ECU’s D’Ante Smith had an outstanding Senior Bowl and with his incredible measurements, he might be working his way into the second round.

Check out my interview with him below. If you’ve been able to share these interviews in the past, please do again. And don’t forget to like the video on YouTube and subscribe to the channel.

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This is the sixth part of a guest-post series written by Curtis Allen

#6 special teams

Players under contract for 2021: Jason Myers, Michael Dickson, Tyler Ott

Players under contract for 2022: Jason Myers, Tyler Ott

Restricted Free Agents: none

Unrestricted Free Agents: Nick Bellore

Exclusive Rights Free Agents: none

Futures Contract signings Candidates: none

Salary Cap Notes

2021 Cap Commitment: $8.92 million (5% of $178m cap)

Michael Dickson is an unrestricted free agent in 2022

2020 Season Overview

The Seahawks’ special teams unit was one of the NFL’s best in 2020.

It started out in a precarious position, with a brief announcement by Pete Carroll that Special Teams coach Brian Schneider was taking an extended leave of absence and that Larry Izzo was taking his duties over.

But the team responded with a consistently fantastic effort.

Jason Myers trolled Seahawks fans by being a perfect 24 for 24 on field goal tries but missing 4 PAT attempts. If you can figure out how that happened, more power to you.

Michael Dickson had a tremendous year. He was second overall in average punt yardage but kicked 50% more punts than the top overall punter. He also placed 32 punts inside the 20-yard line.

Pete Carroll frequently deployed Dickson as a weapon to give his defense as much help as possible and he didn’t disappoint. Dickson answered the bell every time the defense needed a short punt accurately placed to pin the offense deep in their own zone. When they also needed Dickson to deliver a blast in key times he did it.

The number of times he did something amazing during the season is truly impressive:

– A 63 yard punt vs San Francisco Week 17 that was fair caught by the returner

– A 51 yard punt vs Los Angeles in Week 16 from the back of his own end zone

– Pinning Minnesota inside their own five-yard line twice in Week 5

-A 65-yard punt vs San Francisco in Week 8 that pinned the Niners at their three-yard line and led them to take a knee and concede the drive to run the clock out at the half

How Dickson got neither a Pro Bowl nor an All-Pro selection defies explanation.

The coverage units also performed extremely well this season. They allowed no blocked punts or field goal tries, nor did they allow any return touchdowns.

Cody Barton and Nick Bellore proved to be special teams demons, frequently making coverage tackles and occasionally forcing a fumble.

The also blocked a punt in the Giants game that resulted in a safety.

The returners were very middling. DJ Reed brought a spark at times with some good kickoff returns.

Offseason Questions to Address

1. Will they extend Michael Dickson?

He is in the last year of his contract in 2021. He has returned to top form to be a force and a key part of the special teams unit. He gave the defense every chance a punter could to be effective in 2020.

A top punter makes about $3.5m per season and they should be able to settle on a three or four year extension for Dickson in that range.

2. Who handles the return duties in 2021?

The Seahawks seemed to not have placed a real priority on kick and punt returners in recent years. Perhaps that is a response to the league rules making kickoffs a lower-impact event in the modern NFL game.

It is always strange the way the Seahawks operate in this area.

They seemingly refuse to allow key offensive players like Tyler Lockett and Rashaad Penny – players who have effective histories in the return game – chances to practice their craft. This is presumably out of fear of injury.

DJ Reed will probably be 2021’s victim to this mode of thinking. He has emerged as a candidate to take over one of the starting cornerback spots. So despite his ability to occasionally send a charge into the team with a nice return, he might be kept out of the return game to keep him healthy and focused on his defensive responsibility.

The Seahawks do draft players who have return histories on their resume, like Travis Homer and Freddie Swain, but they have been unable to have a substantive effect at the pro level.

They’ve had David Moore return punts but it seems at times that his mandate is ‘for God’s sake don’t cough up the ball’ rather than being encouraged to advance the ball and give the offense some field position.

3. Will Nick Bellore be brought back?

Nick Bellore has been on one-year contracts the past two seasons for about $1m per season. He is every fan’s first cut when speculating on the final 53-man roster but always makes ends up on the roster, even if he is let go on cut down day.

He had a fantastic year on special teams in 2020. I suspect that if he keeps playing like this he will always have a job in Seattle as long as Pete Carroll is coach.

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We’re a week on from the first flush of a new Russell Wilson saga.

Despite the claims of one or two members of the media that this is a storm in a tea cup and the almost desperate denial of sections of the fan base, this is a very serious issue that warrants care and attention.

Because although you’ll have heard or read many people denouncing the possibility of a trade because of the $39m dead cap hit, the reality is that anything is possible if there’s sufficient motivation.

How else are the Eagles, currently $50m over the cap for 2021, going to be able to take on a dead cap hit for Carson Wentz?

Mike Tannenbaum has a solution for Wentz and there’s no reason why it wouldn’t work for Wilson and the Seahawks:

If Wilson pays back a $30m bonus before the end of the month, the dead cap hit would be dramatically reduced. And there’s nothing stopping the buying team (who are only inheriting his base salary) compensating that money back to Wilson once a trade is consumated.

So if Wilson is suitably motivated to force a trade, there is a clear and distinct opportunity to make it happen. It’s unique. It’s creative. But it exists.

Fans are also increasingly suggesting this is simply an overreaction to some fairly non-explosive words about needing to improve the offensive line. That the media are creating a story out of nothing.

This is simply a convenient and reassuring piece of denial.

The reality is that Wilson’s agent, Mark Rodgers, is feeding information to the media to make it known that he’s unhappy. He’s not sneakily doing that behind Wilson’s back. He’s his agent. That’s why you’re seeing the Jason La Canfora articles. That’s why Mike Florio is actively reporting the story.

These are media contacts Rodgers has used in the past.

You’ve also got Brandon Marshall speaking in very candid terms about Wilson wanting out. You can write him off as a loudmouth talking head if you want but you’ll merely be doing yourself a disservice.

Marshall has been in the media for years — dating all the way back to his playing days in Chicago. Part of his schtick has never been to offer wild hot takes on the future of former team mates.

If what he was saying was off-base, you can imagine Wilson would be on the phone immediately telling his friend to offer a full retraction. That hasn’t happened.

Is Mike Garafolo a specialist in clickbait now? So when one of the most respected and reliable reporters in the NFL media says it “smells like a guy with one foot out of the door or kind of wants out” — do you write that off too?

And let’s not forget the reported (and not disputed) ultimatum from Wilson to the team before the season to ‘let him cook’ or the talk in May that league sources expect, sooner or later, that Wilson will be playing elsewhere.

The proverb ‘no smoke without fire’ has never been more apt.

If you’re ignoring and denying all of this, then you’re simply unwilling to face the seriousness of this situation. I’m afraid, you are in denial.

And if you think the media needs to create drama at a time when Deshaun Watson is seeking a trade, Tom Brady has just won a seventh Super Bowl, Andy Reid’s son has left a child in hospital, Carson Wentz is on the brink of being dealt and Dak Prescott’s future is up in the air — then you’re doing an incredible impression of ‘comical Ali’.

This story is in the media because Wilson and his camp want it to be.

It really is as simple as that.

The idea of Wilson leaving Seattle is tough for many to handle. It would also be a highly unusual and explosive situation for a player of his caliber to insist on a move. That, in part, is why fans and media gravitate towards dismissing this outright.

Yet if you’re willing to actually break this down and read the tea leaves — it’s not difficult to piece together what’s going on.

An inconvenient truth is, sadly, still a truth.

The idea that Wilson is simply applying a bit of pressure and will then ‘see how it goes’ this year also isn’t realistic.

He turns 33 in November. He’s a couple of years away from being tagged as an ageing quarterback. He constantly talks about legacy.

He’s in a hurry. Time is of the essence. Wasting another season seeing if things shift to his way of thinking isn’t an option. Mainly, because he knows it won’t happen. This is the Pete Carroll show. Not the Russell Wilson show. And he knows it.

I suspect he wants to go somewhere where it does become the Wilson show.

This is a quarterback who wants to compete for MVP awards. He wants to win multiple titles. He’s approaching 33 and hasn’t even received a MVP vote in his career. The Seahawks haven’t come close to a Super Bowl run in pushing seven years. Since then, Tom Brady has won four more titles.

He’s seen Brady leave the team where he was a legend and go somewhere else where everything is catered to the quarterback. It took one season to win a title.

One season.

There’s also a trust factor here. Wilson made the ultimatum before the season and, in fairness, was allowed to cook. He carried the team and made up for a disgrace of a defense for weeks, leading the Seahawks to a 5-0 start.

Yet at the first sign of trouble, Carroll wrestled control of the offense.

Some people in the media and large sections of the fan base haven’t even acknowledged how much of a factor that could be.

The ultimatum was never disputed. So how can anyone fail to see how much this could be influencing Wilson’s position today?

