(Getty Images)

This is straight up highway robbery for Seattle. Seattle traded a player who was probably going to get cut (Barkevious Mingo), a player who is still very much a developing project (Jacob Martin), and a third round pick for a 26 year old pro bowl defensive end. Highway robbery.  Twelves, time to get ravenous about this season.

Even if Seattle does not extend Clowney long term, they likely recoup there third round pick in 2020 for a compensatory third round pick in 2021 should Cloweny sign a long term contract with another team next Spring. I think it is likely Seattle will try to sign him long term, but we shall see. Either way, there is no losing scenario for Seattle in this trade. Highway robbery.

What does Jadeveon Clowney bring?

He might not be as developed of a pass rusher as Frank Clark, but he is widely considered a much better run defender, and he will bring his share of pressures and sacks. At some point this season, Seattle will have a front line of Clowney, Poona Ford, Jarran Reed, and Ezekiel Ansah. Fans league wide probably aren’t aware of Poona Ford yet, but they will be by the end of this season. That is a scary thought for any Rams, 49ers, or Cardinals fan.

Seriously, 49er fans are pooping themselves right now.

This is a great day to be a Seahawks fan. Rejoice it.

Go Hawks.

Preseason wins are meaningless, unless your team beats the NFL team featured on the HBO show Hard Knocks. Then, it’s pretty awesome. I will enjoy next week’s episode.

The Good

Rookie linebacker Ben Burr-Kirven was sensational in this final preseason game. He was all over the field making plays against the run and pass. He needed a game like this. For all the excitement and hype around DK Metcalf, I was most excited when the team took BBK in round five. Tonight, a healthy BBK showed why.

Second year linebacker Austin Calitro again had another strong showing, and in my opinion, the team has got to keep him. He’s too good.

I thought second year defensive end Rasheem Green had a nice overall game, and was in on a few key stops.

Veteran defensive end Brandon Jackson played well and made a case for a roster spot.

Geno Smith made some great first half throws and his opening drive deep touchdown pass was as pretty as any Russell Wilson pass. He hands down won the backup quarterback stop.

Undrafted rookie receiver Jazz Ferguson made a flashy down field catch that might have made a strong case as to why he should be on the final 53.

Running backs CJ Prosise and Travis Homer looked really good. Seattle is ridiculously deep at this position.

The Bad

Paxton Lynch filling in for Geno Smith was tough to watch. He had a nice game against Denver a few weeks ago and has looked lost ever sense. I think he might be XFL bound.

Seattle’s defense gave up a 17 yard run where it looked like Barkevious Mingo instantly gave away his containment at defensive end. That play might have sealed his fate as to whether he makes the final 53.

The Ugly

Paxton Lynch’s passing stat line once he took over for Smith towards the end of the second quarter and throughout the rest of the game: 1 completion out of 7 attempts for 4 yards.

Closing Thoughts

There is going to be some tough choices for the John Schneider and Pete Carroll to make over the next few days. They are really good depth at linebacker and somebody with a lot of talent is going to get cut.

They also have some tough decisions to make at wide receiver. Does undrafted Jazz Ferguson beat out fourth round pick Gary Jennings? Jennings has not done much and is responsible for two costly penalties in two games.

I suspect this team is going to be in on some trade activity. Maybe it is Jadeveon Clowney, maybe someone else, or even a couple players. With about twenty million dollars of cap space, they can afford a bigger veteran contract or two.  We shall see soon enough.

Go Hawks.

Preseason final 53 roster predictions are kinda silly. Teams cut down to 53 players at the end of the fourth preseason game, and in doing that, they most often pick up players off other rosters who were either cut, or available by trade, and I think Seattle is going to be active in adding a few veterans when all is said and done.

But what the hay, let’s have fun, do this anyway.

Quarterback (2 total)

Russell Wilson, and Geno Smith

Russ is the franchise, and Geno is a veteran NFL quarterback with starting experience, and a willingness to play within himself if called upon. That’s pretty much what you want out of your backup.

Running Back (4 total)

Chris Carson, Rashaad Penny, CJ Prosise, and Travis Homer

I flirted with JD McKissic beating out Prosise, and he might, but something tells me that Carroll is still very much enamored with Prosise’s unique skill set. When healthy, he has crazy talent. Homer is probably enough of a blend between Prosise and McKissic, Seattle can lean on him as a third down back should Prosise get injured.. yet again.

Fullback (1 total)

Nick Bellore.

Bellore makes the team because he works as a fullback and can also be an emergency linebacker, if needed. Carroll loves that kind of versatility.

Wide Receiver (6 total)

Tyler Lockett, Jaron Brown, DK Metcalf, David Moore, John Ursua, and Jazz Ferguson

Seattle rolls with three rookie receivers with the hopes of getting David Moore back sooner rather than later. Undrafted Ferguson beats out fourth rounder Gary Jennings. Ursua is Lockett’s backup in the slot and plays like Doug Baldwin.

Tight End (3 total)

Will Dissly, Nick Vannett, and Jacob Hollister

Dissly and Vannett are a traditional inline blocking tight ends, and Hollister is the pass catcher who the team might lean on with the lack of depth at receiver.

Offensive Line (9 total)

Duane Brown, Mike Iupati, Justin Britt, DJ Fluker, Germaine Ifedi, George Fant, Ethan Pocic, Joey Hunt, and Jamarco Jones

Ethan Pocic has worked himself into a valuable swing player, if not a starter. Center Joey Hunt is too good of a football player to not keep around and can fill in at guard. Jones makes the roster because Seattle stashes promising rookie Phil Haynes on injured reserve.

Defensive Line (9 total)

Ezekiel Ansah, Poona Ford, Al Woods, LJ Collier, Cassius Marsh, Quinton Jefferson, Earl Mitchell, Rasheem Green, and Jacob Martin

Anash, Marsh, and Martin are the edge rushers. Jefferson and Green are the base ends, and Poona, Woods, and Mitchell hold down defensive tackle until suspended Jarran Reed can be added.

Linebacker (6 total)

Bobby Wagner, KJ Wright, Mychal Kendricks, Cody Barton, Austin Calitro, and Ben Burr-Kirven

Wagner, Wright and Kendricks are the starters, Barton or Calitro are probably the first off the bench, and BBK has upside and can contribute to special teams.

Cornerback (5 total)

Shaquill Griffin, Tre Flowers, Neiko Thorpe, DeShawn Shead, and Jamar Taylor.

Griffin and Flowers are the starters. Shead is a valuable versatile vet that can play corner, nickel and safety. Thorpe is a special teams ace, and Taylor is the nickel.

Safety (5 total)

Bradley McDougald, Tedric Thompson, Leno Hill, Marquise Blair, and Ugo Amadi.

