Many people close to this team knew that this day was probably coming sooner than later. For Kam Chancellor it was pretty obvious, but for Doug Baldwin, it was less so, but over time, started to become more obvious.

For Chancellor, we knew that in 2017 his career was likely over after the neck injury he suffered against Arizona midway through that season. Yet he had just signed a big extension with the team that was full of guaranteed money, and thus it was not financially feasible for him to retire in 2018, as that would mean forfeiting all those guarantees. So he stayed with the team in 2018 as a non active player, but he was essentially retired, and in 2019, it would just be a matter of formality for the team to officially release him so that he can collect the remainder of his guaranteed earnings while the team could collect it’s portion of non-guarantees, if that makes sense.

For Baldwin, things were a bit different, but there were those close enough to him during the 2018 season who hinted that his time in the NFL might be coming to a close after the season. There were rumblings on Seahawks Twitter that perhaps the player was ready to move on. Doug had a tough season battling through various injuries, and a lot of his close friends were no longer players on the team. There was a read-between-the-lines sense that perhaps the game might have stopped being fun for him, and as we got into the official 2019 offseason mode of the team, reports started to surface that he was having to have multiple offseason operations, and he was, in fact, contemplating retirement. So anyone following these reports shouldn’t have been overly shocked about what just happened earlier today.

For me these releases are a simple formality by the team done as a solid to each one of these iconic players. By releasing each one, they get to keep their guaranteed dollars that they fought and earned, and frankly, put their lives at risk for. If each player filed for retirement, they would have forfeited those dollars. So, while it comes across cold on the sports tickers that Seattle released these two icons, it’s far from it.

For me it’s sad knowing that I will not see Kam Chancellor and Doug Baldwin suit up anymore in Seahawks uniforms on Sundays, but this is something I have been bracing for a while now. There was a reason why Seattle took two safeties and three receivers in the draft the other week.

But this little piece isn’t really about those replacements. This is about acknowledging what truly wonderful and unique players Seattle was fortunate enough to have in a oversized fifth round pick of a strong safety, and a short un-drafted slot receiver with a massive chip on his shoulder. These guys were special, and it took the league quite a while to truly recognize just how special they were. Physically, they had talent, but I think both men reached the height of their success by what was inside them. Kam Chancellor and Doug Baldwin are lions. Absolute lions. On a team that prided themselves of having a bunch of “dogs” for players, these two guys were lions.

That’s how I see them. That’s how I will remember them. They kept the other players around them honest, and focused. They were the epitome of the franchise player; the players that always had the team’s best interests at heart. I love those guys. As my son grows up, I will point to them, and tell him that they are the dudes to be like.

What this means for Seattle moving forward is a topic for another post. I said it with the recent Ziggy Ansah post, and I will say it with this one; I don’t think Seattle is done with its offseason acquisition of talent. Now with these two big salaries off the books, it opens up further cap space to continue adding more pass rush, and now probably another receiver. But for me, I just know I am really going to miss that dynamic Wilson to Baldwin connection this Fall.. just like I missed seeing Chancellor dynamically roaming the back end of the defense last Fall.

It’s tough to see players you love leave your team, and the game, but at least with these two, they leave the game as Seahawks. In this modern era of the NFL, that’s rather rare. So for me, it means a ton. Selfishly, this is how I want to see them go out. I don’t want one of them playing for the 49ers, and the other one playing for the Patriots. I want them to go off as Seahawks.

As Seattle Seahawk fans, we have enjoyed an absolute incredible run of NFL football over the past seven years or more. They spoiled us big time. Kam Chancellor and Doug Baldwin were heart and soul players in that time, and I hope that the team puts them in the Ring of Honor together, just as soon as they can. They deserve that honor. We deserve that.

Go Hawks.

It was apparent when Seattle traded Frank Clark tot the Kansas City Chiefs the day before the NFL Draft that Seattle had a plan to replace him. Many thought it would be through the draft, and while they did select a pass rusher in round one in TCU’s LJ Collier, he is a very different player than Clark. He’s more of an inside/out pass rusher like Michael Bennett was for the team. I suspect Seattle was also targeting a pure edge rusher in the draft, but the draft simply didn’t land that way for them, and they also wanted to add to other positions. That annoyed my tabby cat Earl, but as I explained to him, I also suspected that was okay because they had plans to replace Clark’s edge rush available on the veteran market.

Enter Ziggy Ansah, at 6-6 270 lbs, who Pro Football Focus listed as their top performing pass rusher in QB pressures last year despite him missing a bunch of games due to injury. He’s thirty years old, and coming off of a shoulder injury, but if healthy could also become a more productive player than Clark. He is also on a one year incentive laden  prove-it deal.

This really good be a smart move for the player and the team. Seattle needs a motivated Ansah to beat the Rams and 49ers, and Ansah needs a bounce back season in Seattle to reset his free agent market in 2020. Given Seattle’s history to bringing in veteran talent to it’s defensive line, I’m actually a pretty big fan of this move, and they might have made it anyways, even if they drafted an edge rusher along with Collier.

Moving forward, I don’t think Seattle is done adding veteran talent to it’s defensive line. They have the cap space, and could clear more up by cutting a few bubble players. I will say it now; don’t be shocked if the team adds Ndamukong Suh in the near future. He’s from the PNW, and reportedly wants to stay on the West Coast. It makes a ton of sense for him to agree to a similar deal with Seattle as Ansah just did. I also think that in play are defensive tackles Corey Liuget, Muhammad Wilkerson, and Gerald McCoy if he is released by Tampa Bay. Seattle has options available on the free agent market, and they might even sign a couple more players; a defensive tackle and another edge rusher.

Final thought; I think we might be seeing the future of how the Seattle Seahawks will deal beyond the mega contract extension of Russell Wilson. They simply can not afford to keep all their star players, especially the younger ones once their contracts are due. By trading Clark for a first round pick, and signing Ansah, Seattle seems to have taken a direct page out of the New England Patriots offseason play book. Clark was going to be expensive, and Ansah is more of a bargain. Both players offer similar production.

Personally, I think that’s okay, especially if it is on the defensive side of the ball. Pete Carroll knows what he wants on his defensive line, and with Cliff Avril, Michael Bennett, Tony McDaniel, Alan Branch, and a host of other vets, he has the track record for success.

Great move by Seattle signing this cat. Go get another one.

Go Hawks!

Earl wasn’t thrilled that the Seahawks didn’t add more edge help, but was he happy with the other picks? Find out below. Go Hawks.

Welcome to our first annual Seattle Seahawks Draft Grading Thing-y. After every NFL draft, I will sit down with my expert panel, and we will discuss each pick made by the Seattle Seahawks, and then assign a grade. Full discloser, draft grades are meaningless. For example, Seattle’s legendary 2012 draft class that included Bruce Irvin, Bobby Wagner, Russell Wilson, and JR Sweezy got an F by some so called high profile national draft expert on one of those cable networks. Meaningless.

