Who’s the best athlete currently in Seattle sports?

Is it Russell Wilson?

He’s certainly the most popular, and probably still the most spectacular, but if we are to look at recent history, can we view the last ten games that he played in during the 2020, and say with a straight face that, pound for pound, RW3 is undoubtedly that player?

I dunno. I am no football expert but I’ve watched A LOT of the game over the middle aged course of my life, and I don’t know if I have ever seen a quarterback struggle to beat a basic cover two defense as much as I did watching Russell in 2020 after the league finally got the memo on how to defend him in Seattle’s vertical passing offense.

Yes, I get that it was likely not all of his fault as some play caller named Schotty continued to call long developing pass plays against defenses designed to take them away, but from what I saw, it seemed like, in many of those instances, Russ still had outlet receivers available that he either did not see, or was hesitant to go towards.. and the results weren’t pretty. It was so bad at times (especially against the NY Giants and the Rams in the playoffs), that I legitimately began to wonder if we have seen the best of what the plucky passer can be, and perhaps being a true volume passer like Manning or Brady is not in his wheelhouse.

That’s not to say that he isn’t incredibly gifted as an athlete and quarterback (he is), but it does make me think that perhaps 2021 isn’t just about him evaluating whether the Seattle Seahawks are going to be a long term fit for his lofty goals, but also whether he is also going to fit what the team now wants out of a quarterback in their new offense under Shane Waldron, which will require getting the ball out quickly and on time in a consistent manner (something that Russ has a bit of a spotty history with, if we are to be honest as Seahawk fans).

So, if Russell isn’t the best athlete in Seattle Sports, who is?

Can we say it is Bobby Wagner? He’s an incredibly gifted linebacker, but does he change games?

Jamal Adams? I guess you can make a case if you think the number one priority for a strong safety is to blitz, but I think most who think of football conventional terms would list blitzing for a defensive back probably third or fourth on the list in terms of importance on the field.

How about Mitch Haniger?

Man, why do we have to bring the Seattle Mariners into this? That just makes me miss the SuperSonics more.

Unfortunately, I can’t even list a single player on the Seattle Sounders. I know they got a crowd and it’s a scene, but to me, soccer is just hockey on the field without sticks, skates, a puck, and body slams (Weirdly, I always get up for the World Cup, though. Go Zambia.)

Let’s face it, folks. When it comes to Seattle sports right now, I see two franchises that reign supreme. It’s the Seattle Seahawks and it’s the four time WNBA championship winning Seattle Storm.

And if we don’t make a case that Russell Wilson is the best overall athlete in Seattle sports, then we might as well be examining the 9-2 Seattle Storm led by the ageless Sue Bird and the MVP winning Breanna Stewart. Surely, one of those two gals must be in consideration as the best athlete in this Emerald town.

Good Lord in Heaven. Have I forgotten the title of this piece? Why am I even bringing all these other two Storm players up? This is the longest, most unnecessary build up ever. This is why I shouldn’t tell jokes. Good God, I need an editor.

In all seriousness, though. Let’s get real with the PNW marvel that has become Jewell Loyd.

If you have not been paying attention to the 2021 Seattle Storm either because the WNBA isn’t your jam, or your more dialed into the NHL and NBA playoffs, or you’d rather enjoy the Mariners dog paddling in the MLB, or whatever, you are missing out on something special, and that is the impressive assent of shooting guard Jewell Loyd as an All-World basketball player.

On a team that has been built around the legend of Sue Bird, and the unique skill set (and ridiculous seven foot wingspan) of Breanna Stewart, Jewell Loyd has been their most consistent player, and MVP in this early part of their season. What she is quietly becoming in the league is special, and right now, teams do not have an answer for her.

As of right now, if someone were to describe her as the Kobe of the WNBA, it would not be hyperbole. I think it would be pretty accurate.

For those that follow the WNBA and know her story, they know that she was close with the legendary Kobe Bryant. She viewed him as a close mentor while he was alive. She would lean into him for advice and to be pushed as a player. She has stated in the past that she has committed to dedicating her game to him, and I can believe that.

If you are watching her now, you can see some of Kobe living through her game.

Nobody on the Seattle Storm roster has Bird’s savvy and years of knowledge on the game.

Nobody on that team has Stewart’s incredible length and inside/outside skills as a scorer and defender.

Nobody on the WNBA championship winning Storm has the ability to create for herself scoring opportunities like Jewell Loyd now has. She’s an explosive dasher to the basket when a lane opens up. Her ability to drive and pull up for a mid range jumper is lethal to defend. Perhaps most impressively now, is how automatic she has become at the three point range.

If you want a fun basketball highlight to watch, dial up the last half second of overtime game Seattle played against the Dallas Wings on June 4th. That’s as impressive of a catch and shoot three point play as you will find in any basketball game, period.

What I find most interesting about Loyd is, while she has always been a very talented player for the Storm since entering the league in 2015, it has taken her this long to truly ascend beyond an All-Star caliber status. In recent years, the Seattle Storm has felt like a two headed championship level monster between Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart. Loyd has felt a bit like the George Harrison between their Lennon and McCarty.

This season feels different. Through eleven games, it is clear that it is becoming more and more of the Jewell Loyd show. If you have been following any of these games, you can sorta sense Sue Bird sensing it herself. It feels like she is giving way to Loyd more and more.

Maybe it is the focus that teams are giving Stewart that is opening up more opportunities for her, or maybe it is Seattle leaning more into Loyd’s unique skills and athleticism with first year head coach Noelle Quinn now taking over with a fresh perspective on her as a player, but one thing is certain; the league doesn’t appear to have much of an answer to stopping her, and she’s fun to watch.

And she should be watched. Pound for pound, she is undoubtedly now one of the best basketball players on the planet. It’s all clicking for her, and it’s exciting to see her ascend.

Ultimately, it’s more than a bit of a silly thing to argue who a better athlete is between a football player and a basketball player or even a baseball player. It takes such uniquely different set of skills to play quarterback over a shooting guard, or even a striker in soccer.

It’s still can be a fun debate to be had if you’re not throwing kitchen wear at each other during the course of it (or arguing with strangers on the internet).

Unquestionably, Russell Wilson remains the biggest sports figure in Seattle sports, but I think the hottest player right now is Jewell Loyd, and it isn’t close.

That’s why I think an argument can be had that she is the best athlete in this town, currently. Until the league figures out a way to stop her, or until Russell Wilson figures out how to consistently beat a basic cover two scheme once again, my vote is on her right now.

If you haven’t checked her or the Storm out this season, you should. Treat yourself.

Go Storm!

It’s been a weird goofy year, and a weird goofy Seahawk off-season with all the weird goofy stuff that Russell Wilson and his agent have been cooking.

I’ve had to write a lot of weird goofy stuff as a result. I’ve had to start every piece about how weird and goofy everything is from Russ throwing his offensive linemen under the bus to his agent saying that he doesn’t want to be traded but if he were, the Raiders, Saints, Cowboys and Bears all have uniforms that he would be happy to wear.

Days before the draft, I concocted a weird goofy mock draft where I sent Bobby Wagner to Carolina for an early third and fifth round pick. I then sent Quandre Diggs to Jacksonville for quarterback Gardner Minshew and a fourth round pick.

On top of feeling the need for Seattle to have an insurance plan at quarterback in the invent that Russ goes nuclear like Aaron Rodgers has done, I saw glaring needs at left tackle of the future, slot receiver, and corner back. With a little maneuvering, I found a way to gain three day two picks to address these three biggest needs, in my view.

Apparently, outside of a quarterback insurance policy, John Schneider saw things very similarly to me. With only three picks, Schneider maneuvered through this draft to select a receiver, corner, and a left tackle of the future.

In my humblest of humble opinions, Schneider killed this draft. He squashed it like a bug on a rug.

Folks will complain about Seattle only landing three picks, and that is fair in terms of building for the future, but I would say that what Seattle has done in signing undrafted free agents after the draft is pretty interesting, though. They landed players at receiver, corner, and offensive line with decent enough draft grades to think that they legitimately have a shot to make this club.

Players already on this roster that have been thought of as solid depth pieces are going to be in for a battle for a roster spot with players that have gone undrafted. It’s going to make for a fascinating training camp. I’m excited.

But lets look at this small but promising draft haul.

D’Wayne Eskridge, WR, Western Michigan

Seattle stayed at it’s native second round pick and took the player they viewed as the best player on their board. At 5-9 190 lbs, Eskridge is a lightening fast run-after-catch type who kinda stole the show at receiver during the Senior Bowl. He displayed good route running, solid hands, and exciting run after catch quicks.

He is being compared a bit to Tyreek Hill some. I can see some Percy Harvin type qualities as well. He’s an exciting returner as well as a receiver and runner.

It’s exciting to envision what he can do in this new Ram style offensive that Shane Waldron will be installing. It will be fun to watch him in motion and as a threat with end around runs, and occasional quick screens.

He’s played a lot outside, so I don’t believe he is strictly a slot receiver. Seattle can mix and match him with DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, and they all run 4.3 speed. That’s really exciting.

The only blemish with this pick is that the dude is already 24 years old, but that is a minor blemish in my view, and if the dude is making game changing plays on Sundays, very few people are going to be concerned that he will be 28 by the time he reaches his second contract. If you are concerned about that, do more yoga and lay off the coffee and red meat.

I love this pick. I felt like this was the biggest immediate need on the team, and I think Russell Wilson has missed having a deep receiving room over the past couple seasons. He should be thrilled about this pick.

Tre Brown, Cornerback, Oklahoma

It’s not a shock that the Seattle Seahawks took a cornerback with their second pick by the time they selected in the fourth round. It was a need for the team with all their top corners set to be free agents in 2022, and Seattle typically waits until the mid portions of the draft to select the position.

They know what they like at the position, and feel like they can be patient there. The highest they have ever picked a corner is in the later portion of round three when they took Shaquille Griffin in 2017. Richard Sherman and a long list of others have all be day three picks.

What is somewhat shocking is that they took a 5-9 190 lb fella to play outside corner on this team, and they view him as a player who will compete to start.

I call this the DJ Read/Jamal Adams effect.

With DJ Read, the tie in is obvious. Read was an undersized corner who was thrust into starting mid season for the Seahawks, and that was roughly the same time Seattle’s defense started to make its dramatic turnaround. Read proved sticky in coverage and a play-maker who looked more dynamic than Griffin in coverage and he played the run quite well, as well.

Brown has A LOT of Read’s sticky coverage game and play-making ability. He’s also shown to be quite explosive blitzing and playing the run. John Schneider said in the post draft press conference that had he been 6-2, he would have been a top ten pick in this draft. His game tape is impressive.

What I really think is going on with this pick, though, is all about Jamal Adams and what Pete Carroll’s defense is shifting into. I think will are going to see a continual shift out of the standard slanted 4-3 cover three defense into a much more aggressive hybrid Bear front that will call on more blitz looks and because of that, Seattle will require it’s corners to play more man than zone coverage in past years.

6-3 guys are not as necessary anymore, they are looking for pure cover guys, and that is what Brown is. Like Eskridge, he was another Senior Bowl standout.

I dig this pick and what it is potentially signaling for the defense moving forward.

Stone Forsythe, Offensive Tackle, Florida

The NFL draft is a funny crap shoot. We don’t ultimately know how is will shake out as things get going. For those of us that enjoy studying the prospects as we gear towards it, we gain ideas in our heads how we believe it was unfold.

When I did my mock draft last week, I had Seattle drafting a left tackle of the future project with it’s first pick. While I viewed receiver and corner bigger immediate needs, I acknowledged that perhaps the biggest future need is a replacement for 36 year old Duane Brown who’s contract is due to be up in 2022.

If Seattle took Stone Forsythe with its first pick on Friday, I would not have been disappointed with the selection. At 6-8 and 307 lbs, he is a towering left tackle prospect who was one of the best pure pass blockers in college last year going against the best pass rushers in the SEC, and he was viewed by many as a legit day two pick.

The knock on him is that he is not nearly as polished as a run blocker and the height is a concern in playing with good leverage. He was also viewed as a quite guy who might be more finesse than bully.

I think he slid into the sixth round because teams were concerned about his unusual height as his rawness as a run blocker, and maybe his demeanor as a person.

What he appears to be on tape is a very natural looking pass blocker with good feet and an impressive wingspan that made it more of a challenge getting by him in college, even for the top pass rushers. While it’s possible that he needs to get a bit stronger and he needs to refine his run blocking, he might not be as much of a project as one perhaps thinks.

He will also have the luxury of being the direct backup to one of the best left tackles in the game. Learning from Duane Brown is going to be a huge benefit for him, and it was clear by the sounds of Carroll in his press conference that he is viewed solely as a left tackle.

My view of this pick is that Seattle may have gotten the steal of the entire draft with this pick.

Getting a starting left tackle beyond the second round of the draft is really rare. This was a good draft for tackle, though, and if there was a year to do it, this might be the very one. I think that if it had not been for Covid, and if there would have been a NFL combine and team workouts, there is a chance this guy would be been drafted much much sooner than he was.

This was by far my favorite pick in this small class for the Seahawks and I loved the Eskridge pick.

Seahawks make noise in undrafted free agency.

Moments after the NFL draft concluded, the Seattle Seahawks agreed to term with Tamorrian Terry, a tall speedy receiver from Florida State. I had him mocked to Seattle in the later rounds as a backup to DK Metcalf as a player with upside who can fast, physical, and can stretch defenses.

The surprise signing for me, though, was Seattle signing South Dakota State receiver Cade Johnson, who as he was sitting there in round four, I began to wonder if Seattle would double down at the position and take him there. He’s viewed as a solid Tyler Lockett type of nifty route runner. I love this signing.

Seattle tripled down on undrafted receiver signings by bringing in local kid Connor Wedington from Stanford and they paid him an expensive $20K signing bonus to come home. He’s an athletic freak who might have more impact as a kick returner than receiver, but clearly, there is something to him that they really like a lot. This could be Seattle’s primary kick returner, which is interesting.

