Category Archives: Trades

Have Hawks & Chancellor resolved differences?

March 19, 2016 cc 2 Comments

Chancellor, Carroll and Schneider As it turns out, Kam Chancellor’s out-of-the-blue post the other day about staying in Seattle might not have been so out of the blue.

A report out of Chicago indicates the Bears and Seahawks were discussing a swap of Chancellor and tight end Martellus Bennett (brother of Seattle’s Michael) until Chancellor and the Seahawks reached some kind of agreement.

The report comes from a blogger who doesn’t usually break news, so it must be taken with a grain of salt until confirmed by recognized news sources.

However, it could well explain the timing of Chancellor’s comments Wednesday in which he said, “I’m not going anywhere. Seattle is my second home. I don’t plan on going anywhere unless some higher power places me elsewhere. #Loyalty #12s #LOB”

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Contracts, Free agency, The roster, Trades

O-line decisions/options for Seahawks in 2016

December 30, 2015 cc 7 Comments

Russell Okung talks with GM John Schneider during minicamp in June (AP) Another shabby performance has put the focus right back on Seattle’s offensive line — a reminder that no matter how well it played during the five-game winning streak, it is still a very subpar unit that will need to be upgraded next offseason.

The Seahawks have eschewed using high picks on the line ever since 2011 selections James Carpenter (first round) and John Moffitt (third) did not work out; so, instead of Pro Bowl guard David DeCastro, guard Joel Bitonio and right tackle Terron Armstead, they have J.R. Sweezy, Justin Britt and Garry Gilliam.

The line has gotten worse every year since Russell Wilson became quarterback in 2012. It has been terrible at the end of the past two seasons, stuck using rookies and undrafted players to fill in for injured or underperforming high draft picks. And the unit just played one of its worst games of this season, albeit without Russell Okung, causing everyone to hope that was an aberration as the playoffs approach.

However the season ends up, the Seahawks have to upgrade the unit in the offseason, if possible, and try to build some stability in front of Wilson for 2016 and beyond.

They need to determine (1) what to do at left tackle, (2) whether to keep Sweezy, (3) whether to add a veteran center to replace Patrick Lewis and (4) what they are going to do in the draft.

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Contracts, Pro Bowl, State of the team, Trades

Undeserved Pro Bowl spot should spell end of Kam in Seattle

December 26, 2015 cc 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.

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Contracts, Franchise history, Free agency, Trades

Big-money acquisitions haven’t paid off

December 9, 2015 cc 2 Comments

Percy Harvin and Sidney Rice during a minicamp in June (AP) Now you know why John Schneider doesn’t pay big money in free agency very
often: It usually
isn’t worth it.

The release of Cary Williams this week was the latest example. It was the second straight year the Seahawks have gotten rid of a highly paid veteran addition during the season — and they probably set a record with this one, dumping Williams just 12 games into a three-year, $18 million contract.

A year ago, the Seahawks traded Percy Harvin — the pouting malcontent who for a time had poisoned the Seattle locker room.

Since he took over in 2010, Schneider has acquired nine big-contract veterans — defined as making $5 million a year or more — and six of them have not been worth it.

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NFL draft, Trades, Week 13: At Minnesota

Schneider helped build this Vikings team

December 2, 2015 cc Leave a comment

John Schneider drafting When Minnesota GM Rick Spielman sees John Schneider this weekend in Minneapolis, he will probably give him a big hug and kiss.

After all, Schneider has helped Spielman build his team into the NFC North leader. Schneider has handed Spielman his quarterback, a starting cornerback and a backup running back over the last three years. Oh, and he also relieved Spielman of a massive locker room headache.

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NFL draft, State of the team, The roster, Trades

No matter how season ends, Hawks have to make changes next year

November 20, 2015 cc 2 Comments

Chancellor, Carroll and Schneider No matter how the season ends for the Seahawks, they have some key changes to make next year.

They certainly don’t need to blow up the team completely – even if they miss the playoffs. But they will need to make a few small detonations — even if they make the postseason and even if they somehow manage to win the Super Bowl (which seems like California dreamin’ at this point).

Whether Pete Carroll intends to stay beyond 2016 or not, John Schneider needs to fix the problems that have been holding this team back from greatness and help avoid becoming, as he has called it, “one of those teams that skates in and skates out” of contention.

