Category Archives: Seahawks

Have The Seahawks Done Enough To Overtake The 49ers?

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That’s the question we’re asking ourselves all offseason. It’s really the only relevant question to the 2023 season from a Seahawks perspective.

The 49ers were 13-4 last year, and very clearly the second-best team in the NFC. They were the #2 seed in the playoffs, they met Philly in the NFC Championship Game (the #1 seed, naturally), and they got pounded into submission.

The 49ers had one of the best and deepest rosters in the NFL, on both sides of the ball. They’re well-coached, and they have a quality offensive system that allows them to plug & play literally any quarterback (including Brock Purdy, a rookie last year who was taken with the literal final pick in the NFL Draft), and they’re STACKED where it counts. They have one of the best running backs (when healthy) in Christian McCaffrey. They have one of the best wide receivers (when healthy) in Deebo Samuel. They have one of the best tight ends (when healthy) in George Kittle. They have one of the best defensive linemen (when healthy) in Nick Bosa. They have one of the best middle linebackers (who’s always healthy) in Fred Warner. Now, the fact that almost all of these guys have had major injuries recently – yet were all healthy in 2022 – tells me the 49ers were exceedingly lucky last year. One has to wonder if that’s going to carry over; perhaps that’s a feather in our cap.

Where the 49ers are most in flux is at quarterback. Jimmy G is gone. Brock Purdy got injured at season’s end and is no sure thing to return by the start of this regular season. Trey Lance got hurt early on and was lost for most of 2022; he’ll be back, but now there are questions about his viability as a starter going forward. And their big hedge in all this is Sam Darnold, I guess?

Here’s the deal: talking about injuries, or pontificating on who the quarterback is going to be, leaves a lot of variables in play. I’m not interested in “What Ifs” when it comes to the 49ers. I think Brock Purdy will come back and play again; I believe he’ll be in the majority of the games this season. I also believe – as noted up top – they can roll with anyone (including Sam Darnold) and be fine on offense. They have enough talent at the skill spots to move the chains, and they have a deep enough defense to not need a lot of points to win games. Now, they didn’t have much of an opportunity to fill things out in the draft – and eventually the chickens will come home to roost for this franchise – but I’m going into 2023 believing the 49ers will be pretty much as good as they were in 2022. Without even looking at their schedule, I’ll pencil them in for 11-13 wins right now.

I want to focus on the Seahawks more than the 49ers, for obvious reasons. I follow the Seahawks more closely. This is a Seattle-centric blog. And the onus is on the Seahawks to have done enough to bridge the gap.

The 2022 Seahawks were also in the playoffs, as a wild card team, with a 9-8 record. For our hard work, we were rewarded by playing the 49ers in the first round. We got obliterated. Indeed, we lost three games to the 49ers last year, and none of them were particularly close. We couldn’t move the ball! That’s the long and the short of it; we couldn’t move the ball until we were already getting killed, and by that point it didn’t matter. None of the games were competitive, and that’s hard to do when both teams are playoff teams, who are in the same division. We know the 49ers! There were no surprises. They just beat our fucking asses, mano a mano.

This post isn’t just about beating the 49ers this year. It’s about overtaking them for the NFC West title. Any team on any given Sunday and all that; we could fuck around and luck into a win. But, I’m more interested in going toe-to-toe with the 49ers over the long haul. So, what have the Seahawks done?

  • We signed Jason Myers to an extension. He’s great every other year, so I’m a little worried about what 2023 has in store. That being said, the 49ers just drafted a kicker, so I’d be more concerned if I were them.
  • We signed Geno Smith to an extension. Obviously, this is much bigger news than a kicker. His contract is pretty well tied up with his performance; if he does even a fraction of a percent better than he did last year, he’ll get PAID. If he fails to live up to what he did last year, he’ll still get paid, but considerably less.
  • We signed Dre’Mont Jones and Jarran Reed to plug the middle of our defensive line. They both feature vast improvements in pass rush ability, with moderate improvements in run stuffing.
  • We filled out our offensive line with trusted veterans (on short-term deals) and exciting rookies (on long-term deals). Gabe Jackson is no more, but Phil Haynes returns (and figures to get first crack at one of the guard spots opposite Damien Lewis). Evan Brown was brought in to compete at center; he replaces Austin Blythe (who was a detriment for us last year) and figures to be much more competent. We also drafted a couple of thrilling prospects in Anthony Bradford (humongous guard taken in the 4th round) and Olu Oluwatimi (a savvy 5th round pick who many project to become our starting center as early as game 1).
  • We signed Devin Bush and Julian Love at inside linebacker and safety, respectively. Bush is a potential reclamation project who – at the very least – should be a slight improvement over Cody Barton. Love is much more interesting, as he figures to be a major hedge against the inevitable Jamal Adams injury. Love essentially cost us Ryan Neal, but it still feels like a solid upgrade at the position.
  • We brought back Bobby Wagner, which was vitally important, considering how mediocre we were at linebacker last year (again, see: Cody Barton), as well as factoring in the Jordyn Brooks injury (who figures to start this year on the PUP list, and might not be back to normal again until 2024). This improves our run defense, our communication on defense, and gives us another brilliant mind on this side of the ball to ensure players are in the right spots and doing what they’re supposed to be doing.
  • Then, we went out and drafted the best cornerback and wide receiver in the class. We also brought in a couple of very promising running backs (to replace Penny and Homer), a few defensive linemen to fill out our depth, and even another safety who is getting all kinds of kudos (Jerrick Reed won’t be a starter – or even much of a defensive participant – in year one, but he figures to cut his teeth on Special Teams, and could eventually develop into a Quandre Diggs replacement down the road). It appears to be the second consecutive elite draft class by the Seahawks – with a major emphasis on Best Player Available – and as we all know, there’s no better way to quickly turn around your franchise than to draft the way we did from 2010-2012.

And that’s the rub, isn’t it? The previous iteration of a championship-level Seahawks squad took three drafts to reach. So far, this one has only had (MAYBE) the two. Granted, finding even ONE elite draft class is a stretch, for any organization. But, if we want to keep up with the Joneses, we gotta be on the ball. I will say – in comparison to the L.O.B. squad – that we are starting from a MUCH better spot compared to what the Seahawks were from 2009 to 2010 (when Pete Carroll and John Schneider took over). So, an optimist might say that we only NEED the two elite draft classes.

What do I like? Let’s start there.

I’m absolutely enamored with the non-quarterback skill guys on offense. D.K., Tyler, and JSN are all incredible; here’s hoping JSN gets healthy and stays there (it’s disconcerting that he’s still dealing with an injury he suffered in college). Kenneth Walker returns (along with DeeJay Dallas, I guess), and gets paired with a couple of rookies who look tremendous. The tight ends are fine Seahawks tight ends.

I like the potential of this offensive line. Our two hotshot tackles had a full (healthy) year to experience everything the NFL had to offer; the hope is they take a big step forward in year two. The interior should be solid, if not improved over the dead weight we jettisoned this offseason. Any amount of extra time we can give Geno Smith is only going to help him when it comes to finding all his weapons.

Speaking of, I don’t hate the Geno signing, but I especially love how incentivized it is. He’s hungry, he proved he’s at least a capable starter in this league, now we’ll see if – with all this talent around him – he can take his game to another level.

