Allen Bradford - one of several impressive backups in Seattle
Strength in numbers separates Seahawks from the rest
How many teams would Seattle’s backups defeat?
I had a look and found ten I think they could genuinely compete with. Have a look for yourself.
Of course, the Seahawks (touch wood) will never find out the answer to that question. But even if they lose one or two key players to injury, there should be no panic.
In the past the Seahawks have been a slave to injury. This was mostly evident as the Super Bowl XL team disintegrated with alarming swiftness. Players get old, they begin to pick up injuries. Former GM Tim Ruskell bandaged holes with even more ageing stars and didn’t plan ahead at the key positions.
Guys like Patrick Kerney helped keep the window open a little longer for Seattle, but he soon crumbled. When cornerstones like Matt Hasselbeck, Shaun Alexander and Walter Jones began to deteriorate too you could tell the party was coming to an end.
The thin underbelly of the Seahawks roster was expose and the team became a shambles. A 4-5 win mess that needed major repair work.
That’s not to go over the top in criticising the previous regime. When any team loses key players to injury and age, it’s not easy to just reload. It’s difficult to win football games starting backups.
Yet the current roster appears deep enough to keep this team competitive in a way few can maintain. There’s no band-aid mentality, no short term window.
Don’t get me wrong, if Russell Wilson and Russell Okung go down in week one — it’s a blow they might not recover from. But when you compare it to the alternatives facing this team when Jones and Hasselbeck made way, it’s nowhere near as daunting.
Percy Harvin’s possible season ending surgery was a major disappointment to fans, but one they quickly got over upon witnessing the team dismantle two AFC West foes in pre-season. The Seahawks can cope, be it at receiver or most other positions.
Few teams will be left with the kind of headaches facing Seattle come the end of the month. Cutting down to 53 will be excruciating. Other teams will be circling the facility hoping to be the first to claim the unwanted.
It’s no surprise the Seahawks have combined for 71 points against San Diego and Denver. Such blow outs don’t give you any real evidence in terms of how the starters will fare when the proper football begins, but it does highlight depth. And Seattle has it in spades.
That’s not to say a team exclusively filled with backups can win the NFC West. Of course they can’t. But if one, two or even three have to fill in this year — combined with the remaining starters — Seattle shouldn’t miss a beat.
Random NFL thoughts
– The Broncos could lose Von Miller for six games according to ESPN. They also pathetically lost Elvis Dumervil to Baltimore this summer, saw Derek Wolfe pick up a spinal injury on Saturday and Champ Bailey currently has a bad foot sprain. Speaking of depth, this will test Denver’s defense.
– Good for Blaine Gabbert that he’s been named Jacksonville’s starting quarterback. I’m not sure if it’s because his face doesn’t fit within media circles, but he’s been given a terrible ride from the press. A quarterback drafted to lead a hopeless franchise currently on his third Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator in three years. How was he supposed to succeed? I hope he proves the doubters wrong this year.
– The 49ers have traded first round bust A.J. Jenkins to Kansas City for another round one disappointment in Jon Baldwin. Cut your losses and run. It’s the best way. As much as San Francisco got that pick wrong, their 2013 draft looks scary. This team isn’t going anywhere. As for the deal itself, I like it. Baldwin is a good fit for the Niners and a fresh start could do him the world of good.
The Chiefs are turning into the Niner’s farm team. Geez.
i suspect that the seahawks move some of the back end depth in the secondary…winfield, guy, lane, possibly even browner for a tight end. Not sure on potential trade partners…maybe Gesham from the Bengals?
Unfortunately I dont think there’s any way Cincy are trading Gresham, especially for one of Seattle’s untested corners.
Agreed… I think the best you can hope for is a TE getting cut anyway or picking up a few more late rounders (perhaps even conditional late rounders).
There just aren’t that many good TE’s out there, especially ones that can catch the ball and create mismatches. I think they’ll feed Willson and hope that he can pick things up quickly.
Agreed.
Yeah, if SEA makes a move for a TE I think it’ll be for a backup guy.
Michael Egnew, perhaps? Hawks love measurables, and he’d be cheap.
Egnew is the only one I could think of when running through the league a couple of weeks ago, but I’m not sure Miami is ready to give up on him after just one season.
Especially after Dustin Keller’s season ending injury
Here’s the situation: The Seahawks are going to lose some very talented players at the cut-down to 53. Other teams are going to claim several at that time. This would appear to be a waste of resources.
Here’s the solution: Prior to the cut make arrangements with a needy team that will lose out to the buzzards circling those cuts such as Jacksonville and the Chiefs, who both have claiming rights sooner than others. That arrangement would be to trade 5 of those cuts such as a RB, WR, backup QB, DB, OL, and/or others for a 4th round pick. This would allow a weak team an opportunity to receive a huge infusion of good players at one-time. Some could even be starters for several teams. For example: I was at the Charger game and they really need players, but they won’t be in a very good position to pluck these players off the waiver wire due to other teams having claiming rights before them.
Interesting idea. Trading multiple players that are about to get cut for a draft pick…didn’t really know that was possible. Makes sense though. Especially sense some teams are so hurting for roster depth. Like Oakland! Yikes
“AFC Wets” . . . Freudian slip?
Naturally.