Darko's annual offseason thread

[Danny Darko]

After a strangely "successful" year and playoff win we find ourselves without an early pick somehow, but we have some hope, Pete Carroll, and the fond memories of last offseason when we stole Chris Clemons, tripped over a free Raheem Brock, learned about Red Dead Redemption Bryant's prowress at end, enacted our secret sleeper agent Mike "pretend to suck until Pete can coach you" Williams, and drafted a pair aces in Okung and Thomas.

let's take a trip to the wayback machine first:

What I liked the most over the season

-We found a freaking Left Tackle. Forget about the injury- we got a manimal with a nasty mean streak, upper body strength to dominate, and quick feet (when they aren't sprained).

-Pumped and also Jacked. people bought in or they were Housh'd. Culture matters. I like ours.

-Mike Williams from out of nowhere gives us a unique weapon

-Beast Mode. I like our half backs. we ditched Julius Jones then sent him fishing in the playoffs.

-An end to the endless end question. We could use a little depth and we need to resign Brock, but all those mocks still claiming we'll aim for an end are behind the times. Clem, Brock, and Bryant are a nice trio, now we can find ourselves a backup for red and call it a day.

What i disliked over the season

-The guard situation. Got better with time but Hamilton & pitts were flops. Unger went out and hard, and Andrews played like a giant wuss. I don't know if Gibson and Polumbus are the guys, but they played well enough to earn my respect and I know we need to keep Tyler around for depth at tackle and guard.

-Corner backs. Tru came out strong then aged 15 years in a couple of weeks. Jennings is my least favorite 'Hawk, but rejoice for he is all but assuredly gone with free agency. Thurmond has promise but I wanted to see more good things and instead he often looked confused(something i can forgive a rookie coming off an injury for).

-Linebackers. Supposed to be a strength, but Lofa looked like he played on two bum knees (he did), Curry had moments but dominated nothing other than twitter, and I kept longing to put Heater in at mlb. What to do with our fallen warrior in the middle? Can Hill come back for any quality anything?

-QB. I'm not fooled by the playoff game or a few solid outings Hass is a b.s. starter. Nevermind his crusade against porn (no I'm serious- Hass's crusade to end porn), but he had a last hurrah, let's thank him for being about our best QB to date and call it a career. Or call him a player coach at 2nd string.

That's a crude start to the offseason thread. To follow will be a breakdown of the coaching, including what we can expect from Cable and Bevell. I'm sure we'll also want to discuss all the free agents (there is a record number 500+ this year depending on the CBA), the CBA (please no freaking lockout), and the reclaimation projects that are coming in. Pete and the Schneid have already begun signing some interesting projects (Piurowski & the 6'4 CB Browner)

Let the madness begin! we will never have to worry about dull offseasons under the Carroll regime.

[TTown]

Great post.

I'm really interested in seeing Brandon Browner. He struggled with ultra-quick receivers at Oregon State, but he did well enough to get himself on the All Pac-10 team as a sophomore. He got some bad draft advice, gave up his final two years of eligibility, went undrafted, and last I heard he was up in Canada. I mocked the Mike Williams signing last summer, but after eating my hat I now defer to PC on all former-bust NFL reclamation projects.

[Danny Darko]

Great post.

I'm really interested in seeing Brandon Browner. He struggled with ultra-quick receivers at Oregon State, but he did well enough to get himself on the All Pac-10 team as a sophomore. He got some bad draft advice, gave up his final two years of eligibility, went undrafted, and last I heard he was up in Canada. I mocked the Mike Williams signing last summer, but after eating my hat I now defer to PC on all former-bust NFL reclamation projects.

Well according to half of the posters on Seahawks.net Browner was studly in canada and has learned to deal with speed by playing smart. the other half are screaming Ricky Foley, but you have to like the way Pete looks under rocks for talent.

[HeavyP]

Time for my appearance as this is my favorite time of year! I love the NFL draft. I'm going to try to go again this year (I went last year, and it was fantastic). Anyways, I think the Seahawks have holes EVERYWHERE. Also, our schedule next year is so incredibly brutal that I can't imagine us being back in the playoffs.

Our 2011 Schedule:
Home Games: Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, St. Louis Rams, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals
Road Games: Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, St. Louis Rams, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers

Ugh. That being said, I don't know if we have to grab a QB for the sake of grabbing one (in the first 2 rounds). I think we can wait 1 more year (However, I'd still take Gabbert, or Locker if they were available at 25). But, overall I agree with Danny Darko on the holes of the team.

