Author: Rob Staton (Page 20 of 440)

Yesterday it was Terry McLaurin. Today it’s Micah Parsons.

It’s not often a 26-year-old superstar in the prime of his career asks for a trade. Let alone from a team like the Dallas Cowboys. Whatever you think of the franchise, they are one of the big names in world sport.

Yet here we are. A bungled, hapless approach to contract talks has led to Parsons calling for a change of scenery.

So what are the chances of the Seahawks trading for him?

Firstly, let’s just acknowledge that 30 other teams would also be interested in this move. Parsons is a fit everywhere. He has 52.5 sacks in four years. He’s a three-time All-Pro. He has nine forced fumbles. He had a 90.0 grade per PFF last season. He can win you games as a pass rusher. His next contract will re-set the market and nobody will flinch. He is that good.

If you want to supercharge a rebuild, he’s a fit. If you want to go from good-to-great, he’s a fit. If you’re a contender who wants to become even better, he’s a fit.

Everyone will want him.

If the Cowboys start listening to offers they might soon have a change of heart and throw money at their main man. They are likely to find out very quickly just how valuable an asset they possess.

Parsons might’ve said goodbye prematurely on Twitter but ultimately he has no real power to force anything here. The Cowboys are unlikely to trade him. It’d be a ludicrous decision.

Any buyer is going to have to give up a ton to convince Dallas to move on. You could be looking at three first rounders. Players like this don’t get traded. Then you’d have to give him more than TJ Watt’s $41m a year.

So while Parsons would be the ideal finishing touch for Seattle’s defense and potentially put up monster numbers in Mike Macdonald’s scheme, the chances of it actually happening appear remote.

Personally I’d be in favour of a big splash. This is the kind of player who can push the Seahawks over the top. He can be their Nick Bosa or Aaron Donald — a legit X-factor defender capable of helping carry a team to the Super Bowl. Bosa and Donald have appeared in Super Bowls with Jimmy Garoppolo, Brock Purdy, Jared Goff and Matthew Stafford at quarterback. It’s a great review of their influence on games.

The NFC is wide open and there to be won.

I wouldn’t complain if John Schneider went all-in. This isn’t a Jamal Adams trade. This is far more logical for such an impactful player at a vital position.

However, the price-tag in a trade coupled with the salary and the likely cash needed to secure his immediate signature just feels so challenging.

He has relationships in Seattle. Aden Durde coached him in Dallas and there’s mutual respect between the two. Durde hailed Parsons “extremely unique” qualities during his time in Dallas. Equally, Parsons has praised Durde — as did DeMarcus Lawrence prior to his decision to move to the Pacific Northwest.

There was a little bit of drama recently when Parsons reacted badly to an interview Lawrence gave Brian Nemhauser about his decision to leave Dallas. Parsons’ decision now might actually help build bridges and Lawrence can give a veteran “I told you so” look in his former team mates’ direction.

It’s also easy to imagine Parsons being intrigued with Macdonald as a Head Coach and what he could do for his career. The Seahawks have legit cap-space and can take on a big contract if they choose.

It would be a huge statement of intent and possibly push Seattle into Super Bowl contention. I just don’t see Jerry Jones letting Parsons go, despite today’s news of a trade request. This probably drags out all summer, making headlines just like Jerry prefers, and eventually they agree on a contract that wrecks the market for pass rushers.

If he is made available the Seahawks should be ready to pounce — to upgrade their own team and make sure he doesn’t end up in San Francisco or LA.

It’s been revealed that Washington Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin has requested a trade. He’s been seeking a pay-rise and long-term security, with his current three-year, $68.2m deal due to expire after this season.

His base salary for 2025 is $15.5m so he’s easily affordable in that regard. It’s the future money that will prove costly. He will not unreasonably seek to get into the +$30m a year range.

Would it make sense for the Seahawks to show interest?

Firstly, the case for making a deal. McLaurin is an A+ character player and a well established captain and leader. He is one of the most respected players in the NFL. Adding him to any locker room would be a huge boost.

Even when the Commanders were struggling at quarterback he produced results. He has five straight +1000 yard seasons. The only time he didn’t reach 1000 yards was as a rookie — and he still achieved 919 with seven touchdowns. This has been with the likes of Sam Howell, Taylor Heinicke and Carson Wentz throwing him the ball.

