I’ve been speaking to Jeff Simmons to discuss all the relevant Seahawks topics doing the rounds. Check it out below…
Welcome to Seahawks Draft Blog, providing daily analysis on the Seattle Seahawks and the NFL Draft.
The blog started in 2008 and is now into its 16th year. I'm available for any radio or podcast invites, just reach out using the 'contact' section.
We have a great community in the comments, we just ask you keep things on topic.
Rob Staton
Captain Jack just posted “The Eskridge injury issues continue” at the end of the last thread. Is this a new and different problem or an aggravation of previous?
What would a Hawks camp be without a top draft pick out injured?
High jumpers elect for ‘double gold’ instead of a jump off.
Classy display of Olympian sportsmanship.
Reminds me of the great story about Jack Nicklaus conceding the putt to halve the Ryder Cup in the late 60’s.
https://twitter.com/peacockTV/status/1421822929264914432
Agree with the 2nd half completely, Jack conceding that putt was the utmost sporting gesture. He saved Tony Jacklin from the pressure and potential of missing a putt to lose the Ryder cup.
In the high jump, the competition was finished and they both had identical records. they were then given the option of a jump off, at which point there are 2 options
1) Agree to “share” gold
2) Fight to “win” gold or “lose” and get silver
Coming in the objective is gold, so why throw away a certain gold to risk being the only winner. There might or might not be an asterisk next to their name in record books, but that gold medal on the wall will always look as shiny.
I’m not saying the was no sportsmanship involved, just not quite the huge gesture people are making it.
Cha, point not aimed at you, just seen/heard this point in lots of places, and this was one I could share my viewpoint!
Maybe it’s just me but I wish the rule wasn’t there to ‘share’ the gold. Surely there needs to be an outright winner? Plus I was looking forward to a jump off 😂
I agree completely Rob seems to go completely against the spirit of competition IMO. Imagine training for 4 years to win a gold medal and then deciding you will just share it instead of trying to win?
Sorry but the people who cheer them splitting the gold are the same people who don’t think kids sports should keep score. If you are not going to try to compete and win then why even bother to play.
Hmmm I’m going to Google the history of this shared Gold phenomenon, right now.
Meant to add: I agree with Trevor and Rob. There can — and — should only be one to-of-the-podium winner.
It does seem strange that after 4 days of competition the Golf had a 7 way sudden death playoff for bronze. Whereas after a handful of jumps (couldn’t find the exact number) they could share Gold
Just to make it clear. It is not a play-off like in Golf. Both would have 3 attempts to clear the next height, likely 2,40 m. In case none of the two gets over that height, which is the most probable case,both still share the Gold
Ah. I was hoping for a penalty shoot out… high jump style
And both had tried and missed in the regular round as well.
I have no problem with that view James. I expected this would be a 50/50 viewpoint.
But I think we all can agree this was an outstanding Olympic moment.
https://twitter.com/skkboz/status/1422018502232133637
(I’m not pasting the NBC feed in protest – that announcer had no concept of how amazing this run was…)
It’s a great moment between friends, but the rule needs to go.
As for Jack, the most important piece of information in that story is that when Jack made his putt, it meant the U.S. had kept the cup. For all intents and purposes, the competition was over. The point of the Ryder Cup is to have possession of the cup after the battle is waged. The holders always have a half point advantage to that end. It was a meaningless putt and no one would have cared much if Jacklin had missed it.
If the U.K. had been holders, Jack would not have conceded.
No it most certainly was not over.
That match was marred. Heated rivalry and childish, unsportsmanlike play was levied by both sides. What’s more, these tactics were not done in the heat of the moment, but rather were at the instruction of their team captains.
The Americans wanted an ‘outright win’ instead of retaining on a tie and were furious at what Nicklaus did (particularly team Captain Ben Snead).
Nicklaus rose above it and provided a timeless example of sportsmanship to his peers on both sides.
Yeah, it was all childish behavior, reportedly, and Nicklaus rose above it, but it still remains true that he would have never done it if Britain were the holders.
I agree that it was a good gesture of sportsmanship in a bad situation, but we’ll have to agree to disagree on just how meaningful it was.
Didn’t even realize we had picked up McGough again at some point…
😢 shed a tear for every luxury/stash pick we gave away in a certain lopsided trade…
*Sigh*
If Tryon becomes a star in Tampa it will be bittersweet for husky fans… he was just starting to really show up in games at the end of the 2019 season and 2020 was supposed to be his huge breakout year. Then he sat out for covid and we ended up playing four games…
That is awesome for Tryon but as a Seahawks fan quite depressing to be honest.
Classic off-season really from Tampa Bay.
Fill your holes in FA (in this instance, keep the band together) then use the draft to add talent without needing to reach.
The Seahawks have not been doing this for years. They’ve traded away picks for short term solutions, failed to fill holes in FA and then forced needs in the draft.
Get Vita Vea back as well.
Didn’t vita play in the nfc championship and Super Bowl?
yes
Looking at PFF second year breakout candidates, couldn’t help but notice Uche and Trautman high on the list. Sure Taylor might turn into an absolute unit, but Rob had me sold on Uche, and I personally wanted Trautman before the draft
They basically traded Uche/Chinn and Trautman for Taylor. 😞. Hope it ends up the right move.
https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-ranking-second-year-breakout-candidates-2021
Encouraging to see Damien Lewis on the list. Maybe Gabe Jackson can help him buff up his pass-blocking skills.
I’m not convinced, uche is so small for anything more than a blitzing linebacker
He’d fill the Irvin role like Taylor is doing.
TJ Watt to possibly break $30m/apy??🤯
Malik McDowell will get a bigger contract.
Ouch…
His backup at present is Jacob Eason from UW who’s about as ready to be a starting QB in the NFL as I am.
Don’t know3 who they’ll bring in but it’s gotta be someone e.g. Rivers, RGIII, etc.
They picked up Brett Hundley.
Not horrible
Nick Foles is pushing to be traded to Indy
It’s a really tricky situation. Of course Foles would be a great replacement at the beginning of the season. But do we really think that Carson is going to want Foles back to potentially undermine him again and dispute his position In Indianapolis the way it happened in Philadelphia?I don’t think so. The Colts didn’t make the biggest investment in the world in Carson, but I still think they really want it to work out and there is a reason there is no legitimate competition for him in camp.
I suspect the Colts will simply try to win with running in defense for the first part of the season until they get their quarterback back
Wentz wasn’t too much of a scare either, but we have no excuse if we don’t start the season with a W against these QB replacements (Foles included).
This isn’t a great Seahawks team. Expecting a W on the road is more hopeful thinking than realistic. I’d put the Seahawks chances at winning that game around 40%. This isn’t our ’12-’14 Seahawks anymore.
I agree with that %
Is Colby Parkinson really 265 pounds now? I heard Carroll say that he was in the last OTA presser and thought it was wishful thinking. He is only listed at 251 on the team site and was about 238 last year.
This article seems to corroborate that unless they are just parroting Caroll.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/5-observations-from-seahawks-fifth-training-camp-practice/ar-AAMRsMz?ocid=uxbndlbing
At 6’7″ and 265 lbs. he would be the same height and more than 15 pounds heavier than Mike Tice back in the day.
