One outstanding attribute I have not mentioned about Kenneth Walker lll is his ability to side step or if you prefer to make a tackler miss while running full speed. I played with only a few players who could do this and there are only a few in the NFL. The trick to the side step feint or juke is being able to do so without losing much speed. In Walkers case and a few others they can do this without losing any speed, so any would be tackler coming from behind gains no ground.
I understand your reasoning for not picking a center in the first round and I think our guy this year will be perfect for the Waldron offense.
I did mention this before regarding Abe Lucas, and let me qualify I think he will win the job on merit. If however the learning curve is to steep there is nothing wrong with him sitting for half the season or more if needed. He is such a promising talent that I would rather have him chomping at the bit to play instead of him getting his confidence ruined. I have seen Charles Cross run block and it doesn't seem a problem. Unfortunately I have not seen any film of Lucas run blocking.
I have already forgotten the name of the Disney reporter you spoke of. He is obviously very lazy and doesn't mind putting his name on something he has done no homework. How did he ever get the job and he must not appreciate how lucky he is to write about sport and the NFL.
My bridge veteran to compete with Lock would have been/should be Nick Foles. Just having played at a level for a short time with a SB outcome is good for a QB room. Smith hasn't accounted for his off-season incident from my perspective.
I think Pete really believes Lock is better than anyone in this draft, and he comes with experience. Pete sees those shining moments where Lock fit passes where not everyone can, and has athleticism to keep plays alive. He probably thinks they can fix the interceptions as many of them were not managed throws--they had some desperation to them. Pete won't want that.
And Drew is still young, growing, and sitting on a bench, while humbling, can make a guy think about what he would do with his next opportunity. That's what Smith has done, and did some good things with his opportunity last year.
Drew's game against KC in the final last year was solid. It's what Pete wants to do, and if the RB doesn't fumble, they'd feel good about their chances to win that game.
I think Pete would also like to win the trade, and Lock starting and playing well would do just that--because Fant and Harris are nice pieces.
If Lock wins the job outright that would be the best possible outcome for the team. Lock I believe is only 25 and was treated like something you might find on the bottom of your shoe. Pete believes Lock would have been the first QB taken if this was his class. I completely agree he has a gun for his arm and runs very well. Drew needs support if he makes a mistake, Pete will point it out but won't beat him up
Not to belabor this point too much, but I've seen you reference a few times that Abe Lucas played in an Air Raid scheme his whole career. I think that's a bit inaccurate, as he and WSU ran over 40% of the time the last two years. Previous HC Nick Rolovich ran the Run 'n Shoot which is not descended from the Air Raid to my knowledge. It's a small quibble but in the interest of being factual I think it matters.
ABE LUCAS - Seems like PC has been more conservative recent years playing the veteran tried+true rather than the potential blue chip rookie. Playing the rookies early as he used to do and giving them experience worked because that was safer early rather then later in season when teams had “kinks “ worked out. Since we have so little chance to do anything meaningful in post season this year, why not give our rookies as much play time as we can, prudently? Everything that we do this year should be in preparation for next year!
I choose CB for the biggest need cause we saw so much players pass and leave at the position since the departure of Sherman. I liked the way it was when one side of the field was taken care and you could start a good rookie cb on the other side.
I said I would choose at random, but Francois since you are the first comment I will also give YOU a free comp for the 2022 season. Just goes to show everyone reading this that you never know what will happen here at Seaside Joe!
I will still choose two more people for free subscriptions!
Jul 13, 2022·edited Jul 14, 2022Liked by Seaside Joe
First thought after reading : For the last several contract cycles ("seasons") there's been a slow if steadily rising drumbeat around the question, "when will a team finally say NO to the cycle of rapidly diminishing returns apparent after so many massive multi-year QB contracts...?"
While the hacks and shills of the media monoliths (and their acolytes) keep busy feeding the paymasters daily/weekly memes of the moment into the echo chamber, the 'Hawks went and answered the question quite clearly and distinctly... 2022.
