1. Mike Davis deserves an opportunity to win the starting running back job full time. When he’s had an opportunity to start he hasn’t let anyone down. He’s explosive, powerful and seemingly equipped to take on a big workload. Nobody can dispute Chris Carson is the most physically talented running back on the roster. Yet the Seahawks need consistency at the position — they haven’t had it since 2014. Davis and Rashaad Penny showed last week they can be a duo. Let’s see how they get on not just against the Rams but also against the Raiders in London.
2. Contrary to what many will tell you, there’s nothing wrong with Seattle’s approach of emphasising the run and complimenting it with defense and special teams. That’s how they won a Super Bowl in 2013 and it’s how Denver did it in 2015. This idea that it’s suddenly an ‘outdated’ ideology is nonsense. The defense needs more parts and they could probably use another weapon on offense. That would give them a fighting chance to control games, set the tempo and win. They need another off-season and unfortunately on Sunday the Rams could exploit Seattle’s injuries and lack of D-line depth. It’s hard to stay committed to the run if you’re chasing a double-digit deficit. That’s what they have to avoid on Sunday. Not easy. LA are legit. You might want to settle for a competitive game and a bit more ambition in the passing game.
3. Of all the prospective free agents the Seahawks could target, I think Jadeveon Clowney is the one I’d most like to see in Seattle. He’s never truly put together a full season due to injuries or consistency. Yet anyone who saw Clowney in college will be well aware that he’s a freak of nature with game-wrecking talent. Last Sunday was a great example of that. He had four TFL’s, two sacks, a fumble recovery and a touchdown against the Colts. When he’s on it, he’s unstoppable. We saw that when he played the Seahawks last season. He also has the size to play inside/out and hold up against the run. Seattle isn’t going to be in range for a Nick Bosa, Clelin Ferrell or Ed Oliver in the 2019 draft. If you’re hoping for a D-line off-season boost, the best bet might be to pair someone like Clowney with a contract extension for Frank Clark and then add some front-seven speed in the first round. Go and get the quickest EDGE you can find. Alternatively, go and get that forever elusive interior rusher.
4. People are probably going to overreact to the Earl Thomas injury and inevitable departure and start mocking safeties to Seattle when draft season comes around. Bradley McDougald, Tre Flowers, Justin Coleman and Shaquill Griffin have been fantastic. Pete Carroll is a master at developing defensive backs. Thomas is a legendary player and one of the all-time greats at his position. There won’t be another Earl sat waiting in the first round in 2019. They’ll have to come up with a solution but Carroll is the man to unearth one. Hopefully a replacement emerges from Tedric Thompson, Delano Hill, newly signed T.J. Green, Shalom Luani or Maurice Alexander. If not, they’ll likely do what they’ve consistently done. Find an unexpected diamond.
5. Next week I’ll be attending the Seahawks press conferences leading up to the Raiders game in London (which I will also be attending). I intend to head down to London on the Thursday and will be there until Monday morning.
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Why do you think we always struggle earlier in the year to put everything together? Even when we ere at our best the first 6 games were rough.
No idea but it’s been a common theme for years. I suppose some other teams generally start well and finish poorly too.
Exactly. KC does this regularly and in Seattle’s off years with Wilson still manage to win a playoff game. If we had a kicker last season, I’m not so sure we don’t win another wild card round game before bowing out in the on the road.
That has shaped my perception of the team also. I went back through last five years and the win column wasn’t as bad as I thought. Seahawks are usually at least 2-2 in first four games. But they fail the eye test. Plays look awkward. Low yardage= especially in first half. Can’t convert third downs, etc.
The only constant in all of this is Russell Wilson, Baldwin, an offensive line that rates somewhere between low to average, and Pete Carroll. What does that mean? I don’t know….
This isn’t helped by my enthusiasm for Tom Brady and the Patriots. Even when they struggle early season they still move the ball. And everyone expects them to win the division and have a 50-50 shot of winning the AFL no matter how bad they look the first game or two.
Already dreading reading the usual ill-informed mock drafts from the “experts” having us take an OT or S/CB in round 1. I’m hoping they do what they normally do and play to the draft’s strengths by taking a DE/Pass Rusher (obviously all speculative right now given how far away the draft is, but still).
I think they have to resign Clark now no matter what, and pair him with a Clowney/Lawrence type guy. I would preferably avoid Ziggy Ansah given his age/inconsistency. I would hope to see Dion Jordan flash some more this year, and resign him to a cheap deal as a rotational piece. The slow development of Naz Jones has been frustrating so far this year, so maybe splurging on Grady Jarrett at DT might make some sense too.
I think it’s very possible we could see a dramatically improved D-Line next year, if they’re willing to spend big $ on (which they’ll have). All said and done could look something like this:
DE: Frank Clark
DT: Jarran Reed
DT: Grady Jarrett
DE: Rasheem Green
OLB: Jadeveon Clowney
Plus: Dion Jordan, 1st Round Draft Pick DE, Naz Jones, Poona Ford
With Reed’s rapid improvement in rushing the passer this year, that would be a deadly DL. The only question is if the FO wants to keep that much of their cap tied into it, as Wilson’s extension is coming up as well.
I agree, especially with Reed’s pass rush improvement so far. If he keeps it up he could find his way to the Pro Bowl this year.
I hope the FO invests this much in the front 7. I suppose I forgot to mention KJ will need to be extended as well so that’s even more $ but I really can’t think of anywhere more important to put their $ right now. And now the loss of Kendrick’s destroys the best LB depth we’ve had in what feels like decades, so the more quality AND quantity in the front 7 this offseason, the better IMO
No doubt!
I would bet GOOD money that Walterfootball will have the Hawks reaching for a “under the radar” (Strong) Safety prospect with the caption starting out; “Earlier this season the Seahawks lost all-pro Safety Earl Thomas making this selection of ____ a natural fit for them as they look to establish a new Legion of Boom… Blah blah blah.”
It basically writes itself, which given the insight most of these “draft experts” have, it just may as well.
1. I know two things about Carson; 1. He’s our best RB, 2. He’s never made it through a football season injury free in, basically, his entire life. Hand the rock to Carson, Penny, and Davis. All three need to play because Carson can’t handle 20+ carries with any consistency. It’s silly to give the ball to Davis more than Carson just because he’s healthier. They need to balance it out. Although I like Penny fine, he’s another first round pick who doesn’t seem destined for an eventual Pro Bowl.
For those who would like to trade Russell Wilson for three third round picks… would you trade Wilson for any combination of three of these guys as rookies… James Carpenter, Bruce Irvin, Germain Ifedi, Rashaad Penny. Be careful what you wish for in the first round with Schneider and Carroll in charge.
2. Yes. There are different ways to skin a cat. I think Jacksonville is going to go to the Super Bowl this year and the only thing they care about doing is playing defense and running the ball. The Seahawks simply don’t have the talent to execute this game plan, just as Sean McVay would suck if his QB was Rick Mirer, best WR was Koren Robinson, and had a line of a bunch of Sean Locklear, Ray Roberts, Joe Tofflemire, Garry Gilliam, etc.
3. They need talent. No doubt. I worry about Clowney and his health. In his first four NFL seasons, he only ever played a full season once. Guys with that micro fracture surgery in their past scare me (especially in terms of big money).
4. The Carroll/Thomas debate will be settled on the field soon. The only time the Seahawks were without Earl Thomas at FS – the secondary went to trash. Lets hope Thompson is much more adequate than their “depth” last time ET went down with a season ending injury.
5. This is going to be awesome! I can’t wait to read what you’ve got to write!
4. The thing I worry about w/o Earl is, now who becomes the extension of PC in that secondary?
5. I’ll second that.
A quick note on Davis — I actually think there’s a heck of a player in him. Physically Carson is a monster. But I do wonder if Davis could be ‘better’. I want to see more of him above all else.
Davis has the best lateral agility out of all of our RBs for sure. He reads his blockers patiently, and once a hole appears, he explodes through it. I’ve always thought that Davis had the best combination of ability + availability out of our RBs. Carson is just not reliable health-wise, and Penny still looks rusty and unsure of himself (although he did look much better last week).
Davis’ cuts and jump cuts are what get me. Unreal at times for his size.
I agree that we should look at the three headed monster approach. If we can get 35-40 carries a game between the three you might have 15 for Carson and 10 each for Penny and Davis.Need more screen passes in there as well.
Yes, more RPO! That is the one thing that is missing this year
I don’t think a split like that works.
One back needs enough carries to get a rhythm going. I want to see a split like we saw in arizona between two backs.
Do you think that it’s time to try Prosise at WR?
He may be out of the RB rotation and some would say that WR depth could use some help. Prosise played WR at Notre Dame.
If not, do they need to free up that roster spot?
I keep forgetting Prosise is even on the roster
The very definition of an afterthought.
Apart from the two-minute drive at the end of the first half did Prosise even get in the game?
Don’t think so
I hate to relate everything to Marshawn, but he has the wide-legged running style that kept Marshawn so balanced. He seems to be able to push off either leg at will with great lateral explosion.
“For those who would like to trade Russell Wilson for three third round picks…” I don’t think anyone has put that forward as compensation lol. I know you meant three 1st round picks. Using the rationale that you did with regards to Carp, Irvin, Ifedi & Penny, how about another scenario…
The first 2 of those 1st round picks are Russell Okung & Earl Thomas. The last one is traded for a 2nd, 3rd & 5th round pick and those become Bobby Wagner, Russell Wilson & Richard Sherman. Now we’re talking! Welcome to the Twilight Zone.
