As expected, the main talking points around the Seattle Seahawks this week has been about Sam Darnold’s awful day in LA against the Rams, and whether he will ever rise up big in big games be it in the regular season, or playoffs. As much as I have wanted to shy away these last few days from podcasts, articles, and on air personalities that I knew would have this be their big talking point, it has proved to be that milk carton in the fridge that I just had to sniff.
While I won’t say that I am necessarily glad that I did, I do feel like a few days away from the Darnold disaster in LA has settled the dust down quite a bit, and after following along with a few different national and local takes on the situation, I have even more conviction in my belief that Darnold and the Seahawks are going to be fine this year, and beyond.
In a sense, I feel like maybe this game in LA was the game they needed to have, and feel in repercussion of, in order to take the next step forward as a quarterback and offense. In fact, with the way defensive leader Ernest Jones quickly came to Darnold’s defense has been the viral F Bomb filled sensation that it has become this week, I feel like perhaps this is more likely going to be game that is going to turn the ship for Seattle in a further positive direction this season, instead of a negative one.
Sam Darnold is a talented young quarterback. He can make every throw required in the NFL with accuracy, he is well sized to play the position, and he has the athleticism to extend and make plays under duress. These are the reasons why he was taken third overall in the 2018 NFL Draft as a 21 year old junior coming out of USC, and why there were people in Seattle’s front office who had a high opinion about him as a prospect.
Physically, he has all the necessary intangibles to run a pro style offense at a high level, but as we know, the game of quarterbacking is not all physical. For many offensive coaches, it is what is between the ears that matters more for a quarterback in the league.
This is where limited athletes at the position, the Peyton Mannings, Tom Bradys, Drew Brees’s, and Brock Purdys have been able to elevate themselves above the pack. I think it is fair to say that, due to their limitations, all of these guys knew they had to become tireless workers in their mechanics, inside the film rooms, and they had to figure out ways in which they could box smart against good NFL defenses in order to thrive.
Sam Darnold is not a stupid person, and I am sure that he is more than aware of what the noise has been about him this week. I suspect that a huge part of the reason why he had the success he did in Minnesota last year, and through nine games in Seattle this year is that, after a year of stepping back as a starter and understudying Brock Purdy for a year in San Fransisco, he has learned to be a much better student of the NFL game, and quarterbacking, in general.
In fact, I think it is fair to say that in defense of Sam, he has learned to box smarter as a QB over the past two and a half years. I also think it is more than fair to say that there are negative tendencies of his that he will have to learn to massage through in order to go from good regular season quarterback status to really good post season quarterback status, which I think is what every Seattle Seahawk fan wants and needs to see out of him, if the team is to stay committed to him long term.
Personally, I think he can, and I am not dissuaded by the anonymous NFL coach who Mike Sando of The Athletic quoted as to say “Sam will always have that in his game” when talking about his latest debacle. This is the opinion of one person, and while it is a damning one, it is simply just an opinion, and nothing more.
Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Drew Brees all had plenty of games where they have thrown four interceptions, or more. If Sando wants to get into the historic numbers in the bad games Darnold has had in his young career, I invite him to do it for all the big names of QBs over the years. For me, personally, I see a quarterback in Darnold who has only ever had one playoff outing, and while it was a bad one, I see a 28 year old player who still has plenty of playing years ahead of him to get over that particular hump, and he has all the tools to do it.
Darnold has always had a gun slinger mentality. YouTube football content creator Top Billin’ has followed him for years, all the way back to his USC days, and on his film breakdowns of Seattle, he has the nickname Yosemite Sam for Darnold because of this mentality. It is the same mentality that Brett Farve was very famous for in the nineties when he was tossing a bunch of interceptions, and it was the mentality that John Elway had in the eighties when he was tossing INTs to Seahawk great Kenny Easley (Rest in peace, Enforcer). Both quarterback eventually learned to box smarter as they got older, and their teams were better for it.
Sam needs to learn to accept the check down. It is really as simple as that. I could have simply written that sentence, and it could have concluded this piece.
Tom Brady won an absurd amount of Super Bowls because he was paired with great defenses, and he was quite egoless about taking the check downs when available, and needed. People will forever discuss Russell Wilson’s interception at the one yard line of Super Bowl XLIX as the reason why Seattle lost to the Patriots, but the deeper truth to that fateful game is that when New England trailed Seattle in the fourth quarter, Brady decided to take the small check down gains against Seattle’s dominant cover three defense. He struggled through most of the game, and then decided he needed to box smart in the end to win it. It was the right decision, and one that probably came with age and experience.
Against the Rams, I think Sam got caught up in his head again against a fierce pass rush, and the Rams felt like they knew where he was going to go with the ball over the middle. Rams players said as much post game. Okay, that is really good on them. They got to Yosemite Sam again. Now it is time for Yosemite to box different in the next matches down the line. He and Klint Kubiak should know what to expect, and outlet receivers should always be made available.
I think the truth about this game against these two divisional opponents is that had Seattle called a more conservative offense, if Darnold had been willing to avoid the downfield throws against contested coverages, taken more check downs, or tossed the ball away more, or even eaten some sacks, the Seahawks probably would have taken that game from the Rams. The drive charts, the time of possession, the defensive efforts all, more or less, favored Seattle.
I am not saying that the Seahawks need to turtle up on offense and play conservative the rest of the way through seven games in order to make the post season. I don’t think Mike Macdonald will ever want to take the playmaker aspect of Darnold away from him, and the offense.
I just think that it has to be clear to Sam how to box against certain opponents, and when to go for the kill shots. When we get into those games at home against Indianapolis, and the LA Rams again, when we finish the season out in Santa Clara against the 49ers in an opportunity for a rematch, taking what those defenses are willing to give underneath, or with the run game will be critical.
In tough matchups against really good teams, the Seattle Seahawks have the defense to prevail. They just need their veteran quarterback to demonstrate the unselfishness of vintage Tom Brady in those type of matches. For as prolific as Brady was as a passer, he never really was that much of a gunslinger. In actuality, I think it is fair to argue that he was the greatest game managing quarterback of all time.
I think this is where Darnold needs to go. He certainly has better physical tools than Brady ever had. If he can adopt more of Brady’s mentality in high duress situations, I think the sky is the limit for him as a passer.
Colin Cowherd has rightly compared Darnold to Andrew Luck on many occasions, and did so again this week in the wake of the LA debacle. They are similar physically in size, and athleticism, and arm talent, and as Cowherd demonstrated through graphs on his show, they have put up similar passing numbers throughout their careers in the league. The difference is that Luck had immediate success and Darnold has not.
Luck, as we know, decided to not have a long career, and shockingly retired early after getting severely banged up playing for the Colts. We never got the chance to truly see the superstar he could have been, sadly.
With Sam Darnold, however, there is still time. He can still get better. He should get better. He can rewrite this narrative about him in big games.
The truth of the matter is that for seven and a half years in the league, he really has not had a lot of big game moments yet. While I think it is fair to pump the breaks on crowning him the next big franchise quarterback for Seattle, I also think it is more than fair to say we should pump the breaks on declaring that he will never get there.
We do not know the full story on Darnold simply because that story is not fully written yet. The anonymous coach that Sando used in his Athletic piece this week is free to have his negative views on Darnold. Sam Darnold is also free to further evolve as a passer and shake those views in the minds of his critics.
Take the check down, Sam. Take your shots downfield when you feel pretty good they are there against the mediocre to bad defenses in the league, but don’t be afraid to take the Brady check downs against the good ones when it really matters.
You’re a smart dude. You’re working hard, and I can see that out of you. Keep evolving and let the doubters continue doubting. You are the only one who can write the real story about yourself. I still like your chances.
It is quite curious to me how Sam Darnold has garnished so many haters over the past year and a half. He seems like genuinely one of the nicer dudes in the league, had a good year for himself in Minnesota last year up until the last two games, and has been enjoying an even better year in Seattle up until this one isolated game in LA against the Rams.
But people love to stroke the narratives of him being a pressure sensitive quarterback, an observer of ghosts on the football field, and the guy that they thought he was after a bad outing even though his analytics under pressure this year and last have actually been pretty good, for the most part. People in bars, on the job sites, and in the office don’t want to look at the nuanced data points, though. They want to watch Stephen A Smith rip him apart on ESPN, and then parrot off of him, afterwards.
After all, admit it. It is fun to say to your diehard Seahawks fan at work that the Seahawks will never win a Super Bowl with Sam Darnold. Deep down, there is a dark need for humanity to shit all over people’s hopes and dreams. This is why God created the internet. It helps him streamline the goats from the sheep with easy to read algorithms that the government tracks on its way to further authoritarianism.
So, I don’t know, just spit ballin’ here, but maybe folks don’t like Sam because he is an easy going So Cal kid who looks like his name should be Biff instead of Sam. Maybe, also, possibly some Seahawk fans don’t like him because they were huge Geno stans and don’t love that this sorta dorky white dude replaced their cool edgy guy quarterback.
Whatever the case might be, the truth of the matter is that Sam Darnold gave all of his haters and detractors reasons to light up their victory cigars this week, even though his late game quarterbacking against the Rams almost beat them in the finals seconds of the game. That last part won’t be much a talking point this week, though. His four interceptions most definitely will be.
Personally, I won’t put much stock in any of it. I will just keep the receipts for him to use at my discretion further down the line.
I fully get it that this lackluster performance of his was against the Rams, too, and that they were the team who did him dirty in the playoffs, but there is a lot of football left to be played this season, and a win or loss for either team coming out of this one isn’t going to make or break either of their seasons. If Seattle would have won yesterday, if Sam had played well, and Matthew Stafford had been the struggling quarterback, I would say the same exact thing, afterwards. Either way, I encourage pumping the breaks on declaring NFC West supremacy with seven games left to go on the season. Lots of football left to be played out there.
Aside from this poor outing of his, though, I suspect we will see much better versions of Sam in the games that remain on Seattle’s schedule, and he will guide his second team into the playoffs in two years come this January. I am also sure that should Seattle fall short in the playoffs, there will be a loud group of his detractors that will say “see, told ya, all so.”
This comes with the territory for any NFL quarterback who hasn’t won a lot of big moment games. This haunted Kirk Cousins, for years, in Minnesota, and it haunts Lamar Jackson, Dak Prescott, Justin Herbert, and Josh Allen all today, frankly.
So, I fully get it that until Sam gets his team into a deep playoff run, this will be his likely stigma. I just find it curious why so many people seem to love to shit all over this guy whenever he has a bad game. Is it just simply that he is a former Jets quarterback and getting drafted by the Jets is an instant death nail for young quarterbacks, and people just love to crap all over the Jets and their lackluster inept history?
In contrast, I have seen peak Russell Wilson loose badly on the road in Green Bay, throwing five interceptions, but because he was an instant winner in the league, most fans were reluctant to jump all over him even though his play clearly cost Seattle the ball game. It would be brushed aside as Russ just having “one of those games” and in the following week, against an inferior opponent, he would look like Good Ole DangerRuss again.
I can guarantee you that should Sam Darnold throw for 300 yards and three touchdowns against the Titans next Sunday, there will be people brushing those numbers off in a purely dismissive manner only reserved for those wait out the Sam Turning Into A Pumpkin games to return on Sundays. In fact, I can see a scenario where Seattle rattles off another impressive four game win streak, but loses at home against the Rams again, and folks will be saying “see, Sam just sees them ghosts against those Rams.”
