This is a Seahawks-centric draft board.

Teams don’t often have a long list of players they’d be prepared to take in round one.

They narrow it down, remove players for whatever reason and really zone in on the prospects they want to target.

These are the guys, as of today, I’d put in that first round bracket who I’d be willing to draft at #32.

Some of them obviously won’t be available. But that’s OK. If there’s only one still on the board at the end of the first round, that’s possibly who I’m taking.

It’s also still very early in the process and the combine is going to change so much by the end of the month.

So basically, I reserve the right to completely change my opinion in a month. In fact I’d be surprised if that didn’t happen.

We’re still waiting to find out so much about these players. There’s nothing final about this stage of the year.

And unlike the teams, we only have limited access to information and tape.

Here’s the list. I’ll have a new mock out tomorrow.

#1 Jadeveon Clowney (DE, South Carolina)
We can only dream what it’d be like to have a player like Clowney in Seattle’s defensive rotation. Imagine that. They might be unstoppable.

#2 Greg Robinson (T, Auburn)
If you knew you had a shot at Robinson, you wouldn’t re-sign Breno Giacomini. Aside from his sensational athletic upside, Auburn’s star player from 2013 is already a terrific run blocker.

#3 Sammy Watkins (WR, Clemson)
He’s not the big receiver this team lacks, but how can you not put him here? Just an incredible player with a big future.

#4 Mike Evans (WR, Texas A&M)
Watch him work back to Johnny Manziel and win endless jump balls to see this is a scrambling quarterbacks dream receiver.

#5 Taylor Lewan (T, Michigan)
The Seahawks want to run the ball. Aside from Robinson at #2, there isn’t another tackle in the draft who plays the run like Lewan.

#6 Aaron Donald (DT, Pittsburgh)
I don’t care about the size. The fact is he lives in the backfield and he’s an absolute nightmare to block. Geno Atkins-style potential.

#7 Kelvin Benjamin (WR, Florida State)
The drops frustrate the heck out of you, but there’s no denying he could be brilliant at the next level. Ideal size for a classic #1 receiver.

#8 Cyrus Kouandjio (T, Alabama)
He’s being knocked for two bad games against Virginia Tech and Oklahoma. I still really like his potential.

#9 Eric Ebron (TE, North Carolina)
Ebron could be the next big-time tight end. Needs to be coached up, and it might take a year. Long term upside is through the roof. Let’s hope he runs well in Indy.

#10 Brent Urban (DT, Virginia)
If he wants to be great, he could be great. Get him in the weight room and try to turn him into J.J. Watt-lite.

#11 Morgan Moses (T, Virginia)
The Seahawks like length, long arms and size. Moses has the lot and could end up being a fast riser over the next few weeks.

#12 Ra’Shede Hageman (DT, Minnesota)
Think about what a player can become, not what he is now. In a rotation with pro-coaching, Hageman could be superb. 6-6, 318lbs — he has the size Seattle loves.

#13 Anthony Barr (DE, UCLA)
Excellent length and the hope is he runs well at the combine. But he has so much work to do on his technique. Could crash and burn in the NFL.

#14 Marqise Lee (WR, USC)
Not the big receiver Seattle needs, but he’s a former Pete Carroll recruit with such an infectious spark to his game. A warrior.

#15 Brandon Coleman (WR, Rutgers)
Coleman has the size and athletic potential to be big time. But he’s not the finished product and needs to convince teams he has the desire to max out his talent.

#16 Antonio Richardson (T, Tennessee)
Massive tackle prospect who could play guard or right tackle. Long arms, 6-6 and 330lbs. Has a nasty streak, a bit like Anthony Davis.

#17 Dee Ford (DE, Auburn)
LEO pas rusher looks like a long term succession process in Seattle. If Ford runs a 4.4 at the combine he’ll be interesting.

#18 Zack Martin (T/G, Notre Dame)
Just a superb technician, but he’s also a better athlete than he gets credit for. Short arms, might be better at guard.

#19 Allen Robinson (WR, Penn State)
Not a burner by any means and that could be costly. But he’s a YAC specialist not to mention a terrific competitor with excellent character.

#20 Davante Adams (WR, Fresno State)
Not huge (6-2, 212lbs) but maybe big enough. Fantastic character. Is he special? I’m trying to work that out.

#21 Xavier Su’a-Filo (G, UCLA)
The only alternative to Zack Martin I’d consider in round one. He’s a really good athlete whose best football lies ahead.

Big name players not on the list:

Any quarterback — they aren’t replacing Russell Wilson, are they?

Jake Matthews — just not sure he’s what this team looks for in a tackle.

Khalil Mack — he’ll probably run a 4.6 at the combine and where does he fit in this defense?

Timmy Jernigan — never been that impressed with his play. Looked dead on his feet at the end of the BCS Championship game.

C.J. Mosley — love the guy, but Seattle doesn’t need a linebacker like this.

Kony Ealy — a player I will do more study on, but I don’t get the hype based on what I’ve seen so far.

Smaller receivers (eg Odell Beckham, Brandin Cooks) — does the team need another sub-6-0 receiver?