The fun of the draft is in the potential. I waited 4 decades for Russell Wilson’s arrival. If there’s a trade in the cards it better damn sure net a return closer to my scenario than to yours. That’s playing with fire inside of a tinder box.
Yep.
Perfectly stated Rob, top to bottom.
Having Carson/Penny/Davis is the foolproof answer to a running game constantly derailed by injuries since 2015. Having any 2 out of those 3 on game day should allow the run game to be implemented whenever and however they want to.
There is nothing more painful than watching an offense that was build to start with running the ball unable to do so.
In the past two games the offense did not look good. There is a ton of work to do and it will take time. However, it looked right. The running game is on a steady upward curve and if the Arizona game is the new base line, there is a lot an offense can do once teams need to account and prepare for a 170 rushing yards at 5 YPC offense.
Looking at Griffin and Flowers play should be a reminder regarding what Pete Carroll brings to a football team. We have lost the last 3 members of the LOB in the last 12 months and we will enter 2019 with a the secondary being and position of strength.
I am flying with my son to see the Raiders game in London. It is the first Seahawks game I will see live in a stadium after following them from afar since 1979 and I’ll get to see the Seahawks and Lynch play….cool
Have a safe trip and enjoy the experience!
I liked that Mike Davis was on the roster last season and contributing, but I didn’t think a ton of him as a player last season. But in preseason and in last week’s game he’s looked like he found another gear. He was by far the biggest bright spot to that ugly game in Arizona.
Even if Carson is feeling better this week I’d love to see them give Davis a chance to continue producing. He’s shown an ability to both run and catch, and he’s clearly eager to make a mark if those “you’re sleeping on me” TD celebrations are any indication. Maybe he benefited heavily from being fresh, but he’s shown more vision than Penny so far and that’s valuable behind this emerging run blocking unit.
I know the top of the draft is full of DL prospects, but do you see an LB’s worth a top 15 pick? It doesn’t appear we have a ton of depth.
I see two. D’Andre Walker at Georgia and Devin White at LSU. White more of a MIKE. Walker can play SAM/LEO.
We need a linebacker in the worst way. The fact that they signed Kendricks, knowing that he would be suspended soon, days a lot. KJ is also getting up there in age. If they can’t get a difference-making DL, go for the game-wrecking LB.
I’m down with that. Especially with KJ out of contract and Kendricks’ future uncertain.
Gotta have LB’s crucial to the Seahawks D but its hard to find big, fast, durable, smart, guys that can get the job done so when one or two are available in the draft we better draft them.
1. Mike Davis deserves to be one of the starters until someone shows that they are better. I’m hoping that Penny will take over the lead position by end of year. I still want to see Davis out there as a permanent part of the team. He is too valuable when the others are injured.
2. I think a certain Kenneth Arthur on Field Gulls is the one stirring the pot about running versus passing. After reading his latest article, I think that either the rule changes have helped the passing game, or the newer QBs have become that much better at passing. He made a historical point about Geoff being capable of surpassing Joe Montana’s best season. Six quarterbacks completing 69% or higher of passes. Somehow the league is taking a step forward to a more pass happy offense.
Will that be the Seahawks in two years? Or will they get left behind?
I remember watching the Seahawks establish the run against Arizona, carefully working it down the field, using 7 minutes as they controlled the clock, and getting a field goal. Yeah!!! Does anyone really think that is enough to win games anymore.
3. As far as Clowney goes, I love the player and would like to have him, but I doubt the Seahawks can pay what he will want. Besides they didn’t get as much out of Sheldon Richardson as they hoped for, so would this be a repeat of the Richardson experiment?
Yes, Kenny has been banging the pass-happy drum for a while now, and this latest article is definitely aimed at provoking people like Rob who argue the run game still matters. I’ll take Rob and the eye test over the advanced stats crowd any day.
I had to unfollow the Field Gulls account on twitter.
I didn’t care much for Jurassic World as a film. I previously enjoyed the first Jurassic Park film in the 90’s. If I spent virtually every day on Twitter talking about why Jurassic World sucks I think people would tell me to STFU and talk about something else.
That’s how I feel about the never ending running game debate.
The lines have been drawn. Everyone’s opinions on the matter established. But for some reason, a select collection of people just keep repeating the same arguments over and over again. Maybe it gets clicks? Maybe they need everyone to agree with them to get their kicks? Who knows.
And then they have the audacity to start referring to a ‘pro run crew’. Let’s be clear. There’s the ‘anti run game brigade’ and then there’s everyone else who is frankly sick to death of it filling their bloody timelines every week.
I’m so tired of it. I’m tired of Seahawks twitter.
Agree 100% Rob. Most of it gets to a point where it should just not be dignified with a response. Unfollowing and taking breaks is absolutely necessary anymore. Even talking to others about it just occupies too much headspace.
Sometimes you really do just need to stop wasting energy on things. Reading the anti run obsession on Seahawks twitter is a great example. Unfollow. Tune out. Move on. That’s what I’ve done and I recommend everyone else does the same.
I hear what you’re saying Rob. But Kenneth and others have a lot of data that proves their point. It keeps getting brought up because the Seahawks are doing the opposite of what the numbers/data say, and have one of the league’s worse offenses. I don’t think there’s a ton of reason for Seahawks twitter to point out potential reasons for the Seahawks having one of the worst offenses despite one of the best quarterbacks. I’m not trying to provoke anyone..but the “anti run” people may be banging the drum because people are refusing to listen to their points and the Seahawks offense keeps proving their points.
They have some data that enables them to make a hypothesis. That’s it. They haven’t ‘proven’ anything.
Neither is anybody ‘refusing to listen’ to their points. Some of us simply disagree and have had enough of them going on and on and on and on and on and on about it. It’s become what defines them. Everything is about the bloody run game. I’m not even totally opposed to what they’re saying. In some cases it’s interesting. But they speak as if they have all the answers and become hostile to any challenge. Sulking is common.
Heck, I’d challenge anyone to listen to my podcasts with Kenny and tell me I’m the one not listening to the opposing arguments.
For me they just talk with an unqualified finality. Not every offense has to be an identikit to succeed. A running game or running back can be an important factor. There are many different ways to win in the league. Not one way. That’s the point a lot of us make. The people making the other side of the argument are nowhere near as flexible. That’s the problem. That and the way they keep inventing arguments that haven’t been made to continue the tedious discussion.
All very good points Rob! I guess I want a “vision” for where is the offense is going holistically.
Are we hoping for 2013-14 Seahawks? Do you think that’s the offense they’re trying to recreate?
Yes. I think they want to feature the run, use a point guard QB and play great defense. The same style that took them to two Super Bowls not so long ago and also helped Denver and Carolina make the SB in 2015.
Ever since Danny left and Kenneth came back to replace him, Field Gulls has significantly dropped off in overall quality imo. Danny always kept it light and made sure quality content was produced consistently.
Yes. I unfollowed Field Gulls on Twitter when Kenneth took over. And frequent the site less. Was never a fan of his before and he got worse after taking over. He gets pretty hostile when you challenge his ideas. Danny is awesome and much more enjoyable to read.
I don’t frequent that site at all anymore unless it’s a little slow over here, which is rare.
Danny was just a genuinely great guy to go along with being a great writer. He never took anything too seriously, and Kenneth is just the complete opposite personality-wise.
Ditto, agree with all three of these posts. Left almost immediately after Danny left, been back only once or twice since.
Perhaps the most annoying part of this Seahawks running game twitter ‘debate’ is the constant comparison of cherry-picking running backs that were drafted later than Rashaad Penny (or any other 1st round running back for that matter), and saying what a waste of a pick it was because player X, who looks good through the first 4 games of his career, was available in Round 6 or whatever. This argument can be made about literally any player at any position as long as someone drafted behind them ends up having a better career. Just a lazy and pointless argument to make.
I remember earlier in the year someone saying that Chris Warren would have been a better running back pick than Penny because he had two good runs in week 1 of the preseason. Now I’m seeing it with Phillip Lindsay and how he has more yards than Saquon Barkley so far this season.
The anti run mob have sore fingers from all the cherry picking they do.
The rest of us have sore heads from having to read it non stop.
“Do running backs matter the least out of those five skill players on the field? More and more evidence is pointing to the answer being “Yes.” – KA
I just find it really strange that, even in this “pass happy” era of the NFL, that for every team in the NFL, it is a RB who leads the team in touches. Since that is the case, how can one logically make the argument KA is (still) trying to make? Is literally every team in the NFL doing it wrong? I don’t think so.
It’s just a waste of time argument.
Ask the Rams if Gurley is their least important skill player.
Cherry picking stats is a fun.
Example – In the modern NFL – a prolific passing game is the key to winning SBs:
Last 5 SB champions:
2013 SEA ranked 26th in passing yards per game.
2014 NE ranked 9th in passing yards per game.
2015 DEN ranked 14th in passing yards per game.
2016 NE ranked 4th in passing yards per game.
2017 PHI ranked 13th in passing yards per game.
* None of the past 5 SB champions were in the top 3 in passing yards per game.
* Only one team was in the top 5.
* Only 2 teams made the top 10.
Conclusion – In the modern NFL, a prolific passing game is not a key ingredient in winning SBs and investment in passing QBs/WRs/TEs is a waste of money.
HA! Eran, very nice.
The 7:00-minute drive ending in a field goal coupled with a D that forces a 3-out on the next series is a winning formula, still.
Pete can’t always get the team to perform to his vision, but there is little argument his philosophy can be/is successful.
1. A balanced offence (capable of running to control the game; explosive run and pass plays).
2. Defense that is stout against the run, limits explosive plays and is adept at takeaways.
3. Special, special teams play
I have un-followed FG twitter, and have stopped reading Kenny’s articles. Honestly, I think they are just click bait.