It’s the perfect illustration of a clash of philosophies and the trust issues that exist from both sides.

Put yourself in Wilson’s shoes. You carry the team on your back and set up a 5-0 start. ‘Carrying the team on your back’ barely feels like an adequate description. The defense was on a historically bad pace. It was Wilson vs the world — he was having to score at a historic pace himself in order to deliver wins.

Then at the first sign of trouble, that was the end of that. No more cooking.

You have to be prepared to consider how Wilson felt about that. Do they not trust him to right the ship? Did the first five games mean nothing? Why aren’t they giving me a chance to get back on track?

And in the end, were the Seahawks better for the change? They were humbled by the Giants. They beat a bunch of bad or banged up opponents and then were swiftly dumped out of the playoffs in the wildcard round.

Do you not think Wilson is bugged by that? You took control and where exactly did it get us?

Then there’s the very clear and distinct philosophical differences — emphasised by how Carroll and Wilson spoke about the team immediately after the season (detailed here).

If you think this is purely a desire for better offensive linemen, you’re not just barking up the wrong tree. The tree’s a lamp post.

Philosophy. Trust. Control.

You would think journalists would be hammering the phones at this point, trying to figure out what’s going on. Instead, several are simply resorting to condescending ‘he won’t be traded’ statements they have no business making.

Because while it might be totally inconvenient for the Seahawks to trade Wilson — that’s completely missing the point. This is all about the quarterback and how he feels. If he wants out, it doesn’t matter how inconvenient it is for the Seahawks.

The moment a franchise quarterback decides he wants to play elsewhere, you only have two choices.

You either cave to his demands — which in this instance means giving him control of the offensive philosophy and making aggressive moves in free agency to appease him, which means freeing resource that you’ve already invested in other areas.

Or it means trading him.

The idea of simply doing nothing and hoping it’ll blow over doesn’t exist.

This isn’t like a Kam Chancellor or Marshawn Lynch holdout. Yes, they can act as distractions. But the two people who have to be bought in, leading the way and sharing a vision are the Head Coach and franchise quarterback.

Having a dissatisfied quarterback, actively opposing the philosophy of the coach, is a recipe for disaster. It will infect and infiltrate the rest of the roster. How can you possibly succeed in that environment?

Even if they turn down all offers and Wilson is forced to accept his fate and go to training camp, rather than hold out. That isn’t conducive to success. And the drama, the saga, will never end.

Every bad result will be filled with talking points about Wilson’s future. Every time he succeeds, it’ll lead to talk of him deserving more power and respect.

That’s why you have to either make things right or the divorce papers need filing.

So all the people online currently insisting Wilson won’t be traded are in no position to do so. They’re only looking at it from the perspective of the team. They’re not considering the perspective of the quarterback — who having made his dissatisfaction clear, will now be expecting a response.

Carroll ceding control to Wilson in terms of offensive vision seems completely unrealistic, given what we witnessed in the second half of the season and with the way Carroll spoke after the Rams loss.

Yet without that, there’s every chance Wilson will ask for a trade. Mike Florio, citing his source (Mark Rodgers), says the situation is ‘fluid’ with regards requesting a trade. That means it hasn’t happened yet — but it could.

And if you think the Shane Waldron appointment solved any problems, I refer you to this tweet:

Something to keep in mind re: Russell Wilson. Two sources I've spoken with indicated he was lukewarm on Shane Waldron, but felt he was the best candidate for the coordinator role. He wasn't ecstatic about other alternatives.

— Corbin Smith (@CorbinSmithNFL) February 10, 2021

So my thought today, as we approach a week where the rumour mill will continue, is why haven’t the Seahawks talked publicly yet?

It could be that they simply don’t want to rise to it. They may feel that speaking in any way will be unhelpful, even if it’s just to outright rule out a trade. That could simply shake the cage.

Here’s the thing though. At the moment, Wilson is winning the PR battle. He is creating a situation where he’s making it clear he’s unhappy and that he wants the team to lean towards his way of thinking.

The silence in response neither pushes back nor sets things straight. There’s just a complete mystery, short of Dan Patrick’s report that the team is unhappy with Wilson and his team for going to the media to voice their concerns.

If the Seahawks want to play the game, they should come out — as Nick Caserio the Houston GM did — and say the quarterback isn’t available for trade in any circumstance and that all offers will be rejected.

If they do that, Wilson is faced with the prospect of either getting on with the job or requesting a trade (as Deshaun Watson did). Yet I sense Wilson is very cautious of making that move and being seen to be agitating for a departure.

As much as he might wish to go somewhere where he can have Tom Brady-esque authority, with an autonomy on the offense, playing for an offensive minded Head Coach — I also don’t think he wants to walk out the door a hated figure.

As Brandon Marshall put it, he wants to find the classiest way to move on.

Unfortunately there’s no easy way to initiate a divorce. So if the Seahawks return the ball to his side of the court by saying no trade is happening, he either needs to get on with life or request a trade.

Something has to happen quickly. The Seahawks have a lot to get done this off-season. They need to make a decision on Jamal Adams’ contract and then either sign him or trade him — a negotiation which may be tricky. They need to find ways to create cap space and potentially get back in the draft. They have a host of starters to re-sign or replace.

They have a much harder job evaluating the draft prospects this year with no combine, no official-30 visits and limited pro-day access.

Having to deal with an unhappy quarterback on top of this is a potential back breaker. I would suggest, sooner rather than later, they need to know where they stand.

That means Pete Carroll sitting down with Russell Wilson and having it out. By the end of that meeting, or shortly after, they need to have a decision on whether he’s staying or going.

If he’s staying, there can be no more public complaint, no more Mark Rodgers leaking info to the media.

If he’s going, they need to get on with finding the best offer and thus the best replacement quarterback. They need to be creative to lower the dead cap hit. And they need to have the time to plot the future of the Seahakws.

This dragging on for much longer is unthinkable and won’t be conducive to success. There’s a cloud hanging over the franchise.

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Talking quarterbacks

A few people have asked for thoughts on the quarterback class, given the rumours regarding Russell Wilson’s future.

If a trade actually does occur, I will watch every game of every top-end eligible quarterback to provide a thorough, much more detailed article. For now though, I’ll share a few thoughts on each player expected to go somewhat early.

It’s a difficult class to judge because Trevor Lawrence and Kellen Mond aside, they all have limited starting experience.

I’m not bothering with Trevor Lawrence. He’s going to be the #1 pick and all the riches in the world won’t tempt Jacksonville to trade that pick.

Zach Wilson (BYU)
He produces flashes of real magic. He does a lot of the things Mahomes and Murray do that ‘wow’ you — no look passes, throwing from different angles, superb throws on the run, low percentage downfield shots with accuracy. He elevated BYU to a new level in 2020. He’s mobile, accurate and has an X-factor personality (although he wasn’t named one of BYU’s eight captains for 2020, which is worth investigating). There are also moments where he misreads opportunities and makes odd decisions. I think this is indicative of a lack of actual playing time and experience. That suggests he might have some initial growing pains in the NFL and you can never tell whether players will elevate (like Josh Allen) or implode during that initial torrid experience. He doesn’t have the outstanding physical tools like Allen, where the talent eventually matches up with the experience. He’s very skilled, though.

Justin Fields (Ohio State)
A bit like Wilson, there are times where he turns it on and you can’t take your eyes off the screen. We saw that against Clemson in the playoffs. He’s very capable of throwing downfield with accuracy. He was once a highly-recruited, major buzz talent and you see why. Fields is perfectly mobile — more than merely elusive but far from Kyler Murray or Lamar Jackson as a runner. Yet there are also multiple-turnover games and evidence of strange decision-making. There are examples of him holding the ball too long or hesitating to let it rip. There’s some carelessness in the pocket and indecision. I suspect Wilson and Fields are both capable of succeeding, especially with their creativity and improv, but whether they are capable of being top-eight QB’s is a question mark. Is Fields special enough to live with the idea that he’s going to go off-script a lot? Because I’m not sure you can necessarily slot him into a system. It’s also worth noting that he transferred from Georgia because they wanted to stick with the fairly average Jake Fromm. Clemson didn’t hold back Trevor Lawrence and quickly ousted Kelly Bryant.

Davis Mills (Stanford)
In terms of frame and natural ability, Mills just looks like a pro. He throws a very clean, tight spiral. He’s mobile enough to evade pressure and there are instances of him breaking a tackle, keeping his eyes downfield and throwing into the end zone for a touchdown. He’s very capable of staying on schedule, delivering the offense as intended but when he needs to take shots he has the physical ability to do it. He ran a 4.32 short shuttle at SPARQ and is a former five-star recruit. He’s far from a scrambling dynamo but neither is he a total statue who can’t extend plays. However, he only started 10 games in college and that’s a problem. Teams will love his frame, his technical ability and his poise. The question I have though, aside from his lack of playing experience, is what makes him tick? He looks ice-cool during interviews and his body language is incredibly calm. I can’t tell if he’s just a man in control or whether he reminds me of Josh Rosen — all the talent but does he have the edge to succeed?