Jace Amaro — I want to see him run at the combine. I fear another Gavin Escobar-esque time.

Safety’s/corners — wait until later in the draft

And finally…

Never underestimate the value of a good owner.

Clemson's Bashaud Breeland is a former 4-star corner recruit

Clemson’s Breeland one to watch?

Walter Thurmond is a free agent this year, and Brandon Browner’s time in Seattle appears to be up.

Byron Maxwell has one year left on his contract and could be a leading free agent in 2015 if he continues to start and play well.

If all three players eventually move on, it’ll leave Richard Sherman (assuming he’s re-signed), Jeremy Lane and Tharold Simon.

Unless the likes of Thurmond are kept on, we should expect another corner to be drafted at some point.

The Seahawks have consistently gone after cornerbacks in the later rounds and so far they’ve been able to find some real gems.

But as Super Bowl Champions, they have to expect other teams are going to start trying to copy their style.

Some of the players who previously would’ve been available in the middle or later rounds might go earlier as a consequence.

That doesn’t mean the Seahawks are going to start reaching for this position. I think they see themselves as ‘cornerback city’, capable of consistently taking players off the production line and developing them into starters.

It’s not just about finding any corner with length and plugging him in. Pete Carroll is a secondary guru with decades of experience, while Rocky Seto is one of the great unsung heroes in Seattle.

Other teams can try and mimic the Seahawks, but they’ll need the same level of coaching to make it work.

The combine will uncover some potential mid-to-late round targets and it’s an area we’ll look into at the end of the month.

Clemson’s Bashaud Breeland is one player to monitor.

He’s a former four star recruit who played safety and quarterback before switching to corner in college. I’ve seen him listed anywhere between 6-0 and 6-3, but on his recruitment page on Scout.com he’s down as 6-2.

Here’s the blurb on his evaluation:

Breeland is a long defensive back that is a good cover guy. At a combine, he would get behind a little off the line, but his closing speed may be his best trait. He really closes on the ball well and after being behind the receiver. He has long arms, a rangy body, great closing speed, has good instincts, and he really plays under control.

Long corners who cover well seem to interest the Seahawks.

Here’s some tape against NC State from 2013:

It’s difficult to judge cornerbacks without all-22 tape. Most of the time they’re off screen. It’s often difficult to see whether a quarterback goes away from the read because of the coverage.

I’ve tried to break down certain plays but yeah, it’s tough.

At 0:27 he gets beat down the right DEF sideline. I think the receiver runs a good route and he’s forced to try and recover. A bad throw bails him out.

At 1:27 we see what looks like the kind of play that’ll interest Seattle. He’s physical at the top of the route and basically takes the receiver out of the game. No flag, so I guess you’d call it perfect coverage.

He could’ve had an interception at 4:21 with nice downfield shadowing. The quarterback underthrows the ball and Breeland is in position to make the play. He should probably get that one.

Kudos to the ref for a great pick play at 4:36.

He flashes nice tight coverage at 5:13 and ends the game with a Hail Mary pick at the end.

Right now Breeland’s being touted as a second or third rounder. It’s not a great class for corners, so a good work out in Indianapolis could propel him up draft boards.

Are the Seahawks going to draft Breeland? Not if he goes in that range. I’m not sure he’s good enough to warrant that level of investment, and they’ve shown they can find players from all kinds of backgrounds later on.

Even if Thurmond departs, I’m intrigued by the potential of Tharold Simon if he can stay healthy and get a full camp under his belt.

As teams set about trying to copy Seattle, I think Breeland ends up getting overdrafted. If he slips a little, then he could be someone they look at.

Senior rankings, Moses impressive

I’ve spent a bit of time this week going over some of the videos of the Senior class, namely those who appeared at the Senior Bowl.

For me it’s pretty clear who the top players are who appeared in Mobile:

#1 Aaron Donald (DT, Pittsburgh)
#2 Zack Martin (T, Notre Dame)
#3 Morgan Moses (T, Virginia)
#4 Brent Urban (DT, Virginia)
#5 Ra’Shede Hageman (DT, Minnesota)
#6 Dee Ford (DE, Auburn)

I know Dee Ford had a great Senior Bowl game, but I’m still trying to work out where he fits. He didn’t do any linebacker drills in Mobile and consistently lined up in the widest wide-9 I think I’ve ever seen.

There’s talk he could run a 4.4 at the Combine and he’s someone to watch closely, without doubt. But on tape he’s hit and miss and I want to see just how much of an athlete he really is.

The one who surprised me the most was Moses at #3.

I’d read reports last October suggesting he’d endured a slow start  to the season and his stock was falling. I actually put on the tape mostly to see how Jeremiah Attaochu faired against him when Virginia played Georgia Tech.

This was a one-sided domination, in favour of Moses.

He flashed superb footwork and movement for his size (6-6, 320lbs). He smothered Attaochu whenever he engaged and wasn’t beaten once for speed off the edge.

Take a look for yourself…

Moses looked like a genuine left tackle prospect in the game, and further tape study backed that up.

