Friend of the blog and leading NFL insider Tony Pauline is reporting for Pro Football Network that league sources believe Jadeveon Clowney will eventually sign with the Baltimore Ravens.
“A lot of people in the league believe that in end, he’s going to end up with the Baltimore Ravens… The Ravens need an upgrade with their pass rush. The belief from league insiders is don’t be surprised if he ends up with the Baltimore Ravens.”
According to Overthecap, the Ravens have approximately $16m to spend after parting with Earl Thomas. The Seahawks have about $15m available.
Simply put it will be unforgivable, having waited so long for Clowney, if the Seahawks allow him to join a team in a similar financial position.
Nobody can accuse the Seahawks of not being pro-active. Year after year they’ve been willing to make moves and be aggressive. The Jamal Adams trade is the biggest example of that but in the past they’ve completed various deals later in the year — from Clowney to Duane Brown and Sheldon Richardson.
However, it should be considered a stunning case of inactivity if Clowney ends up signing for another supposed contender for a financial package we know the Seahawks could afford.
The Ravens would be adding him to a line including Calais Campbell, Derek Wolfe, Matt Judon, Brandon Williams and day-two draft pick Justin Madubuike. They further bolstered their front seven by spending a first round pick on Patrick Queen.
Those are the kind of names many thought the Seahawks might look at as they attempt to, in their own words, fix the pass rush and the defensive line.
Going into the season genuinely relying on Benson Mayowa as the primary early-down pass rusher shouldn’t be acceptable to anyone. You can hope for the best but you also need to face reality. He’s a career rotational pass rusher (or in other words, a backup). Even if he personally has a solid season — you’re also still relying on a supporting cast of players like Rasheem Green and paper thin depth at defensive tackle.
It’s quite incredible really that as August turns into September, this issue still hasn’t properly been addressed. They’re keeping a decent chunk of cap space available because they know as well as we do that this unit simply isn’t good enough. As noted on Wednesday, it’s really saying something when Jake Heaps feels obliged to be blunt and honest about just how dire this defensive line is.
Fast forward to January. Do you really want to be sat here again discussing another early-round playoff exit, then spending an entire off-season talking about the need to fix the pass rush? Déjà vu anyone?
Signing Clowney won’t be a cure-all to the problem. Many have settled on Mayowa and Bruce Irvin being enough as a compliment. I’m not sure it is. The Seahawks needed a major revamp of their D-line. Noting that Mayowa isn’t as bad as a semi-retired Ziggy Ansah isn’t really anything to write home about.
Even so — the situation will be critical without Clowney. At the very least he’d provide an X-factor that in key games (NFC West or playoff) could be the difference. We certainly saw evidence of that last year.
It’ll be a tough pill to swallow if he ends up in Baltimore. The Ravens didn’t actually perform that well with their pass rush last year. They had 37 sacks, a hurry percentage of 7.3% and 140 pressures. All are in the bottom half of the league. That’s despite being by far the most blitz-heavy defense. They blitzed 54.9% of the time, with Todd Bowles and Tampa Bay in second place with 43.4%. If you’re blitzing 10% more often than Bowles then that’s quite a statistic.
The response has been a concerted and intelligent reshaping of their line. They haven’t splurged. The trade for Campbell was a statement of intent and they retained their top rusher in Judon. They then added extra pieces and now, reportedly, could be set to add another.
That’s a stark contrast to the Seahawks who talked a good game early in the off-season and said all the right things but then delivered very little in terms of addressing their self-confessed top priority.
If the Ravens get Clowney and Seattle ends up having to settle for what isn’t even Plan B (that was presumably Everson Griffen) — that would warrant some criticism that so far the team has avoided under a Jamal Adams shaped cloud of positivity.
I’ll keep repeating this line because I think it’s a season-defining point at this stage. What is the bigger gamble? Committing money to Jadeveon Clowney that you’ve so far been reluctant to pay, or going into next season hoping that your current D-line won’t cost you a wasted year?
For me, the obvious answer is to sign Clowney and roll with the punches.
You can now support Seahawks Draft Blog via Patreon by clicking the tab below.
Information has been limited from Seahawks training camp, with the team inviting the media to attend while simultaneously not allowing them to actually report anything.
Regardless, all we’ve really got are a few team-sanctioned tidbits such as ‘D.K. Metcalf is playing well’ and ‘Jamal Adams is good’.
Therefore it was refreshing to get a more revealing and honest report from Jake Heaps on the Brock and Salk podcast this week (see above).
He starts off by praising the impact of Adams and the new-look secondary. Certainly the thought of him being joined by Quandre Diggs and Marquise Blair is a tantalising thought for a defense that wants to be physical. He noted that last year it was Tedric Thompson, Lano Hill and Shalom Luani and the difference is definitely noticeable.
That’s the good news.
At the 42:50 mark in the podcast the conversation turns to the defensive line.