And, how do you not like the secondary? Tariq Woolen as a rookie showed he’s capable of being a top cover guy. Coby Bryant as a rookie showed he’s capable of being a quality nickel guy. We still have Quandre Diggs playing at a high level (as another veteran leader to keep guys in line). We still have Jamal Adams (who is dynamic when he’s on the field). We still have promising depth in Tre Brown and Mike Jackson. Then, you add the consensus best cornerback in this draft class, to go opposite Woolen. That makes the whole room CONSIDERABLY better. Then, you add one of the top free agent safety acquisitions in Love. Then, you add another rookie safety to the mix who looks like a valuable depth piece. The secondary is fucking LOADED. It might eventually be better than it ever was, and that’s saying something.

What don’t I like?

I’m going to single out the linebackers here, but specifically I’m talking about the inside linebackers. We were already one of the worst units last year; we might be worse this year. Bobby Wagner gets a lot of credit for what he did with the Rams last year, especially with everything crumbling around him thanks to injuries and the team losing. But, how good was he really? I think a lot of Seahawks fans saw what he did in those two games against Seattle – where he was hyper-motivated to rub it in our faces – but are ignoring the rest. And are ignoring how he’s looked the last few seasons, when he’s been in unquestionable decline compared to his prime. Eventually, it’s going to come crashing down for Bobby; maybe that’s 2023. But, for the sake of argument, let’s pretend we get his exact 2022 production; is that better than what a healthy Jordyn Brooks gave us? I dunno. There’s also a lot of doubt about Bush, and some second thoughts about Cody Barton (especially with Barton getting a multi-year deal with the erstwhile Washington Football Team). If Bobby’s worse than Brooks, and Bush is worse than Barton, YE GODS! That’s a nightmare scenario.

Then, there’s just the blanket Defensive Line, but it’s really broken down into Pass Rush and Run Defense.

I thought the pass rush last year was good, not great. It took a while before the team understood how to properly utilize Darrell Taylor (he’s not an every-down outside linebacker/defensive end; he’s more strictly a guy you want to save for obvious pass rushing situations). Uchenna Nwosu was our best performer all year. Boye Mafe was just okay as a rookie, but I’m not expecting much from him ever. Derick Hall gets the honor of being this year’s Boye Mafe – and he’s getting rave reviews so far in OTAs – but I’m not expecting anything here either. Mario Edwards was just signed as a low-priced veteran defensive end, but he’s never done much in pass rush in his career.

What should we expect from our pass rush? At best, probably what we saw last year. Dre’Mont Jones is a wild card here; if he can consistently blow things up in the middle, that’s going to make everyone’s jobs on the outside a lot easier. But, I wouldn’t hold my breath. At worst, the pass rush takes a step back, and this is still our #1 priority next offseason (just like it was this offseason).

I thought – as does literally everyone – the run defense last year was total and complete shit. We lopped off a lot of dead weight: gone are Al Woods, Poona Ford, Shelby Harris, Quinton Jefferson, and L.J. Collier, among others. And we brought in Jones, Reed, Edwards, and rookies Cameron Young and Mike Morris. We retained Bryan Mone, but he’s injured and it’s not clear when he’s going to be ready to play again. We could’ve had Jalen Carter, so that’ll forever be a major What If. We also could’ve held onto Al Woods for not much more money than what his dead cap figure amounts to, but we’re up against the salary cap and already had to convert some Tyler Lockett money into signing bonus proration, just to sign our rookies.

Could the run defense be worse this year? It was so bad last year, I find that hard to believe, but I guess I have to admit it’s possible. I’m hoping that continuity among the coaching staff will lead to a better understanding of the scheme by the players, as well as a better understanding by the personnel people as to who needs to be on this roster, to fit in with that scheme. Is there a run-plugging diamond in the rough, either among the rookies or the back-of-the-roster holdovers from last year? Poona Ford and Bryan Mone both came from out of nowhere to be major contributors for this team, so anything’s possible.

All told, where does that put us compared to last year?

If we get modest improvements out of the run defense and pass rush, we should see tremendous value from our secondary and enough explosiveness from our offense to be improved over last year. I could see the Seahawks winning anywhere from 9-12 games, as long as we don’t suffer too many major injuries. I’ve got the 49ers at 11-13 wins, so what I’ll say is I think the Seahawks have given themselves a chance. I think we’ve done enough to compete on their level. That doesn’t mean I’m expecting us to blow them out ever; I think we can eke out one victory in the regular season, and be within a game of them by season’s end.

Gun to my head, if I have to make a definitive prediction, I would say the Seahawks finish a game back. Or, maybe tied in record, but losing to them via tiebreakers. Bottom line, I’m still predicting the 49ers win the NFC West; but I do think we’ll have a better wild card spot than we did a year ago, and hopefully that means we won’t have to play them in the first round again.

So, no, I don’t think the Seahawks have done enough to overtake the 49ers in 2023. But, at this rate, 2024 is ON THE TABLE.

Time To Complain: The 2023 Seahawks Have A Schedule

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I don’t want to say we got a raw deal, but we did end up drawing what looks like a particularly difficult schedule. The AFC North is top-heavy with Cincinnati and Baltimore (both on the road, of course), but Pittsburgh looks up-and-coming, and the Browns are poised for a bounce-back now that Deshaun Watson doesn’t have his legal issues hanging over him.

Then, to add insult to injury, we get saddled with the NFC East? The Giants and Cowboys are elite, and of course the Eagles are reigning Super Bowl losers. And, to wrap it up, we get the Lions and Panthers (both teams on the rise), and go on the road to face a Titans team looking to rebound from an injury-riddled 2022 (they’re still well-coached and veteran in all the right places; far from an easy victory).

I would try to be thankful that the NFC West isn’t its usual gauntlet, but the 49ers are still – top-to-bottom – one of the best and deepest rosters in the NFL, the Rams still have elite players at important positions (and have been known to take us out with far less talent), and the Cards always seem to find a way to beat us when they absolutely shouldn’t.

  • Week 1 – L.A. Rams
  • Week 2 – @ Detroit (10am)
  • Week 3 – Carolina
  • Week 4 – @ N.Y. Giants (MNF)
  • Week 5 – BYE
  • Week 6 – @ Cincinnati (10am)
  • Week 7 – Arizona
  • Week 8 – Cleveland
  • Week 9 – @ Baltimore (10am)
  • Week 10 – Washington
  • Week 11 – @ L.A. Rams
  • Week 12 – San Francisco (Thanksgiving)
  • Week 13 – @ Dallas (TNF)
  • Week 14 – @ San Francisco
  • Week 15 – Philadelphia
  • Week 16 – @ Tennessee (10am)
  • Week 17 – Pittsburgh
  • Week 18 – @ Arizona

Right off that bat, an annual gripe: every single team should be lumped into one of two BYE weeks, in the middle of the season. Either that, or start giving teams two BYEs apiece. It’s ridiculous that we get our BYE in early October! Fuck the NFL, figure it the fuck out!

We’re looking at four 10am games, which I don’t even put on my radar as things to complain about anymore, ever since Pete Carroll came here and gave us the secret sauce for winning on the road in the early morning. At this point, it’s just a good excuse to wake up early, go to my dad’s, and have some breakfast while watching some football.