Strangely, instead of sparking practical conversations about the differing ways to operate the blunt end of the business, the situation was met with resounding silence. In fact, the opposite is true. The team has largely been dismissed -- even outright ridiculed -- with a few notable exceptions.
Whose "football IQ" do you trust more, former player/scout Bucky Brooks or puffy corporate desk jockey Bill Barnwell? Former player/GM Louis Riddick or plastic corporate desk jockey Mel Kiper?
Thanks Ken for aligning with the former, as opposed to the latter, and the dialogue that follows.
Consider for a moment : where are all the "feel good" redemption tales league media loves to drop on a daily basis? Young Drew getting a fresh start? Geno "growing up" and finally getting a legit second chance? Instead, it's all snark and ill-informed narratives cooked up in an editorial meeting.
"Seaside Joe" is proving to be a genuine breath of fresh air, sucking the hype out of everything it touches. Your efforts have partially redeemed a *long-damaged* relationship with sports commentary, based on years of proximity to different levels of the game back in my native Cascadia.
I’m really surprised WR was the lowest perceived need on this team of the positions listed. I’d have stuck kicker on their too just to see, but I know they are completely undervalued from a draft perspective, even when games can be won or lost on their leg. That always struck me as odd (see Walsh, Blair). I guess RBs are currently been kicked down the stairs to join kickers in the positional basement.
But anyway, WRs. We have the Demi-god DK, the irrepressible but ageing Tyler, a who-knows-what in Eskridge and a bunch of waiver wire danglers that would be lucky to get another shot elsewhere. And you can never have too many wide receivers! A clear number one priority to me.
There and again, I am knowingly saying that when deep down all I want next year is Will Anderson, everything else be damned.
run polls to “take a day off” but KenJoe curated questions carefully and explains what’s behind them, what influences are at work, and then walks through the results - NOT a day off for K/J!
Thanks - and I don’t count out Geno or Lock - McVay got to a SB with Goff and backups. He hid QB weakness with Quick release plays, a quality run game and a few threats who can stretch the field - maybe Shane can produce results!
Although online surveys cannot be considered representative, I am very suprised and pleased with the results of this survey. If it truly is representative of the Seahawks fan base, bravo! And it goes to show how a vocal minority can misrepresent public opinion, as many have called for Pete's head instead of Wilson's. But in reality, Pete gave us our first super bowl, not Russ. Russ made some great 3rd down throws during our SB run, but those were mainly against single coverage go routes. Yes, he was great at those throws, but any solid (not great) NFL QB is expected to make those. The year we won the SB, he was a replacement level QB - look back at the stats. We would've won the same amount of games with Dilfer at QB. The 'better' Russ got, the worse the Hawks were. Add the diva-like attitude, and it was unfortunate the contract was structured such that we couldn't get rid of him earlier.
As for his replacrment? I hope we don't replacd him with another Russ. What we need is another Dilfer, as Pete has proven in the past. Don't ignore what has worked in the past.
That's a pretty harsh review on Russ, but I understand where you are coming from. The rise of his branding coincided with the diminishing success of the Seahawks and it's hard to separate the two. The Seahawks overall roster certainly got worse as Russ made more money, but we also had less success acquiring new cheap talent. I don't think it's fair to give all the credit for our Super Bowl run to Pete and none to Russ. He may not have been an elite QB at that point, but you only had to watch him play to know that his value went beyond the stats. I don't care if it was skill or dumb luck; but he was the right guy for the team we had at the time we needed him. Whether Trent Dilfer or anyone else could have lead that team to back-to-back Super Bowls shouldn't diminish the fact that Russ actually did it.
Center seems crazy a a priority to me unless just drafting a center anywhere in the draft qualifies. I said Edge. Unless someone steps up big in 2022 we will need to add to the pass rush. In my opinion a bunch of JAGs just won’t cut it if your goal is to win a super bowl, which it is. Number two for me would be corner, followed by receiver, but those two are razor close.
