Seahawks defense: Which pieces are missing and how should Pete Carroll fix in 2023?
A position-by-position comparison with the Jets: Seaside Joe 1368
As fans, we tend to look at a team, a roster, a depth chart and allow our brains to try and plug in all the “holes” with gameplans in free agency, trade, the draft that will create a 100-percent perfect 53-man roster and well-stocked practice squad. I do not believe, however, that any team has a perfect roster or that the perennial goal is to fill all of your “needs” with every offseason based on where you were weak last season.
When the Los Angeles Rams traded for Von Miller and signed Odell Beckham, Jr. in the middle of last season, two moves that pushed them over the hump from good to good-enough-to-win-it-all, they weren’t directly addressing needs. The Rams still had a healthy Robert Woods at the time of the OBJ signing, and a lot of people speculated that two draft picks for Miller was overkill for a defense that was getting to the quarterback pretty good with Aaron Donald and Leonard Floyd.
But the addition of OBJ in the red zone helped cover up for the lack of a quality running back and the Von acquisition, which netted four sacks in four playoff games, mitigated L.A.’s issues in the secondary.
You can reasonably argue that the Seattle Seahawks are lacking quality pass rushers and that they should attempt to acquire new players along the edges in 2023. I would argue that. But if the Seahawks come back next year with elite play in the secondary and better coverage by their linebackers, that could cover up the potential issues with consistently disrupting the quarterback and his precious pocket.
Every team has different needs but all 32 teams have the same goal with their acquisitions every year: Get more talented, regardless of need or position.
That being said, the Seahawks have a bad defense and there are teams around the NFL who do a much better job of stopping their opponents despite only being a few shades different than Seattle on paper. Some of them are even well connected to Pete Carroll’s Seahawks.
Like the Dallas Cowboys, who are first in DVOA and coached by Dan Quinn.
Like the San Francisco 49ers, where defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans took over for former Pete assistant Robert Saleh in 2021.
And Saleh’s current defense in the New York, as the Jets are fourth in points allowed and fourth in DVOA despite being 32nd—the worst of the worst—in points and yards allowed last season.
If we compare Seattle’s current defensive structure to the New York Jets, a team with schematic differences at the moment but one that is coached by a former Pete defensive assistant, there are a few direct parallels:
Sauce Gardner on the Jets, Tariq Woolen on the Seahawks
C.J. Mosley on the Jets, Jordyn Brooks on the Seahawks
Jermaine Johnson on the Jets, Boye Mafe on the Seahawks
Carl Lawson on the Jets, Uchenna Nwosu on the Seahawks
Sheldon Rankins on the Jets, Poona Ford (FA) on the Seahawks
LaMarcus Joyner on the Jets, Quandre Diggs on the Seahawks
These six names jump out a little more than anybody else, especially the easiest-to-draw parallels like Woolen/Sauce and Mosley/Brooks, but certainly the bulk of the depth pieces and some of the underperforming players on New York’s roster would also feel comparable.
But Jets defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, a Pete assistant on special teams in 2010 and 2011, then later Quinn’s linebackers coach with the Atlanta Falcons for six years, also has talent advantages that Carroll and John Schneider are still searching for and will be after in 2023.
D.J. Reed - A second premium cornerback
Of course, Seattle had D.J. Reed himself. Reed has played in every snap this season and has allowed a passer rating of 79.4 on 54 targets. Similar to what I wrote about Bobby Wagner recently, it would have been difficult for the Seahawks to keep Reed and to have the same roster we see today.
The Seahawks hope that they don’t have to spend an early draft pick or free agent money on a cornerback to start opposite of Woolen next season. Mike Jackson has played well at times, but could be headed back to a reserve role due to his poor tackling. If not Jackson, then 2021 fourth round pick Tre Brown, fresh off of his season debut, could make his case in the final six weeks.
But just expecting Jackson, Brown, or Coby Bryant to become as good as Reed next season could be a fool’s rebuild.