Heaps has close connections to the team. He’s a former player for a start but he also trains with Russell Wilson and receives plenty of access working for the flagship radio station.
Generally speaking, he’s positive about the Seahawks. He could never be accused of being deliberately negative.
So what he said about the D-line was alarming. It also confirmed all of the fears we’ve expressed on this website about the state of the unit and the consequences it could have for the Seahawks in 2020.
Here are some selected quotes:
“It’s still a problem. There’s nothing in my mind, as I look at this group, that has changed. In terms of the number one problem that the Seahawks have had all off-season — identified by Pete, identified by John — all throughout the off-season, has been pass rush. Has been defensive line. And that to me is still the glaring weakness of this equation.”
“Now, they can dress it up. They can try and hide it by unique skillsets of those three guys that I mentioned — Bobby Wagner, Jamal Adams and Marquise Blair — but those three guys can’t mask the overall problem of your defense.”
“Your defense is designed — ‘four beat five’. Four rushers can beat five and we can play our coverage, our scheme behind it. You’re asking guys to play positions or roles that they’ve never played in before. That to me is evident.”
“Benson Mayowa for example… he is a rotational pass rusher. If he was your third pass rusher… I’d be all for it. Now you’re asking him to be your starting LEO. You’re asking Bruce Irvin, who’s always been a consistent six-and-a-half-sacks type of player, you’re asking (him) to be your leading pass rusher in a role he’s never played before.”
“Those are things that you look at and it draws major concern. Outside of Jarran Reed and Poona Ford, your depth at the defensive tackle position is scary.”
“You look at this group and I’m telling you that unless this secondary is one of the best of all time, you can’t hide all the warts that you have across your defensive line.”
“This is going to be a gamble guys and that’s why I say, right now, on Tuesday August 25th, that this group cannot be done. Pete and John cannot be done addressing this issue, that they’re going to make some sort of late acquisition before the season starts.”
The simple fact is the D-line isn’t good enough. When it comes to the key NFC West games or a playoff game down the line — it will cost the Seahawks.
Something needs to be done or there’s a serious risk this unit will deliver a wasted season.
It’s why I keep coming back to this point. Which is worse? Spending $15-17m a year for Jadeveon Clowney on a two or three year deal and it not working out, or not spending that money and relying on Benson Mayowa as your primary rusher in 2020?
Even if it has to be a one-year deal. Get it done. Find a way. You’ve waited long enough.
You’ve gone all-in by trading away two future first round picks for Jamal Adams. You can’t waste that investment by trotting out an atrocious D-line.
The true gamble isn’t spending money on Clowney. The true gamble is not spending the money and hoping what you already have is good enough when it quite clearly isn’t.
If you missed the new podcast over the weekend check it out:
You can now support Seahawks Draft Blog via Patreon by clicking the tab below.
With no pre-season games, no fans attending practise and the media severely limited in what they can report — it’s pretty hard to analyse anything that’s going on during Seattle’s training camp. That said, I’m going to offer a few thoughts on some topics as the season draws closer.
Let’s slow the hype on Alton Robinson
There’s been a lot of buzz about how well Robinson has performed. Pete Carroll has highlighted him and the local media have been suggesting he’s been a standout performer so far. This is all good news given the state of Seattle’s D-line.
However, there’s an important point to remember here. We’re only two years removed from Rasheem Green having a really productive pre-season. On debut against the Colts he finished with 1.5 sacks, three hurries and seven tackles. Carroll proudly stated after the game:
“He’s come to us with real good style, he’s got real good hands. I was just fired up it showed up in the game.”
Yet Green’s first season in the league was a flop. He had only one sack all year.
Frank Clark equally had a fantastic pre-season as a rookie. Against Oakland he forced a sack/fumble that was recovered for a touchdown.
Again though, when the season started, Clark struggled to make an impact. That wasn’t entirely his fault. He was playing behind Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril for a start, on a team that had just lost the Super Bowl. Even so — his great summer didn’t translate to an impactful rookie campaign where he finished with just three sacks.
None of this means Robinson can’t have a great rookie season but it’s worth noting that young Seattle pass rushers have a tendency to flash in camp and then go through a steep learning curve when the real games start.
Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs look the part
There’s something to be said about the visual nature of a team. I watched a bit of ‘Rain City Redemption’ last night. The Seahawks looked as physical as they played. Kam Chancellor, Marshawn Lynch, Brandon Browner, Red Bryant, Chris Clemons, Breno Giacomini. There was a spine of the team that just embodied physicality and toughness.
That has to have an impact. I think there’s something to be said for the ‘get off the bus’ look to a team. You want an opponent to be wary of facing you. In this most physically and mentally demanding of games, any slight edge is crucial.
It has to go along with talent, of course. The LOB era Seahawks had plenty of that too. They had a nice blend overall.
