The game against the Falcons could be a barometer of where the Seahawks stand in the NFC.
Russell Wilson looks fine, and more injury updates.
Five Seahawks who are key to the final 12 games.
Frank Clark is playing a lot more this year, and DeShawn Shead has played every snap.
The Seahawks are producing more sacks this year despite blitzing at the same frequency as last year.
Dan Quinn said he has “a lot of gratitude” for Pete Carroll and the Seahawks setting him up to coach the Falcons.
While Michael Bennett talked a lot Monday about the reason for his dust-up with Bradley Sowell on Sunday, the Pro Bowl end also had a lot more to say — per usual.
Among the best outtakes, he said Pete Carroll is a great coach because he “understands the moment,” Tony McDaniel brings needed “veteran wisdom,” Frank Clark is a “wild dog” who needs “tuning” and young players need to learn this is a job.
Jimmy Graham and Thomas Rawls are expected to start on PUP.
A few storylines to watch, from the P-I.
Players and positions to watch, from The Seattle Times.
This is Russell Wilson’s offense now.
A quick look at the entire offense entering camp.
John Schneider explains why the offensive line has no marquee players.
Moving Garry Gilliam to left tackle is a big leap of faith.
Marshawn Lynch kept it real, as always, in a Sports Illustrated interview — saying, among other things, that he is definitely retired.
John Schneider had a long conversation with Peter Schrager, recapping major moments in his career. Before the Seahawks, his biggest moves were drafting Aaron Rodgers and trading Brett Favre (yeah, he negotiated the deal with the Jets).
The mandatory minicamp will be held Tuesday through Thursday.
The Seahawks worked out Nate Robinson on Monday but did not sign the 32-year-old former Husky and NBA player.
The Seahawks didn’t have a so-called “championship offseason” last year, and the results were pretty predictable: no championship.
Everyone hoped they could overcome all of the negatives — the loss of confidence in Pete Carroll after his asinine Super Bowl call, the silly fan backlash against Russell Wilson, the poor health of almost their entire secondary, the pointless holdout of Kam Chancellor, the idiotic coaching decision to start Drew Nowak at center.
It all added up to a disjointed start and disheartening finish. It was obviously too much to overcome for a team that had become fractured and really needed to be glued back together again.
The Hawks entered this offseason with more than a few concerns about their ability to bounce back. They needed to replace Marshawn Lynch, deal with unhappy campers Chancellor and Michael Bennett, rebuild their offensive line and fortify their defensive line.
At this point, it looks like they have put the glue in place for all of those fixes: Lynch was replaced by three draft picks; Chancellor made up with the team; Bennett sounds like he will come back ready to repeat his stellar 2015 season; the club replaced Russell Okung, Alvin Bailey and J.R. Sweezy with five linemen and Brandon Mebane with three.
Carroll says this offseason “almost feels like a rebirth.”
“We’ve been through a lot of stuff; we’ve been challenged by a lot of stuff,” he told 710 ESPN on Monday. “We’ve learned so much: winning and losing and then trying to come back again and still maintaining this huge standard and expectation. And we know it’s right there for us. Everybody feels it. That’s what is really fueling the energy around the building and why we’re so enthused. And then we hit it with this draft, so it’s feeling pretty good. Millions of things have to happen, but we’re in the right place right now.”
Let’s take a post-draft look at the roster and see whether that is true:
Pete Carroll told 710 ESPN this offseason feels like a “rebirth” after a “very challenging” 2015 offseason.
The Seahawks added five players from the minicamp and released A.J. Francis, Mohammed Seisay and three others.
Justin Britt is working at center as the coaches try to figure out what their line is going to look like. Don’t put much stock in it though.
Bob Condotta reviews the draft picks after the minicamp.
Rookie DTs Jarran Reed and Quinton Jefferson want to “wreak havoc any way we can.”
Trevone Boykin tops the list of the P-I’s six minicamp takeaways.
Boykin, a mini-Wilson, plans to “stay in his hip pocket.”
The running backs top six takeaways from Seahawks.com.
Just like last year, Michael Bennett is staying at home in Hawaii during Seattle’s offseason workout program. But, asked Thursday whether he will be at training camp, he said, “Why would I not be there?”
The question is pertinent because Bennett has been dissatisfied with his contract. He stayed away from OTAs last year, too, but returned in time for the mandatory minicamp in June, was present for all of training camp and then turned in his best NFL season.
All signs have pointed to Bennett not holding out, even though he has far outplayed the four-year, $28.5 million contract he signed in 2014.
The Seahawks have made a ton of gambles in the first two rounds over the last four years, so it will be no surprise if one of their top two picks this week looks like a major wager as well.
Counting trades, the Seahawks have gambled with five of eight picks in the first two rounds since 2012.
In 2012, they picked Bruce Irvin, who had overcome a lot of trouble as a youth and sure didn’t seem like he was worth the 15th pick in the draft.
In 2013, they doubled up on character gambles — making an ill-advised trade for Percy Harvin and then using a luxury pick for Christine Michael in the second round.
In 2014, they reached for Justin Britt at the bottom of the second round.
In 2015, they took the most heat by drafting Frank Clark 63rd overall even though he had been involved in a domestic dispute months earlier.
In 2016, various mock drafts have projected troubled defenders Robert Nkemdiche and Noah Spence to the Seahawks. Even if they trade down, as we expect, would the Seahawks gamble on either of those guys?
Continue reading Which gamble will the Hawks take this year?
Thomas Rawls said he’ll be ready for camp.
Doug Baldwin said he has not talked to the team about a new contract and he’s “not too concerned about it.”
John Schneider said Frank Clark’s “ceiling is off the charts.”
Russell Wilson, Paul Richardson and Tyler Lockett continue to work out in Southern California.
The Seahawks are playing Dallas in Week 3 of the preseason — the big tuneup game.
Cliff Avril turned 30 and talked about losing Brandon Mebane and regaining Chris Clemons.
Clemons said Michael Bennett and Richard Sherman had been recruiting him to come back.
In addition to stating that Kam Chancellor will return to the Seahawks this year, John Schneider on Tuesday confirmed the Seahawks’ offensive line situation is indeed as shaky as we all think it is. He also discussed the plan for replacing Bruce Irvin and waved off any silly concerns that Marshawn Lynch is not really retiring.
With Russell Okung and J.R. Sweezy gone, the Seahawks’ line projects (from left to right) as Garry Gilliam, Justin Britt, Patrick Lewis, Mark Glowinski and J’Marcus Webb. If the Seahawks entered the season with that group, they would be in worse shape than they were with the 2015 line.
At the league meetings in Florida, Schneider confirmed that is where they are right now. And he hinted that the team might not add anyone before the draft.
As the line is constituted, Gilliam would battle career backup Bradley Sowell at left tackle while Webb would step in at right tackle, where Gilliam started in 2015. Schneider admitted they are grasping at straws, calling Sowell and Webb “prove-it signings.”
“That’s kind of the stage we are at right now,” the GM told The Seattle Times.
Continue reading Schneider, Carroll answer personnel questions
CHAWK TALK: Everything being said about the Seahawks 