Regarding the Seahawks Truth request I present the following. My unability to open the link to 'anonymously share your Seahawks Truth' leads me to post this openly.
Personally my first words here are to thank Seaside Joe for the enjoyment, researches, opinions, and relentless angles of articles about the Seahawks. It's unbelievable to me the time you put in your research. If it were me, literally I wouldn't have time to sleep or spend with family. Thank you for your devotion.
There is one thing I would like clear up if i may. It is about a previous Seahawk player, Russell Wilson. Recently, I posted my feelings about retiring the No. 3 due to the accomplishments Russell gained as a Seahawk.
My feelings were based upon articles I have read which could be nothing but speculation and definitely were not verified by me. Could you set me straight. My credence here were based upon articles discussing that Russell was requesting the removal of Offensive Coordinators, Brian Schottenheimer and Shane Waldron, also he was reported to go to the Seahawks administration and ask for the firing of Pete Carroll and John Schneider. Furthermore, there were reports that he felt superior over members of the team isolating himself from others, especially in the Denver venue. The impression I got was in contract negotiations is where he appeared reach out and to get the maximum dollar obtainable, to boost his ego. One last item (should you have an answer), the last Seahawks' offensive play of the Super Bowl 2014, did Russell Wilson change the play with an audible?
I have liked his abilities and greatly love his drive. I fully appreciate his accomplishments while playing for the Seahawks, and still love his long ball. One thing I don't want, and that is to be wrong on my assessment of him being a True Seahawk.
By the end of the season, the question of who should be extended first between Mafe, Woolen, and Bryant won't even be close. It's Coby Bryant. He's going to be our best free safety by the end of 2026 if we're smart enough to extend him next offseason. If Nick Emmanwori emerges as a good player, capable of playing SS full time, it will be Love's role that is first marginalized and then obsolete.
My reasoning is that Love and Bryant are too similar. They play the same position and have the same positional flexibility. They both lack the elite athleticism to be great outside CBs and are only adequate as nickel CBs. However, both have good instincts and field vision to diagnose plays, they tackle well enough, and can create turnovers. They both play best as center-fielder free safeties.
They shouldn't coexist on the same roster without one being on a rookie contract, and we should bet on the younger, still-ascending player.
Coby won the Jim Thorpe award as college football's best CB. He made up for the athletic limitations that made him a 4th round draft pick out of college by knowing his craft and working hard. Upon entering the NFL he's been asked to learn and play a completely new position and has successfully made that transition. I think he's smart, resilient, and both physically and mentally tough. This time last year, we didn't know if he'd make the final roster. When given his opportunity, he outplayed the guy in front of him on the depth chart. He continues to take strides forward and I'm excited to see how far he'll go (as long as JS/MM are smart enough to keep him).
I don't need to hide my truth - We have THE BEST throwback jerseys in the NFL, and we NEED to make them our normal jerseys. I will die on this hill and you should definitely @me if you disagree.
Here's another Seahawks truth: back-up QB's matter! There's a ton of energy around Milroe but for next year at least, what really matters is how Drew Lock has progressed (or hasn't progressed).
Was just reading about the NFL Kick-Off Game, is going to be Dallas/Eagles. The comment that struck me is that over the last 5 yrs since Hurts and Prescott have been in the division together, their head-to-head matchup is 2-1 Prescott over Hurts.
Yep. In 7 of their last 10 match-ups, either one or the other was hurt and didn't play. Imagine, that, fierce division rivalry and 70% of the time the QB's weren't at full strength.
Could easily happen to us -- I'm glad we have Lock back, think he's more ready than Howell was, but man we need him to be GOOD
As JS liked to say for the pass 10 years when the Hawks didn’t draft a QB, the board didn’t fall that way, well this year it did in the 3rd round. I hope that Jalen Milroe is in the offense on a 3rd and gold on the 7 yard line, but I’m more excited about Sam Darnold and the new offense in 2025. Let the ball fly and the runs bark free…
Here's my truth about the Seahawks, and about sports in general: It's magic. Every single player in the NFL is an extraordinary athlete capable of making his body do things I can't even dream of. But what makes teams win big games, over and over again, is magic. Or you can call it focus or belief or whatever. But it's magic if you're a fan of that team.
