Announcing the Commencement of the Purge: The 2018 Seahawks Offseason is Here

If the 2017 season taught you anything, it’s that Pete Carroll is doubling down. Over the past several years, the Seattle Seahawks have strayed from their identity. The smashmouth offense, run the ball down their throats, get in their face, beat them down mentality has faded.

Players grew older. Coaching voices became stale. Hunger dissipated. A fierce identity clash grew out of control.

Who are the Seahawks? That’s a question I’ve routinely asked myself over the last two seasons. In 2012, 2013, and 2014 it was quite clear who they were. Whether we’re discussing offensive/defensive philosophies or gameplans, or their approach to the salary cap and roster construction — their identity was quite clear.

There’s always been a healthy amount of debate around whether Seattle’s offensive/defensive identities were the most schematically effective. However, there’s an even deeper, fundamental crisis at play. Seattle has changed their approach to cap management and roster construction. They’ve strayed from their identity. They used to be known as the team constructed around elite cornerstone talent. Whether that was Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, or Russell Wilson — they seemed hellbent on building around positional cornerstones and letting the middle tier talent walk. In recent seasons this trend has changed.

In the 2015 offseason, Seattle brought in Jimmy Graham via trade (considered an elite talent at the time), NT Ahtyba Rubin (a middle class player), and CB Cary Williams from the Eagles (a player who received middle class money — 3 years/$18M). In the 2016 offseason, the Seahawks brought in Bradley Sowell on a one year deal for $1.5M (the lower end of a mid-tier salary range). They also brought in J’Marcus Webb on a 2 year/$6M deal (also on the lower end of the mid-tier salary range). In the 2017 offseason, we saw Seattle bring in an unprecedented amount of high profile middle tier talent. Eddie Lacy joined the squad at $4-5M, Luke Joeckel at $7M, and Bradley McDougald at $2M.

I believe that Seattle needs to ditch the middle class like Jeff Bezos. There’s several problems that come with the middle class:

  1. The middle class isn’t going to win you a Super Bowl. Mediocre players produce mediocre seasons.
  2. The cost difference between a middle class player and a rookie is often significant. The talent gap is not.
  3. Rookies don’t get an opportunity to prove themselves.
  4. While middle tier talent is starting, you waste valuable rookie club control years by sitting them on the bench.

There’s always going to be exceptions to the “ditch the middle class” theory — one such exception is Golden Tate (however, you could make an argument that he was an upper class talent on the Seahawks). If Seattle can get back to their previous cap ideology of building around elite talent and neglecting the middle class, I believe it will lead to another Super Bowl caliber roster.

With that said, there will be three sections to this article. The first section will detail where the Seahawks currently sit in cap space. The second section will break down players pending free agency. Before I started writing this offseason guide, I spoke with both former NFL agent Joel Corry and Over the Cap owner Jason Fitzgerald to get a sense of what they’re hearing, their expectations and projections for different players, and more. Their thoughts will be interwoven throughout. The third and final section will reveal a couple under-the-radar names Seattle should consider pursuing in free agency.

The Seahawks 2018 CAP

Before we dive into potential extensions, signings, and the like — we need to know how much money Seattle is working with. Rumors are that the 2018 salary cap might hit $180M, so I’m working with that number.

Per Over the Cap, before any extensions/signings, Seattle has about $16M in cap space. If you include accounting for rookies, practice squad, injured reserves (IR), and dead money from any potential cuts, it’s probably more like $9-10M. So let’s work with $9-10M as our “true cap space” before any signings/extensions/trades/cuts — it’s just more accurate.

Cut Jeremy Lane and that $9-10M number bumps up to about $14-15M. Add Avril to that cut list and you’re looking at about $20-21M. Add Jon Ryan to the list and we’re around $22-23M. Seattle’s freedom to extend and sign players will depend on which and how veterans they decide to move on from.

 

Pending Free Agents

Sheldon Richardson

Just before the start of the season, Seattle made a bold move in trading for the star defensive tackle, sending hometown receiver Jermaine Kearse and a 2018 2nd round pick to New York. The clubs also swapped 7th round picks. In New York Sheldon was accustomed to playing in a 3-4 defense, and Seattle runs a 4-3 — so there were rumors that it was a challenging adjustment for Richardson. He even spoke of it himself:

“Still transitioning, actually,” Richardson said. “Different things every week. Just getting accustomed to playing with guys still in different situations and trying to find my groove where I can make plays. I’m just doing my job as of right now. I’m not really as productive as I’m used to being.”

