Just for Fun

[blstoker]

We're spinning our wheels a bit with all the draft talk in anticipation of the actual draft, so I thought I'd change things up a bit and post who I think would be Seattle's 53 man roster all time.

Bold Starter
QB - Russell Wilson, Matt Hasselbeck, Dave Kreig
RB - Shaun Alexander, Curt Warner, Marhawn Lynch
FB - Mack Strong
WR - Steve Largent, Tyler Lockett, D.K. Metcalf, Doug Baldwin, Brain Blades, Joey Galloway
TE - Jimmy Graham, Zach Miller, John Carlson
T - Walter Jones, Howard Ballard, Duane Brown, Steve August
G - Steve Hutchinson, Chris Gray, Edwin Bailey, Pete Kendall
C - Max Unger, Robbie Tobek

DE - Jacob Green, Chris Clemons, Cliff Avril, Michael Bennett
DT - Cortez Kennedy, Joe Nash, Jeff Bryant, Brandon Mebane
OLB - KJ Wright, Chad Brown, Terry Wooden, Rufus Porter
MLB - Bobby Wagner, Lofa Tatupu
CB - Richard Sherman, Dave Brown, Marcus Trufant, Shawn Springs, Brandon Browner, Patrick Hunter
FS - Earl Thomas, Eugene Robinson
SS - Kenny Easley, Kam Chancellor

K - Steven Hauschka
P - Rick Tuten
KR - Leon Washington

 

[blstoker]

Feel free to criticize, critique or post your own. It's nice Seattle has enough success that some of these are no longer so easy to come up with.

 

[seahawksfan234]

We're spinning our wheels a bit with all the draft talk in anticipation of the actual draft, so I thought I'd change things up a bit and post who I think would be Seattle's 53 man roster all time.

Bold Starter
QB - Russell Wilson, Matt Hasselbeck, Dave Kreig
RB - Shaun Alexander, Curt Warner, Marhawn Lynch
FB - Mack Strong
WR - Steve Largent, Tyler Lockett, D.K. Metcalf, Doug Baldwin, Brain Blades, Joey Galloway
TE - Jimmy Graham, Zach Miller, John Carlson
T - Walter Jones, Howard Ballard, Duane Brown, Steve August
G - Steve Hutchinson, Chris Gray, Edwin Bailey, Pete Kendall
C - Max Unger, Robbie Tobek

DE - Jacob Green, Chris Clemons, Cliff Avril, Michael Bennett
DT - Cortez Kennedy, Joe Nash, Jeff Bryant, Brandon Mebane
OLB - KJ Wright, Chad Brown, Terry Wooden, Rufus Porter
MLB - Bobby Wagner, Lofa Tatupu
CB - Richard Sherman, Dave Brown, Marcus Trufant, Shawn Springs, Brandon Browner, Patrick Hunter
FS - Earl Thomas, Eugene Robinson
SS - Kenny Easley, Kam Chancellor

K - Steven Hauschka
P - Rick Tuten
KR - Leon Washington

Hard to argue much with this, but just for the sake of conversation I'll add a few thoughts:

QB: I know you're not a fan of Geno, but if he continues to play the way he has, I'd put him at #3.
HB: This is my biggest and really only substantial disagreement. Shaun Alexander had a great career, but was running behind a left side that had Mack Strong as a lead blocker (when FBs were used), and a left side of two hall of famers (Jones and Hutchinson) and a damn good center in Tobek. If Marshawn Lynch had that offensive line, he'd average 6 yards a carry. The offensive lines that Lynch ran behind were average at best. I know it's popular to shit on Shaun Alexander, but I think if he had the offensive line that Lynch had, he wouldn't have had nearly as much success.
WR: Agree
TE: Agree
T: I'd swap Brown with Ballard, but that's mostly a product of the fact that I was very young when Ballard was with the Seahawks so I don't remember him that much.
G: Agree
C: Agree

DE: This one is kind of tough. I think I'd take Michael Bennett over Chris Clemons just because of his ability to play outside on early downs and slide inside and be just as impactful at tackle. If it was based on one year alone, I'd have to include Patrick Kerney here. He had a great 2007 then just sort of disappeared.
DT: Agree
OLB: Maybe it's recency bias, but I feel like maybe Julian Peterson should be included here.

