Hawks keep up the drama

September 6, 2015 cc Leave a comment

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.

Continue reading Hawks keep up the drama →

The roster, Trades

Blackmon out, Hawks seeking safeties; Giants want Chancellor?

September 5, 2015 cc Leave a comment

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.

State of the team, The roster, Trades

Hawks’ RB plans: Replace Turbin with Jackson, trade Michael

September 4, 2015 cc Leave a comment

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 →

The roster, Trades

Schneider: ‘We’re talking to clubs’ about trades

September 4, 2015 cc Leave a comment

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 →

Preseason, State of the team

Lockett, Clark finish preseason like they started it: Bang!

September 4, 2015 cc Leave a comment

Tyler Lockett and Frank Clark finished the preseason the way they started it — with a bang (or two or three).

And B.J. Daniels surely locked up a roster spot with his display of diversity in Seattle’s 31-21 win over Oakland on Thursday.

Lockett’s 63-yard touchdown catch off a perfect pass from Russell Wilson was the rookie’s third touchdown of the preseason — he returned a kick for a score in the first game and also had a punt return for a TD.

Clark dominated the line of scrimmage vs. the Raiders, notching a tackle for loss and causing a fumble for a TD on a sack in the end zone.

Pete Carroll was impressed with all three players.

“Obviously B.J. had a great night tonight,” he said, referencing Daniels’ great running (75 yards on seven rushes) and saying the receiver/quarterback managed the team well.

As for Lockett and Clark, Carroll said, “They’ve made great strides throughout (the preseason). Their going to definitely help us.”

Continue reading Lockett, Clark finish preseason like they started it: Bang! →

Preseason, The roster

10-11 spots up for grabs

September 3, 2015 cc Leave a comment

As the Seahawks get ready for their final preseason game, at least 22 of them are playing their final game for Seattle.

NFL teams — currently at 75 players — have to get down to 53 by 1 p.m. Saturday.

The Seahawks have about 10-11 spots up for grabs, with almost half of those being hotly contested in the secondary.

Among the DBs, Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, Cary Williams and DeShawn Shead seem like locks, with Dion Bailey very likely to make it, too.

That leaves — realistically — seven players battling for four or five secondary spots: corners Will Blackmon, Tye Smith, Tharold Simon, Marcus Burley and Mohammed Seisay and safeties Steven Terrell and Ronald “Buck” Martin.

Many assume Blackmon is a lock for the nickel role, but that’s not necessarily true. Burley and Smith can play the role as well, and they are cheaper and under club control for longer than Blackmon.

Pete Carroll said he looks forward to all of the DBs showing what they can do vs. Oakland.

“Guys are going to get significant playing time where they really can get out there on the field,” he said. “It’s going to be a big game for Tharold Simon to show where he is; he had a very good first game. This will be a very big game for Mohammed Seisay to get a chance to play finally; he’s been banged up. Will Blackmon will play a good deal of minutes.

“These guys are going to get some really significant playing time — of course, the safeties, too — so this is a very important game.”

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CHAWK LINES

September 2, 2015 cc Leave a comment

Kam Chancellor was among those interviewed by precocious 10-year-old Isabella for NBC’s “Sunday Night Football.” But will he even be there when the Hawks play Green Bay on “SNF” in Week 2?

Jason Cole of Bleacher Report thinks the Hawks will extend Chancellor by a year so they can pay him more this year. That goes against most opinions on the Hawks’ thinking.

Bruce Irvin is conflicted about Chancellor’s holdout: “We need Kam, but Kam deserves his money.”

Irvin also has advice for fellow Seahawks draft gamble Frank Clark.

Chargers QB Philip Rivers said he didn’t think anything about his minor scuffle with Clark last weekend.

Tom Cable said this group of linemen — Russell Okung, Justin Britt, Drew Nowak, J.R. Sweezy, Garry Gilliam — could turn out to be the best he has had. Not sure that would say too much.

Nowak grew up a Packers fan in Wisconsin, so Week 2 in Green Bay will be “surreal.”

The call to Fred Jackson proves the Seahawks clearly still don’t trust Christine Michael as the No. 2 back.

Kevin Norwood is ready to play in Carolina, where he is being coached by one-time Seahawks WR Ricky Proehl.

Contracts

Report: Hawks offer small concession to Kam

September 2, 2015 cc Leave a comment

The Seahawks reportedly have offered partial guarantees to Kam Chancellor in 2016 and are willing to waive 70 percent of the fines he has accrued while sitting out.

The Hawks also are not even considering trading Chancellor at this point, as they believe he might return after the opener in St. Louis, Davis Hsu of Field Gulls tweeted Tuesday night.

Chancellor has three years left on the five-year, $29 million deal he signed in 2013, and he is unhappy that his 2014 pay will be $4.55 million — even though it is guaranteed and he already has made $12.5 million the past two seasons.

He reportedly wants the Seahawks to pay it forward — turning most of his $4.55 million for this year and $5.1 million for 2016 into a signing bonus.

The Hawks are willing to guarantee some of that $5.1 million, Hsu tweeted.

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Injury report, State of the team

Jackson a possible fill-in for injured Turbin

September 1, 2015 cc Leave a comment

The reason for Fred Jackson’s visit became clear when Pete Carroll talked to media Tuesday: Robert Turbin suffered a “significant” high ankle sprain in San Diego.

Carroll said he did not know how long Turbin will be out, but it obviously will be a while (short-term IR?).

Carroll said Jackson is in just for a meeting and physical and the team had not yet decided whether to sign him.

“This is a visit for us,” Carroll said. “This isn’t a signing. This is a visit for us. We have tremendous respect for this player. He’s got obviously a wealth of background. He’s tough, he’s smart. He’s sharp. So we need to see where he is right now at 34 years old and see what he looks like. He’s got a big physical coming up today and we’ll talk to him later. But … we have not made that decision at all at this point. We love that he’s here and we are trying to get our ducks in a row for what may be necessary later on.”

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CHAWK LINES

September 1, 2015 cc Leave a comment

Who knew Sept. 1 was Marshawn Lynch Day?

First, “Big Daddy” celebrates by getting “intimate” with Skittles and saying “I do” on TV.

Then we’ve got the NFL announcing that Super Bowl Media Day — otherwise known as “Marshawn Mocks the NFL Day” — will become a prime-time affair. You know the ever talkative Lynch can’t wait.

And, in real football news, Lynch’s buddy from Buffalo, Fred Jackson, reportedly is headed to Seattle to take a physical.

Continue reading →