The Seahawks need a LEO and Kemoko Turay could be an option
We did this a year ago. Time for the 2017 version.
— Nothing should be off the table. The Seahawks finished 9-7 for a reason and it wasn’t just down to a few missed field goals by Blair Walsh. Changes to the defense appear to be inevitable but practically anything should be considered, especially if it helps repair the struggling running game. This is a vital off-season.
— Get younger on defense. According to ESPN the Seahawks fielded the fourth oldest defense in the NFL in 2017. In comparison, they had the second youngest offense. The injuries are starting to pile up, fewer players are practising during the week. This has to change in 2018.
— Get cheaper on defense. The Seahawks are paying a disproportionate amount of money to their ageing unit. In 2017 the Seahawks spent $93,714,666 on their defense, more than any team in the NFL. The split between offense and defense was 36.37% vs 55.98%. They spent $60,885,063 on the offense — 29th highest in the league. Of the 12 biggest cap hits on the roster, nine were defensive players. The three offensive players were Russell Wilson, Jimmy Graham and Luke Joeckel. Graham and Joeckel are both free agents. There has to be a greater balance in spending between the two units.
— Prepare to make a tough call on Earl Thomas. The Seahawks can’t afford a long drawn out battle. Do they believe they’re going to get their money’s worth from a big extension? If they have doubts or if Thomas simply asks for too much money, they have to be willing to see what’s out there via trade. One way or another a big decision is coming. Earl will either sign a contract extension before the draft or he’ll be traded.
— Check out the market for Richard Sherman. A year ago the Seahawks made it quite clear they were willing to listen to offers for Sherman. It’s worth reviewing the situation again. His age, injury and contract status might not scream ‘trade value’ but if this is his last year in Seattle anyway, you might as well see what’s out there. A weak cornerback draft class might aid the situation.
— Dion Jordan, Justin Coleman and Bradley McDougald all performed well in 2017 and should be retained. Jordan and Coleman are restricted free agents and it’ll be fairly straightforward to keep both. McDougald is an unrestricted free agent but played well filling in at both free and strong safety. With uncertain futures for both Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor, they could do with keeping McDougald around.
— Come up with a solution to the Sheldon Richardson dilemma. They could transition or franchise tag him, essentially providing another ‘prove-it’ situation for Richardson. They could let him walk and hope to get a decent comp pick. They could let him test the market and hope to re-sign him for a reasonable amount. Richardson is clearly talented but it’s difficult to project how the Seahawks will approach his future.
— Acquire extra picks. The Seahawks can’t afford to pick once in the first four rounds of the draft. There’s too much work to do. One way or another they need more. Either trade some veterans or trade down from #18. Or both.
— ‘Value’ and ‘opportunity’ should be the two key words in free agency. No big splashes. Firstly, to protect any worthwhile 2019 comp picks. Secondly, it’s time to work this roster 2010 style. The Seahawks need to start looking for the next core. A highly competitive environment is required, with players fighting to prove a point and get the opportunity to earn big money. Seattle has carried too many big contracts in recent years and they need to rekindle some of that scrappy, gritty personality.
— The San Francisco pair of Eric Reid and Carlos Hyde could be acquired. Reid is every bit as athletic as Derwin James but some teams might be put off by his connection to the protest movement. That won’t be an issue in Seattle and he could be willing to sign a one or two year ‘prove-it’ deal to play strong safety. Hyde would be a perfect hedge for the draft and might be cheap given his age and production. Another option could be Marqise Lee. In a competitive receiver market, Lee could be forced to sign a one-year deal similar to Alshon Jeffery and Terrelle Pryor a year ago.
— The strength of the draft in the early rounds is clear — OL, RB, LB. The Seahawks might take one of each if they acquire extra picks. The third day of the draft appears set to provide some value on the D-line and secondary. So use the early picks to finally repair the run and consider either some help for Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright or a SAM/LEO.
— Seriously consider selecting Billy Price, Isaiah Wynn or Ronald Jones II with your first pick. These three players stand out in a big way and would significantly boost Seattle’s offense and running game. Repairing the run has to be a key priority this off-season.
— Adding a LEO also seems crucial, especially if Cliff Avril departs. There are options in this draft. If they want to take one early, they could look at Boston College’s Harold Landry. Rutgers’ Kemoko Turay and Georgia’s Lorenzo Carter could be good options in the middle rounds. Keep an eye on the 10-yard splits at the combine (especially anyone who runs in the 1.5’s).
— Make a point of drafting another ‘Y’ tight end. Jimmy Graham and Luke Willson are both free agents so this position requires some attention. The jury’s still out on Nick Vannett. They could look for another athletic mismatch in the passing game or a red zone dynamo to replace Graham but if they’re serious about fixing the run — another in-line TE who can block wouldn’t go amiss. Stanford’s Dalton Schultz and Notre Dame’s Durham Smythe are two great options. I’m going to study Washington’s Will Dissly this week.
— Use the middle and later rounds to bring in highly competitive, young defensive players. Speed, toughness, size, length, attitude — the foundation of Seattle’s initial charge under Pete Carroll. If the early rounds are rich for interior offensive linemen, running backs and linebackers — the later rounds will provide some options at cornerback, safety and D-line. Would they work with a misguided talent like LSU’s Kevin Toliver at corner? He’s a former five-star recruit who might last into their preferred range for cornerbacks (R4-6). Will they find the athleticism of Virginia’s Andrew Brown, NC State’s Kentavius Street or Florida State’s Josh Sweat appealing? How early will Georgia’s Lorenzo Carter and South Carolina State’s Darius Leonard go? Is there a safety or two they like, possibly Jessie Bates III, Terrell Edmunds or Kyzir White for example? Is Kemoko Turay a great option to play LEO? And will they see new potential leaders in players like Ohio State’s Tyquan Lewis or Auburn’s Jeff Holland?
— Create a proper competitive environment. The draft and free agency needs to be the starting point. Heated competition needs to return to Seattle across the board. Look at the way they churned in 2010 to find the initial pieces to build around. That continued deep into 2012 when Russell Wilson beat out Matt Flynn and Tarvaris Jackson to start at quarterback. It’s been a great run but with so many established starters, there wasn’t much room for competition apart from the jobs on special teams or deciding who was the fourth or fifth running back on the roster. True, legitimate competition needs to return. Multiple starting positions need to be up for grabs.
— Lean on key players during what could be a transition year. The Seahawks under Carroll will never have an accepted ‘off year’. They will go for it every season. They also think long term. Change is coming and it’s time to find new stars and move on from some of the older players. It might benefit the Seahawks to have some new names fighting on the field to make an impression. They’ll still need to depend on some key veterans. Bobby Wagner, Doug Baldwin, Duane Brown and Russell Wilson could be tasked with this challenge.
— A possible plan could be: R1 — OL or RB (Price, Wynn, Jones II), R2/3 — OL or RB (Ragnow, Corbett, Chubb), LEO or SAM/LEO (Turay, Carter, Leonard), R4 — TE (Schultz or Smythe), R5-7 — DL, DB. This would obviously depend on picks being acquired. It would allow the Seahawks to address their running game early and add young talent to the defense.
— Unlike in previous years, however, there’s still a lot of clarity needed before projecting what could happen. Who is staying/going? What picks are they going to have? That ‘plan’ above could look very different in a month.
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Nice read.
Keep Earl.
Draft Guice or Jones / Wynn or OG
I’m a bit on my own I think on Sherman. I think last off-season for whatever reason repaired whatever was going on between Sherman and the team. Carroll spoke glowingly after the season about him as a leader and an example for Griffin. His game is likely to age well. To me he’s always been the dominant personality on that defense and I don’t think they are ready to move away from him. Earl I am continuing to be more open to the idea that they might trade Earl. Picking another LB is critical – we are in trouble if Bobby or KJ go down.
agree with this whole premise. I know it’s not sexy but Seattle needs to look towards a future replacement for Wright/Wagner. if not that then get back to/or simply utilise a good SAM. the lb corps feels very precarious after last season.
I still think they could ask Sherman to take a pay cut, say from $11 mill to $7 mill. We have always talked about either keeping him, or releasing him for cap space but this could be an option for both.
I think there is zero chance he would accept that.
Maybe, they just have to be firm in saying either except it or your gone. They cant make it an option.
I don’t see them willing to do that (maybe I’m wrong). And anyway, I don’t think he’d accept. He’s a prideful dude, only going on 30, coming off a great season pre-injury, and he’ll get paid in FA next year.
They don’t have to do anything on Sherman other than decide if they want to pay him this year. He’s still under contract, and I doubt he’ll see another one from the Hawks. It’s tough moving on from your heroes, but it’s time.
Maybe. I’m not convinced it’s time with Sherman. I agree it’s time with Avril and Kam, probably time with Bennett, maybe with Earl. I still think they keep Sherm. You’re right there is no need to do anything now. I think he’ll show up and give it his all.
They will not ask him to take a pay cut. He is still playing well when not hurt. If you are going to ask for a pay cut you need to be prepared to cut the player if they say no. If they cut Sherman they would lose a comp pick the next year.
