Seattle is building their defense around Bobby Wagner and it is a no-brainer decision. (Getty Images)

On Friday, July 26th, 2019, the Seattle Seahawks reached a deal with Bobby Wagner on a three year 54 million dollar contract extension that will make him the highest paid linebacker on the Planet. This was a no-brainer because Bobby Wagner is the Best Linebacker on the Planet. He is as fast, strong, and instinctive of a tackling machine as you can get at linebacker, and he is also a nightmare for quarterbacks in coverage. This is the guy Seattle will build their defense around, and is the main reason why I believe Seattle’s defense will be better than a lot of people think in 2019.

Will they be 2013 good? Probably not likely this year, but they might be 2011 good, and that was a squad that found itself when the rest of the world was doubting them. Poona Ford, Rasheem Green, Jacob Martin, and Tre Flowers are all going into their second season, and have all have starter to quality starter potential. Seattle is also adding quality veteran pro bowl pass rusher Ezekiel Ansah, veteran run stopping defensive tackles Al Woods and Earl Mitchell, veteran pass rusher Cassius Marsh, and they have brought back veteran pro bowl linebackers KJ Wright and Mychal Kendricks. They will also be adding the pro bowl level talents of defensive tackle Jarran Reed after he serves his six game suspension.

Take a deep breath and relax about Frank Clark not being here and Reed missing the first six games. This defense has the Best Linebacker on the Planet surrounded by just enough quality veteran talent in the front seven along with the rising talents of those second year players mentioned.

Seattle is building their defense around Bobby Wagner because he has been their best player for a few seasons now, and he has only gotten better each year. He is at the height of his craft, and he has so much to bestow on the younger players around him, especially now that he is out of the shadows of those who were the Legion of Boom, not to take anything away from those players. You can tell that he wants this, too. He wants to lead, and he has earned every right to do just that. He has done everything right.

When Seattle lost that painful Super Bowl match against the Patriots, he didn’t hold onto the bitterness of it, and allowed it to fester on the sidelines in weird volatile ways in following seasons like Richard Sherman did. When he entered his final contract year, he didn’t draw an overly dramatic line in the sand between himself and his team like Earl Thomas did last year. He has never outwardly shown distain to the goody two shoes quarterback on the other side of the ball like a lot of other defenders did back during the day way back when. While the LOB was gracing the covers of Sports Illustrated like a rock band, Bobby Wagner was just going about his business, getting better, and better, and better each year.

This is officially the Bobby Wagner era in Seattle in terms of the defense. It’s Russell Wilson on the offense, and it might well now be regarded as Russell Wilson’s team, but let’s be clear about this; this is now Bobby Wagner’s defense. Period.

And I am really happy for him. They are one Jarran Reed contract extension away from probably having a really strong new nucleus here in Seattle for years to come. Get ready for it.

Thoughts on Other Seahawk Training Camp Matters. 

It was superb news on Thursday that newly signed defensive end Ezekiel Ansah and second year tight end Will Dissly were both cleared to practice coming off of their 2018 injuries. It was widely thought of heading into training camp that both players would start out on the Physically Unable to Perform list, and possible miss the first game or two of the regular season. Seattle will ease both of these guys through training camp, but I would have to think both will be playing in the season opener against the Bengals. This is huge because, when healthy, Ansah is one of the best pass rushers in the league, and when healthy, Dissly has definite starter potential at tight end, and it would be wonderful if he could provide Seattle the long term answer to that position spot.

Last year, Dissly was my favorite player heading out of camp, and I think the team is pretty high on his overall potential. I curiously noticed when I was poking around inside the team shop that they are selling Dissly jerseys. I’m going to take that as a positive sign on what his future may hold with the team, and how the team views him. Personally, I get a very Jason Witten vibe from the dude. I think he has that kind of potential.

Speaking of potential, it’s cool to see Poona Ford starting at defensive tackle along with Jarran Reed. Pro Football Focus loved Poona’s rookie campaign, and I’ve been developing a big time crush on this guy myself. Here is a short video that Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times posted on Twitter with Reed and Poona going through contact bag drills. Poona is in the lower portion of the screen. Look how low he gets, pushes up, then, with his ridiculously long arms, he violently disengages, and speeds through. He is going to give offensive linemen fits in 2019. Trust me on this.

For the last two days, rookie wide receiver DK Metcalf has been getting a ton of hype, and people rightly should be excited about his potential, but I can’t wait for Sunday when the defenders can finally make contract with receivers, and training camp feels like real football. We will finally see how Metcalf works against contested coverage, but we will also finally get a better sense of rookie defensive linemen LJ Collier, and rookie linebacker Cody Barton.

There are spots to be had on this defense. Will Barton possibly look like the heir apparent to KJ Wright? With Jarran Reed suspended for the first six games, will Collier look like someone ready to come in on third downs as a viable pass rushing defensive tackle? Is Rasheem Green ready to steal one of the starting defensive end spots?

