Are you "excited" yet?

[SoulfishHawk]

ok...........cell phone time

 

[rjdriver]

Good Post OP!

I'm such a homer, I get excited every year thinking this is the one where if everything comes together, we have a chance.

This year does feel more special though. I feel like I did going into 1986 or 2013. The huge variable for me is Geno. If he plays pretty well, I'm not sure we have the experience to beat some of the loaded teams in January. If he plays very well, we could go deep!

 

[MizzouHawkGal]

I can't be excited because I'm not sold on Geno in the least.

 

[Hawkmode]

I can't be excited because I'm not sold on Geno in the least.

Fair enough. A few things to consider...

1) Geno excels in the wide spread offense that Shane Waldron utilizes (Geno played in a similar "style" in college at West Va.)

2) (Gunslinger) Tight spirals with zip earn Geno an ability to drop "dimes" into typical NFL "tight windows" and making quick strikes from "far hash line" to opposite sideline. The knock on Geno in scouting reports was accuracy...he led NFL in accuracy last year and was the only QB to have 10 games with a rating over 100. 3) "Geek" stats like Next Generation Stats had Geno as best deep ball passer and According to Player Profiler, Smith was third in “Money Throws” last season, which are passes requiring exceptional skill or athleticism as well as critical throws executed in clutch moments. He was third in Deep Ball Accuracy Rating and fourth in True Completion Percentage.

3) We have added even more Play Makers coupled with an improving O-Line to make Geno's job even easier.

Probably not enough to change your mind...Geno will have to earn trust and excitement from many in the fan base...I think he will

 

[MizzouHawkGal]

Fair enough. A few things to consider...

1) Geno excels in the wide spread offense that Shane Waldron utilizes (Geno played in a similar "style" in college at West Va.)

2) (Gunslinger) Tight spirals with zip earn Geno an ability to drop "dimes" into typical NFL "tight windows" and making quick strikes from "far hash line" to opposite sideline. The knock on Geno in scouting reports was accuracy...he led NFL in accuracy last year and was the only QB to have 10 games with a rating over 100. 3) "Geek" stats like Next Generation Stats had Geno as best deep ball passer and According to Player Profiler, Smith was third in “Money Throws” last season, which are passes requiring exceptional skill or athleticism as well as critical throws executed in clutch moments. He was third in Deep Ball Accuracy Rating and fourth in True Completion Percentage.

3) We have added even more Play Makers coupled with an improving O-Line to make Geno's job even easier.

Probably not enough to change your mind...Geno will have to earn trust and excitement from many in the fan base...I think he will

Fair enough but you are correct let's just say I'm in the "wait and see" camp.

 

[Hawkmode]

Fair enough but you are correct let's just say I'm in the "wait and see" camp.

That puts you with a lot of the fan base...I just see his arm and legs able to make use of his experience at reading coverages...with more play makers to make life easier...but I understand your hesitancy. I was in the "Drew Lock camp" but by the end of the year I was convinced of what I was seeing.

 

[balakoth]

Fair enough but you are correct let's just say I'm in the "wait and see" camp.

like last year? please stay in that camp.. it worked well

Man did well in the same offense we are going to run and its still the same ol "Im not sold on him" Jesus fing christ

 

[Hawkmode]

like last year? please stay in that camp.. it worked well

Man did well in the same offense we are going to run and its still the same ol "Im not sold on him" Jesus fing christ

Many in the fan base are hesitant...a "repeat" performance is always more persuasive so I wouldn't "knock" those who don't share our optimism. Geno added some lean muscle over the "break" according to Pete...a good reflection on ability to throw from the pocket with a defender "crashing" in.

 

[CalgaryFan05]

A decade has come to past and our team is slowly gaining recognition. Our culture and coaching have provided a stable winning atmosphere. Our coach has endured the scorn of a fan base expecting SB years every year and dismiss our winning seasons and playoffs as "easy"...if only we didn't "tie the hands of our creative QB". Pete has been accused of having a "heavy hand" while propping up his Defensive and Offensive Coordinators as mere puppets restrained from implementing their own passion yet available as fall guys should our team falter.

Even the media outlets have often ridiculed Pete as stubborn and trapped by past "success formulas"...surely the game has past him by. Our last two drafts have once again thrust our GM back into the limelight (while ignoring the 2020 draft and the limited 2021 draft). His trades and limited forays into free agency often painted him as hardly a GM our fan base could take pride in...ignoring the difficulty of keeping fan favorites like Russell/Wags/Lynch and members of the Legion of Boom satisfied by top dollar extensions.

The whole point of this post is to show how our talent base has rapidly changed from our last losing season in 2019. Many people ignore the value of players who fit within our own offensive and defensive schemes...lured to compare against the "structure" of other NFL teams and single out individuals "faults" based on observations or "what they've heard". John Schneider identifies this when mentioning he has approached drafting and free agency acquisitions with the mindset of filling our team with "Seahawky" players who represent our team's culture and drive to be innovators...not imitators.


Enough with the "gloom"...once again our team is flush with stars and future stars. My standard for labeling a team member as star is a player from our team who has a good chance to be a possible Pro Bowl selection. AP All PRO is more elusive so I won't bother speculating on those possibilities.

