Who you don’t want to lose matters

Clearly competition is important — in camp and in the games. It’s the foundation of Pete Carroll’s setup. That doesn’t mean you give up on players after one summer, however, if they’re outperformed by other players in certain environments.

Greg Jennings is a good example here. He was fairly anonymous against the Broncos despite playing more snaps (57%) than Jazz Ferguson (51%) and John Ursua (48%). Jennings received two targets in the game and failed to make a reception. Ferguson caught all of his four targets and managed 57-yards and a touchdown. Ursua had two targets with one leading to a 23-yard reception.

Based on the evidence of that game it’s hard to make a case for Jennings over Ferguson and Ursua. It’s a big call to give up on a player after one summer though. They clearly liked Jennings. He looked exactly like a Seahawks receiver at West Virginia and was a predictable target during draft season.

If they cut him in a few weeks time — he’ll be gone. Another team will claim him. He will not make it to Seattle’s practise squad. Last time they cut a high pick after one camp, Chris Harper was picked up immediately by the 49ers in 2013.

If they cut Ferguson or Ursua — they too could be claimed by other teams. However, one was an UDFA with character concerns in college and the other a seventh rounder. Jennings will get claimed. There’s at least a question mark about Ferguson and Ursua.

Competing isn’t limited to the players on the field. It extends to the front office. You have to find ways to keep the guys you want. The Seahawks will gather intel on various players to make key decisions on who may or may not make it to the practise squad. They’ll protect the ones they don’t want to lose.

Not everything is going to be decided in the pre-season in terms of who makes it and who doesn’t.

The Seahawks tend to stash players

Kristjan Sokoli, Benson Mayowa, George Fant. We can all recall players Seattle has protected as a sort of ‘redshirt’ prospect.

Even when the roster was at its most competitive — there was often room for a stash.

It’s important to remember that when working out what might happen with the team this year.

Again the aspect of wanting to ‘protect’ certain players comes into play. Team building isn’t simply about the here and now. It’s about the future too.

Would it be a massive surprise if they kept, for example, seven receivers? It’s more than they have in the past but if Jazz Ferguson and John Ursua continue to play well and are deemed unlikely to make the practise squad — are you ready to risk losing one? If they don’t want to give up on Jennings or roll the dice on Ferguson or Ursua, then stashing them isn’t improbable.

You can make the same case for the defensive backs too. The starting cornerbacks are set and the safety position is coming along. It’s not improbable they’ll end up stashing Ugo Amadi while starting Kalen Reed at nickel and retaining Neiko Thorpe for his special teams value and Deshawn Shead for his versatility and experience.

A lot of roster projections are compiled to try and max out impact and value at each position. There does have to be some long term thinking too plus some appreciation of roles. There will be certain players the Seahawks have scouted and coached who they really like — they just haven’t quite had a pre-season impact so far. Or they’ll have a specific, less attractive role (eg special teams). There will be room for at least one stash on this roster for a player they want to give more time to develop.

It also helps when you’ve got players who can play various positions. Seattle has tight ends who can take snaps at full back, they have safety’s who operate in the nickel and they have a tackle/tight end hybrid. When you have multi-role individuals, it can help create room to keep certain players at other positions. The Seahawks do have that luxury.

Veterans matter

I’ve read numerous suggestions about the futures of Jaron Brown, David Moore and Neiko Thorpe. Even if young players are performing in pre-season — you still need your veterans.

This is especially important at receiver. Chemistry with the quarterback, understanding of the offense and proven production matters. Brown and Moore have this and the Seahawks appear set to expand their roles this year. They are locks to make the roster and are under no serious threat from the younger group.

Thorpe is the special teams captain and is much loved by the coaches and players. This also matters. Pete Carroll is putting more emphasis than ever on improved special teams play this year. Thorpe is essentially a special teams dynamo first and foremost and the cornerback depth is a bonus. Outsiders may question the usefulness of that but it’s not a doubt in Carroll’s mind and it’s why Thorpe has been a mainstay for so long. I wouldn’t bet against that being the case again in 2019.