This is what makes training camp so exciting. I know KJ Wright is a really fine football player, and Cassius Marsh is a serviceable pass rusher. I know Bradley McDougald is a solid safety. I want to see youth emerge on this defense. Can not wait for that.

Go Hawks.

The 2019 Seattle Seahawks will be a playoff team. In fact, I expect them to be a Super Bowl contender, and they have a player that should make them this kind of contender every single year. Period.

Quarterback Russell Wilson

Why is Wilson a player that should make them a continuous contender?

Because he is an elite franchise quarterback, and that is what an elite franchise quarterback does for your team. Plus he has a particular skill set that matches perfectly for a team that wants to run the ball. He is an A+ play action quarterback who throws an A+ deep pass, and even at 30 years of age, he is still a threat to break off a big run. Put all of that together with an improved ability to pass from the pocket, improved  footwork, and the ability to better make line adjustments, defenses now have to account for all of this. Simply put, Russell Wilson might not be as easily defendable as he was a few years ago. He can beat you a lot of ways. That is why Seattle decided to spend the big dollars on him.

Some will argue that Russell Wilson needs a running game to succeed. Fine. All quarterbacks are certainly helped by a strong rushing attack. Some will conversely argue and say that Seattle over-zealotry to the run game holds him back. In my humble opinion, I say Seattle runs the ball to get the very best out of Russell Wilson.

Seattle runs the ball because Pete Carroll values balance to his offense, no doubt about it, but I think Seattle runs the ball to take full advantage of how good Russell Wilson is on a team that runs. They don’t even do the zone read keepers for him that much anymore. They are way more committed to taking advantage of his arm in the pocket, and his overall passing efficiency, but do not kid yourself, they run that ball to take advantage of how he can beat you over the top, and they want that stuck inside your mind if you are the defensive coordinator playing against them.

Last year, Russell Wilson efficiently threw 3,448 yards with 35 touchdowns to 7 interceptions, and a completion percentage of 65.6. Any offensive minded coach would take those kind of numbers from his quarterback and that was just his first year under an entirely new offense under offensive coordinator Brian Schottenhiemer. This year will be his second season, and I think we can probably expect Russell to only build off of those numbers, even without Doug Baldwin, and that is taking nothing any from Angry Doug.

I think a strong argument can be made that this version of the Air Coryell best suits Russell Wilson, better than the west coast attack former coordinator Darrell Bevell ran. It’s a variation of the offense his hero Drew Brees has run, it puts more emphasis on deep passing, and it allows Russell Wilson the ability to call plays at the line of scrimmage based on what he is seeing from the defense. It gives him autonomy to choose which play to call that will best attack the weakness of that particular defense based on what he sees pre snap. Russell Wilson is a smart guy, and should be more than capable of doing this. Last year was his first time doing it, and he fared pretty darn well. This year, expect major steps forward from that.

In fact, I think they might open it up a bit more, and that should make a contingent of fans pretty excited. They spent a high round pick drafting the physically freakish DK Metcalf, but they also drafted other talent like Gary Jennings, and John Ursua. Seattle spent considerable of draft capital at receiver for a team that likes to run. They also quietly traded for a young pass catching tight end in Jacob Hollister, and drafted a pass catching running back in Travis Homer.

These are weapons to aide the pass game not the run, and here is the real truth in it all; Pete Carroll does not want to be a run first team. Pete Carroll also doesn’t want to be a pass first team. Pete Carroll wants to be a balanced team, and in that, his offense, ideally, will run fifty percent of the time, and pass fifty percent of the time. That is his ideal formula. It doesn’t always work out that way and different matches dictate different percentages of run and pass, but in his very idea, it’s total 50/50 run and pass.

I also think much was made last year about how much Seattle chose to run, and it raised concerns and eyebrows about how much they were running while having an expensive quarterback. Here is what I think might have played a bit more into the coach’s decision to run more often than pass; this defense was without Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril, Kam Chancellor, Earl Thomas and Richard Sherman, and for a long stretch, KJ Wright. They had to lean into a lot of young talent, and they were really thin at a lot of spots. I think Carroll might have been more intent on protecting his young defenders by eating up as much clock as his offense could even more than necessarily protecting his expensive passer, but that is just me. He would not likely admit that because that could be construed as an admittance that his young defense wasn’t as far a long as he would like it to be, and Carroll tends to be the protective type when it comes to his players.

Regardless, Russell Wilson by and large excelled in 2018, and made the most out of his more limited attempts when comparing to most of the passers in the league. However, when called upon to air it out more in tough contests against Carolina and Kansas City, he also more than delivered. He and his numbers were spectacular in those particular match ups when Seattle very much needed to win to just stay alive in the playoff race.

That is what an elite franchise quarterback does for your organization. That is what Russell Wilson is, and that is why Seattle was more than willing to pony up the big dollars.

