Notes on Quandre Diggs & the 53-man roster

I think Quandre Diggs tried to pull a fast one at the end of camp and has been left with his tail between his legs.

Having seen Jamal Adams hold out and receive a record-breaking contract and Duane Brown hold out amid increased media talk that the Seahawks would sweeten the pot for their left tackle, I suspect Diggs wanted some of the action.

You could even argue, why not? There’s no harm in trying.

Yet I think it’s very evident that here is a man trying to save face after a failed attempt to get the team to act.

Last week Pete Carroll said in a press conference that Diggs was making a statement. Yesterday, Diggs played that down. It was all just a small, personal situation he needed to take care of.

Now it’s emerged he’s trying to take out an insurance policy against injury this season.

Surely though, he could’ve done that weeks if not months ago?

Not only that, why start camp and risk injury then right at the end decide you need insurance? Meanwhile you single yourself out by not practising and write a series of prolific tweets hinting at your dissatisfaction.

Chalk this one down to a victory for the team. It appears Diggs tried to get them to extend his deal now, amid the huge extensions for not only Adams but also Harrison Smith in Minnesota. The Seahawks, quite rightly, said this isn’t the time.

And it isn’t. If Diggs stays in Seattle beyond 2021 it’ll likely be after he establishes his market in free agency. This would be the worst possible time for the team to negotiate with their other starting safety.

Not only that, it would be an invitation for every other player on the team to ‘hold out’ prior to their final season on a contract. Eventually you have to draw a line in the sand and say, ‘no’.

Diggs’ press conference on Tuesday was a bit like the ‘comical Ali’ meme. Nothing to see here. I suspect the truth is he had a go and failed to coax more money out of the Seahawks. He’ll be playing in week one on the same deal.

The key is going to be Duane Brown. There’s less than two weeks to resolve this issue, which is far more important.

53-man roster notes

— I am baffled by the decision to keep three quarterbacks, mainly because Geno Smith and Sean Mannion aren’t actually any good. If keeping Mannion around due to his knowledge of the scheme is important, cut Smith. It seems they want to retain both somehow, perhaps with Mannion reverting to being a veteran member of the practise squad, and they think retaining him for now is the way to make it happen. It still seems a bit unnecessary.

— This is very much an incomplete picture. With four receivers, five pure running backs, 11 offensive linemen, a cluster of D-liners and weak depth at corner and linebacker there will presumably be claims and transactions coming this week. I just hope they don’t get too cute over the next few days.

— The Seahawks have never been a team to save a lot of cap space. The fact they have $13m in effective cap space currently suggests a potentially aggressive period of roster construction is forthcoming. I know people keep saying it’s unlikely but it’s got to be a possibility that K.J. Wright returns. They need another linebacker. Geno Atkins also is a distinct possibility, at the expense of maybe even L.J. Collier. If it’s possible to keep adding at cornerback too, that would be wise. Nobody wants to see Tre Flowers start, surely?

— Yesterday was a reminder that UDFA’s are still UDFA’s for a reason. There was much praise for Seattle’s undrafted class this year — and how a lack of draft picks had helped the Seahawks. Well, in the end, only Jake Curhan made the roster. Players like Cade Johnson may well make the practise squad and eventually get called up. But the lack of players making the team is indicative of the nature of UDFA’s. The Seahawks have never been more wide open to make the roster and only one undrafted player made the initial big cut.

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215 Comments

  1. uptop

    Happy September Rob!

    Saw one of my draft favorites get cut, Dazz Newsomr, id be happy if we took a look on the PS

  2. L80

    Rob I think you are spot on regarding today. They were probably waiting for waivers on players, maybe surprise cuts by other teams OR are indeed eyeing some trades.

    The weaknesses are evident and even they see them…CB, they have made 2 trades in a week.

    The QB thing is bizzarre as it takes a roster spot from an area of need, I think they will do something there. Neither backup is a prized trade for another team (or so it appears) so one needs to go.

    Going to be an interesting day me thinks.

    • GerryG

      “The weaknesses are evident and even they see them…CB”

      The sad part about this is, we all said that months ago. Everyone also said months ago, this team is really thin at WR after the first 2 (or 3 if you count on a rookie to be a day 1 difference maker), and here we are keeping only 4 WR. People said months ago, yeesh who is going to play SAM? All of these short comings were recognized a long time ago, and the plan was to do last second finagling with other teams scraps. This is mind bogglingly stupid in my opinion.

      • Redzone086

        +1

      • Big Mike

        2

      • BobbyK

        3

  3. Joshua G Smith

    So we were all wondering which of the below average QBs they would keep as the backup.
    Surprise! We’re gonna keep 2 below average backup QBs for the team who’s starting QB hasnt missed a game? (knock on wood)
    I can’t see the Hawks keeping both all season so this is really odd. A place holder until Ursua is healthy, maybe?
    Cuz the 4 WR thing is also odd. What’s the latest on Josh Gordon?
    I do hope they bring KJ back because Id rather not see Bellore (or Taylor for that matter, lol) playing LB in the regular season.
    Bring KJ in and let Taylor get after the QB…

    • Joshua Smith

      Retraction on the Ursua comment. I must have misread the status of his injury…

  4. cha

    I have no answers on Sean Mannion.

    Please do not attempt to take any of these seriously.

    Choose Your Sean Mannion Theory

    The Poor Roster Theory aka the Pessimist’s Delight
    There isn’t anyone else the Seahawks felt deserved the 53rd spot.

    The Ultra Gamesmanship Theory
    The Indy Colts’ QB situation is a mess. As well they’d love some intel on the new offense, since they didn’t get a look at it in the preseason with the starters on the field. The Falcons were caught off guard by the Seahawks offense in Week One last year and the Colts are going to be scraping and scratching this year with probably the least-vaccinated roster in the NFL.