McDougald is the veteran leader. Thompson is probably holding the seat warm at the other starting spot until Blair is ready to take over. Hill backs up McDougald, and Amadi is too talented not to keep and might take over at nickel corner at some point.

Specialists (3 total)

Kicker Jason Meyers, punter Michael Dickson, and snapper Tyler Ott

The team is fully committed to all three of these guys.

Closing Thoughts.

Don’t be surprised if Seattle might make a bit of a splash trade, or two. The team has twenty million in cash to spend. Looking this roster over, I would say defensive end and receiver are to two thinnest spots, and they might well look to add proven veteran help at both areas. If they were to lose Tyler Lockett or Ezekiel Ansah to injury, that could be enough to severely hamper their chances at the playoffs. If they add there a bit, suddenly, they’re looking much more formidable. It’s almost a no brainer.

Teams that have a good trading history with Seattle are Cleveland with their GM John Dorsey now there, Kansas City, Minnesota, Indianapolis, New England, Philadelphia, Houston, and New Orleans.

Of the players on this roster who might be trade bait, I think CJ Prosise, Austin Calitro, Leno Hill might offer some value. Each player is on a cheap rookie contract and might still over some decent upside, but since Seattle is sitting on a bunch of 2020 draft picks, my hunch is that they might start throwing some of those around, as well.

We shall soon see.

Go Hawks.

NFL preseason games are meaningless, unless your team wins by steam rolling the other team with a powerful running attack. Then, they are actually a lot of fun. This was the case for these mighty 2019 Seattle Seahawks going down to La La Land.

Here’s my thoughts.

The Good

With linebackers Bobby Wagner and KJ Wright, and safety Bradley McDougald back in the starting line up, this Seattle defense starts to look much more formidable. Running becomes more of a challenge, and short passes aren’t as easily given up. This is what solid veteran leadership does for a defense, and why I think Seattle is going to be okay there this year.

Linebacker Mychal Kendricks had a fantastic game.

Poona, Poona, Poona. Another game where second year defensive tackle Poona Ford shows how disruptive he is against the run and pass. Two solo tackles and plenty of activity for this promising young talent. He’s a lot of fun to watch.

Russell Wilson was poised and in control as a passer, but Running Russell is back, and that is a good thing. He looks quicker this year, and it’s not like he has to tuck it and run a bunch, he just has to remain a legitimate threat. I like Running Russell.

Seattle’s run game was dominant. The offensive line was working over the Chargers’ defensive front, Chris Carson ran like a beast, Rashaad Penny ran tough, but a healthy CJ Prosise reminded us what a special talent he can be with the ball in his hands. Tonight, he felt the most dynamic of the trio and it was fun to watch. JD McKissic and Travis Homer also ran well.

Shaquill Griffin had a nice bounce back game from a bit of a rough outing last week in Minnesota. He also had a nice game a couple weeks ago against Denver. Griffin has a ton of physical talent. If he can put it all together, he can be a great cornerback in this league.

Rookie safety Ugo Amadi made LOB like plays. There’s no question he is making this team, but I’m wondering if he’s going to push for more immediate playing time. He just seems to have a knack.

Rookie receiver John Ursua was flashy and has a very Doug Baldwin thing about his game.

Pass rusher Jacob Martin had a nice looking game. As did defensive end Brandon Jackson.

Jason Meyers kicked a 58 yard field goal. BOOM!

The Bad

Wilson missed on a wide open Malik Turner who would have probably scored a long touchdown, but he had pressure in his face because Penny didn’t appear to pass protect particularly well. That might hurt Penny’s chance at being the third down back.

Rookie receiver Gary Jennings did a bone headed blindside block that negated a big time Russell Wilson run. That may not help his chances making this team.

The Ugly

Jason Meyers missed an extra point kick.

The Seattle backup offense failed to close out the game late in the fourth when LA’s offense was making a come back. Instead of running, they called pass plays that failed to gain yardage, and ended the three and out series with a sack. That was pure poo poo.

Closing Thoughts

With Prosise playing as strongly as he did, I wonder if he is trade bait material. Also, with depth at safety, I wonder of one of those guys get dangled.

Most have been speculating that Seattle might go in for a splash trade for a pass rusher, they might, but Seattle now has receiver David Moore out for a while with a shoulder injury, and that leaves only two veteran receivers with substantial experience on the roster. As much as DK Metcalf, John Ursua and Jazz Ferguson excite, they got diddy all genuine NFL experience between them. Something tells me Seattle might look to add there.

I’m going to do a final 53 man roster projection, but it’s kind of silly because I think that this team is going to look to add here and there from the outside, possibly starting next week.

Go Hawks.

Do the 2019 Seattle Seahawks swing big for the fences to go get this guy? (Getty Images)

The 2019 Seattle Seahawks have played two preseason games thus far, and from these games we can probably safely gather a few things about this team.

In terms of positives, we know that the starting offensive line looks fairly competent. We know that Russell Wilson looks in command of the offense. We know that Chris Carson is a dynamic running back, and Tyler Lockett is a pretty darn good receiver. We know that Seattle looks pretty good at defensive tackle with the emerging talent of Poona Ford along with Jarran Reed and Al Woods. We also know that they have pretty good linebackers in Bobby Wagner, KJ Wright, Mychal Kendricks, and rookie linebacker Cody Barton.

In terms of negatives, we know that Seattle’s depth at the offensive line is getting scary thin with injuries to Mike Iupati, George Fant, Jordan Simmons, Phillip Haynes, and JaMarco Jones. Iupati was expected to be a starter at left guard, and the other guys were each considered quality backups. After Sunday night’s game against the Vikings it has become clear that Seattle’s once promising offensive line depth is near depletion.

We also know that Seattle has become more reliant on blitzing than it has ever shown in the Pete Carroll era to generate pass rush, and the second string defense failed to generate much pressure against the dreaded Vikings.

Oh how the trials and tribulations of the NFL preseason can take a toll on an NFL roster. Most teams by now are facing their share of injury concerns and depth worries, and Seattle is no different. So, in a sense, relax, because most teams have their warts.

One other thing we do know about these Seattle Seahawks is that they love to make roster additions starting just about this time of the preseason, whether it is by trade or by veteran free agency.  Often times, they wait until the end when teams all cut down 53 players to see who they might pick up off the waver wires, but sometimes they will make a trade or sign someone off the streets earlier, if they have reached the conclusion that they simply do not have what they need presently on the roster.

This year, after these two games, I think it is becoming a bit apparent (at least to me) that offensive line, and pass rush are going to be the most likely targets. Maybe a case can be made for nickel corner, or some additional form of pass catcher, but if I had to bet money, I would say offensive line and pass rush are the safest bets.

So, who is presently out there on the streets in free agency to help fix the offensive line depth?

