Author: Rob Staton (Page 194 of 425)

Sports Broadcaster, Journalist and creator of Seahawks Draft Blog in 2008.

Instant reaction: Seahawks run to win

September 23, 2018 /

There are two key takeaways from this game:

1. Running the ball still matters

A lot of people want to tell you otherwise. They’re wrong. There isn’t a statistic you can slap an acronym on to portray what the Seahawks did today. They controlled the game and physically wore down the Dallas defense. Committing to the run is a viable way to structure your offense. Sometimes it won’t work. When it doesn’t, those committed to trying to argue ad nauseam that it isn’t important any more will rush to their twitter accounts. But this is all that matters — there are multiple ways to win, multiple ways to lose and execution and talent are the deciding factors. Not ‘ideology’.

2. It’s far too early to write off Pete Carroll

After an 0-2 start and some bizarre moments (Earl Thomas, Chris Carson being ‘gassed) — it’s understandable why some people were wondering if the end of an era was forthcoming. Not so fast. Carroll has had to patch together a new defense. Look at the results. They’re playing their arses off. They’re turning the ball over. Bradley McDougald looks like a star. The unheralded D-line is making plays. They’re getting performances out of rookie Tre Flowers and linebackers brought in off the street. It’s not the LOB. It’s a Pete Carroll defense. And that’s worth hanging on to.

It’s only one win and there’s still a lot of work to do. Russell Wilson was much improved but still seems somewhat restricted at times. Is this deliberate? Can they be even better by loosening the strings? They also miss Doug Baldwin and other teams won’t be as generous as this average Dallas group.

This was still a crucial victory rich in positives. The energy was back. Frank Clark looks thoroughly deserving of a second contract. Mychal Kendricks needs to stay in Seattle as long as possible. McDougald as noted looks fantastic. Jarran Reed had two sacks. The offensive line is playing very well. Chris Carson had Seattle’s first 100 yard rushing game for 23 games. They were better on third downs. Earl Thomas, for all the drama, made two tricky interceptions. Tyler Lockett is scoring a touchdown per game at the moment. It took three weeks but they finally stayed true to their chosen identity on offense.

This was a big one. Fall to 0-3 and the knives were going to be sharpened. Big questions would be asked. It’s funny how one game can change the mood. For the first time this year, this looked like a group with some potential.

Now the Seahawks can legitimately target a 2-2 start at Arizona next week. They could be facing Josh Rosen too — he came in for Sam Bradford in a desperation act to avoid 0-3. It didn’t work.

You can now support Seahawks Draft Blog via Patreon by clicking the tab below.

Become a Patron!

Seahawks set to fine Earl Thomas

September 23, 2018 /

So there we have it. It appears, after all, Earl Thomas pulled himself out of practise twice this week. No ‘veteran rest days’. And no suggestion in this report of a personal issue he was dealing with (unless you count his wallet being insufficiently stuffed).

It seems it was a powerplay all along.

The saga painfully continues.

Here’s the issue. If the Seahawks trade Thomas after stunts like this, it opens the door for others to do the same. After all, it would’ve worked for Thomas. He got what he wanted. Yet what is the alternative? Deal with an ongoing distraction and get nothing for Thomas in the off-season? Put pride and making a point ahead of vital draft stock?

They have no easy win here. Unless someone comes up with a fantastic trade offer — which seems unlikely given teams will be fully aware of the difficult situation facing Seattle.

The link to the Chiefs feels like a plant. It reads like the Seahawks trying to create a market that has seemingly only ever involved one team — Dallas.

One can only hope Seattle’s defiant or stubborn approach (pick which one you prefer) pays off. If they really did turn down a second round pick from the Cowboys, you wonder if they’ll regret that in the future.

The holdout was one thing. Pulling yourself out of practise and creating a distraction days before a vital game against Dallas is a totally different thing altogether. It’s not a good look. At all.

Nobody has stepped up to trade for Thomas and pay him. So he has to play the cards he’s been dealt. One more year in Seattle on a decent not exceptional contract.