Per FO/SIS, Sheldon had 16 pressures on the season (4th highest on the Seahawks). Out of all the NFL’s defensive line players with at least .5 pressures, Sheldon ranked #70 out of 276 in pressures. When the Seahawks traded for Sheldon, I think fans expected Richardson to assume a dominant interior role — as close to Aaron Donald as possible without actually being Aaron Donald. Now, listen to me here — I don’t think Sheldon was bad this year. He was definitely good. However, relative to his trade cost and salary, I don’t think he lived up to expectations. He had huge games against the Rams, Eagles, and a few others — but I don’t think he caused the consistent soul wrecking havoc that fans and the front office maybe expected.

The issue with Sheldon’s contract is tricky: it was obviously preempted by the Malik McDowell injury, as Seattle was expecting large year one contributions from the rookie. It seemed like a desperate move in reaction to Malik’s accident. Sheldon is still young at 27. Do you bet on his talent and hope his production improves with more experience in the system?

My Prediction: If I were Seattle, I would consider spending money elsewhere. I think he’ll ask for a contract somewhere in the $13-14M range. The position he plays is pricey — and I wouldn’t be surprised if a team with an abundance of cap space (Raiders, 49ers, etc) threw serious cash at him. Depending on his next contract, the Seahawks would likely receive a 3rd round comp pick in 2019 for letting him walk.

Jason’s Prediction:I think he’ll turn it off completely the minute he gets paid and quite honestly he’s living off his early career.  I think in free agency he won’t get more than a 1 year $8 or $9M contract offer. He just doesn’t stand out enough and the guys like him last year all got those 1 year deals.”

Joel’s Prediction: “Targeting Muhammad Wilkerson money wouldn’t surprise me ($17M per year neighborhood with over $50M in guarantees where at least $35M is fully guaranteed at signing). I don’t see a long term deal getting done near there. If Timmy Jernigan money is all that’s available ($12M per year/$25M in guarantees), he might bet on himself like Bennie Logan & Dontari Poe.”

 

Paul Richardson

Per Pro Football Reference, of all wide receivers with at least 400 receiving yards in 2017, Paul Richardson ranked 11th in yards per reception (15.98 yards) and 60th in catch percentage (55%). Football Outsiders has him ranked 23rd in DYAR (total value as a WR) and ranked 20th in DVOA (value per play).

I think ranking Paul as a top 20-25 wide receiver is appropriate. He’s definitely not top 10, but I think it’s reasonable to say top 20ish. Coming off two ACL tears early in his NFL career, the young receiver seems to have finally found a footing in the league. Russ and Paul established a clear connection in 2017. Assuming Jimmy Graham walks, Wilson’s receivers in 2018 would be the following pre-draft/free agency: Doug Baldwin, Tyler Lockett, Amara Darboh, Tanner McEvoy (please release him God), and David Moore.

…..that’s not a super talented receiving core.

Right now the 20th ranked WR (by APY) is making $8.5M a year. And that’s before the Mike Evans/Jarvis Landry deals. Doug Baldwin is current sitting at $11.5M a year. I expect Paul to ask for something in the $9-10M range and end up just shy of it. I don’t think Seattle will go for that. I wouldn’t be surprised if John offered him $5.5M APY in a take it or leave it type of offer.

My Prediction: At the end of the day, I view Paul as a middle tier receiver. He had some really exciting moments in 2017, and maybe I’ll come to regret this, but if we’re wisely allocating our limited cap dollars — I’m throwing money at the offensive line instead. I’d rather buy a brand new, shiny Andrew Norwell. If Russell Wilson is the generational talent we believe him to be, he will elevate his receivers. Unfortunately, he can’t elevate the play of his offensive line. It’s definitely a risk — but I’d walk on Prich.

Jason’s Prediction:Baldwin is going to be 30 and Richardson is only 26. I don’t think you can let him walk the way they did Tate off his one year wonder season. I still think they should have gambled an extended him before the year if they could have. He’s probably looking at 4 years at $7M a year though wideouts in free agency sometimes get more if they can get two teams bullish on them.”