You have just mentioned the only predicative stat to winning SBs.
It is very funny but there is only one stat that all those SB champions shared and that is being in the top 10 defending against the run. It’s very strange since it actually forces teams to abandon the run in favor of the all mighty passing game.
2013 SEA 7th in rushing yards allowed per game.
2014 NE 9th in rushing yards allowed per game.
2015 DEN 3rd in rushing yards allowed per game.
2016 BE 4th in rushing yards allowed per game.
2017 PHI 1st in rushing yards allowed per game.
Open you checkbooks and start signing big run stuffing DTs.
Eran, have your written an article around that, ever? If so I have missed it, but it (run defense as a predictor of SB champions) deserves to be highlighted.
I never did. I believe in cause and effect rather than statistics. However, defending against the run has been way more than a trait common to SB winners.
If you take all games in the NFL and try to correlate any yards stat offensive or defensive over the past decade with winning those games – The only stat that gives you over 60% is defending against the run.
It’s one of those hidden statistic gems that is usually dismissed by anti-run fans with the answer that losing teams do not try to run at you when you lead.
Is this a reflection (or indeed confirmation) of the oft heard argument that controlling one element of the run/pass restricts offences to being one-dimensional and hence easier to defend against? It certainly seems to be PC’s belief/approach.
@EranUngar I am not anti-run, but the claim that teams that are behind throw more is well established. You are dismissing it here without any evidence.
@jdk – I am not dismissing it at all. It makes perfect sense that a trailing team will try to pass more so that they do not waste game time on in-completions etc.
We also see leading teams run more at the end of games.
For some reason, the first is used to bolster he “thou should not run” and the second is quietly ignored.
I always wondered why would a leading team abandon the clearly superior passing game (the clock keeps running after a complete pass) in favor of the clearly inferior rushing game. After all, nothing eats more clock than getting a first down and 3 more down to play.
Unless running the ball deed some merit to it….
Eran – Interesting point. We all know strong defenses are better 0 and you got the stats to prove it.
I understand that the world you’re in probably requires some form of Twitter presence. But it’s also the ideal and perfected forum for disordered personalities to have a public voice and instrument. I stopped following what’s posted on Twitter and FB years ago. There are actual news sites and related discussion forums from which to obtain news and opinion.
Twitter is one of the most socially destructive devices ever created. The shaming, marginalization, attention seeking, virtue signaling, faux outrage, knowing better than anyone else, social disapproval and blame assignment are generally unhinged there.
No fan of a team or football in general needs Twitter or Instagram for that. Just saying.
No I agree. Not a fan of Twitter at all. It creates echo chambers, is a haven for abuse and is responsible for a cultural change we may never recover from.
The world I live in most definitely requires a Twitter presence though, unfortunately. I don’t know a journalist who isn’t on Twitter. It’s unavoidable.
Field Gulls went down the drain the minute Kenneth took over for Danny. I no longer go there. I like authors there like Mookie but Kenneth just comes off as ignorant & arrogant. His writing style is unreadable. I can’t wait for him to be kicked out so I can regularly go to field gulls again.
Compounding things, Danny is one of the best. So happy he got out of the SB sweatshop and on with The Ringer
Some things Danny Kelly has written this week:
“The NFL game is now played like basketball on grass, where spacing and tempo have replaced old-school smashmouth principles.”
“That’s likely part of the reason teams are passing more this year, an indication that the league may finally be realizing that passing is more efficient than running.”
“There has been an explosion of passing, and groups like the Chiefs and Rams have exemplified what the ideal modern offense should look like.”
“Under new offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, the team’s identity seems centered on a flurry of clichés: running the ball, staying on schedule, and playing for manageable third-down situations to move the chains and control the clock.”
“Yeah, the Seahawks managed to beat Josh Rosen in his first pro start. But while the 171 yards and two touchdowns they picked up on the ground might be encouraging, Wilson (who finished 19-of-26 passing for 172 yards) languishing in an archaic, all-too-basic scheme is not. This game was a stark contrast with the direction the league is going: As Jared Goff and Patrick Mahomes II tear through opposing defenses with deep shots on second-and-long, Seattle remains committed to playing for manageable third downs and running the rock. And it increasingly feels like a waste of Wilson’s talents.”
Danny Kelly is a fantastic writer. He is an eloquent and reasonable voice that is nonetheless saying pretty much what Kenneth is saying: Seattle needs to start paying attention to league wide offensive trends, because the underlying concepts are not simply fashionable: the represent an evolution in offensive thinking.
Danny is a fantastic writer. I think it’s a shame he’s been lured in by this narrative.
‘Some teams are passing in a creative and so far, successful fashion. Therefore every team must do this too.’
No.
Rob, appreciate the feedback. I know I am a dissenting voice in these parts. I am trying to provide thoughtful rebuttals on an issue that I feel is an important one in the NFL and particularly for the future of the Seahawks.
I am not anti-run. I believe the run is an extremely important part of the modern offense. The Rams, Eagles, Falcons, Patriots, and Saints all use the run in extremely effective and creative ways.
I do believe that the run/pass decision should be situational and reactive. If the defense is going to give a team significant yardage on the ground, teams should take it. I believe it is important to be able to do that efficiently.
However, I don’t like what Seattle appears to be doing on offense. I don’t think ‘establish the run’ and ‘be the bully’ are effective as more creative, progressive approaches. Just because teams can and have won establishing the run doesn’t mean that it is necessarily optimal.
I do think we are witnessing an evolution in the offensive game, which is why I find Danny’s very reasonable voice compelling.
Every team in the NBA attempted more three pointers last year than all but five teams five years ago. It is basically impossible to contend in the NBA if your team is relying on the less efficient mid range jumper. Even DeMar Derozan and the Raptors, a player and a team that were the last bastion of the midrange game, much like Pete is holding to his smashmouth beliefs, finally relented last year and rode a modern approach to the first seed in the east (they couldn’t beat LeBron, but that isn’t a surprise).
Poker has been transformed over the last 15 years by young players who understand probability and expected value. The old guys either adapt or fade away.
European football is about to undergo a similar transformation, as modern analytic tools such as expected goals and big chances come to the fore.
There are precedents for such an evolution. It would be more surprising if the changes weren’t truly revolutionary. Analytics have proven revolutionary in nearly every field of human endeavor.
Why would football be exempt?
I initially wrote out a big long reply about Poker and European football and it involved a reference to BBQ.
I deleted the whole thing to settle for this.
Every five years or so a team does something and everyone reacts. We saw it with the Seahawks when they won. And the Broncos when they won. And now we’re seeing it with the Chiefs and Rams now they’re winning.
Just because the latest trend is here doesn’t mean every team in the NFL has to do the same or they’ll be left behind.
I’ve had my fill of people telling me the revolution is here. It’s bollocks.
I hear that you are frustrated with proclamations, so I will cease and desist with voicing that opinion.
I have a lot of respect for you and I’m trying to see this from your perspective. I used to be part of the anti-run crowd and I have revised that opinion largely due to the debate that has been going on here and on FG for quite a while now, coupled with the success of what I would term progressive offenses that have used the run effectively.
Full disclosure: I have a degree in Actuarial Science (though I did not pursue an actuarial career), so I am both conversant in and a believer in the power of probability and statistical analysis.
Statistics have revolutionized many important endeavors including science, health, economics, manufacturing, finance, and yes, sports. Yes, analytics have limitations and they can be easily abused, but the track record is actually fairly stellar.
So I back track on my initial proclamation that the revolution is here, but I still ask the question, why would it be so surprising if it were here? Why is football exempt from the transformative power of analytics when so many other, much more important, fields have been changed by its use?
I’ve been reporting on English football/soccer for the last 17 years. I’ve not noticed any shift at all on behalf of analytics. The game has changed tactically and players are more athletic and professional in their approach (better diets, preparation). But tactical shifts and changes are trendy like most sports. The World Cup takes place every four years. And every single tournament is tactically different — the formations, the approach. But ultimately the game is the same as it’s always been. The fundamentals remain. The most talented teams win. The best coached teams win. The teams that know what they’re trying to do and execute win.
France won the World Cup this year. They were the most talented team. They didn’t play revolutionary football. They were just better and organised and had clarity on their approach. Simple.
The NFL is no different. One team comes along and does something a bit different. The league reacts — either to copy or counter. Then a new team does something a bit different. Repeat, repeat, repeat. 2-3 years ago everyone wanted to be the Seahawks. Then the Broncos. Now it’s the Chiefs and Rams. We’re not witnessing a major revolution. We’re just witnessing teams that are winning (so far) a certain way. It doesn’t mean you MUST start to do the same and the NFL has been changed forever.
There are many different ways to win. Seattle isn’t picking ‘the wrong way’. They’ve chosen a certain path. And their ability to win will be down to talent and execution. Because that is what matters. You create the vision, you get the talent, you execute. It doesn’t matter if you want to throw all the time, run all the time, put everything on a star QB or start Blake Bortles and play run & defense. Talent and execution. That’s the key.
The Chiefs and Rams are really talented and they execute. Ditto the Jags. Ditto the 2012-14 Seahawks and the 2015 Broncos. Very different approaches. All successful.
And regardless, none of this matters to me. You want my perspective — well here it is. The ‘anti run game’ crowd bore the arse off me. I bet if you go on Ben Baldwin’s twitter account right now, he’ll have been banging on about this yet again today. And I bet anything Field Gulls retweeted it. Because this is where we’re at. A handful of people, constantly making the same arguments every day.
