It’s pretty clear Russell Wilson isn’t close to 100%.
Yet the Seahawks had little choice but to take a chance on him still being able to deliver.
There’s no way, with Wilson saying he’s ready to roll, you could look him in the eye and say ‘no dice — we’re going with Geno Smith’.
I’m not convinced the offense would’ve functioned any better regardless. That’s more a review of Smith, though. Clearly Wilson shouldn’t be starting but when you’re desperate, you have little choice but to roll the dice.
The result was a first shut-out in a decade and another horrendous Seahawks gameday experience.
The overall feeling is one of utter resignation. How has it come to this?
The franchise is stagnant, stale and going nowhere fast. Games are to be endured, not enjoyed. There’s just no buzz, no energy. No hope.
They’re drifting into an off-season of uncertainty when anything and everything feels possible.
Seattle’s defense deserves credit for keeping the team in it for three quarters. Even when Aaron Rodgers found the holes (and he had far too much success with screen passes — again), they typically made a play to prevent damage on the scoreboard.
Then at the end Carlos Dunlap gave away 15 yards for throwing a shoe and Bobby Wagner rode A.J. Dillon into the endzone. They’d reached the breaking point.
It never truly felt like there was ever any danger of the Seahawks winning, thanks to the ineptitude of the offense. The end score — 17-0 — actually feels like a fair reflection.
Even the most optimistic fan knew this was a game where you needed to cook up some gains. Wilson, despite what he was saying about being better than ever, wasn’t going to be with that taped-up finger. His accuracy was all over the place. Every throw felt like an adventure.
And let’s be right here — that shouldn’t surprise anyone. If you’re here to hammer Wilson after this performance, you’re barking up the wrong tree.
You needed the easy screen plays Green Bay feasted on. Yet, alas, Pete Carroll was left admitting this week the Seahawks aren’t any good at those — in the understatement of the decade.
Perhaps then a collection of plays to feed your two star receivers? Or some creative runs? Maybe use your second round pick instead of Penny Hart?
There was nothing. Little imagination, no inspiration.
They just seemed to be hoping Wilson could provide some magic — as he threw high and wide and battled with the finger. He was off all day.
They needed to be more calculated than that.
You can just imagine Pete Carroll’s speech after. ‘We didn’t get the third down conversions to get to our plays’.
Well, yeah. But you’re playing a quarterback with a taped up finger because the alternative is Geno Smith. This was always going to be a day when you had to manufacture movement. And the Seahawks were left wanting.
Strangely the Packers and Aaron Rodgers looked as discombobulated as Seattle did. They also played a very similar game — stalling on offense, strong on defense. They just had more yards.
It created a deathly boring contest until Green Bay’s exclamation point at the end.
Not helping matters were the refs — who made a number of head-scratching calls (to put it mildly).
As scruffy as it all was — and despite most of those bad calls going against the Seahawks — there’s no case to be made for Seattle deserving to win this game.
By the end even the defense looked like they were a bit cold and wanted to go home.
The Seahawks couldn’t even muster a point.
The Packers had twice as much yardage and time of possession.
It all leaves the Seahawks at 3-6 and anyone hoping for a late rally is going to need to dig deep into the bag of optimism. Wilson simply doesn’t appear healthy enough to drive Seattle on. And while the defense is playing much better (and yes, that includes a good game by Jamal Adams today) — the offense remains a million miles away from being able to play complementary football.
When you’re desperate you’ve got to come out swinging. Seattle feels reserved, conservative and playing a brand of football worthy of a season with lives to spare.
The Seahawks are out of lives.
This horrible season — which has been an absolute chore to watch — needs to end as soon as possible and the forthcoming big changes should be embraced now.
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Do they stick with Pete Carroll’s philosophy and a 70-year-old coach who appears to be reaching the natural conclusion of his tenure, and try to find from somewhere a competent replacement at quarterback (with one of the worst, if not the worst, quarterback draft classes upcoming)?
Or do they go in a new direction with a creative, offensive-minded leader who will have the franchise quarterback believing in the direction of the team again, making the most of the dynamic weapons at receiver and tight?
The failure to sign Odell Beckham Jr has been played down by many. Yet, in my opinion (for what it’s worth), the reason the Seahawks were never serious contenders for his signature is nothing to do with Seattle’s record, the Pacific Northwest destination or the voided money pushed into the 2022 cap.
It’s been suggested Seattle offered OBJ a deal ‘with the most concrete contract details’ by a respected insider.
As Mike Garofolo also suggests, this is all to do with offensive philosophy. Carroll’s brand of football.
Sean McVay personally called Beckham, detailed how he would be used within a creative, aggressive offensive framework — and the deal was done.
The thought of playing Carroll-ball in Seattle just isn’t appealing. For Beckham or other potential targets.
Russell Wilson and Beckham are close. I would suggest closer than many fans realise. And despite a lot of talk of OBJ being ‘unnecessary’ for Seattle — you can never have enough quality players. The Rams sense that — that’s why they’re aggressively still adding despite already being a contender. It’s also what Tampa Bay did a year ago.
The philosophy that led Beckham to fear playing in Seattle is the same philosophy that has had Wilson concerned for a long time.