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For starters it was good to see a win. Last year Seattle lost all four pre-season games and started the regular season 0-2. There were some issues in this game at the start but overall Seattle showed they have improved depth this year. That’s a big plus.

The 2018 pre-season essentially told us they were going to be relying a lot on Russell Wilson and their ability to fix the running game. Here we can see the roster is a lot more padded and improved in certain areas. They’re especially improved on special teams and the kick coverage looked sharp tonight with several contributors standing out. Seattle’s linebacker depth is probably #1 in the league and there’s a real battle going on at receiver.

Yet there are also some areas of concern. The defensive line was hit-and-miss and apart from a good second half from Jacob Martin, the pass-rush was unsurprisingly weak. The backup offensive linemen didn’t inspire any confidence in this game either.

Even so, there were more positives than negatives here.

— Paxton Lynch really made a good impression and this was a nice start to his pre-season. Can he build on this? His decision making was sound, he improvised to make plays and he was accurate. If the Seahawks only keep two quarterbacks on the roster then it’s 1-0 to Lynch after the Denver game. With Geno Smith set for minor knee surgery, Lynch will likely get the bulk of the play next week against Minnesota. It’s easy to forget he’s a former first round pick who excelled at Memphis. He has the talent he just needed the application. Has he found it in Seattle? This was an excellent debut.

— Jazz Ferguson looks the part. His body control, mobility for his size, his route-running and catching ability were all on show here. He ended with four catches for 54 yards and a touchdown. Sometimes you see a player, even in a pre-season game, and you can see they have ‘it’. It felt like we were watching a NFL receiver in Ferguson. This is a very competitive group of wide outs. With Tyler Lockett, Jaron Brown, David Moore and D.K. Metcalf all certain to make the roster — there might only be one or two extra spots. It’ll take more than one game for Ferguson to make the final cut but this was exactly the type of start he needed.

— Marquise Blair is getting a lot of attention after the game and rightly so. The Seahawks lost their enforcer when Kam Chancellor retired and although Blair isn’t the same physically intimidating presence — he packs a punch. Both Blair and Pete Carroll acknowledged there were some blown assignments too and clearly he’s not the finished article. Yet Seattle’s defense is incomplete without an intimidator in the secondary. Blair provides that and it’s why they spent a second round pick on him. He’s not just a hitter either — he can tackle with form too and he showed that in this game. A nice start for a player fans can afford to be excited about.

— Carroll said they were trying to find out who the blitzer’s were in this game. Clearly the Seahawks are going to have to find ways to generate pressure considering their D-line isn’t rich with difference-making rushers. It’s telling that Carroll also highlighted Deshawn Shead’s safety as his favourite play of the game. Shead’s quickness to the ball-carrier stood out and if they’re looking for someone who can provide an impact as a blitzer — Shead could easily be winning that job with that one single play. Fitting him onto the roster will be a challenge. Seattle lacks star power in the secondary but they have a lot of young talent. Shaquill Griffin and Tre Flowers are locked in as the starting cornerbacks and Bradley McDougald, Delano Hill, Marquise Blair and Tedric Thompson seem fairly safe at safety. Neiko Thorpe is their special teams captain and is likely to be retained. Shead, Ugo Amadi and Jamar Taylor all played well in this game. Like the receiver position, there are likely some big calls to be made in the future.

— Although the pass rush remains a concern, it was good to see Jacob Martin having an impact. His speed off the edge in the second half created pressure on multiple snaps. He won’t be a game-wrecking starter but his ability to work into the rotation and impact plays will be very important this year. They need to find ways to generate sacks and if he can play a slightly expanded role and get into the 7-8 sack range in 2019 — that’ll be a big plus.

