Category Archives: State of the team

Franchise history, Free agency, State of the team

Tobeck’s good advice: Add a couple of OL vets

Leave a comment

If Seattle coaches haven’t learned their lesson, they should listen to Robbie Tobeck.

TobeckThe best center in franchise history says the Seahawks need veteran linemen, and he should know: He was the pivot on the best line in team history — the 2001-05 group that also included All-Pros Walter Jones and Steve Hutchinson and savvy vet Chris Gray, a quartet that started 65 games together during that stretch (Hutch missed 12 in 2002, and Jones sat out three in holdouts).

Tobeck came from Atlanta in 2000 and started every game from 2001 to 2005, along with Gray, who set the team record for consecutive starts after coming from Chicago in 1998.

Pete Carroll’s Seahawks could desperately use the same kind of veteran savvy and dependability those two offered alongside superstars Jones and Hutch during Mike Holmgren’s Seattle heyday.

Continue reading Tobeck’s good advice: Add a couple of OL vets →

Free agency, State of the team

Schneider talks Lynch, Graham, Kam, O-line

Leave a comment

John Schneider (via Fresh Files)As his turn in the spotlight begins, Seattle GM John Schneider made the radio rounds Friday and talked about the personnel issues facing him and the team this offseason.

In his interviews with 710 ESPN and KJR, Schneider basically confirmed everything we thought: Marshawn Lynch is leaning toward retirement, Jimmy Graham will be back and the offensive line is an obvious priority.

Schneider also declined to address Kam Chancellor’s situation, telling 710 ESPN, “We’re going to take care of immediate issues.”

Asked about redoing deals, as Chancellor and Michael Bennett have proposed, the GM told 710 ESPN, “It’s all on an individual basis. We’re going to do whatever we can to keep this puzzle together, but we can’t get out of whack either.”

Continue reading Schneider talks Lynch, Graham, Kam, O-line →

Contracts, Franchise history, State of the team

Graham is not going anywhere this year

1 Comment

Graham out for seasonFor some reason, there is a thought among more than a few Seahawks fans that Jimmy Graham won’t — or shouldn’t — be back next season.

The Seattle Times even ran a poll asking whether fans thought Graham and/or Marshawn Lynch would be back, and about 22 percent thought Graham would not return.

Clearly, these people have not observed how John Schneider and Pete Carroll do business. Graham is not going anywhere in 2016.

Continue reading Graham is not going anywhere this year →

Contracts, Free agency, State of the team, The roster

Offseason priorities

4 Comments

Salary cap logoA couple of months ago, we wrote that the Seahawks’ bosses — Pete Carroll and John Schneider — were going to have to make some changes no matter how the season ended.

Well, the season has ended (prematurely), and now it is time for those changes.

“There’s all kinds of stuff we’re going to be working on,” Carroll said Monday. “There’s tons of stuff. I’m not going to single anything out right now because there’s no way I can do that and be talking straight with you, because I don’t know. We don’t know at this point. We have a lot of thoughts, and we’re just going to start putting them together over the next few weeks and all.”

Although the Seahawks are slated to have more free agents this year than they have had in any year since Schneider and Carroll arrived in 2010, Schneider’s focus will be a little bit different this time.

Continue reading Offseason priorities →

Playoffs: At Carolina, State of the team, The roster

2015 was like 2012; will 2016 be as Super as 2013?

Leave a comment

Wilson and SchneiderAs it turns out, the Seahawks’ 2015 season was an almost exact replica of the 2012 season — from the uneven start to the disastrous postseason finish.

So, if the cycle continues, the Seahawks will be lifting the Lombardi Trophy again one year from now.

Consider the similar paths of the 2012 and 2015 seasons:

**The Seahawks rallied from a 4-4 start to make the playoffs, evolving a paltry offense into a formidable one, and a defense that was terrible in save situations (i.e., protecting leads in the fourth quarter).

**They rallied to win their wild-card game and then got off to a horrendous start in their 10 a.m. divisional game before Russell Wilson led a big second-half rally that fell just short.

**This failure was followed by an immediate excitement about what the future holds, everyone knowing this team is still talented enough to compete for at least a few more seasons.