Joel’s Prediction: He’ll view himself as a stretch the field/deep threat #2 WR. Kenny Stills was more accomplished prior to signing but his deal ($8M-avg/$20M in guarantees) could be an important data point to Richardson. The #2 WR market has been $6M-$8M per year recently, I expect somebody to pay Richardson like he is one of those guys.”

 

Jimmy Graham

Ahhhhh, Jimmy Graham. Maybe one of the most divisive players on the Seahawks from a fan perspective. I think most fans would agree that Jimmy hasn’t lived up to his expectations as a Seahawk. Jimmy was known for being a touchdown machine in New Orleans, as he record 46 touchdowns in the previous four seasons before being traded to Seattle. When he was traded many fans expected him to continue his red zone dominance with the Seahawks. He did not meet those expectations.

Graham couldn’t finish the 2015 season due to a gruesome patellar tendon injury. However, he made a remarkable recovery and put together a decent 2016 season: racking up 923 yards, 6 touchdowns, and 14.2 yards per catch. In 2017, Jimmy and Russ finally established a strong red zone relationship, connecting for 10 touchdowns. Unfortunately, Graham seemed to struggle outside of the red zone, logging only 520 receiving yards and a 9.1 yards per catch (both career lows). Per Football Outsiders, in 2017 Graham ranked #9 in DYAR and #28 in DVOA out of all tight ends.

Per Pro Football Reference, of the 26 tight ends in the NFL with at least 300 receiving yards, Jimmy ranked #26 in catch percentage at 59.4%. Outside of the red zone, he struggled mightily. It’s ironic that many fans, including myself, were upset with his red zone production in 2016 — and then he proceeded to trade struggles in 2017. On top of this, throughout his entire career in Seattle, Jimmy was asked to make key blocks for runningbacks and chip blocks in pass pro. It’s maddening because Jimmy has never been good at blocking, both in the run and pass pro. This was a utilization failure by the offensive coaching staff.

When considering extensions for players, you have to look at a number of factors including age, injury history, prior production, leadership abilities, replacement value, etc. Age is a big factor with Jimmy. He’ll be turning 32 in the middle of the 2018 season. Knowing the offense that Pete wants to run, Seattle should look to replace Jimmy with an all-purpose blocking tight end (someone like a Zach Miller).

When Graham signed his deal with the Saints in 2014, he set the top of the tight end market. Since that deal, no other tight end has eclipsed it. The closest deal, in terms of APY, is Travis Kelce of the Chiefs at $9.35M APY. Gronk is making $9M APY. Both those players are far better and more productive than Jimmy.

My Prediction: I don’t expect Jimmy to be willing to take a big pay-cut to stay in Seattle. He does not possess the ideal skill set for a tight end in the offense Pete wants to run. He’ll be expensive and I would be surprised if he looks for something in the $8-10M range. For a soon to be 32 year old tight end, I’ll take a hard pass. Even if he’s willing to take a big pay-cut, this team needs to get younger, hungrier, and more competitive. Jimmy is not that.

Jason’s Prediction: “His best days are behind him and he isn’t worth the investment. A team may fall in love with the name which will drive his price but I don’t think he’ll get more than $7.6M over 3 or 4 years from a team. They can use a younger player at the position.”

Joel’s Prediction: “The goal will probably be similar money to his current expiring contract ($10M per year). That should limit suitors. TE deals haven’t increased since Graham. He still sets the market by average salary. 2017 TE free agent market didn’t produce blockbuster deals but some overpayments (Jermaine Gresham, Dion Sims). Market was softer than expected for Martellus Bennett. Somebody should be willing to pay Graham more than Gresham ($7M per year/$13M fully guaranteed at signing).”

 

Luke Joeckel

Joeckel was such an odd signing. I understand that good offensive lineman are rare, and that any player who has a pulse will command even a decent amount of money. I mean, the Panthers signed Matt Kalil to a 5 year/$55M contract. Matt Kalil….$11M APY. I can’t believe we’re even saying those words. When Tom Cable claimed him to be the best left guard in the NFL, I knew this wouldn’t end well. Per Pro Football Focus, Joeckel allow 28 total pressures on 422 pass block snaps, which resulted in a 94.7 pass blocking efficiency. He ranked 55th out of 61 guards in the NFL. And fun fact: guess who was 61? Ethan Pocic.