During this reset the Seahawks haven’t really had enough of those physical players. They’ve been the ones pushed around by teams at times. Look at the way the Rams have handled them or the defeats to Baltimore and New Orleans last year. They didn’t have enough of a physical edge.
You can still levy that at the 2020 Seahawks. In particular on both lines — there’s a distinct chance several offensive and defensive linemen will have their lunch money stolen this season.
However, credit where credits due, Adams and Diggs look like a terrific, formidable force in the secondary. They look different to the other players on the roster. They embody the tough attitude the Seahawks have been missing for too long. Teams will not enjoy trying to attack Seattle’s secondary as a consequence of their presence. With Marquise Blair also known for his hitting, the defense could finally return to the punishing unit Carroll craves.
That said — and this will be the dynamic with this team until the problem is solved — you’ll never get the full benefit of this if opposing quarterbacks have all day in the pocket and you can’t create pressure up front.
Can Ethan Pocic be Justin Britt II?
Pocic was a surprise pick in 2017 for many reasons. He was a pure center at LSU and looked like a center too. Everything about his playing style suited the position. He wasn’t an amazing athlete or a power blocker. He was technically sound, contained opponents off the snap and held his ground.
When he was picked I remember thinking they were planning for life without Justin Britt — who was coming to the end of his contract. Yet later in the year Britt signed a whopping extension. Suddenly the Pocic pick made little sense. They tried him at right tackle to start his first camp, quickly moved him to guard and there he stayed.
His career has never really taken off. He’s struggled with strength and he simply didn’t fit at guard or tackle.
So why has it taken until year four to finally shift him back to center?
It was weird listening to Carroll explain that he’d ‘always thought it was his best position’ the other day. Really? So why not, you know, actually play him there? What was the thought process with the pick? Select a guy you felt could be versatile, leave him struggling without a set position and then reveal you saw him as a center all along?
Pocic must wonder what life would’ve been like had he landed somewhere else and actually been given a proper shot at center earlier in his career.
Hopefully, as was the case with Britt, this late shift will be the catalyst to a career revival. Britt looked like he was going to be cut and was given a chance to compete at center almost as a last act. Yet he excelled, won the job and was a pillar of consistency for a long time until injury ended his spell in Seattle.
If Pocic doesn’t perform well, however, this could become a big problem for the Seahawks. B.J. Finney was signed in the off-season presumably with the intention of winning this job. Yet, as was the case throughout his time in Pittsburgh, he seems to be settling into a backup role. It’s not a glowing review of the situation that he’s not separated from Pocic or indeed even ahead of him.
Solidity at center is key. The Seahawks obviously have the potential to simply re-sign Britt when he’s healthy again if needed. They’ll hope that isn’t necessary.
Greg Olsen could be a god send
The Seahawks have always looked a better team with a tight end who can consistently make plays. They don’t need a player you need to feed the ball to (Jimmy Graham). The offense calls for a playmaker and safety net though. Zach Miller played that role beautifully as has Will Dissly when healthy.
Dissly’s injuries the last two years set back the offense. They lost a limb and had to make do afterwards. He’s back and hopefully won’t suffer another gut-wrenching injury in 2020. Having Olsen as a partner in crime, however, gives the Seahawks the kind of security they’ve never had before.
Olsen’s experience, savviness and blossoming connection with Russell Wilson (per reports) could be a big plus. You need a lot of weapons on offense in the modern NFL. Olsen might be in the twilight of his career but he’s always been the consummate pro.
He’s not going to be Travis Kelce or George Kittle but he doesn’t need to be. He just needs to make some third downs, score a few touchdowns, provide some leadership and allow this offense to function to the best of its abilities.
The Carlos Hyde signing is also important
I think everyone feels sympathy with Chris Carson currently. He’s dealing with a family issue and hasn’t been practising much during training camp as a consequence.
That said, he’s a player coming off a fairly serious injury and the missed time might not be entirely conducive with him hitting the ground running this season. Carson has had an injury plagued career too.
The wheels fell off Seattle’s offense when Carson and Rashaad Penny both got hurt at the end of last season, leading to the dramatic return of Marshawn Lynch. It seems plausible even at this early stage that Carson might not be 100% immediately or could get hurt as he tries to reach 100%.
Hyde is an above average running back who can carry the load for a team. To have him as insurance on the roster increasingly looks like a wise move. I’m not sure what the odds are on him finishing as Seattle’s leading rusher in 2020 but it’s probably worth five bucks.
The Seahawks still need another receiver
This is a brutal pre-season for young players and many are going to need to hope they get another shot next season to show what they can do. That said, teams like the Seahawks — with ambitions of being a contender — are going to equally have to accept the situation.
They can’t really afford to ‘find out’ what the likes of Freddie Swain and Cody Thompson can do. David Moore can be inconsistent but at least he’s familiar with the quarterback, the offense and he’s made plays in the league.
They’ve brought in Phillip Dorsett and talked up his speed and potential and there’s also a chance John Ursua gets a bigger opportunity in 2020. However, it feels like the Seahawks need to add another proven, reliable receiver.
