Sure wish the Hawks would have found a way to keep Ryan Neal! They need a CB/safety that can truly play the 5/Nickle( Think back to 13 and 14) - CBryant wasn't getting the job done last year at nickle and feel he would be better at a standard CB position. Thinking ahead, Let's say the Hawks draft Carter -, who knows with 1-20 but say another DL player. Get a stud LB ,then a top rated Center. We are now in round 3, and there are lots of very good WR's to be had. Get the Best RB on your board next ,with best board CB next. Just with that, and 2nd year growth I truly believe the Hawks could be a Very ,Very Strong team rollin into the Playoffs. Who knows what happens then. Could be some surprising stuff! Some way they need to find a way (??? not eliminating all leadership) to curb their safety payroll , Jamal by his health and play could answer most of that, as they move past 2023-
I think Seattle drafts a Safety in the first 5 rounds. It appears there could be a pretty deep class beyond the first round. I wrote earlier this year with the Love signing, that another injury year for Adam's is his ticket out of Seattle in 24. 24 is the plan to make a move. Seattle still takes a big dead money hit but frees up over 9 mil in 24. Seattle will probably restructure Diggs contract but not Adam's for cap space this year. I think Seattle will invest in another Safety pick next year as well. There was no draft capital expended on Safety in 22 but Seattle did bring in 3 UDFA, and kept Blount. Unfortunately Seattle has to project a roster without Adam's which cost them a roster spot for the last 2 years, and will again in 23. I think even if Adam's is healthy this year he still may be a trade pawn in 24 coming off a healthy season. I just don't see Adam's around in 24.
After lauding Pete Carroll, Quandre Diggs told Sherman that he had played for two great coaches and “shitty” coach. He went on to praise Jim Caldwell.* Unmentioned was a coach whose last name begins with “P” and whose first name begins with “M”.
* Matt Stafford also speaks highly of Caldwell. Anyway, look up the Lions on pro-football-reference.com. There’s an argument that Caldwell is the best coach in the history of the franchise.
Even if Adams played every game this year, at his best Year 1 form, the 'Hawks still need to work on a succession plan for both Diggs & Adams just because of the giant cap hits both carry. I'd be surprised if we could win a Superbowl carrying both of those anchors, it's possible just unlikely. One we can manage, and Love is a perfect part of that sucessions plan, but losing Neal was a huge hit to it. There are some really good Safeties in this class (Branch Rd1, Sydney & Ji'Ayir Brown, Torrence II, Trey Dean III, JL Skinner and i'm probably forgetting one or two), get one in, with Love & either Diggs or Adams (probably Diggs, sorry Jamal),to set Safety at a far more cap manageable level with a bit more consistency.
Who needs to meet Bijan? He's so obviously amazing and the smart #5 pick. He's going to go Top10 i'm 200% certain of it. Cardinals at #3 could genuinely happen, especially if they are serious about shifting Hopkins, 'Hawks at #5, Lions at #6, Falcons at #8, Bears at #9 and Eagles at #10, not a chance, a less than zero percent chance, they all let him walk. (Uuhhh... If Bijan does escape the Top10, even the Top20, i'm going to look like a fool having done nothing by hype him for months)
Van Ness is exciting. In the same way Andre Carter is exciting (Carter is my secret hope at #83, i find him so fun to watch). Awesome athlete, lots of splash potential. The ceiling is super high. Like some other prospects, if he'd had 20+ starts he'd be an almost certain Top10 pick. If he's there at #20 he will be considered strongly by the 'Hawks, if he escapes the 1st Rd some team will be jumping into the low 30's to snag him, quite possibly the 'Hawks.
Fair point on our safeties cap hits but after reading the Times article on who the Hawks might be interested in at corner, it was mentioned how much we are paying for corners, which is next to nothing. The Hawks may be backwards compared to league value in our secondary in that we are paying top dollar for safeties & almost nothing for corners but it averages out that we are in the middle of the pack in how much we are paying for our secondary as a whole. I agree with you that we need to look past 2023 for our safety crew & probably need to move on from Adams regardless, but for 2023, the corners are helping pay for the safeties. Coby Bryant is our highest payed corner with a cap hit of just over $1 million. If we draft a corner in the 1st round this year, they will be our highest paid cornerback.