He can do what he wants in that time. Hold out again. Not practise. Whatever. It won’t change anything. Not this late in the day. I suspect few will remain sympathetic to his cause after this latest move, however. And why should they?

This isn’t about supporting ‘the man’ against Earl Thomas. We all respect Thomas’ desire to get a long term contract. It’s understandable. But sometimes in life you don’t get what you want. And most people can’t fall back on their millions and the security of more millions to come when they’re unhappy at work.

***Update***

CFB week 4: Did we mention this is a good D-line class?

September 22, 2018 /

Another week, another really productive weekend for the top defensive line prospects. With Ohio State’s Nick Bosa out with an abdominal injury, the rest of a loaded class continue to shine.

Brian Burns is the legit
Nobody has done more to improve their stock this season than Burns. Playing on a rank bad Florida State team, he shines every week with a combination of quickness and length. Look at the interception he made today:

That’s incredible. He also had a sack in a victory against Northern Illinois. Burns continues to make plays every week. If he tests well, and there’s no reason why he won’t, watch out.

D’Andre Walker is a beast
Listed in our early watch-list this summer, Georgia’s Walker continues to shine. He had two more sacks today against Missouri and plays with an intensity, athleticism and physicality that deserves early round consideration. It’s a major surprise that he still isn’t getting any major attention on the draft circuit. Walker is legit. He can be a linebacker or rusher and helps set the tone for Georgia.

Christian Wilkins and Clelin Ferrell continue to make plays
It’s difficult to judge a D-line against the triple-option. The style just doesn’t translate. And when you come up against an elite defense, the mistakes start to happen. Georgia Tech fumbled their way through the game. Paul Johnson’s offense can be difficult to watch when it isn’t rocking. Still, Christian Wilkins managed to put on a show. He was running across the line, dodging blocks with great balance and athleticism and he landed a couple of sacks. Wilkins is really good — his quickness, frame and ability to win in multiple ways should land him a spot in round one. The rest of the ‘big four’ had a quieter day — but Ferrell still managed a touchdown on a fumble recovery (two other players, including Wilkins, could’ve scored before Ferrell finally fell on the ball).

Rashan Gary is building momentum
He needed to start making plays, even when facing difficult double-teams. He’s a freaky athlete and you want to see it flash. Today he helped Michigan defeat Nebraska by collecting another sack and reports suggest he put on a second consecutive strong performance. If he can finish the season with some consistency he can still be a high first round pick.

You can now support Seahawks Draft Blog via Patreon by clicking the tab below.

Become a Patron!

Is Earl Thomas holding out of the Dallas game?

September 21, 2018 /

The Earl Thomas saga takes another twist. Oh joy.

So what’s going on? I can think of three possibilities:

1. Thomas is going to the Cowboys. Neither team will want to face him on Sunday. So the deal gets done (officially) early next week.

2. Dallas stepped up to the plate (finally) and made a handsome offer. Now the contract talks begin.

3. Thomas is still angry with the team and is making a play to change a situation he’s clearly unhappy with.

Steve Wyche at NFL.com reports, “A team official said that Thomas had not been traded and reiterated Carroll’s statement that Thomas was dealing with a personal issue.”

Obviously this doesn’t mean a trade won’t happen in the very near future. If Thomas is simply making a play to the team — what’s next? Nothing is going right.

One way or another it’s time for this saga to end.

The Seahawks are 0-2 and don’t look like a contender at all. Losing Earl Thomas for nothing in the off-season makes no sense. Extending him or trading him are the only real solutions. They’ve made it clear he isn’t going to get a new contract in Seattle.

If the Cowboys really are offering a second rounder — it’s time to do a deal.

The Seahawks currently only own picks in rounds 1,3,4 and 5 in 2019. They clearly need more to rebuild parts of this roster. It’s hardly a treasure trove of picks even if they deal Thomas for a second rounder plus change. They have needs at key positions and don’t have competitive depth. They have money to spend in free agency — but have to hope some of the better players reach the open market.

