28 | March | 2015 | CHAWK TALK: Everything being said about the Seahawks

DRAFT COUNTDOWN: Five weeks.
A weekly look at draft-related topics
involving the Seahawks.

John Schneider loves draft picks, and he clearly was looking forward to getting four more last week in the compensatory awards.

It was the first time the Seahawks have ever received four comps, and it means the Hawks will enter the draft with more picks (11) than any NFL team. No big surprise there: The Hawks have drafted a league-high 48 players since Schneider arrived in 2010 — never leaving the selection meeting with fewer than nine.

This year, the Hawks are in the perfect draft position for Schneider: No first-round pick and five in the fourth and fifth stanzas, plus three in the sixth.

Everyone knows Schneider has been average in the first round, while earning a great reputation in the middle rounds. So, thanks to the Jimmy Graham-Max Unger deal and losing a few free agents in 2014, this draft is in his wheelhouse.

His reputation as a mid-round star is only half legit, though. While he has found two superstars in the fifth round, the fourth round actually has been his worst — with misses on four of seven players and only one starter (K.J. Wright) discovered.

He can reverse that trend this year though, if receiver Kevin Norwood, linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis and defensive lineman Cassius Marsh take big steps and Schneider makes some good picks with his three fourths on May 2.

Here’s a look at how Schneider has done through his first five years:

Continue reading Grading Schneider’s draft picks →

The Seahawks got four comp picks for the first time, giving them 11 picks in the draft.

The Seahawks added three defensive coaches — including former Seattle assistant Dwaine Board and one of Pete Carroll’s former USC defensive backs.

John Schneider talked about Russell Wilson, Michael Bennett and Brandon Mebane at the owners meetings.

Carroll said he is “fueled” by the Super Bowl loss and doesn’t want to let it go because he wants to learn from it.

He also said, “I’m confident that this team is going to come back and fricking roar. We are going to roar back into this offseason. These guys are working hard for it.’’

Carroll said all reports on Wilson’s contract so far were incorrect, and he talked about many of the players along the defensive line.

Carroll also said the Hawks are working on re-signing several of their remaining free agents.

Schneider said the Seahawks chose Michael Bennett over Golden Tate last year because the draft had a better class of receivers than pass rushers. (The Hawks ended up drafting receivers Paul Richardson and Kevin Norwood.)

The NFL is going to change the PAT in some fashion. Here’s Carroll’s idea:

Our idea for the extra point: -Automatic 7pts for a TD -Mandatory try from the 2 for 1pt -Defense can score 1pt by returning a fumble or INT

— Pete Carroll (@PeteCarroll) March 25, 2015

The Saints reportedly talked to the Dolphins about Jimmy Graham, too.

The Kingdome was imploded 15 years ago this week. And the debt for that structure was finally paid off this week as well.

Carroll helped Mike Williams, former USC star and one-time Seahawk, get a gig coaching high school football in Los Angeles.

Marshawn Lynch will appear in a Ludacris video for the rapper’s riff called — what else? — “Beast Mode.” (Did he have to pay Lynch royalties for using that title?)

Lynch has a strain of pot named after him, but he doesn’t smoke, according to Snoop Dogg, who said, “My homeboy got a career to play. He’s still in the NFL. He’s got a commissioner to deal with.”

Clare Farnsworth, who had covered the Seahawks for nearly their entire existence, retired this week.