So, yeah, I guess you can say that Sam saw those ghosts against the Rams defense on Sunday. I wasn’t all together surprised by it, to be honest. I just hoped that it would not have been the case.
The LA Rams legitimately have a top defense this year, and going into this game, it was tops in the league at creating turnovers. So, defenses that play to this level don’t generally happen by accident, and this was the same defense that wrecked Darnold in the playoffs last year. I would be foolish to think that this was going to be a cake walk game for him, and this offense.
Still, gotta take care of the ball better, Sammy.
A friend asked me what the keys were going to be for Seattle to pull out a victory and I said “run the ball, feed JSN, put pressure on Matt Stafford, and don’t turn the ball over.” I felt that these were the clearest keys, and because Seattle did three of the four things really well, they made it a battle all throughout. It was just those four fudging interceptions by Darnold that did them in. Blast it all.
And let me be clear when I say this that those interceptions from Darnold are the clear reason why Seattle lost this game, and I say this still being a big believer in his potential Seattle’s long term answer at quarterback. While I appreciate the passionate F bomb latent defense of Darnold that Ernest Jones gave in his post game press conference, at least three of those four interceptions on Darnold were really bad decisions that are solely on the quarterback, and two of those interceptions led to 14 points for the Rams. You do the math and figure out where to lay blame.
Can’t have that on the road against a really good football team, and expect to win, period, and if Seattle ends up a wildcard team in the playoffs having to travel on the road, guess what? They will be playing a really good team with probably a pretty good defense.
So, yeah. Hell, yeah Sam Darnold has to play better. The good news is that I think he will. I really do.
Here is why I am not too overly upset about this loss to the Rams yesterday. Darnold played poorly, but Seattle’s prowess on defense gave all worldly Matthew Stafford fits throughout most of the day, and it was also clear that Seattle’s defense was stressing Sean McVay out on the sidelines. The other big positive takeaway is that for two games in a row, Seattle offense has showed some really positive trends running the ball against good defenses, and this matters.
If defenses now play Seattle with more shell coverage, instead of loading the box, there will be opportunities for Seattle to get their run game going, and their quick passing game. We saw this against an elite Rams defense, and there was success with it. That is a moral victory that can be had out of this one even though I hate moral victories.
It also stands to reason that Sam Darnold and Rashid Shaheed are going to take some time developing their chemistry and understanding of each other. The sideline touchdown attempt from Darnold to Shaheed was a perfect example of that.
Sheed runs at a significantly faster clip than anyone else on this offense, and he and Darnold have had no offseason to get a rhythm with each other. I suspect as we get further into these games, we should see it clicking, and hone it does, that will be a lot of fun for Seattle fans, but it will take some games. When we see it take off, though, it is going to be a lot of fun.
The only real bummer about this game, for me, is the knee injury that happened to rookie sensation Grey Zabel at left guard. If he is lost for the season, it is going to be tough for Seattle to win this division this year, I fear. They could still well make the playoffs as a wildcard team, but losing the talents of Zabel on the offensive line would definitely be a massive blow. I really hope that injury isn’t very serious.
So, as it stands now, Seattle dropped to 7-3, and they share this record in the NFL with the mighty Buffalo Bills. They have a better record than the Lions, the Packers, the Bucs, Steelers, Chiefs, and Chargers, who were all playoff teams last year. There exists winnable games on their schedule, and with this badass defense of theirs, I like them to win a lot of these remaining games even with the potential loss of Zabel at left guard.
When the schedule came out months ago, I looked at it, and figured that Seattle would probably land on a 11-6 season and a playoff birth. I still see this as the floor of this team this year.
The Sam Darnold Pumpkin Watchers can light up their cigars with Stephen A Smith this week, have their fun, and enjoy their victory laps on the internet. Let the Darnold Seeing Ghosts memes and comments have their cake and ice cream, too. I get it. Enjoy it, if you must. Vikings fans can rejoice in the false sense of security that their I Told You Sos will provide them as they use it to mask their anxieties about the development of JJ McCarthy. It is all good.
Just know that for every time you rag on Sam Darnold, a little puppy dog dies somewhere, and makes a young child cry in mourning. So, have that one your conscious, if you choose to partake. God is watching. God knows all.
I still think this team can be pretty special this year, and I think Darnold can still play a big part of that going forward. In fact, I am looking forward to that.
As we get further into Mike Macdonald’s tenure as the Seahawks head coach, we are starting to learn his ticks and phrasings. When he describes his ideal vision for this professional football team, he often using the term “shocking effort” when asked about what he wants them to be.
It is not just the traditional defensive minded head coach philosophy of wanting to establish the run, play strong defense, and limit turnovers, shrink the clock, flip field positioning, etc. It’s the spirit and character that he wants his players to embody that fuels it.
What he appears most interested in is fielding a ball club that will shock and awe the opposition each and every Sunday. He wants explosive plays on offense, whether they come through the air, or on the ground, and he wants to see a collective effort on defense that will overwhelm an opposing quarterback. This is what he means when he says he wants a team that plays with shocking effort.
The shocking effort we now see in throughout his defense feels different than the great Legion Of Boom defense. It’s faster on all three levels with more versatility, and the collective of defenders are molding into group of connected badasses who can do seemingly anything asked out of them. Guys who rush can cover, guys who cover can rush, and Macdonald can expose a different opponent’s offensive weakness differently week in and week out on Sundays, it now feels with them.
In terms of the shocking effort we see out of the offense, we see it led by an athletic veteran quarterback who can make everything throw with accuracy, and is unafraid of taking the kill shot with his superstar receiver at any point in the game. He plays with a young offensive line that pass blocks well, and is starting to round out together as a better run blocking unit. They added a piece to the offense at the trade deadline who can kill a defense as a receiver and runner. They have speed at running back, receiver, and tight end, and they have an offensive play caller who treats each down as an opportunity to move the chains for a first down. They, as much as the defense, have the stuff that can shock and awe opponents at any down in the ballgame.
For two Sundays in a row, we have bared witness to Seattle’s shocking effort taking down weaker opponents. They did this in Washington when pundits felt the Commanders would give it a good fight, and they did this yesterday against the Cardinals when there was a narrative that AZ would give it a strong go.
This should be a trend that continues against struggling teams, and gone should be the days of the Seahawks playing down to a weaker opponent. Mike Macdonald won’t stand for that happening. That is what my gut tells me based on what we have been seeing.
The 22-44 final score of the Seahawks dominating the Arizona Cardinals does not do this game much justice. Midway through the second quarter of the game, Seattle got ahead 0-35, and thus forced Arizona coach Jonathan Gannon into a rare decision making process of dictating that his offense needed to go for it on all four downs from there on out.
The result is that Seattle’s defense stayed on the field during this game for what felt like a century of football. In result, Seattle’s offense was twice backed up towards its own end zone after failed fourth down attempts near the goal line, and could not get out of it’s own way with fumbled center snaps between Sam Darnold and backup Olu Oluwatimi, and a tipped pass at the line of scrimmage for an interception in an inexplicable play action pass play that was called.
Some people will look at this game as an uneven one from Darnold, but nuance would show that he was barely had many opportunities in the second half to guide Seattle to more scores. Yet for the day, he was 10/12 in completions, he passed for 178 yards, a touchdown, and that funky assed interception from his own end zone when OC Klint Kubiak decided to dial a play action shot from the pocket against a strong defensive line.
The fumbled center exchange, the INT, and a second half strip sack fumble won’t make Darnold’s MVP hype rise much this week, but on the whole, I thought this was yet another solid day for the veteran passer. He impressively completed 90 percent of his passes, and the truth of the matter is that Seattle’s offense gashed a strong AZ defense on the ground for 200 yards, and he didn’t need to throw much in this one for Seattle to score points.
For as much as Seattle’s defense was yet again dominating, it was their offensive ground attack that most raised my eyebrows in a positive way on Sunday. I have been hearing all the past week that Seattle sucks at running the football.
In fact, Mina Kimes went on one of her podcasts and stated that if she were the Cardinals defensive coordinator, she would drop both safeties back in coverage and dare Seattle to run against a lighter box because they suck so much at running it. Well, I guess now maybe Kimes wants to revaluate that strategy, and assertion about Seattle’s running attack.
On Sunday, against a vaunted AZ defense that held a high scoring Dallas Cowboy offense to 17 points on Monday Night Football, Seattle’s offense ran wild, and scored 30 points. In fact, as the game wore on, it was Seattle’s offensive line and running backs took the game over as Darnold and Jaxon Smith Njigba took a backseat. That effort on the ground paired with a strong defense is most definitely a winning recipe moving forward.
I wrote about this as soon as the Seahawks made the trade for Rashid Shaheed. Shaheed’s presence in Seattle’s offense is likely going to open up their run game. Defensive coordinators will be apprehensive to load up the box to stop Seattle’s ground game when they know Seattle now has two receivers who can take the top off of a defense that isn’t playing coverage. If you play Seattle’s heavy offensive sets with two deep safeties, as Mina Kimes proposed, the ground game will then probably open up.
Arizona chose to play two deep safety looks in this game, they dared Seattle to run (as Kimes proposed), and when Mike Macdonald probably ordered Kubiak to not muck around anymore passing it in the second half, Zach Charbonnet, Ken Walker, and George Holani went off as runners. Shaheed, himself, saw action at running back once, and also ran on a jet sweep. He had two carries for 20 yards.
In one game, Seattle showed the league multiple ways that they can hit you with the run. How fun.
I believe what we saw out of Seattle’s run game yesterday is just the beginning of things we will most likely see from their offense during these final eight games. Seattle has always been committed to running the ball this year, but now I think we will see significantly more production on the ground catching up to that dedication of running it.
If defensive coordinators decide to load the box in order to stop the run, and dare Darnold to throw, he now has Shaheed with JSN to kill defenses deep with. So the question moving forward is what does a defensive play caller choose to try to limit and take away, and what do they choose to potentially be beaten with in result. This is why the Shaheed trade mattered for Seattle.
The Sam Darnold Jaxon Smith Njigba Connection has been a fun storyline to the Seahawks this year, but I think we start seeing the run game now catch up to it. This is one of my predictions for this team moving forward this year.
If defenses load the box against Seattle, they have too much fire power to torch them for it. I would rather play two high coverage against this offense, and hope my linebackers and defensive linemen do their jobs stopping Ken Walker, and company than watch Sam Darnold throw easy layup touchdowns to Tory Horton against me. I would rather choose death by a thousand paper cuts with the run game than instant evisceration with the deep ball.
My other prediction is that Seattle’s defense going to continue becoming the talk of the entire league. They have been playing without pro bowl safety Julian Love for weeks, and their secondary feels formidable. They played without their best linebacker in Ernest Jones yesterday, and Drake Thomas and Tyrice Knight played like pro bowlers in his place. The defensive line was without stud defensive tackle Jarran Reed, yet you couldn’t notice much of a difference. The Seattle Seahawks are showing the prowess of their defensive depth chart, and it is a glorious sight to behold.
Tyrice Knight, in particular, in place of Ernest Jones, might be my player of the entire game. He created not one, but two sack fumbles on Jacoby Brissett that were scoop and score touchdowns for edge rusher DeMarcus Lawerence. Okay, let us process that for a moment.
DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW RARE AND INSANE THAT IS?!
In all my years of watching football, of playing Madden while my family sleeps, I have never, ever, seen such a thing occur.
This. Just. Does. Not. Happen.
Yet it was beyond a thing of glory that it did in this game.