I keep going back to a Lions game I happened upon during the last part of Dan Campbell's first season, when it was by no means clear he would have a second season. You could see the players decide, on the field, in about the third quarter of a game they were losing (and they still lost, but they made it close) that they would do this thing together, that they believed.
I keep going back to those rare moments in pick-up hoops when I bloody well knew the ball was going in, and it did.
Or to watching the Sonics rise. Or 2013. Or those epic battles between Mahomes and Allen.
It feels like magic to a fan because it is. Because somehow the players and the coaches and the fans have all acquired, somehow, the certainty of victory. Of success. Scheme matters. Personnel matters. Crowd noise matters. But what matters fundamentally is that the whole team absolutely and without question believes they're going to win, that the third string TE with five catches on the season will go wild, that the CB plucked off the waiver wire two games before is going to play the game of his life, that the call the QB misheard and called anyway is going to work even if it sounds insane in the huddle.
That's the difference. That's what I'm waiting to see from this new coaching crew: Can they bring the magic? And it's what I'm waiting to see from the team as it coheres: Do they have the magic? Xs and Os will only take us so far. The weight room only does so much. The rest of the game is mental, and the mind is fully magical.
[Full disclosure: I write and don't particularly seek to publish speculative fiction for fun.]
Like when it’s 3rd down and short and Dr Dan comes in and you know he’s getting the ball and seems like every time it turns into a FD. Magic. Or when Kearse is falling to the ground and still catches that ball. If only he could’ve got up a split second faster. Or when we destroyed Steve Smith Panthers and made our first SB and the magic was in the air at Seahawks Stadium for so so long that no one wanted to leave.
I'm very optimistic because of Mike MacDonald and the coaching staff of this team. I think the defense will be very good, the offense will be ascending throughout the year, and special teams could be elite with all of the athletes Harbaugh has at his disposal. I love the vision Mike has for the team, and am really hopeful that he can get the team there.
Is the team complete yet? I don't know. Can a few of them go from good to great? Can a few of the rookies contribute right away? We'll see. Even if the team just takes a small step forward, 11 wins will get us into the dance, and I'd be happy with that.
The team is also setup financially really well for the next few years. So if there are gaps to fill, John should have the ammo to fill them.
I was fired up when Pete got to Seattle, and I'm just as fired up about Mike MacDonald. Different dudes with different approaches. Pete was the master motivator. Mike is the mad scientist and teller of truths. Looking forward to the next few seasons.
I think the best outcome for Milroe and the Hawks is that his athleticism will be used as a Slash like the Steelers used another athletic QB that wasn't an NFL quality QB. Cordell Stewart...QB/ RB/ WR/ KR. An offense using a Slash is an absolute nightmare for a defensive co-ordinater. Just another pain in the ass to prepare for!
And I’ll be there not to see (I’m with you on those colors. And flecks of silver!!! (Side question is it green or neon???)). But I’ll be there to counter those criticisms lol!
Please no Shaq G reunion. Plus I'm kinda concerned about our draft. Taking big guy from small school in round one is risky due to unproven competition. Next up a physical freak who tested well but has some formulating concerns. Follow that up with an injury riddled tight end and QB who went in the third round in a year where there are QB shortages. After that we start drafting specialists and special teamers. Now I am trying my best to have positive thoughts about our class, but I'm a realistic person and this class seems risky with a chance of some turning out OK with proper coaching and deployment.
And I think this point is so, so important. How many players could have been great, but were just in the wrong system with the wrong coaches, and never really got setup for success? I think that's why we saw them prioritize athletes in this draft. Everything else is teachable if you love football, if you have the right coaches who love teaching and are really good at it. We'll see.
Hey, I really loved the Pete Carroll era. That was a truly fun period of Seahawks football. I will continue to watch what he does with the Raiders. That said, I'm hooked on finding out the new identity of this 2025 iteration. I loved the draft choices and the guys we maintained. Defense solid and a who-knows-but-it-could-be-cool offense. Altogether it feels like a solid chance for a new rising of the Hawks. I almost hope there is a little rough sailing at the start, so we can see how they all respond to pressure.
That includes the head coach, who is hard to read and seems a little tightly wound sometimes.
