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Rob Staton
Hot topics
- Why Sam Howell’s performance on Sunday doesn’t mean anything for the Seahawks’ future at quarterback
- The reality of the current day Seattle Seahawks and why change feels inevitable on offense
- Instant reaction: Seahawks embarrass themselves, chuck ice water on season vs Green Bay
- Curtis Allen’s week fifteen watch notes (vs Green Bay)
- My first 2025 NFL mock draft
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Hot topics
- Why Sam Howell’s performance on Sunday doesn’t mean anything for the Seahawks’ future at quarterback
- The reality of the current day Seattle Seahawks and why change feels inevitable on offense
- Instant reaction: Seahawks embarrass themselves, chuck ice water on season vs Green Bay
- Curtis Allen’s week fifteen watch notes (vs Green Bay)
- My first 2025 NFL mock draft
CMC had 22 carries. I heard commentators say that the goal was to get him 30.
So, yeah Rob, you are right.
No the goal was to rush it 30 times not just with CMC.
Rob after watching
i think getting a clutch QB is so vital but i believe HOFer like Mahone QBs are forged with experience. Obviously need to be talented but its the adversity and learning has a lot to do with it
Imagine how good the 49ers would have been had they hit rather than missed with Trey Lance.
THANK THE LORD! 49ers are relentless man!
I just realized the walk off TD is the same play they used to score twice vs eagles in last years sb
That same route concept
Where WR fakes the motion and sneaks outs
One thing that was weird: in the final 30 seconds, they let the clock run all the way down . And they had 2 timeouts
Romo explained it.. it was still the chiefs 1 drive to score after the 9ners scored.. so it acted like a quarter.. when the clock runs out, it will just start a new 15 minutes. Because if they hit a FG, then it would go to next score wins..
That turnover when the ball hit the ST team player’s calf … ouch. That was the turning point. Or should I say *A* turning point.
The low kick resulting in the missed point after also hurt the Niners.
And injuries. It all adds up…
You can’t overrun your punt. Niners did. Big ST mistake, all around.
Crazy but I’ve been wondering for a couple of days what it would take to trade with Chicago for Caleb Williams for the same reason you identified in the vid — he’s the only prospect who can reasonably be projected to be a Mahomes for his team.
So, what would it take? Too much I fear. Unless you move a top player as well, and then you’re just being counterproductive.
I mean, at minimum it would be 3 first round picks, probably 3 2nd round picks (1 that we don’t have), plus probably a starter or two or three.
If he is the next mahomes it’s worth it, but if he’s not you have just hamstrung your franchise and probably fired yourself.
I don’t think the Seahawks have the stock to physically do it
It’d probably take their entire next two drafts
That would not be a smart move.
Yep. Only realistic shot was last year and outbidding Carolina with the #5 pick.
Now we sit and wait for a flawed candidate to fall to us or come within striking distance, ala Mahomes/Jackson/ Wilson
The time to do this was last yr when they had the 2 1st round picks and 2 2nd round picks. Unfortunately, PC likely prevented JS from moving up and getting a QB because it was PC’s “last hoorah “. As good as Witherspoon was, he didn’t elevate the team like a QB can.
I suppose. Although I think Caleb is a more desirable QB prospect than Stroud was (more worthy of trading up for).
And I think would rather roll with any of Rattler, Nix, Penix, or Maye over Bryce Young.
Oh yeah. In Charlotte some of the fans think they paid a big price to get worse.
I agree with you Rob
I don’t think they should force the QB position. If there isn’t one available. They are more than a QB away from, just needing a QB from being a SB contender.
Trade down if the player they want is not available like you said. Fill the needs at OL, LB, S , DL.
Cut Diggs & Adams and resign Williams and use the cap $$ to add starting talent to the team.
So maybe next year or the year after they have enough talent to be able to move up or be in position to take a QB of the future. Who can make Seattle a serious contender again.
I say all that but we also shouldn’t rule out that JS thinks one of these QB’s can be ‘the guy’
Quarterback is still a need. The biggest need. You don’t sit and wait for the rest of the team to be ready. If they have a chance to get their guy, take it. Otherwise it will be just like it has been: us sitting at home twiddling our thumbs watching better qb’s play in the playoffs.