By the time that second sack fumble by Knight turned scoop and score by Lawrence happened in the first half, this game was over. There was no way AZ was coming back, yet Gannon kept insisting that Brissett keep throwing on fourth down. What else could he do as a coach?
It was valiant effort from Brissett that he held in strong against Seattle’s dominating pass rush, but my God, man, this poor soul of a journeyman was sacked five times, and he completed only fifty percent of his passes. With every missed pass or deflected pass, the clock of this game that was long over with before halftime painfully stopped. My goodness was that ever annoying to watch, but I get why Gannon would continue going for it on fourth downs.
Brissett was too savvy and strong in the pocket to look like the confused and wounded animals that CJ Stroud and Jayden Daniels were against this defense in recent weeks, but he also showed us why he’s always been a journeyman player. He doesn’t move that well, and hangs onto the ball too long. Because of that, we got a second half of football out of his that showed toughness and unflinching grit, but also saw his limitations.
If the Cardinals ever do find a quality franchise quarterback to replace Kyler Murray, they will be a very dangerous team with all the talent they have been drafting in recent years. The gritty tough guy play of Brissett showed us that, and I suspect they will be a team giving other teams fits as they battle forward this season. I will root for them when they play San Francisco next weekend, and I do not think that game with be a gimme for the 49ers.
But for them against the Seahawks this Sunday, it was just not a thing to be. Seattle is legitimately riding high right now, and this likely won’t be their last beat down victory we see out of them this season.
Game balls go to Knight for being the second coming of Mike Singletary in place of Ernest Jones, Jason Myers for kicking three field goals and breaking a franchise record of field goals made, reserve cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett for one of the best touchdown preventing four down pass breakups I’ve ever seen, Shaheed for providing a sneak peak spark on special teams and on the offense, and all the Seahawk running backs for being badass and awesome.
Special nods to Darnold for being ultra efficient again, Cooper Kupp for making a splashy run after catch play, and JSN for continuing to be JSN, and Leonard Williams for continuing to be Leonard Williams, and Riq Woolen for continuing to turn the corner towards being a special cornerback again.
Extra special nod for safety hybrid player Nick Emmanwori for being my new favorite member of the Seahawk defense. It is an incredibly exciting thought to think that he is just scratching the surface of what he will be for this franchise. Right now, he feels like the team’s biggest cheat code on that side of the ball.
Next week, the 7-2 Seahawks will travel to LA to face the 7-2 Rams. Both teams look and feel like clubs that can make deep playoff runs.
I will not be surprised if Seattle does not win that game, but I will also not be surprised they pull off a win, either. They are playing that good right now, and it is fun to watch, and next week’s game against the Rams should be a really good one. Objectively, as a fan of football, I am looking forward to this matchup.
This was the move to make before the trade deadline
Anyone who follows this blog knows that I had been suggesting, for a good while now, that perhaps the Seattle Seahawks would target one of two receivers who played for offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak last year in New Orleans. Chris Olave or Rashid Shaheed made too much sense for a 6-2 Seahawk team to not explore acquiring, and it makes sense for the dismal 1-8 Saints team to acquire as many draft picks as possible to finally do a proper rebuild of their roster that they have been putting off for a while now.
Seattle surrendering their 4th round and 5th round picks for Shaheed was fair compensation for a young number two receiver who is an electric deep threat, a run after catch artist, and a lethal returner on special teams. Think of all the value he adds to this offense and special teams, and consider what you will likely get in the back half of rounds four and five next April.
It doesn’t bother me in the slightest that he is on the last year of his contract, and will be set to hit free agency this March. He has nine games to make his mark in Seattle on a team that now leads the league in total DVOA as they push towards the playoffs. If he proves productive, if he fits in well with the coaches, and culture, John Schneider will likely work in the offseason to retain him, and Seattle will be set up to have one of the most dynamic receiving rooms in the league once again. They will have the cap space to pay him, JSN, Charles Cross, and Devon Witherspoon all within the next couple years.
What Shaheed brings to Seattle now is an explosive deep threat that they don’t presently have on offense, and he carries with him a familiarity of Kubiak’s offense. It might take him a few games to get the full playbook fully back in his body, and build chemistry with Darnold, but I think once we get into the later stages of November, we should see a connection forming.
The importance of his deep threat ability added to this offense is two fold. It will certainly help make a league leading explosive passing attack all the more lethal downfield, but it will also likely help the run game. Allow me to explain.
Seattle plays mostly out of heavy looks that either have two tight ends on the field, or a tight end and a fullback. Accompanied with them is two receivers. Through eight games, defensive coordinators have chosen to load the boxes against these looks, bringing safeties down to take away the run. They have been choosing to run the risk of getting beaten over the top by JSN and Cooper Kupp in order to snuff out the run, creating second and long scenarios that will hopefully lead to third and longs. Sometimes, they have paid for it, but other times, their loaded boxes have worked stalling out Seattle’s run game through stretches in games, and we have all felt these moments.
If Klint Kubiak decides to trot out Rashid Shaheed in these heavier personnel sets instead of a slower Cooper Kupp, theoretically, that could put a defensive play caller in a greater bind. Do you drop a safety down to stop Ken Walker, and risk a play action pass where a red hot Sam Darnold now has a quality target who can jet past corners and safeties downfield along with the deep route running prowess of JSN? Or do you lighten your box against this heavier look, and risk one of the most explosive running backs in the league gashing past slower second level defenders who are getting blocked up by tight ends or a fullback?
If you load the box with Shaheed on the field with JSN, you risk Darnold putting up even more absurd Madden numbers against your secondary, but if you play you safeties two deep, you run the risk of your defense getting gashed on the ground. Personally, I suspect Mike Macdonald would love nothing more than to see defenses shift to two deep looks against his offense’s heavier packages. While I am sure he loves what Darnold and JSN have been cooking together, seeing he run game further opening up to better compliment his defense would certainly be his chef’s kiss through the second half of the season.
Therefore, I believe this addition of Shaheed was made to put a further bind on defensive play callers, and it comes at the right time of the year when Seattle will continue to face some pretty formidable defenses. They will face one this weekend when Arizona comes to town, and they will face another one when they travel South to face the Rams in a week and a half.
This addition of Shaheed also provides an insurance should JSN get dinged up at any point in the remainder of the year. Some Seattle fans were probably more than a bit nervous to see Cooper Kupp show up on the injury report heading into the SNF matchup against a desperate Washington team playing for their season, and they were probably equally more than relieved to see rookie Tory Horton step up, and show out.
With Horton, Seattle Seahawk fans should feel hope for now and the future. Now, if something were to happen to JSN, and Seattle had to operate for a little while with Horton, Shaheed, and Cooper Kupp, with the way Sam Darnold is spinning it, I think a lot of fans would feel okay about it, and Kubiak would feel like he could stay within his full playbook. This matters, if you want to see this team in a deep playoff run this year.
This is why I wanted this trade to happen, and I’m not even spending much time discussing what Shaheed’s value will bring as a returner on special teams. We know Seattle is trending to be having one of the top defenses in the league, and we know their offense has been surprisingly explosive. Now they have a returner who can make their return game lethal each and every Sunday that they play.
If you enjoyed the way Seattle took care of business against the Commanders, and the way they made the game against the Saints over before halftime in back in September, you should be pumped that they added Shaheed to their offense and special teams. There are games on their schedule where we could easily now see similar outcomes in favor of Seattle where by the fourth quarter, we are watching Drew Lock throwing to Jake Bobo in garbage time minutes, and handing the ball off to George Holani to kill clock.
Yeah, for all these reasons, I love this trade.
I know most wanted to see Seattle trade for a right guard, but no team was going to trade away a player at the position who is better than Anthony Bradford. Good interior offensive linemen do not get traded mid season. It just doesn’t happen. The Browns, and Titans are miserable teams going nowhere this year with good veteran guards, and they held onto them.
I also allowed myself to have some pretty highly unrealistic hopes that Seattle would try to make a play for Maxx Crosby in Vegas, or Myles Garrett in Cleveland like some podcasters were suggesting that perhaps they would make a run at. Who knows if they tried, but I think the reality is that even though guys are getting a bit older on bad clubs, and perhaps cashing in on a major draft haul for them would be right for those organizations to do, it would be a brutally awful pill for any GM to force upon their tortured fanbase, and ask them to swallow it for the hope of a brighter future down the road.
Crosby and Garrett are generational talents, and they are superb leaders, and if you trade them away for capital that you hope will provide you your next franchise quarterback, and that player never materializes, you will become a league wide laughing stock for years. That is the risk.
If there was one position that I would have liked to have seen Seattle make a play for in a trade, it would have been linebacker, given the knee situation with Ernest Jones. The fact that this type of trade wasn’t made does give me hope that his injury suffered against the Commanders isn’t a bad one, and that Macdonald feels good about the depth behind him with Drake Thomas, and Tyrice Knight, and he also likes what he is seeing from his practice squad guys. It is very possible that Macdonald feels better about that position group than casual fans do, and I think we have to trust him on that given that linebacker coaching is his forte.
I will end this piece with a final thought about the trade deadline for the Seattle Seahawks. I am glad that they didn’t trade away Riq Woolen. I know he has been a subject of frustration for fans the last few years, and I, myself, have speculated on this blog whether he is a fit for Macdonald. I also know that there is a real chance that the team chooses to let him walk in free agency this Spring, but given the injury to Julian Love at safety, and the concussion to Josh Jobe last Sunday, I didn’t want to see Seattle thin out a deep cornerback room.
Woolen has played pretty well the past couple games. He still possesses a physical talent level profile that is incredibly rare in this league, and I get the sense that he is a good locker room fella. I think he has taken this trade speculation noise around him over the past couple months in good stride, and that says something about his character.
He now has an opportunity to really show his net worth in these final nine games. If he continues playing well, if that contributes to Seattle going on a deep playoff run, he will set himself up for a massive payday either here, or somewhere else next Spring. I like those intangibles being a factor for this defense moving forward this year. In fact, I like that a lot.
I like how Woolen is trending lately. I want him to be a part of this thing this year, and maybe even beyond. Through these last two games, I have come more around on Woolen from where I was with him over a month ago. I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do during this second half of the season push.
But I really do love this trade for Rashid Shaheed. This was the right thing for this team to do at the trade deadline. He is a luxury addition to this team that was worth making, and I think Seahawk fans are going to have a lot of fun watching him on Sundays. I am excited about that.
The Seattle Seahawks flew across the country with some thinking that they might drop a Sunday Night Football game to the Washington Commanders with their star quarterback Jayden Daniels returning, and they properly beat the holy snot out of the injury riddled DC team for all the nation to see, and they likely ended Daniels’ season, as well. This is how dominant the Seattle Seahawks are capable of being this year, and it has been many years since they have played with this level of shock and awe.
Make no mistake about it. This game was a thorough ass kicking on the road against an inferior opponent, and it was the type of ass kicking that Seattle needed to show the nation after letting the inferior Houston Texans make a game out of their Monday Night Football match two weeks ago. The game in Seattle against Houston should have gone down much like this one last night, but goofy play calling by Klint Kubiak, and up and down play by Sam Darnold let the Texans hang around more than they should have. There was no goofiness from Seattle last night, though. It was all cold blooded business, and it couldn’t have been more satisfying to watch from a Seahawk fan perspective.
The Seattle Seahawks now rest at 6-2, tied for their division lead with the Los Angeles Rams, tied for the conference lead with multiple teams, and it is time for them to be aggressive as the NFL trade deadline approaches this Tuesday. The good news is that it appears they possibly will.
