Tag Archives: Jimmy Graham

OTAs, State of the team

Wilson and Graham have been bonding since trade

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Wilson and GrahamRussell Wilson and Jimmy Graham already seem to have formed an unbreakable bond. And the season doesn’t start for another three months.

Graham apparently caught a bunch of so-called touchdowns in red zone practice on Tuesday, highlighting the area where he might be most effective for the Seahawks (who, as we all know, prefer to throw from the 1-yard line).

Wilson and Graham started building their chemistry immediately after the trade that brought Graham and a fourth-rounder from New Orleans in exchange for Max Unger and Seattle’s first-round pick.

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CHAWK LINES
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CHAWK LINES -- Week in review

Holdout Michael Bennett said he wants to be paid like the top seven players at his position, which would mean $10 million a year.

Russell Wilson’s agent, Mark Rodgers, talked to 710 ESPN about contract negotiations.

Danny Kelly of Field Gulls wrote about the detailed technique Pete Carroll’s staff teaches cornerbacks. As we wrote a couple of years ago, the Pete Carroll Secondary School has been in session for 30 years.

Cary Williams appears to fit right in with the Legion of Boom. The Hawks think the 30-year-old’s best football will come in Seattle.

Field Gulls rounded up some radio interviews by Jordan Hill, Luke Willson and Jermaine Kearse.

K.J. Wright talked to 710 ESPN about new LBs coach Lofa Tatupu and new DC Kris Richard (recall that both of those guys played for Carroll at USC).

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” fan Bobby Wagner was voted by NFL peers as the 69th best player in the league, per NFL Network. Michael Bennett was No. 90. Six other Seahawks will be listed higher.

Kam Chancellor and Carroll think the Hawks are Super focused in the wake of the crushing end to last season.

Matt Bowen and Chris Simms of Bleacher Report look at Jimmy Graham and Tyler Lockett — Seattle’s two awesome new weapons.

Wilson was a guest speaker at Rodgers’ daughter’s graduation.

State of the team, The roster

Reviewing & projecting the roster

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Jimmy Graham scores against the SeahawksDespite the loss of a couple of offensive linemen and a starting cornerback and a few ongoing contract squabbles, the Seahawks are clearly a better team than the one that blew the Super Bowl three months ago.

Jimmy Graham and Tyler Lockett should improve Seattle’s scoring ability, both on offense and special teams, and Frank Clark and Ahtyba Rubin should beef up the depth of a defensive line that was decimated throughout last season — topped by the loss of Cliff Avril to a concussion in the Super Bowl.

The Hawks also have brought in a handful of new offensive linemen as they look to replace Max Unger and James Carpenter and build some good depth on the unit while preparing for the possible departure of Russell Okung or J.R. Sweezy next offseason.

In the secondary, they have replaced Byron Maxwell with Cary Williams and also added Will Blackmon and rookie Tye Smith to fill in for the injured Jeremy Lane and make sure they don’t get caught with Tharold Simon covering quick receivers in the slot again.

The Hawks look to have some great competition along both lines, at receiver and in the secondary.

Here’s a look at the offense, with projected keepers (spoiler: Jermaine Kearse doesn’t make it).

And here’s a look at the defense, with Kevin Williams projected to return.

CHAWK LINES
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CHAWK LINES -- Week in review

Jon Ryan will be on “America Ninja Warrior” on Monday, proving he can do more than punt, pass and kick.

Tough-luck Jesse Williams got more bad health news with the diagnosis of kidney cancer.

Kris Richard talked about the defense, the new coaches, Tharold Simon and Cary Williams.

Bob Condotta looked at whether the Seahawks might consider going for two points rather than kicking a PAT from the 15-yard line.

Michael Bennett said Pete Carroll is like Willy Wonka. That was part of an interview in which Bennett complained some more about NFL economics. Prepare for a holdout.

Bobby Wagner said he would like to get a new contract soon, but he said, “I’ve heard nothing.”

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CHAWK LINES, Minicamp
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Rookie minicamp review

The Seattle Times offered its impressions of the weekend rookie minicamp, including the new offensive linemen and positional flexibility.

Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times broke down highlights from Pete Carroll’s pre-camp comments to 710 ESPN, with good news on Brandon Mebane and Alvin Bailey.

Gregg Bell of the News Tribune recovered from his anti-Clark rant in time to put up a bunch of detailed notes from the first day of the rookie camp.

Field Gulls relayed all of the video and quotes from Pete Carroll, Frank Clark and Nate Boyer.

Condotta tossed out some notes from Day 2.

Dave Boling, who loves to focus on offensive line play, gave his first impressions of Seattle’s three OL picks.

Danny O’Neil offered a second impression of Tom Cable’s new linemen.

Among the observations by the Hawks’ website after Day 1 of the camp, Tom Cable was “like a little kid in the candy store” and former defensive back Eric Pinkins is working at linebacker.