One injury to Tyler Lockett or D.K. Metcalf and you’re basically relying far too much on younger players and your tight ends. They need a third wheel, someone who can realistically fill the void if one of the top two go out.
That’s why I think they were linked with Antonio Brown until confirmation of his suspension (and they might return to that weeks down the line). It’s why I think they’d still like to add Josh Gordon if that’s possible. Bob Condotta brought up the name of Paul Richardson today as another option.
Don’t be surprised if they add Richardson just to give themselves that little bit more security going into the season.
Damien Lewis is getting a lot of praise
If you missed it in April, here’s my interview with Lewis:
I found him to be humble, passionate for the game and full of the grit the Seahawks seek. I thought he was a top-50 prospect in the draft and the Seahawks got a steal getting him in round three. He was superb for LSU and terrific at the Senior Bowl too.
He’s earned rave reviews so far from his team mates and that’s a big plus. The Seahawks need some long term pieces on their O-line. Bruce Irvin singled him out for praise during his press conference yesterday.
He’ll have a big test against Atlanta’s D-line in his first game — but it’s going to be fun to see how his career develops in Seattle.
The Jordyn Brooks pick still feels like a head scratcher
Like Adams and Diggs, there’s something about Brooks in the way of intensity, thick frame and attitude. I can see why NFL teams were attracted to him as a high-ish pick for that alone.
Yet as we sit here today with virtually zero chance of him starting as a rookie, I can’t help but wonder what the thought process was? Did they really draft a WILL linebacker of the future in round one?
K.J. Wright is going to start. They’ve pretty much spelled that out. Bruce Irvin is the SAM. So barring injuries, this is basically going to be a redshirt season for Brooks.
Is the WILL spot really that important?
When you look at the alternatives in the draft, the picture becomes even murkier. They said they liked Darrell Taylor so much they almost took him in round one. Yet by not doing so, they then had to trade up in round two. All for the benefit of acquiring a WILL of the future.
There was a supreme collection of talented running backs available. That would’ve saved money because they wouldn’t need Carlos Hyde and they’d have greater flexibility in terms of what to do regarding Chris Carson’s contract next year.
There were a cluster of good offensive lineman available. Imagine pairing Damien Lewis with either the brilliantly physical Robert Hunt or his LSU team mate Lloyd Cushenberry. Or they could’ve moved up a handful of spots to get Cesar Ruiz.
If Brooks goes on to become a fantastic player in the future nobody will question the pick. That kind of has to happen though — otherwise what possible justification is there for taking a WILL of the future when there are so many long term question marks at other positions on the roster?
And let’s not forget — they’re already paying Wright and Bobby Wagner nearly $25m combined this year. In the 2019 draft, they also traded up for Cody Barton.
Second and third tier players need to step up
The Seahawks clearly have good players but for too long now the second and third tier guys haven’t added anything. There’s been a distinct lack of development and progress year-in, year-out.
A winning team always needs a handful of people to step forward. In 2013 for example, the Seahawks had Malcolm Smith, Clinton McDonald, Jermaine Kearse and Byron Maxwell.
They’ve found players who contributed as rookies — D.K. Metcalf and Will Dissly for example. So it’s not that they can’t find talent that is ready to play. Yet they’ve not managed to polish the raw diamonds and find guys that can take a big step and elevate their performance after some seasoning.
They desperately need that in 2020 especially if they don’t do anything else to the D-line. The problem is they’re practically relying on the likes of Rasheem Green, L.J. Collier and Marquise Blair. They have to perform or else. They are no longer second or third tier hopefuls. They’re starters. Slow progress isn’t an option.
They still need to sign Jadeveon Clowney
Look — you might find this repetitive. It is repetitive. Yet it’s simply a fact that the Seahawks run the serious risk of wasting a lot of potential on this roster by trotting out a wretched D-line.
They have a quarterback in his prime, they’ve invested massive amounts into their linebackers and safeties. They just traded their life savings away in an attempt to win now. Not next year — right now.
And yet it’s a massive contradiction for all of these things to be true and the Seahawks D-line to remain in the state it’s in.
Clowney won’t fix an entire line by himself. He’s an impact player though capable of providing an X-factor up front. Those types matter come playoff time or come NFC West time. We saw that against San Francisco and Philadelphia.
Everyone has been entrenched for months. Clowney won’t take anything less than the figure he has in his mind. The Seahawks and the rest of the NFL aren’t going up to that number.
Yet it’s nearly September now and all parties have exhausted this saga to the maximum. Seattle needs Clowney more than he probably needs a one-year contract to play this season. If you’re going to roll the dice on a safety in a big trade it’s time to roll the dice on a contract for the one dynamic D-liner available on the market.
Clay Matthews isn’t going to cut it I’m afraid.