Only three primetime games, two of which land on Thursdays. And, a big bummer in that I think this is the second year in a row where we’re left off of the Sunday Night Football lineup. That’s the best game! Honestly, I don’t even like Monday Night Football. It’s better now that Troy and Buck are calling them, but I think their talents are wasted on that timeslot. This isn’t the 70’s, no one cares about MNF anymore.

I do think it’s incredibly cool that we get to play on Thanksgiving. I freaking LOVE playing that day! Even if it’s only the night game, I don’t care. It’s always special to be one of the teams going on the biggest football day of the year (outside of the Super Bowl).

I also kinda get a kick out of being on back-to-back Thursdays.

I don’t hate how balanced it is from a road/home standpoint. The only back-to-back road situations are split up by a BYE week, or a Thursday-related quasi-BYE week. It’s still INCREDIBLY stupid that seasons are an odd number of games, and so this year we’re saddled with one less home contest. Just make it 18 games already and cut the fucking bullshit!

The only thing left to do is predict the outcome of all the games, right? Okay, let’s get it over with.

I think we start the season 2-2, with wins over the Panthers and Giants. I think we lose in an annoying fashion to the Rams in week 1, followed by a high-scoring defeat to the Lions in week 2.

Then, I think we go 2-2 in the next four games, losing to both the Bengals and Ravens, while beating the Cards and Browns. Then, I think we rip off a 3-game winning streak over the Commanders, Rams, and 49ers on Thanksgiving, before losing to Dallas and San Fran the following two weeks. That brings us to 7-6.

Then, I think we finish the season 3-1, with an upset over the Eagles, a win over the Titans, an upset loss to the Steelers, and a bounce-back victory over the Cardinals to close it out. 10-7. A slight improvement over last year, but not the towering achievement we were all hoping for.

The Seahawks Probably Had A Pretty Good 2023 NFL Draft

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Look, I’m not going to sit here and pretend I know a lot about these college guys we selected over the weekend. Or how well they’ll develop or fit into our particular scheme. It’s the great unknown! We’ll just have to wait and see.

  • 1st Round (5th overall) – Devon Witherspoon (CB)
  • 1st Round (20th overall) – Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR)
  • 2nd Round (37th overall) – Derick Hall (OLB)
  • 2nd Round (52nd overall) – Zach Charbonnet (RB)
  • 4th Round (108th overall) – Anthony Bradford (G)
  • 4th Round (123rd overall) – Cameron Young (DT)
  • 5th Round (151st overall) – Mike Morris (DE)
  • 5th Round (154th overall) – Olu Oluwatimi (C)
  • 6th Round (198th overall) – Jerrick Reed (S/CB)
  • 7th Round (237th overall) – Kenny McIntosh (RB)

My overarching opinion of the first round picks is that we got some good (maybe great) players, but neither one are guys who are in the stratosphere of a Sauce Gardner or a Ja’Marr Chase (players who, from day one, were destined for the Hall of Fame). They were considered “best players available” while also being at positions of need, but not the BIGGEST position of need.

That would be the defensive line. Naturally. As always. Where we left off from there is that we’d wait and see what the rest of the draft gave us before rendering judgment. But, that comes with diminishing returns. The further you get away from the first half of the first round, the less likely it is you’ll find truly impactful players. Of course, there’s always the possibility that you hit on someone on the second or third days. But, for every Tyler Lockett or Tariq Woolen, there are hundreds of Demarcus Christmases.

To try and replenish that BIGGEST position of need, we used our top second round pick on Derick Hall out of Auburn. You love the school, you love the conference, but his body frame harkens to a guy we just took last year – Boye Mafe – and countless guys with that frame before him, who we’ve tried to turn into effective pass rushers. Best case scenario, Hall is another Bruce Irvin type who might get you 8-10 sacks, and be somewhat competent against the run. But, this is the type of guy we get every year. As a rookie, I wouldn’t bet on any more than 3-4 sacks, and even that might be too high. The hope is, he’s part of the rotation, but you don’t need to rely on him being the starter (those jobs should still belong to Nwosu and Darrell Taylor). Let him get his feet wet, gain some experience, pop a few times, and hope he develops into a starter in year 2 or 3.

Unfortunately, we used our other second round pick on another running back. By all accounts, Charbonnet is a fine back. People have him rated as high as the second or third best in this class. I don’t know if that says more about him or the quality of this class. I’m not going to get super bent out of shape about this, but if it were up to me – after already taking a running back in the second round the previous year (and having him turn into Kenneth Walker, superstar), I would’ve waited in this draft. From what I was reading, there were quality running backs throughout the draft. See: the guy we took in the seventh round. While I get that we needed to replenish the running back room (after losing Rashaad Penny and Travis Homer in free agency), we didn’t need to use our second round pick on him.

That being said, Kenneth Walker did get banged up as a rookie. Running backs, in general, are pretty injury prone, with all the hits they take. The Seahawks, in particular, not only utilize the running back position more than most, but also seem to suffer an inordinate amount of injuries (see: Rashaad Penny and Chris Carson in recent years). So, if Charbonnet turns into a high-quality player in this league, it would stand to reason he’ll find himself in the starting lineup sooner rather than later.

That was it for Friday, as the Seahawks ended up trading back with their third round pick (with the Denver Broncos of all teams). We got another fourth rounder in return, but also a 2024 third round pick (meaning: we get to root against the Broncos for another year!). It sounds like we got tremendous value in this deal, so I’m not complaining.

We started beefing up our trenches in the fourth round, taking a guard and a defensive tackle. The guard is interesting, and could very well find himself starting for us as early as 2024 (if not sooner, if we suffer injuries, and he finds himself next up on the depth chart). The DT seems like he’s Just A Guy. Don’t expect any sort of pass rush whatsoever, and just hope he’s competent as a rotational run stuffer/guy who can take on blocks while freeing up our linebackers behind him to make plays.

Then, we continued picking for the trenches by taking a couple of Michigan players in the fifth round. The defensive end also seems like he’s Just A Guy, albeit with a fairly interesting body type for the position (6’5, 295 pounds), who could play along the outside or the interior. Does that make him L.J. Collier? Probably, but at least we didn’t waste a high draft pick on him. The center, however, also seems interesting as a potential starter as early as 2024 (if not sooner, again, due to injury and his standing on the depth chart).

I’m not buying the safety we took in the sixth round will remain at safety. For starters, he’ll need to excel at special teams if he wants to make the roster at all. Secondly, he seems a tad undersized, and they’re already talking about him being a nickel or dime corner. Odds are he doesn’t play much at all on defense this year. Odds are also that he doesn’t ascend in year two to be a starter replacing Jamal Adams. For that, we’ll probably look to next year’s draft (and a lot higher than the sixth round).

I’ll believe it when I see it that the seventh round running back also makes the roster. It sounds like he’s a good pass catcher, and also plays special teams, so crazier things have happened. But, that means you’re going into a season with three running backs having 1 or 0 years of experience, and only DeeJay Dallas (so far) as any sort of veteran (heading into his 4th season). My guess is we never see Kenny McIntosh hit the football field, and he suffers a very serious injury before the regular season. Can’t you picture the name “Kenny McIntosh” as someone we never hear from again? Remember Zac Brooks, who we took in the seventh round in 2016? Doesn’t Kenny McIntosh remind you of Zac Brooks?

