Aidan Hutchinson will likely be gone by pick #2
1. It’s not just a limited quarterback draft
Opinions on the 2022 class are all over the place.
I’m not for a second trying to suggest that I know everything or am better than other people when it comes to analysing the draft. I’m well aware I’m just a bloke from Rotherham who watches a lot of college football.
However, I think some of the analysis we’re seeing on the internet is, frankly, quite poor this year.
I don’t envy the people who have to write about the draft for a living. They are in an awful position. It’s really, really hard to find legit first round prospects who are eligible. As a consequence we’re seeing a lot of undeserved elevation and a lot of reaching.
I won’t name names but let me use one example. Today I looked at a 2022 NFL mock draft from a national website. Included in the top-15 were:
Matt Corrall
Ikem Ekwonu
Evan Neal
Kenyon Green
Nakobe Dean
Kenny Pickett
Carson Strong
I have not seen any evidence that these players warrant a placing in this range. That is particularly the case for the three quarterbacks, Ikem Ekonwu and Kenyon Green. The one who might justify it is Evan Neal but he has a guard body, appears much more suited to operating inside and I’m not convinced he’s a left tackle at the next level.
It’s just a lousy draft class at the top end. People are trying to slot prospects into their mocks. The class is going to be influenced more than ever by combine testing, with teams taking their chances on upside because the legit, blue-chip talent pool is limited.
Take Auburn cornerback Roger McCreary for example. He’s a good football player. Yet he has sub-30 inch arms and he has good and bad moments on tape (see: John Metchie shaking him off for the game-winning score at the weekend).
On Saturday, one well-known draft pundit declared on Twitter that he was a ‘top-20 lock’, only to be informed by a former NFL scout (who may or may not be Mobile based these days) that he hadn’t spoken to any team that had anything higher than a second-round grade on McCreary.
Everyone is desperate to find ‘guys’ in a 2022 draft class that has depth beyond round one but has massive question marks for the first frame.
I’ve studied this class in detail and for me, these are the following players you can build an argument for at the top of round one:
Kayvon Thibodeaux (DE)
Aidan Hutchinson (DE)
Derek Stingley (CB)
Kyle Hamilton (S)
At the moment, that’s it. There are other players I really like, such as Georgia’s Jordan Davis. Can you justify taking a two-down nose with, say, the fifth overall pick?
Someone suggested to me yesterday that it’s a good draft for defensive linemen, as part of an argument ‘for’ trading Russell Wilson. Again, this isn’t exactly the case. The mock drafts might be stacked with names but I don’t think these mocks are a true reflection of the class.
As I wrote on Sunday — I think if you’re picking outside of the top-two, you’re probably not getting Thibodeaux and Hutchinson. They are the two potential game-wrecking defensive linemen in this class. I don’t see anyone else who can knock them out of the top two.
The best tackle prospects I’ve seen so far are Northern Iowa’s Trevor Penning, Central Michigan’s Bernhard Raimann and Washington State’s Abraham Lucas. I’d be fully prepared to grade all three in the top-50. Could I make a legit argument for saying they belong in the top-10? Maybe if they test well. Right now, I can’t say it with any conviction.
So let’s imagine a scenario where the Seahawks trade Wilson to the Giants for their two top-10 picks. Are you getting a game-wrecking D-lineman or a left tackle of the future at #6 or #7? I don’t think you are. You need those picks to be higher — or in a different draft entirely.
This is why I think a full knowledge of what this draft class truly offers is imperative to have a proper discussion about the future of this team.
If you could guarantee Hutchinson and a top left tackle — I think it’s a conversation worth having. Or even Hutchinson and Thibodeaux. The Seahawks desperately need to improve their trenches. If sacrificing Wilson enables them to do that — I don’t think it’s a conversation to be dismissed, even if it’s not my personal preference.
I don’t think people realise how early Thibodeaux and Hutchinson are going to go. They’re the top-two. And the next group of George Karlaftis, Jermaine Johnson and David Ojabo might have intriguing skills — but they are not top-10 picks.
If you trade away Wilson, you have to come away with blue-chip players. At the very least you have to emulate the double-dip of Russell Okung and Earl Thomas. As someone who has studied this draft class more than most — I’m telling you, this is going to be the weakest first round in a long, long time. And if you want those blue-chip players, you better find your way into the top two or three picks.
The irony is — Seattle’s own pick might’ve got them into that range. Yet they traded it to the Jets for Jamal Adams.
2. The truth about the 2022 quarterback class
The discourse around the draft eligible QB’s is similarly all over the place. I have studied all of the big names in great detail. I appreciate teams are going to reach and there’s a chance more than one player will go in round one. However, I want to re-iterate what I believe to be the truth about this class…
— No player deserves a first round grade.
— Carson Strong is the clear #1 quarterback within the group. However, there are very serious concerns about the health of one of his knees. So much so, it has been speculated he might need a cadaver knee replacement that would end his rookie season before it begins. One other theory is that it might be a bone-on-bone situation, limiting his career. He could of course be perfectly fine. This is the talk doing the rounds though and teams will study his medicals thoroughly. He has fantastic arm talent, he’s accurate and has a quick release but he’s also a statue in the pocket and has no ability to move to extend plays or avoid pressure.
— Kenny Pickett is the clear #2 quarterback. However, he reportedly has incredibly small hands. The talk is that his hand size could be nearer to eight inches than nine — and nine is usually the cut-off for NFL quarterbacks. This is probably why he plays in gloves. So while his 2022 season has been a roaring success — teams will have to contend with what this means for his next level potential.
— Matt Corrall plays in a Lane Kiffin offense that does the heavy lifting. It’s a system that demands very little other than one-read from the quarterback. Corrall is also 6-0 and 200lbs. I cannot project him to the next level.
— Sam Howell is extremely average and Malik Willis isn’t very good.
If three of these players go in round one, all power to the teams making the call. I can’t get behind that thought process.
Short of Strong getting a clean bill of health on the knee, I would rather wait until the mid-rounds for Desmond Ridder. Frankly, Ridder has as much chance as any of the names above. He has completed some ‘wow’ passes this year and elevated Cincinnati onto the national stage. He is far from perfect but the consensus seems to be he will be available much later than the names above.
Any of these players will likely need a year to learn the ropes, meaning you’re relying on a stop-gap veteran.
It’s a shame we have to have these conversations — yet increasingly it feels like QB talk is going to be a thing again within Seahawks fandom.
I think the person running your offense has never been more important. I think we’re seeing that with the jumbled mess that has become the Carroll/Waldron hybrid. We’re also seeing it in the way certain QB’s are being developed.
If this team wanted Carson Strong, for example, they have to go and get the offensive play-caller and schemer to fit his skill-set. That would be Josh McDaniels for me.
Kenny Pickett is more suited to a play caller who is willing to use quarterback mobility, movement in the pocket and bootlegs/play-action.