.
I think there is to much focus being placed on the QB situation here, and we need to remember the Colts are a good team – very good running game and o-line, very good D. Given the way we start a season, that’s more than enough for us to worry about no matter who is at QB.
Correct
Obviously not healthy enough to hold down a starting job anymore, but as depth behind Lewis and Jackson…?
Hmmm… Ok.
FWIW, ESPN ranked the Seahawks near the bottom (#28) on their list of ‘most improved rosters’
(behind paywall)
https://www.espn.com/nfl/insider/story/_/id/31807057/2021-nfl-offseason-ranking-most-least-improved-teams-1-32-starting-jaguars-jets
this might be OTA hype -but it Nkemdiche revives his career and ends as a hit – I will completely forget about Malik McDowell and be all in on Pete Carroll again.
Low key love the Dline we have so much depth and versatility.
DE -Dunlap, Smith, Taylor, Hyder, Robinson, Mayowa
DT -Ford – Nkemdiche – Mone – Green – Collier Woods
Think we keep these 10 without Taylor being counted as a Dline but as an OLB.
Nkemdiche has been cut by his last two teams and hasn’t played for two years. The chances are slim.
Yes, because he showed up overweight and out of shape coming off an injury. The point is that his attitude seems to have changed dramatically.
obviously you arent following the camp news…
He is playing 1st string in the bear front.
Nkemdiche Ford Woods
“but it Nkemdiche revives his career and ends as a hit – I will completely forget about Malik McDowell”
That is you quote. I’m saying the chances are slim he’s a “hit”. Certainly he’s got a chance to make the roster as depth considering the lack of talent at 3T.
Yeah, I’m really excited about Nkemdiche. His energy and enthusiasm are so infectious. His ability was never the proven.
OTOH, hard to get excited about Smith just yet.
*Never the problem
Opening day just got a little easier as Quinton Nelson sustains the same injury as Wentz, will undergo the same surgery (today) and have the same timeline for a return.
https://twitter.com/MikeWellsNFL/status/1422589693129117701?s=20
This year’s 49ers?
Indy fans are pretty pessimistic about this season from what I have seen online. Felt like a window closed with rivers retiring. There wasn’t much confidence in Wentz to begin with. A lot of Indy fans are hoping to tank this season for a chance at one of Rattler or Willis
ahem…
FTFY Albert
Kyle Brandt with some truth (after Nate Burleson spews some positivity)
https://twitter.com/gmfb/status/1422633366554300416
They simply lack long-term thinking. I guess that’s what happen when your coach is in his seventies. They apply band-aids constantly looking for the quick fix, whether it be trading future draft picks for help now and taking players early (for the most part) they need now more than the better players who will help them long-term (because they have so many holes due to a roster that isn’t talented enough).
When you have a franchise QB, you know for a fact that your floor is anywhere from 7-9 to 9-7 and 12-4 in the years where you get the right breaks. But when you watch the games and are consistently outmanned early in the play-offs year after year there’s no reason for much optimism either.
This is a weird year for me. I have no excitement, but I’ll follow to see what happens. If history is any indicator, they’ll be 10-7 and lose in the Wild Card. Maybe they’ll go 11-6 and get beat handily in the division round. We can hope for more (and we do), but to expect more and wonder why it doesn’t happen is foolishness at this point.
If the stars align, they could go 12-5 and win the Super Bowl. Stranger things have happened. But there’s nothing to suggest that will happen in comparison to the above 10-7 type scenario.
Yeah Brandt hot the nail on the head. Problem is, as we all know, we have a totally uninvolved owner who won’t make a change and Carroll knows it too. Until she sells, this is what we’re going to have as a Seahawks team, a team that is “just sitting there”………..unless Wilson leaves. Then we’ll see what’s up.
Like Bobby, I just don’t have any “oomph” for the season. I’ll watch, but we’ve seen this movie before.
Yup, well said.
Happy to be 12 and 4 every year, with a shot at some action in the post season. Everyone is different, though. If I’m at a 75% chance of being happy after a game, I’m sitting pretty.
But there hasn’t been a shot for action in the post season, has there? Their record in the post-season has been extremely poor.
I disagree about as much as a person can with every post on this thread other than Jeremy’s. And what Brandt said comes off as incredibly dumb, no other way to put it. First, a trend? We’ve gone from 9 to 10 to 11 to 12 wins in the past 4 years. How is that not an upward trend? That’s pretty much the definition of a trend.
Do I want that kind of life as a fan? Where we win 10-12 games every year and make the playoffs? Hell, yes! And I frankly question anybody moping about that. 12-4 wasn’t a mirage. According to DVOA we were the 5th-best team in the NFL last year with an expected W-L of 11.5-4.5. We have two playoff wins in the past 5 years, and two of our losses were by just a handful of points.
I don’t know what it means to be a “real” contender. In the playoffs as one of the top 8 teams or so sounds like a contender to me. A break or two and you’re in the championship game. We just haven’t capitalized. But that’s true of all the very good teams but a few each year.
Pete Carroll is not and was not the problem. Last year Russ just kinda sucked for much of the year. Not because Pete pulled the ball out from under him, but because he just did. And if you really think it was because Pete reined him in, that’s alarming. That kind of mental weakness would make me think about moving on from Russ, not the coach.
We’ve definitely made mistakes. We’ve made dumb mistakes. But if winning 10+ games and making the playoffs every year was so easy, everybody’d be doing it.
“Instantly forgettable”, that phrase stuck out for me. It sums up what I feel about the Hawks for this last stretch of seasons. When they get eliminated from the playoffs, you don’t feel they should have advanced further, or that they are a team on the rise, or that they underachieved from a talent standpoint, or even that they are headed for a fall. They’re just kind of there. Ho-hum. Like one of those boxers that never is seriously in contention for the title, but makes for a decent stepping-stone bout to an aspiring talent with true title aspirations.
It’s almost as if we’re made to feel guilty for wanting more, even if it means going through the valley of a rebuild.
…can’t help myself
QB: Russell Wilson, Gino Smith
LT: Duane Brown, Stone Forsythe
LG: Damien Lewis, Phil Haynes
C: Ethan Pocic, Kyle Fuller
RG: Gabe Jackson, Jordan Simmons
RT: Brandon Shell, Cedric Ogbuehi
RB1: Chris Carson, DeeJay Dallas
RB2: Rashaad Penny, Travis Homer
HB: Nick Bellore, Will Dissly
TE: Gerald Everett, Colby Parkinson
WR1: D.K. Metcalf, D’Wayne Eskridge, Freddie Swain
WR2: Tyler Lockett, Penny Hart, Cade Johnson
LEO: Carlos Dunlap, Benson Mayowa, Alton Robinson
DT: Poona Ford, Robert Nkemdiche, L.J. Collier
NT: Al Woods, Bryan Mone
DE: Kerry Hyder, Rasheem Green
SAM: Darrell Taylor, Aldon Smith
MIKE: Bobby Wagner, Cody Barton
WILL: Jordyn Brooks, Ben Burr-Kirven
NKL: Marquise Blair, Damarious Randall
RCB: D.J. Reed, Tre Brown
LCB: Akhello Witherspoon, Tre Flowers
FS: Quandre Diggs, Ugo Amadi
SS: Jamal Adams, Ryan Neal
K: Jason Myers
P: Michael Dickson
LS: Tyler Ott
No Dissly?
