So. Where do we go from here......................

[Anointed One]

I tend to agree @HaroldSeattle . Difficult to pass on Bowers, being an obvious blue chip but bigger needs likely than TE. But again. all guesswork this early. A million variables between now and draft day.

I don't like the idea, especially if Pete Carroll is still our coach... We don't feature TE's in our offense... Noah Fant is a very good talent but we don't use him much... Another TE wouldn't have much more productivity in this offense, imo...

 

[flyerhawk]

Thats barton, plus he has played LT so he could potentially fill in if he had to at either T spot.

If we move on from Lewis then it would make sense.

 

[Dr. Strangelove]

I think our first rounder should be QB but it has to be the right QB. It has to be a kid who is smart and able to pick up on the offense quickly and be in competition for the starting job. Ideally someone that can get up to speed, have good fundamentals and be ready to start by week 6 or 7 at the latest. If the right kid isn't there, we need to be prepared to wait until a later rd. The top priority has to be smarts and the ability to learn. Taking a slight risk is fine but mitigate the risk by doing their homework and not reaching for the potential maybe that rarely pans out. The last thing I want to see from the Seahawks is to turn into the Bears, Jets, Browns drafting bust QBs for 3 decades just because our guy isn't as good as the fans want.

If the right Qb is not there, I think they need to look at the defensive side of the ball. Specifically up front and see if we can't get a disrupter. Beyond that, it's just best player on the board. As we've talked about before, drafting someone just because he plays a position we need is dumb if he isn't able to produce at that position. And again, a million things between now and draft day and really not even worth looking at names and individuals yet as all of that can and likely will change.

 

[JMR]

A free agent add might be a better way to immediately upgrade the interior OL than hoping yet another mid-round rookie can do the trick.

If we move on from Lewis then it would make sense.

He may choose to move on from us.

 

[flyerhawk]

I think our first rounder should be QB but it has to be the right QB. It has to be a kid who is smart and able to pick up on the offense quickly and be in competition for the starting job. Ideally someone that can get up to speed, have good fundamentals and be ready to start by week 6 or 7 at the latest. If the right kid isn't there, we need to be prepared to wait until a later rd. The top priority has to be smarts and the ability to learn. Taking a slight risk is fine but mitigate the risk by doing their homework and not reaching for the potential maybe that rarely pans out. The last thing I want to see from the Seahawks is to turn into the Bears, Jets, Browns drafting bust QBs for 3 decades just because our guy isn't as good as the fans want.

If the right Qb is not there, I think they need to look at the defensive side of the ball. Specifically up front and see if we can't get a disrupter. Beyond that, it's just best player on the board. As we've talked about before, drafting someone just because he plays a position we need is dumb if he isn't able to produce at that position. And again, a million things between now and draft day and really not even worth looking at names and individuals yet as all of that can and likely will change.

100% agree with everything you said here.

If someone like Penix or McCarthy is available when we draft and Pete/John think that the kid really can be great, I'm all for it. But if they don't, I trust their judgment that none of the guys available are anything special. In that case, go for the player that is most likely to have the biggest impact on the field, which is usually the best player available.

I was listening to Dane Brugler and he was saying that there aren't any linebackers worth a 1st or even 2nd round pick. Which sucks because we need a LB. Same with safety. From the sounds of it this draft is heavy at OL, DL and WR. QB as well but that is a someone special circumstance.

 

[flyerhawk]

A free agent add might be a better way to immediately upgrade the interior OL than hoping yet another mid-round rookie can do the trick.


He may choose to move on from us.

For sure. Obviously our draft board will be heavily affected by what happens in FA. If Lewis walks and we don't sign any notable interior linemen then I would imagine that IOL will be a focus in the draft. If we sign Lewis AND we bring in some veteran depth, then IOL is much less of a priority.

 

[JMR]

I don't like the idea, especially if Pete Carroll is still our coach... We don't feature TE's in our offense... Noah Fant is a very good talent but we don't use him much... Another TE wouldn't have much more productivity in this offense, imo...

