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.
Continue reading Looking at a big Day 2, will Hawks get it right this time?
“We’re trying to figure out how to whip the other guys, get better information, more intel and all that.” — Pete Carroll on preparation for the virtual draft
As the NFL gets ready for what Pete Carroll called “a one-time-only situation” and “really unique” virtual draft, this is an opportunity for the Seahawks to show they are still one of the league’s most tech-savvy franchises by taking advantage of less-prepared franchises.
The Seahawks have been a pretty bad drafting team since 2013, but John Schneider has an experienced personnel crew, established connections around football and a franchise that became cutting edge under the late Paul Allen. That all should help the Hawks where other teams might fail in this virtual format.
“It’s the wild, wild West a little bit,” Carroll recently told SiriusXM NFL Radio. “We’ve all got guidelines and rules and everything, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t ways in there that you can’t figure out how you can get what you need to get. Johnny is prepared knowing that he’s not going to have as much as normal and they won’t have the normal process that he would have. But we’re going to try and max that out in every way we can.”
Continue reading How Hawks are handling ‘wild, wild West’ draft
John Schneider had around $35 million in 2020 salary cap space to spend on free agents when the league year began, and everyone expected a chunk of that to go toward a pass rusher on a long-term deal.
That has not happened, and it would be a surprise now if it did — because Schneider has spent about $34 million on 13 veterans (including four RFAs). And he has followed his SOP of not giving out long-term deals to outside players — just three of his signings (Jarran Reed, B.J. Finney, Brandon Shell) have been for two years. Even his reported offers to Jadeveon Clowney have been for just one or two years.
Other than guys on rookie deals, the Seahawks have just three players signed for the next three seasons: Russell Wilson, Bobby Wagner and shaky kicker Jason Myers.
Basically, this team is built — you might say patched together — through only 2021. And that includes Schneider and Pete Carroll, whose contracts expire after that season as well.
Why are they being so shortsighted? Because they generally give long-term deals only to players who have proven themselves in Carroll’s system — and few of their recent draft picks have earned the right to be considered part of the core.
Continue reading Waiting for new core to emerge, Schneider won’t invest beyond two years
The NFL didn’t postpone free agency, so it makes sense that the league is not going to put off the draft either. It’s still on for April 23-25, three weeks from now.
Well, for John Schneider’s Seahawks, it probably will be April 24-25 – the usual two-day affair after a move out of the first round.
Just about every non-trade mock draft has the Seahawks taking a pass rusher with the 27th overall pick. Two problems with that: Seattle won’t stay at 27, and pass rusher probably won’t be Seattle’s first pick.
Continue reading Draft countdown: Skill players over pass rusher?
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?
“What we’re trying to find is a real premier pass-rush guy to play the LEO spot.” — Pete Carroll
John Schneider has never been shy to trade his first-round pick for a shot at an impact player. He did it in 2013 (for Percy Harvin) and 2015 (for Jimmy Graham). Now, fortunately, it looks like he is willing to do it again.
Continue reading Good news: Schneider is willing to trade for ‘premier’ pass rusher
The Seahawks, who have declared their desire to improve their pass rush this offseason, reportedly are interested in acquiring Yannick Ngakoue from Jacksonville. It certainly makes sense, but how realistic is it?
Ngakoue is expected to be tagged and traded by the Jags; he has said he will not sign a long-term deal there. But what would he cost, in picks and pay?
Sources tell NFL draft insider Tony Pauline that the Seahawks might be able to get him for a second-rounder and a swap of their first-rounder for the Jags’ 2. That seems legit.
John Schneider and Pete Carroll are smart enough to agree with the rest of us: Their biggest need this offseason is the pass rush.
“We’re looking to improve in some really critical areas. Pass rush is something that we’re really focusing on,” Carroll said at the Combine. “We really like the way we turned the ball over last year. We got the ball a lot, made some nice plays and stuff that gave us a chance, but we need to do some things more consistently — and that’s rush the passer.”
Continue reading Seahawks bosses agree: Pass rush is priority
As we maintain the drumbeat for Seattle to upgrade its pass rush this offseason, one of the mallets we have been using all along is Everson Griffen.
Whether it’s by trade or by free-agent signing, it just seems like a pretty fair chance that Pete Carroll and his former USC standout end up reuniting. And that is regardless of whether the Hawks keep Jadeveon Clowney.
Next Tuesday is a day that looms fairly significant in this possible acquisition, as Griffen has until then to opt out of his contract. (H/T to Greg Haugsven for getting the date from contract expert Joel Corry.)
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?
CHAWK TALK: Everything being said about the Seahawks 