Category Archives: The roster

The roster, Training camp

Not a ‘knucklehead’ anymore, but is it too late for Michael?

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Michael to CowboysIt took Christine Michael a long time to figure out how not to be a “knucklehead.” But is it too late now?

The 2013 second-round pick never cared enough to try to unseat Robert Turbin as Marshawn Lynch’s backup. And then, last year, he lost his roster spot to undrafted Thomas Rawls, who was such a revelation that he is expected to replace Lynch permanently as Seattle’s No. 1 back.

It took injuries to Lynch, Turbin (waived injured last summer) and Rawls for Michael to finally get some playing time in Seattle. And that happened only after he was traded to the Cowboys, released, picked up by the Redskins and released again.

Michael did well in his return to Seattle, averaging 4.9 yards per carry in the final three games of the season and rushing for 70 yards in the playoff win over Minnesota (Lynch returned for the loss to Carolina, so Michael did not get a carry in that game).

Michael recently told USA Today that he started taking the game more seriously.

Continue reading Not a ‘knucklehead’ anymore, but is it too late for Michael? →

The roster, Training camp

Rawls knows he needs to get back ASAP or risk losing the No. 1 spot

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Rawls out for seasonIt should be no surprise that Thomas Rawls is fighting hard to be ready for the start of training camp: After all, he has a lot of competition to stave off.

Sure, Pete Carroll said Rawls remains the main man replacing Marshawn Lynch — a right Rawls earned by the way he played as a rookie last season (830 yards in 12 games). But the Seahawks drafted three running backs, and Carroll has said they have big plans for third-rounder C.J. Prosise.

Carroll’s overarching theme is ComPete, and Rawls knows it is entirely possible that he loses the No. 1 job if he is slow to get back on the field and Prosise and fifth-rounder Alex Collins excel in his absence. There are only so many carries to go around — even in Seattle’s run-heavy offense.

While everyone else is taking a few weeks off before camp, Rawls is working hard to come back from the broken ankle he suffered against Baltimore in Week 14.

Continue reading Rawls knows he needs to get back ASAP or risk losing the No. 1 spot →

Free agency, The roster

Monroe query is natural, but Carroll says Hawks ‘in good shape’ at LT

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Salary cap logoAs the Seahawks work to reconstruct their offensive line this year, it was natural to ask whether they might have any interest in Eugene Monroe after Baltimore cut him Wednesday.

The answer: Sure, if he’s cheap. But he won’t be — he was due $6.5 million next season. Of course, he also might not be healthy: He has missed 15 games the past two seasons.

Continue reading Monroe query is natural, but Carroll says Hawks ‘in good shape’ at LT →

State of the team, The roster

A look at the roster after the ‘rebirth’

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Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson plan to be clapping about their offense a lot this season (Getty Images)The Seahawks didn’t have a so-called “championship offseason” last year, and the results were pretty predictable: no championship.

Everyone hoped they could overcome all of the negatives — the loss of confidence in Pete Carroll after his asinine Super Bowl call, the silly fan backlash against Russell Wilson, the poor health of almost their entire secondary, the pointless holdout of Kam Chancellor, the idiotic coaching decision to start Drew Nowak at center.

It all added up to a disjointed start and disheartening finish. It was obviously too much to overcome for a team that had become fractured and really needed to be glued back together again.

The Hawks entered this offseason with more than a few concerns about their ability to bounce back. They needed to replace Marshawn Lynch, deal with unhappy campers Chancellor and Michael Bennett, rebuild their offensive line and fortify their defensive line.

At this point, it looks like they have put the glue in place for all of those fixes: Lynch was replaced by three draft picks; Chancellor made up with the team; Bennett sounds like he will come back ready to repeat his stellar 2015 season; the club replaced Russell Okung, Alvin Bailey and J.R. Sweezy with five linemen and Brandon Mebane with three.

Carroll says this offseason “almost feels like a rebirth.”

“We’ve been through a lot of stuff; we’ve been challenged by a lot of stuff,” he told 710 ESPN on Monday. “We’ve learned so much: winning and losing and then trying to come back again and still maintaining this huge standard and expectation. And we know it’s right there for us. Everybody feels it. That’s what is really fueling the energy around the building and why we’re so enthused. And then we hit it with this draft, so it’s feeling pretty good. Millions of things have to happen, but we’re in the right place right now.”

Let’s take a post-draft look at the roster and see whether that is true:

Continue reading A look at the roster after the ‘rebirth’ →

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

Forget the Lynch drama; check out the cap space

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Salary cap logoFor some reason, there has been a lot of concern about Marshawn Lynch’s retirement status: Is he really retiring? Why hasn’t he submitted his papers? Is he trying to screw the Seahawks? Will they make him a June 1 cut?

So many conspiracy theories.