[Danny Darko]

i love offseasons with Carroll and the Scheid. I hope the ted Thompson wore off on Schneid and if they do pick it's for whoever wherever we get the best player. That being said, I wish and hope it's a QB.

Hope you bring us more good luck Heavy!

I noticed that Mora recently went on a binge of trashing Ra Rah college style coaches and it was a not very veiled comment directly to Pete, so let me get into the subject of Coaching for just long enough to delay my inevitable wish to do a mock draft.

Head Coach- PC
Culture can really make teams and so can having zero attachment to players that aren't getting it done. Ok so Pete held on to Matt and didn't give Charlie much of a preview, but i will defer to his scouting, which I trust. I don't totally disagree with Sour Grapes Mor Jr in that he mentions that the style suits young players. That being said, we need youth on the team and it's clear that Pete reached guy like Brock who wants to come back and has seen a thing or two, or old Lawyer who was drafter shortly after Water and Dirt went in the lottery. Jim i think was a name names to take blame critical guy and while it seemed to give Mare a nice jump, i don't think Olindo would resign to be coached by Jimmy.

Tactician wise Pete looked like he was playing Madden out there sometimes... Oh 4th and 3? Easiest thing in the world, this run up the gut is going end zone 50 yards baby!- no didn't really work, but hell if we were more talented I'd love that mentality. Pete had a couple mistakes in clock management too, so by no means was he golden. I think he thrives with strong assistants and I think for that reason it will really work out with Cable.

It will be interesting to see what our recruiting ability is like with Pete, but we know he's going to scour every name you've heard of and some you forgot, so I really like his rapid move roster kung fu. I'm sure there are a couple guys who saw the Mike Williams effect and may rally for us, but we definitely want guys like Asamougha and Gallery and Mankins.

It's also a bonus that Pete brings us a smidgen more press and I'll take all the press we can get as long as it's mostly positive.

I give Pete a B+ for year one on the whole and I'm really glad Allen paid Jim Jr to become a snyde sniper in the media instead of letting him blame every loss on everyone but himself by name. I think we've seen his maturity level. both guys are kids at heart, but Jim is a mal adjusted brat.

[Sweezo]

What a boring offseason. Without any legitimate franchise candidate on the team and the constant negativity regarding a possible lockout, it's hard to find anything to even talk about IMO. Usually this portion of things is one of my favorite parts of the year, but the owners and the player's association is killing the excitement for me. The draft can't get here fast enough.

[Danny Darko]

yeah i was just thinking this freaking lockout biz really sucks. Especially knowing that we are one of the teams with the most FA's and needs and that the Schneid and PC would have already made some waves otherwise.

As far as not franchising...

Mebane- we need to keep him, but i wouldn't pay him top of the top DT money such as the tag would yield.
Mare- might not be a bad idea considering kickers tags are relatively cheap
Washington- jeez i"m not sure if we can keep him. Other teams will want him and we aren't in a position to throw big dough at a specialist even if he was our best scoring threat. He'll probably find a place to take more snaps at halfback for good money.

[HeavyP]

Kickers aren't that cheap to franchise, 3.1 million according to Jason Lacanfora. Here are the costs to franchise someone this season.

Quarterbacks: $16 million ($16.4 million in 2010)
Running backs: $9.5 million ($8.15 million in 2010)
Wide receivers: $11.3 million ($9.5 million in 2010)
Tight ends: $7.3 million ($5.9 million in 2010)
Offensive linemen: $10.1 million ($10.7 million in 2010)
Defensive ends: $12.9 million ($12.4 million in 2010)
Defensive tackles: $12.5 million ($7 million in 2010)
Linebackers: $10 million ($9.7 million in 2010)
Cornerbacks: $14 million ($9.6 million in 2010)
Safeties: $8.8 million ($6.5 million in 2010)
*Kickers: $3.1 million ($2.8 million in 2010)

[asdf1223]

The year you want to franchise a defensive tackle, two of the top 3 picks are DT's. Sigh. I'm not really confident they'll get something done with Bane, but then again i thought for sure trufant was going to leave as well.

[HeavyP]

So, I just represented the Seahawks in a 5 round mock draft. Here's how it went

25: Jake Locker, QB, Washington.
57: Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon State
98: Ras-I Dowling, CB, Virginia.
153: Shareece Wright, CB, USC
154: Kendall Hunter, RB, Oklahoma State

Cam Newton went #24 and I never thought about him being available at #25 but I would have had to take him then, for the same reason that I took Locker. My final 2 were between Locker and Jimmy Smith (CB, Colorado). I LOVE Smith, however I love the CB depth in this draft and thought I'd be able to get some other CBs who fit PC's system. I know Locker is a controversial pick but I think when you resign Matt to 2-3 years you plan on sitting Locker for 2 years.

