a good chance as you point out that Wilson is not game for the status quo. That he sees enough warts to know something is wrong. So if Allen tries to “stay the course”, whatever the thinking (incompetence to prepping for sale to apathy to picking coaches over QB), Wilson likely says “no”.
But that’s not the only trip Carroll faces.
What if Allen says she would like him back as coach, but to focus on that (Holmgren scenario). I’m not sure if Carroll accepts that, especially because his “win now” attitude would demand some additional moves.
And this is the horror scenario. Pete wants to “win now”. How do we do that? Let’s say somehow he convinces Wilson to give it another go (shudder). We then make some obvious moves like nixing Wagner (although perhaps even that is too much credit?). We then have the same brain trust in charge of some extra $$$ and potential trades (Jamal Addams 2.0) to “win now” because Carroll does not have time. He does not have time due to his age although he would likely focus on not having more than 1 season more with Wilson.
Here is hoping that Wilson just does not see it that way. With Allen a blank spot Wilson’s thoughts are more known and I’m really, really hoping that if a drive for the status quo appears that he firmly places boot on neck to that.
I miss the days of roster churn to get the best available player. now we have multiple players with limited snaps. It doesn’t make sense. I sure the hell hope we get massive changes on defense. I can’t go another bend don’t break season.
Well, it couldn’t last forever. But things looked darker in 90’s. This is a life sentence for me, and I’m ready for another big change.
Well written Rob, and happy new year.
I think many fans aren’t giving Jody Allen enough credit. They act (or think) that she’s just some random sister of Paul Allen that had the team dumped on her when Paul passed. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Jody Allen was the CEO of Vulcan from day one. She was a core part of everything Paul Allen did. Paul Allen ran his businesses in partnership with Jody. I fully expect Jody to continue to run the businesses the way that she and Paul did.
It has been reported numerous times that Paul would hire consultants to come in and help inform his decisions. He did this with Holmgren and Carroll. I can’t imagine Jody not doing the same.
I think it’s disrespectful to Jody for fans to suggest that she’ll just get railroaded by Pete. She’s a wicked smart lady. She’ll make a well informed decision, just like her brother did. I trust that decision will be in line with what Rob and many of us think should happen.
Black Monday can’t come soon enough.
Sorry, Pete, we all love ya, but it’s time to say goodbye.
I just can’t imagine in what world RW thinks this team with PC/JS is going in the right direction. I’m not sure even without PC/JS he thinks this team will put it together anytime soon. I think he’s going fishing for a deeper lake with bigger fish.
Great way to start a new year and here’s hoping for the best to all.
When he didn’t announce that he was leaving after the Seahawks were eliminated from the playoffs, it pointed to Pete’s unwillingness to simply walk away – compete forever, and whatnot. His statements recently have only confirmed that idea.
I think a proper evaluation of Pete begins with having him sit down and cover, in great detail, the following:
– 2017 Draft + FA signings
– 2018 Draft + FA signings
– 2019 Draft + FA signings
– 2020 Draft + FA signings
– 2021 Draft + FA signings
– Trades, particularly the “terrific” one made with the Jets. What was the thought process and how you views the results of that trade in hindsight. Would he make the same deal again?
– How in the name of god have you settled on this particular coaching staff?
– How do you get this team to the Super Bowl next season? Please refrain from using the words, “pumped,” and/or “jacked,” in your response.
– You once said that you were drafting guys you wanted to coach, not necessarily the best players – tell us how that makes the team better.
– How do you repeatedly get delay of game penalties coming out of a timeout?
And then JS should be ushered in to answer the same set of questions.
Cover the past five seasons that have resulted in one playoff win (over a 40 year-old back-up quarterback with a torn hamstring and the mobility of a very large, wet cardboard box) and little else, because, right now, those are looking like the glory years – particularly after you trade away the one guy you depended upon to rescue this team game after game. How does it get better?
Unfortunately, this won’t happen. Pete is an NFL icon and he will likely get the benefit of the doubt – it’s just one bad season.
I don’t think Jody Allen is prepared to blow up what her brother left. I think Pete and JS return and that Russ will be somewhere else. It’s the easiest outcome for all.
Let’s talk about backup quarterbacks who may be available.
I am jacked to see Daniel Jones taking snaps next season and pumped to have Matt Corral waiting in the wings so we can hear all the jabber about Carroll & Corral
August, 2022:
“Daniel does so many things that remind me of Charlie Whitehurst, he’s just such a competitor – loves to compete and get after it – really one of the guys – great basketball player – but I flash back to Charlie when I watch him play and get really jacked thinking about how we’re getting it cranked up again to make another run at it. Also, Chris Carson is going to miss some time with a neck thing, working hard to get that right, so this really opens up an opportunity for Penny, if he can get himself back where he wants to be – working real hard at it.”
I want to laugh but it’s too realistic
Really, really well written and logical article Rob. As good as anything you’ve written.
One of my best buddies mentioned that “Wilson has a contract” so if he demands a trade, the Seahawks could just say “no” and wait him out. Wouldn’t that be fun?! I sincerely hope it doesn’t come to that.
As you mentioned, it increasingly appears that the only way Carroll goes is if he’s told by Jody “resign or be fired”. I just hope we see some things happening beginning Jan 10 because if nothing does for some time, the dreaded stalemate between Wilson and the team will look increasingly likely.
“The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem”. Yep. My opinion, and it’s only an opinion, is that if you’re not being listened to on Seahawks Twatter, why bother? I mean I don’t do social media, but it sounds like everyone’s shouting at a wall and no one is having a decent damned back and forth.
It is fascinating how a LOT of people cannot deal with “change”.
We are talking about it in just the concept of the Seahawks and a NFL team, but a lot of it is human nature.