I think one issue we have is we just need to be better on 3rd downs so we can run more plays and create more opportunities for TEs. I saw a stat this morning that said the Hawks are the only team in the NFL with 3 WRs with 50+ catches. For as much as this offense has struggled, especially on 3rd down, this is remarkable. It probably also means there isn't many other balls to go around for non-WRs.

 

[flyerhawk]

I think one issue we have is we just need to be better on 3rd downs so we can run more plays and create more opportunities for TEs. I saw a stat this morning that said the Hawks are the only team in the NFL with 3 WRs with 50+ catches. For as much as this offense has struggled, especially on 3rd down, this is remarkable. It probably also means there isn't many other balls to go around for non-WRs.

This is entirely subjective on my part, but it seems to me that the biggest problem with our 3rd down offense is the running game. This is true in 2 ways.

Our early down running game is wildly erratic. Too often our offense runs on 1st and 2nd down and we wind up with a 3rd and 8 which is always tough to convert. We also often struggle when we run on 3rd and short. This is ESPECIALLY true when it is at the goal line.

I don't really understand why we struggle so much in these situations.

The other big problem is penalties. This team is simply not talented enough to overcome the constant penalties it gets.

 

[JMR]

This is entirely subjective on my part, but it seems to me that the biggest problem with our 3rd down offense is the running game. This is true in 2 ways.

Our early down running game is wildly erratic. Too often our offense runs on 1st and 2nd down and we wind up with a 3rd and 8 which is always tough to convert. We also often struggle when we run on 3rd and short. This is ESPECIALLY true when it is at the goal line.

Yeah, it's not that we play poorly specifically on 3rd down, but we put ourselves in tough situations with negative plays and penalties way too much. I am not a huge fan of the WR screens or passes behind the LOS, but it seems like JSN is ok at getting at least 4 yards on that play. I think that is success on 1st down. Gotta figure out a way to get into easier 3rd down distances.

 

[flyerhawk]

Yeah, it's not that we play poorly specifically on 3rd down, but we put ourselves in tough situations with negative plays and penalties way too much. I am not a huge fan of the WR screens or passes behind the LOS, but it seems like JSN is ok at getting at least 4 yards on that play. I think that is success on 1st down. Gotta figure out a way to get into easier 3rd down distances.

I don't have a problem with the WR screen per se. What I don't get is how this team can NEVER execute a delayed RB screen despite our defense constantly getting thrashed by them.

JSN has become such a clutch 3rd down receiver for us. If Spoon can't get back on the field, JSN will overtake him as the best rookie of this class.

 

[JMR]

JSN has become such a clutch 3rd down receiver for us. If Spoon can't get back on the field, JSN will overtake him as the best rookie of this class.

Either way, I am really happy with both players. Big impacts as rookies, and I suspect they'll be even better next year and beyond. Home run picks.

 

[Sharkonabicycle]

I don't have a problem with the WR screen per se. What I don't get is how this team can NEVER execute a delayed RB screen despite our defense constantly getting thrashed by them.

JSN has become such a clutch 3rd down receiver for us. If Spoon can't get back on the field, JSN will overtake him as the best rookie of this class.

lol runningback screens and Carroll... whether defending against them or executing them on offense, it's like his team is allergic to it. The WR screens have been okay... but RB screens? Woof... Meanwhile watching the Titans it was really the only pass they could convert.

 

[Anointed One]

This is entirely subjective on my part, but it seems to me that the biggest problem with our 3rd down offense is the running game. This is true in 2 ways.

Our early down running game is wildly erratic. Too often our offense runs on 1st and 2nd down and we wind up with a 3rd and 8 which is always tough to convert. We also often struggle when we run on 3rd and short. This is ESPECIALLY true when it is at the goal line.

I don't really understand why we struggle so much in these situations.

The other big problem is penalties. This team is simply not talented enough to overcome the constant penalties it gets.

