The excitement of change and a new direction. Much as the results have been marred by bone headed mistakes in all 3 phases, this team is modernising its approach schematicallly. That feels significant after watching the stagnation of the end of the Carroll era.
No bad long-term contracts. I think T Dot has a chance to stay around.
Jones hopefully plays as well as the Rams game and sticks around.
No homeruns but we didn't mortgage the future either.
A bunch of low risk low reward type moves. Wasn't expecting much.
The Brooks situation is weird. I really think he might have just wanted to leave Seattle (and, speculating here, but caught JS off guard, which isn't a good look for him if true). Who knows, just what I kind of gather from various interviews.
I would not say free agency but we all kind of knew that. We did not have a ton of money in the first place this year. We got our typical retreads and burnouts with a couple of injured guys thrown in for good measure.
The success has not come in this years draft either. Our third round pick can’t beat best described by Mookie on FG
“Bradford has been dinged for five sacks given up, tied for most among all NFL guards.” He is also tied for the most penalties at 6. This is with shared time with Haynes. Meaning we have one of the worst guards in the league and our third round pick is worse.
Our biggest win is in the development of our young players. The only hope we have is with the core of this team developing into a bunch of special players. I think we brought in the right guy to teach our first, second and third year players.
Yeah, thinking more on it since this article was posted, it's a little bit annoying that the Seahawks didn't roll the dice this season and let some really young, cheap guys play. The Seahawks could have always spent $15 million less in free agency and rolled that over into 2025 cap space, which is money they need. The Rams did this in 2023 and 2024 (with only one first round pick) and their defense (cheapest in the NFL) is better than Seattle's.
The good news is that they didn't commit to another Dre'Mont type FA contract. All these duds were here for an audition, and they can be sent packing without too much sunk into the future. Keep swinging John!
I wasn't sure how that poll would go but apparently most people want Bad News first.
I agree that it's good to not do a long-term bad deal. But $15-$20 million in cap space on those retreads like Baker, Dodson, Williams, Jenkins...that's $20 million that could have gone into 2025. Money you spend now is still money you can't spend next year.
A bad long-term deal is unquestionably a bad thing. As is what amounts to spending $70M on Tyrell Dodson—the only player on the list who has contributed.
The strategy of augmenting a roster with “value” signings is legit only when (1) the roster is good in the first place and (2) the “value” signings provide value. The less solid the roster, the more the GM must take risks in free agency. Schneider treats free agency like the rosters are much better than they are.
BTW, not to dredge up the past, but at some point—probably when he nearly got his knee torn up while being “protected” by Bradley Sowell and J’Marcus Webb—Russell Wilson surely took a look at the sad parade of offensive linemen that Schneider saddled him with and thought “They’re not even trying. The only plan I see is ‘Russ will figure something out.’” If it were me, I’d start losing confidence in management. Just saying.
JS should definitely be considering ways to save in 2025 to make a bigger push in the future. I think we can be just as good with guys like Knight and Bryant instead of Dodson and Jenkins, for example.
Based on your dead cap list, the only player I’d consider keeping is DK. I have been reflecting on how much we churned the roster in 2010-12 timeline.
The current feeling is “we are close” but I see major hopes and a trend where we have invested small amounts of money over a lot of positions that amounts to a lot of wasted money.
We need to be more ruthless on evaluating talent, spend money on guys we know will make a difference, and build through the draft.
Don't see them needing to do a ton on D , if they continue to learn MM system and learn together. I believe they have found a guy at MLB that fits and understands what being a MLB is about. I didn't think they would be having issues at corner, so they need to figure that out and add a true NT type stud. Then they should start to become a very good D as most of us expected. What really needs to happen is JS ,his scouts and evaluators have to get a grip on getting O-line talent. Yes, it's not easy but his record is woeful!
I gotta squint real hard to see the bright side. That's why I was so excited with anticipation to read the GOOD NEWS that SJ was going to post in the comments....
Turns out it was just a "fill in the blank" where the blank is the entire good news that was said to be coming. Or maybe it was a "mad lib".
Sorry, the only bright sign I see for this year is the new attacking defense style that will still need some tweaking but is much easier to watch than the old " bend but don't break " of old that killed our time of possessions.
