Bears gave DE Jared Allen a four-year, $32M deal that voids down to three years of $24M, of which $15.5M is fully guaranteed.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 26, 2014
There was nothing the Seahawks could do about this.
In an off-season where a banged up, soon-to-be 32-year-old Demarcus Ware and a declining 34-year-old Julius Peppers both got paid — it was pretty stunning that Jared Allen lasted this long on the open market.
For me he’s the better player. He’s younger, plays a ton of snaps and his production has shown no signs of dropping off as he approaches his 32nd birthday.
Seattle saw an opportunity and tried to recapture last years magic.
Could they do it again? Grab an established pass rusher with a stalling market and bring him in on the cheap?
It sounds like they came pretty close. But this time someone else stepped up to the plate. They went over Seattle’s threshold, paying about $8m a year on average.
According to Spotrac, Allen will be the third best paid player on the Bears roster.
Good for Chicago, and good for Allen. It works out well for both parties.
The Seahawks just move on. They weren’t going to pay Jared Allen more than Michael Bennett. Not when he turns 32 later this year.
They’ve now got more than enough money to extend at least Earl Thomas and possibly Richard Sherman this off-season. That’s the next priority.
There’s no crisis here. Signing Allen was merely one of the few moves they could’ve made to improve an already dangerous pass rush.
It just creates an opportunity for somebody else.
Pete Carroll revealed today that Tony McDaniel will replace Red Bryant as the five technique and Cliff Avril will replace Chris Clemons at right end.
Dan Quinn recently stated he felt Bruce Irvin “was in the right spot” at strongside linebacker and would stay there. You have to wonder if he might convert back to defensive end following today’s news?
Perhaps not coincidentally, the team website is now listing Irvin as a ‘DE’ again after switching his description to ‘LB’ last season.
You could argue they haven’t got much to lose. Irvin is 27 in November and you don’t often draft athletic SAM linebacker-converts with the #15 pick in any draft.
You have a need at end, you drafted the guy to be the “ideal LEO”.
Maybe it’s time to give him another shot there?
No prizes for guessing what Bruce wants to happen…
@JessamynESPN @710ESPNSeattle mannnn I hope soo!
— Bruce Irvin (@BIrvin_WVU11) March 26, 2014
Certainly nobody can begrudge Malcolm Smith an opportunity to move into a starting role. Aside from winning the Super Bowl MVP award, he finished the season with four interceptions in five games — and returned two for touchdowns.
Irvin could replace Avril, doubling up on the left side with Bennett. K.J. Wright could start at the SAM, Bobby Wagner at the MIKE and Smith at the WILL.
As for the rest of the defensive line rotation — Jordan Hill is almost guaranteed to get more playing time as a former third round pick. Benson Mayowa was protected on the roster throughout 2013 and will get another chance to compete in camp.
Greg Scruggs is returning from injury, while Mike Brooks, D’Anthony Smith, Dewayne Cherrington, Kenneth Boatright and Jesse Williams remain on the roster.
Would you bet against one of those players really stepping up to the mark next year, in the same vein as Tony McDaniel and Clinton McDonald?
My money’s on Brooks for what it’s worth. He flashed throughout pre-season last year and had an impact in the road game against Arizona.
They could re-sign O’Brien Schofield and/or another veteran.
So what about the draft?
With the interest in Allen, I’d started to focus on receivers and the offensive linemen for picks #32 and #64.
I’m not sure anything dramatically changes off the back of one players decision, but I’m at least willing to broaden those horizons a little bit following today’s news.
The big problem is — you’d be fighting the draft to take a defensive lineman at #32 unless a Ra’Shede Hageman falls or someone of that ilk. This isn’t a top-heavy draft on the D-line. It’s loaded with first or second round receivers, and a fair few offensive line prospects who deserve to go in the first frame.
Personally I’d rather wait until later on and look at the following players:
Marcus Smith (DE, Louisville) — LEO style prospects — 6-3 and 251lbs, ran a 4.68 at the combine. Long arms (34 inches) and great production (13.5 sacks in 2013). Really good player who’s flying under the radar. Worth a look in round two, but if you can move down from #64 and get him in the third — even better.
Brent Urban (DT, Virginia) — Really tough, long defensive tackle. Dogged by injuries this off-season after a fleeting visit to the Senior Bowl. On tape he really looks the part and he might fall due to the injuries. A smart team will capitalise. He’s 6-7, 295lbs with long arms. He could be one of the steals of the draft and a huge impact player.
Demarcus Lawrence (DE, Boise State) — Another long pass rusher who also put up decent numbers this year. Has similar size to Marcus Smith — he’s a shade under 6-3, 251lbs with almost identical arm length. He ran a disappointing 4.80 though. His game speed looks a lot faster on tape.
Taylor Hart (DE, Oregon) — Graded in the round 4-5 range, he’s another tall, versatile lineman. Doesn’t have the longest arms for his height (just under 33 inches) but reports suggested he ran a 4.78 at his pro-day. There’s plenty to work with here.
Chris Whaley (DT, Texas) & Dominique Easley (DT, Florida) — Two redshirt types you can stash. Both are recovering from serious injuries — and both flashed big time potential in college. Ideal interior pass rushers, in particular Easley who was a beast at Florida. He’s a sure-fire first rounder without two ACL injuries in college.
Will Clarke (DE, West Virginia) — 6-6 and 271lbs, with nearly 35 inch arms. Ran a 4.77 at the combine. Tape is poor for the most part — doesn’t play up to his size and he’s pretty ‘meh’ as a pass rusher. Physically he has all the tools. Worth a day three pick to see if you can coach him up.
James Gayle (DE, Virginia Tech) — 6-4 and 259lbs, ran a 4.68 at the combine. He also managed a 37 inch vertical. Strong in the upper body and will be able to compete. More of a rotational pass rusher but for a late round flier you might as well take a look. High motor. Has NFL bloodlines.