Mac Jones (Alabama)
Simply watching him on ESPN, it’s very easy to assume Jones made a big impression at the Senior Bowl. He looked in complete control and owned the field. He was being coached hard by the Panthers and was listening intently and cracking jokes with the coaches. Simply put, he looked like he belonged. His personality reminds me of Philip Rivers — a man who is at his happiest on a football field with a bunch of guys. Someone who isn’t intimidated by the pressure and spotlight that comes with being a quarterback. He has nearly 10-inch hands which helps. That said, he does have physical limitations. He throws a lot of contested passes that came off at Alabama because he threw to studs and was well protected. At the next level, some of those could be turnovers. He lacks the arm strength to drive the ball downfield 50 yards. Yet anything on a short-to-medium range he is accurate, delivers a crisp throw and he can move the ball. Physically, he reminds me a bit of Matt Hasselbeck. In a timing offense that is well structured, he can be a fine starter. If you want improvisation and off-script magic — he’s not the guy. He’s also only a one-year starter.

Trey Lance (North Dakota State)
He’s big and athletic. He makes a lot of plays where he takes off running and he’s difficult to stop. He’s not a sudden, lightning-quick runner but he has long strides that chew up yards. He can even run over defenders to get an extra yard or two. As a passer, he has no problems throwing downfield. There are examples on tape where he throws with great accuracy and placement. However, the NDSU offense was so carefully manufactured and he had a lot of throws in 2019 where the tight end (for example) was schemed so open it was ridiculous. He also has limited starts and in his one game in 2020 he turned the ball over and looked incredibly rusty. Lance is extremely difficult to work out. I’m not convinced he has the same upside as Jordan Love, a late first round pick, yet there are some similar physical tools to work with. As with most of these players though — there aren’t enough games to feel totally comfortable with your projection. And that’s a problem.

Kellen Mond (Texas A&M)
After a very inconsistent period as a starter, Mond settled into his role and took a big step forward in 2020. It kind of flew under the radar that A&M’s only loss was against powerhouse Alabama. Mond played very well and has a lot of attractive qualities. His deep ball has velocity and accuracy. His arm strength is the best among the names listed here and it showed during red zone drills at the Senior Bowl. He was much more able to fit passes into tight windows with a bit of extra mustard. When he turned it on in 11v11 drills and the game itself (after an admittedly sluggish start) he looked fantastic. He reminds me of a less mobile Colin Kaepernick — with a similar frame and spear like velocity on his throws. He’s used to dealing with pressure at A&M and throwing with a defender in his face — which he started to master by 2020. There’s a lot to work with here and for me, he’s a candidate to be a Dak Prescott-style ‘how did he last that long?’ type prospect.

Kyle Trask (Florida)
He has physical limitations. There are several instances where he misreads open receivers and then looks frustrated on the field because he knows what happened a split-second too late. He had a poor end of the season, turning the ball over way too much. He was able to move the ball effectively and chuck it around the field for most of his time as a starter. However, as soon as the game plan went awry he struggled to improvise or make any kind of inspired adjustment on the fly. He isn’t mobile or creative. Some of his turnovers were down to his inability to shift off script when reads are taken away. To me he’s a backup level player who will need to operate in a structured, managed offense that does a lot of the heavy-lifting for him.

Possible targets at other positions

Over the years we’ve been able to piece together what the Seahawks have looked for at each position. There are clear trends, as outlined in my combine preview a year ago. I’d recommend reading that for the ins and outs.

With no combine this year we’re going to have an incomplete process. Even if most teams host a pro-day — there’s no guarantee we’ll get all of the testing numbers and information.

The list below includes the players that we know, generally, fit what the Seahawks look for — in terms of physical profile and/or playing style.

Offensive linemen

The Seahawks are very strict when it comes to arm length (+33 inches). The only recent exception was Joey Hunt, a sixth round flier. Simply put, it would go against a decade-long trend for them to take an O-liner early with sub-33 inch arms. That doesn’t mean it definitely wouldn’t happen — it’s just less likely. That’s what history tells us. Sadly, in the case of this draft class, it could rule out the likes of Creed Humphrey, Landon Dickerson and David Moore.

They’ve also continued to focus on explosive traits. Damian Lewis scored a 2.97 in TEF and a strong 97.1 in weighted TEF. In 2019, Phil Haynes was the second most explosive offensive lineman in the draft.

We can’t determine explosive traits without testing numbers (vertical, broad, bench) and we’ll struggle to get that data this year. However, we can still look at the arm-length threshold and try to identify possible athletes who fit the bill.

Quinn Meinerz (G/C, UWW)
At the Senior Bowl he measured at 6-3 1/4 in height, 320lbs in weight and he has 33 inch arms (82 inch wingspan). Meinerz is perfectly crafted to play center at the next level and is right in Seattle’s wheelhouse for left guard or center. They also put a lot of stock in the Senior Bowl, so the fact Meinerz excelled in Mobile is another check mark. Is he explosive? He can dunk a basketball at 320lbs — suggesting he’ll test well in the vertical and broad jumps.

Ben Cleveland (G, Georgia)
He has outstanding size, measuring at 6-6 3/8 and 354lbs with 33 inch arms. The crazy thing is he doesn’t carry bad weight. He’s a monster. He’s also a freakish athlete. He ran a 5.11 at SPARQ and the expectation was he’d run something similar this year. He was being tipped to break the combine record of 49 reps on the bench press — the Georgia staff had to stop him at 45 on campus to avoid injury. He can do a single-arm dumbbell press at 160lbs.

Aaron Banks (G, Notre Dame)
There’s been a lot of talk about the Seahawks changing up their approach to the O-line and moving to more of a LA Rams approach, following the hiring of Shane Waldren. This is unlikely. Firstly, they’re already committed to Duane Brown, Damian Lewis and Brandon Shell as starters. Secondly, Mike Solari remains the O-line coach. Since Solari’s arrival, they’ve favoured massive size at left guard. Banks is 6-5 3/8, 338lbs and has 33 1/8 inch arms (82 inch wingspan).

Trey Smith (G, Tennessee)
Smith has the size — 6-5 1/2, 331lbs, 33 3/4 inch arms, 83 1/8 inch wingspan. However, he’s a very different player to Aaron Banks. He looks like an athlete. If you were going to sculpt a first round interior lineman, they would look like this. He was the top college recruit in 2017 at any position, so he has a pedigree. However, his play on the field was wildly inconsistent and he’s had serious health problems (blood clots). Someone will take a chance on his upside though and with the right coaching and guidance — the potential is clear.

Alex Leatherwood (T/G, Alabama)
He’s 6-5 1/8, 318lbs with 34 3/8 inch arms and a huge 85 3/8 inch wingspan. He insisted on playing tackle at the Senior Bowl and had a difficult showing against any speed rush in the 1v1’s. Yet in the 11v11 drills, he excelled. Leatherwood probably doesn’t have the feet and twitch to play left tackle in the NFL but he’s a plug-and-play guard if nothing else with at least the potential to transition. We know the Seahawks like physical, tough linemen from Alabama.

D’Ante Smith (T, ECU)
A small-school diamond at the Senior Bowl — Smith showed off terrific athleticism to handle tackle and guard duties in the 1v1’s. He played with aggression and an attitude. He used his length well and flashed balance, footwork and power. He’s 6-5 with 35 1/4 inch arms plus an 85 1/8 inch wingspan. He only weighed 294lbs however and needs to time to grow and develop his frame. Even so — he looked like a potential project to play tackle in the future. After a great Senior Bowl, he probably moved himself into day two of the draft — if not round two.

Josh Myers (C, Ohio State)
I don’t have measurements but he’s listed at around 6-5 or 6-6 in height so there’s at least a fair chance he has the arm length Seattle craves. At SPARQ he ran an incredible 4.49 short shuttle at 310lbs plus a 5.11 forty. He also jumped a 30 inch vertical. His physical profile is highly athletic and explosive — plus he’s Mr. Consistency on tape. I think he’ll go in the top-40 but if he’s available for the Seahawks he’s an option.

Tight ends

Seattle has drafted five tight ends under Pete Carroll (if you don’t count Stephen Sullivan who was kind of picked as a player with no real set position):

Nick Vannett
Luke Willson
Anthony McCoy
Will Dissly
Colby Parkinson

They also traded for Jimmy Graham and signed Zach Miller and Greg Olsen.