Michael Carter II - An upgraded nickel
It’s kind of tough to get a lot of information on Carter because the Jets have two players named Michael Carter—from the same draft class—and people talk more about the running back because… fantasy football, I guess.
But the other Carter has played really well as New York’s nickel and the same can’t be said for Coby Bryant on the Seahawks. If you take away his NFL-best four forced fumbles, would Bryant still be on the field for 70% of Seattle’s snaps?
Somebody would have to be next season as Seattle’s nickel and we can’t guarantee that it will be Coby. Well, the nice thing about the position and guys like Carter and Coby is that they usually come cheap, either as day three picks or third-wave free agents. The Seahawks do not have to make a decision on Bryant’s career based on one year, but it would also be fair to say that Michael Carter’s rookie season in the slot was better than what we’ve seen in Seattle’s secondary so far.
Quincy Williams - Will Cody Barton be back?
I do not feel like I am in great position to compare the merits of these two 2019 third round picks, but Barton and Williams (a converted safety who was originally selected by the Jaguars, then picked up on waivers by the Jets in 2021, recording 110 tackles, nine tackles for a loss, two sacks, three forced fumbles) both fall into position of being off-ball linebackers who coaches hope are starting to figure it out.
Barton has size on Williams, the older brother of Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, but New York’s “other linebacker” is a former track star who can out-run Seatte’s off-ball version.
A change of scenery and a cleaner bill of health has allowed Williams to flourish (in 2021) in New York. At 5-foot-11 and 255 pounds, Williams plays with extreme physicality as a tackler. He plays like his hair is on fire. He showcases his easy acceleration and burst once he locates the football. Despite being undersized, he is able to slip and shed blocks in space before delivering a hellish blow to the ball-carrier.
From the looks of it, Williams and Mosley complement each other well on the second level. Williams aligns as the WILL (weakside) backer for Saleh’s defense. This presents the opportunities to run sideline to sideline and make plays in space.
Barton, who has been blamed for 31 receptions allowed for 266 yards and a touchdown on only 34 targets, may not end up as Pete’s highest priority free agent. I could see other teams with more cap space willing to give him an opportunity as an every down player (Barton is basically a 60% snaps player at this point, which isn’t indispensible) so all that needs to happen for him to leave the Seahawks is him testing the market.
But unlike corner, there’s no depth here and the Seahawks must address linebacker in 2023 in some shape or form.
Quinnen Williams - The Jalen Carter comp
Believe me when I say that my criticisms of some Seahawks bloggers is not trolling. What I am trying to combat is the spread of poorly-or-never researched misinformation to 41,000+ Seahawks fans on Twitter and via podcasts, and I’ve seen that proliferation of lazy reporting spread into telling people what Seattle should do in the draft. Or even that the Seahawks might be lucky to lose some games this year to help increase their odds of getting to choose one of Will Anderson or Jalen Carter.
I don’t make those points out of jealousy or disagreement, and it definitely isn’t trolling. It’s me battling the willful spread of misinformation to too many Seahawks fans by one account because that crap always comes around to the rest of us who cover the team. I hope you have noticed the list of Seahawks writers who I have promoted, championed, and cheered on, of which there are many.
The point with Anderson and Carter is not to say that Seattle fans shouldn’t be excited if either one lands on the Seahawks; either prospect would be the highest-rated defensive prospect on the Seahawks since…Aaron Curry. If there’s anything that I want readers to take away from Seaside Joe draft coverage, it is that we shouldn’t fall under this spell of believing that there’s this hypothetical ledge that occurs between the top one or two prospects and everybody else.
Football is not about the draft, it is about what happens after the draft. It took all of a month for most Seahawks fans to believe that Tariq Woolen is a better cornerback prospect than Derek Stingley, Jr., the number three pick in the entire class.
I am going to do something I told myself I’d never do at Seaside Joe and let’s hope it never happens again: I’m going to write the most disgusting word in the English language and then we’ll pretend like it never happened, but this is the best analogy that I can think to use right now.