Luke is not worth a deal more than $3-4M APY, if that. If you’re feeling generous, you could call him middle tier talent — but he is anything but that. He is a bad football player and the Seahawks should not rely on him in 2018.

My Prediction: An OL needy team might be willing to throw $4-5M at him. But it shouldn’t be Seattle. I would let him walk in favor of almost anyone else.

Jason’s Prediction: “No idea what they saw in him. 1 year $3M as a free agent unless they find another sucker.” (But Jason, Joeckel was the best left guard in the NFL!)

Joel’s Prediction: “$8M on a one year deal was awfully generous given his history. It’s probably a one deal again for at least a couple of million less.”

 

Eddie Lacy

Nope, nah, hell no, I’ll pass, thanks, bye. See ya.

My Prediction: No.

Jason’s President: “No. I think he’s down to a minimum salary player now at least in base value. He’s nothing more than a name. Didn’t fit at all in Seattle and not sure hell fit anywhere else.”

Joel’s Prediction: “It’s probably wishful thinking to get another one year deal like the one he played under this year. He should be a prime candidate for a minimum salary benefit contract ($90,000-max in additional money). He might find a $1.5M-$2M on a one with incentives.”

 

Bradley McDougald

McDougald is an interesting name for 2018. When Kam went down, he was fairly impressive when stepping into the vacant role. A versatile player who can play both safety spots, he was a solid contributor for Seattle. There’s no doubt the kid can ball. However, I don’t think I’d classify him as an “elite” level contributor — maybe more of an “above average” player. With Chancellor considering retirement, most fans might opt for an extension with Bradley — and frankly, I wouldn’t blame them.

However, there’s a name many aren’t considering in this equation. And I know it’s risky: Delano. Hill. From his very limited action in pre-season, we saw encouraging play from rookie. If this team is going to get hungrier, younger, and more competitive, they’re going to have to take some risks. Delano is a player I’m willing to hedge my bets on. Under the mentorship of Kam, I’d provide him will an opportunity to seize the role. At some point we need to start trusting our rookies and giving them a chance. Now is that time.

My Prediction: Based on his 2017 play, I expect Bradley to ask for a contract somewhere in the $5-6M range. And I think he’ll get it. He’s a solid, middle class contributor and a starter on almost all teams. However, considering what Seattle might have in Delano, I’m willing to bet on the rookie. I know it’s a risk — but it’s a risk that might pay multiple dividends.

Jason’s Prediction: “Solid player that could have a big role. He’s only 28 so he could have 3 good year in him. I have a hard time with a contract here because I don’t understand why he had no interest in free agency last year. If I had to guess 3 years around $3.5-$4M a year but at the same time I don’t think he did anything to get more noticed this year unless a new GM sees him differently than the others did in 2017.”

Joel’s Prediction: “The Barry Church, Johnathan Cyprien, Micah Hyde range ($6M-$6.5M per year) may have gotten McDougald’s attention. It could end up in the DJ Swearinger/Quintin Demps territory ($4.5M per year) but no lower Jordan Poyer ($3.25M per year), who was been a tremendous value in Buffalo.”

 

Luke Willson

Luke Willson is another interesting name not being discussed much. Overshadowed by the presence of Graham, he’s has been a solid contributor on offense in the past. When you consider his role, his value is primarily in his blocking abilities. His receiving high was 362 yards in 2014 and he’s never caught more than 4 touchdowns in a single season.

If you can get him for a really low cost, Luke is a middle tier player I might make an exception for. This really depends on if Seattle believes Nick Vannett will ever be a consistent contributor. In the first two years of his rookie deal Vannett has had minimal impact. Maybe the Seahawks believe Nick is the tight end of the future and they let Willson walk.

My Prediction: If I were Seattle, I’d try and keep Luke if you can get him for $1.5-2M a year. At that cost, I think I’d be okay with it. Anything more and I’d let him walk.

Jason’s Prediction: “Could be a little upside there. 1 or 2 year deal around $2M a season.”