Well, we have guard Chance Warmack, former Seahawk offensive tackles Terry Gilliam and Isaiah Battle, veteran right tackle Jermey Parnell. I gotta be honest, that’s not an enticing list, but Warmack might be a fit for Seattle’s power scheme, and at one point the team was high enough on Gilliam to think of him as a replacement to Russell Okung (could he be any worse than Elijah Nkansah was against Minnesota?).  This might be an area that Seattle scans the waiver wire after the final cut downs or works out a trade. In fact, let’s throw the safe money on that.

How about any pass rushers on the streets presently?

Well, the big name presently out there is former Green Bay Packer and Pete Carroll USC Trojan Nick Perry. They worked him out last Spring and ultimately chose to sign Cassius Marsh and Ezekiel Ansah over him. Nobody else has signed this player who still under thirty, and once thought to be one of the better pass rushers in the league. Maybe his asking price is too much, or maybe there’s a negative vibe about how much he’s still into football. He also comes with his share of injury baggage.

Thirty 32 year old Connor Barwin might still have something left in his tank, but he might be more of a 3-4 player than someone who will effectively put his hand in dirt in a 4-3, even if it is Carroll’s hybrid version. He’s a good player though, and a good veteran presence.

Outside of these two, not a lot of players hanging around out there to get excited about. So, that said how about the big elephant in the room question you are all thinking about.

How likely are the 2019 Seattle Seahawks going to trade for Jadeveon Clowney who apparently wants out of Houston?

My gut is telling me not very likely, but it is also letting me know that it wouldn’t be surprised if they did. Allow me to explain.

While Seattle has shown to be prone to making big splash name player acquisitions over the year of the Carroll/Schneider regime, very little of these big name players had much success while in Seattle, outside of current left tackle Duane Brown. Percy Harvin, Jimmy Graham, and Sheldon Richardson were all players that had their moments, but were never the same player once they got to Seattle as they were for their other franchises, and they all unceremoniously left. My hunch is telling me that Seattle might have learned a thing or two about that, and are now behaving more prudent with who they look to add these days.

At John Schneider’s best, he finds special value in the later portions of the draft and in rookie free agency, like Russell Wilson, Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor, KJ Wright, Doug Baldwin, Chris Carson, and Poona Ford. At Carroll’s best, he develops those guys into special players on the football field, and builds around them with a few key veteran acquistions sprinkled here and there. When they go big in trades and free agency, they tend to bugger things up.

There are things about Clowney that frankly make me nervous. His injury history is a bit unsettling. His mercurial way about wanting to break the bank in earnings also gives me pause, and I worry how that might rub off on younger players.

Would he be a player that would be excited to be in Seattle with a chance to sign an extension with a perennial playoff team, with an elite franchise quarterback, or is he going to be a bit dialed back on the effort, here and there, as a way to preserve himself potentially being on the open market as a player in 2020, a la Sheldon Richardon?

These are the answers that Pete Carroll and John Schneider have to weigh before potentially sending a high pick to Houston for a player that might be difficult to extend.

Would Jadeveon Clowney help this defense in 2019? A healthy committed Clowney absolutely would. On paper, a Seattle defensive line that boasted Clowney, Reed, Ford, and Zekiel Ansah looks pretty darn nice in November and December. However, both Clowney and Ansah are players with injury histories, and Clowney has not had a single preseason practice to get himself ready for the regular season. Quite often when guys miss the preseason, they tend to get injured early in the regular season, their bodies just aren’t prepared for the hitting, no matter how great they are (See Earl Thomas in 2018).

Some will say that trading a 2020 second round pick for Clowney, and then having him leave in free agency after the season would net Seattle a 2021 third round pick, and that would be a fair deal. I can kind of see the logic in that, and even accept that.

But what if, instead of making that deal, Seattle traded a middle round pick for a player a few years older, probably less upside, but still a productive player with a few more years left on an existing deal? What if Seattle sent a fourth round pick to Minnesota for Everson Griffin, who Carroll coached at USC, or maybe a third round pick to Jacksonville for Calais Campbell who Seattle knows full well from his days in Arizona? Both players are on the other side of thirty but neither has a Super Bowl ring to show for it and would probably be down for sticking around a few more seasons in pursuit of one.

The one thing that makes me think Seattle might be somewhat of a realistic landing spot for Clowney is that 710 ESPN’s Brock Huard tweeted out a few days ago that Seattle’s left tackle Duane Brown is a big time Clowney fan. Brown has a ton of respect within the Seattle organization. If he feels that Clowney would come into Seattle and give it his all as a player in practice and on game day, that could be pretty persuasive. Secondly, since Seattle traded away Frank Clark, they have about twenty million dollars to spend, and they can more than comfortably afford Clowney’s services this season and beyond.

If Seattle is able to convince Houston to accept a second round pick, they might have a deal. Seattle could franchise him in 2020 like they did with Clark to either assure his services the following season, or move him again in a trade, if they cannot work out a long term deal. That would be two trades in a row for the player, though, and the second trade might not yield as much as Seattle gave away for him.

Franchising him also might mean that they won’t be able to keep quality defensive tackle Jarran Reed, and I don’t know what message it sends to the home grown talent on the roster that the team is willing to pay outside talent more than paying their own. My hunch is that might not sit well with Poona Ford once his contract is ready to be upped.

That’s why I kind of lean more towards getting a Campbell or Griffin type, or shoot, even bringing back Michael Bennett, if cranky old Bill Belichick has gotten tired of his goofiness already.

I love Michael Bennett.

Go Hawks.

Preseason wins and losses are meaningless. In 2009, the Seahawks won all four preseason game and went 5-11 to finish the regular season. In 2018, the Seahawks lost all their preseason games, then went 10-6 and made the playoffs. What the preseason does tell us is a little bit about what the starters might look like against another team’s starters, and what kind of depth the team might have.

On this Sunday night, the Seahawks did some cool things when the starters were playing, but their depth looked challenged in at key areas, to put it mildly, and that is a concern.

Here on my notes.

The Good

Poona, Poona, Poona.

Defensive tackle Poona Ford had a dynamic game. He wrecked run plays and running backs, and he affected pass plays. He won with leverage, he won with quickness, and he won with strength. He played like an All-Pro, and was clearly the best defensive player on the field for Seattle. He’s an exciting talent. Buy his stock now.

Russell Wilson looked generally sharp passing minus a third down pass in the red zone that sailed a bit out of reach for running back Chris Carson. He moved well in the pocket, and showed a nice command of the offense against a quality Viking defense. There was a poise and confidence to his outing tonight that comes from a seasoned veteran.

Receivers Tyler Lockett and Jaron Brown looked sharp and their routes and each had big plays.

The starting offensive line pass blocked well.

Running back Chris Carson continued to look impressive. He is so fun to watch.

