It's like Kenny Rodgers said Joe, "You got to know when to hold em, know when to fold em, know when to walk away, know when to run." PC/JS must be fans. Great article Joe.
Geno Smith is almost TWO FULL YEARS younger than Russell Wilson. Not the same age. That seems somewhat overlooked and significant to me, especially at his position. And as someone else noted, he has a lot less mileage on the chassis as well. It also seems to me that the mentorship he received under 3 different "ironman" QBs should not be understated. He wasn't simply a career backup - even though - well, he was. Still smile as I think of us chanting, "Geno, Geno, Geno!" during the Denver game last year. I expect him to grow this year as a starter and as a offensive team leader after the experiences of last year. Love Russell Wilson, but really glad it's worked out the way it has. I don't have to sit there during games yelling, "Russ! Throw the f___ing ball! Just throw it!!" Go Seahawks!!
* Brooks was a bit overdrafted, but if healthy he's a solid starter. He never reached the Luke Kuechly ceiling some scouts had for him
* Lewis made the all rookie team at RG, then took his pains as a LG and came out the second year at the position much better. He's a keeper for the right price.
* Colby Parkinson excelled whenever he took the field (at one point last season he was the best tight end in the league by DVOA). Can he be good in a larger sample? I hope we find the answer this year.
* Darrell Taylor can be a fantastic long yardage rusher. Not as valuable as a every-down OLB, but the Seahawks had lots of success with guys that could only rush the QB and nothing else, as long as they did it really well. I'm expecting double digit sacks from Taylor this year as a rotational LEO.
* Dallas was also overdrafted, but the team may keep him if he takes vet minimum or close to it. He's our best gunner, he's a safe albeit unremarkable punt returner (but much better than people give him credit for) and Special Teams are a huge reason why we made the playoffs last year. And he's a fine emergency RB, which we need more often than not.
In the 2021 class, we found reliable swing tackles in the 6th round and in UDFA, which is amazing value. Jury still out on Tre and Dee due to their injuries.
No draft class is perfect, but I like the 2020 class quite a bit, and the team did the best they could with the paltry 2021 stock they got, just very unlucky with injuries.
If Jamal Adams come back to his own form and level of play, this team will be tremendous. If he doesn't, then he will be one more example of putting too many eggs in one basket. I hope that we never give up several draft picks for one player. We need large, good drafts every year. Isn't that pretty much how the Pats stayed on top for so long?
I don't have a clue what might be different about the Seahawks drafting philosophy but I sue hope it's sustainable. I have a feeling that overseeing the draft is a little like coaching an offense or defense in that you have to stay just a little bit ahead of the copy-cats who are watching you like a hawk and who will mimic and improve on your best efforts. Like a "Star Trek" multi-level, 3 dimensional game of chess.
May 14, 2023·edited May 14, 2023Liked by Seaside Joe
Looking at last years and this years' drafts and the previous drafts is astounding, and monumental is the word that comes to mind. I am thinking we were lucky to get two starters per draft prior to our last two drafts compared to 6 or 7 eventual starters from each draft. That is phenomenal work, and it mostly is the result of the unmeasurables. Football IQ, love of football, gratefulness, sanity, desire, grit, and some I have missed.
Fortunately or unfortunately, John and Pete have been outspoken about the change, and undoubtably will be copied. With success comes imitation. Then high character guys will become harder and harder to find late in the draft. Guys like Oluwatimi, and Mike Morris.
I'm stoked about how many of these guys have fallen in love with Seattle and how great a place it is to live in or around. Morris really really wanted to be drafted by Seattle even when it meant waiting till 151. He had even started putting on weight before the draft to prove to Seattle his commitment. He wanted to be HERE out of 32 teams. That means something and is a tradition that can be integral to the success of our team.
A few random thoughts. I’m looking forward to seeing Alton Robinson get a shot. After his first season, Pete said they should have played him more. Then he gets injured before last season starts. So there is potential. And Tyreke Smith missed out on his entire first season. He’s effectively a rookie this season. I seem to remember some thought he could have been a real draft steal, but an injury killed that thought last year.
While Geno is about the same age as RW, he’s played substantially fewer games and has less wear and tear on the body. So maybe, in NFL years, he’s about 28.
But all in all, the influx of talent, youth and speed of the past two drafts is just what this team needed. I can’t wait to see how this season pans out.
