The Seattle Seahawks might be at the precipice of a season to remember, and perhaps the year to take back the NFC West crown. The acquisition of perhaps the best playmaker in the NFL, Percy Harvin, and two defensive pass rushing specialist Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett has catapulted and already dominating football team into a position to legitimately compete for the teams first Lombardi trophy. Pete Carroll will be returning all 11 offensive starters and 9 of 11 defensive starters, and of course the two players lost were already going to be cut from the team. Alan Branch and Leroy Hill were both productive players in 2012, but the Seahawks had planned to move on from Branch as he was primarily a one-dimensional run stopper and would be demanding a new contract being a free-agent. Leroy Hill has been the last eight seasons on the only team he's ever worn the uniform for, and he has been a good week side linebacker, but Hill has burned his bridges in Seattle with his run-ins with the law and he has lost a step, no longer sitting in to Pete Carroll's model of the outside linebacker (big, athletic and quick). Cliff Avril will replace Branch and Seattle will likely solve their linebacker vacancy through the draft and perhaps a combination of using Malcolm Smith, a player the Seahawks used last year who played satisfactorily. There is still a small possibility that a veteran free-agent could be signed to replace Hill, but not likely.
Percy Harvin will make Seattle's offense extremely versatile and very dangerous. Harvin is the most versatile and dynamic offensive player in the NFL and a legitimate threat to score a touchdown every time he touches the ball, demonstrating just how much of a mismatch he can create with linebackers and safeties. He is one of the few players that causes opposing defenses to change up the way they play in order to track where he is on the field at all times. Russell Wilson had an incredible season for a rookie quarterback and now with Harvin, he will have one more weapon to use in exploiting defensive mismatches. Golden Tate was already a player emerging as a huge playmaking wide receiver, working primarily out of the slot and flanker position. Even without Harvin's arrival, the Seahawks were already very excited about the way that Tate has matured and risen to the level of some of the best possession receivers in the game today. Sidney Rice has a long, tall body to out jump many of the smaller corners in the league and has decent speed enough to play outside the numbers and deeper patterns with Harvin. Doug Baldwin had nagging injury problems in 2012, but still managed to have a decent second half of the season. Coming back completely healthy, he should return to his catch production of his rookie year in 2011. The Seahawks will likely make another move on a younger wide receiver in the draft. Depending on the availability in the second round, the Seahawks made use their first selection on a receiver, but more likely a linebacker or defensive end, possibly a tightend. Zach Miller had a strong second half of 2012 as Carroll opened up the playbook for his young quarterback allowing him to throw the ball more aggressively downfield. This coming season, the Seahawks would like to see Miller get more involved in the passing game and perhaps signing another tightend that can relieve some of his blocking responsibilities. The running back position is very much in good shape. Marshawn Lynch is running very strong and Robert Turbin had a very productive rookie season, despite Lynch taking most of the game snaps. The Seahawks will likely draft one running back who can fill the occasional carries left when the Seahawks released Leon Washington. Washington was the perfect change of pace back who's speed and slashing style was in contrast to Lynch and Turbin's pounding, power game.
Seattle's offense will definitely the high-octane in the upcoming season, but it's their defense that Seattle relies on to intimidate and dominate. The Seahawks have the best defensive secondary in football and they are one linebacker away from equaling the linebacking corps of the 49ers. KJ Wright and Bobby Wagner are chill of the best young linebackers in football and they are just beginning to realize how good they could be together. The defensive line has now been fortified with DE's Cliff Avril, Michael Bennett and DT Tony McDaniel and Clinton McDonald has been re-signed. Red Bryant will be back at 100% after suffering a foot injury that hampered him for half of the season last year, and the Seahawks are hopeful that Chris Clemons' ACL surgery and rehabilitation will have him ready for perhaps the third game of the season, but Avril, Bennett and McDaniel will hold them the Fort in the meantime and then they will have the full complement of their defensive line.