I appreciate that you keep Barnwell accountable. All these "insiders" who constantly hear from "sources" about click-baity team moves that don't happen need to weeded out. I'd love to see an accountability score assigned to every writer (and politician!) so readers can assess how valid their prognostications are. Josiah Anderson doubled down on the Seahawks - Mayfield rumors after he was traded! Zero credibility going forward.
I was under the impression that Washington state moved away from the air raid offense, the stat I read post draft is that Washington ran the ball %45 of the time in Lucas' last year there, and had a fairly high run percentage his 2nd to last year there, any thoughts on him being more ready for a pro offense than many speculate?
Expectations for a third round tackle should be "cautious" to begin with. Let's not forget some of Seattle's other day two and day three OL picks over the previous 12 years. Let's just hope he is a viable starter by 2023, anything else is a bonus.
Back in the Blair Bush days the center position seemed more highly regarded. It was my understanding that when Vegas established odds the injuries they took most seriously after QB were center and CB. Maybe that's changed. Regardless, why do you think the center position isn't as valuable as it used to be?
Without looking it up, how many centers can you name that reached the AFC or NFC title games from 2018 to 2021? I can tell you that the Rams did just fine with Brian Allen, a player who they had almost cut in 2020. They were doing fine with Austin Blythe before him, a player who was on the bench last year. Not a lot of the best teams even value center. Seahawks have all the needs at other positions of note. It's not me, it's the NFL.
One outstanding attribute I have not mentioned about Kenneth Walker lll is his ability to side step or if you prefer to make a tackler miss while running full speed. I played with only a few players who could do this and there are only a few in the NFL. The trick to the side step feint or juke is being able to do so without losing much speed. In Walkers case and a few others they can do this without losing any speed, so any would be tackler coming from behind gains no ground.
I understand your reasoning for not picking a center in the first round and I think our guy this year will be perfect for the Waldron offense.
I did mention this before regarding Abe Lucas, and let me qualify I think he will win the job on merit. If however the learning curve is to steep there is nothing wrong with him sitting for half the season or more if needed. He is such a promising talent that I would rather have him chomping at the bit to play instead of him getting his confidence ruined. I have seen Charles Cross run block and it doesn't seem a problem. Unfortunately I have not seen any film of Lucas run blocking.
I have already forgotten the name of the Disney reporter you spoke of. He is obviously very lazy and doesn't mind putting his name on something he has done no homework. How did he ever get the job and he must not appreciate how lucky he is to write about sport and the NFL.
That full speed cut in the video broke my ankles just seeing it. Walker's gonna be fun
I understand the run concerns, but they'll get reps in practice and preseason. He's already working out from that stance in the gym would be my guess.
I am positive he is and I think he will win the job, much sooner than later !
My bridge veteran to compete with Lock would have been/should be Nick Foles. Just having played at a level for a short time with a SB outcome is good for a QB room. Smith hasn't accounted for his off-season incident from my perspective.
I think Pete really believes Lock is better than anyone in this draft, and he comes with experience. Pete sees those shining moments where Lock fit passes where not everyone can, and has athleticism to keep plays alive. He probably thinks they can fix the interceptions as many of them were not managed throws--they had some desperation to them. Pete won't want that.
And Drew is still young, growing, and sitting on a bench, while humbling, can make a guy think about what he would do with his next opportunity. That's what Smith has done, and did some good things with his opportunity last year.
Drew's game against KC in the final last year was solid. It's what Pete wants to do, and if the RB doesn't fumble, they'd feel good about their chances to win that game.
I think Pete would also like to win the trade, and Lock starting and playing well would do just that--because Fant and Harris are nice pieces.
I had Nick Foles high on my list too, prior to Foles signing with the Colts, which made all the sense in the world.
Oh, Kenneth, I missed the signing. Thanks. Matty has been durable, but you never know.
Watch Matt get them close, get hurt, Foley finishes...loo
If Lock wins the job outright that would be the best possible outcome for the team. Lock I believe is only 25 and was treated like something you might find on the bottom of your shoe. Pete believes Lock would have been the first QB taken if this was his class. I completely agree he has a gun for his arm and runs very well. Drew needs support if he makes a mistake, Pete will point it out but won't beat him up
Wow, look at all these comments! Thanks everybody! Will randomly choose two comments for gift subscriptions for the 2022 Seahawks season!