The OBJ decision will not help this situation. At all.
Some will say this is all old news. The problems were well known before any of this business with a suddenly available wide receiver.
It’s more than that. It’s the fact that this week reinforced the problem, fed the growing monster that it’s becoming and should act as a warning sign to ownership.
And isn’t that the big problem? The great unknown with ownership. Not knowing whether they will make the right call when the time comes.
We don’t need to throw the baby out with the bathwater and castigate all that Carroll stands for, or undermine his great achievements in Seattle. He is a legendary coach and deserves to be recognised as such. A true hero for the franchise.
We also need to recognise when it’s time for change.
We have now reached that time.
Carroll or Wilson.
They will not both be back next season.
That’s the choice for ownership in a few weeks time.
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Note: This is a guest post by Curtis Allen and the latest piece in a weekly series. Curtis looks at the Seahawks and their opponents and discusses key factors…
This game has all the makings of a highlight game for the Seahawks. Every time they have played the Packers in recent years, the stakes, the game play and the outcome have all been memorable and had a definite impact on both franchises.
That is no less true this season. The Seahawks are coming off a bye at 3-5, staring down an offseason of seismic changes and are returning their franchise quarterback to the field after a 1-2 stretch that has put into sharp focus what is most important to their continued success.
Of note is the home team has won every game since 2008 in this head-to-head
matchup.
Can the Seahawks break that streak and get a win in Lambeau Field? A loss would tumble them to 3-6 and may well mean they would have to run the table in order to secure a playoff spot. A win elevates them to 4-5 and would give them some badly needed momentum and confidence for the stretch run.
How can the Seahawks secure a win against Green Bay on Sunday?
Let Russell Wilson remind you why he is your most important player
This is uncharted territory for the Seahawks.
Yes, Russell has played with injuries in the past, even serious ones. This is different. He has missed time. The offense has sputtered and the team has dropped winnable games in his absence. Pete Carroll has even admitted Wilson would have made the difference in those games.
He is back now. Let him make a difference in this game.
It is his first game back after a serious injury. On the road, in cold conditions. Against a tough opponent with their playoff lives on the line.
There will be a strong temptation to ease him in and keep him out of harms’ way as much as possible in this game. To have a conservative, run-centric game plan that lets Russell work his way back onto the field.
That may be a good idea for the first series. Let Wilson get a feel for live game action again. Taking snaps, handing the ball off, and making a simple throw or two.
After that though, they have got to let him play the balance of the game as if his finger had not been hurt.
His value to the team is too high and the stakes are too important to not make full use of him. We have seen the results of Pete Carroll reining in the passing game, relying on the defense and special teams to win the field position game. They need to put the ball in Wilson’s capable hands in order to win this game.
The Packers are obviously preparing for Russell to be 100% but that slight mental inclination that his finger will hold him back could give the Seahawks a window to take advantage of, particularly early in the game, when the unknown could be a real advantage.
One opportunity for effective play that will seemingly go against instincts to protect Russell is to have him run if he sees an opening.
Quarterback runs have proved a useful weapon against the Packers defense this season. They have allowed 18 first downs and 6.71 yards per carry to quarterbacks so far this year.
Jared Goff gained 42 yards on four carries and two first downs in Week Two
Justin Fields gained 43 yards on seven carries and three first downs in Week Six
Taylor Heinicke burned them for 95 yards on ten carries and five first downs in Week Seven
This strategy is not without precedent. In their last meeting (the divisional round of the playoffs in 2019), Wilson single-handedly kept a battered Seahawks team in the game with seven carries for 64 yards and five first downs in addition to his throws.
Watch Wilson take advantage of the openings to move his team down the field in that game:
Cue the video to 6:19. On a third and six, Russell surveys the field and then takes off for a 22-yard run to jumpstart the offense in the third quarter. Notice Preston Smith is closing quickly. If Wilson decides to try a throw there — that is a sack and the drive is over. Instead, the drive is sustained and the Seahawks score a touchdown.
Look at 8:11. Wilson gets a 9-yard run on third and one from the Packers 11-yard line for a first down to keep that drive going, which resulted in yet another touchdown. Notice that he did not wait. He saw the opening and took it decisively. On that drive alone, Wilson had 26 rushing yards and three first downs.
There is an argument to be made that not only is this an effective way to attack the Packers defense but it could also actually protect Russell in a sense. That tender finger is out of harm’s way, being tucked in carrying the football. I think we can all trust him to know when to slide or step out of bounds on a run and keep himself from injury.
Will everyone from Pete Carroll to Shane Waldron to Russell Wilson himself have the guts to play this game aggressively?
Fortune favors the brave.
This is Russ’ team now and they are going to go as far as he can take them this year.
Let him.
There is another key reason why this a good strategy overall…
Aggression on offense is necessary to compete in this game
The Packers play a high-quality brand of complementary football, with an offense that has plenty of weapons and flexibility. They get a lead and allow the defense to play aggressively to keep teams from implementing their full game plan.
Practically every stat the Packers have put up this year on both offense and defense strongly supports the conclusion that the Seahawks need to come out of the gate with an aggressive mindset on offense and establish some forward momentum as early as possible.