I agree with the rest of your selections. Although I'd probably take Michael Dickson over Rick Tuten.

 

[Anointed One]

We're spinning our wheels a bit with all the draft talk in anticipation of the actual draft, so I thought I'd change things up a bit and post who I think would be Seattle's 53 man roster all time.

Bold Starter
QB - Russell Wilson, Matt Hasselbeck, Dave Kreig
RB - Shaun Alexander, Curt Warner, Marhawn Lynch
FB - Mack Strong
WR - Steve Largent, Tyler Lockett, D.K. Metcalf, Doug Baldwin, Brain Blades, Joey Galloway
TE - Jimmy Graham, Zach Miller, John Carlson
T - Walter Jones, Howard Ballard, Duane Brown, Steve August
G - Steve Hutchinson, Chris Gray, Edwin Bailey, Pete Kendall
C - Max Unger, Robbie Tobek

DE - Jacob Green, Chris Clemons, Cliff Avril, Michael Bennett
DT - Cortez Kennedy, Joe Nash, Jeff Bryant, Brandon Mebane
OLB - KJ Wright, Chad Brown, Terry Wooden, Rufus Porter
MLB - Bobby Wagner, Lofa Tatupu
CB - Richard Sherman, Dave Brown, Marcus Trufant, Shawn Springs, Brandon Browner, Patrick Hunter
FS - Earl Thomas, Eugene Robinson
SS - Kenny Easley, Kam Chancellor

K - Steven Hauschka
P - Rick Tuten
KR - Leon Washington

Pretty good list... Can't disagree with much, if any of it really...

I will add that Christina Fauria should be on that list for our TE's... I thought he and Zach Miller were the best TEs we've ever had...I can't give it to Graham...

I'd add Sean Locklear in there over Brown and August...

RB, John L Williams deserves a spot...

DE, I like Michael Sinclair on that list...

Over all thought solid list...

 

[blstoker]

Hard to argue much with this, but just for the sake of conversation I'll add a few thoughts:

QB: I know you're not a fan of Geno, but if he continues to play the way he has, I'd put him at #3.
HB: This is my biggest and really only substantial disagreement. Shaun Alexander had a great career, but was running behind a left side that had Mack Strong as a lead blocker (when FBs were used), and a left side of two hall of famers (Jones and Hutchinson) and a damn good center in Tobek. If Marshawn Lynch had that offensive line, he'd average 6 yards a carry. The offensive lines that Lynch ran behind were average at best. I know it's popular to shit on Shaun Alexander, but I think if he had the offensive line that Lynch had, he wouldn't have had nearly as much success.
WR: Agree
TE: Agree
T: I'd swap Brown with Ballard, but that's mostly a product of the fact that I was very young when Ballard was with the Seahawks so I don't remember him that much.
G: Agree
C: Agree

DE: This one is kind of tough. I think I'd take Michael Bennett over Chris Clemons just because of his ability to play outside on early downs and slide inside and be just as impactful at tackle. If it was based on one year alone, I'd have to include Patrick Kerney here. He had a great 2007 then just sort of disappeared.
DT: Agree
OLB: Maybe it's recency bias, but I feel like maybe Julian Peterson should be included here.

I agree with the rest of your selections. Although I'd probably take Michael Dickson over Rick Tuten.

QB - No, I don't think that Geno has it in him to overtake Kreig. Kreig is extremely underrated for how good he was for the time period.
HB - Alexander was always the most likely to get commented on. I've heard the arguments about Alexander, and I find most of them really have little merit. Alexander has taken a great deal of flack for someone who acheived what he acheived. Let's also not forget that Jones and Hutchinson owe a lot of their accolades due to Alexander's success. Jones didn't win his first AP until Alexander became the starting RB. All 7 AP awards won by the duo in Seattle were with Alexander running the ball (Hutchinson's 3 APs in Minnesota were with Adrian Peterson). I believe the RB matters and though it's common think Lynch would've been the better RB behind the line - Alexander had much better vision and burst than Lynch - which is why I think the line and RB combo worked so well.
T - I did put Brown at starter because he didn't play on the right side and Ballard did.
DE - Bennett having versatility didn't play a role in his starting or not. Clemons was just better IMO until Washington. He was more consistent, a more complete team player and he succeeded with less talent on the DL to take pressure off him. I nearly put SIngclair on the list instead of Bennett.
OLB - I like Julian Peterson, he was pretty solid. Fun fact, first Seahawk jersey I bought.
P - I love Dickson. Maybe in the future he'll overtake Tuten as my favorite, but he will always suffer a bit from having a team good enough that he isn't ever going to be in the running for offensive MVP.