The Seahawks with Clowney have a shot. The Seahawks without Clowney look like a team who will make the playoffs as a wildcard, lose in the first couple of rounds and we’ll point the finger at one of the worst pass rushing units in the league and have the same off-season conversation we’ve had for the last two years.
If it takes a 2-3 year deal that carries some risk to get this done, wouldn’t you rather roll that dice than take a punt on the current D-line not costing you a season?
If you missed the new podcast over the weekend check it out:
You can now support Seahawks Draft Blog via Patreon by clicking the tab below.
P.J. Johnson was drafted in the seventh round in 2019
The Seahawks have needed a defensive tackle all off-season. Until today, they had only added undrafted free agent Cedrick Lattimore.
Finally, the position has temporarily been addressed.
P.J. Johnson recently had a workout for the team and today he’s been signed to a contract. He fits the bill in terms of size with a 6-3, 335lbs frame. The Seahawks needed a big guy to anchor the middle of the D-line following Al Woods’ departure. It’s taken until August 18th but at least now someone has been added who could potentially fill the role.
He was a seventh round pick by the Lions in 2019 before being cut and ending up on the Chargers’ practise squad. That’s not a great résumé admittedly but the Seahawks needed to bring someone in. This move gives them a chance to have an extended look at Johnson.
That’s very much the context people should judge this move. The Seahawks had a couple of spare roster spots. They can now check out Johnson, see what he has to offer in practise and it eases the burden on the position with both Jarran Reed and Poona Ford nursing injuries. Ford sat out practise today and so did Demarcus Christmas.
They could cut him again in a few days. They could sign another defensive tackle. Or they could keep him as cheap filler.
The fact that they’ve gone down this route while the likes of Timmy Jernigan (Jacksonville) and Mike Daniels (Cincinnati) sign elsewhere is a further suggestion, it has to be said, of the Seahawks protecting their available cap room.
And yes, that’s clearly in case re-signing Jadeveon Clowney becomes a possibility.
“…you basically have a three-team picture between the Seahawks, Titans and Raiders. And of that trio, the Titans and Seahawks make the most sense in terms of being able to add Clowney late in the preseason, because of his familiarity with the schemes and/or coaching staffs.”
It’s nearly two weeks since Michael Silver mentioned that the Seahawks “appear to have moved on” and that “a deal could happen soon” with Everson Griffen or Clay Matthews. I wrote at the time that the tweets felt like a final call to Clowney and to be fair, so it has proved. The Seahawks didn’t sign Griffen and they haven’t signed Matthews.
Signing P.J. Johnson instead of a Jernigan, Daniels or Marcell Dareus keeps the spending to an absolute minimum with no firm commitment. The Seahawks have a defensive tackle in the building on what amounts to an extended trial. They’ve also kept virtually all of their remaining cap available on the off-chance that as the season draws gradually closer — they might be re-united with the player they labelled an off-season priority.
The Seahawks rounded out their 80 man roster by claiming quarterback Danny Etling off waivers. He was recently cut by Atlanta. Again, this is basically an extended try out. He was drafted in the seventh round of the 2018 draft by New England. He ended up on the practise squad and in year two actually transitioned to receiver before being cut. He switched back to quarterback when Atlanta claimed him.
If you missed the new podcast over the weekend check it out:
You can now support Seahawks Draft Blog via Patreon by clicking the tab below.
Robbie and I discuss the reported Jarran Reed injury on Friday, why the Seahawks haven’t signed a defensive tackle and the shape of the O-line this year.
Please like the video, subscribe and let us know what you think.
It was also reported that Poona Ford picked up a calf injury but stayed on the field.
If the season started tomorrow, which thankfully it doesn’t, the Seahawks would presumably be starting Demarcus Christmas and Bryan Mone at defensive tackle with only undrafted free agent rookie Cedrick Lattimore for depth.
It’s an incredible situation.
Why the Seahawks haven’t added a defensive tackle so far is a mystery with only one reasonable answer. They cannot go into the off-season with such weak depth at the position. The only plausible explanation is they are saving their remaining cap money for something more important — such as a hope that Jadeveon Clowney will eventually re-sign. There can be no other explanation.
Players are available. Only last week they were said to be interested in Marcell Dareus. They could sign him at any moment. So why wouldn’t you bring him in? Training camp has started now. New additions need every second possible to adjust during this strange, Covid-impacted pre-season. Aside from all the testing you have to do first before even taking the field — you need to learn the scheme, get in shape and work through any issues without pre-season games.
There’s just no logic to not having another veteran defensive tackle on the roster right now unless they’re saving their remaining money for a potential Clowney return.
Such an approach has arguably already cost them primary Plan B in Everson Griffen. If they don’t land Clowney and ultimately miss out on Griffen, Dareus and others who could’ve boosted their D-line — it’ll be a huge own goal for a team that has already done a poor job handling its self-confessed biggest off-season priority.