Once Jayden Daniels arrived in Washington he registered 13 touchdowns in 2024.

He’s also durable. McLaurin hasn’t missed a game since 2020.

It does feel like the Seahawks are a receiver short on their roster. It’s not a major issue. Smith-Njigba is a fantastic talent. Cooper Kupp should be able to provide a nice complement and Elijah Arroyo could be destined to have a big impact as a rookie. Nevertheless, an extra weapon would be useful.

In particular, they need a deep threat. McLaurin actually received a 99.9 grade for deep shots per PFF last season. Three players achieved that mark with the other two being DK Metcalf and George Pickens. Only Ja’Marr Chase and Rashod Bateman scored more touchdowns of +20 yards (they had six, McLaurin had five). His 12 receptions of +20 yards ranked sixth in the NFL. His average depth of target ranked 14th.

You don’t typically think of ‘burner’ when you consider McLaurin but those numbers are interesting. Let’s also not forget he ran a 4.35 at his combine.

I’ve always liked McLaurin, giving him a first round grade in 2019. It was shocking that he lasted to round three, particularly after an outstanding Senior Bowl. He could be a plug-in-and-produce player who hits the ground running.

Now let’s consider some of the reasons it might not be attractive.

He turns 30 in September so this wouldn’t be a long-term investment. You’d have to do a deal similar to the three-year arrangement he had in Washington. It would likely cost you +$30m a year. The Seahawks have plenty of cap space but can they justify spending that much on an outsider at his age? Especially given he’ll want paying now (something the Seahawks have preferred not to do since Percy Harvin) at a time when others might be thinking they deserve to be prioritised.

Does the Klint Kubiak system call for a big splash at receiver? I’m not sure it does — and trading for McLaurin might block the path for some of the younger players they’ve got on the roster currently.

I don’t think it’d create an issue contractually with Smith-Njigba. Due to the fifth-year option, he likely won’t be getting a new deal potentially until 2027 (with a bigger cap-hit not kicking in until 2028). Therefore, you wouldn’t be paying big money to two receivers.

The cost of a trade could be a problem though. Why would Washington send off one of their better players to another team in the NFC? The Seahawks would likely not go any higher than a second rounder given what they received for Metcalf from the Steelers. Would that get it done?

My conclusion is I would seriously consider trading for McLaurin. He can be a deep threat, he’s one of the most mature and professional players in the NFL and he’s been durable in his career. He’s older but so is Leonard Williams and that’s worked out well. They can handle the cap-cost and they need another receiver who can produce results in 2025. I’m just not convinced how easy it’ll be to negotiate a trade with Washington.

We’ll be doing a live stream at 2:45pm PT reacting to today’s news…

The Seahawks have handled a challenging off-season well. The reward for GM John Schneider is a new contract.

It makes sense for a number of reasons.

Now, both Schneider and Head Coach Mike Macdonald have contracts until at least 2030. There was little reason not to align both deals and have a long-term plan in place for the two most important football people in the franchise.

It was not a simple thing to move on from the Pete Carroll era, considering how ingrained Carroll was within the Seahawks. His influence was everywhere. When he departed there was a lot of emotion. It was truly the end of an era.

We’ve seen across different sports how this can impact teams in a negative way when such a towering figure leaves. It’s not easy to turn the page, transform things and create a new identity. The Seahawks under Schneider and Macdonald have managed that in 12 months, with the GM undoubtedly playing a leading role alongside his inexperienced Head Coach.

The fact so many players attended OTA’s and mini-camp speaks to the buy-in. There’s no drama at training camp either. Nobody creating any distractions. Everything appears to be functioning as required. It doesn’t guarantee success in 2025 and beyond but the Seahawks appear well placed to have a productive season within an open NFC.

The work during the off-season, as already noted, was also emphatic. There could’ve easily been histrionics, drama and long-running distractions. We’ve seen it in Seattle in recent years with high profile players — negotiations through the media, jockeying for position on new contracts, unrest.

