Seattle - under MM’s leadership is developing a Defensive philosophy that will serve as the base and eventually the core of the Seahawk team… MM deserves a great deal of credit and support in this Mental Rebuild!!!
Thanks for the response to the Q! Ray Roberts' had a really good assessment of O-line play in this article the other day for anyone looking to get a funny overview of it:
I hope they trade Walker. We need a brutal, fearless, north south runner. Think Chris Carson stylee. Robert's describing Walkers hesitation at the goalline - that just can't happen. Walker needs to just do the right thing. But he doesn't. So let's move on.
"Seattle should rather have two right tackles instead of risking another season with zero"
So, you're saying it's better to have and not need than need and not have? I could get behind that, except maybe it isn't better to have three tackles and zero quarterbacks. That's the delicate balance of being a GM in this salary cap era. I wish JS well.
DK is a hard sell to me at 32 /33 million. He has too many holes at this point to be paid like a top five guy. I am excited to see how Sataoa improves moving forward. He definitely got better as the game progressed last week. Understanding it's his very first game, it seems at least promising. They Have to resign Ernest Jones at MLB. He has been a godsend to the entire defense and is allowing everyone to just go play in the front seven. Yes, unfortunately you cannot count out the Rams, at least not yet.
DK vs. AJ by my eye is that DK seems stiffer and more brutish physically. AJ seems more fluid and quicker. DK tends to hold while blocking, even though he has the physical strength to handle any DB and most LBs... because of his lack of quick feet, IMHO. He just isn't as prolific as AJ Brown. I don't want JS to pay him like he is. We need to build the trenches... DL addressed, now it's OL turn
SSJ and you folks have upped my understanding for how the OLine can mask the run or pass by making LBs take a step forward for the Run, thus opening the pass into the middle behind them, when Geno takes the snap from under Center. By the second half last week, we were seeing them pair up effectively in double teams, moving guys back off of scrimmage up to 5 yards. Is that limit 1 yard or 2 before our Big Guys are penalized for "being downfield", if Geno goes with the Pass option?
So, the calculation is to take an OT and slide them into the guard position, if need be? I am liking the highlights on Abe and Sataoa opening running lanes using their double team dance, with Laken and Olu not doing too bad, either. Should we expect Laken to improve or is he as good as he'll get? I can see logic in taking the first 2 years to build an entire offensive line from drafted Rookies and making this Home to them. Might we hope that their play in the Jets game has showed Grubb something he can finally use as a foundation for a dozen different variations? No doubt the Cards have designed around Hayne's play. Will Abe/Sataoa surprise us all in their second showing? I very much look forward to our run game on Sunday.
Re: Haynes good example of Corbett and in some ways possibly our own Olu. Haynes was widely respected so sort of hard to say that around 100 NFL scouts etc were wrong about him. It may be he needs some gym time. So, offseason see what he does. We have an opening at LG. Get NFL coaching and see where he is next season. Some guys might just be a little immature at 22ish. He wouldn’t be the first.
Regarding delay in Williams being cut, they had a backup kick returner in Kenny but no backup punt returner, except maybe Tyler. My contention was they needed to find said player.
I go back and forth on DK, but lately, I've been leaning towards keeping him, and paying him a little less than you think, If he reverts to immature DK I might lean in the other direction, but notice he has cleaned his game up. I really believe he is still improving, though he will never have Lockett's hands, his are getting a little better because he is still working on his craft. I'd keep him. Keep him till he retires and keep improving at catering to what he CAN do and less about what he can NOT do.
Seems DK has no confidence in his hands. Maybe the coaches don't, either. I was excited to see him make a difficult one-handed catch during the summer, thinking he'd do well to intentionally use one hand catches in practice.
DK in the lineup vs out of the lineup gives us some examples of JSN's ceiling. JSN can get more targets because you cannot leave DK alone. The question can't be asked in isolation since JSN is better when there's a legit big-body target that requires safety help. JSN is not that, because he's not a huge person like DK. So, sure, $32M is probably impossible IF you want to also keep all the pieces of your building D and also pay some other key players who you really need to, like on the O-line.
The other part of this is whether you keep Geno. If Seattle gets into the playoffs—and that's no done deal at all—you probably have to extend Geno. His interceptions probably prevent too many other teams from trying to poach him, save that there's a wretched 2025 QB draft class so even an older QB FA will get more attention than usual. If Geno is gone definitely try to trade DK for what you can get... though that may not all happen in an orderly fashion and you'll start to lose your leverage if you're all the way at camp with no movement either way....
And the concerns I have about DK are all about his upside from here. Is he growing more reliable? Arguably, no. He's not "glue," meaning he doesn't catch everything you throw his way. Some of that is on Geno. Watching the revamped RW you can see that Wilson's ability to put air under the ball and still zip it in there is partly what Geno doesn't have. So DK not always adjusting is also down to Geno's sometimes iffy placement.
DK is not Noah Fant, who you keep hearing has talent and seems to make every effort to hide—and the guy can't block as well as the rookie tight ends on the roster. So, yes, DK busts his hump. He really does try. It's just not clear he's worthy of top money because he's just shy of top talent.
Seattle - under MM’s leadership is developing a Defensive philosophy that will serve as the base and eventually the core of the Seahawk team… MM deserves a great deal of credit and support in this Mental Rebuild!!!
Mookie, you write great articles. Happy to be on board.
Go Hawks
Are you trying to imply something?