He has him at H-Back
Gerald Everett is more likely to be used at HB. They moved him everywhere with the Rams. Also, I doubt Aldon Smith will be on this team come opening day. Other than that it looks accurate.
…Aldon and Cade are my wild cards (55 players)
Cade I can see.
Thanks for laying it all out like that.
But for me… that’s not a playoff roster. Even with Wilson. No receiver depth. Highly questionable running back depth. Poor starter at center and questionable guards… on defense the dline overall has one dude who deserves to be an nfl starter and then a bunch of rotational guys… secondary is a complete question mark. Linebacker is fine if Brooks is as good as the film guys say he can be. Tight end might be good, I guess, but the depth isn’t great there either.
This is a fun exercise to visualize our depth chart…
But definitely highlights Center as the weakest link (IMO)
But….
It really aint’ that bad. If this team struggles this year, I think it will be because this is by far the toughest division in the league. If this team were in the AFC East it would cruise.
No, it wouldn’t. You seem to forget we got embarrassed by the Bills last year. NE are NE and it would go either way, and the talented Dolphins are another season progressed. Jets….meh.
Agreed… But as a whole the unit is upgraded in my opinion. Jackson is an upgrade to Iupati. PFF ranked this unit as 14 overall last year… I am surely not arguing it as a strength, but it is improved from a unit that was not a sieve last year.
I know games aren’t played on paper, but on paper it certainly looks better than the 12 win team of 2020.
There is also some likely natural improvement from younger starters like DK, Lewis, Poona, Brooks, Reed and Adams
On the flip side, that 12 win team got more luck than a normal season. Sure, some breaks went against them but if you look at it objectively – last year had more than it’s fair share of good fortune. I don’t think good 12 win teams get destroyed at home in the Wild Card. So they can actually be better, you’re right, than last year, but end up with a worse record.
I love these unsubstantiated assertions. Did you forget that just two years ago the Baltimore Ravens went 14.2 and lost in the divisional round at home in a blowout against the Tennesse Titans. Before you say it wasn’t the wild card, remember they had a first round bye so didn’t have a wildcard game. And what about the Payton Manning led Indianapolis Colts who between 2003 and 2010 never had a worse record than 12-4 yet lost in the wild card or divisional round four times during this period. It’s a lot more common than you think.
The big difference of course is when the Ravens and Colts lost, it was a big shock.
When Seattle lost to the Rams, many of us anticipated it. The offense was an absolute disaster, Wilson was having the worst spell of his career, the Seahawks were terrible on third downs, the defense was mediocre even though stats were improved due to playing poor opponents.
12-4 was a mirage last year.
Is it just me, or does the tide seem to be turning a bit among the press/fanbase about the Jamal Adams trade?
Last year and into the offseason it seemed to be about 80% for / 20% against.
Lately it seems more like 50/50.
I’m still seeing way too much “but he had nine sacks!” in the media
Well if people would’ve looked at his play with a critical eye last year……………
Being the simplistic person I am, I tend to look at the JA trade this way. Is anyone out there willing to make the same trade for him with us that we did the Jets? Anything comparatively close? Within the same hemisphere?
Honestly, what could we get for him now…even a playoff team that suddenly becomes desperate for a safety?
Niners waived/injured a talented corner you say…
Any Centers out there that might be cuts, cap-causalities, or tradable that interest the community?
I see this as our biggest weakness and would like to start a thread on the subject… thoughts?
…scares me to think that Fuller might be our starter week 1
Aaron Donald just texted and said to let you know he has no idea why you’re so apprehensive.
Austin Reiter?
KNJ on Adams
But can he cover? Even when he stayed with his assigned guy in coverage he was beaten far too often for an 18 mil per year Safety. And even when he was in position he dropped like 3 sure interceptions last year. It all sounds good but…………..
I seem to recall that PFF rated Adams as a pretty good coverage safety with the Jets. Maybe we weren’t putting him in good situations? Maybe the injuries changed his play? Maybe he was just trying to hard to impress that he was deviating from sound play. Who knows? Hope he can return to form.
I actually believe this. Transition from a 34 to a 43 is pretty different. A lot of guys never figure it out. Seattle bent to Adams for a year and now they are hopefully bending back towards center. Nice to see they may dial down the blitz. Even if they keep some of the 34 blitz stuff going I think their personnel may provide some better options/deception rather than wasting Bobby. Blair and Neal blitzing from nickel. A Smith and Taylor as rush backers
Anyone know anything about how the team is looking at camp? Who looks good? Who looks slow and stiff? Any sleeper players who might make some noise this season? Which receivers are stepping up behind Dk and Tyler? Which runningbacks look good?
Eskridge has been dealing with a lingering toe issue. Cade Johnson looks as good as we thought he could be and Connor Wedington has been impressing. Swain, Hart, Toivonen have had good camps too apparently
Considering half this board insisted Darrell Taylor would never play a down, perhaps wet can call him a “sleeper”
I personally didn’t think we’d ever see him. Although I never ‘insisted’ it. I had reservations if we’d ever see him which is a perfectly fair position to take. I don’t recall anyone guaranteeing he wouldn’t play.
But let’s be right here — some mild positive noise at camp means very little. Let’s revisit this after 8-17 games and see what the situation is. See how much he’s played, how the injury is, how much impact he’s having etc.
Oh absolutely. He hasn’t done squat. But at least he’s on the field and practicing, so there’s hope.
That’s really the issue with the team right now. This defense could come together pretty well, but there’s too much hope required (or too many “coulds” if you prefer). Poona could flourish in his new role. Nkemdiche could be a revelation. Alton Robinson could take a big leap forward after a full offseason. Adams could be used in a more sensible way now that he knows the system. Taylor could have an impact in an Irvin-type role. Akhello Witherspoon could be just what we needed. Cody Barton could stay off the field. We could stay healthy.
I didn’t even include Aldon Smith in that list. That’s a heck of a lot of coulds or ifs or Hope needed. Regardless, I’d prefer to try to look for positives than continue to dwell on how we got to this point.
For what it’s worth, I saw a report on my Facebook feed (I never think to remember who) that said Akhello Witherspoon is the clear #1 CB. Hopefully that means he’s better than an improved DJ Reed.
Yea there is a lot of hope involved with our defense right now. The Seahawks fan in me wants to believe they will put it all together and Pete will make them better than the sum of their parts. Witherspoon will be a stud with a coach who helped form the LOB. I want to believe, but I need to see it first.
I’ve also seen that Penny Hart is the favorite as the #3 receiver. If that’s the case I hope he’s actually the 5th option with Dissly and Everett being before him. I’m worried Russ can’t sustain his style of play much longer. If he can’t run a timing offense, he will only have a year or 2 before he seriously regresses. I have a boom or bust mentality on the whole team, besides the punter and DK.