Matt Corrall likely needs a system that gets the ball out of his hands quickly and utilises extreme spread-concepts.
Increasingly I agree with Colin Cowherd on the subject of coaching. You can have a defensive-minded Head Coach but you need a top play-caller on offense to make it work. One of Pete Carroll’s big issues is his desire to have full control and his unwillingness to go out and land a star play-caller who gets the keys to the offense.
One of Bill Belichick’s greatest strengths is the fact he has McDaniels next to him — running a very effective offense that fits the personnel they have. Nick Saban has gone the same way in Alabama.
I really wish Carroll would’ve embraced this a few years ago.
3. The middle rounds will contain great value
Carroll has done a terrible job building the roster to suit his preferred style. Seattle’s O-line isn’t good enough. Their running back situation isn’t good enough.
If you want to play ‘your’ style — you need to be better there. And that’s as much a failure as anything else when we discuss the Seahawks’ reset from 2018 onwards.
It’s incredible to think the Seahawks passed on all of the top current NFL runners — from Jonathan Taylor to Dalvin Cook to Derrick Henry to Nick Chubb to Alvin Kamara to Joe Mixon and Antonio Gibson. And the one time they chanced their arm with a high pick — they rolled the dice on Rashaad Penny.
We’ve discussed some of the O-line and D-line options. The Seahawks also need to be better at running back. I think there are options in this class.
For me, UCLA’s Zach Charbonnet is RB1. He runs hard and fights through contact. He’s a competent pass-catcher. He blocks better than most in pass-pro. He’s also well-sized and looks explosive.
I would project Charbonnet to be a third rounder and he is someone to target.
The rest of my top-five would be Kenneth Walker at #2, Brian Robinson at #3, Dameon Pierce at #4 and Breece Hall at #5.
The Seahawks need to revamp the position. Pairing Charbonnet with Pierce would be a good way to do it. Florida has squandered Pierce’s career but he’s explosive, will make you miss in the open field and he’s tough. He will be available on day three, I would imagine, and would be a great complement to someone like Charbonnet.
It’s such a good tight end class I think you have to tap into it somewhere. Jalen Wydermyer and Trey McBride will likely go too early but if they fell into round two, warrant BPA consideration depending on how they test (agility testing is a huge indicator at the position). Greg Dulcich and Derrick Deese Jr are the two players I would recommend if you want a pass-catcher. Jeremy Ruckert and Jake Ferguson both have rounded games and are good blockers.
There are other holes that are set to emerge. There is no justification for paying Bobby Wagner $20m next year (however much the MNF crew want to fawn over him). Cornerback will continue to be an issue if Tre Brown is out an extended period of time, especially with D.J. Reed reaching free agency.
Regardless of what happens with Wilson, it might be time to decide whether the Seahawks are better getting a haul for D.K. Metcalf rather than paying him $20m or above in a big extension.
Thankfully — this draft will provide value in the middle rounds.
Yet it’s incredible, really, that this franchise is facing one of the biggest, ugliest rebuilds imaginable. It’s taken horrible mismanagement of the roster to reach this point. There could be years of pain ahead if they make the wrong decisions in January through to May.
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In a nutshell, this is a terrible year to rebuild via the draft. They will be lucky to come away with three good players. That’s good enough to address one issue, such as the offensive line or finding good running backs, but not good enough to fill all the holes.
This is why it will take three years to rebuild the team. And it will take three years whether Russell Wilson is here or not. Just finding a new coach may turn into an epic journey that lasts more than three years.
I’ve watched this team for years and every year people hope for the quick turnaround. It’s not going to happen. Pete Carroll has run the franchise into the ground and it will take a lot of effort to turn it back around.
Repeating this over and over doesn’t make it true.
But your own analysis of the draft would seem to support a longer rather than shorter rebuild, unless we will not be relying on the draft at all.
The coming draft is likely to NOT have ringer, top picks. So even if we traded Metcalf (and/or Wilson) there’s no guarantee we’ll get an Earl Thomas or Wagner or other pieces we can start building off of. So that leaves internal talent (questionable) and free agent signings underneath new coaching and management that will immediately turn us around like in Green Bay. I am more dubious of that scenario than of a longer rebuild. That’s just looking at many other teams’ experiences. š
Iāve detailed what I want to see and what I think is realistic:
https://seahawksdraftblog.com/why-the-seahawks-need-their-matt-lafleur
Your idea for bringing Sean Payton from New Orleans would seem to work well. Him becoming our Matt Lafluer.
Works for me
After hearing Carroll say “Guys were open”, I can only assume Russ had his agent lining up more teams on his acceptable list.
about time he started calling out the fact that the player who has most underperformed his bloated contract in 2021 is Russell Wilson
Nope. Until russ costs a team two firsts and a third and plays like Adams at 17.5 mil to play like a baby soft JAG safety then Russ can safely be one player behind “most underperfomed.”
Russel’s contract literally did not stand in the way of any FA’s cost from clowney, richardson, to trying to chase down Calais Campbell.
Russel’s contract isn’t holding the team back from having a top five pick this year that’s pete and his bull***.
Finally, sure Russ sucks right now but how did his contract get in the way of drafting: watt, chubb, kamara, ramcyzk, jonathan taylor, etc, etc…
Actual finally the most underperformimg contract is Pete’s.
I don’t see how any of this has to do with underperforming a highly paid contract with some of the worst QB play in the league, maybe respond to what I said instead of the thing you heard someone else say?
You said most bloated contract and i laid out every which way Wilson’s contract hasn’t effected roster make up.
Then i laid out how giving two firsts a third and 17 mil to a basic safety who doesn’t provide anything more than any other safety is a complete waste and an ultra bloated contract for what you get. And i know you are a JA fan but this is two weeks in a row where he doesn’t even try to stop a td and let’s it go right on by him.
I get it. You don’t like Russel. That’s fine. But it’s not a “bloated,” contract when a player has a decade of success, is a near HOF member and has a down year.
Worst Qb in play in the league? Seriously? People are wild. Wilson is on pace to have almost exactly Rodger’s stats when Greenbay last went 6-9. Which wrren’t bad stats. But since Wilson i guess doesn’t get there the way fans like it doesn’t matter…
You don’t get to call Wilson’s market-value contract ‘bloated’ because he’s having a bad year, which coincides with a serious finger injury and the team regressing to a new level of crap.
Nobody is going to try and argue Wilson doesn’t deserve a portion of blame.
But you tell on yourself a bit with language like this.
Truth!
It’s ridiculous how much flack Wilson is getting.
It might surprise you to know that Wilson outplayed Heinicke last night – better stats with half the time of possession, more yards on fewer completions with more TDs.
So why did Russ lose and Heinicke win?
Because football is a TEAM sport.
That is somewhat misleading, in that at least one significant reason for “half the time of possession” is that Russ specifically was not good on third down (or for that matter in getting us first downs at all). In other words, as our triggerman, he played a good-sized role in the TOP problem. So his advantage in certain stats doesn’t tell the whole story.