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| Pete Carroll and John Schneider in the War Room |
The Seahawks don't have a first-round draft selection this year after trading it to the Minnesota Vikings for Percy Harvin. John Schneider, the Seahawks general manager is a magician finding started talent in the middle and later rounds of the draft, but that doesn't count out the Seahawks for moving up in the draft through a trade. Because Seattle is already in such good shape for the season, it would be a advantageous for them to train next years first round draft selection and perhaps a second round pick to move back into the first round again and get the player they really want to finish the roster with a top-notch defensive player, perhaps a linebacker or speed wide receiver. Despite having an already dominant defensive line, Seattle they still draft a talented defensive end to develop behind Clemons, Avril and Bryant. It might be too much of a gamble to wait until the second round to get players that they covet like, OLB Khaseem Green Rutgers, OLB Cornelius Washington Georgia or S Blidi-Wreh Wilson, Connecticut. If the Seahawks were to trade back into the first round, they would likely target players like; DE Sheldon Richardson Missouri, OLB Jarvis Jones Georgia, S Kenny Vaccaro Texas or even CB Desmond Trufant Washington. If the Seahawks decided to just move up into the earlier selections in the second round, they could still definitely get Green, Washington or Wilson, but drafted earlier might make WR Justin Hunter Tennessee, DE Bjoern Warner Florida State, WR Keenan Allen California, or even WR Cordarrelle Patterson who is sliding down the draft boards for some football analyst.
The question is really, what John Schneider and Pete Carroll covet in this upcoming draft. If they have their eyes set on a particular player that they feel they can't live without, I could see them moving up. However, the way that this duo (Carroll and Schneider) find talent in the middle and late rounds, they might just be happy at the 56th pick up where they might get their man anyway. This is probably the more likely scenario if you look back at the past with the way that the Seahawks have drafted. Last year, Seattle traded down twice in the draft and that was just the first round, and they still got their man Bruce Irvin who they would have taken at 11, but ended up still selecting him at the 15 spot.
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| S Charles Woodson DE Dwight Freeney OLB Rolando McClain |
Lastly, the Seahawks need to determine if there is more quality left in free agency as the draft approaches. Several players still available could help Seattle, and if they could be had at the right price I could see Seattle making one or possibly even tomorrow moves. The first player that comes to mind is S/CB Charles Woodson. Woodson is 37 years old, but still has skills to play the game at a high-level. The Seahawks don't need a corner, but at his age it's likely that the Green Bay Packers or any other team that would have signed him would use him as a safety. Because the Seahawks will likely not offer Marcus Trufant a contract, they will need some experienced at the nickel back position. They would have to put him on a pitch count, or in other words limit his number of plays per game to perhaps 45%-50%, which would keep him fresh and his veteran presence would be helpful with such a young defensive group. The next player would be Dwight Freeney. The Denver Broncos have been waiting for Freeney to drop his price demand, which is going to happen. Seattle doesn't have a lot of money to spend, but the way that veteran defensive players are being priced out, it's not out of the question that Freeney could be signed if the number was right for the team. Denver has the inside track, though, but after paying Peyton Manning, Ryan Clady, Joe Mays and Champ Bailey the big dollars and adding Wes Welker, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie,and Louis Vasquez they don't have a lot of money. Demaryius Thomas is also highly paid as well as Von Miller and Eric Decker. Money is dwindling for the mile high Broncos, so adding Dwight Freeney might be difficult. Another high-profile defensive end that has recently become available is Rolando McClain, cut by the Raiders last week. He has some growing up to do and could benefit from better coaching, but he was a high first-round draft selection and has physical talent. Another player that could add depth in the defensive secondary with the Antoine Winfield. He's 35 years old and also has more game left. The Seahawks would use him in the same manner as Woodson. Lastly, OT Eric Winston was released by the Kansas City Chiefs and although he isn't the most powerful O lineman, he's very athletic and would be a great player to add depth on a team using a zone blocking scheme exactly like Seattle does.
Of all these possible scenarios, I think signing Charles Woodson just after the draft to a team friendly one-year contract would be great for Seattle and it would also give Woodson another chance to compete for title. This would probably be his swan song as he would be nearly 39 years old at the beginning of the 2014 season. My second favorite scenario would be Dwight Freeney and I'm a bit intrigued by the Rolando McClain opportunity. None of these are needs for Seattle, but when you're on the edge of being great… Why not take one more step closer after the draft? Of course, none of this would be necessary if Pete Carroll and John Schneider all a few more rabbits out of the hat the way they have in the last three years. Is there another Bobby Wagner or Richard Sherman or Kam Chancellor or Doug Baldwin in this draft? How about a third round gem like Russell Wilson, only at linebacker, wide receiver or safety? The suspense is killing me and I can't wait for the draft to get here.
Whatever way you look at the Seahawks dynamic duo, they've got a great relationship and seemed to always work toward the betterment of the Seattle Seahawks and with relative harmony. That's not as easy as you might think… They are very unusual and the Seattle fan base should be grateful that they call themselves Seattle Seahawks. You know they love the 12th man!
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| HC Pete Carroll and GM John Schneider have a very tight friendship based on trust and respect. it seems to be working, so as they say, don't fix what isn't broken… |
Go Hawks!
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