My expert panel includes myself, my orange tabby cat, Earl, and my black medium haired cat, Kam. Here are our meaningless draft grades. Yay!

LJ Collier, Defensive Lineman, TCU. Grade B+

Curtis: I mocked this guy to Seattle in our first mock draft. I’m smart. Seriously, though. This is the type of pick I thought Seattle would make. They needed pass rush, and Collier  dominated Senior Bowl practices going against top offensive linemen coming out of college. Carroll’s version of the 4-3 defense is a hybrid scheme that requires hybrid talent, and that is this guy. He can play all over the line. Solid pick. A-

Earl: I love that fact that they drafted a defensive lineman first. Every year they should take a defensive or offensive lineman first. That’s how you win in this league. But they traded away their top edge rusher in Frank Clark, and this guy looks like he is going to do most of his rushing inside. Isn’t Rasheem Green supposed to be that? Meh. B

Kam: This dude? This dude is a dude, dude. I mean, dude, when I look at this dude? I see strong hands that will strike you as he explodes out of his stance, long arms that will follow that with a heavy club, and then a nice low center of gravity that, if he gets inside you, you’re done. They might have him listed at a defensive end, but at 6-2 and 283lbs, I can see him maybe growing into a pass rushing defensive tackle. I like this dude. A-

Marquise Blair, Safety, Utah. Grade A-

Earl. Yes. That’s what I am talking about. The Seattle Seahawks gone out and got themselves a safety who loves to smack people into next week. Let’s face the facts, Jacks. Seattle’s secondary last year was not good. On one of their better days, you could maybe call them fair, but that’s not good. To make matters worse, they did Earl Thomas dirty, and didn’t bring him back. Now, they got this Blair kid, they’re starting to make amends. They still got a way to go, but I love this pick. A+

Curtis: I mocked him to Seattle a couple times. I’m smart. Definitely going to help Seattle in the run game. My only concerns is that at 6-1 195lbs, that feels slight. Does he hold up? Because your best ability is availability. I love that this is another pick to continue getting tougher on the defense, though. Blair is Seattle’s highest drafted DB since Earl Thomas. That says something to me. They like this guy a lot. A-

Kam: This pick is about beating the Rams. When the Rams played us last year, those receivers were running around not really all that scared, even though we knocked one of them out of a game and for the season, and their running backs were getting huge gains because we weren’t tackling well in space. What I love about this pick is that he is strong against the run, and he does is with a lot of speed. My only wee concern is that frame. A-

DK Metcalf, Wide Receiver, Utah. Grade A

Earl: Seattle got the steel of the draft right here at pick 64. A 6-3 228lbs Marvel character who can run 4.33 in a forty? Yeah, I don’t care if his college route tree wasn’t advanced. You’re pairing him up with arguably the best deep passing QB in the league in Russell Wilson. With this guy, you run the ball, run the ball, run the ball, then BOOM! – you hit ‘em with the play action. Defenses are always going to be thinking about that all game long. A+

Kam: Neck injuries scare me, and he had that in college. So, I see why he dropped. He also didn’t show great short area quickness, but that isn’t the style of receiver he is. This guy is a classic split end receiver whose job is to take the top off defenses. If he can stay healthy, and things click for this cat, good night Irene. The Seattle Seahawks are going to be a fun team to watch. A

Curtis: He’s a freak. Probably the freakiest player in this draft class, and the most boom or bust. I love the pick for the simple fact that Seattle swung for the fences here. They went yard for a guy who, if he develops, could become one of the absolute stars of the league. He has that kind of talent. The injury history scares me a bit, and I think fans need to be patient with the guy because receivers tend to take a while to develop. A-

Cody Barton, Linebacker, Utah. Grade B

Curtis: To be honest, I didn’t know who this guy was. I had to look him up. They moved up to take him at 88, and then afterwards the Colts took a linebacker with a more recognizable name. So, I’m guessing that the league was more in love with this guy than the experts. I love it when picks like this are made because it shows that the league knows more about football than the pundits. That said, Barton moves well in coverage and tackles well in space. Like him. B+

Earl: Would have liked to have seen edge rusher here. They traded Clark and then drafted a DE/DT hybrid. Clark was an edge. They need edge help. I’m not saying that Barton isn’t a good player. He might be really good. He might replace KJ or Bobby if they loose one of those guys to injury or free agency, and he might become the next pro bowl linebacker on the defense, but he is what he is, and that is a linebacker. There was that edge dude from the Old Dominion sitting right there, and they didn’t take him. C

Kam: How many pro bowl edge rushers have you seen coming out of Old Dominion? How many NFL players do you see coming out of there? This dude was a leader on a tough Utah defense that gave the PAC 12 fits last year. This dude is a big, quick linebacker that can cover, and he can tackle. I said it about Blair and I will say it again here. This pick is about beating the Rams. If you are going to beat the Rams, you have got to be a good tackling team in space. Period. That’s what this guy does. A-

Gary Jennings, Wide Receiver. Grade A-

Kam: The news about Doug Baldwin sucks. In fact, it also blows. It sucks, and it blows. It suck blows. Seattle needed to come out of this draft with multiple receivers. They got one guy in Metcalf take the top of the defense, but it looks like they double dipped here because this guy looks like he can take the top off the defense, too. Guess what? They got Tyler Lockett who can also take the top off the defense, as well. Now, they can’t all be doing that at the same time. Someone has to work underneath. I gotta feeling they are going to have this guy working underneath, or Tyler. I’m just thinking out loud here. I like his size. A-

Curtis: I mocked this guy to Seattle in our last mock leading to the NFL draft. I’m smart. Seriously, though. I think this guy feels like a Seahawk receiver. He actually kind of reminds me of Jermaine Kearse. He has decent size, he’s fast and athletic, can catch contested passes and turn up field. I like this pick a lot. A

Earl: Seattle needed another edge rusher, but it is true that the news about Baldwin possibly retiring is sucky. Just would have liked to have seen an edge rusher here. B

Phil Haynes, Guard, Wake Forrest. Grade A

Earl: Now this here is a pick. Get this big, bad, nasty road grater up here in the 206. This dude is built like a Sherman tank, and he moves like jeep. Sorry for the WW2 military mobile machinery references, there, but I can’t help myself. This is old school football. Seattle needed to draft another edge rusher, but Seattle got great value. He’s going to be a starter, y’all. If not this year, then next. And he’s going to be gooooooooood. A+

Kam: 6-4 333lbs of pure mass blocking in front of Russell Wilson. He’s strong and athletic, too. I’m good with it. A-

Curtis: Yeah, he’s another guy who’s name I wasn’t familiar with. Having said that, when I started looking at him online, he got me fired up. I think the safe bet is that he is a starter by 2020. Really like this pick. A