The draft is sex, but the season is marriage.
A lot of fans just want to get their rocks off and that’s usually because their teams are so shitty. If all you want is to get your rocks off in the draft, you can root for the Jaguars because they’ve drafted many of the best prospects of the last 20 years.
Now let’s talk about Jalen Carter because for the purposes of this exercise, he is Quinnen Williams, a defensive tackle unlike anybody on Seattle’s defense. Did Williams have any impact on the Jets during his rookie season? Sure. But it’s not until now, his fourth year in the NFL, that he’s become the elite player he was projected to become in 2019.
I enjoyed this video breakdown of Carter and Anderson by Jackson Powers. He threw a wet blanket on my excitement for either prospect and that doesn’t mean that either or both couldn’t be the best all-around players in the 2023 class. We need to get over this thing where prospects are either “too perfect to pass up” or “too flawed to pick.” That’s absurd! Some fans are being ABSURD!
If Seattle picks Carter, it is a clear throughline towards hoping to get a defensive tackle that can develop into an interior pass rushing threat. It’s also worth noting that players drafted after Quinnen Williams in 2019 include Jeffery Simmons, Ed Oliver, Christian Wilkins, and Dexter Lawrence, all of whom are defensive tackles who could be at least as valuable than he’s been.
As well as Maxx Crosby, Brian Burns, and Montez Sweat among edge rushers.
Please for the love of God, even if you’re obsessed with a prospect, I ask one thing: RELAX. This is not meant to be a one night stand and we should all remain open to possibilities that could allow us to grow together in a much more meaningful way. I want to remain as open minded as I possibly can and that means not disengenuously telling you that I know the Seahawks will be wasting their first round pick if they don’t get one of these two prospects.
That’s just not true, no matter how much research you do. But at least do some before you claim there’s a difference between X, Y, and Z.
John Franklin-Myers - The overlooked glue of the DL
The L.A. Rams have been one of the worst drafting teams in the NFL under general manager Les Snead, which is probably also Snead’s main source of motivation to keep trading away their draft picks. When the Rams finally did strike gold with a day three pick, they let him go for nothing.
JFM was a fourth round pick out of S.F. Austin in 2018 and he played quite a lot as a rookie, but Sean McVay wasn’t impressed enough to guarantee his spot on the depth chart so as Snead added others, Franklin-Myers found himself without a role. McVay cut him in 2019 and he was claimed by the Jets. After one season spent mostly on injured reserve, Franklin-Myers teamed with Williams in 2020 and has been one of New York’s most consistent forces on the defensive line.
JFM has 42 QB hits and 13 sacks in 42 career games with the Jets.
Despite how deep Seattle’s defensive line appeared coming out of training camp, I’m not sure which players absolutely need to be back next year. Al Woods, Quinton Jefferson, Bryan Mone, Shelby Harris, and Myles Adams are all under contract. Even drafting Jalen Carter would only be filling one role at defensive tackle and the Seahawks could even double down with more of a maneater (Carter does excel against the run in college) in round two or three.
And just to emphasize how much different the production is between Seattle and New York’s front-seven:
Uchenna Nwosu, the Seahawks only good pass rusher, has seven sacks and 16 QB hits, while no other player has more than seven (Jefferson has seven in 405 snaps).
John Franklin-Myers, a player most people have never heard of before, has four sacks and 15 QB hits. Williams (19) and Lawson (17) have more QB hits and Bryce Huff (7) is fourth despite only playing in 117 snaps.
I don’t think Seattle can guarantee that Harris ($9 million in savings, if released), Jefferson ($4 million), and Woods (36-years-old) will all be back next season. With or without, the Seahawks need to compete for the services of some mid-wave free agents on the defensive line because you never know where you might find the glue who keeps the unit together.
