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.
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).
Continue reading No matter how season ends, Hawks have to make changes next year
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.
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?
Continue reading Hindsight study: Was Unger-Graham trade a good move?
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.”
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.
Continue reading Another ‘surrender’ deal is Schneider’s 38th trade
Seattle’s two most interesting positions this summer have been running back and the secondary, and the Hawks sure kept the drama rolling with their first cuts to 53 on Saturday.
Among their moves, they placed Robert Turbin on season-ending IR and acquired safety Kelcie McCray from Kansas City.
The Turbin move was a bit of an about-face from the report Friday that the Hawks were set to waive the fourth-year back, who has a high ankle sprain. If they had waived him, they would have risked losing him but also would have had the chance to bring him back. They decided instead just to stash him on IR, meaning he will miss the season. He’s a free agent next year, and this certainly will impact the market for him and probably increase the likelihood that he stays in Seattle.
Running back is not the only position where the Seahawks are working on multiple moves.
A day after word leaked that the Hawks were signing Fred Jackson, planning to waive Robert Turbin and trying to trade Christine Michael, attention turned to the secondary.
Will Blackmon seemingly indicated that he has been released, and the Seahawks reportedly are checking into acquiring a veteran safety — while fielding calls on Kam Chancellor.
The New York Giants reportedly are the latest team — and first known club — to ask the Hawks about the holdout Pro Bowl safety. But the Hawks still don’t seem inclined yet to trade Chancellor. Nor should they be. There is still time for this to get worked out (i.e., Chancellor to return).
Meanwhile, John Schneider said Thursday that he is talking to a bunch of teams about possible trades, so word that he is checking into the safety market is no surprise.
As for Blackmon, it appears the Hawks prefer their younger, cheaper nickel corners — either Marcus Burley or rookie Tye Smith.
As expected, rookie Keenan Lambert apparently has been waived, too. Lambert is Chancellor’s half-brother.
The Seahawks were busy juggling their running back stable Friday, reportedly agreeing on a one-year deal with Fred Jackson while dangling Christine Michael in a trade and planning to waive Robert Turbin for the purpose of putting him on injured reserve.
The Hawks reportedly will waive/injured Turbin, which means he will revert to season-ending IR if no other team claims him. But, he is expected to miss only about five weeks with his high ankle sprain, so some team might be inclined to pick him up. If not, he will miss the season on Seattle’s IR.
The Hawks are taking a little gamble that Turbin will be scooped up — as they did with Michael Bowie (claimed by Cleveland) last year. But, Turbin also is scheduled to become a free agent after the season, so the risk might not be that high. Or the Hawks might not care.
If they had wanted to put him on short-term IR so he could return at midseason, they would have had to keep him as part of the 53-man roster this weekend and wait until next Tuesday to place him on IR/return (which cannot be used until the Tuesday after final cuts are made).
Meanwhile, John Schneider said Thursday that he was busy working the phones for possible trades. He didn’t mention any players, but Jason La Canfora reported Friday that the Hawks were indeed shopping Michael, the 2013 second-round pick who has not really gotten on the field.
Continue reading Hawks’ RB plans: Replace Turbin with Jackson, trade Michael
John Schneider already has made two trades this preseason, acquiring Mohammed Seisay and sending out Kevin Norwood.
Those were the 11th and 12th trades he has made in the preseason since he arrived in 2010 — and he is looking at possibly making more in the next week.
Before the Seahawks beat Oakland in the final preseason game Thursday, Schneider told Steve Raible the Hawks are talking to other teams about potential deals.
“We have five or six guys we’re concentrating on tonight,” he said, “and comparing those guys to other players that are out there that we’re talking to other teams about.”
Continue reading Schneider: ‘We’re talking to clubs’ about trades
CHAWK TALK: Everything being said about the Seahawks 