Excellent snapshot of the offseason facing the Hawks. I think there will be trades and releases of veterans, especially from the defense. I think Avril, Lane are released and Thomas traded I think they keep Sherman.
Let the churn begin!
I think, no I know they will trade Earl. Either your all in or your not and Earl is not. I am convinced there will be a change in philosophy in how contracts are handled with JS from here on out. They just learned a valuable lesson in dealing with ageing veterans. I can understand keeping your core together unless you quit drafting at those positions you don’t have competition mantra to drive said player’s.
As far as Sherman goes, I think it is a wait and see. We will see how he responds to his injury. hopefully he will play, or start out on IR and make it back. I think we have one hell of a DB coach in the waiting though. He learned from one of the best. I think Sherman will be a Hawk for as long as he wants to be in one capacity or another. Coach on the field is what he has been. One would ask themselves, why Richard was let go and they haven’t hired anyone else. I was impressed when he admitted to his own mistake in coverage and stated he was not disciplined in the scheme. He also made sure his rookie counterpart got the message.
He’ll make a great coach one day if that’s what he wants to do, but I think that is several years off. Anyway, I think he’ll want to leave the NFL and go into business of some type for himself. Sherman loves to compete mentally.
Who knows if he even has one year left. Achilles injuries are notoriously hard to comeback from, especially for a position that demands acceleration, speed, hard stops and change of direction. I think that, along with his age and contract, kill any trade value he might have. For that reason, I’m almost sure he’ll be a Hawk until it’s proven he can’t play. Fingers crossed that he’s one of the few who can come back from this injury close to what he was before.
Awesome write up Rob! Summed things up nicely and made some great points. Articles like this prove you are more than just a draft guru.
I think guys like Turay, Brown, Street and Nathan Sheppard would all be great young tales with tons of upside to add in rounds 3-4 if we can aquire some additional picks for guys like Sherm and Bennett. I agree completely that getting younger and getting back to that true competiton mode are key!
I really like Turay. He gave the Huskies fits man. One man wrecking crew!!!!
He had a great game against Washington.
Wow there is alot of information there. One of the biggest questions will be what to do with Sheldon Richardson. If you sign him or tag him it keeps the balance or money still to the defensive side and probably takes away the option to go after a value free agent like Justin Pugh. I dont know about McDougald as you cant really pay big money to three safeties unless you sign him late again at low money. If you trade Earl or Chancellor does retire then it might make sense, same goes for Eric Reid. If Richardson does move on do you want to get rid of Bennett and Avril as well? Just seems like a lot of these decisions are all going to be based off of what we do with Sheldon. Personally I would rather keep Bennett and let Sheldon walk and try for one year deals for Pugh and ASJ but thats just me.
Earl will be a tough call as well. They usually do there extensions in the summer but with Earl you need to have these discussions now. As you dont want to trade him after the draft because that does you no good this year.
I think at the heart of everything you do with the defense, the key has to be:
1. Get younger
2. Get cheaper
It’s time.
+1 and incrase completion all over the defense.
+1- Great write-up Rob!!!!
I agree with you, so what to do with Sheldon and McDougald? If we keep them that goes away from that thinking. They arent old but they are expensive and not young. I wouldnt mind letting Hill and Naz Jones have a chance to start, then aquire a guy like Justin Ellis or DaQuan Jones to fill in for depth like they have done with Kevin Williams, Tony McDaniel in the past. Whats your thoughts?
They’re not old players though — and it’s yet to be established how expensive McDougald will be considering he’s just completed a season where he was paid $2m having had an ice-cold market.
With Sheldon, it’s without doubt the most difficult scenario to project. I have no idea what they’ll do — but virtually anything seems possible.
I would be OK with the transition tag.
+1
Sheldon is the one I find most difficult to project. My gut says they will let him test the market and if it ends up being cold, he comes back on a short prove it deal. I think with Jones and Reed, depth is better behind him than at other spots on the team.
A rental option to provide a vet presence could be Clinton McDonald as well. If Mvdowell is coming back I think Richardson is hightly unlikely to be back.
You could have a young cheap 2018 DL Rotation
Clark
Jordan
McDowell
M Smith
N Jones
Reed
2018 draft pick (Andrew Brown or Nathan Sheppard)
Cheap Vet DT (McDonald, Ellis etc)
I like that look , my concern is who is the alpha dog there, the voice that others listen to? Thats one of the reasons I would like to keep Bennett.
Yep. I’m definitely in the keep Bennett 1 more year.
I am too. With a 40% less snaps. I think the market for Bennett will be a little higher than we expect to teams with cap space and need of a veteran presence and having been there done that. IMO.
Absolutely he’s worth his money on the field. If you move in from Bennett it’s to get younger, cheaper, and change the voice in that DL room. I’m in the keep him camp too, but think it’s better than even that he goes.
PC made the comment that Reed will be a leader, sooner than later. He was at Bama also.
And Naz Jones was known as a great leader at UNC.
In theory I like the keep Bennett plan: alpha dog, still performing etc
In practice, I see his body breaking down. Can he survive better with less snaps? Maybe.
If they still do not have any clarity on McDowell within the next few days they need to put a transition of franchise tag on Sheldon as an insurance policy.
No one knows what they have in McDowell. Will he even be able to play after the accident? If he had been able to play last year would he have turned out to be a bust (it happens – a lot)? No one knows. You just can’t bank on him providing anything. Hopefully he’s in camp this year and shows he was worth the faith the team put in him. But when it comes to go-forward plans, that plan shouldn’t include McDowell. Then if he becomes a cog in your defense, it’s found money. It would be great if he turns out to be an unstoppable monster, but you can’t bank on it.
+2 run the Ball, controll the clock!
Rob, do you see any chance they will want to bring back either Garvin or Wilhoite? A year ago PC said they needed to bring in linebackers who could compete for starting jobs, so Garvin and Wilhoite must have been seen as upgrades from Coyle and Pierre-Louis. Maybe they were??
It’s hard to say. I don’t think either Garvin or Wilhoite particularly stood out and it’s a good draft for LB’s.
Yeah the decision on Earl and then Richardson will really dictate the rest of the off season.
You would have to think Mcdowell’s and and if he will ever play again would have a big impact on what they do with Richardson as his injury sort of forced that trade in the first place.
I agree completely.
If they select Daurice Leonard, they wont have to be concerned about McDowell. 🙂
I don’t think the team can count on McDowell at all.
They need to operate on the assumption that he’ll be a nonfactor. If he plays and plays well, great.
But any offseason plan that requires anything from him isn’t a good one.
McDougald played very well IMO.
Agree on McDougald. Up until 2017 I thought of the Seahawks as pretty much of a “roll your own” kind of place, they preferred to develop their own guys. In 2017 they broke pattern a bit and brought in some higher profile people via trade or free agency (e.g., Brown, Jordan, Richardson, Joeckel, Lacy, Marcus Smith). Some worked out and some not, IMO McDougald may have been the most valuable addition. The draft and free agency will be critical for the team this year.
Lots of tough choices/decisions to be made.
I do think a decision that doesn’t get near as much pub as ET3, Sherm, etc. is what to do with Sheldon Richardson. To give up a 2nd to let a guy walk after one year doesn’t make much sense to me. Especially with so many questions with other d-lineman like Bennett, Avril, McDowell, etc.
Should be an exciting couple of months leading up to the draft….
I cant wait. I just keep waiting for that first piece of big news to come out.
Isn’t there some option out there where we could tag and trade Sheldon? If so, Is that a viable option? I don’t think we should keep Sheldon if alphas and leaders like Avril, Bennett, and Kam could all be be gone or unable to play. Sheldon seems like a guy who needs those vets in order to keep him from coasting through a season and being a locker room issue.
I think the tag and trade is the best option personally. You run the risk of not being able to trade him and having to pay the franchise $. Also Richardson seems like a guy who could be a discontent in the locker room on the franchise tag at least based on his Jets days.
You could do it but you are also tying up your cap space until you trade him. They might not want to use much anyways until May 13th when the signings stop counting against the comp picks anyways.
One other thing, as silly as it sounds. We can trade 2019 comp picks for 2018 draft capital. If they let Sheldon walk for example you can trade the 2019 comp pick (that you dont actually have yet) for a 2018 pick. Im not sure what you get on the dollar there but it could be an option. Maybe you could package the 3rd rounder and the 4th rounder you might get from Sheldon and Jimmy for say an early 3rd or late 2nd?
Funny I was just going to ask the same thing. Could you trade projected 2019 comp picks for 2018 draft capital?
You can, I didnt think you could but I guess you can. These days you can pretty much accurately tell which picks your going to receive.
Well that opens some options as well.
So a comp 3rd would be a 4th round pick in 2018… doesn’t seem like good value to me honestly
You could trade it for whatever you wanted to. Im just thinking of ways to get back into the 2nd this year. Maybe if you trade a 3rd and 4th round comp pick for next year you could get an early third for this year.
Are there any hightly ranked FS prospects in next years class. I can’t think of any off hand.
When I was watching tape on Derwin James a guy who flashed at times was Tavarus McFadden. He was a big corner who seemed to be raw in coverage and have some lapses but was good in run support, athletic and I thought when watching him that he would make a good Safety convert. He does not get any buzz. Does anyone else have thoughts on him?