– Lazy reliance on selective details. Your friend fits into this. A detail is picked to then shut down further conversation.
Since when has a contract prevented VERY messy situations? Does anyone think it’s a good sign that your franchise QB is unhappy and wants to leave and that the resolution is to simply ignore that?
– Denial. A lot of fans wouldn’t like it if Wilson left. Wouldn’t like it if Carroll left. So therefore it cannot happen, because then they would have to deal with it if it did. Several local reporters fit under this. It’s uncomfortable to face problems, so they cravenly do not.
– Reliance on recent history Since Carroll has been coach for over a decade, that means change cannot happen and would be scary if it did (terra incognita). Hasselbeck’s recent comments fall into that.
And none of that thinking acknowledges what we do know (the Seahawks have a poor record, Wilson has expressed concerns, Pete thinks most everything is okay). What drives the above is either delusion, limited critical thinking and/or fear. I’ve seen all of the same in business when you run into bumps and have consider changes with some among senior management (and their suck ups) adamant that everything is fine.
It’s not fine.
VERY well said. Awesome post man.
Rob,
You’re so right, so often, on so many points. I feel the interceptions and Legion of Boom completely feel apart after the defense went to zone. The core of the LOB was tall press corners and a ball hawking free safety. It feels like Seattle has always struggled under Pete with zone coverage. The end of the Falcons playoff game was just one of many cases where we gave up far too much ground at the end of games, far too quickly. After Seattle had success with DJ Reed as a shorter corner and saw how teams were trying to beat their tall press corners with short fast WRs, they tried to “get cute” and go with a different type of corner and, finally this year, a full soft zone coverage that that is not who we’ve ever been and leaves us lacking an identity and clarity on the type of players we need for each defensive position. So, we don’t give up as many points, but we are killed at time of possession and don’t get INTs or off the field on 3rd down. We need to get back to having a ear identity on defense and filling each position accordingly, not simply plugging holes.
On offense I feel the same way about the zone blocking scheme to open the running game and having a mobile QB who commands defenders to respect the run and commit to the box. With deception, that opened up chunk plays on RPOs and fake handoffs. I really wonder if Pete’s system on offense is possible anymore without a zone blocking scheme that the league destroyed when the cut blocking high and low went away. The cut blocking enabled us to go with inexpensive, smaller and physical linemen that saved resources that allowed us to invest in the defense. Wilson has also slowed down and his runs are just not as threatening (and he’s less evasive than he used to be in the pocket and backfield). Mid-last year, we also saw defenses adapt and go with two high safeties to take away long throws and dare us to run. But, the running game, while supposedly being an offseason priority for years, has never been the same. Drafting players like Ethan Posic have also been head scratching regarding scheme fit. We have a hodgepodge line and it shows, not a core philosophy filled in with “our” kind of players.
On the personnel side, again, we don’t seem to have a philosophy. We have watched areas of need be addressed with players that don’t fit our mold or identity. This would be frustrating, but it’s infuriating, when the exact “our guy” kind of players were perfectly available to us in the draft.
Nick Chubb was there – we took Penny
TJ Watt was there – we took Collier
Creed Humphrey was there – we stayed with Posic/Fuller
Trevon Diggs was available, but we had traded our draft capital for Jamal Adams
Josh Allen was available, we stayed with Wilson
Hybrid LBs were available who could cover and we went with Cody Barton and BBK
Hopkins was available, but we traded for Percy Harvin
It’s been very frustrating to watch. Now we honestly have no identity, and seemingly no plan.
Ideal WRs were available in Jefferson,
The worst WR draft was the 2014 class.. they took paul richardson.. the available players in the 2nd round will make u sick..
Devante adams went 8 picks after richardson.
Allen Robinson, jarvis landry… then later in 3rd round arizona took john brown..
Rb options were jeremy hill and carlos hyde.. which they both didnt last long.. but had pretty good first 4 years of their career.. still take that over the late round and undrafted fliers they tried to replace marshawn with..
Which then led to christine michael getting drafted..
I tend to fall closer to your side of the equation in this whole matter. It does feel to me like a reset is needed. And I think it makes more sense to keep the QB and change the structure around him. I Would LOVE to see Payton in Seattle.
But one thought that keeps nagging at me is that Wilson isn’t receiving a large enough share of the scrutiny. As you mentioned, Wilson looked like the best player in football just one and a half seasons ago. And who was the Offensive Coordinator at that time? Schottenheimer. But we’re told Wilson wanted him gone. We’re also told Wilson gave his personal approval to Waldron. Yet here we are with a horrible offense. After last season Carrol appeared to try to appease Wilson with respect to the OC. But it didn’t fix anything. So what’s the answer? Occams Razor would say the simplest explanation is usually the correct one. The common thread in the Offensive troubles has been Wilson. And from where I stand, the downfall appears to coincide with him pushing to have greater influence in the organization, and with his contract extension episodes. When he did feel he had as much influence – and when he didn’t want to “cook” – the team won a Super Bowl. Yes, they also had an unprecedented defense and an HOF running back. But there didn’t appear to be the same disfunction that we’re seeing now.
Russell wants to be the best. I think he thinks he’s already largely there and just needs to be “unleashed”. But it’s not difficult to see that there are still visible deficiencies in his game.
So my desire is that a strong, respected, competent TEACHER and schemer be brought in as head coach. Someone who has the clout to outshine Wilson and the ability to coax him the the level that Wilson thinks he’s already at.
I’ve not seen or heard anything to say Wilson wanted Schottenheimer gone
I have heard that Wilson was basically just given the list of candidates at OC and gave his input. And Waldron, compared to the rest, was basically the best option. It’s been portrayed that Waldron was ‘Wilson’s guy’. He wasn’t.