Admittedly, it's not an easy job and he gets a few years to get acclimated. I hope he fulfills his defensive wunderkind advance notices. It feels like that should start to happen now.
That coaching nepotism is what did us in. Norton may be a great LB coach but he stunk as a DC. PC loved his guys way too much and we suffered for it. Totally agree. And do hope we have a new identity. Just what will it look like?
Pete forgot rule #1 (his rule #1)......protect the team. He prioritized the players over the team in his last 5-7 years, and that became a huge problem. Still love the guy for everything he did.
When was the last time the Alabama Crimson Tide lost 4 games in a season besides last year under QB1 Milroe? Anyone? He was almost benched but unfortunately the back up was even worse. The media hype in Seattle for a QB that hasn't shown even a modicum of accuracy is beyond my comprehension. He doesn't read defenses well and takes off running if the 1st two options aren't open.
According to one of the greatest QB whispers in the NFL, the late Bill Walsh, the 2 most important qualities he looked for in his QB is intelligence and accuracy. How long, if ever, will it take for Millroe to achieve those qualities?
Sadly you’re probably right. College is the place to get ready for the NFL, not the NFL. I’m not on the Milroe hype train either (at all), I’m just hoping at some point he proves me wrong. But virtually all data says a college low-accuracy QB is going to fail at the next level.
Except there’s Josh Allen. Figure out what flavor of Gatorade he was drinking and give it to Milroe.
Yes, Milroe had a better 2023 season than he did last year. He had fewer interceptions in 2023 by a large margin. I really like his attitude and his acceptance about his flaws and commitment to work on them. Maybe he’s only got a 33% shot at working out, but if he does he can be a top 5 QB. If he doesn’t, he can still be a valuable contributor to the team as a weapon, and taking a shot on the guy with the highest upside in the late 3rd round isn’t exactly a huge cost.
Every time this team has done a big shake up since JS became GM it seems like the national media and, to be honest, huge swaths of Seahawks fans, predict a big mess. And every single time it has been good. I love it. Gonna be a fun year.
You know Chuck I had that same feeling. What did we do wrong to get that grade. I do hope many of these young guys pan out and we get years of fun cheering them on.
I'm looking at Derrick Carr retiring with an apparently irreparable rotator cuff, going into the third year of his 4 year $150 million contract and I see Darnold's face. The strength of the Seahawks has been with its vibe: Pete, LOB, 2013 year magic and a lot of Seahawks who retire but remain in the Seattle area. Pete was the beating heart: I don't see that pulse in MM or JS. Grubb didn't get a hearing. A powerful cohesive culture can forge these new young talents into a force of nature. Kubiak and Harbaugh come from dads who knew how to build team culture. Do we have the right ingredients in these top four positions? Will MM and JS flex authority or are they myway/highway types?
I would encourage you to watch this extended interview of JS to maybe get a view of what type of person he is and what type of culture he seeks to create here. It was suggested by another commenter a few days ago and embedded by SSJ in one of his recent posts. It is very informative.
I am somewhat worried about all the new moving parts. I'm comforted thinking that MM is way better established (and Durde is a solid ADC) while Kubiak (KK) is a very experienced OC, and Harbaugh should be in good shape. So surehanded leadership seems to be in place. And they have $ yet to spend. But good fighting units must have cohesion, and that's the big unknowable. I guess the old saying "I feel strongly both ways" describes my gut feeling pretty well.
Regarding the Seahawks Truth request I present the following. My unability to open the link to 'anonymously share your Seahawks Truth' leads me to post this openly.
Personally my first words here are to thank Seaside Joe for the enjoyment, researches, opinions, and relentless angles of articles about the Seahawks. It's unbelievable to me the time you put in your research. If it were me, literally I wouldn't have time to sleep or spend with family. Thank you for your devotion.
There is one thing I would like clear up if i may. It is about a previous Seahawk player, Russell Wilson. Recently, I posted my feelings about retiring the No. 3 due to the accomplishments Russell gained as a Seahawk.
