DK 's the BMF king of receivers and the regular rules don't work well for him. He is kind of like the quiet huge kid in school that would get bullied. He needs a unique approach, not the standard technique.
Most of the time he could just open hand push his opponents and be dominate.
I wonder if other successful BMFs made unique adjustments given their reputation. Who's your fav or most hated BMF? Always liked Shaq.
DK is propping up my fantasy team through 4 weeks, so i'm fine with his season so far!
Simply put, i know where my expectations lie for DK. Through 4 weeks he's about on par in terms of penalties and fumbles, but ahead on yards and receptions. Overall, he's playing well and ahead of expectation. Not by much, but enough. EPA doesn't factor for me, i don't think it's a good stat at all, for me the whole basis of sport is the unexpected and the variation, i don't think you can distill that nature down to an acurrately quantifiable +/- number.
Next season is of course a very different proposition, but there's a lot of football between now and then.
EPA is probably crazy about the game that JSN just had and that's why I think it serves a purpose. His 51 yards was way more amazing than a normal 51 yards since he caught 5 first downs on third down, something you won't know from just seeing "51 yards, 0 TD".
I hate overpaying for things when I know, going into the purchase, that I'm overpaying. Paying DK $32 million/year is like ordering a diet Pepsi at a fancy restaurant. That $8 soft drink bothers me more than the $50 entree with a French name I couldn't pronounce and wasn't quite sure what it would look like before it arrived at the table. It's much easier for me to accept that I took a chance on the unknown and ended up with a bad deal than deliberately overpaying for a known quantity. However, I still really just wanted a diet Pepsi.
Yeah, it's definitely a complicated issue as while an overpay is never "the right thing" by defintion, the Seahawks don't want to look like some of these teams that don't have WR talent. I'm elated with JSN, but he can't do it alone for the next 5 years.
By the end of the season we will have a clearer idea of whether a JSN, Sheneult, Bobo combo (+ TEs and whoever is drafted, plus RB talent) might be capable of carrying a Seahawks offense--that is, whether or not the Seahawks can "afford" to lose DK.
To me, the most important piece of this entire article is:
"Sometime last year when Metcalf was having a similar start to the 2023 season, I wrote that fans should stop expecting Metcalf to change. He’s not going to change. This is what he is, so either you’re okay with the penalties or you’re not, but nobody should expect the penalties to go away."
You've personally changed Kenneth, so much, have given many examples and it's been inspirational. Why can't/won't DK?
For sure DK is having a good year. That doesn't change the fact that he is still the slightly immature and passionate player that he is. So, while we or someone else will pay him that 32/year. What doesn't change is the possibility that we will trade him for draft picks. His stock will be sky high if he helps get us well into the playoffs while accumulating 1200+ yards and 15 TD's. Even by the lower expectations for draft picks, a 28 year old elite player will still get a #1 and maybe an additional 2nd rounder. And that might be enough to tempt us because of the penalties and negatives in the equation. Without the negatives, no GM in his right mind would trade away a DK Metcalf.
The DK situation is interesting. I think it is a tough call. I like DK and would like to keep him but at what cost? Looking to me like $30M-$32M a year.
There are only 3 WR that make more than $32M a year:
Justin Jefferson ($35M/yr)
CD Lamb ($34M/yr)
AJ Brown ($32M.yr)
Even with guys who just signed contracts (Amon Ra and Aiyuk) they signed for less:
Amon Ra ($30M/yr)
Aiyuk ($30M/yr)
Amon Ra, who in 23 years old, in 2023 had 1,515 yards, 119 receptions in 16 of 17 games with 10 TDs and 1 fumble (72% catch rate)
DK's catch rate in 2023 was 55.5%.
Geno is up for the extension after this year. Which could be as high as $50M a year or more.
Also, Daniels is having a huge year with Washington which is not a great sign for what Sam Howell did with essentially the same players (but different coaches).
NFL windows are so small ... Seahawks need to keep the pedal down while they can. Good drafts lead to second contracts which are coming up soon also.
Amon-ra is catching passes at a considerably shorter distance and lesser difficulty level than DK, though.
I wonder if, like QBs, it would make sense to resign him sooner at what will become a bigger value number later.... maybe WR's careers aren't long enough to get the QB effect of "signing earlier is almost always better". If we sign him for $32 now, maybe in a year and a half, that is only a top-10 contract, and not a top-3/5 contract. By then, if he keeps playing like this, it'll be a contract on par with his value.