Suddenly, Freddie Swain’s roster spot doesn’t seem as certain with these three signings. If Wedington looks more promising as a returner than Swain and they don’t want to risk Eskridge there because they see a more immediate prominent role for him this season in the offense, Swain could be the odd guy out, especially if Johnson and Terry flash enough during the preseason.

Seattle also added cornerback Bryan Mills from NC Central who is a taller corner and another Senior Bowl standout. This is an interesting signing in my view and if Seattle would have taken him where they took Tre Brown, very few draft pundits would have batted an eye. He looks like a classic taller Pete Carroll corner. My only hope is that this signing doesn’t diminish the chances of Seattle bringing home Richard Sherman.

Out of all the other undrafted signings, I’m probably most intrigued by Texas A&M guard Jared Hocker who is a gigantic 6-6 327 pound human being. He’s another guy who was viewed as a potential mid round pick who was a three year starter coming out of Jimbo Fisher’s zone blocking scheme. With this signing, there is a big part of me that Seattle might have scored it’s left tackle of the future with Forsythe and it’s right guard of the future with Hocker.

As I view these signings mentioned, I see a scenario where, if Seattle had more picks sprinkled through this draft, a number of these guys could have been drafted by this team. It’s clear that Seattle viewed WR, CB, and OL has their top needs, and that is how they attacked things.

Moving forward

I’m much rosier about the 2021 outlook of the this team now. They avoided the Russell Wilson drama and look very committed to him now. In fact, I don’t expect to see him traded at all, and will write more on the reasons why in another piece later.

I think this draft, along with free agency reflects a shift of philosophy on both sides of the ball.

Offensively, this draft and free agency as Shane Waldron written all over it.

With Eskridge and Cade Johnson, there is an emphasis on smaller speedier run after catch guys who can be used in motion over vertical threats. I think we are are likely to see a return of more three receiver sets for Russ to cook with and in that, Seattle wants guys who can get open fast.

I think the drafting of Forsythe also spells a shift towards Waldron’s philosophy. There is no point that I can recall, under Carroll, that the team drafted an offensive lineman who is regarded as a pure pass blocker. Russ has got to be thrilled about that.

Former Rams tight end Gerald Everett sparks a clear contrast to tight ends that Carroll has coveted. He’s all pass catcher.

Defensively, I think we see a clear trend towards an aggressive Bear style defense to be built around Jamal Adams and his ability to drop and blitz. Seattle wants corners that can cover in man. I also think we might be seeing a different shift in philosophy on the defensive line, in particular at defensive tackle.

I think Seattle is looking to get quicker inside with the preference of Poona Ford over Jarran Reed, and the additions of Robert Nkemdiche and Al Woods. Perhaps gone is the idea of loading up inside with traditional space eaters, and they want guys who can explode more aggressively into the backfield when needed.

I kind of suspect that we could see former first round pick LJ Collier convert more towards a defensive tackle now more than ever with how they loaded up at defensive end during free agency. When he was drafted, I thought that there was a chance he could grow into a future starting three tech. Now, I am almost expecting it to prove true.

Moving forward, I have a sneaking feeling that we could see the return of Richard Sherman to Seattle and KJ Wright coming back, as well. These are the two moves that, in my view, would put this team prime position for finally going deeper in the playoffs.

Make this happen, Pete and John! Do it.

Go Hawks.

Hey, you.

How’s it going? Are you feeling any uneasy Russell Wilson vs Seattle Seahawks fatigue?

Don’t be embarrassed if you are. We’ve been through a lot over the past year.

Look, I’m going to be honest. I love the NFL Draft, it’s my Football Christmas, but this year Football Christmas feels weird as a diehard Seahawk fan.

Because Russell Wilson decided to publicly air a major tiff with the Seattle Seahawks days after he won the Walter Payton Man Of The Year Award, the Seattle Seahawk 2021 off-season started off with a major case of diarrhea that I am sure every Ram and 49er fan cherished.

While I’m won’t rehash it all, I will say that if your spouse says that they don’t want a divorce but then they give you a list of four people within your network that they would be happy moving on with, you might want to start lining up your ducks some.. or at least think about it.

On top of that weirdness, because of the Jamal Adams and Gabe Jackson trades, the Seattle Seahawks will be entering Football Christmas with only three picks to select any players.

For perspective, that’s the fewest amount any team has had since 1999 when the New Orleans Saints couldn’t get the crack pipe out of Mike Ditka’s hands when he traded away their entire draft class for Texas running back Ricky Williams.

For a team that has prided itself over building through the draft over the years, it is incredibly hard to imagine that general manager John Schneider will stay with only three picks. In fact, if there is one certainty that I have as we sit a week away from this draft, it’s that Schneider will figure out a way to turn 3 picks into 6 or more.

How he manages to do this will take an enormous amount of creativity. This mock draft is my attempt to embrace being creative to fill needs and maintain a roster capable to winning the hyper competitive NFL West division.

What are the team needs for these 2021 Seattle Seahawks, anyways?

On paper, it appears like the biggest glaring needs of this team are a third receiver, cornerback, and a strong side linebacker. Those are the spots that Seattle, on paper, appears to be most shaky.

However, we could easily add defensive tackle if we feel like Al Woods coming back isn’t enough to replace Jarran Reed, and center if we feel like bringing back Ethan Pocic isn’t enough there, either.

If we are to peel back the layers of this team a bit more, we could probably come up with a number of other needs, especially if we start looking at this roster in 2022 and beyond. Currently, this team has no long term answer to replace Duane Brown at left tackle should he decide to retire. It also has no backup quarterback that could be the quarterback of the future should the situation between Russ and the club continue continue to sour beyond repair.

Plus, do we feel great at running back with the history of injuries that have plagued Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny? I dunno.

Some of these positions could be remedied in free agency after the draft. Seattle could bring back KJ Wright to be the SAM backer once again, and for that matter, they could (and perhaps should) bring back former Hawks in Richard Sherman at corner, and Golden Tate as the slot receiver.

But as I look at this roster, I legitimately worry greatly about the long term answer at left tackle, the depth at receiver and corner, and I think that this situation with Russ legitimately warrants considering bringing in a quarterback who the team could turn towards if a trade feels inevitable.

These are probably my biggest needs, as I see them, and I would say of them, left tackle and quarterback are probably to two hardest positions to fill through the draft.

John Schneider has a lot of work to do. Never fear. Here is my 2021 Seattle Seahawk mock draft to help him find solutions. If anyone has John’s email address and wants to send this his way, feel free.

Warning! Two shocking trades happen.

Well, maybe one shocking trade happens, and then another that will be less shocking goes down. Nevertheless, let’s just rip the band-aid off and announce the shocking trade first.

In a move that is sure to shake up the PNW, Seattle sends All-Pro middle linebacker Bobby Wagner to the Carolina Panthers for picks number 73 (third round) and 151 (fifth round). This will stun long time Seahawk fans, but the reasoning here is two fold. Seattle drafted a middle linebacker last year in Jordyn Brooks in round one, and Seattle is going to have to pay All-Pro safety Jamal Adams and his services won’t be cheap. Having invested $17 million in a middle linebacker, and $18 plus million in a safety who thinks of himself as a “defensive weapon” is a LOT of cheddar to throw into two positions that aren’t widely considered premiere ones in the league.

Panther GM Scott Fitterer has strong Seahawk ties and he is working for a mega billionaire owner that probably wants to make a Paul Allen like splash to put his team ahead in the NFC South. Seattle opens up enough cap space to bring back KJ Wright, and possibly Richard Sherman and/or Golden Tate. More importantly, Seattle nets high third round and fifth round picks to get back in this draft.

Trade number two involves sending pro bowl free safety Quandre Diggs to the safety needy Jacksonville Jaguars for pick 130 (fourth round) and quarterback Gardner Minshew. Jacksonville will be viewed as the winner of this deal netting a pro bowl safety who is still relatively young, but this will be potentially a very important trade for Seattle. We will delve more into the merits of this deal for Minshew later and a mid round pick later.

Warning! A not so shocking third trade happens.

John Schneider is going to John Schneider and trade down out of 56th pick. A good cornerback falls to Seattle’s pick and the very corner needy Green Bay Packers are afraid of the Rams selecting him at 57, so they send picks 62, 135, and 173.

The Seattle Seahawks now have a total of eight picks to work with. They have a late second, early third, three fourth round picks, two fifth round picks, and a seven rounder. For a regime that has typically drafted well in the fourth and fifth rounds, this will do.

With the 62nd pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select D’Ante Smith, Offensive Tackle, East Carolina

The Seattle Seahawks do a very Seattle Seahawky thing in trading back and selecting a talent that most draft pundits viewed as a player that should be drafted a bit later. Seattle is the most honey badger-y team in the league when it comes to the draft. They are going to do what they are going to do.

They are especially drawn to traits in the player and are willing to grab onto perceived projects early if they see special traits. They’ve done with Bruce Irvin, Bobby Wagner, Frank Clark, LJ Collier, Christine Michael, Justin Britt and others. Admittedly, this is a bit of a hit or miss approach.

Smith has great length and athleticism to be a future left tackle and he plays with a nasty edge. He also had a decent Senior Bowl showing (another thing that Seattle pays attention to). Seattle could start him out at left guard along side Duane Brown, and have recently acquired Gabe Jackson play right guard while Damien Lewis shifts to center. Or they could have him compete with Brandon Shell at right tackle. Either way, this is very much a pick for the future, and Seattle sees this as a rare opportunity to select a starting left tackle in the back end of the second round.

With the 73rd Pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Tylan Wallace, Wide Receiver, Oklahoma State

If the Seattle Seahawks are going to run a LA Rams style offensive under Shane Waldron’s play calling, they are going to need receivers that are strong route runners with soft hands and can get easy separation. Essentially, they will need more Doug Baldwin types over vertical threats.

Tylan Wallace checks those boxes out and posted a decent 4.48 time that Seattle will likely find attractive as well. He also possesses decent size at 6-0 and 190lbs, and is a willing blocker in the run game.

His toughness, route running, speed, and ability to haul difficult passes make him a potentially classic Pete Carroll Seattle Seahawk receiver. He’s not a project player, he’s plug and play, and his additional should finally give Russ a level of comfort he is not had since Baldwin, Jermaine Kearse, Tyler Lockett, and Paul Richardson were all this the team together.

This is a highly important selection.

Trade Alert! The Seattle Seahawks send picks 129 and 130th to the draft pick needy New Orleans Saints for the last pick in the third round (105), and select Ambry Thomas, Cornerback, Michigan

Pete Carroll has a fondness of Michigan players due of his respect for Jim Harbaugh, and Thomas comes with enough size and coverage skills to be viewed as the longer term fixture they need on the outside of their defense. With DJ Reed, Ahkello Witherspoon, and Tre Flowers all set to become free agents in 2022, this is a big position of need for the club, and I think Thomas is a guy Seattle would easily be willing to move up for if they had the extra picks to do it.

With the 135th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Dayo Odeyingbo, Defensive Lineman, Vanderbilt

Odeyingbo feels like a classic Pete Carroll defensive lineman in his ability to play inside/out on the defensive line. At 6-5 and 285 lbs, he possesses great length and size, and he showed enough potential as a pass rusher in college to be destined to be a likely second round pick had he not torn his Achilles out during a workout days before the Senior Bowl. If he lasts to this pick, I can see Carroll being excited about grabbing him here and red-shirting him in 2021 with the hopes that they landed a future starter at either the 5 tech end or 3 tech tackle position on their defensive line.

With the 151st pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select David Moore, Guard/Center, Grambling State

Seattle loses a David Moore WR in free agency, and gains a David Moore G/C in the draft. This David Moore is was a short and robust guard in college who showed up pretty well at the Senior Bowl, and showed enough while taking snaps at center to think that some team is going to find a potential mid round diamond in the rough with him. Personally, I would like the Seattle Seahawks to be that team. Moore gives Seattle depth at guard and center in 2021 and could be viewed as the future starting center beyond. This would be a solid selection, IMO.

With the 173 Pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Charles Snowden, Linebacker, Virginia

By trading away Bobby Wagner, Seattle will need longer term depth at linebacker. They have a good piece in Jordyn Brooks to take Wangers place inside, and they have two guys that can still develop in Cody Barton and Ben Burr-Kirven. All three of these guys are off ball players, and what the team need is a true strong side middle linebacker. Even if they bring back KJ Wright, they need depth behind him. Snowden is unusually built for a 4-3 linebacker at 6-6 243 LBs, but has shown enough fluid lateral quickness and drop back ability to think that there is something to work with there. He’s a project, though, and will possibly need to get stronger to anchor at the line of scrimmage. At this range, I could see Seattle being interested in taking on this project.

With the 250th Pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Tamorrion Terry, Wide Receiver, Florida State

The NFL draft is a funny business. Sometimes players you think should be drafted later get drafted much earlier, and sometimes a player that you think would be a solid pick in an earlier round slides into the later rounds, or doesn’t get drafted at all. Terry falls into the later grouping in this scenario. He’s a good athlete with good size and hands but never fully lived up to his hype in college. His “boom or bust” label has teams leery here but Seattle takes a flyer on a guy that they think could add solid depth behind freakish DK Metcalf as a taller wide-out who can stretch defenses.

My Thoughts on this Mock Draft for the Seahawks

I don’t know if Seattle is going to make any splash moves in this draft like packaging a star player or two for more picks to be an active player, but I think that they need to do it.

They need to have a stronger eye for the future of this club and they have invested a lot of draft capital at linebacker and safety recently. Therefore, those are the areas that I am more willing to play “let’s make a deal.”

Bobby Wagner is an iconic Seahawk and it’s hard to see moving him, but I think with drafting Jordyn Brooks last year in the first round, you’ve likely got his replacement. I’m comfortable moving on.

The simple truth is that Seattle needs long term fixtures at left tackle and center, and cornerback, and they have to figure that out. This mock draft presents strong potential solutions to these important positions and it adds a third receiver who reminds me of Doug Baldwin and Golden Tate some. If Seattle can walk away next weekend with this kind of haul, I would be extremely pleased.

The rest of this picks represent projects for the future, but I think Dayo Odeyingbo could be a sneaky good pick as someone to red-shirt and have as an interior pass rush presence for years to come.