Yeah, I hope we don’t see all that much three-wide this year. I’d rather see more TE and RB involvement.
I too was skeptical. Even though he’s practicing I’m still skeptical for this year because last I checked Taylor is down 20-25 pounds from where he used to be and really should be to be playing DE. Maybe he has/does put some of the weight back on but can he hold it and endure a full grueling nfl season? I’m doubtful unless he’s put on a light workload throughout. Not to mention this is for all practical purposes his rookie year and he has’nt played real football for a few years.
Taylor looks healthy and explosive but stiff and slow in coverage. Looks like he is thinking too much. Also Blair looks healthy but currently lacks the explosion to play nickel. Connor Wedington is a try hard guy – first guy out in pads catching balls – last guy in after working on his release. Cade Johnson looks like he belongs on an NFL roster. Penny looks like an afterthought – Dallas and Collins much more active and sudden. Barring a new injury Eskeridge seems ilke he will be ready for the first game.
Not surprising he’s thinking too much. He hasn’t had reps. Sounds like you were at practice? Any DL notes?
Yes, took a bunch of notes. Nkemiche was the highlight of the DL. He looks quick and strong. Great attitude. Poona seemed a little gimpy. Mone looks in better shape. Aldon was quiet taking in all the coaches instructions. Hyder has the suddenness he needs to be successful. Dunlap had a rest day but looks happy and healthy. Already seem to be a cohesive group. The other young guys Alton, Raheem & Collier did not flash.
Appreciate it. I’m really excited about the possibility of Nkemdiche starting to realize hod’s potential.
https://twitter.com/football_sis/status/1403406596101844997
More on Jamal Adams… On/Off Splits show his impact
Seahawks Defense (with Adams | without)
43% | 53% – Positive Play% Allow.
36% | 18% – Blitz%
7% | 3% – Sack%
24% | 9% – Man Coverage
6.2 | 7.1 – Yards/Dropback
4.1 | 4.4 – Yards/Rush
Playoff record 0 wins – 1 loss
Classic case of how to distort the truth with the selective presentation of numbers.
The Seattle defense was on a historically bad pace the first half of the season. Adams was a part of that for 4 games, but also didn’t have 4 of those games go on his personal record.
Two things happened at the midpoint of the season. Dunlap arrived and Seattle began a run against some really bad quarterbacks. Adams played in all those games.
Adams absolutely was an impactful player, but he was also a liability far too often.
And that set of numbers does not come close to isolating his net value.
And the easy schedule in the final 7 games as well.
The bad quarterback/opponent thing was the big factor.
He showed up the camp very underweight. Might have been crowded off the field at DE, Dunlap, Hyder, Robinson, Green, Mayowa, Collier maybe even Aldon Smith would all be ahead of him.
Switch to Sam might have saved his NFL chances, at least until we resign KJ (please)
Still think one of Collier or Green is cut, unless the show up in camp enough to justify cutting Hyder.
If it came down to those two it’d be Green. It would cost $3m to cut Collier. Barring some kind of disaster Collier is a lock.
Check that, $4m.
Anyone know what the deal with Aldon Smith’s legal status is? How is he at training camp right now? What are the odds he’s available for the season?
His arraignment got pushed to late August.
I think I’ve given up trying to figure out how the NFL operates with discipline. But it wouldn’t be wise to be counting on him for all 16 games.
Agreed. I think anything you get from him is a bonus, rather than a contribution you count on.
I feel bad for him. I don’t condone the violent behavior but I understand his anger given the circumstances…
And in certain areas, that’s just how matters like that are settled. You pray to God you never get into a situation like that…
Rob do you feel more optimistic about running back depth with Alex Collins getting rave reviews from camp?
Penny is healthy at least.
Don’t see why Alex Collins couldn’t have a second wind of his career here. Had that one great season with Baltimore.
Sure, but he needs to improve ball security, which was an issue for him in practice yesterday.
I don’t I’m afraid
From Schefter:
Former Seahawks’ veteran LB K.J. Wright is in Las Vegas to meet with the Raiders, per source. It’s a familiar scheme with former Seahawks’ defensive coordinator Gus Bradley now being the Raiders’ DC.
https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1423355397428101123?s=20
I’d still try to get him back, even (or especially) at the price of not extending Adams. Seems that some of our secondary guys are doing quite well in camp, and we’re talking safety here, not tackle, rusher or receiver. Hopefully Raiders don’t offer KJ more than he would get from us, and he reconsiders.
They HAVE to sign Adams at this point. If they don’t, they will not only look like incompetent fools, they will be so in this case. If they were going to cut bait, they should have done so before this point. Just MO.
Seattle had their chance to get KJ back on the squad and chose not to. I want success for KJ no matter where he goes and the Raiders would be a good fit for him. Hell, any team that needs a leader and baller would be a good fit for him. Go KJ!
Aaron Levine EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with Pete Carroll they publicized on Q13 for a week and then decided to not rebroadcast it or put it online for another week.
Whew. They really got to the nitty gritty of the Seahawks in 2021.
“Pete please regurgitate your kumbaya press conference statements about you relationship with Russell?”
“Pete could you remind us that Russell needs to complete 70% of his passes and get the ball out quicker?”
“Pete do you think DK and Eskridge are fast?”
“Pete what do you make of players changing jersey numbers?”
“Pete are you looking forward to having fans in the stadium again?”
So I got about 5 mins in and shut if off. If anyone got any substantive information from the rest let me know.
Aren’t you going to tell us? I’m dying to know if he thinks DK is fast. 🤣
But just how good is Bobby Wagner?
What’s better, Bobby Wagner, Russel Wilson, or your bond with the city?
Oof. Seattle sports media is so freaking bad. Like, I understand if you only ask softball questions. Sometimes your hands are tied. But if you’re gonna ask softball questions, at least make them fun, interesting, and something we dont already know the answers to.
I will say that is been a hard slog to move on from the Legion of Boom and from one of the most charismatic and exciting teams of the last couple of decades. But move on we must. This new team hasn’t forged its own identity yet. I can understand the ennui that some of the folks on this blog feel about the direction of things – it’s like the hangover after a great party – but I’m hopeful that this young team will pull it together.
Please refrain from reducing reasonable and thought out opinions to merely being down to a ‘hangover of the LOB era’.
Many of us moved on from that ages ago. That is not why some of us hold the opinions we do.
Point taken! Still, I think there’s a difference between “I don’t like the specific moves this team has made” (Adams and the recent draft classes for example.) and the general feeling of “I can’t get excited about this team.” And yes, I know they are connected to some degree.
Well that’s a personal choice. It’s perfectly plausible to not like specific moves they’ve made and then not get excited about the team — with a clear connection. For what it’s worth, my excitement levels for this team are practically zero — for a number of reasons.
Churn
This Messi news is unbelievable. La Liga president running his own league into the ground with stupid financial rules while teams in other leagues still on 100m+ spending sprees.