    The COVID Nightmare Scenario
    The Seahawks saw Denver go through a disaster Week 12 against the Saints with all 3 QB’s positive for COVID. They immediately signed Alex McGough and placed Danny Etling in a locked clean room with a bottle of water and some saltine crackers.

    They’re being extremely forward thinking by having 3 QB’s on the active roster in case of emergency.

    The Waldron Compromise
    Shane Waldron wanted Mannion. Pete wanted Geno. So they agreed to just keep both.

    The Placeholder
    Everyone they wanted to keep has under-the-radar agreed to sign to the practice squad, and the Seahawks are just dotting the i’s on a contract with someone like KJ or Geno Atkins.

    Pete feels like the feeble gesture of keeping Mannion on the roster for an extra day or two builds some goodwill should they need to get Mannion back later in the year.

    • Joshua Smith

      Love this. Haha
      I vote Ultra Gamesmenship to Placeholder to practice squad…

      • Palatypus

        Yeah, and they probably don’t want him defecting to the Rams either.

    • Lewis

      I know you weren’t serious with these, but I heard something the other day about Smith and Russel spending a lot of time together, talking through things they see in practice, etc. sort of a Knight and squire relationship. It would make a ton of sense to keep someone like Mannion on the PS and make sure he keeps distance from the other two at all times.

    • Sean

      The Secret Linebacker Theory
      Mannion will be the LB depth after Taylor is moved back to DE and Bellore is cut.

      • Palatypus

        I thought Bellore was going to be our nickel corner.

  5. Simo

    Love the take on Diggs’ situation Rob. I was unsure if this was simply a failed attempt to leverage the team, or something different as Diggs himself tried to explain. I suspect you’re correct in that he tried to get more, failed in his attempt, and is now trying to save face. No big deal really and agree the big issue is the hopeful resolution of Brown’s situation.

    I just can’t get to worked up about the makeup of this initial 53 man roster. Of course it seems a bit bizarre right now, but it’s very likely to change over the coming days. I can’t see them carrying 3 QB’s and only 4 WR into week 1. Surely there will be several roster adjustments coming soon!

  6. cha

    Now it’s emerged he’s trying to take out an insurance policy against injury this season.

    This is one of the most uncovered areas that I wish a reporter would shine more of a light on. Maybe Joel Correy.

    There’s always this loud cry when a player gets hurt and he loses a huge future contract, and I get the truth of it, and why players and their agents let that cry ring out loud and clear.

    But anyone who doesn’t have some kind of insurance against injury in this game is an idiot. Why Diggs didn’t already have a policy in place seems absurd to me. He has $11m non-guaranteed on his contract between 2020 and 2021. How do you not have something to cover catastrophic injury? The Seahawks could have walked away from his contract at any time.

    • Palatypus

      Didn’t Lloyd’s of London refuse to pay one a while back and end up in litigation? Also, they must be pretty expensive.

    • Sean

      Seems like a good point. Does anybody have a ballpark estimate for what percent of NFL players have inury insurance? Seems like a good idea for those guys that are making $1M+.

      • Palatypus

        Found it! It was actually several players.

        “[Jacob] Ryan was anxious to win a lucrative contract as a free agent in 2018 after the conclusion of his three-year rookie contract with the Green Bay Packers, according to the lawsuit. Professional players who become free agents are aware that their income can be severely limited by a training injury. Ryan hedged his bets by paying $149,800 for an athlete’s disability “loss of value” insurance policy with Lloyd’s.

        Ryan began pre-season training with the Packers on July 28, 2018 after receiving a “Certificate of Conditional Coverage” from an agent for Lloyd’s. The certificate described a temporary insurance contract for coverage that commenced the previous June that would pay up to $5 million if his earnings over the ensuing four years amounted to less than $24 million.”

        https://www.claimsjournal.com/news/national/2019/12/03/294340.htm

  7. Alexander J Higgins

    Possible theory: Trying to trade Geno Smith for a 7th round pick to some team desperate for a backup QB? He looked pretty good on Saturday night. But really?? That’s a very weird strategy.

    • Rob Staton

      Nobody is trading for Geno Smith

  8. L80

    I applaud and chastise the F.O. at the same time.

    Appaud for not caving into a situation where a contracted player pouts in the corner in order to get his way for a new contractwhen he has one for this year and will make 6.2 MILLION dollars for playing a game for 17 games. Also with Brown, his age is working against him for a longer contract at this point, however they need to pony up some money for him, he’s way more important than Diggs.

    Chastise for passing on better players when we actually DID have draft picks, also for NOT adequately adressing the CB position knowing they would lose their best (although middling) CB in free agency. What more do you need to see from Flowers?……LB, They need to rush Taylor and get KJ in here 2 weeks ago, they have the money and while they are at it Geno Atkins as well. 3 QB’s?…Really when your CB room looks like a good High School team…..Terrible.

    • 12th chuck

      they make a smart move, then outsmart themselves by multiple questionable moves. vicious circle, that catches up more and more every year

  9. cha

    Sorry Sea Mode

    Tom Pelissero
    @TomPelissero
    · 7m
    The #Jaguars are claiming WR Tyron Johnson off waivers from the #Chargers, per source. They have top priority and are using it.

    • Sea Mode

      Hey, at least I’ve still got an eye for WR, I guess… 😁

  10. cha

    Adam Schefter
    @AdamSchefter
    ·
    7m
    Seahawks claimed two players on waivers: former 49ers’ T Dakoda Shepley and former Ravens DB Nigel Warrior.

    • cha

      https://twitter.com/TomPelissero/status/1433102553747755010

      Looks like no Seahawks players got claimed.