In fact, just watching the game, it seemed very clear to me that Heinicke played better.
Heinicke threw some pretty good passes. Heās a journeyman but a solid one.
Did he say that at his presser? Unbelievable.
Hey pete. Now I know you said guys were open but can we talk about why the QB with 16 yards is the lead running back as well as playing QB?
I get Russ sucked last night. Fine. But here’s an idea so you don’t have to put the ball in the air every play to generate anything….why not try to build a run game that is not a liability when they are on the field?
Why on earth am I pining for Tom Cable’s most penalized line in the league with it’s bizarre combo of big fat maulers trying to play a zone scheme?
Just some context here though: Pete was responding to a very specific (and justified) question about Russ’ inaccuracy.
To be fair he was asked about the running game and offered a bland ‘they played base defense and dared us to run and we couldn’t get it done’ and the reporter didn’t ask a follow up nor did the press corp probe any further.
They did ask several ‘positive’ questions though about Green’s block, the drive at the end of the 4th Q, how awesome Michael Dickson is, and the third down stops on defense.
Carroll has a tendency to say things “indirectly” about Russ on his show with Mike Salk.
Rob, how do you feel about Andrew Booth Jr? Just curious
Imagine in Schneider really wanted to trade Russ last off season, and was over-ruled by Pete.
Fast forward to this coming off season, Schneider is now informed he *must* trade Russ… only his value has plummeted due to his play/injury, and the upcoming draft offers no value for whatever picks he is able to recoup.
I don’t think you could dream up a worse script for the way this is all unfolding.
It’s like watching a horror movie.
Do you think JS stays with PC if he stays? How much blame is he willing to take for a terrible roster, bad contract etc.
Good question.
Even if both Pete and Russ leave, would JS want to clean this mess up?
His contract is longer than Pete’s.
If Jody Allen gives him full control, why wouldn’t he stay? He would get a bump in pay and wouldn’t have to answer to Carroll or do his bidding.
I don’t think his trade value goes down maybe some wise ass gm thinks so but i imagine a gm who is looking for a big play with this terrible qb draft coming up wpuld look at this year as an aberration.
Everything I hear about this draft and the lack of 1st round talent makes me feel better about the process that gave away the 1st rounders to this draft with little talent and the last one with little evaluation scope. But then, I like Jamal Adams and am glad to have him on the team, even if its an unpopular opinion on the blog
You liking Jamal Adams isn’t an unpopular opinion.
If you tried to argue that the Adams trade was a good decision, that would be unpopular.
So you like Adams and obviously hate Wilson. Wow, just freaking WOW!
If the Seahawks have, e.g. 2 top ten picks, and the draft is poor, they can trade down. R2 and R3 are valuable if the middle rounds are where thereās talent.
This current team has a lot of holes to fill.
Two best options for trading Wilson would appear to be:
Giants – picks 6, 7, 2023 first, Daniel Jones
Eagles – picks 8, 9, 14, Jalen Hurts
With the first round being so mediocre in terms of prospects, is there the opportunity to trade these packages down in the late first and second rounds to double or triple up on the amount of picks.
If you coupled this with trading Metcalf, Wagner, and Adams to bring in picks and remove salary is there are chance to fill in the big holes with this draft class if you could pick 8-10 times from the late first through the third round and then have money to go after a couple of impact linemen in free agency?
Only way this has a chance of working is to go with Jones or Hurts and wait a year or two to get your franchise quarterback. I have to agree with your thoughts that this years class is dismal unless you are taking a third round flyer on somebody who falls in the draft.
I don’t think you’d want to trade Adams, but if we go full rebuild then I agree you should probably trade Metcalf and Bobby. Metcalf can land you a first and Bobby would probably net you a 2nd at best if we are being honest (he looks very slow this year, but I can see a team like the Cowboys making the trade).
I think if you bring in Daboll, then you take the Giants deal and sign someone like Tyrod Taylor, Mitch Trubisky, or Marcus Mariota to compete with Jones for the starting job. I know they aren’t the best names (#lifewithoutRuss), but all would fit the Daboll system just fine.
That 2023 first would go a long way to acquiring a QB when next year rolls around (Bryce Young & CJ Stroud look miles better than any prospect this year). You can use pick 6 to grab a top tier trench player, trade 7 down for more picks to add speed on defense and depth all around, and tank in 2022 to rebuild for the future.
If they can trade Adams, which I doubt, they should
This, from Hawkblogger’s latest game recap…
“Adams had another great game, and may find himself earning a Pro Bowl nod as a true safety in spite of all the jeers from Seahawks fans.”
Craziness.
Three cheers for Jamal Adams
(His PFF grade last week was 44.5)
I don’t think there is any level of play that Adams could possibly reach that would justify the trade or make it “worth it” in any way.
Even if he was the best safety of this generation, the trade wouldn’t make sense.
And yesterday’s 75.9 grade brings his season number up to…
63.5. Last year’s was 64.1 if I recall.
I just read Brian’s piece.
I hope he reads the one I published today.
Because he’s assuming there will be answers on the DL and OL if Seattle acquires picks in the top-10.
And I don’t believe that is right, as highlighted here.
I thought the same thing when I read it.
He claims that there are good options for a LT and pass rusher (if we made a hypothetical trade with the Giants).
Is he just assuming that, because there *should be*, or does he really believe that based upon… what, I wonder?
He’s been pushing the “trade Russ and start a massive rebuild” narrative for a while now.
I think he is just looking at things through that lens, without considering the details.
Under normal circumstances (typical draft and having our native pick), it might be the smart move.
Difficult to make the case it makes sense in what is shaping up to be an historically weak draft.
I don’t blame him for this — because you can’t expect everyone to watch hours of college tape. But I’m guessing he’s read the mocks online and just seen the names listed. I would do the same in his position.
But as someone who has written about the draft for going on 15 years now and has studied this class in detail — I haven’t seen a class like this. With so few obvious high picks and with pundits reaching like crazy to fill holes in their mocks (even in the top-10).
I also think Brian tries too hard to build a case for Carroll not retiring in his piece. The idea of Carroll sticking around to see Wilson off, then potentially spending the next 3-4 years rebuild the team and launching another QB search, then enjoying the peak years of having that QB and leading this team as he approaches age 80, is much more fanciful than the idea of a 70-year-old coach calling time on his career, four years after it was reported by Jay Glazer he was considering retirement after a difficult season.
Agreed, I just don’t think you really can.
It really is tragic what’s happened to the run game. Every year relying on Chris Carson knowing he’s as injury-prone as he is. Seeing all the names of RBs we’ve passed over in the drafts is even more depressing. Clearly there’s plenty of possibility to draft a quality RB, especially with teams drafting them further back lately. It seemed like last night they abandoned the run game entirely halfway through the game and became way too predictable.
Ya. I get flustered looking at our cap space and wondering why we didn’t make the deal with Fournette happen. Give him an offer he couldn’t refuse.