Review - 5 main differences
I’ll repeat the part about how Seattle might already have some solutions on the roster. I’m comparing Coby Bryant and Mike Jackson and Tre Brown to cornerbacks based on how they’ve played this season, it does not mean that they can’t be comparable to those players next season. But these are the gaps that seem to be most apparent:
The Seahawks need better play at two of three cornerback spots
The Seahawks need better play in the interior of the defensive line, as well as deciding which of those players should return
The Seahawks need to consider how much value they can get out of their inside and off-ball linebacker positions and whether or not Cody Barton is the answer
What’s most interesting here to me is what isn’t missing: Will Anderson or another “elite” edge rusher.
Before anyone gets very upset with me for suggesting that Seattle doesn’t need to draft an elite edge rusher to fix their defense (I wrote many positive things about Anderson before), it is no less true that the fantastic defense of the Jets doesn’t have a player like Will Anderson. The Cowboys kind of have a player like Anderson, but Micah Parsons plays a different position and is a better all-around prospect because of his off-ball coverage skills.
And Anderson may post one of the best 40-yard dash times in the history of the draft position, but he would also be doing so at a much lighter weight than Nick Bosa, one of the other players who he will be compared to because…they’re well-hyped draft prospects who rush the passer and Seahawks fans are reasonably jealous of San Francisco’s defense because of Bosa.
The Eagles best edge rusher is Haason Reddick, not a player who they drafted, and not a comp for Will Anderson. Does that mean that Seattle shouldn’t draft Anderson? I’ll quote the greatest writer in the history of the NFL. Me.
I do not believe, however, that any team has a perfect roster or that the perennial goal is to fill all of your “needs” with every offseason based on where you were weak last season.
The goal here is not to BE the Jets! The goal for the Seahawks is merely to be the best version of the Seahawks. Anderson could be a completely new and different kind of player, the type who solves problems that a defense didn’t even know they had. Or Jalen Carter could be that.
Or Daiyan Henley, a linebacker being projected for day three, could be that.
The Seahawks enter the 2023 offseason with one clear need above all else: A better defense. That could come in all forms and luckily Seattle has the resources—and the right head coach—to plug the holes. Or sometimes, to re-direct the water around the leaks.
Seaside…GROW? ONLY IF YOU SHARE US WITH SEAHAWKS FANS!
I kept meaning to write something about Jamal Adams, and ultimately I forgot to. HMMM!
Firstly I would like to say, once again a well thought out article. Joe didn't say this but some writer did. Quincy Williams is undersized at 255lbs and 5ft 11. I played rugby for 23 years I can 100% garuntee you his shape would be incredibly difficult to block. His pad level is lower to start with (low man wins) . If he was 3 inches taller would he knock down more passes in coverage, maybe a couple over 17 games.
One thing I am certain of when it comes to Pete and John, they will not draft a player just because he fits others ideas at our draft number ie Bruce Irving who most would agree has had a GOOD NFL career. P/J will take who they think is the best player period. It wouldn't surprise me if they traded down with, our/Denver pick if they don't see the value.
Once again talk of losing games for an unproven quantity is crazy. If Seattle can hold their opponents to the low to mid 20s we have a good chance of winning. I will state the obvious winning begets winning. There weren't many of us that thought the playoffs were a real possibility, but here we are with 6 games left and the Hawks hold their future in their hands.
Quickly other than runningback a nickel corner seems to be the red headed step child of DBs. I remember Diggs talking about this as that's where he started in Detroit. I can't imagine how difficult it is to stay with a Hunter Renfrew, or Devante Adams when they have the whole field to use, as well as being able to hide in traffic. Coby is not terribly effective yet, maybe he grows with another season under his belt. He seems to have cut down on giving up long plays. Also I didn't realize it was him who pulled the ball out when the referee said forward progress had stopped. The ref technically was right, but the play hadn't stopped and most officials would have called it that way.
An outside the topic thought please keep getting the ball to Goodwin. He has good hands and a reasonable amount of courage, plus he could take it to the house at any time.