Yes, Florida’s Chauncey Gardner Jr will go in the top-15 in 2019 as a FS.
Does he like to watch?
Sorry, old movie reference (Being There) 🙂
Good one, and I loved Shirley MacClaine.
lmao just watched that bravo
Thanks I will have to check him out.
McFadden is severely under-rated… Jessie Bates.
Oh. Next year? There’s a pretty good one who plays for the Huskies….
Taylor Rapp? He’s an interesting kid. Not sure if he’s a traditional center field free safety at the next level, but definitely a strong safety without having to be relegated to the box. He’s a tough kid, too.
One of the questions I struggle with is this? Who would you you rather have?
Michael Bennett for 2018 at not a bad cap hit, an older player but still productive (especially if you can reduce his snaps) and a good leader but will be 33 this year and has missed a lot of practice.
Or Sheldon Richardson who is 5 years younger but will command a big contract (tagged or signs an extension) not sure about his pass rush ability or if you will get the same effort in future years. Also signing him still keeps the defensive cap numbers lopsided towards the defense. You could use his cap dollars toward the offense.
Michael Bennett may stay on this roster until they decide what they will do with Sheldon.
I don’t think the two are tied together personally. Both could go, they could keep Sheldon. I think the writing is on the wall with Bennett though.
You could be right, it just seems like if you are going to cut Bennett why not do it. My thought process is they are keeping him until they find out what they will do with Sheldon. Its all god debate either way you look at it. They havent released Lane yet either I guess and you have to be sure he is a goner.
I don’t think they are going to let that happen, there are team’s that have cap space that can use a veteran presence like Bennett. Just look at the situation with the Jet’s and a young Brown’s team who does not know how to win. Bennett does. There are 4 or 5 other team I could throw into the mix as well. Tampa Bay would probably love to have him back on a 1 year rental. He is really not that expensive,after all.
You might be able to pry a 4th out of someone for Bennett….. which is why you hold onto him. He could also be a part of a larger package of players and picks leading into the draft. I would love to keep him on the team, but I think Rob and others already have a read on how this is going to play out.
Tea Leaves ?
I would like to see:
Kept:
Jimmy (2 year deal, gives small discount to stay with RE and in Seattle area)
Sheldon
MB
Earl (extension)
Brown (extension)
Picked up:
Eric Reid (assuming McDougal goes)
Drafted:
Small trade down netting 1st and 3rd, then trade third and a 5th up into the 2nd
Allowing a draft of Wynn and Chubb… rest of the draft on defensive upside to continue to add depth and find scrappy players to take over roles
Id be good with all of it except Jimmy. Cant really see them resigning him at this point.
Agree Graham just wasn’t a fit attitude wise with this group. Unique talent but just not the right fit for him or the organization. He has expressed no interest in staying either.
I haven’t done the math, but I’d be surprised if that is possible while staying under the salary cap.
Keeping an eye on the competition, at the East-West Shrine game the Rams were talking to FSU LB Jacob Pugh and Louisville DB Chucky Williams.
Could not find a highlight video for Williams but NFL.com gave him a 5.41 grade.
http://www.nfl.com/draft/2018/profiles/chucky-williams?id=2560015
Pugh’s highlight is here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-I8N21vQ1o0
Pugh was invited to the Combine.
What about Micheal Jackson. Was he invited? Would be a good UDFA to consider.An other MJ on the Hawks team… That was one hella LB!!! Go Dawgs!!! While I was watching the combine that LB from LSU reminded me of Jackson with his footwork and ability to transform from run to pass. That is why I like Leonard so much. Broke my heart to see Jackson go down so early in his career. Oh well, GO HAWKS!!!!!
Didn’t see him on the list.
http://www.nfl.com/combine/participants
Clayton had some interesting comments on Richardson and others today on 710 ESPN Seattle. Tag Sheldon, cut Bennett/Avril/Lane, called Chancellor unavailable. Suggested tag-trade for a 2nd if no deal gets done.
http://sports.mynorthwest.com/418008/seahawks-could-franchise-tag-sheldon-richardson/
Hey Rob, what do you think of Michael Gallup and what round/day do you think he’ll go? I see him as basically another Paul Richardson but with a later pick.
A couple day’s ago I rated Gallup the 3rd or 4th best Wr in this class. way underrated as far as I am concerned. IMO.
he has great numbers but when I watch him I need to see his combine numbers. to use one of Rob’ s phrases he doesn’t seem very “sudden,” to me. very solid and obviously productive but not very remarkable in and out of his routes.
that’s just me. I’d like to see his vert, or any of the short area drills.
I think he’s interesting
I’ve not studied Gallup enough to pass a useful comment on him. One of the players I’m yet to look at. I’ve seen him touted for rounds 2-3 though.
The way I’m reading the tea leaves….
#18 would be Price (if available), this only happens if Seattle trades 1 or 2 veterans for more mid round draft capitol (2s and or 3s).
If Price were not available and Seattle doesn’t trade any significant pieces for 2s or 3s draft picks…. then they will move down…. this is when I think Jones becomes a very likely target… think in the mid-20s range. Then Seattle will have at least 1 additional pick in the 3rd round possibly low 2nd round range to play with. This acquired pick could go BPA. Absolutely any position group is possible then. I’d lean slightly towards a LB or DT type of player, but would not be shocked at a TE or even a WR in this spot.
I can see a S late and CB late, but highly unlikely early in the draft. I tend to shy away from OG except if the guy is absolutely top notch. This is why Price’s name keeps coming up. I know he is a C, but perhaps he could play guard… unless Seattle trades Britt.. which can’t be ruled out at the moment.
Price has played guard previous to 2017….
What if Jones runs a 4.3 or 4.4 at the Combine? Do you still think he’d be there in the 20s’?
I think he will run 4.4. And he should go in the top 20 for sure. Yet almost all of the national guys have him ranked between 3rd and 6th among the RBs. Will teams see things that way too? Will Guice or Michell go first? It will be interesting to see how teams see him.
I am not sure what the trade value of 1st round picks is anymore. For example if the Browns wanted to move up to 18 to take Derwin James or another guy they like, could we get 33 and 35 or would it be 33 and 64?
https://www.drafttek.com/NFL-Trade-Value-Chart.asp
this is good starter place to check, gives basically the values relative to each other.
We could give pick 18 and 132 (early 5th rounder) to the Jets for 37 and 49 and that equals 900 a piece. I would take 37 and 49.
Younger and cheaper is easy. Younger, cheaper and able to play at a high level…that’s the tricky part. I guess I don’t have the same confidence the Hawks front office can turn middle round draft picks into impact starters (on D) like the rest of you guys….it’s been quite a while since they have.
it’s been forever. but 2018 looks alot like 2011. there are very real holes that can be filled by hungry players in deep competition. one of the problems with the past few years is that there hasn’t been many ways for a new player to take a spot from a starter.
it would certainly be interesting to know what the coaching staff thinks of Hill, Thompson and Tyson (three safeties picked in the middle rounds last year)
But it’s still the same people who turned R3-6 rounders into legends.
+1
Awesome analysis: Blueprint for the future.
Thanks.
This offseason is not going to be boring. I think you need to tag Richardson because you gave up a second and a productive player to get him, and he’s still pretty valuable and young. If he doesn’t stay long term, at least recoup that pick for this year. Can’t allow him to walk. I would try to use MB as trade fodder to move up for a pick in round 2 or 3, combined with other picks. It’s worth a shot. Also, some people keep talking about a second rounder for Earl. If nobody coughs up a first, I don’t take one, solitary second. I would demand a third as well, possibly a second next year. You can’t trade a HOF player for peanuts.
+1 🙂
+1 im iffy about trading earl as it is. Conversation has to start with a first, otherwise i extend him.
“You can’t trade a HOF player for peanuts.”
Sure you can. We got Jerry Rice for a 7th round pick, and Franco Harris off waivers. If Earl was “all in” and not dead set on an extension, I’d say keep him. But the extension would likely be a repeat of Kam’s extension, huge money for diminishing performance.
Harris was 34 and Rice was in his 40s. Earl is still in his prime, even if that prime is fading.
Umm… apples and oranges there. Those examples are guys who were way past their primes.
If Duane Brown nets a R2 + R3 that’s not even the bare minimum for Earl. Thomas should net a R1 or at the very least a couple of R2’s.
Rob and the gang-great stuff here! As I read through it, I get this mental image of J.S. at his desk in his office, brow furrowed and a blue, wolf gray and electric lime Rubiks Cube in front of him pondering his first move. A world where 9-7 rates as a substantial disappoinment cant be all bad and I for one, would not trade the intrigue of an off-season like the one facing us for anything-well, excepting, of course, another Superb Owl!
Great stuff as always!!
Anyone seen tape on this late round DE Joe Ostman?
I’d roll the dice on this guy!!
https://youtu.be/I6ww1BoNQPc
Good football player, certainly worth some looks.
Great article Rob! I especially agree with the need to get younger, even if it means taking a bit of a step back.
This offseason is tough, not because of the nature of some of the tough decisions they’ll have to make, but the fact that they are all piled up at the same time.