Pete needs to announce his retirement. Give these guys something to play for.
That would be welcome IMO.
And I think it’s getting to the point where Jody Allen needs to seriously consider removing Carroll now so they can get a head start on who the next coach is.
If this came to pass, who is next in line as interim HC? I canāt imagine Waldron or KNJ given the states of their respective squads. Izzo?
Not sure it matters any more.
The most important thing is this team gives itself the best chance to move forward after this season.
I get that, I guess I just meant as far as the hierarchy of who is next in line. I see Clint Hurtt is Assistant HC, and Carl Smith is Associate HC. Someoneās got to fill in, even if just a few weeks.
I think we’re delving into the weeds too much on this.
I’m not pitching an idea here. I’m saying it could/should be a consideration. Because this season is cooked. Everything needs to be geared to what’s next and getting what’s next right.
I’d root for Waldron to take over. I’d like to see what the offense would do without wondering if what we see on the field is a result of Pete, or the OC, or some dysfunction between them. So let Waldron stand on his own, so the team could evaluate if/how he fits into life after Pete.
Tater! Tater! Tater!
Couldn’t they do still do that if he stayed but made it known this was his last season? I’m really down on Pete but maybe he deserves to finish the season and walk off into the sunset. I think it would help the players stay motivated too.
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Iām not a fan of lifetime achievement stays of execution
Seattle loves a good swan song. HOPEFULLY the wheels are in motion regardless of what Pete wants to do.
Pete has had plenty of opportunities to ride off into the sunset.
It’s tragic what’s happened to our running game. Relying so much on Chris Carson to be the starter despite knowing how injury-prone he is. It’s even more depressing seeing all the names of RBs they’ve passed over in the drafts. Clearly they have the possibility to draft a quality RB, especially considering how teams have been drafting them further back lately. It seemed like last night they abandoned the running game entirely halfway through the game and became even more predictable.
It’s hard to listen to Carroll speaking the day after a game.
It’s just the same empty words. Nothing changes.
How the can you suck so bad that you have the ball for 18:20 and your opponent has it for 41:40?
This is not an isolated instance. It happens over and over again.
Cardinals Game: Seahawks have ball for less than 20 minutes; Cardinals have ball over 40 minutes.
Packers Game: Seahawks have ball for under 21 minutes; Packers have ball over 39 minutes.
Steelers Game: Seahawks have the ball 29:37; Steelers have ball 37.33.
Vikings Game: Seahawks have the ball just over 24 minutes; Vikings have ball just under 26 minutes.
Titans Game: Seahawks have ball 22:42; Titans have ball 42:33.
Colts Game: Seahawks had ball in convincing win for 24:13; Colts had ball 35:47.
Seahawks have lost time of possession in every game this year except Jacksonville. Most of the games it’s not even close to being close.
This is a stat that proves how worthless they truly are and how Pete’s philosophy of running the ball is utter BS. Because when you care about something – you do something about it. He says he wants a good run game but does nothing about it. It’s a total embarassment.
Should say Vikings had ball just under 36 minutes (not 26).
Pete also likes to lie when he says he values pass rushers.
He’s a liar or incompetent as his own GM and his puppet GM doesn’t seem to do him any favors.
Seattle’s best TOP game was against PIT.
It’s not a coincidence that that game was when they ran the ball the best.
That Pittsburgh game went well into overtime. That’s also a big reason they had more time of possession. Steelers had the ball almost 10 more minutes than the Seahawks.
The biggest reason Seattle loses time of possession is because the defense allows long drives by design. Pete doesn’t mind giving up 400 yards a game but holding teams to field goals. He expects his offense to make enough explosive plays to win a low scoring affair.
When you can pin every loss on the quarterback for a handful of missed third down conversions, you don’t have to actually look in the mirror and see if maybe there is a more efficient approach to the game.
Kind of nailed it. “If every loss comes down to the qb,.” I mean he had that long brutal stretch that sucked but in the end it was a nice bori g two td affair with mostly respectable yards. But since this team has zero other ways to be efficient we are going to live and mostly die if Wilson doesn’t throw 360 yards and 4 plus tds a game.
I agree the D frustrates me with these long drives they give up. That’s definitely part of it.
But to be fair, the offense leads the world in 3-and-outs as well. I mean how do you have 5 drives in a row of going 3-and-out twice this season and nobody else is close?
We can put blame on the D, but lets not forget or ignore this team goes 3-and-out like no other, too.
When your running game is 34 yards it’s going to hard to convert anything
For me, this is the crux of it all. We can debate which personnel/drafting decisions should be made moving forward.
But until we know who will make those decisions, we’re in football purgatory.
100%
re-set needs to come w someone coming in who has authority to take a clear-eyed look at everything… and every potential change should be on the table.
but you’re right, it’s purgatory until we know more.
I second your 100%.
We also need to know who has made the personnel decisions up to now. We like to beat up on PC this week, but I’m not sure JS is blameless.
Pete Carroll Show
[q] You poor guy you’ve been up all night probably? That’s what we’re here for.
[q] What happened? TOP, third down stuff, it’s amazing to me, I thought they played well. Fortunate to be out of there. Two point ballgame. We really felt like we were winning the game. Maybe not deserving in a sense, but we were right there. Waiting on offense to get rolling.
[q] Mentality of defense? Striving to capture our mentality. Aggressive. Bobby, Brooks, Quandre, Jamal, play off that. Playing well enough to have a big night on D, needed help from Offense. More drives, fewer plays.
[q] Vibe of team? Huge hits shows guys connected on D. Special Teams too. In it the whole time. Here we are with a chance. Sure enough we stopped them. Fantastic last drive. No timeouts. Job we’re used to doing. Russ got us down the field. Big sack didn’t cancel us out. Continued sense of believing. Not happy with way things going, know it could be different. Locker room special.
[q] Russ’ night? Saw him make some incredible plays, some routine throws not completed. First third down ball took off on him. Other thirds, just needed to throw and catch it. Three of four plays normal for him to make. During week, throwing ball great. Game, one reason or another, not as clean as we need to be. Need to protect better, room to throw. See him hitting more stuff, that’s what is uncommon.
[q] Russ’ accuracy finger or mentality? He feels fine, great. Fantastic touch plays gorgeous throws. Some throws drives, but TD pass frickin great. Just little bit not as clean as been. Keep helping him, but gotta come through when time comes. Didn’t run well tonight. Not enough to build on. All part of scheme. For fans, clear they were able to play against us. Only 3 explosive plays. We had 4. Run FB enough to keep it going. They avg 3.5 yards carry. Slight margin last night.
[q] Russ spoke about accountability, what look like? Said “I gotta do better.” Guys know. Don’t have to say much. Heartfelt. Doing everything he can do. Staying up late, in early, at practice with reps. Seeing work ethic. Wants to be better, we need to be better around him, block better. Everybody’s working hard. Spirited, upbeat, forward-thinking focus to work every week. Common to us. Frustrating no results.