While last year’s draft felt vital, and rife with quality players throughout, this year’s draft feels like depth replenishment. We boosted some positions into the elite realm (corner, wide receiver, and probably running back), while helping fill out other spots (offensive line and special teams). But, I’m not getting the sense there are any late-round gems in this draft class. Tariq Woolen has been an interesting player since the moment his name was selected. From that point on, he was a tantalizing prospect who – if he put it all together – could be a monster. And, it turns out, he put it all together extremely quickly!

But, who is getting those kinds of comparisons in this draft class? Unless one of those defensive linemen shows flashes in rookie minicamp, I don’t think there’s going to be a third-day stud in the bunch. Hopefully, in time, one (or both) of the interior offensive linemen pan out into capable starters; that might help us save a shekel or two. But, if we’re going to be wowed by this influx of players, it’s going to come from the very top.

We’ll see, though. I’m not going to say it’s going to take 3-5 years for us to figure out if this weekend was a bust. We should know in year 1 whether or not guys project to be impactful in the NFL. So, I can’t wait to hear about how they develop over the next few months!

The Seahawks Might Have Drafted The Best Cornerback & Wide Receiver In The First Round

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It’s funny how my Seahawks fandom led me astray in this draft. Like a lot of people, I had REAL tunnel vision when it came to the first round of this draft, and especially with the #5 pick. I never legitimately believed we’d take a quarterback there, but I left that door open a crack just in case. Really, what I expected was we’d take the best defensive lineman available. Either Will Anderson (if he was still there) or Jalen Carter/Tyree Wilson (whoever the team believed in more). As many expected, the Texans drafted Will Anderson; as literally no one expected, they drafted him AFTER they also took C.J. Stroud (when they traded up with Arizona for the #3 pick). Other than that, the top 4 went chalk: Bryce Young #1 to the Panthers and Anthony Richardson #4 to the Colts. Will Levis is somewhere still sliding harder than a fireman on a greased up fire pole.

What I didn’t do before the draft was put one ounce of effort into studying first round cornerbacks or wide receivers. What’s the point? The Seahawks never take a receiver before the second round, and never take a corner before the third!

There’s two ways to look at this draft for the Seahawks so far: you’re either with us or against us. You’re either a fan of your team taking the Best Player Available, or you’re not. There are normally 32 picks in the first round of an NFL Draft; this year there was 31 because the Dolphins got dinged for tampering and lost their pick. However, that doesn’t mean there are 30+ players with “first round grades” heading into a draft. Usually there’s anywhere from 12-18 or so, true, legitimate blue chippers. This year’s class was deemed to be weak in comparison to recent drafts, so the odds of the Seahawks getting two elite players with first round grades – when their second pick was #20 – seemed pretty remote.

I would call this draft a qualified success, because the Seahawks got two players with true first round grades. But, obviously, the Seahawks didn’t address their greatest need (the defensive front seven), and that might come back to haunt them.

You can’t be a football fan and not have heard some chatter about Devon Witherspoon, cornerback from Illinois (our pick at #5). Really, all I knew heading into the draft was that he was one of the best cornerbacks in this draft, he excelled in press coverage, and he was elite against the run. As soon as I heard that, I thought, “Well, he sounds like an ideal Pete Carroll cornerback; too bad he’ll be gone by the time we take our first corner of this draft!”

He’s 6’0, 180-something pounds. Notably – in the post-round interviews – Pete Carroll compared him to Troy Polamalu, which is incredibly high praise. It’s hard not to be a fan of his style of play, I think he’ll fit in beautifully with what the Seahawks want to do on defense. That being said, he doesn’t strike me as a Sauce Gardner type. He’s not far-and-away the best cornerback in this draft (even though he was picked first, and would probably get the most first place votes). Washington and New England both took cornerbacks at 16 and 17 respectively who are in the conversation (particularly the Oregon guy, who I’d also heard rumblings about pre-draft).

The big question with Witherspoon will be: is he a lockdown corner? Or is he just a good all-around athlete? Is he a Richard Sherman, or a Shawn Springs? Say what you will about Springs, but he was never a lockdown guy; he was fine.

Of note to Seahawks fans in the market for a defensive lineman, Tyree Wilson ended up going #7 to the Raiders and Jalen Carter went #9 to the Eagles (of course). It’s interesting how the defensive end market shook out, because there were a number of quality names still available by the time the draft got to #20. I don’t know if these guys are going to be worth a damn as pros, but names I’d heard about pre-draft included Myles Murphy (28th to the Bengals), Nolan Smith (30th to the Eagles, of course), and Felix Anudike-Uzomah (31st to the Chiefs). There were also a couple of semi-interesting defensive tackles taken after we picked, including Mazi Smith (26th to the Cowboys) and Bryan Bresee (29th to the Saints). We’ll have to keep our eyes on those guys, and just imagine what they might’ve looked like in Seahawks uniforms.

At some point in the run-up to #20, I tweeted out how I thought it would be funny if the Seahawks continued to buck their organizational trends by taking “that amazing tight end” with our other first round pick. Dalton Kincaid was who I was referring to; he ended up getting selected by the Bills at 25. Nevertheless, we did buck trends, but went wide receiver instead.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba is more-or-less the consensus best receiver in this class, at least heading in. But, kinda like our cornerback pick, JSN doesn’t sound like a grand slam, no doubter home run, a la Ja’Marr Chase or Justin Jefferson. Maybe just a half-step down.

He’s 6’1, 196 pounds. He was the very best Ohio State wide receiver in 2021, before a hamstring injury severely limited his 2022 season. He can play anywhere – inside and outside – he has great hands, he gets open. He’s going to be a BIG asset for this team. I’ve heard him being compared to Doug Baldwin, which: sign me up! I wonder if he’s like a blend of both Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf. I love the pick already for what he’s going to mean to this offense on third downs, but I’ll be curious to see what his high-end potential is on big plays downfield. A non-crazy Antonio Brown is the ceiling you’re looking for. I imagine the floor is – as always – Nelson Agholor.

Here’s the thing with these two picks: it doesn’t matter if you’re in the Best Player Available camp or the Draft For Need camp, because cornerback and wide receiver ARE needs for this team.

Sure, Tariq Woolen and Coby Bryant were drafted last year and made names for themselves as rookies. But, we still needed a starter opposite Woolen who isn’t Mike Jackson. I would also argue that Woolen is more of a cover corner, and not necessarily a guy who lowers the boom on opposing players. I cringe every time I see Woolen try to tackle a running back. We needed to throw a wild animal into our secondary. Devon Witherspoon is going to learn so much from the likes of not only Woolen, but Quandre Diggs, Julian Love, and even Jamal Adams (for the half a game he’s healthy for).

And I would argue – in spite of having two 1,000-yard receivers in Metcalf and Lockett – the Seahawks had a bigger need for a third receiver than they did for another corner. Are you as sick and tired of Dee Eskridge as I am? Are you over these 1-year retreads like Marquise Goodwin? Are you looking for a little more than a 6th/7th rounder or an undrafted guy, like Freddie Swain, Dareke Young, or Penny Hart?