An incredible fifteen of their twenty-one sacks have come when leading the game. Seven of their nine interceptions have come when leading.
The Packers defense is allowing only a 52.5% completion rate on third down passes, regardless of how many yards to gain there are, one of the lowest rates in the NFL. Comparatively, they are allowing a 67.8% rate on first down and a 69.3% on second down. Currently, the gap between the rates allowed on first or second and third is the highest in the NFL.
The offense would do well to take advantage of those rates on first and second down and make use of the pass to set up the run, rather than the other way around. Having short yardage third downs allows the offense to run their entire playbook rather than be restricted to lower-percentage plays against a tough defense.
Playing ahead of the chains with a pass-heavy approach in order to limit third down distances (or altogether) is a sound strategy for another reason.
It will help the offense move the ball down the field and get into the red zone – where the Packers are currently one of worst defenses in the NFL. They have allowed touchdowns on 76% of opponents’ red zone trips, good for 31st in the league, barely beaten to the bottom by the Detroit Lions. They have shown improvement of late but the body of work this season points to the Seahawks having a full range of offensive options in the red zone.
Therefore, there is real incentive to aggressively move the ball down the field.
Another statistical incentive to build up some momentum in the first half? The Packers defense has demonstrated a strong ability to make halftime adjustments.
Every measurable defensive statistic shows they perform better in the second half of the game, from QB Rating Allowed (99 first half / 82 second half), to interceptions forced (2 / 6), to sacks (8 / 13).
And that is before we talk about what a closer Aaron Rodgers is on offense.
The Seahawks cannot afford a slow start in this game.
A simple ‘test your jab and punt for field position’ mindset early in the game gives the Packers opportunities to set up their offense and employ strategies to strike at the defense later in the game.
Use the offense to attack them early in the series and early in the game.
Disrupt Aaron Rodgers
The Packers offense is a sight to see with Rodgers at the helm. Working with a runner like Aaron Jones and a wide receiver of Davante Adams’ capability gives this offense real versatility and allows Matt LaFleur to flex his creative muscles to set up and attack the defense.
Of note is Rodgers’ average time in the pocket before a throw – it has decreased the last three seasons, from 2.6 seconds in 2019, to 2.5 last year and now so far in 2021 to a miniscule 2.2 seconds. That is in the bottom-five for starting quarterbacks in the NFL.
Do not be fooled, though. It is not a matter of the pass rush being effective or his pass blocking being poor. Rodgers is right in the middle of the pack for total pressures and pressure percentage.
Where are the short times coming from then? That is by design.
Rodgers’ field of targets has been slowly pulled back by LaFluer, so he quickly gets the ball out closer to the line of scrimmage. The Packers employ a generous amount of creativity getting the receivers open, so Rodgers avoids the pass rush by reading the defense, communicating with his receivers pre-snap and making a quick throw.
Davante Adams is an absolute weapon in this area. The Packers will literally line him up all over the field. He has been in the top-15 for targets for all three receiver positions for years now. He and Rodgers have fantastic chemistry.
Everyone on the field needs to know where #17 is before the ball is snapped.
Have a look at Rodgers’ rating chart. He is doing exceptionally well in passing behind the line of scrimmage and within the 10-yard window:
The Packers use these quick plays at times in lieu of a running game. It is a way to stretch the field and test how the defense reacts, in order to feel out some options for later in the game.
Therefore, providing disruption is a process.
The defensive backs and linebackers must be ready to close quickly on receivers in the flat. If they can limit these plays to just a couple yards per attempt — and even occasionally make a tackle for loss — that reduces that option’s effectiveness and makes Rodgers look for his second and third reads.
When he does, the pass rushers must be ready to pounce and provide pressure. Rodgers is not particularly known as a mobile quarterback in comparison to some of the ultra-athletic players around the league but he buys time with his feet and finds open receivers as well as anyone.
The front four defenders must limit the time Rodgers has to scan the field. They cannot rely on blitzing in this game to provide pressure. If they can get pressure with their standard package, that will allow them to have one more defender patrolling that five-to-fifteen-yard pocket downfield and keep Rodgers from turning a potentially negative-yardage play into something spectacular.
Carlos Dunlap needs to kick off his second half with a bang. He provided a huge boost to the Seahawks’ pass rush last year in the second half. When he is on his game, he does so much more than just rush the passer himself. He draws attention and provides a physicality that opens opportunities for the other rushers. The defense badly needs a big game from him.
This game is crying out for Darrell Taylor to have a big impact. David Bakhtiari may not be ready to play at left tackle, as he was just activated off Injured Reserve. There is an opportunity to create some real problems for Rodgers if the Seahawks can get him onto the field regularly for this game.
They need his power:
I may watch this play more than my personal library of… Dan Marino throws.
It is not just Rodgers that the Seahawks will disrupt if they can keep him from establishing a rhythm. It is their whole offensive system.
LaFluer, Rodgers and Adams work together to gain yards early, while seeing how the defense reacts. They build ‘layers’ of plays, which allow them to anticipate how the defense will line up and handle their formations later in the game.
With their near-mind-meld type connection, Adams and Rodgers can create all kinds of problems if they are allowed to get into a rhythm.
Do not let them.
Win on Special Teams
Special Teams have been quite the adventure for both teams this year.