Joel’s Prediction: “It shouldn’t be worse than his current one deal but trying to get something like Levine Toilolo ($4M per year with upside) for a couple of years wouldn’t be outlandish as a 2nd TE.”

 

Byron Maxwell

After being released by the Dolphins, Byron was a player that came in and had an unexpectedly large impact on the secondary. After Sherman went down, he immediately assumed the #2 spot next to Shaq Griffin. With Shead still working to return from his 2016 ACL injury, he provided some much needed depth at a very cheap rate. After some not-so-successful stints in both Philly and Miami, he and his agent know that Seattle’s system is where he thrives. Turning 30 this February, I doubt many teams around the league will be interested in him. For his sake I hope he retires in Seattle.

My Prediction: I would offer him a 1 year/$1.5-2M deal. Reward him for his 2017 contributions & let him compete for a starting position in 2018. With Sherman’s injury and the uncertainty around Shead’s future, the cornerback position is a group where you can never have enough competition. He has proven production in Seattle’s system. He’s worth at least a depth position in 2018.

Jason’s Prediction: “No. I don’t think they should sink the money into a 30 year old corner who is probably going to look for $6M a year.”

Joel’s Prediction: “His 2018-2020 contract years when cut had $29.75M remaining. Players sometimes try to be made whole. Seattle shouldn’t have a problem giving him Jeremy’s Lane money ($12M over 2 years), which is consistent with Brandon Carr’s Ravens deal.”

 

Free Agents to Target

For the most part I’d prefer Seattle to remain inactive in free agency. I think it’s critical that Seattle strays away from free agency and primarily builds their roster via the draft. The draft has an unlimited supply of young and hungry players (with easy club control!). Often time free agency is exactly the opposite. However, I believe there are a few players worth taking a look at.

Andrew Norwell

Assuming the Seahawks let Luke Joeckel walk (please god), they should seriously consider putting in a bid for Norwell, the All-Pro left guard from the Carolina Panthers. Carolina has very little cap space to work with and it would be challenging for them to extend him to a long term extension. I’ve spoken about this on Twitter and quite a bit on the Real Hawk Talk Podcast — I would much rather sign an All-Pro guard than Sheldon Richardson or Jimmy Graham.

With a new offensive line coach, the Seahawks have a unique opportunity to add a shiny piece to protect their franchise quarterback. According to Pro Football Focus, Norwell didn’t allow a single sack or hit to Cam Newton in all of 2017. Oh, how I wish that for Russell. One option is letting Joeckel walk, signing Norwell at LG, moving Pocic to RG, and having Fant/Ifedi compete for RT. On paper that’s not a bad offensive line.

Let’s go get a shiny Norwell.

 

Donte Moncrief

If the Seahawks are going to let Richardson and Graham walk, they may want to sign a cheap draft/injury hedge with upside in free agency. One player that might fit the bill is Donte Moncrief. He’s incredibly young at 24 years of age. After an electric 2015, Donte fell victim to the injury bug over the past two seasons. It was initially believed in Indy (and around the league) that he and TY Hilton would eventually be one of the best combo receivers in the NFL. Oh, how things have changed in Indy.

If Seattle can lure him to play with a true franchise quarterback, and at a bargain rate, then that’d be a win. I would be content entering the season with Baldwin, Lockett, Darboh, Moncrief, Moore, and a draft WR.

 

Tyler Eifert

If the Seahawks are moving on from Jimmy Graham (and maybe Luke Willson), Tyler Eifert might be a name to look at. He’s only 27 years old and is definitely a high upside player. After struggling with injuries over the past couple of years, the hype around him has died down.

What’s appealing about Tyler is not just his abilities as a receiver, but what he brings to the run game. In Cincy he was known for being a formidable run blocker. If Seattle can get him at a reasonable cost, I might take a flyer on him. Again, it really depends on what the Seahawks decide to do with Graham and Willson. But if you’re moving on from both of them, Eifert is a guy they should take a look into.

 

Concluding Thoughts

This is, without a doubt, Seattle’s most challenging offseason yet. With incredible turnover already occurring on the coaching staff, I envision an even higher turnover rate on the roster..and we might be in store for a few big surprises. You never know what John Schneider and the ballsiest front office in the NFL will do.

