| 06 September 2010
A year ago, you could have found many fans who were grousing about how the Seahawks lacked any real talent and that what they really needed was someone to come in and just clean house and start over. Sometimes frustration can make you mutter angry words you later regret but this was becoming something of a mantra and there was a hard core group of Seahawk fans who kept saying that was the only course of action that really made sense. Like the modern cliché that first appeared as the opening line in the classic horror story The Monkey's Paw, "Be careful what you wish for, you may receive it", it has come to pass as so many wished for and now we all have to live with the consequences.
Apparently Paul Allen was also listening last year and decided that indeed, it was time to go beyond another face-lift and start over. Coincidentally, it came about as the first uncapped year was about to unfold in over a decade and we all talked a lot about how Allen's money should be able to make a difference in an uncapped season. Many of us including myself offered blue prints as to how he could utilize his money to give Seattle a big advantage with no salary cap to contend with. Paul ended up being much more literal than metaphorical and to him cleaning house meant really cleaning house and starting over meant really starting over. He unveiled his course of action shocking everyone in the process and fired first year coach Jim Mora as the opening salvo. Even the "clean house and start over" club was caught by surprise by that one. That first shot should have put every fan, player, coach, administrator, and associate of the Seattle Seahawks on notice that the reaper was coming and the wish was being fulfilled regardless of whether it had been uttered carefully or not. Read more......Enter Pete Carroll.
What many observers said Seattle desperately needed and the reason Paul started by firing Mora was that he wanted someone with a new perspective and fresh eyes to evaluate the team because Mora and anyone else currently connected with the Seahawks knew the team intimately and was too close to it to properly evaluate it's real talent level. When a team that goes to the Super Bowl and dominates it's division for half a decade suddenly can't win 10 games in two seasons, there's a problem. It was being suggested that the problem was that the Seattle front office was evaluating it's players without realistically seeing how good or bad their players really were. Allen decided we needed to find out the answer to that question.
Meanwhile Pete Carrol on the hot seat at USC and wanting to bolt back to the NFL yet not wanting to leave the west coast aspired to be given a shot at running his own program in the pros. The last time he coached at the pro level, he really didn't get much of a chance to get his own program implemented and his players in place. At that time, he really hadn't fully developed his program or taken his own philosophies to their conclusion as he later did at USC developing one of the truly great college programs in history. This looked like a match made in heaven. Pete brought a high profile and a certain charisma back to the club absent since Holmgren left for Cleveland ironically because he wasn't offered enough control. Pete was offered the reins and carte blanche. Allen wanted him to put his program in place and put his brand on the Seahawks. Pete Carroll was back in the NFL and for better or worse, the Seahawks were in for a face-lift the likes they've never seen since being an expansion team in 1976.
So, now Pete Carroll has the control, location, and the very job he wished for. That is how the saying "be careful what you wish for" applies to Pete too. He wished for an opporunity like what opened up to him in Seattle but the zinger was that well..... it WAS Seattle where for 35 years, the Seahawks have tried to overcome every problem in the book with limited success. Lucrative because of it's owner, great envioronment because of it's facalities and that same owners proclivety for staying out of the peoples hair he hires to run his business, but a diffifult place for a variety of reasons to find success as a head coach. Nevertheless, Seattle fans wanted sweeping change and Pete wanted to get back to the pros under his terms and they both have gotten their wish. The only thing to be determined now is whether it was for the better or worse.
Pete's now the one with his butt on the line so it's his right to put it together like he wants it.
Pete's also been told by Paul Allen that his job's safe for the time being so he doesn't have to make immediate decisions to try and win this year that might jeopardize the long term future of the team. That amnesty period won't last forever though and Carroll knows it. Paul Allen learned a great lesson when he decided to stick with Holmgren after the first five years and ended up in the Super Bowl because of it. He also learned to pull the plug when the water was contaminated after Holmgren left and Mora lost the teams confidence and things turned ugly. The Seahawks were in such a dismal state after last season that it's going to take a season or two to clear out the mess and get a new foundation built. Allen knows it and I'm sure Pete's plan takes that into account. If you understand that fact, you might begin to understand why the recent moves have been made and why we're not worried about a win or two that we might have squandered this season by a couple of the personnel moves that were recently made.