      • GerryG

        I for one am shocked, shocked I say!!

    • Mick

      Good news for our practice squad. But another OL and another DT (assuming we still have a shot at Atkins) make no sense to me at all.

      • Bigsteviej

        Although listed as an OT, Shepley played center in the Niners’ training camp. Played well enough that he was a dark horse candidate to make the 53, and was definitely destined for the PS when he didn’t. It wouldn’t be a total surprise if he ends up better than Pocic or Fuller.

        • Mick

          Come on, put an established center there, are we really going to mess up this position completely?

          • Bigsteviej

            Point well-taken. I guess we’ll see.

    • Rob Staton

      Baffling

      • Elmer

        And how about Jacob Luton!

  11. Bigsteviej

    Seahawks reportedly claim two off of waivers:
    Center Dakoda Shepley (49ers)
    DB Nigel Warrior (Ravens)

    • Mick

      OK my bad, so Nigel Warrior’s a safety… again last thing we needed. And Shepley seems to be more a guard than a center.

      • Sea Mode

        Warrior has been moved around a bit during practices so far, seeing time as an outside boundary cornerback. The Ravens like to experiment with positional versatility with many of their players, and Warrior has been no exception.

        • Mick

          That makes it better: we take a safety who has less than 100 snaps at CB and a guard who has less than 100 snaps at C (in their whole career, not in NFL games) to solve our biggest roster issues.

          • L80

            Last night I looked at all the teams cuts and waiver eligible players and for the life of me I couldn’t find a single one worth obtaining….But I’m not the Master Cylinder of evaluating either.

            We have cap space, we need another interior DL, We need an LB. Isn’t it clear to these dudes?…..Did legal MJ finally make it’s way into the “war room”?

    • jujus

      G/T Dakoda Shepley today, waived by 49ers. A 2018 Jets UDFA from Canada and the same town as Luke Willson. He played two years in CFL, where he was rookie of the year runner up.

      Pro Day:
      6ft 4|
      305lbs
      |32″AL
      |5.17s 40yd
      |4.70s SS
      8.19s 3C
      32.5″VJ
      9ft3″BJ
      30BP

  12. drrew76

    Nigel Warrior is Dale Carter’s son — let’s home the DNA is strong.

  13. Big Mike

    Are the hawks reduced to picking up the 49ers’ scraps now?

    • Dave1401

      If they want to keep gifting us gems like Michael Rob and DJ Reed, fine by me

  14. drrew76

    Hope the DNA is strong.

  15. Paul Cook

    Yeah, the Mannion/Smith thing was a bit of a head scratch. Maybe they just got brain-freeze and couldn’t decide? I don’t know. It’s not a big roster concern for me because I’m not pining in the night for any UDFA they could have protected. Whatever…

    Something’s got to break soon in the way of a signing or trade (was wondering yesterday if we had any redundancies on our roster that might return something in the way of value to us).

    Just make the damn roster as strong as you possibly can with what you have available now. Is that so hard to do?

  16. Lewis

    I’m just glad that Curhan made the roster. That needed to happen.

    • Paul Cook

      Is it just wishful thinking that Forsythe or Curhan could eventually be better than any other of their 2nd tier OLmen?

      • Lewis

        I don’t think it is, but I’m thinking a year or two down the road.

  17. Derek

    Interesting trend with DBs Hawks have been focused on in draft UDFA and waiver wire is strong ball skills… not hard to imagine why watching Shag Griffen and Tre Flowers for a few years.

  18. Sea Mode

    Ok, well played, Mike.

    ProFootballTalk
    @ProFootballTalk
    · 8m

    Michael Jordan lands with Panthers as a waiver claim.

    Mike Garafolo
    @MikeGarafolo
    ·7m

    He’s a 6-6 guard now playing in North Carolina…

    • Big Mike

      Very well played. He wins Twitter for the day.

  19. Scot04

    Shepley atleast looks interesting. Curious who’s spot he takes.
    https://youtu.be/w_89STXuYn8

    • Scot04

      I guess it’s Phil Haynes Spot

    • Bigsteviej

      Pelissaro is tweeting that they’ve cut Phil Haynes.

      • cha

        So that at least confirms no one was being kept to go on IR Return.

        I had wondered about Parkinson and Tre Brown.

      • Mick

        Kind of feel sorry for him, wonder if Shepley is better. But this makes some order in the system, they didn’t bring Shepley to play center.

      • GerryG

        Good to know we cut OL depth, who played pretty well this camp, to hold… **checks notes** two extra QBs both of whom are bad.

        Im tired of facepalming

        • GerryG

          Why do you cut a solid backup OG, to now have 3 Centers? Another position we all knew was thin/not good enough. Cut the damn C and keep the OG that played well in camp and knows YOUR BRAND NEW SYSTEM.

          This is so frustrating and stupid.

          • Rob Staton

            Yeah but they were able to protect Sean Mannion for… errr… one day.

            And now they have another QB they can cut later this week.

            • Sea Mode

              gAthERinG iNfoRmAtiOn…

  20. L80

    Phil Haynes cut

    • cha

      Always perplexing to me they can draft a guy in the 4th round, have him for two full seasons, he makes the cut for a third, and then dump him for a guy they’ve never gotten a close up look at.

      I know there might be good reasons, it just is hard to grasp the absurdity of it.

      • GerryG

        And as I said above, now you have 3 Cs and one less OG.

  21. DW

    Well, at least Marlon Humphrey and DeShon Elliott like our addition of Nigel Warrior.

    https://twitter.com/marlon_humphrey/status/1433111033401520133?s=21

  22. Sea Mode

    Um…ok…

    Tom Pelissero
    @TomPelissero
    · 11m

    The #Seahawks are signing former #Jaguars QB Jake Luton to the 53-man roster and releasing QB Sean Mannion, per sources.

