Category Archives: NFL Combine

Hawks seem ready to replace Woolen, Bryant and Walker

While John Schneider is staying pretty tight-lipped, as usual, about the Seahawks’ personnel plans, we have heard enough scuttlebutt from the Combine to have a pretty decent idea what is going to happen over the next couple of weeks.

For one, the draft lines up very well where the Seahawks might need to replace some guys – and the Hawks have been meeting with a bunch of prospects who could fit.

Two, we now have a very good idea where Schneider and the team stand on Kenneth Walker III – it is basically what we expected.

Three, we know a bit more about how and why the Hawks probably are going to handle extensions for Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Devon Witherspoon.

Let’s break it all down, using intel offered up by ESPN’s Brady Henderson and others.

Continue reading Hawks seem ready to replace Woolen, Bryant and Walker

Combine week means time to get down to business

It’s Combine week. And you know what that means: While the scouts are checking out the draft prospects, a bunch of bigger business is being done behind the scenes in Indianapolis.

A year ago, John Schneider was listening to trade offers for DK Metcalf while trying to get a deal done with Geno Smith’s agents (and declining a trade offer from Pete Carroll’s Raiders).

A few days after the Combine, Schneider traded both Metcalf and Smith and quickly pivoted to Sam Darnold and Cooper Kupp in the first week of free agency.

Nothing so drastic and dramatic is expected this week, although you can bet Schneider will check with the Raiders about Maxx Crosby again. He reportedly offered Smith and Metcalf for Crosby just before making the separate trades to Las Vegas and Pittsburgh a year ago.

Beyond that, Schneider and his guys will figure out the markets for Kenneth Walker III, Rashid Shaheed and their other free agents.

Last year, Schneider and team contract negotiator Joey Laine got both Ernest Jones IV and Jarran Reed re-signed just before the league year began. They surely hope to keep a couple more guys this time as well.

Here’s the latest.

Continue reading Combine week means time to get down to business

Smith reportedly won’t be traded, but will Schneider draft a quarterback?

John Schneider apparently did not find much trade interest in Geno Smith at the Combine – at least that’s the conclusion we are drawing from a report that the Seahawks have told Smith he will be on the roster in 2024.

Per NFL insider Jordan Schultz, “The Seahawks have informed Geno Smith he will be on the roster in 2024 under his current contract. I’m told Smith has received commitment from Seattle’s front office.”

That is something that had seemed in doubt this week as both Mike Macdonald and Schneider had indicated no firm commitment to the 33-year-old quarterback.

But, based on the Schultz report, Smith seems set to start for a third season in Seattle. That doesn’t preclude the Hawks from making other moves at the position, of course.

Continue reading Smith reportedly won’t be traded, but will Schneider draft a quarterback?

‘The starter until he’s not’: Is a trade viable?

“That’s a tough question, and it’s one that I probably can’t answer right now.” – Mike Macdonald on whether Geno Smith and Drew Lock will be on the team

Mike Macdonald seemed to answer the question raised by the Seahawks’ conversion of Geno Smith’s bonus last week: A trade is not off the table.

In an interview aired Sunday, KCPQ’s Aaron Levine asked the new coach, “Are Geno Smith and Drew Lock both involved in the future of this team going forward?”

Macdonald said, “That’s a tough question, and it’s one that I probably can’t answer right now. We’re doing a lot of work on those guys.

“Right now we’re in the phase of figuring out who they are. Obviously one or two or both would fit into our plan moving forward, but right now I probably don’t have that answer for you.”

At the Combine two days later, John Schneider also was noncommittal, saying Smith is “the starter until he’s not.”

Continue reading ‘The starter until he’s not’: Is a trade viable?

Why pay Geno now? The Combine is coming

Just a few days after Geno Smith’s 2024 salary became guaranteed, the Seahawks made a mildly surprising move to give him even more guaranteed money, converting his March roster bonus into a pay-now bonus to add $4.8 million in cap space.

Why did they decide to pay the $9.6 million now, three weeks before the league year begins and 25 days before it was technically due?

Continue reading Why pay Geno now? The Combine is coming

Should Hawks play the lottery and use No. 5 pick on a QB if possible?

The Seahawks’ draft position improved Saturday.

No, they didn’t make a trade. But Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson’s record-setting performance at the Combine seemed to vault him into the top five of the draft.

That put the Hawks in an even better spot at No. 5, with the top five players now expected to be, in some order, Richardson, Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud, Alabama QB Bryce Young, Alabama OLB Will Anderson Jr. and Georgia DE Jalen Carter.

So the Hawks will have their choice of a top QB or an elite front-seven player – a winning proposition however you slice it.

Last year, after the Hawks traded Russell Wilson, a QB in this draft seemed a no-brainer. But then Geno Smith put together a Pro Bowl season, and there is a real debate now about whether they should take a QB at 5 — especially knowing it is a 50-50 bet or worse.

Continue reading Should Hawks play the lottery and use No. 5 pick on a QB if possible?

Experts on draft’s top four defensive ends

At the Combine today, Pete Carroll said the Seahawks are “totally connected to the quarterbacks coming out” in the draft.

However, other teams are likely to scoop up the top two guys, Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud, in the top three picks. That’s OK, because the Seahawks really need to use their top pick on the best combination defensive lineman they can find – a guy who can set the edge against the run and rush the passer from both inside and out.

Continue reading Experts on draft’s top four defensive ends

‘Definitely’ no Wilson trade? That’s not what they said

Local media and some nationalistas are now certain that the Seahawks are not going to trade Russell Wilson.

On the surface, that sounds right. This week, Wilson repeated how much he likes Seattle, Pete Carroll said they have “no intention” of trading Wilson and John Schneider has been telling teams he is not shopping the QB.

But they all certainly have left the door open to a potential split, each carefully couching his words in case a big trade comes along that satisfies everyone. We won’t be surprised if Wilson is dealt – in fact, we put it at 60-40 that he is. If it happens, it will seemingly come out of the blue – that’s how Schneider does it.

Continue reading ‘Definitely’ no Wilson trade? That’s not what they said

Will Schneider keep playing the comp game, despite little return?

NFL draftEveryone knows Pete Carroll loves competition. And John Schneider loves COMPetition — working free agency so he ends up with compensatory draft picks the next year.

He has done it in four of the past six years — and he got three extra selections today when 2020 picks were announced. But is it really a game worth playing? Has Schneider found any diamonds in the rough with these extra picks?

Continue reading Will Schneider keep playing the comp game, despite little return?

Seahawks bosses agree: Pass rush is priority

Carroll at combineJohn Schneider and Pete Carroll are smart enough to agree with the rest of us: Their biggest need this offseason is the pass rush.

“We’re looking to improve in some really critical areas. Pass rush is something that we’re really focusing on,” Carroll said at the Combine. “We really like the way we turned the ball over last year. We got the ball a lot, made some nice plays and stuff that gave us a chance, but we need to do some things more consistently — and that’s rush the passer.”

Continue reading Seahawks bosses agree: Pass rush is priority