Pete started methodically analyzing the team and began to jettison players he didn't want while keeping the ones he did but decisions were now being made from what he and his coaching staff saw on the field and in all film available going all the way back to college in some cases looking at everyone from the fresh perspective Allen was looking for. That was different from the prior year's evaluations where the players were well known by the coaching staff and all their prior prejudices both good and bad came into play when selecting which players to keep on the team. Some players were being retained based on prior reputation without proper evaluation of their current abilities and there seemed to be little regard for how well a new player being brought into the organization fit the current scheme and style of play. Without those prejudices, Pete gave some Seahawks high marks most fans thought would be the first ones out the door. Spencer kept his job as the starting center as did Kelly Jennings at cornerback. Julius Jones was retained at running back to the great consternation of many even though initially released.
Some of the more popular Seahawks were shown the door including Burleson, Tapp, Jackson, Sims, and Wilson. Then he put the icing on the cake with the release of last years leading receiver who'd been Seattle's prize acquisition from last years free agency Period to the tune of $40 million dollars, T. J. Houshmandzadeh. Even guys who were just brought in this year that seemed to be showing promise were gone like Vickerson. Carroll was weeding out the players who didn't buy in, the ones who didn't fit the plan, and in Vickerson's case for example, a player for which they found a better option in the mandatory cuts every team was making.
Pete was known at USC as a coach who didn't shy away from a player with problems if he thought he could help the kid to turn his life around and gain a good ballplayer in the process. He made a play for Brandon Marshall even though he has a history of problems and being a troublemaker. He's apparently got a high interest in Vincent Jackson. He took a chance on Lendale White and gave Big Mike Williams and Reggie Williams another chance at an NFL Career. He started turning over every stone to find players to play Pete Carroll ball and buy into his program. Pete became an equal opportunity employer. Come in and do it my way and compete for a job. If you win the competition, he had a place for you regardless of the past. If you didn't, it didn't matter who you were. His message rang loud and true and it was soon discovered that he wasn't just giving lip service to his basic philosophies but was deadly serious.
It's pretty obvious now that this was coming down the pike when Mora got fired but still the reality of it all kind of leaves you breathless and sometimes angry because Pete's not following the pre-concieved notion of how this house cleaning should have come down and manifested itself. I even see a couple of fans already calling for Pete's head before he even takes the field for the first time in the regular season. For those of you with the hot trigger fingers and short fuse, I say calm down and take a deep breath. All is not lost and over the long run, the Seahawks are not going to suffer because of anyone who gets cut loose as the new regime takes over. While we could lose a game or two that we might have won had we kept Wilson and Housh for example, it would be foolish to build the team around them when neither figured in Seattle's future plans. Housh was getting too old and wouldn't drink the kool aid and Wilson was a shrimp and Carroll prefers tall corners. Pete wants to get his young players involved this year so they're seasoned players next year who already have adjusted to the speed of the pro game and are ready to take on advanced responsibilities. That's when the Seahawks will start to become respectable again and have a chance of competing for a title. The 2010 season will be a building block season no matter what we try and do. There were just too many holes and not enough players to fill them to try to contend this year.
It should be pretty evident by now that Pete does have a plan and as he said right after his hire, he has a defense that he's developed and one he can teach and he knows what players fit it. He further warned that everyone would buy into his program or he'd find players who would. Lendale White found out how serious he was about that one. Housh was most likely cut in part because of not fully buying into Pete's way of doing things and running his mouth. Players have learned that although Carroll is known as a players coach very much like Holmgren was, also very much like Holmgren was, you don't cross him and live to tell about it. Pete demands respect, obedience, buy in, and giving 100% one hundred percent of the time. Achieving compliance with a code of conduct like that and reaching the point where everyone knows you're serious about it all takes a little time but I think Carroll's got everyone's attention now that Housh has been let go. No one is above the law. No tail is going to wag this dog.
How far can Paul Allen's money take us?
That brings us to the money. Carroll made around 140 transactions this off-season (I don't have the final count) which was unheard of before Pete showed up and probably not able to be even pulled off in a capped year. Seattle was able to actually turn over every stone and bring into OTA's and camp any player they remotely thought could help the team this year and create competition at virtually every position to push players and motivate them to be the best player they can be. Starting with Mora's contract last year along with clearing out all the dead money on the books and now paying most of Housh's salary even though he's a Raven, Allen has paid out well over $11 million in 2010 wages to people who will not be working for the organization this season. The elimination of the salary cap for this season has allowed the Seahawks to make all those moves and still bring in whoever they want to continue trying to upgrade the team's talent level. This was the best year you could imagine to start a massive rebuild and having an owner rich enough to let you do what's necessary regardless of the cost just makes the process that much faster. That's where Paul Allen's money coupled with an uncapped year has helped the Seahawks big time.