Even then, it won’t matter what they do if they don’t address a bizarre start to the 2018 season. A clunking offense, confusing mixed messages about Chris Carson’s workload and a Head Coach interfering with the offensive play calls have added to a disappointing 0-2 start.

Whatever happens with Thomas, these things need to be sorted out on Sunday.

Kudos to the guy who wrote this tweet, by the way:

What’s next?

September 18, 2018 /

It’s already here. The talk of big change in the off-season.

The 0-2 start and the manner of the two losses made it inevitable.

Many people appreciate it’s a transition year. They just want to see reasons to be optimistic. I suspect a lot of fans are resigned to 6-10 or 7-9. Or worse. They simply want to go into the off-season believing the good times will be back soon.

Little about this start will evoke any optimism.

It’s not totally negative. The performance of the defense in Chicago, minus several stars, was encouraging. It highlighted Pete Carroll can still coach up a defense. Considering the lack of X-factor talent on the defensive line and the game of musical chairs across from Shaquill Griffin, last night has to be considered a job well done.

But then there’s the offense. And that’s the reason people are losing faith quickly.

Carroll’s interview after the game was bizarre.

Firstly, he revealed he told Brian Schottenheimer to take deep shots at the start of the second half. I get it. They had some momentum before half time and had an opportunity to snatch even more with a big play. Yet they had a spell where they didn’t run the ball for 14 consecutive snaps.

8:11 left in the second quarter until 14:15 left in the game. No runs.

Seattle spent an off-season saying they were going to fix and feature the run. This year they have 64 and 74 rushing yards in their two games. They have zero rushing touchdowns. They appear willing to abandon it in a flash.

Nobody wants them to run for the sake of it but this just seems so contradictory.

Secondly, the Chris Carson mystery (which is staggering and weird). He didn’t run the ball once in the second half. Not a single tote. Carroll said after the game he was tired due to a special teams commitment. Then it was revealed he had only two snaps on special teams. Today Carroll backtracked on 710 ESPN, suggesting he was mistaken. Carson was just tired and he made an assumption.

What’s going on?

Why is Carson tired, if indeed he truly was? Why is Carroll’s message — usually so on-point — now strikingly inconsistent?

People have started to assume, not unfairly, it’s merely an attempt to feature Rashaad Penny. The first round pick. Perhaps that’s true? But it doesn’t answer why Mike Davis got on the field before Carson to spell Penny.

Weren’t Carson & Penny supposed to be a two-headed monster?

What’s going on?

Then there’s the scheme and play-calling. Russell Wilson has never looked so unsure, so jittery, so compressed. He looks uncomfortable.

And even more concerning is their apparent inability to dictate to the defense in any way. They want to run the ball but either can’t or won’t. They see a seven-man blitz from Chicago and don’t have the answers to beat it.

This tweet from Brock Huard sums it up:

The offense was supposed to be the unit they could hang their hat on. This was supposed to be the year they got back to classic Carroll football. Instead, the opposite is happening. The offense hasn’t looked this stagnant in the Wilson era.

Things can change quickly in football. With two home games up next against inconsistent Dallas and Arizona (who look even worse than Seattle), they could easily be 2-2 in a fortnight. It might simply paper over the cracks but some of the doom and gloom would be lifted. Even if it’s just temporary.

They should beat Arizona. Should being the key word. But Dallas? If they lose next week the noise will grow. With a game against the Rams forthcoming, the reality is a 1-4 start heading to London.

That’s not unrealistic. And it’s why this Dallas game is undoubtedly the most important since Seattle was beaten in the playoffs by Atlanta in 2016. The fans need something to show this isn’t the ‘titanic’ after all. They need a reason to believe this team is a good off-season away from being ‘back’.

They’ve had two losses. They need some wins.

The offense has to be better. Carroll and Schottenheimer have to be better. So does Wilson — but he needs help. It has to start now.