— The other position where big calls are going to need to be made is at linebacker. Austin Calitro won a job a year ago and based on this performance he’s not going to give it up without a fight. We know that Bobby Wagner, K.J. Wright, Mychal Kendricks and Cody Barton will make the team. Barkevious Mingo has already seemingly be moved to a pass-rushing role to free up space. We’ll have to see how many linebackers they want to keep but if it’s Ben Burr-Kirven vs Austin Calitro that’ll be some battle for the rest of training camp.

The negatives were fairly obvious. Justin Myers missed an early field goal and was close on two others. They need him to be a consistent force this year. The backup O-line struggled in the first half. Ethan Pocic was walked into the backfield and almost allowed the defensive tackle he was blocking to pick-off a screen pass. Pocic excelled at LSU as a technician at center who avoided getting beat. In the NFL, two years in, you have to wonder if he’s ever going to be strong enough to mix-it-up physically with pro-linemen. The starting defense didn’t have several key starters and gave up some easy yards (including a big play in the run game). George Fant picking up a ‘legit’ ankle sprain is disappointing news — especially given the way Seattle wants to play in the running game and with play action.

Even so, the positives outweigh the negatives after one week of pre-season. This still looks like a roster that is moving in the right direction and just lacks a bit of quality in a couple of areas. The depth and competition at multiple positions is vastly improved on 2018 based on what we saw in this game.

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A few days ago I wrote a piece calling for modest expectations in 2019.

The Seahawks have lost key, experienced players. They’re continuing to refresh the roster. This was never going to be a one-year fix.

With cap money to spend in 2020 plus a boat-load of draft picks to come — the next off-season really feels like a big opportunity to take the next step.

Hopefully the 2019 campaign will see young players developing into secure starters. If the likes of Tre Flower, Shaquill Griffin, one of the young safety’s and one or two of the receivers can take the next step and become core players — that will be a major positive.

In a Twitter exchange, friend of the blog Adam Nathan suggested Pete Carroll should be named coach of the year if the Seahawks make the playoffs.

It’s an extremely fair suggestion.

Since 2018 they’ve lost key pass rushers, their best receiver and an entire legendary secondary. The Seahawks have no business being in the post-season. It’s to Carroll’s credit that we’re even considering it a possibility. This is a roster in transition. Not a complete overhaul. Yet there’s enough to change to warrant perspective and realism. Simply having a good quarterback isn’t enough alone to guarantee playoff success (ask Aaron Rodgers, Matt Ryan, Philip Rivers and others).

Personally I think they have every chance to make the post-season because they’re sufficiently well coached, built, have enough remaining quality and most importantly — a clear vision on what they want to be with the personnel to match their aims on offense and defense.

If they don’t win another 10 games (or more) and reach the playoffs, it probably shouldn’t warrant much more than a shrug. 2020 is the decisive off-season. The opportunity to leap into contention.

There are two areas for pessimism when glancing at the depth chart.

The first is the secondary. There’s extreme competence, leadership and playmaking quality in Bradley McDougald. Apart from him there’s a lot of mystery. Is Shaquill Griffin finally going to develop into a quality starter? Is Tre Flowers the real deal after a solid rookie season? Who can provide a solution next to McDougald at safety? And who replaces Justin Coleman at nickel (and can they handle the gig?).

That said, if there’s one area of the team fans can trust it’s the secondary. Carroll’s track record of developing talent at corner and safety is unmatched. Despite how raw they were in 2018 — the defensive backs never felt like a striking liability.

The bigger issue is going to be the defensive line. Having traded Frank Clark — albeit for a satisfying haul — they lost their one, proven pass rusher.

Jarran Reed will miss the first six games due to suspension and yesterday L.J. Collier suffered a reported high-ankle sprain.

This is the last area the Seahawks could afford to lose bodies.

These issues really highlight how the line has been plundered in recent years. No longer can they rely on an army of pass rushers. There’s no Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril, ably supported by one or two of Chris Clemons, Frank Clark or Bruce Irvin.