Fox NFL beat reporter Jay Glazer reported Sunday morning that he’d been hearing that the team is looking to be aggressive at several positions including WR, RG, and Edge Rusher. This was an exciting report to hear.
It would be exciting that, come Tuesday, the Seahawks have made significant moves to improve their already explosive offense while have also adding to their impressive pass rush. The NFC is wide open for the taking, and they rest tied a top it. Sam Darnold is proving to be an MVP worthy quarterback through eight games now, Jaxon Smith Njigba is proving to be the best receiver in the game, and the entire defense looks like it could end up being tops in the league.
Now is not the time to rest on laurels thinking you might have a shot at a division title, and a playoff birth in January. Now is the time to strike while your team’s iron is hot, and be aggressive to add a final piece or two on both sides of the ball to fortify your chances of total conference domination for the rest of this season, and in through the playoffs.
For my part, I hope Seattle is aggressive adding another target for Sam Darnold to utilize in this offense. I’m a big believer in Tory Horton who stepped up impressively in place of Cooper Kupp, but the New Orleans Saints have now dropped to 1-8, their season is toast, and they have players who know this Klint Kubiak system, and played well in it last year for him.
Either Chris Olave or Rashid Shaheed added to this Seattle offense would just make it all the more potent. Perhaps the price is too much to pry Olave away, but Shaheed in Seattle’s offense mixing in with JSN, Horton, and Kupp feels exciting, and doable for Seattle’s front office. I say go for it.
Saints right guard Cesar Ruiz also feels like a player Seattle could now be eyeing to acquire. He’s struggled this year for the Saints, but he played well for Kubiak and OL coach John Benton last year. In the next 48 hours could we see a Seattle package sent to the Saints for Shaheed and Ruiz? I don’t think it’s a crazy thought.
I will also just say that I wouldn’t be surprised if we see Seattle get even more aggressive to add more pass rush, believe it, or not. Seattle’s defense has been terrorizing quarterbacks all season long outside of the Tampa game when their defensive player numbers were down, but it still feels like they are one pure edger rusher away from total domination, game in and game out. Most of the sack numbers have been coming from the defensive tackle tandem of Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy. What if Trey Hendrickson, or Kayvon Thibodeaux was added to this mix for the final nine game stretch of the year?
This is probably a pipe dream, but with the Cleveland Browns at 2-6 in a division that is probably hopeless to contend in anytime soon, what if Seattle sent a massive package for Myles Garrett?
It’s crazy, I know, but it would be the ultimate double down on the strength of your team.
Think of it this way; if they have to play without middle linebacker Ernest Jones for a few weeks, Adam Sandler could play MIKE backer in this defense with Myles Garrett, Leonard Williams, Byron Murphy, and DeMarcus Lawrence playing in front of him, and it would be terrifying for any quarterback in this league to face.
I am not expecting Seattle to make this level of more before the deadline on Tuesday, but I welcome John Schneider to go as bold as he wants to go this year. This is how much I believe in this team in year two of Mike Macdonald’s regime. I fundamentally believe in his defense, and I see the vision of the offense, and I know that together, both sides of the ball can be special stuff this season. Add to it, I say.
I’ve alluded to this since the beginning of the season, and I really think it’s playing out to be true through eight games, now. I believe Seattle has found their franchise quarterback in Sam Darnold, he was brilliant against the Commanders (as he has consistently enough been through most of these games), and I want to see them ride his hot hand and connection with JSN, who is having a historic season as a receiver. Adding to this offense, and defense aggressively now feels like the right thing to do right for this team. The best time to strike is when the iron is hot in order to carry momentum through the finish line.
It would have a very 2021 Los Angeles Rams for Seattle’s front office to do this. Back then, the Rams had just made a curious QB swap with Detroit landing Matthew Stafford in exchange for picks and Jared Goff. By the trade deadline, they added premier edge rusher Von Miller, and they added Odell Beckham Junior to an already solid group of receivers. Their defense was already potent, and so was their offense, but they were not going to let off the gas. These bold front office actions helped carry them to a decisive Super Bowl run and victory.
I would like to see John Schneider do something similar over the next couple days. Be aggressive. Be bold. This team is really good right now, but don’t rest on it. Go for it with them.
If Ernest Jones is going to miss a number of games this year, go get a middle linebacker off a losing team. Former Seahawk Jordyn Brooks is sitting out there in Miami leading the league in tackles on a bad club. The DC for the Dolphins was Macdonald’s defensive line coach in Baltimore, so it stands to reason he would return to Seattle with an understanding of this scheme. Could free safety Minkah Fitzpatrick also be had in a package?
I won’t pour through every trade scenario I have floating through my head for the Seahawks, and what they could now look to do, but I think by the suggestions I have made, you all get my point. The NFL season is long, and football is a car collision sport. Injuries are very real, and Seattle is now without their starting free safety for at least the next four games, and they could be without their middle linebacker for a while, as well.
While safety Ty Okada is a great story this year as a replacement player, and linebacker Drake Thomas has been fun, as well, let’s not rest on depth players stepping up when needed. Let’s think bigger than that this year. This team is worth that.
Here we are, over a week after the Seattle Seahawks won a sloppy Monday Night Football against a tough Houston Texans team, and still they have yet to make any trade. I won’t lie. I am pretty surprised that they haven’t, and I might even say that I’m a little bit annoyed.
The bye week felt like the optimal time to tweak the roster a bit with an addition (or two), and have those players ready to practice before flying to DC for a Sunday Night Football match against the struggling yet formidable Washington Commanders. Guess I misread the tea leaves on what Seattle would be doing this past week.
They could still make a trade, of course. The trade deadline is exactly one week away from today. I just felt like this past week would have been more ideal in getting a newly acquired player out here and settled into practicing.
There is also the possibility that Seattle sees things differently with players they already have, and believe that they have all the pieces necessary to compete for the division title. After all, they currently rest tied for first place in the division, and will have three of their top defenders returning to their already top shelf defense. They will also have impressive rookie fullback Robbie Ouzts returning to their offense to help put a little extra mustard in their run game with possibly second year guard Christian Haynes returning from IR to practice at right guard behind the somewhat struggling Anthony Bradford.
The return of Ouzts will definitely get any diehard Seattle Seahawk fan’s excitement level up some, but the idea of Haynes mixing in with Bradford probably isn’t going to get even the most optimistic fan’s juices flowing. When thinking about trade scenarios in regards to the Seahawks, most fans will probably point to right guard with all the Tik Tok videos gone viral ripping on Bradford, and the fact that Haynes was never able to beat him out last Summer during training camp, in the first place.
The problem is, however, that bad interior offensive line play is a league wide epidemic. The 49ers, for example, have a horrendous offensive line situation that they surviving despite of, and the list is long filled with other teams behind them in a similar boat. In my opinion, a bad team is less likely to part with a decent offensive lineman because that player will be seen as a building block for next season.
Even Wyatt Teller, the 30 year old pro bowl guard for the Browns who is set to be a free agent this offseason, could be hard to pry out Cleveland. The common fan might assume that he wants out of there, and the Browns in a lost season would be sellers, but Kevin Stefanski is a good coach, and the Browns might be well positioned to draft their next quarterback next Spring with how their season is going. In short, Cleveland might be holding onto hope that Teller will be a pending free agent that they can convince to stick around.
As I look around the league at other bad teams, I don’t know if I see another offensive lineman worth trading for who will likely be better than what Seattle already has. Second year guard/center Jackson Powers-Johnson appears to be on the outs with Pete Carroll in Vegas, but if he can’t vibe with ultra positive player friendly Pete, is he going to be a guy who Seattle will take interest in? 35 year old pro bowler Kevin Zeitler might like to get out of Tennessee, but would the Titans want to trade their best offensive lineman in a year where they are trying to develop their star rookie quarterback?
Even Cesar Ruiz with the Saints, a player I have mentioned multiple times as a potential trade target for Seattle (given the familiarity OC Klint Kubiak has with him), feels like a pipe dream trade scenario. He’s young and contracted for multiple years, and NOLA is trying to build a new foundation with their young head coach in place. Trading away a 26 year old right guard who has played decently in the past feels too counterproductive to what they want to do moving forward.
Sticking with the Saints, you could say that Trevor Penning, their former 2022 first round pick who busted out at tackle and has shifted to the left guard role for them, could be a reasonable target. Maybe, but maybe not if NOLA wants to continue taking a good long look at him at guard. Again, poor interior offensive line play is a league wide issue, and teams with young talent are probably more apt to want to see them developed through the trials and tribulations of a season then wanting to trade these guys away for a bag of peanuts and make a bad situation worse.
Think of it this way; Anthony Bradford might be the most suspect player on Seattle’s starting offensive line, but what exists behind him might be way worse. For as bad as some of these selectively edited Tik Tok videos are of him, he has the size and strength to win on initial contact against bigger defensive tackles in the league regularly while run blocking. It is just him climbing to the second level of a defense where things can go comical for an online content creator. If you take away Bradford with this offensive line, and insert Haynes or someone else, there is no guarantee that player wins regularly on initial contact, and therefore, you make a not so great situation worse. Same goes for bad teams trading away offensive lineman.
The hope for every team with a bad offensive line situation is that young players grow together through the course of an NFL season. The hope for NOLA is that Penning and Ruiz develop together in a lost season. The hope in Tennessee is that Cam Ward is protected enough with Zeitler on the line, that he grows as a passer as a rookie. The hope in Vegas is probably that JPJ can be reached by Carroll and Chip Kelly. The hope in Cleveland is probably that they can convince Wyatt Teller to sign an extension next offseason instead of collecting a mid to late round pick for him now.
The hope here in Seattle is probably that Anthony Bradford can settle in more at right guard coming out of the bye week, like it, or not. This doesn’t mean that Seattle won’t try to search for a good veteran guard option on the trade market if a bad team suddenly says uncle in the eleventh hour of the trade deadline. It just means that maybe that type of trade isn’t likely coming, and Seattle has to look at other means to maybe further fortify their team heading into the second half of the season.
If I were in GM John Schneider’s shoes right now, with the trade deadline approaching, I would stay on the offensive side of the ball, and figure out a way to improve my team’s third down success rate which as drastically dropped in the last two games from somewhat respectable to bad. I think perhaps the best way to do that is to give Sam Darnold one more weapon to throw the ball at on obvious passing downs.
With the kind of year that Jaxon Smith Njigba is having, it might sound a bit weird to suggest that Seattle needs more at receiver, but when you look at what is behind JSN, I am not so sure. Cooper Kupp is great in the run game as a perimeter blocker, and he provides a decent option for Darnold to throw at on first and second downs, but on third and long, he lacks separation needed when defenses know Seattle needs to pass. Tory Horton had a promising start to his rookie season, but has quieted down considerably over the past few games, and against the Texans on MNF, Darnold’s connection with him seemed noticeably off. I think Jake Bobo just sorta is what he is, and he will never be a quick separation guy on critical third downs.
It feels more unlikely now that NOLA will trade away Chris Olave, so I am kissing that pipe dream scenario away bye bye for Seattle, but I am wondering if his mate, Rashid Shaheed, could be a viable draft target. Shaheed knows Klint Kubiak’s system, and is a speed demon receiver who I think Seattle could use quite a bit on all three passing downs, if they needed to pass more.