Pete brought in every player he could find that wouldn't have upset the financial picture and formed the initial 53 man squad from them. Now bear in mind that he still had no access to any other players so keeping Wrotto, Jones, Babineaux, Housh, Schmitt, Vallos, Losman, and Vickerson was keeping the best players he had access to from the time he signed on with Seattle through training camp until now. Don't kid yourself that Pete doesn't have a plan and that he doesn't know exactly what he wants in a player throughout the team. He's not going to let his real assessment of any player show until there's a reason to do so.
Like the reason that just presented itself now.
All of a sudden, Pete has access to almost 700 players who were all locked up on other teams from the time he arrived on the scene right after Mora was fired until final cuts happened Saturday. Did it surprise some of you that he is showing some of our second and third string players the door and bringing in players he feels are better players and who fit his and/or Bates' scheme better too? Other than Wilson and Houshmandzadeh, every other cut and waiver wire pickup was made to bolster the depth of our team. Those fresh eyes determined that a lot of Seattle's already existing talent wasn't even third string material. That's something that some of you Addicts have been saying for a couple of years now. Pete is trying to upgrade every position on the team including the lowliest ones. Don't wish for a top to bottom renovation and then complain and be an unhappy camper when said renovation takes place just because it didn't fit your personal concept of the proper moves you thought should have been made.
Pete's objective is to build a contender here in Seattle who will contend and be in the running like USC was for the National Title every year. Right now, getting the team stocked with the right personnel and getting young guys valuable experience that can't be acquired anywhere else but in a live regular season game is the primary objective even over winning this season at all costs. Some costs are too high this season where it's more important that Thurmond and Lewis get acclimated than have Wilson play knowing that when he becomes a free agent next season, we won't sign him. Even if we would win an additional game with Wilson in the lineup, the experience our young corners get will be so much more valuable to the team in the 2011 season. Besides, who says Thurmond won't become a more feared corner by season's end than Wilson could ever become because of his size? Who says that Williams won't become a player in the Larry Fitzgerald mold and become a much more dangerous receiver than Housh would have been? Once again, it's much more important for Williams to develop and be ready to be that monster of the midfield in 2011 than have Housh get his 1000 yards at the expense of that development. So we lose one more game to get Williams that experience than we might have with Housh there. That's not the important thing this coming season folks. If you think it is, you don't understand the original problem.
Getting setup for 2011 where we hope to draft or otherwise acquire the rest of the missing pieces of our team and then start playing much better that season while those new pieces get their seasoning is what's important. By the 2012 season, Pete should be fielding a seasoned, yet young, hungry team that will be a serious contender for the whole enchilada every year That's what is going on here and constantly complaining that Pete Carroll doesn't know what he's doing or that he's making dumb decisions and whatever else is being be levied at his doorstep is just showing how little some people understand about what's happening this season in Seattle or how little patience they possess or most likely both. Pete knows what he needs to accomplish this season and is going about it as well as anyone could have expected. Actually, he's wildly exceeded expectations as far as I'm concerned. Doomsday thinking gets so monotonous. Some of you guys need to rein it in and wait to see what happens in the regular season. Last season, we saw a team that got progressively worse as the coach lost his team's respect and confidence. I think you'll see a team this year that gets better and better as the season progresses and ends the season as a tightly knit family ready to work hard over the off-season and take the next big step in it's evolution. How about we wait until we know which direction we're headed in before we torch the ships.
I see bitter complaints about some of the players released and who was kept.
The Seahawks were one of the worst teams in the league for the last two years. Just how good does anyone think our backup players were? It stands to reason that some very good teams would be casting off better players than we have lurking at the bottom of our depth chart. I've seen some guys saying that Pete is now destroying the team he had assembled and that he'll be lucky to win 5 games. I don't think it matters so much the number of games we win this season as much as it does that by seasons end, we are playing inspired ball and have a team full of young seasoned players ready to make that second year leap of progress.
Pete's still in the clearing phase although he has acquired a number of players who will form the backbone of the new look Seahawks. He's doing just exactly what his plan calls for and weeding out players who he and his staff have determined don't fit the plan or won't buy fully into the philosophy as well as gathering together the absolute best players he can get his hands on that do fit his criteria and that he and his staff think can contribute. This year expect to see a competitive team that will experience some growing pains but who will surprise some teams who think they are going to play the same old Seahawks or be facing a college coach's team who won't be prepared for the realities of the NFL yet. Big surprise! I think the Seahawks will be neither. It wouldn't surprise me to see them start coming together about mid-season or a little before and by the end of the season be one of the teams no one wants to play. I also believe that given the starters stay healthy for the most part, they will be able to contend for the division title this year. After all, competing IS a Pete Carroll thing isn't it? So let's compete!