In 2013 they had a murderers’ row of talent on the D-line. Even in 2017 the Seahawks boasted a collection of star names (punctuated by the trade for Sheldon Richardson).

Now all of the names above have gone. Reed is out. Collier will be absent for some time.

Who’s left?

Ziggy Ansah will hopefully play the Clark role and provide a dynamic edge rush. However, he’s been inconsistent in his career to date, has had injuries and is still recovering from a bad shoulder issue.

Jacob Martin had a decent rookie season but mainly as a complimentary rusher. Is he good enough to do more? He’ll no doubt be given the opportunity given the lack of depth.

Rasheem Green had a rotten rookie season and was ineffective. He’s young and has time on his side. We need to see some signs of improvement though. He has the physical talent. He needs to do more in 2019.

Quinton Jefferson created pressure last season and did a nice job in the rotation. Is he capable of playing more than the 56.31% of snaps he had in 2018 and taking on a more full-time role?

Apart from this quartet we’re talking about a collection of journeymen or run stuffers. It’s not a unit that screams ‘Championship’. And while the Rams D-line has taken some hits over the last couple of off-seasons — their ability to rely on the best defender in the league will always make them a dangerous opponent.

This is a problem for the Seahawks. Losing Reed and Collier for some time isn’t the difference between a good pass rush and a bad one. Seattle is simply lacking overall and couldn’t afford to lose any more depth.

They almost certainly possess the finest group of linebackers in the league. Perhaps that will help alleviate some of the problems? Especially if they can rotate their group and find some creative ways to create pressure. The numbers in the secondary also suggest they might try different ways to challenge teams like the Rams (and New England’s safety-dominant scheme in the Super Bowl could be the blueprint).

It won’t be a surprise though if Seattle’s defence struggles in the passing game early in the season. And it’ll be up to the offense to pick up some of the slack.

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Pete Carroll is leading his 10th Seahawks training camp

The Seahawks will be competitive this year, just as they were in 2018.

However, there’s a difference between being competitive and a genuine contender. And currently, the Seahawks are probably a year away from being considered a top-level threat in the NFC.

There’s also nothing wrong with that.

This team started a refresh a year ago that was never going to be resolved within 12-18 months. So many big names and key contributors have departed including three star pass rushers, an entire legendary secondary and now the teams’ best receiver.

On top of that the Seahawks have had to cope with cap restrictions and limited draft stock. As a franchise they’ve had a lot on their plate.

To remain competitive and make the playoffs while having to endure all of this is no small achievement. Several other franchises have gone through minor rebuilds and suffered as a consequence. The Baltimore Ravens won 54 regular season games between 2008 and 2012 — culminating in a Super Bowl victory. In the following six seasons they’ve only made the playoffs twice, had a five-win season and two 8-8 seasons. They’re still rebuilding.

It’s extremely difficult to evolve and remain a viable post-season threat. The Seahawks have pulled it off — mainly by returning to their philosophical roots and building around their quarterback (supporting him with a much more experienced offensive line and a productive running game).

There needs to be a sense of realism and perspective going into the upcoming season though.

This is still a team going through a form of transition. Nobody within the franchise will use those words. Their aim, understandably, will be to be as good as they can be this year. Making the playoffs again is very possible.

Indeed a season similar to 2018 — ten wins and a playoff berth — shouldn’t be seen as a failure or treading water. The current roster warrants that level of faith and no more.

The truth is they’re lacking in several areas. They need another off-season to try and complete the refresh before anyone can realistically ‘expect’ the Seahawks to be a genuine Super Bowl contender.

In 2020 they’ll have a slew of draft picks — including five in the first three rounds. They’ll have money to spend — OTC is currently projecting $74m (although this likely doesn’t include Bobby Wagner’s new contract).

There’s a real opportunity next year to have the kind of Championship off-season they had in 2013 that pushed Seattle towards its first Super Bowl. That’s about the time you’d realistically expect things to come together. Another haul of young talent and the potential to add some veteran quality to a blossoming group.