The Seahawks had two missed field goal tries cost them the game against the Saints.
The punt coverage units have not been as much of a weapon as they have been in recent years as well. Decisions to punt deep in enemy territory have proven ineffective as they typically become touchbacks, for a net punt of 18-20 yards and gives the opposing offense some breathing room.
The Packers had three missed field goal tries against Cincinnati, with Mason Crosby mercifully making the fourth try to win the game in overtime.
They benefitted from a muffed punt by Rondale Moore in the Arizona game and were equally struck by a punt hitting Malik Taylor’s foot for a critical turnover in the Kansas City game last week. Crosby also missed a 40-yard field goal try and had another try blocked in the loss.
It has been so wild for both teams, I’m inclined to say, “whoever makes the least amount of mistakes on Special Teams wins the game.”
It may well come down to that.
Jason Myers rebounded with a good effort against Jacksonville, with one field goal try made and four extra points made. Michael Dickson averaged 45 yards per punt, including a 59-yard punt as well. They must keep up that level of play this week. Mistakes are not an option if they want to win this game.
One area the Seahawks may be able to exploit is on kickoff returns. The Packers are the second worst kickoff coverage team in the NFL so far this season, allowing an average of 27.5 yards per return (the Seahawks are second-best with only 18.2 yards).
Deejay Dallas has done an adequate job, but the Seahawks might consider giving Tyler Lockett or D.J. Reed a chance at a return if they feel the team needs a jolt.
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Odell Beckham Jr cleared waivers today, meaning he’s a free agent and able to select his next destination.
Only nine teams had the cap room to accommodate his $7m salary so once he reached a certain point on the waiver list, this wasn’t a surprise.
Beckham had already made it clear he wanted to play for a team with at least some chance of contending. This would appear to rule out Jacksonville, Philadelphia, Carolina and Washington. You could probably include Denver.
So the list of likely candidates wasn’t huge.
Seattle had the cap space and can at least make some attempt to claim they’re ‘still in the playoff mix’ with Russell Wilson returning.
Twitter is now debating whether the decision not to claim him is tied to the reality of Seattle’s cap situation, which we debated recently. By adjusting Duane Brown’s and Quandre Diggs’ contracts — they pushed money into 2022.
However, you could easily argue both players should be priority keeps for 2022. There’s nobody on the roster able to replace them. The Seahawks don’t need to create any more holes.
Diggs feels like the only player capable of forcing a turnover in the secondary. He is responsible for all three of their interceptions. Literally nobody else has a pick in the eight games played.
Brown’s performance this year might be a regression of sorts but his 70.3 PFF grade hardly signals his play as problematic.
Plus, it’s not like competent left tackles grow on trees.
Re-signing both and working the pushed-forward money into the equation just feels like common sense. Of course, it might’ve been better to tie both players down rather than prioritising the mammoth Jamal Adams contract which now looks like a dead weight hanging over the franchise.
Furthermore, you can always be creative with your cap. The $9m voided for Brown and Diggs is small money in the grand scheme of things. Tampa Bay just kept the band together after winning a Super Bowl despite forking out some big contracts. They also have other players needing to be rewarded soon. Look at the Rams too.
If you want to do something badly enough — you can.
So now NFL fans sit and wait to see what Beckham’s next move is.
If Beckham knew nobody was willing to commit to the $7m — he might get less to play in 2021. I suspect that’s very likely, unless he signs a multi-year contract.
What better way to try and smoke out a suitor than hint that you might be lining up against them on Sunday?
After all, it had been reported elsewhere that Beckham wanted Seattle and Wilson was pitching for it to happen.
Of course it’s also plausible he simply wants to play with a legendary quarterback in Green Bay with a legit chance of reaching the Super Bowl.
We’ll see what happens next. I think it’s stating the obvious, however, to suggest the Seahawks stand a better chance of clawing their way into the post-season by leaning on their franchise quarterback and loading him with weapons, rather than hoping for a Carroll-ball special of Alex Collins/Rashaad Penny running and the defense keeping you in games.
They play the Packers and Cardinals next. I’ll go out on a limb and say you’ll need points in those two games. There’s a very real threat Seattle could be 3-7 in a fortnight, making the upcoming ‘easier’ portion of the schedule a moot point.
‘How do we cover Metcalf, Lockett and Beckham?’ feels like a difficult question for opponents to answer. ‘How do we score against this defense?’ or ‘how do we stop Rashaad Penny’ feels like a lesser challenge.
It’ll be fascinating to see what they do. Beckham didn’t guarantee wins and he alone certainly wasn’t the difference between success and failure.
His addition, however, could mean something to the quarterback. It could mean they’re listening to him in the way Tampa Bay listened to Tom Brady a year ago. That, in essence, seems to be all that Wilson wants.
Two weeks ago Carroll admitted he probably wouldn’t have survived in Seattle as long as he has without Wilson. And he’s right. Seattle’s run of winning seasons is directly tied to Wilson’s arrival. Let’s hope he hasn’t forgotten that after a win against hopeless Jacksonville (and yes — they’re still hopeless irrespective of an admittedly impressive win against an out-of-sorts Buffalo team).