Three-receiver sets are the norm nowadays, even with a team that runs as much as the Seahawks do. The fullback is out. You’re either going with a third receiver or a second tight end. So, there’s going to be no shortage of plays for JSN on the field in this offense. He gives us probably the best wide receiver room in football (certainly in the NFC anyway), he’s insurance in case Metcalf or Lockett get banged up, and he’ll help us replenish for when Tyler Lockett one day decides to hang ’em up. Sure, Lockett is signed through 2025, he keeps his body in shape, and he’s careful about not taking brutal hits. But, he’s 31 this year. There’s a potential out in his contract before 2024, so you never know when it’s all going to come to an end for an older player. Waiting until after Lockett is gone to replenish the wide receiver room sounds like a terrible idea. Get a rookie in there now, have him learn from Lockett while he still can, and now you’ve really maximized that pick!

Granted, even though the Seahawks did draft for need, they weren’t the most pressing needs. To that, I say, let’s see what happens over the next couple days. Should be quite interesting.

What If The Seahawks Draft Jalen Carter?

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I don’t involve myself with a lot of mock drafts and whatnot. It’s fine if that’s your thing, but it’s just not my thing. I don’t like to devote a lot of brain power to what college players the Seahawks might bring in, because 99.99999% of them won’t actually ever be Seahawks and/or worth a damn (figure is approximate).

Even if we just limit discussion to who the Seahawks could take at #5, I don’t really have much to say. I want Will Anderson more than I want any other player in this draft. Either the Seahawks get him – because the top four picks were all quarterbacks, or otherwise someone went off-script – and I’ll be elated, or we won’t, and I’ll be disappointed. But, I won’t be shocked if he goes to another team before we pick.

I will be shocked if he goes to another team before we pick … because we traded down, but I’ll also be irate and looking for the nearest oven to stick my head in. But, that’s neither here nor there.

I don’t think we’ll take a quarterback, but if we did, it would probably be Anthony Richardson. I’d be fine with that. I’d be excited, because that means the Seahawks REALLY believe he’s the next great superstar, and because we have the coaches and players to put around him to really foster that kind of development. I would also be justifiably nervous, because quarterbacks are always a gamble, and one picked so high would be given every opportunity (for good or for ill) to become our next Franchise Quarterback. But, I’m not holding out much hope for that, and really think the chances are slim-to-none that he’s even available anyway.

The guy I think we’re going to get is Tyree Wilson. I think that’s because – again – Will Anderson is already off the board, and the Seahawks don’t believe in any of the remaining QBs. I’ll talk myself into Wilson, because he’s a high-level prospect with incredible upside, but ultimately it’ll be a disappointment, because part of me will be convinced we could’ve traded down a few spots and still gotten him, but also because he’ll be kind of a Bruce Irvin type. Someone who’s good, but not an elite, perennial All Pro you hope to get with the #5 pick. He’ll get you around 10 sacks on a good year, but otherwise isn’t someone opposing offenses really have to gameplan too much around. Someone between an Aaron Curry and a Bruce Irvin, I guess. Either a bust, or a fine athlete who needs other, better players around him to shine.

I also think we’re going to get Tyree Wilson because we’re going to pass on Jalen Carter.

This, in spite of the fact that most projections have Carter going to the Seahawks. That’s part of the reason I’m writing about him today. The other part is the fact that there’s so much to discuss around what’s going on with Carter.

He, obviously, was involved in that alleged street racing incident where the opposing vehicle crashed, killing a teammate and team associate. There was obviously the unfortunate timing of his arrest warrent coming down while the NFL Combine was happening. Of course, he didn’t really participate in the Combine – other than maybe some interviews – which is never a good sign. Then, he had his pro day, where he didn’t participate in everything, and couldn’t finish that which he tried to do (he was also something like 9 pounds heavier than he was at the Combine, speaking to his level of conditioning).

For some people, the legal issues are enough to write him off. For others, the final nail in the coffin was his being so out of shape at an all-important pre-draft event like his pro day (when, again, he refused to do anything athletic at the NFL Combine). Is he a suspension waiting to happen, for off-field shenanigans? Does he care about his body and being in shape? Does he care about the game of football and what it takes to be among the best in the world? And also, what does that say about his decision-making? Not just the road racing incident (which, come on, is more of a Boys Will Be Boys sort of thing; who hasn’t driven fast and raced around in their cars when they were younger?), but going against the wishes of his representatives who allegedly cautioned against him having his pro day so soon after all of those legal things came to light. He should’ve waited, until that was behind him, and he could devote his time full-boar to working out.

And then there’s the whispers. The rumors swirling around. He doesn’t practice hard; he only shows up for games. He takes plays off. For whatever reason, he was largely hidden from the media during his entire college tenure. And, of course, he played for a bigtime SEC program, and therefore is both mostly a finished product, and probably a beaten down one given the way they play and the number of games in which they participate (including playoffs and whatnot). He seems like just a guy who has gotten by on his natural ability his whole life, who has been Yes Manned to death and been handed everything he could’ve ever wanted thanks to those natural abilities, and once he gets to the NFL, he’s going to have a serious wake-up call. Everyone in the league has natural ability, but they also have the drive to want to be the best, and work at it day-in and day-out.

If Jalen Carter doesn’t have that drive, then he’s not just some so-so outside linebacker who might end up being a so-so pro; he could range from being that perennial All Pro DT, all the way down to a fucking disaster of a bust that sets your team back another five years (the way Malik McDowell did, only times a million because of where you selected Carter vs. McDowell being a second rounder).

All that being said, you have to consider it, because he does have that upside. What if the rumors are blown up out of proportion? What if those rumors only exist because NFL teams want him to fall in the draft? Or, what if this whole last half year has been a huge wake-up call for Carter? What if he’s more susceptible to coaching, and if he’s in the right system, with the right coaches and players around him, we’re able to unlock his fullest potential?

What if he’s the next Aaron Donald?

Aaron Donald had a great college career and everything, but he wasn’t yet AARON DONALD. He was the 13th overall pick. Defensive tackles don’t usually go in the top five unless they’re REALLY special. The fact that Jalen Carter was once considered to be the best and most elite defensive prospect in this draft is something you can’t ignore. Even with all these issues we’ve talked about ad nauseam, he’s still a consensus second or third defensive player off the board after those other two guys I referenced. What does that tell you about Jalen Carter, the football player? What does that tell you about the man after he puts on pads and you get him on the field with the clock running?

That tells me he’s a fucking monster. And, yeah, there’s a risk. There’s a risk with literally everyone. There’s injuries, there’s ineffectiveness, there’s being mishandled, there’s being in the wrong scheme, or with the wrong set of coaches, or just random bad luck and you fall off a fucking ATV without wearing a helmet.

You might tell me Tyree Wilson has untapped potential he was never going to realize in college. That he has a frame he can grow into, to be an elite player both inside and outside, both on the line and off the ball. But, the way I see it now, Jalen Carter has the highest upside in this draft. And if we can’t get Will Anderson, I would gladly take Carter, and just cross my fingers and hope for the best.

Nothing changes your defense like having a super-human at defensive tackle. Those guys wreck games all by themselves. Those guys have to be reckoned with by opposing offenses. Those guys open up things for everyone else, either next to him on the line, or behind him at linebacker and safety.

If you’re like me and you’re DESPERATE for the Seahawks to be elite on defense, I think the quickest way to that end is either Will Anderson or Jalen Carter, full stop. Anyone else – either in this draft, or in free agency – is going to be a colossal disappointment.