[q] Waldron help improve this offense? We got open on plays. There, available, means call, scheme, prep working. No drops tonight, didn’t get balls knocked down at LOS. Need to convert.
[q] Role of OC, what is primary responsibility? Orchestrating the whole effort. Process is well-organized. Gathering choices, making decisions, utilizing coaches and players and what they offer. Call the game in accordance with how we prepared. Hopefully in synch, make sense. We’re doing the game plans we’d like to do them. Have to adapt in week and in game.
[q] Last drive, something to build on? Yes. Show these guys what they’re capable of. Been a terrific 2 min team for years. Never not been a strength. Try to figure out who you are, bring that to the party. “If you know you’re a great shooter and you miss your first ten shots, look out.” We’re still in the “look out” and it hasn’t turned yet.
[q] Running game need? More reps. Make first downs. Run pass game off it. Look at WFT. Ran 40+ times gives you rhythm to make big plays. Heard commentaries, teams running well are successful. People Q my commitment to the running game. Heart of all of that for many reasons. Always shooting for that balance.
[q] Not enough reps sure but OL, scheme, what point to? Lead dog running back makes a difference. In every aspect. Not want to make a big excuse Chris not here, Chris that guy. Rashaad Penny we thought, but not here. Image of like back in the day, Marshawn big part. Not all that he did, the fit of it all. Chris has been. Haven’t been able to get in groove where playcaller has that guy. Develop our guys to become that, haven’t yet. McKissic and Gibson made them come to life.
[q] Lincoln Riley to USC, you reach out to guys who get hired to USC? No. Visited us two years ago, high regard for what he’s done. Great hire for them. Marvelous, young, vibrant dude.
[q] You poor guy you haven’t slept yet? I appreciate you getting up early too!
[q] I’m going to tease you about Big Nickel spot? Ha ha.
What a load of typical Carroll b.s. Maybe sounds ok initially, until you have a chance to run it past the mental tumblers a second time. Empty words, superbly delivered, occasional anguished tone and all ā¦ Pete remains charismatic to the end. Enough.
Salk is refusing to make Pete uncomfortable so that he will continue to do his weekly show with him.
I don’t think it’s anything for complicated than that.
Then thereās no point doing the show
Youāre better off not doing it than avoiding fair questions
Salk, on a weekly basis, bemoans the state of the team. The draft picks, the trades, the lack of free agent signings of any worth.
Then, in the very next sentence, he praises the greatness of Petes leadership abilities.
You cannot make up a more convoluted storyline.
Well that makes sense.
Everything is wrong but the man responsible for the things is doing a terrific job.
Which is exactly what PC’s postgame press conferences sound like.
“We did everything right except execute”
“The guys have a good attitude and are trying hard but we lost”
100%
Also if you’re without your lead dog, why call your runt puppy to run twice on critical third and short plays? What was the thought process? If you’re leaning on ‘we can’t get enough plays to stretch out and run’, fine. But the reason you can’t get enough plays is you’re calling poor runs on third and short. Can you escape this chicken and egg logic?
Also the crowing about ‘we’re a great 2 min offense, we’ve always been, no time outs we go down the field!’ So coach, why completely bail on the drive at the end of the half? What was your though process there?
Also how about ‘the playoff chances are cooked, yes?’ or ‘what the H-E-double-hockey-sticks happened with your All-Pro Special Teamer lining up wrong?’ or ‘why can’t you get DK Metcalf involved in this game plan? What are teams doing that are taking him away and why can’t you scheme around that?’ or ‘what’s your take on Jamal and Bobby at the goal line on the McKissic TD?’
Youāre right on as usual, Cha. Johnny Unitas, and other QBās of long ago, used to call their own plays. Imagine that, and then imagine how much better the Hawk offense would have been if RW were allowed to do the same, beginning with his second season. Bad OCās – or decent OCās compromised by Carrolās oversight/meddling – are worse than no OC at all. RW best understands how to move the team.
When your offense is…
a) Last in offensive plays
b) Last in time of possession
c) Last in third down conversion percentage
When your QB is…
d) Completing just 36.9% of his passes on 3rd down
e) Has a QB rating of 72.6 on 3rd downs
You have a problem in need of a BIG fix. This is absolute rock bottom stuff. From my point of view, there is no way PC/JS can/should survive this. It’s unwatchable. This is where the post LOB reset/rebuild has led us. We are the worst offensive team in the league from some of the most important metrics. And our offense was supposed to be our strength this year. They just don’t warrant another stab at a rebuild.
Everything has to be on the table when you’re looking at these data points. With the exception of possibly Tyler Lockett, no one on the offensive side of the ball, either players or coaches or general management, is immune from criticism and reevaluation.
Root cause of the problem is PC. He is the offense and defense – our OC /DC are puppet. I will keep Russ, Tyler for sure. DK, Adams and Bobby can be traded as part of rebuild.
Easy to say as rob was saying in the article. You canāt just trade everyone, have to get good blue chip replacements.
No one is trading for Bobby Wagnerās 20 mill contract.
If your gonna trade Jamal/Dk, russ probably would want to be gone too.
Correct not like 10 teams will bid for Bobby I agree, but they can try to salvage something worst case cut him or restructure the deal.
Itās not the full $20 million. I believe itās more like $16.6 million. The Hawks would eat a dead cap of $3.75 million. There are a few teams out there that would sign him, then extend him and lower that 2022 cap hit.
Bobby never misses a snap. He has good value for a team that needs a leader on defense. Someone could reasonably extend him 3 more years, with the final year having no dead money. They push the guaranteed money to the front of the contract and it would be ideal for both parties.
Some expecting a 2nd rounder are not being realistic, IMO. I would expect, maybe a late 3rd, at best. Realistically, getting any decent pick is a plus plus. Otherwise they release him, like they did with Jarran Reed (what a crap show that ended up being).
It is weird saying this, but i like that we lost the game else everyone will be celebrating and doing math how we can make to the play offs.
Before half time we had ball for more than 60 mins and watch how we played that. Hawks from 2012-2016 we would have atleast got field goal. PC was not ready to go with 4th down when there was only 20 seconds left. What was he thinking his offense was bad and also not trusting defense for 15 seconds? There are many pointers to tell it’s time for PC he should be let go now…
I just realized that although unlikely, it’s entirely possibly Seattle ends up w/ the #1 pick in a year that they don’t actually get to use it.
https://twitter.com/johnpboyle/status/1387483612505772032
LOL!!! Quite the response CHA, perfectly sums up our situation.
“Always great to talk #Seahawks with the brilliant @jtheaps9 & @StacyRost”
“This is what is frustrating about the Pete Carroll show”
“What are we doing here?”
Don’t know. Just a couple of weeks ago they were “brilliant”…….
Probably just have to “clean a few things up” and “get back at it” and all that stuff.