Brock Huard was talking about Kenneth Walker this morning... Basically stating that he's trying for the HR ball way too much by dancing around waiting for a hole to develop... It's one of the reasons we are one of the worst in the NFL with a RB getting hit behind the LOS... I think I heard we were 5th worst... Part of that has to do with the style of running by KW... Seems like teams have adjusted to his style so KW needs to be coached up to adjust to what the defense is giving him... Huard was mentioning that far too often there are creases where he could hit it and net a 5-6 yard run but instead he's hesitating a bit longer waiting for the HR... I know not all of it falls on KW but I do see some merit to that just by watching the games...

Huard did say that 3 of our OL aren't playing up to expectations or that well... He referred to Evans as a hustler but is undersized at the C position so he tends to get beat quite often leading to some of the hits on running plays behind the LOS... Next to him he mentioned that Bradford is just too big and isn't able to execute a 2nd or 3rd tier block due to how bulky and slow he is... So if our RB is able to make it to the LOS there isn't much running room due to Bradford not being able to get to the 2nd tier allowing free runners to hit our RB's... And then he summed it up by saying that Cross is not meeting expectations... He's frankly, not playing as well as we'd hoped he would... Said that he will need to improve or we'll have to find another LT in our future... Granted, it's Brock's opinion but I found that segment interesting when discussing Cross...

He also mentioned that our TE's aren't doing a very good job blocking on the edges via run plays... Said that our RB's are basically beating our TE's to the gaps where a free runner is basically waiting to tackle him because the TE hadn't laid a hat on him yet...

 

[flyerhawk]

Brock Huard was talking about Kenneth Walker this morning... Basically stating that he's trying for the HR ball way too much by dancing around waiting for a hole to develop... It's one of the reasons we are one of the worst in the NFL with a RB getting hit behind the LOS... I think I heard we were 5th worst... Part of that has to do with the style of running by KW... Seems like teams have adjusted to his style so KW needs to be coached up to adjust to what the defense is giving him... Huard was mentioning that far too often there are creases where he could hit it and net a 5-6 yard run but instead he's hesitating a bit longer waiting for the HR... I know not all of it falls on KW but I do see some merit to that just by watching the games...

Huard did say that 3 of our OL aren't playing up to expectations or that well... He referred to Evans as a hustler but is undersized at the C position so he tends to get beat quite often leading to some of the hits on running plays behind the LOS... Next to him he mentioned that Bradford is just too big and isn't able to execute a 2nd or 3rd tier block due to how bulky and slow he is... So if our RB is able to make it to the LOS there isn't much running room due to Bradford not being able to get to the 2nd tier allowing free runners to hit our RB's... And then he summed it up by saying that Cross is not meeting expectations... He's frankly, not playing as well as we'd hoped he would... Said that he will need to improve or we'll have to find another LT in our future... Granted, it's Brock's opinion but I found that segment interesting when discussing Cross...

He also mentioned that our TE's aren't doing a very good job blocking on the edges via run plays... Said that our RB's are basically beating our TE's to the gaps where a free runner is basically waiting to tackle him because the TE hadn't laid a hat on him yet...

These are all valid points. I would say, however, that Charbs is a straight north-south runner and he has lots of negative yard runs as well.

IMO, I think part of the problem is that our offense is too predictable. We run WAY WAY too much on 2nd and long. I want to throw something through the TV everytime I see us run on 2nd and 15. Running on 2nd and 10 should be the SURPRISED move, not the expected play.

 

[Anointed One]

These are all valid points. I would say, however, that Charbs is a straight north-south runner and he has lots of negative yard runs as well.

IMO, I think part of the problem is that our offense is too predictable. We run WAY WAY too much on 2nd and long. I want to throw something through the TV everytime I see us run on 2nd and 15. Running on 2nd and 10 should be the SURPRISED move, not the expected play.

Agreed... If we have a run for 4 or 5 yards leaving it to 2nd and 5 or 6, it's pretty much a given that we're going to run the ball again on 2nd down... It does seem to be very predictable... Where as, why not run play action on 2nd and 5 more often or run some end arounds w/ receivers.. Like you, it's almost a given that we'll run it on 2nd and manageable...