I’ve said this before. I didn’t enjoy Jurassic World. I did enjoy Jurassic Park in the 90’s. If I spent every day arguing about the evolution of the Jurassic Park universe, someone would say to me — “Rob, will you STFU and talk about something else?”. And that would be extremely fair. That’s how I feel about the people who talk about the running game non-stop. And I don’t hold that opinion because I refuse to listen or accept the arguments. I reject the hypothesis for reasons I’ve discussed many, many times. But the real reason I hold an ‘enough already’ opinion is because I’m frankly sick and tired of seeing it infesting my Twitter timeline, to the point I’ve had to unfollow Field Gulls to avoid it.
And please, no more on this. It’s bad enough it dominates the decidedly un-fun Seahawks Twitter. It will not take over the comments section here.
@Rob
I really wanted to change the direction of the debate in a meaningful way.. I am not part of the anti-run Seahawks’ Twitter crowd, but I will attempt to refrain from debate on this subject in this forum going forward.
I apologize. My intent was never to throw gasoline on the fire, though introspect, I should have known better.
I never said soccer has been changed by analytics. I predicted it would be.
Cheers.
No problem 👍🏻
Your comments on the French team cause me to reflect on something Eden Hazard said. To paraphrase: I would rather lose playing the way the Rams play than win playing the way the Seahawks play.
Winning isn’t everything. Playing with creativity and courage is more important to me than results. I guess that is why I am not a fan of Pete or the French. But I will always cheer on the ‘Hawks, even if I would wish for a braver style.
I can’t believe what I just read.
I want to watch the Seahawks win. Period. Anyone who would rather watch them lose, ‘but lose in style’ is being daft.
The soccer parallel is Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal teams, an apt demonstration of the effect of emphasising style over substance. Good to watch but inevitably doomed to fail. To me it misses the essential nature of team sport, which is ‘competition’. Style without substance in sport only leads to failure.
Ditto. I really tried to stick with Field Gulls for a while, but it is just awful now. There really isn’t anything worth reading over there any longer and God help you if you disagree with Kenneth. I unfollowed the Twitter feed, as well. I just couldn’t take it.
It is sad how the content has kinda waned over at Field Gulls. Super thankful for this blog, it’s picked up major slack in my sports diet.
Can’t reply to the above thread anymore as it’s too big, but if I could just applaud Rob for his statements about “vision, talent, and execution,” and also offer this to @jdk:
What Pete is doing is and always has been brave. He came back to the NFL amongst a sea of doubt about him as a professional coach, adopted a style that even in 2010 was considered “old school,” and “archaic,” stuck to his guns, turned over the roster with hundreds of transactions, drafted atypical prospects the league had never even considered could make it in the NFL (Sherman, Chancellor, Wilson), took a RB from the trash heap and set him on a HoF caliber trajectory (Marshawn), and all the while he did it his way when everybody said it wouldn’t work.
Let’s take a moment and everybody admit that we all enjoyed the way the Seahawks won from 2012 up until last year. It was as exciting as any Rams victory (they would be lucky to have close to the success we enjoyed under Pete).
He’s still at it.
It’s even braver today than maybe it was back then. He once said that how you deal with success is as important as how you deal with failure. Well, how we as fans and critics have dealt with the success is to demand and expect it, with no appreciation for the process. The process is the same. Pete once asked the legendary John Wooden how much his philosophy changed from year to year, and John Wooden looked at him quixotically and told him, “It doesn’t. Players change. Your philosophy stays the same.”
Pete said upon his return to the NFL that he would only take a job if he could do it his way, and that the reason he failed as a coach the first time was that he didn’t stick to his vision unapologetically. He said if you have competing visions for how to win, you have no vision for how to win. Like the old saying about QB’s: “If you have two QB’s, you have no QB’s.”
We are in lean times. Our coach isn’t perfect. Our roster is far from perfect. But let’s not go crazy with envy of the Rams or Chiefs. They haven’t done anything yet. They are still trying to reach the level we attained and held for years.
I’ll end with another tired trope: Dance with the one who brought you. We know, as purely a matter of fact, that not only does Pete’s vision dominate when employed correctly, but that it’s also quite a beautiful and exciting thing as well.
Now that the threat of Running game is established…here comes play action! Get ready {hope so}
It’s so frustrating to see Schotty not call more play action passes when Russ is arguably the best PA passer in the league.
It’s possible they were saving a few things for this week. Thought they could beat Arizona with a conservative plan and not tip their hat. Almost went wrong of course. But we’ll see what they do this week.
Rob, I totally agree with that. Normally it doesn’t seem like they “open it up” unless they feel like they have to. This feels like one of those games where they’re definitely going to have to open it up.
I think you’re spot on about the game plan against Arizona. There was even talk about PC having Wilson “play to not lose” down the stretch. They kept it simple and played down to their opponent, for better or worse.
You’re correct: RW has the highest QB rating on PA passes this year, yet currently is bottom 8 in PA attempts.
Since live near Houston I see Clowney a lot and I have to agree that he’s really put together a year and a half of solid football. Especially since he had microfracture surgery a few years back.
He was one of the drafts most coveted players. Watt may convince him to stay in Houston however.
Great thoughts. Here are mine on this Wednesday:
-Seahawks should have no business winning this game. BUT, if they are to pull a W off they will need to get out in front early. For the love of all that is holy, can we please start a game up 14-0? Or even 10-3. We just need to start fast. It’s time.
-Russell Wilson looks to be nursing an injury that is making his movement look labored. It’s very noticeable. And I wonder if its a reason why we’re not seeing as much play action boot legs.
-Mike Davis deserves to start, but it is beyond frustrating that I am writing that sentence. If you pick an RB in the first round, you’d hope that come Week 5 they are able to be better than RB3. I like Penny and I think he has a chance to be good—but its not a great start to his career.
-Let’s do more up tempo offense! No huddle for the first drive of the game. Something different please!
-The defense needs to stop the run first and foremost. You know they’re going to be able to move the ball on you via the air, but you just cannot let them establish Gurley. If they can get us guessing, we are in serious trouble.
If we can stuff the run and keep Gurley in check, I’m actually quite confident in our secondary to keep things buttoned up. Flowers is showing leaps of improvement with every single week, and Shaq has proven himself to be a true CB1. The only question is if Earl’s replacement can prove to not be a liability; McDougald is playing out of his mind this year.
Question, Rob. So I don’t think we’ll be in range to be drafting Nick Bosa, Clelin Ferrell or Ed Oliver either, but what do you think of the level of talent after that? How much of a drop-off is there after?
Realistically, I think we’ll be drafting in the 12-18 range again. Even with a likely trade down, there will most likely be at one of these guys available: Rashan Gary, Raekwon Davis, Christian Wilkins, Dexter Lawrence, Austin Bryant, Brian Burns, Derrick Brown, Zach Allen, Dre’Mont Jones.
I’m really into the idea of picking one of these dudes with our first pick. Would you pick one of these guys up and maybe spend more FA on other positions, or spend big money on a guy like Jadaveon and draft a different position first? Or double down and load big time on D-Line? I ask because Lawrence and Clowney is going to cost a very shiny penny if they do hit FA, and I’m wondering what the best way to balance our resources is.
I want to see a commitment to the D-line and front seven. I think that has to happen. In FA and the draft. Remember, they only have four picks.
It’s too early to suggest who I’d pick but sure, a lot of those names I like a lot. I think I’d like to see them focus on speed in the front seven or an interior rusher.
I think we draft 2 DL minimum if we get more picks like we do every year and if we somehow get 8 to 9 picks I think we take 2DT & 1 DE assuming Clark stays.
Nice piece, Rob. I’ve got a couple of thoughts.
On Clowney, I too would love to see him in Seattle but personally am not comfortable with him not being able to complete a season. As your top guy you want to depend on him. Even though hes clearly the safest bet talent wise, there is a lot of risk involved with giving Clowney top dollar. Not saying I wouldn’t do it, just kinda scary to me.
On Earl’s replacement, you nailed it. Pete is the DB Guru, we will be fine. Although FS has been a dark spot besides Earl for him. McDougald was more than serviceable. But everyone else was pretty mediocre at best. I kind of feel like we do need a legit talent at that spot, and Pete will coach them up to pro bowl level. I would be disappointed if we just throw late round picks at that spot. I prefer free agents, it makes too much sense. Tons of talent gets overlooked at Safety every year, and they’re cheap. If we do look to the draft however, I just want the most durable, fastest and most sound tackling slot corner we can find. Switch em to FS and let Pete do his thing. Obviously it will come down to more than that, but I feel that’s the closest mold we have to look for.
Still think we need more of a imposing presence on the OL, would love to get a big another big mofo for our running backs. Not that we couldn’t make it work with what we have there, just to really solidify an identity if you will. I want to be the bully in the trenches, I want to beat anybody who lines up on us. Just off pure grit. We still are missing that factor IMO. Fluker helps big time but can we trust him? Can we trust him for 3 more years? No. Not saying Rd1 OL, just would love to have a young Fluker type.
I don’t mind them looking later on for O-line talent but they only have four picks next year. To me it’d be a complete waste to go down that road yet again. I love the look of this current O-line and think it’s perfectly imposing. It might be the most tough, physical OL in the league right now. Especially for the way we want to play. Fluker and Sweezy look awesome, Britt compliments them. Ifedi doesn’t get any credit but he deserves TONS for the improvement he’s made this year. Duane Brown is doing a decent job at LT which can’t be underestimated — and he’s a leader. It’s set for me, with Pocic and Hunt as really good backups. Unless any major injuries occur I’d be looking to sign up Sweezy and Fluker to extensions without a second thought. It’s extremely clear the priority needs to be defensive front seven in the draft. Get more speed and more pass rush.