I think both Fants are gone along with Geno, Jones , Brown , Tomlinson, Lockett ,Trey Brown and Hankins. That should open enough cap space to improve the roster unless JS screws the pooch again. If the new FAs are duds JS might be gone as well.
With every new coaching staff it takes some time to find the right players for the new O and D schemes. Like it or not, this year is a rebuild.
I don't understand the Hunt to Fant comparison. Yeah, he is cheaper in the first year but a huge commitment for years to come. Could end up being like the Diggs and Adams contracts with big dead cap hits in the future whereas Fant can get out of pretty cleanly.
Hunt is $20M a year player with $44M guarantee: 5-year deal
Fant is $10.5M a year player with $11.5 guaranteed: 2-year deal
Hunt cost at least twice as much as Fant and up to 4 times as much (if they get cut after year 1).
If the Hawks cut Fant after the season he has a dead cap hit of $4.5M, if Hunt gets cut after the season, he has a dead cap hit of $37.5M!
Hunt is much, much more expensive. Not saying we shouldn't try to get him... But it changes the equation as we have to plan for future years of cap hits and potentially dead money if he doesn't work out. More risky but could be worth it I don't know.
Byron Murphy looks good and I'm super excited to have him in Seattle. That being said, remember when we all laughed at Sean McVay being upset that Murphy went to his rival team? I imagine him and Jared Verse clinking their campaign flutes together watching the highlights from our last game. I seem to recall a certain sports writer suggesting that the Seahawks maybe ought to pick that Verse guy, if given the opportunity (thought not if Murphy were still available, to be fair).
You keep bringing up signing Dre’Mont Jones instead of Zach Allen, I agree Jones has underwhelmed but I don't recall Allen being unanimously regarded as a better option at that time. Maybe Allen would have underwhelmed in Seattle as well. He certainly wouldn't have done exactly the same as Dre'mont but he woudn't match his Denver stats necessarily. Is Denvers defense better than Seattle's only because of these two players? Probably not......
I never doubted that Pete was an exceptional talent scout. He couldn’t predict which players would build careers and which ones would flameout due to injury or attitude. But I don’t think he missed on the essential question of whether a given player was an NFL athlete, NFL football player, both, or neither.
OTOH, I think Pete was a pretty bad value shopper. He didn’t seem to care if a player’s price tag was too high if he thought he wanted that player on his team. He wasn’t a particularly good forecaster, either, because he placed emphasis on winning today instead of hedging for the future.
As a shopper, JS reminds me of me, when I was young and poor and had to buy a formal work wardrobe. I shopped consignment, discount, and closeout sale racks only. I had to replace almost everything as soon as I had more money, because nothing lasted and all of it was meh. I learned that even discount prices could be an overpay, and that the hardest thing to do is to find value at the bottom end of the market. It’s much easier to find value at the higher end. You just have to be very careful and patient because your inevitable mistakes are more costly.
Seems clear that Scot Mcloughan was the reason behind JS looking like a good GM early.
I appreciate honesty in a daily newsletter even if it means doom and gloom. If I want rainbows and sunshine, I'll read the Seattle Times coverage. Even today's poor report card from BC was far too generous IMO. Thanks for providing realistic perspectives SJJ.
As I was reading the article, I realized the Seahawks are acting cheap. Spending less money for low quality. Just like people who do this, it is more expensive long term when you have a shoddy product that you have up live with or replace frequently than spending more for quality. Balancing price and quality is the key.
According Wikipedia, McCloughan runs a “scouting agency.” When he was in Washington, the Post ran article where he talked about being a former alcoholic. I remember thinking “Uh oh.”
Yes, when I googled him the other day to see what he was doing, he is listed as a scout, but wonder if anyone is utilizing him. I remember that the alcoholism rumor was out there as a reason that the Seahawks or McCloughan cut ties. I hope he is healthy for his sakes. What an eye for talent.
GOOD NEWS:
Reply to this comment with your answers on: "What is the bright side of the Seahawks 2024 offseason?"
The excitement of change and a new direction. Much as the results have been marred by bone headed mistakes in all 3 phases, this team is modernising its approach schematicallly. That feels significant after watching the stagnation of the end of the Carroll era.
The season is only at the mid point.
Ernest Jones looks like a keeper so far and likely well worth the 4th rounder.
I guess the bright side is that we’re learning about what isn’t working / hasn’t worked. Lessons that can only move us forward.