For the love of the game, please…
It will be a sad day if it comes to pass. I hold out hope that they are forcing La Liga’s hand and the lost revenue will make Tebas reconsider. CVC Capital Partners cannot be happy.
So confusing why they didn’t address the Center situation. Pocic is made of glass and can’t be trusted to play a full season, and the backup is Kyle freaking Fuller. I guess the best we can hope for is Austin Reiter at this point.
PFF rankings have been all over the place this offseason so take with a grain of salt.
Still, it is refreshing to read someone out there acknowledge losing Reed will be a challenge, and that Kerry Hyder isn’t the second coming of Reggie White.
Link
https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-ranking-all-32-nfl-defensive-line-units-entering-2021-season
I don’t have a problem with it. They have a lot to prove and it’s great motivation. They have the potential to be pretty good if a lot of things come together, but I think the uncertainty supports a low grade.
I think that is fair. All our guys are guys we hope have upside. Our youth and Hyder, and Aldon. Not a single one of them is established. Aldon is both a question mark if he still has it (last year he was just ok) plus his legal. Hyder might come into a better role.. or he may just be the backup rotational piece level player. Green, collier, taylor, alton.. none have made their mark as a stud. We just hope they will grow into that. Lets face it, we have one good lineman (Dunlap), who is older, and is one injury away from breaking our entire d-line.
This would be a fair ranking if we had a JAG at QB. I know PFF didn’t like Wilson’s second half of 2021. I like being ranked low though, this is the type of thing you print out and pin in the locker room
It’s a fair ranking. They have to prove themselves.
I love the low ranking. The best thing is that this isn’t college and rankings don’t matter AT ALL
$43m per… 😲
25m per of guaranteed money tho
Yay, we out here signing b-ball players again…! 😉
https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1423773639535648769
So we now have Duane Brown’s people speaking to the media to express their dissatisfaction.
Adams & Brown… unsigned… not working out — two weeks into camp. Effectively holding out.
Quick, someone go tell Pete to set up a post press conference hug with them so we can all just pretend nothing’s up…
Pete was asked about Duane Brown and said “I’m not talking about it.”
No hugs, no platitudes about how he’s a great player and they love him. He didn’t have the Adams ‘he’s had surgery so we’d be keeping him out anyway’ excuse.
He just completely shut the convo about Brown down.
Curious.
Hmmm. Possible they had promised to talk extension with Brown but have tabled all other talks until Adams’ deal is done? And with the Adams negotiation dragging out, Brown is getting frustrated as the season draws ever closer and he still has no deal/talks?
Just a stab in the dark; not sure if it really makes sense.
So, apparently Brown wanting a new deal is some sort of shock to Pete and John?
No. They just apparently can’t come to terms or are waiting to get Jamal sealed first.
https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2021/06/15/pete-carroll-if-duane-brown-wants-to-keep-playing-we-would-love-for-it-to-be-with-us/
Jamal Adams, the gift that just keeps on giving
Elite blitzer though. Probably the least useful thing to be elite in in football.
I tend to think disaster awaits. With each new contract extension that some (insert name here) above average player signs with his team, Seattle & Pete fall farther back in the Stone Age. Look at some the extensions that have been done around the league lately.
When will they show the love? Reed got no love. Brown gets no love. Dunlap? He got cut but resigned. Sure, Lockett got the love. I’m sure Pete buys what he’s selling and believes he can insert anyone into whatever position. There is no feeling of excitement at all. No feeling of this team is gonna be difficult to deal with. 🤷♂️
I thought all offseason extending Brown should have been a priority with 0 legit alternatives.
This making Adams a priority to get signed 1st just shows how out of touch PC truly is.
We can play games minus Adams, we can’t go into the season without Brown.
A 2 year extension for Brown seems like an easy call, but nothing ever seems easy with our team lately.
In this case it needs to get done though, and should take priority over Adams. I Guarantee you Wilson feels that way.
And two players with a lot of leverage against the team. Brown is beyond essential and is getting underplayed (can’t believe I just wrote that about a good Seahawks player….), has shown an ability to push limits with his team in the past and at the end of the day he could truly threaten to retire.
‘under-payed’
Pete said today that Brown will not play during the preseason. Plenty of chances for guys like Forsythe to get reps, I guess.
Gerald McCoy signed with the raiders. I was hoping the Seahawks were looking at him.
James Washington from Pittsburgh requested a trade. A few here liked him in college. I feel like we need a third good receiver badly. Eskridge being on the sidelines right now is not a good sign for him contributing this year.
My instincts say Brown is likely done here and Cedric is our starting left tackle week 1. Feel like they have been eyeing him as a starter for awhile.
To be clear, I don’t see this as a good thing. It’s not what I want to happen. But I have a hunch it’s going to happen.
God I hope you’re wrong, but if Pete would go into a season with Bradley Sowell as his starting LT then there’s no doubt he’d lowball Duane out of town.
“Sinking ship” indeed.
this community is turning into a pity party…
this is truly the only community I participate in outside of my work and personal life… but can we agree that it might be time to turn the page? yes, the Adams trade looks like another disaster… deal or no deal… mistakes were made, then more mistakes were made.
but can we please focus on how we can improve, build, strengthen this roster?
I couldn’t imagine coming to work here everyday. my company makes a lot more mistakes than PC/JS and manage to continue to be a market leader and a dynamic place to
fail fast. this is getting worse than media coverage of covid.
onward and upwards.
we can’t do anything to improve it, we don’t call the shots. We can only watch as the ship sinks
It’s far from a sinking ship scenario, come on.
This kind of comment is probably what he’s talking about. We’ve seen a team make significant roster changes, all the while the win total has risen from 9 to 10 to 11 to 12 in the past four years and yet here you are suggesting the ship is sinking.
You are literally watching a ship rise in the water while saying it’s sinking. Oh, is it because, sure, we’re winning, but we haven’t “looked” dangerous, whatever that means? I get the playoff results have been a bit disappointing, but that’s true for all but about four teams in the entire league. Sometimes it’s just a matter of the ball bouncing a little differently for you in those games.
I don’t think the ship is sinking. But neither is it ‘rising’.
For me it’s stuck in the port, with a captain who’s maybe ready to retire to the beach hut. And some will like that port. Others know there are better ports to reach. And we want to go to them.
Bingo.
love this. just want to help steer our focus to championship waters (rather than dwelling on the stormy past)
and i completely get it and agree with the sentiment in the community. but this sailor is ready to shift his attention to the clear and open waters of 2021.
before we leave port, are there any thoughts on trading for a more seasoned center?
While I appreciate the willingness to steer to championship waters, there are hard facts.
The Seahawks have traded for a safety, who wants to earn big money and is essentially sitting out. They cannot even make a new deal with the LT they have until this is settled, so how can they trade for a C?
And this is before we include the eyewatering cost of said trade. Which is habitually countered by the yay-sayers, that they were bad at first round picks anyway. Still, we are asked to believe, there is nothing wrong.
We have had this questions regarding the teams construction being flawed before. And there is a hard measure for this.
Can this team win on a day, where RW isn’t 100%?
No, they cannot. No LOB to bail out the pack.