My feelings were based upon articles I have read which could be nothing but speculation and definitely were not verified by me. Could you set me straight. My credence here were based upon articles discussing that Russell was requesting the removal of Offensive Coordinators, Brian Schottenheimer and Shane Waldron, also he was reported to go to the Seahawks administration and ask for the firing of Pete Carroll and John Schneider. Furthermore, there were reports that he felt superior over members of the team isolating himself from others, especially in the Denver venue. The impression I got was in contract negotiations is where he appeared reach out and to get the maximum dollar obtainable, to boost his ego. One last item (should you have an answer), the last Seahawks' offensive play of the Super Bowl 2014, did Russell Wilson change the play with an audible?
I have liked his abilities and greatly love his drive. I fully appreciate his accomplishments while playing for the Seahawks, and still love his long ball. One thing I don't want, and that is to be wrong on my assessment of him being a True Seahawk.
By the end of the season, the question of who should be extended first between Mafe, Woolen, and Bryant won't even be close. It's Coby Bryant. He's going to be our best free safety by the end of 2026 if we're smart enough to extend him next offseason. If Nick Emmanwori emerges as a good player, capable of playing SS full time, it will be Love's role that is first marginalized and then obsolete.
My reasoning is that Love and Bryant are too similar. They play the same position and have the same positional flexibility. They both lack the elite athleticism to be great outside CBs and are only adequate as nickel CBs. However, both have good instincts and field vision to diagnose plays, they tackle well enough, and can create turnovers. They both play best as center-fielder free safeties.
They shouldn't coexist on the same roster without one being on a rookie contract, and we should bet on the younger, still-ascending player.
Coby won the Jim Thorpe award as college football's best CB. He made up for the athletic limitations that made him a 4th round draft pick out of college by knowing his craft and working hard. Upon entering the NFL he's been asked to learn and play a completely new position and has successfully made that transition. I think he's smart, resilient, and both physically and mentally tough. This time last year, we didn't know if he'd make the final roster. When given his opportunity, he outplayed the guy in front of him on the depth chart. He continues to take strides forward and I'm excited to see how far he'll go (as long as JS/MM are smart enough to keep him).
Thanks for joining my hype train for Coby :-)))
I don't need to hide my truth - We have THE BEST throwback jerseys in the NFL, and we NEED to make them our normal jerseys. I will die on this hill and you should definitely @me if you disagree.
Here's another Seahawks truth: back-up QB's matter! There's a ton of energy around Milroe but for next year at least, what really matters is how Drew Lock has progressed (or hasn't progressed).
Was just reading about the NFL Kick-Off Game, is going to be Dallas/Eagles. The comment that struck me is that over the last 5 yrs since Hurts and Prescott have been in the division together, their head-to-head matchup is 2-1 Prescott over Hurts.
Yep. In 7 of their last 10 match-ups, either one or the other was hurt and didn't play. Imagine, that, fierce division rivalry and 70% of the time the QB's weren't at full strength.
Could easily happen to us -- I'm glad we have Lock back, think he's more ready than Howell was, but man we need him to be GOOD
As JS liked to say for the pass 10 years when the Hawks didn’t draft a QB, the board didn’t fall that way, well this year it did in the 3rd round. I hope that Jalen Milroe is in the offense on a 3rd and gold on the 7 yard line, but I’m more excited about Sam Darnold and the new offense in 2025. Let the ball fly and the runs bark free…
Here's my truth about the Seahawks, and about sports in general: It's magic. Every single player in the NFL is an extraordinary athlete capable of making his body do things I can't even dream of. But what makes teams win big games, over and over again, is magic. Or you can call it focus or belief or whatever. But it's magic if you're a fan of that team.
I keep going back to a Lions game I happened upon during the last part of Dan Campbell's first season, when it was by no means clear he would have a second season. You could see the players decide, on the field, in about the third quarter of a game they were losing (and they still lost, but they made it close) that they would do this thing together, that they believed.
I keep going back to those rare moments in pick-up hoops when I bloody well knew the ball was going in, and it did.
Or to watching the Sonics rise. Or 2013. Or those epic battles between Mahomes and Allen.
It feels like magic to a fan because it is. Because somehow the players and the coaches and the fans have all acquired, somehow, the certainty of victory. Of success. Scheme matters. Personnel matters. Crowd noise matters. But what matters fundamentally is that the whole team absolutely and without question believes they're going to win, that the third string TE with five catches on the season will go wild, that the CB plucked off the waiver wire two games before is going to play the game of his life, that the call the QB misheard and called anyway is going to work even if it sounds insane in the huddle.