I echo Grant's thoughts.
No bad long-term contracts. I think T Dot has a chance to stay around.
Jones hopefully plays as well as the Rams game and sticks around.
No homeruns but we didn't mortgage the future either.
A bunch of low risk low reward type moves. Wasn't expecting much.
The Brooks situation is weird. I really think he might have just wanted to leave Seattle (and, speculating here, but caught JS off guard, which isn't a good look for him if true). Who knows, just what I kind of gather from various interviews.
I would not say free agency but we all kind of knew that. We did not have a ton of money in the first place this year. We got our typical retreads and burnouts with a couple of injured guys thrown in for good measure.
The success has not come in this years draft either. Our third round pick can’t beat best described by Mookie on FG
“Bradford has been dinged for five sacks given up, tied for most among all NFL guards.” He is also tied for the most penalties at 6. This is with shared time with Haynes. Meaning we have one of the worst guards in the league and our third round pick is worse.
Our biggest win is in the development of our young players. The only hope we have is with the core of this team developing into a bunch of special players. I think we brought in the right guy to teach our first, second and third year players.
" We got our typical retreads and burnouts with a couple of injured guys thrown in for good measure." dang, La'au, you nailed it.
"... with a couple of injured guys thrown in for good measure." ~ laughing,
... with an "ouch."
Yeah, thinking more on it since this article was posted, it's a little bit annoying that the Seahawks didn't roll the dice this season and let some really young, cheap guys play. The Seahawks could have always spent $15 million less in free agency and rolled that over into 2025 cap space, which is money they need. The Rams did this in 2023 and 2024 (with only one first round pick) and their defense (cheapest in the NFL) is better than Seattle's.
I said I wanted the good news first!!!
The good news is that they didn't commit to another Dre'Mont type FA contract. All these duds were here for an audition, and they can be sent packing without too much sunk into the future. Keep swinging John!
I wasn't sure how that poll would go but apparently most people want Bad News first.
I agree that it's good to not do a long-term bad deal. But $15-$20 million in cap space on those retreads like Baker, Dodson, Williams, Jenkins...that's $20 million that could have gone into 2025. Money you spend now is still money you can't spend next year.
A bad long-term deal is unquestionably a bad thing. As is what amounts to spending $70M on Tyrell Dodson—the only player on the list who has contributed.
The strategy of augmenting a roster with “value” signings is legit only when (1) the roster is good in the first place and (2) the “value” signings provide value. The less solid the roster, the more the GM must take risks in free agency. Schneider treats free agency like the rosters are much better than they are.
BTW, not to dredge up the past, but at some point—probably when he nearly got his knee torn up while being “protected” by Bradley Sowell and J’Marcus Webb—Russell Wilson surely took a look at the sad parade of offensive linemen that Schneider saddled him with and thought “They’re not even trying. The only plan I see is ‘Russ will figure something out.’” If it were me, I’d start losing confidence in management. Just saying.
JS should definitely be considering ways to save in 2025 to make a bigger push in the future. I think we can be just as good with guys like Knight and Bryant instead of Dodson and Jenkins, for example.
Based on your dead cap list, the only player I’d consider keeping is DK. I have been reflecting on how much we churned the roster in 2010-12 timeline.
The current feeling is “we are close” but I see major hopes and a trend where we have invested small amounts of money over a lot of positions that amounts to a lot of wasted money.
We need to be more ruthless on evaluating talent, spend money on guys we know will make a difference, and build through the draft.
Holes not “hopes”
Don't see them needing to do a ton on D , if they continue to learn MM system and learn together. I believe they have found a guy at MLB that fits and understands what being a MLB is about. I didn't think they would be having issues at corner, so they need to figure that out and add a true NT type stud. Then they should start to become a very good D as most of us expected. What really needs to happen is JS ,his scouts and evaluators have to get a grip on getting O-line talent. Yes, it's not easy but his record is woeful!
JS cannot be trusted to spend $$$ moving forward… Look where we are😩😩😩
I gotta squint real hard to see the bright side. That's why I was so excited with anticipation to read the GOOD NEWS that SJ was going to post in the comments....
Turns out it was just a "fill in the blank" where the blank is the entire good news that was said to be coming. Or maybe it was a "mad lib".
I feel like I got hornswaggled. No, wait....