And that’s a massive problem, if you.need to win four in a row vs.the NFL best.
That’s just objectively not true, unless your only measure of a team’s rising or falling is strictly how many playoff games they win in a particular year.
By W-L record, the Hawks have improved each of the past 3 years.
By DVOA, which I think many in the industry would accept as the best objective standard we have for team quality, the team has improved each of the past 3 years.
It doesn’t matter whether you think it’s ‘objectively not true’. I am voicing my opinion.
Just as you reduce my take to judging them on playoff wins and losses (which, to me at least, would be a perfectly legit basis to judge progress), I can reduce your take to being too focused on a regular season record which can always be influenced by a weak schedule (as it was in 2020) or point to the fact that whilst I appreciate DVOA, it also ranked San Francisco as the 11th best team in the NFL last season and had Cleveland — who came within a whisker of beating Kansas City on the road to reach the AFC Championship game — ranked 18th in the league. So let’s not act like it’s a flawless system because clearly fourth-placed in their division San Fran were not 11th best and Cleveland, who made the playoffs and hammered Pittsburgh in the wildcard, were not 18th best.
The simple fact is the Seahawks were horrendous on defense for half a season, then extremely poor on offense. They benefitted from a schedule that was diabolically poor and then got their doors blown off by a division rival in the Wildcard game who fielded a novice backup QB until he got hurt then turned to their initial starter (who they dumped this year to Detroit) who had to throw the football with a badly injured thumb.
At least the year prior they actually won a playoff game against a crap QB. And that was on the road. So it literally isn’t ‘progress’ to do worse than the year before. But for me it goes beyond that anyway. Seattle is a team stuck in a ‘good not great’ position. And they are not streaking towards greatness. They are simply treading water.
It’s frustrating, isn’t it? In no way would I suggest sticking our heads in the sand, nor do I think everything is great. But I feel sorry for any horses around here.
I don’t even comment here nowadays that shows how much I don’t care that much about the Hawks. This management and the players just killed my enthusiasm. Hopefully changes will come in the future and I can reclaim it. But I totally agree with you. Realistic views are great, but people here nowadays are just plain negative (calling Eskridge a bust without him playing a single snap yet, etc). “They could/should do this and that” might be dreaming and wishful thinking but at least it’s a forward thinking. “They messed up and we’re doomed, etc” is just ventillation
I can only speak for myself. I will call things as I see them. No, I won’t move on from the big topic of the time (Adams). Discussing it is crucial to a proper Seahawks debate. Please don’t accuse ‘the community’ of being a pity party for basically acting as you’d expect.
Rob, I don’t think anyone is asking you to. I’m certainly not. Regardless, it’s been a steady diet, for a long time (and with good reason).
it’s the overall sentiment within the comments, we don’t need to ignore adams, but it’d be nice to come up for air… i speak just for myself (an exhausted overworked parent that might have had one too many beers after the kids went down last night)
To put it another way, it would be nice to have something more positive that warranted talking about.
I don’t think we’ve talked that much about Adams. Considering his contract is the big story line at the moment, I struggle to think the extent of conversation has warranted a push back.
completely disagree. the comments tend to lean back into the adams for their daily dose… but again, i agree with the sentiment of the SDB community. these are just my thoughts, as a more casual fan.
my last comment on this subject…
i remember the days that we’d discuss the other 89 players in camp. i simply miss those days.
i like hearing the collective SDB thoughts on all offseason subjects (center, sam, corner, running back, new draftees, new coordinators, etc.).
maybe i’ve overstayed my welcome as a “casual” fan in SDB. maybe this has been an exceptional two offseasons that warrant a steady commitment of critique.
but i’ve always been enamored by the depth of analysis covering this organization.
Here’s an idea.
If you want to talk about the other 89 players in camp — then start a conversation about it.
It’s a novel suggestion, I know. But maybe one that is preferable rather than coming on to moan about what other people are choosing to talk about.
completely agree and i have attempted to on multiple occasions just on this thread alone.
i don’t have the time or the knowledge to do a deep study of centers around the league that may or may not be available to the seahawks via trade or other (my biggest concern, see aaron donald).
there are incredible contributors to this site and again, i am so very interested in learning about everything else going on at camp. again, i agree with the majority of this community re: adams.
but i am hoping to learn and hear about everyone else’s opinion on what else is going on at camp… these are my ONLY intentions.
again, i am just a fan of the blog who is trying to spark conversation about other topics in camp that i am not in tuned with. i am personally more interested in these other potential topics at this point than adams (not to be ignored).
if my comments are not welcome because of the lack of knowledge i bring to the table i will happily refrain from posting.
Nobody’s saying your comments aren’t welcome.
But you’re complaining because other people don’t want to talk about the same things you do. Don’t you see why I’m pushing back on that? We’re not here to cater for individual preferences. And as I’ve said numerous times, the conversation on Adams is hardly as dominating as you’re implying.
It’s the big topic of the times and it’s, quite rightly, being discussed a fair bit.
These stories about Swain taking Eskeridge’s position gotta stop. Eskeridge does not appeared injured. 45 minutes before practice Eskeridge walks out no splint or walking cast and proceeds to rip off ten wind sprints at ¾ speed. Just flying for a normal person. No limp, no grimace big ole smile the whole time. Even taking time to run around playing tag with that idiotic Blitz. Honestly he doesn’t appear injured I think he is looking to work himself back into shape and lose a few lbs.
Eskridge has bust written all over him
And what rationale are you basing that comment on?
I sure hope not. He’s one of the small handful of players I’m really looking forward to seeing in action. He’s got some real play-making potential.
Maybe we should just wait and see. Same with Taylor. It is pretty early to get so negative (or positive) on a player.
Nice to have Jeff and you back at it in what finally feels like the first machinations of the upcoming season. Really intrigued by both of your thoughts/comments about Pete.
Thank you
Bo Scarborough signed with the Raiders.
https://www.fieldgulls.com/2021/8/6/22380136/las-vegas-raiders-sign-former-seattle-seahawks-rb-bo-scarbrough-detroit-jd-mckissic-darell-bevell
Just been thinking about Captain Jacks comment re Eskridge being a bust. What are peoples expectations of him this season? We all know he’s not going to put up Metcalf rookie numbers. But what would constitute a success, or determine him as a bust?
I think he’ll get about 500 yards if he plays
That would be a decent result, but he has to get onto the field. Right now when I hear about Eskridge’s toe I can’t help but think about the Phillip Dorsett saga
500 yards seems pretty good for a rookie WR behind DK and Lockette. I think I’d consider that a good year.
Perhaps. Although David Moore had 417 last year and I wouldn’t say he had an impact of any note. So a 500 yard season could be seen in different ways.
You are right. There are different ways to look at it. My perspective is that 500 yards for a rookie WR3 seems like a decent start to his career. In terms of significantly contributing to the offense and making a big difference this year, probably not. But I tend to think we should not expect rookie WRs to be major contributors in year one.
Well I wouldn’t expect him to be a ‘major’ contributor but Seattle’s #1 and #2 receivers both had major impacts as rookies. It’s a position where impact has been easier in recent years. He’s also an older rookie, so there’s pressure for immediate impact there. And he was their biggest investment this off season.