Let me repeat some salient points. This isn’t a good looking 2022 draft class at the top-end. The quarterback options are incredibly concerning. Carroll and Schneider’s key additions at quarterback pre-Wilson were Charlie Whitehurst, Tarvaris Jackson and Matt Flynn. They made bad decisions with their top picks in recent years. We’ve just seen what watching the Seahawks without Wilson is like and it was extremely boring and frustrating.
Not adding Beckham, persisting with Carroll’s philosophy and failing to make the playoffs will lead to divorce in the off-season.
To the people hoping for that — be careful what you wish for.
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Make no mistake, what happens between now and tomorrow is important.
The Russell Wilson trade saga had been simmering for some time. As we all know, what really kicked things into gear was Wilson sitting at the Super Bowl watching Tom Brady win another Championship.
Here was a team, 100% invested in their quarterback, enjoying success.
When Brady wanted Rob Gronkowski, Tampa Bay obliged. When Bruce Arians said publicly there was no chance of Antonio Brown being added. Guess what? He ends up with the Buccs because Brady wanted him.
No quarterback had more weapons by the end of the year. No quarterback had been listened to in quite the way Brady had — from personnel decisions to game plan.
What Brady wanted, he received. And it worked.
Wilson craves that. He perhaps feels he’ll need to go somewhere else to get what he wants — just as Brady did.
He doesn’t want to confine the best years of his career to a philosophy he doesn’t believe in. Clearly, as the likes of Greg Olsen have made clear, he doesn’t think Pete Carroll’s approach will deliver success. That doesn’t mean he hates Carroll or has a bad relationship with his Head Coach. It just means he doesn’t want to look back in 20 years and wonder what could’ve been.
That’s why the four teams Mark Rodgers passed on to Adam Schefter all had offensive-minded Head Coaches. Wilson wants to do things differently and yes — that means a lot of passing.
He sees the success Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes have had. He sees the creativity Buffalo uses with Josh Allen. He’s seen first hand what Sean McVay can do for whoever starts in LA. Plus of course, Brady in Tampa Bay.
He wants a slice of that.
He also wants the team to deliver when he makes a personnel request.
A year ago Antonio Brown was destined to land in Seattle before he quickly bolted for Florida. Wilson and Carroll even conducted press conferences where they were asked about the signing — that’s how inevitable the deal felt at the time.
It probably wasn’t anyone’s fault in Seattle (although the team hastily put out in the media that they decided against the move in a clear case of damage limitation). This was the draw of Brady at work — an immovable force within the NFL.
If they don’t put in a waiver claim or sign him if/when he clears waivers — what will this say to Wilson?
It’s easy to imagine this making a deteriorating situation even worse.
The quarterback could easily view it as such — the Seahawks prefer to save their $13m in cap space for next year, rather than push to get back into the playoff mix in 2021.
Furthermore, they failed to act on his desire for Beckham — a close friend — to join him in Seattle.
I would suggest the Seahawks, if they really want to try and ‘have a go’ this year, should add Beckham and open up their passing game. The running game has been an incoherent mess at times with no consistency. The defense plays in fits and starts. Their best chance to make a late run is to lean on their star quarterback and give him an arsenal of weapons capable of beating any team.
This goes against Carroll’s preferred methods but at 3-5 and with the season on the brink of being wasted — this is no time for sticking to your guns.
How do you cover Beckham, D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett? That’s a great question to ask upcoming opponents.
Beckham might prove to be a busted flush. He might have minimal impact or even get injured again.
Yet the price — essentially half of their remaining cap space if they claim him off waivers — is so small, what exactly are you losing if it doesn’t work out? At least you gave yourself the best chance to make some noise this season.
Always compete? How can you even utter those words if you sit on $13m and continue to pass up opportunities like Beckham and Stephon Gilmore?
For the cost of two Benson Mayowa’s, why not have a go to see if this once elite receiver can rekindle his magic when playing in the same offense as Wilson and two other stud receivers?
Currently the Eagles are slated to own the #3, #7 and #14 picks in the 2022 draft — putting them in pole position to trade for a veteran signal caller.
If the Seahawks land Beckham and make a firm statement to Wilson — it might not heal all wounds but at least it shows they’re trying.
If Beckham lands somewhere else and all indications show that, despite Wilson’s desires, they weren’t interested — we’ll need to start looking a bit closer at how Seattle will be spending those high first round picks.
If you’ve missed our draft coverage this year — the 2022 class has plenty of depth but lacks star talent at the top end. Even if you end up with #3, #7 and #14 — you’re unlikely to find a quarterback you’re sold on for the future. You’d also be left nervously hoping to land a top name such as Kayvon Thibodeaux or Derek Stingley.
Land those two and perhaps someone like Jordan Davis or Trevor Penning and you might be able to say with confidence you’ve properly bolstered ‘need’ areas. Yet the finger crossing involved with a Kenny Pickett or Malik Willis taken later in the draft — if available — is enough to create plenty of anxiety.
Both players, along with several other quarterback prospects, have positive traits. Yet nobody has emerged this year to definitively say — ‘draft me, I am the top signal caller in this class’.
We may end up having to dig into that pool of prospects very soon, regardless.