Not to belabor this point too much, but I've seen you reference a few times that Abe Lucas played in an Air Raid scheme his whole career. I think that's a bit inaccurate, as he and WSU ran over 40% of the time the last two years. Previous HC Nick Rolovich ran the Run 'n Shoot which is not descended from the Air Raid to my knowledge. It's a small quibble but in the interest of being factual I think it matters.
Thank you for the clarification!
ABE LUCAS - Seems like PC has been more conservative recent years playing the veteran tried+true rather than the potential blue chip rookie. Playing the rookies early as he used to do and giving them experience worked because that was safer early rather then later in season when teams had “kinks “ worked out. Since we have so little chance to do anything meaningful in post season this year, why not give our rookies as much play time as we can, prudently? Everything that we do this year should be in preparation for next year!
I used a random number generator and your comment came up and you won! Thanks for commenting and being a regular at Seaside Joe, Keith!
Ken
Thanks
Much Appreciated
Keith Porter
I choose CB for the biggest need cause we saw so much players pass and leave at the position since the departure of Sherman. I liked the way it was when one side of the field was taken care and you could start a good rookie cb on the other side.
I said I would choose at random, but Francois since you are the first comment I will also give YOU a free comp for the 2022 season. Just goes to show everyone reading this that you never know what will happen here at Seaside Joe!
I will still choose two more people for free subscriptions!
Thanks I very much appreciate!
First thought after reading : For the last several contract cycles ("seasons") there's been a slow if steadily rising drumbeat around the question, "when will a team finally say NO to the cycle of rapidly diminishing returns apparent after so many massive multi-year QB contracts...?"
While the hacks and shills of the media monoliths (and their acolytes) keep busy feeding the paymasters daily/weekly memes of the moment into the echo chamber, the 'Hawks went and answered the question quite clearly and distinctly... 2022.
Strangely, instead of sparking practical conversations about the differing ways to operate the blunt end of the business, the situation was met with resounding silence. In fact, the opposite is true. The team has largely been dismissed -- even outright ridiculed -- with a few notable exceptions.
Whose "football IQ" do you trust more, former player/scout Bucky Brooks or puffy corporate desk jockey Bill Barnwell? Former player/GM Louis Riddick or plastic corporate desk jockey Mel Kiper?
Thanks Ken for aligning with the former, as opposed to the latter, and the dialogue that follows.
Consider for a moment : where are all the "feel good" redemption tales league media loves to drop on a daily basis? Young Drew getting a fresh start? Geno "growing up" and finally getting a legit second chance? Instead, it's all snark and ill-informed narratives cooked up in an editorial meeting.
"Seaside Joe" is proving to be a genuine breath of fresh air, sucking the hype out of everything it touches. Your efforts have partially redeemed a *long-damaged* relationship with sports commentary, based on years of proximity to different levels of the game back in my native Cascadia.
CB is my vote after QB in 2023. I’m hopeful Tre Brown impresses and we draft another stub CB to pair with him.
I’m really surprised WR was the lowest perceived need on this team of the positions listed. I’d have stuck kicker on their too just to see, but I know they are completely undervalued from a draft perspective, even when games can be won or lost on their leg. That always struck me as odd (see Walsh, Blair). I guess RBs are currently been kicked down the stairs to join kickers in the positional basement.
But anyway, WRs. We have the Demi-god DK, the irrepressible but ageing Tyler, a who-knows-what in Eskridge and a bunch of waiver wire danglers that would be lucky to get another shot elsewhere. And you can never have too many wide receivers! A clear number one priority to me.
There and again, I am knowingly saying that when deep down all I want next year is Will Anderson, everything else be damned.
Great analysis - so many click hunters
(I should capitalize the “c” to reduce ambiguity)
run polls to “take a day off” but KenJoe curated questions carefully and explains what’s behind them, what influences are at work, and then walks through the results - NOT a day off for K/J!