Seattle’s starting defense showed some effective blitzes and defensive end Cassius Marsh had a great inside rush that forced an bad throw ended with a pick six touchdown by safety Deshawn Shead.

Veteran defensive tackle Al Woods had a great tackle for loss play.

Rookie safety Ugo Amadi had a fantastic punt coverage tackle that all pretty much assured him a roster spot on the final 53.

Jason Meyers looked great hitting on all of his field goals.

The Bad

Starting left cornerback Shaquill Griffin gave up an easy deep pass. Last week against the Broncos he had a pretty solid game, but Pete Carroll’s defense is all about not giving up big plays down field. He shouldn’t get beat like that. I want to see him have a bounce back game next week.

For two weeks in a row, the defense gave up a big run play. Tonight, it looked like outside containment on the right side got exposed, and someone failed with their gap assignment. Can’t have that on a Pete Carroll defense.

The second team defense struggled to generate pass rush, and kind of oddly had edge rusher Jacob Martin in coverage at times. Not sure what is going on there. Maybe they wanted to see what he could bring as a SAM linebacker. Last week against the Broncos, they had him in full pass rusher mode and he was really effective. Tonight, they went away from that. Hmm.

The second string offensive line was a hot pile of burning dog poop. With no George Fant, Jordan Simmons and Jamarco Jones, the team’s depth was seriously challenged in this game. They need to get a couple of those guys healthy soon, or perhaps look at making some veteran addition. Elijah Nkansah looked out of sorts at left tackle, and the right side was getting blown up against the run. Burning dog poop.

Rookie safety Marquise Blair appeared to blow his red zone coverage and gave up an easy wide open touchdown. This was another guy who had a positive outing last week who looked like he took a step back tonight.

Paxton Lynch had an extremely rough outing at quarterback after Russell Wilson’s night was done. Granted, he wasn’t helped by his blockers early on, but his throws were often awkward and off, and he never looked comfortable. He might have just played himself off the team.

Rashaad Penny had a rough night running, but also was not helped by his offensive line much at all. Still, like Lynch, he looked tentative, and when he was replaced by rookie Travis Homer, he was outplayed by Homer with the same line. He had one nice catch on run play on third down, and maybe that is going to be his role this year, but for a former first round pick, we should see more out of him.

The Ugly

The referees robbing Poona Ford’s sensational tackle for a loss that led to a fumble by the Minnesota running back because they whistled the play dead. WTF? The play was a bang bang tackle for loss. How the bleep do they whistle that dead so suddenly?

Minnesota’s defender Holton Hill’s helmet to helmet hit on Paxton Lynch was gruesome to watch. The refs made the right call kicking him out of the game, but dang was that ever ugly to watch.

The news the rookie wide receiver DK Metcalf is going to have knee surgery this week, and his time table to return is not full defined. Pete Carroll said that he hopes that he will be back by the start of the season, but it isn’t a certainty. Fingers crossed that he isn’t out a long time.

Closing Thoughts

I think what we can gleam from this game is that Seattle has enough talent with their starters to be a pretty competitive team in 2019. Poona Ford looks like a star in the making at defensive tackle, and Jarran Reed and Al Woods are also big time run defenders. Seattle had Russell Wilson at quarterback, and so long as he plays sixteen games, this team is probably going to be in playoff contention, and he is complemented by a nice starting offensive line, and a terrific talent at running back in Chris Carson. Seattle also has Bobby Wagner, who is the best linebacker on the planet, so that’s also nice.

What got exposed tonight was Seattle’s present depth on the offensive line, which was once thought of as being pretty good, and after tonight, it looks fairly bad. I wouldn’t be surprised if they might look to add some veteran assurances there before the regular season starts.

I also thought that Seattle’s pass rush depth got pretty exposed in the second half of the game. I’m not convinced that Seattle is interested in trading for Jadeveon Clowney, but I’m starting to see the reason in Seattle maybe looking to add a veteran there soon, perhaps. Who that is, I don’t know, but they have the cap space to afford somebody, and after tonight, it seemed fairly clear that presently really challenged there. I have a sneaking suspicion that the team might have been waiting to see what came out of this game before deciding whether they make a move. After tonight, I think the stock is up on them making a move.

Go Hawks.

Poona, Poona, Poona.

That’s what will come out of my mouth whenever I see this guy do something around or behind the line of scrimmage. I have a sneaking feeling that I’m going to be saying that a lot on Sundays this fall. My wife may have to brace for this one. It might get old fast.

There is a lot to like about this young second year defensive tackle. He’s short, and squat with unusually long arms, good strength, wheels, and great football instincts. Head coach Pete Carroll recently compared him to a former Trojan player he had years ago at USC, Tennessee Titan and pro-bowl player Jurrell Casey. That’s some high praise, for sure, but Poona, listed at 5-11 and 310 pounds, is about two inches shorter than Casey. Apparently, that was the difference between Casey being drafted in the third round, and Poona not being drafted at all.

It’s rare that a defensive tackle who is under six feet makes a big impact in this league, much less makes a squad in this league, but before Russell Wilson, it was pretty rare that a quarterback under six feet would be a perennial pro-bowl player, as well. Like Wilson before him, Poona is probably well prepared to buck those trends, and his long arms and low center of gravity will give him a decent advantage. This could well continue a trend of short defensive tackles in the league.

Jurrell Casey, Aaron Donald, Geno Atkins, Grady Jarrett, Michael Pierce, and Mike Daniels are all pro bowl level defensive tackles who are listed either at 6-0 or 6-1. They all excel at winning with leverage, strength, and quickness. That is what Poona Ford did  as a rookie, and that has been what he has been doing so far at Seahawks training camp this Summer. I actually think Mike Daniels is a solid comp for Poona, and here is why.

Shortly after news came out that defensive tackle Jarran Reed would be suspended for the first six games of the season, the Green Bay Packers released Mike Daniels, and I think many Twelves who closely follow the league felt that Seattle would be a natural suitor for the former pro bowler. Seattle had the salary cap space to afford the interior pass rusher, and the apparent immediate need, but alas, they seemingly didn’t even nibble. After the dust settled on the initial disappointment of him quickly signing with Detroit, I began to see things more clearly.

“Seattle might feel like they already have their Mike Daniels on the roster,” was the thought that settled my mind. Sure enough, Daniels is listed as 6-0 and 310 pounds, just a mere inch away from being the exact measurements of Poona Ford. Interesting.

Now, I’m not going to pretend to have watched every Green Bay game over the last few years, but I will say that Seattle and Green Bay have pretty much felt like an annual matchup. In those battles, I have definitely noticed Mike Daniels being the dude constantly living in Seattle’s backfield, stuffing run plays, and harassing Russell Wilson. His combination of low center of gravity, strength, quickness and instincts made it difficult for Seattle’s taller offensive lineman to contain. That is very much Poona’s game.