Whether he’ll look quite as comfortable against NFL lineman remains to be seen and he could end up at right tackle — the position most people have him tagged at.

For me, if I was a team picking later on (Miami at #19, Arizona at #20 or New Orleans at #27) I’d happily take him with a view to putting him at left tackle.

Aside from the list above one other player caught my eye (although I’ve only watched one game so far). Northern Illinois safety Jimmie Ward is an unlikely target for the Seahawks, but I’m intrigued to see more. Good cover safety.

And I’m loathe not to mention the guy at the top of the list — Aaron Donald.

Man, how did I get it so wrong with this guy with my first take?

With every fresh game I watch, the more I like him. The guy is insanely good. I really hope it works out for him at the next level — whether he’s in Seattle or not, I want to see this type of defensive tackle make it in the NFL.

Relentless, consistently in the backfield, stout and powerful with a wonderful swim move.

He has to be Geno Atkins. Has to be. If he isn’t, let’s forget about finding another Atkins. We’ll leave it to chance in future.

As much as the Seahawks want size up front (and they need it to match up with the likes of San Francisco), it’s hard not to imagine how good the defense could be with a guy like Donald rushing inside.

If a lack of size keeps him on the board (and for me he’s easily a top-20 pick, but you never know), then they have to pull the trigger. Even with a similar type of player (Jordan Hill) already on the roster.

Donald is just too good.

Futures deals

Free agent tight end Travis Beckum posted on his Instagram today that he was now a member of the Seahawks.

Linebacker Mike Taylor was also added.

Both players featured for Wisconsin in college.

Beckum was a third round pick in 2009 and had four largely unsuccessful seasons with the New York Giants. Taylor struggled with a sports hernia during his rookie year and spent time on Seattle’s practise squad last season.

Brandon Coleman isn't the finished product, but he could be great

Do we talk enough about development?

Are we obsessed with looking for the finished article, or as close to the finished article as possible?

When I say ‘we’, I mean everybody who follows the draft. Pundits, experts, fans and writers.

If following this teams’ road to glory has taught us anything, it’s probably that we should expand our horizons.

We should be looking at what a prospect can become, not what he is right now.

Has a player got the potential to be great?

Will he embrace the need to work on his flaws in order to max out his talent?

If the answer to both is yes, get the cigars out.

Essentially it comes down to this. Good coaches can always work on technical flaws, strength and conditioning, bad habits or even a lack of experience.

What you can’t teach is physical brilliance.

We need to avoid lingering too much on things that can be fixed. We shouldn’t ignore certain issues, but we also shouldn’t be consumed by them.

As long as the player is keen to work on improving, we should embrace a guy who doesn’t do everything right in college. Especially if he has a high enough ceiling to be really good.

I think this is something the Seahawks do better than most teams. It certainly seems that way.

So many clubs write players off because they don’t fit the prototype, or they concentrate on the flaws.

Seattle didn’t do that when they drafted 5-10 Russell Wilson. Seattle didn’t do that with most of the players they’ve drafted to be fair.

They selected guys with grit, the upside to be great and they worked them into their system.

And yet I think we’re seeing a lot of draft talk again this year that flies against that.

We’re a pretty ‘safe’ bunch, those of us who follow the draft religiously.

Let’s be more daring.

I’ll kick us off.

I’m not sure why anyone would draft Teddy Bridgewater ahead of Johnny Manziel.

Bridgewater is a technically gifted player. He’s pretty good.

I’d consider spending a first round pick on him if I needed a quarterback, but I’m not overly excited by his tape. He does a lot of things well, but what does he do that is ‘great’?

Manziel on the other hand is the ultimate playmaker. He doesn’t fit any prototype. He lacks ideal height and he goes partying in college.

He doesn’t always say and do the right things. He takes chances on and off the field.

But what a challenge. Why wouldn’t you want to take that on?

Imagine if you made it work. Wouldn’t that be something?

Wouldn’t you back yourself as a Head Coach to develop Manziel into something akin to what we’ve seen with Russell Wilson in Seattle? In Houston — with all the weapons they already have on offense plus a running game, could you not turn him into a quality point guard capable of explosive plays?

Sure, he needs to do a better job looking after the football. He can read the field better. He can improve his core strength.

But what about all the things he does well?

For me Houston are in a privileged position with the #1 pick. They should be grabbing Manziel or coming up with a contingency at quarterback so they can draft another player with unlimited upside — Jadeveon Clowney.

So why do I get a bad feeling they’re going to fudge this and take Blake Bortles or Teddy Bridgewater?

They’d justify a move like that as minimising risk. I’d call it betting against yourself to develop a rare talent.

Embrace what is different.

Embrace coaching and development.

I’d love to know why so many pundits put Manziel in the top five of their mock drafts, but only in the 20-30 range on their big boards. Or lower.

What are they scared of?

You see things like, “someone is going to fall for Manziel” like it’s a bad thing.

I’m happy to admit I wouldn’t have always written these words, but Seattle’s rampant success has really opened my eyes to the idea of development being king, along with upside + work ethic.

That means looking at what a player can become, not what he is now.