+1000 on the OL. Agree completely Rob. Extend Sweezy and Fluker then with Fant, Pocic, Hunt and Jones who is on IR they should have lots of depth.
Focus on front seven and perhaps a playmaker at WR or TE in this draft. I think they will end up with more than four picks but it is still pretty limited draft capital.
I wouldn’t even dream about thinking of extending Sweeze or fluker until they manage to cobble their broken down bodies through at least 10 games.
Both those guys are beaten up bad and they need to show they can do the job.
And I’ll be rather surprised Brown plays half a season next year.
Rob
It’s like you entered my mind and stole all my Seahawk related thoughts this week 1 through 4.
On the 5 front, excellent news! Looking forward to hearing you get a question in.
Go Hawks!
Rest assured I will be asking a question or two 👍🏻
On the topic of defensive backs, anyone else completely sold on Deionte Thompson as a top 10 prospect and one of the best safety prospects since Berry/Thomas? I’ve been blown away – significantly better than his quality predecessors at Bama – Fitz, Haha, Barron, Eddie Jackson all of em.
Dude. YES! That guy is a baller! Plays with his hair on fire, too much sometimes leading to missed tackles and stuff, but man, when he puts it all together he is going to be a force to be reckoned with. Surefire NFL starter imo.
He’s for sure the best safety prospect they’ve had in quite awhile. Him and LSU’s Grant Delpit are both phenomenal. Delpit through 5 games? 27 tackles, 6.5 TFL, 5 PD, 3 sacks, 2 INTs, 2 QB hurries.
I’m starting to feel the same way about ‘Bama DL Quinnen Williams. His game against Ole Miss is a clinic.
I’m all about the D and ball control philosophy.
I just don’t want to be predictable. No tipping your hand with how OL line up, or with formations and players. Get creative and make the other team guess that’s all.
I could see them using a Jumbo package with Fant with maybe a Carson/Davis tandem. “Hey, monster defensive line. We’re running the ball on this play. Try and stop us.” And using that a few times to plow the road and get some room to open up the offense.
Denver had KC beat with the run and D formulas on Monday night. Keanum had Thomas for the win with 20 seconds left and missed an extremely makable throw. He makes that throw and that was type of win the 12-14 Hawks won. Denver’s run game was eating KC up, I think they just got a little too conservative at the end.
Where will the Hawks rank in terms of available cap space in 2019?
$63,393,414 with a projected $190,000,000 base salary cap. That’s currently the 9th highest in the league.
https://overthecap.com/salary-cap-space
Clark is the only real big-ticket-priority free agent.
KJ Wright is 29 and they will have to make a decision on him.
After that there are some priorities if they can get reasonable deals:
Justin Coleman
Mike Davis
And them some FA’s depending on how they finish the balance of the year:
JR Sweezy
Dion Jordan
Janikowski (or another kicker)
Shamar Stephen
Quentin Jefferson
I think extending Coleman this before the season is over should be their highest priority outside of Frank Clark. KJ Wright should be extended as well, provided he can put his current injury behind him. He’s been fairly durable so far, and he’s one of those underrated team MVP guys who you don’t always fully appreciate until he isn’t on the field.
I think Sweezy, Jordan, etc are the sort of players who won’t go quickly in FA so you can probably wait it out a bit with them.
With such limited draft capital for 2019 you’d have to think the Hawks will be decent spenders in FA. I’m not expecting big money on a name or two, but decent money on 3-5 names. Clark should be extended and KJ if it’s reasonable. Also have to account for Russ getting a new contract for likely $35+ mil/year. Key areas to address for me on offense are WR, OG/T, and a real FB. Key areas to address for me on defense are DE, DT (a true NT), and LB. Of course if one or both of PCJS leave after 2018 then we might have little to no idea what a new HC and/or GM would want.
Rob, what are zour thoughts on Dante Fowler Jr? Could he be a FA guz for next offseason if JAX doesn’t re sign him?
Possibly but he’s had a very weird career so far
Any opinions on Trey Flowers? NE usually let their players walk rather than pay them, so I’m thinking there’s a better chance we see him hit the market than maybe D-Law or Clowney.
Plus it’d be great to have a Tre Flowers AND Trey Flowers on one team!
The CB gets the nickname “No Y” ?
Not against it. Would prefer a game-wrecker though. Admittedly there aren’t many out there on the market. It’s why Clowney intrigues me.
Dee Ford as 43DE or maybe Leo?
Never really been that keen on Ford, in college or the NFL
I could see Fowler as the type of guy PC / JS try and pick up as one of their untapped potential projects. Depends on the character and off field stuff with Fowler I think and how that checks out. The physical tools all look to be there.
With regards to the Wembley game – I’m there from Saturday morning until Monday morning. For those going, any plans to meet up for a pint?
Actually, Jarran Reed might be turning into a version of that interior pass rusher we want. He has actually shown some off-the-snap moves other than a bull rush this year….
He has but for me he’s always going to be a one-tech at his best controlling the LOS. Ideally you get a dynamic interior rusher to play next to him.
Which would in turn increase his pass rushing prowess
Stephens is only 27 years old, he could have his best year ever this year and there was never much criticism of him in MN. Most of what I read indicated he was dependable, respected, and his play was appreciated. This is the type of player Seahawks in the past have had success if we don’t need 2 DT’s in next years draft that would be huge.
Yeah maybe someone like hmmm I dunno… Sheldon Richardson. Letting him walk looks like a terrible move to me. Must be something behind the scenes (Jets didn’t want to pay him either). Our starting DL would be looking nice with Clark, Reed, Richardson and Dion Jordan. Truly a head scratcher for me.
It almost seems like a given with Hawks fans that the Hawks will extend Frank Clark sooner rather than later as a core piece to build around going forward.
I am not so certain it is that much of a lock. Clark is a physical freak and has great stat production but you don’t see the dominance on a snap by snap basis. He also seems like the type of guy who is going to look for max $ and be willing to do what is required to get it. He was really vocal in his support for Earl.
If he wants top of the market pass rush $ I don’t see it happening. If he was willing to take a Danielle Hunter type deal 5yr / 70-75 mil w/ $40 mil Guaranteed then I think it would be a done deal already.
If the Hawks do extend him the DE and front 7 is still a big need but if they can’t then it is a huge glaring weakness where PC/JS will have to devote the majority of their defensive $ next off season.
Curious what others think of Clark and they type of contract he deserves and also what you think he will get.
Depends on how he does the rest of the year. The way he looks right now though, I’d be comfortable with around $18-19 million. Not as much as Aaron or Mack, but just underneath it. It sounds like a lot and it is, but to me it’s about how badly we need a guy like him on our line right now.
Clark is a homegrown guy, knows the system, young, and is only getting better. Those are the hallmarks of a core player to me. You don’t find players like that on trees. You can try and replace him with a guy like Lawrence or Clowney, but they’ll cost just as much if not more, and we don’t know how well they’ll fit. That’s assuming they hit the market in the first place. You can try and draft another guy but that’s very much not guaranteed to pan out. I’d much rather sign an FA or draft a guy to compliment Clark than to replace him. Otherwise we’re just continually creating and trying to refill holes in our roster.
I think they’ll get a deal done with Clark.
im hoping its around a 16mil apy
It depends to me on the FA derby. Clark could be viewed by many as a top-tier but not elite rusher, but some, having buckets of cap dollars to spend, could be the ones to give a Clark a deal like the Giants / Olivier Vernon deal that stunned the NFL a couple seasons ago.
The thing Clark has to weigh is how much is money the factor in the deal. A huge deal comes with huge expectations. But also – Clark has never been the “on the field for every snap / take all the double team / anchor the defense” type player that say a Mack or a Miller are. He could have a difficult time living up to that spot.
If he signs in a big media market like NY will the who domestic violence stuff get brought back into the spotlight? How much gratitude does he have for the Hawks selecting him and taking heat while standing by him?
Does he want that? Or has he made a home here in Seattle?
I think the Hawks can offer him a very handsome, but not top-market deal and help him to see he has a great thing going here and they will continue to build around him.
It will be interesting to see what the FA market for pass rushers is like next year. With all the talk of it being a great draft for pass rushers I wonder if it softens the market just a bit. Probably not, as pass rushers will always be at a premium. But signing Avril and Bennett to their respective deals before the 2013 season was the biggest coup PCJS have pulled in FA.
All he has to do is look over at Earl lying in the End Zone last week to realize he may be best to get that extension now.
And for Seattle’s sake, if he puts up 12 sacks this year (current pace) he’s just going to get more expensive.
He has a lot leverage though- that DL completely falls apart without him.
I wonder if Houston can afford Clowney. Watt is big $$, Hopkins must be close to big$ time and they need to spend on the OL desparately
I think Frank Clark and Jarran Reed are the building blocks up front.
Reed is the only worthy pick John has done the last 4 to 5 years. Ifedi, McDowell, Penny, Vannett etc all look like burst. That’s why this team has fallen hard. Should have picked nick chubb instead of reaching for penny but who I’m I kidding… JS will continue to get a pass with his stupid picks.
Ummmm. Kick ROCKS.
+Rock Kicking
Good to see you’re writing off Penny after FOUR games 🤦♂️
Dissley was a good pick – tight end.
Poona Ford is a steal.
Reed looks excellent.
Your not counting Frank Clark??
Lockett has been okay/ some promising new receivers on board.
Griffith twins.
Regarding offensive linemen, our guys have played some top 10 defenses. They didn’t look great but were in the game. I think you have to rate them based on whether they continue to be starters over their rooky contract, and not if they are extended by the Seahawks.
Ifedi= okay, perhaps even average for a right tackle.