The injury to Reed (and also Ford) could easily happen early in the season. A defensive line that has already been ranked by PFF as the worst in the league would then be in an absolutely desperate state.
The problem is Clowney, seemingly, isn’t budging:
Some teams believe the longer Clowney waits to sign, he could end up with half his asking price.
But here’s an interesting question that came up in my talks: Is Clowney prepared to take a lot less now — Or will he be willing to sit out the whole season?
They’ve made their bed and are sleeping in it until the bitter end. Despite reports that a Griffen or Clay Matthews signing was ‘close’ (that was 10 days ago now) or that they had interest in Dareus — nothing has happened.
It’s quite strange really. This whole situation regarding the D-line feels like it’s being papered over. Most people recognise the need for more up front — but nobody’s really being pushed on it. And if they aren’t waiting for Clowney, what’s the hold up?
This is a season-undermining problem that needs to be addressed as soon as possible.
You can now support Seahawks Draft Blog via Patreon by clicking the tab below.
Yesterday we piloted a new podcast on YouTube with myself and Robbie Williams discussing the Seahawks’ pass rush situation. Check it out below.
Let us know whether you want more of these in the future. Apologies for the lighting at my end — it was late at night and I didn’t anticipate it being as bad as that.
The reaction so far has been positive and if that continues we’ll look to make this a regular thing.
Overnight it emerged that the Dallas Cowboys have signed Everson Griffen on a contract worth $6m.
It’s just the latest example of Seattle’s indefensible approach to ‘fixing the pass rush’ — their self-confessed priority for the off-season.
The news emerged on the same day that Pete Carroll revealed Darrell Taylor could be weeks away from making any kind of impression. He’s still recovering from an injury that kept him out of the Senior Bowl and combine.
Carroll also said that Alton Robinson came to training camp overweight.
So let’s review Seattle’s pass rush situation right now. You’ve essentially got Benson Mayowa, a backup level player, as your primary rusher on early downs. He will be complimented, currently, by Rasheem Green and L.J. Collier. Bruce Irvin is your SAM who reduces down on passing downs. And they have Branden Jackson.
It’s difficult to imagine Taylor having any impact this year given his health and the fact he might miss training camp, while Robinson is already on the back foot too.
This is a mess — a mess that seemingly wasn’t worthy of a question during Pete Carroll’s press conference yesterday.
Only a week ago Michael Silver touted the possibility of Griffen or Clay Matthews signing in Seattle. Most of his report talked about Jadeveon Clowney though — and we discussed a few days ago how it felt like a final attempt to try and cajole Clowney into a return.
The fact is the Seahawks have been waiting for Clowney for months. They could kind of afford to do it as long as the likes of Griffen remained available. Yet now they’ve lost their security blanket. Clay Matthews, aged 34, is not like Griffen. He’s more of a specialist rusher rather than someone you trot out on first down.
By waiting and waiting for Clowney, they’ve now lost Griffen. Or, for some reason, they simply weren’t willing to pay him the $6m Dallas are — which would be strange given how much they’re paying the likes of Irvin, Jacob Hollister and Cedric Ogbuehi.
Training camp started this week and you could argue even that was a deadline too late. You can’t wait for Clowney forever. Eventually they had to make a call and move on. It would’ve been painful, especially, with Clowney likely still on the market. You can’t risk a player like Griffen signing somewhere else though.
They simply couldn’t afford to go into this season with such a weak looking pass rush. For all the people desperately trying to argue that Jamal Adams and Quinton Dunbar might create a spike in coverage sacks, let’s get real. You need to be able to rush four against five in the NFL, create mistakes and force pressure on the quarterback. The Seahawks are essentially going to be relying on Mayowa and Green for that.
It will undermine their investment at linebacker and safety if that ends up being the case.
If they weren’t getting Clowney they had to get Griffen. Now, they’ve seemingly been caught out because they waited too long:
The #Seahawks and #Vikings went back and forth for pass-rusher Everson Griffen, while the #Cowboys quietly went to work. Out of nowhere, they add a key cog in their defense. Griffen to Dallas.
Again, the Seahawks came into the off-season with a self-confessed priority of fixing the pass rush:
They equally made re-signing Jadeveon Clowney a priority:
They did their work at the combine, checked their sources and seemingly came up with a plan to retain Clowney, by offering him less than he expected but perhaps more than anyone else was offering.
Rather than take his time and take the best deal on the table, Clowney refused to play to the tune of any team. He feels he has a certain value and wasn’t going to play for anything less.
Seattle weren’t wrong for focusing on Clowney — clearly the most dynamic, field-tilting defensive lineman on the market — but by putting all their eggs in one basket, they watched other teams add the likes of Dante Fowler, Robert Quinn and Calais Campbell. None received outrageous contracts and all, clearly, could’ve combined to create a reasonable pass rush. As we saw with the two Smith’s in Green Bay a year ago — you don’t need to sign the biggest of the big names to create a pass rush.