The downside to this draft is that they miss out on depth at tight end, running back, and a true defensive tackle, but you can’t draft at every position and free agency could still offer short term solutions.

Overall, I think this would be an outstanding draft for Seattle. I dig it.

My Thoughts on Seattle trading for Gardner Minshew

Despite all the noise quieting down on the Russell Wilson front, I still believe that there is potentially enough fire with that smoke that Seattle needs to start thinking more seriously about its future at quarterback. It’s the smart and right thing to do.

At this point, I think it’s highly unlikely that Seattle would trade Russell Wilson this year, but should this team fall short of expectations in 2021, I think it is more than likely that a divorce could be brewing in 2022.

I hope that I am wrong about that, but until I see the team restructure his contract to free more salary cap space up now and kick more money down that road, thus making it cost prohibitive to trade him in 2022-2023, I feel like the chance of dealing him is still very alive.

It is also possible that with another Covid influenced off-season with no live OTAs or mini-camps, the team is willing to deal with the awkwardness of hanging onto Russ one more season for the sake of continuity. The simple fact is that we could be looking at a loveless marriage between the quarterback and the team as they have decided to kick the inevitable divorce down the road.

What I love about bringing in Minshew is that Seattle gets a quarterback who has enough starting experience to know NFL defenses better than any rookie quarterback of the future type, and he has passing numbers that suggest that he can play an efficient brand of football that Pete Carroll would like as a starter. They don’t have to reach on a player with their first pick, and because Minshew has two year left on his rookie contract, Seattle gets him on the cheap. Those are huge benefits.

I also think that Minshew likely still has an interesting potential as a longer term starter in this league, if put into the right system with the right talent around him. I think Shane Waldron’s system could be that fit.

His style of play reminds me some of Mark Brunell and Jeff Garcia (older fans will know those guys pretty well). He’s not the biggest guy but he’s not tiny either. He’s a scrappy leader with good athleticism and while he doesn’t have a huge arm, he can make all the necessary throws to play in this league. He’s accurate and I think he might have a better understanding of route concepts than Sam Darnold, the young quarterback that Seattle was allegedly interested in when all the Russell trade stuff was leading headlines over a month ago.

Another thing to consider about potentially moving on from Russ is how fans and teammates will take that. Minshew has a built in popularity in the PNW from his wondrous senior season at Washington State. In one season as a starter, he captivated the Northwest. He’s also a lovable personality.

This all could go a long way with fans and teammates should Seattle eventually pull the trigger on a blockbuster trade sending Russ out of Dodge. If Minshew spots Russ in a few blowout games and surgically manufactures scoring drives, I think fans would enjoy watching that, and there would be a natural rest easy feeling about the uncertainty of the future.

I also think that Minshew might be a really good fit for any Rams style offense that Seattle could be installing. He’s good at play action and throws accurately with nice anticipation. He’s also a nifty scrambler with space in front of him.

As I see it, there is absolutely no harm in Seattle bringing him in.

Even if Seattle and Russ work it all out and Russ stays, Seattle acquires a guy who could easily be one of the very best backups in the league, and at some point, Russ is likely going to come up with an injury that could keep him out a few games. Wouldn’t it be nice for Seattle to have a quarterback behind him that they could continue rolling out some wins with?

It hurts to give up a quality safety in Diggs but Seattle has traded for Jamal Adams and they drafted Marquise Blair and Ugo Amadi, and they still have Ryan Neal. They have plenty of pieces there that I would be comfortable moving on from Diggs and not having to pay two safeties top end dollars.

I am officially on the Gardner Minshew to Seattle hype train. I want this deal to happen. I think it’s an important insurance policy move that makes too much sense for it not to be a thing. Just my two cents on the matter, anyways.

Hope you enjoyed this mock draft. Who knows what happens in a few days but I, for one, am excited to find out.

Go Hawks!

This off-season as been one of the weirdest ones that I can ever remember as a Seattle Seahawk fan. They have made a number of moves through free agency that I think should get fans pretty excited, but I get a sense that, for many, these moves have been reflected upon as ho-hum-ish.

They also made a trade for one of the better veteran pass blocking guards in the league to which the cost was nothing more than a 5th round pick, and weirdly, I’ve actually seen some argue on Twitter that the move wasn’t an upgrade from the turnstile blocker that had been at left guard last year (never reads the comments on Twitter).

This weird alleged rift between Russell Wilson and Pete Carroll has kept a dark cloud over this team for the last two months. In case you have been living in a hippy surf commune on the North East corner of Kauai for the past sever months without any internet (okay, now I’m jealous), let me sum up the weirdness of this feud.

Apparently, Russ, through his agent and Colin Cowherd, doesn’t want to play for Pete anymore because Pete likes a balanced offense that doesn’t turn the ball over, and now Russ wants to be a Chicago Bear. That’s pretty much the long and short of it.

Weird right? Yeah, I’d run back to that Hawaiian North shore nudist colony too and suck on dried out noni fruit as well, if only I could drop thirty pounds.

Because of all this stuff, many Seahawk fans have been thrown into this strange nebula that is part denial, part gloom, and part f**k it all let’s rebuild. I’m sure many casual fans of the team are now distancing themselves into becoming either more Mariner fans or just giving up on sports in general in exchange for watching all the Marvel films in timeline order on Disyney+, like I am (Iron Man 3 is vastly underrated stuff).

For my part, I’m dug in. I’ve been a diehard Seahawk fan for decades, and have experienced all the highs and lows. I’ve seen much worse from this organization than a power struggle between a top five-ish quarterback and a hall of fame-ish head coach. I’ve experienced Ken Behring and Dan McGuire.

Bring. It. On.

My skin is thick as the leather on Conan The Barbarian’s belt strap when it comes to the Seattle Seahawks and I am actually intrigued what might lay ahead for Russ and the team, whether he stays or is dealt. One thing that I know for certain is that, if he is eventually dealt, it will be for an absolute monster haul of picks and players, and the Seattle Seahawks won’t deal him unless they know for certain they have an appropriate replacement at quarterback. Either way, Seattle should be fine, I think.

One thing that I know for certain is that when news broke yesterday about the Seattle Seahawks extending Tyler Lockett for four more years, that made me really happy. Like, giddy happy.

Tyler has always been one of my favorite Seahawks under Pete Carroll, and he has been nothing but productive ever since his rookie year. On top of being a highly skilled route runner with clutch hands and sneaky speed, he seems to be one of the genuinely nicest dudes on the planet. His teammates love him, and so do countless fans.

In a weird 2020 season where we saw the Seattle offense put up record numbers in scoring and yardage only to drastically taper off in the second half of the season, we could sense frustration from some of the offensive players, and I don’t think Tyler was immune to that. In fact, in post game interviews, I think he was fairly frank in his assessments that defenses had simply figured Seattle out.

For me, I think it’s the way that he delivered that frankness that is worth noting. He didn’t sugarcoat the truth, but he didn’t erupt in anger either, or cast blame. He kept it all very real, and simple for us all.

I think Tyler Lockett is a hugely underrated member of the Seattle Seahawks. On top of the countless clutch moments that he has helped bail out his team (and perhaps his quarterback) on the field, he has perhaps been an even greater teammate and leader. He volunteered in an interview last season that he was seriously contemplating sitting out 2020 because of Covid, but decided to play because he loves his teammates and he plays the game for them.

My guess is that, in a nutshell, is what makes Tyler Lockett a Pete Carroll favorite. He is “all in” not for himself, or perhaps even the game. He’s “all in” for his team.

I love that. That’s a player that you want around and want to build off of. Absolutely.

And I love that he will now likely retire a Seahawk.

Go Hawks.

I really like how the Seattle Seahawks have attacked the free agency market this off-season. I am aware that this might make me seem like a homer, that I am not looking at this team as critically as a growing number of discontent fans on Twitter are, and perhaps I am living in some sort of Seahawk blue and green world of denial, but I love what they have been doing.

I love the free agent signing of former Ram tight end Gerald Everett. I liked him a lot as a pass catching option coming out of college a few years back, and I love the fact that he is coming into Seattle well versed with knowledge of the offense that new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron will likely be installing. He was a player that I had singled out as a potential free agent target in previous pieces. This was a smart move, in my opinion.

I love that fact that Seattle did not overspend to keep cornerback Shaquill Griffin and they brought in former 49er corner Ahkello Witherspoon on a one year deal to add to the competition to replace him. Witherspoon has a very traditional Pete Carroll Seahawk corner air about his physicality and play, and he played in a style of defense in San Francisco that is closely modeled after Carroll’s defense. Again, this was a smart move.

I really love that Seattle did to trade for veteran guard Gabe Jackson by sending a fifth round pick to the Raiders for his services. Jackson did not allow for a single sack in 2020, and Seattle has improved their left guard spot for at least two seasons, if not more.

By bringing back center Ethan Pocic, Seattle now has it’s starting 2021 offensive line likely set, and there is nothing preventing them from drafting a young center at some point next month. These were both solid moves, in my opinion.

What I love most of all about this off-season, however, is how Seattle addressed it’s defensive line. I love every move Seattle made. Being able to correctly gauge Carlos Dunlap’s market by releasing him and bringing him back on a two year $16 million deal is inspired front offense navigating. Adding back Benson Mayowa and bringing in former 49er Kerry Hyder are both sneaky good moves. With Dunlap, Mayowa and Hyder all on multip year deals, Seattle now has a deep and proven rotation of edge rushers to mix in with the younger talents of Alton Robinson and Darrell Taylor.

The release of Jarran Reed stings a bit at defensive tackle, but I would much rather have Dunlap back on the edge than Reed inside, especially when you consider that Seattle has committed to up and coming defensive tackle Poona Ford, who might be a more talented player than Reed. Bringing back former Seahawk DT Al Woods helps mitigate the loss of the toughness Reed brought inside, and I suspect that we are likely to see former first round pick LJ Collier transition more to defensive tackle, as well. From my eyes, I thought Collier looked way more interesting rushing inside in 2020 than when he was asked to play end, and Seattle also has Rasheem Green as an inside pass rusher, as well. Color me not worried.

Suddenly, this defensive line feels deep. It feels loaded with players who can play multiple positions and it has some that excel specifically at certain ones. It looks like they can go big against the run, if they need to, and they can go quick against the pass when needed, all game long. I’m very intrigued.

I also think that Seattle might not be done shopping as we inch towards the draft next month. I think it’s still possible that we see the return of KJ Wright at SAM linebacker, and I really hope that happens. I also think that if they can dip a bit towards a third receiver in the market, they would enter the draft with no glaring holes for their 2021 season, and that is a huge deal because they only currently have three picks (although, spoiler alert, I suspect John Schneider will figure out a way to add more).

So, as I sit and gauge these activities, I have to grade Seattle pretty highly, right?

I think so. As I look over the roster, I have to feel pretty good about this club, especially considering that they brought back superhero running back Chris Carson with all these other moves. I mean, we should all be pretty pumped.

Why isn’t everyone so pumped?

What the heck is really going on with all this Russell Wilson stuff?

My guess is that the issues around Seattle’s star quarterback are the reasons why not everyone is on board with what Seattle is presently doing. There seems to be this growing trend with NFL fans believing that the quarterback position means everything in the game, and if you don’t have a really really really good one, you can’t win.

Never mind that a few years back the Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl with Nick Foles as their starting quarterback, and both the 49ers and Rams got to the Super Bowl with the very average talents of Jimmy Garoppolo and Jared Goff as their passers, or a few years ago both the Vikings and Jaguars made it to the conference championship games with Case Keenum and Blake Bortles at quarterback. These facts don’t matter to the fans who believe in today’s NFL it is all about the quarterback and doing whatever it is humanly possible to make the player happy, at all costs, if he’s thought to be a pretty darn good one.

So, to repeat prior thoughts, here’s what I think is likely going on in Seattle with Russell Wilson. I think Russell Wilson wants out of Seattle. I don’t think he wants to play for Pete Carroll anymore, and the only way he wants to stay is if Jody Allen fires Pete and replaces him with a coach who will do everything that Russell Wilson wants him to do. I think that is the long and short of it.

Russell Wilson might say and do things that, on the surface, makes you think that he still wants to be around. He will say “go Hawks” on Instagram, and he will tweet his approval of Chris Carson and Carlos Dunlap coming back, but make no mistake, this dude is looking for greener pastures. That’s why he’s floated out destinations that he would like to be traded to, and why he is constantly back channeling to Colin Cowherd all his issues with Pete Carroll. The dude wants out of Dodge.

He wants to play in a market that will take his brand farther. He also wants a team to be so desperate in trading for him that they will do whatever he wants to fashion the team around him, and my guess is that we might not want to sleep on the Chicago Bears eventually coming up with enough to make it happen.

This is my gut talking here. I will repeat what many have been saying for weeks; where there is smoke, there is fire.

I also believe the reports that Seattle would be happy to trade him and be done with his pesky agent if they had the right path to a quarterback they like to replace him. I tend to believe the reports that they perhaps really like Sam Darnold.

People can laugh all they want to about replacing Russell with Sam Darnold. I won’t stop you, but I will just say that a few years back, I personally thought he was the best quarterback prospect in the 2018 draft. I would have taken him over Josh Allen or Baker Mayfield, and I realize that I am saying that knowing that I am no expert evaluator.

For me, Darnold just has a toughness at the position that I think can be undervalued, and I am intrigued by that toughness. Give him a star running back and decent line, and quality receivers, and then judge him as a player, I say.

So, yeah. I guess I just don’t think that the Jets did him any favors at all trying to build around him over the past three seasons, and I also think there is plenty of game tape out there that suggests he played admirably in difficult conditions. When I look at that and the fact that he is only 23 years old, I can get a bit behind the idea that Seattle could be interested in him. I can see it.

I’m not going to try to convince you that it is a good idea that Seattle trades Russell and then replaces him with Sam Darnold. I’m just going to suggest that perhaps we shouldn’t completely ignore that smoke.