I think they should rip off multiple bandaids now, and accept a bit of a retooling year next season. I think its wise to move on from Thomas, P. Richardson, Graham, and Bennett now, and perhaps Sheldon Richardson unless the price is right. The problem, though, is that this is a lot of players. They have a lot of free agents all at once, compounded by the unforeseeable losses Chancellor and Avril, and their top pick from last year presenting nothing more than an interesting sleeper. Its terrible timing.
In general, I think the best plan is to reboot.
1. Try to resign Brown (no real choice there) and Russ (maybe clear some cap space now, and ink him ASAP before the market gets more insane).
2. Let S. Richardson, McDougald, Luke Willson, and DeShawn Shead test free agency. Let them see what their markets are, and bring them back if the price is right. In all likelihood, Shead and Willson could be brought back on team-friendly deals. McDougald is also a possibility, but there is a good chance some team will overpay for Richardson. The Hawks need to not be that team!
3. Trade Earl and Bennett. Earl will bring back a high pick. Bennett might net us a later round pick.
4. Stay away from major free agents, except for one guy: Eric Reed. As Rob mentioned, he’s likely to be undervalued. And he just seems like a Seahawk. Perfect fit, especially if the price is right.
5. Let P. Richardson, Graham, Joeckel, Lacy, etc walk.
6. Focus on players that get cut, and undervalued younger guys in free agency.
7. Trade back in the draft as much as possible, and get more picks. First round picks are overrated, especially mid-round picks. Unless they absolutely love some player, they should try to trade back as much as possible.
If they do this, they should be able to add draft capital this year and next year. Earl could bring a first rounder or multiple Day 2 picks. If Schneider plays his cards like he usually does, he could end up with 10-12 picks. Likewise, letting both Richardsons, Graham, Joeckel, etc walk should net them some 2019 picks. This years draft lines up with our needs really well: OL and RB early and DB, TE, LB later. They need to add picks.
Not forcing big signings to keep the team together now will also free up both money and playing time for younger guys. Rob mentioned the need to recapture the spirit of competition. If they make some tough decisions now, they can bring back that missing dynamic. Bring in new talent via the draft, grab some undervalued players that are cut or available in change-of-scenery trades, and let those guys compete with players already on the roster. Losing Earl, Bennett, and S. Richardson would sting. But we have pretty good depth at DL and DB. Next guy up! Use the money and draft capital you get in return to address areas where we don’t have as much depth, particularly on offense.
Finally, the Seahawks need to focus on one thing they’ve always done well: bring in undervalued guys (draft picks, undrafted free agents, and guys already in the league), and letting them turn into good players. Guys like Marshawn, Chris Clemmons, and Brandon Browner, and more recently Justin Coleman and Dion Jordan, turned into great low-cost options. They turned day 3/undrafted guys like Sherman, Baldwin, Chancellor, Wright, etc into really good players. The Seahawks have a very well documented track record of coaching players up. I have to bet that their relative lack of success doing so lately is due to lack of opportunities, as the roster became full of established guys resigned to big contracts. The Seahawks have an opportunity to get back to that. But it might require a bit of pain in the near term.
+1
https://247sports.com/nfl/seattle-seahawks/Bolt/Is-Austin-Seferian-Jenkins-angling-to-play-for-the-Seahawks-115325297?utm_source=247Sports Newsletter&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_campaign=180219_222651_Seattle Seahawks Newsletter&utm_content=Link&liveconnect=8D-28-A7-F7-78-6F-1C-31-B9-2E-4D-C3-BB-43-2C-B0180219_222651SeattleSeahawksNewsletter
That didn’t turn out like I wanted, anyways more rumblings about a possibility that ASJ might want to be a Seahawk.
Greg I brought this up before but do you have any concerns that he’s never played a full season?
I wonder how that effects his contract value. it would be interesting to see him come in and compete, I just worry if he ever shakes off his injury bug.
For sure it’s a concern, but that can also limit his value. He was pretty good as a Jet and he says he has been sober for a long time now (whether you believe it or not is another story). The upside and value to me seems worth a one year deal if he would take it.
I’d do 2/6 million. One if he wanted for 4 would be even better. I’m picking nits but 2/8 mil which is what the jets allegedly offered seems just a bit much.
One for $4 million would be my thoughts. I dont think he would want two unless that second year was more money. You could do a two year $10 million. Maybe pay him a $4 million signing bonus with a $2 million salary making his cap hit $4 million the first year with kind of a second year option paying him $4 million in salary with a $6 million cap hit.
Cameron Brate from the Bucs could be an option as well. He is an RFA, if they give him a second round tender then you are out.
I wanted us to pick him up in 2014 so bad. Plus Unger and no JFG as result.
Hawks420 says:
February 27, 2014 at 12:28 pm
Here’s my Seahawks post-combine draft wishlist for all seven rounds.
round #1 TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins 6-5 262lbs 4.7-40time I know most say not to take a TE (or leo) in the 1st but pick #32 is late enough for me. I love this pic, played his HS ball in Washington and collage at UW. Great hands and good run blocker. I think he would be prefect as are TE of the future. He lost 15lbs (and an inch) for the combine and was hoping to run in the 4.6 range. When he didn’t run I was thinking maybe he would slip to us in the 2nd. But fear of someone like SF nabbing him and the thought of Kam killing my favorite player in the draft keeps him in the 1st. Plus not running didn’t erase his TD’s or redzone production. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPZ5ZDWEADo
round #2 OG Cyril Richardson 6-5 339lbs 5.36-40time This guy reminds me of Carp but he keeps talking about “hard work” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBRLGMgcX9Q
round #4 OLB Adrian Hubbard 6-6 257lbs 4.69-40time Big and fast, looks like a mean LB. Him and Korey Toomer would be a cool battle for Mike Morgan’s roster spot.
round #5 OT Seantrel Henderson 6-7 331lbs 5.04-40time So athletic and mite be the fastest 330lb lineman on the planet. I think he could really be awesome in are zone blocking system.
round #5 FS Marqueston Huff 5-11 196lbs 4.49-40time He plays so fast sideline to sideline. A ball hog and play maker. Would love Earl to show him the ropes and finally have a capable backup. Reminds me of Earl kinda. He’s from TX, just cut his dreads, plays the deep ball good and hits the run hard and gets his share of pics too. Not say’n he’s #29… Just his backup http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TWd7En8-m0
round #6 WR L’Damian Washington 6-4 195lbs 4.46-40time This guy has been through so much and done nothing but come out on top. His mother died watching him play HS basketball forcing him and his three brothers to raise themselves. Even without what he’s over come I’d still like him as a Hawk. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mo28yodgvmo
Rob,
Great write up. I think you did a great job touching on so many different possible situations as this front office has shown “the only thing that is for sure is nothing is for sure”. I believe that McDougald is our most important UFA that needs to be retained. His versatility is needed depending on what happens to Earl/Kam. I’d like to think we find a way to keep Sheldon. I think he’s a difference maker and a transition tag might be the best option.
As for free agent signings, I can see us going after Reid if McDougald leaves. Some other low risk/moderate reward signings I would look at are:
RB: Damien Williams, Charles Sims (I think our lead back will be Carson or a rookie, but who knows)
TE: ASJ, Tyler Eifert or Troy Niklas
It seems that chiefs will trade Marcus Peters.
Would you give ET+Sherman for Peters?
Peters is one of the few trade scenarios i would be down for, mutually beneficial but more long term benefit for the Hawks. I think Griffin and Peters would be one of the best secondaries in the NFL and it would take the pressure off of the single high safety, starting someone like Tedric Thompson wouldn’t be as problematic, in fact he could really jump onto the scene with a bunch of interceptions roaming the field. In that case i think it says the hawks have faith in the rookies from last year. People are acting like McDougold is our only option, he was good but more JAG than star, great depth piece and Mac package guy for tight ends, i would prefer to see Delano Hill start over McDougold. Antoher important thing we seem to be forgetting about the rookies is that the hawks never gave up on winning, they were in win now mode so if a rookie still hadn’t captured the nuance of the scheme, as many were unable to in year 1, Lane, Maxwell, Chancellor, and even Earl got benched midway through the season. Look how hesitant the Hawks were to start Griffin year 1 even though it was clear that he was better than Lane early. There’s a reason the Hawks loaded up on DBs, they can get faster on defense without necessarily turning to the draft, Delano hill runs a 4.4. That being said I think the Hawks will still try and get a few picks devoted to making the defense faster. Its an interesting draft and one that can fill a lot of needs on offense, this trade frees us up to try and go after Wynn and Ronald Jones too. Dang, really like this idea, really hope you are a fortune teller because i did not want to trade Earl lol.
Not in a million years. I’d do it for Sherman. I’d mayyyybe probably not do it for Earl. But I’d put in some serious work to get him. He’s the absolute business.
Not sure he would help us with our penalty issue though…
well, the bigger question is
If the Chiefs have defensive problems and want to get rid of one of their best defensive players with 2 years left on rookie deal, after he was a problem in college, what is the story with this guy? He gets picks, but also free lances a bit and gets burned also, so I think he is a little over rated as a great CB. But he is still a top player, but the baggage seems to be growing.