All eight players are linked with a certain characteristic — strong agility testing:

Luke Willson — 4.29 (ss), 7.08 (3c)
Will Dissly — 4.40 (ss), 7.07 (3c)
Nick Vannett — 4.20 (ss), 7.05 (3c)
Anthony McCoy — 4.57 (ss), 6.99 (3c)
Zach Miller — 4.42 (ss), 7.01 (3c)
Jimmy Graham — 4.45 (ss), 6.90 (3c)
Greg Olsen — 4.48 (ss), 7.04 (3c)
Colby Parkinson — 4.46 (ss), 7.15 (3c)

Now let’s look at some of the top performing tight ends in the NFL in recent history in relation to the three cone:

Rob Gronkowski — 7.18
Hunter Henry — 7.16
T.J. Hockenson — 7.02
Zach Ertz — 7.08
Travis Kelce — 7.09

There’s a league-wide trend that says agility testing is vital for tight ends.

Tre’ McKitty (TE, Georgia)
One of the top performers at the Senior Bowl — McKitty flashed incredible hands making a couple of one-handed snares. He has 11-inch mitts which help. However, it’s his agility testing that really appeals. He ran a 4.13 short shuttle at SPARQ despite weighing 240lbs.

Tommy Tremble (TE, Notre Dame)
Seen by many as a candidate to be a Kyle Juszczyk-style full back — Tremble is a determined and at times fearsome blocker. He could also catch Seattle’s eye as a tight end candidate. He ran a 4.20 short shuttle at SPARQ and jumped a 36 inch vertical.

Pat Freiermuth (TE, Penn State)
His ‘Baby Gronk’ nickname is well deserved. In the right offense, Freiermuth has a chance to be a special tight end. His body control is superb and he’s a terrific weapon with the potential to develop into a complete-TE. At SPARQ he ran a 4.44 short shuttle at 248lbs.

Brevin Jordan (TE, Miami)
A dynamic pass-catching weapon who only really scratched the surface of his potential in Miami. He has special physical qualities including running a 4.21 short shuttle at SPARQ at 250lbs.

Running backs

The Seahawks have consistently drafted players with a similar physical profile at running back. It’s made it fairly straight forward to figure out who they might like.

This is basically the profile:

5-11, 220lbs, +32 inch vertical, +10 broad

Over the years we’ve been able to identify targets and narrow the list of likely options. When they’ve drafted running backs, we’ve been able to work out who they’re likely to be…

2016:

C.J. Prosise — 6-0, 220lbs, 35.5 inch vert, 10-1 broad
Kenneth Dixon — 5-10, 215lbs, 37.5 inch vert, 10-8 broad

2017:

Christopher Carson — 6-0, 218lbs, 37 inch vert, 10-10 broad
Brian Hill — 6-0, 219lbs, 34 inch vert, 10-5 broad
Alvin Kamara — 5-10, 214lbs, 39.5 inch vert, 10-11 broad
Joe Williams — 5-11, 210lbs, 35 inch vert, 10-5 broad

2018:

Saquon Barkley — 6-0, 233lbs, 41 inch vert DNP broad
Kerryon Johnson — 511, 213lbs 40 inch vert, 10-6 broad
Bo Scarborough — 6-0, 228lbs, 40 inch vert, 10-9 broad
Nick Chubb — 5-11, 227lbs, 38.5 inch vert, 10-8 broad
John Kelly — 5-10, 216lbs, 35 inch vert, 10-0 broad
Lavon Coleman — 5-10, 223lbs, 33 inch vert, 10-0 broad
Rashaad Penny — 5-11, 220lbs, 32.5 inch vert, 10-0 broad
Royce Freeman — 5-11, 229lbs, 34 inch vert, 9-10 broad

2020:

Jonathan Taylor — 5-10, 226lbs, 36 inch vert, 10-3 broad
Cam Akers — 5-10, 217lbs, 35.5 inch vert, 10-2 broad
Deejay Dallas — 5-10, 217lbs, 33.5 inch vert, 9-11 broad
AJ Dillon — 6-0, 247lbs, 41 inch vert, 10-11 broad
Zack Moss — 5-9, 223lbs, 33 inch vert, DNP broad
James Robinson — 5-9, 219lbs, 40 inch vert, 10-5 broad
Patrick Taylor — 6-0, 217lbs, 34 inch vert, 10-3 broad

This year it’s going to be a lot harder to do this, unless we get full measurements and testing numbers.

However, without wanting to repeat myself too much, North Carolina’s Javonte Williams is exactly what they like at running back.

His physical running style and ability to break tackles and gain yards after contact is a Pete Carroll dream. He’s listed at 5-10 and 220lbs.

It’s been quite challenging to find alternative options. The combine would’ve helped shed some light. So in the meantime, I’ll just repost this highlights video for Williams. If you haven’t seen it before, you’ll see what I mean about his running style:

If you’re looking for late-round fliers with potential, Michigan’s Chris Evans (5-11, 219lbs) was once incredibly highly rated by scouts but a highly disappointing college career has tempered expectations.

Rhamondre Stevenson (6-0, 227lbs) has quick feet for his size but lacks explosive power. Khalil Herbert is incredibly dynamic but undersized (5-9, 204lbs) for Seattle and looks a far better fit for the 49ers. Trey Sermon (6-0, 213lbs) ended the 2020 season strongly but has never quite been able to put together a consistent run at Oklahoma or Ohio State.

Wide receiver

Pete Carroll has only drafted three receivers who haven’t run a 4.4 forty or faster (Kenny Lawler 4.64, Chris Harper 4.50, John Ursua 4.56). Two were seventh round picks.

Paul Richardson (4.40), Golden Tate (4.42), Tyler Lockett (4.40), Kris Durham (4.46), Kevin Norwood (4.48), Amara Darboh (4.45), David Moore (4.42), D.K. Metcalf (4.33) and Freddie Swain (4.46) all cracked the 4.4’s.

We have enough data to say this quite definitively — unless a player runs a 4.4 or faster, the Seahawks are unlikely to consider them until the later rounds. Clearly they value speed and suddenness at the position even if you’re a ‘bigger’ receiver.

Again, without a combine it’s going to be extremely difficult to determine which players are likely to be on their radar. All we can do at the moment is project based on the limited information we have.

For the purpose of this article I’m not going to include the likes of Rondale Moore or Jaylen Waddle. Both will be drafted early and both would almost certainly run in the 4.4’s or faster. For many players, such as Elijah Moore, I would expect a fast forty but there’s no recorded information available online.

Tutu Atwell (WR, Louisville)
Atwell is only 5-9 and 190lbs but he can reportedly bench press nearly 400lbs and squat three times his body weight. On top of that, he’s run a 4.26 forty and a 3.9 short shuttle. He’s extremely dynamic on sweeps and deep shots.

D’Wayne Eskridge (WR, Western Michigan)
A star on the first two days of the Senior Bowl, Eskridge has propelled himself into the top-50 following a superb 2020 season. Reportedly he runs a 4.33, jumps a 37.5 inch vertical, benches 350lbs and can squat 505lbs.

Marquez Stevenson (WR, Houston)
He was praised for his performance at the Senior Bowl, displaying lightning speed and patience in his routes. He’s said to be capable of running in the 4.30 range and he was measured as reaching a top speed of 23mph in 2019.

Amari Rodgers (WR, Clemson)
He had an impact during the Senior Bowl game, connecting nicely with Kellen Mond in the end zone twice. At SPARQ he ran a 4.49 forty at 209lbs, adding a 4.27 short shuttle and a 38 inch vertical jump.

Defensive linemen

For defensive ends or LEO’s they’ve sought twitchy athletes with great burst.

Bruce Irvin and Cliff Avril ran 1.55 and 1.50 10-yard splits respectively. Anything in the 1.5’s is considered ‘elite’.

In terms of defensive tackles or inside/out rushers, Rasheem Green, Quinton Jefferson, Jordan Hill, Jaye Howard and Malik McDowell all tested superbly in the short shuttle (4.39, 4.37, 4.51, 4.47 and 4.53 respectively).

Bruce Irvin (4.03) and Frank Clark (4.05) both ran incredible short shuttles. Cassius Marsh’s 4.25 and Obum Gwacham’s 4.28 were also really good.

Arm length is also important and they’ve consistently sought defensive linemen with +33 inch arms.

Again — information is so limited at the moment. We’re unlikely to get any 10-yard split times. We might get the occasional short shuttle time reported from a pro-day. It’ll be harder than ever for us outsiders to judge who might be on Seattle’s radar.

I’ve selected three names below simply because of their previous testing numbers and measurements.

Adetokunbo Ogundeji (DE, Notre Dame)
His length was incredible — he measured at 6-4 3/8, 256lbs, 35 1/4 inch arms and an 85 3/8 inch wingspan. Those are the kind of numbers you notice for a potential LEO rush end. He had seven sacks and seven TFL’s for Notre Dame in 2020. We don’t have any vital 10-yard split numbers but he did run a 4.21 short shuttle at SPARQ. He received somewhat positive reviews for his Senior Bowl performance but I will need to watch the full 1v1 tape when it’s available.

