Tag Archives: Ethan Pocic

Setting up free agency

March 11, 2023 cc Leave a comment

As free agency looms, a big trade on Friday shook up the top of the draft and essentially guaranteed the Seahawks will have a shot at one of the top two defensive players.

The draft is still over a month away though, and the Hawks always like to fill their starting spots with vets before they get that far.

To the delight of many around the league (but not all Seattle fans), the Comeback Player of the Year came back this week: Quarterback Geno Smith signed an incentive-heavy three-year deal.

Seattle also addressed right guard, with Phil Haynes returning and Gabe Jackson leaving. Those moves followed the re-signings of special-teams stalwarts Jason Myers and Nick Bellore.

The Seahawks still need a center, two inside linebackers, a No. 3 receiver and upgrades across their defensive line — though the latter probably will come in the draft.

Let’s first look at the salary cap situation in the wake of Smith’s deal and then the positions they need to tackle next week and beyond.

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Free agency, The roster

Just one new blocker, but protection starts with Waldron

March 25, 2021 cc Leave a comment

With the return of backups Jordan Simmons and Cedric Ogbuehi, the Seahawks’ offensive line is now set — at least until the draft – but plenty of people are wondering what Russell Wilson thinks about the fact that his calls for better protection netted just one new blocker.

Here’s a good reminder for those folks (and Wilson): Seattle’s first and biggest effort at improving protection was made in January with the hires of OC Shane Waldron and running game coordinator Andy Dickerson from the Rams.

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Injury report, Week 12: At Philadelphia

Three starters return, Shell ‘still hobbling’

November 24, 2020 cc Leave a comment

Chris Carson, Shaquill Griffin and Ethan Pocic were back at practice as the Seahawks prepare to travel to Philadelphia for “Monday Night Football.”

Pete Carroll said RT Brandon Shell (ankle) is “still hobbling” and will be a “close call” for Monday’s game.

Carroll said rookie Colby Parkinson will jump right into the tight end rotation to replace Greg Olsen, who suffered a torn plantar fascia last Thursday against Arizona.

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Contracts, The roster, Trades

‘This is just the start’: Dunlap is a keeper, extensions expected

November 23, 2020 cc 2 Comments

It took almost two years, but it looks like John Schneider finally found Seattle’s next star pass rusher. And he had better plan to keep him beyond 2021.

In three short games, veteran star Carlos Dunlap has proven to be everything we expected — a grand steal of a deal from the Bengals – and he clearly should be in Seattle’s plans next year and beyond.

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The roster, Trades

Roster report: Defensive Help coming, but probably not via trade

October 15, 2020 cc 2 Comments

A third of the way through the season, the Seahawks have weathered a bunch of defensive injuries and some historically bad play on that side to open 5-0.

As they take their bye this week, reinforcements are coming for the league’s last-ranked defense, which has helped the 5-0 start through big stops and turnovers. Jamal Adams, Jordyn Brooks and Rasheem Green are all expected back from injuries shortly, and former All-Pro run stopper Damon Harrison should make his debut as well.

But what about that anemic pass rush?

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NFL draft

Looking at a big Day 2, will Hawks get it right this time?

April 20, 2020 cc Leave a comment

The Seahawks are caught between a rock and a hard spot — not that they would recognize or admit it, of course.

They are terrible drafters in the late first round, which is why it is always good when they move down from the 20s. If they do that this week, they figure to have a good shot at five picks on Day 2. The problem: They messed it up the last two times they had the power on Day 2.

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Preseason, State of the team

Hawks have improved almost everywhere

August 30, 2019 cc Leave a comment

Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson plan to be clapping about their offense a lot this season (Getty Images) A year ago, few people thought the Seahawks could play even .500 ball — due to a completely revamped defense and an offense that didn’t seem capable of winning many shootouts.

Well, as we predicted, the Hawks won 10 games and made the playoffs for the seventh time in Pete Carroll’s nine seasons (and, as we all know, should have beaten Dallas in the wild-card round).

This year, it seems plenty of people have not learned their lesson — still forecasting the Seahawks as an 8-8 or 9-7 team. The main concerns are pass rush and a youthful secondary, plus the permanent loss of Doug Baldwin in the receiving corps.

Carroll knows his pass rush is weaker than it was — “We gotta make something special out of it” — but he also knows his team is otherwise very stout. (UPDATE: The Hawks acquired pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney the day after this was first posted.)

After the Hawks beat the Raiders in the preseason finale, Carroll said, “We’re going to be a really good team. … We’re going to be hard to beat.”

He’s right. When the schedule came out, we predicted 11 or 12 wins. It’s still easy to see that because they look better at ~~six~~ seven of nine position groups.

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Week 15: At San Francisco

Kicking team, penalties, injuries ruin playoff clincher

December 16, 2018 cc 1 Comment

So much for the Seahawks surging into the playoffs.

With a playoff spot on the line, they put up one of their worst collective efforts of the season, letting the 10-loss 49ers beat them 26-23 in overtime and end Seattle’s 10-game winning streak in the series.

The Hawks ruined themselves by committing a season-high 14 penalties for a franchise-record 148 yards, missing an early PAT that figured huge in the end, giving up a kick return for a TD, surrendering chunks of yards in the first half and failing to finish enough offensive drives to win.

The loss means the Hawks still likely have to win one of their last two — next Sunday night vs. Kansas City or against Arizona in the finale — to reach the playoffs.

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NFL draft, The roster

Hawks should have what they need for the O-line

May 1, 2018 cc 2 Comments

Some — maybe even many — people thought the Seahawks screwed up by not drafting an offensive lineman before the late fifth round last weekend.

Sure, they could have selected Austin Corbett or Will Hernandez instead of Rashaad Penny with their first pick (after trading down, of course). But the Seahawks have put a lot of resources into the line over the past couple of years, and Pete Carroll obviously is betting Mike Solari will do a much better job with that talent than Tom Cable did.

Carroll is expecting Solari to boost the Hawks out of a two-year funk that has seen them rank second only to Detroit in fewest rushing yards by non-quarterbacks. (Russell Wilson’s 845 yards raise Seattle to 11th worst.)

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NFL draft

Last two drafts were bigger than this one

April 25, 2018 cc Leave a comment

As the Seahawks undergo the biggest roster reshuffle since Pete Carroll and John Schneider arrived in 2010, some are making the mistake of calling this the most important draft in the Schneider/Carroll era.

The simple fact is the last two drafts were more significant.

Every draft is important, but the Seahawks (with no picks on Day 2) are not set up for success in this one like they were in 2016 and 2017, when they had 11 picks in the first two days. Those players should be a big part of the team’s core in 2018-19. They need to come through this year — something Schneider has said more than once.

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