But just imagine who we could add with another $23mil moving on from Adams next year. That'd be a stand out WR3 or a Buckner or a Tremaine Edmunds whilst still leaving us with a strong set of safeties. Happy paying one safety at a Top10 cap rate, not convinced paying two of them really nets the equivalent level of return. That's why i say it's a block to a superbowl push, becuase that $23mil would cover up another big need (or two) without making us any weaker.
If by this time next year we feel like the Super Bowl window is open, and that Adams and Diggs are a big part of those good feelings, then we can restructure their contracts and figure out a way to free up cap space to build that championship roster. It will cost us down the line, but I'm fine with going all in for a world championship.
Oh MY Goodness, Has my fondest Seaside Joe dream come true?
Can I now click on the comments icon and go directly to the comments? This is just so awesome. Thank you Joe, thank you substack, thank you somebody, thank you anybody!!
Like 'Jason' from Friday the 13th, and again, and...better yet - like 'Friday the 1500th'. OK. Today is Thursday, but I am tellin' you, this 'scribe' keeps 'em coming. Today Kenneth, you lit it up! (420 reference, intended)
Great 90's Club music reference; so nice to pull up Sherm's piece with Geno; y uno Grande tip of the Sombrero for Mid-Atlantic Murph's Devin Bush Break-down - BTW, this gets me that much more certain the Hawks are going to Invest, All-in, on the front 3 defenders.
Dre'Mont Jones was a good start, but two more Big guys to complete the wall in front of Bobby and Devin (plus maybe Jamal). IF the Seahawks do not pick two of the following three: Jalen Carter, Mazy Smith, and Siaki Ika, I will be surprised. All three would be worthy of cranking up 'Marky-Mark & the Funky Bunch' (on my original 90's Cee~Dee). >> 'Good Vibrations' <<
I like your thoughts, just to add things up. Yes ws should be taking 2 highly touted prospects who play along the interior of our defense, all three you named are my favorites. We are also going to need to get a little lucky in Free Agency, as we still need depth pieces along the interior. Brian Monet is a question mark. John Schneider mentioned the door is not closed on AL Woods. For accounting reasons they cut him, I am crossing my fingers we get him back. Richard Sherman mentioned we are moving back to a lot of the defensive schemes we used in his prime and Geno agreed. Ryan Neal is a much bigger loss than what people realize. Did he sign with Tampa. I can see Nwosu getting a new contract if he isn't asking to much. This could also bring down his cap hit. Finally I don't see Bijon lasting until our pick 20. If somehow we got him we could line up KWlll and Bijon in thr backfield then split out Robinson to the slot. They say his route running and soft hands would allow him to play in the slot. I think K9 could be used as a receiver more often. He looked good catching the ball in the second half vs the Bucs in Germany. Sorry too long but I enjoy thinking of Seahawk possibilities.
Good point that they're not going to build their scheme around Jamal. If he is healthy, they get the benefit, but he will be treated as one of the guys as opposed to The guy.
Sure hope he works out. Could be a solid defense if the pieces fit.
I referred to it before but what I found enlightening in Sherman and Diggs conversation was the trust that Diggs put in Bobby to make sure Carter was ready to go. Having Bobby back is a huge plus in settling the expectations in the locker room. Not to mention “Kiss your mama, say goodbye to your fiends cause you ain’t getting on a plane,” is hilarious and probably close to the truth.
I could see Pete liking his versatility to play both OLB and DE in our 3-4 scheme. I think he's a lot like Boye Mafe from a size/athleticism standpoint. Maybe actually a bigger, faster, younger Mafe. That sounds alright to me, even if he needs some development time as a rookie.
Liked your story. Concise and straightforward. Read a story by Nate Davis in USA Today. Titled “NFLs’ 50 biggest busts…..”. Scared me. Please Seahawks don’t trade up. If you trade up and the player is a bust, you compound your mistake by giving away draft capital and/or players.