He’s a natural run after catch guy, and he’s a field stretcher. His presence on third downs, with JSN, and Kupp would likely give a defensive coordinator a thing or two to think about. He’s also a great returner and would provide extra special teams value to an already good special teams situation.
Another receiver that I think might be a viable option for Seattle is disgruntled Raiders receiver Jakobi Meyers, and I do wonder if a player for player move would be almost inevitable for him. While, personally, I wouldn’t trade away Riq Woolen at this point given the injuries Seattle has endured in their secondary this year, the return of Devon Witherspoon to the defense does open up some possibility of it.
I can imagine Carroll wanting to add Woolen to his defense given their background together. I can imagine Seattle seeing the addition of Meyers as a rental player for the second half of their season being a spark for their obvious passing down offense. I can see Meyers seeing at opportunity to further spark Seattle’s offense as they aim for the playoffs being a better opportunity to cash in as an NFL free agent next Winter than sticking around in Vegas during a wasted season would be for him. I can see a scenario where a third down three receiver set of JSN, Kupp, and Meyers would have an exciting feel for Seahawk fans.
Another benefit of adding Meyers or Shaheed to this offense on second half of the season rental contracts is that either addition wouldn’t necessarily impede Tory Horton’s development as a potential future WR2 to JSN. I’m still a Horton believer, but it is noticeable how quieted down he became in the last two games where he didn’t catch a single pass while being targeted. That’s not good enough, but it is worth noting that in the last two games, Seattle faced two top end defenses.
This leads me to think Seattle doesn’t need to break the bank for a Chris Olave, or a Garrett Wilson, or even a AJ Brown. They just need a veteran who made gets this offense a bit more than a rookie fifth round pick, and maybe in that, adds a bit more of a secure third down passing option for Darnold.
I would be awesome to get a stud offensive lineman, but I am not holding my breath on it. I think that is probably a move for next offseason.
But I do think giving Darnold another viable target on third downs could be the difference between being a playoff contender to being a championship worthy team this year with this defense, and the explosive nature of this offense on first and second downs.
I have been around this planet for many years now. Football isn’t new to me. Baseball isn’t new, either. When I was a kid, I thought a guy named Mean Joe Green was the coolest dude on the planet, and Reggie Jackson was my other guy based on commercials I saw on TV as I collected KISS trading cards while I was playing with Kenner Star Wars action figures in the living room while my father sat in front of his TV watching Howard Cosell on Monday Night Football.
If you have no idea about what any of that stuff is in that last sentence, then you are probably biologically young enough to be my child. So please take this to heart when I say that I’ve been around the block a few times, I have seen a lot of games on television, and in person, and I cannot recall an evening like this one on Monday night, when I was glued to Mariners playoff game in late October, and then by about the 6th inning, I started watching the Seattle Seahawks, my most favorite team on the planet, kickoff a late Monday Night Football game that I felt was a very important one for them to win.
Thank God for modern technology, and split screen capabilities that allowed me to track both games. I have no idea what I would have done back in 1999, if this rare situation had presented itself. I suppose I would have had one game on the television while the other one was blaring on the radio, but even in this technological easy way to track both games, I felt myself wildly pulled by emotions and events.
First off, my apologies if you feel like I am not as big of a Seattle Mariner fan as I am a Seattle Seahawk one. It is true that the Seahawks are, and have always been team number one for me, and this blog reflects that, but I had deep investment in the Mariners this year.
I badly wanted them to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays, and advance to the World Series for the first time in franchise history. I wanted it for this region, for the millions of deeply devoted Mariner fans, and I wanted it for myself to experience a World Series played in my hometown for the first time ever.
I also really, really wanted to see the Seahawks play dominant on Monday night at home against a tough Houston Texans team, and get a quality home win, which they haven’t been getting enough of in these past few years. For as much as I wanted the M’s to get past Toronto, I equally was invested in a young Seahawks team showing up big on prime time at home. This is how I chose to sports fan on my Monday night, and at times, it felt like I was on a mushroom bender with a few lines of cocaine added for good measure.
I would watch one side of the screen, seeing Sam Darnold easily guide Seattle’s offense down for a score against the top scoring defense in the league, turn attention to the baseball game for a moment, and then turn back to the football game only to see Cooper Kupp inexplicably throw a dumb interception in the red zone. I would be glued to the Seahawk defense kicking ass on CJ Stroud only to notice the Blue Jays belt in enough runs to take a 3-4 lead over the Mariners in the final innings of the game.
I couldn’t tell if I was loving this fan experience or if I was tortured by it. It felt like the few relationships I have had with women who carried with them borderline personality disorders. I was traumatized and mesmerized simultaneously.
Don’t ask me to explain sports fandom to anyone. For those who don’t sport, they are not likely to get it, and while I am a sports dork, I don’t always understand why I place so much importance on my teams, and the deeply imbedded need to see them to win.
If I were to get to the root of it for me, myself, personally, I would probably say it has a thing or two to do about region. I am deeply provisional in my love of the PNW. I spent my whole life up here being constantly reminded that it isn’t Texas, or California, Florida, or New York by everything I watched on TV. In the late eighties, I became a fan of Twin Peaks not because of David Lynch, but because it was set in rural Washington State, and its quirkiness vibe to the region felt correct.
My love of the PNW comes with deeply embedded calluses. It is the fact that we are so much more isolated away from the rest of the country, and there is this perpetual chip on the shoulder we will often carry around because of it. The Pacific Northwest is a gorgeous kick ass region in North America with all kinds of natural beauty, and industry, but the rest of the continent tends to forget about us here. This makes me dig into local teams more than maybe I would otherwise have an inclination to have.
I mean, if I had grown up in Southern California, I probably would’ve been a douchey surfer guy more consumed about my body waxes and girls in skimpy bikinis than what the Lakers or Rams were doing. I wasn’t going to evolve into that in Ferndale, Washington, as a teen.
So while I am not really that much of a baseball fan, I am a Seattle Mariner fan. Now that they are out of the race, I doubt I will watch any of the World Series games between Toronto and Los Angeles. I will just watch more football games because I am a football fan, not just because of the Seahawks, but because I truly do love the hyper violent, ridiculous, car crash nature of the sport.
I will say this about the 2025 Seattle Mariners, though. I am really proud of this team. They brought me back to baseball in a way that I haven’t felt since 2001. I think they had a kick ass year, and I think they are in a great window of at least a few more years to finally get a World Series. I will be heavily invested in them as they strive for that level of contention. I believe they will do it.
I am not here to second guess Dan Wilson’s decisions in game seven with his pitching rotation. When shit doesn’t work, it is very easy to criticize. I think if someone were to tell any Mariners fan that this team would advance as far as game seven of the ALCS back last Spring, they would have gladly signed up for that. I know I would have.
What I will say is that if anyone says “same old Mariners” in reaction to this painfully raw game seven loss, you have my permission to kick them as hard as possible in the baby maker region of their anatomy. Just square up nail them as hard as possible.
This team was far from the “same ol M’s.” Dan Wilson had this team rocking all season long, Cal Raleigh became a household name, and the Mariners front office made bold moves necessary before the trade deadline to potentially put them over the top. They were inspiring this year. They just fell a bit short.
As for the Seahawks against the Texans, they did what they had to do to get an important home win, and extend their record to 5-2, and that is all I cared about for this game. It wasn’t all together pretty, Sam Darnold didn’t have his finest game going against the top scoring defense in the league, but he did enough, and the Seahawk defense was kick ass, yet again, without three of their top players.
This game came down to a win that I thought was going to be probable for Seattle. There would be struggles on offense against a very strong Texan defense, and Seattle’s defense would take advantage of a Texan offensive line that is horrendously bad. For as up and down and Darnold and company were, dropping 27 points on a Texan defense that previously held Baker Mayfield and Tampa Bay to 20 points is something I would gladly take.
For the Seahawks moving forward into this bye week, I would love to see them take a page out of the 2025 Mariners playbook. I would like to see GM John Schneider make a couple trades to help them win this highly competitive NFC West division this year.
I think they have their quarterback situation solved with Darnold, so go get him another piece on offense. Watching this game against the Texans, I say go get him another receiver to pair with Jaxon Smith Njigba. Maybe make a big trade for Saints star receiver Chris Olave, or see if they can get his mate Rashid Shaheed added to mix in with JSN, Cooper Kupp, and Tory Horton. Both have played for OC Klint Kubiak and would come in during the bye week knowing this scheme, and both would be exciting additions.
The other move I would make is for the defense. I would love to see Seattle add one defender of significance to make a promising defense potentially the top overall defense in the league this year. That could mean first round picks for Maxx Crosby, or it could mean a lockdown cornerback, or a top level safety, or linebacker. Just give me one guy who transforms this very good defense into a truly elite one.
As much as I want to second guess Kubiak’s play calling on offense against the Texans, I understood why he continued to dial up pass plays late in the second half that led to a couple fumbles and an interception. Seattle has a quarterback and receiver duo that you want to stay hot with, and you don’t want to shut that down, and turtle neck against a top defense. So give Darnold another target, and give JSN another mate as this season rolls along against a number of tough defenses remaining on this schedule. Ride the hot hands, I say, and add to them.
But also give me one more defensive piece, and I almost don’t care what it is. Last week, I thought they needed to go get a weak side linebacker, but over the past two games, Drake Thomas has been playing pretty damn strong. Maybe it is a corner with Devon Witherspoon being banged up. Maybe it’s another safety with Julian Love’s hamstring situation.
Maybe it is a big bold move for Crosby. Wouldn’t that be fun?
What an incredible weekend for Seattle sports fans. On Friday Night, the Team Of Destiny Seattle Mariners defeated the Detroit Tigers in 15 innings of gritty baseball to advance to the ALCS, and on Sunday evening, they took game one in Toronto against a well rested Blue Jays team. On Sunday morning, the Seahawks kicked off against a talented Jaguars team in Jacksonville, and they beat them down, 20-12, to advance to 4-2, and a three way tie for first place in the NFC West.
After losing a tough high scoring shootout battle against the Tampa Bay Bucs last weekend, I had a lot of Sunday morning nerves about the Seahawks chances in Jacksonville. The Jaguars have been the big surprise storyline in the NFL this season, thus far. They have been winning by playing smart football, establishing the run, and playing impressive defense. Their defense, in fact, had been leading the league in creating turnovers heading into Sunday. Trevor Lawrence, while not at the red hot level of Sam Darnold, or Baker Mayfield this year, felt like a talented young quarterback finally starting to turn the corner as a pro.
Seattle’s defense, last week, played like wet butt against Baker Mayfield, to be brutally blunt. For Seattle to win this game, I thought we would have to rely on Darnold playing another strong game, and we would have to hope that Seattle’s defense would find with within itself to hold it together while missing three quarters of its starting secondary again for the second straight game. That last part felt like a big ask.
Well, apparently Mike Macdonald still knows a thing or two about coaching NFL defenses because Seattle’s defense kicked the snot out of Lawrence, and company on their home turf. Didn’t see this coming, but it was a sight to see. On Sunday, Seattle had the better quarterback and defense, and they won because of that.
The defense wasn’t perfect, and neither was Darnold, but they were pretty damn close to it. Darnold had one bad play where he put the ball in harm’s way at a critical time late in the game, but he was otherwise brilliant as a passer, yet again. In terms of the defense, I still think there remained issues on the backend with coverage minus starting safety Julian Love, and corners Riq Woolen and Devon Witherspoon, and this game showed it. I also think that there remains some concerns with linebacker, as well, but holy smokes did Seattle’s pass rush show up big time when it was desperately needed.
