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?
This draft almost looks like an admission by the Seahawks that they screwed up the third round of the 2016 draft — they basically performed a do-over by drafting Rashaad Penny, Will Dissly and Jamarco Jones.
The 2016 third-rounders, who were supposed to be part of the next core, have done next to nothing for Seattle. C.J. Prosise has been injured almost his entire first two years, Rees Odhiambo was ineffective before getting hurt last year and Nick Vannett has barely contributed.
That trio has one last chance to show something, but the Seahawks’ additions of Penny, Dissly and Jones are obvious signs of discontent by John Schneider and Pete Carroll.
John Schneider and Pete Carroll know they have wasted two years of their great defense because of a poor offensive line — one that is even worse than the middling units they had as they reached the Super Bowl in 2013 and 2014 — and the team’s chiefs apparently have had enough.
Fans have been calling for them to add a good left tackle since Russell Okung left after the 2015 season. After using Bradley Sowell, George Fant and Rees Odhiambo over the past two seasons, they finally did it — Schneider pulling off his second blockbuster deal in two months to add another Pro Bowl player.
Some think Schneider is selling the future for one last hurrah, but he’s really just making sure the Hawks don’t waste this window any more than they already have. And he’s doing it at little cost to the future.
Continue reading Hawks finally tired of wasting a great defense
The Seahawks’ $8 million gamble failed.
Luke Joeckel made it five games before hitting the shelf again. He’s out at least a month, and it could be a lot longer. He’s just the latest big-money addition that hasn’t turned out for Seattle.
In eight offseasons in charge of the Seahawks, John Schneider has paid 11 outside veterans at least $4.8 million a year. For a variety of reasons, just two of them — Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril — have turned out to be worth it.
Unless Joeckel returns for the final five or six games and helps steady the offense through the playoffs, he will end up joining the likes of Sidney Rice, Zach Miller, Robert Gallery, Matt Flynn, Percy Harvin, Cary Williams and Jimmy Graham as big-money busts.
Continue reading Another lost vet bet, and we’re on O-line No. 3
The Seahawks are going to “take our time” with Cliff Avril’s neck injury.
Rees Odhiambo is expected to play just a week after a scary chest injury landed him in the hospital overnight.
Marcus Smith has suddenly become a very important player.
Malik McDowell suffered a “really bad concussion” in his ATV accident in July, Pete Carroll said. McDowell will be examined in a couple of weeks, and Carroll still has not ruled out the team’s top pick playing this season.
The Seahawks’ 46-18 blowout win over the Colts on Sunday night was costly, as they lost Chris Carson to a broken leg and high ankle sprain, Rees Odhiambo to a bruised sternum, Cliff Avril to a spinal injury and Jeremy Lane to a groin injury.
The Seahawks put Carson on injured reserve — which means he will be out at least eight weeks. It also means Thomas Rawls should return to the starting role — after being inactive vs. the Colts. Mike Davis could be elevated from the practice squad to replace Carson, unless the Hawks are comfortable with Rawls, Eddie Lacy, C.J. Prosise and J.D. McKissic.
Prosise is expected to be available this week, but McKissic’s big game vs. the Colts (a rushing and receiving TD) could keep Prosise on the sideline.
Whoever carries the ball going forward might be doing so behind a new left tackle. Odhiambo reportedly suffered a cardiac contusion when he was hit on an interception return in the third quarter. Odhiambo finished the game but then reportedly collapsed in the locker room afterward and was taken to a hospital. Early word was he could be out for several weeks, but Pete Carroll said he suffered a bruised sternum, not heart, which would bode well for a quick recovery.
Talking about it is tiresome, but it’s really the only thing hindering the Seahawks from winning another Super Bowl, so, until the Seahawks fix their offensive line, it will remain the topic du jour.
People can talk all they want about Kam Chancellor’s 2015 holdout or Earl Thomas’ 2016 injury being major factors in the Seahawks not advancing far in the playoffs those years. But the simple fact is: If the Hawks’ offensive line had been anywhere close to average in those seasons, the Hawks would have had a great shot at winning the Super Bowl — even with the issues in the secondary.
So now here we are again, coming off a significant opening loss to one of Seattle’s top NFC rivals, and the offensive line remains the biggest hindrance to Seattle’s success. And we have no idea if it will become any good, despite the insistence of Pete Carroll and Tom Cable that it will.
Continue reading When will Hawks’ O-line investments pay off?
Rees Odhiambo was “very solid” in his first game taking over for George Fant, Pete Carroll said.
Chris Carson looked very capable of being the starting running back, as we think he will at some point.
Jermaine Kearse had his best game of the preseason, after seemingly being pushed aside by Kasen Williams.
Austin Davis outplayed Trevone Boykin, but Carroll made it sound like that didn’t matter.
J.D. McKissic showed his versatility, and Bob Condotta continues to think he will make the team.
The running game looked the best yet.
Russell Wilson made a bad decision/throw on a near-pick, but he otherwise has had a great preseason.
David Bass continues to make a strong push for a roster spot.
Pete Carroll isn’t ready to move Luke Joeckel to left tackle yet — he is holding out hope that Rees Odhiambo will play with confidence and consistency, letting his physical talent take over.
In the wake of George Fant’s season-ending ACL injury, Carroll indicated Monday that Odhiambo will get first crack at replacing Fant, Joeckel will remain at left guard and Mark Glowinski will remain at right guard.
The Seahawks also traded for versatile lineman Matt Tobin, who started 20 games at guard for the Eagles since coming into the league undrafted in 2013. Tobin started for the Eagles at right tackle last weekend, and the Seahawks surely see him as a versatile backup.
Continue reading Carroll hopes Odhiambo can hold left tackle
When Luke Joeckel signed with the Seahawks in March, it seemed like the logical move would be to make him the left tackle — he had much more pedigree than the undrafted George Fant.
But coaches thought Joeckel was better at left guard and Fant had promise at tackle, and that’s how they had lined up — and were set to line up in the opener at Green Bay — until Fant was injured Friday vs. Minnesota.
Now Fant will have to wait to prove his improvement and Joeckel probably is headed to tackle, where he was drafted to play by Jacksonville with the No. 2 overall pick in 2013.
As rough as Fant’s injury is for him, we don’t really know how much it hurts Seattle’s fledgling line. The reshuffled unit hadn’t proven a thing yet, even if Pete Carroll and Tom Cable had been excited about Fant’s performance. And you can’t really miss something you never had. Continue reading Fant not a huge loss with Joeckel here
CHAWK TALK: Everything being said about the Seahawks 