We can sign Leonard Williams at any time, correct?
I live hear in Yakima. I cannot believe how many 49er fans there are here in Seahawk country. And they act so cocky. That is a major reason I was rooting for the Chiefs. 10 years ago when the Seahawks were playing the 49ers in the NFC Championship our Bishop(Who is from the Bay area) wanted us to pray for the 49ers. Even our Bishop got into the act. Pardon me Bishop. But you cannot be serious. Pray so that the 49ers beat the Seahawks. You have got to be kidding me. The whole off season and maybe for the next 5-10 years I would have never heard the end of how great the 49ers are.
Another reason is Mahomes. Do I think Mahomes will catch Brady? Unlikely. But he does have a fighting chance. Third reason is Andy Reid. Andy Reid is one of the good guys in the NFL. One of his greatest qualities is his humility. Very humble man. If you don’t like Andy Reid you don’t like people. Also I am from the midwest. You got to love it when a mid-size city defeats a major market. You got to love it. That is one thing about the NFL. No team really has a financial advantage. It is a level playing field. Unlike Baseball. I am a NFC guy. Normally I will root for the NFC. But when it comes to teams like the 49ers/Rams and last year I rooted against the Eagles. But as a rule I root for the NFC.
Mount Rushmore in Kansas City has to be Mahomes. Reid, Kelce and DC Steve Spagnuolo. With Chris Jones as honorable mention.
Some people are saying that Steve Spagnuolo may be the greatest DC of all time.
https://www.nfl.com/news/greatest-nfl-defensive-coordinator-of-all-time-chiefs-steve-spagnuolo-presents-compelling-case. Whether Spags is the greatest DC of all time is debate for another day. . But he was the DC for the Giants when the Giants knocked off the undefeated Tom Brady led Patriots in the Super Bowl.
There were a lot of 49ers fans at the Senior Bowl too. They love to troll. The big surprise was how many Lions fans were there, but that might have something to do with Michigan winning the national championship.
Still, they were cool and because I told them I was born in Macomb County, Michigan, they regarded me as neutral.
Spags wouldnt even been on the 4th Mount Rushmore. Kelce might not be on it. They’ve had other players that have meant more to the team.
Derrick Thomas, Len Dawson, Tony Gonzalez, just off of the top of my head. Chiefs fans would probably put half of those guys in.
Only team that makes me root for the Chiefs is the 9ers. Now I have to hear about “their dynasty” for a whole year, every day down here.
B.K. It’s I was talking about the current Chief dynasty.
Oh man, I sure remember as a kid watching those 60’s Chiefs teams. Dawson, Otis Taylor, Willie Lanier, Buck Buchanan, Emmitt Thomas, and many more all-time greats.
Did any team draft from HBCU’s back then better than the Chiefs? Maybe the Steelers?
Those players have a reverence down here. And with a lot of my family members. I think part of it is you enjoy the hell out of whatever you can through the bad times. Had some great players that never won it all (not the case for some of the guys you mentioned).
Maybe the Packers
A telling statistic: CMC 80 yards rushing, Patrick Mahomes 66 yards rushing.
Chiefs are my 2nd favorite team since the 90’s and I regularly trek to Arrowhead for games. I’m not ready to annoint Mahomes the GOAT – such talk is silly at this point. But he is certainly building the resume and on the right trajectory.
I have a lot of friends in the Bay Area and I’m sad for them. But for all of the obnoxious 49er fans out there, and there are sooooo many, knowing they are spending this evening with their guts ripped out is a good bit of schadenfreude. May this latest choke be the beginning of their tailspin back to the bottom of this division.
Brock Purdy is saying all the right things in his presser, but he made the right read to win the game. The “I’ve got to be better” bit doesn’t work for me. He did enough.
Fumbles and penalties killed them.
Not sure I agree. That 3rd and 5 on the last drive in regulation he had Aiyuk wide open in the slot but was locked in on another receiver. Converting there all but seals a win
I can’t remember it perfectly but I thought Purdy saw instant pressure there, didn’t seem like he had much opportunity to go through multiple progressions
You may be right. It was my immediate reaction because i like to play Romo before the snap and saw my call develop. Either way, Palatypus is right on about other factors, including the inexplicable soft D immediately after the go ahead after an otherwise solid game plan.