With Clowney holding out the Seahawks essentially held out with him. If you’re going to go all-in on a player, you better seal the deal. Otherwise you’ll be caught short — which is exactly what is happening now.
PFF ranked Seattle’s defensive line as the worst in the NFL for a reason. It’s very hard to win a Championship with the worst D-line and pass rush in the league.
So what next?
Clowney could easily see this latest development as a leverage boost. The Seahawks have lost their primary alternative. He might dig-in even more now. And the Seahawks simply don’t have the money to make an attractive offer to him without aggressively restructuring deals for Russell Wilson and Tyler Lockett.
They could sign Clay Matthews but again — he’s a complimentary rusher in the twighlight of his career. You already have that in Irvin. The Seahawks need someone who can get after the quarterback on early downs and be the #1 defensive end. They also need options given the chances of Taylor landing on the PUP are increasing.
The big trade for Adams and the recent good news regarding Quinton Dunbar has given people cause for optimism and a welcome distraction from the reality of this off-season. Simply put, the Seahawks have failed their biggest test of 2020 and have now put themselves in a real bind with just weeks to go until the start of the season.
The only way to change that is to somehow get Clowney back in the building. They have to get it done.
You can now support Seahawks Draft Blog via Patreon by clicking the tab below.
Time is running out — but the clock hasn’t struck midnight yet
On Thursday we discussed a report from Michael Silver discussing Seattle’s approach to the D-line, which still needs to be addressed before the season begins.
Rather than re-post the tweets I’m going to paraphrase what was said:
Jadeveon Clowney… Jadeveon Clowney… ‘appear’ to have moved on… wants too much… Jadeveon Clowney… could sign someone else! … Everson Griffen and Clay Matthews! … could happen soon! … Jadeveon Clowney… $15m offer from the Seahawks… Clowney… Clowney… Clowney wants more money than anyone’s offering…
Of course this is my attempt to add a tinge of humour to the subject but it’s actually a fairly realistic portrayal. A report that the Seahawks were close to signing Griffen or Matthews was sandwiched between two slices of Clowney.
You might argue this is simply Silver addressing a topic that has dominated Seattle’s off-season (at least up until the Jamal Adams trade). Maybe so. Yet let’s have a serious look at this situation.
It seems pretty clear that at the start of free agency, he was their top priority (along with generally improving the pass rush):
I’ve discussed before what I think happened but I’ll quickly recap. I think the Seahawks looked at the options in free agency and determined that Clowney was the most impactful defensive lineman available.
Pete Carroll has long admired ‘field tilters’. He likes to add X-factor players — blue chip, five-star, high draft pick talent. From the trades he’s completed to the reclamation projects he’s taken on. Carroll loves upside. Clowney is arguably the biggest upside player he’s ever acquired — a former elite recruit, a world-class athlete and the former #1 overall pick.
He’s also a potential game-winner. Last season two players were capable of winning a game with their individual talent for the Seahawks. Russell Wilson — as happened numerous times — and Jadeveon Clowney. His impact against San Francisco in the game of the year and in the playoff victory in Philadelphia was devastating. He’s a match-winner on defense.
When Carroll said Clowney was the priority — he meant it. And I believe the Seahawks worked tirelessly at the combine, talking with the rest of the teams, the agents and any other source they use, to come up with a clear plan to re-sign him.
I think they knew his market wasn’t going to be what he expected. So they offered him a generous deal to return, possibly the most attractive deal, but ultimately one below Clowney’s personal expectations.
I also think they believed the connection they’d had with Clowney in 2019 would be a difference maker.
So I think they felt that while the offer was below what the player wanted — after a few days he would assess the situation and possibly come to the conclusion that the best place to be was Seattle.
I don’t think they anticipated Clowney holding out, drawing a line in the sand and refusing to sign anywhere for months on a point of principal. I don’t think anyone anticipated that. Probably not even Clowney’s agent Bus Cook, who has an excellent relationship with the Seahawks.
As I’ve written before — I don’t think you can really blame either party for a deal not happening. Seattle possibly made the best offer to him and to go any further would’ve been bidding against themselves. Equally it’s up to Clowney — who’s already made over $50m in his career — to refuse any offer he doesn’t think is acceptable.
It left Seattle in a quandary. If they moved onto other targets there was no chance of getting Clowney back — their self-confessed priority. So all they could do was wait and hope, while adding cheaper depth players (Benson Mayowa) who wouldn’t prevent them from signing Clowney if he decided to return after all.
Unfortunately time passed and Clowney never wavered. He stuck to his guns. They had to start spending money — on Carlos Hyde and Geno Smith for example. The available cash to spend on Clowney reduced.
However — the door was never shut.
Every time Carroll was asked about the situation he’d always say they were ready to ‘jump right back in’ if the opportunity arose.