As I recall Wilson not only did not want Schottenheimer gone, Schottenheimer’s dismissal was another source of unhappiness. Link isn’t embedding right, but they’re out there. 🙂
Not sure what’s made me think Schottenheimer was one of the changes Wilson wanted. My mistake.
I still stand by my contention that Wilson needs to do his fair share of mirror-gazing. The wheels fell off the offense last year when defenses figured out that playing two-high safeties takes away the looks that Wilson is most comfortable and productive with. So it appears that Carol blamed Shotty for the failure to adjust. What if Shotty DID try to adjust to a short- or mid-range scheme to take advantage of the two-high look, but Wilson couldn’t (or wouldn’t) make the resulting throws. Maybe it really was on Shotty, but I think there’s enough evidence available to at least consider that short area timing and “window” throws are not something he’s comfortable with.
That’s why I’d like to see an offensive mind who can unlock that part of Wilson’s game. If he added that weapon and retained his deep passing, he’d be unstoppable.
It certainly seems like priority #1 with Russ is winning, but it also feels like priority #2 is maintaining a good public image. Always upbeat, always optimistic. Even during the last offseason, if memory serves, it wasn’t Russ saying he’s unhappy and wants a trade – instead, it was brought into the public sphere by proxies – e.g., Cowherd.
If Pete and John insist on playing the Animal House/Kevin Bacon “All is Well!!” card again, Russ may feel like he has no choice but to take a heel turn, remove the smile and publicly demand a trade or have the Hawks risk a holdout. He might be willing to sacrifice the image this time in order to get to what he thinks is a better situation.
I think we saw with his comments this week… ‘I hope it’s not my last game in Seattle but I know it won’t be my last game in the NFL’… that he’s willing to go to places he hasn’t been before.
Yeah if PCJS stay, they’ll force Wilson to publicly come out wanting a trade imo. Considering the horseshit way they dealt with his 4 team list last year, I’d expect nothing else.
Heel turn. Wrestling fan (possibly) spotted.
yep!
And besides, who doesn’t love a good story arc when a former babyface wrestler goes in this direction. 🙂
Nice! In my best Dusty Rhodes voice: it’s a story as old as time, baby.
Fascinating on Cowherd’s show to end the year one of his resolutions was Wilson and Payton ending up together. Just not here but in NO.
Ridder and this crop of QB’s. Lame shot call. I don’t think any of these QB’s will be doing anything besides holding clipboards by the end of their rookie contracts.
Ridder was overwhelmed. Not a good look going forward. Pickett had a great season. Prior to that he was a non factor for his team. Everyone else i barely rate. Strong you’re right might be the best of them if his knee is okay.
I really like a lot of Strong’s game.
But when’s the last time a completely immobile QB came into the league? With no ability to avoid the rush or extend plays?
He’s going to need a top O-line and a scheme that suits him to have any chance.
And the knee is a major concern, based on what I’ve read about it
I can’t speak to completely immobile but matt ryan is the last qb i can think that fits that. I feel for Strong. If it’s degenerative he may be coaching before he ever plays.
Yeah that’s a good question. The only one I can think of is Philip Rivers
Oh Ridder. I have waited all year for this game. This was the basis for all my rooting in CFB, being otherwise unaffiliated with any specific school. I wanted to see Ridder against legit NFL talent with a chance to elevate his team and contend for a title. Boy was that a disappointment.
It’s not that Ridder played poorly, he was just meh. Sure his team did him no favors. There was an obvious disparity of talent in the trenches. He basically had 2 or 3 seconds before he would be hit. His receivers dropped everything, including a beautiful deep ball that should’ve been a TD. But that’s what I expected! It’s Cincinnati for God sakes, they have no business blocking Will Anderson and the trove of top 75 picks sitting on that line. This game was, in my mind, always going to come down to the QB elevating himself to win a title. Color me unimpressed. I like Ridder, and I’ll root for him if he goes anywhere outside the NFC west. But he is just a mid round lottery ticket, nothing more.
This a million percent. Cincy was the only thing keeping me engaged in CFB this year.
I never thought they would win but the hope that he’d play well against AL had me on the hook.
If Seattle didn’t need almost everything else with it’s limited picks I’d still take him on a flyer/back up role. But Seattle is in such a hole they need to hope fourth and fifth round picks turn into something for game days and not a back up qb.
This Smith-Njigba gone Ohio St is something else. He is scary Terry-esque. One to add to the list for next year
so it seems to me that with the change in all OC coming to seattle they keep the same play book but with a little bit of change by new OC.And thats a very little bit of change by new OC.I think this has a lot to do with the problems s hawks are having now.With the same play book every year maybe THE NFL KNOW WHAT THE SEAHAWKS ARE GOING TO DO ON ALMOST EVERY PLAY,just sayin.
Brandon Marshall who played in Seattle agrees with you:
https://heavy.com/sports/seattle-seahawks/brandon-marshall-seahawks-must-change-philosophy/
So I guess it all comes down to Russ decision.
Russ makes a decision to stay with Pete or ask trade
We know Russ won’t stay, Pete has to make a decision based on that to stay or quit. Pete is hoping he can convince Russ for one more year.
If Pete stays, Jody has to make a decision to stick with Pete or fire.
Can Jody fire Pete, convince Russ to stay and go big with some big name like Payton? Can she pull it off, I doubt.
What if Pete goes and they can’t a big name like Payton. Will Russ stay after next year.
This won’t happen.
Pete’s intention may be to compete to recruit Wilson back into the fold but it won’t work.
He could also be fired. I think too many people rule that out.