Caruan Reid (DT, Princeton) — Looked really smooth at the combine. 6-2 and 302lbs, ran a 4.91. He has 33 inch arms. He’ll need some technical refining as a pro but he turned a few heads in Indianapolis.
Deandre Coleman (DT, California) — I’ll watch more of his tape before the draft. My initial impression is — good run stuffer, could be plugged in as a rotational guy. Moves well for his size but will be drafted predominantly to defend the run.
There’s depth to be had in this draft right into day three. So nobody should be panicking about needing to go defense in round one, or missing out on Jared Allen.
I’ll have a new mock draft available tomorrow.
Now that is a surprise. My guess is that he never sees the end of the contract. I wonder what the guaranteed money is?
$15.5m
Seems like a fair contract without being overly generous.
Rob, correct me if I’m wrong but didn’t golden tate come out and say he was willing to take a pay cut shortly after winning the super bowl so he could stay in Seattle?
No, he did not indicated a willingness to take a pay cut. He did indicate a willingness to take ‘less’ than perhaps the highest bidder, but when Detroit offered double the guaranteed money, it no longer made sense to come back to Seattle.
He’s 25, has already won a SB, and has guarantees of $15m over the next two years setting him up for life. I think he easily made the right decision for himself.
He did.
Rob…no….he did not indicate a willingness to take a PAY CUT. He made $490k last season. A pay cut would mean making less than $490k going forward
His exact quote was:
“I would rather take a little less to be happy and win ball games than to take way more and go to a crappy city where the fans don’t give a crap about the team,”
Per his words, the Seahawks offer was roughly 40% less than what he signed for, anyone who thinks “a little less” and 40% are in the same ball park are kidding themselves.
Couldn’t agree more.
Can’t blame him at all if it was for four years, even though he likely never sees the end of that deal.
I guess he’s not interested in winning, must want to take that hunting trip early…
I’m sure he’s interested in winning but, like Tate, not at a 40% discount. I don’t blame him.
No real loss here. I’d rather have a new young player than Allen who is obviously on his way down. Plenty of talent and plenty of opportunities for our younger players. Seahawks will reload talent lost.
Where was the Seahawks “40% discount” confirmed? I’ve read speculation of it and I don’t doubt the offer was less than what Chicago offered, however, it would be interesting to know the exact Seattle offer. Jared Allen has made a ton of money over his career and like many veterans a decision is often made in the twilight of it on what’s more important, money or a legacy. Teams that are built for long-term success like the Patriots simply don’t overpay for any one player. JS is building a dynasty here. There’s no guarantee that Seattle is going to win the Super Bowl next year but they certainly have a better chance than Chicago does…
I read the Seahawks offered a two year 12 million deal. Regardless I don’t think anyone’s knocking the Seahawks for not matching. They’ve got a budget to be able to keep their core together and they stuck to it. Good for them and everyone involved.
The Bears are revamping their defense and have a talented offense. No reason they can’t be contenders where he’s a key piece of their revamped defense. Like he’s said, he didn’t want to jump on the coattails of a Super Bowl team and just be a role player. He feels he’s got much more to give as far as playing time. The Bears offer him a better opportunity for the type of situation he was looking for, a chance to be part of a team that hadn’t yet made it, and they’re paying him much better too. I can’t fault him for that.
I have complete faith in PC/JS at this point. The complete overhaul of the franchise has been an awesome thing to watch. They inherited an aging team that was moving backwards and turned it into something everyone in the NFL is now trying to copy. If Jared Allen was only offered 6 mil a year than I trust that was all his performance on the field is worth moving forward. You don’t pay for past performance. That’s what Ruskell did with Shaun Alexander and others… I don’t “blame” Allen for taking more money either. I also believe he knows in his heart playing in Seattle was his best chance to win a ring.
Oh well, pockets feelin’ heavy then. Thanks for the great work Rob
We all knew that if he signed, it would be a luxury signing. Would have been nice, but… Whatever.
I disagree. This is not insignificant. We released Clemons. Who’s rushing the QB from the right side now? Irvin? I’m not convinced he can be effective in that role.
I am. Irvin has been very effective rushing the passer in the past. He can be the nickel LEO, with Avril moving over to the left. Avril is probably the starting LEO now with Bennett mixed in. Avril was a luxury last year as a situational rusher, now his job is LEO with Irvin as the situational rusher on the right with Avril/Bennett teaming up on the left again in passing situations. Personally, I am not worried at all. Clem wasn’t Clem until the playoffs, we were 13-3 more or less without him playing at his normal level. Bennett’s versatility allows us to do a lot of fun things with the D-Line. Besides, the money saved from not signing Allen can be better utalized on keeping our DBs!
Yep, questions remain there for us. I suspect that this organization is a lot higher on Benson Mayowa (as Clayton has suggested) than we believe. And to be fair, Mayowa excelled last preseason (often against second-string) when being able to pin back his ears and rush the passer; his struggles came against the run when going against starters. This upcoming year, if his role is only pass-rush specialist, he might have a reasonable chance at success.
Of course, our inability to see him in in-game action, all we can offer is speculation. Where I agree with Cysco is that Allen was clearly not a must-sign for the Seahawks brass. If they felt the hole left by Clemons and Red was insurmountable, this was a deal they would have gotten done.
At some point you have to see what you have with Mayowa. With a potentially devastating FA exit next offseason, you can’t tie up money to two positions on the Dline and if we matched Chicago for Allen we’d lose better players who mean more to our future in the long run. Bennett can play the leo if need be.
I would certainly not advocate for matching Chicago’s offer. 15.5M guaranteed – no thanks for a 32 year old. I’m just questioning how PCJS will handle the void on the right side of the DL. Personally, I think Irvin would be overmatched in that role. Admittedly, I forgot about Mayowa and I’ll be very interested how he shakes in training camp. Would love to see someone like that step up.
I agree that Irvin wouldn’t do well as DE and Mayowa and maybe Boatwright should be given a chance. Irvin is doing okay as a linebacker. He could benefit from some cross training as safety. I’m not sure if we really know what his potential is. Would be interesting to try him as a large safety. I would suggest corner too but that is a whole different skill set.