Britt = okay, played three positions
Hunt = okay as a backup
Sweezy is back = the great experiment in converting defensive line to offense. I’m surprised they haven’t tried that again.
Well there’s lots of names I’m forgetting, but those are ones they drafted. Not sure why it should be confined to drafting. The free agent costs of Harvin and Graham influenced the team a lot.
I’d like to see more Penny. Davis had a nice performance vs the Cards but I think Penny is our most explosive back. As he gets more opportunites that will become obvious.
Clowney has been on my fantasy team for years. He is very boom or bust and unreliable. There are injury issues and questions about effort, too. He’ll want a huge contract and I’d rather see another team make that mistake instead of the Seahawks. This a great draft for DL so let’s get younger and more cap flexible through the draft than older and less cap flexible by buying overpriced free agents.
JS has struggled with high pick drafts and trading away picks. You can kick rocks all you want. Facts are facts…the guy chose ifedi in the first round. I’m a huge hawks fan but I’m not in denial. I’m sorry first round RBs should be ready to contribute. Look what both GA backs are doing, Broncos Undrafted rookie Lindsay has outperformed Penny. You can play homer all you want but Penny is the second coming of Cmike.
I completely disagree on Penny. They are slowly bringing him in as a third down back. He averaged over 5 yds a carry last game. Also I think it’s worth mentioning it takes time to understand the zone blocking scheme. It took Lynch half a season hear before he got the concept. Penny is good. We are just fortunate to have two other good RBs as well.
You may need to do a piece on Penny to put these armchair keyboard coaches in the graveyard, Rob.
Please stop posting dumb stuff bluenlime
Ifedi is IMPROVING, and has shown it in every game, especially with Fluker next to him. Penny is just getting going, dude missed the entire pre-season….. Glad you aren’t running the team….Kick those rocks.
Ideal scenario for the Hawks D.
1)Thompson shows during balance of the year that he is a legit starting FS combing with McDougald to give a solid Safety duo
2)Extend Coleman before end of year. Plush Flowers continues to develop at current rate. If he does then Griffin, Coleman and Flowers would be as good as any CB group outside of Jacksonville IMO.
3) At LB KJ comes back healthy and is extend. Kendrick’s gets a minimal sentence and the Hawks sign him for 2019 season. Wags, Mingo, KJ, Calitro, Kendrick’s and Griffin would be a solid and deep LB unit.
4) DL the area of biggest concern. Extend Clark ASAP to a 5yr/75 mil deal. Reed proves he is a legit 3 down DT with 6-8 sack potential. Green has a solid developmental year. Hawks sign Dante Fowler and Davis Irving on a prove it deals like they did with Bennet and Avril. Even if one of they two works out hey will be set. In the draft they miss Oliver, Bosa and Ferrell but take Rokwan Davis or Christian Wilkins to bolster the DL.
Seems like a realistic plan to get back to an elite defense in 2019.
I’d like to see Shaquem Griffin develop into a mini-Honey Badger. Maybe 20 snaps a game to blitz, cover a RB in the passing game and wreak havoc with his speed. He hasn’t gotten a single snap on defense since the poor showing in the Denver game though.
1) I hope you’re right
2) Agree 100%
3) I think they’ll move on from KJ unless they can get a pretty big discount plus a shorter deal
4) I think they’ll extend Clark but also address this position via free agency and/or early in the draft
I’d settle for young, hungry & overall real solid as far as the defense goes.
Cyrus torgeson will replace earl one day calling it here and now
Sony Michele with the stiff-arm and explosive speed for the TD!
Rob:
I like the idea of a three headed monster at running back. Over the course of an entire season, it may be necessary. We are all painfully aware of what can happen to a running game when a Carson goes down. I agree with you about getting a back going for a game, but 3 good backs over 16 games might be the right combo.
We need consistency in the O-line more than anything else. I hope all those elders can stay healthy for a year and show Fant, and all the rest of the youngsters how it’s done.
Hey Rob,
Have you had a chance to look at the safeties and DTs yet in the draft? One safety to watch is Chauncy Gardner-Johnson of Florida. He’s playing nickel this year I believe, but has impressive speed and playmaking ability on the backend. If Tedric Thompson is not able to be serviceable, maybe he can be a guy that can fill that void. He has some impressive and (dare I say it) some Earl-like characteristics. He’s measured at 5’11” 208 from what I had seen and his highlights are intriguing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2IJdF32dIE&t=239s
And would you expect someone like Jeffrey Simmons to have a Frank Clark-esque fall in the draft? There is video when he was a recruit of hitting a woman while breaking up a fight in his family. Would that cause most teams to pause on drafting him, causing him to fall? Seahawks have been willing to take chances where other teams won’t, though JS has said repeatedly he will not draft a player that has hit a woman. If they take the Frank Clark approach, and Simmons has not had any off field issues since, dream scenario would have to be to trade back from 12-15 range back into the late teens to early twenties in order to pick up an extra second. Then they could fix DT and safety all in one offseason. Couple that with throwing money at Clowney and the pass rush would be very formidable.
Simmons will fall further than Clark IMO and personally I’m not going to talk much about him.
Gardner I’ve featured quite a lot already. Really like him. Someone I’m keeping an eye on for sure.
I hate to bring it up again, but wanted to give a different take on the “trade RW” narrative.
We have discussed the intent to get back to a run first, with explosive plays and big defense. I am a firm believer in this scheme and disagree that it cant win in today’s NFL. I actually think the opposite. Considering teams like KC and Pitt are 40+ scoring teams, and also get 40+ points scored on them, if you control their point production, there game falls on its face. You control that by milking the clock through a power run game, and Def. So my gripe with the anti trade RW is that, for this type of scheme to work, it isnt dependent on an Aaron Rodgers, Ryan, or Brady type QB. We dont need a quick passer to dink and dunk. We need a successful game manager, that knows how to control the ball, with limited mistakes, athletic, and deep ball. Think what RW was with Marshawn and before his big payday. We dont need a top 10 QB, we need a slightly different Blake Bortles. Looking at the history of PC, he has been a master at developing game managers, that arent great Qbs (think Leinart).
My other argument is that RW is good, he is a legit starting QB, but he isnt a generational or top tier Qb in my opinion. Like i mentioned before, he isnt rodgers or ryan or brees or brady or rivers etc. He has his short comings, and spots where he excels. He theoretically is the QB we need to run the system PC wants, butttttt at the cost, it depletes the ability to built the system PC needs. In this system, the downgrade from RW to someone else isnt as great in another system, so the “hole” thats created is smaller, and easier to fill than it would on another team. Along with the cost, the ego that needs to be fed, to justify the pay, takes away from the system that PC wants to have and the run first mentality we want to have.
So i would be on board with the trade RW for picks, even as much as i love him (im a Christian guy, so you all might hate his mentality on that, but thats what makes me love him even more). If we could somehow get 3 firsts (i highly doubt) then i would like to take it. After all, we on here all love the draft, so why not enable us to have some fun wiht that many picks?!
RW to giants for 3 firsts, we pick up Tyrod (who i think is a good prototype for our system, and the Land was trying to have him do to much), trade one of the firsts for 2 firsts the year (would likely give us 4 total firsts in 2020, and 3 total in 2019) do whatever other trade backs, and go def heavy with year, or maybe trade up and try to grab one of the top DE/DL guys form clemson or Bosa if possible. Idk something like that would make it fun.
One flaw in your plan……..Tyrod Taylor is an awful QB.
Like i said, i think he is better than he showed in cleveland. But my point is that someone who could come in as a game manager, athletic, and throw few nice balls.
“In this system, the downgrade from RW to someone else isnt as great in another system, so the “hole” thats created is smaller, and easier to fill than it would on another team.”
This is where i completely disagree. RW is more than a game manager. He has the ability to completely change the offense into a monster, like the second half of 2014. In any given year there are only a dozen or so teams that are perfectly happy with their QB and are considered contenders. RW is far more than a game manager, or at least he was prior to this year. So far Shotty isn’t doing him any favors…
Point being trading RW would set the Hawks into a potential decade of searching for one of 12ish viable QBs that could lead the team to the promised land. Teams that win the SB with “game manager” type QBs are usually historic in other places. Ravens in early 2000s, Denver a couple years ago. I think trading RW is a huge risk of not finding a quality QB elsewhere, let alone the crap shoot of getting everything else working right in historic proportions.
I do not believe you need Russell to win another SB. I think he is good but not great.
Tampa, Baltimore, Philly, Denver and Seattle did not have elite qbs when they won. Even Brady was not elite his first 3 SB victories. There are at least 15 qbs you can win a SB with, so if you don’t feel like you can find a top 15 qb, you are not a good GM. And Tyrod is not a top 25 qb, let alone top 15. He had one great game against Seattle and still lost.
There is an article at ESPN showing that Seattle has the 4th best pass protection times this year, the problem is Russell. The o line looks decent this year, even Ifedi. RB’s are good, TE and WR could be better, but way better than a team like the Bills. No touchdown on an opening drive for 2 years. Consistently poor 3rd down conversion rate. Time to put a big share of that on Russell. I think he can be a top 10 QB, but seriously doubt he can be top 5 anymore. Can he read a defense and make changes at the LOS? Go through his progressions rapidly? Or does he follow orders? Like making that throw in SB49. He should have read it better and made a better throw. He then said god told him it was part of his plan as he was walking off the field, talk about avoiding responsibility (not to mention delusional). If you don’t take the blame and admit your part in it, you cannot correct the mistake. He is not cerebral, or someone who will grow much more than he is.
