Monthly Archives: May 2017

CHAWK LINES
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CHAWK LINES -- Week in review

We returned from vacation to a lot of depressing Seahawks news. Here’s the latest on the team …

Hall of Famer Cortez Kennedy stunningly died at age 48. Many former teammates and coaches spoke glowingly of him as both person and player.

The Seahawks darkened their stadium, the only light the one shining on Kennedy’s No. 96 hanging from the rafters. Kennedy also had close ties to the Saints, who are honoring him during their offseason workouts.

Dave Boling gave a revealing look at former Seattle star Curt Warner’s difficult family challenges since he retired.

We learned further details on the reason Richard Sherman has become a team pariah: He reportedly still harbors a grudge over the Super Bowl XLIX debacle and is jealous of Russell Wilson. As expected, Sherman dismissed the story.

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Minicamp, The roster

First impressions of the rookies

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Pete Carroll and his staff got to see the 11 draft picks and almost 60 other players Friday as Seattle’s rookie minicamp got under way.

We wrote separately about Carroll’s take on the four draft picks in the secondary. Here are his first impressions of other rookies:

Malik McDowell is everything the coaches thought he was — so far.

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Minicamp

Rookie defensive backs ‘looked the part’

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Griffin 26Seattle used four draft picks on defensive backs — an apparent attempt at setting up LOB 2.0 down the road — and Pete Carroll said they “made a really good first impression” as rookie minicamp began Friday.

“They all moved very well. They all caught the ball really well. They looked fast. They just looked the part and felt very comfortable,” Carroll said.

“There’s a lot of play time behind these two safeties in particular and you can just tell,” Carroll said of third-rounder Delano Hill and fourth-rounder Tedric Thompson, who both reportedly were rated as second-round talents by Seattle. “They’re very savvy, very comfortable, communicated really well right off the bat, made a really good first impression.”

Carroll said third-round cornerback Shaq Griffin “can fly.” Griffin, who ran a 4.38 40, said the coaches told him to forget everything he learned at Central Florida.

Continue reading Rookie defensive backs ‘looked the part’ →

NFL draft, On the air, The roster

Why put two top O-line picks at same spot?

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Cable and Carroll“(Ethan Pocic and Germain Ifedi) are going to compete and obviously what you hope is that they prove to us day in and day out that they are two of the best five. And then you’ve got to move one of them somewhere, and that’s a good problem to have.’’ — Tom Cable to KJR

This is so like the Seahawks.

With holes across their offensive line, they draft two guys with high picks in consecutive years — yet are so uncertain where to play them that they decide to pit them against each other at the same position.

In an interview with KJR, relayed by Bob Condotta, Tom Cable confirmed what Pete Carroll has been saying: The Seahawks basically have no clue where their linemen will start.

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On the air, State of the team, The roster

Avril talks Lynch, Sherman, McDowell

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Avril on NFLNCliff Avril said he understands why Marshawn Lynch wants to play in Oakland, is glad the Seahawks did not trade Richard Sherman, and also looks forward to mentoring Malik McDowell.

Those were the top takeaways from a good interview with Avril on NFL Network on Tuesday — as Avril returns from his Haiti work and a side trip to the NFL draft to announce some of Seattle’s picks.

Continue reading Avril talks Lynch, Sherman, McDowell →

State of the team, The roster

Carroll reveals O-line depth chart

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OL depth projected.PNG

The Seahawks are still a long way from figuring out their starting five linemen for 2017, but Pete Carroll at least has defined the positions where the key players will be competing.

Luke Joeckel and Rees Odhiambo are working both left spots, George Fant is at left tackle, Mark Glowinski has moved over to right guard to battle Oday Aboushi, Germain Ifedi has moved from right guard to right tackle, and rookie Ethan Pocic is starting out on the right side in an apparent reserve role.

“We have all kinds of flexibility,” Carroll told 710 ESPN, “but we’re zeroing in in that fashion.”

Continue reading Carroll reveals O-line depth chart →

NFL draft, The roster

Carroll explains where McDowell fits

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NFL draftWhen the Seahawks drafted Malik McDowell after three moves down last weekend, both John Schneider and Pete Carroll had some motivational words for him on the phone — signs that concerns about his effort were valid.

But Carroll explained in more detail Thursday why they are not worried about McDowell’s desire and fit with the hypercompetitive Seahawks.

“He had a monster year as a sophomore,” Carroll told 710 ESPN, referring to McDowell’s 4.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss for Michigan State in 2015. “He came into the (2016) season with a high ankle sprain. It almost debilitates you, but he kept playing and kept battling.

“We see the whole body of evaluation … that tells us … we’ve got a great guy here potentially,” Carroll added. “He’s 20 years old. … He’s just getting started.”

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The roster, Trades

Sherman refocused, but Hawks still listening

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Hawks vs Packers Sherman all aloneRichard Sherman is refocused, and there’s “like zero percent” chance he will be traded at this point, Pete Carroll says, but the Seahawks will continue to listen.

And, once they lower the price next year, he probably will be traded.

“There (are) always opportunities to trade,” Carroll told 710 ESPN. “We would say that everybody’s untouchable, but we always have to listen to the opportunities … to compete to make our team better.”

Continue reading Sherman refocused, but Hawks still listening →

NFL draft, The roster

Post-draft roster review

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NFL draftPutting aside questions about Malik McDowell’s desire and Ethan Pocic’s position, the Seahawks accomplished all of their major goals in this draft: interior rusher, O-line competition, lots of DB depth.

They also added a couple of big receivers, which could be bad news for Jermaine Kearse, and replaced key role players Kelcie McCray and Tony McDaniel.

Asked if the roster is better than it was after the 2016 draft, Pete Carroll really couldn’t say that. The best he could do was: “I feel strong about it.”

He pointed out the three linebackers Seattle has signed, the O-linemen added via free agency and the draft, the two D-linemen.

“We’ve done some great stuff up front to make it more competitive. We’ve boosted the competition, obviously in the DB room but also at the receiver side of it. … I feel like it’s really going to be a competitive go.”

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NFL draft, Trades

Saints looked silly because Schneider was toying with 49ers

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John Schneider draftingImmediately after the first round of the draft, we all saw the story of Reuben Foster, former Alabama linebacker, saying he hung up on New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton because the 49ers were calling to draft him instead.

It turns out John Schneider was largely responsible for that — and he made the 49ers squirm a lot in the meantime, according to Peter King’s first-person account from the 49ers’ draft room.

The 49ers, who considered drafting Foster with the No. 3 overall pick, tried to get back into the first round for quite a while Thursday night. They talked to every team from 12 down to the Seahawks at 26. They originally offered the Seahawks their fourth-round pick to move up from 34.

Continue reading Saints looked silly because Schneider was toying with 49ers →