Geno Smith was traded before there was ever really any hint of public drama. The deal was announced without any speculation or fanfare. The Seahawks simply made a decision and moved on. Then, unlike the Giants and Steelers who were also in the quarterback market, they swiftly found a replacement. They signed Sam Darnold to a cheaper contract with less of a long-term commitment, acquiring a third-round pick in the process which turned out to be Jalen Milroe.

Some people prefer Smith to Darnold as a player and that’s not a controversial view at all. Personally I think there’s not much between the two, even though they’re different types of quarterback. There’s also a character difference the Seahawks clearly thought mattered, as noted by ESPN’s Brady Henderson. To make the switch and get the value they did is worth celebrating.

Then there’s DK Metcalf. It would’ve been easy to play hardball, insist on a specific trade compensation and have a long drawn-out saga (see: Bengals and Trey Hendrickson). Instead the Seahawks put the feelers out, discovered what the market was and accepted the situation. They got the best deal they could and drew a line under it all.

Their two drafts post-Carroll have been understandable and for me impressive. They’ve used two first round picks on an interior defensive and offensive lineman. They’ve done a good job acquiring young talent with upside. ESPN this week published a piece saying the Seahawks have the second most talent to Houston when it comes to players under the age of 25.

He’s acquired talent on the veteran market well. Leonard Williams was virtually unstoppable at the end of last season while Ernest Jones had an inspirational impact in the middle of the defense. Julian Love has become a mainstay and Jarran Reed’s return has been productive.

Schneider’s choice of Head Coach appears inspired. We can already see the work Macdonald has done with the defense and I think there’s cause for optimism about the offensive staff hired this year.

No GM is perfect. Howie Roseman for example selected Jalen Reagor one pick before Justin Jefferson. Schneider doesn’t get everything right but nobody does.

Despite some suggestions to the contrary, I never got the sense Schneider was ‘under pressure’ post-Carroll. Seattle’s ownership group made their decision and the GM, having appointed Carroll’s replacement, needed time to work on the new direction.

There’s little reason for scepticism about the team in 2025 provided they avoid misfortune with injuries. The NFC West is an open division. The Seahawks won 10 games a year ago playing with an often malfunctioning offense. They could take a shot at possessing the #1 defense this year. With the right guidance, multiple players will be aiming for a breakout season.

The Seahawks made the right call extending Schneider’s deal. They have long-term security and they know who the key decision maker is. Let’s see if the GM and Head Coach can bring another Championship to Seattle in the coming years.

Before I get into Curtis’ notes from the 28th July, remember to check out the new show tonight at 5pm (and subscribe to the ‘Seahawks Collective’ channel):

This is a guest article by Curtis Allen…

The first day of training camp in pads lived up to the billing.  The players seemed anxious to get into some real, physical football.  The practices were spirited and competitive, but not all that chippy.

By all accounts, the defense won the day.  So many elements of their play were at the forefront.  Nick Emmanwori had a fantastic body-contorting interception and returned it for a touchdown.  He lined up on the edge, looking like a blitzer, then dropped into coverage undetected and took advantage of a poor throw by Jalen Milroe.  Riq Woolen picked off Sam Darnold.  Interior linemen like Quinton Bohanna and Jarran Reed got their hands up and batted passes down.  And once again, the Defensive Line proved too much for the Offensive Line when the play called for the Quarterback to scan the field and progress through reads.

It was not all bad on offense though.  In fact, there were some encouraging signs.

Running Game Coming into Focus

With the pads on and more physical play permitted, you can see more clearly how the running game is going to take shape.

The offense had several successful runs in the wide zone scheme.  They ran around the edge and between the tackles and kept the defense guessing a bit about where they were going next.  A delayed handoff with the runner taking the ball into the middle of the field yielded good yardage several times.

Ken Walker and Zach Charbonnet took turns with the top offense.  While it was not as if they were running all over the defense, they definitely had moments where the Offensive Line made room for them, moving bodies inside or sealing the edge for a sideline run.  Damien Martinez looked better with the pads on – no shock there.  He seems intent on helping fill the gap left by Kenny McIntosh’s unfortunate injury.

You should know that Mike Macdonald does not agree with me.  Twice in his press conference he mentioned that the offense did not run the ball very well today.

Judging the running game in camp is tricky.  Defenders are not fully allowed to tackle or bring runners to the ground, so runners can spin out of ‘tackles’ and gain more yards than they would have in live game action.