Bottom line: The Seahawks cannot go through another year with such a disjointed offense holding back a potentially great defense. And they have to make some changes to the defense as well – beyond Bruce Irvin leaving in free agency (they will get a taste this week of how Frank Clark and Kevin Pierre-Louis might replace him).

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State of the team, Trades, Week 8: At Dallas

Don’t expect any major deals from Seahawks

November 1, 2015 cc Leave a comment

Don’t get too excited about the reports that the Seahawks are working the trade phones ahead of the deadline Tuesday: Any deal they might make almost surely would be minor.

It’s no surprise John Schneider is on the hunt for offensive line help, but the Seahawks are not in financial position to bring on a big-money player such as Cleveland’s Alex Mack or Joe Thomas.

The report that Schneider is willing to trade a receiver such as Chris Matthews is evidence that any deal Seattle makes would be minor. The Hawks are not going to get much for Matthews or Ricardo Lockette, and they surely aren’t going to deal Doug Baldwin, Tyler Lockett or Paul Richardson.

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State of the team, Trades

Hindsight study: Was Unger-Graham trade a good move?

October 10, 2015 cc Leave a comment

The two biggest concerns during the Seahawks’ 2-2 start have been the struggles of the remade offensive line and the inconsistent use of Pro Bowl tight end Jimmy Graham.

For many critics, the two issues are very closely linked. After all, the Seahawks gave up center Max Unger to get Graham.

For the record, we were very in favor of that trade. But some were dubious, thinking it foolish to give up a top center for a tight end the Seahawks might not even use right.

So, let’s revisit the question: Did the Hawks do the right thing in trading Unger for Graham?

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State of the team, The roster, Trades

Carroll on trading Michael: ‘We just thought it was time’

September 7, 2015 cc Leave a comment

Pete Carroll said the team thought it was time to give up on Christine Michael, the former second-rounder who was sent to Dallas for a conditional seventh-round pick.

“We spent a lot of time with him. We gave him plenty of opportunities. He’s a good, hard-working kid. … We just thought it was time.”

Carroll said Jackson offers much more experience and in the passing game, catching and blocking. “On this team at this time, it was just the way to go.”

Carroll said Jackson is a “good pass pro” guy and “he’s a terrific catcher. So that part is going to fit in really well.”

“We like Marshawn on third down, but he needs a break now and then,” Carroll said. “I like to have a real steady guy going in. Without Turbo available to us, he was the steady guy to go in. Christine wasn’t that guy to take that spot, and we didn’t want to put that on Thomas (Rawls) at this point.

“We think that’s going to be a good, solid move and get a real classy guy to add to the locker room.”

The roster, Trades

Another ‘surrender’ deal is Schneider’s 38th trade

September 6, 2015 cc Leave a comment

It was destined to happen.

Christine Michael clearly had not lived up to his second-round draft position, and his roster status had been precarious all year. With Dallas needing running backs, that was an easy formula to complete as far back as March.

Michael’s days seemed numbered all week. First, Fred Jackson came in for a visit, then John Schneider said he was working on some trades, then word came that the Hawks had indeed agreed to a deal with Jackson and were trying to trade Michael.

Of course, getting just a seventh-round pick makes this another “surrender” deal for Schneider. It’s not as bad as the Percy Harvin trade last October — in which the Hawks got a sixth-round pick in return for the guy that cost them a first, third and seventh in 2013.

The Hawks also gave up on receiver Kevin Norwood a week ago, flipping the 2014 fourth-round pick to Carolina for a shot at a seventh in 2017.

In between those three “surrenders” though, Schneider has made some great deals — acquiring Jimmy Graham and Tyler Lockett.

This deal was Schneider’s fourth of this preseason, the most since he made five preseason deals in 2010.

He has made six trades in total this year, the same number he made last year and the second most since the 13 he made in his first year (2010).

The Seahawks’ 2016 draft now includes 11 projected picks (including four comp picks): a first, second, two thirds (one comp), fourth, fifth (comp), two sixths (one comp) and three sevenths (comp and Michael). They sent their fifth-rounder to Kansas City for safety Kelcie McCray.

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