For as good as Marshawn Lynch was, Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas were, and Bobby Wagner is, Russell Wilson is better because he is the quarterback. I know that is a tough pill to swallow for the few Russell Wilson critics out there, but that’s the facts, Jack. The quarterback position is the most important position, and it is a hardest position in team sports to play. If you have an elite quarterback, he is your best player, period. In my opinion, there is no debating that.

So, what I am most excited about is that 2019 finally feels like the year where the Seattle Seahawks are finally Russell Wilson’s team. Gone are the defenders that chided him during practice and made fun of his goodie two shoe ways behind his back. Gone is the talented yet sometimes volatile slot receiver who never seemed to fully embrace him. Here is a group of offensive linemen that want to block for him, a receiver in Tyler Lockett that has a great chemistry with him, the best linebacker on the planet who doesn’t dog him, a head coach that fully embraces him, and a group of young receivers who are eager to catch for him.

This is fully Russell Wilson’s team now. I’m very ready for this new chapter to begin. I’m excited.

Go Hawks.

The 2019 Seattle Seahawks are a playoff team. Bank on it. In fact, I think they are a division winning team. Even more, I think they are going to do damage in the playoffs and they might even be a Super Bowl team. No defensive tackle Jarran Reed for the first six games? No problem. Maybe no Ezekiel Ansah for the start of the season? Ain’t nothing but a thing. These 2019 Seattle Seahawks will be locked and loaded on the defense, and this guy here is the Show.

Middle Linebacker Bobby Wagner.

Why is Bobby Wagner the Show?

Simple as butter on bread. Because Bobby Wagner is the best linebacker on Planet Earth. I will even call him the best linebacker in the Universe because I don’t think they play American Football on Tatooine.

Bobby Wagner is a flat out tackling fool. Out of 139 tackling attempts in 2018, Bobby Wagner only had one miss. That is ridiculously good. That’s crazy good. Insane good.

Bobby Wagner can cover like a swarm of honey bees in a lavender patch in July. You better not be leaning over to smell those pretty lavender flowers because 6-0 240 pound Bobby Wagner can drop ten yards on a dime and swat that pretty lavender flower straight away from your nose.

Bobby Wagner can also blitz. Oh, yeah. He can rocket in there, and drop a tall gangly quarterback on his backside, no problem, and with no Jarran Reed for six games, no Frank Clark, and maybe no Ziggy Ansah for a week or two, expect maybe Bobby Wagner to get in there for a few. I got a feeling he is going to get his in 2019.

Bobby Wagner is like fine wine. His game gets better every season. When Seattle won Super Bowl XLVIII, all the talk on the defensive side of the ball was the Legion of Boom. Seattle won because they had the best cornerback in the game. Seattle won because they had the best free safety in the game. Seattle won because they had the most intimidating strong safety in the game. Shoot, folks were even talking about how Seattle won because they signed free agent defensive ends Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett to cheap deals. And then with Bobby Wagner, it was like, “oh, yeah. Seattle has a nice young middle linebacker.”

Well, as the LOB began to break down, and then broke up, Bobby Wagner just kept getting better, and better, and better. There is no question on anyone’s mind who the best football player is in Seattle outside the quarterback. It’s Bobby Wagner, and it has been for a few years now. He surpassed Earl Thomas, and it would be a massive shocker if Seattle did not extend him. They have to. They must.

I think a deal gets done before the regular season, if not by the start of training camp. Seattle has got to keep this guy around. He is simply too rare of a player. This is the guy you build the next top level defense around.

For a while I actually got sucked into this idea of contemplating who is more urgent to lock in long term for the defense, Bobby Wagner or Jarran Reed. For a spell, I was entertaining the idea that maybe locking in Reed was more essential because pass rushing defensive tackles are so rare, but reality kicked pretty suddenly when I envisioned what a Seattle defense would be like without Bobby Wagner, and it felt a lot like a Seattle offense without Russell Wilson. It’s a disturbing thought. Got to keep him.

And if Seattle wants to build around Wagner, the formula is pretty simple. Get big bodied strong defensive linemen that can soak up blockers and stack the run in front of him. Jarran Reed, Poona Ford, and LJ Collier are probably nice starts to that. Veterans like Al Woods are also good cheap gets. Then draft and develop young athletic linebackers Cody Barton, and Ben Burr-Kirven that can soak up his game. Give him a couple cagey vets to play with like KJ Wright, and Mychal Kendricks. Finally, bring in safeties they are a bit more interchangeable in run support and coverage like Bradley McDougald, and Marquise Blair. This last bit is essential, and here is why.