The Seahawks Brought Back Bobby Wagner!

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Look, I’m going to like any move the Seahawks make to improve the defense, because it’s been abysmal watching how this side of the ball has deteriorated over the years. Also, it’s one year, $7 million (guaranteed money amount yet to be released), which isn’t an unreasonable amount.

It didn’t feel great having Bobby on the Rams. That being said, it was entirely reasonable for the Seahawks to cut him (maybe not with the lack of communication) and sort of re-set his salary value to the league. He’s in his 30’s now, even if he’s playing at a relatively high level, this is the world we’re living in.

That being said, it was weird seeing him outside of a Seahawks uniform, and it was distressing seeing him twice in the uniform of a divisional opponent.

Bobby Wagner was easily one of the best parts of the Rams last year, given all the injuries they endured. He was second-team All Pro, which isn’t necessarily a legacy award like the Pro Bowl; it still means something. 6 sacks, 2 picks, his usual massive amount of tackles, and he played in every fucking game. Just a fucking Hall of Fame stud!

Has he lost a step? Sure, who hasn’t at 32 going on 33? He’s not an elite coverage defender anymore. That’s okay. The Seahawks just need to understand that, and focus him towards what he does best: roaming the middle of the field, and being a beast when it comes to stopping the run and plays around the line of scrimmage.

This free agency spree has been about one thing more than any other: fixing our run defense. Total revamp of the interior of the defensive line. Brought back Bobby (to help fill the void of the Jordyn Brooks injury). Signed Julian Love to bring a little more LOS help from the safety spot (either with Love or Jamal Adams, should he still be here). And, brought in Devin Bush, who very well could be that coverage linebacker if he can reclaim his lost speed, two years post-injury.

There are some interesting thoughts that come to mind with all of this activity. All of this activity, mind you, that’s VERY un-Seahawks. We aren’t normally EVER this active in free agency. Not at the top of the market. Not with guys you’ve actually heard of. Usually it’s people off the scrap heap, coming back from injuries or bouts of ineffectiveness, but who were once high draft picks and therefore have a pedigree that we hope to bring back to relevance.

My biggest worry is that this is the impetus for the Seahawks trading down from five. I know, there was always a chance they’d do that anyway. But, now I fear we’re going to trade WAY down, in an attempt to not only acquire a ton of middling draft picks, but also to save money under the salary cap. As I’ve stated from Day One (that day being: when I realized we’d get the number five pick from Denver) that I want a stud in this draft. You don’t get a stud by trading back. You don’t get a stud by LEAVING the top five. They’re not falling down the draft board. I’m sick of picking in the 20’s. This was our ONE chance to pick in the top five, and I fear we’re going to blow it.

The counter to that is: the Seahawks are making all of these free agency moves in order to mitigate our dependence upon the draft. Now that we’ve – more or less – filled out our roster, we can truly go Best Player Available in the draft and not have to think twice. But, that doesn’t mean I want us throwing this draft away.

But, the fact of the matter is, even before the Bobby Wagner signing, the Seahawks were out of money. When you factor in the cost of draft picks, practice squad, and the IR replacements we’ll eventually need, we’re actually in the hole. And there’s significant savings to be had if we trade down from number five.

There’s also, as it turns out, significant savings if we cut Jamal Adams after June 1st. Adams counts a tad over $18 million towards the salary cap this year. I think his dead cap figure is more than that – something closer to $24 million – but if you do it after June 1st, you can split the damage over 2023 and 2024, which would – in effect – save us around $6 million on the low end, or maybe up to $8.5 million on the high end. I have no idea how it works with his contract; I’m reading very different things between Spotrac and Over The Cap.

I understand the rationale, though. Adams has been fucking worthless the last two seasons. His first year here was terrific – with the 9.5 sacks and all that – but even then he was limited to 12 games. Indeed, he’s NEVER played in more than 12 games per season in a Seahawks uniform, and we suffered the indignity of him going out in Game 1 last year. A year, mind you, where it sounds like we REALLY catered the defense to his unique abilities. So, yeah, I get it. I’m as down on him as anyone. I do not believe – for one second – that he’s going to be available for anything CLOSE to a full season. I’d have to be a gullible fucking idiot to believe that!

That being said, I would still hate this move. Not so much that I actually believe he’ll be available – though, I do think precautions can be made where maybe we can limit his snaps and hopefully limit the damage to injuries he can either play through, or make it back from in time for the playoffs – but I just hate giving up on a talent like that. He DOES have a unique skillset that you just don’t get with any ordinary player. And, I also hate having to eat this much dead money. We’re paying a fuckton to him to NOT play for us this year, AND we’re suffering another fuckton in dead cap in 2024, when he’s already long gone.

Bottom line is, we’re going to have the most talent on this defense that we’ve had in ages. I want to see what it looks like WITH a healthy Jamal Adams, even if he’s only healthy for a game or three!

That being said, the writing is on the wall. I believe more and more, with every passing day – with every passing move the Seahawks make – that Jamal Adams is as good as gone. The only other way we can generate a little cap relief is if we extend Uchenna Nwosu and/or Noah Fant. Maybe we can restructure Lockett or Diggs, as a Twitter replier pointed out. If I had my druthers, THIS would be the way the Seahawks free up some cash. I want Nwosu around for the long haul, and extending him now might be more cost-effective than trying to extend him after a second very productive season in a Seahawks uniform.

Regardless, if it only comes down to cutting Adams or trading down from five – as a means to save money – I guess I’d rather trade Adams. But, that doesn’t mean I have to be happy about it.

What’s really interesting about all of these moves is how – for the first time – this doesn’t feel like your run-of-the-mill instance of the Seahawks “Going All In”. I think there have been a number of times where we’ve tried to shoot the moon. It may have looked like half measures as we were doing it, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t legitimate.

But, this? This feels – again, for the first time – like it’s Pete Carroll’s age showing. He’ll be 72 years old in September. And, yeah, I get it, he’s the youngest-looking 72 year old we’ve ever seen. He’s more active than a man half his age and blah blah blah. But, 72 is 72. The oldest head coach in NFL history was Romeo Crennel at 73. Do I believe this is Pete’s last hurrah? Of course not. I think he’ll reach that mark as the oldest head coach in NFL history (until whenever Bill Belichick surpasses him, as he’s a year younger). But, I also don’t know if I believe that Pete has more than three seasons left. He’s apparently under contract through 2025. That might be it, regardless of what happens with the eventual sale of the Seahawks.

We’re gearing up for a run here, and then The Great Unknown. So, if ever there was a time to start kicking the can down the road as far as the salary cap is concerned, this might be it. I’d like to do that with as many bullets in the chamber as humanly possible, so I hope the Seahawks don’t make any rash decisions in the coming months.

Either way, this should be a VERY interesting team. And it’s super fun having Bobby back for at least one more go-around!

L.J. Collier Was The Worst Seahawks First Round Pick In The John Schneider Era

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L.J. Coller was taken with the 29th overall pick in 2019 by the Seattle Seahawks. He just recently signed with the Arizona Cardinals for a 1-year deal, probably worth the minimum. Thus ends the Seahawks tenure of the very worst first round draft pick John Schneider ever made.