You do realise Jake & Stacey donāt host the Pete Carroll show, right?
Weird comment
Stacy has grown on me lately. She’s smart, funny, and went to Tyee.
Jake & Stacey are great
Team Defensive first downs allowed in the NFL:
Passing (dead last)
Rushing (27th)
Penalty (19th)
Total First Downs Allowed (dead last)
They have 272 total first downs allowed on defense.
The next three
Philly – 262
Miami – 257
Tennessee – 254
Those three teams have played 12 games. The Seahawks have only played 11.
There’s your shitty TOP
Not converting on third downs is a huge problem…
But commenters on this site acting like the defense which couldn’t stop James Winston colt mccoy, and whoever heineke is really turning it around are delusional.
This defense is getting no help from the offense in the second and is giving themselves no help in the first half of games. Colt mccoy with a 9 plus minute drive? No thank you that’s garbage.
The defense isnāt that good and it certainly hasnāt turned a massive corner. The pass rush is inconsistent and nonexistent outside of Taylor and a few splash plays from bit players. The secondary is better without Flowers but still rather meh.
Iād argue, though, that theyāre not the reason the team is 3-8. I put that on the truly terrible offense.
Despite the defenses in inability to get off the field, theyāve generally been good at keeping opponents from scoring (4th redzone, 6th points allowed) while the offense has generally been bad at scoring (26th redzone, 25th points scored).
The real issue with the defense is in the roster construction and resource allocation. The team isnāt getting anywhere near the return they need compared to the investments theyāve made in dollars and picks. Iād go on but Rob’s already made the point quite eloquently in several of his pieces.
We have no running game. Most any QB is going to have trouble with that fact. That does not excuse Wilson and his troubles with accuracy and quick reads, but it shouldn’t be ignored. He had the longest run of the night I believe (which was a first down and nice to see).
The team is broken for many reasons. The defense has improved some, although it feels as much as if the other team doesn’t quite execute (the overturned TD) to make the scores closer than they should be. Our running game is dead. We refuse to use Metcalf who looks like total trade bait at this point. Lockett does his thing, but it’s not enough. Wilson is still off from his injury and it feels more and more like he’s just done with the whole thing. Done with Seattle and ready for a change in scenery.
We all know how the season will end, even if we win more than we lose going forward (not guaranteed as even a much better Wilson will still have no running game). The players know it too.
Big changes are coming, I only hope that they are big enough. Carroll, Schneider should be replaced. Wagner is restructured or gone. Metcalf is traded. Ideally, you build around Wilson, or if he truly is done, you trade him. That and other actions stockpile picks not just for 2022, but also for 2023 when hopefully we’ll have a better draft.
For 2022 I think you do NOT target a QB (unless something in Rob’s analysis dramatically changes), rather build, build in the trenches. Get a fill-in veteran QB for what will likely be a down 2022 season, but someone who still gives you a shot. Go young.
We were somehow in the game at the end. The only solace I take in another L is that it prevents Carroll and company from acting as if we played well and were really in it. Strike that, they still say that, but most of us know better and see the need for change.
PFF Offense
https://i.redd.it/8yqyqqof5r281.png
PFF Defense
https://i.redd.it/edvmhy5p5r281.png
sure seemed like Brooks had a better game than Kerry Hyder…..pff is weird sometimes.
How could Taylor get such a low grade? Yeah, he didn’t always finished, but he was close multiple times while rest of the DL was completely blocked out of the plays.
And Neal should get more opportunities. PFF always give him good grades, and the eye test also says that he might be pretty good
Ummmm am I missing something here. How is it humanly possible to get a 0 Pass Blocking Grade??? WTF???
Blows my mind how the OL can suck so bad.
Duane Brown consistently scores well and that’s because he’s actually good.
The rest of the line is basically trash. I could live with a guy like Shell if the rest of the OL was of better quality.
The only quality OL we have is old and set for FA. The only other guy who could be okay is playing out of position for a bum that they gave $22 million to over 3 years who sucks.
Guys like Pocic and Fuller are embarassing. But, hey, Pete wants to run the ball. Pete probably thinks Thanksgiving would be fine without turkey (or any meat).
I do think this season feels a lot different if we had Russ playing well each game. Not SB contending, but not Top-10 pick either. Probably 1st round playoff loss like most of us expected. Iād feel better about a regime change being the thing that could get them over the hump.
However, there appear to be too many broken things that one draft/off-season canāt easily fix. This is a multi-year rebuild to SB contention right now. It will take absolute master strokes to flip this mess in a year.
If anyone has a chance to listen to KJR morning show (Chuck and Buck) today, in the 3rd hour at about the 20 minute mark, Hugh goes OFF on the lack of targets to DK. Pretty entertaining.
Mike Silver with Colin Cowherd on Seattle:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idDqoDkNEWs
Peter King finally making some sense on the Seahawks
https://youtu.be/Cm3KG10HZPw
King on the same page with Rob. Keep Wilson draft picks not worth it.
Get new offensive HC and try to convince RW to stay.
I enjoyed how it blew the other guy’s mind and he says he wished he’d thought of it.
Rob ahead of the curve once again.
King must be under the weather, since his left nostril was leaking slowly down to his upper lip during the back and forth.
I watched the whole show and couldnāt take my eyes off that growing slug trail.
since we’re on to bodily fluids, for some reason i had the captioning on when watching the video and it kept rendering Pete Carroll as ‘pee carol’. well… that just about sums things up.
Simms and Florio
Simms with a nice rant about the Seahawks defense
“Because of the lack of creative scheme and issues across the board, they make some of their best investments not look good.”
“Would Pete Carroll have a job in the NFL the day after he was fired? I don’t know.”
https://youtu.be/xJ5IYSa3OyQ
On defense, the scheme and the other players are making the peacock not look good. The atrocious post game pressers seem to be not enough to convince the media, just how bad an investment this was.
Meanwhile, out friends at FG are hyping the same D – allowing the most yards per game in the NFL – to “top 10”, while RW is beyond his prime.
https://www.fieldgulls.com/2021/11/30/22809315/seattle-seahawks-qb-russell-wilsons-prime-over-deep-qbr-system-run-game-souffle
SDB is the last sane place, when it comes to the Seahawks.
I wouldn’t take one strangely-reasoned piece as representative of their whole site. From a quick glance at the comments section, there is strong disagreement with the premise of the piece.
I second this- I find more of those pieces to be clickbait, hot takes to get people riled up. There are also multiple writers with varying opinions- unfortunately, Iām not sure how many good ones are left.
the thing I took away from that, PC will call out Wilson , for missed opportunities, missed throws , wishing he could have a few of those passes back, etc. but not say a damn thing about the d (or lack of)
‘Maybe they aren’t practicing the right way.’
āWould Pete Carroll have a job in the NFL the day after he was fired? I donāt know.ā
Would Waldron?
Would Norton?
Would… half of our roster?