But if that doesn’t happen I think he’ll be left in a situation where he either has to embrace a rebuild or move on. And in that situation I think he would move on.
She can do it. Whether she will or not remains to be seen.
It would depend who it is. It doesn’t have to be a big name. It just has to be someone with the right vision, aligned with the QB, for Wilson to buy-in.
I think this franchise’s history shows, though, that when big, bold ambitious appointments happen — things work out. That’s why I hope they acknowledge change is necessary then aim high.
I hope she has a plan.sticking with Pete until today hoping Russ stays does not inspire much confidence.
She can’t wait until last minute to start a search.
Great article Rob. I agree with you that recent statements by Carroll indicate he is not retiring or walking away but Hope’s to bring team back to success next year with Wilson.
I agree that Carroll and Schneider need to be replaced and a Payton connection with Wilson in Seattle would be ideal.
I personally hope Wilson is being humbled and connected back to true Christian faith. I see Wilsonliving out a false religion of law of attraction, words of faith and personal imagination of success. Before 2019\2020 offseasons seemed obsessed with his greatness. He set out to be MVP, play till 45 or 50 tears old, his podcast of talking with other greats. I heard no gratefulness to Creator, or humility, if it is Lord’s will I will play to an old age, win more superbowls, win an MVP.
I loved it when Nick Foles won Super Bowl against Patriots and Brady and gave glory to God. I hope to hear this from Wilson in the future.
David and Golaith….Wilson needs to read this story again. David spoke with boldness and outrageous confidence in God, not himself.
Christopher
Good article Rob. I hope Pete resigns but I doubt he does. I am all for Pete, John, and Norton Jr. being fired. I want Wilson to stay because it is so hard to find a franchise QB and like you said the draft is not strong for QBs next year. I don’t see Jody firing Pete or John. My guess is that they both stay and we will have discontent from Wilson and he will demand a trade. I can see this getting ugly. Major changes needs to occur but the correct changes won’t happen as long as Pete and John are still here. We haven’t had a decent O-line since that SB 49 choke. That SB play killed this team. They haven’t been the same since.
The good news in all this is that at least Carrol realizes the Seahawks can’t win without Russ (not that they have done a good job of that this year with Russ), but it makes a trade less likely. Now maybe this season will be the wake up call for the changes that have been talked about (unlikely but you never know). If they can sell Russ on staying with Seattle and Pete stays, then KNJ has to go. This defense has been pathetic for two years and that cannot continue. Hopefully they can get somebody that can utilize Adams because we are stuck for at least one more year. Of course the trenches are the key to any successful rebuild. 60milliom should be more than enough to get good two Oline and a pass rusher. Seahawks need to go back to basics run the ball, play good D rushing 4, keep Russ upright and let him make plays. Trade for picks not give them up and draft your type of players. If Russ stays the rebuild will be much easier than the 2010, but otherwise I would be worried.
As a casual reader of your blog, I must say I am impressed with your thorough analysis and opinions.
Your in depth and honest evaluations is refreshing.
Been a fan since 76 when Seattle got a franchise. (Originally from Vancouver, B.C. Spent many a great Sunday at the J&M and fx mcrorys) I think this season has been one of the most frustrating
Keep up the great work.
I noticed that the kid from my hometown of Steilacoom, Washington is getting some work in the Rose Bowl for Ohio State. I thought Emeka Egbuka was a redshirt freshman this year. Oh well. In any event #12 is definitely worth watching closely. He was the #1 rated receiver in the nation and the #5 rated player overall coming out of high school.
He is going to be playing on Sundays.
Kid is a stud and definitely makes some noise
Crazy Rose Bowl man
In a future where the gang stays together, I want them to win so bad, if for nothing else than to see the long awaited next installment of the “Rain City Redemption” series.
But, 2022 shows little to no signs of being better than 2021 in nearly every facet, football or other, as far as I can tell. So, should we ever be graced with another installment to one of the absolute best football documentaries ever made I fear it won’t be with Pete or JS, or maybe even RW.
Love your work Rob. Happy New Year’s!
Hard Knocks Seattle
Matt Corral, what was that?
A desperation heave into three defenders on the first play of the game?
And then injured.
I feel for him. But the problem is he’s 6-0 and 200lbs and needs to run around and be active to work. And a 6-0 200lbs QB is going to get hurt doing that.
Rob, out of curiosity, what makes a great college football season to you? As a UW / Pac 12 fan I was pretty disappointed, but seems interesting enough from a neutral’s perspective. Some entertaining, down to the wire conference races, some turn over in traditional powers (Michigan, Cinci > Ohio State, Clemson), the usual fun contrast of styles, crazy coaching stories, etc.
Competitive conferences with strength beyond the SEC. Interesting teams. Good quarterbacks. Legit NFL talent, destined to go early, filling out CFB.
The PAC-12, Big-12 and ACC all sucked.
I think you’re conflating me saying it was a boring season with ‘everything was bad’ and you’ve pulled out a handful of examples there. But to me it’s about more than that.
“The PAC-12, Big-12 and ACC all sucked.”
I think you’re being kind.
“College football is on it’s knees”
Absolutely agree the college game is going downhill for the reasons you mentioned. I would also throw in players sitting out bowl games. The WSU-CMU game was barely watchable with so many players opting out.
As the transfer portal and NIL continue to evolve the second tier schools are just going to become feeder programs/minor leagues for the handful of teams that make the playoffs each year. The disparity between rich/poor is just going to get worse.
Rob, I’ve been a reader of your blog for years. I just wanted to say thank you for your thoughtful, unbiased insights. We are fortunate to be the beneficiaries of your perspective.
Happy new year and keep up the great work.