I will also say this. I think that if Seattle doesn’t trade Russell Wilson this off-season, I think 2021 is likely his last year in Seattle. I don’t see Jody Allen firing the man that she is entrusting to run her team and replacing him with a coach that will effectively be Russell’s yes man. This isn’t the NBA. This is the NFL and with 53 man rosters, it generally takes much more than a quarterback to win. Just sayin’, and that is not taking anything away from the talent’s of Russ.

Can a Richard Sherman reunion really happen in Seattle?

Yes. It absolutely can.

Personally, I don’t think Sherman has ever held any great animosity towards Pete Carroll. If anything, I think he was more than a bit miffed that Pete chose to hang onto the quarterback over the Legion of Boom a few years back, but I think we also could be seeing a situation where time could be heeling wounds.

Sherman’s biggest mark as an NFL player came in Seattle as a Seattle Seahawk. In many ways, one could argue that he was the face of the franchise during the 2013-2014 Super Bowl years. If we go back to that time, it wasn’t really Russell’s team. It was Marshawn on the offense, and it was Richard Sherman on the defense. Yes, there was Russ, and Kam, and Earl, but nationally, who were people really thinking about?

Richard Sherman is as big to Seattle sports as Russell Wilson, Marshawn Lynch, Steve Largent, Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp, Griffey, and Randy Johnson. He’s a legend. He’s also the owner of perhaps that biggest play in Seattle sports history with The Tip in the 2014 NFC Championship game against the 49ers.

It’s been weird seeing him in a 49er uniform over the past three seasons. From a Seattle sports fan perspective, it wasn’t right, and I as much as I love the dude, I was glad he didn’t win that Super Bowl against the Chiefs.

I’m possessive when it comes to Richard Sherman.

He belongs in Seattle. Richard Sherman coming back to the Seattle Seahawks is like David Lee Roth returning to Van Halen. It’s too right for it not to happen, and it would be a blown opportunity if Seattle doesn’t make this happen.

Who the bleep cares if his return ruffles the feathers of Russ a bit? I don’t care one bit, frankly. And maybe Russell actually needs ruffling a bit more.

I really hope that Seattle figures a way to bring back Number 25, and that he retires a Seattle Seahawk.

I will also tell you this much. If they do something so shockingly bold as to trade Russell Wilson this year or next, they will need Richard Sherman in that locker room. They will need his strength and his voice.

If reports are true about mutual interest between the player and team, I don’t see anyway that this move does not make sense. It needs to happen.

Bring him home, Seattle. Go Hawks.

This is the one piece written by me that will explore a Russell Wilson trade scenario. Until an actual trade happens, anything else I write about this team will be with the mindset that Russell Wilson is a Seattle Seahawk until he is not one.

Let me start by saying that I don’t want the Seattle Seahawks to trade Russell Wilson. I believe that Seattle should try to figure out a way to make it work out between Russ and Pete Carroll.

That said, I think it is important to note that we don’t always get what what want in life, or sports. Every time that I think they won’t trade Russell Wilson, things float out through the press that make me think that perhaps they will, and they might do it this off-season if the right deal is presented.

I think that could happen easier than many think, and the idea that this $39 million cap hit in 2021 has already been dispelled a bit by those who understand NFL salary cap much better than myself. Seattle could trade Russ now, and restructure a few salaries, and they could absorb the financial hit fairly seamlessly without cutting a bunch of players, and in 2022, they would have a ton of cap space available.

A few weeks ago, I didn’t think there was much chance for any trade this off-season happening, but with news coming out that acquiring Russell Wilson is priority number one for the Chicago Bears, that raised my eyebrows. If they really want him, eventually they could come in with an offer that Seattle would have a hard time refusing, especially if there is another team pursuing a trade for him (which now there sounds like there is). I think it is perhaps now time to start acknowledging that a perfect storm for this could be brewing.

The Chicago Bears are reportedly “all in” on acquiring Russ this off-season, and that’s a big deal

Of the four teams that Russell has listed as his preferred destinations, the Chicago Bears have emerged as the team that appears to want to be aggressive in acquiring him. The New Orleans Saints are also supposedly interested, and it is unclear if the Raiders are, but new reports are suggesting that Seattle is now talking to multiple teams about a potential Russell Wilson trade.

If there is a bidding war happening, it could create a scenario very easily for Seattle to absolutely fleece one of those two teams in terms of players and picks in exchange for their superstar passer. That is why this new report of the Bears being “all in” on getting Russell this off-season is significant.

It makes sense for them to be this desperate for him, too. Both the head coach and the GM could be on the hot seat heading into the 2021 season. Being the head coach and GM that brings Russell Wilson to Chicago, a city with a storied NFL franchise that has never produced a superstar quarterback, would make them automatic heroes. Winning with Wilson is also practically automatic, and that those to things together paints an easy picture of both men having job security in Chicago for years to come.. if they can just get Russell Wilson.

If they really want him, and are ready to out compete the Saints (and possibly the Raiders), if I am Seattle, I am asking for the farm. I think there’s a chance they could get it, too

Here’s what I would ask for if I am the Seattle Seahawks

It is reported that for the Seahawks to even enter into a discussion about any Russell Wilson trade scenario, three first round picks must be on the table. That’s just the starting point for entering into trade discussions with the Seahawks, allegedly.

If I am Pete Carroll and John Schneider, I am demanding premier edge rusher Khalil Mack from the Bears, and on top of those first round picks, I am insisting on a hand full of day two picks and probably a few young starters on rookie contracts. If they refuse on Mack, I’m hanging up the phone.

Additionally, since Chicago cannot offer me a quarterback off of their roster that I like in exchange for Russ, I am insisting that they acquire a young experienced passer on another roster that I like that they can, in turn, flip my way. Personally, I think Gardner Minshew from Jacksonville makes some sense since the Jaguars are prepared to draft Trevor Lawrence first overall, and given how efficient he has been in the league as a two year starter on top of his obvious PNW roots playing for Washington State.

Whoever the player is, though, I am putting the onus on the Bears to acquire the young quarterback that I want, and to package him to Seattle as part of the blockbuster move for Russ. I want a player who can read an NFL defense, understands the NFL passing game, is ready to step into the starter role, and who is preferably on a cheap rookie deal, and I am making Chicago do that work for me.

If they really want my prize quarterback while he is still well in his prime, I will insist on the farm. I want a player who is arguably the best edge rusher in the league, I want three first round picks, a want a young experienced passer with some upside, and I want some combination of second and third round picks and young talented players on rookie deals to fill out my roster.

If I am going into the 2021 season significantly less talented at the most important position on football, I am getting significantly better at most other key positions and areas. I want a pass rush that doesn’t have to rely on blitzing and can easily get home with four. I am giving myself significantly better offensive line that will be built for years. I am getting better coverage corners, and I am giving myself another offensive weapon, and I want a capable quarterback ready to start.

My strategy for moving on from Russ is simple. I am going to build a roster that any competent quarterback could step onto and find success. That is how I move on from a disgruntled legacy driven Russell Wilson.

He can have his legacy style points and be the Savior of Chicago Football. I want a championship level team built up in Seattle. If Chicago can give me enough players and picks to make this happen, and my team can be built this way for the longer haul, I say that we have a deal, and I will be perfectly happy to never have to deal with Russell Wilson’s pain in the butt agent again.

Would Seattle’s 2021 season be doomed if they moved on from Russell Wilson?

I’ve seen the following suggested often. When people assert that the idea of trading Russell Wilson is crazy talk, it almost always is attached with this belief that the Seattle Seahawks would have to enter into a massive rebuild and wouldn’t be competitive inside the hyper competitive NFC West division in 2021.

Personally, I think that’s kinda lazy thinking. Yes, Russell Wilson has largely carried this team over the past few years. It would be foolish to argue otherwise, but let’s examine that a bit.

If we are to be honest about this whole Russell Wilson in Seattle situation, we have to acknowledge how difficult it is for the a team to be strapped with his sort of salary to fill out it’s roster like it was during the height of the Legion of Boom days. It’s harder to find blue chip talent through the draft when you make the playoffs annually, and you’re always drafting in the back end. You aren’t likely to find any legitimate left tackles like Duane Brown, you have to trade significant draft capital for them, and you have to fit their expensive salary into your cap space. Essentially, you are in a constant juggling act of having to give to get.

It’s fair to criticize Seattle for late first round draft misses, but if we are to be honest, when you are picking late in the first, you aren’t likely drafting true first round talent, you’re picking a player that likely has a second round grade. Drafting in the later portion of each round also becomes more of a crap shoot. For even hit on a late day two pick like Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf and Frank Clark, there are underwhelming picks like Ethan Pocic, and Lano Hill.

If Seattle were to move off of Russell’s expensive contract, and if they got a enough immediate impactful talent and picks in exchange, that would free Seattle up in terms of salary cap to be more active in free agency once again, and they would have extra ammo for the draft. Let’s think back to those Super Bowl years and the seasons before them.

Back in the early portions of the Pete Carroll era, Seattle had cap space to pursue key free agent veterans such as Sidney Rice, Zach Miller, Cliff Avril, and Michael Bennett. They didn’t acquire an expensive veteran quarterback, they took bargain flyers on Tarvaris Jackson, Charlie Whitehurst, and Matt Flynn, and they waited until round three to draft Russell Wilson. They went thrifty at QB and opened up the competition. They spent their money in other ways, and much of that money went into their offensive and defensive lines.

In 2011, which was their worst season, they went 7-9, but they were still a competitive team. They beat good teams. You could feel genuine momentum moving in 2012, the year that they took a third round flyer on Russell Wilson.

For all those who pull their hairs out over how frugal Seattle has been in recent years with their offensive line, the year they won the Super Bowl, they had the most expensive offensive line in that 2013 season. Having a quarterback on a cheap deal allowed them to pay Max Unger handsomely at the time, and bring in Breno Giacomini.

They also paid players throughout the defense line, as well. Chris Clemons, Red Bryant, and Brandon Mebane were all on big contracts at the time, and they went big in free agency on short term prove it contracts for Avril and Bennett. Seattle was able to create an obscenely deep defensive line rotation that was every bit the reason that they won the Super Bowl as it was the Legion Of Boom defenders playing behind that line.

They created a team that won ball games in the trenches with powerful running, play action, and a deep rotational pass rush. That was their Super Bowl winning team, and let’s be honest about Russ’s role on that team. Yes, he did numerous flashy things with his arm and legs, but he was a game managing quarterback, and at that time, he seemed happy to be one.

This is not to be meant as a slight on Russ as a player back then, but many football minds felt that the 2013 Seattle Seahawk roster was so built up that practically any capable quarterback in the league could have guided them to that Super Bowl. San Francisco castoff Alex Smith could have guided that roster to the Super Bowl.

Teams with marginal talent at quarterback can win in this league

Let’s explore this notion of well built teams with marginal talents at quarterback, and look at the league over the last handful of years. You might find the numbers surprising.

Of the teams that played in the Super Bowl the last few years, the 49ers, Rams, and Eagles got there without a star quarterback, and the Eagles won it with journeyman Nick Foles. A few years ago, the Bears went 12-4 with Mitch Trubisky at quarterback, and it was just a short time ago that the Jacksonville Jaguars got to the AFC championship game with Blake Bortles at quarterback (who is not good). In that same year, the Vikings got the NFC championship game with journeyman Case Keenum as their starter. Over the last couple years, the Tennessee Titans have been a playoff team with Miami castoff Ryan Tannehill as their quarterback.

Castoffs, journeymen, and middling talents guided their teams to decent playoff runs repeatedly in recent history, and honestly, throughout time. Rich Gannon led the Raiders to their last Super Bowl twenty years ago, and he was out of the league a few years before.

If the team is built up enough, it makes the quarterbacks job a lot easier. That’s why I’d be leery about drafting an Alabama quarterback high. It way too easy to over inflate the quality of a quarterback on a winning team.

Therefore, this idea that the Seattle Seahawks would automatically be tanking their 2021 season if they traded Russell Wilson is lazy thought processing, in my opinion. If they acquire Khalil Mack and others from the Bears, and have dipped into free agency and the draft to fill out their offensive line better, this team could be built up more to compete than some might think. Really, it could just boil down to them finding a competent and accurate enough passer to get the pass off into DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett’s hands.

Folks can laugh all they want to about a player like Gardner Minshew coming into Seattle and replacing a legend like Russell Wilson, but let’s peel back the layers a bit with Minshew. He’s an athletic and experienced starter on a cheap rookie contract for two more seasons. His passing numbers over the last two years have shown an efficiency that Pete Carroll likes out of the quarterback position. He generally takes care of the ball, and while he doesn’t have a canon of an arm, he can make all the throws required from an NFL quarterback. On top of that, he’s scrappy and likeable. Plus, he’s a bit of legend himself in the PNW having played for the Washington State Cougars in college, and led them to a bit of a magical year in 2018.

It’s very possible that Gardner could step in with new offensive coordinator Shane Waldon’s offense, and beat out another experienced starter (like Alex Smith or Andy Dalton) for the job, and win over his teammates, if not the fans right away. If Seattle goes 10-6 (or greater), makes it back into the playoffs and wins a game or two with a fierce pass rush, and efficient quarterback play from Minshew, there could easily be Minshew Mania felt once again in the Pacific Northwest. Winning always cures a lot of woes.

This is why I am nowhere near ready to say that Seattle would tank into a total rebuild if they moved on from Russell Wilson in 2021. I would actually say that Seattle is not likely to trade Russell Wilson to rebuild at all. They are not going to take a deal just to take one.

If they are going to move away from Russ, it’s because they will have believed that they got enough in exchange to compete for the NFC West crown in 2021. Whether that happens or not would remain to be seen, but I am certain that the idea of rebuilding would not be in their thought process. They would have gotten enough back for him to have felt like they could move forward in a win now mode.

What do I really want Seattle to do?

I want them to figure out what to do with Russell Wilson and commit to that. Ideally, I want them to work it out between him and Pete Carroll. But if they can’t do that, I actually would be okay with them moving on from Russ if the right deal is presented. But it has to be the right one.

