Everyone knows Pete Carroll loves competition. And John Schneider loves COMPetition — working free agency so he ends up with compensatory draft picks the next year.
He has done it in four of the past six years — and he got three extra selections today when 2020 picks were announced. But is it really a game worth playing? Has Schneider found any diamonds in the rough with these extra picks?
Continue reading Will Schneider keep playing the comp game, despite little return?
As the countdown to the new league year and free agency drops under six weeks, NFL fans are salivating over the thought of which players their teams might sign to help them improve.
Seahawks fans know the team needs to focus on the defensive line above all else, and pretty much everyone is hoping John Schneider will break form and pay Jadeveon Clowney the outrageous fortune pass rushers like him make these days.
But what if Schneider doesn’t? Despite having around $50 million for free agents, what if he doesn’t break his MO at all, refusing to splurge on any “superstars” as Russell Wilson suggested he needs to?
Continue reading What are options if Schneider doesn’t pay Clowney?
John Schneider has a pretty well-known MO when it comes to trying to keep the Seahawks’ roster competitive for Pete Carroll: The GM is conservative in free agency and the draft, saving his big splashes for blockbuster trades.
However, given the resources at his disposal this year and the dire need to reformat the defensive line and fortify the offensive line, will Schneider be more aggressive?
Jarran Reed thinks $10 million a year is “disrespectfully low,” which means the Seahawks probably will be saying goodbye to him.
Replying to some Twitter speculation about his possible value being $8 million to $10 million, he said, “Yikes, that’s disrespectfully low.”
(Updated 1/21) The Seahawks had been on an uphill climb for over a month, as injuries whittled their roster, so it was no surprise they finally succumbed, losing 28-23 in Green Bay to extend their losing streaks to nine games in Green Bay and on the road in the divisional round.
They certainly had their chance to win — especially if they had taken the first half more seriously. But, it probably was about as far as they could expect to get in a year in which they led the NFL in games lost to injury, at various points losing their starting tight end and center and their top three running backs while using six offensive line combinations and never really playing with a full deck on defense.
The Seahawks are hoping to accomplish three things Monday against Minnesota: (1) Get their 10th win; (2) take over first place in the NFC West; and (3) play a complete game for the first time all season.
That’s right: The Hawks are 9-2 — the fourth time they have at least nine wins in the first 11 games — and they still have not put together a total team game. The offense carried them in most of their first seven wins, and the defense has led the way (with eight takeaways) the past two games.
Monday, against surging Minnesota, with some major playoff positioning possibly on the line, would be a good time for both Seattle sides to show up.
As we wait for that big matchup, here’s how each position has done so far — and what it might mean for the future of the roster:
By the time the Seahawks host the Vikings on Monday night, they will know whether they are playing for first place in the NFC West and a spot among the conference’s top two.
And there’s a very good chance they will be — since the 49ers go to Baltimore in Week 13 to face MVP favorite Lamar Jackson and the juggernaut Ravens, who just blew out the Rams on Monday night.
If the 49ers lose and the Hawks can get enough offense to handle the surging Vikings, Seattle would move up to the second seed (or even top seed, if the Saints lose in Atlanta).
The Seahawks had been doubted after building a 7-2 record on the backs of a bunch of also-rans, but who is questioning them now after knocking off the 49ers, the NFL’s last unbeaten team?
Sure, the Hawks got a little lucky again — a missed overtime field goal saving them from another self-inflicted loss.
Some might say “It’s better to be lucky than good,” but you also could say, “Good teams win the close games.” And that is what the Seahawks have done on the way to an 8-2 record. The Seahawks are now 5-0 in games decided by four points or less and they have rallied from 10 down to win three times, most in the NFL.
Continue reading A little lucky, a little good, a little 8-2 record
The Seahawks’ roster is about to undergo some big changes.
Just as the Hawks likely lose Will Dissly for the season again, they are getting back Jarran Reed. Basically, they are trading one big loss on offense for one big addition on defense.
They also might soon add rookie guard Phil Haynes and/or veteran tight end Ed Dickson — who both could offer some useful depth.
Bobby Wagner’s signing pretty much ends Seattle’s big-money deals for the foreseeable future. Now the Seahawks find themselves in wait-and-see mode, just like John Schneider and Pete Carroll’s early years in Seattle.
The Seahawks acquired and developed a lot of talent from 2010 to 2013 and were able to pay all of the top guys: Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor, Marshawn Lynch, Richard Sherman, K.J. Wright, Russell Wilson, Wagner, Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril, Doug Baldwin.
The Seahawks are still counting on Wilson, Wagner and Wright — all of whom got third contracts this year. But the team now needs to see which players, if any, become the next generation of stars in Carroll’s program.
CHAWK TALK: Everything being said about the Seahawks 