Go Hawks,
C
I draw comfort in the fact that ownership now cannot ignore the rapid decline this franchise has been in since (in my view) the Super Bowl loss. The same problems with the current regime have been painfully evident for some years now (not just since the hard reset in 2017). For this reason, I am ready to embrace any major change which will happen this year for the simple reason that change thankfully will be forced into the process one way or another it looks like.
Before I go further, I would like to make it clear that I feel I owe Pete Carroll a great deal personally as I learned a lot from listening to him in the years leading up to the glory years (where I was finding my own identity as young adult). That achievement of building/developing the teams in 2013-2014 can never be taken away from neither PC nor JS. That is one of the most impressive turnarounds of a franchise I have ever witnessed with Pete’s clear vision for the team and JS ability to go out and find the players we needed. This much is a fact and what a constellation they proved to be in those years.
However, this is also what puzzles me as to how these two people, who managed what they did between 2010-2014, have not even closely managed to figure this mess out in all the time which has now passed. Where has the ability to innovate and see things differently been for the last 7 years? Pete initially came in with a lot of unconventional ideas (specific vision for defense / preference with CBs) and JS with the prospect of taking a chance with a short QB. They innovated and reaped the benefits until the league caught up. Where has this innovation been since then to adapt to what teams did to counter what we did? It seems to me that the answer is that there are no clear examples of where they have even tried to evolve and even less remotely succeeded with such efforts.
They now continue the same thing just in an even less sophisticated version year after the year (worst desperation move being the Jamal Adams trade). I don’t care about the 12-win season last season as all of that seemed a mirage built on what happened with Brian Schottenheimer’s vision for the offense in the first part of the season until PC took back control again, the effects of an easy schedule and luck going their way.
I cannot enjoy the games (and I have not for some years now) knowing that the coaching staff appears completely unable to fix the same problems which they have been dealing with for so many years now game after game. I simply cannot comprehend how this goes on seemingly forever without any emphasis about fixing i.e. the lack of sustained drives on offense.
I hope that was the reason why Schotty and PC had to come to a mutual parting as the aforementioned person would not go on overseeing an operation which was doomed to repeat the same mistakes over and over again. In this regard, I completely share your sentiment, Rob, with the fact that PC could be much more impactful coach by hiring an OC / DC which could counterweigh his greatest weakness being the inability to successfully scheme anything, and it never appears like they attempt to do so which conversely means we never exploit an opponent’s weakness.
PC is stuck with the formula applied in 2013 and 2014 where they play their brand of football regardless of who the opponent is on both sides of the ball. I personally think this strategy is sound in case you are vastly more talented across your roster like we were in those years. I recall an interview with Mike Shanahan where he pointed out that Pete’s strength is in his ability to build an organization / team and not his ability to scheme anything (interview is from our glory years as I recall) so this has been a well-known for many years across the league. Pete’s inability to have the self-awareness and unwillingness to let go of control (as it is evident, he has not been able to fix these issues for years) is the main reason in my view he is currently failing as a coach. He has always been bad with in-game time-management etc, but for many years now he has also from my perspective appeared unable to identify who his best players are. I have hoped PC could prove me wrong, but at this point it is well past obvious for a whole host of reasons that he is not the right man to lead this operation forward. His responses just appear completely out of touch with reality in this point.
I am not as pessimistic in the relationship between JS and RW as I think both considers themselves as consummate professionals regardless of what may have gone on behind the scenes. In case both can agree on the coach to lead this franchise onwards (I hope for Harbaugh) I don’t necessarily think that situation is unattainable. My gut tells me that the worst moves we have seen from a FO perspective has happened with PC’s influence and I am therefore keen on seeing what JS could do leading the operation.
I am not entirely sold on RW. It seems to me that PC and RW shares the same main problem in that they are both so overly optimistic that when real reflection is needed, they both have a tendency to ignore it.
In these situations when things clearly aren’t working, and you need to innovate to evolve you need someone willing say the unpleasant truth and both PC and RW appears to be quite similar in this regard (not saying that this is always a bad trait – it is just not what you need in a situation like this).
I don’t for a moment trust RW’s judgement given his track record and inability to see the larger picture (i.e. wanting to sign Antonio Brown). I do want to see him with a HC who could try to build up a real offense around him before writing him off, but I am not convinced that RW is not a significant part of the problem on offense. From what I saw of Geno Smith the o-line actually appeared to create a better pocket with him in the line-up and there were actually some medium range passes being made.
Whatever happens, I will be more interested in the next season knowing that at least one of the big 3 won’t be back as long as change will come in some form. Should RW succeed with another team (e.g. the Giants) then we would know for sure that we were derailing his career for all these years (which I am not at this point inclined to believe is correct).
[Golf clap.]
Fantastic post!! My only quibble is you may not want Harbaugh if you want to keep Wilson UNLESS he hires the kind of OC that will play up tempo, etc. and then stay out of the guy’s way let him do his thing as the OC.
Rob, my post where I criticized your article about your plans A, B & C in a less than politically correct manner was born out of frustration. After reading Pete’s recent comments I felt he intended on staying as head coach and I couldn’t see him doing so without Russell Wilson. I had posted my concerns here on the blog which didn’t garner any attention. I felt most everyone here was ignoring the elephant in the room!
This was a huge concern for me as I in no way want to see the Pete, John and Russ show continue for another year. And after reading your response to my post I was was just going to move on. I was very surprised to see you address this as a very real possiblity that Carroll could be fully prepared to continue in the job, working to put things right, albeit with his franchise quarterback on board.
In addition I was interested in your thoughts on how that would play out if the status quo remained the same.
“It could potentially lead to a massive stalemate if such a situation isn’t resolved. And that won’t do anyone any good.”