So it all adds up to a degree of expectation and necessity to deliver.
For me, Duane is in the same category as Tyler Lockett: no doubt you give him an extension, and as soon as possible. Ogbuehi wants to play RT and he isn’t anywhere near Duane anyways, and it would be suicide to play with Jamarco or a rookie like Stone there. I wouldn’t care how Adams feels about it and I would hand Duane the new contract yesterday.
Otherwise, do you guys know if there’s a way to watch the mock game online, or are they keeping it an offline event?
Oh for sure, Duane is critical to the team’s offensive success this season.
There is a better developmental tackle prospect on the roster than Stone. Greg Eiland. Slightly bigger but bends better and more fluid in motions.
He might get a lot of playing time this preseason with Brown holding out + Ogbuehi and Jamarco Jones dealing with injuries…
The 900 pound elephant in the room that I don’t think is being discussed is that fact that there is a definite injury risk factor for training camp holdouts. I don’t care how many sprints you do or how long you spend on the bike, there is no way to get into “football shape” without participating in training camp. We have passed the 1/3 mark of training camp practices. When they sign, there is a subconscious pressure to “catch up” and the risk of noncontact soft tissue injuries skyrockets, especially for players like safeties and tackles. The prospect is honestly terrifying to me.
Fair enough.
I’m concerned on the scheme impact on both sides of the ball.
Ken Norton Jr said this week that Adams didn’t get fully implemented into the 2020 defense because they didn’t have time. Said we’re going to see a more balanced Adams in 2021. Well fantastic.
Except. Adams skipped OTA’s for ‘personal reasons’ (yeah right) and hasn’t practiced yet in camp. Attending meetings and clapping for your teammates only goes so far.
Brown, sure he’s older and could use veteran rest. But the Seahawks are installing a new offense. I don’t care if they claim a lot of the concepts are the same. I don’t care if Brown is one of the best left tackles in the NFL. Brown needs practice reps to absorb the changes. He and Damien Lewis need to develop some chemistry. Handling stunts and handing off rushers. Calling protections.
Get ready for some sloppy football in the early part of the season followed by excuses from PC to the press.
Well, the pressure is on for sure. If only one signing can happen, what is more important to Pete? Doing the best thing for Russ and signing his LT, or following through on his blockbuster trade and signing Jamal? If he does the first, he looks bad for the trade. If he does the latter, he risks further alienating Russ. It’s really almost a lose-lose. He will ~probably~ ultimately do both, but the optics of which one gets done first will also be interesting to watch.
Yes it will, won’t it? Good points man.
The only silver lining is Colts might be a dumpster fire playing Jacob Eason, the definition of a statue at QB with zero pro experience.
After that… good luck
There are always exceptions — but generally you need everyone out there. Working. Not watching.
It’s not good that two key players have sat out a couple of weeks of camp with little sign of a resolution at this stage.
But if you speak the truth about this you’re being overly negative. Future fan projections can only be positive or else you’re labeled a “troll”
Every fan base has ‘defenders of the faith’. The guardians who feel obliged to protect the franchise, like it’s an injured puppy.
Seattle’s version, though, has been working overtime for the last two years.
Oh c’mon man, 12 wins, I mean 12 win s!!
(but don’t look behind the curtain at that dismantling by LA in the playoff game AT HOME and with a QB that couldn’t throw)
The 12 wins were a convenient concealer for fans and media inclined to defend the team at all costs.
We could all see the Seahawks weren’t remotely a contender last year, regardless of the arguments being made to the contrary.
I’m a total homer in some ways, approve of the moves at De (last year and this), linebacker, Wr, and RB and am least moderately okay of moves on the Offensive line and DB. Pretty meh on Jamal Addams move, and borderline irate with having Reed walk for nothing. My true homerism shows most with the last couple years of drafting being more snake bit bye injuries than bad drafting, and is my annual time for optimism looking at guys I hope break out before giving up on them, Addams, Penny, Taylor, Blair, and to a lesser extent LJ and Green.
Where my homerism end though is questioning whether RW can operate in this type of offense, or DK for that matter. Whether it’s his refusal to throw anticipatory routes and keep an offensive on schedule, his height keeping him from seeing quick targets, or just being so wired to protect the ball he can’t pull the trigger unless he can see the man clearly open? Even if Waldron is the next Mcvay, does he have the right pieces to make it work? We correctly identified why the offense was broken last year, especially against the ram seeing that we needed more quick looks, more plays that run off the same base looks so we have some mystery as to what we are running. If RW can change his style of play, and we can get okay performances out of our DB I could see a post season run, I can also see RW utterly imploding as he tries to fight his natural tendencies to hold on to the ball to long. Might not be in his DNA as a player.
PFF recently posted a video and a small write-up about Wilson and the offense.
I’d say it was one of the more critical discussions anyone has had about Wilson.
Key takeaway: Wilson needs to learn how to play within Waldron’s offense, on schedule, within the structure and not going off to play Russball too much. While WIlson is statistically an effective QB, the offense has a whole does not seem to be optimal or reaching the ceiling everyone believes it has or this team needs to stop treading water. They believe he’s a good QB, but the way he seems to like to play, is unique and invites a ton of chaos into the offense that he is not always equipped to deal with. They compare Wilson to Aaron Rodgers pre-Lafleur where he seemed like he just hit a wall. Good QBs, just not as good as they can be. Hypothetically on Wilson’s part, of course. Rodgers is a multiple time MVP.
Great points. These holdouts show nothing besides that Adams cares more about the money than helping his team win.
or that PC/JS made a grave miscalculation by trading two firsts, a third, and a player for him without a contract extension already in place.
Watch BWags demand a raise…
We’re all thinking it, Joel says it
And this continues to be missed or ignored locally. Just because he’s holding out there in camp instead of at home.
I said the same in our first pre-season live stream —- that Fred Warner signing for $19m was an issue for Seattle. Because Adams is hardly going to sign for less.
Now we have this contract. Plus let’s see how much Xavien Howard is getting now.
The Seahawks were desperate and naive a year ago. And now despite a lot of goodwill, clearly, from both parties —- the fact is they’ve traded the house for a player they only want to pay a safety salary too. And he ain’t interested.
So what now?
Seattle clearly thinks give it time and he will cave. What if he doesn’t?
Bob Condotta’s byline for his piece yesterday was hilarious
Gee Bob, you think?
It’s incredible. He’s essentially two weeks into a holdout. As is Duane Brown.
People are being tricked by the fact he’s actually there rather than holding out at home. But that’s purely because of the CBA. What they are both doing now is the present and future of holdouts.
Let’s put it this way. If they were both holding out at home — everyone would be freaking out.
Condotta should read SDB… Rob knew it would be a “big deal” the second we traded for him w/o a contract in place.
If it weren’t for the fact that it would likely blow up the Wilson situation again, I’d be ready to thank them both for their time and be done with it. The Adams acquisition was a disaster on multiple levels, but let’s move on. Likewise, I don’t think extending Brown for more than a year is a move I would want to make, despite the fact they don’t have a replacement ready (which goes back to drafting issues, obviously).