Stand-out draft prospects so far

Nick Bosa (DE, Ohio State)
Clelin Ferrell (DE, Clemson)
Ed Oliver (DT, Houston)
Steven Montez (QB, Colorado)
Brian Burns (DE, Florida State)
Devin White (LB, LSU)
Dexter Lawrence (DT, Clemson)
Dre’Mont Jones (DT, Ohio State)
Raekwon Davis (DT, Alabama)
Christian Wilkins (DT, Clemson)
Austin Bryant (DE, Clemson)
D’Andre Walker (LB, Georgia)
David Edwards (T, Wisconsin)

You can now support Seahawks Draft Blog via Patreon by clicking the tab below.

Become a Patron!

Instant reaction: Ugly Seahawks fall to 0-2

September 17, 2018 /

Last weeks reaction post started with the words: ‘this could be a long season‘.

It is going to be a long season. Unfortunately.

This was supposed to be a year where the offense stepped up to the plate. They were going to carry the team with a younger defense in transition.

The O-line was supposed to be better. Russell Wilson was going to prove his quality once and for all. They were going to get back to running the ball.

In reality, the offense looks pitiful.

Where do you start?

The Bears showed zero respect to Wilson and the passing game. They regularly attacked with seven, swarming an overmatched offensive line. In that situation Wilson needed to get the ball out quickly. If anything it was an opportunity for the quarterback to attack. Exploit Chicago’s aggressive nature.

He couldn’t do it. Or he can’t. Time and time again he dwelled in the pocket, took a sack, tried to create. No dice. Drive after drive stalled. They had no answer. No solution.

Wilson has struggled badly in the first two weeks. He was jittery again, indecisive. Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Matt Ryan, Tom Brady, Philip Rivers. Keep rushing seven against those guys and they’ll exploit it. Wilson, so far, is failing to show he can operate conventionally with the mass responsibility now on his shoulders.

A week after failing to establish the run, they decided to be more pro-active this week in that regard. The first drive was loaded with runs. But the incompetence of the passing game essentially ended any opportunity to stick with it. Every time they tried to mix in a pass, disaster struck.

Last week they had 64 rushing yards. This week they had 74 rushing yards.

Fix the run? This isn’t it.

Even so, the running game itself seems muddled. The committee approach currently is uninspiring. And this quote from Pete Carroll after the game was baffling:

Carson didn’t have a carry in the second half.

(EDIT — It’s since emerged Carson played two snaps on special teams. Why did Pete Carroll lie about that?)

The offense is a mess. It’s hard to imagine how they’re going to get out of this rut. The hope has to be that it’s just growing pains. This is a new staff, a tweaked unit with a lot of new personnel.

But this is where they’ve invested and placed their faith. Trading for Duane Brown and paying him, a first round pick on a running back, changing the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach.

Rather than get better, in many ways things are worse. There’s very little cause for optimism.

It’s strange. Seahawks fans have enjoyed a terrific run in the Carroll era. It’s weird to see such a poor product now. So often in this league you don’t see the cliff-face coming. It looks like it might’ve arrived for Carroll’s team.

The Seahawks deserve to be 0-2. This isn’t 2015 where you felt they had the talent to come back. Already, the key to the season appears to be finding some pieces you can roll with beyond 2018. The performance of the defense — punching above its weight — might offer some hope there. Minus Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright, the unit did its best against the Bears. The 24-17 scoreline flattered Seattle.

Yet there still isn’t that core group emerging like we saw in 2011. Carroll surely is hoping that season will be emulated. Rough start, finding their groove later on. Taking momentum forward.

This feels different. There’s no blossoming LOB or Marshawn Lynch. The players on offense they should be relying on are playing poorly.

It’s not good. And neither are the Seahawks.

You can now support Seahawks Draft Blog via Patreon by clicking the tab below.

Become a Patron!

CFB week 3: Big name defenders continue to make plays

September 16, 2018 /

Ohio State duo stand out again

The Ohio State vs TCU game was highly entertaining and featured two big name draft prospects. Nick Bosa (clearly the early favourite to go #1 overall) had a sack fumble that was recovered in the end zone for a touchdown:

Bosa is a complete defender working the edge. Quickness, twitch, the balance to bend and flatten, power. He does it all. Bosa appears faster than his brother Joey and consistently looks like the best defender in college football. The downside? He left the game with a groin injury. Let’s hope it’s not too serious.