Bamboozled
Ok, I got it... there are only 8 more games to go? No?
Sorry, the only bright sign I see for this year is the new attacking defense style that will still need some tweaking but is much easier to watch than the old " bend but don't break " of old that killed our time of possessions.
I think both Fants are gone along with Geno, Jones , Brown , Tomlinson, Lockett ,Trey Brown and Hankins. That should open enough cap space to improve the roster unless JS screws the pooch again. If the new FAs are duds JS might be gone as well.
With every new coaching staff it takes some time to find the right players for the new O and D schemes. Like it or not, this year is a rebuild.
I don't understand the Hunt to Fant comparison. Yeah, he is cheaper in the first year but a huge commitment for years to come. Could end up being like the Diggs and Adams contracts with big dead cap hits in the future whereas Fant can get out of pretty cleanly.
Hunt is $20M a year player with $44M guarantee: 5-year deal
Fant is $10.5M a year player with $11.5 guaranteed: 2-year deal
Hunt cost at least twice as much as Fant and up to 4 times as much (if they get cut after year 1).
If the Hawks cut Fant after the season he has a dead cap hit of $4.5M, if Hunt gets cut after the season, he has a dead cap hit of $37.5M!
Hunt is much, much more expensive. Not saying we shouldn't try to get him... But it changes the equation as we have to plan for future years of cap hits and potentially dead money if he doesn't work out. More risky but could be worth it I don't know.
Byron Murphy looks good and I'm super excited to have him in Seattle. That being said, remember when we all laughed at Sean McVay being upset that Murphy went to his rival team? I imagine him and Jared Verse clinking their campaign flutes together watching the highlights from our last game. I seem to recall a certain sports writer suggesting that the Seahawks maybe ought to pick that Verse guy, if given the opportunity (thought not if Murphy were still available, to be fair).
You keep bringing up signing Dre’Mont Jones instead of Zach Allen, I agree Jones has underwhelmed but I don't recall Allen being unanimously regarded as a better option at that time. Maybe Allen would have underwhelmed in Seattle as well. He certainly wouldn't have done exactly the same as Dre'mont but he woudn't match his Denver stats necessarily. Is Denvers defense better than Seattle's only because of these two players? Probably not......
I never doubted that Pete was an exceptional talent scout. He couldn’t predict which players would build careers and which ones would flameout due to injury or attitude. But I don’t think he missed on the essential question of whether a given player was an NFL athlete, NFL football player, both, or neither.
OTOH, I think Pete was a pretty bad value shopper. He didn’t seem to care if a player’s price tag was too high if he thought he wanted that player on his team. He wasn’t a particularly good forecaster, either, because he placed emphasis on winning today instead of hedging for the future.
As a shopper, JS reminds me of me, when I was young and poor and had to buy a formal work wardrobe. I shopped consignment, discount, and closeout sale racks only. I had to replace almost everything as soon as I had more money, because nothing lasted and all of it was meh. I learned that even discount prices could be an overpay, and that the hardest thing to do is to find value at the bottom end of the market. It’s much easier to find value at the higher end. You just have to be very careful and patient because your inevitable mistakes are more costly.
What a comment 🔥🔥🔥
Ruthanne, Double Rec on this.
Ernest Jones. May the 12s be with you and Go Seahawks!
Seems clear that Scot Mcloughan was the reason behind JS looking like a good GM early.
I appreciate honesty in a daily newsletter even if it means doom and gloom. If I want rainbows and sunshine, I'll read the Seattle Times coverage. Even today's poor report card from BC was far too generous IMO. Thanks for providing realistic perspectives SJJ.
As I was reading the article, I realized the Seahawks are acting cheap. Spending less money for low quality. Just like people who do this, it is more expensive long term when you have a shoddy product that you have up live with or replace frequently than spending more for quality. Balancing price and quality is the key.
Thank you!
Yeah, I wonder what Scot McLoughan would have done. Where is he now?
According Wikipedia, McCloughan runs a “scouting agency.” When he was in Washington, the Post ran article where he talked about being a former alcoholic. I remember thinking “Uh oh.”
Yes, when I googled him the other day to see what he was doing, he is listed as a scout, but wonder if anyone is utilizing him. I remember that the alcoholism rumor was out there as a reason that the Seahawks or McCloughan cut ties. I hope he is healthy for his sakes. What an eye for talent.