Not sure he is worth the headaches and what you will have to give up to get him
Was going to post this same thing. Peters is kind of a psycho. The rumors around him getting kicked out of Washington involved him choking a coach. He’s had numerous altercations with coaches in KC and walked out of the stadium this past season during a game! You trade for him only if you are comfortable going down the Percy Harvin road again.
He freelances way more than PC would tolerate. Gets the picks but players like that get beat and leave the scheme vulnerable.
I make that trade in a second as you pick up almost $20 mil in Cap Space as well. Why would KC make this deal?
Hawks could use some of that $20 mil in cap savings to sign Eric Reid, Maxi and Mcdougald
Secondary in this scenario
CB Griffin, Peters, Maxwell or Shead
Slot CB Coleman, Elliot
SS Eric Reid, Hill
FS Mcdouglad, Thompson or Rookie
I would feel pretty good about that unit. Peters attitude is the one big question mark however.
Why does KC make this trade when they just signed Berry to major money? I know he is injured but are they giving up on him? Plus how can they afford to pay Berry and Thomas? I dont see it happening.
Berry plays down in the box a lot
KC has very little cap room, they are not going to trade for Earl
Tend to agree and if they trade Peters I think it will be for Picks IMO.
Been suspended for disciplinary reasons everywhere he’s gone. Pass.
Dont forget what happens when you try to pass on Marcus Peters….
But seriously you’re going to give up on a proven pro bowler just because he’s an individual.
Or do you really think hes such a miserable piece of shit that you couldn’t work with him.
Great read Rob!
Quick question, I know we currently have a heap of needs and probably need to trade down but if the opportunity presented to give up a 1st next to move from 18 to the 6-10 range for Barkley or Nelson would you take it?
Cheers!
I love both Barkley and Nelson but you’d be so light in terms of picks for the next couple of years. In 2015 I’d have said yes because they probably were a player or two away. Now? It’s the start of a churn.
Anyone else catch Duane Brown on Arian Foster’s podcast the other day? Some really interesting stuff about the team culture/front office, especially in comparison to the Texans.
I listened to parts of it. Maybe the 1h5m mark would be most interesting on difference in culture between Seattle/Houston:
https://youtu.be/A8QaMxlJNXc?t=3898
woah woah woah! How in the world did you share the link with the video paused at exactly the 1h5m mark? I have never seen anything like that??
Really? 🙂 Just right click on the video and select “Copy video URL at current time”.
Also at the end of the link text it says t=##### thats another way to manipulate the timer
Thanks for the heads up kenny!
Thanks man!
Awesome post, Rob. So many great questions and I honestly feel I have zero answers at this point. That’s why listing objectives like “fix the run game” and “get younger and cheaper on D” and “re-establish competition across the board” make the most sense to me at this point. How you get there is less defined and will depend on the different opportunities that arise, difficult to predict.
My question is on the timing of some of this. It is easy to say “trade X and draft/sign Y to replace him”, but sometimes some of those moves would come after the draft, like signing bargain FA who won’t affect comp picks. Plus, what if you bank on getting a certain guy in the draft or FA and another team snags him? Better have hedges/backup plans galore!
I would be down with a plan similar to that:
R1- Billy Price: I think you can risk a small trade down since he is 24 already it might diminish his value by a few slots. Need that leadership, attitude, and nastiness on offense moving forward.
R2- Nick Chubb: would anyone bet against the Hawks drafting a guy who fits their size profile, has elite athleticism, and the gritty backstory coming back from injury? I can hear PC gushing already at the presser…
R3- Darius Leonard: speed, length, youth, hunger on D. (Jessie Bates/Andrew Brown could be considered here depending on what happens with Earl/Sheldon)
R4- DJ Chark: Replaces PRich and hedges for Lockett next year. Got Seahawky attitude and personality and fits what Schotty will look to do with vertical concepts. (Antonio Callaway could be considered if still available and off-field stuff checks out. He’s gonna come back with a lot to prove).
R5- Chris Herndon: Think he deserves a mention among the top TE names the Hawks should consider. Can block and has really good athleticism for YAC. Might consider drafting two of these Y guys since they don’t come around that often.
R5- Kentavius Street: one can work with that kind of length/athleticism. An inside/outside project would make sense moving on from Bennett.
R5- CB project
R6- Darrel Williams: hedge and perhaps hidden potential at RB. Seahawks double dip in a deep RB class once again.
R7- Kyle Queiro: competition at SS
R7- Andre Smith: depth at MLB
R7- Defensive project
—–
Scenario 2:
R1: Ronald Jones
R2: Tim Settle (if he falls to top of R2)
R3: Austin Corbett
R4-R7: Similar to above
where are you getting the 2nd and 3rd round picks from?
we don’t have any
Like I said at the beginning, I’m just going with Rob’s gist of “this will happen even though we’re not sure exactly how right now.” The Hawks are not waiting until R4 to pick again.
The path of least resistance might look something like this:
– Trade down from R1P18 to R1P26 and pick up a late R3.
– Tag and trade Sheldon + R5 for a R2.
Voilà, you have your R2+R3 picks without even having to trade Earl.
Once again, I don’t know how it will happen, but it will.
Scenario #2 for me for sure as I am really not a Chubb fan. How about a combination of the two and pick up a Veteran G in FA
Pick 1 Jones
Pick 2 Settle
Pick 3 Leonard
Pick 4 Chark
Pick 5 Street
Pick 6 Herndon
I would be down for that. Especially since I would find it easier to trade/let Sheldon walk if we were to get Settle. (but once again, FA comes before the draft, so how much do you bank on being able to land Settle if he’s your target…?)
Honestly, I’m not sure how much they really want to spend a high pick on a Guard, even though there are some really good ones available. It really depends on where Solari sees Ifedi fitting in. I’m pretty sure they are high on Odhiambo and Roos as well to compete at Guard. Can Fant compete at RT? Maybe even Pocic? So many questions, like Rob brought up in his last post, that I didn’t even try to comment with any kind of answer.
If they do feel they need to add another name, is it worth the premium for Price/Wynn, putting us out of contention for our RB of choice? Or would they rather grab Jones in R1 and then add a guy like Corbett to compete in R3?
It’s so wide open that I could see them use their top pick on OL or none at all until the mid-late rounds.
I will say this though: with the way the OL market has exploded recently and the depth of interior OL in the draft, I don’t think FA is the way to go for OL right now. Just my opinion.
My guess is Settle goes in the top 40. I think for Seattle he’s a pick a round early or not at all. I don’t expect his 40 to be great but I do expect his splits and short area drills to be amazing.
I like Jones in the first and that’s about it.
I know there’s a lot of love for price but is the idea that he plays center? Guard? I’m not a Britt apologist but the guard play last year was terrible.
I agree with seamode. I can see PC glowing after selecting Chubb in the second round. He may not be everyone’s cup of tea. But I’ve already laid out this info before…..prior to his injury there wasn’t a back in this draft who ever dominated like he did from his freshmen to sophomore season. Not a single back.
I’m pretty intrigued by Herndon less so by chark. I get LSU has bad qb play but so do a lot of teams. chark apparently looked good in the post season but didn’t really do anything in his college career. I think Daren Carrington and a few others could be had a bit later and provide the same value.
Thanks for the feedback.
For me, what pushed me over the top with Chark was his performance at the Sr. Bowl week. He is only 21 and was limited by LSU’s scheme and QB play. Even so, I wouldn’t call 874 yds on just 40 catches in a run-heavy system “doing nothing”. Those are right about the numbers we’ve come to expect from the Seahawks WRs when we were truly a run first team. He has an awesome personality/attitude perfect for the Hawks and has lots of room to grow.
I also liked (and still do like) Marcell Ateman, but I think that as more of a possession receiver, he might be redundant after the Darboh and Moore picks last year. Chark complements our current WR room better, replacing the deep threat we were supposed to get with PRich, whom I doubt we retain.
Carrington has better hands than Chark, but I don’t see anywhere close to Chark’s 4.3 (my projection) speed. And then you compare the two off the field… Chark is a 3.9 GPA, never missed a day of school kid, whereas Carrington wore out his welcome at a big program with drug, violence, and DUI charges or at least allegations. He may have grown up and learned from his mistakes, but for me his talent level is not worth the risk.
The yards for char k are good and he has a good feel for him but his td production is what has me a little on pause.
I’m not more or less sold in Carrington per se but I’m a run first offense with just as mediocre of an play and learning in the fly at Utah he was more productive. I hear that people think he’s going to run a fast forty and looks fairly explosive. The thing for me with Carrington is that Kyle Whittington loves him and he has the extra tools a we needs. Hands, snatches the ball instead of letting it come to him, and unlike Chark he could be had in the 6th or 7th. where in the fourth I think Seattle could look for a b.j. Hill type
Ok. I guess I just don’t see a huge difference in their TD production either. Carrington had 6, Chark had 4.
But when you have a Derrius Guice (and Fournette before him) to hand the ball off to in the red zone, your WRs are going to get less TDs.