It’s also not realistic to expect that the team in going to move on from Pete Carroll in favor of Russ. I get the logic that suggests that if you had to chose between a near 70 year old head coach, and a 32 year old quarterback who is probably top five in the league, you chose the quarterback. I am not going to argue against that.

I am just more willing to accept the fact that it appears that team ownership is all-in on Pete Carroll having just extended his deal through 2025, and if I am to be honest in my acceptance of that, I would say that if any near 70 year old head coach can carry forth without his star passer and still win in this league, I would say Pete Carroll is probably that guy. He has a formula for winning that has stayed true for decades, and until it is proven otherwise, nobody really knows if he can’t be successful in Seattle without Number 3 as his passer. Personally, I think he has earned the right to try, if need be.

Hopefully, it doesn’t need to happen. Hopefully Russ and his agent figure out a way for them to be happy in Seattle with Pete Carroll running the show. Something tells me, though, that ultimately, they are looking for greener pastures, and even if Pete Carroll concedes to many of their needs and wants, it likely won’t be enough. That’s just my hunch.

If my hunch is true, then I want Seattle to absolutely fleece the Bears. In fact, I am demanding it.

Go Hawks.

If you’ve clicked onto this piece, I probably don’t need to tell you that the Seattle Seahawks have found themselves in some rocky waters these days with their star quarterback. Anyone who follows this team knows that more and more stuff has been trickling through the news cycle about the divide between the player and the team’s head coach and vice president.

I’ve been resistant to write that I see any sort of trading away of Russell Wilson as something that could realistically happen this year. In fact, I’ve repeatedly wrote that, despite all the noise, I don’t see it happening.

However, when his agent made it known to all late last week that while Russell doesn’t want to leave Seattle, he has a preference of four teams that he would like to be dealt to if Seattle were to choose to deal him, that moved my needle considerably. Now, I am not nearly so sure.

Call me crazy, but I sorta think that when someone says that they don’t want to be traded away, but then gives four destinations of places that they would like to be traded to, and then makes it known through the media, that dude probably wants to be traded. They’re just trying to find the nicest way of breaking to the fans. That’s just my honest take on the matter, anyways, and I’ve been through enough broken relationships to know the signs whenever I see them coming.

When this stuff came out late last week on the heals of a fairly explosive article written in The Athletic detailing the growing divide between Russell and Pete Carroll, my needle shifted so much that I decided to start drafting a piece exploring a best case trade scenario for the team. The main reason for it is that two of the Russell’s preferred destinations are presently without a franchise quarterback, and another one is coached by an individual who has long been one of his biggest admirers. In my mind, it’s entirely possible that a bidding war could brew between a few of these clubs, and while Seattle may not want to move on from it’s disgruntled star, an offer could be eventually presented to them that would make them finally consider it.

If that happens, I now think it is possible that they could move on from him this year. I think that the divide between Russ and Pete is significant enough where if the right deal is presented, Seattle would move on, and start a new chapter of Pete Carroll football. I’ve started bracing for that.

Enter Carl ‘Tater’ Smith

Diehard Twelves will probably remember the name ‘Tater’ Smith from Russell Wilson’s first six years in the league. If you are a diehard follower of the team and Russ, and you’ve sat through numerous Russell Wilson press conferences during that stretch of time, you’ve probably heard Russ mention good ol’ Tater often. Carl Smith was Russell’s quarterback coach during that time, and in all likelihood, the one person on the staff closest to the player. Russ has repeatedly mention Tater in only the glowing-est of terms over the years.

When Seattle moved on from Tater Smith a couple years back, I wondered how that would effect Russell. Russell Wilson is a bit of an oddball character. He is very image conscious and because of that, I think it has been a challenge for many players and possibly staff members to relate to him. I don’t think he lets a lot of people in. Therefore, those that are close to him, are likely extremely close. I think Tater was close to him, and maybe even the closest person to him within the whole organization.

So, when news broke yesterday afternoon that the Seattle Seahawks were bringing in back in some yet to be defined capacity, I took that as really positive news. People can debate how good of a quarterback coach Tater Smith actually is (I’ve noticed mixed reviews on Seahawks Twitter, but for my two cents, I think his recent two year stint down in Houston shows that the dude can coach a quarterback). The fact of the matter is that his return signals very clearly that the Seattle Seahawks are trying to make things right with Russell Wilson.

Additionally to being tight with the quarterback, Tater Smith is also very tight with the head coach. His history with Carroll goes back well beyond their days together at USC (it actually dates back to the early 1980’s when both men coached together at NC State). In fact, these two men are so tight that Carroll has often remarked that Tater has been the one guy on his staff over the years who would be in his ear, telling him all the things that he needed to hear that others on the staff likely wouldn’t say to him. Carroll’s trust in Tater Smith is deeply embedded.

I’ve never been totally sure why Seattle chose to move on from the Tater after the 2018 season, but if I had to guess one reason, I would probably say that perhaps they saw enough positive signs of Russell taking to their new offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer that they felt Tater’s influence with Russell was no longer required, and they want that bond with ‘Schotty’ to deepen. Given Russell’s reaction to Schottenheimer being fired a couple months back, I think it’s fair to say that was a successful transition.

I would also say that with Schotty no longer on this staff, Russ might really be in need of someone who he feels will truly be in his corner. Tater coming back just makes too much sense for it not to happen, in that regard.

Here is what I think Tater’s rehiring actually means for Seattle

The reason why I am most excited about this hire is that I believe this signals that Seattle is determined to hang onto it’s superstar quarterback, and make it work out between himself, and the head honcho of the team. It could not be any clearer than that.

Carl Smith is likely coming in to be the guy who Russ can feel like he has as an advocate. With all this business being played out in the news about the player being unhappy with the play calls and offensive line over the years, it’s natural to assume there could be a growing awkwardness between himself and maybe some teammates, and certainly some of the coaches.

Tater can help smooth some of that over, and because he is close to Carroll, Russ can feel confidence that if issues came up, Tater would be the one guy within the organization who could perhaps reach Carroll with Russ’s perspective. That’s a huge deal.

Essentially, whatever title that they officially give the Tater, I believe his main task will be to help bring the player together with the head coach in a functional working way. In short, I think he’s their in-house couple’s counselor hired to work with the two most important figures within the organization. That, to me, is a really good thing.

Will this be enough to repair whatever damage exists between the player and the coach? I don’t know, but I think this can only help settle down the trade flames right now, which frankly need to be settled down.

Seattle is just a few short weeks away from entering free agency. If they can manage to make a couple significant moves on their offensive line, and maybe add another pass catching weapon for Russ along with this addition of bringing back the Tater, that might be enough to convince Russ that the team is finally ready to go further into building around him like he wants them to do. It should convince him of that.

If it doesn’t, then Seattle really does have a gigantic problem on it’s hands. Then it just probably has a quarterback who just wants out, regardless, and if that’s the case, well, at least Pete will have brought back an old friend that he can rely on helping to transition towards possibly a new passer.

For now, I’m not going to look at it that way. I’m going to look at the positive. I think Seattle is going to try to make this thing work out with Russ. I think this hiring signals that loudly enough. I dig that.

I really like this move.

Go Hawks.

The Seattle Seahawks are not likely trading Russell Wilson this year. In fact, I am fairly certain that they won’t, even in the face of increasing levels of drama being played out in the media between the player and the team seemingly every other day now.

That said, it doesn’t mean that the Seahawks and Russell Wilson still don’t have a major problem staring them in the face. As certain as I am that he’s not going to be traded in 2021, I am equally certain that this relationship between the team and the player could escalate to the point of going nuclear if they don’t have some sort of honest sit down moment sometime soon.

This is a hugely critical point in time between the player and the team. Something needs to happen now, and here is why.

The drama being played out in the media is cancerous if not treated properly

Last week, I wrote a long winded piece in an attempt to articulate what I believed was really going on with Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks. Essentially, I believe that Russ and his camp are unhappy with the Seahawks to the point of wanting out of town.

I don’t believe that it is hyperbole to talk about it that directly, either. If you study the tea leaves, it becomes pretty obvious.

The most recent recent drama involves one nationally syndicated Russell Wilson advocate, Colin Cowherd. On his FOX Sports sports talk show, Cowherd voiced his take of the Russell Wilson situation in Seattle. As I’ve mentioned before, Cowherd and Russell are tight, and Russell’s camp uses Cowherd to get their point across always. Whenever Russell isn’t happy, we hear it about from Cowherd.

Cowherd’s latest take on Russell is that his beef really just boils down to Pete Carroll. Cowherd started this segment out by saying that the star quarterback feels like he is stuck in a 1980’s style offense, but then he took it much further. He carried on saying that since former owner Paul Allen passed away, Pete Carroll has gained more control over the franchise than ever, has too much freedom to meddle player decisions, play calling, and that the situation has become too much of an imbalance of power.

To further hammer his point, Cowherd said that he heard from at least a couple other Seahawks that have shared a similar frustration with Carroll and his antiquated offensive. So there we have it. It’s not just Russ that feels this way, possibly DK Metcalf does, as well.

This is a bad situation brewing. The gravity of what Russ has now communicated through Cowherd is intense, and it is escalating into a dangerous territory quickly. Russell has been purposefully breaking Pete Carroll’s number one rule within the organization which is to “protect the team.” In two weeks time, he has done this twice.

As much as I don’t like to be hyperbolic with any takeaways, I find it difficult to downplay any of this. Therefore, I’m not going to do it. I’m just going to spell it out.

Breaking Rule Number One leads to a breakup between the player and team and here is why.

Rule Number One is the cornerstone rule of Pete Carroll. It is his foundational piece to which he builds and maintains an organization. Under this rule, it simply means that no player, or coach, or front office person is to go out and air any team grievances to the public. All grievances are always to be kept in-house.

If you follow Carroll in all of his press conferences, you can see just how careful he is about not throwing any players or coaches under the bus, even if it is obvious that maybe the quarterback throwing multiple interceptions cost them the game, or a defensive back who could not cover cost them it. Carroll is always protective, and is often willing to take on blame himself to protect players and play callers. He would rather awkwardly bumble his way through a response to a pointed question than lay blame on any individual, and has done this countless times in the past.

This number one rule is how Carroll builds his team culture, and it is how he protects it. Be your own person, but always protect the team. It’s his biggest demand for every individual.

Pete Carroll will give you a lot of leeway to be your own person, probably more so than any other Super Bowl winning coach, but once you start breaking Rule Number One, that probably means you’re punching your own ticket out. We’ve seen numerous examples of this, and a few of them from some of the team’s biggest stars.

A perfect example of this is Richard Sherman. Back in 2016, Sherman decided to start yelling at the offensive coach during a game when a pass play was called at the goal line. He went out of his mind, and had to be restrained by his own teammates. When questioned in the press, Sherm brought up the goal line play in Super Bowl XLIX and essentially said “we don’t ever need to see that type of play called again.”

When pressed about it further in another press conference a few days later, he took it much further and got combative with a reporter. The following off-season, he was on the trade block, and when the team couldn’t find a deal worth taking, they cut him the season after that.

They cut the biggest star of their legendary Legion Of Boom defense while still in his prime, and the guy who is known in Seattle for creating perhaps the biggest play in team history (“The Tip” in the 2014 NFC Championship game between the Seahawks and 49ers). Think about the weight of that. It was a stunning move for many fans.

But Richard Sherman broke Carroll’s first rule when he created a semi-brawl on the sidelines of that game, and he knew he was breaking it. Sherman also knew he was breaking Rule Number One in those back to back press conferences that followed. He was fed up, and ironically the reason why he was fed up was because he felt Russell Wilson was being catered to too much by the coaches, and Seattle was shifting away from its identity as a team.

Russell Wilson broke this rule last week when he started calling out his offensive line, and he broke it this week again when he called out Pete Carroll through Colin Cowherd. He knew he was breaking it both times. He is fed up and the reason why is that he feels like he is not being catered to enough by the head coach and organization (Hollywood couldn’t write this irony any better).

Russell Wilson is drawing a line in the sand with the same conviction that Richard Sherman once did even if he is going about it very differently. What he is essentially communicating to team owner Jody Allen is this; if things don’t change, it is either him, or it is Pete Carroll who needs to go. He does not want to continue playing ball under Pete Carroll under the present conditions.

News flash: Pete Carroll isn’t going anywhere anytime soon

For those who feel like it is Carroll who needs to leave, I would not hold my breath over that. Very recently, Allen has chosen to extend his contract through 2025, and then she chose to extend his partner, general manager John Schneider, through 2027. Russell Wilson’s contract runs through 2023. The tea leaves read pretty clearly.

If Allen was more on the side of Russell, she would not have offered those two individuals extensions that long in length. It is obvious that Jody has placed her faith in Carroll and Schneider, and I seriously doubt that she is going to fire Carroll simply because Russell isn’t happy about not cooking enough.

I’m also sure she’s more than aware of all the mini dramas that Russell and his agent have been cooking up over the years whenever they have been unhappy, and what their possible reactions would be towards these two extensions. If she is upset about anything, I’m going to guess she’s upset that they have chosen to be this outwardly public about it all, and are now breaking Rule Number One.

But this situation is what it now is. Russell Wilson is tossing the ball in their court.

How the team handles this now is vital to the present and future of this team. If I am Pete Carroll, and John Schneider, and Jody Allen, this is how I would handle the whole mess right now.

Be willing to meet more of Russell’s surface demands

Russ has stated very publicly what he wants in Seattle. He wants a better offensive line, he wants more up tempo to the offense, and he wants to have input on player acquisition. On top of that, he wants Pete Carroll to meddle less. Essentially, he wants to be Tom Brady in Tampa.

Cool. If I am Pete Carroll and John Schneider, I am going to take the position that if he wants to be more like Brady, he should give back some of his contract dollars to the team like Brady did in New England over the years so that they can afford to pay for better pieces around him. If that is a no-go between Russell and his agent, I would then say “well, we can only do so much, but we will try to do as best as we can to improve your offensive line this year.”