I don’t think it is hyperbole to state the Seattle has perhaps the top DT tandem in the league with Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy pass rushing together inside, and the return of edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence was sight to behold with how he stopped the run and pass rushed.
Still, with all the talent that Seattle has on their defensive line, it was clear that Mike Macdonald felt they had to blitz Lawrence in order to effect Jacksonville’s passing attack. Up until this game, Seattle had not been known as a big blitzing team in the league. Macdonald loves to rush four and drop seven. Against Lawrence, however, perhaps Macdonald sensed a opportunity to go after him a bit more knowing he’s still not the most polished passer in the league, and the blitz would help his depleted secondary some.
This was the sense I got out of this game. If Seattle was in a match with a top tier quarterback, they might have done things differently, and lost like they did last week. This is the main reason why I believe that sitting at 4-2 now, in a wide open NFC, Seattle should look to deal for an impact defender, or two. I want two more pieces, and I want them now.
It is clear that through six games, Seattle has one of the best quarterbacks in the league playing for them. Sam Darnold has played through six games, against six really good defenses, and by most metrics, he’s played elite against them all. I think the chances are that as this season progresses, he and his receivers will only get better.
Would it be fun to add Chris Olave who played for Klint Kubiak last year? Sure. Is it necessary? Not as much as adding a quality linebacker next to Ernest Jones, or safety depth.
Jaxon Smith Njigba feels like a better receiver than Justin Jefferson now, and perhaps the top receiver in the game (not hyperbole). Cooper Kupp is proving a solid complimentary piece to JSN. AJ Barner has significantly progressed as a starting tight end, and Tory Horton remains an intriguing third receiver. Ken Walker and Zach Charbonnet are playing better within this scheme now, and feel like a very solid one two punch together as runners. This young offensive line, while still needing work as a run blocking unit, has been a revelation in terms of how it has pass blocked together.
Then there is Darnold, who is Pro Football Focus’s favorite quarterback. Everything he is doing feels sustainable in this offense, and he feels like he can be the guy here in Seahawk blue for the next six to seven years pretty easily.
All of this leads me to the place of feeling very strongly that Seattle should not feel queasy about surrendering draft picks in 2026 to fortify their defense more. To my eyes, the Seahawks should look to improve their situation at weak side linebacker, and depth at safety. For as much as it was fun to see the pass rush return against Jacksonville, I would love to see them make a big splash at edge rush, if they can, as well, but for my money, I want a quality starting WILL linebacker next to Ernest Jones, allowing Tyrice Knight and Drake Thomas to be quality backups, and I need stronger insurance at safety in place of Julian Love being out, and the potential of Coby Bryant getting banged up, too.
The NY Jets are now starring at 0-6, and they have quality players on their defense despite their losing ways. Veteran linebacker Quincy Williams would be an ideal addition to Mike Macdonald’s defense, but the 49ers have lost All Pro LB Fred Warner for the season with a broken ankle and their DC is Robert Saleh, formerly the head coach of the Jets. With Seattle and San Fran tied for the division lead, it seems destined that both teams will be now looking at making trades, and it seems natural that Saleh would look towards a former player of his, but there are other teams pretty much out of contention now that the Seattle could look towards.
The Miami Dolphins, in particular, are now 1-5, and their head coach is on the verge of getting fired. They have former Seahawk Jordyn Brooks who John Schneider wanted to bring back last year, but couldn’t get a deal done. Miami plays a defense that features a very similar scheme to what Seattle deploys and Brooks played a lot of WILL and MIKE backer in his time. I wouldn’t be surprised if Seattle looked to reunite with him.
Speaking of former Seattle Seahawk, the Titans have also now dropped to 1-5, and Quandre Diggs is playing safety for them. He was a popular player in Seattle for a spell, and at the very least would offer valuable veteran leadership and depth. Could Seattle look to reunite? It’s an interesting thought.
Another former Seahawk defender with the Titans is linebacker Cody Barton who blossomed more in the league after he left Seattle. He’s played well for a good Bronco’s defense last year, and is a natural WILL linebacker who has been good in coverage. I think he’s a consideration.
The Saints are also now 1-5, and they have two talented veteran linebackers that they could look to deal, and they have a very interesting edge rusher in Carl Granderson who would be a fun addition to Seattle’s pass rush, if they want to further bolster it.
Then there is the 1-5 Baltimore Ravens, the team that Mike Macdonald was the defensive coordinator for. The Ravens already dealt off one of their young edge rushers, but what about star linebacker Roquan Smith? He was a Macdonald favorite in Baltimore, the player they traded for from the Bears who solidified his defense into being the best in the league. Could Seattle be eyeing him to come in and partner with Ernest Jones? It’s an extremely interesting thought.
One more Macdonald favorite from Baltimore would be safety Geno Stone who is currently on the 2-4. He was an intercepting machine for Macdonald in 2023. Maybe he’s a guy they now make a play for? It would make sense.
One thing to keep in mind for Seattle is the wild card of hybrid rookie player Nick Emmonwari who through two games since coming back from his week one injury, as been playing on fire for the defense. Emmonwari plays exclusively a Big Nickel role, which if you do not know what that it, it is like a hybrid of a safety/nickel corner/linebacker. He is being groomed into being the ultimate chess piece in Macdonald’s defense that mostly plays in a 4-2-5 front, and basically, while Emmonwari lists on the roster as a safety, he functions almost more like a linebacker who covers slot receivers and tight ends.
The main reason why I bring this up about Emmonwari is that it is unreasonable to assume that he’s going to take over either of the deep safety roles of this defense anytime soon, if at all. Same with an idea that he could fill in at WILL linebacker. His niche is this Big Nickel spot that will likely be the single most unique trait to the Seahawk defense moving forward. He is Macdonald’s eraser in the flat, making life difficult for tight ends, running backs and receivers in a specific area of the field while also providing blitz abilities. If anything, as he gets more comfortable in this role, his presence might relegate Devon Witherspoon to a more pure outside corner position moving forward.
Which leads me to the Seahawk cornerback position, and my uncertainty whether they need do go out and acquire more talent there. I think this game against the Jaguars showed that if you can get enough competent safety and linebacker coverage play, cornerback for this particular defense might be more plug and play that I had been thinking in recent weeks. If Seattle has two really good coverage backers, and really good safeties, and Emmonwari, perhaps they can survive on Josh Jobe, Derion Kendrick, Shaq Griffin, along with Spoon coming back, and perhaps Riq Woolen can be a player dealt for a veteran at another spot.
Final thing before I close this one out. I have listed linebacker and safety as my biggest needs for this team, and side mentioned edge rusher. I don’t want to dismiss the idea of Seattle making a big shocking move for a big named edge rusher who might be out there on the Market. The Bengals are 2-4 and so are the Vegas Raiders.
Trey Hendrickson is a name long been tossed out as a potential trade target for the Seahawks dating back to training camp. He is 30 years old and is on the last year of his contract. I don’t know if he is someone the Bengals will deal or be very stubborn about, but I don’t think the trade for Joe Flacco is going to save their season, and if Seattle offered their third round pick for him as a rental with a chance to sign back in the offseason, that feels like a pick that could prove valuable to the Bengals as they look to build more through the draft than ever with all the big contracts given to their receivers and quarterback. This would feel like a very John Schneider move to make now, and maybe Macdonald just sees winning with top shelf pass rush as the way to win the division more so than linebacker and safety or corner help.
Then there is the Raiders with one Maxx Crosby, who while he is Mr Raider, at age 28 how much longer does he really want to wait out this team finally getting competent?
They could have pursued Sam Darnold last offseason, but Tom Brady stepped in and waived that away, wanting 35 year old Geno Smith, instead, who has been awful for them. They beat the lowly Titans, 10-20, but again, Geno didn’t look great, and they now have to face the gauntlet of facing the Chiefs, Jags, and Broncos over the next three games. They could easily be 2-7 in a few weeks with a busted season.
It was reported that Schneider asked about Crosby in the Geno trade and was willing to deal DK there in addition for him last offseason. What if Seattle offered Vegas a couple first round picks for Crosby? Vegas would have the draft capital necessary to find their next quarterback, and more properly fill out their roster, and Seattle would get to add a star edge rusher who is contracted through 2029. It feels win win for both organizations.
This is an idea that was floated out last week by Rob Staton of Seahawks Draft Blog, and I think it is a really interesting one. I just don’t know if the Raiders front office would be ballsy enough to trade their most popular player, and supremely piss off the majority of its fanbase, but it is a fun thought for Seattle in terms of going all in.
And, at this point, why not go all in on this team this year? The Rams, Seahawks, and 49ers are all resting at 4-2, so why not create a NFC West arms race battle for the division?
Seattle’s arguably got the hottest quarterback in the division right now, and certainly one of the hottest ones in the entire conference and league. They also have the hottest receiver in the league in JSN. They have an offensive line that is generally not terrible and is actually pretty decent at pass blocking, and I think their run game is showing some signs of turning the corner. While I would love to see them trade for an upgrade at center or right guard, I don’t see quality centers or guards being available on the market.
So, why not make a good defense an absolutely terrifyingly defense now?
I think John Schneider and Mike Macdonald should think big about what might be out there, and go get it. Roquan Smith added to this defense sounds fun. Maxx Crosby sounds franchise altering. I’m ready to think big for this team, and I hope the front office is, too.
This game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers yesterday was one that had my mind filled with emotions, and thoughts. It was the Seahawks 50th Anniversary Game with a halftime celebration of the 50th best players in franchise history, and I would have loved to have been there for that. Due to the significance of it, I really wanted to see Seattle win this one. Then there is the issue with the quarterbacks.
I was very much looking forward to seeing a QB duel between Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold. I liked both quarterbacks a lot coming out of the 2018 draft, and when Seattle was looking towards trading Russell Wilson, they were the two quarterbacks out there who I was most interested in seeing Seattle acquire. I felt either would have been well worth a shot to see if they could be the guy. So, with this particular match, I was really into seeing how these guys would play against each other, and it did not disappoint. I just didn’t love the outcome.
I would also say that Emeka Egbuka was very much a player that I was interested in Seattle drafting last Spring. Given that he was a local kid who grew up a Seahawks fan, that Seattle had some need at receiver, and he was very good at Ohio State, I loved the idea of it (even though I preferred them drafting guard Grey Zabel given the bigger need). So, I could say that his stellar play in this match has given my views on him further credence, as well. Imagine him and JSN together up here with Darnold throwing them darts.
Overall, my biggest reaction to this game is that it was a shame Sam Darnold’s last play in this game ended with a pick over the middle on a pass deflected off of a helmet. Aside from that moment, Sam was having his best game as a Seahawk, and was poised to have perhaps the best game of his career with an opportunity to lead a game winning drive with a minute left to go. Up until that point, he had been damn near perfect throwing for 4 TDS, over 300 yards and completing over 80 percent of his passes.
I imagine there will be some wee bit of dumb talk on sports radio this week and maybe some chatter online that Sam Darnold is not really a franchise quarterback because of that pick. I couldn’t disagree more. Not only do I believe that the Seahawks have their franchise quarterback in Darnold, I would say that I feel even more optimistic about good things coming around the corner for this team, if they properly build it around him.