Comments and debate welcomed. Take your best shot Addicts.
Hasta,
BillT
written by Mr Fish, September 06, 2010
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written by bleedshawkblue, September 06, 2010
I predict more wins than we expect, and a lot of familiar faces coming back through as injuries and attrition take their toll over the long season. Have also often wondered why NFL coaches don't turn over every rock for talent as Pete and Schneider are doing, as plenty of the best talent gets hurt every year, and knowing whom to call in that situation is what brings the wins.
Any educated conjecture on whether the blocking scheme is changing from ZBS with the departure of Gibbs? Any word on the new line coach's style?
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written by mek, September 06, 2010
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written by mmf, September 06, 2010
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written by justanotherhawkfan, September 06, 2010
However, that said..... I LOVE what this team has been doing. Get rid of the dead weight, the guys who don't fit, and all of the excuses. Keep it up, PC!
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written by Guns, September 06, 2010
Hawk - On!!!!!!!!!!
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written by Author E, September 06, 2010
While Gibbs' sudden departure made me woozy, couldn't agree more with your analysis. Hate Julius Jones still being there, but w/ the contract restructure, we don't really have anything to lose.
After the abysmal showing these past few seasons, it was time for something drastic and dramatic to be done. And Pete's not done yet. While not a fan of Green Bay, I admire what Schneider did with them.
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written by AuburnHawk, September 06, 2010
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written by bw, September 06, 2010
Also, in a previous thread someone mentioned that we seem to be switching to a 3-4. Carroll's whole defensive scheme is centered around the leo/elephant hybrid 4-3/3-4. I think it is a twist that could give some teams fits, since I believe it is somewhat unique (though I'm not qualified to say how unique in the nfl).
Made some good points Bill. Sometimes I wonder if Paul Allen gets too much credit, though I don't have anything against him. Just think most nfl teams spend around the same amount of money because of salary cap. On the other hand, love that he didn't settle for some unmotivated retread coach and went after someone with fire and something to prove.
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written by Kev C, September 06, 2010
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written by bw, September 06, 2010
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written by Woodstockhawk, September 06, 2010
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written by bw, September 06, 2010
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written by mikeyLB43, September 06, 2010
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written by hermann22, September 06, 2010
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written by Mr Fish, September 06, 2010
"Win forever" starts today, not next year. "Next year" is how losers console themselves. Let's not be losers.
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written by Brian in Florida, September 06, 2010
Thanks for the great article. There's a shortage of good stuff to read.
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written by Steve S., September 06, 2010
This goes without saying I think. There's a certain amount of turnover every year regardless. What's made it mind-boggling in the last few days are two things:
1. Waiting until the very last minute to make decisions on some key players, like Wilson and Housh. I've made my feelings about this known and won't repeat it here.
2. The unusually large number of marginal players cut to be replaced by the marginal players of other teams. This makes a bit of a splash to us hardcore fans but is in fact almost entirely pointless.
There's not a thing in the world wrong with putting your own stamp on a team, in fact, it's to be expected. What has bothered me this week is the notion that getting back proper value from your moves is unimportant, or that adding marginal versions of the Carroll/Schneider type of player is important.
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written by MonroeCoug, September 06, 2010
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written by Canadian Hawk, September 06, 2010
Maybe it is just me, but I don't see how getting rid of some of our pieces from last year results to us staying at the same record and justifying writing this year off due to a rebuild.
Lets look at a couple of things. Are we better off with:
Housh / Burleson / Butler / Obamanu / Branch
or
Williams / Branch / Butler / Tate / Obamanu
and are we better off with
Locklear / Sims / Spencer / Unger / Willis
or
Okung / Hamilton-Pitts / Spencer / Unger / Andrews-Polombous
Clearly we are better off with the new Corps. I know it will take time for the line to gain some confidence in playing beside each other, and we can't expect these units to be top tier. However we saw Mansfield Wrotto and Mike Gibson take on half of the Vikings defensive line, and did Matt come out of the game with some horrific injury? No. Did our passing game manage to put up some scores and move the chains fairly effectively in what we have seen so far? Yes.
We are a young and hungry team ready to try and prove some nay sayers wrong. We don't have anything to lose, and should be playing with that mentality. The analysts have absolutely no real idea what is transpiring in the Northwest, and we can use that to our advantage. No added pressure will allow us to do our own thing and maybe surprise some people.