The future is bright — but to appreciate and enjoy that fact it’ll take some honesty about 2019.

The pass rush has serious question marks. Jarran Reed’s suspension doesn’t help. Losing Frank Clark is a big deal even if the compensation was satisfactory. The secondary remains a work in progress and aside from Bradley McDougald — there isn’t really a sure-thing in any of the other four starting positions (including nickel corner).

That’s not to say young players won’t emerge or that Ziggy Ansah won’t be able to pick up some of the slack. Yet the Seahawks were at their most dynamic on defense when they had a pass-rushing trio of Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril and one or more of Chris Clemons, Bruce Irvin and Frank Clark. Now they’re left relying on Ansah and a collection of unproven unknowns and emerging prospects.

In the secondary, there’s more hope than expectation that the young group will produce long term solutions.

Doug Baldwin will also be difficult to replace. That’s no knock on Tyler Lockett (who’s outstanding) or the potential of D.K. Metcalf and the rest of the younger wide outs. Yet Seattle has always been such a streaky team on third down in the Russell Wilson era. Losing their clear top receiver for the key downs is undoubtedly a concern.

That’s not to say the sky is falling. Far from it. The Seahawks are an extremely well run and well coached outfit. So much so that a portion of fans have begun to take it for granted in a big way. They have a sensational quarterback and proven quality and leadership in the likes of Wagner, K.J. Wright, Mychal Kendricks and Duane Brown.

A similar season to a year ago is distinctly possible. There’ll probably be some exciting, close wins and some annoying defeats. Sometimes you have to ride things out and play the long game. The Seahawks are still settling into their latest incarnation. The 2020 off-season stands out as a big opportunity to take the next step. Continuing to grow and develop in 2019 — while remaining competitive — is the order of the day.

Any greater expectation might be asking too much.

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Source: The #Seahawks and LB Bobby Wagner have agreed to terms on a 3-year, $54M extension. Locked in. 💰💰💰

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 27, 2019

No noise. No complaints. Just quality play from one of the rarest and most special athletes in the NFL and now a richly deserved contract extension.

Bobby Wagner is a class-act. In an era where linebacker play doesn’t make the headlines like it used to — he’s both a throwback to a bygone era and one of the definitive modern players in the game. He has the speed, agility and field-smarts to do everything today’s NFL demands. He also has the size, physicality and tone-setting ability we used to see from the classic linebackers of yesteryear.

He’s a Hall-of-Fame caliber talent with years left in the tank. This contract takes him through to age 33 and rewards a player who shows no signs of slowing down.

On every level — performance, influence, athleticism — Wagner deserved this deal.

And just like that — three of Seattle’s contract dilemma’s are solved:

Russell Wilson — signed
Frank Clark — traded for a haul
Bobby Wagner — signed
Jarran Reed — unsigned and suspended

Everything has fallen into place. Reed’s suspension — and Seattle’s subsequent support — also bodes well for the Seahawks in negotiations. We’ll see if something emerges there but of the big four Reed was fourth on the list.

The team deserves immense credit for handling what could’ve been a very tricky year. Getting the Wilson deal done was no mean feat alone. Pulling off a fair trade for Clark and now re-signing Wagner has momentum building. Against the odds this is an off-season with minimal drama (for once) with the team being pro-active and effective.

They won’t get much praise. That’ll be saved for the teams with the multiple first round picks and those who spent big and gambled hard. Yet Seattle’s front office can feel very pleased with their work in 2019 in a testing environment.

The Seahawks are into their second year of a refresh. They’re probably another off-season away from reaching their full potential (it’s something I’ll write about later in pre-season). Yet so far they’ve made the right calls. If people are willing to be realistic about the forthcoming season — and appreciate where they’re at and what further work needs to be done — this franchise will move forward.

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Many of you have noted the lack of posts recently. It dawned on me today that I should’ve simply been smarter at the conclusion of the draft and took an immediate break. I’ve been writing this blog for 11 years now and I’m still confused by what we do with it during the summer months.