Good stuff though. I can appreciate the changes, and can see where they would be pretty solid.

 

[blstoker]

Pretty good list... Can't disagree with much, if any of it really...

I will add that Christina Fauria should be on that list for our TE's... I thought he and Zach Miller were the best TEs we've ever had...I can't give it to Graham...

I'd add Sean Locklear in there over Brown and August...

RB, John L Williams deserves a spot...

DE, I like Michael Sinclair on that list...

Over all thought solid list...

Fauria was a solid TE, but I could only put 3. People look at Graham's lack of blocking as such a negative that they discount exactly what he did here. Despite never living up to the numbers he put up in NO, Graham still put up 3 of the top 5 receiving seasons for a TE in team history. With Carlson owning the other 2, that left 1 more spot. I thought Fauria, but I think Miller was the best all around TE with soft hands (second only to Graham) a great blocking (best of any who could be considered). It was actually a discussion on facebook about this same position where a Hawks fan was saying that Graham was so bad they would replace him with Luke Willson that got me posting this here.

I thought about Locklear and Giacomini for the RT spot, as well as August. I went with August because as much as I have limited knowledge of RTs, August had the best AV numbers. I didn't look at stats at any other position just cause I had a solid idea who I was putting in there. I hemmed about Okung over August, but didn't want 3 LTs.

John L. Williams definitely deserves a spot on the team. I just ran out of spots. Mack Strong wasn't a lock, but I went with lead blocker over versatile weapon. That was by far the hardest player to leave off the list. I guess I could've left the return specialist off and given Williams the spot.

I hemmed and hawed over Sinclair over Bennett, and I probably should've done it.

Thanks for the feeback. Nice to talk a little team history as a change of pace for a day.

 

[Sharkonabicycle]

Bennett was super underrated in the NFL. I know he went out on a low note (low balling the Rams I think and shoving a reporter or whoman) but he was one of the major reasons that defense worked. The guy played the run VERY competently and could could add pressure VERY competently. Not ELITE in either category but finding a blend of that is EXTREMELY difficult, and I think Seattle has been trying to find it ever since (Collier, McDowell, Harris, and now Jones). It's never been replaceable despite Seattle spending some pretty huge assets on it.

As for the OLB Brown and Peterson were far better players, they just played on a shittier time. That's not knocking KJ, but if I'm taking the best of the best, it's not KJ.

Lastly, as much as I love Easley and the guy is a stud.. Chancellor in his prime commanded the entire middle of the field... maybe I'm biased because I'll never forget the hit he put on Thomas (Julius) who was supposed to 'pick apart Seattle' during the Super Bowl, and that literally set the tone for the ENTIRE game. Chancellor was a human missile in the backfield.. his ability to play SS was Sean Taylor reincarnated.

Rest I agree with.

It amazes me we've never really had a standout tight end throughout our history. Graham was our closest but it was a trade and most would consider that a bust. I know Stevens was supposed to be our great savior but that didn't work out... even with Holmgren (WCO offensive coach - heavily relies on TE) we couldn't get it going... and Carroll and especially Waldron rely on the TE position... odd that Graham is our best option there...

Good topic and thread though. Love discussions like these and anyone feel free to disagree with my opinions

 

[blstoker]

Bennett was super underrated in the NFL. I know he went out on a low note (low balling the Rams I think and shoving a reporter or whoman) but he was one of the major reasons that defense worked. The guy played the run VERY competently and could could add pressure VERY competently. Not ELITE in either category but finding a blend of that is EXTREMELY difficult, and I think Seattle has been trying to find it ever since (Collier, McDowell, Harris, and now Jones). It's never been replaceable despite Seattle spending some pretty huge assets on it.

As for the OLB Brown and Peterson were far better players, they just played on a shittier time. That's not knocking KJ, but if I'm taking the best of the best, it's not KJ.