I wholeheartedly agree with this assessment. It’s unfortunate as fans that were left completely in the dark about a decision that is so important to all of us and made to wait. I appreciate your insights about how you feel things could play out. Its not the best case scenario, but at least we have an idea of what to expect.
My concerns if Pete is removed or chooses to step down, who will be in charge and who will be the next head coach. I hope John is not put in charge as it was his plan to trade Russ last year to Chicago. For draft picks that wouldn’t have resulted in the Seahawks being able to draft a competent replacement no less. As a GM that should have been foremost in his mind.
Great article Rob! You certainly addressed what could be a worse case scenario for the Seahawks moving forward. All we can do now is hope for a positive outcome.
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/32974466/pete-carroll-russell-wilson-duo-set-possible-finale-seattle-seahawks-sources-say
Shefty reporting “sources” believe this could be the last hurrah for Pete and Russ together at Lumen field.
Pete Carroll-Russell Wilson duo set for possible finale with Seattle Seahawks, sources say
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/32974466/pete-carroll-russell-wilson-duo-set-possible-finale-seattle-seahawks-sources-say
“league-wide feeling” I’m thinking more from Russ Camp via Mark Rodgers, as we have said.
“Some sources believe Schneider is open to starting anew with added draft picks, but he also knows the value of a quarterback like Wilson.” Not fure if this is just speculation, but as the per the aformentioned Rodgers/JS rift this sounds logical.
Jody’s decision(s) coming soon….
https://sports.mynorthwest.com/category/podcast_player/?a=56b68384-01a1-42cc-bc91-ae0e0120161b&sid=1200&n=Mike+Salk
Clayton not happy with LaCanfora/Rodgers… Hahaha. Last 5 minutes.
Not much we didn’t know already in that report
But we can all look forward to John Clayton still insisting it’s a ‘non story’ on Monday
Schefter reporting it adds another layer of legitimacy though.
https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/01/02/the-2022-russell-wilson-power-play-has-unofficially-begun/
Ok Florio. Go get one of those younger QBs who have ‘raised the bar in recent years’. What? They aren’t available? Then WTF are you bringing them up for?
Because he’s pointing out that the Schefter article was pretty obviously sourced from RW’s team.
And that’s the problem with planting your flag on the hill and refusing to budge. I know you like him Rob, but Wyman has done the same thing with Adams. I do believe he’ll eventually come down from the hill, but so far it’s everyone except Jamal that’s the problem.
Perhaps he’ll remind us that it’s “the most ridiculous story” that he has ever covered.
So cute that Clayton still believes he “covers” stories.
I’m curious as to what the actual league discussions are that lead to this conclusion. Is it Wilson trade related? Coach trade related? How or why are other teams discussing this?
sounds more like it was framed that way by RW’s camp. And really, while I suppose I’m glad someone is making a push for change…. I’m also super tired of the whole dynamic, and dread an entire off-season of targeted leaks and innuendos.
There’s a part of me that is pretty tired of both Carroll and Russell if I’m being honest.
I think GB fans felt that way about Rodgers last year- and don’t think they feel the same now, especially if they go back to SB.
Either way fingers crossed in about 10 days I hope something happens. I dread months of leaks, etc. If they trade Wilson just do it asap. This team needs every second it can to study the draft since they haven’t for years. Instead busying themselves with cheeky carboard cutouts and somehow lamer tweets about how “we got our guy in the first round.”
Just pull the rip cord, bandage, whatever your preffered metaphor and move forward.
Well, the same way we talk about it
Just the jungle drums within the league
Well laid out thoughts Rob. Here’s to Jody Allen having elite business acumen and that she surrounds herself with intelligent minds on how to right the ship. With this product assembled by Pete and John , season tickets and nfl licensed goods will diminish and should force any businessman to change course. Questions should have already been asked and plans put in place! A fool and there money soon shall part.
Rain and 15-20 MPH winds for today’s game.
Will the stadium even be half full?
Will both teams mail it in?
Will both teams mail it in?
Oh come on Mike, we all know there is zero chance that happens! LOL
Schefter is recommending that fans take today’s game to celebrate the successes of the Carroll-Wilson tandem. The writing is on the wall.
*meant as a reply to the thread above.
Fans hoping for a different QB should get themselves accustomed to the name Malik Willis. Likewise if you don’t like some of Wilson’s bad habits you’re going to really not like Willis.
Just watched three games. If you’re getting draft ready for those that don’t know lots of prospects have 8-10 minute breakdowns on youtube where it is one player and all their snaps. Qb’s and Running backs are pretty easy to follow. Same with Olinemen if you focus. Dlinemen due to rotations can be tricky. DB’s and WR’s can be a lot harder if the ball doesn’t come to them. But not impossible.
Within seconds on two games he is doing the Wilson spin evade. Which makes sense that kids today would practice that if they can do it. For some reason he lifts his leg on every throw seemingly. So his drive to the WR is all over the place. Obviously he has a strong arm but has very erratic control sometimes throwing the ball way under or over. And this also produces a totally zipless ball on shorter stuff. This isn’t me being pretend qb person. This is physics. You want to have Ichiro level drive across any field? Don’t throw off your non dominate leg like a damn stork or blue heron.
If I had to guess you will be seeing this a lot in college because ESPN loves a jumping cross body mahomes toss. And they are cool. But not a great way to QB unless you have wicked arm strength.
Moving on. So plusses: pretty fast runner. Extremely hard to gauge. Liberty is a borderline junior college. So when they face ole miss he gets stopped play after play. When they play eastern MI and his line can sort of hang he looks okay. Even the running is a bit non sensical. With zero sense of blocks. It’s either he is faster than the opponent or he is not. Does not get down or slude just runs until someone stops him.