The NFL claims it doesn’t have an off-season and that’s true to an extent with mini-camps ongoing currently. Yet this is a decidedly quiet time. I should’ve completed my write-ups on the full draft class sooner and for that I apologise. However — between the months of August and May this is a labour of love. Almost a second full-time job. Not that I’m complaining. Interacting with this community, studying each draft and following the Seahawks provides real joy. I’m still amazed anyone cares what a British bloke thinks about any of this.

I did need to take a break though. To reintroduce myself to my two kids and my wife. To focus on the day job. I should’ve been honest and admitted I needed that break, this year, immediately after the draft.

So I’m going to take some time now and come back refreshed and stronger in July. Be reassured though that normal service will resume. And while this place usually heats up around January time — my favourite period is the college football season. Learning about the draft class, finding players. Discussing options. I hope you’ll join us for that — not to mention the weekly analysis of Seattle’s 2019 season.

In the meantime I’d be very interested in your views about the blog. What do you like? What don’t you like? What do you want to see moving forward?

(Yes — I know the design is dated and must change ASAP. I’m working on it).

Go Hawks.

If you missed today’s live stream Q&A you can check it out here…

Yesterday I wrote an article pondering what the Seahawks were going to do next given their healthy cap situation. Here’s the answer. More competition, this time at quarterback…

Quarterback Geno Smith is expected to sign with the Seattle Seahawks, per source. It will be his fourth team in four seasons. Smith spent last season with the Los Angeles Chargers and threw just four passes.

— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) May 13, 2019

As things stand the Seahawks have an estimated $18.75m in available cap space. A portion of that will be taken up by the unsigned draft picks and money saved for a practise squad and injured reserve. There’s still room, however, to do some business.

Furthermore, they’re currently projected to have the most available 2020 cap space in the NFL. That’s despite paying Russell Wilson his mega-deal. The +$70m they have for next year will reduce when they eventually get a deal done with Bobby Wagner and potentially Jarran Reed. They also have the room to tie down Germain Ifedi, George Fant, Ziggy Ansah and anyone else they might want to keep depending on 2019 performance.

This massive amount of cap space has come at a cost of course — the loss of Frank Clark and Doug Baldwin. Yet the Seahawks are in an enviable position with so much available spending money and 10 draft picks slated for 2020 (including five in the first two days).

So what’s next?

They don’t need to roll money into 2020 because they have more than enough already as things stand. They might as well keep building their 2019 roster.

So far they’ve added Ansah, Jamar Taylor and Al Woods in the third wave of free agency. Who else might they consider?

There are mixed reports on Ansah’s likely availability. Ian Rapoport says he should be fine for the start of the regular season. Adam Schefter suggested he could miss time. The Seahawks were in a unique position with their cap and a fierce need for a dynamic EDGE. They could afford to take a chance on Ansah’s health in a way others couldn’t. That’s why the deal got done. Securing themselves against Ansah being unavailable, however, seems like a smart move.

There are still pass rushers available on the market including Nick Perry and Shane Ray. Both players met with the Seahawks and it’s fair to wonder if either will get a shot on a modest contract to come in on a one-year prove-it deal. Even if Ansah is healthy for most of 2019 — the Seahawks have been at their best with a strong rotation on the D-line. Adding at least one more veteran to the competition seems viable.

Some have wondered whether the Seahawks would make a big trade for Gerald McCoy. I think it’s unlikely. His current contract means you’d be taking on cap hits of $13m in 2019 then $12.5m and $12.9m the following two years. Although you could cut him at any time, that’s a significant salary unless you get him for a cheap trade.

Tampa Bay currently has $182,036 in available cap space — the lowest amount in the league. At the moment they can’t pay their rookie class and save money for injured reserve and a practise squad. They have to make a move and parting with McCoy is inevitable given there’s no dead money tied to his contract.