I think Amon ra is a completely different receiver than DK. DK can’t do what Amon Ra does very well and visa versa. But I am saying when you go to the negotiating table, the Hawks can clearly show Amon Ra at $30M and say this is your comp.
My opinion is they are both very good, depends on what you are looking for.
I read from I think Brady Henderson that JS doesn’t extend prior to final year of contract. If true, we will just have to wait on Geno and DK for the off season.
If the season ended today, I think they would both be back.
Wouldn’t pay what he’s going to cost. Colleges seem to produce WRs more than any other position. Draft one. Spend the money on, oh, I dunno…a guard and a tackle?
The stats don't show what happens when DK doesn't get caught.
Sorry for the double negative, but that's just how it goes, sometimes.
How many times has DK committed one of those "undisciplined" moves without getting a flag...and the result was a teammate made a better play than they would otherwise have done? It isn't like every foul gets called...and it isn't like no player every committed a foul on purpose, hoping to get away with it, this time...dang...another double negative! It isn't like I'm not trying to do that!
If his penalties have been consistent, but his production is all-around otherwise up, then he is absolutely having a good season. If his penalties weren't bad enough for us to draft other guys over the past 6 years, then IDK why we wouldn't resign him. He is a known quantity that, if the prediction holds true, will be producing as a top-3 or top-5 guy. If his contract is for 4 or 5yrs (i.e. a long one), then that top-5 salary for a top-3 producer could end up being a top-7 or top-10 salary for a top-3 producer, coupled with the known expected penalties, makes him about properly paid. If we can get some value out of the deal, like a top-10 salary, or him actually getting better at minimizing penalties, then it's a win.
BUT, we still don't know what MM thinks of him. So, it's all high speculation.
Good article and I don't disagree with any part of it but I wonder if Justin Jefferson is asked to block as much as DK. As a football fan over the years I will hear or read that "Team A really asks their WR's to block" so while not excusing the penalties is it a fair comparison when teams may ask players to block or not? I don't know if JJ blocks a lot in the Vikings scheme but I think that would contribute to one player being penalized more for certain things than others. DK def needs to figure out how not to get penalized so much and when it is counterproductive to fight for extra yards.
I think he saw himself doing what Bobo does naturally and decided to he'll start blocking, too. Thing is, Bobo doesn't mind being tossed aside by men born to throw people around. For DK, that's a problem.
Isn't DK the ideal type of player for a team that wants to be the bully? I suspect JS views it that way. The only way JS trades DK is if they prioritize others (Geno, Mafe, Cross) and can't find a way to pay them all. Also DK gets closer to $35M if he stays heathy.
DK needs to listen to Ken Walker. As McDonald said this morning, Walker is scratching and fighting for every inch, yet he hasn’t fumbled…ever, as a Seahawks. DK would do well to listen and learn.
I think DK is having a really good season, but it’s not great. And let’s not compare him to a living legend yet. By season 6 (Metcalfe’s current season) Largent was in his fourth of ten consecutive pro bowl seasons. He should have been all pro at least twice by then, but he played for…the Seahawks.
It's maddening to have him fight for extra feet or inches only after getting a first down only to have the ball punched out of his grip. It makes me really appreciate Lockett going down fast when he makes the catch. It's not only smart self preservation, but it assures the ball is safe. Now, as I calmed down after his fumble, I thought more about this.
Because DK is such a big physical specimen, he will do what it takes to impose his will and his physicality on the field. How can he not do that? I would imagine that is what all coaches want to see. This is what a football player does. It's a game of inches, so I understand that the fight is to push to the max. I realize that his style of playing is not going to be NoE's. I just wish he would be smarter with his aggression. When the first down has been made, get down when you're being pummeled by multiple defenders. Hold onto that ball with both arms and hands instead of holding it with one arm stretched out as he's trying to get that little bit of gain.
Speaking of being smarter with aggression, it's the same with not getting so many penalties. The offensive holding penalties I think are more of the mechanics of being able to disengage from the defender as the runner gets by them. If the blocking receiver is holding on to the defender a fraction of a second too long, the flag is thrown. No doubt this is coached to not happen. Seems to me to be a matter of the timing of engagement and letting go right when needed. Sitting on the couch and making these points is easy for a middle aged dude that's never played ever.