Janarius Robinson (DE, Florida State)
He made headlines during Senior Bowl measurements with an insane 87 inch wingspan. He’s 6-5, 266lbs and also has 35 3/4 inch arms. Again — this is a dream for a LEO rusher. However, he looked incredibly raw in 1v1’s and he needs to learn how to make the most of his physical tools. Again, we don’t have a split time but he did run a 4.27 short shuttle at SPARQ.

Marvin Wilson (DT, Florida State)
Amid legit concerns about his conditioning, Wilson’s stock has fallen off a cliff and the chances are he’ll be a day three pick. He didn’t excel in 1v1’s in Mobile. However, his physical profile is remarkable. He’s 6-3 1/2, 319lbs with 33 inch arms and an 82 inch wingspan. He’s a former 5-star, #4 overall recruit who ran a 5.17 at 332lbs at SPARQ, then ran a fantastic 4.56 short shuttle. The talent is there — Wilson simply hasn’t put it together.

Linebackers

The Seahawks have tended to look for two types of player at linebacker — freakish athletes and players with great short-area quickness and agility.

Kevin Pierre-Louis, Korey Toomer, Malcolm Smith and Eric Pinkins all ran between a 4.44 and a 4.51 in the forty. Shaquem Griffin topped the lot with a 4.38. Pierre-Louis, Smith and Pinkins all jumped +39 inches in the vertical. Bobby Wagner was a 4.4 runner at his pro-day with a 39.5-inch vertical. Of the five players they’ve drafted with a +140 SPARQ score, Wagner, Pierre-Louis and Bruce Irvin are included.

Jordyn Brooks only ran the forty at the combine (4.54) but the team felt he was capable of a superb, all-round workout.

They’ve also targeted players who performed especially strongly in the short shuttle. Here are the top-15 short shuttle times run by a linebacker since 2010:

Jordan Tripp — 3.96
Nick Bellore — 4.00
Ben Heeney — 4.00
Mike Mohamed — 4.00
Nick Vigil — 4.00
Kevin Pierre-Louis — 4.02
Stephone Anthony — 4.03
Cody Barton — 4.03
Dakota Allen — 4.03
Von Miller — 4.06
Josh Hull — 4.07
Dorian O’Daniel — 4.07
Avery Williamson — 4.07
Shaq Thompson — 4.08
Ben Burr-Kirven — 4.09

Without short shuttle or combine testing, we’ll again be left with very little steer on this positional group. Two players stand out though as top-end athletes.

Baron Browning (LB, Ohio State)
A player who doesn’t get much love in the mock drafts but will probably go earlier than most expect. Browning ran a 4.18 short shuttle at SPARQ, jumped a 37 inch vertical and recorded an overall score of 131.91.

K.J. Britt (LB, Auburn)
He played superbly in the Senior Bowl game, showing skill and intensity throughout. He’s reportedly run a 4.22 short shuttle, jumps a 35 inch vertical and is hailed at Auburn for his worth ethic and leadership.

Defensive backs

By now everyone knows the Seahawks like cornerbacks with 32 inch arms. Those players are generally physical and tall and take pride in defending the run.

We’ll see if anything changes considering D.J. Reed has emerged as a starter. Pete Carroll hinted he was starting to reconsider his stance on arm length. However, actually doing it — especially with two players — would be a big departure.

It used to be that the Seahawks took a corner on day three of most drafts to replenish the stock. In the last three drafts, they’ve only taken one — Tre Flowers, who was converted from safety.

I haven’t studied the following players closely enough to pass comment on their ability. I usually wait until combine measurements to get into the corners. However, the following fit Seattle’s size requirements:

Bryan Mills (CB, NC Central)
6-1, 180lbs, 32 inch arms — flashed some good moments during the Senior Bowl

Robert Rochell (CB, Central Arkansas)
6-0, 195lbs, 32 3/8 inch arms — has been tested and ran a 4.38 then jumped an 11-8 broad and a 41 inch vertical

Mark Webb (CB, Georgia)
6-1 1/2, 210lbs, 32 1/8 inch arms — good reviews from his week in Mobile

Ifeatu Melifonwu (CB, Syracuse)
6-2 5/8, 212lbs, 32 1/8 inch arms — the brother of former combine standout Obi Melifonwu

Benjamin St. Juste (CB, Minnesota)
6-3 3/8, 200lbs, 32 inch arms — nearly retired from football but was one of the players who really boosted his stock at the Senior Bowl

D.J. Daniel (CB, Georgia)
6-0, 183lbs, 33 inch arms — also received positive reviews from Mobile

At safety there’s a real mix of physical profiles in the players the Seahawks have taken, making it a difficult position to project.

I thought I’d single out two players.

Andre Cisco (S, Syracuse)
Just a terrific playmaker. In 22 games he had 125 tackles, 12 interceptions, 16 PBU’s, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. He has run a laser-timed 4.33 forty and jumps a 36 inch vertical. At SPARQ he ran a 4.25 short shuttle.

Divine Deablo (S, Virginia Tech)
I wanted to highlight Deablo mainly for his size. He’s 6-3 3/8, 226lbs and has 33 inch arms. He’s well put together and really fluid.

There are other names I would like to add to this list, many of which we discussed at length during the college football season. Some I’ve even interviewed. Until we get measurements and testing numbers, however, it’s difficult to commit.

I hope the league provides such data for fans if possible. There’s a thirst for the combine, otherwise they wouldn’t have moved it to Prime Time. And while much of the interest is based around watching a bunch of players run a forty — I suspect there’s enough people with significant interest in the draft process to play the game a little bit here.

Would it be too much to ask for the league to include pro-day results on the same page as Lance Zierlein’s scouting reports?

Let’s hope, one way or another, that information is forthcoming.

If you missed our new podcast discussing the Russell Wilson saga, check it out below…

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Let’s just get one thing straight.

Tom Brady has just won a seventh Super Bowl. People are wondering what happens next with the Chiefs — not to mention the horrific story surrounding Andy Reid’s son.

Deshaun Watson has requested a trade. Carson Wentz is going to be traded. Matt Stafford and Jared Goff have been traded.

The Dallas Cowboys always make headlines and they’re facing a dilemma surrounding their quarterback Dak Prescott.

This idea that the national media is ‘making up stuff’ about Russell Wilson to create news is so beyond the realms of reality.

There are plenty of things to talk about right now. They don’t need to manufacture stories. The reason we’re talking about Wilson is purely down to the man himself.

He has inserted himself into the news agenda. His agent, Mark Rodgers, is clearly talking to journalists and dropping little nuggets for them to use. Wilson then appears on the Dan Patrick show, where he’s grilled about his future and his thoughts on the offensive line. You then have former Wilson team mate Brandon Marshall flat out stating that the quarterback wants to be traded.

It’s quite easy to dismiss Marshall’s words. You can make a stern phone call to him right now and ask him to retract them.

That hasn’t happened.

Despite what some fans and media members would like you to think, this isn’t a non-story. The question we need to ask is what’s the motivation here? And what’s the end-game?

This is my best guess…

1. Wilson wants a lot of authority

He’s watched Tom Brady ask for Rob Gronkowski, Antonio Brown and Leonard Fournette and get all three. He’s seen Patrick Mahomes surrounded by talent and admitting in interviews he’s consulted on who they draft.

Wilson craves that kind of input and he doesn’t have it. Thus, he’s not so subtly making it clear he expects to have a big say in personnel decisions. If he isn’t getting it, he will likely push to go somewhere where he will.

2. He feels empowered

Wilson admitted this week that he wasn’t that enamoured with some of the names being linked to the offensive coordinator job. In the end, the Seahawks appointed someone who is said to be ‘Wilson’s guy’.

This was an important off-season matter but it wasn’t the only one. Having seemingly steered the Seahawks in a certain direction with this hire, Wilson might feel like it’s worth testing to see if he can shape other aspects of the off-season too — namely what they do in free agency and the draft. Thus, that might be why he’s making comments relating to the poor pass protection. It feels like a nudge to what his expectations are.

3. He’s conscious of time

Wilson turns 33 in November. It won’t be long before he’s in the ‘ageing quarterback’ category.

The Seahawks have only won one playoff game in four years. I suspect there’s a sense of urgency from Wilson. If he believes he is philosophically opposed to the Head Coach — and if he isn’t having input into personnel — then he may think he needs to go somewhere else to achieve his aims.

After all, Wilson doesn’t do an interview these days without talking about legacy.

Pete Carroll wants to end his career doing things his way. Wilson likely wants to do the same. That means playing his preferred brand of football, with players that he wants to play with.

4. His head might be turned by prospective suitors

We all know Wilson is a big admirer of Drew Brees. Now that Brees is likely retiring, it must be tempting to be the man to replace him. Especially in a scheme that delivered legacy-defining moments for another shorter quarterback.

If you take your Seahawks-specs off for a moment, can you think of a better partnership than Sean Payton and Russell Wilson?

In 12 months time, the Saints might not need a quarterback. Right now, they do. And Wilson might not want to miss this opportunity.