Continue reading 2015 was like 2012; will 2016 be as Super as 2013? →

Playoffs: At Minnesota, State of the team

With Lynch out, Michael gets to keep proving it

Leave a comment

Michael to CowboysIt looks like our “Video Ode to Beast Mode” was a bit premature: Marshawn Lynch won’t be back for the playoff game in Minnesota after all.

And that means Christine Michael gets one more chance to show the Seahawks — and the rest of the NFL, for that matter — that he deserves a roster spot next year.

Continue reading With Lynch out, Michael gets to keep proving it →

Injury report, State of the team, Week 17: At Arizona

Will battered Hawks be up for challenge?

Leave a comment

Seahawks bandagesIt turns out this big Seattle-Arizona clash might not be a very good gauge of where the Seahawks stand vs. the Cardinals, who are Seattle’s biggest hurdle to reaching the Super Bowl.

Half of Seattle’s key offensive players won’t be in the game, with J.R. Sweezy and Luke Willson (concussions) ruled out Friday — joining Marshawn Lynch, Jimmy Graham, Thomas Rawls, Paul Richardson and probably Russell Okung. That means the Hawks are down to second- or third-stringers at four positions.

Continue reading Will battered Hawks be up for challenge? →

Injury report, Playoffs, State of the team

Carroll spins Lynch’s rehab choice, thinks he can make playoffs

Leave a comment

Lynch stretchingMarshawn Lynch’s trademark was approved Wednesday for his infamous phrase, “I’m just here so I won’t get fined.”

Funny timing, considering he isn’t “here” in Seattle and won’t get fined for it.

Pete Carroll said Lynch might make it back for the first playoff game, and the coach also deflected concerns that the team is not controlling Lynch’s rehab as the running back recovers from abdominal surgery.

Lynch has been working with his personal trainer in the Bay Area, as he does every offseason, and Carroll has been relying on reports from that crew regarding Lynch’s progress.

“I would think he can make it back (for the playoffs),” Carroll said. “That’s what we hear. It’s really up to that day-to-day kind of progression that he’s making. There’s a lot of days between next week starting up. We’ll see what happens.”

Continue reading Carroll spins Lynch’s rehab choice, thinks he can make playoffs →

Contracts, Pro Bowl, State of the team, Trades

Undeserved Pro Bowl spot should spell end of Kam in Seattle

Leave a comment

Kam Chancellor during the fourth quarter against Denver (Getty)It will be a stunner if Kam Chancellor is with the Seahawks next year — his undeserved Pro Bowl spot almost surely sealed his exit from Seattle.

He obviously will use his fourth Pro Bowl election to try to bolster his argument that he should be paid more. Remember, he missed the first two games this season while trying to get a better contract, which is set to pay him $5.1 million in 2016 and $6.8 million in 2017. He quite obviously will try to do it again — and use his “reputation” Pro Bowl vote as proof.

General manager John Schneider already should be planning to trade Chancellor, but this will be the nail in that coffin.

Continue reading Undeserved Pro Bowl spot should spell end of Kam in Seattle →

Injury report, State of the team

Michael & Brown might have to carry running game to Super Bowl

Leave a comment

“In this system, we’ve never not had a good back. Whoever it is can go for a thousand. I’m not worried about that so much. … Hopefully (Marshawn Lynch is) with us. If he’s not, then we move on. That’s fine.” — Tom Cable in June 2014.

Tom Cable was right: The Seahawks don’t need Marshawn Lynch. And it turns out they don’t really need Thomas Rawls either — as spectacular as he had been in relief of Lynch.

The Seahawks are a system running team — and, once the five linemen are in sync in their zone scheme, it is tough to stop the system. The Hawks proved that again Sunday, when they rolled up 182 rushing yards with two new backs — born-again Seahawk Christine Michael and Bryce Brown.

And, based on Pete Carroll’s comments Wednesday, Michael and Brown will be the ones to carry the Seahawks’ ground game into the playoffs, if not through to the Super Bowl.

Continue reading Michael & Brown might have to carry running game to Super Bowl →