Mind you the running game still needs some work. Once we start to get the hang of the ZBS we should start to see some improvement. And if our passing game is working it should allow for a little more breathing room in the trenches.
8-8 is my goal this year. A realistic one considering we have improved our roster greatly, have a solid coaching staff, ( I'm a big fan of Bates play calling) and we have a lot of young guys ready to make a name for themselves and compete.
The future may be bright, but I think the present is brighter than we might think.
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written by Douch Touche, September 06, 2010
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written by Riggle, September 06, 2010
We'll know by November, but Seahawks should be underdogs on Sunday.
I just hope they know what they are doing.
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written by jbeezy, September 06, 2010
And I agree with all of it. We will play some better ball, and should improve as the season progresses. I'm excited, but for different reasons than in the past. Woooo Hoooo!
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written by frontstreetfan, September 06, 2010
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written by HawksovermyMarriage, September 06, 2010
It wouldn't surprise me to see them start coming together about mid-season or a little before and by the end of the season be one of the teams no one wants to play
I believe the same thing,I dont get some of the people on this board getting all up in arms about how were letting housh go or locklear go...Housh was overpayed and did things HIS way which isn't something you want rookies learning, having an attitude with you new head coach. Locklear is a different story, he has been terrible the last couple of years! He couldn't even block at RT and that is one of the easier positions as far as blocking to play. I'm glad this roster is being ripped apart, I'm glad to see Ruskells FA signings gone or taking pay cuts! I wanted J. Jones GONE completely, but as long as he takes a pay cut to be a third stringer I'm fine with him being on the roster.
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written by Tank51, September 06, 2010
We may not win this year or next year, BUT, we will be building toward the future... and, That's all that counts...IMO..
Just remember about 4-5 years ago people were saying, "What are the Green Bay Packers doing?"... Look at them now! they are one of the "Deepest" teams in the NFL & one of the "Best" team as well....
I'LL trade 2-4 years of learning from young players, that will become 5-8 years of playoff berths...
Over, 2-4 years of winning with old vets, that will retire and leave this team in a hole like how it's been the past 2 seasons.....
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written by Hawksmack, September 06, 2010
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written by Aaron11, September 06, 2010
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written by Part Time, September 06, 2010
Tht means they've only had four chances to practice so far in the preseason and since the starters play less than half a game average during preseason, that even cuts it down more. When the regular season starts and the first string offensive linemen play the whole game and start getting more reps at cut blocking, I expect our running game to start to show improvement. I'm not sure how worried to be about it since the Oline has had so little actual practice at it so far. Who's to say we don't have a dynamite running game that will unfold once they get proficent at cut blocking?
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written by sluggo, September 06, 2010
Steve, you still don't get it, so keep on keepin on...
Look at it this way, if only Baltimore was willing to give Housh a chance at the minimum (and this is the truth as nobody else even bid), then how do you think we could have gotten anything from him for his full salery of $7M??? NOBODY would have touched that, and only Timmay was dumb enough to sign him to that huge was in the first place. He was a major locker room cancer prima donna who felt he was above everyone else on the team. I think he was an adequate player, but not worth the infection to the continuety of the WR corps. Petey gave him a chance to join the team, but he was too good for the system, so Pete ejected him. Did you see all the teams get into a huge bidding was for his game?? ya, me either. The squad we have now will mess up some teams and put some points on the board.
Wilson is a smurf, and a second stringer AT BEST.
I think this defense will really surprise some teams this year, which will give the O that many more chances to succeed.
Just because you don't know who has been brought in new, don't assume for one second that Pete didn't just upgrade that position.
Billy, I think you can probably relate this to a musical group, or, a band. I play drums in two bands right now (retirement is great, trust me) and there is quite often band members that come and go. When a player that we like leaves, we're bummed. But when that new player tries out and is a better player than the one that just left, trust me, we are NOT bummed out, and the band just got better. It's the same thing as when I was a baseball player years ago. The team digs upgrades in personnel, and the team gets better.
Good write up Billy,
Doug
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written by HawkFan51, September 06, 2010
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written by sgtseahawk, September 06, 2010
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written by SSHawk, September 06, 2010
We'll know more at next years draft if they grab some of the great QB talent coming out next year. Maybe then they can truly target '12 as the breakout year.
Signed,
Patient Hawk Fan
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written by nightwulf, September 06, 2010
SS Hawk, if we're hitting out stride in 3 years, and we get our franchise QB next year, this will make the transition just that much easier for said QB..there is a direct correlation between how good the rest of the team is, and how well a rook QB picks up the game...Whoever we draft next year for QB will hold a clipboard in 2011, be a back up in 2012, and will be behind a fully gelled team when he's put out there on his own...this is the perfect situation for breaking in a QB...(in theory, anyhow
) Bill,
since all this went down, I've been considering this year to be the "pre-season" for 2011...we just had too many holes to fill in one year, so why not tear the whole thing down and build it the way you want it?