In round #2 Paea kept getting discussed and passed over. I think he's a 3-tech, but is very versatile.
in round #4 the fact that Ras-I Dowling was incredible, if he was gone I probably would have taken Shareece Wright or Chimdi Chekwa. Both are physical style CBs, but Dowling has too much potential to pass up.

In round #5 I took the best available talent regardless of position. I feel like I wish I could have gotten an OL and I flirted with taking Darius Morris, OT/G, Temple but I had him about 20 spots below Wright and about 40 spots below Kendall Hunter. I couldn't justify it. I mean, we were all kinda frustrated with Marshawn Lynch before he went beastquake, so I don't see a problem in drafting a RB who should be a top 3 round talent (proj round 2), in the 5th.

[Ex-hippie]

I've been seeing mocks with Jimmy Smith in the top 12, so it would be awfully hard to pass on him at #25. As for Locker, I really have nothing to add to the ambivalence that everyone else has expressed; if they take him, I'll go all-in with my enthusiasm. The biggest positive is that his problems with accuracy and reading defenses don't seem to be mental or caused by an unwillingness to work. Everyone who knows him describes him as having top-notch intangibles and a great work ethic. He might not play a meaningful down in 2011 or even in 2012, and the team will probably be able to stockpile some better draft picks in those years, so maybe we'll have something there.

[TTown]

I'd have to change my shorts if Paea was still available at #57.

[asdf1223]

Forum mocks somehow always seem to undervalue QB's. I never get the build the trenches this year, next year's QB class is better line. If any one of Newton, Mallet, Locker or Gabbert are there at 25, I would love it if the Hawks picked him up. Okung is the LT of the future and Pass Rush is decent as of now. We absolutely need a replacement for Hass.

I would love a Guard somewhere as well. Mike Gibson is ok, Unger is a huge unknown, Spencer is good but might be leaving in FA and Polumbus should be a Swing Tackle.

[Bulltalk]

I've been in NFL snore mode till the combine is over, and the mocks get more solidified. I'll start seriously dreaming about the draft in a few weeks time.

[nuke the whales]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/draft2011 ... id=6159187

When asked about Locker and whether he looked like another Jay Cutler, Shanahan said he compared him more to Jake Plummer.

Check please

[Danny Darko]

It's so weird to think about how much we wanted Locke last year at this time and would never have thought we'd sniff a chance to draft him. Now we are looking at letting him slide on by potentially. Really weird.

I do think the Reds will be the most likely suitor for Jake at the top of the draft. If Blain or Cam are there they'd pass on him, but if Cam and Blain go early, I"d really think it's going to be Locker to Washington.

I'm intrigued so far by 26year old guard Danny Watson and Dalton at QB at this juncture. Lots of guys I'd want though.

[Sweezo]

Looks like we're going to keep Leon around. Surprising as it seemed he wanted lots of money and a bigger role when the Jets traded him. Sounds like it's for 4 years: $12.5 million.

Josina Anderson of Inside the NFL reports that the Seahawks have agreed in principle to a four-year deal with KR Leon Washington.

Washington only received 36 touches on offense in his first season back from a brutal compound leg fracture, but was dynamite on returns for the Seahawks. He averaged 25.6 yards per kickoff return with three touchdowns, to go with an 11.3-yard average on punts. Washington turns 29 in August, so the four-year agreement will lock him up through his age-32 season.

http://www.rotoworld.com/headlines/nfl/201098/report-kr-leon-washington-re-ups-for-4-years

[Danny Darko]

just read that. Totally stoked to keep him. It's a weird spot for him to be in where he's often our most dangerous guy but used only in specialty situations and odd snaps. I wonder if this means leon will get more plays at HB then.

[Bulltalk]

The CBA really screws things up in this regard, but I wonder what FA's we'll go after amongst the ones available?

[Danny Darko]

I am not stoked on the new kickoff from the 35 yard rule. Washington just became far less useful.

NFL owners have voted to move kickoffs to the 35-yard line instead of the 30, but keep touchbacks coming out to the 20.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/football/nfl/wires/03/22/owners.meeting.kickoffs.ap/index.html#ixzz1HM7mSOXq