With a finite amount of cap room and aging veterans, the Seahawks will have to nail the draft if they wish to continue the dominance the Pete Carroll era has accustomed us to. I only wish for four things:

  1. Avoid the middle class.
  2. If the right offer is there for a veteran, take it.
  3. Get younger, hungrier, and more competitive.
  4. Go win the god-damn Super Bowl.
Staff Writer
  1. Agree with everything (Mostly!).
    Really afraid of Hill though, wish McDougald could stay!
    And…
    How about Frank Gore on a bargain contract? He still has legs and desire, is supposed to be a leader/locker room guy, is a 3 down back, and played for Schotty.

    Anyway – offensive discipline and creativity on D. Give me those, and your ideas. #4 is a god damn shoe in.

  2. In my early days in sales I worked for a manager whose favorite phrase was, “When you’re green you grow, when you’re ripe you rot.” Not the most elegant statement, but to the point. It doesn’t apply equally to all personnel, no description ever does, but could be a partial explanation in agreement with your opening comments.

    I might take issue to a degree with your anti “middle class” notion with the caveat; it depends on how well the player is chosen. Perhaps Graham is the best case in point, even though he’s not your definition of “middle class. We hear regularly that the Hawks/Bevell/Whomever, “……never figured out how to use him.” Maybe, but I suspect that statement might mean different things to different people. It is evident though that he never met expectations, likely for a variety of reasons, including his attitude/willingness as well as suspect coaching/scheming. You have to admire him for his fortitude in rehabbing back from a devastating injury, but as for overall value to the team…………..not so much. When you add the value lost with both Unger and the first round pick to his salary hit……………..not a good decision at all. In a non-salary capped world you can afford that sort of call, but not today. Which brings me to the point, again, we need to look at the entire roster for potential value exchange/extraction to get back to that younger, hungrier, and hopefully more motivated/skilled roster. I’ve mentioned before that to me, even Earl Thomas is fair game for trading value. That one likely sends 90+ percent of the fans into fits of fury or calling me some sort of brain dead idiot. Eh……..I’m old, endured much worse, often. For all those who believe that the team can’t function, or function at a high enough level, without ET, I’d just remind that a dozen teams who don’t have ET went to the playoffs this year…………the Hawks didn’t. Football is about TEAM dynamics, not individual skill. Yes, the higher the performance level, the more likely the player will help build toward a highly functioning unit, but again, at what cost?

    I don’t have much quibble with the above scenarios, even though there are more that should be on the table, with the possible exception of McDougald………..unless he gets offered really stupid money elsewhere he should be a priority keep. His versatility should be valued higher than I think many perceive…….especially in an injury prone sport like this one.

    I’m not so sure that free agents are any more risk likely than the draft that struggles to be 50% pro level talent yielding, so it comes down to effective evaluation (though the draft does have the advantage of a specified pay scale as opposed to the “auction” pricing in FA). Many fans here think that the front office/coaches have lost something in the past few years of the draft (perhaps coincident with McCloughan leaving). I wonder if, in addition, there’s too much being “cute” with the trade down for quantity at the cost of quality (of player).

    Though out of the scope of this article, my hope is that the new coaches and the hopefully fresher view they bring, will help eliminate many of the “shoot your own foot” mistakes that cost us some games. All talk of better players aside, we can’t expect to lead the league in errors and be successful………………potentially beating ourselves is a threat to every game of the season.

    1. I’m not going to call you “brain dead” Uncle Bob, but I believe Earl Thomas is the best player on our team. He’s still the best free safety in the league, and with Kam’s future in question and Sherman coming off of his injury, he’s all the stability we have left in our once vaunted secondary. His leadership, work ethic, attention to detail, and what he demands of the players around him are all reasons to keep him. He’s the gold standard.

      What worries me is that he may no longer feel he fits here. He is close to Kam and Sherm, who are both question marks now, and his comments about Dallas coming to get him when the Seahawks kick him to the curb may mean that he sees some writing on the wall that we don’t. Do you think it’s a coincidence that these comments were made right after the disconnect between him and Wagner, who in my view is our second best player? Bobby Wagner’s angry twitter response (even though he took it down) to an innocent (certainly honest and accurate) post-game remark Earl made, showed Wagner to be spiteful, prickly, and extremely thin-skinned. Thomas wasn’t even taking a shot at him. What it reveals, more importantly, is that there must be rifts within the team among some of our veterans, which prompted Thomas to warn about cliques and division the following week (then chase down Jason Garrett). This team is fractured, and it has happened on Pete’s watch. There are too many stars now, and not enough hungry, young players with something to prove.