The contract that Allen signed almost looks like Bennett’s. The beauty of Bennett is he can play Leo, the 3tech, and the 5 tech. I really wanted Melton because of this (but not at the Dallas price) because then they could have slid McDaniel to the 5 tech and Bennett could play the leo (of course, maybe they don’t resign McDaniel if they got Melton). That would have been dominant on early downs and the rotation would have been dominant. Allen would have been great for passing downs, but less flexibility on the early downs.
Either way, we had to find out what we have with Mayowa or Boatwright. If one of those guys works out, then we have a cheap option for the next few years and PC/JS don’t have to worry about bleeding $ when the real devastating years of FA (next offseason) hit us.
To me, Bennett’s greatest value is in his ability to collapse the pocket from the inside, to flush the QB into the outside rushers. We don’t have another guy that can do that consistently. Clint McDonald did that well last season but he’s gone now. Hopefully Hill can do it once healthy – I think he can because that is what PCJS selected him to do.
But it doesn’t make much sense, to me, to move Bennett outside. That creates a void in the interior. Avril and whomever starts at LEO should benefit from Bennett inside.
Maybe PCJS have someone in mind in the draft. I don’t have all that much hope for Mayowa, but here’s to hoping.
Yeah, the Jared Allen saga has been interesting to say the least. 15.5 mil over two years (I imagine that this is how it works… unless Chicago was stupid enough to put more guaranteed into the third year) is a little rich for my blood given the sustainable team we are trying to build.
Furthermore, Allen as a player only made sense to a select group of teams in my opinion (really just the Seahawks and Patriots) that could use him in a 4-3/nickel pass rush-specialist role (at which I think he would have excelled). Vikings fans have been complaining about his run defense for the past two years. The Bears defense was atrocious last year, and as an every down defensive end, I am not sure he is a significant upgrade from Julius Peppers.
Certainly, Allen sees the dollar signs and an illusion of the Bears competing for the Super Bowl, but in my mind they aren’t all that close, and he does nothing to change that. Am I alone in thinking that the Hawks, 49ers, Rams, Saints, Cardinals, Packers, Panthers, Eagles (and maybe even the Lions and Falcons with bounce back seasons) all have a better chance next year of representing the NFC?
Again, I get it for Allen. He gets money closer to his asking price and a larger role on defense (one of the worst in NFL last year granted). I don’t understand this for the Bears at all though. Why in the world are the Bears restructuring Jay Cutler’s contract, pushing the buck down the road on an overpaid, middling quarterback, for an aging defensive end that can rush the passer but is a liability in the run game? Wouldn’t you be far better off banking that cap space?
As a sidenote to Allen signing with Chicago, I would imagine that this will guarantee a 4th or 5th round compensatory pick next year that might have been sacrificed with an Allen signing. Would I have rather had Allen for a reasonable price (not 15.5 mil)? Sure, but an extra mid-round pick with this front office is nothing to sneeze at.
Very well put.
With regard to the Bears’ salary structure and kicking the can down the road, let’s hope that the Seahawks’ discipline is rewarded. We are nearing the point – with the cap anticipated to escalate in each of the next two years – where I wonder if Seattle hasn’t been overly conservative. We came out of the Super Bowl with a great roster and some salary cap flexibility. We are now in free agency wind-down mode with even more salary space but some depth concerns headed into the draft. I imagine we’ll sign some vet minimum guys yet, but I think we need to ask whether Seattle shouldn’t have been more aggressive in pursuing a dynasty. Yes, Earl and Sherm will take huge bites out of the cap, but with roster bonuses in lieu of first year salary bumps that could have been delay up to two off seasons from now. Similarly, Russell would not need to be felt hard for three off seasons. Granted, structuring deals that way would involve longer term trade offs, but I wonder if the Hawks haven’t traded an opportunity to dominate for the next several years for salary cap compliance three and four years down the road. To put a fine point on it, you don’t get the Lombardi Trophy for having a pristine salary structure.
Assuming that he maintains his ability, I think Allen would have also maintained our D-Line’s ability. We seem to be down a DE and we don’t really know what we have in Mayowa, and third-person word from the coaching staff is that Irvin is staying at LB. On the surface it seems our rotation and flexibility have taken a bit of a hit. I’m interested to see what PCJS do next.
Would 2 years, $12 million and a chance at a ring really have been that bad? I don’t get this guy. he just banked over $70M.
I think it was a playing-time issue as much as money. I think he still wants to play 90% of the snaps. Ironically, I bet he would have gotten more sacks this year as a fresher, situational (50% of snaps) pass rusher than at 90%. Also, as Tom Pelissero, Minnesota reporter, has indicated recently he was not all that keen on riding the coattails to a Super Bowl- production and impact were more important to him than just winning. Perhaps he thought he might have just been a superfluous piece in Seattle. I don’t begrudge him one bit in that regard, but I do think he could have found better options than Chicago- that’s probably where money comes into play.
Additionally, I think the “money” aspect had as much to do with his ego in relationship to the Ware and Peppers contracts as anything else. And in my opinion, he certainly had a right to feel that way.
People are awfully quick to spend someone else’s money for “a chance to win a ring.”
Realistically, after commissions, taxes, and all the charity work Allen does, his net worth may be a lot less than $70 million. But regardless, is it really worth $3.5 million in guaranteed money (and the difference may have been more than that) for a 1 in 5 chance to win the Super Bowl? Because objectively, that’s what he’d have to figure the Seahawks’ chances to repeat would be.
For some people, it’d be worth it. Others would think there are a lot of other things (sure things) they could do with $3.5 million.
I “get” both kinds of people — those who value the shot at a ring more that the extra millions and those who place a higher value on their last chance to make some serious money.
I would have loved to see the ‘Hawks sign Allen at much less that what Chicago paid, and I was disappointed this morning when I saw the news. But I don’t fault Allen in the least for making the decision he did.
I’m never going to fault a player for taking the money. They sacrifice a lot for it.