However, the concepts are coming together.  You can see what they are trying to do, and with a trio of talented runners and a tight end group that is versatile, they can disguise their intentions and force defenses to give them room to work.

I think that part of the offense is further along than at this point last year.

The Quarterbacks

Once again the performances today reflected the depth chart.  Sam Darnold is clearly the starter, Drew Lock is a capable backup that can win you a couple of games and Jalen Milroe is a talented work in progress.

Darnold had a little more of a challenge today with both the pass rush collapsing the pocket and the backfield providing tight coverage.  In a Red Zone drill without a pass rush — Darnold hesitated, trying to find a target.  He drifted a bit then drilled a pass to Ken Walker in tight quarters for a score.

The offense ran a two-minute drill with quick passes and a couple of the delayed handoffs with success.  The pass rush could not get home and the offense hurried to the line to keep them off balance.  Darnold ran it extremely well.

Drew Lock was similar, but minus about 10 percent.  He is still adjusting to finding his reads and making quick decisions.  When his first option is open, he is very effective.  When he has to scan the field, he can take too much time to make a decision.  That said, he also ran the two-minute drill well and earned a field goal.  He had the throw of the day, a pinpoint laser down the seam that reminded me of this gem by Geno Smith last year.

Jalen Milroe was better today than Saturday.  He had some good and bad throws in drills without the full defense.  He had two throws that were far better than the highlight throw from Saturday:  one was a throw where he drifted to his right, scanning with this head up and threw a beauty downfield to Foster Montorie tracking his motion towards the sideline.  The Josh Allen’s and Lamar Jackson’s make that throw in their sleep, probably about 4-5 times per game.  Milroe is capable of it, we need to see it and he needs to know he can make it.

He followed that gem with a wobbly duck on the next play.

The second great throw came in a full scrimmage.  Milroe threw an absolute bullet on a quick slant.  The defender was glued to the receiver and even got a finger on the ball, but it had such velocity he could not change the trajectory and it continued to the receiver for another perfect play.  He will need to throw that pass a few times a game if he is to become an effective starting Quarterback.

He later threw that pick-six to Emmanwori.  It was a drill with the Seahawks backed up on their own two-yard line.  The offense needs a few yards of breathing room far more than they need a long gainer.  Milroe was in his own end zone, feeling the pressure and threw a pass without much conviction behind Brady Russell.  It should have fluttered helplessly to the ground but Emmanwori made a fantastic play on the ball.

Now it is just making those routine throws repeatable and those poor ones a rarity.

I should also note:  We have yet to see any designed Milroe runs or special gadget plays.  The Seahawks are wise to keep them under wraps and help him stay focused on his development.

And again:  Kudos to Milroe for taking reps on the sideline when he is not scrimmaging.

Other Notes

— The Offensive Line Experiment continues.  Today, the Seahawks used even more different combinations in the first and second units.  The only constants so far have been Charles Cross at Left Tackle and Grey Zabel at Left Guard.  They have taken every snap with the first unit.  Force me to guess the Week One line and I’d say Cross, Zabel, Oluwatimi, Sundell and Lucas.

— This is reminding me of last year when the Seahawks tried to work with Oluwatimi and Nick Harris well into Training Camp and then brought in Connor Williams in August and moved on from Harris.

— Michael Jerrell has taken a lot of snaps at Left Tackle with the second unit and looks serviceable there.

— I think Eric Saubert is close to a lock for the roster at this point.  He will be a great Special Teams player and has experience as a pure blocking Tight End.  Elijah Arroyo takes Noah Fant’s spot as a Tight End who can stretch the field and AJ Barner appears to be ready to be a versatile weapon who can help the Seahawks disguise their offensive intentions.  Marshall Lang has made some nice catches but it appears Brady Russell is the choice if they want to keep four Tight Ends.

— They will keep four Tight Ends.  Last year, only one NFL team had two tight ends who each played more than 60% of the offensive snaps:  The New Orleans Saints.  Tight Ends are in Klint Kubiak’s offensive DNA.

— Mike Morris busted through the line for a safety in the drill where the offense had the ball on the two-yard line.  Mike Macdonald praised his play after, and said they have a specific role for him.  He does need to keep working but he may yet have a shot to make the final roster.