I believe that, in building around Bobby Wagner, Pete Carroll is going to go more back to his college days as USC in that he is going to have the team play more two deep safety instead of the single high safety style they played with when Earl Thomas was on the team. To do that, you have to have safeties that can essentially play both free and strong safety. You see, Carroll never had a safety in college who could do what Thomas was able to do in Seattle, so when Seattle was fortunate enough to select in in the 2010 draft, he built his scheme to fit that; single high cover three. Now, as Seattle was forced to play without Thomas for the first time for most of a season last year, you saw the team sliding a little more away from the single high style, into the two deep zone. I’m calling that the precursor to the 2019 Seahawks defense, and the defense for years to come.

But here is the real rub with playing two deep: it requires a middle linebacker who is as fast as fast can be, and can cover like a mother****er, and that is Bobby Wagner. Sorry for my French, but that is the whole key to making that defense work. That middle linebacker has got to be special.

I actually think it is highly likely we are going to see this adjustment, because it makes almost too much sense to not do it. When Earl Thomas was in Seattle, Carroll had this very unique toy, and he wanted to showcase it. Well now his unique toy is Bobby Wagner, the best middle linebacker in the Universe.

I think this theory might be supported a bit by the team drafting Cody Barton and Ben Burr-Kirven. Both players were notable coverage linebackers in college last year. If you’re going to build around Bobby, you need other linebackers capable of doing what Bobby does. Last year, with KJ being out most of the season, and Kendricks out for a long stretch with suspension, Seattle’s depth at linebacker got exposed big time. That might have been as important for Carroll to fix in this last offseason as adding pass rush, and other things on his list. Getting better linebacker depth, getting more interchangeable and deeper at safety.

As much as I love him, Seattle doesn’t need to keep Jarran Reed at all costs.  I’d love to see him extended because he’s such a good football player to put in front of Bobby Wagner, but if his salary demands got too high, as stated previously above, what Bobby Wagner mostly needs is for defensive tackles in front of him to be stout against the run, soak up blocks, and make plays when they are there. That’s what Seattle had when they were going to Super Bowls, and they can get those guys fairly cheaply on the market. That is also why I think any idea of choosing a young upcoming d-tackle over a linebacker like Bobby Wagner is ultimately pretty ridiculous. It’s a no brainer, you keep Wagner.

Bobby Wagner and Russell Wilson came out of the same 2012 draft class. It was a draft class that was almost universally panned at the time. Most folks hadn’t heard much about Bobby Wagner out of Utah State when Seattle spent a second round pick on him, and most folks thought Russell Wilson was too short to play NFL draft, and Seattle had wasted their third round pick. Bobby and Russell fundamentally proved all of those so called experts incredibly wrong, and it is storybook fitting that Pete Carroll and John Schneider should choose to build around these two men a team capable of winning another championship for Seattle.

Bobby and Russell are as special as you can get. You move forward with these two guys. If you got Russell Wilson on the offense, and Bobby Wagner on the defense, and Pete Carroll as the head coach you should be okay, and Seattle has never not had a winning season record with those three individuals.

I’m excited about these 2019 Seattle Seahawks, and Bobby Wagner is huge reason why. I can’t wait to see him play.

Go Hawks.

Well, as an old acting professor of mine used to say, “you can’t teach timing.” On the day that I blogged Jarran Reed as my third most important player on the team, the league issues this suspension for player misconduct during a 2017 incident that alleged assault to which Reed was never arrested or charged. I feel weird.

Obviously, as a Seattle Seahawks fan, this sucks, but I don’t think this is in any way the end to their season. For one, this guy is only out six games, and will play in ten, barring injury. Secondly, this is a team that still has Russell Wilson, Bobby Wagner, and they have some interesting young talent on the defensive line that must step forward. Defensive tackle Poona Ford was in a good position to start before the suspension. He is in a great position now. I like the future of this guy.

I wouldn’t worry too much about the loss of Reed’s inside pass rush. I think Seattle has interesting young candidates in LJ Collier and Rasheem Green who are now going to get a lot of looks at pass rushing tackle. What I think is concerning is the lack of early down run stopping help there. Don’t be surprised if the team add a veteran free agent or even trades for a player. Corey Liuget is veteran still available and can provide both run stopping and pass rush inside.

I think now we might know why the team has been a bit on the slow side extending Reed. I’m sure they were waiting to see how the league was going to decide. I don’t know how this suspension helps or hurts his chances of reaching a new deal with Seattle. It might have made him more affordable. Or they simply might choose to go in an altogether different direction. We shall see.

I think the league has a serious issue with how it suspends players not charged with a crime. They are wildly inconsistent. How the league chose to not suspend Kansas City receiver Tyreek Hill for alleged DV of a child and ends up suspending Reed of an alleged assault on an adult women is beyond me. They might have good reasons in both cases, but the secrecy involved leaves a bad taste in the mouth of fans and is becoming a massive turn off. In my opinion, the league must fix this. Just have a policy and make it consistent across the board.

Go Hawks.