Agreed. They sacrifice a lot, including health and health risks. I don’t think very many players are so far towards the point of diminishing marginal returns that they can turn their head at a few million bucks difference.
Like a girl who is partly bummed that her boyfriend cheated on her, but also relieved to find out his true colors before it was too late, the Seahawks must have mixed feelings right now. What Jared Allen’s decision tells me is that he would never have been “all in.” This is a guy for whom his playing time, sack stats, and salary compared to others was more important than winning a championship. (Allen has played against Cutler and knows he will never-ever win a Super Bowl). Allen has revealed that he would not have been happy at all taking the team-first approach required in Seattle. That said, as several of us have been saying for the past few days, we do not have an obvious third pass rusher role that Clem filled last year. Avril and Bennett, the two most important cogs, are back. Scruggs will fill the McDonald role and will likely even surpass him. I doubt any draft pick will be counted on to start in the Nascar package, so I believe this means that Big Bruce Irvin is the guy on third downs, etc….with a nice opportunity for Mayowa to be our next unknown superstar.
The longer this saga went on the less I wanted Allen. My reasoning was when I watch my NFLFilms copy of the seahawk season, and see the intensity on the sideline, you see a group of defensive players who looked like the kind of guys who were so intense about winning, you can feel the same energy even watching the replays. The longer the Allen saga played out, the more it appeared he was about the money, perhaps staying in the midwest, etc. I have no problem with that. It’s his right. At the same time, our defense is about winning at all costs, players knowing their roles, and fitting into the team concept.
I am hoping Scruggs TAKES the Red Bryant 5T job and Jordan Hill owns the McDonald roll. I also expect Boatright and Brooks to contribute and maybe even significantly. I wish someone would prove capable of solid run D at LEO on early downs, but predict it will probably be Bennett…
If Tuitt is available when we draft in the first round, I think that we take him. While he is not a LEO, they could move Avril over, shift Bennett to end (or have Tuitt play there). Having only two legitimate pass rushers on the DL is precarious in this league where guys are frequently hurt.
Getting another pass rusher is more important than OL in the early rounds of the draft in my book, especially considering how easy it is to find good OL in the late rounds (and how difficult it has been for us to find good pass rushers in the middle and late rounds of the draft).
….I agree that this probably moves Tuitt up the Seahawk board. For a big guy, he has real pass rush skills (supposedly ran a 4.8 @ 300 lbs at his pro day). I am starting to think R1 and R2 will go WR/DL or DL/WR, rather than OL. I believe the OL starters are set for this coming season, and Tom Cable will find one more mid/late round gem to develop for a year or two. Okung/Carp/Unger/Sweezy/Bowie are the guys, with Jean-Pierre and Bailey quality backups.
Actually, Tuitt ran 4.8 at a workout for scouts in Feb prior to undergoing foot surgery. He did not run post-surgery at the pro day.
I read on twitter: ryan van bibber @justRVB
Carroll says Seattle has made a decision on James Carpenter’s fifth year option. Won’t tell @greggrosenthal what that decision is
wonder what this means?
Agree, I think the starting 5 OL are already on the team.
Disagree, I think Carp loses the starting job in preseason to Bailey. Bailey was the better of the two last year. Bailey might even be better at RT than Bowie.
I am a bit bummed, but not surprised. He would have played significantly less in Seattle, so Chicago pays him and allows him to play the majority of snaps. Chicago has some great pieces and can challenge the division, so not a bad team either.
Keeping Earl, Sherm, and Russ is more important than signing Allen. I hope we lock our own up, and icing on the cake Maxwell too!
So, DE is a position Hawks have to lock up. Avril for one more season and other pass rushers are question marks. Still think OT, WR is picked before a DT-DE
The beneficiaries of the Allen deal are Avril, Irvin and even Sherm.
– Avril because the money is now there to sign him to an extension next year.
– Irvin because the road is wide open for him to claim the 2d Leo role in the Nascar package. Time for Bruce to make his move. He was set back last year because of his ill-advised suspension. He can turn his mad skills loose this year, playing OLB in regular downs (which he does surprisingly well), and QB-killer on 3d downs (where Smith takes Irvin’s spot at OLB, since Smith is the superior drop guy).
– Sherm, because there is now an extra $6 mil available to get him signed, making it much less likely that he will be franchised when his contract expires.
sounds good to me! love the idea of Bruce rushing the passer on 3rd down.
– Irvin because the road is wide open for him to claim the 2d Leo role in the Nascar package. Time for Bruce to make his move. He was set back last year because of his ill-advised suspension. He can turn his mad skills loose this year, playing OLB in regular downs (which he does surprisingly well), and QB-killer on 3d downs (where Smith takes Irvin’s spot at OLB, since Smith is the superior drop guy).
Completely agree! Irvin’s versatility can be utilized, at OLB and LEO, more next season. He’s a supreme athlete with the talent to breakout at any point. Would really like to see him on the field more!
I can see be Irvin being like Aldon Smith
NFL: AroundTheLeague @NFL_ATL
Carroll: Tony McDaniel will replace Red Bryant. Avril will replace Clemons.
This is telling, to me it shows they might be looking at landing someone who can play inside along the defensive line, not outside.
Ever since Clem was released, my thinking was Avril would be given the Leo role and possibly a contract extension since he is younger than both Clem and Allen.
The freed up money, can go to Avril, Wright plus, LOB.
This makes perfect sense – and I really believe Petey and Johnny feel that they have the guys who can take over for the guys we lost OR they wouldn’t have released them. I like McDaniel a lot – he’s long and a competitor. We’ll continue to rotate guys in, but I expect Bennett and Avril will play more downs than last year.
I’m actually happy we didn’t throw money at Allen – and I’m guessing the guys on the team will see this as another reminder that we want to take care of our own.
There is a ton of talent in this draft – with Quinn only a year removed from FL – he’s going to know a bit about the DL guys out there. Watch for Dominque Easley – who is coming back from injury as a guy at 32 and Deandre Coleman in the lower rounds.