Ugo Amadi, Safety, Oregon. Grade B+

Curtis: Yeah, I gotta to be honest again. No idea who this was. That said, he’s the 2018 Lombardi winner, which is given to the college player best showing leadership. So, you got to think that the Seahawks got another alpha personality type here. At 5-9 199lbs, I wonder if he is a replacement for nickel corner Justin Coleman. I trust Pete Carroll on this one. B

Earl: Seattle drafted another safety. This goes back to all my points last year that the LOB was LOL. This cat is another sure tackler. He’s a leader. He plays the ball well. He can play nickel and safety. Needed edge rusher, but like this pick. B+

Kam: I said it about Blair. I said it about Barton. I will say it about this dude. This pick is all about beating the Los Angeles Rams in 2019. You want to beat the Rams. You got to be a good tackling team in space, and you got to cover. Guess what? This guy can tackle, and cover, and he’s smart, and he’s a leader. I like that Seattle is going back to their DNA with picks like this. A-

Ben Burr-Kirven, Linebacker, Washington. Grade A+

Curtis: Seattle drafted Ben Burr-Kirven! Ben Burr-Kirven, y’all! Ben Burr-Kirven! A+

Kam: I love it when daddy is happy! Seriously, though. BBK is a baller. Dude is fast, can cover, and tackle. See the theme, here? This pick is all about beating the Los Angeles Rams. If you want to beat the Rams, you have to tackle and cover, and it helps when you got linebackers who can do that fast. I think this is the steel pick of the draft. A+

Earl: Seattle drafted Ben Burr-Kirven! Ben Burr-Kirven, y’all! Ben Burr-Kirven! A+

Travis Homer, Running back, Miami. Grade B

Earl: This is the pick that came in where I started resigning myself to the fact that Seattle was not going to draft another edge rusher, they would probably look to veteran free agency afterwards, and I was going to have to poop on your pillow. His college tape is fine. Kind of reminds me of Thomas Rawls a bit. B

Curtis: Pete Carroll knows running backs. I like this pick because Seattle lost Mike Davis in free agency, and CJ Prosise can never stay healthy. So, even though the team has Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny, depth is an issue. B+

Kam: I looked at his highlight tape while you were changing my litter box, and I really liked what I saw. Fast, decisive, has a nice extra gear. I wouldn’t be surprised if he found a role on this offense right away, maybe on third downs. B

Demarcus Christmas, Defensive Tackle, Florida State. Grade C-

Kam: He’s probably an early down run stopper type. Yeah. Honestly, I don’t know what they have here. Maybe they know something that we don’t. C

Curtis: I know the name because at one point he was thought be perhaps be a third or fourth round pick. But he never stood out in college, and was kind of a rotational player. He flashed a little bit of pass rush here and there. Maybe they think they can uncork something out of him. They needed DT depth, though. C

Earl: They needed an edge rusher, and when they took this cat. I admit it.. I pooped on your pillow at this point. They took a defensive tackle with no explosive traits. D+

John Ursua, Wide Receiver, Hawaii. Grade C+

Curtis: Yet another play that I will not pretend to know, but they were out of picks in this draft, they traded back into it in round seven to grab him. So, obviously, they felt that they needed him. He’s short. So he is probably the slot guy that they feel they need to help replace Baldwin. Interestingly, he led the nation in touchdown catches with a whopping 16. Not a track star. C+

Earl: Another signal to me that Angry Doug is probably Done Doug. It would be really amusing to me if looking back five years from now, this guy was the star of this draft class. Personally, that’d just amuse me. B-

Kam: It’s a scary thought having no more Doug in a Seattle uniform. I’m not ready for that, but if it’s coming, Seattle has to be ready. This little dude was a productive college slot receiver, so why not? Go Hawks. C+

Closing Thoughts, and Final Grade for the Seattle Draft Class. A-

Curtis: Seattle had to draft Collier, and I think they got someone who can be a solid piece of the puzzle moving forward. In fact, I think he could easily become a fan favorite. As the draft went on, Seattle got great value. Solid draft. A

Kam: Like this draft class. Didn’t see any reaches, and I think they got steels in Metcalf, Haynes, and BBK. Collier, though; that dude is a dude, dude. A-

Earl: I thought Seattle came up short at edge rusher, which is frustrating in a deep defensive line draft. I think the Barton pick should have been another edge rusher, but if Barton is better than the edge rushers that were available, I guess I’m okay with that. Metcalf, Blair, Haynes, and BBK excite me. B+

Seattle drafts a Husky legend, and a potential fan favorite. (Photography By: Scott Eklund/Red Box Pictures)

Kam Chancellor, KJ Wright, Richard Sherman, Byron Maxwell, Michael Dickson, Tre’ Flowers, Chris Carson, JR Sweezy,  and Super Bowl MVP Malcolm Smith.

What do these guys all have in common? All solid to pro bowl level starters that Seattle has drafted on Day Three of the Draft under Pete Carroll and John Schneider.

There is some interesting stuff to get through today. So, let’s dig into it.

With the news that Doug Baldwin might be calling it a career, Seattle has found itself probably more than a bit desperate at receiver. Yesterday’s pick of DK Metcalf shouldn’t have shocked everyone. Seattle swung for the fences drafting immense upside (literally, at 6-3 and 228 lbs), but they needed more. Metcalf is a very different receiver from other Seattle receivers in the Russell Wilson era. He’s a pure deep ball artist with freakish size and speed. They needed a possession route runner to potentially replace Baldwin.

Enter Gary Jennings of West Virginia early in Round Four. This feels like is a classic Seattle receiver, and we mocked him in the third round to Seattle in our final mock draft posted earlier in the week. He has size at 6-1 214 lbs, and elite speed, and agility. His style might be more Jermaine Kearse than Doug Baldwin, but that’s okay. Kearse had a great chemistry with Wilson, a skillset that matched the QB when plays broke down, and an uncanny ability to grab contested passes along with some tough running after the catch. Looking at Jennings’ highlights, he checks a lot of these boxes.

Interestingly enough, Jennings has his own history with Wilson. He went to grade school with Wilson’s sister in Virginia, and was actually coached by RW himself when he was in youth basketball. This might have been an RW influenced pick, and don’t be surprised if Jennings has a more immediate impact in this offense than Metcalf in year one. Love the potential of this pick.

Phil Haynes is a massive human being at offensive guard with upper level athleticism. He’s a fit for what Seattle now wants at guard and could easily end up a start over the next year or two. This is the other early fourth round pick to continue building around RW.

The next two picks I think represent Seattle’s attempt to answer the Los Angeles Rams more than anything else. Seattle drafted hard hitting Oregon DB and 2018 Lombardi Award Winner Ugo Amadi, and then coverage linebacker Ben Burr-Kirven from Washington. Both players work great in coverage and both are solid open field tacklers. Seattle’s defense was hit and miss last year, and when it was miss, it was usually in missed tackles, and during the two games against the Rams, it was a lot of missed tackles. With safety Marquise Blair and linebacker Cody Barton drafted Friday, and Amadi and BBK today, Seattle is obviously addressing coverage, tackling, and special teams. All these picks probably represent getting back to their DNA, and a signal that they are gearing up for the Rams.