Lastly, as much as I love Easley and the guy is a stud.. Chancellor in his prime commanded the entire middle of the field... maybe I'm biased because I'll never forget the hit he put on Thomas (Julius) who was supposed to 'pick apart Seattle' during the Super Bowl, and that literally set the tone for the ENTIRE game. Chancellor was a human missile in the backfield.. his ability to play SS was Sean Taylor reincarnated.

Rest I agree with.

It amazes me we've never really had a standout tight end throughout our history. Graham was our closest but it was a trade and most would consider that a bust. I know Stevens was supposed to be our great savior but that didn't work out... even with Holmgren (WCO offensive coach - heavily relies on TE) we couldn't get it going... and Carroll and especially Waldron rely on the TE position... odd that Graham is our best option there...

Good topic and thread though. Love discussions like these and anyone feel free to disagree with my opinions

I've never been that big of a Bennett fan, and I've always felt that fans overrate his importance to the defense. He had at least as many boneheaded plays that cost the team as he had great plays that benefited the team.

Easley is by far the best safety Seattle has ever had. IF not for his kidney problems, maybe it's Easley being bumped up as best safety of the 80s and not Lott. Easley was a devastating hitter and added coverage skills Chancellor could only dream of. I love them both for their contributions, but if it's between the two of them to start, it's Easley every time.

Yeah, TE has not been a great position for the Seahawks. We've just never been able to get one to live up to their potential with the team. Up until the last decade or so, Mike Tice may have had an argument (however weak) to being one of the top 3. Just an underwhelming group.

 

[Screamin12th]

We're spinning our wheels a bit with all the draft talk in anticipation of the actual draft, so I thought I'd change things up a bit and post who I think would be Seattle's 53 man roster all time.

Bold Starter
QB - Russell Wilson, Matt Hasselbeck, Dave Kreig
RB - Shaun Alexander, Curt Warner, Marhawn Lynch
FB - Mack Strong
WR - Steve Largent, Tyler Lockett, D.K. Metcalf, Doug Baldwin, Brain Blades, Joey Galloway
TE - Jimmy Graham, Zach Miller, John Carlson
T - Walter Jones, Howard Ballard, Duane Brown, Steve August
G - Steve Hutchinson, Chris Gray, Edwin Bailey, Pete Kendall
C - Max Unger, Robbie Tobek

DE - Jacob Green, Chris Clemons, Cliff Avril, Michael Bennett
DT - Cortez Kennedy, Joe Nash, Jeff Bryant, Brandon Mebane
OLB - KJ Wright, Chad Brown, Terry Wooden, Rufus Porter
MLB - Bobby Wagner, Lofa Tatupu
CB - Richard Sherman, Dave Brown, Marcus Trufant, Shawn Springs, Brandon Browner, Patrick Hunter
FS - Earl Thomas, Eugene Robinson
SS - Kenny Easley, Kam Chancellor

K - Steven Hauschka
P - Rick Tuten
KR - Leon Washington

You pretty much got the best but i would replace a few.

WR I remove Joey and put on Engram or Jackson over him. Both had better hands than Joey did. Joey was fast yes but he had average paws and with Lockett's quickness and DK's top end speed we don't need Joey. Engram had sticky hands and a knack for getting open.
OLB I would add Julian Peterson for Wooden. ( forgot about him didn't you ) Also lets not forget Fredd Young.

 

[Anointed One]

Fauria was a solid TE, but I could only put 3. People look at Graham's lack of blocking as such a negative that they discount exactly what he did here. Despite never living up to the numbers he put up in NO, Graham still put up 3 of the top 5 receiving seasons for a TE in team history. With Carlson owning the other 2, that left 1 more spot. I thought Fauria, but I think Miller was the best all around TE with soft hands (second only to Graham) a great blocking (best of any who could be considered). It was actually a discussion on facebook about this same position where a Hawks fan was saying that Graham was so bad they would replace him with Luke Willson that got me posting this here.

I thought about Locklear and Giacomini for the RT spot, as well as August. I went with August because as much as I have limited knowledge of RTs, August had the best AV numbers. I didn't look at stats at any other position just cause I had a solid idea who I was putting in there. I hemmed about Okung over August, but didn't want 3 LTs.

John L. Williams definitely deserves a spot on the team. I just ran out of spots. Mack Strong wasn't a lock, but I went with lead blocker over versatile weapon. That was by far the hardest player to leave off the list. I guess I could've left the return specialist off and given Williams the spot.