I think that a lot of teams are desperate for QBs right now. There hasn’t been a lot of QB help for teams the past few years.
Purdy looks like the only decent QB from the 2022 draft. I am not even sure that Purdy would work on any other team. From last year, Young already looks like a bust, Stroud is a stud, Richardson is a question mark and Levis needs a lot of improvement.
In the 2024 Draft, we are already pretty sure that the first 3 picks are going to be QBs. I also see a lot of desperate teams that need a new QB like Las Vegas, Denver, Pittsburgh and Atlanta. Add in teams with aging QBs like Seattle, Minnesota, and the Rams.
Is Tennessee going to give up on Levis already and spend another Day 2 pick on a QB?
Do the Jets decide to get Rodgers replacement thus year?
I think that all seven of the QBs that Rob talks about in this video are gone well before Seattle picks in the Third Round.
I’m not convinced at all the top three this year will be all QB’s
I can’t see Chicago passing on Williams at 1.1. New England needs a new QB more than just about anyone. If they roll Zappe out this season, the fans might riot.
I can see the possibility that Washington could go BPA on a receiver and roll with Howell another season. However, Washington has a new GM along with a new coaching staff itching to start over.
It’s not a case of them rolling out Bailey Zappe
They might trade back into the late first and take Marvin Harrison Jr at #3. That’s entirely realistic
Washington will not go with Howell. He is done. They are taking a QB, probably Jayden Daniels
Drake Maye isn’t what the media have been telling everyone he is
Blog favorite Wisconsin LB Leo Chenal had a good night for the Chiefs
https://www.kiro7.com/video/raw-video/video-chris-francis-sits-down-with-new-seahawks-head-coach-mike-macdonald/cc1916e7-6f8e-4a0a-a07f-c51f7d318552/
Mike spoke with KIRO 7. Some good tidbits.
It’s too bad the Seahawks missed out on Anthony Richardson last year. I think if Richardson develops as a passer he could possibly be a Mahomes-like QB.
He looked a lot better than I expected. Called that one wrong.
Really a shame they couldnt move up last yr and get a QBoTF. With what we know now, its likely PC probably prevented JS from making such a move.
That Super Bowl was not very good. It didn’t feel like the 2 best teams left. It didn’t feel like a heavyweight fight. It was messy and sloppy. I felt like both teams didn’t execute very well on both sides of the ball.
The ending was great but everything else was eh…I will give it to the Chiefs because they have won their Super Bowls in 3 different ways.
It was a great game! Full of tension and drama and utter unpredictability.
And a LOT of hard hitting/great D play.
Not every game is a 900 yards and a bucket of touchdowns.
You’ll be telling me the 6-6 tie with the Cardinals isn’t on your top three all times games next………
It wasn’t that good until the end. It was sloppy.
Mahomes and Reid are a joy to watch. High level execution when it matters. Got no problem with them winning. I agree that if you don’t have a QB who can make a play on his own you can’t win without the perfect circumstance
Also where can I start the, Shanny wanted Purdy to win the MVP rumor so he didn’t give it to CMC with the game on the line?
I’d happily run with that rumor! Shanahan’s ego has blown 3 Super Bowls because he can’t be content with just running the ball. That doesn’t reflect his unparalleled genius well enough.
I’d be very nervous about trading down too far in the 1st in order to pick up a 2nd round pick. Whether a coincidence or not, all of John Schneider’s best drafts have come when picking in the top 20. Surely it’s a case of quantity over quality?
I’d rather see the team recurperate a 2nd round pick, which I hope they do and draft a QB, by packaging their two 3rds to move up. They can pick up later picks by trading a player or two, who might not fit into the character or playing profile required by Mike Macdonald? But to miss out on Fuaga, Verse or Robinson, only the future will tell us, but it could feel like TJ Watt all over again.
quality over quantity of course!!! der
Well, the chances are the three players you mentioned won’t be there at #16
But that’s my point Rob, if one of these guys falls to you, you have to pull the trigger, rather than premeditate a trade back.
