2024 Season Thread

[blstoker]

PFF had him ranked as the 18th center, for whatever that is worth. Might as well see what they have in Olu, bit concerning that neither Pete's staff not Macdonalds staff felt he was ready for the job. Signing your starting center late August off of FA left overs wasn't a good sign for the OL.

No signing a last-minute starter usually isn't a good sign, but with the starter not making it through the season before abruptly retiring may also signal that Williams wasn't really making himself available until then.

Olu's young and has a total of 133 snaps on offense - and has only 1 game in his career with any significant playing time. IDK what is lacking there, but whether we like it or not, there'll be another center on Sunday.

 

[Anointed One]

It’s so hard watching Jalen Carter, dominate week in and week out.

 

[MrS]

It’s so hard watching Jalen Carter, dominate week in and week out.

Murphy and carter would be a disgusting combo

 

[MKHawk]

It’s so hard watching Jalen Carter, dominate week in and week out.

This is one move I was and am fine with. I'm not sure Carter approached anything close to what he is anywhere other than Philly with all his UGA friends.

 

[Screamin12th]

Rumblings, the guys do not like playing for Coach Macdonald... Shits exploding right in front of our faces.

 

[jerseyhawksfan79]

Rumblings, the guys do not like playing for Coach Macdonald... Shits exploding right in front of our faces.

Seemed fine when they were 3-0. How about they put their big boy pants on and find a way to fucking compete and win.

 

[Anointed One]

This is one move I was and am fine with. I'm not sure Carter approached anything close to what he is anywhere other than Philly with all his UGA friends.

It’s hard for me to get to that point with seeing how dominant he’s been. You can make an average cb look great with a great pass rush. But it’s much more difficult to make an avg defensive tackle look great with a great cornerback.

It was just a very surprising pick at the time and John is on the hook for that, especially if Witherspoon doesn’t pan out to be a game changer and Jaylen Carter continues to dominate like he is

 

[Anointed One]

Murphy and carter would be a disgusting combo

That would be a sick combo. But I would find it hard to believe that we would’ve drafted Murphy if we had gotten Carter already…

 

[MrS]

That would be a sick combo. But I would find it hard to believe that we would’ve drafted Murphy if we had gotten Carter already…

No youre right about that, they'd have done something stupid instead

 

[Sharkonabicycle]

It’s hard for me to get to that point with seeing how dominant he’s been. You can make an average cb look great with a great pass rush. But it’s much more difficult to make an avg defensive tackle look great with a great cornerback.

It was just a very surprising pick at the time and John is on the hook for that, especially if Witherspoon doesn’t pan out to be a game changer and Jaylen Carter continues to dominate like he is

Agreed on all points. I still hated the Witherspoon pick... it was not a position of need at the time. If we draft another DB with our 1st next year or another WR I'm going to lose it. I'm tired of these patchwork solutions and aging players that John keeps marching out on the lines.

 

[Sharkonabicycle]

The claims that Macdonald has "lost the locker room" are humorous to me. The LBs were not playing well, we made a trade for an upgrade on the inside, then moved on from the 2 guys who were not cutting it. And it appears Conor Williams may have some personal stuff going on that has put and end to playing career. Not sure how that has anything to do with Macdonald. If the first 3 games of the season were instead the most recent 3, we would hear about how the rookie coach has totally turned things around after a rough start, but of course we would be 4-5 either way. As it is, he's "lost the locker room" according to some (who I suspect have never once seen the inside of the locker room). Funny.

I think the team just really doesn't have an identity right now. We thought we'd be getting an elite defensive mastermind but that obviously hasn't been the case. They started to show some stuff during the Rams, but whatever. I'm sure Mac had input on Dodson/Baker but to spend $11M on those guys and they're both gone halfway through the season is baffling to me. As for the offense, I don't know what the goal is there. Seattle SAYS they want to be a smashmouth run hard hitting offense, but the line is atrocious, Geno seems annoyed, and Grubb is still calling his Huskies offense from last year.

I don't think Macs 'lost the locker room', that seems a little ridiculous. I think the team is just struggling to understand who they want to be and what the culture is going to be there. I don't think they've found that yet, and until they do - it's hard to get excited about them. Pete was very much a rah rah guy and wanted younger players and smash the rock. His very first season only 4 weeks in went and got Marshawn and started hammering away while trying to get a very athletic team... It was just a little more clear.

Seattle just seems kind of sloppy all over at the moment, I'm not sure Grubb/Mac are aligned, etc. It's just a very young group, and a lot of the players on the team are younger and the older ones don't seem to be leaders (maybe with exception of Reed). And while Geno is frustrated because he's on his ass 24/7, I don't see a leader there either... he gets very visibly frustrated and mopey.

 

[JMR]

I think the team just really doesn't have an identity right now.

Yeah, we just don't have a particular strength that we are able to rely on. It isn't for lack of talent on offense, that's for sure. Unfortunately we are so poor up front that it's largely masking that talent. It's mind boggling how we struggle so much at running the ball.

We thought we'd be getting an elite defensive mastermind but that obviously hasn't been the case. They started to show some stuff during the Rams, but whatever.