Amadi is a lot of fun to watch, feels like a potentially solid pick to replace nickel corner Justin Coleman, but personally, I think the Seahawks might have gotten the steel of the day in BBK. That dude is a flat out baller. Check him out here. I’m calling it now. I think he could end up being an iconic Seahawk pick, and I’m willing to bet a distant relative’s pinky finger that he will be an immediate fan favorite.

At the end of the sixth round, Seattle took a fast “run to daylight” running back in Miami’s Travis Homer. With Mike Davis leaving in free agency, and CJ Prosise always injured, this pick makes a ton of sense, and on the NFL.com’s draft prospect page one anonymous NFC scout had this to say, “he’s a very loyal player.. his competitive nature stands out.. I think someone has a chance to get a steal with him.” Interesting.

Also at the end of round sixth, Seattle finally took another defensive lineman, taking Florida State DT Demarcus Christmas. Christmas was not an overly productive player at Florida State, but he was a former four star recruit. At 6-3 and 294lbs, he has a build that suggests a potential early down 3 technique, but truthfully, this is probably a late round flyer on a player they think might have some untapped potential.

Finally, not to be finished for the day, Seattle traded back into the draft in round seven and took another receiver in Hawaii’s John Ursua. I will be honest, I don’t know squat about this guy. Apparently, he’s 5-9 and 178lb slot receiver, but Mel Kiper on the tel-y says he can play in this league. Clearly, Seattle thought enough about him to make sure they got back into the draft to take him. If Baldwin is done, they will need help in the slot. Interesting stuff indeed.

Final Thoughts. 

Seattle will be spending the next 24 hours filling out their roster with underrated rookie free agents. Speaking of Baldwin and also Kearse, each one of these guys went famously un-drafted and became quality starters. Last year they stole defensive tackle Poona Ford out of that pool, and he’s already being thought of as the next great un-drafted Seattle starter. Pete Carroll loves giving un-drafted players the opportunity to compete.

With Frank Clark trades, that opens up some salary cap for Seattle to also be potentially doing a little veteran free agent spending over the next few weeks. My hunch is that they will go the veteran route to adding more pass rush, and I would be shocked if they bring back Jermaine Kearse.

It’s going to continue being an interesting offseason well after this draft. They ain’t done yet. Can’t wait to see what comes next.

Go Hawks.

No, this is not a defensive end. This is Russell Wilson’s new wide out, DK Metcalf. Ya dig?

It’s apparent that theme of the 2019 Seahawks is to get back to the DNA that made them a Super Bowl contender. In the first round on Thursday, Seattle took a tough, physical, tone setting defensive lineman in LJ Collier that can stack the run, and rush the QB from multiple positions, a la Michael Bennett. On day two, with the 47th pick, Seattle took arguably the hardest hitting free safety in all of college football last year in Utah’s Marquise Blair. Watching his highlights, I can’t tell if Blair is more Earl Thomas or Kam Chancellor, but I think if they had a baby together is would be this guy. We’ve mocked both of these players to Seattle over the past couple weeks, and Blair we mocked twice.

If you study the draft and look at these players, both make a ton of sense. Both guys feel like Pete Carroll players, and during many Utah games, commentators would frequently mention how much Blair seemed like a Seattle type of DB. So, there we have it. Blair is a Seattle Seahawk DB.

He’s fast, hard hitting, he can cover, and he can tackle, and that is probably what Seattle wants more than anything else. I think when Earl Thomas was lost to injury last year, what began to plague the defense, more than anything else, especially in the games against the Rams, was missed tackles in space. You won’t get that from Blair, and that’s why I love this pick.

But if that wasn’t enough, Seattle traded back up into the end of round one and to 6-3 228 lb wide receiver DK Metcalf, who looks like he is something straight out of Marvel Studios Casting. The dude is cut like a greek god comic book character, and runs a blistering 4.33 forty yard dash. That’s faster the Tyler Lockett, and that’s a dude built like Kam Chancellor. While he’s a bit of a one trick pony running go patterns, at the same time, that pretty much fits a lot of what Seattle now does these days offensively. Once he learns more comprehensive patterns, good night Irene, there is no telling what he might do in this league. The one caveat here, out side of his limited route running, is that he had a neck injury his senior year, and those two things together probably add up to why he was available at 64.

What’s most exciting about Seattle moving up to get Metcalf is that they clearly are ready to swing for the fences on this guy. Carroll has always wanted a receiver like this in Seattle, but they have never been in great position to take one, and if what he does is stretch defenses and out muscle DBs for deep balls, well he’s about to be matched with one of the premier deep ball passing quarterbacks in the league in Russell Wilson. On paper, this seems like a fascinating match, and with the sad news coming out the Doug Baldwin might be calling it a career, it’s also seems to be a suddenly necessary one.

Seattle had one final pick on day two and that was Utah linebacker Cody Barton at pick 88. Honestly, I don’t know much about Barton, but it is interesting that Seattle moved up in front of Indianapolis to take him, and Indy took Stafford linebacker Bobby Okereke, who is probably a more widely known player. It’s clear that Barton was Seattle’s guy and they were afraid of loosing him to Indy. Looking at highlights from a 2018 game against Washington, it appears like Barton is a fluid athlete the drops comfortably in coverage, and is a patient sure tackler. Pro Football Focus had him rated as the PAC 12 starting linebacker with the least amount of missed tackles last year, and a national leader in coverage stops. Put all that together with good speed, strength and agility at the combine, and things become clear why Seattle moved up for him. He’s the highest drafted Seattle linebacker since they took Bobby Wagner in the second round in 2012, and with KJ Wright getting older and coming off an injury filled season, linebacker was probably a bigger need for the team than many were anticipating. I’m excited to see what this guy does.

With Collier, and Blair, Seattle is clearly looking for new tone setters on the defense. They want to be the intimidators again, and they want players that will get under the skin of the opponents. With Barton, they want steady and reliable play at linebacker, a la KJ Wright.

But with Metcalf, they want an absolute beast of a man at wide receiver. This guy satisfies the “Build Around Me Damn it” Clause in Russell Wilson’s new mega contract.

Thoughts about Day Three for Seattle. 

Seattle has three picks in the fourth round, one pick in the fifth, and one in the sixth. Teams can still find decent starting talent in the fourth. Seattle has addressed pass rush, safety, receiver, and linebacker. They could look for more pass rush, or run stopping help. They could add a corner. They can also add more receiver, or tight end help, and of course, they can go offensive line.

Here is a list of some interesting players with definite starting potential.

Hakeen Butler, Wide Receiver, Iowa State; another long fast receiver.

Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, Safety, Florida; an athletic slot defender thought to be a high second round pick.