Dre’Mont Jones is making a statement at the start of the 2018 season. Against TCU he had a sack, two TFL’s and a pick six. The interception was a tremendous play. He undercut a shovel pass and ran it back for 28-yards:

At 6-3 and 295lbs he has top level speed and agility. It’ll be interesting to see his three-cone and short shuttle at the combine. Based on Ohio State’s first three games (I’ve seen them all) he has a real chance to go in round one.

Elsewhere…

— The Clemson defenders continue to dominate. Clelin Ferrell and Austin Bryant both collected two sacks against Georgia Southern. Ferrell has five sacks in three games so far. Both players, along with Dexter Lawrence and Christian Wilkins, are highly likely to go in round one. Ferrell is a nailed-on top-10 pick and could easily go in the top five.

— Florida State are having a miserable start to the season. They look terrible. The only positive might be the performance of Brian Burns. A name on our pre-season watch-list, Burns had two sacks and three TFL’s against Syracuse. Burns looks like he still has some filling out to do but he’s long, lean and quick off the edge. He’s making a strong case for round one with the way he’s started the 2018 season.

— LSU’s Devin White is a beast. In a vital win against Auburn, he had a big-time play on fourth and short. White anticipated the snap, shot his game and exploded into the backfield for a TFL. He is a tone-setter, leader and appears to have the athletic make-up of a very high pick at linebacker.

— Greg Gaines got his first two sacks of the season in Washington’s win at Utah. I have the tape of this game but haven’t been able to watch it yet. It’s difficult to project where Gaines might go in the draft but all he’s done for three years is make plays. He’s really good.

You can now support Seahawks Draft Blog via Patreon by clicking the tab below.

Become a Patron!

Why have the Seahawks failed to address problems?

September 10, 2018 /

In the early Pete Carroll years, they were prolific in solving problems. Priority #1 was to fix the running game. They’d achieved it by mid-season 2011. They wanted more speed in the front seven. Come in Bobby Wagner and Bruce Irvin. They found a young franchise quarterback in the draft and built the best secondary in the league.

They won a Super Bowl.

Recently though, they’ve struggled to address stated needs. Let’s take a look…

Inadequate depth at linebacker

Immediately after the 2016 season, Pete Carroll listed his off-season priorities. Key among them was to improve the depth at linebacker:

“We need some youth at the linebacker spot now. Bobby and K.J. played 1000’s of plays this year between the two of them and were extremely successful but we need to address that. We didn’t really get anybody that made a difference in the last couple of years that can really fight to take those guys job. Think if somebody could battle K.J. and Bobby for their starting jobs? That’s what we need to draft towards, so we’ll be looking there.”

The Seahawks didn’t draft a linebacker in 2017, despite using 11 picks. This year they drafted Shaquem Griffin to compete at the WILL. Regular readers will know I’m a big fan of Griffin’s. I felt before the draft — and still do — that he’s best served as a nickel linebacker and key special teamer rather than a potential starting WILL. At UCF he struggled to drop in zone and he couldn’t set the edge against the run.

Those weaknesses were exposed in the Denver game.

Never write Griffin off. But it’s fair to ask whether his selection in 2017 is enough to address a need Carroll identified nearly two years ago.

And as we’ve seen this year and last, the Seahawks struggle when Bobby Wagner or K.J. Wright miss games. Wright is a free agent at the end of the season. The depth at the position is weak.

It’s strange that Seattle identified proper depth behind Wagner and Wright as a priority, then did so little to address the matter.

Committing to the run

Yesterday we were talking about a familiar topic. The Seahawks keep saying they want to run the ball. Most of their off-season moves were geared towards fixing the run. And yet here we are. Week one — 18 passes compared to 6 runs in the first half. 33 passes compared to 16 runs by the end of the game.

Carroll tried to justify this in a conversation with Brock & Salk today but the argument was, with respect, lacking. He suggested a problem converting third downs (2/12) prevented them from calling more run plays.