If they become insistent that they spend big dollars in free agency, I would point to the contracts on defensive side. I would say “okay, Russ. If you want Corey Linsley and Brandon Scherff in Seattle, it is going to be incredibly expensive, especially since you have let it be known how much you want your offensive line to be upgraded and their agents are now going to use that as leverage against us.. but if you want us to go there, that probably means moving on from Bobby Wagner, Carlos Dunlap, and Jarran Reed.. and understand that it is going to make it more difficult for us to keep improving our defense without those guys.”

If Russ and his agent say “tough,” I would take that on the chin and be prepared to trade my all-pro linebacker to get out of his contract, and I would be prepared to move on from some other expensive players on defense, as well, if they don’t agree to salary restructures.

In all honesty, it’s probably not a terrible idea to do this, anyways. Seattle has invested a lot in draft capital over the last few years in their defense with Jordyn Brooks, LJ Collier, Darrell Taylor, Marquise Blair, Alton Robinson, Cody Barton, Ugo Amadi and others. Perhaps it is time to turn the defense over to them more. Get cheaper, younger, and hungrier on defense, and get more experienced and talented on offense.

More importantly, if I am Pete Carroll, I would tell Russ that I am willing to concede more control of the offense to new coordinator Shane Waldron because I believe that this offense best fits Russ. I would follow that up by also saying that, while I am willing to be more patient, if we go through a losing stretch where I see that things clearly aren’t working, and our season is in danger, I hold the right to require adjustments as I see necessary.

That is a fair thing for Pete to say, and I think that is a fair middle ground for these two to get towards. Pete Carroll should not be forced to tank a season just so that Russ has more freedom to pass, but at the same time, Russ should have the luxury of knowing that when mistakes happen, the keys to the offense won’t be immediately taken away from him, either. This might be the most important middle ground that needs to be reached between these two.

If, for some reason, all of this is not enough for Russ, and his camp starts demanding a trade, I would hold the position that a trade in 2021 is incredibly cost prohibitive for our team, and therefore, it is a no-go. If that isn’t enough to satisfy Russ, and he is prepared to outwardly demand a trade, I would take this following measure to move the needle for him and his agent.

Here is the deal with Russell I would make if he is trying to force a trade now

I would offer to Russell that if all doesn’t go the way he wants it to during the 2021 season, we will look to deal him in 2022 when there will be an appropriate cost savings for the team to do so. I would simply ask that in exchange of this offer, no more public battles on the Colin Cowherd show and in any other media outlets. I would ask that if they have an grievances, they keep them all in-house for 2021. No more breaking Rule Number One.

I would stress that we will make our best effort to aggressively strengthen his offensive line, even if that takes away from the defense that we are trying to build back up, and we will be willing to allow him to have more input into that process within reason. I would also assure him that Carroll will work harder than ever to not step on the toes of his new offensive play-caller.

As I sit back and look at the bigger picture, I feel like this makes a lot practical sense. Let’s give 2021 with Shane Waldron coming in a chance. Let’s give the fan base a break from the drama. Let’s see where this all goes for a season.

Why I think this deal makes sense for Russell Wilson

From Russell’s perspective, I think this might be the type of agreement that he and his camp are actually angling for, anyways. I do believe it when Colin Cowherd says that Russ is tired of being coached by Pete Carroll.

Whether he is right or wrong, it doesn’t matter. He’s been in Seattle for nine seasons and he has seen how Carroll sticks his nose into the offense at times, and he knows how risk adverse he is. As much as Russ might like the potential of a Shane Waldron offense in Seattle, he has little reason to believe Carroll won’t ultimately meddle with it, and won’t demand that the training wheels be placed back on it when Russell throws a handful of interceptions and the team loses a game or two because of that.

As it stands right now in February in 2021, Russ might just want out right now, especially when he sees a fluid quarterback trade market and an opening for the starting job in New Orleans. He might view this as a rare opportunity to leave to a highly desirable spot now and not waste another season in Seattle falling short of his post season goals. It’s understandable for him to think that, especially as legacy driven as he is.

At the same time, it is implied pretty strongly through the media by former teammate Brandon Marshall that Russ doesn’t want to leave Seattle being viewed as a villain, and his legacy in Seattle is important to him. This is perhaps Seattle’s best leverage to buy a bit more time with him.

Having this deal in place allows for the remote possibility that things can still work for Russ in Seattle under Pete, if the Shane Waldron offense really takes off in 2021. If he has a great statistical year in 2021, and they actually do manage a deep playoff run, and he sees that Pete has given him and his play-caller more autonomy than in prior years, maybe that moves Russell to have a change of heart.

Maybe, deep down inside, this is just what Russell Wilson really wants; a way to make it work in Seattle. It’s just that he doesn’t see it with Carroll, and how the coach operates with his offense. Maybe he just needs one season to actually see it for himself.

I believe Russell when he says that, ideally, he would love to play all of his seasons in Seattle. I don’t fully buy into the notion that Ciara just wants out of Seattle. I think it’s more like, if Russ isn’t going to win another championship in Seattle, why would she want to be up here, if she can be in her home town of Dallas, or be in an entertainment hotbed like Vegas? Winning cures a lot of ills, and for Russell Wilson, it is clear that just getting to the post season yearly isn’t winning enough.

Probably more importantly to him is the simple fact that, with this deal in place, he can move on from this team and area without being vilified like Alex Rodriguez was decades ago, if he still wants out for whatever reason. Russell is hyper concerned about his imagine, and he likely doesn’t want to feel like all the work he has done in the Seattle community will become tarnished, if he leaves.

If he doesn’t have to outwardly demand a trade to eventually be dealt, he can have that imagine protected to a much better degree, and he can leave Seattle with a better standing. Essentially, he can leave like Griffey did instead of A-Rod.

That is likely a huge deal for him. I think that moves the needle.

Why I believe this deal would appeal to the team

First and foremost, this agreement will buys Seattle time to make things right with their star player. It gives them a drama free season to see how things go between Russell and Shane Waldron, and it give Pete Carroll a chance to resist sticking his nose into the play calls after Wilson gets picked off against the Rams.

Equally as important, though, it gives John Schneider proper time to set his team up for a different quarterback situation down road should Seattle chose to move on from Russ and his agent. This is a huge benefit for the club.

They could make moves through free agency and the draft to fortify their offensive line for years down the road. If Russ doesn’t want to be here in 2022, the next quarterback will inherit that better line (ironic, I know. I love irony).

This also buys John Schneider time to be able to hand pick his next starting quarterback, should they have to move on from Russell. If I am Jody Allen and Pete Carroll, I fully trust John’s ability to do just that. I think he is aces at it.

When he was in Green Bay, he was the one who had Aaron Rodgers as the top rated player coming out of the 2005 draft when Green Bay took him at pick 24 even though they had Brett Farve in his prime. Reportedly, it was John who banged the table loudest for him.

In 2012, it was John that had Russell Wilson graded as a first round talent even though the rest of the saw him as a mid rounder at best. It was also John who had to convince Pete Carroll for them to draft him in the third round, even though they had just signed Matt Flynn in free agency, and allegedly Carroll kind of preferred Kirk Cousins over Russell that year.

A few years ago, it was said that had Patrick Mahomes fell to Seattle’s pick in the first round, they would have taken him even with Russell on the roster, and it was rumored that in 2018, the team was considering trading Russell to Cleveland to take Josh Allen (what likely prompted Camp Russell to demand that no trade clause when their renewed in 2019). As much as we love Russ, I think we can all agree either Mahomes or Allen would look great in a Seattle Seahawk uniform today.

I think it can easily be said that if John Schneider has a year to prepare for life after Russ, that probably bodes well for Seattle down the road. Maybe there is a quarterback that he really likes already on an NFL roster that could be traded for. Maybe there in a player in the 2022 draft that they would feel good about once their team is a bit more fortified at other positions.

I’m no football expert, and I don’t pretend to be one, but I know enough to comfortably say that if John Schneider takes a quarterback early enough in the draft, or makes a significant trade for one, there’s probably a good reason for that, and we should give him the benefit of the doubt. Furthermore, I think it is likely that the team would willing to take that chance, if they needed to do that.

But to circle back to what they have with Russ, this agreement really just buys them time to see if it can still work out, and that might still be their number one goal in all of this. Ideally, they probably want to hang onto him for a few more years, and win another championship (or three) with him as their passer. Why wouldn’t you?

This is how I feel about this proposition

I love Russell Wilson as much as the next fan, and I love my Seattle Seahawks. I think this deal makes sense for both sides.

I am willing to bet that if Seattle actually commits significantly more resources into its offensive line at left guard and center, Russell Wilson might likely enjoy the best offensive line in his tenure in Seattle this season. This deal would place a big time urgency on the club to do just that, and if that proves to be the case, I think there would be very little holding Russell back from enjoying another winning season with some nice passing stats to back it up with, and maybe going further through the playoffs.

Even if they don’t make the Super Bowl, Russ could see a realistic path towards it again in Seattle, and that could persuade him to stick around longer. Maybe all he really needs to want to stay in Seattle is to actually see that path, and not feel like he is a part of a franchise that is just spinning its wheels in the mud every season.

I also think that this deal would incentivize Pete Carroll to actually give more autonomy to his new offensive coordinator and see what that brings. Maybe it opens his eyes to the notion that he can just be a CEO head coach in his remaining years in the league instead of feeling like he always has to be so hands on all the time. This is could be what Russell wants most, but it might be what Carroll really needs most as a coach.

From my own fan perspective, as I sit with this, I think it’s all fair, and whatever happens happens. Let the chips fall where they may.

If Seattle does go in a deep playoff run and Russell still wants out, I am also sort of at the stage where I would be fine with them moving on, to be honest. At the very least, I would be relieved that they would be removed of the drama that his agent loves to create whenever Russ feels unhappy. I would be perfectly happy to be removed from that as a fan.

I would also be more than a bit curious to see how John Schneider and Pete Carroll put the team together without that hyper expensive quarterback contract prohibiting them from spending more at other areas of the team. Maybe they get back to what is really Pete Carroll football. A defense that is talented enough to just rush with four dudes and plays great coverage, and a balanced offense that is talented enough throughout that the quarterback just has to be the distributor of the ball like a point guard in basketball.

That was the 2013 World Championship Seattle Seahawks. It wasn’t one player. It wasn’t Marshawn, or Richard, or Earl, or Russell. It was all of them with Kam, Golden, Doug, Max Unger, Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril, Brandon Mebane, Bobby, KJ, Okung, Bruce, and many, many others. The MVP of that Super Bowl was a backup linebacker. I would be fascinated to see if this team could get back to that.

The one thing that I know for certain is that place that Russell has gotten to with the team feels miserable, and it could only get worse. They have to do something. This, at the very least, feels like something that is very reasonable to do.

At the very least, this proposal buys them all time, and maybe just a bit more time is really all they need. It’s a wager that I am comfortable making.

This is what I would do, anyways.

Go Hawks.

Good lord. This stuff again.

Man, I don’t want to be writing about this stuff again. After Tampa trounced Kansas City in that Super Bowl, I was excited to step away from the football, think more about the Seattle Storm and Mariners, and binge watch all those Marvel movies because of WandaVision.

Now, I gotta sort through all this stuff, and try to figure out what is really going on between Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks. Every year, it feels like there is something new going on, and this time around it’s like everyone’s on crack cocaine about it all.

Buckle up, Twelves. It’s going to be another wild controversial filled off-season again, and we might as well gird the loins now. I don’t like hyperbole, either, so I am going to attempt a very measured approach with all this.

For those unaware, bubbling beneath the surface within realms that relate to the Seattle Seahawks, there has been growing speculation that the team and quarterback could be heading for a divorce. Many see a defensive minded head coach who likes his offense to run a certain ball controlled way coupled with a quarterback who wants more of an aggressive passing attack, and they have a difficult time seeing how both of these sides can stay married to each other in the long term.

Either one side concedes enough to the other, or they figure out a way to meet in the middle, or one of the two figure heads of the franchise has got to go. I would have thought that the Shane Waldron hiring from the Rams to become the new offensive coordinator would have meant that Pete and Russ met somewhere in the middle. I guess not, or at least, not enough.

Given that Pete Carroll has just been extended through to 2025, and Wilson is only signed through 2023, it now feels it could be Wilson who will be on his way out first, especially with what has been playing out in the media between the player and team over these past several days. It’s no longer that crazy to speculate this being a possibility down the road.

Given the fact that trade rumors have existed between the player and the team for a few years now, people have been smelling this smoke for a while. You put that together with what has been floated around this week, and people are now seeing flames.

Do I think that this is going to lead to the Seattle Seahawks trading Russell Wilson anytime soon?

Not really, but I am nowhere near as confident about that as I have been previously whenever this stuff has gotten kicked around in the press (which has been annoyingly often).

Here is the order of the most current leaks to the press stirring the pot now

Hours before Super Bowl LV kicked off, it was leaked to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport that a few teams have called Seattle about the availability of Russell Wilson, but Seattle was not interested in trading him. On its face, this felt like a bit of a non-story. Why wouldn’t any quarterback needy team call Seattle to see if Wilson is available, especially with all the previous trade speculations that have been floated through the last few years?

Cool. Cool. Moving along.

To dumb a bit of fuel on these flames, exactly one day after that story made the national news, CBS Sports reporter Jason La Canfora reported that Russell has grown increasingly frustrated with the team’s inability to give him a great offensive line. Honestly, who can blame him? I wrote a piece last week imploring Seattle to go out and spend big dollars in free agency to give him a better center and left guard. I didn’t love that his camp had decided to now publicly complain about the quarterback’s teammates, though. I thought that was a bad look.

But, if that wasn’t enough, the next day on the Dan Patrick Show, Russell, himself, was asked about his offensive line. He awkwardly doubled down on it saying how many times he’s been hit in his nine years in the league and that it all needs to change. To his credit, he stayed very much within his nice guy persona, took blame for some of the sacks, and he said “we need to get better” instead of “they need to get better.”

Okay, fair enough, but now this is feeling increasingly more awkward, and unnecessarily so at that. Why is this happening? Please stop.