To be fair, it’s not like there’s been a TON of first round draft picks. There’s been FIVE years in that span (2010-2022) where we didn’t make a selection until the second round! It almost happened a sixth time in 2019, I’m sure, but I gather we couldn’t find a trade partner willing to give us what we wanted to trade into the first round (not a good quarterback class AT ALL, really hampered us).

But, that being said, there have also been a number of first round duds taken by the Seahawks in that time. James Carpenter was disappointing (and entirely miscast as a right tackle), Germain Ifedi was a frequent whipping boy (and ALSO entirely miscast as a right tackle), Rashaad Penny was a reach and oft-injured, and no one’s ever happy when their team takes an off-ball linebacker that high (Jordyn Brooks has been good, but not quite elite, and now quite injured).

L.J. Collier, however, out-sucks them all and it’s not even close.

The circumstances weren’t great at the time for the Seahawks. In 2019, we were still clinging to the delusion that we were a championship contender. We were trying to recover from YEARS of mismanagement along the defensive line – starting right around the point where we took Malik McDowell in the second round in 2017 – and this was really the nadir. Frank Clark was coming up for a new contract. We franchise tagged him, then traded him to the Chiefs for a bounty of picks. It was our only viable move, really, since we didn’t even have the money to cover the tag, let alone enough money or draft capital to replenish all the spots that needed filling.

It was just unfortunate, in retrospect, that we couldn’t find a trade partner with a pick higher than the 29th. But, there was nothing doing, and by the time the draft got to the 29th spot, there wasn’t a quality defensive end left.

The consensus was down on Collier from the start. He was a reach. He had no marketable skills on the football field. If you squinted (and REALLY lied to yourself), you saw a guy who could play inside and outside – a la Michael Bennett – but in reality this guy wasn’t anything CLOSE to Michael Bennett.

45 games in 4 years for the Seahawks. 16 starts, all in 2020. His career got off to a bad start with an injury in training camp as a rookie; that set him back considerably. Or, maybe it didn’t. Maybe he was just fucking terrible, and a track record of perfect health wouldn’t have made any difference. I know this, injuries didn’t keep him off the field 2020-2022. You know what did? His incompetence at the game of football. He was frequently a healthy scratch on gamedays. On a line – mind you – that wasn’t very good as it was! We’ve never STOPPED trying to recover from the years of mismanagement along the defensive line! And he couldn’t even crack THAT rotation in many weeks!

3.0 career sacks, all in 2020. 40 career tackles – less than one per game. So, no pass rush ability, and not really anything special when it came to stopping the run. He didn’t do a fucking thing in his time here.

It’s adorable that Collier’s agent is throwing shade at the Seahawks and their scheme. I mean, I know the Seahawks have been far from perfect (especially defensively), but Pete Carroll has a track record. Other players HAVE stepped up and produced in this system. If Collier goes to the Cardinals and becomes a force to be reckoned with, I’ll eat my fucking hat.

Good. Fucking. Riddance.

Now, let’s go out and find a proper defensive end in this year’s draft to take his place.

More Minor Seahawks-Related News, Part 2

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Is it just me or have the Seahawks been unusually active in free agency? So active, in fact, that I had to split this post into two parts!

Seahawks Signed Evan Brown

It seems like the Seahawks found their starting center for 2023. It’s a 1-year deal, for just under $3 million, so that doesn’t preclude the Seahawks from finding a more permanent alternative in the draft. But, as always, the Seahawks like to hedge as much as possible before the draft, that way they can give off the illusion that they’re selecting the Best Player Available, and not necessarily some guy to fill a hole. I would consider the center spot to be a hole, though Brown does seem like an upgrade over Austin Blythe, at 6’3, 320 pounds. Considering the type of beef we have to go up against six times a year just in our own division, it was time to invest in some bigger bodies to hopefully give Geno Smith a little more protection.

Seahawks Re-Signed Drew Lock

One year, $4 million, with incentives up to $7.5 million. It’s almost a carbon copy of Geno Smith’s 2022 deal. I don’t know why we’re investing so heavily into a consensus backup quarterback, unless it’s because we’re going to completely ignore the position in the draft yet again. I’ve never been one to believe we’d take a guy with the fifth overall pick, or even in the first round. But, I did kinda hope we’d look into getting someone somewhere, that’s not an afterthought/undrafted king. But, I think the odds are pretty good we’re using our draft to boost everywhere else.

Seahawks Signed Devin Bush

This seems like an incredibly interesting signing by the Seahawks. It’s a one year deal of an unknown amount (just kidding! it’s anywhere from $3 million to $3.5 million), but figure it’s some sort of a prove-it deal for a once-promising uber-prospect who’s seen his career side-tracked by injury. Specifically an ACL tear in his second NFL season, that’s taken him a lot longer to recover from than anyone would’ve liked. He still played over the last two years, but not at the height of his rookie campaign. By all accounts, his speed dropped considerably after the injury, and it’s unknown if he’s ever going to return to form. If it pays off, we could have an elite off-ball linebacker at a bargain rate. If it fails, then hopefully it won’t matter too much, because either we’ve drafted a speedy linebacker, or something else – like a box safety – comes into play.

Seahawks Signed Julian Love

This is a 2-year, $12 million deal, so you figure this guy has a role on this defense regardless of what happens with Quandre Diggs or Jamal Adams (or Ryan Neal, for that matter). He’s a safety, which is why those other names come up, but he can also play nickel corner. It seems to me that it would be odd to sign this guy and give him Coby Bryant’s job, when Bryant did fine as a rookie. This leads me to believe that Love will take over at strong safety, while Jamal Adams will play a little more consistently as a linebacker or a third (box) safety. It also doesn’t hurt to have a little extra depth, since Adams clearly has an issue with staying upright, and you never know what’ll happen with Diggs. The extra year makes it clear that Love can be a bridge between Adams after this season, and whoever ends up being the next guy. What’s not going to happen is the Seahawks cutting either Adams or Diggs before this season. It doesn’t make sense financially, nor competitively.

Al Woods Released

I can’t imagine this is something the Seahawks actually wanted to do. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe they just wanted a clean slate across the board for an underperforming defensive line. But, my take on the 2022 season was that Al Woods was the lone bright spot along the interior of that line. Sure, he’s getting up there. Sure, there will be other similar options to fill that void (we really don’t have a true widebody nose tackle on the roster at the moment). But, the guy is tough as nails, impossible to move, and is beloved by both fans and teammates alike. And he’s been durable! No, I have to believe the Seahawks did this because we’re literally broke. No money left. Every little bit helps, and in this case, that’s $3.6 million we get to put towards, presumably, filling out our roster, paying our draft picks, and finding replacement-level players when our guys land on the IR. I’m assuming we tried to renegotiate his contract and he wasn’t having any of it. Too bad. Some team is going to find a bargain in Al Woods.

Minor Seahawks-Related News While I Was Losing My Shirt In Reno, Part 1

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Every year, for the first weekend of March Madness, my friends and I congregate in Reno to gamble on basketball and drink all the alcohol our special bracelets will allow. It’s a great time to be alive.

But, it’s a pain in the ass when it comes to sports blogging, because it also generally coincides with the start of NFL free agency. A lot of shit goes down during these four days, and I don’t have the time or the willingness to drop everything and shoot off a blog post as they happen.

Instead, other than the really big stories, I compile them all here in a post-trip post. Here’s all the bullshit that didn’t deserve its own headline.