Really strong arm thwarted by his own bad mechanics. Numbers do not lie. He’s a 61% passer and as a former Auburn recruit playing down a level or two I would have liked to see him being dominate against the likes of UAB, etc.
Lot’ and lot’s of passees where he is going to take that 40 yard shot regardless of if the DB is running the WR route with him stride for stride.
Honestly if i had to guess….lazy writers put on one highlight reel see a short (slight) QB do one of those whirling dervish escapes and think “aha!” Trade Wilson and draft him. Since they both do that one escape thing. And forget all the other stuff like Wilson was a cartoonishly accurate passer at a real program running a pro system. And not a guy who transferred down a tier or two and then played down to that level.
Final thought: malik willis. The hardest of passes from me. Dude looks like a pick machine at the next level. Looks overall smaller than Wilson. Runs like an injury risk. Shows how down this QB class is if a borderline inaccurate junior college adjacent qb without elite traits be it giant arm or size/speed combo is getting hyped between round one and early round two.
Russell Wilson Sr. year at Wisconsin:
73% comp rate
33 TDs, 4 ints
Big Mike he can’t see over the line….checks notes….played behind the biggest oline in college that year.
Malik Willis: 61.1% going down from the year before. 27 tds to 12 ints. For freaking liberty…..
Peter: he won’t throw over the middle either………re-watches XLVIII and sees numerous throws in that area including a TD to Kearse………..doh!
Never ever thought I could bring myself to hoping that the Hawks lose. However, I’m at the point where I believe that losing out will not only improve our draft position (yes, in the second round), but also make it impossible for whoever’s driving this thing to ignore the incompetence and run this crew back for another season. Rob has suggested that it’s not impossible that PC is fired, and losing to the Lions and Cardinals increases the likelihood of that result. #PleaseFirePete
I agree, but I also believe the decision should be made already and the team should already be searching and talking to people.
That’s “should” and “should”. As in, “should” have taken Nick Chubb, or “should” not have resigned Jamal Adams. Doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.
Like I said at the top of this thread, we should trust that Jody Allen and her team are on top of this and will handle the situation in the same way that Paul would have handled it. I don’t think the results of these last two games will have any impact on the outcome.
Assuming ownership handles this the way Paul would have, they will surround themselves with smart external consultants to evaluate where the team is and how it got here. The decision will be made off of well sourced research and advice, not emotion.
But why should we trust Jody and her team to handle the situation in the same way Paul would have? What evidence do we have it will go that route?
Not saying you’re wrong, but there’s really nothing to indicate what she is thinking or what she will do.
Like I said above. Jody isn’t just some random sibling of Paul that inherited his fortune. She was the CEO of his investment/management company from day one till the day he died. She was intimately involved in everything thing that Paul did. Paul didn’t run his businesses alone. He ran them with a team and Jody was the person he trusted most (as demonstrated by the fact that he made her CEO)
There is a track record for how Vulcan made decisions. She was CEO of Vulcan. It seems unrealistic to think that she would approach a decision like this in any other way except the way that Vulcan approached them in the past.
I’m not sold on Jody having this key role within Vulcan. That doesn’t chime with what people have said, regardless of the title she had.
But I do think we shouldn’t assume anything about what she might do. The truth is we don’t know. Luckily we’re just over a week away from finding out.
I think there are seriously dark times ahead. I agree with Rob that retaining Wilson with new personnel and coaching leadership could lead to a quick resurgence. But, I don’t think that will happen. If Pete and John stay and we try to reboot with a bad draft and a poor drafting dept? Oof! Hawkblogger pod they listed the league wide FA list: OOF!!! It was littered with aging vets or middling high round draft busts (exactly the type of John Schneider moves he loves!!!).
No sense feeling the doom and gloom until we get some clarity on what the future is going to hold. Sure doesn’t seem like we’re going to hear anything until after the last game. Jody Allen and her team seem to run a very tight-lipped ship. The only thing we fans are hearing is essentially posturing and subtle finger pointing from Wilson and Carroll. Which to me says that they themselves don’t know what’s going t happen.
Let’s let this play out.
Kay Adams is recommending that you bench Russell Wilson today in Fantasy Football…against the Lions.
I have to think there are not many teams competing for fantasy championships or 3rd place games with RW at the helm. And, yes, Kay’s rec is a sad projection of how far this team has fallen.
Rob,
Always respect your opinion. One of the biggest problem with Seahawks leadership is that they do not control the narrative. Every year the 12s have dealt with some sort of off-season drama. Russell’s first contract extension, Sherman’s contract, Earl’s contract, Kam’s, Adams contract. There is always something. They continually remain silent and the click baiters post unfounded headlines without much basis. That needs to be the first step. Come out and emphatically say Russ is staying. If Pete is going, get it done quickly. They can’t go into this off season without a clear vision starting on Jan 9 or earlier.
Too often they mold the team in June/July with late trades, bargain signings in free agency’s third wave. That leads to sluggish starts as they build continuity. There seems to be little planning since Paul Allen became ill and then passed. Why the question marks around Wagner and Russ? Why do we only hear from former players what they think is going on? Why can’t Vulcan put out a statement? End the drama before it starts. Put forth a plan and stick to it.
Again great insight Rob. I was wondering what your thoughts would be after Pete’s press conference speaking about Jody Allen and a rebuild. Appreciate the fact based pivoting of some of your most recent conclusions after receiving a bit more insight from those up top.
On a side note, went to check video and info on Dorian Thompson-Robinson and I also liked what I saw. He seems like a guy that would benefit greatly from a year or two behind Russell as they are both 5-11/6 foot QBs with mobility(although thats slowly been changing for Russ as he gets up there in age)
Keep the content coming. Whether Pete is or isn’t the answer, a healthy debate must exist and contrarians along with devil’s advocates should be welcomed in order to challenge the status quo and really put the Seahawks franchise above any one individual or player. Preach
👊🏼,
EB 🇵🇷
Well, I said we should root for the Jets and Texans.