The Bucs are in an unfortunate position though. They’ve just lost Jason Pierre-Paul potentially for the season. That’s likely leading to a delay in proceedings. Parting with McCoy is a formality though because the only other player on the roster they can make a significant saving on is Lavonte David ($9.75m salary, no dead money). Creating $13m in cap space frees up the potential to sign a Shane Ray or Nick Perry to cover the loss of JPP.

If/when McCoy is cut, Seattle could show some interest. Although you have to wonder if adding a 31-year-old defensive tackle who so far has earned $148,545,286 in his career fits the current blueprint.

McCoy plays to his own tune. He famously arrived at training camp wearing a kimono when the Bucs took part in ‘Hard Knocks’.

That doesn’t mean he necessarily wouldn’t fit in Seattle. The Seahawks have gone to great lengths though to start building through the draft — adding younger, hungry players who are buying into a competitive culture. It’s debatable whether McCoy would fit into that.

He is still producing though. His production on the stat sheet has been consistent for years. Here are his sack and TFL numbers:

2012: 5 – 9
2013: 9.5 – 15
2014: 8.5 – 13
2015: 8.5 – 8
2016: 7 – 5
2017: 6 – 13
2018: 6 – 6

If you could get that kind of production, it’d be a major positive. The Seahawks would have to be prepared to make him a focal point though. I’m not sure McCoy would want to be a rotational defensive tackle and if he becomes a free agent, you’re not going to get him on the cheap anyway. Having signed Al Woods and with Poona Ford showing well as a rookie — are you going to sideline both to feature McCoy and Reed as a starting duo? Maybe — but it seems more likely at this stage they have their defensive tackle rotation set on the roster with a sufficient number of inside/out compliments.

Any further additions could be mere competition — such as Corey Liuget on a basic deal trying to earn a job. We’ll see what happens if McCoy becomes available.

Another suggested trade target is tight end Kyle Rudolph. The Vikings are in a similar position to the Buccs. They have $871,856 available in cap space (second lowest in the league) and need to make a saving. Moving Rudolph saves them $7.6m so a trade or simply cutting him is inevitable.

They’re also stuck in the same bind. Every team in the league knows they need to save money. So every team will lowball them in trade talks or simply wait them out. Rudolph will be cut if a trade isn’t forthcoming and teams probably believe they can then re-sign him for cheaper than the $7.5m he’s due in 2019.

Rudolph is a talented player capable of making key plays in the passing game. I haven’t studied his blocking enough to comment but you don’t often have an eight-year career at tight end in the NFL if you can’t block (with some, ahem, notable exceptions).

Rudolph might be a player of interest. He might be someone they look at if he becomes a free agent. They’re unlikely to spend a pick to acquire him though given it’d be a one-year rental and they’d be forced to commit $7.5m to him in 2019. If they can negotiate a cheaper contract without surrendering a 2020 pick — it becomes more viable.

Whatever they decide to do it certainly feels like the Seahawks aren’t done. They have the money and the motivation to keep improving. Even with the loss of Baldwin and Clark — this feels like a team trending upwards. Any additions will have to fit into the new mentality and refreshed culture. Yet they have the freedom to make more moves. Working out what they’ll actually do, however, is the hard part.

I think a bold, high-profile trade is unlikely. Yet this team is shaping into contention mode in the NFC West and if there’s a player out there that can further tip the balance in their favour — why would you rule anything out? They have the picks and the available money to be pro-active.

What seems more likely, however, is the continued collection of cheaper veterans on prove-it deals — filling out the middle-class and improving the competition on the roster.

I intend to do a Google Hangout Q&A this week plus we’ll finish up the thoughts on the draft class.

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Two Seattle icons.

Thank you for everything, @KamChancellor and @DougBaldwinJr. 💙 pic.twitter.com/k27vjOMTjU

— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) May 9, 2019

Today’s news is upsetting but not totally unexpected.