Let us keep in perspective what Seattle was faced with in this game. They were hosting a very talented and scrappy Tampa Bay team led by one of the hottest quarterbacks in the league. Seattle entered into the game without their pro bowl free safety (Julian Love), without their best edge rusher (DeMarcus Lawrence), and without their best corner (Devon Witherspoon). In the course of the game, they also lost their other starting edge rusher (Derick Hall), and they lost their other starting corner (Riq Woolen). When Darnold and Baker were playing a shootout game, Seattle’s defense was without five of its eleven starters on the field. That’s nearly half of the starting defense.
Still, if it wasn’t for a missed 42 yard kick by the usually dependable Josh Meyers, and a very stupid option play that led to a lost fumble by Jalen Milroe with a red hot Darnold being pulled off of the field for it, Seattle might have won this game in a shootout a bit more easily. In a game that was going to be close, they made more mistakes than Tampa did, and this was the difference.
That said, Seattle appears to now have a formidable offense emerging. With the play calling of Klint Kubiak, the quarterbacking of Darnold, the receiving talents of JSN, Cooper Kupp, AJ Barner, and Tory Horton, and the running styles of Ken Walker and Zach Charbonnet, there is reason to feel very optimistic, especially with a young offensive line that is showing clear signs of improvement. Generally speaking, I feel very good about this offense. This is the silver lining coming out of this game.
The concern, however, is that Seattle’s defense showed its alarming lack of depth when numerous starters are out of the game against a talented offense. If they had played against a bad Titans team, they could have possibly gotten by, but the Bucs right now feel like a proper contender, and this is what happens against a proper contender when you are running a platoon of two players at WILL linebacker, and your safety and cornerback depth is exposed.
Last week, I wrote a piece about the Seahawks making a trade before the deadline, and most of the players I suggested were offensive fellas. After this game, however, if I were John Schneider, I would probably be getting on the phone with teams that who have four losses or more and discuss trading for a defender, most likely a quality veteran cornerback, another middle linebacker, or edge rusher. Perhaps even a safety, even, if a special player is there, and maybe consider shifting rookie Nick Emmanwori to WILL linebacker duties in nickel packages.
The Ravens are now 1-4, so are the Browns, the Saints, the Giants, the Dolphins, the Raiders, and the Titans, and the Jets are now 0-5. Could cornerback Marlon Humphrey, who Macdonald knows well, be pried out of Baltimore? Could they bring corner Denzel Ward into this defense from Cleveland? Could Bradley Chubb be had from Miami? How about former Seattle LB Jordyn Brooks with the Fins, or Saints MLB Pete Werner? Or Fins safety Minkah Fitzpatrick? How about Kayvon Thibodeaux of the Giants?
This can be a very long list of possibilities if I wanted to waste more space on this post. The point is, I suspect there will be deals to be had, and Seattle should be very active.
If it were me, I would say that enough is enough at the split duties at WILL linebacker next to Ernest Jones, and go trade for a quality proven off ball linebacker who can play the run and pass. Then, I would say go get another edge rusher. I wouldn’t be upset at all if they traded a second round pick to Cincinnati for Trey Hendrickson at this point, to be honest, or Thibodeaux, for that matter.
Then there is this issue with the secondary that sorta has me feeling some extra dread after this loss. If I am to be honest, I would say the news of Julian Love and Devon Witherspoon missing this game against the Bucs after ten days rest coming out the TNF game against isn’t the most encouraging.
Against Baker Mayfield and these Tampa receivers, the Seahawk defense needed all hands on the backend yesterday, and who knows how severe and how long Spoon and Love will be out. We need better clarity here with them in order to project what Seattle might look to do next.
At the very least, I think Seattle should now call up Shaq Griffin from the practice squad to get some veteran stability active on game days. He certainly can’t be worse than what Nehemiah Pritchett was in relief duty, and in all probability, I think he would provide a solid fourth option on game days.
But what about safety if Love is going to miss further games? Should they look to the free agent market for a veteran such as Justin Simmons or former Raven safety Marcus Williams? Or is there an opportunity out there in a trade?
I wasn’t necessarily thinking this would be an easy game against the Bucs, and I certainly didn’t foresee a shoutout, but this shootout was encouraging enough to think that perhaps Seattle now needs to get very greedy about their defense. Mike Macdonald was not hired to coach this team to win shootouts. He was hired to coach a team that wins with a dominating defense, and while it is good to know that Darnold and company can play admirably in a shootout, it is time to make sure this defense is more fortified.
So, let’s get back to winning defense, again. Time for John Schneider to cook.
As the Seahawks sit this week at 3-1, many people seem surprised by this, but not I!
I have written many times over that this season could be an exciting one for Seattle, with a strong defense that could be tops in the league, and an offensive that could be better at quarterback and scheme. Thus far, my projections for this team are looking good, and we are now nearing the point of the season where John Schneider has often times made trades to help give his team a boost.
It was around this time of the season, in 2010, where Schneider sent a 4th round pick to Buffalo for Marshawn Lynch who became disgruntled with the Bills. This was also the time of the year back in 2017 when he traded a third round pick to the Texans for veteran left tackle Duane Brown to cement Seattle’s bid for the playoffs. He also plucked safety Quandre Diggs out of Detroit close to this time of year some years back in exchange for a mere 6th round pick.
Aside from the Russell Wilson deal to Denver, I would argue that Schneider’s best trades have generally come mid season for this club. With teams quickly finding themselves out of contention, the value for players generally becomes much better for the buyers as sellers look to acquire as many draft picks as possible while staring at a rebuild. John has proven to be very good at determining what his team’s deficiencies are, and finding good value to correct. Leonard Williams, Duane Brown, Marshawn, Carlos Dunlap, and Sheldon Richardson have all been big name players that he has been able to bring in.
As it stands right now, Seattle is sitting on a rare amount of salary cap space to get a bit splashier with trades this season, if they so choose to do it. Given Schneider’s track record, I am almost certain that we will see a move of two in the coming weeks, and I wouldn’t be surprised if a move comes sooner.
As we know, it has been reported by Ian Rapoport that several teams are sniffing around cornerback Riq Woolen, and this makes sense. Seattle has a rare jog jam at cornerback, and Woolen is in a contract year, and has played probably too inconsistent for the Mike Macdonald’s tastes. He’s still an elite athlete at a highly coveted position, however, and he’s young. This makes him probably a player that Seattle could get some decent value for in exchange, maybe not so much in draft capital, but perhaps in a player for player swap. So, there’s this to think about, as well.
At any rate, here are some players rumored to potentially be on the trade market that I would love to see Seattle consider bringing in at this time. I would venture to say that if anyone of these fellas becomes a Seahawk in the next few days and weeks, I would find it pretty gosh darn exciting.
Saints Running Back Alvin Kamara
I understand if Alvin Kamara to Seattle is a bit of a left field idea for you. Seattle has two talented young backs who split duties, so why bring in an expensive 30 year player to add to this mix? Here is my reasoning.
Ken Walker is a highly talented running back who is in a contract year like Riq Woolen, and has yet to really prove that he is a fit for the zone blocking scheme of Klint Kubiak. Not only is he still showing a tentativeness behind the line of scrimmage that leads to negative plays, I have seen film breakdown of him against the Cardinals on TNF where he showed an inexcusable laziness running a check down route that led to Sam Darnold having to dirt the ball away instead of getting an easy completion under pressure. This had to have been a play where his coaches probably didn’t love that, and it stands to wonder how many more plays like this he has before he has reached Woolen status with Macdonald and Kubiak, as well.
Let me explain this to you in the easiest terms I can use regarding Seattle’s offensive scheme. It is fully designed to marry the pass game to the run, and it requires quick decisions from the QB, receivers, and runners. QBs need to make quick reads, and make fast and accurate throws. Receivers need to run quick and precise routes. Running backs must hit their holes decisively, and have the vision to see lanes, however minuet those creases might be, to make cutback moves for positive gains.
Some backs have very natural instincts for this, and other backs struggle with it, but you cannot play hesitant behind your blockers no matter how muddy it is in front of them with defenders. Any hesitation behind the line of scrimmage by a running back can seriously fuck up an offensive series, especially against a good defensive front.
This is the negative impact that K9 can have on the Seattle offense if he cannot get these tendencies out of his game. I see little evidence, thus far, even with that nice game against the Steelers, that leads me to believe he can fit this thing here. I think Zach Charbonnet can, but when K9 is in the game, it feels very boom or bust on a series. He will make plays that will lead you to believe he’s one of the very best backs in the game, but then he will do things that will pull your hair out in frustration. I, for one, am tired of that frustration.
I don’t think Seattle would get much value to trading away K9 right now, so I am not suggesting that Seattle should necessarily deal him away. I will say that I lack trust in him as Seattle’s featured runner, however, and I feel more trust in Charbonnet.
The problem with this two headed monster for Seattle, in my view, is that it appears that the coaches prefer Charbonnet as the third down back because of his better pass blocking and maybe receiver skills. This means that they probably want to preserve this role for him, and use K9 more on first and second downs, and right now they are living with the potential collateral damage of K9 doing some weird ass thing on any given play in the hopes that he hits it right.
Alvin Kamara understands Kubiak’s offense, having played in it last year. He had nice production in it last year for the Saints, and at age 30 with an expensive contract, the trade compensation for Seattle probably wouldn’t be much. In fact, Seattle could deal Riq Woolen probably straight across for him, and maybe even get something in addition back, as well. The Saints would then have the rest of the season to see if Woolen is someone who they would want to extend long term, and Seattle would get better stability in its the run game.
I just know that, in this particular scheme, Seattle needs running backs that get it, and can offer positive plays with regularity. Karama is still a talented runner, and he’s a good pass catcher. You can rely on him, even at age 30. That’s why I am into this idea for Seattle. I really like it a lot, and if this creates a log jam at running back, that is a log jam worth having for this offensive philosophy.
Saints Receiver Chris Olave
What if I were to tell you that in next few days or weeks, Seattle deals Riq Woolen to Vegas for a third round pick, and then they send that third rounder and maybe a late round pick to New Orleans for wideout Chris Olave who also played for Klint Kubiak? Would you get excited about that?
Or how about Woolen and a 5th round pick to straight across to NOLA for Olave? How would that make you feel?
Sam Darnold would have Jaxon Smith Ngijba (who is having a sensational start to the season), Olave, Cooper Kupp, promising rookie Tory Horton, and Jake Bobo all as viable passing targets to carry forth his own impressive start to the season, and he would have Olave signed through 2026. I think this is a pretty fun thought.
Olave knows the system, has played with JSN back in their Ohio State days, and offers youthful proven insurance for the potential of Kupp wearing down, or JSN getting injured. He has the speed to stretch defenses, and like JSN, he can run every short to intermediate route, as well..
His concussions are a concern, and probably to the extent of hampering his trade value, but with the depth Seattle would have at receiver with his addition, he likely wouldn’t be asked to be The Guy. JSN is The Guy in this offense. Darnold also has chemistry with Kupp and growing chemistry with Horton. Olave could come in without the pressure of having to be at the forefront right away, but rather being the guy who can provide big catches as the season wears on, and potentially being the Sundance Kid to JSN’s Butch Cassidy in future seasons.
For these reasons, I really dig this idea a lot.
Saints Guard/Center Cesar Ruiz
I am going to stay with New Orleans one more time here and suggest that if they drop to 0-4, and begin a fire sale, perhaps Seattle could decide to take the opportunity to fortify their young offensive line by trading for Cesar Ruiz who is currently the Saints starting right guard but also has a lot of center in his background. Anthony Bradford has been playing well for the Seahawks this year at right guard, but what if Klint Kubiak sees an opportunity to land Ruiz and have him play center here?
