Tag Archives: Mike Solari

Coaches, Preseason, X's & O's

Offense developing consistency, creativity

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Logo -- PreseasonWe’re two preseason games into Seattle’s new offensive era, and the reviews on Brian Schottenheimer and Mike Solari have been pretty glowing so far.

Last week, Pete Carroll reiterated that one of his concerns about the old offense was that coaches were starting to “jam our players into the system” rather than play to their strengths.

The obvious example there is Jimmy Graham, who was forced to become a blocker and was not used downfield as well as he should have been. But Carroll also meant the offensive linemen. As he said in May, “We needed to shift gears a bit to match up with the guys we have here.”

Well, after two preseason games, they seem to be making progress.

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NFL draft, The roster

Hawks should have what they need for the O-line

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NFL draftSome — 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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Coaches, NFL Combine

‘Energized’ by new staff, Carroll has more than two years left

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Carroll at combineBy the time Seattle’s prospective new NHL team likely plays its first game in 2020, Pete Carroll should be a month into his third contract with the Seahawks.

Carroll, 66, has just two years left on his current deal, but it’s obvious he plans to coach beyond that. He reportedly told Paul Allen after the season that he is “all in” on flipping the Seahawks’ direction back toward the Super Bowl.

He wouldn’t have completely revamped the top of his coaching staff if he thought he was going to retire after the 2019 season. He wouldn’t have hired Brian Schottenheimer, Mike Solari and Ken Norton Jr. with the promise of only two years — “Hey, guys, come up to Seattle for a cup of coffee before you get kicked to the curb when I retire in 2020.”

No way. He knows he wants to keep going, and that’s why he switched up his staff. He needed new blood to keep his own boiling.

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Contracts, Franchise history, The roster

Will Schneider pay to end Curse of Hutch?

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Salary cap logoAs former Seahawk Steve Hutchinson waits for the Hall of Fame to come knocking this weekend, it is a reminder of what the Seahawks once had — and what they need to build again.

The big question some fans have: Will John Schneider do what Tim Ruskell would not and pay an All-Pro guard?

As longtime fans (pre-“12s”) will recall, Ruskell (Seattle’s GM before Schneider) chose not to franchise the All-Pro Hutchinson in 2006 and ended up losing him to Minnesota.

Hutch and Hall of Famer Walter Jones keyed the best line in Seattle history in the early to mid-2000s, but Seattle has not been able to field a strong line since Ruskell’s huge mistake. We’ve called it the Curse of Hutch.

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Coaches, State of the team, X's & O's

Familiar enforcers will drive Carroll’s club

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Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson plan to be clapping about their offense a lot this season (Getty Images)After a steady three-year slide that ended with Seattle out of the playoffs this season, Pete Carroll apparently is ready to re-forge control of his team and re-establish his principles.

Carroll recently said he plans to make his team more disciplined while rejuvenating a once-strong running game that is the identity of the offense.

To do that, he needed some new voices in his coaching staff. So he reportedly is bringing in some familiar enforcers who will command players’ attention and be loyal to Carroll’s approach to winning.

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