Thanks for the response to the Q! Ray Roberts' had a really good assessment of O-line play in this article the other day for anyone looking to get a funny overview of it:
https://sports.mynorthwest.com/1791989/big-ray-roberts-seattle-seahawks-run-game-stuck/
I hope they trade Walker. We need a brutal, fearless, north south runner. Think Chris Carson stylee. Robert's describing Walkers hesitation at the goalline - that just can't happen. Walker needs to just do the right thing. But he doesn't. So let's move on.
Go Hawks
Excellent read. Really enjoyed Ray Robert’s this year!
That was hilarious. I read that yesterday and almost spit my coffee out. Good analogy though for what’s going on.
"Seattle should rather have two right tackles instead of risking another season with zero"
So, you're saying it's better to have and not need than need and not have? I could get behind that, except maybe it isn't better to have three tackles and zero quarterbacks. That's the delicate balance of being a GM in this salary cap era. I wish JS well.
DK is a hard sell to me at 32 /33 million. He has too many holes at this point to be paid like a top five guy. I am excited to see how Sataoa improves moving forward. He definitely got better as the game progressed last week. Understanding it's his very first game, it seems at least promising. They Have to resign Ernest Jones at MLB. He has been a godsend to the entire defense and is allowing everyone to just go play in the front seven. Yes, unfortunately you cannot count out the Rams, at least not yet.
DK vs. AJ by my eye is that DK seems stiffer and more brutish physically. AJ seems more fluid and quicker. DK tends to hold while blocking, even though he has the physical strength to handle any DB and most LBs... because of his lack of quick feet, IMHO. He just isn't as prolific as AJ Brown. I don't want JS to pay him like he is. We need to build the trenches... DL addressed, now it's OL turn
SSJ and you folks have upped my understanding for how the OLine can mask the run or pass by making LBs take a step forward for the Run, thus opening the pass into the middle behind them, when Geno takes the snap from under Center. By the second half last week, we were seeing them pair up effectively in double teams, moving guys back off of scrimmage up to 5 yards. Is that limit 1 yard or 2 before our Big Guys are penalized for "being downfield", if Geno goes with the Pass option?
If they are more than 1yd downfield. They are allowed 1yd.
So, the calculation is to take an OT and slide them into the guard position, if need be? I am liking the highlights on Abe and Sataoa opening running lanes using their double team dance, with Laken and Olu not doing too bad, either. Should we expect Laken to improve or is he as good as he'll get? I can see logic in taking the first 2 years to build an entire offensive line from drafted Rookies and making this Home to them. Might we hope that their play in the Jets game has showed Grubb something he can finally use as a foundation for a dozen different variations? No doubt the Cards have designed around Hayne's play. Will Abe/Sataoa surprise us all in their second showing? I very much look forward to our run game on Sunday.
Laken has to be a stop gap guy for 2024 only. Haynes has an offseason to get NFL strong and may be the replacement there.
That would be my thought as well. Laken is what he is at this point.
Re: Haynes good example of Corbett and in some ways possibly our own Olu. Haynes was widely respected so sort of hard to say that around 100 NFL scouts etc were wrong about him. It may be he needs some gym time. So, offseason see what he does. We have an opening at LG. Get NFL coaching and see where he is next season. Some guys might just be a little immature at 22ish. He wouldn’t be the first.
Regarding delay in Williams being cut, they had a backup kick returner in Kenny but no backup punt returner, except maybe Tyler. My contention was they needed to find said player.
I go back and forth on DK, but lately, I've been leaning towards keeping him, and paying him a little less than you think, If he reverts to immature DK I might lean in the other direction, but notice he has cleaned his game up. I really believe he is still improving, though he will never have Lockett's hands, his are getting a little better because he is still working on his craft. I'd keep him. Keep him till he retires and keep improving at catering to what he CAN do and less about what he can NOT do.
Seems DK has no confidence in his hands. Maybe the coaches don't, either. I was excited to see him make a difficult one-handed catch during the summer, thinking he'd do well to intentionally use one hand catches in practice.
DK in the lineup vs out of the lineup gives us some examples of JSN's ceiling. JSN can get more targets because you cannot leave DK alone. The question can't be asked in isolation since JSN is better when there's a legit big-body target that requires safety help. JSN is not that, because he's not a huge person like DK. So, sure, $32M is probably impossible IF you want to also keep all the pieces of your building D and also pay some other key players who you really need to, like on the O-line.
The other part of this is whether you keep Geno. If Seattle gets into the playoffs—and that's no done deal at all—you probably have to extend Geno. His interceptions probably prevent too many other teams from trying to poach him, save that there's a wretched 2025 QB draft class so even an older QB FA will get more attention than usual. If Geno is gone definitely try to trade DK for what you can get... though that may not all happen in an orderly fashion and you'll start to lose your leverage if you're all the way at camp with no movement either way....
And the concerns I have about DK are all about his upside from here. Is he growing more reliable? Arguably, no. He's not "glue," meaning he doesn't catch everything you throw his way. Some of that is on Geno. Watching the revamped RW you can see that Wilson's ability to put air under the ball and still zip it in there is partly what Geno doesn't have. So DK not always adjusting is also down to Geno's sometimes iffy placement.
DK is not Noah Fant, who you keep hearing has talent and seems to make every effort to hide—and the guy can't block as well as the rookie tight ends on the roster. So, yes, DK busts his hump. He really does try. It's just not clear he's worthy of top money because he's just shy of top talent.
Yeah, zero RTs sucks, so it 100% makes sense the first pick will be OL, either a pure OT or a guy with T experience who can move inside to G.
And, gotta take a QB.Howell is going to need some competition! 😊