The Seahawks have Russell Wilson. The Saints, currently, have Trevor Siemian or Taysom Hill. The 49ers have Jimmy Garoppolo or Trey Lance.
If Beckham Jr is released — and if the financial offers are somewhat even — the Seahawks would have a big advantage there, as Wilson prepares to return from injury.
Personally, I think it would be a good move.
For starters, if it wasn’t abundantly clear prior to his absence, the Seahawks are totally dependant on their franchise quarterback.
The running game is all over the place and the defense isn’t going to scare a serious offensive opponent.
Seattle needs to be able to throw punches in the passing game. Lots of them.
Adding Beckham Jr to D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett would create a potent trio capable of challenging any opponent. It would take the pressure off needing to rush Dee Eskridge back from his concussion and guard against further issues if it becomes a recurring problem this year.
The Seahawks need to do whatever it takes to find a dynamic strength where they can be consistent. With Wilson’s return and with extra weapons thrown into the mix, this would give them the best chance to find that strength — via the passing game.
Take the shackles off and let it rip.
You never know, having a brilliant passing attack might even open up some running lanes.
It’s also possible, whisper it quietly, that it could make the Seahawks ‘fun’ again.
Some might argue it’d be too much risk or be too many mouths to feed in the passing game. Let’s not forget that this team tried to sign Antonio Brown a year ago, despite already having Metcalf and Lockett. That was much more of a ‘risk’ than ODB. If you’re willing to go there for Brown, you better be willing to go there for Beckham.
It’s also worth noting that Brown eventually joined Tom Brady in Tampa Bay despite the Buccaneers already having Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Rob Gronkowski and others. Having lots of weapons helped Brady, it didn’t hinder him.
This franchise still needs to prove to Wilson it means business and that it’s taking his concerns seriously from the off-season.
They have $13,382,838 in available cap space (the 49ers have $3,469,988 and the Saints just $998,752). What have they got to lose by taking a chance on Beckham Jr rejuvenating his career and finding his best form?
The Seahawks always say they’re in on everything but increasingly it’s other teams making the big moves. It’s time to take one last meaningful swing in 2021.
***Update***
With Beckham Jr now released, we wait to see if he’ll be claimed off waivers or reach free agent status. The Seahawks are ninth in the waiver list.
“Some believe he prefers to go to Seattle, which makes sense given the presence of quarterback Russell Wilson and other receivers who attract plenty of attention.”
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According to Over the Cap, the Seahawks have $13,382,838 in available cap space at the moment.
Only three teams have more cap space — the Jaguars, Broncos and Eagles. All three have cheap starting quarterbacks.
The next three teams on the list are Carolina, Washington and the LA Chargers.
It’s curious why the Seahawks haven’t used their money — especially given the importance of this season after everything that happened earlier in the year.
Further adding to this is the way they’ve handled injured reserve.
Marquise Blair suffered a broken kneecap against the Saints. Pete Carroll confirmed the injury after the game, then confirmed he was having season-ending surgery.
Yet Blair wasn’t placed on IR. He was on the official list of inactives against Jacksonville.
It’s not the first time this season that a player has been injured and faced going on IR but didn’t until another week had passed.
It doesn’t mean a great deal in terms of the game-day roster. It’s not like someone plucked off the practise squad is necessarily going to be active anyway. Also, you can call up a player from the practise squad for an individual game. Tanner Muse played against Jacksonville despite not being on the active roster.
Yet it was particularly head scratching this weekend with Blair’s situation.
Jake Luton has been the backup QB for the last two weeks, having been elevated from the practise squad. The Seahawks can only do this for a player twice, then they have to add them to the 53-man roster.
Putting Blair on IR would’ve allowed them to put Luton on the roster to be the backup, or at least the #3. There seemed little point in not doing this. They could’ve made that move and still activated Muse, after all.
Maybe it’s nothing and Jacob Eason is just that much better than Luton? It does seem a little bit strange, though, to essentially operate with a 52-man roster on more than one occasion this season. They did this with other players too, including Russell Wilson. I can’t imagine they simply preferred to save a paycheque.
If I had to guess, they simply see the current NFL roster rules as flexible enough to not need to immediately IR Blair. Maybe other teams have done this too, I haven’t checked. I did think it was slightly interesting though that a player who is definitely out for the season wasn’t put on IR and they named him inactive vs the Jaguars.
Not spending their available $13m though clearly is money-saving.
It could be part of a plan for next off-season. You roll forward any money you don’t spend.
When they adjusted Quandre Diggs’ and Duane Brown’s contracts, they pushed money into 2021. By not spending all of their cap space this year, they perhaps saw it as a way to reward two pending free agents without needing to extend them. Rolling over money cancels out the cap space used in 2021.
Yet even still, you’d have to think Seattle would want to keep both players. And given this team entered the 2021 season very much in ‘win-now’ mode — it’s still surprising they didn’t make further additions (or simply sign better, more expensive players in March).
A more dramatic suggestion would be they’re saving money because it’s possible they’ll trade Russell Wilson and want to soften the blow of a $26m dead cap hit (they would save $11m on his salary).