He then essentially tripled down on that position hours later in an oddly called press conference with the local Seattle media that the team was not involved in. I say that’s odd because Russell had just won the Walter Payton Man of the Year and the press conference doesn’t appear to really be about that, and we don’t have access to it because it wasn’t organized by the team. It’s felt more like, after he appeared on the Dan Patrick Show, someone in Russell Wilson’s camp felt it necessary to have a press conference with local reporters to perhaps tamper the flames because things started to get a bit awkward in the interview with Patrick when Patrick started to press Russ more. This just sorta further dumped more fuel on the flames.

Where things really start to take wonky turns is when former Seahawk Brandon Marshall goes on national television later that day and he says the Russell is beyond frustrated with Seattle and Pete Carroll. Marshall talked about how in his own limited time with the club, he thought Carroll didn’t trust Russ enough, and then he dropped the bombshell that he believes Russ is just trying to find a nice guy way to exit out of Seattle, and that is what’s really going on.

Boom. Brandon Marshall just dumped a fire gallon bucket of gasoline on that fire, and now the neighbors are calling 911.

While we can surely write this off as speculation on Marshall’s part, I would say that it is worth noting that Marshall had DK Metcalf on his own show the other week, and if you watched DK, you could see a significant amount frustration when he was asked about what happened to Seattle’s offensive in the second half of last season. DK talked about how defenses took away the deep pass and Seattle didn’t adjust, but in that, he also took what was maybe a bit of a side ways shot at Pete Carroll.

DK is perhaps the closest player on Seattle’s team to Russell Wilson. It is very possible that Brandon Marshall was hearing enough things from those close to Russ to feel comfortable to say on national television that Russ wants out of Seattle.

Then to circle back to the team, the latest bit of news that broke in all this saga is that on Wednesday, Dan Patrick said on his own show that he has been talking to Seahawk team sources, and that management is essentially extremely pissed off with Russell right now because of this little campaign of his, and that if things continue down this path, it could lead to an unsustainable relationship between the player and team.

Holy crap, that’s escalated rapidly inside those 72 hours.

Leaks happen for reasons. Why are these happening now?

My question to these fresh back to back story-lines is simple. Why were they leaked now?

Leaks happen in the media for a reason. Often when there is discourse, one side wants to get information out to put pressure on the other.

There’s other reasons, as well. Another big one that could be also happening now between the player and the team is leaking to win the public perception battle.

The Seahawks could have leaked that teams have been calling them about Russ but they aren’t interested in trading him because they want fans to know that they aren’t interested in trading their most popular player. Let’s think about that.

Seattle could be seeing that trade rumors were going to be floated one again, and they wanted to get out in front of it. It makes sense to me that they would float something to the effect that “teams are calling us about Russ, but we love him, and he isn’t going anywhere.” That very possibly could have been the reasoning for the leaks that has sparked this whole thing.

At this point, you might be asking yourself why they felt this was necessary. Here is my best guess.

Russell Wilson is represented by a baseball agent who is schooled to use leaks as a form of pressure to be placed teams, and he does this often. Because this individual annoys me to no end, I am simply going to refer to him as Camp Russell. The reason Camp Russell annoys me to no end is because nearly every off-season, Camp Russell feels the need to stir the pot with leaks and rumors.

“The team doesn’t value Russ enough.“

“They are wasting his talents.”

“They aren’t letting him cook like other quarterbacks”

You’ve probably heard these ones many times over. In fact, you’ve probably heard them on nationally syndicated sports shows. Typically, it is nationally syndicated sports talk show host Colin Cowherd who the Camp Russell most often uses.

Russell Wilson and Colin Cowherd are close partly because they share the same entertainment agent in Hollywood. Anytime you hear Cowherd going on about how Seattle doesn’t do enough to support Russell Wilson, you can be sure that Camp Russ is feeding this view to Cowherd. There’s no reason to think otherwise. Colin Cowherd is very much Russell Wilson’s voice and has been for years.

Conversely, in the past, I think anytime stories leaked out about Russell being perhaps a part of trade discussions, it has largely been the Seahawks leaking, and using that as leverage towards Camp Russell. This has been their shot across the bow saying that they had better simmer down a bit, or Russell is going to end up quarterbacking in Cleveland. That has been their tool against Camp Russell.

It’s a bit different this year, though, because in Russell’s new contract with the team, he now has a no-trade clause that he can use as a tool to control where is plays under the current contract. If Seattle were to reach a deal with a club to trade him, and Russ doesn’t like the destiny, he can simply veto that deal.

In many ways, this clause makes a trade of Russell Wilson even more unlikely. In fact, the only single reason why a trade would become likely is if Russell becomes so unhappy in Seattle that he just wants out. He could do things to try to force a trade, and he could use the no-trade clause as a tool to navigate his way to a team that he prefers to get traded to.

What do they say about seeing smoke?

This is what I think is happening with Russ

The only answer that I can come up with in terms of what is actually going on is with Russell is that he is unhappy in Seattle to the point where he no longer wants to play for this organization. I hate to say it, but I think that’s what it’s now become.

He’s probably tired of being viewed as Pete Carroll’s game manager, and given the fact that the team has chosen to extend Pete through 2025, and John Schneider through 2027, he doesn’t believe anything will change for him here. He wants to cook to win titles and not manage to get back to them.

In his mind, he knows perfectly well that he will never run a Kansas City Chief style offense in Seattle under Pete, and he wants out. This is where I think the truth is sitting at, and it all circles back to what Brandon Marshall said on Tuesday.

I think Marshall basically let the cat out of the bag. Russell wants out and he is awkwardly going about it while trying to maintain his nice guy character that he has carefully crafted over the years.

The way in which I believe Russell is going about his exit plans is by putting as much of a squeeze on the franchise as he can by going well beyond any idle threat of “letting me cook or else.”

I think it is now perhaps in the realm of “I want this, and this, and this, and if I don’t get this, and we don’t make it to the Super Bowl next year, I want out.”

I think that is why the team jumped ahead of any trade rumors it felt was going to be surfacing. It decided it was necessary to put out there “teams are calling us about Russ, but we are not interested in dealing.” The Seahawks are letting us know that they are not the ones who are trying to initiate a breakup.

There could be a Plan B also in the works with the team

I just want to state again that I don’t think the Seattle Seahawks are going to trade Russell Wilson, at least this year. That said, any well run organization will always put forth a solid Plan B should things unexpectedly transpire, and despite what some would say (Camp Russell and Colin Cowherd), I still believe that the Seahawks are one of the better run organizations in professional sports.

On the surface they could be saying that they are getting calls but aren’t interested. That all could be true.. to a degree.

Underneath that, while trying win a public perception battle, Seattle could be waiting for a team that Russell would want to go play for to sweeten the pot enough for them to be willing to make this move, and essentially move on from Camp Russell. This would also make some sense for me.

When I add all this up, I can see a situation where maybe John Schneider and Pete Carroll have huddled together to have a very frank discussion about their team and their star quarterback. I can see them looking at a uniquely fluid quarterback trade market heading into the 2021 off-season, and they might see a rare window to move Russell Wilson now, if the right deal is out there, given the weight of everything Camp Russell is now throwing at them.

People can point to Russell’s salary and how that makes him unlikely to be traded in 2021, but I am not so sure. It feels like if, in fact, Russell wanted out, Camp Russell could agree to alter Russ’s 2021 numbers to make it more flexible for Seattle to move him.

I am no salary cap expert, but if teams are looking at Russell’s salary and the Seahawks salary cap situation, I doubt they would be calling Seattle about him now if they felt that it would be too cost prohibitive for Seattle to deal him this year. I think they probably look at the situation and the probably believe that if there is a will, there is a way to make it happen.

When I look at the NFL landscape to see which teams Russell Wilson would likely enjoy playing for, and perhaps markets that his superstar entertainer wife would enjoy living in, I can see Vegas, Miami, Dallas, and New Orleans all being likely destinations. In fact, if I had to choose a spot probably most ideal for Russ, I would probably lean towards Vegas.

Laugh all you want to about the Raiders, but if Jon Gruden truly believes that he is a Russell Wilson away from overtaking the Chiefs in the AFC West, Vegas could get pretty creative sweetening the pot for Seattle. If they offer Derek Carr and multiple first and second round picks plus a couple promising young players on rookie contracts, that could be enough to persuade Seattle to move on.

Pete Carroll wants to field a competitive team now, and I’m not convinced that he is at the point of his career where he would want to break in another rookie quarterback. If he had to move on from Russell, he would probably want a capable starter to run his play action offense, and while Carr isn’t nearly as talented as Russ, he probably checks a lot of boxes for Pete. If I had to imagine a trade, this is a scenario that I can see happening.

I am not writing this to convince you that the team should trade Russell Wilson

I have officially reached the portion of this piece where I feel like I need to state that I am not arguing for the Seattle Seahawks to trade Russell Wilson. I am merely trying to illustrate what I think is likely happening in all this chaos, and why they might ultimately entertain the idea.

I honestly do not know whether or not the Seattle Seahawks will trade Russell Wilson this off-season, but I do feel like a break up is feeling more likely. It would definitely be more likely next off-season should Seattle falls short of it’s 2021 playoff aspirations.

Because I see that as a real threat, I can see the team looking to maybe get out of the situation ahead of it happening. In my opinion, it would be smart to at least gauge the market now to see what is out there.

If the right deal is there, it might be worth taking it, even if trading him now might be costly against their 2021 cap. They might be willing to take that hit now to have a much better situation in the following years to come. This is what good organizations explore doing.

I think Russell is wrong to publicly be complaining about his offensive line

Finally, I want to inch towards the end this piece by saying that I am really disappointed in Russ did earlier in the week.

I love Russell Wilson. I have worn his jersey every game since his rookie season, and a big part of my heart breaks having to write this piece, but I have to be honest. I think Russ made a bad move this week.

Part me thinks that he knows this, and that’s why those interviews felt so awkward. Russell is officially traveling out of his comfort zone, and if he doesn’t get dealt, he is going to have to deal with some unhappy teammates in 2021 much like he did in the earlier part of his career in Seattle when older players on the team weren’t buying into him.

I think publicly complaining about how your offensive line as blocked for you is a really bad move. It’s especially bad when you know perfectly well that your own style of play invites sacks and hits that other quarterbacks don’t take. I don’t think that is how to win over teammates. I think that is how to further create a divide.

How does Duane Brown feel about this right now?

I’ve seen people say that what Russell is now doing isn’t a big deal. I’ve seen them point to the bad offensive lines through Carroll’s tenure in Seattle, and that Russell is right to assert himself.

I have answered back with the following.

In the lean years between her championships (and there were several), Sue Bird never once publicly complained about how the Seattle Storm wasn’t doing enough to surround her with better low post players. She gutted through those years playing through numerous injuries until Seattle had amassed talent around her again. Eventually they did and she has won two more titles. I am sure those lean years were hard on her as a competitor. She didn’t publicly complain once. She played, and she led.

Russell says how much he admires Bird, and wants to be more like her after the Storm won that last WNBA title during the Summer. If that is true, it’s time for him to put his money where his mouth is on that. It’s time for him to maybe tell his own camp to simmer down a bit.

If he isn’t going to do that, it’s clear to me that he just wants out of Seattle. He’s not thinking about the Seahawks if he continues making demands about how the team acquires talent. He’s thinking about himself, and his own legacy, and brand.

It’s that simple in my mind, and it is really disappointing.

A huge part of me wants Russell to understand how bad this looks, and to take ownership of it. I would love for him to acknowledge that he took a poor tack earlier in the week, to say that Brandon Shell and Damien Lewis are two really good young players, and Duane Brown is rock solid, and that Seattle has a great opportunity in the draft and free agency to add more pieces there. It is within him to do this. I think it would be a smart move to make as well as the right move to make.

Finally, what would I do if I were John Schneider and Pete Carroll?

Honesty, I would hold to my guns about not trading him. I wouldn’t deal.

I would also try in good faith to meet Russell half way. If Russell don’t like that, and it still isn’t enough, I would remind Russ and his camp that he is contracted to play for the Seattle Seahawks until 2023, and that afterwards, it is well within the team’s power to use the franchise tag for a season or two afterwards, if they so choose.

I would play hardball with him and his agent. I would compel them to play nicer by doing that, and if Russ wants to look more and more like the bad guy in this, that is his choice.

If Russ threatens to walk away from the game. I would dare him to do just that. With all of those legacy goals that he has, I would say to him, “well, we would love for you to play for us for the next several years but if you want to walk away from the game for a few years, it’s certainly your choice to do that.”

This is what I would do, and I think that it is probably a direction that they are likely most likely going to take, as well. It would probably make the most sense in all of this.

How much farther will Camp Russell take things? It could go farther, I suppose, but if Russell wants to protect his good guy image, it might have limits.

I’d play hardball with that. I’d be inclined to see what comes out of that dare. I personally doubt the Russell would walk away.

Is he going to honestly walk away from the game for three seasons and then enter back into the sport at age 35 as a free agent?

I seriously doubt that. This dude talks about legacy and titles all the time, if he takes three years off the sport, that’s going to diminish both of those things for him, and you can’t convince me otherwise.

This is why I believe it is ultimately still unlikely that the Seattle Seahawks trade Russell Wilson. They are going to play hardball with his camp and they are going to dare Russ to break further away form his good guy image.

And if they do trade Russ, it will be on their terms, not Camp Russell’s. It will be a perfect storm that creates a situation where a team that is a preferred destination for Russell offers Seattle the perfect package for them to finally move along from Camp Russell, and be done with him. Anything short of that, and Russell Wilson is not going anywhere, and Camp Russell can bitch and moan to Colin Cowherd as much as he wants.

It’s his choice to make. Who knows, though? Maybe Russell will finally wise up enough to ditch that camp.

Can you tell that I don’t like Camp Russell very much?

Go Hawks.

Make no mistake about it, the NFC West is a hotly contested cold war. Really, it’s probably mostly a three way battle between Seattle, LA, and San Francisco, but should Kyler Murray take the next step forward as a passer, Arizona could easily become a much more dangerous team of 2021, especially if they do just a bit more to boost their pass rush.