Simms rant on Pete skimming over the poorly performing defense was hilarious.
The point I loved the most was Simms talking about how Pete claims the offense does so great in practice when they have the defense scheming exactly what they see the opposition doing in previous games. Then Simms goes off on how, maybe, just maybe have your practice defense throw a curveball Russās way to get him used to the possibility that the actual defense you face come game day wonāt do exactly what you practiced against.
His rants on previous shows on why Russ seems so off and confused, at times, is great too. Basically he says that anyone expecting a Manning, Brady, or Mahommes type of Russ needs to understand something: the Hawks offense is as basic as it come in the NFL. They donāt ask him to do much. Half the time itās just, well, hereās a play. When it goes bad, bail us out, buddy. The other times itās mostly base level scheming.
I know the internal clock is supposed to be ticking, but Russ has got to see this…
https://twitter.com/SharpFootball/status/1465537100414074888
Iām not sure. I think too much is being made of this.
I have no idea why, for their first two point conversion of the season, that is the type of play they wanted to run. A big drop back and then hoping in a still congested area, someone gets open and the QB sees them.
You are on the goal line. You have to have a better play than that with the game on the line.
So is Metcalf open? Yes. Is it easy to sit here and say youāve āgotā to see that on this type of call, in the red zone? Yes.
I couldnāt believe thatās what they went to for the two pointer.
*cough*
https://twitter.com/WashingtonNFL/status/1462509920767598592
*cough*
If Pete and Russ both come back next year (what if), Jody better tell the decision makers they are not allowed to trade any future picks in rounds 1-3.
I’m so mad Pete can be so stupid to know things were at their best when he had a long-term vision in 2010 and how all these crap band-aids are doing nothing for the well-being of now. “ComPete” doesn’t mean selling out for “now” all the time.
Also, I know some people are wondering how the Seahawks could have fallen from 12-4 to 3-8 so fast. Lets not forget the 12-4 Seahawks got super lucky last year. We all knew they really weren’t a 12-4 quality team. I do think they should be better than 3-8 but when you’re consistently losing the TOP by 10-20 minutes each week – how can you think you can be good enough?
To me TOP is about being a real team of men imposing your will on others. We have opponents will imposed on us all the time and it’s damn demoralizing as a fan, so it’s gotta suck as a player who’s actually the one getting physically dominated.
“If Pete and Russ both come back next year (what if), Jody better tell the decision makers they are not allowed to trade any future picks in rounds 1-3. ”
Although I agree with this in principal, it might also need to go along with neither Pete or John being allowed to CHOOSE those picks as well.
Truth in advertising. I was one who wanted to trade Russell last year. I was wrong.
I would like to know your thoughts on Matt Campbell HC of Iowa State as a potential Seahawk HC. He says he has no interest in going to the NFL but when I look at the success of Kliff Kingsbury I think Matt could offer a fresh look that we desperately need. Combine that with a chance to coach Russell and maybe he comes to the NFL and maybe Russ stays.
Green Bay is the roadmap. With the right people in place I believe the turnaround will not take 3 years.
I would like to see how the players we will still have on the roster next year respond to a new coach. I think we have more talent than is being shown because of poor coaching. Not, Superbowl talent, but playoff caliber talent. I would really like to know who holds the power in draft selections over the last several drafts? How much of the draft was Pete and how much was John. Maybe they both need to relocate.
Just my 2.
On the flip side, I watched the Packers game with Jordan Love and they looked worthless. Totally inept. It’s amazing what a franchise QB can do. But is Russ still that guy? I’ll admit I don’t know anymore.
Yep. Regardless of what you think of him as a person, it was a pleasure to watch Aaron Rodgers dissecting the Rams this weekend. I also enjoyed watching him stalk around on the sidelines wrapped in his blanket, looking like some miserable old man who’d been woken out of bed by the noisy kids next door.
I can’t say I’ve studied Campbell enough to know whether I want to shout for him in Seattle. I think it’s tricky looking at the college ranks for coaches. Carroll had been in the NFL his entire coaching career before USC. When you dip into the college ranks, you take a gamble. And if it doesn’t work immediately, as we’ve seen, there’s always the temptation to bolt back to another college.
What I want in a Head Coach is someone who is either offensively minded or is capable of bringing in a fantastic offensive coordinator who is then trusted to run the show. I want the coach to have a clearly defined vision on how to progress things. And I want the new regime to attack re-building the trenches.
I think this is all achievable and I don’t agree with the people who claim such a plan will need years and years to turn a corner.
(With reference to your second and third paragraphs) you are exactly right, Rob, 100%.. There is a clear path forward if only it can be chosen.
Iāll say this about Campbell (as a Hawkeye fan so take it as you will). He hasnāt done anything with expectations, he has helped the team get better (as historically one of the worst p5 schools in the country) but has still kind of pissed it down his leg. Players donāt develop, his quarterbacks have issues and get n
benched, and he hasnāt been able to do anything in a weak conference. I also donāt care for him and HOW he coaches: makes somewhat snarky comments that just are bulletin board material for other teams and look bad on his end. He couldnāt handle anything bigger than what he already has.
I’m as big a Matt Campbell fan as anyone I’d guess, but I don’t see him as the answer in Seattle.
My choice would be Kellen Moore. And no close second.
He would need a support group as a first time HC, and a great Defensive coordinator (Gus Bradley, John Fox??) But I think Moore has potential to do great things with Russ. And he’s from WA. Maybe he’s not ready yet, but someone is going to give him a shot at a HC gig and I think it should be SEA.
Apropos of nothing, I happened to look at where the Seahawks have used their premium (rounds 1-3) picks over the past few years. Here is what I’ve come up with: out of 27 picks the breakdown is:
* DL (DE + DT): 8 (30%)
* OL: 5 (19%)
* WR: 4 (15%)
* LB: 3 (11%)
* RB: 3 (11%)
* QB: 1 (4%)
* TE: 1 (4%)
* CB: 1 (4%)
* S: 1 (4%)
Contrary to my impression, they’re at least trying to get guys in the trenches. They’ve just been fucking bad at it.
Jeff is “s” for safety? By my count they took: mike tyson, marquise blair, and two picks for adams ( three picks but one hasn’t happened yet.)
Since 2017. Which is when I start counting because that’s the rebuild period. This late in the year robinson and taylor should get every snap imaginable if healthy just to see what they are.
I love Taylor’s potential but that guy seems so dumb in understanding his assignments. He’ll make the splash plays and then will be an idiot on contain or something basic. I can see why a bum like Mayowa plays more – you can at least count on him to do the basic things he can mentally do. Mayowa has brains and no ability and Taylor is the opposite, it seems.
I don’t disagree Bobby but I think this illustrates the Pete Carroll problem. He’d rather play Mayowa, get very little in return, have a slim chance of winning the game, get to the playoffs and get blown out than take a lump and develop a talent like Taylor and have a potentially big payoff.