Renell Wren, Defensive Tackle, Arizona State; a massive human being who is an athletic freak for his size but needs to play with better disciple.

Dander Walker, Edge rusher, Georgia; thought to be a potential second round pick.

Christian Miller, Edge rusher, Alabama; kind of a Bruce Irvin type speed rusher.

Michael Jordan, Guard, Ohio State; not that Michael Jordan, but a massive run blocker.

Dru Samia, Guard, Oklahoma; an athletic guard who plays with a nasty edge.

Anthony Nelson, Defensive End, Iowa; a long base end with good pass rushing traits.

Amari Hooker, safety, Iowa; another hybrid defender thought to be a second round pick.

If Seattle should land any one these guys, you should rejoice as a Twelve. These guys are solid talents. Clearly, there is still value left at edge rusher, a really interesting defensive tackle, and there is some extremely interesting options left at DB. Don’t be surprised if Seattle targets another safety to convert to corner or nickel. They lost nickel corner Justin Coleman to free agency, and Gardner-Johnson, and Hooker could be interesting options early in the fourth. 

Also, I don’t know if they do go for another big body at receiver, but I find the idea of adding Butler fascinating. Seattle has always been about shorter quicker receivers in the Russell Wilson era. I’ve always wondered about how Wilson would fair with bigger faster targets like the Saints have always surrounded Brees with. Just a thought.

Go Hawks.

LJ Collier can bring the heat at defensive end and defensive tackle. (Photo: Icon Sportswire, Getty)

I mocked LJ Collier a couple weeks ago to Seattle as their first pick. Yay!

I’m smart.

Seriously though, I think if we step back, this is a classic Seattle Seahawk pick under Pete Carroll. Watch his highlight tape. His game reminds me of one of my absolute favorite Seahawks; one Michael Bennett. At a stout 6-2 and 283 lbs, and with long arms, he has the strength to stack the run, and he has advanced pass rush moves to bully and confuse offensive linemen while getting to the quarterback. What I see is a strong run defender, and a disruptive pass rusher. I also see versatility as he can play multiple positions on the defensive line, and I think that is a critically important trait for head coach Pete Carroll. It actually wouldn’t shock me if he starts out as an end, but becomes a three down pass rushing three technique defensive tackle down the line. In my opinion, this is a really exciting pick.

One thing is that he is not is Frank Clark. Clark was a speed rushing end for Seattle, but Seattle doesn’t necessarily need to replace Clark with another edge rusher; they just need to find another passer rusher regardless of position. This is Collier, and while on paper Seattle is thin at rush end, this draft it deep at defensive line. I fully expect that Seattle continues to continue to add there over the next couple days, and I think Louisiana Tech end Jaylon Ferguson is easily still in play early on Friday.

Thoughts about day two and day three of the draft. 

By trading back with Green Bay, and then trading back with the New York Giants, Seattle now picks at 37, 92, 114, 118, 124, 132, 142, and 159. That’s plenty of picks to further fill this roster, and this draft is deep enough at defensive line that Seattle could find decent value into round four where they interestingly have four picks.

As mentioned above, Seattle still could go after a speed rushing end early at 37, but don’t be shocked if they ultimately go after a wide receiver. In fact, I wouldn’t be shocked if the opening of round two has a run at receiver, and with Seattle picking at 37, they could be right in the thick of that. They could also go defensive back, or an offensive linemen. I would say they could go defensive tackle early tomorrow, but Collier might have actually satisfied that position a bit as an inside rusher.

Regardless, there are some interesting players still on board that were thought to be potential first round picks. Here’s a quick list.

Jaylon Ferguson, Defensive End, Louisiana Tech.

Parris Campbell, Wide Receiver, Ohio State (Personal favorite)

DK Metcalf, Wide Receiver, Mississippi

Deebo Samuel, Wide Receiver, South Carolina

Juan Thornhill, Safety, Virginia

Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, Safety, Florida

Byron Murphy, Cornerback, Washington

Cody Ford, Guard, Oklahoma

If one of these guys is a Seattle Seahawk tomorrow, rejoice in that. These are all really exciting football players.

Go Hawks!

Jaylon Ferguson has pass rush traits that could take the sting out of the Frank Clark trade.

Well folks, we are officially one day away to the 2019 NFL Draft, and we all know well what that means. We got our final mock draft!

Yay!

So what do we know about these 2019 Seahawks right now?

Well, for one thing, and it’s the biggest and best-est thing, we know that Russell Wilson has just signed a blockbuster extension and will likely be a Seahawk for life. So, I think we can say that drafting a QB seems unlikely.

The other big, big, big situation with the team is that they just traded their top pass rusher, Frank Clark, to the Kansas City Chiefs for the 29^th pick this year, a 2020 second round pick, and they flipped their third round pick. We will get more into that whole deal below. Clearly, this team will be targeting pass rush in this draft.

And the other potentially big situation for the team is the health concerns of Doug Baldwin, and potentially his retirement. Wide receiver could be a big need.

It is also worth noting that this 2019 NFL Draft is considered to be historically deep at defensive line, and a deep draft in general for wide receivers, tight ends, safeties, and offensive guards.

Oh, yeah, one final thing. The Seahawks only have five picks in the draft this year, and General Manager John Schneider loves to trade down to get more picks regardless of how many they have in any year. So, with only four this year, the Seattle Seahawks are, like, 99.999999 percent sure to be trading down to get more.

So, with all that hashed out, here we go. Folks, allow me to introduce to you our final 2019 Seattle Seahawks mock draft.

With the 21^st pick in the 2019 NFL Draft – TRADE!

The Seattle Seahawks trade pick 21 to the New England Patriots for picks 32, 97, 101 and 239. The Patriots jump ahead of the Ravens to select one of the premier tight ends to replace Gronk, both teams have needs there, and Seattle picks up two late third round picks, and a seventh rounder to give them eight pick total. That will do.

With the 29 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Trysten Hill, Defensive Tackle, UCF

What does Hill offer?

He’s an athletic defensive tackle with traits to be a constant disruptor, and was one of the most impressive defensive line performers at the combine. His highlight tape is fun to watch. Big men shouldn’t move like that. Put him next to Jarran Reed, and that’s a lot of size, quickness and power inside.

Why is he still available at 29?

He fell into the doghouse with the new coaching staff and was regulated to becoming a rotational player in 2018. Apparently he is opinionated but under Carroll, Seattle has never had a problem adding those sorts. Feels like a classic Seahawk pick.

With the 32^nd pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Jaylon Ferguson, Defensive End, Louisiana Tech

What does Ferguson offer?

He’s a long, lean, grown man QB sacking machine who led the nation in sacks. His highlights show an old school kind of bad-assed-ness to his game. He also plays the run well. He got better in college each year, which shows coachable traits, and like other Seattle edge rushers in the past, he displays good ability to convert speed to power.

Why is he at 32?

He played at a smaller school eating up small school competition, and his pro day performance was only so-so.