He is replaceable,
If you got a great offer, I would take it. Why do you think there were these rumors about the Hawks looking at Mahomes and Allan? I think JS and Pete know his limitations better than we do.
Do you trust Pete to build up a great D or build up Russell into a great QB that does not need a great D because you are paying him too much?
I don’t think Pete can do both, and I doubt the next guy can do both and maybe neither. But Pete can build an elite D, they just need an elite kicker to pair with Dickson and have an elite kicking game. Top end kicker is pretty cheap compared to other positions. Then go and win with Joe average on a rookie contract.
or with all the pieces in place, make it attractive for an older vet to come in at a lower price to win a SB.
We should all stop thinking the only way to win is with Russell.
“We should all stop thinking the only way to win is with Russell.”
We should also stop thinking the only way to win is to trade Russell.
+1000
To play off a Rob Staton line, ‘There’s a ‘Trade Russell’ crowd and a ‘people who want you to stop ramming ‘Trade Russell’ down our throats every five minutes’ crowd.
I am just saying that Russell is not as good as we have thought he was. He is not a generational talent, and he has lost a lot of speed. And I think JS and Pete feel the same way. They brought in Shotty to “challenge Russ”. Code for, he is not improving.
And if you pay him $35 million/year, and I don’t see him taking less, then they will not have enough room for enough other good players to be a champion.
And they don’t have the draft capital either.
Cliff Avril said it also. The best way to win is to have a qb on a rookie deal, but every GM will pay the QB later because he does not want to get fired.
It’s a shame this is what Seahawks twitter has become.
A constant tsunami of repetitive, indulgent and over confident assertions clashing with a bunch of people who have bloody well had enough of it.
The issue is long developing routes down field and no one that can get separation. For instance on the sack Russ took from Chandler Jones. It is fourth and 1 and no one runs a route shallower than 7 yards. Why the hell would anyone do that? Lockett and Doug completely disappear from view downfield. Doug is hurt, Marshall is old and has the drops, Brown was the Fitzgeralds back up and Vannett couldn’t start over a rookie. Where are the reliable targets? Right now its a bad mix of game planning and personnell.
My point wasnt that Russsell is only good enough to be a game manager anyways, and your example is from 2014, with Lynch, and on a rookie deall with pieces around him, which is exactly my point. The push is to be arun first team. we dont need a qb that has the POSSIBILITY to turn the offense into a monster, we need a qb that is cheap or on a rookie deal to allow for money to be spent else where and be able to run the system that PC wants. The point being that RW is greta and all, and im not saying “we hav to trade him” im jsut sayin gthe conversation around the topic isnt as simple as its being portrayed. We dont need a world beater to run the system we/PC want to run, and the topic should be open for debate.
And on your “teams that win the SB with ‘game managers’ type QBs are usually historic in other places, would like to just note that the reigning super bowl champs won it with a game manager, and not a historic anywhere else, Broncos two years ago won it with Manning essentially as a game manager, with nothing else historic, ravens last super bowl was with a game manager, andn0othing else historic, and the list goes on really. And in order to be historic, you usually have to spend money on those spots, or get lucky in the draft (ie Seahawks). Which requires picks, and money to do it.
Honestly, I’m not worried about the game on Sunday at all. In fact, I’m actually excited for it. It’s not even that I think SEA will win. For the first time in what feels like years, there’s not a lot of pressure for this game. Just about everyone thinks they’re going to lose and possibly get hammered. If they hang with the Rams for part of the game and show some good things on offense and defense, most people will be content. They have lots of injuries to deal with, lots of young players in important positions, and tons of question marks. They haven’t been big underdogs in a while and always seem to respond to that.
I’m excited to see what Tedric can do. I want to see Penny keep improving. Can Frank eat Whitworth’s lunch again like he did in LA last year? Fun stuff. One prediction that I have is a big, explosive play from Penny either on offense or returning kicks. He’s seemed close to breaking a big one and I think this week it finally happens. Also, David Moore.
I agree. I would like to see the Seahawks moving the ball more, especially in first half. Not locked into plays that don’t work due to Rams defensive formation.
Defensively, just play a good game that you can build on.
Frank won’t just eat Whitworths lunch…..he will get him to make another one and will eat that too.
Whatever Whitworth put in his lunch this week, apparently gave Frank Clark food poisoning. 🙁
This has been a weird year. I’ve just totally checked out with this team. We are probably going to end up with 7 or 8 wins with no glimmer of hope on the horizon. Quite literally the worst possible position to be in. This team is uninspired, boring, and lacking any sort of future promise. Call me Debbie Downer but we are bringing water balloons to a gun fight.
Earl getting hurt is an absolute dagger for our future. Here’s how I view it: ET probably could have gotten us a 2nd rounder. I do feel confident about that. Missing that 2nd rounder is going to have a catastrophic effect; not only because of the missing pick, but also because it is inevitable that the Seahawks will trade down with their 1st rounder to recoup more picks. This team can’t afford to keep doing this. We have a void of blue chip talent. You tend to get that talent higher in the draft.
I’ll say it. I wish we would have lost that game to the Cardinals. We were outplayed for most of the game. Lucking our way into wins is only going to hurt this team in the long term, which is the most important thing at this moment. I have a firm belief that you either field a team that is capable of winning a super bowl or an inconsistent team that is young and building or a flat out bad team insuring higher draft capital. We are a middling-to-poor team with limited upside. It’s a bad place to be in.
Last opinion…and this will certainly be controversial and something that I’ve opposed for the longest time; the Seahawks need to trade Russell Wilson in the offseason. And, this opinion has NOTHING to do with Russell Wilson and everything to do with Pete Carroll wanting to play 1950s football. If Pete wants to handcuff a top 5 QB – then there is literally zero reason to pay that player $30M/year. It makes no sense. You don’t buy a Ferrari when you simply want to drive 40 MPH for 10 miles a day. That makes zero sense and is a catastrophic use of resources. Let me be crystal clear: there is NOTHING wrong with Pete Carroll wanting to play this style of football. There is EVERYTHING wrong with wanting to play this type of football and paying somebody $30M/year to manage a game. That is an absolutely heinous use of resources.
I’m more than ready to move on from the Pete Carroll era. Apologies for the downer post, but I haven’t been this “down” on a team that I root for in a long, long time. This Sunday is going to be a blood bath. The defense is going to get absolutely exposed vs a good offense. We have hung in there with flat out bad offenses…this week that changes.
Let me make sure I’m crystal clear here:
I have ZERO against becoming a running team. Nothing wrong with that at all. What I have a problem with is spending absurd capital on a position that quite frankly they don’t care about; QB. I can’t think of a single, even remotely decent opinion why paying a QB $25+M/year to not screw up and throw the ball 20 times a game makes any sense in the world.
I think this team is horribly mismanaged. I think Pete has totally lost it. Pete wants to paint his house white; so he goes out and spends all his money on red paint. Stupid analogy, but that’s what this feels like.
For the team PC wants – he needs to unload every possible resource on Pass Rush and the OL/Run Game. Find a QB to not screw up on a small salary and continue to develop/find cheap but effective DB play. He has done the complete opposite. It’s infuriating.
Sh** just got real
You wish we lost last week and I wish you were a Brown fan. Rather keep Wilson and trade you.
Just playing but honestly I think your take was trash.
Hi Eburgz – thanks for the dialogue. People like you really make these boards fun.
In my opinion…trading Russell would be a HUGE mistake. I agree that running the ball is important (in certain situations) and defense is incredibly important as well. I think we need to invest in ways to make our passing game better and more dynamic, and that includes keeping Russell around.
I’ve come full circle on this. Trading RW is an absolute mistake if you want a team driven by the QB. I think it is not a mistake at all if they want him to throw 20 times a game and not make mistakes. There is zero reason to pay $25+M / year for that. It makes zero sense.
I’d rather pay some seasoned journeyman a fraction of the money if all we want is the QB to not screw up. Might as well take the extra money and get a pass rush.
Pete Carroll is doing exactly what he did at USC. He is running this franchise into the ground and he will absolutely bail when it gets too tough.
Yes but who would they pick as the next QB? This is the same decision as they used for offensive coaches. Things don’t always get better with a change. The backup QB right now is Hundley. Why is he even on the team??? how about PC plays Hundley for a couple years? Wouldn’t that be interesting.
Your right. There’s not a better option until there is.
@Rob, what do you think of Tre Madden – Full Back so far? Is he good to hold on roster spot? Is he not used by coaches to scheme him into play or has not shown enough as a player.
At goal line i like Joey Hunt / Pocic / Fant as additional blocker than FB. Thoughts?
I don’t think we’ve seen enough of him to pass judgement.
Ahh wonderful. One of my favorite topics. Trade Russ. And with a dash of PC is crap thrown in. Lovely . . . (Did someone recently install some kind of twitter feed into the blog). LOL
Its really been winding me up too. But I already said my piece on it a couple weeks ago, no need to repeat myself.
Could you imagine a rookie QB paired with Schottenheimer. Scary stuff.
I’ve called the offense boring so far so people know my thoughts on it.
But I’m equally bored by all the railing on Brian Schottenheimer. It’s almost like Seahawks fans permanently need someone to complain about. And seeing as Germain Ifedi is doing too well to be that guy, I suppose it might as well be Schottenheimer after four games in charge of the offense.
Guys, none of this is necessary.
I could certainly go a whole week without hearing any anti-run or Schottenheimer stuff.
Flip the main breaker on your electrical panel & toss your devices into the drink. That might do the trick.
I wish I could. I need Twitter for work. Otherwise…
The sad irony is the path to victory Sunday could be a tough, pound it out running game against the Rams. The Vikings ran the ball 13 times last Thursday. 13 times! And they have Cook and Murray! Carson and Davis need to tote the rock.