Ruiz hasn’t played very well for the Saints this year, but last season was his best year as a pro while he was coached by the bulk of Seattle’s offensive staff. He knows this blocking scheme, and he knows the offensive line coaches very well. The Saints have Erik McCoy as their starting center, and he’s one of the best ones in the game, so Ruiz had to find a home at guard to get on the field. He played center in college, however, and it isn’t hard to imagine that he could take that position over for the Seahawks now, and have it solidified for the next several seasons.
This move could see Jalen Sundell in the role of a valuable swing offensive lineman capable of playing all five positions on the offensive line in a pinch. Sundell has not played terrible for Seattle this year at center, but sometimes I wonder if he’s got enough premium strength inside to hold up to bigger stronger DTs in the league. Center is not a position that requires the strongest guys on the OL, but having a strong ass M’fer inside at the position doesn’t hurt, either. Ruiz is that kinda player, and he is very familiar with the zone blocking scheme.
An offensive line that consists of Charles Cross, Grey Zabel, Cesar Ruiz, Anthony Bradford, and Abe Lucas feels potentially very young and formidable. Jalen Sundell could provide the ever valuable swing player in that group as he came into the league as an undrafted left tackle and impressed Mike Macdonald with his intelligence and athleticism.
I don’t know if the Saints would entertain parting with Ruiz even in his struggles this year, but they might. Therefore, a player for player trade of Woolen for Ruiz straight across doesn’t seem all that crazy to me. Perhaps both players need new landing spots.
Dolphins Receiver Jaylon Waddle
Like the Saints, Miami is a team that appears on the verge of being early sellers at the trade deadline. They host the Jets on MNF. If they drop to 0-4 after that game, I think there’s a decent chance their head coach gets fired, and they go into a fire sale mode.
People are pointing to Tyreek Hill as being a high probable trade candidate for clubs, but Seattle won’t likely be suitors. Under Mike Macdonald, they are even more character driven as a club than they have been in year’s past, and Hill’s character is simply not a fit up here.
But could Jaylen Waddle also be a potential trade option? Waddle is younger than Hill, less of a headache, and would probably net more value for the Dolphins who could be staring at a major rebuild yet again.
Given the fact that Waddle also comes with a bit of an injury history, like Olave, I don’t think that trade compensation for him would be very backbreaking for an NFL front office. A mere third round pick might be enough to do it, and if that is all it is, Seattle would acquire a guy who is a field stretcher, and plays in a similar scheme, and would be locked into a contract through 2027. One would think that perhaps player for player trade involving Woolen might get it done, as well.
It’s a fun thought on par to the Chris Olave idea.
Dolphins Middle Linebacker Jordyn Brooks
I am going to stay with the Dolphins here and switch to defense for a moment. Seattle’s defense has pretty much been lights out through four games, but depth at the inside linebackers spots still make me a bit nervous. I love Ernest Jones as a Seahawk, and I am happy with how Tyrice Knight and Drake Thomas have platooned at weak side linebacker together.
I’m nervous as to what happens with Seattle’s defense should Jones get injured. Knight and Thomas feel like classic, run, cover, and hit WILL linebackers, and I am not sure if they could handle the MIKE spot.
Seattle had an interest in re-signing Brooks during the 2024 offseason. They lost out on their pursuit for him, however, to the Dolphins when they were in an 11th hour period of heavy negotiations to extend star defensive tackle Leonard Williams on the eve of official free agency. It felt like a rare dropped ball by John Schneider, and one he admitted to being disappointed that they couldn’t get it done with him.
Is the Dolphins are to soon be big time sellers, does it not make sense for Seattle to explore getting Brooks back up here? I think it does.
He’s proven to be a very good run and hit WILL linebacker and he’s also proven that he can handle the MIKE spot, as well. Having him and Ernest Jones roaming the middle of the field is a fun thought, and I don’t think there was ever any ill will between Brooks and the Seattle’s front office. He just chose the sunshine and views on Miami Beach over the overcast damp days of Seattle in the Fall.
If Seattle doesn’t make a move on offense to strengthen its depth at receiver, or running back, decides that linebacker is an area they see an opportunity to further strengthen, I would not be upset with that, and I don’t imagine that the mid season trade value for Brooks would be that high. It wasn’t for Ernest Jones last year at mid season, and Jones is a better player. Riq Woolen for Brooks straight across feels very fair, if not altogether funny from a Seattle perspective.
Cowboys Defensive Tackle Mazi Smith
Mazi Smith was the first round pick for a Dallas Cowboys in the 2023 NFL Draft. He is a massive human being at 6-3, 337 lbs, and he’s got unique athleticism for his size. He has not lived up the billing for the Cowboys, however, and the team acquired pro bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark from the Packers in the Micah Parsons trade.
There is a lot of speculation that they are ready to punt on Smith who is now in his third season, and they are also a team that happens to have a need at cornerback in order to improve their defense. I think this is a scenario where Seattle could deal Woolen to Dallas in exchange for Mazi Smith and maybe even get another pick or player in exchange, to be honest.
Smith played his college ball for Mike Macdonald when Macdonald was the architect of that impressive Michigan defense that featured Aidan Hutchinson. Macdonald knows him as a player, and the Seahawks defensive coordinator Aden Durde also knows him from his days coaching Dallas defensive linemen.
The strength of the Seahawks defense is their defensive tackles and their secondary. I think there is value in the idea of making your strength even stronger, however, and Seattle would have a season and a half with Mazi Smith to see if they can turn him into a quality starting nose tackle. In the meantime, adding him now would provide an even deeper DT rotation which I think would be pretty darn sweet, especially if you might get a bit weaker at corner after a Woolen trade. You can never have enough quality defensive linemen, especially the big ones.
Look at what the Eagles did last year with their deep DT rotation. They won the whole damn thing with it. They dominated. I want to see Seattle dominate teams on defense again. This is why Macdonald was hired, and that is why I am into this idea.
Giants Edge Rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux
To be honest, I’m not sure Seattle would have much interest in Thibodeaux even though he’s a young player at a premium position, and he played college ball in the PNW. There were some rumblings a while back that when Seattle had a top ten pick in the 2022, he was a player who was off their list of prospects. Thibodeaux came out of Oregon as a guy with a bunch of hype, and a vibe that perhaps he was more concerned with his off field brand than being “all ball” on the field.
Being a LA kid, he also seemed inclined to prefer a destination that offered him a lot of bright lights, and a scene. That’s not Seattle, Washington, and I suspect that the Seattle front office, after dealing with high maintenance Russell Wilson for years wasn’t much interested in investing their first round pick on a player such as that. He was taken before Seattle picked, but the rumor is that Seattle wouldn’t have taken him if he was there, anyways.
Over recent years, the NY Giants appear like maybe they are ready to move from him. They traded for Brian Burns, and they drafted Penn State star edge rusher Abdul Carter.
Thibodeaux hasn’t been a bad player for the Giants, but he’s not been the type of spectacular athlete that you would expect from a high NFL lotto pick, either. Personally, I don’t think he’s any better than Boye Mafe who Seattle took early in the second round of the same draft he was selected in.
So why would Seattle any have interest in acquiring him now?
Well, the Giants picked up his fifth year option on his rookie contract and he’d come to town with two years left on a rookie deal when Mafe is set to be a free agent, and that’s something in a salary cap driven game. Another thing is that you can never really have enough quality edge rushers.
Also, DeMarcus Lawrence is 31 years old, and Uchenna Nwosu has been very injury prone, as we all know. Derick Hall and Mafe appear to be the future, but what if Seattle is leaning more towards choosing Hall over Mafe in terms of contract extensions, and that will lead a hole on the roster next offseason as they allow Mafe to enter free agency. They could use the presence of Thibodeaux here in that scenario, and maybe a change of scenery and getting with a great defensive head coach is the thing Thibodeaux will crave as he looks to ascend as a player before he hits free agency in 2027. He’s played college ball up here in the left hand corner of the USA, so he would know what to expect even if it lacks the glitz he prefers.
Again, I don’t know how likely this would be a thing for Seattle. They might be very out on him still if those rumors were true, but you never totally know.
I think trade compensation would be fairly steep, easily a day two pick, but what if Seattle and the Giants discussed a Riq Woolen for Thibodeaux scenario? Seattle gets another talented young pass rusher, and the Giants get a young cornerback who still possesses the rare physical traits to be one of the better shutdown corners in the game, and they can look to franchise tag next offseason to work out a long term contract with.
Mike Macdonald seems to especially love his defensive line, and wants it to be a deep and rich rotation, and he seems to know what he likes at cornerback and the backend. It’s early in his tenure here, but it feels like he prefers to emphasize strength in the trenches. This is the main reason why I wouldn’t rule a trade like this out for this club.
Closing Thoughts
These are trade scenarios that if Seattle made in the next week or so that I would get pretty excited about. I am sure there’s other possibilities out there, as well, that make decent sense, but these are the type of moves I want to see the Seahawks go attack.
In addition to these proposals, I could see Seattle having particular interest in Saints receiver/returner Rashid Shaheed, who knows the Kubiak system, and is a legitimate deep threat. I could see Macdonald especially liking his special teams value on top of improving receiver depth, and not necessarily taking reps away from promising rookie Tory Horton, either. He’s one to watch for Seattle.
It’s also worth noting that Raider receiver Jakobi Meyers wants out of Vegas with a new contract, and if Pete Carroll covets Riq Woolen, Meyers for Riq makes sense for both clubs, although I think Meyers and Cooper Kupp on the same team together has a redundant vibe. Right now, I’m sorta so so on that idea, but I could warm to it.
I suppose one should never rule out Seattle pursing Cincinnati edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, either. I wouldn’t hate the idea. He’s a great pass rusher, and would definitely be a spark up front as Seattle looks to preserve leads late in games. I just don’t know how altogether well he would fit Macdonald’s hybrid front that asks its edge rushers to play end and linebacker. Hendrickson has only ever played in standard 4-3 defensive fronts, and asking him to do exotic drops at 6-5 270 pounds might make him limited on the field in certain situations. Seattle’s scheme requires ends who can also legitimately play linebacker, and I don’t know if that is in his game. I know it is with Thibodeaux.
Of these players mentioned, the two that I have the strongest interest in are most definitely Alvin Kamara, and Chris Olave. Both players know this scheme well, and I feel alright for Seattle to continue developing Sundell and Bradford at guard and center, and seeing where that goes. I would love to add more stable weapons around Sam Darnold as he leads this thing further along the coarse of the season. Either one of these guys would be an exciting get.
If I had to choose one single player for Seattle to go get, however, it is most definitely Alvin Kamara based on what I’ve seen through four games on the year. Seattle has got to get it’s run came going consistently through the remainder of the season, and it is fairly reasonable to expect that a young offensive line with some decent talent now with much better coaching will settle in better, but then it comes to the running backs here. I think we can be much better there.
I’ve been very harsh on K9 in this blog, perhaps too harsh, but in my view, his issues simply have not progressed enough entering into his fourth season here. He makes me nervous. I don’t want to see Sam Darnold play in a lot of third and long situations this year, I want to see mostly third and short, or at least third and manageable. I want runners who know, and trust, and have instincts for this particular scheme. I want running backs who know how to net positive yards even if the blocking isn’t totally there on a play. Alvin Kamara, I feel, is still very that type of player in this league.
So, I say go get him.
Woolen for him straight across? I would not be upset about that.
12th Life 