We all saw what happened Monday, Taylor failed contain on a key run, and got pulled off the field.
Where is the faith in these talented young players? Taylor saved the Seahawks points with sacks earlier in the season. That is direct, bottom-line talent that is in rare supply on this team.
The answer of course, is the Seahawks do not have enough pass rush talent to just have Taylor be a jolt of energy third down pass rusher. They could limit his exposure if they had players providing anything on first and second down. But they don’t.
Is it the off-season yet?
Sorry Rob, not yet.
Is it next off-season yet? It would be fun to look forward to a year of actually having a draft pick in every round.
Rich Eisen joins the chorus
https://youtu.be/kC-iA60lk90
The thing I love about watching Eisen is that he knows he has a huge pulpit, but he never does hot takes. He dissects the ailment, then starts throwing out possibilities for people to discuss. He knows he is an entertainer, but also someone with a fair bit of knowledge and love of the game, who wants answers. The opposite of Steven A Smith.
I always watch Eisenās highlights concerning the Hawks, and you can see the slow, methodical approach he has taken in regards to Carroll and the franchise.
His celebrity interviews are great, too. To hear the A-list stars reminisce about their favorite team and their favorite memories is a nice change of pace in this click-bait driven place weāve arrived at.
Eisen’s the best
Colin Cowherd with a great segment about Belichick and the Seahawks. Echos what Rob and many of us have been saying.
Belichick is a GOAT because heās willing to adapt and learn (not stubborn likeā¦)
&
Pete should be fired.
The āPete needs to be goneā train is racing a full steam now it seams.
https://youtu.be/4GBySeN96mg
Rob, can you please do a complete breakdown of Desmond Ritter or is he just not worth having a conversation about?
One is dropping today
Iām still a bit miffed at how little is reported in Seattle media about Seahawks ownership and management personnel. In Denver, all is known about the Bowlen family and key members of the Broncos management and day-to-day operations. John Elway is front and center as President discussing football matters regularly with GM George Paton consistently sharing the teamsā long-term strategy.
Not saying Denver is doing things better than Seattle. I am saying when a team isnāt performing to expectations, the media should be all over the key stakeholders and I donāt see that happening in Seattle.
I was listening to a podcast recently and a Seahawks beat writer was on there complaining about his job prospects. He was bemoaning how ‘bloggers and YouTubers’ make his life harder and expressed some disillusionment because he’d always anticipated going national and then breaking into TV or radio.
His opening gambit was to declare that people weren’t paying attention properly if they thought he was only just succeeding in his job.
It was a conversation totally lacking in any sense of self-awareness. As Softy recently relayed a conversation he had with Kevin Calabro — ‘we operate in the sweetshop of life’. I’ve been a sports journalist for over a decade. Before that I worked in the steel industry and used to spend night shifts looking at the arse end of a steel ladel, as tubes filled with material were inserted into small openings. It went on for hours and the ladel’s were red hot — but you had to wear full protective clothing. So it was like sitting in an oven, wearing a ski suit.
I had to drive for three and a half hours to get to the steel plant and spend the week in a hotel.
Being able to report on sports is a privilege I’ll never take for granted. I’ve had some successes and some disappointments along the way. But I’ll never complain on someone’s podcast about a lack of opportunity or the changing face of the gig not being to my entire satisfaction.
I’d suggest this individual spends less time moaning and complaining about a life people would absolutely treasure and more time pushing and probing to find out why this franchise is collapsing.
I really struggle with our local press coverage’s work
-They very rarely ask tough questions of the coaching staff or the players in press conferences
-They constantly focus on ‘culture and lifestyle’ rather than actual football
-They very rarely break any news or have inside sources on things
-They very rarely write insightful articles
-Perhaps most egregiously, at times they appear as if they have empaneled themselves as ‘defenders of the team’, writing ridiculous pieces in defense of the bad FO decisions and awful on-field product
The end result is, they’re overseeing the fall of the greatest figurehead and team run in franchise history and are consistently unable to deliver anything insightful or interesting.
And they’re upset bloggers and youtubers are cutting into their action?
Sometimes youāve just got to be seen to be asking certain questions
Regardless of the answers you anticipate you might receive
And if the fans are talking about something non stop, you have a duty to put the issue to the powers that be https://twitter.com/robstaton/status/1464225395360866311?s=21
Rob is that what inspired you to move to journalism or was that ready a path that was planned out?
I wanted to be a sports journalist from the age of about 14 and started working to achieve that at 16. But you rarely just go into this business fresh out of school or University
There’s no doubt. You give away RW for a bevy of picks, you not only have to hit BINGO! on almost all of them, but you may not come up with a potential franchise QB again for a long. long time.
The safe move is to keep RW and to get him to completely buy into a new regime. I’m just on the side of the fence that that is the odds against outcome. I think he’s already one foot out the door, and there would not only have to be a change in regime, but a new one in place that could sell him on the prospects of a bright future.
Odds are just against that. It’s possible, but not a good bet.
I suppose it comes down to this:
1. If you roll with Wilson and it doesn’t work, have you really missed out on anything? You simply delay the rebuild, if it’s needed. And yes, you might not have multiple first round picks — but look at other teams who’ve had 2-4 first rounders to spend to launch rebuilds. They’ve all found it very challenging to use them effectively anyway. So at least trying a new regime with Wilson allows you to have the chance to avoid significant change before throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
2. If you don’t hit on picks in the 2022 draft, which as I’ve said — is absolutely honking — then aren’t you just making the situation worse? No quarterback, no building blocks. A lot of people with voices in the Seahawks fandom have gone to great lengths to warn about ‘the dark days’ pre-Carroll. Yet they seem to be totally open-minded about the potential of those dark days now that Carroll is universally seen as needing to go.
The keeping Wilson versus trading Wilson discussion is a worthy debate to have.
My faith in PCJS has evaporated (circa 2019). They earned a ton of trust when they built the team that went to two straight Super Bowls, but the reset really hasnāt worked. Not if championships are your goal. And now that the wheels have fallen off, I donāt believe theyāve earned a third chance.
Wilson is a bit more of an enigma. Heās been not great long enough now that itās fair to question whether heās more valuable on the team or off the team (i.e. draft picks). Though, that question comes with a lot of nuances.
To be clear, Wilson is still a good QB. Thereās likely not a better (realistic) option out there for at least a year. But how many seasons of good football does he have left and when will the rest of the team be ready to contend? The answers depend on what you think of Wilsonās trajectory and overall roster talent, particularly running back and o-line.
I know everyone is saying the QB class is bad, but one QB I think the Seahawks ought to look at is Eric Barriere, from Eastern Washington (FCS). Barriere possesses mobility and NFL-caliber arm strength. He leads all FCS passers with 40 touchdowns, sits second in the FCS for yards per game and total yardage and has only 6 interceptions. Could be similar to Wilson, but is 3′ taller. The only draw back is he needs to gain just a little bit of weight (only 210).