At this point, Whithurst's no worse than Hass was when he got here...his second year here was so bad he got benched in favor of Trent Dilfer, fer godssake (no offense, Trent) and his third year, when Trent went down, we were all saying "oh shite, we're doomed, all we've got is Hass"...but he finished the season pretty strong, and the rest is history...Remember, Hass had a couple years at GB before he got here, and still stunk the place up at first...everyone was convinced that Holmy had lost his mind.
The deal is, it truly can't get much worse than it's been the last two years...(really, what's the difference between 2-14 and 5-11...both teams suck royally.)
I really don't expect us to win a whole lot this year, but I DO expect us to do something that we haven't done in the past 2 yrs...compete, to the bitter end. If we go 0-16, but loose all 16 games on last second long field goals, I'll be satisfied...if we go 8-8, but just don't give any effort in those 8 losses, I'll be royally annoyed...once we've learned to never give up and battle to the end, the wins will come...and the winning will breed confidence that will lead to more winning...I can wait a couple years for a team that will go deep into the playoffs for the next six or seven years...
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written by JuiceMcGoose, September 07, 2010
For the short sighted experts angry that some other team got a better deal than we did and proclaiming doom, keep it up. We need the GM's from other teams reading your rants so they don't try the same thing.
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written by sluggo, September 07, 2010
You are saying that our O -Line is not worth a damn and because of that our entire team will suck, and that the defense sucks too, so we are truely doomed.
Is the rest of your life this bitter too? jeepers...
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written by LouieLouie, September 07, 2010
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written by S.TTBM, September 07, 2010
Personally, I liked Billt's article; many good points, nice logical reasoning, positive yet measured take on Caroll's moves, and fairly even-handed. Not as much veiled attacks at differing points of view as his previous articles (I loathe passive-aggression in writers).
However, the fact remains that the article desperately needs editing. I dont think its insulting or personally attacking to say that. Perhaps those calling for editing could choose thier words more carefully, or perhaps we should really annoy Billt and SA and send them edited versions! Ha!
(Seriously, if you criticise, it should be in a constructive manner, not jeering. Write the criticism as you would have it written about something you wrote. You know, the Golden Rule?!)
Anyway, good article that still needs a lot of editing (but who has time?!). And I am on board with Billt's assessment that Caroll has a plan, and is doing mostly positive things. We're doing fine as a team, and its the first time since we beat the Redskins in the 2007 playoffs we can say that, so be happy folks!
And by all means, vote my comment down because it contained (some) criticism of the sainted Billt. Sheesh!
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written by S.TTBM, September 07, 2010
Hawksince77-Thanks for responding. Lets hope a) Matt stays healthy and b)He proves me right and plays well.
Hawkfan51--Jury is still out on the falcons coach, and on Sparano and Rex. None have won a damn thing. Rex may be bungling a Super BOwl berth by allowing his GM to be a fool, etc. Caroll will survive a rough w/l record this year.
I dont care if we win games this year, just that we are competitive and show some heart, discipline, and coaching. Score some damned points. And I think we're going to be pleasantly surprised by the 8th game.
7-9 with some close losses and some highlight real plays on offense sounds pretty good to me after the last two years. But next year, Im expecting big things or else. This is the NOT FOR LONG league, after all!
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written by Canadian Hawk, September 07, 2010
Aging and decline are two things that are guaranteed in football. If you assemble a team of solid players, sitting on that roster will only lead to an inevitable downfall, as proven by our Superbowl run and the ensuing plummet that followed a couple years later.
It happened because we did not restock on talent. It happened because Holmgren and Co. did not see any need for replacements and liked the guys they already had. But those guys can't stay like that forever.
Pete however knows that while it isn't the most common method of building a team, it certainly works. He ran a very successful college program for almost a decade. Can you see why?
He was constantly looking ahead for new players he could add to his roster, no matter what. He knew that he wouldn't have these players for any real length of time, and there was nothing he could do about it. What he could do was consistently change the roster and put the people on it that gave him the best chance to win.
While continuity and playing together certainly help over time, you can't control the actions of the people beside you, and are only as good as how you play.
He is taking this approach with Seattle. It has got proven results and I for one am looking forward to it.