I think DK is aware of himself. He's getting older and more experienced. I saw an interview in which he said that the high pass he caught on the sideline last week in the Miami game he would have dropped a year ago. To admit that requires some humility and reflection. I feel that he is self aware. Sure, he's really passionate and has let him emotions get the better of him at the expense of the team. But, I think that as he ages like most people, he is progressing and evolving for the better. He's still pretty young.
I really don't get into the salaries of players. That's the GM's job. The NFL is a multi-billion dollar industry. It's big time entertainment. The salary cap rises every year. What is considered outrageous to pay at the moment will be considered reasonable at some point. I don't share the sentiment that players are overpaid whatsoever. Again, this is a multi-billion dollar industry. This is a violent sport with 100 percent injury rate. The profits are so incredible. The owners are multi-billionaires. This is a hobby for them. The players drive the attendance. For those that feel that players shouldn't be paid as much, they are actually in favor of the owners making more profit. I don't watch the games to see Jerry Jones or Ms. Allen, or any of these folks that sit in their posh suites.
I’ve been struggling with the concern about DK fumbling while fighting for extra yards after reading so many complaints that Lockett doesn’t fight enough. I think you nailed it by emphasizing the timing issue. If the first yard has been gained, then be cautious. If a crucial first down hasn’t been gained then fight for every inch and risk the fumble.
DK also needs to study K9 who managed a backflip or two in one run and still didn’t fumble.
The negatives are maddening but I think the package is a net positive. Is he worth $30-$32 million? Probably, given today's football economy. I think there's only a very slim chance the Seahawks pay him that money.
To be fair to DK on the fumble, he absolutely got CRUSHED on that play and I don't think many players would have held on to the ball in that situation. You can almost see the air go out of DK on the hit. But more smarter players would have gotten down and not taken that hit.
You know, I hear that. Feel all of it, every penalty and the resulting hole to dig out of. But I think a real bright spot to see this year has been his control over his emotions. He hasn't had any hot-headed responses as far as I can tell. He used to lose his crap on people a lot, and it has been nice to see him be more calm out there.
DK 's the BMF king of receivers and the regular rules don't work well for him. He is kind of like the quiet huge kid in school that would get bullied. He needs a unique approach, not the standard technique.
Most of the time he could just open hand push his opponents and be dominate.
I wonder if other successful BMFs made unique adjustments given their reputation. Who's your fav or most hated BMF? Always liked Shaq.
Yeah, I agree, Sand. I was a big kid myself, we don't always know our own power.
A like a BMF like Derrick Henry, I suppose
I'm a Wilt Chamberlain fan. He was a gentle giant.
DK is propping up my fantasy team through 4 weeks, so i'm fine with his season so far!
Simply put, i know where my expectations lie for DK. Through 4 weeks he's about on par in terms of penalties and fumbles, but ahead on yards and receptions. Overall, he's playing well and ahead of expectation. Not by much, but enough. EPA doesn't factor for me, i don't think it's a good stat at all, for me the whole basis of sport is the unexpected and the variation, i don't think you can distill that nature down to an acurrately quantifiable +/- number.
Next season is of course a very different proposition, but there's a lot of football between now and then.
EPA is probably crazy about the game that JSN just had and that's why I think it serves a purpose. His 51 yards was way more amazing than a normal 51 yards since he caught 5 first downs on third down, something you won't know from just seeing "51 yards, 0 TD".
JSN was also one shoestring tackle away from a 40 yard TD.
I hate overpaying for things when I know, going into the purchase, that I'm overpaying. Paying DK $32 million/year is like ordering a diet Pepsi at a fancy restaurant. That $8 soft drink bothers me more than the $50 entree with a French name I couldn't pronounce and wasn't quite sure what it would look like before it arrived at the table. It's much easier for me to accept that I took a chance on the unknown and ended up with a bad deal than deliberately overpaying for a known quantity. However, I still really just wanted a diet Pepsi.
Yeah, it's definitely a complicated issue as while an overpay is never "the right thing" by defintion, the Seahawks don't want to look like some of these teams that don't have WR talent. I'm elated with JSN, but he can't do it alone for the next 5 years.
By the end of the season we will have a clearer idea of whether a JSN, Sheneult, Bobo combo (+ TEs and whoever is drafted, plus RB talent) might be capable of carrying a Seahawks offense--that is, whether or not the Seahawks can "afford" to lose DK.
To me, the most important piece of this entire article is:
"Sometime last year when Metcalf was having a similar start to the 2023 season, I wrote that fans should stop expecting Metcalf to change. He’s not going to change. This is what he is, so either you’re okay with the penalties or you’re not, but nobody should expect the penalties to go away."