I hemmed and hawed over Sinclair over Bennett, and I probably should've done it.

Thanks for the feeback. Nice to talk a little team history as a change of pace for a day.

Yeah, I guess I'm not as high on Graham due to the fact that I thought the trade was a bust for the Hawks and Graham didn't live up to expectations... I'd probably give it to Miller though, like you said, he was probably the best all around TE we've ever had...

I like Locklear due to the fact that he was very instrumental in us having one of the best all around run games...

Shark mentioned that Bennett was very underrated - that's how I felt about Sinclair... He was on some horrible teams in Seattle... There was a string of complete domination from him from '97-'99... He was unblockable and he was also very good against the run, too...

I felt John L did every thing well... Ran the ball, Caught the ball, blocked, special teams, etc... He was probably the best all around RB in Hawk history...

 

[Anointed One]

You pretty much got the best but i would replace a few.

WR I remove Joey and put on Engram or Jackson over him. Both had better hands than Joey did. Joey was fast yes but he had average paws and with Lockett's quickness and DK's top end speed we don't need Joey. Engram had sticky hands and a knack for getting open.
OLB I would add Julian Peterson for Wooden. ( forgot about him didn't you ) Also lets not forget Fredd Young.

I thought about Fredd Young... I loved the guy... Very high motor... He was basically Cody Barton w/ 100% more talent... I think he more or less made a name for himself as a Special teamer... He only really had two very good seasons out of 7 as a LB...

... and i'd agree with Engram... Dude was like Lockett in terms of catching everything within reach... Like Galloway, DJax had stone hands as well...

 

[blstoker]

You pretty much got the best but i would replace a few.

WR I remove Joey and put on Engram or Jackson over him. Both had better hands than Joey did. Joey was fast yes but he had average paws and with Lockett's quickness and DK's top end speed we don't need Joey. Engram had sticky hands and a knack for getting open.
OLB I would add Julian Peterson for Wooden. ( forgot about him didn't you ) Also lets not forget Fredd Young.

That last spot was between Galloway and Engram. While I have no qualms with putting Engram there, I just felt that Engram was always a second fiddle guy (except 1 year) with a quality QB most of the time, while Galloway was the only real threat on a team that had Rick Mirer, John Freisz, Jon Kitna and Warren Moon (way past his prime) throwing it to him. While it is true that Galloway's skillset was also shared with other players, Engram's is offset by Largent, Lockett and Baldwin as well. So, really, it just came down to Galloway being a rare bright spot in some bad offenses.

Not putting Chris Warren at running back hurt a little. Another bright spot who was really underrated because there wasn't any passing game threat for him to play off of.

 

[seahawksfan234]

QB - No, I don't think that Geno has it in him to overtake Kreig. Kreig is extremely underrated for how good he was for the time period.
HB - Alexander was always the most likely to get commented on. I've heard the arguments about Alexander, and I find most of them really have little merit. Alexander has taken a great deal of flack for someone who acheived what he acheived. Let's also not forget that Jones and Hutchinson owe a lot of their accolades due to Alexander's success. Jones didn't win his first AP until Alexander became the starting RB. All 7 AP awards won by the duo in Seattle were with Alexander running the ball (Hutchinson's 3 APs in Minnesota were with Adrian Peterson). I believe the RB matters and though it's common think Lynch would've been the better RB behind the line - Alexander had much better vision and burst than Lynch - which is why I think the line and RB combo worked so well.
T - I did put Brown at starter because he didn't play on the right side and Ballard did.
DE - Bennett having versatility didn't play a role in his starting or not. Clemons was just better IMO until Washington. He was more consistent, a more complete team player and he succeeded with less talent on the DL to take pressure off him. I nearly put SIngclair on the list instead of Bennett.
OLB - I like Julian Peterson, he was pretty solid. Fun fact, first Seahawk jersey I bought.
P - I love Dickson. Maybe in the future he'll overtake Tuten as my favorite, but he will always suffer a bit from having a team good enough that he isn't ever going to be in the running for offensive MVP.

Good stuff though. I can appreciate the changes, and can see where they would be pretty solid.

Good responses as always, blstoker.