    • Rob Staton

      No idea what the plan is here

      • Paul Cook

        You’re the Seahawk whisperer. This needs to be explained. LOL

        • Rob Staton

          Alcohol

          • GerryG

            I picked the wrong day to quit huffing glue

            • Palatypus

              Shirley, you picked the wrong day to quit amphetamines.

              • Lewis

                I just want to tell you both good luck, we’re all counting on you.

                • Group Captain Mandrake

                  Oh stewardess, I speak jive.

      • Mick

        Whatever they’re drinking, I would try some of that.

      • line_hawk

        Buying lottery tickets for life without Wilson?

        • Rob Staton

          These aren’t lottery tickets. They are bags of magic beans being sold on a street corner by a man who smells of piss.

          • line_hawk

            These are the free sample versions of Charlie Whitehurst and Matt Flynn.

      • Aaron

        Maybe they trade Geno for a ham sandwich.

        • Rob Staton

          To Bishop Sycamore?

          • Cawww

            incredible comment Rob 🤣

    • Paul Cook

      Yeah…huh?

      • Paul Cook

        Well, at least they got that obstacle out of the way. Now they can concentrate on less important matters.

    • Sneekes

      They’re just trolling us now.

  23. L80

    Mannion out, and they add Jake Luton QB.

  24. Sea Mode

    More cuts:

    Joe Person
    @josephperson
    · 43m

    Panthers have cut WR David Moore.

    Ian Rapoport
    @RapSheet
    ·1h

    With a couple of waiver claims and the need for space on the roster, the #Broncos are cutting RB Royce Freeman, source said. He’s averaged 4 yards per carry over two years in Denver.

    • Lewis

      Damn. Freeman seems like a potential upgrade

      • Big Mike

        He absolutely housed Darrell Taylor in the open field when the 2 teams played wk 2 preseason. Made him look silly. that one play alone should’ve clued Pete in to never again play Taylor anywhere but Edge.

        • Lewis

          He’s better than Penny, no question. Is he an upgrade over Collins?

    • McZ

      So, of the RB class of the century, who is still alive? Chubb, Michel… Penny a must cut, Kerryon Johnson to injury plagued, Guice a nonentity (and, btw, Rob was completely richtig on this one).

  25. HOUSE

    I went to bed last night perplexed that we had 3 QBs on the roster… I found out we dropped Sean Mannion for… Jake Luton (Another QB). I know Luton was behind Lawrence, Minshew (traded) and Beathard in JAX. Is he better than Geno Smith? I have ZERO clue…

    Looks like we also claimed Dakoda Shelpey (OL, mainly G) from SF and Nigel Warrior (RCB) from BAL. In a corresponding move, we waived Phil Haynes. Looks like we have one more move to make to get us back to 53. I’m assuming an OL since we still have a total of 11.

    These moves addressed none of the 3 I mentioned yesterday (WR, DT and LB)… Things are definitely going to be interesting

    • GerryG

      This image from Always Sunny in Philadelphia is what I am picturing right now

      https://i.insider.com/5acbc267facba81f008b45da?width=1000&format=jpeg&auto=webp

    • Silly Billy

      The 3QB’s thing (now Luton instead of Manion) is pretty simple… Covid.

      Geno/Russ spends a lot of time together. If 1 of them tests positive on Wednesday, then the chances are pretty high the other guy will too Thursday. Nightmare scenario if that happens.

      Makes sense to invest in a quarantine QB, or “QQB”. Someone you can trust to run a Vanilla offense on Sunday.

      • Rob Staton

        And yet they didn’t do any of this last season.

        So I would suggest that’s a bit of a reach

        • Silly Billy

          Live and learn.
          They resigned Mcgough to practice squad in early December….a week after Denver had that game were they started a WR @ QB.

          There are also more games now.

          • Rob Staton

            There is one more game now.

            And if this was some kind of plan, they wouldn’t be scrambling around now at QB and calling this a competition.

            I understand why you’ve tossed it out as a suggestion but it’s still a reach IMO.

  26. Mick

    Fuller, Mabry, Johnson in the practice squad. Starting good.

  27. Frank

    Seems they are pretty confident that a WR can be stashed to pull up from the practice squad each week without a noticeable drop off in talent, and that offense line depth was too important to risk having a Haynes, Pioic, or Jones picked up on the waver wire. Disappointing to not see a pass rushing DT picked up, but it isn’t exactly WR where you can grab someone bagging groceries or playing CFL and fill in your 5th or sixth spot. Personally I think the lack of an interior pass rusher is every bit as big of deal and worrisome as CB. I’m probably overly optimistic about the Jones trade, and Reed coming back to full health. With Amani and Blair don’t think the cupboard is quite as barren as advertised. The CB group certainly has the potential to suck, but think they might have to potential to be league average or even kinda okay as well. Feeling cautiously optimistic about the oline depth.

  28. Palatypus

    From an article from The Draft Network entitled “Who is Jake Luton?”

    “Throughout his career, Luton took a death by a thousand paper cuts approach with defenses. The primary times when he went down the field were during sudden momentum change vertical routes or double moves. Many of those were from the slot, which were aimed to take advantage of the weakest link in the team’s secondary. Luton was perfectly fine with dinking and dunking his way to efficiency, a style some would classify as boring. He plays the long game in hopes of the defense eventually making a mental mistake that enables him to take advantage of their error. Luton is very cautious with the ball and that’s indicated by his low turnover numbers.

    https://thedraftnetwork.com/articles/jake-luton-scouting-report-jacksonville-jaguars-texans

    • cha

      Good Jake: NFL debut vs Houston, 26-38, 304 yards, 1TD/1INT, 90.2 rating

      Highlights
      https://youtu.be/pPC6NHMx-ws

      Bad Jake: Next two games against good NFL teams, including a 16-37 151 yard 0TD/4INT 15 rating game.