Count me in as one who will not dump on Russ. Sure Russ is somewhat quickly, but that doesn't detract from the amazing football he played for Seattle. What seems to be forgotten is how clutch Russ was. If Russ got the ball with 1.30 left on the clock, down by a converted TD or less, I always felt he would find a way to win it or push it into overtime.
The courage of John and Pete to trade Russ when they did is more than commendable. I can't remember a quarterback of his stature being traded at that point of his career. What they have done with their draft picks since is A plus. It's true we have no idea how this draft class is going to work out. On paper, I can see a way all of them make the 53 man roster and add to the teams over all success.
Four less points allowed per game, and 3 more scored, would give Seattle a 11 and 5 or a 10 and 6 record.
Ken is dead right, I could never have imagined this kind of optimizim before the Russ trade.
If all goes well Seattle has a good chance to win the NFC in 2024. This year the divisional round is a real possibility.
To paraphrase a sign in local shop: "We love ALL of our players; some when they come, some when they go."
I was a huge fan of Russ in his early career through the first two SB appearances, but the player be became while with the Seahawks was out of step with Pete's team building philosophy. JCPS tried to morph the team to accomodate Russ but the result was bad drafts and a decline in the team's performance results.
I give PCJS all the credit for the timing and result of the trade with Denver and the rebuild that has taken place, without (as a fan) having to go through a "lost" season or two as the Rams are doing now and as the Niners have done.
The 22+23 draft classes have the future looking bright again in Seattle!
Listening to Mike Salk and Brock Huard dump on Russell is excruciating, considering how much they fawned over him while he was in Seattle. It’s genuinely embarrassing.
A switch got flipped somewhere in John and Pete's exec suite, and the Seahawks went from years of substandard and losing drafts, to two brilliant drafts. What is the secret sauce? Who knows, John has merely said they are now drafting guys they like and want to the team (as opposed to what? drafting guys they didn't want on the team?). Look at this draft, early returns indicate that Seattle drafted three R1 talents and five R2 talents! John's mastery of the middle rounds continued with four exceptionally promising linemen. I suppose we will never know what enlightenment occurred in the war rooms, so let's sit back and enjoy the harvest.
It's like Kenny Rodgers said Joe, "You got to know when to hold em, know when to fold em, know when to walk away, know when to run." PC/JS must be fans. Great article Joe.
Geno Smith is almost TWO FULL YEARS younger than Russell Wilson. Not the same age. That seems somewhat overlooked and significant to me, especially at his position. And as someone else noted, he has a lot less mileage on the chassis as well. It also seems to me that the mentorship he received under 3 different "ironman" QBs should not be understated. He wasn't simply a career backup - even though - well, he was. Still smile as I think of us chanting, "Geno, Geno, Geno!" during the Denver game last year. I expect him to grow this year as a starter and as a offensive team leader after the experiences of last year. Love Russell Wilson, but really glad it's worked out the way it has. I don't have to sit there during games yelling, "Russ! Throw the f___ing ball! Just throw it!!" Go Seahawks!!
From 2020:
* Brooks was a bit overdrafted, but if healthy he's a solid starter. He never reached the Luke Kuechly ceiling some scouts had for him
* Lewis made the all rookie team at RG, then took his pains as a LG and came out the second year at the position much better. He's a keeper for the right price.
* Colby Parkinson excelled whenever he took the field (at one point last season he was the best tight end in the league by DVOA). Can he be good in a larger sample? I hope we find the answer this year.
* Darrell Taylor can be a fantastic long yardage rusher. Not as valuable as a every-down OLB, but the Seahawks had lots of success with guys that could only rush the QB and nothing else, as long as they did it really well. I'm expecting double digit sacks from Taylor this year as a rotational LEO.
* Dallas was also overdrafted, but the team may keep him if he takes vet minimum or close to it. He's our best gunner, he's a safe albeit unremarkable punt returner (but much better than people give him credit for) and Special Teams are a huge reason why we made the playoffs last year. And he's a fine emergency RB, which we need more often than not.
In the 2021 class, we found reliable swing tackles in the 6th round and in UDFA, which is amazing value. Jury still out on Tre and Dee due to their injuries.
No draft class is perfect, but I like the 2020 class quite a bit, and the team did the best they could with the paltry 2021 stock they got, just very unlucky with injuries.
If Jamal Adams come back to his own form and level of play, this team will be tremendous. If he doesn't, then he will be one more example of putting too many eggs in one basket. I hope that we never give up several draft picks for one player. We need large, good drafts every year. Isn't that pretty much how the Pats stayed on top for so long?