I think there’s every chance a top 15 guy falls to 16, if a couple of the other teams above reach for need. I haven’t seen, so far, many mocks putting Chop Robinson in the top 15 for example, but i’d be super excited if Seattle drafted him.
Not saying I want this to happen but I wonder what the potential for the Seahawks to trade for Justin Fields is. I would imagine the Bears are looking for a 2nd but would they get it with the depth at QB available and given the choice would you trade a 3rd for Fields or use it on say Spencer Rattler.
I’d welcome him here.
If Bears get anything higher than a 3rd from anyone though someone should call the police because there has been a blatant robbery.
I wish we could move on from this
Fields isn’t good. It’s amazing that people want to bring in someone as bad as he is, at a great trade price, then have to pay him
Then have to pay him….
What is it that people aren’t getting about this?
Watched a great video from “that franchise guy,” on YouTube about his top ten qbs. Pretty much how I see it.
-Throw a lottery ticket at Rattler.
-Get Penix and hope you can fix his middle field issues.
-get Nix and hope you can get him to be a little less conservative
Any of the three even taken at #16 on down will be around the sane cost for four years as what you might have to pay fields in a single year.
Fields comes up in *every* comment section these days.
I don’t get it.
What in the world has Fields done to warrant this kind of speculation?
Is he perceived as a great QB prospect still?
I feel like his “value” is solely tied up in where he was drafted, and a handful of clueless media pundits who talk him up for some weird reason.
38G
30INT
38FUM
Just a reminder to all of you that wish the Hawks could’ve moved up last year to get a QBotF when we had the ammo to do so……..the Colts tanked their last game vs. the Texans or our team would’ve had the #4 overall pick and could’ve had Richardson. Of course the question is would Carroll have gone for it? And who knows if AR will become a top flight QB with Seattle? I’d have liked to get him though. Regardless, please never root for the Colts at least until Irsay sells.
I agree, Big Mike.
But it would have been even more frustrating to have that #4 pick, and then not take Richardson.
If Pete was really overruling JS on draft decisions, then there is no way we end up with Richardson.
I have several takes from the game. First of all I want to go back to the 2nd 9er-Hawks game, and in that game it was very chippy. Warner decided to hit DK after he stripped the ball away in his back…..Then went over to the sidelines to gloat about it, he got away with it, and at that moment all I wanted was that dude crying after the SB….Check.
Secondly, obviously Mahomes is what he is, however on that last drive I was focused in on the OL of KC. THEY stepped up big time, especially the guards. This is VITAL for the Seahawks. The experiment of Lewis being moved to LG was a huge head scratcher. All it has done is make him middling and we still don’t know what we have in last years choices at C & RG…..Very obvious needs for the Hawks for whomever the new (or old) QB is.
I’m just glad the dang thing is over so they can actually get down to the business of forming the team. This year is going to be so exciting for a Hawk fan to watch.
Rob do you think the NIL is going to change the draft at all going forward?
It’s already massively impacted it in terms of players declaring
I think that’s more or less it for now — and I think college football knows it needs to manage the situation better. I think we’ll see contracts brought in, with salaries, rather than NIL soon — likely with a ‘super conference’ in the near future
Good thoughts, at my function as overtime started I called a Chiefs victory saying “the Chiefs will put the ball in Mahomes hands and he will win, the 9ers won’t trust Purdy to win it.”
To my surprise, the 9ers took the ball and had Purdy try to win it, and he choked horribly. Had a dubious holding call not been made, it would have been 3 and out. 9ers leaned on CMC to a fault, and when Purdy was asked to deliver, he choked again.
Mahomes did Mahomes things, the result was never in question.
—
Shanahan going away from CMC to favor Purdy in the 2nd half gave me shades of 2015.
—
Fred Warner looked old and slow in this game. He was copulating Kelce’s face on the non-call in the 4th.
—
Watching this game made me feel better about our coaching changes than I did before.
On to the QB discussion, because this Super Bowl demanded it. Mahomes and Reid delivered the thesis statement that a game manager isn’t good enough. Special traits, special upside.