This is a guest article by Curtis Allen covering training camp on the 26th July

The last camp practice before the pads come on and the hitting becomes real was a spirited one.  As with most training camp days there were things to like, things to be concerned about and open questions that only time will settle.

The Quarterbacks

There is no shortage of arm talent on the roster.  All three quarterbacks had impressive moments today.

One thing to note from my untrained eye:  Watching their throws in warmups and in scrimmages it does appear that all three put a similar arc on the ball when they throw.  That can be a nice asset if the team ever needs to swap out quarterbacks during a game.  Receivers may not have as big an adjustment to make.

They delivered performances today that unfolded exactly as their positions on the depth chart.

Sam Darnold had an impressive day.  How he speaks on the podium, with a calm confidence and clarity of purpose?  That is how he practices.

He was as expected in warmups and drills — crisply distributing the ball to his receivers and keeping them in-sync.  You can see the chemistry building in real time with Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp and the Tight Ends.

The Red Zone drills were a highlight as Darnold was decisive and made connections often.  The Seahawks had tremendous struggles in that critical part of the field last season, so it is good to see some progress there.

However, those drills are receivers vs defensive backs only.  No pass rush.  Darnold really differentiated himself later in the session with 11-on-11 scrimmages.  He had several accurate throws that evaded the pass rush.  When called on to execute a quick action, he was masterful.  Take the snap under center, play-action to the back, plant his foot in the ground and throw a hard slant.  Two of his incompletions in this session were drops by Jake Bobo and Smith-Njigba.  They were on slants and they were absolutely on the money.

Drew Lock had a similar performance although slightly less effective.  He seems to be showing some of his experience in other systems.  He had several throws that highlighted his arm strength and accuracy, and was very good in the Red Zone drills as well.  Occasionally, he hesitated in the pocket and waited a bit to make his throws.

This became more of an issue in the full scrimmage.  With the Offensive Line still a work in progress, Lock had very little time to scan the field.  When he was executing his first read quickly or pivoting to his checkdown he was effective.  If he hesitated he was in trouble.   If the running game is working as we hope, Lock can come in for a stretch and provide effective Quarterback play with an adjusted game plan.

Jalen Milroe is still an exceptionally talented, unpolished project.  He had a couple of throws that had the crowd oohing and aahing, including a 35-40 yard beauty to Smith-Njigba in the end zone in drills that he could not quite come down with in-bounds.

The arm talent is absolutely there.  The rest of the package still needs developing.

In the scrimmage, Milroe had a simpler playbook than the other two Quarterbacks (they called a run to start of his series each time) and in the passing game struggled to get his reads and progressions worked through before the pass rush closed in.  More than once, he made poor, desperate throws to try to make something happen from the pocket.

Here is what I loved about Milroe though – as his offense rotated to the sideline, instead of standing there watching the other offenses work (he can watch the video later), he got right back to throwing the ball on the side.  Not a moment of practice time wasted.  Little things like that demonstrate the work ethic that Mike Macdonald has talked about.

Other Notes

— The team is using all kinds of interesting combinations along the Offensive Line in practice.  John Benton is working hard in the drills to keep his players focused on fundamentals.  I saw him stop drills more than once and give instruction.  He also has drills with two players lined up next to each other.  Seeing how they mesh together and build chemistry.

— When will the Seahawks settle on their starting Offensive Line?  Mike Macdonald wants it locked sooner rather than later.  My guess would be we will know much more when the pads come on this Monday.  That is the true test there.

— The Tight End group is looking very promising.  Elijah Arroyo today looked especially good.  He spent a bunch of time with the starting offense and had some athletic catches.  It would seem they feel very comfortable without Noah Fant.  It also appears that trying to convert Brady Russell to a Fullback is over.  He worked with the Tight Ends and had several good catches in the Red Zone drills.

— Robbie Ouzts had great lead blocks on a couple of scrimmage runs.

— The defense looks fantastic.  Several players made impact plays in scrimmage.  Boye Mafe easily got around Charles Cross and chased Darnold until he threw the ball away.  Julian Love exploded through the line on a running play and blew it up for a loss.  The Offensive Line was regularly overwhelmed and if the Quarterback did not have the ball out in 2.5 seconds, he was in trouble.