Rob what are the chances in your opinion that either sometime before or during the draft we trade Malcolm smith for another second & third (what he’s worth IMO) or some other draft combo?
That’s a lot of draft capital for one year of Smith.
it would be based on the other team getting a contract extension ala harvin trade last year. I doubt we get a 2nd and 3rd for Smith. Maybe a 3rd.
You aren’t getting a second and a third for Malcolm Smith. You’d be fortunate to get one forth.
I say, if you can get a 5th or 6th you’d be absolutely lucky…I never understand when homers think they can get so much for a player just because he’s on their favourite team. If there was ever a precedence for it, then maybe. But show me something in the last 5-8 years (superstars and QB’s aside) where a team gets more than a 3rd for a player…let alone a reserve LB. LB’s are one of the lowest value positions on a team.
He did get SB MVP. We once gave up 2 1st round picks I believe for WR Branch after he was SB MVP. Silly FO we had at that point huh.
Just gave up one 1st-round pick for Deion Branch. Then traded him back to NE for a 4th … four years later.
Dallas gave us 2 firsts for Joey Galloway!
I think they will try and trade him. A third sounds about right. This is a poor year for fast OLB’s. Malcolm needs a starting job after the job he did last year. We will lose Malcolm in FA next year, anyway. We need a roster spot for Korey Toomer. Teams looking for OLB help will find Smith to be a better fit than anything available in the third round. His value will never be higher.
Korey Toomer will likey fit with Obo Shofield and Farwell likely gone..
I wouldn’t expect Farwell to go anywhere. Everyone said he was going to be cut last year. They love what he brings to the special teams.
If you want to trade a linebacker at least make them a first rounder like Irvin.
I’d say there’s no chance.
Told y’all he wouldn’t be signing with us. I’m glad he didn’t. I don’t see him as a competitor the way PC
Win Forever defines competition. He’s more about having a guaranteed spot in the lineup so he can compete to chase his fantasy sack stats. I honestly don’t think he would have lasted long here.
Next man up!
Totally agree, while I enjoy watching Jared Allen play, the guy is about stats and the appearance of how good he is. Just look at him saying, if he didn’t get the money he wanted he would just retire. To me he wants to be in the spot light and outside of Sherm, those guys don’t last long in this locker room.
Allen got his cash, and his starters role, so he will be happy in Chicago. All this shows me is he cares about stuff more than winning.
Football is profession and Allen has proven how valuable he is. I can’t blame him for taking that contract at all, on a quality team like Chicago no less. It’s going to be his last contract in the NFL and yes he went to where the $ and playing time are. He’s an animal on the field and a true every down DE. Personally as a competitor I’d rather be on the field than watching on the sidelines. The fact that he wants to be on the field shows his competitive nature. I don’t understand how bigdhawk and Darin are calling his desire to compete into question. Jared Allen is a pass rushing force with the desire and skills to play every down. We wouldn’t have valued him so highly if he wasn’t a great player. I wish him the best in Chicago and am ready to move onto spending some $ resigning our own players and the draft. Think we’ll be relatively quiet in the FA market until after the draft.
While I’m disappointed that we weren’t able to obtain Allen for his pass rushing prowess, I too viewed his potential signing as one of luxury. He got a good contract for him and his family, and this being his last contract in the NFL, you can’t argue with him taking the money. Great signing for the Bears replacing Peppers with Allen, while saving some cap space.
There’s no need to panic for us Hawks fans. Yes we appear to be a little thin along the defensive front, but JS/PC spent last years draft preparing for this situation. We have a plethora of young talent itching to get some playing time. There’s still a long free agency process and the draft to acquire more talent to compete for playing time. A starting front four of Avril, Mebane, Mcdaniel and Bennett is still pretty potent. The fact that last year we had the deepest and diverse front four in the league has set the bar of expectations really high for us fans. We will be just fine without Allen, but man it would’ve been cream cheese icing(clearly the tastiest of all icing ;)) on the cake to have him!
I have complete trust and respect for Schneider. He really seems like a straight shooter with all the players. He shows them how they fit into PC’s scheme. This is what we can offer you, with the understanding that it’s lower than other teams are willing to offer. He was very honest and open about this process with Allen over the last week or so. Even though we didn’t get the FA prize we didn’t mortgage the future for a luxury(IMO) stud DE.
someone just tweeted @ Bruce Irvin and @710ESPNSeattle , saying, “during his mid season interview with 710 ESPN Radio, Bruce said ” I miss Sacks”, is he back to rushing the passer?
Bruce responded with “Mannnnn I hope soo!”
i hope so to. this is his year to break it all loose and put that 1st round draft talent to work!
Rob Check this guy out, he has crazy awareness on the field, Im almost positive he can be a starter in the NFl. maybe add a few more pounds to his frame, but man he balls out on the field
Marcus Ball https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6X7m35__a4
i swear he has some Earl Thomas in his game
Stiff in coverage, very little acceleration. He couldn’t even be a backup for us.
I love reading the opinions in the comments section here. But in this case, there’s a bit too much speculation for my taste. The valid response to missing out on Allen is simple: Next man up. Go Hawks!
yes
Next man up. Whether it be Mayowa, Boatright or a rookie, we’ll work it out. We were not going to overpay Jared Allen and risk losing ET, Sherm or Russ…We had a ceiling and Allen had a floor… They didn’t match up. He went from one bad QB situation to another. I don’t blame Allen for going after the money…
GO HAWKS!!!
Agreed!
Absolutely! Another case of JS/PC kicking the tires on the top talent on the market. Would’ve loved Allen in Seattle, but like House said the cards didn’t match up. We are still going to have an elite defense without him next year. Go Hawks!
I’m O-K with Allen signing with Chicago, totally. Next Man UP!!!!
I do think this changes the priority of our first two picks though. GO HAWKS !!!!!
Can’t blame him, it’s a good deal for him and for all these semi-over the hill rushers. I can blame the Bears though, and the Packers and the Broncos. Spending multiyear deals and 8-10 million on aging pass rushers. Total Ruskell move (Kerney). Compare that to Jacksonville who spent 4-5 on Clem, even with the cap money to play with. They know what’s up.