With the 92^nd pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Gary Jennings, Wide Receiver, West Virginia.

What does Jennings offer?

He is a possession receiver with good size and speed to stretch defenses and toughness to fight for contested balls.

Why is he still available at 92?

He’s perhaps a jack of all trades/master of none type, and needs to work on separating from defenders.

With the 97^nd pick of the 2019 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks Select Drew Sample, Tight End, Washington

What does Sample offer?

He is a well rounded tight end with nice size, and athleticism that can block, and catch.

Why does he last until 97?

He could get stronger, and while he has decent traits as a receiver, he’s not as polished as some of the other players in this draft.

With the 101^th pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Marquise Blair, Safety, Utah.

What does Blair offer?

He’s a hard-hitting free safety with great range in coverage, and plays the run with a linebacker mentality.

Why is he still available at 101?

As physical as he is, he has a slight frame that might scare some GMs, and because of his aggressive style he can be penalty prone.

With the 124^th pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Maxx Crosby, Edge Rusher, Eastern Michigan

What does Crosby offer?

Pure speed off the edge to rush the quarterback. Pete Carroll covets speed off the edge, but Crosby also shows well against the run, displays a knack for causing fumbles, and plays with a edginess – all things that Carroll would appreciate.

Why is he at 124^th?

He has a long gangly frame 6-5 255 lbs, and the feeling is that he might need a year in an NFL weight room to reach his full potential.

With the 159^th pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select BJ Autry, Guard, Jacksonville State

What does Autry offer?

He’s a massive human being at 6-3 and 337 lbs, and he’s nimble – traits that Seattle likes in their new blocking scheme.

Why is he still at 159th?

Autry is a small school talent with decent traits but is still raw.

With the 239th pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Drew Lewis, Linebacker, Colorado.

What does Lewis offer?

Speed and athleticism at linebacker that the Seahawks covet. He also has the ability to play inside and outside linebacker, and a great special teams player. It was also observed during his pro day that the Seattle coaches were working him hard.

Why is he at 239?

His fundamentals still need work, and he is not exactly a punishing tackler. He could stand to get stronger. He’s a project with upside more than plug and play.

Thoughts about these picks.

Seattle attacks the depth of this draft at defensive line early, and grabs two players who have the talent to be cornerstone starters, and later they grab another player that might have starter potential.

With Trysten Hill they get rare athleticism at DT. Admittedly, I’m swinging for the fences projecting this one, but it feels like a classic Seattle first round pick in that most will not see coming, and it would surely be ripped as Hill is not widely regarded as first round talent. However, there is recent chatter that his stock is rising, and Pete Carroll covets special athletes. Also, Seattle could have the intel on Hill from Shaquill and Shaquem Griffin who both played with him at UFC. If they vouch for him, I think he could be Seattle’s first pick, as they might not want to risk losing him to a team that is picking after them.

With Jaylon Ferguson, Seattle probably drafts a plug and play player to make up for the loss of Frank Clark. They are reportedly high on him, and I suspect one of these two first round picks might end up being him. There are others in this draft class that might have more athleticism that him, but he has traits and production. It wouldn’t shock me if they few him more as a Michael Bennett type than a Frank Clark, or Cliff Avril player.

Maxx Crosby is an interesting player. He had great college production, but might need to redshirt 2019 to get stronger. It wouldn’t shock me if Seattle ends up with three defensive linemen out of this draft that eventually become starters. The draft is that deep.

Marquise Blair feels like a Seattle DB. They’ve been bringing in a lot to the VMAC for visits. I can see them drafting DB earlier, especially if the first pick is a pass rusher.

The selections of Greg Jennings and Drew Sample help fulfill the “Build Around Me Damn-it” clause in Russell Wilson’s mega contract. Seattle could go WR earlier, especially considering the Baldwin situation.

BJ Autry offers needed depth at offensive guard. Seattle has DJ Fluker returning and they signed former division rival Mike Iupati to a one-year deal, but neither player is likely a long-term fixture on the line. Seattle needs to continue adding there.

Drew Lewis has the speed at linebacker that Seattle demands, and an NFL bloodline. Seattle brought back KJ Wright and Mychal Kendricks, but at some point, they need to get younger with that group. Lewis could be an interesting developmental player.

Thoughts about the Frank Clark Trade.

It sucks whenever a team moves on from a great player, especially one that is just hitting his stride. However, Seattle probably feels that there is a pass rusher in this class that can come in and contribute right away. They might see a couple of them.

Seattle probably also feels that there is a young player on the roster that is ready to take a big step forward. Jacob Martin flashed decent outside rush as the season went on last year. DT Poona Ford also came on strong. However, my money is on Rasheem Green. In the preseason, Green looked like a star in the making. That didn’t translate into the regular season, but there was a feeling in scouting circles last year that had he stayed in school another season, he could have probably been a top twenty pick in this year’s class. I suspect Seattle might have a more defined plan for him going into this season, and that is part of the reason why they felt like they could move Clark.

Seattle might also feel like there is a free agent pass rusher or two out there on the market that they can sign after the draft. Ndamukong Suh, Corey Liuget, Ezekiel Ansah, and Nick Perry are all sitting out there waiting for a contract, and Seattle now has the cap space to afford one of these guys after dealing Clark.

When Seattle won the Super Bowl with that historic defense, they weren’t reliant on one dominant pass rusher. They had a collection of good ones with varied abilities. They could be looking to get back to that, and this would be the draft to do that with.

Bobby Wagner is about to get PAID. It feels pretty clear moving forward that the faces of the franchise are Wilson and Wagner, and that is appropriate. They came into the league together, they are both unique athletes, and they both seem to be getting better each year. Trading Clark makes is easier to fit Wagner under the cap, and also gives Seattle a better chance to afford extending defensive tackle Jarran Reed.

Parris Campbell could give Russell Wilson a playmaking option that the team hasn’t seen since Percy Harvin.

Well folks, we are officially one week away to the 2019 NFL Draft, and we all know well what that means. We got a new mock draft!

Yay!

So what do we know about these 2019 Seahawks right now?

Well, for one thing, and it’s the biggest and best-est thing, we know that Russell Wilson has just signed a blockbuster extension that will keep him in Seattle for the next five seasons. So, I think we can say that drafting a QB seems pretty unlikely now.

Another fairly big situation with the team is that it’s star pass rusher, Frank Clark, is sitting on a franchise tag, and has given the team a June deadline to reach a lucrative long term deal with him, or he won’t report for training camp. There are reports out there suggesting that he might be on the trade block. We shall see if the team deals him in a effort to get cheaper there.

And the other potentially big situation for our beloved Seahawks is the health concerns with Doug Baldwin, and his potential retirement. Wide receiver could be a big need for the team.

It is also worth noting that this 2019 NFL Draft is considered to be historically deep at defensive line, and a deep draft in general for wide receivers, tight ends, safeties, and offensive guards.

