Tag Archives: Cliff Avril

CHAWK LINES, Week 15: L.A. Rams
Leave a comment

CHAWK LINES -- Rams at Seahawks

Malik McDowell met with Pete Carroll and John Schneider and issued an apology (which surely was written by the team). He has two strikes, but he will get a third chance to show he is not a total screw-up and waste of a second-round draft pick. As Carroll said, “Let’s hope this isn’t an indicator of things to come.”

“My life and my kids are more important than football,” Cliff Avril told SI.com in a story on Week 4’s NFL bloodbath that included Chris Carson also being lost for the season. Avril, who had spinal surgery in November, seems likely to retire.

No Seahawks will be suspended for the ugly end to the game in Jacksonville. But fines could be coming. The NFL also issued a stern warning about attacking referees in any way (take note, Germain Ifedi).

Bobby Wagner (hamstring) is questionable for the NFC West showdown with the Rams this week. K.J. Wright (concussion) and Mike Davis (ribs) seem like they might be good to go.

 

Injury report, The roster

Hawks face a Lynch scenario with Avril, Kam

Leave a comment

Seahawks bandagesIn a cruel twist, the Seahawks could lose two of their star defenders to injury-forced retirement in the next few months.

Kam Chancellor will join Cliff Avril on the sideline for the rest of the season with a similar spinal concern, as Avril was set to have surgery to repair a disk in his neck. Pete Carroll said both will have to decide whether to try to continue their careers next year.

So now the Seahawks find themselves in a Marshawn Lynch situation again — needing to know the fate of these stars by early February so they can move forward with the rest of their roster.

Continue reading Hawks face a Lynch scenario with Avril, Kam →

Contracts, The roster

Head-scratching moves by Carroll, Schneider

Leave a comment

Salary cap logoPete Carroll and John Schneider have made some head-scratching decisions this week.

First, Carroll made a string of admitted errors that helped his team lose at home to Atlanta on Monday. And now Schneider is backstepping on a key move he made a few weeks ago, dropping Dwight Freeney because the Seahawks decided they can no longer afford him.

Schneider chose to drop the productive 37-year-old pass rusher because the Hawks suddenly ran into a big injury storm — losing Richard Sherman and possibly Kam Chancellor for the season. Schneider could have gone to another vet, perhaps Bobby Wagner, for some cap relief. But, the Hawks had 11 defensive linemen and Dion Jordan has played well in his two games, so Schneider decided to lop one of his few luxury players.

Continue reading Head-scratching moves by Carroll, Schneider →

Contracts, Free agency, The roster

“Riches” will determine 2018 moves

1 Comment

Salary cap logoAs the Seahawks quickly get ready to embark on the second half of their season, their roster — like many around the NFL — looks quite a bit different than it did when the season started.

Seattle will head to Arizona without starters Cliff Avril, Chris Carson and Luke Joeckel. But John Schneider also has added Duane Brown and Dwight Freeney, who already have made their presences felt and will be big parts of the second-half playoff push.

As he tries to help the Hawks become a contender this season, Schneider also is evaluating and plotting his 2018 moves.

Continue reading “Riches” will determine 2018 moves →

CHAWK LINES, Week 7: At NY Giants
Leave a comment

CHAWK LINES -- Hawks at Giants

Cliff Avril was placed on injured reserve. He said he is not retiring and might be back this season.

Jeremy Lane probably won’t play in New York, but Michael Bennett “looks like he’s ready to go.”

Quinton Jefferson is expected to play with a cast. Projected inactives: Jordan Roos, Isaiah Battle, Luke Joeckel, Jeremy Lane, Tedric Thompson, C.J. Prosise, Garrison Smith.

Here are five areas where the Seahawks need to improve ASAP.

Continue reading →

Franchise history, Injury report, It's bigger than football

Is this goodbye to Avril?

1 Comment

Avril on NFLNIt looks, unfortunately, like Cliff Avril’s career is finished.

Pete Carroll told SiriusXM NFL Radio that the Seahawks are going to put Avril on injured reserve, meaning his season probably is over. Carroll said the 31-year-old is “seeing a bunch of doctors, seriously looking at a big decision.”

If he can’t play now, despite apparently feeling fine after suffering a stinger against the Colts, why would he return off IR in eight weeks or come back at all in 2018? Carroll previously said tests “showed some stuff” — and the IR move indicates that “stuff” was serious enough to shut down one of Seattle’s top defenders.