And this is why I really like Brandon Coleman and Kelvin Benjamin for Seattle.

Neither is the finished product. Both had their issues in college.

Coleman struggled in a lousy passing offense at Rutgers, but also didn’t do enough to elevate his team. He can certainly do a better job high pointing the football.

Benjamin had too many mental errors at Florida State, including some horrific drops.

And yet look at them. Coleman is 6-6 and 220lbs and runs like a train. Benjamin is 6-5 and around 230lbs and couldn’t look any better in uniform.

Imagine what they could become. Think about it. With this coaching staff working with them.

Really the only thing to be wary of is bad information in terms of their work rate. I’ve not seen any negative reports online, but we don’t get anywhere near the same info the teams get so it’s hard to judge.

Assuming that’s not an issue — I say go for the home run.

It’s not just about two receivers either. Another player who comes to mind is Brent Urban.

He has an injury history, his stats don’t register at all. He plays three technique at 6-7 and 298lbs.

Urban is different.

But he has rare size and speed, an ability to push the pocket and work against the run. He can grow as a pass rusher and could be one of the steals of the draft.

There’s also Ra’shede Hageman — a guy with some character issues and a ton of inconsistent tape.

Coach him up, put him on an already talented defensive line and let him rush the passer. If he has the desire to be the best, he’ll go a long way in Seattle.

If we’re willing to think about what is possible, there are players out there who can help keep this team at the top.

This draft class excites me.

Not because it’s jam packed with players ready to trot off the production line and contribute.

It’s because there are a handful of players other teams are going to overlook and the Seahawks are going to capitalise.

Just like they have for the last four years.

This is worth watching too…

Pete Carroll spoke to the media follow today's Super Bowl parade

For the first time in four years, Pete Carroll didn’t talk about specific team needs in his final press conference of the season.

“(We) don’t see anything we need to add. We just have to get better.”

“It’s not going to be something from outside of us. We have what we need.”

He’s always been candid and honest in these end-of-season post mortems. Whether it was a determination to improve the running game, get more speed in the front seven or enhance the pass rush — he always laid it out on the table.

I guess when you win the Super Bowl 43-8 against one of the supposed elite teams, you can afford a degree of comfort with your roster.

Or maybe it was a nod to something else.

Perhaps, as of today, he simply doesn’t know what his greatest needs are?

He made reference to keeping the group together as best they can. Yet he also knows how difficult that’ll be. When speaking to Brock and Danny yesterday, he noted this would be a challenging off-season for that very reason.

Think about the potential scenarios:

Lose Michael Bennett and he’ll need to be replaced as a major priority.

Lose Golden Tate and cut Sidney Rice as a cost saving measure and you”ll need to make receiver a big time need.

Lose Breno Giacomini and you have to consider adding to the offensive line again.

“We don’t need anything” might be more like “we don’t need anything… yet”.

Carroll wasn’t the only one to speak after today’s sensational parade in downtown Seattle. Funnily enough Bennett and Tate were also interviewed, but not to say goodbye.

– Bennett insisted he wanted to end his career in Seattle and wasn’t planning on leaving

– He added that no firm negotiations had taken place yet and wouldn’t occur until around combine time

– Tate admitted he had a cap number in mind that he would like to negotiate with the Seahawks

– He stated he would be willing to take a “little” discount to stay in Seattle

– Carroll announced Sidney Rice’s rehab from a knee injury was going extremely well, suggesting his rate of recovery was “unheard of”.

The Seahawks showed in Super Bowl 48 they don’t have any glaring holes in the roster. They have the #7 offense according to DVOA, they have the #1 defense and the #5 special teams.

Add that up and you get the #1 overall team. And it wasn’t all that close.

That doesn’t mean they don’t need any new additions — they do — but for the first time since I started writing this blog there aren’t the backbreaking needs to prevent this team winning a Championship.

They’re already Champions.

It’s really just about keeping the band together as best you can.

And while you might be prepared to change the occasional member — you’ve just got to make sure Glenn Frey and Don Henley are sticking around.

***RANDOM PICTURE INTERMISSION***

Of course part of the issue is having to cut players or ask them to restructure their contracts. The media are already latching onto this:

How can #Seahawks sign Golden Tate & Michael Bennett with Thomas & Sherman extensions? Likely to cut Sidney Rice, ask Zach Miller to cut pay

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 5, 2014

Rice would be an easy cut at $7m but if he’s progressing well from his knee injury, they might be able to restructure his deal. He is a very good player on his day — he’s just suffered endless injury problems throughout his career.

It would’ve been interesting to see this receiver group with a healthy Rice and Harvin also contributing. Having said that, both Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse really stepped up to the plate in their absence, and deserve even bigger roles next season.

There’s no way Rice survives with his current cap hit of $9.7m. He’d have to strike a new deal.

The problem is, there’s probably not a happy medium if you ask him to restructure. The saving is too good for an outright cut, Rice will get offers as a free agent and there’s no need to accept a drastically low salary for any other reason than a desire to stay in Seattle.

Providing even greater clarity here is a jam packed receiver class in this years draft.