I’m guessing if he doesn’t cave we see Ryan Neal or Blar at SS to start.
I’m more concerned about Brown, we have 0 options if he plays hardball.
I’d prioritize Brown over Adams at this point.
It’s truly incredible how they’ve screwed all this up.
Another reason to just get Duane done now.
Yep… the longer they wait (and other guys sign), the worse it’s going to be.
They’re gonna wish they’d just signed him to whatever crazy number he was asking for when they traded for him.
I’d assume he’s raised his asking price since then.
Good. We’re gonna need any fight we can get out of this defense. Like that he wouldn’t take crap from even DK.
Bold prediction: The Seahawks are going to win today’s game.
Book it.
Going straight to my wagering app and betting on them based on your post cha.
https://twitter.com/RobRang/status/1424453791282200576
It’s incredible that they’re going into the season with a banged up Pocic and Kyle Fuller at center.
What if we have to roll out this week 1…? 😬
Russ demands a trade on the spot
I’m kidding……….sort of. My gut tells me they’re waiting for a decent C at cutdown. A dangerous game based on line calls, lack of familiarity with scheme, plays, etc.
Does anyone else feel just completely apathetic about the Hawks this season? For the first time in my 38 years as a Hawks fan I have not even paid attention to training camp and just feel blah about the Hawks and NFL in general. Sad part is I don’t really know why. Maybe is it just me but this team and the direction PC/JS have taken it just inspire no passion or excitement. I fully expect another 9-7, 10-6 season and first round playoff loss with drama around Russ’s trade status and Adams / Browns contract status being the only thing newsworthy.
What am I missing? What has you guys excited about this team?
Just Waldron potentially unlocking this offense’s full potential and keeping Russ out of the offensive rut he seems to fall into after the first half of the season.
If that happens, we have decent injury luck, and the defense can somehow manage to be close to league average (which IMO is the biggest ask of all right now), we might have a chance.
100%
Observations from the mock game today (standard grain of salt applies):
-Russ seems to have good command of the offense thus far. More than once, pre-snap he was directing WRs. ‘no, you go here and you go here!’
-He was throwing lasers. BBK had such good coverage on a play Russ had a small window beyond his fingertips and he placed it perfectly. Also had a brilliant 45 yard sideline catch to DK. Also perfectly placed.
-Russ had good rhythm with Freddie Swain. They had a couple plays set up for an easy 8 yards that could be some bread and butter in the regular season.
-More than a couple series with 3+1 receiver formations. The TE is more of a slot spot, so 4 receiver sets. On one play they had DK inside in slot and the defense was trying to adjust. They put Nick Bellore on him (yes, Nick Bellore). RW’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head and he threw it slightly behind DK for an incompletion.
-Alex Collins was impressive. Ran well, and at one point took a pass in the flat and faked the DB out of his jock (I think it was Gavin Heslop) and gained a few yards.
-Stone Forsythe got a ton of snaps at LT and didn’t look out of place. Brown and lots of OT injuries gave him a chance to show what he can do. Seemed to know what he is doing. Still green but not a bad showing at all.
-Colby Parkinson looked great. Has chemistry with Geno Smith. Had a couple catches where the throw wasn’t right on the money but made them work. He’s so big! The DBs were trying to give him extra shoves and he just shrugged them off.
-Cade Johnson had a nice quick slant in traffic. Weaved his way around tacklers in tight quarters for 7-8 yards. Looked great.
-Not impressed with Gerald Everett at all. Blocking was meh, twice they had a 3rd and mid and designed a crossing pattern looking for him and he couldn’t get untangled from the slot to get behind the LBs. Had an awful drop also. He’d beaten his man down the sideline and RW threw a beautiful ball that hit him right in the hands and he couldn’t complete the catch. The DB was flagged for PI but RW couldn’t have thrown a more perfect ball and there’s no excuse. Could have been a highlight play for 30-40 yards.
-I like the look of Tre Brown. Confident, tough, aggressive. They had him out wide. He had a beautiful pass breakup on a slant route right about the goal line. He doesn’t make that play they have a TD or first and goal at the one.
-Blair got a lot of reps at Strong Safety. He has a nice look about him there. Big enough to stick his nose into a gap and take a runner on, quick enough to backpedal into a zone.
-Darrel Taylor got a lot of reps at the SAM/Edge hybrid they’re trying. I watched him a lot, and I don’t have a big plus or minus feeling about his play today. He knew his assignments, he seemed to know where he’s supposed to be on each play. But either he was not trying much at pass rushing or he was holding back due to QBs being in red jerseys. He had a play where he tried his bend but hadn’t done anything to set the OT up and was handled easily.
-If you ask me will Rasheem Green make this team, right this minute my answer is no. Got lots of reps at EDGE across Forsythe and lost more battles than he won.
Thank you cha. Did Jordyn Brooks stand out, positively or negatively? It’s one of the big worries spot for me since KJ left.
Not much to report. I was watching Taylor and Blair mostly.
Are you listening, Seahawks?
https://www.thenewstribune.com/sports/nfl/seattle-seahawks/article253355738.html
This is such a clusterf@$k.
He’s your best player on the offense, yes better than Wilson. They have zero plan to replace him, tons of holes on the roster and can save some $ this year by extending him.
This is getting so stupid I might have trouble continuing to watch.
Wilson already giving a very stern warning to the front office and it isn’t even week one
I also noticed Wilson didn’t mention Adams. Like all of us here, he knows games are won in the trenches; not by a safey. Not having Brown extended long ago just adds to the list of our front office being out of touch.
They screwed themselves by making the bad trade for Adams, then doing so without a contract in place was just crazy.
I didn’t expect Adams to start the season with a contract; but Brown, well i just thought that was common sense to get done.
They can’t afford to screw around with not having Brown. Atleast we have Neal or Blair to cover for Adams.
Well to be fair, he wasn’t asked about Adams. Nor was he asked ‘who would you rather have on the team, Brown or Adams?’ or any such question.
He was asked straight up about Brown, and Russ-O-Tron accessed his media files and gave some pre-programmed platitudes about Brown, was asked again about Brown holding in and said ‘I don’t get to make those kinds of decisions’ regarding Browns contract, and when pressed said yes we need Brown week one.
He definitely made his feelings known about Brown but Adams wasn’t part of the discussion.
True. However I would love to get the answer to that question from the major of the team. Anonymous would be fine; I’m guessing all would choose Brown over Adams.
I fear…
The team is in a dual over every last cent with Jamal. A guy with damaged fingers and shoulders. But the team has made its bed with him and not signing him is just not on.
And. Then.
Three hundred pounds of all-star tackle says – ME. TOO! Every nickel, dime and quarter is still not enough to get Jamal’s bent fingers on a contract – and now – with 100%+ of every dollar already stretched past the breaking point another icon needs “R.E.S.P.E.C.T” – spelt “$.$.$.$.$.$.$.”
Shit Hits Fan – Rubber hits road – pass the Pepto Bismol – Good Grief Charlie Brown…