      1. As heretical as it might sound to move on from ETIII (extracting as much value as possible in a trade) I could see it happening. Even despite Carroll’s affinity for that position in particular–if Carroll wants to re-build the D (and believes in his ability to coach up DBs) why not build around Hill and Griffin and get complementary parts in the draft (aided by senior mentors Kam and Sherman while they are still around).

        This is going to be an interesting offseason for sure.

    2. Uncle Bob,

      Have always respected and enjoyed your thoughts. I shared your sentiments. Regarding ET, if there are good offers, we should listen. We, as fans, always get an emotional attachment w/ our favorite players and forget about the totality of the team. I guess that is why we are not GM or professional coaches. I am not as optimistic as Brian because it is more than just the reorganization of personnel. But he is right about the identity issue, which I have harped for the last 2 or 3 years. We lost it. When you don’t know who you truly are, then it does not matter how many “makeovers’ you will have. It will come full circle at the end. It is all about the leadership from the top. It will be an interesting offseason. We’ll see.

    3. Earl Thomas has been my favorite but it is time to move on, 2nd rd pick anyone? Duane Brown? If your going to spend that kind of money go get Nate Solder to go with Mr. Norwell, yeh baby, then we’d be cooking.

  3. Something Holmgren pointed out that I’ve always found to be true: A defense is best built around young players who are fast and hungry. An offensive line is best built out of veterans who are experienced.

    Grabbing Norwell should be our only free agency priority. Adding him to a line with Duane Brown and Justin Britt should solidify our line finally.

    Let our injured older defensive players go. Time to bring young, hungry, speedy defenders.

    1. I could not agree more. We need veteran stability on the O-line. We repeatedly miss in the draft, which is something of a crap shoot, but free agency is not, which is what makes our even more incompetent history of free agent acquisitions for the line even more inexcusable. We had legitimate shots (i.e. interviews) with Andrew Whitworth and Stefan Wisniewski, who are now tearing it up and playing like studs with their respective playoff teams. We instead wasted a lot of money and cap space on a dud (Joekel), who had already proven himself to be a dud in everyone’s view but Tom Cable’s.

      And we compounded this stupidity by doing what we always do with our O-line: shop at Scrubs-R-Us. Sowell and Webb were just the latest names we could add to a long list of head-scratchers in that department. Time for someone getting paid on our staff (or front office) to get a clue.

      1. It was rather bewildering to me to hear Cable, PC, JS, lament the lack of good O lineman coming out of college, and then so strongly eschew veteran NFL lineman and double down on young draftees…wait, what? you just told us these guys suck…and your strategy is to build around them? Ok…

        And I don’t think the middle class player is the problem. It’s the player selection. Hawks just picked the wrong ones.

    2. I like that thought as well. We should have done this a LONG time ago. Let’s see if the lingering “effects” of Tom Cable is still around or it is gone forever. Personally, I thought they should have gone after Whitworth last year, who is even a better player than Brown.

  4. I keep Paul Richardson and Bradley McDougal (unless Delano Hill looks like a sure bet), and I try to get/keep Willson and Maxwell on the cheap. Jimmy and Sheldon will be too expensive, while Luke and Eddie should have never been allowed to darken our door in the first place. That was Exhibit A for dumb. 🙁

    And although it isn’t mentioned here, getting rid of Bennett and his sideshow antics would be job one in my book. That will free up some cap room and improve our locker room. He and Avril though, had been the anchors of our line. Guys like Frank Clark are showing promise, but this line was underachieving even when healthy. Adding Sheldon Richardson was a great move, but keeping him may cost too much. Meanwhile, our top draft pick, Malik McDowell, who was supposed to be an edge pass rusher (replacing some of the things Irvin had done), due entirely to personal negligence, may never play a down, and if he does, how much will he be compromised? You could argue that going out and cracking your egg on an ATV can hardly be the fault of our front office, but I would disagree to some extent.