That's the difference. That's what I'm waiting to see from this new coaching crew: Can they bring the magic? And it's what I'm waiting to see from the team as it coheres: Do they have the magic? Xs and Os will only take us so far. The weight room only does so much. The rest of the game is mental, and the mind is fully magical.
[Full disclosure: I write and don't particularly seek to publish speculative fiction for fun.]
Like when it’s 3rd down and short and Dr Dan comes in and you know he’s getting the ball and seems like every time it turns into a FD. Magic. Or when Kearse is falling to the ground and still catches that ball. If only he could’ve got up a split second faster. Or when we destroyed Steve Smith Panthers and made our first SB and the magic was in the air at Seahawks Stadium for so so long that no one wanted to leave.
I'm very optimistic because of Mike MacDonald and the coaching staff of this team. I think the defense will be very good, the offense will be ascending throughout the year, and special teams could be elite with all of the athletes Harbaugh has at his disposal. I love the vision Mike has for the team, and am really hopeful that he can get the team there.
Is the team complete yet? I don't know. Can a few of them go from good to great? Can a few of the rookies contribute right away? We'll see. Even if the team just takes a small step forward, 11 wins will get us into the dance, and I'd be happy with that.
The team is also setup financially really well for the next few years. So if there are gaps to fill, John should have the ammo to fill them.
I was fired up when Pete got to Seattle, and I'm just as fired up about Mike MacDonald. Different dudes with different approaches. Pete was the master motivator. Mike is the mad scientist and teller of truths. Looking forward to the next few seasons.
I think the best outcome for Milroe and the Hawks is that his athleticism will be used as a Slash like the Steelers used another athletic QB that wasn't an NFL quality QB. Cordell Stewart...QB/ RB/ WR/ KR. An offense using a Slash is an absolute nightmare for a defensive co-ordinater. Just another pain in the ass to prepare for!
My Seahawks truth: No matter how critical I am, cut me open and I bleed blue and green.
And I’ll be there not to see (I’m with you on those colors. And flecks of silver!!! (Side question is it green or neon???)). But I’ll be there to counter those criticisms lol!
Please no Shaq G reunion. Plus I'm kinda concerned about our draft. Taking big guy from small school in round one is risky due to unproven competition. Next up a physical freak who tested well but has some formulating concerns. Follow that up with an injury riddled tight end and QB who went in the third round in a year where there are QB shortages. After that we start drafting specialists and special teamers. Now I am trying my best to have positive thoughts about our class, but I'm a realistic person and this class seems risky with a chance of some turning out OK with proper coaching and deployment.
Only thing I’d disagree with is Zabel coming from unproven competition. It’s true but for whatever reason, North Dakota State produces NFL linemen:
- Dillon Radunz
- Cody Mauch
- Billy Turner
- Cordell Volson
From what I’ve read, the reason is their coaching.
And I think this point is so, so important. How many players could have been great, but were just in the wrong system with the wrong coaches, and never really got setup for success? I think that's why we saw them prioritize athletes in this draft. Everything else is teachable if you love football, if you have the right coaches who love teaching and are really good at it. We'll see.
Hey, I really loved the Pete Carroll era. That was a truly fun period of Seahawks football. I will continue to watch what he does with the Raiders. That said, I'm hooked on finding out the new identity of this 2025 iteration. I loved the draft choices and the guys we maintained. Defense solid and a who-knows-but-it-could-be-cool offense. Altogether it feels like a solid chance for a new rising of the Hawks. I almost hope there is a little rough sailing at the start, so we can see how they all respond to pressure.
That includes the head coach, who is hard to read and seems a little tightly wound sometimes.
Admittedly, it's not an easy job and he gets a few years to get acclimated. I hope he fulfills his defensive wunderkind advance notices. It feels like that should start to happen now.
I did too, for a long while. But then a few things got tiresome:
- not holding Russ accountable, double standard
- all the quasi or actual nepotism where loyalty (good) overwhelmed critical performance assessment (bad)
- continuously thinking we were “just about there” when everyone else could tell we were never going to go deep in the playoffs
- his belief his culture could rescue anyone and turn them into their highest potential.