Stars
D-line(3T) DT Dre'Mont Jones
Edge/Olb Uchenna Nwosu
Off-Ball LB Bobby Wagner
Right Cornerback Tariq Woolen
Deep Safety Quandre Diggs
ST Punter Michael Dickson
QB Geno Smith
RB Kenneth Walker III
TE Noah Fant
WR DK Metcalf

More Stars
Tyler Lockett/Jamal Adams/Jordyn Brooks/Darryl Taylor

Future Stars
Boye Mafe/Charles Cross/Abraham Lucas/Damien Lewis/Michael Jackson/Julian Love/Dareke Young/Coby Bryant/Colby Parkinson

Rookie Stars of Potential
Jaxon Smith Njigba/Devon Witherspoon/Zach Charbonnet/Derek Hall and * (2) guys from Michigan* Olu Oluwatimi/Mike Morris

Once again the rest of the NFL can take advantage of the releasing churn of Unrestricted Free Agency as difficult decisions are made. DJ Reed/Ryan Neal/Poona Ford/Al Woods/Rashaad Penny are a few of our recent losses.
Injuries have plagued our team just like all NFL teams suffer but our limited 2021 draft in particular has stalled Dee Eskridge and Tre Brown to the point of pushing them to the fringes of our roster as both first round picks from 2023 now stand in their way of any significant playing snaps.

Overall our talent base has steadily improved much to the credit of our painful parting of RW as QB ...and now expectations have risen well beyond the "chip" of being underdogs.

Hell yes - I'm excited!

Stoked with all the offseason additions. STILL looking forward to seeing Dre'mont go beast mode here - but there are so many other people and pieces to like!

 

[Hawkmode]

Hell yes - I'm excited!

Stoked with all the offseason additions. STILL looking forward to seeing Dre'mont go beast mode here - but there are so many other people and pieces to like!

View attachment 59990

Youth and many "new" free agency players will make "boring" pre season games "come alive" as very real competition begins in earnest for only a "few" open 53 man roster spots...can't wait!

 

[BASF]

like last year? please stay in that camp.. it worked well

Man did well in the same offense we are going to run and its still the same ol "Im not sold on him" Jesus fing christ

It is Hero Ball Syndrome. A disproportionate percentage of this fanbase has been programmed by watching Russell Wilson "carry" the team to victory at the end of games. Geno's supposed lack of ability to do so is the cause of their hand wringing. He had three game winning drives last season. Never mind the fact that he had a game winning drive erased by the defense collapsing after we scored what should have been the game winning touchdown against the Raiders. Never mind that he was the one that audibled to the runs for the game winning touchdown against the Lions and what should have been the game winning run against the Saints only to have the defense collapse on that one.

They ignore the mitigating circumstance of the O-Line's late season injuries that allowed defenses to lower his time to throw. They ignore the mitigating circumstance of the running backs late season injuries that allowed defenses to cheat against the pass. They especially ignore that Shane Waldron was calling the same plays in the same down and distance and circumstance of the game late in the season allowing defensive backs to jump routes. None of those matter as his play under those circumstances fit their narrative that started as soon as hero ball boy was traded.

 

[CalgaryFan05]

Youth and many "new" free agency players will make "boring" pre season games "come alive" as very real competition begins in earnest for only a "few" open 53 man roster spots...can't wait!

OMG - sorry - but I couldn't resist - all you're "quotes" reminded me so much of Farley:



Gone far toooooooo soon.

 

[Hawkmode]

OMG - sorry - but I couldn't resist - all you're "quotes" reminded me so much of Farley:



Gone far toooooooo soon.

Ha Ha ...too funny! I use quotes vice the use of bold caps...to allow focus...thanks

 

[Hawkmode]

It is Hero Ball Syndrome. A disproportionate percentage of this fanbase has been programmed by watching Russell Wilson "carry" the team to victory at the end of games. Geno's supposed lack of ability to do so is the cause of their hand wringing. He had three game winning drives last season. Never mind the fact that he had a game winning drive erased by the defense collapsing after we scored what should have been the game winning touchdown against the Raiders. Never mind that he was the one that audibled to the runs for the game winning touchdown against the Lions and what should have been the game winning run against the Saints only to have the defense collapse on that one.

They ignore the mitigating circumstance of the O-Line's late season injuries that allowed defenses to lower his time to throw. They ignore the mitigating circumstance of the running backs late season injuries that allowed defenses to cheat against the pass. They especially ignore that Shane Waldron was calling the same plays in the same down and distance and circumstance of the game late in the season allowing defensive backs to jump routes. None of those matter as his play under those circumstances fit their narrative that started as soon as hero ball boy was traded.

It's not a real "knock" on a reader's tendencies to stay out of the "weeds of detail" to gain insight...nice breakdown in your response though.

 

[Hawk4life]

Actually it isn’t because of Geno at all, we know what we’ve got with him. The hang wringing is about our defense and run game.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

Been stoked for a long time. And I was way off on Geno. He absolutely is part of the reason I'm stoked for this team, and this offense. Defense should be good, still concerned about the run defense.