    Pete lets players be themselves, and tends to draw his fair share of oddballs and malcontents as a result, but CHARACTER can not be underestimated in sports. I’ll take a little less talent with a lot more character any day. Teams built on that premise tend not to have chemistry issues like we’re having now. I’ll also take a coach who is a little less hip, but holds players accountable, and that clearly hasn’t happened over the past few years. Ultimately, they chose poorly when it came to McDowell’s character. They took that same gamble with Clark, and it has worked out so far, but you can’t make a habit of doing that, like Jerry Jones does. Remind me, for all the high caliber talent he pays for, how many playoff games they’ve won in the last two decades (about one every 10 years). The ATV incident was a just a hint of things to come. In December, there was this (I can’t include the hyperlink but you can copy and paste this on Google if you want to read about it):

    Seahawks’ Malik McDowell Arrest Video, Cusses Out Cops Like a Maniac

    And now you can add Jeremy Lane to our growing list of 10-cent heads. If this is the character of the kind of guys you choose, I guess you get what you deserve. Additionally, there’s no excuse for missing as often as we have in recent drafts, and doing your due diligence involves looking into the kind of player you’re recruiting. At some point, with guys like Bennett and Sherman (and Lynch, when he was here) already being problem children in your locker room and sideline, when you draft poorly as well, you reach a critical mass of stupidity and it spills over onto the field of play.

    Time to wise up. Our team culture needs to be more about character, and less about characters.

  5. SalishHawkfan hit the number on the head !!! The Oline after the QB is the Most important unit on the field, PERIOD! Just watch the games last weekend again and pay attention to what happened !! and WHY ! Love the Norwell and Eifert suggestions, That would make a huge difference. Then Draft a couple of true talented Guards and let Fant and Pocic fight it out for RT( Pocic is too tall for guard) . You could let Ifedi fight for the RG spot I guess ( But I don’t like him much, who knows maybe a new coach could get him to understand what an Oline men is suppose to do). McDougall is definitely a keeper in my book, long as it doesn’t go over 4 mil.. Graham, Joeckel, McEvoy would be gone! Try and keep the following if the Money is right Maxwell, Willson and PR. Sherm stays for sure and only trade ET if they get a first and a third! Linebacker ( if you draft intelligently) is and should be the easiest place to acquire talent . There is just a lot of the LB’s in collage around to chose from . They need D-line help for sure But don’t break the bank ( Young and Hungry mostly ). I would also bring Kasen Williams back if possible, he has a Talent you just can’t teach – Go up and get the ball !!! Just a few right moves and they could be challenging the top next year !

  6. I share your assessment of Graham and Paul Richardson, but…

    …combined they accounted for 101 receptions and 16TDs. Also, Jimmy replaced the Tom Cable run offense in the red zone.

    If JG and PR move on, their production has to be replaced. Maybe Doug Baldwin catches more passes (likely), Tyler Lockett steps up his production (could happen), Amara Darboh breaks through (could happen, but do you count on that?), and the ground game returns to respectability behind a 7th-round draft pick coming off a broken leg and a talented back who can’t stay on the field. Could happen. But an awful lot has to break right.

    BTW, if they can sign Sheldon Richardson for $13MM/yr, they’ll offer a 5-year contract.

    1. Based on his production, that’s too much for Sheldon Richardson. And while Paul Richardson stepped up this year, Tyler Lockett did not (I know he was limited with injury issues; welcome to the NFL). I hope we keep them both. What worries me, is that after all of our coaching changes, the tandem who thought Darboh and McEvoy were better options than Kasen Williams are still in place. 🙁 They also thought Eddie Lacy, who required financial weight gain incentives, was going to be the answer to our running game woes.

      1. Williams didn’t exactly light it up in Cleveland, not that anyone else did either. The Browns cut him in mid-season and he wound up on their practice squad.

        Re Darboh, they were not going to cut a 3rd-round pick to keep a player who had spent his career on the practice squad shuttle. They went with ceiling; any team would. SEA may have overreached for Darboh, but I doubt that they’ve given a second thought to the decision to keep him over Williams.

        Re McEvoy, Seattle kept a 6’6″ special teamer who had contributed the season before and was a better player in 2017 than Williams. They might take back a couple of plays to McEvoy but — as with Darboh — they don’t regret the decision to keep him.

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