  29. Sea Mode

    Spotrac
    @spotrac
    · 2h

    Initial 53-Man #NFL Rosters by Draft Round

    1st Rounders: 263
    2nd Rounders: 223
    3rd Rounders: 226
    4th Rounders: 184
    5th Rounders: 146
    6th Rounders: 138
    7th Rounders: 94
    Undrafted: 415

    • TomLPDX

      Statistically, that’s an amazing picture. UDFAs at 415

      • Paul Cook

        Yeah. Fun stat to look at and ponder.

    • Bigsteviej

      Unreal. Thank you so much for posting.

    • Martin

      Thanks Sea Mode! Very interesting and a bit surprising. I guess 3rd rounders being greater in number than the 2nds might be due to the compensatory picks.

  30. Sea Mode

    Bob Condotta
    @bcondotta
    ·21s

    Seahawks announce signing of 14 to practice squad:
    DT Myles Adams
    LB Aaron Donkor
    G Greg Eiland
    WR Aaron Fuller
    WR Penny Hart
    DT Jarrod Hewitt
    WR Cade Johnson
    RB Josh Johnson
    G Pier-Olivier Lestage
    TE Tyler Mabry
    DT Robert Nkemdiche
    CB John Reid
    LB Jon Rhattigan
    WR Cody Thompson

    • cha

      That’s amazing. The entire PS were guys on their 90.

      I like the WR group.

      • L80

        The UN amazing thing is NOBODY claimed any of them. That’s a telltale sign that this FO’s ability to find or develope talent has jumped even Shark Week. Hell they cut Haynes, who played well when called upon for a Canadian UDFA with minimal experience.

        I’m ready for a lot of disapointment unfortunately.

        • cha

          https://i.redd.it/v1p3zirlbyk71.jpg

          • Pran

            No one respects Seahawks talent…(ignoring top 10)

            Pete and JS lost their way a long time ago… we are just reassuring ourselves that it will be okay.okay..

    • TomLPDX

      Got all of our WRs back and our 2 UDFA LBs, that’s at least a positive. Glad to see Mabry and hopefully Nkemdiche can prove he belongs.

      • pdway

        Glad to see Nkemdiche on there…still holding out hope he can be a contributor….

  31. Rob4q

    So does that mean we got Reid for free then?!?

    Happy to see Adams & Rhattigan on there as they looked decent in the preseason. And there is WR depth for sure!

    • Rob4q

      Sorry, meant to reply to Sea Mode above.

      Also, they still have 3 spots left correct? Donkor doesn’t count…

      • Scot04

        Yes 3 spots left

    • Rob Staton

      So does that mean we got Reid for free then?!?

      Yes. What a bargain.

      • Big Mike

        • Big Mike

          (Rob searching in vain for the sarcasm font)

  32. 40Uptown

    They’ll be curning the roster well into the season, as expected.

    • Rob Staton

      Well I for one can’t wait to see the next curn. Will it be Josh Johnson? Or Matt Barkley?

      • BobbyK

        Spergon Wynn

      • William R. Valent

        Our “expected” “curn” should be ready for harvest soon . . .a wonder crup.

  33. L80

    Curn on the Cobb?

  34. Sea Mode

    this is fine

    Bob Condotta
    @bcondotta
    ·6h

    Carroll says moving DJ Reed to left side was because Tre Flowers played so well on the right. But he stopped short of saying Flowers is the certain starter.

    • Sea Mode

      Warrior indeed brought in to compete at CB:

      Bob Condotta
      @bcondotta
      ·7h

      So Seattle officially lists 6 players as cornerbacks: Ahkello Witherspoon, D.J. Reed, Tre Flowers, Tre Brown, Sidney Jones and Nigel Warrior.

      • Sea Mode

        Wondering if this might actually be a sneaky little cover up idea: they know Warrior has talent at safety and plan on trading one of our safeties (Diggs, Blair, Neal) for a CB…

        • Mick

          I could also see us trade a safety. Another idea would be to trade Witherspoon, he doesn’t seem to be too high in our depth chart.

          Bad news is that Shepley was indeed brought to play center.

    • Rob Staton

      😬😬😬

    • Sean

      Doesn’t it seem more likely that the real explanation is that Witherspoon has not been good enough to win a starting job on the left, so they think Reed and Flowers are the best two starting outside CBs?

    • cha

      I’m not taking this so much as Tre Flowers won a starting job as Witherspoon failed to win a job.

      Reed moving to the other side is a contingency move.

      And Pete has always praised Flowers to high heaven. Trying to get one more squeeze out of a dry lemon on a rookie contract.

  35. Hawkdawg

    Pete walked back his statement that Tre Brown would be ready for the first game in his media conference today. IR is 3 weeks now, not 6. Good chance they IR him, I bet, given Pete’s new equivocation on his status.

  36. UkAlex6674

    I think they view Luton as someone they can progress enough to be used as trade bait at some point.

    • Rob Staton

      That’s just wishful thinking Alex.

      Nobody is going to trade for Luton. Adding quarterbacks cut by other teams, with inglorious and limited playing experience, isn’t a recipe to create trade bait.

      Gardner Minshew, who has started and succeeded in the league, was just dealt for a conditional sixth rounder.

      To be brutally honest, the idea that Geno Smith, Sean Mannion or Jake Luton can be trade options is fairytale stuff.

      They are churning around QB’s at the moment, probably because they understand Geno isn’t good enough.