The 2019 Seattle Seahawks are a playoff team that are going to physically make other teams pay for playing them four quarters of the american football. Ouchy. While other teams will flash with their wide open passing attacks, Seattle will pound you, and they bruise you both sides of the ball, and this guy is going to be a big time leader in that.

Defensive tackle Jarran Reed

Why is Jarran Reed going to be a big time bruiser in Seattle?

Yeah, I’ve been waiting patiently to write about this one. Mm. You bet.

Because, at his very best, that’s what’s Jarran Reed do, Boss. Coming out of Alabama in 2016, local Seattle NFL draft guru Rob Rang labeled Reed the best pure defensive tackle in a defensive tackle heavy draft. He was thought to be a potential top 15 pick in that class, but ultimately fell to Seattle in the mid second round due to the lack of pass rushing stats for the national champs. Well, last year Big Number 90 collected 10.5 sacks and erased any doubts if he can be a pass rusher in this league. Clearly, the dude is a pass rusher, a run stopper, and clearly, this boy gonna to get paid.

My hope is that Seattle will pony up and keep him in the 206 for at least another four years because defensive tackles that can pass rush and stop the run are really difficult commodities to find, and by all accounts Reed looks like a new core leader on this team. Plus, for the way Pete Carroll gushes about this guy, it seems like there is a whole lot of better football ahead of him, and he’s just getting started. Clearly, the team will want to retain him, but I also think it is important to keep in mind that last year at this time, they were probably looking to sincerely extend pass rushing defensive end Frank Clark as well, and we know how that worked out.

So, because of how things went down with the team and Clark, I’m not sure how this will work out with Reed on an extension, but there is one thing I can be absolutely certain on; if this team does not reach an extension with this guy during training camp, he is going to roll into the 2019 playing with his hair on fire, and that will not be a good thing for guards, centers, running back, and quarterbacks. That potential reality is the one reason why I believe that management might choose to hold off on extending him prior to the regular season. That is not to say they don’t reach a deal in December, though, or after the reason.

If no deal is reached, and he has the year that I expect him to have, I would certainly expect the team to franchise tag him just like they did Clark. My only hope in that is that the franchise tag will eventually lead to an extension, and not a trade because like I previously stated, defensive tackles that are pass rushers and run stoppers are really rare in this league, and they are just too valuable to part ways with, in my opinion.

I love Jarran Reed. I love defensive tackles. My personal favorite position by far. They’re the Marines, the Devil Dogs, the Dothraki, the guys you send in first that establish your whole defense.  You can never have enough of qaulity defensive tackles on your team, especially if your defense is any variation of a 4-3, and with this guy, Seattle has a player who is probably going to be a special one for a long time. Personally, I say pay the man.

Love Jarran. Love his attitude. I love the fact he is a tackling machine inside, wants to put a little extra pepper in his tackling sauce, and he’s relentless. Last season, he grew into my favorite player not named Russell Wilson. The only thing I wanted for Christmas was a Jarran Reed jersey, and I can’t wait to sport it around this Fall.

I think Pete Carroll loves this guy to, and I suspect he will remain in Seattle a long time making offensive guards’ lives miserable on Sundays in the Fall. That’s just my hopeful hunch.

He’s all ball, he’s pure defensive tackle, and outside of Russell Wilson, and Bobby Wagner, he is absolutely the one guy on this team that I do not let get away if I am running the show. Nope, I’m keeping him around.

He is going to be a fun player to watch this year. I can not wait.

Go Hawks.

The 2019 Seattle Seahawks are a playoff team. I think they can win the NFC West Division, and I think they might be a Super Bowl contender. Why the boldness of my claims? Because they got ballers, guys that can flat out ball, and this guy is one of them.

Wide Receiver Tyler Lockett.

Why is Tyler Lockett a baller?

Because he is a football player, and as legendary Seattle Seahawks Head Coach Chuck Knox used to say, “football players make football plays.” Well, Tyler Lockett has a knack for making the spectacular football play. Whether it is elevating his 5-10 180 pound up in the air to snag a deep pass down the sideline against tight coverage, or running with the ball on a jet sweep play, or taking a punt return 60 yards for a score, Tyler Lockett is fully capable of making a big football play in numerous ways, and with no more Doug Baldwin on the team, expect this guy to be even more of a focus.

Some people worry that with no Baldwin, Lockett’s play might drop off. It’s quite understandable, but I am not really one of them. For one, he has an incredible connection with quarterback Russell Wilson (an insanely perfect 158.3 passing rating in 2018 when Wilson threw to him), he knows how to improvise with him when needed, and vibes with him personality wise. Seattle will further scheme him open. In fact, I would expect Lockett to pick up much of Baldwin’s slot duties, as that was kind of viewed as his natural position coming out of college. Another thing is that, with the presence of DK Metcalf on the field, defenses are most likely going to have to be concerned with his unique blend of size and speed, and this, ideally, is probably going to further open up opportunities for Lockett underneath to play catch and run.