My 2 cents worth. The Seahawks want Jamal Adams to return to his first year form more than anything else. If he is not the same player I can see your scenario. Top Billin was talking about how Jamal can't be expected to fill gaps like a traditional linebacker. He was saying he could be great at playing the new highbred role or big nickel. Blitz him sure, but he is not big enough to take on gaurds like Bobby Wagner. Pete is crossing his fingers Adams comes back and plays a major role. He is a F up the play type weapon. Yes he couldn't catch a cold but he can do so many other things. Love was an absolute must, because the truth is they can't count on Jamal, but I hope he plays great. My prediction is Seahawk fans are going to love Julian
Jamal Adams... what a frustrating career that guy has had. You have to think his expectations for himself after he set the safety sack record with Seattle were sky-high, then... injuries. The D last year had been configured to his strengths, and they are setting up to do so again but hedging their bets by signing (and probably drafting) "Jamal Adams" types to fill the slot if he can't.
I am pulling for him. There is a good player in there, still, and if his body cooperates we may see the Comeback Player of the Year again--he would have to be an early favorite if he can make it back onto the field.
Hamlin from Buffalo will win comeback player of the year even if Jamal has 10 sacs and 5 fumble recoveries. You will notice I didn't say pics haha. Jamal suffered a very unusual gruesome injury. I would never expect him not to miss four games a year. He takes on all comers and plays with such reckless abandon. He reminds me of Bob Sanders of the Colts, awesome oft injured great safety from maybe 8 to 10 years ago.
I am very happy so many see Jamal the way I do. Percy Harvin isn't a true comparison because he had lockeroom issues and Pete cut him. Jamal is a leader.
Try "Hive Social", mixes a lot of the best elements of Twitter with Instagram with Tumblr with MySpace (throw back!), without carrying any of the current baggage those sites hold.
Sure wish the Hawks would have found a way to keep Ryan Neal! They need a CB/safety that can truly play the 5/Nickle( Think back to 13 and 14) - CBryant wasn't getting the job done last year at nickle and feel he would be better at a standard CB position. Thinking ahead, Let's say the Hawks draft Carter -, who knows with 1-20 but say another DL player. Get a stud LB ,then a top rated Center. We are now in round 3, and there are lots of very good WR's to be had. Get the Best RB on your board next ,with best board CB next. Just with that, and 2nd year growth I truly believe the Hawks could be a Very ,Very Strong team rollin into the Playoffs. Who knows what happens then. Could be some surprising stuff! Some way they need to find a way (??? not eliminating all leadership) to curb their safety payroll , Jamal by his health and play could answer most of that, as they move past 2023-
I think Seattle drafts a Safety in the first 5 rounds. It appears there could be a pretty deep class beyond the first round. I wrote earlier this year with the Love signing, that another injury year for Adam's is his ticket out of Seattle in 24. 24 is the plan to make a move. Seattle still takes a big dead money hit but frees up over 9 mil in 24. Seattle will probably restructure Diggs contract but not Adam's for cap space this year. I think Seattle will invest in another Safety pick next year as well. There was no draft capital expended on Safety in 22 but Seattle did bring in 3 UDFA, and kept Blount. Unfortunately Seattle has to project a roster without Adam's which cost them a roster spot for the last 2 years, and will again in 23. I think even if Adam's is healthy this year he still may be a trade pawn in 24 coming off a healthy season. I just don't see Adam's around in 24.
After lauding Pete Carroll, Quandre Diggs told Sherman that he had played for two great coaches and “shitty” coach. He went on to praise Jim Caldwell.* Unmentioned was a coach whose last name begins with “P” and whose first name begins with “M”.
* Matt Stafford also speaks highly of Caldwell. Anyway, look up the Lions on pro-football-reference.com. There’s an argument that Caldwell is the best coach in the history of the franchise.
Even if Adams played every game this year, at his best Year 1 form, the 'Hawks still need to work on a succession plan for both Diggs & Adams just because of the giant cap hits both carry. I'd be surprised if we could win a Superbowl carrying both of those anchors, it's possible just unlikely. One we can manage, and Love is a perfect part of that sucessions plan, but losing Neal was a huge hit to it. There are some really good Safeties in this class (Branch Rd1, Sydney & Ji'Ayir Brown, Torrence II, Trey Dean III, JL Skinner and i'm probably forgetting one or two), get one in, with Love & either Diggs or Adams (probably Diggs, sorry Jamal),to set Safety at a far more cap manageable level with a bit more consistency.