Well, I don't know if we can already dismiss the idea that Macdonald is a keen defensive mind. It's 9 games in, and there have been tons of injuries (to include one game where all 4 starters on the DL were out). It definitely looked better in the Rams game, but of course the keystone cops offense sort of ruined that. It may also just take some time to re-make the roster to be what we need. Clearly LB is/was a mess that will for sure limit things on that side of the ball until we can find a solution. Maybe Jones is part of the answer there.

I'm sure Mac had input on Dodson/Baker but to spend $11M on those guys and they're both gone halfway through the season is baffling to me.

It looks a bit like we were left holding the bag this off-season at LB. We had the cap space to keep Brooks or sign Queen but chose not to, for whatever reason. Neither of those players signed deals that carried any kind of big cap number for 2024, but I have to think both/either would have been better than what we ended up getting. As it went, we re-worked the whole position in the middle of the season, which of course is a nightmare. Hopefully the Jones trade gets us back on the right track at LB or at least headed in that direction.

And I don't want to make it sound like I am giving the FO/Macdonald a total pass. They stepped on their d!cks big time, but just like as it is in golf, all you can really do is make the best recovery shot you possibly can.

I don't think Macs 'lost the locker room', that seems a little ridiculous. I think the team is just struggling to understand who they want to be and what the culture is going to be there. I don't think they've found that yet, and until they do - it's hard to get excited about them. Pete was very much a rah rah guy and wanted younger players and smash the rock. His very first season only 4 weeks in went and got Marshawn and started hammering away while trying to get a very athletic team... It was just a little more clear.

I doubt the team/coach is unsure about who they want to be. I just don't think they have the personnel right now to make it so. Pete & John made TONS of moves when they first got here, and it took a couple years of reshaping the roster to get it ironed out. It will not be a huge surprise to me if it takes the new regime a couple years as well before it looks the way it should. We won a weak division in Pete's 1st year, but it was still a losing record with another one to follow (our 4th in a row going back to Holmgren's final year) before things turned. We all want it fixed right away, but it usually takes a little time unless you are Barry Switzer or George Seifert and inherit a SB team.

Seattle just seems kind of sloppy all over at the moment, I'm not sure Grubb/Mac are aligned, etc. It's just a very young group, and a lot of the players on the team are younger and the older ones don't seem to be leaders (maybe with exception of Reed). And while Geno is frustrated because he's on his ass 24/7, I don't see a leader there either... he gets very visibly frustrated and mopey.

If we are ever able to figure out the OL even to the point of it being just mediocre, I think things will look different.... more "aligned." We are stuck looking like imbeciles until then, I fear.

 

[Screamin12th]

No youre right about that, they'd have done something stupid instead

Drafting a DT #1 after just drafting a DT #1 would have been the "Something stupid".

Who would give up Spoon to do this? Not me.

 

[Screamin12th]

Watching the Chargers play and it just is so awesome to see a team like them just thump people and have GREAT QB play on the other side of the ball. So Jealous.

 

[MKHawk]

Hold that thought. Chargering in progress.

 

[Screamin12th]

Hold that thought. Chargering in progress.

They still looked good. Just man oh man it was just pretty. Now Coach Jim's curse is gettin in the way. Chargers will win though or not. Doesn't matter to me but that first half was just beautiful and seeing Dissly and Pona doing their thing.

 

[MrS]

Drafting a DT #1 after just drafting a DT #1 would have been the "Something stupid".

Who would give up Spoon to do this? Not me.

If we drafted carter, we probably wouldnt trade for williams and DL would have been a need still

 

[Screamin12th]

If we drafted carter, we probably wouldnt trade for williams and DL would have been a need still

Still wouldnt have drafted Murphy, You are removing Witherspoon from the defense.


On a completely different note, It sucked ass seeing KJ Wright on the 49ers sideline as assistent Linebackers coach. A position he should have with the Seahawks.

 

[Screamin12th]

What does everyone want out of this season? Playoff? No Playoffs but look good? Look real good but Geno sinks the ship? Not joking with that one because it's a better sign for the teams future as a whole.

 

[JMR]

What does everyone want out of this season? Playoff? No Playoffs but look good? Look real good but Geno sinks the ship? Not joking with that one because it's a better sign for the teams future as a whole.

I want to see a glidepath of improvement. The defense has played much better in each of the past 2 games than they had been. The OL wasn't really "good" yesterday, but they were better.

Some specific things I want to see:

• Abe Lucas finishes the season w/o another injury.
• Nwosu returns and doesn't get injured again.
• Defense continues to play at recent levels, gives up ~17 ppg (or less, of course) for the rest of the way.
• JSN continues to be a factor in the short and medium areas, consistent production like the last couple weeks.
• Cut down on penalties & unforced errors. It was a bit better yesterday.

I think it would be a great boost for the team to make the playoffs after how bleak things have looked for most of the last 2 months. The division is still in play, and finishing with a winning record opens up WC as well. I am under no illusion that this team is a SB contender, but winning is better than losing; making the playoffs is better than not.

EDIT: and I don't really worry too much about what Geno does from here because I think he's cut in the off-season no matter what.