 

[flyerhawk]

Agreed... If we have a run for 4 or 5 yards leaving it to 2nd and 5 or 6, it's pretty much a given that we're going to run the ball again on 2nd down... It does seem to be very predictable... Where as, why not run play action on 2nd and 5 more often or run some end arounds w/ receivers.. Like you, it's almost a given that we'll run it on 2nd and manageable...

Yeah. And I don't mind if we ran 65-70% of the time on 2nd and manageable. But when it is 90% of the time, defenses can key on it. What's even more frustrating is that the play action should work REALLY well in that situation.

 

[Sharkonabicycle]

Bradford is playing poorly but he was a 4th round pick and thrown in. I can't blame him too much. Lucas might as well have missed the season... that was a pretty big loss. Cross missed some games too but his pass blocking has been probably the only bright spot on the team this season. Lewis seems to not want to be paid next year... Brown has been disappointing.

OLs need some cohesiveness to perform, as well. With all the injuries and movement on the line (and the stupid Peters rotation) it just kind of sadly fell apart this year. I think the OL would've looked very different if all 5 could've been healthy (or let's say 4 of the 5). It was kind of a funky and lost year with our OL.

 

[flyerhawk]

Bradford is playing poorly but he was a 4th round pick and thrown in. I can't blame him too much. Lucas might as well have missed the season... that was a pretty big loss. Cross missed some games too but his pass blocking has been probably the only bright spot on the team this season. Lewis seems to not want to be paid next year... Brown has been disappointing.

OLs need some cohesiveness to perform, as well. With all the injuries and movement on the line (and the stupid Peters rotation) it just kind of sadly fell apart this year. I think the OL would've looked very different if all 5 could've been healthy (or let's say 4 of the 5). It was kind of a funky and lost year with our OL.

Not sure if it is still the case but at one point the Seahawks had the most OL combinations in the NFL this year. That's never a recipe for success.
I wish that Olu had got more playing time. But I understand why he didn't.

 

[blstoker]

Yeah. And I don't mind if we ran 65-70% of the time on 2nd and manageable. But when it is 90% of the time, defenses can key on it. What's even more frustrating is that the play action should work REALLY well in that situation.

I want to say that I heard a stat a week ago or so that Seattle ran the same running play concepts a higher percentage of the time than any other team in the NFL. So, it isn't just the same play type called in those situations, it's literally the same play call. Hard to get the run game going when you always call a run to the 0 gap every time.

 

[Tahuyaman]

I wouldn't exactly start mock drafting for a top-10 pick yet as you still have a healthy chance of making the playoffs. Green Bay is the only team I see that has it pretty easy the rest of the season and could secure a spot but everyone else is up in the air. I don't see the Vikings hanging on and I think they'll fade, Rams have a tough schedule, and maybe the Saints climb back into things but it's more likely they win the division and knock off the Falcons from the playoffs than seeing two NFC South teams make it.

But ultimately Pete Carroll is the NFC version of Mike Tomlin and he'll tease you enough to think you're almost there but you'll just always fall just short. I mean the team has been spinning it's wheels since the last Super Bowl run so after almost 10 years there really isn't anything to suggest things will change under his watch.

The other thing you need to thing is a true franchise QB. Geno has played beyond what people expected to him and he's capable of having game where he looks great but has he shown the ability to put it together consistently? Can you envision Geno winning 3-4 games in a row in the playoffs to win a SB? Probably not and if you can't envision that you need to keep looking until you get the guy that can do it.

Your ideal offseason is to wipe the coaching staff and get a completely fresh staff and embrace more of a rebuild by getting rid of guys that are not in the future of the team. Now because you kinda did a half-hearted rebuild the last couple seasons you don't need a complete teardown like my 9ers did in 17 when Shanahan came to town and nearly burned the roster to cinders.

Of course as a 9ers fan I hope you keep Carroll forever but I'm giving you my take as arm chair Seahawks owner.

I think the reality is Pete is there unless new ownership takes over or he just decides to retire.

There’s nothing wrong with Pete Carroll.