It doesn’t do either party any good to be in this situation now. Clowney is without a gig for 2020 and the Seahawks have a massive Clowney-shaped hole on their defensive line.
I think the Seahawks have always hoped that there would be a positive conclusion eventually. They’ve always saved some money. It’s increasingly lowered as time has gone on — but they haven’t signed a defensive tackle, a defensive end or a new receiver yet despite all seemingly being on the shopping list.
They currently have a decent chunk of cap space remaining. They could’ve sign Everson Griffen or Clay Matthews weeks ago. We all know why Clowney hasn’t signed anywhere yet. He believes he is worth a certain dollar amount for his services and no team has matched that amount. That isn’t the case for Griffen or Matthews who have remained available throughout the off-season with seemingly little interest.
Their markets seem to be limited due to age (both well into their 30’s) and in Griffen’s case, some possible concerns about his mental health given what happened in Minnesota.
It was even reported a few months ago that Griffen’s market was being impacted by the Clowney stalemate. It was unclear why — yet the report stated that to be the case. It’s felt for a while that he was always the primary alternative to Clowney in Seattle. Why hasn’t he signed? Because the Seahawks have never really moved on from their self-confessed priority. They’ve always left a light on for him.
It’s possible, as we discussed on Thursday, that they’re nearing the end of this long pursuit. Eventually they will have to move on, as much as they probably don’t want to. They can’t go into the season with Benson Mayowa as the primary defensive end/pass rusher. They just can’t. It will need to be Griffen or Matthews if Clowney, finally, isn’t coming.
Maybe he realises that soon? If so, there’s still a chance the Seahawks work this out. If they’d truly moved on they would’ve signed Griffen or Matthews by now. There are no restrictions there. Only that they know once that happens, Clowney is definitely not coming back. Griffen and Matthews would presumably happily march into a contending team in the NFC, based on their seemingly weak markets, to play for coach Pete in one final hurrah.
This is basically the crux of the matter — the Seahawks haven’t moved on from Clowney, they’re still exhausting their pursuit of him by waiting this long, and they won’t have moved on until the moment another player is signed.
Silver’s tweets focused more on Clowney with a side salad of who they might sign in return. I suspect they’re having to play this out through the media because direct negotiations could actually be quite fractious. I think this has probably been quite a frustrating, annoying and upsetting situation for Seattle. I think they felt they had a connection to the player as well as a fair offer — and they’re left wondering how it’s come to this. I think his re-signing would’ve set up the entire off-season. I think they’ve felt somewhat in limbo as a consequence and probably like other teams (eg Tennessee) wonder what on earth his end game actually is.
His lack of a return likely also inspired the Jamal Adams trade. The Seahawks defense struggled badly last year. With the greatest respect to Jordyn Brooks (who might not start) — there’s no way they could seriously go into the 2020 season with ambitions of improvement without making a significant addition. That’s probably why the Adams trade became a reality weeks before the season rather than days into free agency. They knew they had to do something. They’ve waited ages for Clowney. They couldn’t subtract him from the 2019 group and improve. Adams was a top talent who happened to be available. They got him — to at least add one impact player.
Getting Clowney after all, at the eleventh hour, could even constitute something of a late rally in what has otherwise been a flop of an off-season.
Sadly they’re going to have to admit defeat soon and make a move. Which will be painful because when they do move on — the chances are he’ll still be out there as a free agent. They’ll always be walking past that shop window, looking at the pair of Clowney heels for sale that they can no longer afford.
Carroll will want someone as impactful as Clowney leading the charge up front — with Bobby Wagner at the second level and Adams at the third. That would be a trio with the potential to lead a rebound year defensively. With greater depth at DE and another addition at defensive tackle — this could be a contending season after all.
They won’t get that same impact with Griffen or Matthews. Both produced complimentary numbers to elite talents last year and it’s unclear whether they’d be as successful as ‘the guy’ — especially in the twilight of their careers. It’d still be better than having Mayowa as ‘the guy’ — but it’s a way off having Clowney.
Let’s put it this way — nobody in Santa Clara wants to see Clowney wearing a blue helmet in 2020.
We’ll see if there’s some light at the end of the tunnel soon. It’s in Seattle’s and Clowney’s best interests to get this done. A structured two-year deal limiting the cap hit this season and using some of the space they have next year could be a compromise. They could even make the second season an option-year if Clowney prefers to enter free agency again quickly.
They’ve waited this long for him but time is running out. He has to hear that message now and he should consider accepting the situation, rejoining the Seahawks and going for a Championship and future riches.
Meanwhile…
Quinton Dunbar has been released from the commissioners exempt list. This is good news because it means he can immediately take part in training camp. That’s vital for a player transitioning to a new defense.
Of course there’s still a very realistic chance he will receive a suspension. We’ll have to wait and see on that. At least for now, he can get to work.
You can now support Seahawks Draft Blog via Patreon by clicking the tab below.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65149301/1164960044.jpg.0.jpg)