You've personally changed Kenneth, so much, have given many examples and it's been inspirational. Why can't/won't DK?
For sure DK is having a good year. That doesn't change the fact that he is still the slightly immature and passionate player that he is. So, while we or someone else will pay him that 32/year. What doesn't change is the possibility that we will trade him for draft picks. His stock will be sky high if he helps get us well into the playoffs while accumulating 1200+ yards and 15 TD's. Even by the lower expectations for draft picks, a 28 year old elite player will still get a #1 and maybe an additional 2nd rounder. And that might be enough to tempt us because of the penalties and negatives in the equation. Without the negatives, no GM in his right mind would trade away a DK Metcalf.
The DK situation is interesting. I think it is a tough call. I like DK and would like to keep him but at what cost? Looking to me like $30M-$32M a year.
There are only 3 WR that make more than $32M a year:
Justin Jefferson ($35M/yr)
CD Lamb ($34M/yr)
AJ Brown ($32M.yr)
Even with guys who just signed contracts (Amon Ra and Aiyuk) they signed for less:
Amon Ra ($30M/yr)
Aiyuk ($30M/yr)
Amon Ra, who in 23 years old, in 2023 had 1,515 yards, 119 receptions in 16 of 17 games with 10 TDs and 1 fumble (72% catch rate)
DK's catch rate in 2023 was 55.5%.
Geno is up for the extension after this year. Which could be as high as $50M a year or more.
Also, Daniels is having a huge year with Washington which is not a great sign for what Sam Howell did with essentially the same players (but different coaches).
NFL windows are so small ... Seahawks need to keep the pedal down while they can. Good drafts lead to second contracts which are coming up soon also.
Amon-ra is catching passes at a considerably shorter distance and lesser difficulty level than DK, though.
I wonder if, like QBs, it would make sense to resign him sooner at what will become a bigger value number later.... maybe WR's careers aren't long enough to get the QB effect of "signing earlier is almost always better". If we sign him for $32 now, maybe in a year and a half, that is only a top-10 contract, and not a top-3/5 contract. By then, if he keeps playing like this, it'll be a contract on par with his value.
I think Amon ra is a completely different receiver than DK. DK can’t do what Amon Ra does very well and visa versa. But I am saying when you go to the negotiating table, the Hawks can clearly show Amon Ra at $30M and say this is your comp.
My opinion is they are both very good, depends on what you are looking for.
I read from I think Brady Henderson that JS doesn’t extend prior to final year of contract. If true, we will just have to wait on Geno and DK for the off season.
If the season ended today, I think they would both be back.
Even if he has an ALL-PRO year, I for one hope he is traded. He hurts the team just about every game with stupidity.
Wouldn’t pay what he’s going to cost. Colleges seem to produce WRs more than any other position. Draft one. Spend the money on, oh, I dunno…a guard and a tackle?
The stats don't show what happens when DK doesn't get caught.
Sorry for the double negative, but that's just how it goes, sometimes.
How many times has DK committed one of those "undisciplined" moves without getting a flag...and the result was a teammate made a better play than they would otherwise have done? It isn't like every foul gets called...and it isn't like no player every committed a foul on purpose, hoping to get away with it, this time...dang...another double negative! It isn't like I'm not trying to do that!
If his penalties have been consistent, but his production is all-around otherwise up, then he is absolutely having a good season. If his penalties weren't bad enough for us to draft other guys over the past 6 years, then IDK why we wouldn't resign him. He is a known quantity that, if the prediction holds true, will be producing as a top-3 or top-5 guy. If his contract is for 4 or 5yrs (i.e. a long one), then that top-5 salary for a top-3 producer could end up being a top-7 or top-10 salary for a top-3 producer, coupled with the known expected penalties, makes him about properly paid. If we can get some value out of the deal, like a top-10 salary, or him actually getting better at minimizing penalties, then it's a win.
BUT, we still don't know what MM thinks of him. So, it's all high speculation.
Dude...I only signed up for sober speculation. High speculation sounds a bit too spicy.
High speculation can be the best kind, sometimes...
https://youtu.be/G2Mbj06Ns2Y?feature=shared
Good article and I don't disagree with any part of it but I wonder if Justin Jefferson is asked to block as much as DK. As a football fan over the years I will hear or read that "Team A really asks their WR's to block" so while not excusing the penalties is it a fair comparison when teams may ask players to block or not? I don't know if JJ blocks a lot in the Vikings scheme but I think that would contribute to one player being penalized more for certain things than others. DK def needs to figure out how not to get penalized so much and when it is counterproductive to fight for extra yards.