Jets leading the Buccs 17-10 at the half 👀
Cyril f***ing Grayson!
Happy New year everyone!
😀
The Doors sang a song called ‘The End’. If anyone wants to channel their inner Jim Morrison, singing it might be good for the final home game today and then the final game next week. It’s time for change. What that change looks like is anyone’s guess.
Unfortunately, I’m buying into the Donovan McNabb, Steve McNair, Michael Vick, Cam Newton, Daunte Culpepper, shelf life of these dual threat QBs. If we keep Russ, I hope I’m wrong. If we deal him for a haul, I hope I’m right (or my friend to told me of this idea is right).
What Pete has done since the reset has been embarrassing. Aside from the 2020 draft (where we wanted Jonathan Taylor), all the drafts have been crap. The free agency has been full of garbage like Finney, Mayowa, Hyder, Ogbuehi, Olsen, Hyde, etc. The final exclamation point was the pathetic Jamal Adams disaster.
It was a great run from 2012-2015. Then is all started to crumble. This is the end.
My question is, are we in better shape today or when Pete/John took over?
Back then they had two picks in the top 14 in the first round.
Today we have an aging supposedly great dual threat QB but we don’t have any high picks in the draft.
I guess technically, we’re better off today than back then… but how pathetic have we become where we can even take a few seconds to ponder how bad were are after that season of Jim Mora?
The problem with these comps is Wilson is miles away a better qb passer than any of the ones listed. Vick, newton, mcnair, and mcnabb are all 60% and below.
Culpepper was higher than those four but never better than Wilson and injuries killed his career.
The first four qb’s never more than one per their career threw for 30+ td’s.
Oddly russ is a better runner than most of them.
If anything his sacks and the sacks he’s been given are going to kill his career.
What the hell! I am so glad AB is not on our team…
https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/01/02/antonio-brown-strips-down-on-bucs-sideline-goes-to-locker-room/
Let’s go down the road where the Hawks trade Wilson to the Giants for a kings ransom. Two firsts and change this year and a first next year. Per Rob there is not much in the way of rookie QBs this (and probably next) year.
What QB can the Hawks get as a 2-3 year stop gap and still be successful (playoffs) untill we can land a legitimate rookie QB? Or possibly an actual franchise QB (Rodgers/Watson)?
No wrong answers..just looking for options and ideas.
How much would it cost to get Watson? Rodgers?
I personally like Trubisky. I like Huntley. Are there any other reclamation projects?. Legimate or otherwise that could have success in Pete’s run first offense?
It’s not a fun exercise, understandably. Just curious what we can come up with.
Rob, as always a great take. Idk if you have seen Brian Nemhousers tweets recently but he’s taken the opposite approach and believes the Seahawks should keep Carroll. His reasoning coming down to several ex players coming out in support of Carroll such as Hasselbeck,Avril,Marshawn amongst others citing not giving up on a coach after 1 rough year and the culture he has built plus he believes its much harder to find a high end coach than a franchise qb. He believes he needs to be stripped of his personal decision making tasks and be simply a coach. He also believes they should possibly go away from Schneider and find another gm to build the team. Curious what your thoughts are on that scenario? I find it highly unlikely Carroll will agree to such a thing
It’s good to see an exercise in actual critical thinking, a lost art these days. In the spirit of that, here is what I think for now. I could certainly be wrong.
I think Pete and Russ have a relatively solid relationship. If the stories are to be believed (and I believe them), it was Pete who stepped in and prevented a Russ trade last year. Pete also showed a lot of humility by saying he wouldn’t still have his job today without Russ. On the flipside, Russ has said many times that he wants to be a Seahawk, and I believe him. He also could have had a dramatic holdout demanding a trade as other QBs have recently done, but he didn’t. Russ has not been perfect, but I think at the very least he cares about having the image of being an organizational soldier.
I’m also not completely sure if Russ still holds the (for lack of a kinder term) “diva” type views he had a year ago. His stock has dropped a lot since then. A year ago he could make the claim that he deserved the Mahomes treatment. I don’t think he can anymore, and I think (could be wrong) that this realization has come to him.
However, I do have some pessimism. I think there is a concerning rift between Mark Rodgers and John Schneider. GMs really don’t like having their power undermined, especially if they feel that they “know better” than the meddling party. Is there a concern about overcoming this rift on a contract extension down the road? Yes. With that said, Russ is still under contract for 2 more years and there’s also the franchise tag as options after that. JS might feel most comfortable going “year to year” with Russ, and while it’s true that Russ could play hardball and holdout, at least so far Russ has been too image conscious to consider that as an option. So far, anyway.
Overall, it’s a very difficult offseason to predict. But the one thing I probably feel most confident about is Russ staying. If Pete goes, Russ would stay because it would be his team at that point. If Pete stays, he’d need Russ, and would very likely make concessions to Russ to keep him here. I also think that the kind of deal that it would take to get Pete to seriously consider allowing a trade would probably be unlikely to occur given how far Russ’ stock has fallen.
JS is the biggest wildcard, as IMO he is the unhappiest member of the trio, and there is also an outside chance of him being fired. It might be an unpopular opinion here, but I think after struggling from 2014-2019, JS has drafted better in 2020 and 2021, and for the most part made better signings. The Adams trade has not gone well but overpaying for a safety shouldn’t be enough to sink a franchise, and though I can’t prove it, I doubt trading for Adams was JS’s idea anyway. That felt like a Pete move to me.