5. He simply wants to move on

Brandon Marshall’s comments were full of bad info, such as the Seahawks only spending one pick on the O-line which obviously isn’t true.

However, Marshall doesn’t talk in this way usually. He’s not a hot take artist, at least to the extent of suggesting a former team mate wants out.

It’s perfectly plausible that people close to Wilson, maybe even current Seahawks or the man himself, have spoken to Marshall and while he’s not au fait with the details, he’s filling around the simple, pure message that has been planted in his mind to broadcast to the masses.

He’s accused Wilson of wanting out. While ever that isn’t retracted or denied, it’s worth acknowledging that it might simply be true.

So what now?

People say a trade isn’t possible because of his $39m dead cap hit. I would suggest if Wilson wants out badly enough, it’s up to him to rework his deal. He can’t expect the Seahawks to pay $39m for him to play somewhere else.

If he wants out that badly, he has to be willing to make it possible.

The Seahawks clearly, based on initial reports, have no interest in moving him. Yet here’s the thing — they can take that position, much like the Texans have done with Deshaun Watson. If the face of the franchise wants out though, and everyone knows he wants out, what are you going to do?

There’s no going back after that. It’s a recipe for disaster and turmoil.

I think Wilson knows this. The Seahawks basically have two options now that he’s seemingly making his feelings clear. They can trade him away, or appease him.

Either way, Wilson kind of gets what he wants.

There’s no middle ground where they don’t trade him, don’t do anything he wants and the two parties play out a year of awkwardness, delaying the inevitable.

And that’s why it’s creating a fascinating off-season.

The Seahawks are being challenged to be bold by the quarterback. Fans should probably appreciate this. He isn’t settling and he’s trying to hold the front office to account in a way nobody else seems to be.

They’ll either step up to the plate and make some difficult choices, as I laid out in my own personal off-season wish-list, or they’ll lose their QB.

The ball has been served to the Seahawks side of the court.

How will they try and return it?

Here’s an update today from Dan Patrick, citing a source…

"A source told me that the #Seahawks management is not happy with Russell Wilson and his camp for taking this to the media"

"You wonder if they're going to be able to co-exist… the current situation is unsustainable. That's what I was told." pic.twitter.com/OOrP4oMM3Z

— Rob Staton (@robstaton) February 10, 2021

This week I appeared on two different shows. On the Seahawks Playbook Podcast and we had a great chat about the draft. Check it out below:

I was also a guest on the Emerald City Sportscast with Dan Viens — please check that out too:

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My latest interview in the draft series is with Grambling State offensive lineman David Moore. He was named O-liner of the week for the American team at the Senior Bowl and as you’ll see in the video, he’s quite an athlete.

Please share the video around if you can, like it on YouTube and subscribe to the channel. Check out the other interviews and podcasts while you’re there…

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I thought the appointment of Shane Waldron would quell the chatter for twelve months at least.

Yet here we are.

Super Bowl Sunday was the typical weekend arms race among the news breakers in the NFL to deliver a story.

And Russell Wilson was once again being discussed as a potential trade candidate.

It’s quite possible this was just a circumstantial thing. The league is currently awash with veteran QB trade rumours. Matt Stafford has been dealt, Carson Wentz will be dealt and Deshaun Watson wants to be dealt.

A whole host of teams appear to be scrambling around seeking a veteran solution.

Meanwhile teams with existing starters, such as Las Vegas, are reportedly seeking an upgrade.

I wrote an article in December chronicling the consistent Wilson trade rumours that have been present for three years. So it’s hardly a big stretch for a reporter to call either the Seahawks or Wilson’s agent Mark Rodgers to see, in this environment, whether anyone has approached Seattle wanting to do a deal.

Reporting that they have — and that enquiries have been rebuffed — isn’t a big deal in itself. A week ago Sam Farmer at the LA Times reported the Rams called Green Bay about Aaron Rodgers. These things happen.

Even so, part of me did wonder yesterday why this topic never goes away.

After all — Waldron was supposedly Wilson’s guy for offensive coordinator. That, in fairness, was more of a hunch from Brock Huard than a firm revelation.

It makes sense though for Wilson to covet someone from the Rams offensive system. His desire to score points, attack opponents and play with tempo chimed with Waldron’s words in his first press conference.

I also think, in fairness to Pete Carroll, it appears the team went above and beyond to find a fit that satisfied all parties. There’s always a chance Carroll steps in half way through the season like he did in 2020. Yet the hope has to be that he recognises his opinion on how the offense should run shouldn’t be the only viewpoint heard. To me, this hire suggests he acknowledges that.

At the same time, I don’t think one appointment fixes everything.

After all, Wilson turns 33 in November. In a few years time, there’s a reasonable chance he’ll be past his peak. And while he insists he wants to play to the age of 45 — Philip Rivers has just retired at 39. It’s not beyond the realms of possibility that in seven years time, Wilson might be staring at the reality check father time too frequently delivers.

I think there’s a sense of urgency around Wilson these days. We saw that in his request for ‘superstars’ a year ago and the way he spoke about the offense in recent press conferences and interviews.

He’s extremely focused on legacy. He wants to win but he also wants to reach individual goals — likely including winning a MVP and being statistically one of the top QB’s ever to play the game.

To Wilson, the offensive ideology is important. Especially when he sees people he considers peers — Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers — playing in a style he probably craves. He also saw Tampa Bay surround Tom Brady with an assortment of weapons, including some old friends, to create a loaded arsenal. The Buccs deferred to their quarterback and essentially signed the guys he wanted.

While the appointment of Waldron is encouraging for quarterback and fans alike — you could possibly forgive Wilson for some scepticism that he and the new coordinator will be given the freedom to do what they want.

The NFL Network report was quite firm, stating “there’s no chance the Seahawks are dealing their star QB.” I suspect that is almost certainly true this year. Yet I couldn’t help but wonder if that’s the case, why the rumours persist?

After all, what’s in it for the source of the info? Why would the Seahawks reveal to the media that they’ve taken calls only to suggest there’s no chance of a trade happening? This just makes it a story again. Why would Wilson’s people (agent) reveal trade interest unless it was to spark some media attention to create a bidding war or apply pressure? And why would other teams anonymously reveal they’d called about Wilson if there was no chance of anything happening?

When it comes to this particular type of story, no news is often good news. The fact it’s resurfaced, potentially, isn’t positive.

And then I read this article by Jason La Canfora. I appreciate that whenever you mention La Canfora’s name, people tend to scoff. Nobody would ever accuse La Canfora of being CBS’ answer to Adam Schefter — but neither is he the bumbling buffoon many like to claim.

He has also, to be fair, broken stories relating to the Seahawks in the past.

His piece essentially calls on half of the league to call Seattle and make an offer:

“If I were an enterprising NFL head coach or general manager, especially one who worked in one of the more glamorous locales in this league, I would start peppering the Seahawks with trade suggestions about their quarterback.”

La Canfora goes on to suggest the Seahawks ‘might be willing to budge’ on a trade and that a deal ‘might not be as crazy a proposition as you think’. Apparently, ‘some enterprising executives are already sniffing around Wilson and trying to move the meter.’

A lot of the article goes over ground we’ve often covered on here:

“Here’s what I know about Wilson: He burns to win. Every year. He has been beat up too much behind suspect blocking. He has a decade at least of play ahead and wants to maximize his opportunity to win consistently.”

Essentially, the clock is ticking even if he has ambitions to play on for another decade.

La Canfora suggests the Saints are exploring his availability, having made some initial ‘exploratory calls’. If you’re willing to take your Seahawks-tinted specs off for a moment — can you think of a better way for Wilson to continue his career? Playing for Sean Payton, the man who enjoyed so much success with Drew Brees — one of Wilson’s role models?

The problem the Saints have is it’s hard to imagine how they could possibly make an attractive offer. They own a late first round pick. Unless you consider Taysom Hill a hot commodity (I don’t) they wouldn’t be able to provide the Seahawks with a quarterback alternative to start in 2020. Once they had acquired Wilson, any future first round picks would be at the back-end of the first frame.

So while it might be an attractive thought for Payton and Wilson, it seems unrealistic. I’m sure four first rounders, Cam Jordan and Michael Thomas might be enough for the Seahawks to take on scrambling around for a quarterback solution but how realistic is a deal like that?

La Canfora goes on to say the Raiders have interest. I’m not sure working for a taskmaster like Jon Gruden would be particularly appealing but the Raiders do have two quarterback assets in Derek Carr and Marcus Mariota. However, like the Saints, the Raiders can only offer picks in the latter half of round one.

Miami has always felt like a viable destination due to the location and their draft stock, including the #3 pick. They also possess a young quarterback in Tua Tagovailoa — although personally I think it’d be a hard sell to take him on.

Again, La Canfora reports they have had their interest ‘piqued’.

What follows is a run down of every team needing a quarterback and why they should call the Seahawks. And in the end it was hard to tell whether this was a mere riding of the coattails of the NFL Network report or a warning that actually, this issue isn’t as dead in the water for 2020 as first thought.