I think he saw himself doing what Bobo does naturally and decided to he'll start blocking, too. Thing is, Bobo doesn't mind being tossed aside by men born to throw people around. For DK, that's a problem.
Isn't DK the ideal type of player for a team that wants to be the bully? I suspect JS views it that way. The only way JS trades DK is if they prioritize others (Geno, Mafe, Cross) and can't find a way to pay them all. Also DK gets closer to $35M if he stays heathy.
DK needs to listen to Ken Walker. As McDonald said this morning, Walker is scratching and fighting for every inch, yet he hasn’t fumbled…ever, as a Seahawks. DK would do well to listen and learn.
I think DK is having a really good season, but it’s not great. And let’s not compare him to a living legend yet. By season 6 (Metcalfe’s current season) Largent was in his fourth of ten consecutive pro bowl seasons. He should have been all pro at least twice by then, but he played for…the Seahawks.
DK is having a good season for sure.
It's maddening to have him fight for extra feet or inches only after getting a first down only to have the ball punched out of his grip. It makes me really appreciate Lockett going down fast when he makes the catch. It's not only smart self preservation, but it assures the ball is safe. Now, as I calmed down after his fumble, I thought more about this.
Because DK is such a big physical specimen, he will do what it takes to impose his will and his physicality on the field. How can he not do that? I would imagine that is what all coaches want to see. This is what a football player does. It's a game of inches, so I understand that the fight is to push to the max. I realize that his style of playing is not going to be NoE's. I just wish he would be smarter with his aggression. When the first down has been made, get down when you're being pummeled by multiple defenders. Hold onto that ball with both arms and hands instead of holding it with one arm stretched out as he's trying to get that little bit of gain.
Speaking of being smarter with aggression, it's the same with not getting so many penalties. The offensive holding penalties I think are more of the mechanics of being able to disengage from the defender as the runner gets by them. If the blocking receiver is holding on to the defender a fraction of a second too long, the flag is thrown. No doubt this is coached to not happen. Seems to me to be a matter of the timing of engagement and letting go right when needed. Sitting on the couch and making these points is easy for a middle aged dude that's never played ever.
I think DK is aware of himself. He's getting older and more experienced. I saw an interview in which he said that the high pass he caught on the sideline last week in the Miami game he would have dropped a year ago. To admit that requires some humility and reflection. I feel that he is self aware. Sure, he's really passionate and has let him emotions get the better of him at the expense of the team. But, I think that as he ages like most people, he is progressing and evolving for the better. He's still pretty young.
I really don't get into the salaries of players. That's the GM's job. The NFL is a multi-billion dollar industry. It's big time entertainment. The salary cap rises every year. What is considered outrageous to pay at the moment will be considered reasonable at some point. I don't share the sentiment that players are overpaid whatsoever. Again, this is a multi-billion dollar industry. This is a violent sport with 100 percent injury rate. The profits are so incredible. The owners are multi-billionaires. This is a hobby for them. The players drive the attendance. For those that feel that players shouldn't be paid as much, they are actually in favor of the owners making more profit. I don't watch the games to see Jerry Jones or Ms. Allen, or any of these folks that sit in their posh suites.
Yep. I bet he's working heavily with our RB coach this week, learning the art of covering up when going for an extra yard.
I’ve been struggling with the concern about DK fumbling while fighting for extra yards after reading so many complaints that Lockett doesn’t fight enough. I think you nailed it by emphasizing the timing issue. If the first yard has been gained, then be cautious. If a crucial first down hasn’t been gained then fight for every inch and risk the fumble.
DK also needs to study K9 who managed a backflip or two in one run and still didn’t fumble.
The negatives are maddening but I think the package is a net positive. Is he worth $30-$32 million? Probably, given today's football economy. I think there's only a very slim chance the Seahawks pay him that money.
To be fair to DK on the fumble, he absolutely got CRUSHED on that play and I don't think many players would have held on to the ball in that situation. You can almost see the air go out of DK on the hit. But more smarter players would have gotten down and not taken that hit.
You know, I hear that. Feel all of it, every penalty and the resulting hole to dig out of. But I think a real bright spot to see this year has been his control over his emotions. He hasn't had any hot-headed responses as far as I can tell. He used to lose his crap on people a lot, and it has been nice to see him be more calm out there.