Who needs to meet Bijan? He's so obviously amazing and the smart #5 pick. He's going to go Top10 i'm 200% certain of it. Cardinals at #3 could genuinely happen, especially if they are serious about shifting Hopkins, 'Hawks at #5, Lions at #6, Falcons at #8, Bears at #9 and Eagles at #10, not a chance, a less than zero percent chance, they all let him walk. (Uuhhh... If Bijan does escape the Top10, even the Top20, i'm going to look like a fool having done nothing by hype him for months)
Van Ness is exciting. In the same way Andre Carter is exciting (Carter is my secret hope at #83, i find him so fun to watch). Awesome athlete, lots of splash potential. The ceiling is super high. Like some other prospects, if he'd had 20+ starts he'd be an almost certain Top10 pick. If he's there at #20 he will be considered strongly by the 'Hawks, if he escapes the 1st Rd some team will be jumping into the low 30's to snag him, quite possibly the 'Hawks.
Fair point on our safeties cap hits but after reading the Times article on who the Hawks might be interested in at corner, it was mentioned how much we are paying for corners, which is next to nothing. The Hawks may be backwards compared to league value in our secondary in that we are paying top dollar for safeties & almost nothing for corners but it averages out that we are in the middle of the pack in how much we are paying for our secondary as a whole. I agree with you that we need to look past 2023 for our safety crew & probably need to move on from Adams regardless, but for 2023, the corners are helping pay for the safeties. Coby Bryant is our highest payed corner with a cap hit of just over $1 million. If we draft a corner in the 1st round this year, they will be our highest paid cornerback.
But just imagine who we could add with another $23mil moving on from Adams next year. That'd be a stand out WR3 or a Buckner or a Tremaine Edmunds whilst still leaving us with a strong set of safeties. Happy paying one safety at a Top10 cap rate, not convinced paying two of them really nets the equivalent level of return. That's why i say it's a block to a superbowl push, becuase that $23mil would cover up another big need (or two) without making us any weaker.
If by this time next year we feel like the Super Bowl window is open, and that Adams and Diggs are a big part of those good feelings, then we can restructure their contracts and figure out a way to free up cap space to build that championship roster. It will cost us down the line, but I'm fine with going all in for a world championship.
Oh MY Goodness, Has my fondest Seaside Joe dream come true?
Can I now click on the comments icon and go directly to the comments? This is just so awesome. Thank you Joe, thank you substack, thank you somebody, thank you anybody!!
Haha. glad to hear it!
Like 'Jason' from Friday the 13th, and again, and...better yet - like 'Friday the 1500th'. OK. Today is Thursday, but I am tellin' you, this 'scribe' keeps 'em coming. Today Kenneth, you lit it up! (420 reference, intended)
Great 90's Club music reference; so nice to pull up Sherm's piece with Geno; y uno Grande tip of the Sombrero for Mid-Atlantic Murph's Devin Bush Break-down - BTW, this gets me that much more certain the Hawks are going to Invest, All-in, on the front 3 defenders.
Dre'Mont Jones was a good start, but two more Big guys to complete the wall in front of Bobby and Devin (plus maybe Jamal). IF the Seahawks do not pick two of the following three: Jalen Carter, Mazy Smith, and Siaki Ika, I will be surprised. All three would be worthy of cranking up 'Marky-Mark & the Funky Bunch' (on my original 90's Cee~Dee). >> 'Good Vibrations' <<
I like your thoughts, just to add things up. Yes ws should be taking 2 highly touted prospects who play along the interior of our defense, all three you named are my favorites. We are also going to need to get a little lucky in Free Agency, as we still need depth pieces along the interior. Brian Monet is a question mark. John Schneider mentioned the door is not closed on AL Woods. For accounting reasons they cut him, I am crossing my fingers we get him back. Richard Sherman mentioned we are moving back to a lot of the defensive schemes we used in his prime and Geno agreed. Ryan Neal is a much bigger loss than what people realize. Did he sign with Tampa. I can see Nwosu getting a new contract if he isn't asking to much. This could also bring down his cap hit. Finally I don't see Bijon lasting until our pick 20. If somehow we got him we could line up KWlll and Bijon in thr backfield then split out Robinson to the slot. They say his route running and soft hands would allow him to play in the slot. I think K9 could be used as a receiver more often. He looked good catching the ball in the second half vs the Bucs in Germany. Sorry too long but I enjoy thinking of Seahawk possibilities.