Seattle can save a further $5m by cutting Zach Miller’s contract. I’ve written in the past about him being a potential cost-cutting victim. The best tight ends in the NFL are not paid like Miller.

While he’s been very useful to this team, his salary is just too big. At a time when other players need to be re-signed, he cannot expect to survive on a $7m cap hit having earned a borderline ridiculous $11m in 2013.

He’s only 28 so they might be able to restructure the deal, adding years (he’s a free agent in 2016) or simply reducing his salary.

He’s a nice blocking tight end with some pass-catching qualities but he’s not an elite difference maker. And with guys like Breno Giacomini needing to be re-signed as well as your Bennett’s and Tate’s, Miller surely has to be willing to compromise if he wants to stay.

It’s a little surprising Chris Clemons’ name isn’t mentioned by Rapoport. He’s been a real warrior for the Seahawks, but he’s due $9.7m in 2014 — the year he turns 33. There’s a $7m saving to be had by cutting him.

The likes of Red Bryant and Brandon Mebane may also end up in contract negotiations. Bryant’s cap hit is $8.5m in 2014 and while I highly doubt he leaves the team, I think there’s maybe a reduction to be had there for the greater good of the roster.

Mebane earns $5.7m over the next two seasons — but the ease in which he can be cut (he has almost no dead money on his contract) makes a re-negotiation very possible.

These are the decisions facing John Schneider and Carroll. But they’ve acknowledged they have some tough calls to make.

Now we just sit and wait to see how the best team in football tries to stay right at the top of the mountain.

In today’s press conference Carroll also listed a series of improvements he wants to see next year:

– He believes Russell Wilson will continue to develop because of his great work ethic, and also called his post-season form “exquisite”

– Carroll spoke with some passion about cleaning up the teams league-leading penalty problems

– A healthy Percy Harvin can help take the offense to another level, with Carroll stating they were only “scratching the surface” on his potential during the Super Bowl

– Carroll says they didn’t get the pass rush rolling until mid-season, and it’s something they can continue to develop

– He said kick-off returns are another area with major room for improvement — obviously Harvin being on the field helps here

The players and coaches will now take a break, with the next big event the combine in Indianapolis — starting on February 22nd.

Finally here’s some more tape to get into as we roll into draft season. This is courtesy of JMPasq, and it’s Aaron Donald (DT, Pittsburgh) and Eric Ebron (TE, North Carolina):

Could this man land in Seattle? (and no, we're not talking about Tim Tebow)

The Seahawks are Super Bowl Champions, and now face the first of many challenging off seasons.

We talked a lot last week about how one great player (Peyton Manning) would struggle to defeat a complete team (the Seahawks).

The reason a lot of consistent challengers are based around one brilliant individual QB is simple.

It’s so frickin difficult to possess a complete roster and maintain it for the long term.

When your star players are third and fifth round picks on rookie salaries, you can afford to pad out your team.

But when those tiny rookie contracts turn into superstar mega deals, you run into trouble.

There’s a lot of talk today about a potential dynasty because this is a young roster.

That’s all well and good, but the fact is Seattle won’t be able to keep all of its young players.

Not only will they lose some key contributors and starters, even guys like Jermaine Kearse are seeing their value rise because they’re doing it on the big stage.

By keeping the likes of Russell Wilson, Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, Michael Bennett, Bobby Wagner and a few others — they may face something of a mini rebuild down the line.

Replacing guys they’d otherwise really love to keep.

Here’s an example. What happens when K.J. Wright hits free agency in a years time?

Ideally you’d re-sign him. But he’ll know his value is considerably strong as a Super Bowl Champion and starter for the ‘en vogue’ team in the NFL.

Jacksonville will be waiting to pounce on any players who slip through the free agency net. You can pretty much include every other team in the league with money to burn.

Starters, depth players and even practise squad guys — the sharks are circling around the Seahawks.

And this could be the first year where a few tough decisions needs to be made.

Here’s the list of free agents hitting the market in 2014:

Michael Bennett, Golden Tate, Walter Thurmond, Breno Giacomini, Steven Hauschka, Tony McDaniel, Clinton McDonald, Michael Robinson, Tarvaris Jackson, Chris Maragos, O’Brien Schofield, Paul McQuistan, Kellen Davis, Anthony McCoy, Brandon Browner and Lemuel Jeanpierre.

According to Ian Rapoport, the Seahawks “will” re-sign Michael Bennett.

PFT later disputed this report, saying no deal was close to being finalised.

However, I think Rapoport’s point is there’s going to be mutual interest. Bennett has spoken warmly about his return to Seattle and the Seahawks know how important he is to the defense.

This deal will get done. The question is, how much will it cost?

Rapoport also says they will try and keep Golden Tate if they have room.

This looks like one of the first big decisions they’ll face.

Tate’s most productive year for yardage came in 2013 — with 898 yards. He added five scores — two less than 2012.

Judging his value is going to be tough. On the one hand, his increase in yardage isn’t a total shock given the injuries to Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin. He’s never been a production machine and he does have games where he simply doesn’t make much of an impact.