Now, I’m not going to predict that Poona is going to become the next Mike Daniels, or Jurrell Casey, but lots of tea leaves are looking encouraging. I think it is perfectly reasonable to get excited about his potential.

Last year, albeit in a smaller sample size of playing time, Pro Football Focus graded out Poona Ford’s game at an astonishing 91.5, better than Aaron Donald’s rookie season in 2014, and better than any rookie defensive lineman since 2006. That is as glowing of a review as you can get for a rookie defensive tackle.

But don’t take PFF’s analytical word for it, his teammates are also chiming in with the praise. Recently, starting center Justin Britt said that Poona possesses “God giving abilities” to become one of the best nose tackles to ever play the game. That’s pretty crazy high praise. He noted that his leverage and long arms make him really difficult to block, and that he knows how to use them to his advantage.

Former Seattle linebacker Dave Wyman, who is now the color analyst for the team on 710 ESPN, has even gone so far as to compare his talent to the greatness of Cortez Kennedy. I also remember hearing him say on his radio show that he believed Poona was now the best player on Seattle’s defensive line shortly after pass rusher Frank Clark was traded. Again, that’s incredibly high praise, and Wyman is not known for hyperbole, but I trust his former NFL middle linebacker eyes. Dave Wyman probably knows a pretty talented defensive tackle when he sees one having played with Cortez.

Pete Carroll has tempered the praise, just a wee smidgen, though. When asked about his pass rush potential, Carroll said that they are finding it out, that he’s still developing there, but they are hoping it will show up sooner rather than later. He mentioned how it took defensive tackle counterpart Jarran Reed until year three to learn that craft, and they are hoping Poona will pick it up quicker.

With no Frank Clark on the team, and no Jarran Reed for the first six games of the season, they need bodies to contribute to the pass rush, and that most likely includes Poona Ford. Sure enough, when I was out at practice a week ago last Tuesday, Poona Ford was a starting defensive tackle in the pass rush package. From what I saw, he looked pretty active, and he wasn’t just lined up on the nose, they had him outside the guard a few times and was getting good penetration with one on one match ups against the starting offensive line.

But perhaps the biggest sign of encouragement about his potential, though, might actually be when the team played the Denver Broncos for their first preseason game, and he was one of the few healthy handful of starters that Carroll didn’t play. Those players included the likes of Russell Wilson, Duane Brown, Chris Carson, KJ Wright, and Tyler Lockett. Conceivably, Poona Ford is in their stratosphere now in terms of level of importance to this team.  That speaks volumes to me.

All this from a 5-11, 310 pound, un-drafted defensive tackle from Texas. Never mind the fact that he was the Big 12’s defensive player of the year in 2017, logging in a ridiculous 20 tackles for a loss and 4 sacks while playing nose tackle in a 3-4 defense, a selfless position on a type of defense that does not normally generate eye popping stats like that. How thirty two teams did not draft this guy, I will never know, but obviously Seattle was lucky as a fly in a cow pasture to grab him as a un-drafted rookie free agent.

Another un-drafted rookie free agent from the state of Texas who recently did pretty well for Seattle was one Michael Bennett. Now, these cats are different players playing really different positions, but I personally don’t think it’s impossible for Poona Ford to find similar success at all.

When Bennett came into the league, you could just tell that he had “it.” It wasn’t really the workout numbers that you get at the NFL draft combine. It was instincts that you saw immediately on the field as a rookie free agent, and onward through his career. Those close to the Seahawks situation talk a lot about Poona’s instincts. He just gets it. He instinctively knows what to do, and how to do it, and he just makes plays. That’s Michael Bennett.

There’s a lot to like about Poona Ford. I think the team is genuinely high on him. I think he’s most likely the reason why they didn’t pursue a veteran player to the likes of Mike Daniels, or Gerald McCoy. I also think he might be the reason why, if Jarran Reed should decide to play hardball during contract negotiations, they might be willing to allow him to test the free agent market. They will have two more seasons of club control on a player that might even have more upside than Reed, and Reed is a really good football player.

That said, it’s still early in the preseason, and I would caution about any overhyping of any young player. No matter how much upside they might have, they still need to put it together. I just think by the sample size performance that we got from him in 2018, and how the team is bringing him along into his second year, there is a lot to get excited here, though.

It’s okay to be a little bit excited. I will let you.

Poona, Poona, Poona.

Go Hawks.

Preseason wins are meaningless. Getting excited about a preseason win is like getting excited about an attractive person talking to you. It doesn’t mean a thing. That said, it felt good watching the Seattle Seahawks win in this fashion. Here are my notes.

The Good

The Seattle Seahawks rested a lot of starters tonight, especially on the defensive front. With no Jarran Reed, or Poona Ford, Seattle’s defensive line still got good push off the ball, and were almost living in the backfield. I thought Cassius Marsh and Quinton Jefferson looked really good, but the guy that caught my eye was massive un-drafted rookie free agent Bryan Mone. For a 335 pound man, he was getting really good push, and might be pushing for a roster spot. Really liked what I saw there.

The rookie Utah Ute defenders of linebacker Cody Barton and safety Marquise Blair looked like they fully belonged on this defense. Both played with instincts and decisiveness. Blair’s play against the run up at the line of scrimmage was particularly eye catching. He made Kam Chancellor like hits and tackles, and also looked sure in coverage. A lot of hype has been on Barton’s play in training camp, and he looked good in this game, but I got really excited about Blair. Seattle likes that Utah defense, and for good reason. Stock is up on these guys.

Paxton Lynch easily won round one of the battle for the battle QB tonight. He caught my eye at training camp on Tuesday. There is a lot to like about this guy. He’s not all there as a player, but he has obvious tools to work with. He long and athletic with a live arm, and some nice wheels. I texted a friend this; I called him Colin Kaepernick-light.

For all the DK Metcalf hype, un-drafted rookie free agent Jazz Ferguson stole the show. He was a star last weekend in the team scrimmage, looked great on Tuesday’s practice, and he was a baller on Thursday night, showing good athleticism for a big guy, catching deep passes, and a great touchdown grab against tight coverage. I’m saying it now, I think he is in line to steal a roster spot.

Rookie John Ursua also looked good catching a deep inside pass on third down and extending the catch a la Doug Baldwin. He’s one to watch over the next few games.

Seattle was showing the blitz in interesting ways, bringing safeties, linebackers and corners. They also showed some standup end looks. I like the way they mixed things up, and it was fun seeing Deshawn Shead get a safety sack.

Ends Jacob Martin and Barkevious Mingo also got good pressures and sacks. Martin looks like a player on the rise. Don’t be surprised if he has a big expanded role in the pass rush this year.

Austin Calitro looked really good at linebacker. Really good.

Shaquill Griffin played a solid game at left cornerback against the run and pass.

