State of the team, Week 2: At Los Angeles

Hawks ‘have a lot of stuff to clean up’

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After Week 1, the Seahawks look like the third-best team in the NFC West. The good news is they face the fourth-best team this week.

The Rams melted down Monday night in San Francisco, which means either the 49ers are much better than we thought they would be or the Rams are much worse.

Of course, the Seahawks had their own issues – almost all on offense — in their nail-biting win over Miami, and they will need to fix those if they are going to beat the Rams in the first game in Los Angeles since 1994. (It will be Seattle’s first game vs. the Rams in L.A. since 1988.)

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CHAWK LINES, Week 1: Miami
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“You can hardly tell anything is wrong with” Russell Wilson, Pete Carroll said.

Cliff Avril sent Wilson a message praising his toughness.

The Seahawks have been in contact with Tarvaris Jackson. They also signed Jake Heaps to the practice squad.

Thomas Rawls and Jimmy Graham are going to get more playing time.

Cassius Marsh rebounded from a big mistake to have his best game as a pro.

Seattle’s running game stumbled in the opener.

Here’s everything Pete Carroll said in his Monday media session.

The Seahawks will wear all-neon green for the “Color Rush” Thursday night game in Week 15.

Marshawn Lynch went “Running Wild with Bear Grylls.”

Injury report, State of the team

‘How could you think’ Wilson will miss a game?

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Seahawks bandagesIf you think Russell Wilson is going to miss a game with his sprained ankle, you underestimate his moxie, his toughness, his drive, his resilience.

Remember, this is a guy who has never missed a practice or a meaningful play.

As Pete Carroll told 710 ESPN on Monday, “He will make it through. How could you think otherwise?”

Wilson himself tweeted out, “See you in L.A.”

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It's bigger than football, Week 1: Miami

Boyer: Players planning ‘powerful sign of unification’

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nate-boyerThe more patriotic Seahawks fans have become alarmed over the possibility of the players pulling some stunt during the anthem that disrespects America and its patriots. But there seems little reason to worry.

Nate Boyer, the most well-known patriot to have played with these Seahawks, says Doug Baldwin and his band of socially conscientious teammates are planning something much more honorable Sunday before they play the Dolphins.

Boyer, a Green Beret veteran who was with the Hawks in camp last year, told FoxSportsRadio (via The Seattle Times): “I spoke with the players, and they realize that 9/11 is a very important day in our nation’s history. The Seahawks, and probably every team, will be honoring those who serve in camouflage and also those in blue who served on such a difficult day.

“Shortly after 9/11 our country seemed more unified than I had ever experienced and was the most unified it has been since I have been alive. Since that date, we have grown farther apart in our unity. Standing together this Sunday is key to making progress. What the team will do is a powerful sign of unification.”

We’re not getting worked up about any of this anthem nonsense; but, for those who are, it sounds like there is no reason to be worried Sunday. And these young guys just might make the super patriots in the crowd real proud. We shall see …

Injury report, State of the team

Curse of first-round linemen continues

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Seahawks bandagesIt’s no wonder John Schneider and Pete Carroll had developed an aversion toward drafting offensive linemen in the first round: They always get hurt.

After going back-to-back with first-round linemen in 2010-11, it took them five years to try again. Now it might be another five years before they do it again.

We can only hope Germain Ifedi’s high ankle sprain, which is expected to sideline him for at least three weeks, will not send him down the same injury path traveled by Russell Okung and James Carpenter.

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CHAWK LINES, Week 1: Miami
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The Seahawks apparently are planning “a powerful sign of unification” during the anthem Sunday.

Germain Ifedi will miss the first month or so with a high ankle sprain, a blow to the developing line.

No surprise: Marshawn Lynch might be reconsidering retirement.

Byron Maxwell returns to Seattle on Sunday to face his old teammates. He confirmed that the Seahawks were close to matching the $63 million deal he got from the Eagles in 2015.

He told Seattle reporters, “Sometimes you have to do things you don’t want to do.”

The Dolphins could be without three starters in Seattle.

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State of the team, Trades

Hawks make two trades, keep 12 DBs — for now

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As usual, the Seahawks made a lot of fans scratch their heads with some of their moves on cutdown day. But, as usual, some of the moves are going to be very temporary.

It was no surprise that John Schneider pulled a trade — he has made at least one in every preseason (16 total). But the surprise was that he traded for two safeties.

The Seahawks reportedly added Dewey McDonald (6 feet, 220 pounds) from Oakland and L.J. McCray (6 feet, 215 pounds) from San Francisco. The Hawks reportedly gave up conditional seventh-rounders for both (2017 seventh or McDonald, 2018 pick for McCray).

With those additions, the Seahawks made a deep secondary even deeper — keeping 12 for now. They kept undrafted rookies Tyvis Powell (not a surprise) and De’Andre Elliott (a big surprise) over young veterans Tye Smith and Marcus Burley (injured).

The Seahawks also terminated the contracts of veterans Jahri Evans and Will Tukuafu; waived DT Brandin Bryant, TE Clayton Echard, S Keenan Lambert, LB Steve Longa, WR Douglas McNeil III, WR E.Z. Nwachukwu, WR Kasen Williams, RB Troymaine Pope, G/C Will Pericak, WR Antwan Goodley, DE Tylor Harris, S Keenan Lambert, WR Kenny Lawler, LB Kache Palacio, DE Ryan Robinson and DT Tani Tupou; and waived/injured TE Joe Sommers, DT Jordan Hill, LB Eric Pinkins and OT Terry Poole.

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It's bigger than football

Seahawks don’t hesitate to add to social-issues conversation again

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Jeremy LanePete Carroll encourages his Seahawks players to be themselves, which probably explains why more Seahawks are willing to express their opinions than players on many other teams.

Seahawks past and present have been engaging in a major discussion about injustices in society all summer, and it has risen to new levels this week in the wake of Colin Kaepernick’s oddly controversial protest.

Michael Bennett started talking about social injustice earlier this summer, calling out major NFL players for not joining NBA players in speaking out about police violence against black people.

Richard Sherman has voiced his opinion on Black Lives Matter and much more, too.

Russell Wilson, known for avoiding controversy, still made a little of the good kind when he refused to get married in North Carolina because of the state’s prejudicial bathroom law.

And now Kaepernick’s national anthem protest over police treatment of black people has expanded to include several current and former Seahawks.

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Contracts

Will Graham earn extension like Unger did?

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Unger-GrahamA year ago at this time, the Seahawks were preparing to start the season with a shiny new Pro Bowl tight end and a new center, replacing the injury-prone veteran they had traded for the tight end.

The Seahawks were willing to let Max Unger go because he had not been able to stay healthy in the previous two seasons, and they expected Jimmy Graham to enhance their passing game by giving Russell Wilson a big over-the-middle target.

The results were about the opposite of what you might expect. Just as Wilson and Graham were getting into a rhythm, Graham’s season was cut short by a torn patellar tendon. Meanwhile, Unger, who had missed 13 games in 2013 and 2014 for Seattle, started every game for the Saints.

So, as the 2016 season nears, Unger suddenly is the sure thing — receiving a big contract extension from the Saints — and Graham is just trying to get back on the field and prove he merits his own extension after the season.

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