I’ve been more critical of this class than most following the NIL fueled attrition. Williams and Daniels are the R1 QBS, Rattler and Penix are R3, Travis is day 3. The rest of this class is a pass for me. I’d rather Geno/Lock versus that field. 2024 have a more QB with that special factor, and look more likely to realize it.
This has been my frustration when trying to construct a draft that feels right. A QB other than Daniels in the 1st feels like a reach. And while I’m not sure he goes 2, I’m not confident he goes outside the top 8. R3 on Rattler or Penix feels right and let’s those premium picks be used on surer players, would a R2 be a reach? Yes, but not egregious.
The Seahawks are frankly not that far away from these teams, but also it seems like a mile away. The plan almost certainly has to be cut/trade for cap – Prez/Diggs/Geno/etc…. Then move down in the first and stay true to their board.
I’m reminded that Mahomes was not a sure thing, KC got burned in some post draft grades. Looking back the consensus on Mahomes was late first early second.
Saying that, there is a non-zero chance that Daniels slides to 10 or 12, that to me screams trade up.
I’m warming up to the idea of Lock, another vet, and drafting Travis in R5. Give Lock a full year as a starter if he wins hit. Give Travis a year to sit and learn on IR. Attack QB in 2025.
Told my Mrs, when 9ers were held to the FG “Mahomes is going to drive them down the field and throw a game winning TD pass”.
Completely disagree about the holding call being dubious. He half spun him. And I was rooting for KC so not a rooting interest disagreement. Really felt it was a legit penalty.
“Purdy choked”seems a bit OTT but I do think more CMC would have been the better approach.
Qualify – dubious given what Warner did to end the 4the getting no call. And generally how the game had been officiated.
Of the 4 passes I saw were Purdy was asked to elevate in OT, he failed, maybe choked is a little much, but appeared like a QB drafted in the 7th round? Yep, 100%.
Didn’t want to tee this up, but in fairness, Geno probably wins that game for the 9ers.
The one thing the playoffs this year demonstrated to me beyond a shadow of a doubt: anyone who reasoned this year that the Seahawks could sneak into the playoffs and “you never know what might happen” in response to legitimate concerns raised are kidding themselves.
Teams in the playoffs this year were tough, authentic to their identity, had a staff that know how to implement their star players and left it all out on the field.
Hit the nail on the head – tough.
I saw a hell of a lot of hard nosed old fashioned brutality throughout the playoffs.
It was great to see, instead of watching our powder puff attempts.
And yet people really did believe we weren’t that far off
Crazy
Hi, I’m people, just said this in my overlong post.
“The Seahawks are frankly not that far away from these teams, but also it seems like a mile away.”
And I’d argue that it is a fair point, you can get lucky once, and even twice (like the 9ers did) but 3rd time luck is going to wear thin.
The frustrating part of the Seahawks is they were directionless, or multi-directional, depending on how you look at it
My hope is there is a clear direction.
RE: QBs in the draft that can do what Mahomes can do. We’ll likely never be in a position to draft the sure thing QB. Mahomes himself wasn’t Mahomes coming out of college. He did display some characteristics that a few of the tier two QBs this year display though.
Big arm
Creativity
Mobility
Solid build/frame
I’d argue that Bo Nix and Spencer Rattler both display enough of these traits to be worthy of serious consideration.
I don’t foresee Seattle ever being bad enough to be where Chicago is, so they’re going to have to rely on some luck to find that QBOTF. You can’t get lucky if you don’t take the risk. I believe that’s why Seattle hasn’t picked a QB. Pete wasn’t willing to take a risk. I sure hope John is.
I never worry about being in position to draft a sure thing qb.
John and his staff of scouts and the staff of coaches need to have belief in their convictions about who the next qb is, why they are the next, and how they get there.
Much respect to John this off season. Much is made of his admiration of Mahimes and his desire to trade wilson for Allen ( essentially) are we not going to talk about how Lamar Jackson was right there for us to draft that year?
I’m hoping ( not trusting til I see it) that away from Pete John will have creativity and vision going forward.
Lamar needed to go to the right system.