Rashaad Penny looks like he might be a solid option as the team’s third down back.

Rookie defensive back Ugo Amadi looked dynamic as a returner.

Punt and kickoff coverage was solid.

The Bad

Seattle’s starting defense got gashed by a big run in the opening series. It looked like Cody Barton got blocked up pretty well by the fullback, and safeties didn’t fill. It brought back the horrors of 2018 for me. Glad that they cleaned that up afterwards.

Dk Metcalf didn’t make the big splash many were probably anticipating, but he didn’t have Russell Wilson throwing to him, either. He missed out on a couple deep balls, and it seemed like it might have been a positional thing, but color me not worried. He will get his down the road, and this was probably teachable. Denver also has a great starting backfield.

With no Will Dissly, Jacob Hollister, or Ed Dickson, Seattle’s tight end play was almost nonexistent. Seattle needs viable pass catching options at this position. Fingers crossed Dissly stays healthy this season.

The Ugly

Penalties were atrocious in this game. Positive runs and catch and runs were called back, and weirdly, there was a lot of defensive holding being called throughout the game against both teams. What up with that? Is this what the league is looking at more now? Stop that.

Barkevious Mingo jumped offseason horrible in the fourth quarter like the ghost of Michael Bennett. Stop that, Barkevious.

I didn’t like the roughness call Marquise Blair drew in the fourth quarter. It looked like he pulled up his helmet, and Denver’s quarterback threw the receiver an ambulance ball. So the league punishes the defender for making a hit and doesn’t punish the QB? I hate this trend.

Closing Thoughts

I’m high on a lot of these young players, but the dark horses I really like are receivers Jazz Ferguson and John Unsua, and defensive tackle Bryan Mone. Each one of these guys looked like they had what it takes to contribute as a rookie, which leads me to think that Seattle’s depth might be deeper than a lot of people think.

This game was a testament to that depth. During the first half, this game was pretty tight, but by the second half, Seattle’ backups were clearly outplaying Denver’s, and this ended up as an easy win.

I was particularly impressed with Seattle’s defensive line. I’ve been thinking maybe they would look outside for more help there. After tonight, I’m thinking that perhaps they don’t need to. They have players there.

Once a year, every August, I invite a friend or two to take the day off from work and go out to Renton, Washington to watch the Seattle Seahawks practice with me. Since I am the owner of a small landscaping business, this is a pretty easy proposition to win with my co-worker buds.

“Do you want to hedge a bunch of laurels on a orchard ladder in the blistering sun, or would you rather sit on a lush berm close to Lake Washington and watch large millionaires push each other around for a couple hours?”

On Tuesday, we got out there, and saw some pretty cool stuff. Here are my notes from the practice by position groups.

Quarterbacks

Russell Wilson was sharp. Per usual, he was impressive throwing on the move, dropping dimes between defenders to receivers. His deep pass continues to be a thing of absolute beauty.

Paxton Lynch was the sole backup, and looks considerably different, but I thought he moved well and made some nice passes, here and there, for a guy that has been labeled as a first round draft bust. Does he win the backup spot? I don’t know, but there seems to be some interesting tools there.

Running Backs

Chris Carson is the Real Deal. Like, wow. Seriously. On a field full of impressive looking human beings, I thought he impressed the most. He was explosive as a runner, and also caught the ball really well.

Lots of passes were going to the backs. Carson, and Rashaad Penny were catching with ease. This felt like an area of focus during practice between these two players.

Receivers

Rookie receiver DK Metcalf’s hype train is worth jumping on board. I was a wee bit resistant until this camp. Seeing him live, though, it’s really difficult not to get excited about what he eventually might become. He had some “wow” catches against Seattle’s starting corners in tight coverage, and it feels like he is developing a connection with Russell Wilson. If this guy can stay relatively healthy, it feels like Seattle might have landed the steal of the 2019 NFL Draft.

A couple other rookie receivers that caught the eye were Jazz Ferguson, and John Ursua, but for different reasons.

Ferguson is another big receiver, even bigger than Metcalf, and he seems to catch the ball effortlessly. You notice him on the field, whether he runs go patterns or crossing slants. It’s going to be interesting watching him in the preseason. He looks like a guy that could legitimately push for a roster spot. He might not be a guy that will make it to their practice squad should they cut him.

Ursua, on the other hand, is a short, quick slot receiver, I think very much in that sort of Doug Baldwin mode. I’m not saying he’s the next Baldwin, but his suddenness coming out of breaks is evident, and he caught really well. He’s another one that feels like he could push for a roster spot.

On the whole, it feels like Seattle has an interesting collection of receivers. It was interesting seeing the bigger ones like Metcalf, Ferguson, and Jaron Brown catching inside slants over the middle. Could the Seahawks be looking to get bigger inside?

Tyler Lockett was fun to watch, and his chemistry with Russell Wilson was on constant display. Tyler Lockett fully looks like the guy ready to take over this group.

I thought the funnest play, though, was David Moore taking a quick short pass and out-juking the entire defense for what felt like a forty yard score. His athleticism reminds me a lot of Golden Tate.

I’m a lot higher on this receiving group now that I saw this practice. A lot higher.

Tight End

Will Dissly looks completely healthy from his patellar tendon injury suffered last year, and was impressive to watch. He moved and caught the ball with ease, and Wilson found him on a long touchdown pass as he snuck by the safeties with some kind of a Jedi mind trick, I think. If he fully comes back from that injury, I think he’s unquestionably Seattle’s starting tight end, and probably the starting tight end for a long time.

I’m really high on Dissly. I think Wilson is too. You could sense him looking for him, and during team stretches, he was right there next to Wilson. I found that interesting.

Offensive Line

I will be honest, I didn’t spend a ton of time looking long here. I was actually more focused on how the defensive line was taking care of business and their rotations. On the whole, this unit seemed to function smoothly together on run plays, and it seemed like the interior linemen where holding up decent enough in pass protection, giving a few pressures here and there, but also doubling up on guys fairly well, and they seemed assignment sound.

Right tackle Germaine Ifedi still seems like a guy who can have issues with speed rushers. Cassius Marsh, and Barkevious Mingo worked him good a few times. I think Brandon Jackson even got some pressure over there.

Defensive Line

Barkevious Mingo is looking like an interesting option as a rush end. They flipped him from the right and the left side of the line, and he got pressures off Duane Brown and Germaine Ifedi. Going against Ifedi, he instinctively got his long arms up on a quick sideline pass, and batted it down like a power forward. It’s weird to say that Seattle might have a diamond in the rough with a seven year player, but I kinda think that, as a rush end, he might legitimately have something to uncork. I’m marking him as a player I’m kinda excited to see in these first preseason games.

Cassius Marsh was the other starting rush end, and looked solid enough. I’ve always liked him as a player, and am glad he’s back with Seattle. He was the starting LEO in the base defense today.

