Category Archives: The roster

Geno-sis: A new start for Hawks’ offense

Plenty of fans were hoping the Seahawks would trade Russell Wilson in the offseason, moving on to another quarterback who didn’t have the same deficiencies. Well, those people are about to get their wish, for a few weeks anyway.

Seattle apparently is going to be without Wilson for 4-8 weeks after he suffered a finger injury on his throwing hand against the Rams on Thursday and had surgery Friday in Los Angeles.

That gives Geno Smith, the former Jets second-round starter, an early birthday present as he turns 31 on Sunday: A starting quarterback job once more. And he will start it off with two prime-time games.

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Roster check as Hawks prepare for 49ers

As if the Seahawks didn’t have enough chaos, being 1-2 and needing to straighten out their defense and get their offense to sustain its play over a full game, they are doing a ton of roster juggling as well.

The big news Wednesday was that Gerald Everett became the first Seahawk to test positive for the coronavirus in the NFL’s two pandemic seasons. He seemed confident he would return “soon,” but the Hawks have to be prepared in case he doesn’t pass the test. Pete Carroll said Friday that he was vaccinated and feeling fine but had not tested negative on consecutive days yet.

Colby Parkinson, on IR with a foot injury, returned to practice this week and is expected to be activated. The Hawks also signed Jace Sternberger, a former third-round pick of the Packers, to their practice squad. Otherwise, Will Dissly and Tyler Mabry are the only eligible tight ends on the 53.

Let’s take a look at all the news and analysis of each position (UPDATED FRIDAY) as the Hawks get ready for the 49ers and a tough three-game run that finishes with the Rams and Steelers.
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Hawks placate Diggs, Brown until 2022 becomes clearer

The Seahawks didn’t want to extend Duane Brown or Quandre Diggs before this season, but they did what they could by guaranteeing their 2021 salaries with signing bonuses. Now the team waits.

The Hawks also gave the players voidable years in 2022, which allow both to get injury protection for next year while also slicing the 2021 cap hits. Diggs already had reportedly taken out an insurance policy.

Brown, due $11 million in compensation, got a $7 million signing bonus and $4 million salary, which will be guaranteed after Week 1. Diggs, due $6 million, will get $5 million of it now.  

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State of the roster as season begins

“It’s a critical time.” – Russell Wilson after another early playoff exit in January

A dramatic offseason and largely uneventful preseason are behind us, and we are finally about to see whether the Seahawks are any better than they were in 2020, when their offense and defense went in opposite directions over the course of the season and they once again failed to move past the first playoff game.

After a 3-5 record in the postseason over the past six years and two one-and-dones in the past three, the pressure is on to go deep into the playoffs and make a strong Super Bowl run in 2021.

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K.J. Wright: An unsung hero who was all class

Along with Cliff Avril, K.J. Wright was the classiest player of the Pete Carroll era — and also one of the most underrated players in the Seahawks’ 45-year history.

Only 13 players have played more games for Seattle (Russell Wilson is tied with Wright’s 144 games, so he will make it 14 players Sunday). Some of those guys were highly decorated, and then there were players such as Joe Nash, Mack Strong, Chris Gray, Keith Butler and Wright — longtime stalwarts who were the unsung heroes of their playoff teams.

With Wright’s official departure, Bobby Wagner is the only remaining member of the historic Legion of Boom defense. Wright and Avril were the ultimate team players, the best combination of player and teammate that crew produced. Kam Chancellor’s ill-conceived 2015 holdout put a black mark on his career, and the emotional Richard Sherman, Michael Bennett and Earl Thomas all created too much controversy and simply did not have the class of Wright and Avril.

After signing with the Raiders, Wright talked about how he was “pissed off” all offseason that no team wanted him. He had every right to be, especially coming off one of the best seasons of his 10-year career.

But he was typically classy in talking about the Seahawks, and the franchise gave him a proper sendoff Monday …

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What we want to hear from team bosses

We will finally hear from John Schneider and Pete Carroll, at noon Wednesday, and you can bet they will be at their snarkiest – considering they (hopefully) are going to be asked about a lot of things they don’t really want to talk about.

A lot has happened since we last heard from Carroll in early January. And, because there was no Combine or in-person owners meetings, we haven’t heard from Schneider yet this offseason.

We put together 20 questions we would ask them about this offseason, starting with a couple of easy ones before hammering them with the tough stuff about Russell Wilson, Aldon Smith, Jarran Reed, etc.

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Dunlap: Wilson says he is ‘here to stay’

For the past two months, people have been waiting for Pete Carroll or Russell Wilson to say something to end all of the trade innuendo. We’ll hear from Carroll later this month, but Carlos Dunlap says Wilson told him he is not going anywhere.

Before agreeing to return to Seattle, Dunlap said he talked to Wilson to make sure he would remain the Seahawks’ quarterback, and Wilson told Dunlap he’s “here to stay.” Wilson has been consistent in saying he wants to remain in Seattle, but the caveat this offseason has been “on the right terms.” And his agent’s backhanded trade request almost led to Wilson becoming a Chicago Bear.

But, it sounds like he has changed his mind about being open to a trade this year. Remember, Wilson has a no-trade clause, so if he says he is staying, that is what is happening.

Let’s take a quick ride back through the timeline of this saga:

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Can Seahawks find ‘Surefire’ QB this year?

The Seahawks seem destined to move on from Russell Wilson, but it looks like it might not be this year — unless Wilson is willing to go to Miami or Philadelphia.

Adam Schefter reiterated this morning that the Seahawks are still open to dealing the star QB if they could secure a “surefire quarterback solution.” That has been the line since mid-March, but that “surefire” replacement seems very elusive at this point.

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Lockett & Jackson aside, Hawks are still one year at a time

What’s the Seahawks’ plan?

That has been the question ever since Pete Carroll and John Schneider dismantled the battered Legion of Boom in 2018. The unsatisfying answer for the last three years, especially at pass rusher, has been: Make it up as we go.

Some think the excellent extensions of Tyler Lockett and Gabe Jackson mean the Seahawks have found their way again, creating a new long-term window of contention. But the fact is nothing has changed: Carroll and Schneider are still going just one or two years at a time.

They can’t help it now, because Russell Wilson’s future in Seattle is in question. Until that situation is resolved, they will remain year to year – even if they manage to get long-term deals with Jamal Adams, Quandre Diggs, Brandon Shell and Michael Dickson.

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Dunlap is back: At long last, Schneider locks in a top pass rusher

That “Whewwwwww” you heard Thursday was a collective sigh of relief from Seahawks fans as John Schneider finally secured an ace pass rusher who was more than a desperation rental.

The return of Carlos Dunlap was everything Seattle needed this offseason – easily the best move Schneider has made in the past two years, let alone the past two weeks.

Schneider has been patching his pass rush ever since trading Frank Clark in April 2019. He tried with Ziggy Ansah and Jadeveon Clowney that year, then moved on to Bruce Irvin and Benson Mayowa last year, before finally landing Dunlap in a lucky desperation trade.

It took releasing Dunlap, letting him see the market and then letting Jarran Reed go to bring him back. But at least Schneider finally locked in an ace pass rusher for a couple of years.

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