But let’s talk about Lockett the player. This dude is a baller, and was a rare immediate impact player for the team as a rookie in 2015.  He has never not been a factor for this team as both a returner and receiver, and has been an all purpose yards leader in the NFL for a few years now. He can play outside and in, all three receivers spots. There is nothing to not like about his overall game.

In fact, like a lot of other past Seattle receivers, if he was playing in a bigger market, he would probably be talked about a whole heck of lot more. Truth. Last year, the NFL pundits were talking about how Seattle had Doug Baldwin, and nobody else. This year they will surely talk about how they have Lockett and nobody else. It’s a vicious cycle inflicted on the team and Twelves, but screw them. We love our pedestrian receivers because they are ballers.

Someday maybe folks that cover the league will wake up and finally realize that, despite being a team that loves to run the ball, Seattle consistently produces quality receivers. They just do, and Tyler Lockett is their latest greatest, and I suspect that 2019 might be the year he finally gets to the Pro Bowl as one, and not a returner like he has in years past.

Tyler is a baller. He’s a football player. He makes football plays, and I think we are going to see a lot of them this year. A lot. I can not wait.

Go Hawks.

The 2019 Seattle Seahawks will be a playoff team. I just know it. You know how I know it? Easy. In the former Super Bowl winning Dallas Cowboy head coach Jimmy Johnson’s model for a winning formula, a championship level team must have an answer at these for spots; quarterback, cornerback, pass rusher, and left tackle. Those are the four cornerstone pieces according to Jimmy, and Seattle definitely has a good one of them with this guy.

Left tackle Duane Brown.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Why is Brown going to make a big impact for the 2019 Seahawks?

Did you not read that opening paragraph? He’s a Jimmy Johnson cornerstone player, and a pro bowl one at that. Seattle has not been this strong at this position since Walter Jones well over a decade ago, and at 33 years of age, he is still very much in his prime, and if truth be told, he is probably the alpha dog of this offense, if not the entire team. That is going to help this team big time, and allow me to explain.

When wide receiver Doug Baldwin suddenly retired last Spring, it was fairly panic inducing for many Twelves, understandably, including yours truly. Even though he had a down statistical year due to injuries, when healthy he was still impactful, but I think his impact went well beyond his play.

Baldwin was Angry Doug. He would ride players when he felt he needed to at critical times, including the beloved franchise quarterback. I think some panic with the Twelves probably lands pretty squarely in this one aspect: without Angry Doug, who is going to be that critical voice when the offense isn’t playing well?

I think it’s pretty obviously going to be Brown. He was the alpha of the Houston Texans offense before he was traded to Seattle, and in the season and a half of play that I’ve seen from him in this town, I have, on more than one occasion, noticed him chirping a bit to Russell Wilson when maybe the quarterback took a sack he shouldn’t have, or let the play go on longer than it should have before getting the ball out. I’ve also noticed him being a calming force on the line for younger players, such as Germiane Ifedi, when maybe they get a little too caught up in the moment.

These are things a true alpha does, and some alphas are so alpha that they don’t really need to do or say that much, but when you do, you can not deny their awesome alpha-ness, and you listen. You just do it. You have to.

Duane Brown is that type of awesome alpha. When you look at him, as his big, solid doorframe of a body steps into the room, with his oozing confidence and cool intelligence, he kind of makes you feel all warm and mushy. Like you just want to bask in his awesomeness. You just subconsciously think to yourself “yeah, that guy’s pretty cool. I could hang with him. If my significant other thinks he’s hot, I’m cool with it.”

Leadership is a word that constantly gets said about him, and players naturally respect him. He is very much a part of the new nucleus of this team, and as left tackles can play longer in this league than other positions, he could easily be here another three or four years. So get used to every awesome fiber of this alpha dog.

And get used to an offensive line that is now a strength of the team as opposed to a painful blemish. This line has a chance to be one of the best in the league this year, and it all starts with this one awesome player paid handsomely to protect the beloved franchise quarterback.

Sleep easy knowing Duane Brown is on your team, and everything will be okay. He’s that kind of awesome.

Go Hawks.

The 2019 Seattle Seahawks are a playoff team. They are actually probably a bit more than that, I think. The Los Angeles Rams should be nervous. They won’t be because they’re too business soaking up La La Land, but they should be. Oh, yes. They should be.  The Seattle Seahawks are going to be back with a vengeance, and no player on this team is looking forward to redeeming himself more that this guy.

Cornerback Shaquill Griffin

Why is Griffin poised to be an impact player this season?

Because last year he suffered a bit of a sophomore slump, and this guy is too talented and dedicated to not bounce back from it. Athletically, he is probably the most naturally gifted corner Pete Carroll and John Schneider have drafted during their tenure in Seattle together. Griffin has blazing 4.3 speed and is an incredibly athletic tester. He has all the physical traits in this league to be a top level cornerback. People have talked a lot about how his game slipped in 2018 from his promising 2017 season. I have a few thoughts on this.