And if we’re going to swing for the fences on a risky character type, I would much rather spend the pick on Antonio Callaway, who IMO really has the talent to warrant the risk.
A WR that would make a lot of sense in the Rd-4/5 area and one to keep a close eye on at the combine. WR-Cedrick Wilson, Boise St. 6-017/194, 4.49/40 +/-, currently (2/17/18-update) ranked #163 overall, Projected Rd-4/5 @ nfldraftscout.com
2017: 14 games, 83-rec, 1511-yds, 18.20-ypc 7-TD’s, + 18 KO ret. 465-yds, 25.83-avg
2016: 13-games, 56-rec, 1129-yds, 20.16-ypc, 11-TD’s + 10 Punt ret. 132-yds, 13.20-avg.
12/16/2017 in the Bowl Game vs: Oregon, 10 catches for 221-yds, 22.1-avg ypc, 1-TD.
SEE: https://www.fanragsports.com/boise-states-cedrick-wilson-best-wr-no-one-talking/
Wilson also looked good in the made up “skills competition” recently on TV.
The only reason why I bring up production is that fans, myself included, will give reasons why a player they likes numbers are down. And that’s fair to a degree.
I’m only referencing Carrington as a later pick, so that the fourth pick could be used in another type of player. I just think there’s later picks at WE that do the same thing as Chark.
As per production though Carrington played in a run first offense as well every year in college. He was a doofus to be sure but I’m not sure his character concerns are everything people make them out to be. Also I first started mocking him as basically a better Kearse. That’s his role at the next level to me.
Also I like Chark. I just have hopes for a few other players in that range.
I agree on Settle- he’ll go too 40 for sure, probably first round. Too much freaky ability to last any longer. If Davenport, who is still awfully raw, can go top 15, Settle is top 40 for sure.
Great looking draft. Depending on what he manages out of the combine, I’ve been convincing myself for a while that Nick Chubb could be their targeted RB, especially if RoJo is long gone by 18.
If Chubb repeats his spark he should be the favourite to go to seattle. Fits their prototype like a glove, great personality too; doesnt drink, doesnt smoke, was a top student and he overcame a brutal injury to have a terrific season two years later.
And yeah he runs hard and fast, top quality player. Its a toss up between him and Guice as my third fav rb atm
Chubb’s 40 at the Combine will say a ton about where he’s drafted, even if he doesn’t run.
🙂
If we can come out of this draft with Leonard I would be ecstatic.
-Trade Bennett and 5 or 6 for Peters. Should benefit both teams
-Trade Thomas to Dallas for a 2nd and 3rd
-Trade Sherman to Houston for a 4th
-Cut Kam and Avril
-Let all FA go, unless McDougald is reasonable price
I would do this in a heartbeat. Getting Peters will soften the blow of getting a 2nd and a 3rd only for Earl (which I still doubt we could get for earl without sending at least a 5th as well with him). Having your DBs @: Peters, Griffin, Coleman, potentially maxwell, potentially shead, and elliot sounds absolutely insane.
Where you lost me is at a couple places, but I think this will bring fun convo. First, if we trade Earl there is no way I am letting McDougald go. I am willing to give Delano a shot at SS in this scenario and really take this year to figure that spot out, but not both he and Tedric back there. I will throw in the caveat that I could be convinced to do this given your strong position at corner in this scenario but the same argument can be made that we may be relying on them far too much with two inexperienced safeties.
Also, I will make note that I would shit my pants if Houston offered us a 4 for Sherm and that contract. Would be a blessing as much as I love him.
Cutting Kam hurts you cap wise, but in this scenario you certainly can handle it as you would be at just under 50m in cap space after these moves and adding in Jon Ryan and J Lane’s cuts.
Where I start to raise an eyebrow is our free agents that we have and letting them ALL go. If we are talking just this scenario, which I would love, there is no way I let Sheldon, Mcdougald, Maxi, Shead, and Jordan go (he is a little different with his tender situation).
Here is what I fell in love with in this situation though. If you make these moves, you can retain the guys above, including a long-term deal for SR, while focusing on extending Clark early (and at a discount price at a year from now) as well as go after a big name receiver such as Sammy Watkins, Jarvis Landry (probably not), or what seems to be the preferred option in Allen Robsinson. Not to mention you can take a serious look at adding Lee and ASJ. Sure you will lose a comp pick for 2019, but I think two of these three would be well worth it.
Last thing I’ll say and sorry for the long reply, I would draft an OG first, RB second (you could flip these if you are so inclined), EDGE, EDGE, and TE. Do what you want with the rest in the draft.
Also, added cap space you could have as well from extending Duane Brown in this scenario.
So, Pete and/or John speak to the media at the combine right? I’m curious to hear them talk about the coaching changes. Might just get a lot of PR and coach speak, but I’d take that at this point. Maybe it’s because SEA missed the playoffs this year, but it feels like we haven’t heard a peep out of the organization for an unusually long time.
Charles Davis mock draft up:
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000916761/article/charles-davis-mock-draft-10-bengals-land-qb-of-future
I won’t spoil the Seahawks’ pick for you. I bet you’ll never even guess at what position… 😉
Wow that makes even less sense than the Darwin James picks
Yeah seems very likely, especially considering the UCF connection.
One pick I do like tho, not Seahawks related, Baker Mayfield in New York. That could be interesting. I wish the nfl.com writers would try and be a bit more creative with their picks, especially the QBs. Teams always surprise us in that regard. Especially with first round QBs last year. While it was feasible that those teams would select QBs in the first round it was by no means a given. Teams trade up for quarterbacks, I’d bet the Seahawks chances at a super bowl that it happens again this year.
It’s absolutely barmy how many of the national mocks are projecting a CB to Seattle.
Crazy.
“Barmy” Rob? Help me out with that one, my English is rusty. Crazy? Frivolous?
‘mad’
maybe we need an English to American translation button here
I like this mock. Meaning, of the ones I can think of offhand, it most closely aligns with where I think certain players will go, and hits on a lot of good team fits.
If we are looking at discount pass rushers, lets take a flier on Alex Okafor. He was the Saints’ best pass rusher this past season before tearing his achilles. If he doesn’t work out no harm done, but if he does recover then it’s a steal.
For the right price he might be a great option.
Is he a free agent?
Yep, he signed a one year deal last off season with the Saints.
Best pass rusher if you don’t include Cam Jordan … woops! So, second best.
My Draft via:
https://first-pick.com/NFL/DraftGame.aspx
The following is what I did:
I traded future year picks to simulate the following
Trading Earl to Dallas for 1st round pick
Franchising/Trading Sheldon Richardson for a 2nd Round pick
Then I traded down mult times via small increments watching the available players to pick up various additional picks.
Round 1 Pick 19 (DAL): Billy Price, C/OG, Ohio State (B+)
Round 2 Pick 11 (N.E.): Ronald Jones II, RB, Southern California (B+)
Round 2 Pick 21 (BUF): Tim Settle, DT, Virginia Tech (A-)
Round 2 Pick 31 (N.E.): Duke Ejiofor, DE, Wake Forest (A)
Round 2 Pick 32 (CLE): DeShon Elliott, SS, Texas (A-)
Round 3 Pick 5 (T.B.): Equanimeous St. Brown, WR, Notre Dame (A+)
Round 3 Pick 12 (G.B.): Lorenzo Carter, OLB, Georgia (A-)
Round 3 Pick 28 (PITT): Chase Litton, QB, Marshall (A-)
Round 4 Pick 14 (G.B.): J.C. Jackson, CB, Maryland (A+)
Round 4 Pick 20: Jaylen Samuels, RB/WR, North Carolina State (A)
Round 4 Pick 26 (ATL): Dalton Schultz, TE, Stanford (A+)
Round 5 Pick 4: Daniel Carlson, K, Auburn (A+)
Round 5 Pick 9: Holton Hill, CB, Texas (A+)
Round 5 Pick 31: JK Scott, P, Alabama (A+)
Round 7 Pick 8: Austin Corbett, OG, Nevada (A+)
Round 7 Pick 30: Austin Ramesh, FB, Wisconsin (A+)
Round 7 Pick 32: Khalid Hill, FB, Michigan (B-)
To those that say such and such player will never be available at that point…..my counter points Malik McDowell, Jesse Williams…..aka You never can tell who will be available when in the draft, and in this draft they were available where I picked them.
17 draft picks, that would have to be a record for sure!
Glad you had fun with it. I do like a lot of these players.