      But we all knew that months ago. They could’ve addressed this a long time before now, thus avoiding cutting potentially useful players in order to save an extra, somewhat wasted spot on a ‘look-see’ quarterback.

      • Rob Staton

        And given the uncertainty over Russell Wilson’s long term future in Seattle (and yes, there is uncertainty) — I’m still convinced they should’ve done more to acquire a QB in the draft this year. I like Dee Eskridge a lot but having Kellen Mond or Davis Mills on the roster right now at least is some insurance for the future and you avoid the need to mess around looking for a backup solution among a group of palpably not good enough QB’s.

        Worst case scenario is you have a cheap backup QB with some actual potential trade value down the line.

        • Blitzy the Clown

          Couldn’t agree more. Not to mention the waiver wires are chock full of reasonably decent WR3/4 options, whereas decent backup QBs not so much.

          I think the Vikings are going to be very, very pleased with their selection of Mond.

    • Mick

      Being the backup of Wilson is tough to sell to a QB who hopes to get on the pitch every now and then. I get it why we can’t do any better than Geno Smith. I doubt someone like Cam Newton would agree coming to Seattle and sitting on the bench all the time. Luton is nothing better than Geno Smith: a QB with no options, with more interceptions in NFL than games, who landed on our roster because Mannion thought he actually has some sort of a shot at playing for Vikings, and because John and Pete wanted to fill their numbers and thought it would be funny. Rob is right about drafting a QB just to have some sort of insurance. Trouble is we had too few picks this year, and it would have been a very bad signal to RW to draft a QB when you got 3 picks.

      • Rob Staton

        and it would have been a very bad signal to RW to draft a QB when you got 3 picks.

        As bad as telling your agent to inform Adam Schefter of the four teams you’re willing to be dealt to?

        • Mick

          Yes, about as bad. The way I see things, Pete had the chance to let him go and decided to keep him for a year – that’s why he isn’t extending his deal. What happens then, we’ll see, and it depends quite much on how well we do this season. But drafting a QB with 3 picks wouldn’t have been burying the hatchet, and I think not going that path was the right thing to do at the time.

          • Rob Staton

            But this is the point Mick.

            Wilson can do what he thinks is best for him. But guess what — the same is true for the Seahawks.

            If Wilson wants to flirt with leaving, then one of the consequences is the team has to plan ahead.

            And you don’t get to have hurt feelings if they do that.

    • cha

      Pete was asked about carrying 3 QBs yesterday and responded with “competition.”

      Translation: Geno Smith stinks, and a roster cut QB might push him.

      • Rob Staton

        And yet we already knew Geno stunk.

        Do something about it in March/April, not on cut day where you end up losing guys to save a spot for a backup competition you should’ve sorted by now.

        • cha

          Same vibe at center. Why sort through the flotsam looking for an answer?

        • Big Mike

          There has been a decided lack of proactive thinking from Pete for a number of years now. Everything has been reactive, the d-line situation last year being the most obvious/blatant.

  37. DC

    Looking at this roster and the current DB situation, makes me really wonder….”what happened to that great DB coach/expert?”

    We seriously haven’t had any infusion of home grown talent, or raw talent that’s been coached up in years.

    • Rob Staton

      And they haven’t produced a single corner capable of taking the ball away since Sherman.

      It’s as if interceptions aren’t a thing any more for Seattle based CB’s.

      • GerryG

        I feel like they fell in love with the body type and forgot all about ball skills.

        • Derek

          Totally agree on both points above and it’s fascinating that they have shifted so dramatically from what they looked for in the past BUT I’m glad they are adapting and it seems like many of the new DBs have strong ball skills

    • Cortez Kennedy

      They got lucky with Sherman. Griffin and Flowers are more the template for a Seahawks corner. Not having a top 12 pick is hard and it’s really hard for teams to stay good without one!! Or something.

  38. Martinb

    Arguably the 2 strongest units in PC’s glory years with our team was the DL and DB’s. Now both units are either embarrassingly thin or just flat out lacking talent. We seriously lack playmakers on that side of the ball. Sherman said it best on his way out of town: “They’ve kinda lost their way”. Spot on, Richard 👏👏👏

    • Rob Staton

      And as much as people want to dismiss it, they have lost their mojo.

      Whatever magic was there in 2010-2013 is no longer with us. We’ve seen a long enough stretch now where there’s been a lack of skill in draft/development, roster construction, coaching success and results.

      They’ve reached a base level of success that you’d expect from a team with a quarterback like Russell Wilson not missing a game in his career to date.

      Personally, I’m very much of the opinion that this has run its course. I hope I’m proven wrong in 2021. But for me, new people running the franchise would be welcome.

      It feels identical to the end of the Arsene Wenger era in Arsenal.

      • JJ

        I am of the mind that we need new blood from top down as well. As discussed previously this not likely until new ownership unless the wheels come completely off.

        If for some reason Pete retires are we comfortable with JS still?

        • Paul Cook

          JS must really love it out here, or his family does, or all the above. Probably likes working with PC more than we might have thought this winter. I say this because, from a professional standpoint, he really had the opportunity to leave near his peak market value. He presided over the LOB era and two trips to the SB. And then they finished 10-6, 11-5, and 12-4 the last 3 years winning the NFC West last year.

          You’d have to think he would be a short list candidate for a franchise moving in a new direction.

        • Olyhawksfan

          I think it would great to see JS work without Pete lording over him.

          • BobbyK

            I have a feeling he’d do a better job of valuing and keeping draft picks.

            • BobbyK

              Couldn’t get much worse.

      • L80

        Unfortunately Dr. Evil isn’t the cause of the loss of mojo, THEY ARE.

