The Dunlap dilemma

February 19, 2021 cc Leave a comment

One of the top things on our offseason to-do list for the Seahawks has been to extend Carlos Dunlap, who turned around their pass rush – and thus their defense — after his arrival in October.

A short extension for Dunlap would allow the Seahawks to greatly reduce his $14 million cap hit in 2021. However, some reporters who cover the team think Dunlap may be released, thereby freeing up the entire $14 million – and sending the Hawks on the hunt yet again for a top pass rusher.

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The roster, X's & O's

A third of Wilson’s sacks were on him — most in his career

February 12, 2021 cc Leave a comment

Russell Wilson picked a strange year to call out the Seahawks for not protecting him, considering the 2020 line was one of the best he has had and he was responsible for a career-high 14 sacks – nearly a third of the 47 times he was dropped.

Counting playoffs, he was to blame for 16 of 51 sacks (31%), per Pro Football Focus, and we tallied the same via a cut-up video posted by Parker Lewis on Twitter.

So it’s fairly disingenuous of him to put the blame on the line and John Schneider — this year anyway — when he bears a third of the responsibility. Yeah, he mentioned he needs to get better, too, but you know he is not going to change certain aspects of his game at this stage of his career. He is always going to be a double-edged sword, and 2020 was the ultimate example of that.

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Coaches, State of the team

Wilson’s future in Seattle may depend largely on Waldron

February 10, 2021 cc Leave a comment

“I’m frustrated with getting hit too much.” – Russell Wilson

Did Shane Waldron know what he was getting into when he hired on with the Seahawks?

We already knew he was key to the Seahawks’ Super Bowl hopes – the offense needing some good innovation to beat stellar defenses and advance beyond the first two rounds of the playoffs. But Russell Wilson’s callout of John Schneider and Pete Carroll this week really puts the heat on Waldron, a first-time playcaller who suddenly appears to hold Wilson’s future in his game plans (assuming the relationship between Wilson and Carroll is salvageable).

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Contracts, Free agency, The roster

Good news on the cap, but Hawks still have to make more room

February 8, 2021 cc 1 Comment

Based on recent reports, the NFL salary cap is expected to be between $180 million and $185 million in 2021. The actual number is not expected to be set until just before the league year begins March 17, but the ceiling apparently will be at least $5 million more than the floor the NFL and NFLPA had set last year.

The Seahawks and the rest of the NFL would happily take an extra $5 million, if Tom Pelissero’s report is more accurate than Adam Schefter’s tweet. (Here’s an easy explanation of how the league arrives at the salary cap.)

Assuming the number is Schefter’s reported $180 million, the Seahawks still would need to create room just to tender Poona Ford (about $3.4 million on the second-round offer) and a few ERFAs, let alone sign needed starters at center, running back, linebacker and cornerback.

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Contracts, NFL history

Hey, Trader Joes & cap experts, Wilson is not going anywhere

February 8, 2021 cc 2 Comments

Russell Wilson, Seattle’s franchise quarterback, was named the NFL’s Man of the Year over the weekend, a long-deserved nod to his many charitable endeavors since he came to the NFL.

In Seattle though, he appears to be persona non grata with a section of frustrated fans who are still plotting (in their crazy heads) to get rid of him. Others are talking about him needing to take less money if the Hawks are ever going to get back to the Super Bowl. Basically, most of these people are saying they don’t believe in franchise quarterbacks.

To be clear: Wilson is not going anywhere. Nor should he since he is the reason the Seahawks keep making the playoffs every year (2017 excepted). And his salary has not stopped the Seahawks from getting back to the Super Bowl; coaching has.

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Coaches, On the air, X's & O's

Wilson ‘very adamant’ about fixing ‘passive’ offense

February 5, 2021 cc Leave a comment

In his first comments since the Seahawks hired Shane Waldron to run the offense, Russell Wilson said he was “adamant” about finding an OC who would maintain a dynamic offense and he said he already has talked to Waldron several times about how they are going to do that.

In his radio spot, he also said the Seahawks became “passive” in the second half of last season – due in part to offensive line injuries and his own uneven play.

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Contracts

‘Do-it-all’ Adams says contract talks will be ‘interesting’

February 3, 2021 cc Leave a comment

We recently broke down the exact offer the Seahawks are likely to give Jamal Adams this offseason, but we also warned that he might well want more.

Well, he hinted at that in a recent interview on The Schultz Report, pointing out that he is more than just a safety and contract talks will be “interesting to see.”

“There’s not too many football players” who “can play anything on the field” and “can do it all,” said the guy who set an NFL record for sacks (9.5) by a safety in 2020 despite missing four games.

“I believe I’ve put out enough film over the years to show you what type of guy, what type of person, what type of player I am,” the 25-year-old All-Pro added. “To me, you ain’t going to find no better.”

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Coaches, X's & O's

Waldron: We’ll have an ‘attacking mindset’

February 2, 2021 cc Leave a comment

The best thing Shane Waldron said Tuesday in his first public words as Seattle’s new offensive coordinator is that he wants to have an “attacking mindset” and to “be the one that puts the foot on the gas pedal.”

That’s music to the ears of Seahawks fans and Russell Wilson, who enjoyed the offense’s fast start in 2020 and want to continue to score early and often all the way to the Super Bowl.

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Coaches

Carroll: Waldron’s vision ‘made him a must-get for us’

January 29, 2021 cc Leave a comment

Pete Carroll called Shane Waldron “a must-get for us” who has a “vision for the future” and will “expand the explosive ability” of Russell Wilson and the offense.

Those comments were included in the team’s announcement that Waldron will become offensive coordinator and fellow Rams assistant Andy Dickerson will come with him to coordinate the running game.

This setup harks back to the Darrell Bevell/Tom Cable days, but with a more definite hierarchy: Waldron is in charge.

Carroll said Waldron’s “creative and competitive approach to the game will bring out the best in our players and coaches. Shane also brings great knowledge and insight about our division. His vision for the future, along with the caliber of players on our offense, made him a must-get for us.”

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Coaches, X's & O's

Waldron’s task: Help Wilson sustain great play into postseason

January 27, 2021 cc Leave a comment

If you can’t beat ’em, have ’em join you.

That’s apparently what the Seahawks were thinking when they reportedly decided to hire Shane Waldron to fix an offense that diminished by 11 points per game in the second half of the 2020 season (from 34 to 23) and flamed out against Waldron’s Rams in the playoffs.

Waldron’s task will be simple (OK, simply defined anyway): Get Russell Wilson to sustain his excellent play into December and January, get the offense to play well against good defenses in the postseason and get back over the hump and into the Super Bowl.

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