This is what I would do with the rest of the off-season I assume:
Kam Chancellor not being cleared to play
Cliff Avril not being cleared to play
Malik McDowell not being cleared to play
cut Jon Ryan, Jeremy Lane
I only re-sign the following of our own free-agents:
J.D. McKissic -ERFA
Joey Hunt-ERFA
Luke Willson-UFA
Garrison Smith-ERFA
Quinton Jefferson-ERFA
Dion Jordan-RFA
Marcus Smith-UFA
Michael Wilhoite-UFA
Bradley McDougald-UFA
Justin Coleman-RFA
I let the rest walk
My position groups would then look like:
QB-
Russell Wilson
Trevone Boykin
Chase Litton
RB-
Chris Carson
Ronald Jones
CJ Prosise
JD. McKissic
Jaylen Samuels
OT-
Duane Brown
George Fant
Rees Odhiambo
Isaiah Battle
Austin Corbett
OG-
Billy Price
Ethan Pocic
Germain Ifedi
Jordan Roos
Willie Beavers
C-
Justin Britt
Joey Hunt
TE-
Luke Willson
Nick Vannett
Dalton Schultz
Tyrone Swoopes
WR-
Doug Baldwin
Tyler Lockett
Equanimeous St. Brown
Amara Darboh
Tanner McEvoy
David Moore
Cyril Grayson
FB-
Tre Madden
Jalston Fowler
Austin Ramesh
Khalid Hill
DT-
Jarran Reed
Nazair Jones
Tim Settle
Garrison Smith
Quinton Jefferson
DE-
Michael Bennett
Frank Clark
Noble Nwachukwu
Dion Jordan
Marcus Smith
Duke Ejiofor
OLB-
K.J. Wright
DJ Alexander
Lorenzo Carter
MLB-
Bobby Wagner
Michael Wilhoite
SS-
Delano Hill
DeShon Elliott
FS-
Bradley McDougald
Tedric Thompson
CB-
Richard Sherman
Shaquill Griffin
Justin Coleman
Neiko Thorpe
DeAndre Elliott
Michael Tyson
J.C. Jackson
Holton Hill
SPECIAL TEAMS-
P-JK Scott
K-Daniel Carlson
LS-Tyler Ott
Then fill fill fill with 24 UDFA to get to 90 have a battle royale and see who EARNS a 53 man roster spot
Can’t start McDougold at FS for 16 games. I won’t stand for Seahawksdraftblog to so wholeheartedly throw themselves into the idea of a guy who probably cant even run a 4.5 with very limited range starting 16 games. A free safety in the single high scheme needs to have excellent range. Also trade out McEvoy for Jaleel Scott, McEvoy has been nothing but 6’6, not worth wasting a roster spot on guy whos value is very limited. Can’t just hold onto guys that we as fans lik, at best McDougold should be the 3rd safety on your roster, and at best McEvoy should be your 6th receiver. I’m kind of dissapointed Rob hasn’t dispelled some of the talk of starting McDougold at FS. The two games he started were complete misnomer just like Steven Terrells first game was, this isnt the offseason to add jag guys thats what 2015-2017 were, and we suffered for it
Agreed. 4.5 is wishful thinking though. McDougald ran a 4.74 40 yard dash at the combine. Aaron Donald ran a 4.68 for reference. He might be able to play SS but I’d rather not sign him if he costs any more than he did this past year. He can’t effectively replace Earl, he is a backup level player. Please don’t give him that Cary Williams money.
Nobody will effectively replace Earl. If they move on there, they’ll do things a little differently. Perhaps more Tampa 2.
It’s also worth noting that 31 other teams don’t have Earl at FS and some of them even have good defenses 😉
+1
Praying we hit the mother load in a trade!
Agree completely Rob every other team in the league does not have Earl and seems to figure out a scheme that works.
Pete isn’t moving to cover 2. Never been his M.O and the only DC we had that played cover 2 regularaly is gone now. Pete Carroll is a cover 3 coach that wants to get back to stopping the run. He’s not going to pull his strong safety out of the box to do that. I also never said we needed someone to be Earl, we need someone capable of replacing him because your single high free safety is the difference in a cover 1 and cover 3 scheme, yes other teams have good defenses without Earl but they also have mostly competent free safeties, which the seahawks don’t have that outside of Earl Thomas. We want someone to be effective in Earls shoes, McDougold would get picked apart.
We want speed on defense, getting rid of Earl Thomas is counter productive to that goal because the Hawks don’t have an adequate replacement. I still have yet to see a post that has us trading Earl and not starting McDougold at FS, they aren’t going to start a rookie at free safety, they were nervous to even start Shaq and Sherman there is no way they would feel comfortable with Jesse Bates back there at the most important position on the defense
The hawks want to get back to their winning formula, we can do that, just not by giving up Earl at this moment, if you could provide a more clear answer to that question through free agency or a player trade then i wouldn’t consider it runaway speculation. But the more you look at possible trade partners the more you shouldn’t want to trade Earl, it seems like everyone is forgetting that unless he is traded to the AFC the team that receives him will be gaining a major defensive boost while we create another hole in our defense in an effort to cover up an already existing hole. It doesn’t sound like good planning from a good franchise, BB isn’t trading McCourty and hes just turning 30. Safeties have longevity and can often play well into their 30s, an all pro from this season deserves a 3rd contract. But I’m getting away from my point, the two trade destinations i have seen most often pitched are giving teams far too much value for what we receive in return.
I think it’s time to stop looking at this as ‘the Seahawks want to get back to their winning formula’ and start seeing it as ‘the Seahawks know it’s time to make some difficult decisions’.
Because what they’ve been doing isn’t working. And paying more and more older players isn’t working. And they don’t look remotely like the 2011-2014 Seahawks anymore.
They might re-sign Earl. But they could just as easily balk at the idea of paying another ageing player enormous money from which they don’t receive value. And if that happens, it might mean McDougald at FS. Might. Not guaranteed. But might.
I’m not saying they won’t make difficult decisions, but its unrealistic to expect them to put the season in jeopardy, win forever means win now too. Yes it hasn’t been working the past few years, in part because the Hawks have failed to win time of possession regularly and kept the defense on the field. Its no coincidence that the departure of Bruce Irvin and Marshawn both effectively happened in 2014. Losing the run game and losing our ability to stop the run, those are the missing pieces and the reason that they don’t look the same offensively, thats bled over to the defense because they are on the field more, if the Hawks offense increases time of possession it will have a huge impact on the defense.
Your reasoning isn’t adding up to me. Usually I’m behind most of what you say but entertaining McDougold at FS? When we already have a guy who was an all pro this year. We keep talking about Earl like he’s 35 and his last probowl was at 29, he isnt even 29 yet, a 3 year deal for 40 million isn’t crazy, he’ll be 32 by the time its up and likely easily cuttable if they learned from Kam Chancellors contract. Besides that the Hawks hardly have enough cap to retain cheap free agents, trading back makes more sense especially if the Hawks can manage a 2nd 3rd and 4th from trading back multiple times. Which really is less farfetched than sending Earl to Dallas (would create problems for the Hawks in that matchup as their real saving grace against Dallas has been their weak defense) or to Atlanta (this doesn’t make any sense and i feel like thats self evident) and i doubt the Hawks just all the sudden deal him to Cleveland, seems kind of spiteful and the Hawks FO likes to maintain good relationships with their players. Unless a team overpays an exorbitant amount, I’m talking a first and second round pick, theres no sense in trading him, it doesnt make us better this year or in the long run.
I don’t understand how you can say Pete will double down but a safety like Earl might not be a part of that, they would almost certainly need a safety with great range and instincts. Youre suggesting that they were achieving their winning formula but the stats from everysingle one of those years tells the opposite story, they didn’t invest well at running back, they did alright at offensive line but left a lot to be desired, most of the issues you are alluding to start with the offense.
How would trading Earl fix these problems? I get that we really like the draft and want more draft capitol but maybe the Hawks have confidence in the roster they have. There’s a lot of youth across the roster, add Delano Hill as a starter, have Jordan, Clark, Naz, and Ried start, and then Griffen at CB 1, thats 6 young players starting that didn’t last year. The Hawks obviously loaded up in the draft last year for a reason and were comfortable trading away those picks this year for a reason. Its mentioned frequently that the hawks plan for 2 to 3 years out, but we are treating them like they are shortsighted.
Win forever means — win for longer than one year.
The longer you put off the needed the churn the longer you’re delaying what needs to happen now.
This team just missed the playoffs for the first time since 2011 for a reason. They’re not getting younger and healthier now. Change is needed.
Paying Earl is a huge risk assuming we are resigning Wilson. As long as we have cap flexibility & a QB we are never out of SuperBowl contention. If I’m ET I’m going after the biggest guaranteed contract I can get because football is very dangerous sport, Earl should set up his family a couple of generations.
Also I’ve had many friends have long NFL careers including FS, as they age they constantly complain about pain and begin to think about life after The NFL. (They start counting their $$$) I hate to see Earl go but I’m hoping he gets a monster contract & we get a Kings ransom in return.
You actually think Pete is going to change? looks like all the moves he has made this offseason are about doubling down on his philosophies. I think he sticks to his guns and keeps running his same scheme with minor tweaks. When Pete came to Seattle he built the defense starting from the back end. There is a reason we drafted Earl in the first. The FS is so so important in the scheme. Remember when the Saints tried to copy our scheme and went out to get Byrd from the bills. Well Byrd didn’t work out due to injuries and bad play and the Saints were the worst defense in the league. I know other teams don’t have him but we do, why get rid of him? I understand this is a draft blog and it’s fun to do scenarios with more picks but I just don’t see how we get better with any first round pick instead of earl (maybe Barkley haha). Just pay the man the money he is well worth. It’s like everyone is in shock over a freak injury to Kam compounded with the hawks missing the playoffs with an Eric Barry ACL cherry on top. Each unique situation should be handeled based on its own merits and Earl is literally an alien so there’s that,
I think he will double down on his philosophy. I’m not sure having an Earl type free safety is part of the philosophy.