One thought is that he not only switched positions on the field from right corner to left corner, but he was also tasked the job of replacing a living legend in Richard Sherman. This is almost like Sammie Hagar having to replace David Lee Roth as the lead singer of Van Halen. Hagar was a great rock and roll singer on his own, but he was not Roth, and the band never felt the same, and fans knew it. So, it stands to reason that some fans are destined to forever compare Griffin with Sherman, and I think that is a bit of a shame because Griffin is a good player. In my opinion, it’s a bit of a stretch to say he was awful last year. I think it’s more accurate to say that his play slipped noticably down the stretch.

I think it’s also important to remind fans that for the first month of the season his play was actually pretty darn good. Both of his two interceptions for the season were picked up in one really good game against the Chicago Bears when he also had three pass defenses. That was when Seattle’s defense still had Earl Thomas. During that game, it felt like perhaps Seattle truly had made the right decision moving on from Sherman to Griffin. Two games later Seattle lost Earl Thomas for the rest of the season, and let’s be honest, the whole defensive backfield was a bit hit and miss the rest of the way, and that is saying it nicely.

In his one Spring mini camp press conference, Griffin explained that his play fell off in part because he got caught up on thinking he had to make a big play instead of simply doing his job. I think that this is actually a pretty honest self scouting report. He was likely  pressured with not only having to replace an icon, but he was also pressured by not being supported by an all world free safety anymore, as well. When interceptions weren’t coming for the defense, it was perfectly natural to feel the pressure of having to make a play.

Carroll always preaches to do your job and don’t get caught up in another player’s job. That can be easier said than done, but this defense truly demands that. It will let you have the shallow plays, but it can not allow explosive plays down the field. When Sherman was still in his last couple years Seattle, his INTs went way down and he wasn’t really making Sports Center highlights any longer. Quarterbacks also weren’t throwing his way a ton. He did his job.

But let’s pause for a moment, and realize who Richard Sherman was in Seattle. He was a tall, lanky, not incredibly athletic, mid round pick of a corner who was also a former college receiver from a pro style offense at Stanford. He understood route trees, and offensive play-books, and because of that, he had incredible anticipation to make plays on the ball. He also came into Seattle with a massive chip on his shoulder, and had to fight tooth and nail for a roster spot as a rookie. That literally built his brand.

Griffin, on the other had, was drafted much higher, and was immediately handed a starting spot as a rookie. So in short, it’s pretty unfair to compare Griffin to Sherman. They are two really different dudes, truly, and as anyone who raises a child can attest, folks take leaps differently at different times. This will be his third year. Last year was Jarran Reed’s third year, and we saw how things clicked for him.

So, let me tell you what I am going to do. I am going to go out on a limb for Shaquill Griffin. I’m going to say that I take solace in his self scouting, and I believe he’s going to correct his game in 2019. In fact, I think he is going to have a big bounce back year. So much so that I am projecting him to be the sixth best player on the team out of fifty three guys. I think he’s that talented.

Seattle had eleven picks in the draft last spring and they didn’t take a single cornerback. They took a couple safeties, and a couple linebackers, and a couple defensive linemen, but no corners. I think Seattle likes their cornerback situation A LOT more than many fans do. So, I’m going to trust Pete Carroll on this one. I think Griffin will be chomping at the bit to redeem what even he acknowledged was a down sophomore year for him. He’s got a good head on his shoulders, and he’s way too talented to not improve.

And I think Seattle’s defense is going to be a lot better than a lot of people think.

Go Hawks.

The 2019 Seattle Seahawks are a playoff team. They might even be a team of destiny. You know how I know? Because this is a team comprised of tough mega-talented men. Men that matched with other men make those men seem considerably less manly. A few of these guys, I would almost consider supermen. Oh, yes. Super-humans in football pads, and this guy is one of them.

Running back Chris Carson.

Why is Carson a superhuman?

Have you seen this guy leap over tackling defenders? Have you seen him pull three defenders with him to power his way into the end zone? If not, you didn’t watch very many Seahawk games in 2018 because that was the kind of show this dude put on, and I highly advise you to simply watch this one highlight of his game against Carolina. He did a feat in that match that would make Captain America blush. Check it out.

Chris Carson is a star in the making. That is not hyperbole. He has every tool you need to be the very best back in the league. He has power, explosion, speed, agility, determination, and he catches and pass blocks well on top of being a dynamic runner. He is an every down back. This is just me, but I think he can be better than Marshawn Lynch, and you can tell Pete Carroll just loves the guy. Nobody on this team is in better shape the Carson. Those aren’t my words. Those are the words of the coach himself.