At the end of the regular season certain members of the media were dropping hints. There was a movement of sorts to let people know it’d be a great opportunity to show appreciation to Doug Baldwin in the final home game.

The writing was on the wall.

It’s been a difficult few years for Seahawks fans. Having embraced and enjoyed the development and growth of a Super Bowl winning team, it’s hard to watch so many of that group move on and retire.

Where does the time go?

It doesn’t feel that long ago that Baldwin was a young UDFA creating an impression back in 2011. I remember him smashing his teeth in trying to catch a touchdown against Arizona in Russell Wilson’s first start in 2012. It was satisfying watching him score a touchdown in the Super Bowl. It was also fun to see Doug grow from his odd and slightly embarrassing touchdown celebration against the Patriots the following year and develop into such a mature force for good both within the team and for much greater causes.

The big moment for me, however, was a third-down catch against the Packers in the NFC Championship game. It’s easy to forget because the subsequent play was the downfield shot to Jermaine Kearse to win the game. On the previous down Seattle faced punting the ball to Aaron Rodgers if they couldn’t execute. Baldwin’s release — so fluid and dynamic — set up a relatively straight-forward conversion for big yardage. That play encapsulated the savvy, the dynamism and the athleticism Baldwin possessed.

Make no mistake — he was a fantastic talent. Had he played eight seasons for the Patriots he likely would’ve stacked major yardage. He had 6563 yards for Seattle and 49 touchdowns in the regular season (second only to Steve Largent in franchise history). He also threw a touchdown pass to Russell Wilson in 2016 — a moment I was privileged to witness in person.

There are countless plays and big moments fans will reflect on. As I’m writing this piece I’m recalling his significant return against the 49ers in the NFC Championship game that helped snare back momentum after Colin Kaepernick had led a scoring drive to retake the lead. There was his insane catch against the Vikings in the playoffs. The scoring-streak he had during the 2015 season and his huge catch-and-run against the Steelers that year. What about the impossible play he and Wilson combined to create against the Cardinals in 2017? And of course his final touchdown reception — suitably brilliant — against the Chiefs.

There are so many more I could mention.

How many improbable catches did he make at the sideline? The ones on the road against Chicago (2012) and Houston (2013) stand out. So often he extended drives in a way that defied logic. He made it happen.

The #1 strength for a receiver is — and always will be — getting open. Baldwin was a master at getting open. He did everything else well too — had great hands, played with tenacity and a physicality somewhat similar to Steve Smith. He never publicly grumbled about his role or number of targets. But the greatest compliment you can give a receiver is to highlight how adept they were are getting open. Baldwin was truly one of the best. I’m not sure we’ll ever see a better release in Seattle.

It’ll be interesting to see how this changes Seattle. He’ll be a huge loss on key downs and in the red zone. It did also feel sometimes that he was one of Russell Wilson’s biggest critics. That’s not to say he wasn’t supportive or positive about Wilson. Doug still had his moments. I always cringed at this clip. It was difficult to work out the point where maintaining hight standards crossed into undermining.

Tyler Lockett’s excellent 2018 season will bring huge encouragement that he can pick up some of the slack. D.K. Metcalf is already creating an impression and Gary Jennings is an ideal fit for this offense. The Seahawks have depth and competition at receiver and could still add if they feel they need a bit more experience (Jermaine Kearse?). They’ll miss Baldwin but there’s at least some cause for optimism with this young, exciting group.

Next year is also shaping up to be a strong year for wide receivers in the draft. If they need to, they’ll have opportunities to make further additions in 2020.

The Kam Chancellor news isn’t a surprise and was expected considering he’d already retired. I wrote about that in more detail here. Two giants of Seattle sports depart.

Legends and icons.

Now it’s time for the new, younger core to try and make a name for themselves.

The Seahawks also have major cap room to spend now even after the addition of Ziggy Ansah and Jamar Taylor. And for that reason — it makes you wonder what other moves they have planned. Something big perhaps? We’ll find out soon.

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