At the same time, there are plenty of games where he’s essentially been the MVP. The victory in St. Louis in week eight was pretty much down to his huge downfield score and earlier touchdown in the red zone.

He gets under the skin of defenders and has a knack of making big plays when they’re needed.

He appears tight with Russell Wilson and is one of the players who’s shown real progression in the last two years.

The Seahawks don’t have great depth at receiver. If Sidney Rice is a cap casualty and with Harvin’s health problems, would you really want to lose him?

And yet receivers consistently get overpaid in free agency — and there will be teams out there showing interest in Tate. Keeping him might just be too expensive without letting him test the market first.

Essentially you run the real risk of losing Golden Tate. But such is the situation.

With a deep class of receivers in the upcoming draft, they may have little choice but to invest in youth and grit their teeth on this one.

Another thing to consider — Doug Baldwin is a RFA this year and will likely be tendered and therefore kept. But in 2015 he’ll need paying too, and I’d argue he’s shown a ton of value to this team as a reliable third down converter.

With a hopefully healthy Harvin as an X-factor, you can perhaps prioritise a longer team deal for Baldwin over paying Tate.

Unless there’s a way to keep both, but that could be expensive given Harvin’s massive contract.

Breno Giacomini is one of the more underrated players on the team, but he can’t expect to continue on a salary that pays him $4.75m a year. I suspect there’s a deal to be done here, with the 28-year-old taking a smaller annual salary for long term security.

The tackle class in the draft has also been weakened somewhat with a number of players opting to stay in college.

Steven Hauschka had a sensational season, and truly deserves an extended contract.

But here’s the issue. Dan Bailey just signed a 7-year $22m extension in Dallas, setting the market for kickers of this standard. The cap hit for Dallas in 2014 is $1.75m, but it gradually progresses to a peak of $4.2m.

The Seahawks, unlike the Cowboys, won’t be paying their kicker that kind of money.

Like Tate, it might be a situation where you let Hauschka test the market to see what kind of money he can get. He’s at least as good a kicker as Bailey, and yet earned just $620k this season.

He’d have to be crazy not to at least see what’s out there.

It wouldn’t surprise me at all if the Seahawks have done serious due diligence on the college kickers turning pro. The Minnesota Vikings had Blair Walsh tied up for four years earning an average salary of $500k per year after drafting him in 2012.

As good as Hauschka was this year and deserves to be rewarded, you have to pick your battles carefully.

Tony McDaniel and Clinton McDonald had fantastic seasons, emerging from nowhere to be key contributors. Again, you’d be stunned if Gus Bradley and Jacksonville weren’t showing interest here. Other teams will be too.

Jordan Hill might have to step up in year two to replace McDonald, and he’s capable.

I’d love to think they can keep McDaniel, but it might just be too expensive.

Michael Robinson has probably played his last down in the NFL — and what a fitting way to depart. You’d love to see him continue, but I think a career in the media now awaits Mike Rob.

On Tarvaris Jackson — give him a modest two-year deal if he’ll take it and keep a backup who knows the offense like the back of his hand. I think the time has passed where teams will consider giving him a chance to compete to start.

For the long haul though it’d be nice to see the Seahawks drafting quarterbacks and developing their own guys. Logan Thomas’ stock has slipped considerably over the last two years. If he’s available in round four or five, I’d be all over that as a developmental pick.

Chris Maragos restructured his contract in 2013 from $1.3m to $700k plus a $155k signing bonus. He’s a nice special teamer and backup and there’s possibly a deal to be done here too. Demand elsewhere will be limited.

I would expect O’Brien Schofield, Paul McQuistan and Kellen Davis to move on. We may see Anthony McCoy return for camp to compete for a spot, ditto backup centre Jeanpierre.

I’m not sure what the future holds for Browner. I don’t think anybody is.

Walter Thurmond is a tough one to judge. He’s another candidate to be reunited with Gus Bradley — and it wouldn’t surprise me if the 49ers and Rams showed interest to bolster their secondaries.

He’s also coming off a recent suspension which will damage his stock, not to mention all the injuries he’s suffered in his career.

This coaching staff prides itself on being able to find and develop starting corners. So Thurmond might be replaceable.

It’s really about damage limitations in terms of losing starters (eg Giacomini) while trying to keep a high level of overall quality. I’d argue keeping Bennett and Giacomini will benefit the team more than keeping Tate, especially with the great receiver class this year in the draft.

But the thought of losing such a core player who’s been with the team since 2010 is tough to take. This is the kind of heart wrenching scenario facing the Seahawks.

Rapoport also reported the Seahawks will prioritise re-signing Earl Thomas over Richard Sherman this off-season.

Make no mistake, Thomas is getting an extension this off-season. It’s a matter of when, not if.

With Sherman they could theoretically run his contract down. You’d have the security of the franchise tag, knowing there’s nobody else who would really warrant it in 2015. Plus in a years time we might see contracts like Cliff Avril, Red Bryant and Brandon Mebane leaving the books to free up some room.

This might push back an extension for Russell Wilson until his rookie deal expires, but again — you’d have the franchise tag as security in 2016 and it should be a pretty easy deal to negotiate anyway.