His only problem is the nagging injuries that he tends to pick up every season going all the way back to his college days. That bit of kryptonite is likely the main reason Seattle felt the need to draft Rashaad Penny when they did in 2018. Can Carson hold up for a full 16 game schedule? That is a very fair question to ask. He didn’t last year when he had his breakout season rushing for 1,151 yards and 9 touchdowns.

Fortunately in Seattle he won’t be asked to be the bell cow that Lynch was. Penny is going to get his increased reps, he’s too good not to, and don’t get underestimate just how good Penny can be in this league. However, expect Carson to continue being the guy that starts and likely still sees more touches. He’s too good to not continue going with him, and Penny would have to have an absolutely INSANE preseason to unseat him.

Could it happen? Sure it could, but again, I don’t think it matters which back starts. Either way, they will be the one-two punch, and that is probably what Carroll most wants. Carroll has always favored having a running back committee, and it goes all the way back to his USC days. He’s tried to establish it in Seattle by having Lynch and drafting Robert Turbin and Christine Michael, but it never really materialized. I think it can and should this year.

I’m excited for that. I think Seattle could easily have the best running situation in the league this year. I can’t wait to watch it. My only hope is that Seattle doesn’t get cocky and decides to trade one of these guys for a player at a different position. For a team that loves to run, you can’t have enough good backs, and you got both of these highly talented runners on cheap rookie deals. Keep both of them. Period.

Go Hawks.

The 2019 Seattle Seahawks will be a playoff team, and they might even be a Super Bowl team. Don’t feel like you need to adjust your eyes after reading that. I’m serious. Super serious. I think they can make a super serious run. Why this confidence you ask? Simple. I think their defense is going to be a whole lot better than people think, and this guy is going to be a big part of it.

Defense end Ezekiel Ansah

Why is Ansah going to help elevate the defense?

Because this veteran addition to the defensive line is an answer to the pass rush woes, even with the loss of Frank Clark. In fact, in 2018, Pro Football Focus rated Ansah as the most productive pass rusher in the league when combining sacks, hits, hurries and pressures, and he didn’t even play a full season. Let this plurality “pressures” sink in for a moment because that is going be a thing later in this piece.

I think this was the plan that Seattle had in place when they ended up trading Clark to Kansas City pre-daft. They weren’t necessarily looking to replace Clark with a rookie. Ansah was most likely going to be their guy. I believe this to be true because I feel Pete Carroll tipped his hand in a few offseason press conferences.

When asked about the pass rush and how Seattle will look to improve, he talked about the importance of quarterback pressures. Even more than sacks, Carroll wants his rushers to make quarterbacks uncomfortable. The reason for this is that Carroll wants his defense to create turn overs, and the best way for that to happen is to get a quarterback throwing when he doesn’t want to. That leads to inaccuracy or balls getting tipped and that can lead more easily to interceptions. Carroll wants turnovers more than sacks. He will gladly take sacks because that can lead to fumbles, but he absolutely wants defensive created turnovers more than anything else.

When talking about pressures, Carroll was quick to praise rookie Jacob Martin for his ability to create pressures as the season went on, and he stressed the importance for Rasheem Green to step forward in 2019. He also said that when they were looking to this draft, they were looking for guys that were keenly adept at creating pressure, and to no surprise, defensive lineman LJ Collier was one of best last year in college at quarterback pressures. That why he was drafted where he was in the first round, and that is why they also sought to bring in Ansah after trading Clark.

Some folks will worry about his injury history and age, and it’s valid. I’m not going to be one of them, and the main reason why is that Pete Carroll’s ideal is to have a rotation with his defensive line, and probably prefers not to be reliant on one superstar player (hence the reason he was willing to trade Clark when his price tag got too big). He is also probably wanting to give younger players like Green, Martin and Collier a chance to blossom. He also loves to have a steady mixture of veterans in the mix and Ansah, Jarran Reed, and Cassius Marsh are all that. I’m pretty comfortable saying that this particular cocktail might be more than enough.

So much so that Seattle may not have to rush Ansah into the start of the season, if his offseason shoulder surgery is not a hundred percent healed. If you remember back in 2013, they rested newly signed free agent pass rusher Cliff Avril during the preseason and the early portion of the regular season, and it proved substantially beneficial. Seattle got by without it’s best pass rusher early to have the whole pass rush, as a collective, clicking on all cylinders as the season went on. Not having Cliff early allowed others to emerge, and a chemistry to form. The same could be the case with Ansah this year.

Rotation, rotation, rotation.

That should be the mantra for Seattle’s 2019 pass rush. Last year Seattle had Frank Clark and Jarran Reed collecting all the sacks. This year, I expect Ansah to probably be the main threat, but I also expect Reed to continue to be quite effective, and I expect leaps out of Martin and Green with Marsh and Collier also in the equation.

This could be a lot of fun to watch. I can’t wait.

Go Hawks.