Who knows? I do think it’s an interesting discussion about why they’ve made certain moves recently and why they’re carrying so much unspent cap space. They’ve never had so much money to spend during a season before. It’s unusual for Carroll and Schneider to be in this position and I think it warrants a conversation, if nothing else.
Thoughts on the big Rams trade for Von Miller
It’s a bold move which will have fans salivating in LA (well, the few that actually follow the team).
If they win the Super Bowl this season, it’ll be difficult to criticise this trade.
Yet the problem with this deal is it essentially reduces the Rams to one shot at goal. It’s now or never for them.
Look at the state of their 2022 draft:
1st: Traded for Matthew Stafford 2nd: Traded for Von Miller 3rd: Traded for Von Miller 4th: Traded away in Brandin Cooks deal to Houston 6th: Traded for Sony Michel
For half a season of Miller, they’ve given up two high picks.
Big trades can bring success. Yet ultimately, Championship teams are often built through the draft. They’ve brought in a lot of expensive players, some ageing.
If they don’t win it all this year, they’ve set themselves up for trouble in future seasons.
Again, that won’t really matter much if they get a ring in the coming months. It’s also interesting to see them basically write-off the 2022 draft — which, as we’ve discussed, isn’t set up to be a great one.
It’s still a strategy that carries a high degree of risk though. I’m not sure we’ve ever seen such a short-term focus from a team before. If nothing else, it’ll be intriguing to see how it plays out.
The trouble with O-lines…
I talk a lot about the Seahawks refocusing their resources on the trenches. So it’s only fair I highlight how tricky that can be.
The Miami Dolphins O-line is getting extreme criticism at the moment. It’s no surprise — it’s struggling badly.
Yet this is a team that has prioritised the offensive line in the draft.
They spent a first rounder on Austin Jackson and a second rounder on Robert Hunt in 2020. I was a big fan of Hunt and at least appreciated Jackson’s physical profile.
They also took Solomon Kindley in round four, a favourite among some fans and pundits (I wasn’t a big fan personally).
This year they took Liam Eichenburg in round two. Again, not one of my favourites but many people rated him.
They traded for the once highly touted Greg Little and signed Austin Reiter too.
Yet they’re struggling.
Of course, an O-line can’t solve all your problems. You can’t be a bad team across the board and be bailed out by one unit.
This isn’t a well-performing line though. And it’s indicative that as much as I’ve called for Seattle to move resources from linebacker and safety to the lines, it’s no surefire guarantee that you’ll get it right.
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The Jacksonville Jaguars played this game like they’d all been on one of Urban Meyer’s ‘special’ nights out on Saturday.
‘Dreadful’ hardly feels like a strong enough word to describe them. It’s Hallowe’en, not Christmas. Yet this was a gift for the Seahawks. A free win to take into the bye, avoiding a fortnight of questions about the future of the franchise.
Seattle didn’t even have to play that well to get a blowout win. They had only 229 total yards — 80 fewer than Jacksonville’s 309. The Jags had 12 penalties for 93 yards, a 1-4 conversion rate on fourth down and their general ineptitude made this a fairly bland, dull encounter. I think I averaged three yawns per carry myself.
Pete Carroll and co. will be able to talk up a corner being turned. And some may well decide to believe it. The schedule will be poured over. What if they win this game or that? What if Russell Wilson returns for the Green Bay game?
The reality is the Seahawks played a disgusting opponent today and face the Packers and Arizona next. Even with Wilson rushing back, this is arguably the two toughest games they’ll face coming right after the bye.
Anyway. That’s a conversation for another day. It was good to see a win and some points. Initially I was glad to see the game-plan, too.
The Seahawks offered some creative thinking in their formations early on. They were aggressive on first and second down by featuring D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. They didn’t just run into a brick-wall like they did last week three times in a row then punt.
Yet the more I thought about this, the more frustrated I became.
Where was this last week? Or even against the Steelers?
I’m going to ignore the Pittsburgh game. It was the first one without Wilson and a period of adjustment was to be expected.
Yet against the Saints, the game-plan was so mind-numbingly conservative. They were the total opposite of aggressive on first and second down. They did nothing to feature their two stars at receiver. They were boring.
The Seahawks played not to lose. They played to keep it close and a field goal-type game.
It’s OK being big and bold against a hopeless opponent when you’re desperate. Why not use this plan last week?
Just because you have a backup playing doesn’t mean you give up on offense. Heck, the Saints took it to the Super Bowl champs today with Trevor Siemian replacing Jameis Winston in the first half.
This is what frustrates so many people about Carroll, including — I suspect — Russell Wilson.
Take the bloody handbrake off. Get your foot down.
So yeah. Great to see it against the Jags. Would’ve been nice to ask the Saints a few more questions a week ago too.
The other lasting thought I had from this game is that while the Seahawks certainly aren’t a good team without Wilson, they’re at least not a really, really bad team.
The Jaguars look absolutely useless under Urban Meyer’s leadership and they should make major changes in the off-season to salvage their fortune in being able to draft Trevor Lawrence.
And while acknowledging the Seahawks ‘aren’t as bad as the Jags’ isn’t saying much, I did think today was further evidence that Seattle can turn things around quickly in the off-season if they make the necessary changes and shift resource to the trenches.