On Day 2, the website focused mainly on Tyler Lockett’s comments.

Jimmy Graham apparently thought he was traded to the Raiders, which made him “very sad,” before learning it was actually the Seahawks.

NFL draft, Trades

Schneider makes rare move up: Check out his 33 trades with Seattle

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NFL draftWhen John Schneider finally showed up to explain his first moves of the 2015 draft on Friday, he cracked of being so late, “Sorry about that; we’ve never traded up before.”

It was a joke about his penchant for moving down in the draft and a reference to his big move up in the third round to get return wiz Tyler Lockett.

It was just the second time Schneider moved up in six drafts since he was hired as Seattle’s GM. He also moved up to get defensive tackle Jesse Williams in the fifth round in 2013.

Continue reading Schneider makes rare move up: Check out his 33 trades with Seattle →

NFL draft, Trades

Will Hawks move off 63 or pull from 2016 stock?

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NFL draftDRAFT COUNTDOWN: Five days. A weekly look at draft-related topics involving the Seahawks.

John Schneider already has made three trades involving picks in this draft, and everyone is curious to know whether he’s going to make another one — moving off the Seahawks’ first pick at No. 63 on Friday.

Last season, Schneider basically ended up swapping sixth-round picks while adding cornerback Marcus Burley and deleting wide receiver Percy Harvin.

But the big move was the one Schneider made March 10, sending center Max Unger and Seattle’s first-round pick (No. 31 overall) to the Saints for tight end Jimmy Graham and a fourth-rounder.

The other day, Schneider said, “When you acquire a player of Jimmy’s caliber with the 31st pick, that makes it that much easier to sleep at night knowing that we wouldn’t be able to get a player like that.”

With Graham coming in as their nominal first-rounder — much like Harvin in 2013 — the Hawks are left to pick at No. 63. But will they stay there? Or will they consider using some 2016 draft capital to add a pick in the second round?

Continue reading Will Hawks move off 63 or pull from 2016 stock? →

Fun & games, It's bigger than football, State of the team

Wilson, Chancellor & the gang enjoy Aloha spirit

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The Seahawks are having a good time bonding on Maui (my favorite vacation spot).

Russell Wilson has been joined by 20 teammates, including new additions Jimmy Graham and Cary Williams and all of the team’s starting linebackers.

The other players in attendance, according to Seahawks.com (and photos): tight ends Luke Willson, Cooper Helfet and RaShaun Allen; wide receivers Doug Baldwin, Jermaine Kearse, Kevin Norwood and Chris Matthews; running backs Demitrius Bronson and Derrick Coleman; cornerbacks Richard Sherman, Eric Pinkins and Will Blackmon; linebackers Bruce Irvin, Bobby Wagner, K.J. Wright and Mike Morgan; safeties Kam Chancellor and Dion Bailey.

Not surprisingly, Marshawn Lynch is not there. The guy’s a maverick loner, as we all know. Not sure why Robert Turbin and Christine Michael are not there. Earl Thomas, Paul Richardson, Jeremy Lane and Tharold Simon are recovering from surgeries.

CHAWK LINES
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CHAWK LINES -- Week in review

At Texas Rangers camp, Russell Wilson didn’t have anything to say about his contract. But he talked about a lot of other things, including what he said to Max Unger after the center was traded to New Orleans: “Max, at least you are going from one short quarterback to another (Drew Brees).”

Brees also talked about losing Jimmy Graham and gaining Unger.

John Schneider talked to John Clayton at UW’s Pro Day. Not much new stuff, but the GM did explain the signing of Ahtyba Rubin and talk a little bit about the big picture with Wilson and Bobby Wagner.

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Franchise history, NFL draft, NFL history, State of the team

Is Schneider becoming the new Bobby Beathard?

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NFL draftDRAFT COUNTDOWN: Four weeks. A weekly look at draft-related topics involving the Seahawks.

The Seahawks will be in rare historical company in this year’s draft, becoming the first team in nearly 20 years to go three straight years without a first-round draft pick.

John Schneider’s deal for Jimmy Graham, which cost Seattle its first-rounder and Max Unger, means the Seahawks will become the seventh team in the modern era to go without a first-rounder in at least three straight drafts.

To recap how the Hawks have joined the select club:

–In 2013, they traded a first-rounder, seventh-rounder and 2014 third to Minnesota for Percy Harvin.

–In 2014, they traded down from No. 32 and picked Paul Richardson with the 40th overall selection, also adding a fourth-rounder in the deal with the Vikings.

–Last month, they sent Unger and their first-rounder (No. 31) to New Orleans for Graham and a fourth-rounder.

So is this just a one-time oddity, like the Houston Oilers from 1979 to 1981? Or is Schneider becoming the Bobby Beathard of this era?

Continue reading Is Schneider becoming the new Bobby Beathard? →