It’s a fascinating division of football that just got significantly more fascinating last weekend when the LA Rams agreed to trade Jared Goff (plus two future first round picks and a third rounder) to Detroit for Matthew Stafford. The Rams are a really good football team who not only just got better at it’s most important position, they got better at the position that was probably the weakest on their team, in all honesty.

It is very important to note that this move hasn’t come without potentially a very steep price to be paid to be in what is now a clear “win now” mode for them after this deal. Rest assured, they looked at this division, saw what they needed to do, and they boldly placed all their chips in for getting better where they felt that they most needed to do it to help stay on top.

Not only are they going to be without first round picks for the next three years, they are projected to now be over $30 million dollars over their 2021 salary cap with four starters on its top rated defense set to be free agents along with several key members of its offense. They are going to have an enormous challenge restructuring current expensive contracts and trimming roster fat just to get under the cap enough to sign 2021 draft picks and maybe keep a few of those pending free agents.

Because of this Stafford trade, they are likely going to lose a number of good players off of their talented roster, and they won’t have great draft capital to work with to replace a lot of these guys. This is the gigantic price that they are willing to pay to get the player that they think will lead them to the promised land.

What this move reveals to me, more than anything else, is that the Rams saw they had to do something. They weren’t wrong to see it that way, either.

Seattle had just poached their pass game coordinator and their assistant offensive line coach to reshape their offense to better fit Russell Wilson, the best quarterback in their division. Arizona’s quarterback has star qualities and should only get better and better, and San Francisco is an extremely well coached team that should boast a very strong defense again in 2021, and they might feel compelled to make a splashy quarterback move of their own over the next month or two (cough, cough.. trade Jimmy Garoppolo and the twelfth overall pick to Atlanta for Matt Ryan.. cough, cough).

I’m positive that the LA brass looked at this NFC West landscape, and they felt that if they didn’t do something, the window of winning a title with Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey on their defense could quickly dwindle. This was their bold move to go all in for the now, and frankly, I applaud their willingness to go for it. It was inspired.

You know what? The Seattle Seahawks need their 2021 off-season to be about a bold move or two of their own.

If I had to pick one area of the team that most needs improving, it would unquestionably be the offensive line. Further more, with limited draft capital, and being a bit tight against the cap themselves, I think they should be compelled to make some pretty big earthshaking decisions to make this happen. In fact, I think they must.

Simply put, Russell Wilson will be going into his tenth year in the league, and now is not the time to continue spinning wheels in mud while value shopping for his offensive line. It’s time to truly invest there, and they should be prepared to pay heavy costs.

I want to see two major additions to that line, I want a stud left guard, and I want a top level center. I don’t frankly care how they go about this, either.

Honestly, I wouldn’t be upset if both of those players come from free agency at expensive costs. Russell Wilson deserves to have the best offense line that he can have, and while it will be super enticing to draft another young talent like Damien Lewis was last year at right guard, I think adding top talent that is NFL battle tested front of Russ makes a TON of sense. I believe that now is the time for doing this.

Because the NFL salary cap is expected to go down an estimated $20 mill this year due to Covid, now is a time where they could find top talent at a slight bargain compared to past off-seasons. In my opinion Seattle needs to take advantage of that situation.

A perfect example of this is center Corey Linsley. He is one of the very best centers in the league. He’s a seven year vet who played on a great offensive line in Green Bay that has a similar enough blocking scheme to the one that Rams used, and new Seahawk offensive coordinator Shane Waldron will likely now deploy here in Seattle.

The Green Bay Packers, like the Rams, are also one of the few teams that are projected to be significantly over the cap in 2021. Keeping Linsley will be a challenge for them, and they can easily use one of their top picks to replace Linsley instead of restructuring existing contracts and cutting players to fit him back in. Their line is talented enough at other spots to probably roll with a rookie center in 2021.

It is very probable that Linsley will be a free agent in March, and Seattle could have a rare opportunity to pounce. If so, they must.

Sportrac.com is estimating a free agent contract for him at slightly under $10 million annually. In fact, because of his age, they are projecting a three year deal worth about $30 million. For Seattle, I would make that deal in a heart beat.

Seattle could simply cut defensive tackle Jarran Reed or edge rusher Carlos Dunlap to fit him onto there roster. Honestly, if I were GM, I would sacrifice one of those guys to make that move. Seattle has an emerging talent behind Reed in Poona Ford that they might likely chose to keep over Reed down the line anyways. As for Dunlap, as good as he was for them in 2021, I think they could chose to dump that $14 million 2021 salary of his and find some free agent value elsewhere at edge rush with some degree of confidence that they have a developing Alton Robinson and possibly Darrell Taylor ready to take the next steps forward on cheap rookie deals. It’s a gamble that I would feel comfortable making to get significantly better on the offensive line.

I trust that Seattle can find good value at defensive tackle and end through free agency and the draft. They have a long track record of doing just that. What I don’t have much trust in is how successful they are able to be in putting together a good offensive line on the cheap.

I’m done with bringing in older injury plagued guards like Mike Iupati on cheap short term contracts because nobody else wants them, hoping that they will somehow magically be less injury riddled in Seattle. I am also done with throwing larger money at a young talent who never lived up to his first round draft status on a short term deal like they did with Luke Joeckel a few years ago in the hopes that he will somehow finally blossom as a player. He never did and that move made them look incredibly stupid for even trying it.

I trust Seattle to play a smart game of money ball on their defense line. John Schneider has a good eye for how to find value at defensive tackle and defensive end. What I don’t trust is for them to play smart money ball with their offensive line, because they simply haven’t shown any ability to do this.

When they won the Super Bowl in 2013, they actually had one of the more expensive offensive lines in the league that year, and they had a relatively affordable defensive line that was filled with bargain depth. They had two first round picks on the left side of their offensive line, and they were paying their pro bowl center, Max Unger, a lot of money at the time.

Of all the talent that was on that roster, I think Unger’s impact at center was highly underestimated in hindsight. He was the calming presence for others, and it was he who gave Russell Wilson confidence to step up inside the pocket to make the necessary throws when needed. For as much as they ran the ball back then, Russ cooked pretty well whenever called upon with Unger in front of him. Hence my deep desire for a player such as Linsley in Seattle.

Even if Linsley is the only significant free agent signing of theirs in 2021, I would be good with that, especially if they used their first pick on a quality young guard. It appears like the 2021 is shaping up to be a good one for offensive line, and generally, second round is a sweet spot for interior offensive linemen, but they have to nail that pick just like they did with Damien Lewis in the third round last year. My question is, honestly, how much do we as fans trust that they will land that guy?

They can’t reach for a raw athlete like Justin Britt again only to have it be three years before he finally looks like a player worth keeping around. If they are going to use the draft to find solutions, they need to get a guy who will be a positive day one starter. They must. Russell Wilson is going into his tenth year, and it is critical for the team and player that it is a quality bounce back season from the disappointing second half of the 2020 season he had.

As Russ takes on a new offense, he needs to feel confidence in that line up front, especially when he faces the pass rushes that both the Rams and the 49ers will throw at him. A great way to achieve that is for him to know that he is pro bowl talent in front of him. Having a pro bowl center directing traffic against Aaron Donald the way Linsley did for Aaron Rodgers in the divisional round of the playoffs just a few weeks back is a fantastic way to start.

Seattle might feel compelled to bring Ethan Pocic back. He played okay as a first time starter during the first stretch of the season before he got injured. His athletic profile might actually fit the Waldron scheme pretty well as a center, but it took four seasons for Pocic to finally grab a starting job on the line after being drafted late in round two in 2017, and he has yet to prove he can stay healthy. How much trust is Russell really going to have with that decision?

Seattle could simply chose to pluck Austin Blythe from the Rams in free agency. In many ways, this would be the smart and practical thing to do. Pro Football Focus had Blythe rated as the 6th best center in the league last year by December. In comparison, Seattle’s Ethan Pocic was rated in the twenties. So, at least in terms of PFF’s analytical rating system, Seattle would significantly improve it’s center spot by replacing Pocic with Blythe.

Perhaps the biggest reason to make Blythe a well paid man in Seattle is that he has been a regular starter at both as a guard and center for the Rams, and would fully understand, and be able to help teach others on Seattle’s line that particular blocking scheme that is very different than the one they’ve been running in Seattle for the last three seasons. He would likely help smooth out the transition significantly.

Seattle could do much worse this off-season than sign Blythe and then use it’s first pick on the best guard or center available, and then have Blythe play either spot depending on who they drafted. It is very possible that this is the direction Seattle eventually goes with. Still, Blythe has never achieved pro bowl status, and has probably met his ceiling in terms of development. He is what he is. At best, he would be a steady and reliable presence on the line who would help others transition into the new blocking scheme. For folks that remember the Mike Holmgren years in Seattle, he’d be a Robbie Tobeck, and there is nothing wrong with having this sort of presence in the starting line up, but Seattle would need more, much more.

This is why I propose that Seattle go aggressive in bringing in a player like Linsley, and possibly even splurging for another big time player such as Brandon Scherff at left guard, as well, if such a player is floating out there in free agency. Get the two best guys out there on the market. For one off-season, go big and bold in free agency. Why not?

And I don’t frankly care if they have to cut Carlos Dunlap and Jarran Reed, or dare I say it, trade a popular player such as Bobby Wagner to open up the cap space necessary to do it, as well. Be bold. Be biggly bold.

And look, don’t get me wrong, I love Bobby Wagner as much as the next Seattle fan, but I also know that the team just drafted Jordyn Brooks, and by my eyes, that young cat looks like he is more than capable of starting in place of Wagz this coming season, if they needed him to do that. Moving Wagner now would make would make sense because he is still talented enough that some other team out there with cap space available that wants to make an immediate splash in 2021 might actually give up a decent enough draft pick on an expensive older player of his sort.

You can doubt whether a team would be willing to do this, and that’s fine, but let’s take Jacksonville as an example for a minute. Highly competitive and newly hired Urban Meyer doesn’t like loosing, and if he drafts college quarterback phenom Trevor Lawrence first overall and then pairs Bobby Wagner with Myles Jack at linebacker on the defensive side, suddenly, Jacksonville looks potentially like a very dangerous club again very quickly. Jacksonville has the salary cap space to fit Wagner in, and draft capital necessary to give Seattle general manager John Schneider a fair offer for him.

In fact, don’t be surprised if we see Seattle make a dramatic move like this. With only roughly under $3 million of cap space and only four picks in the draft and no first and third round pick due to the Jamal Adams trade, something has got to give, right?

Trading Bobby Wagner, even if it was for a mere third round pick and chump change (I think they could get more), would save Seattle over $9 million off the cap. There is value to be had in the third round typically at defensive tackle, wide receiver, guard, center, corner, tight end, and running back. If Seattle has confidence in Brooks taking over for Wagner and being a new leader on the defense with Jamal Adams, this could easily happen. That pick could be the future starting running back, eventual replacement for Tyler Lockett, starting nose tackle, or possibly even the new left guard playing between pro bowlers Duane Brown and Corey Linsley.

Shoot, they could even go more bold with trades, and deal Jamal Adams for a pick to gets them back into the first round this year. As wild as that sounds, that would also take about $9 million off of the cap, and it could put them in better position to further fill out their roster with younger talent, especially when you consider that having a first round pick gives the team flexibility to trade down and acquire more picks, as John Schneider famously loves to do.

Honestly, this might be a move that they decide to make. Even if they don’t get back the same draft capital that they used to acquire him, they could just write that off as another expensive one year rental on a player that they felt would give them a solid chance to go over the top in 2020 just like the one they did a few years back when they acquired Sheldon Richardson for a season.

If you are wincing at this idea, I can respect that and even relate, but think about it this following way. What if trading Jamal Adams lands Seattle the very best guard in the draft, and a pass rushing presence that takes the place of Jarran Reed or Carlos Dunlap, and thus, Seattle gets younger and better on both sides of the trenches for years to come? Would you make this trade if that were the result? Would you be okay with Ryan Neal and Marquise Blair battling it out for the starting safety spot next to pro-bowler Quandre Diggs to get significantly better on both lines? Personally, I find that compelling.

I’m not writing any of this to poke buttons and be controversial, either. I am just saying, to circle back to the beginning of this piece, Seattle is in the midst of a cold war with LA, and San Francisco, and it feels like Arizona is maybe one pass rusher away from doing serious damage as well. Because of all that, this is the time for boldness.

For my money, the best way and the clearest path for Seattle to successfully battle through this division is to give Russell Wilson the best offensive line that they can put together for him. Green Bay gave us a model for how to play against Aaron Donald and that Rams pass rush. It’s no small coincidence that Green Bay had a great offensive line situation working in their favor.

So, go get Corey Linsley, John Schneider. Prepare to pay him handsomely, and while you’re at it, get us a stud left guard.

Don’t settle for bargains this time around. Go big on the offensive line. Go all in aggressively with the same willingness that the Rams displayed by trading for Matthew Stafford to fill their biggest need. It’s time for this.

Outside of Duane Brown, anyone who is not Russell Wilson should be trade-able to better help make this better happen. Bobby, Jamal, Diggs, Lockett, and even DK Metcalf should all be considered as potential chest pieces. In fact, considering his immense upside that is still likely untapped, DK might be the one Seahawk player to net the most draft capital on this team who isn’t named Russell. As crazy as it sounds, it should be considered, if the right deal is presented.

When I see Seattle line up against the Ram and 49er defensive lines this Fall, I want to see a bonafide stud filled offensive line functioning together as one. I want to see them assert themselves against these dynamic NFC West pass rushers with a potent run game, and I want to see them win one on one battles when they have to pass block. This, in my opinion, is how we finally get Russ cooking again.

Ain’t nothing in this league more dangerous than Russell Wilson playing the game with supreme confidence. Getting him a great offensive line, finally, it probably the best way for him to achieve that level of confidence. Build around Russ by building it in front of Russ first and foremost, for once.

Go get Linsley. Go get Scherff as well. Why not?

If not, get one of those two, and use the draft to land another future stud.

Just give Russell a great offensive line to work with, finally. He deserves that, and we as fans deserve to finally see him work with that. Period. End of story. No ifs ands or buts about it.

Do it.

There, I said it.

Go Hawks.