QB - I'll defer to you on this one as Kreig was before my time and additionally the game was much different than it was back then. Considering I wasn't alive when he was in his prime, I don't really have a good argument against him.
HB - That is a fair argument, but I do disagree here. Shaun Alexander was the first football player I fell in love with as a kid, so I'm biased in favor of him but don't think he was better than Lynch given the circumstances. I disagree with the argument that Walter Jones and Steve Hutchinson got their accolades because of the running back in their offense. Walter Jones was just an absolute freak of nature and should be in consideration for greatest LT of all time. You're not incorrect that Alexander had better vision and burst than Lynch, but Alexander didn't have Lynch's ability to break tackles and wasn't constantly met at or behind the line of scrimmage. The things that Lynch did behind a mediocre offensive line were phenomenal.
T - Fair. I actually was wondering if it was Ballard's experience at RT that had you put him there. So that makes sense.
DE - I still think I'd take Bennett over Clemons. Chris Clemons wasn't able to play run defense the way Bennett was from the edge as well. I don't know if I have the empirical evidence to back this up, but I felt like Bennett (despite the lack of sacks in comparison to Clemons) was a more disruptive force both from the edge and inside. I will say that despite the fact I think Michael Bennett is a piece of shit, I probably hold him in higher regard than most as a player.
OLB - Fair enough.
P - For what it's worth, Dickson is tied for Shane Lechler for highest career punt average in NFL history. He's also pretty damn good at pinning it inside the 20.

 

[seahawksfan234]

Bennett was super underrated in the NFL. I know he went out on a low note (low balling the Rams I think and shoving a reporter or whoman) but he was one of the major reasons that defense worked. The guy played the run VERY competently and could could add pressure VERY competently. Not ELITE in either category but finding a blend of that is EXTREMELY difficult, and I think Seattle has been trying to find it ever since (Collier, McDowell, Harris, and now Jones). It's never been replaceable despite Seattle spending some pretty huge assets on it.

As for the OLB Brown and Peterson were far better players, they just played on a shittier time. That's not knocking KJ, but if I'm taking the best of the best, it's not KJ.

Lastly, as much as I love Easley and the guy is a stud.. Chancellor in his prime commanded the entire middle of the field... maybe I'm biased because I'll never forget the hit he put on Thomas (Julius) who was supposed to 'pick apart Seattle' during the Super Bowl, and that literally set the tone for the ENTIRE game. Chancellor was a human missile in the backfield.. his ability to play SS was Sean Taylor reincarnated.

Rest I agree with.

It amazes me we've never really had a standout tight end throughout our history. Graham was our closest but it was a trade and most would consider that a bust. I know Stevens was supposed to be our great savior but that didn't work out... even with Holmgren (WCO offensive coach - heavily relies on TE) we couldn't get it going... and Carroll and especially Waldron rely on the TE position... odd that Graham is our best option there...

Good topic and thread though. Love discussions like these and anyone feel free to disagree with my opinions

I agree on Bennett. I really don't think he gets the credit he deserves. How often do you find a guy who is excellent at rushing the passer and defending the run at any alignment on the defensive front? Piece of shit human, but probably the best Seahawk who will never be in the ring of honor.

I think K.J. just gets props for the duration of time he did it. Good player, but that's about it.

I disagree with you on Kam Chancellor versus Kenny Easley. Easley was DPOY who one year had 10 interceptions. No knock to Kam Chancellor, but if he was in a defense that had him with substantial coverage responsibilities, he wouldn't have had the career he did. He had Earl Thomas up top, and Richard Sherman covering his entire left side of the field. That just allowed him to lay guys out when they caught the ball. It was a perfect scenario for him.

I think the reason for lack of a standout TE in our history is due to the fact that for a long time TEs were mostly seen as extra blockers. Only since the early 2000s has TE been seen as a legitimate receiving option. There were a few rare exceptions, but the game has changed a lot to the point where TEs today look way better than a TE in the 90s.

 

[Sharkonabicycle]

I agree on Bennett. I really don't think he gets the credit he deserves. How often do you find a guy who is excellent at rushing the passer and defending the run at any alignment on the defensive front? Piece of shit human, but probably the best Seahawk who will never be in the ring of honor.

I think K.J. just gets props for the duration of time he did it. Good player, but that's about it.