Thanks - and I don’t count out Geno or Lock - McVay got to a SB with Goff and backups. He hid QB weakness with Quick release plays, a quality run game and a few threats who can stretch the field - maybe Shane can produce results!
Although online surveys cannot be considered representative, I am very suprised and pleased with the results of this survey. If it truly is representative of the Seahawks fan base, bravo! And it goes to show how a vocal minority can misrepresent public opinion, as many have called for Pete's head instead of Wilson's. But in reality, Pete gave us our first super bowl, not Russ. Russ made some great 3rd down throws during our SB run, but those were mainly against single coverage go routes. Yes, he was great at those throws, but any solid (not great) NFL QB is expected to make those. The year we won the SB, he was a replacement level QB - look back at the stats. We would've won the same amount of games with Dilfer at QB. The 'better' Russ got, the worse the Hawks were. Add the diva-like attitude, and it was unfortunate the contract was structured such that we couldn't get rid of him earlier.
As for his replacrment? I hope we don't replacd him with another Russ. What we need is another Dilfer, as Pete has proven in the past. Don't ignore what has worked in the past.
That's a pretty harsh review on Russ, but I understand where you are coming from. The rise of his branding coincided with the diminishing success of the Seahawks and it's hard to separate the two. The Seahawks overall roster certainly got worse as Russ made more money, but we also had less success acquiring new cheap talent. I don't think it's fair to give all the credit for our Super Bowl run to Pete and none to Russ. He may not have been an elite QB at that point, but you only had to watch him play to know that his value went beyond the stats. I don't care if it was skill or dumb luck; but he was the right guy for the team we had at the time we needed him. Whether Trent Dilfer or anyone else could have lead that team to back-to-back Super Bowls shouldn't diminish the fact that Russ actually did it.
I don't think Russ was replacement level. He was growing in his craft. How old was he when he won the SB? Same age Lock is now.
Hopefully Drew will grow into a fantastic QB. He's still young, learning. These guys see something, and it's worth the look
I agree with almost everything but Dilfer as a leader yes as a game manager yes as the QB I want my bar is higher but I get it
Center seems crazy a a priority to me unless just drafting a center anywhere in the draft qualifies. I said Edge. Unless someone steps up big in 2022 we will need to add to the pass rush. In my opinion a bunch of JAGs just won’t cut it if your goal is to win a super bowl, which it is. Number two for me would be corner, followed by receiver, but those two are razor close.
I appreciate that you keep Barnwell accountable. All these "insiders" who constantly hear from "sources" about click-baity team moves that don't happen need to weeded out. I'd love to see an accountability score assigned to every writer (and politician!) so readers can assess how valid their prognostications are. Josiah Anderson doubled down on the Seahawks - Mayfield rumors after he was traded! Zero credibility going forward.
Best O-line available. Need to know what we have then let a higher power sort them out!
I was under the impression that Washington state moved away from the air raid offense, the stat I read post draft is that Washington ran the ball %45 of the time in Lucas' last year there, and had a fairly high run percentage his 2nd to last year there, any thoughts on him being more ready for a pro offense than many speculate?
yes, that's my bad!
Expectations for a third round tackle should be "cautious" to begin with. Let's not forget some of Seattle's other day two and day three OL picks over the previous 12 years. Let's just hope he is a viable starter by 2023, anything else is a bonus.
Back in the Blair Bush days the center position seemed more highly regarded. It was my understanding that when Vegas established odds the injuries they took most seriously after QB were center and CB. Maybe that's changed. Regardless, why do you think the center position isn't as valuable as it used to be?
Without looking it up, how many centers can you name that reached the AFC or NFC title games from 2018 to 2021? I can tell you that the Rams did just fine with Brian Allen, a player who they had almost cut in 2020. They were doing fine with Austin Blythe before him, a player who was on the bench last year. Not a lot of the best teams even value center. Seahawks have all the needs at other positions of note. It's not me, it's the NFL.