Certainly the suggestion that teams have interest and are preparing to test Seattle’s resolve — minus any suggestion that the Seahawks wouldn’t listen — was worth contemplating, even if just for a moment.

The talk also inspired Mike Florio to chime in. Florio, as we’ve often mentioned, clearly uses Wilson’s agent as a source. Mark Rodgers has appeared on PFT Live and Florio often reports from the perspective of Wilson’s camp.

He rightly points out the contract ramifications in place for 2020 that make a Wilson trade unlikely. Yet that hasn’t stopped the Eagles or Rams attempting to make similar moves in much worse cap situations than Seattle.

He also repeats the line:

Some in league circles believe Wilson eventually will play for another team

A decent amount of smoke has been billowing around Wilson and the Seahawks since 2018. Eventually, we might discover the fire.

It’s tempting to dismiss everything as a non-story given the contrasting angles each reporter has taken. For the NFL Network, there were rebuffed talks. For La Canfora, a deal could happen. For Florio, it probably will happen just not this year.

I think Wilson’s position in all of this is pretty easy to work out. If he feels like he’s being given every opportunity to achieve everything he wants to in Seattle — individually and as a team — then there’s no issue. He wants a big say in how the offense functions. If he doesn’t believe that’s the case, he’ll likely be open to plying his trade elsewhere.

The interesting question is more how the Seahawks view this situation.

Pete Carroll is a few years away from retirement. Taking on a questionable situation at quarterback could spoil any chance of a happy ending.

Yet he may also look back to 2013 when the Seahawks won a Super Bowl while paying their quarterback $500,000. That quarterback had no expectations on how the offense should be run and no real thirst to be the MVP. Without having a $35m salary taking up a chunk of the salary cap, they were able to create a deep, talented roster.

It’s also clear that what Carroll truly craves is to finish his career doing things the way he wants to. That was the driving force behind the 2018 reset. It’s why they traded Michael Bennett just over 12 months after extending his contract — taking on a huge dead cap hit and essentially paying him to play for the Eagles instead.

There may come a time when what Carroll wants and what Wilson wants repels, creating a situation where a trade simply has to happen. Frankly, I’m not sure Carroll — approaching 70 — would want his closing moments in Seattle to feature an ugly divorce with a legendary player. He may well fall on his sword if it ever came to that. Or maybe not. Who knows? But I do think he’s also determined to end his career the way he wants to. In many ways he has earned that right.

For now though — it does feel like this is a relationship where both parties are maybe wondering if this marriage is working. With the help of councillor Shane Waldron, they might be able to form a stronger bond than ever. Or we might see an acrimonious divorce.

Either way, I don’t think we should shirk this topic because it’s inconvenient.

And as I’ve often said this off-season — something has to give. The Seahawks have numerous holes, no cap space and hardly any draft picks.

The idea of having a fairly quiet, uneventful off-season isn’t realistic. They pretty much have to do something. We’ll have to wait and see what it is.

It could still be a Jamal Adams trade, as Brady Henderson notes here:

“When the Seahawks acquired Adams last summer, they figured they could trade him this offseason as a last resort if they couldn’t get a deal done. That means they have lots of incentive to figure out his future before the draft.”

For more on this topic, watch our latest podcast:

***Update***

Jason La Canfora tweeted the following late on Monday:

I’m hearing Russell Wilson’s camp has grown increasingly frustrated by the Seahawks inability to protect the 8 time Pro Bowler. He has been sacked 394 times in 9 seasons. This situation warrants serious monitoring.

— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) February 9, 2021

A lot of people will outright dismiss this. Yet it’s important to try and figure out what’s going on here.

‘Wilson’s camp’ usually means Mark Rodgers. The fact he’s talking to the media again should be cause for concern.

Rodgers was with Wilson when he won the Walter Payton ‘man of the year’ award. Unlike other journalists, La Canfora was in Tampa Bay as part of CBS’s Super Bowl coverage.

It doesn’t take Poirot to work out what’s happened here.

I’m sure that Wilson and co seek improvements to the O-line and this could be an attempt to direct Seattle’s off-season plan.

Yet this is also an expression of dissatisfaction.

As Florio, another person who uses Rodgers as a source, adds:

Wilson’s concerns sweep much more broadly than a complaint about the quality of the team’s offensive line. It’s the overall offense. It’s the early exits from the playoffs. It’s everything that has kept the Seahawks and Wilson from getting back to the Super Bowl.

Eventually people are going to have to stop being in denial about this and accept that the ‘no smoke without fire’ proverb is starting to appear apt.

Whether this is a pre-emptive strike to steer personnel decisions in 2021 or the start of a drawn out campaign to position himself with another team this year or next — it’s increasingly clear that all is not well.

It feels like the team is in a fight to align its vision with the quarterbacks, while also matching his ambition. And if that doesn’t happen — watch out. Because Wilson has been especially clear on what he expects.

Part of me wonders how much of this is about timing. With Drew Brees retiring — and the Saints reportedly making advances — it’s completely plausible that Wilson craves to follow in the footsteps of a player who inspired him so much while playing for Sean Payton — a Head Coach he perhaps would rather play for at this stage in his career.

That’s speculation on my behalf, of course. But if Wilson wants New Orleans — they might make a different move this off-season that makes it impossible 12 months down the line. If this is a now or never moment, would it be all that surprising if Wilson tries to make it happen?

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The Super Bowl is here. The NFL has masterfully navigated a global pandemic to deliver a full season.

There have been challenges along the way. It feels like a lifetime ago since the initial outbreak in Tennessee, followed by the issues in Baltimore.

At the time there was plenty of talk about cancelling the season or needing extra bye weeks. Reaching the playoffs and seeing them pass through uneventfully felt like a total long shot — yet that is what happened.

So it’s surprising that given the league did such a good job getting football on for 2020 — that they’re doing such a confusing job regarding the NFL draft.

They’ve cancelled the combine. For some reason they’re quite capable of creating protocols for 32 teams and thousands of individuals to co-operate for a football season — yet the challenge of creating a comparatively tiny bubble for a few hundred people over the course of a week is a step too far.

Thus, the NFL has washed its hands of creating a safe, managed environment where full testing and medicals can be delivered — only to push the problem onto the college teams.

Now schools are scrambling to create pro-days. In some circumstances, such as on the west coast, teams are considering putting on pro-days in different states.

How safe are these pro-days going to be, compared to a carefully managed environment at Lucas Oil Field? Why force teams and players to potentially travel all around the country for pro-days, when the combine is one venue over one week?

And while the likes of Alabama and Ohio State will be just fine — what are the smaller schools going to do? How will they manage?

Jim Nagy and his Senior Bowl crew have just completed a week in Mobile where thousands of people were tested — with only one positive result:

Grateful to announce there was only one positive Covid test out of 3,635 administered tests during 2021 Reese’s Senior Bowl week. All players and NFL team personnel submitted a negative test within 48 hours of arrival and were tested every day in Mobile. 🙏 pic.twitter.com/XCdeM3kwiV

— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) January 30, 2021

The Senior Bowl was a major success story. It was an example of what can be achieved through planning and preparation.

Yet we’re led to believe the NFL couldn’t put on a similar event in Indianapolis with the same level of testing and precaution.

Instead, the buck is passed to the college teams. Travel away, scouts. Go and get the information you need at several different locations instead of one.

What exactly is the plan here? How is this approach safer than a micro-managed combine?

Is it a money thing?

Is it aesthetics?

Wouldn’t it take one press release to break down why a combine would be safer than a series of more-important-than-ever pro-days?

And what are the consequences for the players? Are they now under pressure to attend a pro-day, regardless of the circumstances? Are they going to see their prospects hampered by an inability to test on a level playing field?

Surely the sensible thing to do is to delay the draft until the summer? Allow for the vaccine to be administered across the country and hopefully see cases fall. Perhaps even work to get players vaccinated in advance of the event?

That way the teams get a full run at the draft process. They can get the information they require to make educated decisions.

The players will have a true and proper opportunity to impress.

The league can have a serious draft instead of a shot in the dark.

It won’t happen because it seems like the NFL likes the little window it has in April when the eyes of the world focus on a fantastic event that captures the imagination of so many fans and dominates the headlines.

These are unique times though — and some adjustment is necessary.

The NFL deserves praise for the way it has provided a full 2020 season.

But the next big challenge is already here. What on earth is going on with the salary cap, with many teams in dire straits ahead of the new league year? And how do you intend to put on a draft when testing and medical checks are going to be harder than ever — with schools around the country under immense pressure to put on pro-days?

A small delay could make a big difference.

The alternative is to simply host a carefully managed combine with strict protocols. Sadly, it appears that ship has sailed.

The best thing the NFL could do is pick up the phone, call Jim Nagy and seek advice on how to put on a successful event in the current climate.