        They try to out think everyone and have gotten so cute with themselves that they keep making franchise crippling trades.

        Their shark is calling. He has a bar, and they have cleared it. Gold Medal Hawkd f.o.

      • Gohawks5151

        I just think they lost too many people. Most importantly Rocky Seto.and Scot Mccloughan. They were the right hand men and reality check for PC and JS. Besides them everyone knows the names. Bradley, Quinn, Richard on the staff side. Kirshner, Fitterer, Morgan, Idzik. I get all teams lose guys but it plays into PCs weaknesses: Blind loyalty and familiarity/comfort. Quinn, Richard and others were such great position coaches that were never replaced with notably skilled coaches or outside guys with fresh ideas. Never took the steps to keep on the competitive edge. Now they have fallen into the Peter principle in too many areas

  39. cha

    0:58
    9.5K views
    19
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    130

    Ian Rapoport
    @RapSheet
    ·
    9m
    The #Seahawks will place OT Cedric Ogbuehi on Injured Reserve, source said, as he nurses a strained biceps injury. Ogbuehi should be ready to go when he’s eligible to return in Week 4.

    • Ashish

      Is there any hope for KJ? or we are done.

      • Paul Cook

        I’m kind of thinking they either have a precise plan for how and when they will bring him back (probably talking to him/agent), or he’s completely off the radar screen and they’ve moved on.

  40. Bigsteviej

    The Seahawks have signed CB Michael Jackson (most recently of the NE Patriots) to their practice squad.

    Kudos to those who can remember the other Michael Jackson who played for the Seahawks.

    • uptop

      He he

    • cha

      The blue wave is on the roll.

      • JJ

        Cha, I wonder how many people will get that reference.

      • BobbyK

        Nice!

    • Big Mike

      LB from Pasco High School and UW.
      What do I win?

      • l80

        a Clark Bar….Enjoy

        • Big Mike

          I did and btw, I didn’t google. I played HS hoops against him so of course followed his career (and no, I didn’t grow up in Tri-Cities).
          He was not the only Seahawk from Pasco that had a famous name either. Ron Howard (same as the actor/director obviously) TE for the Hawks also went to Pasco HS..

  41. Rohan Raman

    KJ is a Raider 🙁

    • Mick

      Glad it’s not the 9ers or the Rams. But it will still hurt to see him in other colors.

    • Sea Mode

      Welp. Have a feeling it’s gonna sting even more once the contract details come out…

      • pdway

        it’s a total bummer. my guess is that they couldn’t really bring him back to be the back-up. Was still hoping all along that we’d get another year with him.

    • Big Mike

      Crap

    • Aaron

      Best of luck to him, he’s gonna be great for them. Sucks he isn’t with us for one more go at it.

  42. Paul Cook

    For heaven’s sake, just put an ad on Indeed or Craigslist for a CB. This turning into a carnival.

    In the meantime, I need to see them bring in a solid vet or two of significant value to the team. They have a way of taking uncertainty to the painful point of late.

  43. UkAlex6674

    KJ to the Raiders. Good for him. For us, we’ve all been saying the D needs to get younger and faster. No one can argue Brooks/Taylor are neither of those. I’ve often countered that though with younger + faster doesn’t = better automatically, but I’m a bit excited to see what comes of this.

  44. Sea Mode

    You watching England game, Rob?

    • Ashish

      What game Sea Mode? Cricket?

  45. Denver Hawker

    With KJ off the table, Hawks suddenly have a lot of cap room left. Why isn’t Geno signed, who else would they save it for?

    Would be another mismanagement if they don’t find a way to productively use it, especially after borrowing cap against the Jamal Adams deal.

    • Lewis

      I suspect there will move to sign Atkins after week 1. Not saying I agree with the strategy.

    • Big Mike

      Some of it going to go to Duane?

      • UkAlex6674

        Yeah I think when Brown gets sorted some dominoes will fall

      • pdway

        good call

  46. lil’stink

    Wonder what the details on KJ’s new contract will be. Hopefully the Raiders paid him enough to have it make sense that we didn’t bring him back. But I think smart play callers (of which our conference has plenty) will have a field day picking on our 3rd LB. And as far as Taylor playing SAM… not many guys look like they have the talent to bend the edge like he might be able to. So have him hone his craft there before he learns how to play in space.

    I won’t be surprised if we’re bringing in LB’s to look at in a few weeks, or if we make a desperate trade to bring in some teams #4 LB because he is so much better than our #3 LB. Hope I’m wrong, but preseason tape didn’t give me a lot of hope.

    • Ashish

      Maybe we can trade KJ from Raiders in 5th Week. Because we don’t care about draft picks.

      • BobbyK

        It’s only funny because I am now desensitized from caring too much. Had they actually drafted TJ Watt over Malik McATV or Chubb over Penny, I might still have hope and would care. But, now, it’s funny because it’s true. Kind of like Tim Ruskell overpaying for guys like Brian Russell and thinking Edge James, Julius Jones, and/or TJ Duckett was the second coming of, well, a decent backfield.

        • L80

          It’s like setting the Limbo bar at 6 feet. Easy to clear, but in the end when it gets lowered you get exposed.

          This roster is exposed before the game even starts. Going to be another year where if they are lucky enough to get a wild card, early exit, then kiss RW goodbye. Way to go PC & JS, enjoy Shark Week because YOU jumped it years ago.

          • BobbyK

            The only way they can keep that Limbo Bar close to 6 feet is by staying unusually healthy throughout the season. I think their top WRs are elite, but the depth is terrible. An injury to DK or Lockett and they’re exposed (and terrible).

            Chris Carson has been an injury prone magnet throughout his career. Carson healthy is a stud. Depth after him is pathetic. Carson stays healthy and the RB situation is really good.