Oh, yeah, one final thing. The Seahawks only have four picks in the draft this year. General Manager John Schneider loves to trade down to get more picks regardless of how many they have in any year. So, with only four this year, the Seattle Seahawks are, like, 99.999999 percent sure to be trading down to get more.

So, with all that hashed out, here we go. Folks, allow me to introduce to you our second 2019 Seattle Seahawks mock draft.

With the 21^st pick in the 2019 NFL Draft – TRADE!

The Seattle Seahawks trade pick 21 to the Kansas City Chiefs for picks 29, 92, and 167. The Chiefs jump ahead of the Ravens to select a edge rusher.

With the 29^th pick in the 2019 NFL Draft –TRADE!

The Seattle Seahawks trade pick 29 to the Buffalo Bills who want to get ahead of the Green Bay Packers to also grab an edge rusher, and they send picks 40, 112, and 131, and 181.

With the 40^th pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks draft Parris Campbell, Wide Receiver, Ohio State.

What does Campbell offer?

He’s a playmaking offensive weapon that can be used in a smorgasbord of ways. I’m a defensive minded Twelve, one hundred percent, but Campbell’s highlight tape makes me feel warm and mushy inside. He is a bigger version of Percy Harvin without the baggage. As a running back converted to receiver, he can line up in the slot, be in the backfield, used as an explosive threat on end arounds, and has the speed to get deep, but the real treat is his spectacular run after the catch ability. If Seattle is looking to replace Doug Baldwin’s production in the slot, Campbell is a fascinating option.

Why is he still available at 37?

As a running back converted to receiver, he’s not the full package yet, and ran a limited route tree in college. If you are taking him high, you are drafting for his upside.

With the 84^th pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Jace Sternberger, Tight End, Texas A&M

What does Sternberger offer?

He is a legit pass catching tight end that showed good production at A&M. Watch his highlights and tell me if Number 3 wouldn’t enjoy having him as a pass catching option. Seattle has tight ends that can block, but they don’t have much of a receiving threat at the position.

Why is he still available at 90?

He’s not considered much of a blocker at the position, and needs to get stronger.

With the 92^nd pick of the 2019 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks Select Joe Jackson, Defensive End, Miami

What does Jackson offer?

He is long lean quarterback harassing machine. Well built at 6-4 and 275 lbs, he can play the strong side end, and his highlights give a Michael Bennett vibe. On top of showing good pass rush, he appears to be a sturdy player against the run, as well.

Why is he still available at 92?

In a draft that is deep at defensive line, Jackson is not the twitchiest athlete. He’s more of a power rusher than speed guy. He’s more brute, but I like brute. Jarran Reed is a brute.

With the 112^th pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Marvell Tell, Safety, USC.

What does Tell offer?

Length, and athleticism at safety. He’s a good coverage safety who is versatile enough to play the slot, and has traits that could make him a playmaker on the ball.

Why is he still available at 108?

He doesn’t have the biggest frame, and he is not regarded as much of an intimidating tackler.

With the 124^th pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Dru Samia, Guard, Oklahoma

What does Samia offer?

He is a big, strong, athletic, an aggressive run blocking guard with potential to grow as a pass blocker.

Why does he last until 124?

Well, he’s not a nuanced pass blocker.

At pick 131 of the 2019 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Armon Watts, Defensive Tackle, Arkansas

Why does Watts offer?

Length and strength that Seattle seems to appreciate at DT, with some pass rushing potential.

Why is he at 143?

He didn’t grow into a starting role until his senior season, and is a bit raw.

With the 159^th pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Bryce Love, Running Back, Stanford

What does Love offer?

He was a big time playmaker in college with explosive home run hitting ability as a runner. With Mike Davis moving on, and CJ Prosise often injured, Seattle might want to add another runner, and this guy was big time in college.

Why is he at 159?

He’s a small framed runner who had injuries all throughout his senior season. He’s probably not going to be regarded as a workhorse back in the pros, but a change of pace back. Those guys tend not to get drafted early.

With the 167^th pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Greg Gaines, Defensive Tackle, Washington

What does Gaines offer?

He’s a squat high motored nose guard that can disrupt the run game and offer pass rush. The team is thin at defensive tackle and this is a deep defensive tackle class. It makes sense for them to draft a couple of them.

Why is he still at 167th?

Gaines lacks ideal arm length and needs to win with quicks to beat his blockers. A good rotational player might be his ceiling.

With the 181^st pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Drew Lewis, Linebacker, Colorado.

What does Lewis offer?

Speed and athleticism at linebacker that the Seahawks covet. He also has the ability to play inside and outside linebacker, and a great special teams player. It was also observed during his pro day that the Seattle coaches were working him hard.

Why is he at 181?

His fundamentals still need work, and he is not exactly a punishing tackler. He could stand to get stronger. He’s a project with upside more than plug and play.

Thought about these picks.

Seattle uses the great depth of this class to address the defensive line three times later, and takes a playmaking receiver early. There aren’t thought to be a lot of top end receiver prospects in this draft. So, given the Baldwin situation, if Seattle is looking for a replacement, they’d probably have to select one early, and Campbell seems like a player that could be special and unique. Carroll loves to grab these guys early.

The selections of Campbell, Jace Sternberger, Bryce Love, and Dru Samia fulfill the “Build Around Me Damn-it” clause in Russell Wilson’s new mega contract. Go Hawks.

Joe Jackson has starter potential at end, and if Seattle doesn’t trade Frank Clark, they need someone to come in and own the spot opposite of him. Jackson, last year’s third round pick Rasheem Green, and third round pick from the year before that Nazair Jones could all be in an interesting battle of third round picks fighting for that spot.

Colin Cowherd can bite me.

Go Hawks.

The Good 

Savor this news. This is a grand day in Seattle sports history. Russell Wilson is the team’s best player, most important player, and he has been for years. The Anti-Russ crowd needs to come to terms with this now. Russ was the difference between that 10-6  playoff team being 6-10 last year. That’s what a franchise quarterback does for your team.

The “no trade” clause in this contract runs extremely counter to the speculation of Russell wanting out of Seattle. Pretty interesting stuff.

General manager John Schneider said on the ESPN 710 the other week that the two most important people in the building are the head coach and quarterback. That should have been a pretty strong hint that a deal would, in fact, get done. Seattle now has Pete Carroll for three more years, and Russell Wilson for five. Massive advantage for them to stay in solid contention year after year.

With Russell locked in, they don’t have to worry about spending critical draft capital on a quarterback this Spring.

The Bad

While it is tremendous news that this deal got done, I think both sides played an overwhelmingly intense negotiation game in the media, between reports that Russell felt under appreciated to Russell wanting out. They dragged the fans through the mud on this, and we got played a bit during the process. Glad the deal got done, but not cool.

With all that money going to one player, Seattle is probably not going to be able to hang onto all their top talent. This will put more pressure on drafting and developing well, and finding bargain gems in free agency.