In particular, just look at Metcalf and Lockett. Two incredible assets. Darrell Taylor makes a splash play every game and brings light to an otherwise rubbish pass rush.
They are the future building blocks, along with the franchise quarterback.
One final thing. It’s the trade deadline next week. If anyone has any old socks they don’t want, the Seahawks will take them for Rashaad Penny and L.J. Collier.
Penny is absolutely terrible, isn’t he? He’s basically out of football but, you know, still sort of playing. He had seven carries for seven yards today, after nine yards from six carries against New Orleans.
Just cut him and promote someone from the practise squad.
As for Collier. It’s one thing to be bad. He’s now been inactive six out of eight games.
The only thing worse than this pair is the NFL’s awful ‘taunting’ and ‘roughing the passer’ rules that are ruining the sport.
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Matt LaFleur is 33-7 in his first 40 games, setting a NFL record
The parallels between the Seahawks and Packers are striking.
Mike McCarthy was the Head Coach in Green Bay for 12 years. He won a Super Bowl in 2010 and could’ve won more.
The one person who could relate to Pete Carroll after the Super Bowl loss in 2014 was probably McCarthy. He likely relives that NFC Championship game as much as Carroll does the ill-fated interception on the goal-line.
McCarthy’s overall record with the Packers was 125-77-2. He deserves to be recognised as a success story.
Yet by the end of his tenure things had clearly gone stale.
His long-tenured defensive coordinator, Dom Capers, had become a figure of fun. He was pushing 70 and the game seemed to pass his schemes by as Green Bay struggled to combat the suddenly popular read-option.
In 2017 Aaron Rodgers missed nine games through injury as things began to unravel.
In McCarthy’s final season they toiled to a 4-7-1 record before he was fired.
Change was needed. It was simply time.
The Packers did the trendy thing and appointed a Sean McVay protégé who had detached himself from the Rams to take a gig as the Titans offensive coordinator. He suitably impressed and Matt LaFleur was the man tasked with modernising the Green Bay offense.
The GM set about fixing a defense that had struggled badly to rush the passer. They added Za’Darius and Preston Smith in free agency. They also wisely spent high draft picks on Elgton Jenkins and Josh Myers and prioritised keeping star left tackle David Bakhtiari.
In LaFleur’s first season they went 13-3 and made the NFC Championship game. They repeated the act in 2020. Now they’ve started 7-1.
His 33-7 record is the best through 40 games of any coach in Super Bowl era.
Rodgers won MVP last season and is in the running to do so again in 2021. The team is a major contender in the NFC for the third straight year.
I’ve read so much about the Seahawks needing to blow everything up. They’ll need three years to sort this out. They should trade Russell Wilson.
There is zero evidence for this.
The Seahawks simply need to take a page out of Green Bay’s book.
Back to those parallels. This is Carroll’s 12th season in Seattle, putting him in the McCarthy range. He has a similar record (114-68-1).
Wilson is enduring an injury-hit season as Rodgers did and the regular season record is suffering. For Dom Capers, see Ken Norton Jr (or even Carroll himself).
As with McCarthy’s Packers, Carroll’s Seahawks have gone stale.
They need to find their LaFleur.
Then they need to make a similar commitment to the trenches and make a splash there. If that means shifting resources from other positions, so be it.
They need to modernise their schemes and overall game-planning and get with the times.
If they do all of this, why can’t they compete again quickly in the same way the Packers did? They went from 6-9-1 to 13-3 in one off-season. They’ve been to two NFC Championship games. Their quarterback is the MVP.
This is what Wilson wants for Seattle.
Much has been made of his head being turned by Tom Brady’s run to another Championship. It might be time for his people to start talking to their media buddies about Seattle emulating the Packers. It’s an achievable aim for this franchise and it’ll get him to where he wants to go.
There is, of course, one thing the Seahawks need to do differently. Having put in place so many positive moves to return to contention — the Packers GM Brian Gutekunst pulled off the most petty, little-man syndrome move imaginable.
Just as things were clicking — and with Rodgers practically pleading for the team to draft help at receiver — Gutekunst decided to show who’s boss by drafting a prospective replacement quarterback instead.
That, in turn, provoked the drama we witnessed all year with Rodgers threatening to leave or retire. And after all that, it’s pretty clear Green Bay’s current status as contender is directly tied to the genius playing quarterback.
It was a truly ridiculous powerplay by the GM when everyone knows Rodgers is king in Wisconsin. Win a ring with him and take the plaudits, don’t start an unnecessary civil war.
Meanwhile, Jordan Love is nearly half-way through his rookie deal. So they’re not even likely to benefit financially for very long if/when he becomes the starter. And did his talent even warrant the pick?
The Seahawks should avoid that at all costs and mimic everything else.
Get a Head Coach who can build an offense that is progressive, fresh and designed to make the most of the star quarterback and your collection of weapons. Let’s see some new ideas on defense too. Invest in the trenches.
You can do this in one off-season, even without a first round pick. The road back to the top doesn’t need to be a long, slow process.
Emulate the Packers.
The Seahawks need to go and get their Matt LaFleur.
Note — I posted this article on the same day as Curtis Allen’s week-eight watch-notes. Curtis does a great job with his weekly breakdowns. Please check out his article by clicking here.
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