There are going to be some cap casulaties to raise cash. Rice is likely a gonner earning close to $10m a year. Chris Clemons’ swansong might be a Super Bowl ring and a sack in the big game. Cutting both saves around $14m.

I suspect they might keep hold of both Bryant and Mebane for another season for continuity’s sake — especially if they lose both McDaniel and McDonald. If either or both re-sign, obviously that potentially changes the situation.

Seattle has become a very attractive place to play football. Don’t be surprised if there’s a couple of eye catching free agent moves that are pretty cost effective.

My prediction? Jared Allen on a one or two-year deal at a very reasonable price to replace the veteran departure of Clemons.

He had 11.5 sacks in 2013 on a bad team. Reports emerged via Adam Schefter prior to the trade deadline that Seattle was interested in acquiring Allen from Minnesota. Nothing came of the story, although there’s no smoke without fire and all that.

Allen turns 32 in April and hasn’t been to a Super Bowl. He’d likely get better offers elsewhere, but he’s at that stage now where it’s another pay day versus the chance to win a title.

Would he be interested? Perhaps.

Plus, it’d fill the yearly quota for ex-Vikings moving to Seattle.

Lamar Houston might be another one to watch. Like Bennett last year, he might not find an amped market for his tweener skill set. If he’s willing to play on a similar ‘prove it’ deal if his market is fairly cold — it’s a situation worth monitoring.

But hey, we’re a long way off discussing potential free agent signings.

As for the draft — well we’re well under way there. The combine takes place at the end of the month and we’ve already seen in the Senior Bowl.

Tape is starting to emerge from the event in Mobile, so we can finally get into that.

I still believe the #1 priority for this team should be a big receiver, with adding depth to both lines a close second.

The sheer depth of first round talent at wide out makes it an obvious option for the Seahawks, now that we know they’ll be picking at #32.

Here are the last five players taken with the final pick in round one:

2013 — Matt Elam (S, Florida) – to Baltimore
2012 — David Wilson (RB, Virginia Tech) – to NYG
2011 — Derek Sherrod (T, Miss. State) – to Green Bay
2010 — Patrick Robinson (CB, Florida State – to New Orleans
2009 — Ziggy Hood (DT, Missouri) – to Pittsburgh

As you can see, none of the previous five Super Bowl winners made a deal to move back into round two. With it being the final pick on day one, it might be difficult to trade.

If there’s a player you just have to have at the bottom end of the first round, you typically don’t wait until pick #32 to get on the phone. There’s actually been a handful of deals over the last few years just ahead of the final pick, but none of the Super Bowl Champions have moved down.

So let’s celebrate and then get back into it.

Even with that elusive Championship finally in the bag, it’s going to be another very interesting off-season in Seattle.

Would you expect anything else?

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Seattle Seahawks... Super Bowl Champions

We did it.

The Seahawks are Super Bowl Champions.

We endured the final days of the Ruskell/Mora era. Debated the merits of the 2010 quarterback class. Wondered if this team would ever make it back to the big game.

And here we are, right at the top of the mountain.

Winning in style on the biggest stage imaginable.

Champions.

We all we got, we all we need.

From the very first play it was destined to be Seattle’s day. A botched snap led to a safety, and the momentum built from there.

The Seahawks led after 12 seconds and never looked back.

The narrative of Seattle’s ‘mediocre’ offense being unable to keep up with Peyton Manning was truly redundant. Not only did they keep up, they dominated Denver’s vastly overrated defense.

I don’t recall hearing the words ‘pot roast’ once.

The #1 defense in the NFL didn’t just shut down the most prolific offense in NFL history.

This was a massacre.

They did the little basics they needed to do to win the game. Tackle well, limit the damage, bend but don’t break.

They also did what they needed to do to take complete control. Manning was constantly under pressure and had no answers. The defense took the ball away time and time again.

Let’s reflect on what this unit did tonight.

This wasn’t some random offense they faced. This was Peyton Manning, coming off the best statistical season by a quarterback.

He and the Broncos attack scored eight points, having averaged 38 per game during the regular season.

Something aint right if we’re not talking about this unit like the ’85 Bears.

What else do they need to prove?

But it wasn’t just the defense who turned up in what has to be one of the best Super Bowl performances ever.

Offense, defense, special teams.

Seattle was just better in every single department — and that’s why they won 43-8.

Has there ever been a more balanced Super Bowl Champion?

Don’t make the mistake in thinking this is just something that happened over the last fortnight.

Think back to the pre-season. Seattle faced three playoff teams (San Diego, Denver and Green Bay) plus the Oakland Raiders.

It was pretty obvious even then that the Seahawks had the deepest and most talented roster in the NFL.

They haven’t always played lights out football. The three defeats were all avoidable, while some of the wins were closer than they needed to be.

Injuries played their part — and very few teams could’ve coped losing both starting tackles, Percy Harvin, Sidney Rice and Brandon Browner.

And yet they made it all the way to the final game, providing the opportunity to prove what we found out in the summer…

That this is the best roster in the NFL.