Avril told Yahoo Sports he is not thinking of retiring right now and that the “big decision” is whether to undergo neck surgery.

But Michael Bennett made it sound very much like Avril, who is in his 10th NFL season, knows he needs to retire.

Continue reading Is this goodbye to Avril? →

CHAWK LINES, Week 5: At Los Angeles
Leave a comment

CHAWK LINES -- Seahawks at Rams

The Seahawks are going to “take our time” with Cliff Avril’s neck injury.

Rees Odhiambo is expected to play just a week after a scary chest injury landed him in the hospital overnight.

Marcus Smith has suddenly become a very important player.

Malik McDowell suffered a “really bad concussion” in his ATV accident in July, Pete Carroll said. McDowell will be examined in a couple of weeks, and Carroll still has not ruled out the team’s top pick playing this season.

Continue reading →

State of the team, The roster

With Avril in doubt, what is future of D-line?

Leave a comment

Avril on NFLNThe sudden concern over Cliff Avril’s health — and thus career — has put the spotlight on the future of Seattle’s defensive line.

Almost exactly 10 years ago, Mack Strong faced a similar neck injury and decided to immediately call it a career (after 15 years). Avril, injured against the Colts on Sunday, might face the same choice in his 10th season. He is out indefinitely as he and the team investigate the cause of the stingers that numbed his arms and hands after he was kicked in the chin tackling Jacoby Brissett.

“Whenever it’s the spinal stuff and you get stingers, that means that there’s some nerve action going on there and you’ve got to be really careful and really safe with all that stuff,” Pete Carroll told KIRO Radio on Friday. “In this case in particular, we’ve just got to make sure, so we’re going to take our time with this and let it quiet down. He’s really not uncomfortable, but just some of the tests he took showed some stuff and we’ve just got to make sure we’re really honoring it and make good choices here. We’re on the same page and (will) take it one step at a time, and we’ll get to it when we can.”

It’s entirely possible Avril will return soon — maybe even after the Week 6 bye. But the 31-year-old also might decide after this injury that the ongoing risk is not worth it anymore.

Continue reading With Avril in doubt, what is future of D-line? →

Injury report, Week 4: Indianapolis

Win over Colts was painful for Hawks

1 Comment

Seahawks bandagesThe Seahawks’ 46-18 blowout win over the Colts on Sunday night was costly, as they lost Chris Carson to a broken leg and high ankle sprain, Rees Odhiambo to a bruised sternum, Cliff Avril to a spinal injury and Jeremy Lane to a groin injury.

The Seahawks put Carson on injured reserve — which means he will be out at least eight weeks. It also means Thomas Rawls should return to the starting role — after being inactive vs. the Colts. Mike Davis could be elevated from the practice squad to replace Carson, unless the Hawks are comfortable with Rawls, Eddie Lacy, C.J. Prosise and J.D. McKissic.

Prosise is expected to be available this week, but McKissic’s big game vs. the Colts (a rushing and receiving TD) could keep Prosise on the sideline.

Whoever carries the ball going forward might be doing so behind a new left tackle. Odhiambo reportedly suffered a cardiac contusion when he was hit on an interception return in the third quarter. Odhiambo finished the game but then reportedly collapsed in the locker room afterward and was taken to a hospital. Early word was he could be out for several weeks, but Pete Carroll said he suffered a bruised sternum, not heart, which would bode well for a quick recovery.

Continue reading Win over Colts was painful for Hawks →

The roster, Trades

Big Bang Theory: One-year rental works for all

4 Comments

RichardsonIt took John Schneider almost six months into the league year to do it, but he pulled off the big bang we thought he would.

Every odd year since 2011, he has made a stunning signing or trade — and he obviously is hoping Sheldon Richardson turns out more like Jimmy Graham than Percy Harvin or Sidney Rice. Even if it’s for only one year.

The deal that sent Jermaine Kearse, a 2018 second-round pick and a seventh-rounder to the New York Jets for Richardson and a seventh is Seattle’s Big Bang Theory: Add a Young Sheldon and create a universe in which Seattle’s defense goes where no defense has gone before.

For one year anyway. This is almost surely just a one-year rental. And it works best that way.

Continue reading Big Bang Theory: One-year rental works for all →