I’m not sure this rings true. This was a close game. They didn’t have to chase a big deficit or score quickly. Why not at least try to establish the run as a first-half priority, even if it ultimately doesn’t work?

Mike Salk rightly asked why they started the day passing twice and noted a decision to throw later in the game on third and inches. Carroll countered by admitting they could’ve done but chose not to. They had a play they liked on the 3rd and inches call and should’ve executed. True enough. Wilson missed on the throw off play action. Yet here’s the thing. You want to be a running team. You want that to be your identity. So why aren’t you able to run for an inch or two to move the chains? And why aren’t you even giving yourself a chance to do so?

We’ve been having this conversation for too long. Even after the 2016 season we were talking about a lack of commitment to the run.

The Seahawks had the 25th best running attack in the NFL this year. In the previous four years they were comfortably in the top-five.

Part of the issue is Marshawn Lynch. There will never be another. Lynch was able to impact every game he played in — even on a 20-carry, 60-yard day. His physicality, the attention he commanded and the consistent eight-man boxes provided the Seahawks with an advantage they could only dream of in 2016.

It doesn’t mean they can’t run the ball successfully without Lynch — but it feels like they need to recommit to that aspect of their offense. Too often they started strongly and were then led down a different path. It happened in Atlanta where Thomas Rawls had 29 yards on six carries on the opening drive and five yards on five carries for the rest of the game.

The run game got even worse in 2017 and now here we are. Talking about the same thing — a need to properly commit to their stated identity.

A 64-yard rushing performance like yesterday has become the norm.

Baffling pass rush decisions

Seattle felt they needed an interior rusher so badly in 2017, they spent their first pick on Malik McDowell. It was a risky decision all considered, given his underwhelming college career and fall into round two (McDowell had previously been considered a possible top-10 pick). When McDowell hurt himself in an ATV accident, the Seahawks went out and spent another second round pick on Sheldon Richardson. Two second round picks used to address this need. That’s how much of a priority it was.

So what changed?

A year on and McDowell is practically retired and Richardson walked after a single season, essentially wasting the pick they used on him. Now they proceed without a serious pass rushing defensive tackle.

They went from super aggressive to almost nonchalant about the interior rush in the space of 12 months. Why?

The focus going forward

The pass rush has to be a priority in the off-season. Even if they re-sign Frank Clark. There’s still an opportunity for Dion Jordan and Rasheem Green to emerge as viable long term options. Let’s hope that happens. But next year is set up for a D-line focus.

For starters, nearly all of the big name college prospects have started the season strongly. Nick Bosa is a complete edge rusher and has to be the early favourite to go #1 overall. The Clemson quartet of Dexter Lawrence, Clelin Ferrell, Christian Wilkins and Austin Bryant all look like the real deal. If anything they surpassed the hype against Texas A&M, putting on a memorable show on Saturday.

Ed Oliver is a man on a mission despite already announcing his intention to declare for next years draft. He isn’t taking any snaps off. His quickness is unique for his size, even if some questions remain about his best position at the next level. Florida State’s Brian Burns had an excellent display against Virginia Tech. D’Andre Walker and Devin White are off to terrific starts at linebacker and Alabama’s Raekwon Davis seems destined to go very early.

The Seahawks will have every opportunity to add to their front seven with their first pick. They need to — and possibly should’ve entered the Khalil Mack competition. It’s not often you get an opportunity to add one of the leagues best for the price of a first round pick and a swap of a first and second. What a bargain.

Nevertheless, there will be options in free agency. Jadeveon Clowney has had health issues in his career but there’s no doubting he’s a genuine game-wrecker. Re-watch his performance against the Seahawks last season. He’s playing out the final year of his contract in Houston and could be the best bet in free agency at a decent age (26).

They need something to hang their hat on defensively. The LOB is no more. Adding to the front seven could be a solution. It’s a shame to be speaking this way so early in the season — but what’s the point in delaying the conversation?

You can now support Seahawks Draft Blog via Patreon by clicking the tab below.

Become a Patron!

« Older posts Newer posts »

© 2025 Seahawks Draft Blog

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