It was fitting that pretty much every active player had a role tonight.

A few highlights:

Kam Chancellor — set the tone on defense immediately with a sledgehammer hit on Julius Thomas. It wasn’t the only blast of the night. He also had a key interception and played at an unbelievable level in the post season this year.

Malcolm Smith — the MVP. He ended the season with four interceptions in five games, including two touchdowns. His pick six tonight was the killer — it ended a long Denver drive as they tried to recover from a 15-0 start. They chewed a ton of time off the clock and gave up seven points. That interception was the really the first point in the game that we knew this was going to be a beat down.

Russell Wilson — didn’t we say it? Didn’t we all point out that this defense wouldn’t be able to contain him? Unlike the Rams, Cardinals and 49ers — they don’t have the edge rushers to bottle him up and cause problems. Wilson did what he does to any average defense — moved around and made big plays with ice in his veins. He made some crucial third down conversions when the game was still a contest.

Jermaine Kearse — duck’s all across New Orleans will be rushing to emulate Kearse’s touchdown run. After two weeks of blah blah blah about Denver’s receivers, an undrafted free agent playing for his hometown club had the biggest impact. And that touchdown was pure Beast Mode.

Percy Harvin — So, who wouldn’t trade for Percy after all? Denver had no idea how to stop him on a very basic sweep play. He was explosive, a complete game changer. And that kick return to start the second half ended the contest. Imagine a full season of this…

Cliff Avril — his pressure forced Manning’s first interception to Chancellor, and his QB hit led to Smith’s pick six. As the 2013 progressed, Avril developed into a huge X-factor for this team. And the best thing is he’s signed up for the 2014 season.

Doug Baldwin — scored a touchdown eerily similar to the one he got at Metlife against the Giants, but also made some big conversions along the way. What a post season he’s had. A huge day against the Niners, the key third down grab against the Saints and now a decent stat line in the Super Bowl.

I’ve singled guys out there, but make no mistake — this was a complete team display.

A performance for the ages.

A night to look back on for the rest of our lives.

Here’s a couple of interesting facts — Manning broke a Super Bowl record for pass completions tonight (33). Demaryius Thomas broke the record for most receptions (13).

It equated to one touchdown and eight total points.

It’s yet another example of a better overall team dominating a side that has total reliance on one aspect (passing game).

I remember listening to Pete Carroll’s first press conference when he revealed the Seahawks would run the ball and play tough defense.

It seemed like a dated approach at the time. The NFL was all about big name quarterbacks throwing for hundreds of yards.

Now the entire league will be scrambling to mimic Carroll’s approach.

He hasn’t just won Seattle’s first Super Bowl title, he’s changed the game.

The way teams approach the draft. The way they treat their players. The way they set up on offense and defense.

Everyone will be rushing to copy the Seahawks.

You can’t expect to get by with just a great quarterback. Not with teams like Seattle around.

You have to be balanced. You have to play tough defense. And that’s why the teams that pose the greatest threat to this franchise are all in the NFC West.

This isn’t something that is easily copied by outsiders. Carroll is unique. An underrated coach for the ages.

A legend in the making.

To have the success he’s had at USC and now in Seattle is really unprecedented. And yet you get the feeling we’re just getting started.

By the end of next week I sincerely hope and expect he’ll have a new contract. His current one runs out at the end of next year.

It wouldn’t surprise me if it’s already signed and sealed, waiting to be announced.

The Seahawks have the best coach in the league, supported by the best GM.

And now they officially have the best team too.

They’ve received no accolades along the way. No ‘Coach of the Year’ for Carroll or ‘Executive of the Year’ for John Schneider. Despite going 13-3 and winning the NFC, none of Seattle’s players came close to winning any ‘Player of the Year’ awards.

This is a team that couldn’t stop the Broncos, according to 27/37 “experts” on ESPN’s web site.

Nice words and praise don’t suit this bunch.

I guess winning titles kind of does.

It won’t stop here either. Aside from this being a young group, you better believe every pending free agent — every young draft prospect — wants to play in Seattle tonight.

They see these players enjoying themselves — and winning Championships in the process.

In fact one of the greatest challenges this front office will face going forward is identifying those who will really cherish the opportunity to be part of this thing, versus those who expect an easy ride.

It’s a great problem to have, as Carroll and co go about trying to turn this into a rare (and yet somehow achievable) dynasty.

There are two other things I want to mention quickly.

Firstly — the Seahawks officially own the #32 overall pick in the 2014 draft.

I’ve waited a long time to write that.

Secondly — we deserve this.

I bought into this team after one visit to watch them play. Not because of anything I necessarily saw on the field. It was the way this franchise valued its fans, plus the way those fans valued each other.

It felt like home. It felt right — and I had to be part of it.

Carroll’s podium interview had me choked up.

“This trophy is for you”

Yet again it reminded me how much this team values the people that matter the most.

So many sports, so many teams take their fans for granted. They’re viewed as customers — there to be exploited and abused.

Not in Seattle.

Not with these Seahawks.

Tonight, the 12th man can celebrate.

We did it.

And we did it in style.

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