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This is the fifth part of a guest-post series written by Curtis Allen

#5 Running Backs

Roster Notes

Players under contract for 2021: Rashaad Penny, Travis Homer, Deejay Dallas

Players under contract for 2022: Travis Homer, Deejay Dallas
Restricted Free Agents: none

Unrestricted Free Agents: Chris Carson, Carlos Hyde, Nick Bellore (ST), Alex Collins

Exclusive Rights Free Agents: none

Practice Squad/Futures Candidates: none

Salary Cap Notes:

2021 Cap Commitment: $5.2 million (2.96% of $178m cap)

Franchise Tag

The 2021 numbers have not been finalized yet, but we can look at the 2020 numbers for a good idea of approximately what they will be:

Tag for Running Backs in 2020: $10.278m exclusive, $8.5m transition

5th year option on Penny

A new, much more complicated procedure was signed into effect with the new CBA in 2020 for the 5th year option for first round picks and this impacts Penny. There are more tiers of pay now, based on snap percentage and Pro Bowl appearances.

Penny is eligible for the lowest tier (the average salary of the #3-25 players at his position) to determine his 2022 option salary. According to OTC currently, that average stands at around $6.76m now, so call it $7m.

The 5th year option must be picked up by May 3 and if it is, it also makes the fourth year fully guaranteed, which converts about $1m salary from non-guaranteed to guaranteed. Meaning, picking up the 2022 option increases Penny’s potential cap hit for 2021 by another $1m or so if he is cut or traded in 2021.

Available Free Agents

2020 Season Overview

The running backs had a 4.4 yards per rush average on 327 attempts in 2020. That is the lowest number of attempts since the injury-disaster season of 2017.

Why?

One big factor is the early season splurge of passing. Another reason for the low attempts was injuries to the unit.

The top four running backs on the depth chart missed 21 games of play this year. Add in Rashaad Penny’s 13 missed games and you have 34 total missed games between the five runners.

The offense paid the price. Without a stable run game, consistency was difficult. They had a stretch of games where Russell Wilson was the leading rusher and another where they had a mix of street free agents and rookies starting. They manufactured rushing touches to David Moore.

Chris Carson missed four games in 2020 and was used very lightly in two other games. That is six of 16 games he could not make it a full go, after a 2019 where he appeared in 15 games but had a serious injury late in the season and missed the playoffs.

Carlos Hyde had a particularly difficult season. Added to the team in late May as a scheme complement and injury protection for Chris Carson, he missed six full games and had a very limited role in four other games. His best game was easily Week 11 against Arizona, where he had a rushing and receiving touchdown and bowled through the light-package defense the Cardinals put out and helped the Seahawks feel like themselves again after losing three of the prior four games.

Deejay Dallas and Travis Homer struggled to have any impact in the running game.

Alex Collins was brought back and had some nice contributions.

Pete Carroll insisted at his end of season press conference that they needed to run the ball more in 2021.

If they are going to recommit to the run game, they have work to do. It will be very interesting to see what moves they make at the running back spot this offseason.

Offseason Questions to Address

1. How can they field a healthier unit going forward?

The Seahawks are in a precarious position. They prefer tough, physical backs but regularly struggle with fielding a starting quality unit due to injuries. The Seahawks have had a routine of needing to bring in running backs off the street for critical games. This impacts the offense far too frequently.

It highlights how amazing Marshawn Lynch was for the Seahawks. His durability was beyond reproach.

A review of every process they have regarding the running game is in order:

-Their play concepts

-Evaluation of the running style and the durability of potential players

-The medical and training staff’s evaluation and treatment regimen

-The offseason program and in-season practice load management.

All of it needs to be looked at and questioned.

Too much is at stake to continue the way they have been in recent seasons. The team simply cannot be hamstrung because their top three runners can’t stay on the field.

2. Will they bring Chris Carson back?

In 2020 Carson was a first down machine. He gained a first down on a fantastic 32% of his touches — a healthy increase from his 26% number in 2019.

With Carson, the offense has a different feel and performance to it, as more of a complete unit than a one-man band with Russell Wilson scrambling to make things happen. While he is no Marshawn Lynch, the Seahawks look to him as a definite tone-setter. His strength, push, mentality and soft hands in the passing game make him a player that fits Pete Carroll’s vision of the offense like a glove.

They need a player of his quality to balance their offense and close the circle and play complementary football. It would appear the best option is to have Carson on the roster in 2021.

However, his health issues cannot be ignored. So if the Seahawks are going to invest in Carson, they will have to continue to invest in depth as well to protect the offense.

Can they afford to do that? This season in particular, they cannot. If they feel that Carson is the best option, they must be able to work out a reasonable contract. Giving Carson a big contract and then not having him available for large chunks of the season is not an option.

The franchise or transition tag seems unlikely for Carson for several reasons. The Seahawks do not have the cap space to carry a large one-year cap hit in 2021. If they want to invest in Carson, they would just sign him to an extension with bonus money they can prorate.

Carroll, when asked about Carson near the end of the regular season, made comments that indicate the Seahawks will allow Carson to explore the market and establish his value.

Carson will be 27 when the season starts. This will be his best bite at the apple. What kind of contract would work for both parties?

Likely a three or four year contract with some nice bonus money and the first two years of salary guaranteed and the remaining year or two non-guaranteed would get the job done. That way Carson gets a nice payday and is rewarded for his value to the team and the Seahawks have options to re-evaluate his status after the second and third season and decide on him with only the prorated bonus money being the cap hit if they decide to move on.

3. What about the rest of the players on the roster?

Rashaad Penny will be fighting doubts he can carry the load as the featured back until he does it.

Penny would seem an obvious choice to refuse the 5th year option on. However, the timing of the option period (ends in May) allows the team to see where they are after the initial free agent period, the draft and get a look at Penny and his knee in the OTA’s.

The Seahawks might feel that around $7m is not a bad option for a one-year contract in 2022 (when they have more cap room) if they decide they want to commit to him. But it is doubtful they would want to commit such a large amount to a player coming off a major injury. They’ll likely decline the option and let Penny test the market in 2022.

Carlos Hyde has some similar traits to Carson but spent 2020 copying Carson’s worst trait – his lack of durability – more than his best ones. He might be agreeable to returning to Seattle in 2021 on a near veteran minimum contract to reestablish some value after a rough season. But another $2.75m deal would likely not be a smart investment.

Travis Homer seems to have hit his ceiling. He likely has a spot secured on the roster but expecting any more than what he provides now would be a mistake. He can be used on kickoff returns, special teams coverage plays, is a great blocker and can occasionally get you a first down in the passing game. But he is limited in the running game — to the point where teams could be tipped that a pass play is coming when he joins the huddle. If Deejay Dallas develops in his protection pickups, Homer may be relegated to special teams and only used on offense as injury protection in 2021.

Dallas didn’t show much in 2020 to get excited about. When the others in the group were injured, Dallas got one game as the starter. While he performed adequately, the team did not hesitate to bring in Bo Scarborough and Alex Collins and place them ahead of Dallas on the depth chart. He has shown some sparky feistiness at times but needs to be more decisive hitting the hole and work on his balance and ability to break tackles. He also needs to work on his blocking, as most young running backs do.

Alex Collins rejoined the team mid-year and contributed some nice touches. He has a toughness and vision the Seahawks crave. He runs with a sense of purpose that Dallas and Homer lack. It is very likely that if he wants to come back and play in Seattle the Seahawks would be happy to have him back on the roster.

Rob’s Draft Position Overview and Potential Draft Targets

The position lacks the kind of depth we’ve seen in recent years. At the top of the board, Javonte Williams is the best running back in this class for me. His combination of tough, physical running and explosive power makes him an ideal fit for the Seahawks. However, he will likely be a top-35 pick.

Najee Harris has incredible physical talent and can be an all-rounder capable of being used in so many different ways. Few running backs can run a slant like he can. He’s a Rolls Royce of a runner but I do wonder about his explosive upside looking at his jump cuts (underwhelming) and he lacks great straight-line speed.

Travis Etienne has remarkable speed and explosive traits. He’s also well sized. He’s not an up-the-gut runner who will necessarily get the hard yards but if you create space and openings he’s a threat to break off a chunk play every time he touches the ball.

Later in the draft, there are a lot of question marks. Chubba Hubbard was always very overrated and lacks the size and punch to start in the NFL. Trey Sermon has limited playing time in college and while he’s very explosive and agile — there’s some concern about whether he’ll be able to carry a big workload.

Michael Carter is undersized but talented. Javian Hawkins has incredible speed and explosive traits but is tiny. Kylin Hill has some talent but he’s a player you really need to see testing numbers for to determine upside. Rhamondre Stevens has great feet for his size but is he explosive?

Khalil Herbert had a strong Senior Bowl and could be one to watch. Chris Evans was once really highly rated by scouts but continued to underwhelm in his college career. He has the talent but why hasn’t he put it together?

If you missed our latest podcast yesterday, check it out here…

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