Gabe Jackson Released

This actually happened way before I left for Reno, but it was so unimportant that … I can’t even properly finish this sentence; farts? We save $6.5 million, which is considerable what with the nearly $5 million in dead money we’re eating. He was going to cost us a pretty penny if he remained on the roster, and that’s too much to spend for someone who was a rotational guy at guard with Phil Haynes (who was previously re-signed on a one-year deal). I’m not so sure Haynes’ $4 million contract means he’s a lock to start for us; we could (and probably should) draft a guard of the future. But, he’s probably going to start for us – at least at first – and it’s better that way. Haynes has proven capable; Gabe Jackson has proven to be over the hill and expensive.

Shelby Harris Released

We saved another $9 million by making this move (though, we still had to eat a little over $3 million on dead money). Figure a lot of that will be going to Dre’Mont Jones, in our big splash on the first day of free agency. Harris was a quality interior player that we got back in the Russell Wilson deal, but he’s getting up there in age and you can’t afford to pay that kind of money to a guy who’s just okay. There’s no denying that the Seahawks were absolutely atrocious on the front seven in 2022, and especially in the interior defensive line. Harris was fine, but he clearly wasn’t making up for how deficient this team was, and it was imperative to make a big move at this position, considering our dire need.

Cody Barton Signed With The Washington Commanders

One of the other biggest needs is interior linebacker, where we really need a couple guys to fill the void until Jordyn Brooks is able to return from injury. One of my biggest worries, as a result, was the Seahawks shrugging their shoulders and re-signing Barton because he’s “familiar with the system” and “is better than everyone insists based on our 2022 results”. I don’t know who I’m quoting there, but in my head that’s word for word what some know-it-all has to say about Cody Barton. Has there ever been a good football player named Cody? I don’t think so! Prove me wrong. Anyway, Washington saved me from a lot of unnecessary worry by signing him on Day One, so he’s their problem now. Enjoy ankle tackles and a complete dearth of impact plays!

Quinton Jefferson Released

This came after the Dre’Mont Jones signing, which saves us around $5 million. He’s always been a quality rotation body – who can slide inside and outside – but nothing really special. That being said, he was one of the few players who flashed any semblance of competence along the line in 2022, so it was nice having him back while it lasted. I don’t know if this is a move we made to help pay for Jones’ new deal, or if it will lead to another move, but we’ll have to wait and see.

Rashaad Penny Signed With The Philadelphia Eagles

You know, the more you think about it, the more you realize Rashaad Penny is the most Eaglesy running back on the market. Mix him in that backfield with three other guys and watch them all tantalize – fantasywise – but ultimately let you down when you actually have to start one of them on your team. Penny leaving the Seahawks seemed like a foregone conclusion after returning on a 1-year deal, only to get hurt early in the season. It was time for a fresh start, and it’s time for the Seahawks to look elsewhere to back up Kenneth Walker.

Travis Homer Signed With The Chicago Bears

It’s a 2-year, $4.5 million deal, which granted isn’t a lot of money, but also Travis Homer isn’t worth spending money on. He’s just a guy, and that’s all he’s been. He also hasn’t been remotely durable since his rookie season. I’m happy to move on and hope the Seahawks look to draft a running back to fill out the ranks.

The Seahawks Signed Dre’Mont Jones & Jarran Reed

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We have exciting news! I can’t remember the last time the Seahawks were involved with a major signing on the first day of free agency. Not for an outside player anyway. The Seahawks are an organization that likes to draft and develop, they’re an organization that likes to take care of their own guys. Other than that – and the occasional big splash trade – we usually buy low and test the waters on an older veteran, or a lesser name coming off his rookie contract.

It’s a smart way to do things, but it can also be infuriating. What happens to those teams who “win” free agency? They’re often coming from a real dark point; that’s why they have so much money to spend in the first place. And, you’re not getting the proper value out of guys on bigtime second or third contracts, compared to those on rookie deals especially, but also compared to past-their-prime veterans who might have a little something left in the tank. So, you don’t often see a lot of future success from those teams who “win” free agency. Once in a while, a team will get everything right, but that’s pretty rare. More often than not, if you’re not just as inept (remember that Philly “Dream Team” they compiled some years back), then you’re mortgaging the future like the Rams did. Which is great, they won a Super Bowl. But, now they’re set to be one of the worst teams in football, and that’s gotta be tough to swallow as a fan.

Conversely, as you can see, it’s not like the Seahawks’ way has paid dividends either. All too often, we’ve eschewed one impact signing in an attempt to scattershot a lot of minimum deals. Instead of signing one impact offensive linemen, we’d sign three mediocre duds. Instead of going for one impact pass rusher, we’d overpay defensive tackles (Poona, Mone) who can’t get to the quarterback, and then sign whoever else was left on the scrap heap (Quinton Jefferson, Al Woods).

Everyone likes to point to Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril as the last time the Seahawks got it right in free agency. That was EONS ago! The last outside free agent who actually made a positive impact was Uchenna Nwosu; before him, there was nobody.

Seemingly every year, we head into free agency with a decent amount of money to spend, and seemingly every year, we walk away shaking our heads at the moves the Seahawks have done.

Well, not this time! This time, we signed Dre’Mont Jones away from the Denver Broncos, for 3 years and $51 million. He gets a $20 million signing bonus, which puts his 2023 cap hit at around $10 million. Assuming he plays well, his 2024 cap hit is under $20 million. And if he’s a jackpot, we’ll probably extend him before 2025 comes into play.

6’3, 281 pound defensive tackle who has 22 sacks in his 4-year career, 18.5 over the last three seasons (no less than 5.5 per year). But, it’s obviously not just sacks that makes him one of the most sought-after defensive linemen in this free agency class. He can play all over the line, and he’s a menace against both the run and the pass. He’s basically everything we’ve been looking for since Clinton McDonald left, on the low end. On the high end, the sky’s the limit. I dunno, maybe Aaron Donald is the limit; he’s probably not Aaron Donald.

Nevertheless, he’s the best defensive tackle we’ve had in ages. Sam Adams maybe? Rocky Bernard? It goes back a ways. (I don’t count Michael Bennett here, though maybe I should; I always saw him as a defensive end who slid inside on passing downs to give us an extra outside rusher).

Not only is Dre’Mont one of the best and most impactful free agents, but he also fills a VERY huge need on this particular team. Shelby Harris and Quinton Jefferson were both released as cap casualties. Poona Ford is probably moving on (after not really fitting into the new 3-4 scheme), and Bryan Mone might be out with injury all year. So, as much as we all like Al Woods, there’s a lot of work left to do.

And just when I thought we might settle for some guy making the minimum, we bounced right back the next day and brought back Jarran Reed on a 2-year, $10.8 million deal. This isn’t just any old man off the streets. This is someone who has been remarkably healthy and available (other than a stint when he was suspended). He had a stretch with the Seahawks where there was real pass rush ability and potential (surpassing 10 sacks one year), but by and large he’ll give you a little bit of that, while also presenting a stout front in run defense.

What makes all of this truly thrilling is seeing what will come from the #5 overall pick. If Jalen Carter falls to us? And we get to play him, Reed, and Jones side by side by side? With Nwosu on one end and Darrell Taylor or Boye Mafe on the other? Or, we end up with Will Anderson as an end with those guys? We could really have something here!