— Riq Woolen and Devon Witherspoon regularly traded spots on each side of the defense.  Seeing Woolen at Left Cornerback after his entire career on the Right side takes some getting used to.

— Steven Sims took every kick return rep with explosion and purpose.  He is out to win a job.

Rob, Robbie & Adam did a live stream discussing a variety of Seahawks topics today. You can watch it below:

I jumped on with the guys ahead of training camp. Check it out…

Starting tomorrow I will be taking part in a new weekly Seahawks live stream/podcast called ‘Seahawks Collective’. It also features Brian Nemhauser from HawkBlogger, Michael-Shawn Dugar from the Athletic and Annabelle Hasselbeck. The first show is tomorrow and if you want to watch live they’ll take place every Tuesday at 5pm PT. I’ll post the YouTube embed on the blog every week. I hope you’ll check it out.

“I would draft a player for what he could become but I wouldn’t give him a second contract for what he could become.”

This was a comment I read in the comments section yesterday by a chap called Mick, relating to Charles Cross. I think it’s the ideal way to sum up his current contract situation.

I wouldn’t pay him a big extension this summer. It’s not a hill I want to die on or anything and if the Seahawks do give him a new deal, I won’t be rushing to write a critical article. I appreciate both sides of the argument.

I don’t think Cross has kicked on despite being three years into his pro career. The same issues we highlighted and discussed as he entered the league pretty much remain. He still lacks the core power to dominate and control blocks once engaged and you still see him lunge when pass rushers reach the arc first, as they straighten around his set and he struggles to seal.

He gave up nine pressures in a game against the Lions last season. His 47 total pressures for the season were fifth most in the league — the same amount as Titans rookie JC Latham who was switching to left tackle for the first time. His 36 hurries conceded were fourth most too. In true pass-sets he gave up 25 hurries — again fifth most. His 34 pressures were eighth most.

There are clearly mitigating circumstances here. The Seahawks’ offense last year was a mess — putting way too much self-inflicted pressure on a struggling offensive line. It won’t have helped Cross that the offensive systems he’s worked in so far have been fairly hopeless. For the first time in 2025, he may experience competency.

That said, I still think he has something to prove before the Seahawks pay him.

I get the sense that he has a bit of an undeserved reputation among fans and media — perhaps due to the range where he was drafted. It’s almost assumed, not by all but certainly by many, that he’s one of the few ‘sure things’ on the O-line. I still think he’s in the prove-it stage. I think he needs to show progression this year, the kind we’ve been waiting for every year since his rookie season. I want to see him take a step in 2025.

If that means he’s a bit more expensive next year as a consequence, so be it. I’d rather pay a player who has shown he can be one of the best at his position in the NFL good money, rather than pay a player a little less money now for perceived potential. If the 2025 season is very much like his 2024 season, I don’t think he is someone who is necessarily worthy of a big new deal.

This was the case with Russell Okung previously. He played an important position. He was decent but not great. He never took the next step and ultimately, once his contract expired, he moved on.

That experience, I think, plays a part in the thought process with Cross. I get the impression what happened post-Okung (an utter mess until they traded for Duane Brown) is creating a fear-factor. If you don’t keep Cross, will you be left in the lurch at a vital position again?

I never think this is a good way to decide who you will or won’t give an extension to. Players have to be given contracts because they warrant them, not because it might be tricky to find a replacement. If Cross deserves to be one of the highest paid tackles in the league based on his performance, so be it. He doesn’t deserve to be one of the highest paid tackles in the league because you worry about having to draft someone else.

In a piece by Jeremy Fowler for ESPN, league sources (executives, coaches and scouts) were consulted to determine the best tackles in the league. Cross wasn’t listed in the top-10 and wasn’t even noted among Fowler’s five ‘honourable mentions’.

For me, Cross needs to justifiably be on this list to get a big extension.

You have two years of contract control and the option of the franchise tag in the future. There is no rush to commit to a big new salary over multiple seasons.

I would challenge Cross to take a big step forward in 2025. If he does it, reward him with a new contract next off-season. If it’s more of the same, you aren’t committed beyond 2026.