There were a lot of factors in play that helped to push Allen towards Chicago. 15.5 million of them. Plus the satisfaction of sticking it to the Vikes brass by going to a division rival. Maybe he doesn’t like rain. I harbor no grudge. Our roster is still stacked and I can’t wait to see who steps up.
This was an awesome move by Chicago. They are definitely super bowl contenders now. It was an even more awesome move by Seattle. They will have so many important free agents in the next two years that they need every penny. I think there will be three guys on their free agency radar now: Sidney Rice, Charles Brown and Shaun Phillips. They could sign all three. Or they could sign none of them. But I believe that they will be interested in them. I disagree with some of the commenters above that they have holes to fill in the draft. The only achingly obvious hole I see is a backup to Tony McDaniel. They need to get a similar body type to him to be able to backup the 5T position. Outside of that, they are still Super Bowl favorites with the roster they have right now.
They already have a few candidates on the team for the spot behind McDaniel. I agree with you that they don’t have any glaring holes. They should draft best available upside every pick this draft.
Maybe not glaring holes, someone has to step in at wide receiver, right tackle and right defensive end. I think the guys are on the team but we can always use a few more bodies to compete.
I suspect they will sign a tall veteran WR to compete with Chris Matthews plus they have some other candidates (Walters, Clark, Bates). If they can bring back Rice, they’d be in pretty good shape even before a deep WR draft.
We do have a lot of practice squad receivers that might step up. Likewise with Lockette. I wish the Seahawks would lock down a couple guys with long term contracts. Baldwin and Kearse for instance. That is one the reasons the team feels unsettled, only Harvin has a long term contract.
I would have been happy to get him if we had at the price we were offering. But it might be a blessing in disguise. There is a reason Seahawks prefer to stay young. Older players do not recover as quickly week to week, they are higher risk to injury and slower to recover. I’m predicting at some point people will say, I’m sure glad that didn’t happen. I could be wrong but odds are in my favor. Now if we only we could go back in time and make 12 or so big Mariner trades not happen.
I’m disappointed we didn’t get him as I think it would have made the pass rush even more scary but I’m also kind of glad he’s finally made a decision and we can move on.
I guess avril is now our Leo, though I think you’ll see Bennett there against the likes of the 49ers.
One of mayowa, boatright or possibly schofield if we were to resign him needs to step up. Irvin could also switch to Leo on 3rd downs. Still think oline and wr should be main focus of draft but also think we take at least one dlineman fairly early
Why we grab a offensive line man at 32. Pete has stated that Seattle has reached a decision on Carpenters 5th year option. He didn’t state if they would or wouldn’t but with what happened last year I don’t think they’ll pick it up if they already made a decision. Maybe that means Bailey or Bowie each move into LG and RT spot and if so that means we will lack depth for a Line that had injury problems last year. This draft class is as strong at OL as it is WR and I can see Seattle grabbing a player early and another later on. A Joel Bitinio T/G Nevada at 32 and a Trai Turner OG LSU at 146 would do wonders for this team going forward. Carpenter can play out his last year as a backup because I just feel we aren’t going to pay 4 to 4.5 million dollars for a 5th year option.
I see them repeating the Sweezy experiment with DeArndre Coleman in round 6. Coleman most likely will not make it in the NFL on the D Line. His ability to anchor and his quickness could allow him to transition to the OG spot as Sweezy did. He is fast and strong. He just is not very productive getting to the QB. Let’s make him an offensive guard.
I honestly believe that this decision was for his family. I think Allen wanted to stay close to Minnisota where his home and family are now. Good for him for putting them into the equation. I did want his pass rushing ability here but I am not devastated about him signing in Chicago, especially for the amount of money they are about to pay him. I belive in Carroll and I believe that after coaching in college all those years without the ability to really go after student athletes that if Carroll really felt Allen was that nesseccary of a peice he would have gotten him.
I ment to add that Chicago is a car ride from Minnesota and Seattle is a plane ride.
I’m sure the proximity had something to do with it along with the money. I don’t blame Allen.
I’m sure the FO will sift through the cuts in July and August – so I’m not worried.
Competition brings out the best in players. We now have three wide-open spots on the D-Line rotation. Scruggs, Boatwright, Mayowa, Hill and Williams all look ready. I think the FO will probably add another DT and DE to the mix in the draft and maybe a veteran FA at the minimum. I expect that 6 months from now we will be talking about the next Byron Maxwell or KJ Wright or Malcolm Smith that was already on the roster waiting for a chance to show what they can do on the field.
Developing young players is how you win forever.
Marcus Smith or Demarcus Lawrence 2nd rd? I like Bitonio, Xavier Su’a- Fili or Zach Martin w first pick. Martavis Bryant, Jeff Janis later rd WR
OT: Last year Chargers gave up #45 (2nd) and #110 (4th) to move up to Cardinals #38 for Manti Te’o.
How about #32 to Dallas for #47 (2nd), #119 (4th), and #158 (5th).
At #47, they’d still have a pool of options that include Bitonio, Lawrence, Moncrief, Bryant, Mattews, ASJ, Tuitt, Easley, etc. Probably one or more of these guys still there at #64 as well.
Why would Dallas make that trade?
One look at the ‘Boys salary structure says JJ is a guy who can get fixated and overspend. And the team’s fans expect it, they want the next big name even with nothing left. So the question is who does he fall in love with at 32 even after he picks at 16? Who could they not live without? They have their offensive skill positions covered and an All Pro at LT.
You’d have to think he watched the Superbowl with a little envy. He’s thinking why doesn’t America’s team have a defense like this? Especially after he brought in Monte Kiffin last year to emulate that very defense and Kiffin taught them by playing Seattle videos. He signed away Melton to prevent him from going to Seattle. Ware left for Denver and Anthony Spencer is a free agent visiting other teams.