Believe it or not, this method gives us the greatest chance of winning now, contrary to popular belief.
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written by bleedshawkblue, September 07, 2010
Earl Thomas described his ability to play corner as well as safety coming from his college coaches cross training everyone to play multiple positions so that "we had some injuries" can never be used as an excuse to suck. Looks like Uncle Pete has been doing the same thing all along, with guys on the 3rd or 4th string working with the starters, and starters working on the 2nd and 3rd teams for much of the offseason. When all these guys are accustomed to execute regardless of whom they're playing next to, it only strengthens the team's ability to win, as your 2nd or 3rd string guy is only one play away from starting.
I, for one, am ecstatic to see the days of "he sucks, but he's a veteran, so I at least know what kind of suck I'm getting" go bye-bye in favor of "best player plays". It also gives the players still left a hunger to produce that is very difficult to do in the modern NFL, as making the final cut means absolute zippo now.
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written by Part Time, September 07, 2010
I'll be happy to see Pete continue turning over all the rocks and bringing in all the strays in a continuing effort to keep the team stocked with young energenic hungry football players to push the veterans and make sure everyone continues to earn their spot on the team. That sounds like a formula not only for success but for continued success.
I'm willing to put up with the building effort to get the structure in place and all working smoothly for a year or two if the end result is a contender every year and not a flash in the pan.
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written by Part Time, September 08, 2010
The goal this year is to get the foundation built even at the expense of a couple of wins. There will be no such compromise again even though he still needs a few more pieces. The major overhaul is done unless someone doesn't play up to expectations this season burt that's normal operating provceedure all over the NFL. It's because of the unsettled QB situation that I think he's not going to be able to seriously challenge until 2012.
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written by Part Time, September 08, 2010
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written by Not_A_BT_Fan, September 08, 2010
Oh Canada, show me where there is a discernible improvement in position. RB? Nope. O-Line? Doubtful. DE? Worse. CB? Not today, and with Slim starting, much worse. D-line? Same ol' Safety? Maybe the exception. Just because you brought in new personnel doesn't mean you don't still have LOFT.
Sluggo, if you read before you typed you would recognize that I emphasize the importance of an o-line to establish a running game. Please tell me what you have seen in preseason that suggests that the Seahawks have any semblance of a running game. (Who has demonstrated they can consistently run? J-Force? JJ? L-Wash? No. No. And No.) Please, Mr. Sluggo, educate me. It starts with the line. Think about ’05. Why was Shaun Alexander great? The line. Without the balance of an effective running game, the Seahawks will be forced to pass. They will be in MANY 3rd and 8 situations. In obvious passing situations, barring the ever-predictable draw play, the defense will be anticipating the pass and blitz accordingly. Considering the lack of continuity on the line, much less new faces same ol’ LOFT, our QB will be in great jeopardy. Matt will not play the entire season. Blackhurst will be injured/benched as well. The lack of offense will force to the defense to be on the field excessively. The fatigue from excessive play will increase the likelihood of injuries. Additionally, the lack of a proven pass rushing DE or any consistent pass rush will force the DBs to remain in coverage longer than they can be expected. Opposing QBs will be able to meticulously pick apart the Seahawks secondary. So, Mr. Sluggo, please read before you misquote what I wrote. Truthfully, I hope I am incorrect. However, I don’t think that anything I typed is contradictory to what the Seahawks have yet shown or defies logic.
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written by bleedshawkblue, September 08, 2010
As for improvement on the roster, at this point I will take mediocre or untested over the ocean of suck that has been the legacy of the previous regimes. The recent shakeup at cut-to-53 time told us all we needed to know about just how thin this roster still was - how many of our cuts have caught on with other teams? Almost none...
All the positions you mentioned have been upgraded, which is frightening, as I completely agree that we're still nauseatingly thin at most positions, even after upgrading. I will submit, however, that the coaching and front office staff will be able to squeeze every little bit of potential out of whoever's in uniform on any given Sunday, or find someone else on Monday. Which is a whole lot more than most fans can look forward to, particularly around here lately.
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written by Canadian Hawk, September 08, 2010
We didn't get better in our running game by adding Leon Washington and demoting JJ?
We didn't get better on the O line by adding Okung, Andrews, and Pitts?
It is alarming but I can see Red Bryant creating more pressure than Lo Jack ever could. And he isn't doing a bad job at what he is there to do.
Have you seen how Trufant has been playing? And Thurmond and Lewis have shown promise. Admittedly Kelly Jennings has yet to earn my respect back.