Poona Ford was active at defensive tackle, and got at least one pretty decent inside rush that I noticed. He’s a player we are going to focus on more in the coming days.

Rasheem Green was back at practice after missing Monday, and was seeing a lot of looks as an inside pass rushing defensive tackle with the second unit. That might be his niche on the team if he doesn’t win one of the starting end spots.

Seattle did some interesting stuff with stand up ends with the second unit. They might have been showing a look that Denver brings for this Thursday’s preseason game, but it possibly had me thinking of new wrinkles they might bring this season with ends that can also play linebacker.

Linebacker

The starters were KJ Wright, Austin Calitro, and Mychal Kendricks in the base defense. Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny broke off some big runs against these guys. It’s tough to really gauge it because there was no tackling, but I’m going to say that if Bobby Wagner were in there, it wouldn’t have looked like that so easily.

It was interesting to see Wright and Kendricks taking part in pass rush drills with the defensive line. I have a sneaking feeling that Seattle might blur the lines a bit more this year between their traditional 4-3 looks and some variations of a 3-4, and be an even more hybrid defense. As mentioned above with the standup ends on rush downs, that’s kind of more of 3-4 look in nickel.

It appeared that rookie linebacker Ben Burr-Kirven was getting mixed in with he starting nickel defense, and that is exciting. I like that guy’s potential a lot.

Secondary

I also didn’t spend a lot of time looking hard here. It seemed like Akeem King made a nice play on a Russell Wilson pass. Second year corner Simeon Thomas looked to have made a nice play breaking up a short pass.

It was interesting seeing rookie second round pick Marquise Blair whenever he was on the field. He was another guy that your eyes kind of went to. Seattle would shift him down towards the line of scrimmage to contain like a linebacker, and he should really good instincts. He also bounced between strong and free safety a few times.

I thought Shaquill Griffin looked strong and instinctive at corner, and had the first impact play by the defense, darting in and breaking up a Wilson pass to tight end Nick Vannett. I’m fully expecting a bounce back season from him this year.

Special Teams

Jason Meyers looks really good kicking the ball.

Closing Thoughts

If I am Pete Carroll I am probably not playing Russell Wilson, Chris Carson, DK Metcalf, or Will Dissly much against these Broncos on Thursday night. I’m resting those guys. It will be compelling to want to play Dissly because he practiced so well, but he is just getting back from his injury he suffered early last year. Save him, I say.

But if I am Pete Carroll, I want to see a lot more of Poona Ford, Jazz Ferguson, Ben Burr-Kirven, Rasheem Green, Jacob Martin, Shaquem Griffin, John Ursua, Barkevous Mingo as a rush end, and Marquise Blair at safety. I want to see some answers with these guys.

Is Mingo going to be valuable as a nickel pass rusher? Is Poona Ford a legitimate option as a pass rushing defensive tackle? Is Ferguson too dynamic of a big target to try to sneak onto the practice squad? Does BBK look like he belongs as a nickel backer?

All of these guys are intriguing, but all carry a degree of question marks. Rest the guys you have no questions about, I say.

Go Hawks.

Is Quinton Jefferson going to be a key cog to an improved 2019 Seattle Seahawk defensive line? We shall see.

On June 22nd 2019, I posted a player profile on defensive tackle Jarran Reed labeling him as the third most impactful player on the 2019 Seattle Seahawks roster. I noted his monster 10.5 sack season in 2018, and the fact he was heading into a contract year with the aim of an even more monster sized contract extension. I felt that no other player on the team had more incentive than him to make a major impact. About three hours later, news broke that he was to be suspended for the first six games of the regular season for a domestic violence incident that happened in 2017.

If you are anything like me, and had high hopes for an improved 2019 Seattle Seahawk defensive front, your heart probably sank down into your rectum when you saw this flash on your sports ticker. With pass rusher Frank Clark no longer on the team, and possibly no Ziggy Ansah to start the season, this six game loss of Reed initially felt borderline disastrous.

Then, the following week, another bit of bad news flashed on the sports ticker. Rookie defensive lineman and first round pick LJ Collier suffered an “unusual” ankle sprain that will have him miss at least all of the preseason. The hope was that Collier would compete for the starting five technique defensive end position that Michael Bennett once held, and he would also become a pass rushing defensive tackle option on passing downs. If you are like me, you probably had talked yourself off the ledge with the Reed suspension saying, “of course Collier is the solution to Reed being absent for six games,” and suddenly those hopes were even dashed. Even if Collier is healthy enough to be available during the Reed suspension, he will still be a rookie that is raw, and will have missed practically all valuable preseason time to help develop his craft.

So, looking at this defensive line today, a few days before Seattle plays it’s first preseason game, is there grounds to determine that Seattle is looking at a horrendous situation on it’s defensive line?

Objectively, I think that, yes, of course there are clear grounds to be concerned, but I also think it is way too early to fully reach that determination, and with my ever optimistic views that match the head coach and quarterback, I think that there still exists the possibility that Seattle will be okay there, and here is why.

Seattle might actually be in position to be a whole lot better stopping the run with this group, and through a collection of bodies, they might have enough edge rush to get by without adding from the outside. Allow me to explain.

In 2018, fans got all stoked up about the 13 sacks from Frank Clark and the 10.5 sacks from Jarran Reed. They also felt somewhat good about the few sacks and pressures from defensive ends Jacob Martin and Quinton Jefferson. However, Seattle’s defense was really bad against the run, and that is not a mark of a Pete Carroll coached team. They missed the stoutness of Michael Bennett at five technique for sure, hence the drafting of LJ Collier, but they also (in my humble opinion) missed the stoutness of someone like Ahtyba Rubin at defensive tackle, even with Jarran Reed. This is why we see Al Woods and Earl Mitchell on this roster.

I’ve never heard Coach Carroll say this, I haven’t heard this talked about a lot on Seattle sports radio, and I haven’t seen a lot of this written about it either, but a big part of me had wondered, during the 2018 season, if Carroll and company had gotten away from a core philosophy with their defensive tackle play to make up for the lack of pass rush presence with no more Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril. That is to have Jarran Reed charge upfield more maybe at the expense of gap integrity, and, as the season went on, offenses were able to take advantage of that running the ball.

Traditionally, almost as much as a hallmark as cover three on Seattle’s Pete Carroll era defense, has been the rather conservative two-gap style of play at defensive tackle. This style requires tackles to lock up with blockers, hold ground to determine the play, and then attack. Simply, it requires more discipline and patience, and above all, a total selflessness to potentially give up making the splashy play in order to muck up the middle of the line.

In the heyday of the great Seattle Seahawk teams under Carroll, this is what the defensive tackles did. It also just so happens to be what Al Woods, Earl Mitchell do, and what younger players Jarran Reed and Poona Ford can do.