So which pieces at 16 and 32 would he target? Which two guys get him the closest to having an overpowering defense? How about Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Kyle Fuller to pair with Brandon Carr and Barry Church? He could go for other defensive guys but LOB envy would be my call.
Clemens>Allen. Does anyone know the real reason why we could not restructure Clem? Cancel the age answer, he was playing lights out toward the end of last season. We all know it takes time to fully re-cover from his ACL injury, he did too, in a big way.
Malcolm Smith: All the 12’s love what he has done for the Hawks. As stated in this post, his value will never be higher and he will almost assuredly leave us after next season for a far richer contract.
A great future topic could be discussing trade options. It’s not like Baseball or Basketball and trades are rarely made in the NFL. It would be interesting to kick around the community’s thoughts on the subject.
Another great post Rob and I cant wait to read tomorrow mock draft:).
Next man up, GO HAWKS!
There’s got to be a reason why they didn’t even try to re-do Clemons’ deal. Perhaps they feel his late season flourish was more down to the attention Bennett/Avril received on the other side? Perhaps they felt his late season form was just a supreme final effort that couldn’t be matched over another long season? Or perhaps they just felt he wasn’t worth such an incredible cap hit and like Bryant, it was just time to move on?
Maybe they did try to re-do Clem? And he got ticked off and said – cut me?
Clem said they never gave him the option to redo his contract.
Reeeeally, I wondered about that. Clemons was rare in that he provided solid run D on early downs, but when it was a pass, he immediately morphed into a pass rushing terror. I thought his play improved dramatically late in the year as he continued to bounce back from the ACL injury. Mayowa has potential, but looked mediocre vs the first stringers. I wonder if Scruggs winds up at 5T and Bennett plays LEO on early downs? Very surprised we did not renegotiate Clemons, but trust in the diabolical schemes of PCJS…
Clemons was a great player for Seattle for a few years and was compensated appropriately for his performance. IF he was unwilling to restructure (unconfirmed) then it was time to move on and reload the program with some younger/stronger/faster players. There are very few irreplaceable players in a franchise looking to build a dynasty. For Seattle, RW and ET are those guys on the offense and defense IMO.
Rob, Bruce Irvin always been listed as DE in the Seahawks web
I thought I read somewhere today that it’d changed. I could be mistaken.
The seahawks website guy said something on twitter, about it being DE for awhile, he also said those are of little consequence. It’s clear Irvin didn’t play much DE last season, so whats in a name on a website? Is Jimmy Graham a TE or WR? I felt like Irvin did really well at LB, especially in coverage but I’m afraid the coaches might overthink this one a little. He is a pass rusher, that’s why he was drafted, and it’s probably what he is best at. One thing about sack numbers for the seahawks is the game being shortened with the way the team plays. and two games vs. the 49ers doesn’t help as well.
Rob, what do you think about Ronald Powell? Most practices I watched him in (I live in Gainesville), he dominated the line. He also has a history of injury problems but was healthy this year. Interested in your thoughts
-and you’re right, Easley is a BEAST! I’ve never seen a gator get off the line quicker, and we’ve had some good ones come through here
Powell flashed brilliance at times when I watched him, but the injuries really hampered his ability to ever take the next step. Intriguing guy.
So if Tony McDaniel is playing 5-tech on run downs, then who’s going to play the 3-tech on run downs? Is this something we have yet to figure out? Tony McDaniel was excellent at the 3-tech last year. Like you pointed out, Rob, one of the young D-Linemen we have could step up, but it’d be nice to have more options. Obviously it would have been nice to have Henry Melton; he could play 5-tech on running downs and play 3-tech in the NASCAR package. That way you wouldn’t be so limited in what you can do with McDaniel.
It may be that the FO has a plan in the draft. Also I would not worry about the 5T spot all that much. We do have Jesse Williams, Scruggs, Hill, and Deanthony Smith on the roster and remember this to. our 5T position has been filled by other teams garbage the last several years. McDaniel was paid league min money last year, and Alan Branch was paid a very small amount by us because there was not much competition to pick him up.
You mean our 3-tech position was filled by other teams’ garbage, right? Our 5-tech was filled by Red Bryant until now.
I just find myself really not wanting to take Tony McDaniel out of the 3-tech spot. He just did such an amazing job at that spot when he wasn’t expected to do any more than earn a roster spot and be a solid rotational guy. I do find it a testament to the coaching staff and scouting department that they were able to make Tony McDaniel an almost-pro bowl caliber 3-tech. That’s encouraging for whoever steps into the position next. But obviously, there are jitters whenever you are replacing a player with someone unproven. Hopefully the next guy can be just as good.
For what it’s worth, I thought Michael Brooks and D’Anthony Smith played very well in the game time they saw last year. Scruggs played well in ’12. The biggest question mark for me is Jordan Hill. Even when he was healthy he just could not get on the field. I don’t know if Hill’s limitations had more to do with McDonald’s emergence, but I’ve just never been excited with him as a player. Is anyone else, at this point?
I think Hill will emerge this year and fill the McDonald roll nicely. I agree that McDaniel looked great at 3T and hope we can leave him there on early downs. Maybe Scruggs will be the guy at 5T?
yes 3T sorry
What’s with all the sour grapes, Hawk fans? It’s a business after all! I so wanted Tate to stay but PC/JS didn’t. I wanted Jared but they didn’t, or they would have offered in the $8M range. Don’t be angry at the players, they have a short shelf life and need to maximize on it. I wish them all well. Tate was a spark last year and made things happen…thank you for your dedication to the team, Golden!
Remember that PC/JS are playing hardball and sometimes you get a homerun and sometimes you strike out. Nature of the business
It makes me feel good knowing that I have some of the guys Rob has on the DL! I’m sure Rob’s analysis is much more thought out. These are my Seahawky type of guys
DT
Dominique Easley
Deandre Coleman
Damien Jacobs
Brent Urban
Chris Whaley
DE/Leo
James Gayle
Marcus Smith
Kareem Martin
Chris McCain
Marcus Thompson
I went back and watched Marcus Smith today and my position has changed on him. I’ve always been high on him, but I didn’t think he really upgraded Seattle because I projected him as SAM in Seattle and I think we already have Irvin as a quick SAM with pass rush ability.