C’mon Joe. Michael Dickson’s a star too!
I don't have a clue what might be different about the Seahawks drafting philosophy but I sue hope it's sustainable. I have a feeling that overseeing the draft is a little like coaching an offense or defense in that you have to stay just a little bit ahead of the copy-cats who are watching you like a hawk and who will mimic and improve on your best efforts. Like a "Star Trek" multi-level, 3 dimensional game of chess.
Looking at last years and this years' drafts and the previous drafts is astounding, and monumental is the word that comes to mind. I am thinking we were lucky to get two starters per draft prior to our last two drafts compared to 6 or 7 eventual starters from each draft. That is phenomenal work, and it mostly is the result of the unmeasurables. Football IQ, love of football, gratefulness, sanity, desire, grit, and some I have missed.
Fortunately or unfortunately, John and Pete have been outspoken about the change, and undoubtably will be copied. With success comes imitation. Then high character guys will become harder and harder to find late in the draft. Guys like Oluwatimi, and Mike Morris.
I'm stoked about how many of these guys have fallen in love with Seattle and how great a place it is to live in or around. Morris really really wanted to be drafted by Seattle even when it meant waiting till 151. He had even started putting on weight before the draft to prove to Seattle his commitment. He wanted to be HERE out of 32 teams. That means something and is a tradition that can be integral to the success of our team.
A few random thoughts. I’m looking forward to seeing Alton Robinson get a shot. After his first season, Pete said they should have played him more. Then he gets injured before last season starts. So there is potential. And Tyreke Smith missed out on his entire first season. He’s effectively a rookie this season. I seem to remember some thought he could have been a real draft steal, but an injury killed that thought last year.
While Geno is about the same age as RW, he’s played substantially fewer games and has less wear and tear on the body. So maybe, in NFL years, he’s about 28.
But all in all, the influx of talent, youth and speed of the past two drafts is just what this team needed. I can’t wait to see how this season pans out.
Count me in as one who will not dump on Russ. Sure Russ is somewhat quickly, but that doesn't detract from the amazing football he played for Seattle. What seems to be forgotten is how clutch Russ was. If Russ got the ball with 1.30 left on the clock, down by a converted TD or less, I always felt he would find a way to win it or push it into overtime.
The courage of John and Pete to trade Russ when they did is more than commendable. I can't remember a quarterback of his stature being traded at that point of his career. What they have done with their draft picks since is A plus. It's true we have no idea how this draft class is going to work out. On paper, I can see a way all of them make the 53 man roster and add to the teams over all success.
Four less points allowed per game, and 3 more scored, would give Seattle a 11 and 5 or a 10 and 6 record.
Ken is dead right, I could never have imagined this kind of optimizim before the Russ trade.
If all goes well Seattle has a good chance to win the NFC in 2024. This year the divisional round is a real possibility.
To paraphrase a sign in local shop: "We love ALL of our players; some when they come, some when they go."
I was a huge fan of Russ in his early career through the first two SB appearances, but the player be became while with the Seahawks was out of step with Pete's team building philosophy. JCPS tried to morph the team to accomodate Russ but the result was bad drafts and a decline in the team's performance results.
I give PCJS all the credit for the timing and result of the trade with Denver and the rebuild that has taken place, without (as a fan) having to go through a "lost" season or two as the Rams are doing now and as the Niners have done.
The 22+23 draft classes have the future looking bright again in Seattle!
Regarding the Russell Wilson trade. Russ was the best QB in team history ... period!
Real Hawk fans will always honor his accomplishments
rightfully so.
However. In the immortal words of that great Dodger GM Branch Rickey, " It's better to trade a player a year early than a year late."
Ergo the Wilson trade.
John and Pete should be indicted for Grand Larceny for the trade results!!!
Listening to Mike Salk and Brock Huard dump on Russell is excruciating, considering how much they fawned over him while he was in Seattle. It’s genuinely embarrassing.
Isn’t Bo Melton with the Packers?
A switch got flipped somewhere in John and Pete's exec suite, and the Seahawks went from years of substandard and losing drafts, to two brilliant drafts. What is the secret sauce? Who knows, John has merely said they are now drafting guys they like and want to the team (as opposed to what? drafting guys they didn't want on the team?). Look at this draft, early returns indicate that Seattle drafted three R1 talents and five R2 talents! John's mastery of the middle rounds continued with four exceptionally promising linemen. I suppose we will never know what enlightenment occurred in the war rooms, so let's sit back and enjoy the harvest.