He ran a 4.51 at his pro day. He’s already shown that he’s above average as a starter at FS.
He absolutely has not and that was 3 years ago, his play speed isn’t all that great either, he’s very very average to below average
Would anyone here trade Richard Sherman to KC for Marcus Peters???
Peters knows Seattle… younger, cheaper… Ideas?
See discussion just above:
https://seahawksdraftblog.com/seahawks-off-season-priorities-predictions-possibilities#comment-361928
I would. Would also trade Bennett and a 6th for him and send Sherman somewhere else.
I think KC are dangling Peters to get back into round one, not to trade player-for-player.
Hawks need to watch the players who are cut to fill holes this year. Limit free agent signings so we get comp picks next year. Sitton might be worth a look. Maybe Doug Martin on the cheap.
Agreed about getting cuts instead of FA, however, Martin looks terrible the last 1 1/2.
Small guarantee to see if he has anything left in the tank.
If they can get Sitton for a few years on a reasonable deal I’d say do it. I think Schneider is still kicking himself for letting Jahri Evans go a few seasons ago.
Yeah, in regard to Evans it makes me wonder how much influence Cable had in that decision…
Sitton will cancel out a comp pick if they sign him, and I imagine he gets $8 mil or more.
So put this in the nice idea, but doubt it happens category
Bears cut him so not factored into comp picks.
It is reported that they didn’t pick up his option and not a cut, which then makes him a normal free agent and not a street free agent.
same as Revis, NE did not pick up his option and they got a 3rd round comp for him
Yes please on Sitton, any veteran help on the oline would be fantastic.
It seems like what they do with Sheldon will really dictate what they do the rest of the off season. If they could get him for 4 years $48 million with $24 million guaranteed and a $10 million signing bonus the contract could look like this.
Year Salary SB Proration Cap Hit
2018 $6 Mill $2.5 mill $8.5 mill
2019 $8 mill $2.5 mill $10.5 mill
2020 $10 mill $2.5 mill $12.5 mill
2021 $14 mill $2.5 mill $16.5 mill
He would get $16 million the first year and $24 million (the guaranteed amount) the first two years. You could get out of it in two years with only $5 million in dead money. It would be a pretty decent contract.
If they can get that deal I think it is a good deal for everyone.
Would you want Sheldon resigned or let him walk? I know it depends on the money but whats your thoughts on keeping him vs saving the cap space and getting the comp pick?
Best you can comp pick wise is a third next year, so I’d be happy with a high third this year after a tag and trade.
Time to shed cap $.
Worst case is we are stuck with a good DT to transition us to 2019. I don’t trust him enough for a long term deal.
My personal limit would be 8 million a year. So I don’t think I would be keeping Sheldon. Too many other players on the defense that they will have to pay.
P. S. I would also refuse to take any free agents contract for 10 million plus and give the other team a first round draft pick. That is way to generous. Because the other team is trying to unload cap, so don’t help them out with a first round draft pick.
They wont be doing it this year since thats the only pick they have in the first two days.
King 5 News
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan officially announced a season ticket drive for a future NHL franchise will begin March 1.
Deposits will start at $500 and accepted through the official website, beginning at 10 a.m.
The deposit is refundable if Seattle does not get a team.
The deposits are seen as a key barometer as to whether the league will award a franchise.
———-
This is some exciting news, nothing like Hockey, up-close and personal.
Cool news but paying $500 up front for a potential franchise in 2-3 years might be rough.
$500 is the cheap seats. I’m sure most will run 3-10K. I think it will be worth it. Seattle is ready to have a 4th* major team in town… and the NBA did Seattle wrong… the Seattle Sasquatch (or Seals or Metropolitans or Sealions) will be a formidable fan base out of the chute. The rumor is they will have exactly the same expansion roll out as Las Vegas, which by the way is doing very well in year #1.
I’m wondering how many will show up when the cheap seats are 75 bucks and the rink side are 500…. per game
the flying salmon
I’ll be getting mine.
Had season tickets to Canucks for ages.
Bring back the metropolitans!
I love the historic connection of the Metropolitans, but to be called the Mets? I tend to reject connections to East Coast teams.
https://draftwire.usatoday.com/2018/02/21/2018-nfl-mock-draft-updated-4-round-projections-with-trades/
A mock that doesnt have Seattle taking a corner round one and has them trade down twice into the second round.
I dont love the idea of the picks we do eventually make (except one) but this is the most plausible mock for seattle ive seen on a non-seahawks page.
The picks are terrible but they do turn 18 into 40, 71 and 90.
Also in this mock the Falcons get Jessie Bates and Vita Vea.
It kind of seems like a rush to the bottom. I was hoping they wouldn’t trade below 34.
interesting mock. more interesting to see players like dj moore in round 2. Also the draft value chart has been recently reliable but I have to think in the real world allowing a potential rival like atllanta to move up to draft a big time player like Veae should net you the requisite points plus an additional 5th or thereabouts.
that’s a team that more than likely seattle will face again in a big time situation in the next few years.
Pretty reasonable sounding honestly, other than Freeman, and don’t know a ton about the other guys. It has trading down just past a bunch of names, which sounds about right.
The value sitting at the very end of the 1st- early second though is tantilizing if the draft actually fell this way.
30. Billy Price
32. Mike McGlinchey
33. Sony Michael
36. Isaiah Wynn
37. Ronald Jones II
38. Arden Key
48. Tim Settle
53. Nick Chubb
The trades make sense but if we made those trades and missed out on Wynn, Jones, Price etc. for Rankins I would throw up. I think if Vea is on the board you make that pick and not give him to Atl.
I would hate that draft move almost as much as last year when we traded back missing on some legit talent to get Mcdowell.
Also as soon as I see anyone Mock Rosen to the Browns #1 the whole mock looses credibility for me. Dorsey and Mcloughan are both on the record of not being fans and it was before they were in current rolls so it was not a smoke screen.
Off topic a bit…
If I’m GM for Cleveland I take Sequon Barkley first overall. The dude is absolutely generational talent and I would hate to miss out. If they take QB first overall, I see NYG or a team that trades up to the two spot, taking Barkley.
Another scenario I would consider is trading Cleveland’s 1-4 and 2-35 (their second pick in the 2nd round) with NYG to ensure that I would get both Barkley AND THEIR QB. They would still have picks 2-33, 2-60, and 3-65!!!
Bit overrated for me. Great back, but not top 5. Would also never spend the #1 overall pick on such fungible position.
This is a guy that needs to be getting more love. Ole Miss HB Jordan Wilkins (6’0-6’1, 215-217 lbs.). My mans is silky smooth with power and a good pass catcher outta the backfield. Prototypical day 3 RB that’ll end up being better than most of the guys that go in front of him.
Just a highlight video here:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=adRwkE-MB4E
The Seahawks really should just sign Andrew Norwell if he is willing to come to Seattle. Paying market rate for All-Pro caliber players is exactly what the Seahawks have done since the start.
Odhiambo and Fant were so bad it’s unlikely they are starting caliber players for next season no matter who the coach is. A rookie outside of the 1st/early 2nd is very unlikely to be able to start at an average level.
The team needs a day one starter at left or right guard and can afford to pay him. All other options would be temporary and don’t actually add long-term pieces, that would help create continuity, along the offensive line.
It’s very easy to say ‘the Seahawks should just sign Andrew Norwell’ but the reality is very, very different.
They can afford to sign him as well as extend Sheldon Richardson. That would likely require they move on from Sherman, Lane, Avril, Ryan, Bennett and extend Brown as well as going cheap on depth for next year.
Additionally, Extensions for Thomas/Wright could help open space for Lockett and Clark.
Finances won’t be the reason Andrew Norwell isn’t a Seahawk. Same way it wasn’t a reason with TJ Lang.
They aren’t going to grossly overpay but they have been more than willing to spend big when it comes to young talent. There just hasn’t been a FA with a big price tag that actually fits one of their needs.
Gutting the team and using all of the money on two players is not the way to build a team.
It’s really just moving on from a bunch of overpaid, underperforming and injured players. None of them are part of the long-term plans for this team either.
They would need to build through the draft like they always have but those would be moves for talented players they can’t acquire in the draft.
Norwell is the apple of many fans eyes but it’s important to remember, he was an UDFA. And in a talented interior OL class they should be able to find a guard they like at a much cheaper cost.
I expect Norwell in New York or to be tagged by Carolina.
He was a UDFA years ago. If they want to have an average to an above average Oline in 2018 then the draft is not the way to go.They had one above average player on that line a rookie guard outside the top 15 isn’t going to make much of a difference.
Carolina tagging Norwell would make little sense considering the cost and the fact Trai Turner is already being paid.
New York is closer to home but it’s not a team with a QB. The Seahawks can compete financially
So the cost is too much to tag him for Carolina but not for Seattle to cut multiple players to be able to bring only him in?
Sorry but this isn’t making any more sense. I think we can say with a high degree of certainty that Norwell won’t be signing for Seattle.