After watching tape, I really like Smith in a Von Miller type role. He has pass rush ability both as a down lineman and an upright OLB. He can beat Tackles and Guards, he has coverage ability and overall, is just a very versatile player. I’ve changed my view on him from, SAM to legitimate LEO potential. I still have my concerns about him transition into a predominantly down pass rusher, but at worst I see a very good LB.
What really is cool about Smith is how well he tracks the ball, be it batting the ball, striping the ball, not biting on play action, he just always seems to make the right decision and always be around the ball. I also see natural pass rush instincts. He knows when to be patient and when to chase. He’s my Corey Lemonier pick of this year.
That said, I don’t have high expectations that Seattle will draft him. I think Seattle will see more improvement at other positions this year and pass on him. I don’t expect a LEO/DL pick till Day 3 and I think a smart team, (Say one with 3 3rd rnd picks) will take him.
Jeremiah Attaochu is another player I like as a potential LEO. He doesn’t have the insane measureables of Irvin, but the guy has grit, results and at least as much athleticism as Chris Clemons had coming out of Georgia. I’m not sure he’ll last long enough for Seattle to get a shot at him at the end of the second round, but he may be enough of a tweener to fall.
Didn’t McDaniel play a 2 gap DE in Miamis 3-4….stiill considered 5 tech I think. Familiarity with manning 2 gap grunt work, wingspan and size to control 2 gaps, and WAY cheaper than Red. I think we’ll see a big competition in camp for the 3 tech spot…a body type more in line with what I envision a 1-gap 3 tech to be (6’2″ish for leverage, quick 1st step, 300lbs so not a liability in the run) I’m thinking Hill or Scruggs.
A name that I’m surprised wasn’t on your list is Jackson Jeffcoat out of Texas. 6-3, 247, ran a 4.63. He looks like a nice guy who could come in this year and get some rotational work while getting a bit bigger and working on his repertoire of pass rush moves.
Played a lot of snaps inside at linebacker. Not sure he can play the edge on early downs. May be a pass rush specialist more than anything. There are injury concerns here.
We took a look at Zack Kerr from Delaware on his pro day he is your classic NT 1 tech who can play some 3 tech as well 6’1 325. We can probably pick him up in the mid rounds Louis Nix seems to be sliding by being constantly dinged up and overweight he might be available at 32. Also Patt Sims and Mount Cody are UFAs who we can possible pick up for cheap.
Apparently a large contingent of Seattle coaches/scouts attended Kerr’s pro day.
Shopping for an eventual Mebane replacement to groom? We will need the RIGHT guy. Mebane is a great anchor in the middle of our D and stonewalls double teams…very under-appreciated.
Did Pete say who was replacing McDaniel at the 3 tech?
No, but Mebane, Hill and others remain capable of filling the interior. Personally I hope they draft Brent Urban for that role.
So here’s a note that may interest you; In a recent radio interview (or whatever) Scruggs said he bulked up to 311 pounds. He’s listed in some places at around 285! That’s quite a lot of bulking up (nearly 30 pounds). That means he could play 3-tech or he can play 5-tech. We have to get a look at Scruggs before we make any choices. I do wonder how much of the 311 pounds is bad weight from being injured, but hopefully its all good weight!
Here’s the link where I saw that: http://www.fieldgulls.com/seahawks-notes/2014/3/26/5542534/jared-allen-seahawks-defensive-line
We’ll need to see how he plays at the new weight. Adding weight is good, but only if you can maintain a standard of performance.
He is proud of the weight gain. I am sure it was the result of a carefully designed strategy to maximize his potential.
Thoughts on Jackson Jeffcoat? He seems to be a good fit at LEO.
There are some injury concerns. He actually played a lot inside at linebacker for Texas last year. Not sure he’s an edge guy, or at least much more than a specialist in that regard. Probably can’t play early downs.
A question Rob –
Any idea about what crop is expected for next year’s draft? would it be a smart play to barter some of the extra pics next year to enhance our position this year?
I posed this same question in the last thread… I am interested in Rob’s thoughts as well.
Compensation picks are not tradable. They could trade their own if they wanted as they have regularly.
It’s very hard to say. I’m not for one for labelling whether the next draft will be good/bad. Every year the media says the following QB class will be outstanding and it never lives up to the hype. There are some really talented players (Amari Cooper, Doriel Green-Beckham, T.J. Yeldon, the Georgia RB’s, Jameis Winston). But we’ll have to wait and see how things develop during the college season.
Concur on Marcus Smith, he absolutely jumps off the tape. My only concern with all of these young Leo, 6’3″ 250ish guys (both on or coming on the roster) are that they’re all great rushing the passer but nobody (not even Avril) can play the run like Clem used to from the spot. Boy I can’t understand why we didn’t try to resign him to a cheaper deal. IMO Clem is our biggest FA loss in the short term. Nevertheless now there is room for next man up. Let the adventure continue!
What do you think about BC LB Kevin Pierre-Louis?
Runs a 4.51 at 6’0 1/2 230 and has a 39 in. vertical.
About the same size as Malcolm Smith and looks even more explosive on tape. Would be interesting to look at him in round 4-7.
32 Joel Bintinio T/G Nevada We talk about him.
64 Don’t Moncrief WR Ole Miss We talk about him
132 Ed Stinson DE/DT Alabama Hard worker and under the radar guy.
146 Antone Exum CB Virginia Tech 6′ and 213 lbs
172 Trai Turner OG LSU strong suit is run blocking
208 Zack Moore DE Concordia(MN) very raw, but Quin would drool.
247 Marquis Flowers SS Arizona 6’3″ 231lbs, 4.59- 40, 24 reps
I tried to find a backup for Earl Thomas but I guess I ‘m spoiled because there doesn’t seem to be another with the abilities he preforms.