That’s why I was glad to see him go, even though he’s my all-time favorite Seahawks coach
And I think he’s going to do great turning around that dysfunctional Raiders culture
That coaching nepotism is what did us in. Norton may be a great LB coach but he stunk as a DC. PC loved his guys way too much and we suffered for it. Totally agree. And do hope we have a new identity. Just what will it look like?
Pete forgot rule #1 (his rule #1)......protect the team. He prioritized the players over the team in his last 5-7 years, and that became a huge problem. Still love the guy for everything he did.
Great comment, zezinhom.
When was the last time the Alabama Crimson Tide lost 4 games in a season besides last year under QB1 Milroe? Anyone? He was almost benched but unfortunately the back up was even worse. The media hype in Seattle for a QB that hasn't shown even a modicum of accuracy is beyond my comprehension. He doesn't read defenses well and takes off running if the 1st two options aren't open.
According to one of the greatest QB whispers in the NFL, the late Bill Walsh, the 2 most important qualities he looked for in his QB is intelligence and accuracy. How long, if ever, will it take for Millroe to achieve those qualities?
Sorry one thing to add: by all accounts Milroe is extremely intelligent. So he’s got that.
But I wonder if by “intelligence” Walsh meant processing and then making the right decision. A specific kind of QB intelligence.
Sadly you’re probably right. College is the place to get ready for the NFL, not the NFL. I’m not on the Milroe hype train either (at all), I’m just hoping at some point he proves me wrong. But virtually all data says a college low-accuracy QB is going to fail at the next level.
Except there’s Josh Allen. Figure out what flavor of Gatorade he was drinking and give it to Milroe.
Wasn’t last season the first year for Kalen DeBoer?
Yes, Milroe had a better 2023 season than he did last year. He had fewer interceptions in 2023 by a large margin. I really like his attitude and his acceptance about his flaws and commitment to work on them. Maybe he’s only got a 33% shot at working out, but if he does he can be a top 5 QB. If he doesn’t, he can still be a valuable contributor to the team as a weapon, and taking a shot on the guy with the highest upside in the late 3rd round isn’t exactly a huge cost.
Every time this team has done a big shake up since JS became GM it seems like the national media and, to be honest, huge swaths of Seahawks fans, predict a big mess. And every single time it has been good. I love it. Gonna be a fun year.
I was almost worried that we got mostly A and A+ grades on the draft! Our best years have so often been panned.
You know Chuck I had that same feeling. What did we do wrong to get that grade. I do hope many of these young guys pan out and we get years of fun cheering them on.
💯
💯percent!
I’m a hopeless blind homer fan for life!
GO SEAHAWKS!!
Absolutely. Love many players but I’m a team guy first. Little kid to an old guy. Never not a Hawks fan!
I'm looking at Derrick Carr retiring with an apparently irreparable rotator cuff, going into the third year of his 4 year $150 million contract and I see Darnold's face. The strength of the Seahawks has been with its vibe: Pete, LOB, 2013 year magic and a lot of Seahawks who retire but remain in the Seattle area. Pete was the beating heart: I don't see that pulse in MM or JS. Grubb didn't get a hearing. A powerful cohesive culture can forge these new young talents into a force of nature. Kubiak and Harbaugh come from dads who knew how to build team culture. Do we have the right ingredients in these top four positions? Will MM and JS flex authority or are they myway/highway types?
I would encourage you to watch this extended interview of JS to maybe get a view of what type of person he is and what type of culture he seeks to create here. It was suggested by another commenter a few days ago and embedded by SSJ in one of his recent posts. It is very informative.
https://youtu.be/Cutfr_C4GtI?feature=shared
I am somewhat worried about all the new moving parts. I'm comforted thinking that MM is way better established (and Durde is a solid ADC) while Kubiak (KK) is a very experienced OC, and Harbaugh should be in good shape. So surehanded leadership seems to be in place. And they have $ yet to spend. But good fighting units must have cohesion, and that's the big unknowable. I guess the old saying "I feel strongly both ways" describes my gut feeling pretty well.