            Russell Wilson gets hurt at Indy and misses the season and the Jets have the No. 1 (or top 5 for sure) pick next season… in addition to their own.

            Poona Ford gets hurt and although a no name in most NFL circles (for fans), the Seahawks are really screwed.

            This team, imo, as a bunch of starters… can compete with almost anyone. Lose some of those starters and we’re talking a seriously flawed team. This isn’t like the Chiefs a couple years ago when Mahomes missed four games and the team still finished 2-2 in his absence, we’re talking a relatively pathetic scenario where if they lose Wilson – they’re easily 0-4 or at best 1-3.

    • Mick

      I love Jordyn Brooks but boy he better delivers big this year, otherwise we’re talking offences picking on our #2 LB already.

  47. TomLPDX

    Oh good lord…Would they stop already! This is getting to be a circus…

    https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2021/09/02/baylor-basketball-player-mark-vital-signs-with-seahawks-practice-squad/

    • cha

      I bet he rushed the passer in pee wee football too.

      I’ve seen some grainy tape. It’s pretty good.

      • TomLPDX

        Curtis, I’m trying really hard to still believe in my (our) Seahawks, but this kind of stuff you just can’t make up. There are bona fide players out there that deserve a chance to play professional football and all Pete and John can do is sign a marginal athlete that doesn’t stand a chance as a true NFL pro. It is a waste of time, effort and money.

        • cha

          There was an unconfirmed story making the rounds in the summer of 2017. The Seahawks had just drafted Ethan Pocic in the 2nd round and were looking at another near-complete overhaul of the OL under Cable/Carroll.

          Then a month or two later they suddenly announced a big extension for Justin Britt.

          The story was Paul Allen instructed PC/JS to quit getting cute with the OL. They’d finally found a home for their 2014 pick and they were about to start the process all over again. He ordered them to extend Britt.

          Is it true? Never confirmed.

          But my mind cast back to it with all the recent moves that are trying to be too clever by half.

          • Paul Cook

            Do we have an over and under on how many positions Vital will be moved around and tried out on? TE…OT…LB…DE…

    • Ashish

      They will get anyone who is not playing football. But if you’re guard we will make you center. Oh you’re DL why not you play OL. You are center in college so you play tackle i.e 2nd rounder. At the end of 3rd year now you’re center again.
      I’m feed up. They have so limited success but no..
      Im not taking about Blair, he was 2nd rounder. Some one should ask these hard questions without getting fired

  48. KennyBadger

    Can’t afford kj on a 1 year deal. Tre flowers is starting. Carry 1 qb but somehow 3 are using roster spots. Sign basketball player to practice squad. Week isn’t even over, uff da.

  49. 40Uptown

    As the “churn” continues, no stone is left unturned. It may turn out gem, eventually. Vital is talented.

  50. Ryan Purcell

    I loved Vital at Baylor. He’s worth a shot.

    • TomLPDX

      I’d rather they bring back Stephan Sullivan. This is a total joke.

      • pdway

        it’s a flyer on a guy for the practice squad…maybe it works, and if it doesn’t, it’s just not a big deal

  51. Lewis

    Just noticed Zuniga cleared waivers to get onto Jets PS. With the demand for pass rushers, that seems surprising (I know he did nothing last year)

    • Rob Staton

      Wow, was he cut?

      • Lewis

        Released him on Wednesday. Seems like quite a gamble, but I guess it paid off.

  52. cha

    Joe Fann taking a job in Vegas, podcasting etc.

    That’s a loss for the Seattle media.

    Hope Rob can have him back on the live stream again sometime soon.

  53. Sea Mode

    Jake Heaps
    @jtheaps9
    · 8h

    New #Seahawks TE Mark Vital spent some time working out Russell Wilson in San Diego this offseason. Incredibly athletic and smooth. Very intriguing signing.

  54. Sea Mode

    Brady Henderson
    @BradyHenderson
    ·6h

    The NFL’s transaction wire says G Phil Haynes went unclaimed on waivers. The Seahawks waived him yesterday, a day after cut-downs, presumably to give him a better chance at clearing waivers. He seems like an obvious candidate for their open spot on the practice squad.

  55. cha

    Whoah. Here we go.

    Ian Rapoport
    @RapSheet
    ·
    5m
    Sources: The #Seahawks are trading CB Ahkello Witherspoon to the #Steelers. A little secondary help before the opener.

    • cha

      Seahawks eating his $2.5m signing bonus and opening up $1.5m of room.

      Bad: Eating some money to find out after 3 months he wasn’t a good fit.

      Good: Admitting a mistake now, taking your medicine and moving on.

      • Scot04

        Surprised we got a 2023 5th. Was expecting less.

        • Scot04

          Sounds like we basically paid to get a higher return

        • Derek

          Agreed, like Cha said, admit a mistake and get a 5th is good. Thought he would be decent but must be something behind the scenes with the system or attitude that didn’t work out

          • Scot04

            If only they could have done the same with Adams before the draft.
            But here we go into the 2021 season opener with a musical chairs group of corners.

            • Derek

              Yeah not stoked about Flowers as starting CB

              Starters:
              -Flowers: meh
              -DJ Reed: recovering from injury

              Backups:
              -Tre Brown: recovering from injury, rookie
              -Sidney Jones: never played with Hawks, training camp with another team
              -Nigel Warrior: never played with Hawks, training camp with another team

              Practice Squad:
              -John Reid: never played with Hawks, training camp with another team
              -Michael Jackson: never played with Hawks, training camp with another team

              • Scot04

                Then add in D-line depth, a O-line depth; especially Center and it gets pretty scary.

              • Rob Staton

                Yuck

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