I’ve always been irked by the ‘only if we drafted Parsons or player X’ crowd. Had Brett Favre stayed in Atlanta, he likely never becomes Favre.
Absent a Bledsoe injury, Brady may be an answer to a trivia question.
The greater point is that Mahomes wasn’t a sure thing, in fact I suspect that as he dropped Schneider may have been wondering if he would get in reasonable range (Tannehill almost had years before).
Why is Caleb Williams considered an NFL lock? I see a physically gifted QB. But one who is aN emotional light weight. I don’t see someone who would lead a team down the field to win a Super Bowl. He wilts. The image of him cuddling with mommy in the stands after a loss screams of instability. Not someone who leads troops into battle.When has he led any of his college teams to anything? USC grossly under performed last year.
Shane Waldron won’t help him elevate either.
If Chicago can trade picks with WA for some capital…then draft Jayden Daniels, they should.
I’m so bored of people calling Caleb Williams an emotional lightweight because of one piece of harmless emotion he shared with his mother after having his dreams crushed
Meanwhile the best player in the league regularly has little meltdowns all the time and has been known to be a little emotional. It’s nothing
Drama for drama’s sake…
Cynic in me says the media is incentivized to create as much uncertainty as possible
The knock on Caleb is he could end up in Chicago, Wash, or NE – none of which look in good shape to develop a rookie QB – especially one with high expectations
Ok.
Now, what has he done to demonstrate himself as a clutch performer?
As a leader?
I see nothing, but am open to being convinced.
I’m just constantly thinking about John Schneider’s possible mind set this off-season — which is try to hit the home run.
I know it’s decisive and I’m over it too but I wouldn’t be shocked if Geno is on the team. I wouldn’t be shocked if he’s traded. I would be sort of surprised if the Hawks don’t leave this draft without a QB in the first 2 rounds.
It’s about hitting home runs. Not singles and doubles. Penix has a huge arm but something about him doesn’t scream JS to me. I look at the potential to be different and game changing. It’s what Rob said. That is Caleb Williams and to a lesser extent Rattler.
I’m still excited about the future. Whatever the changes are, I hope it’s done with intention and not with a band-aid philosophy. I think that was Carroll’s thing. He wanted to he quick fix.
My take is that none of the quarterbacks available to the Seahawks this draft are capable of taking the team to the super bowl. The only two names I like are Williams and Daniels, and they won’t last beyond #2 pick. Sooo
I would punt on choosing a quarterback early. Let all the other (seven?) teams that need quarterbacks fight it out. Build the rest of your team instead.
Try to act more like New England and tank the 2024 season for draft position. Then they can go into the 2025 draft in a good position and find their quarterback then.
In other words, I don’t think Penix, Nix or Rattler will get you to a superbowl unless there is an elite team wrapped around them.
Rob, definitely agree the ‘Hawks should let the draft come to them w/r/t the QB position. I do have one thought on the possibility of taking Penix, though: if I can jump sports for a moment, it feels similar to me to the Canucks taking Tom Willander at #12 in the last NHL draft. A lot of public-sphere draft/prospect writers called that an overdraft, given who else was available, and on a pure talent basis, I think they were right. I don’t think, though, that Vancouver’s FO was simply forcing the draft because they were determined to take the best defenseman on the board regardless. Reading interviews with the kid after the draft, I came to believe they weren’t just betting on the *talent*, they were betting on the *person*, that he is the sort who will rise to challenges, overcome adversity, and learn to do what he needs to do to be the best player he can be.
I think a Penix pick would be similar. I have no idea how the new VMAC braintrust rates Penix, but I suspect they see the same weaknesses and shortcomings you do. If they take him, I think that would mean betting on the *person*, given the adversity he’s already overcome, to be dedicated enough, intelligent enough, coachable enough, and of high enough character to address those weaknesses and shortcomings, and to keep working until they are no longer problems.
Whether JS/MM/RG believe that or not, I have no idea. Whether they would be right to do so or not, ditto. If they do, though, that seems to me to be a defensible evaluation, especially since RG knows him better than anyone else in the NFL does; and if they choose to place that bet, I will be hopeful about the result.