Some people have wondered whether the Seahawks would designate Lynch as a post-June 1 move, thereby allowing the team an extra $2.5 million in 2016 cap space (but removing $2.5 million from the 2017 cap).

But anyone who has followed John Schneider’s moves with the Hawks understands he likes to take his lumps now, not later. He confirmed that once again Tuesday in an interview with KJR 950, saying the team will place Lynch on the reserve-retired list by June 1 so all of his $5 million in dead money (the unamortized portion of his signing bonus) hits this year’s cap.

Schneider clearly just wants to wipe that slate clean for 2017 and feels no need for an extra $2.5 million this offseason.

“It’s basically like a credit card, like you want to pay off your credit card as you go,’’ Schneider said. “So, like with us, if we place him on reserve/retired (by June 1) then we accept that cap hit this year, and we would rather do that than do it after June 1.’’

Continue reading Forget the Lynch drama; check out the cap space →

NFL draft, State of the team, The roster

Hawks going big to avoid going home early again

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NFL draftThe Seahawks lost seven games last season, and most of those losses occurred because their offensive line got pushed around.

The Rams and Panthers especially dominated Seattle with their great defensive fronts — the Rams’ Aaron Donald, Michael Brockers, Robert Quinn and William Hayes; the Panthers’ Kawann Short, Star Lotulelei, Kony Ealy and Charles Johnson. Those crews handed Seattle four losses, including the one that knocked the Hawks out of the playoffs.

The Seahawks will see those lines at least three times next season, and Pete Carroll and John Schneider know they have to get stronger up front if they are going to avoid the same fate they suffered in 2015. They can’t be swept by the Rams if they want to win the NFC West, and they can’t lose to the Panthers if they want to win the NFC.

That’s all you really need to know to understand why they drafted 6-foot-6, 324-pound tackle Germain Ifedi in the first round, 6-4, 314-pound guard Rees Odhiambo in the third and 6-2, 299-pound center Joey Hunt in the sixth. They are all smart, strong and athletic — and it sounds like the Seahawks think they all have a chance to start, now or later.

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NFL draft, State of the team, The roster

Carroll: Rawls is the starting tailback

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Rawls and Wilson vs. RavensHow many running backs does it take to replace Marshawn Lynch while he rides off into the sunset on a camel? Apparently three.

As Lynch led their running game for most of the last six years, the Seahawks had drafted just four running backs (including one fullback). Now, with Lynch retiring — yes, he is, Pete Carroll and John Schneider confirmed — the Seahawks added three backs in this draft alone.

But none of them will displace Thomas Rawls as the starter. Carroll made that clear Saturday after the Seahawks added Alex Collins and Zac Brooks to a backfield that already included third-rounder C.J. Prosise, Rawls and former second-rounder Christine Michael.

“Thomas gives us a great element in his style of play. We love the way he is physical and aggressive and tough,” Carroll said of the second-year back who took over for an injured Lynch as a rookie and rushed for 830 yards before suffering a broken ankle against Baltimore in Week 14.

“I think the message of who we are and what we’re about has been Thomas,” Carroll said. “We’re really excited to continue to see that.”

Continue reading Carroll: Rawls is the starting tailback →

NFL draft, The roster

Guy named Lynch helped Seahawks win Day 1

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NFL draftIt figures that a guy named Lynch had a lot to do with the Seahawks winning big on the first day of the NFL draft.

Marshawn is retired (we think), but Paxton is just coming into the league, and the Seahawks took advantage of that and an unexpected first-round development to end up with a double win.

While they didn’t move out of the first round for the fourth straight year, as it seemed they would, they did better: They traded down just five spots and added another third-round pick while helping their offensive line with Texas A&M’s Germain Ifedi.

Continue reading Guy named Lynch helped Seahawks win Day 1 →

Contracts, The roster

As expected, Hawks risking nothing on Browner

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While Brandon Browner is no sure thing to make Seattle’s roster, it didn’t cost the Seahawks much to bring him back — and won’t cost anything if they let him go.

As expected, he received the veteran minimum of $760,000 and will count just $600,000 on the veteran minimum-salary benefit. The Saints had guaranteed him $2.75 million in 2016, so they will be paying the balance.

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Free agency, The roster

Browner faces uphill battle to make team

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Pete Carroll and John Schneider have never been afraid to bring back former players, so it’s not a big surprise that they have reclaimed a couple of veterans from their Super Bowl-winning team.

Of course, it’s no guarantee that either Chris Clemons or newly reacquired Brandon Browner will make the team.

Clemons, 34, seems to have the better chance, offering some help in the pass rush and as an extra veteran voice for Frank Clark and other young linemen.

But Browner would seem to have an uphill battle to make the team.

Continue reading Browner faces uphill battle to make team →