The Ugly

Even time I tuned into Colin Cowherd during this offseason saga of Russell and the team, Cowherd successfully made me want to puke in my mouth a bit with the way he would hang on Russ, and then trash the team and the region. I’m happy the team signed Russ, and agree with his position that the team needed to do this, but his blowhard takes on how nobody likes Seattle, and Seattle never did anything before Russ, and everyone wants to leave Seattle was more than a bit much. Every time I would tune in, he made me fantasize about Seattle trading the QB. Not sure that’s the effect he was aiming for.

Hey Cowherd, got some news for you; Seattle doesn’t really like you either, and would be perfectly happy for you to keep its name out yo’ mouth. The fact you are from this region and continue to trash it makes me think that you are more of a soulless sell out than anything else, but nice tan you got there. Read me? Go Hawks.

Moving forward

The NFL draft is next week, and the Seahawks have only four picks. They need more.  With Russell Wilson now locked up, do they trade Frank Clark to get more picks? This is regarded as a historically deep draft class  at defensive line. It’s going to be interesting to see what they do. I think they probably hang onto him, and trade back.

Go Hawks!

Dear Seattle Seahawks,

Pay Russell Wilson. Just do it. Please get it done.

I know. I get it. You guys don’t want to pay all that guaranteed money. Frankly, I don’t want you to either, but sometimes we have to do things that we don’t like doing. That’s exactly what my father said to me when I was about four years old, and he bent me over his knee behind our church when I was being unruly during Sunday service. Sometimes, we have to do the things that suck to do. Truly, we do.

And look, I totally get it that it sucks having to pay so much top dollar for a quarterback on a team that prefers to run the ball, and likes to spread the wealth around so much on its defense. I get that. I don’t want to see Jarran Reed and Frank Clark go bye bye, either. But here’s the thing that I see staring down at all of us; Russell Wilson is a really, really, really good quarterback in this league, and players like him are really, really, really, really hard to come by. So, pay him.

Be like Nike, and just do it. He’s earned it, and it is what the market demands for top quarterbacks. Like Starship Captain Jean Luc Picard would famously repeatedly say; make it so.

And, you know, I get one hundred percent what some are saying about teams that pay quarterbacks top dollar not making the playoffs, but I say, also look at it this way, too; there are plenty of teams out there that don’t pay jack squat all for their quarterback and their team doesn’t reach the playoffs either because their quarterback sucks, or he is a rookie and too wet between the ears, or both. Russell Wilson has been in the league seven years now and has see a lot of football as a seven year starter. This is the time when Russell Wilson is likely to go from being really, really, really good to be really, really, really great. So, pay the man.

I know. You’re looking out for the best interests of your team, and I appreciate that. That’s what I want you to do. I don’t want you to blow up your cap, either, but frankly, I trust you to draft and develop defensive linemen more than I do quarterbacks, and I’ll be frank, and just throw out the names Rick Mirer and Dan McGuire as a couple examples of why my trust wavers some in that department.

So, pay Russ. I give you my permission.

And, I want to say that I’ve given this a lot of thought, and I’ve gone back and forth plenty. At some point, a team has got to say “enough is enough” in regards to these ludicrous escalating costs of franchise QBs. I get that merit, and I support it. I just don’t want it to be your team that does it.

You see, over the past week, I’ve found myself entertaining moving on from Russ because of all that, and I found myself fantasizing about all the players you could draft if you traded him to the Giants or Raiders for a bunch of first round picks. I’ve even allowed myself get carried away with the idea that Seattle could bring in Jacoby Brissett from the Colts to start in Russell’s place and be just fine, and you can find that on this here blog site from a couple articles ago. I was legit selling the notion. Now, I’m kind of taking a step back off that a bit.

Hey, I get it, we all want a screaming deal. I want to pay peanuts for greatness, too. I want to pay $25 for a perfectly fine leaf blower at a garage sale. It’s human nature, or as my dad would say, it’s Dutch nature.

We all hope that the 1972 Plymouth Barracuda sitting behind our grand uncle’s barn just needs a little tune up and a new paint job and he’ll give it away to us if we offer $500 and trim his laurel hedge that hasn’t been touched since 1998. But we know the real deal, if we step far enough back to actually see the whole beast. That 340 8-cylinder engine under the rusted out hood will need a major overhaul just to get it running. It will also take forever to search for replacement bucket seats and once you find some, they will cost a fortune to get them shipped from North Dakota, and there is simply not enough disinfectant in the world to get the dead rat smell out of the back seat of that old ride. $500 and chronic back pain from that hedge is not worth that car sitting in the back of your own garage for the next twenty years before your own grand nephew is stupid enough to offer you a deal for it. So, just take a hard pass on dealing away Russ and bringing in Jacoby.

Pay Russell Wilson.

We know what we got with Russ. When the game is tight, he can keep us in it, and has the uncanny ability to make the ridiculous big play in the waning moments of a critical game. We have seen it happen too many times. Dude can be scary good in those moments.

And guess what? Defenses know how good he is, too. They got that knowledge in the back of their minds the whole game long. Each time they are loading up the box to stop the run, they know perfectly well that Russell is fully capable of torching them with a big play action pass. Russ + run game = defenses having to play honest.

How do you think they will play our run game with Jacoby Brissett, or Dwayne Haskins at quarterback? They won’t send eight, they will send nine or ten. Dwayne Haskins never had to deal with that kind of pressure his one season quarterbacking for Ohio State. Jacoby Brissett wasn’t horrible in his one year as a starter for the Colts, but he didn’t exactly torch up the league, either. If I’m a defensive coordinator, I’m not scared of those guys, but if I have to call a game against Russell Wilson? Yeah, I’m thinking about that one. I’m telling my guys “watch for this, watch for that.. when he does this do that, do this so he will do that, and don’t let him do that, or he will do this.” Yeah, my guys are feeling my nerves when it comes to Russ.

So, pay Russell Wilson. Meet his deadline. Get it wrapped up on April 15^th, and then focus on having an excellent draft the following week. Get another pass rusher, another pass catcher, and rest your minds that you don’t have to worry about quarterback.

Rest our minds, and pay Russell Wilson.

Unless, of course, he is asking for an insane baseball type of escalation clause in his contract on top of all the guarantees he wants, or what he really wants is to play elsewhere and the only way to get him to play in Seattle is to pay through your nose and blow up your salary cap, as Mike Florio is now reporting. Then, I say stick to your guns, and yeah, maybe even trade is *ss because if he’s going to play you like that, there ain’t no way you can sign him to that kind of deal and then have him look at the 52 other players on your roster and convince them that he is “all in.” They’re going to stare back at Russ and know that he’s all into himself, and thus your fish starts rotting at its head. We don’t want that.

But, you know, pay Russell Wilson, if you can.

Sincerely,

Curtis Eastwood, 12^th Man for Life.