We are going to touch a lot on Poona Ford in the coming days. I think there is genuinely a lot to get excited about with this second year player, but let’s get back to these older veteran defensive tackle additions for now.

When Seattle signed Al Woods last Spring, I got pretty excited. I realize I might be in the minority of this excitement, but it still holds to this day. For me it felt that the Woods signing marked a signal for Seattle to get back to it’s defensive line DNA. I have actually been a bit surprised by the lack of excitement around this guy by others that follow and write about this team. In 2017, Pro Football Focus had him rated as the 10th best defensive tackle in the game. With only two years removed from this 2017 campaign, heck yeah I will take him on this roster. His veteran counterpart Earl Mitchell isn’t as big or strong, but again, Pro Football Focus fully identifies his plus abilities against the run.

If Seattle’s most likely defensive objective in 2019 is to be better against the run, and brining in Woods and Mitchell to mix with the youth of Reed and Ford is not a bad start. Extending linebackers Bobby Wagner, KJ Wright, and Mychal Kendricks, along with drafting linebackers Cody Barton and Ben Burr-Kirven only confirms their commitment to being a better tackling team. But linebackers can’t tackle as well if they are not kept clean from blockers. This is the impact good run stopping defensive tackle play brings.

I’ve seen it suggested recently that Seattle has a bunch of backups on the defensive line, and the four that will start the year will be the four best out of the hoard of backups. Personally, I think that’s a harsh outlook, and I also think it’s a trap to get hooked up into the big name game.

No, they didn’t chase Ndamukong Suh, or Gerald McCoy or recently released veteran Green Bay defensive tackle Mike Daniels. Would I have loved to have seen one of those guys land in Seattle? Sure, but you also have to ask why these big names found themselves on the market in the first place. Would they be a culture fit for this team?

In 2017, Seattle’s defensive line boasted Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril, Jarran Reed, Frank Clark, and Sheldon Richardson when they traded for him. On name recognition alone, that was five potential pro-bowlers. Now, of course, they lost Avril early in the season to a career ending neck injury, but still that four other big names. Was that line dominant?

The team didn’t even make the playoffs and was steam rolled by the Los Angeles Rams at home for the first time in ages. That defensive line certainly wasn’t as dominant of the 2012 line that featured run stuffers Red Bryant, Alan Branch, Brandon Mebane, and pass rusher Chris Clemons. Two of those guys were, at one point, thought of as scabs from other teams, and the other two were thought of as kinda just guys, but they gelled. They played well together as a collective, and had just enough with the addition of rookie Bruce Irvin to be formidable.

You see where I am exhaustedly going with this? Stop the run first and foremost, and then pass rush.

Think I am wrong with this money ball philosophy? Was the 2018 defensive line of the Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots that special with Adrian Clayborn, Tre Flowers, Danny Shelton, and Lawrence Guy? Now, those aren’t terrible players, but outside of Flowers, none of those guys are likely to sniff a pro bowl anytime soon.

Personally, I’m intrigued by this money ball philosophy with this 2019 Seahawks defensive line, and on the plus side, Carroll has stated that he fully expects Ziggy Ansah to be available at the start of the season. If this is the case, that is huge. That’s your marquee name. I also think Seattle might already have enough on this roster behind Ansah to help with the edge rush.

Veteran edge rusher Cassius Marsh is no where near a star player, but is serviceable and was decent last year as a starter for the 49ers, getting 5.5 sacks. In my opinion, veteran player Barkevious Mingo was playing out of position as a 4-3 strong side linebacker last year, and with the depth at linebacker this year, Seattle has moved him back to his more natural spot as a 4-3 rush end. Mingo, a former high first round pick, still has the rare combination of length and athleticism that is hard to come by in this league, and it sounds like Seattle is going to give him every opportunity during the preseason to show his worth pass rushing. Mingo and Marsh are also two veteran players that are essentially playing for their NFL livelihood. I like them playing with that kind of edge.

I haven’t even gotten to promising second year players Jacob Martin and Rasheem Green. Martin is the flashier of the two with his quick twitch, but Green might have the better path to becoming an eventual starter because of his size and length. Now that Collier is injured likely through the rest of camp, Green will clearly be given long looks at the five technique spot along with Quinton Jefferson, Brandon Jackson, and maybe Nazair Jones.

The five technique law firm of Jefferson, Jackson and Jones are not likely going to excite many fans, but I for one, thought Jefferson held up decent enough in his first year starting in 2018, and like Reed, he will be playing in a contract year in 2019. In fact, the more I consider it, Jefferson might be the single one player to not sleep on heading into these preseason games. Jefferson is a family man who has every incentive to build off his first year as a starter. Even if Seattle chooses not to keep him beyond 2019, a solid campaign this year makes his free agent market all the more attractive to another team next year.

But, we need to see some preseason games. We need to see how these linemen gel with each other, and with the linebackers. Can they keep the promising group of linebackers clean to make plays?  Can they stack the run, and set the edge? Can they be disruptive on obvious passing downs?

If the answer is yes to all those things, Seattle will be fine. Sacks are sexy, but pressures are equally (if not more) important, and stopping the run, even in a passing league, is still the number one task of any starting defensive lineman.

So, I guess I’m here to say that, one way or another, I think Seattle is probably going to be fine here. There. That’s my sunny outlook. Ultimately, I trust Pete here.

Some folks might feel uneasy about this group because of the lack of names and a lot of “might be” types. Cassius Marsh and or Barkevious Mingo might be a decent edge rushers opposite Ansah. Poona Ford might develop into a legit inside pass rushing threat to match his run stopping play. Jacob Martin might explode into a eight sack type of season. season. Rasheem Green might live up to his somewhat hyped potential, and beat Quinton Jefferson out at five technique, or Jefferson might elevate his game to a place where beating him out isn’t realistic for Green. It’s cool. I get it. Ultimately, we don’t know yet, and we can’t feel good until we get answers.

I will just say this. Seattle has salary cap money to spend, even after the extensions of Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner. They likely knew some sort of suspension was coming with Jarran Reed. They could have signed former pro bowl defensive tackle Mike Daniels after Green Bay cut him last week, but they didn’t act on it. They had the money to afford him. That said something to me. Might likely mean that they see big things out of Poona Ford this year, and a one year rental on Daniels could hinder Ford’s growth.

One thing I know is that Pete Carroll absolutely will not go into the 2019 regular season with issues about stopping the run and creating quarterback pressures. He will not do that. If they aren’t satisfied with what they see on the roster towards the end of the preseason, expect them to make additions either by trade, or free agency. Seattle has the cap space and trade capital with a slough of picks in 2020 to deal if they feel it is necessary. If they don’t move on a player, take that as a positive. I will.

So, in a word. Relax.

I think it’s going to be alright.

Go Hawks.