I disagree with you on Kam Chancellor versus Kenny Easley. Easley was DPOY who one year had 10 interceptions. No knock to Kam Chancellor, but if he was in a defense that had him with substantial coverage responsibilities, he wouldn't have had the career he did. He had Earl Thomas up top, and Richard Sherman covering his entire left side of the field. That just allowed him to lay guys out when they caught the ball. It was a perfect scenario for him.

I think the reason for lack of a standout TE in our history is due to the fact that for a long time TEs were mostly seen as extra blockers. Only since the early 2000s has TE been seen as a legitimate receiving option. There were a few rare exceptions, but the game has changed a lot to the point where TEs today look way better than a TE in the 90s.

Fair enough on Easley, @blstoker noted your same thoughts as well... I never got to see Easley live so a bit biased, Kam just seemed to be the presence that made every RB/TE fear going over the middle or getting into the second tier.

Ah but Easley (from highlights that I've watched) was so good too, so I can happily concede that one lol.

 

[blstoker]

Good responses as always, blstoker.

QB - I'll defer to you on this one as Kreig was before my time and additionally the game was much different than it was back then. Considering I wasn't alive when he was in his prime, I don't really have a good argument against him.
HB - That is a fair argument, but I do disagree here. Shaun Alexander was the first football player I fell in love with as a kid, so I'm biased in favor of him but don't think he was better than Lynch given the circumstances. I disagree with the argument that Walter Jones and Steve Hutchinson got their accolades because of the running back in their offense. Walter Jones was just an absolute freak of nature and should be in consideration for greatest LT of all time. You're not incorrect that Alexander had better vision and burst than Lynch, but Alexander didn't have Lynch's ability to break tackles and wasn't constantly met at or behind the line of scrimmage. The things that Lynch did behind a mediocre offensive line were phenomenal.
T - Fair. I actually was wondering if it was Ballard's experience at RT that had you put him there. So that makes sense.
DE - I still think I'd take Bennett over Clemons. Chris Clemons wasn't able to play run defense the way Bennett was from the edge as well. I don't know if I have the empirical evidence to back this up, but I felt like Bennett (despite the lack of sacks in comparison to Clemons) was a more disruptive force both from the edge and inside. I will say that despite the fact I think Michael Bennett is a piece of shit, I probably hold him in higher regard than most as a player.
OLB - Fair enough.
P - For what it's worth, Dickson is tied for Shane Lechler for highest career punt average in NFL history. He's also pretty damn good at pinning it inside the 20.

I get it, Alexander isn't seen as positively because he had the best 2 linemen in team history blocking for him at the time - and when they ran left it was extremely noticeable just how effective they were. I'm not arguing that they weren't great. I'm arguing that Alexander's skillset complimented what they did much more than Lynch's would have. I've been watching the team a long time - and have watched and studied film from years before I was a fan to appreciate the history. I'm not as sold as many on here that Lynch is the best in team history - I'm looking at him around #4 honestly, but his physical style was something that wasn't already on the team.

I understand that Dickson is great. I really just wanted people to remember who Tuten was - as most punters aren't remembered - even the good ones. Especially more than 20 years after they have retired. Also, Tuten didn't take plays into his own hands like Dickson has done on multiple occasions. Tuten punted when he was supposed to punt.

 

[Anointed One]

I'm not as sold as many on here that Lynch is the best in team history - I'm looking at him around #4 honestly, but his physical style was something that wasn't already on the team.

I agree with you completely...

 

[seahawksfan234]

Fair enough on Easley, @blstoker noted your same thoughts as well... I never got to see Easley live so a bit biased, Kam just seemed to be the presence that made every RB/TE fear going over the middle or getting into the second tier.

Ah but Easley (from highlights that I've watched) was so good too, so I can happily concede that one lol.

I didn't get to see Easley either, but everything I've read about him tells me he was possibly even better than Earl Thomas.

 

[seattlefan75]

Not by any means an all time hawk but 2007 Patrick Kerney was great.

 

[Screamin12th]

I didn't get to see Easley either, but everything I've read about him tells me he was possibly even better than Earl Thomas.

He was like Earl Thomas and Kam put into one body! Had he played just another 2 or 3 years he would have easily been looked at as one of the greatest safeties of all time. He was truly an amazing talent. Kenny was a strong safety with ball and coverage skills. Also when he hit people they had a habit of not getting up because he used his arms as a bat in his tackles lol. People HATED getting hit by that one man wrecking crew.