Good point that they're not going to build their scheme around Jamal. If he is healthy, they get the benefit, but he will be treated as one of the guys as opposed to The guy.
Sure hope he works out. Could be a solid defense if the pieces fit.
I referred to it before but what I found enlightening in Sherman and Diggs conversation was the trust that Diggs put in Bobby to make sure Carter was ready to go. Having Bobby back is a huge plus in settling the expectations in the locker room. Not to mention “Kiss your mama, say goodbye to your fiends cause you ain’t getting on a plane,” is hilarious and probably close to the truth.
I actually like the idea of Van Ness, he gives me JJ Watt vibes and I really wanted the Hawks to draft JJ when he came out (not revisionist history).
I think that they take Carter if he’s available and Weatherspoon if Carter had already been picked.
Witherspoon is a nice player but I don't see Pete taking a first round CB.
I could see Pete liking his versatility to play both OLB and DE in our 3-4 scheme. I think he's a lot like Boye Mafe from a size/athleticism standpoint. Maybe actually a bigger, faster, younger Mafe. That sounds alright to me, even if he needs some development time as a rookie.
Liked your story. Concise and straightforward. Read a story by Nate Davis in USA Today. Titled “NFLs’ 50 biggest busts…..”. Scared me. Please Seahawks don’t trade up. If you trade up and the player is a bust, you compound your mistake by giving away draft capital and/or players.
At least not in the first round.
Yes. I like the idea of trading for a known commodity
My 2 cents worth. The Seahawks want Jamal Adams to return to his first year form more than anything else. If he is not the same player I can see your scenario. Top Billin was talking about how Jamal can't be expected to fill gaps like a traditional linebacker. He was saying he could be great at playing the new highbred role or big nickel. Blitz him sure, but he is not big enough to take on gaurds like Bobby Wagner. Pete is crossing his fingers Adams comes back and plays a major role. He is a F up the play type weapon. Yes he couldn't catch a cold but he can do so many other things. Love was an absolute must, because the truth is they can't count on Jamal, but I hope he plays great. My prediction is Seahawk fans are going to love Julian
Jamal Adams... what a frustrating career that guy has had. You have to think his expectations for himself after he set the safety sack record with Seattle were sky-high, then... injuries. The D last year had been configured to his strengths, and they are setting up to do so again but hedging their bets by signing (and probably drafting) "Jamal Adams" types to fill the slot if he can't.
I am pulling for him. There is a good player in there, still, and if his body cooperates we may see the Comeback Player of the Year again--he would have to be an early favorite if he can make it back onto the field.
A mentally healthy Jalen Carter and physically healthy Jamal Adams on the field together would rattle some offenses.
Hamlin from Buffalo will win comeback player of the year even if Jamal has 10 sacs and 5 fumble recoveries. You will notice I didn't say pics haha. Jamal suffered a very unusual gruesome injury. I would never expect him not to miss four games a year. He takes on all comers and plays with such reckless abandon. He reminds me of Bob Sanders of the Colts, awesome oft injured great safety from maybe 8 to 10 years ago.
I fear Devon Witherspoon would suffer the same fate.
I am definitely a Prez fan. Please stay healthy: we need your energy on the field!! Him and Witherspoon on the same field would be must see TV
Can't agree more. Few players tilt the field like a healthy Adams. When will he ever be healthy again? I hope beyond hope that it's this year.
I am very happy so many see Jamal the way I do. Percy Harvin isn't a true comparison because he had lockeroom issues and Pete cut him. Jamal is a leader.
Try "Hive Social", mixes a lot of the best elements of Twitter with Instagram with Tumblr with MySpace (throw back!), without carrying any of the current baggage those sites hold.