The Rams have been traditionally vulnerable to a solid rushing attack. Sweezy, Britt and Fluker vs Brockers, Suh and Donald will be great to watch.
When it comes to the NFL and winning the saying is true that “there’s more than one way to skin a cat.” PC wants to win with a strong running game, strong defense, and elite special teams. The Rams are a trendy team right now so, as always, people want to copy their formula.
Yes, our offensive passing attack looks stale. However, I’m highly encouraged by our running game. It hasn’t looked this good for awhile. It’s simple to me, just add more play action. Make this an offense centered on a strong running game and play action. Russ is great in play action, in fact it may be the type of offense best suited to maximize his skills.
You can joke about it anytime you want, but we are currently looking at a mismatch.
Pete Carroll’s style of offense is no good to RW. It simply doesn’t use his potential and his strengths, but runs for runs sake, instead of running to get a first down or running to keep things multidimensional. I cannot see RW subscribing to another year like this, especially, if the wishful thinking WR situation is not addressed.
Plus, no other team buys this deep into this power rushing crap, taking risks that are destined to create injuries. This team goes to no Superbowl again, if they don’t break with their competition-over-careful-evaluation agenda.
Add to this, that PC is an old chap, and we are looking at a decision next off-season. It’s either PC or RW. Not because I like it, just because it’s logical.
Seahawks won a title with ‘power rushing crap’
Yeah, and it was the only rusher in the world who executed that stuff to perfection, with no real alternative. In said Superbowl, he rushed for 39 yd and cashed in points only after Kam Chancellor gave them possession at Denver’s 37.
It was you who wanted to give Mike Davis another shot. Whose vision and instinct seem to be a nice complementary to Carson’s power. Which is all I want to see… no overemphasizing of power rushing.
I have no idea what you’re talking about.
K
Russel Wilson blocks better than Tre Madden. Get this dump truck OFF this team and use the roster spot for a playmaker…Anyone but this waste of space.
one last thought before a new thread is started for this weekend in CFB, with all this talk about pro vs. anti running, DVOA, comparing this stat to this stat and all that jazz……………………………………..Isn’t it just more fun and exciting to watch a team that can run the ball as opposed to a team that passes 50 times in a game? I’m on Rob’s side when it comes to the philosophy of running the ball. In fact, I think it’s the second best way to protect your QB. At the end of the day though. At the end of the day though, a RB breaking off a 20+ yard run is 3.87 times more exciting for me than a receiver making a 20+ yard reception.
Running the ball just makes football more fun to watch. That’s about all. Peace out.
I agree. I prefer when the Seahawks are a run first team, watching a tough RB breaking tackles is fun to watch. Mike Davis and Chris Carson fit the tough, “impose my will on you”, type of RB that Coach Carrol prefers, as do I. Maybe Penny can be that type of RB, but he has yet to show it.
If Davis continuous to be a beast running the ball, the Seahawks should trade Penny in the off-season. With so few draft picks next year, we should be able to get a 2nd round pick and a 6th round pick for Penny. We would still have Davis, Carson, and maybe draft a RB like David Montgomery from Iowa St.
Watched UCLA-CO again tonight. Steven Montez is the real deal. He and Shenault Jr. are the most dynamic QB-WR tandem in CFB. Here are two videos to illustrate my point, which I will post in separate comments because wordpress:
https://youtu.be/D2QjzU909w8
Shenault is one of my favorite offensive players. Killed it again today.
And the second Montez video:
https://youtu.be/ie3R2HiDt7k
Couple other thoughts: UCLA RB Joshua Kelly is exciting. Keep an eye on him. Also keep an eye UCLA PK JJ Molson. Seriously, that kid can kick.
Okay, one more Montez video, because he just did this while I was uploading the first videos
https://youtu.be/CPCdUNhZYE8
Montez is a freakin highlight reel. I won’t be surprised if he wins the Heisman.
https://youtu.be/5AGSToQ_q_0
About UCLA – they never had a chance in this game. Partly because CO is a good team with great QB and WR and partly because the Bruins are so young. But UCLA are greatly improved since the first few games. Even just fundamentally they looked better. I attribute that to Chip Kelly. He’ll probably have them in contention for the PAC-12 South next year.
Fluker is a big piece of the puzzle, and, yes, I said big. He is a key to allowing Ifedi to focus on his own stuff, and it makes a difference. And he unifies the right side.
OK. But, he is so big that I worry about his pins. That is a lot of weight to carry, and he has already had some difficulties.
So, I am hopin’.
” “The defense needs more parts and they could probably use another weapon on offense.” ”
Rob, don’t you mean ‘they could use A WEAPON on offense’?
The only way the Seahawks keep this game close is if (*in addition to playing their best defensive game of the season and their most solid running game of the season and solid special teams*)…
ADB and RW need to have their best game ever on third downs.
Isaiah Buggs is a beast. Keeps making plays. Great personality if you watched the rolling with the tide show on ESPN. Great option after round 1 if we trade back and recoup picks. I like Willis from Miami too
He might go in R1 if he tests well. Having a fantastic season.
Nice overall assessment. I do like the idea of a Clowney signing.
If it were up to me cap resources re large contracts would be devoted to and in order of priority: Russell Wilson new contract; Bobby Wagner new contract; Left Tackle (already accomplished); Top Tier Pass Rusher (Clowney?); Frank Clark new contract; Center (good for now); Receiver Upgrade (Brandon Marshall type but in his prime).
And we need to sign a good place kicker. This is a vital role with the way Pete Carroll expects to win games. Every point counts.
Which would free up next year with limited draft picks to find some combination of LB, Strong Safety, OL and DL depth.
I don’t have an issue with Pete’s philosophical framework to win. But he has refused to address the very clearly problems with execution. We have seen some of the worst and most embarrassing form of playground style offensive football ever player since the last half of last season. If he wants to get back to running and well placed deep throws then fine. But that is not what we’ve actually seen so much. It’s been an unimaginative brand of football that has zero chance of success in today’s modern NFL.
And his coordinator hires warrant very credible doubts that he can or will address or recognize now very clearly exposed deficiencies in both execution and playcalling. On both sides of the ball.
Coupled with his defensive tendencies and refusal to adapt and adjust being constantly exploited on third down and critical down and distance situations. That good OC’s have proven over and over again they can defeat with relative ease.
I haven’t seen any evidence that Pete recognizes that he’s been pretty well figured out. And he will need to adjust accordingly. And bring coaching talent to the equation that can challenge and help him keep up with the current NFL talent he faces.
Hi, I’m devils advocate.
RW to Buffalo for a first, Josh Allen, Zay Jones and Dion Dawkins. Two-thirds of your list scratched… but will not happen.
A top interior DL plus Jalen Jelks, Andre Dillard plus Taylor Rapp or JoJo McIntosh, and we are built for the future.
Re kicker, we had Myers; he is 7 for 7 this season, including a 53 yd FG.
This year’s draft has a couple of great kickers.
This wasn’t a serious trade suggestion, right?
Some good college games happening. Just watched Texas vs Oklahoma , wow – great ending!!!!
LSU and Florida could be interesting , but feel it will be a blowout.
Bring me Florida’s Jachai Polite. Continues to make himself money.
My favorite EDGE in this class behind Bosa. His combination of bend and burst is jaw dropping. Not to mention his play speed. Just an animal. Damn near disrupting everything today.
Florida St’s Brian Burns out here doing the same. My 2 draft crushes. 😍
Do you see Burns being able to up his weight from the listed 235lbs and keep his juice?
Absolutely. He has good power to his game right now as it is.
Burns is Bruce Irvin/Vic Beasley like. Polite could be used like that too but he’s got some Avril/Freeney to him as well.
LBs David Reese and Vosean Joseph are exciting as hell too. Joseph moves like a safety.
Talking LB’s, I like Texas A&M LB Otaro Alaka. He has good size at 6-3 240 lbs. He looks good at shedding blockers vs the run, looks like a big hitter, nice quickness and speed, and good arm length. Could be a good option in the 3rd round. He is a true LB, not a outside LB rushing the passer like Kentucky LB Josh Allen.
Superstar stuff
https://mobile.twitter.com/MeshPointScout/status/1048706665758040064/video/1
Texas DL Charles Omenihu (6’6, 275 lbs.) had himself a game today. Flashed big time. D-line class just keeps getting deeper and deeper.
Long, moves well, active hands. Looks like there’s tons of potential there.
People are so quick to write off Penny.. Hes nit even starting. Half of the backs in the league need 15+ Carrie’s a game to be effective, who’s to say Penny isn’t one of them and all he needs is Carries? He went 9/49 last week, almost 5.5 ypc.
Theres just as much evidence of rookie running backs struggling early recently than there is of rookie running backs excelling in the first year. Give it time. Penny will be a good back, just be patient and be happy that Chris Carson is taking the beating for him right now. Cause when Penny is the guy, you better know Pete is gonna ride him every week.
NC St. WR Kelvin Harmon seems like the type of big, physical WR PC woulda had at USC. I don’t think he’s a day 1 pick like a lot of mocks have him in, more day 2, but he’s got the goods.
I really hope we find a big WR who can flat go up and get it for Russ. That size element has been missing from our offense & it could help tremendously in loosening up defenses.
Hey KennyS, what’s up with the Ducks taking a bye week before playing the Dawgs at Autzen?
Suspect man…
Need another week to recover from Stanford game.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t concerned about this game. There isn’t a team out there that I despise more than the Ducks.
Hand-making jerseys out of huskie pelts
Connor McGregor’s whole team got it~ yeesh was that sports?