Lawyer Milloy and Earl Thomas are a pretty good safety combo. Thomas will benefit incredibly by having a savvy vet by his side. Not to mention one who has shown he still has the skills to play pretty well.
You are giving up on the season for absolutely no reason. You haven't seen them play an entire game yet together, and somehow believe you have an educated opinion on how you think they will play.
Sure every person in the world is counting us out already. And of course our roster can't compare to the likes of Green Bay or Dallas. But that does not mean that we will have another horrendous season with no progress shown. We will be battling and sticking with the game much much more this year because we will have a coach who actually cares and some motivation. If Jim Mora Junior's press conferences got any more livelier, a funeral might have broke out.
If you really cared about your team you would back them up and find the positives in whatever they did. I'm not saying ignore the truths and be completely biased, but when you think about your team you should think of the good things and not how awful you think they are going to be.
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written by Not_A_BT_Fan, September 08, 2010
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written by Canadian Hawk, September 08, 2010
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written by Not_A_BT_Fan, September 08, 2010
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written by Not_A_BT_Fan, September 08, 2010
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written by bleedshawkblue, September 08, 2010
Pete and Schneider pointed out that the cut to 53 opens up a tremendous opportunity to acquire at least decent talent, either rookies they couldn't land in the draft, or veterans with some tread left on the tires, and most of the acquisitions were for the 2nd and 3rd string, so it's not as disruptive to continuity as it might look. Except for the O line, where sucking has been very disruptive to continuity for awhile now, and a bunch of changes had to be made. When Manny Wrotto is watching your QB's blind side against Jared Allen after he couldn't crack the lineup as a Guard for 5 years, that's trouble.
Pitts, Polumbus and Stacy were all starters on better lines than ours was last week, so, although less than ideal wen they were acquired, the future is much brighter.
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written by Part Time, September 08, 2010
I would have been upset to see teams behind us on the waiver wire list pick up those offensive linemen we did while we kept Wrotto and Vallos. I'd hate to see Mike Williams languishing on the bench when he could be making big plays for us instead of playing behind an aging receiver like Housh. I'd rather see Thurmond playing opposite Tru than Wilson so by next season, we have a dynamite pair of CB's.
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written by TxHawkfan, September 09, 2010
The whole idea that PC was wrong to wait until this past week or so to make changes completely ignores the fact that this past week or so was the first and only opportunity he had to make those changes.
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written by bleedshawkblue, September 09, 2010
I vote for Part Time as my new beat writer. And I second it because it's good to vote early and often.
How 'bout it, Part Time? Wanna cut an article or 2? Or 3?
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written by Happy, September 09, 2010
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written by Part Time, September 10, 2010
I was lurking in this school of thought myself for awhile and as I've been looking at the players we've been losing, I realize that these guys are having a tough time making an NFL roster at all. Last year, they were our starters. Even Housh only really had one suitor and that for minimum salary. I hear negative things being said about Unger, mumblings about Curry ultimately being a bust, and people are wondering about Carlson and why he's not lighting it up. I'm personally still optomistic that these three will ultimately become the players we've all thought they would be but it's hard to argue that they're showing us much of anything so far.
Face it, the Seahawks as seen now through different eyes seem to have been overestimating their talent and weren't going to be competing with anyone seriously even without the inordinate amount of injuries they suffered the last two seasons.
I think Pete and John have a much better idea of what the teams needs are to move to the next level of NFL play and we're still just seeing the tip of the iceberg. I think Pete very well might continue making roster moves while the wseason wears on and has quite a few more pieces he wants to add before he's ready to seriously challenge.
That's ok with me. I want the Seahawks to be ready when they make their move this time.
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written by Coach handbags outlet, October 31, 2010
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written by xie560@sina.cn, November 24, 2010
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1 - the most disturbing trend was blowing up the starting offensive line, along with losing Gibbs. But lets face it: the line has been awful for some time, and while I would hate to be the starting QB next week, oh well, that's the way the NFL cookie crumbles sometimes.
2 - for those of you who think Housh was worth the money, he couldn't sign on anywhere for better than the league minimum. It doesn't matter what the Seahawks are paying him - presumably if more than one team wanted him he would have signed with the highest bidder. I mean, imagine if Jackson was in the same position: do you think he signs for the minimum? Hell no. He gets millions from somebody.
3 - we all know about Williams, but I think Butler stands to gain from Housh's departure. Look for him to have a break-out year.
4 - if Jones starts I am going to blow my Seahawk brains out
5 - STTBM - I never got back to you on your argument about starting Hass because he won the competition. By all accounts coming out of camp, you are right, so you are right - the best guy should start, period.