Best Seahawk of the 21st Century

[kidhawk]

Saw this on twitter and as it seems to fit the theme of posts lately, I figured it might get some interesting responses. For our purposes, we don't need to limit it to the list they provided, but it is a pretty good list and a tough question IMO

 

[RiverDog]

Walter Jones, and it's not even close. The guy had more Pro Bowl appearances than he had holding penalties.

 

[kidhawk]

Walter Jones, and it's not even close. The guy had more Pro Bowl appearances than he had holding penalties.

My first thought as well, but I can easily make similar arguments for Kam as well. I think Kam is probably the second best on this list, but I wouldn't be offended if they got swapped. Both of these guys played their positions like no other Seahawk player before or since.

 

[rcaido]

Yeah Walter Jones 1st, then probably Earl Thomas, & then Wagner.

 

[RiverDog]

My first thought as well, but I can easily make similar arguments for Kam as well. I think Kam is probably the second best on this list, but I wouldn't be offended if they got swapped. Both of these guys played their positions like no other Seahawk player before or since.

Well, I can't easily make a similar argument. Walt was a first ballot HOF'er, Kam has yet to be induced (he was eligible last year). Walt had 9 Pro Bowl appearances and was All Pro 6 times. Kam doesn't have half that many in either category.

For years, Walt used to hold out of the preseason over a contract dispute, suit up for the first regular season game, then played at an All Pro level.

Besides, I've shook hands with Walt.

 

[JPPT1974]

Walter Jones hands down, second would be Bobby Wagner. Had Shaun Alexander not keep on getting injured after the new deal he signed after 2005, he would had been up there but injuries were something he could not helped.

 

[kidhawk]

Well, I can't easily make a similar argument. Walt was a first ballot HOF'er, Kam has yet to be induced (he was eligible last year). Walt had 9 Pro Bowl appearances and was All Pro 6 times. Kam doesn't have half that many in either category.

For years, Walt used to hold out of the preseason over a contract dispute, suit up for the first regular season game, then played at an All Pro level.

Besides, I've shook hands with Walt.

As far as the HOF goes, Kam probably had too short of a career to make it and that's a shame, but the reason his career was shortened was how hard and well he played the game.

Like I said though, going with Jones at number 1 was easy for a number of reasons even outside the HOF stuff. I just think Kam is a strong second. I'm sure not everyone will agree, and I'm ok with that.

 

[seabowl]

Jones as well.

 

[RiverDog]

As far as the HOF goes, Kam probably had too short of a career to make it and that's a shame, but the reason his career was shortened was how hard and well he played the game.

Like I said though, going with Jones at number 1 was easy for a number of reasons even outside the HOF stuff. I just think Kam is a strong second. I'm sure not everyone will agree, and I'm ok with that.

OK, I can handle that. I just think that there's a huge gulf between Walt and who ever we consider to be #2.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

Big Walt, w/out a doubt imo.

 

[KinesProf]

No doubt, a subjective exercise. But I think objectively the two best resumes belong to Jones and Wagner.

Jones, this century:
4X 1st Team All-Pro
2X 2nd Team All-Pro
8X Pro Bowl
2000's All Decade Team
1X NFC Champion
Spent an extended period of time as the best in the world at his job.
First Ballot Hall of Famer

Wagner, this century:
6X 1st Team All-Pro
3X 2nd Team All-Pro
8X Pro Bowl
2010's All Decade Team
2X NFC Champion
1 Super Bowl Champion
Spent an extended period of time as the best in the world at his job
Future First Ballot Hall of Famer at some point this century

Splitting hairs, but I'm going with Bobby Wagner. And to be fair to Walt, my own bias comes in to play a bit here in that my earliest football memories are pretty close to the tail end of his career. Bobby quarterbacked the greatest and most important unit in franchise history, and I think that swings it for me. Fun debate though.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

Walter Jones, and it's not even close. The guy had more Pro Bowl appearances than he had holding penalties.

Wagner's got six 1st team All Pro's and eight Pro Bowls. So while I agree the correct answer is Jones, Wagner's closer IMO than you think.

Even closer if you remove the first three years of Jones career because the 21st century didn't start until 2000.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

Good points. I could see Wags at 1a basically. Great thread, and damn we have had some incredible players in Seattle.

 

[keasley45]

Going by feeling and not by statistical accomplishments...

Chancellor / Lynch is a tossup for me.

Love Bobby, but between he and Beastmode... one could make the srgument that a slightly lesser player could have fit Bobby's spot and we'd still have been successful. By slightly lesser, i mean KJ lesser.

Love Jones, but his work was done in the closet, quietly.

But Beastmode and Chancellor. Their play and impact was seen and felt game to game. In big moments, in small moments.

With both, if you take either away, we arent the same team. We dont even have remotely the same history, legacy, reputation. The two of them created the aura around the team that the league feared. And thats not to take away anything from Walt or Bobby.

They were just the sparkplugs that made everything go.

 

[kidhawk]

Here's the order I'd put the 7 from the OP:

Walter Jones
Kam Chancellor
Bobby Wagner
Earl Thomas
Shaun Alexander
Marshawn Lynch
Richard Sherman

A few notes:

It was hard between Bobby and Kam, but I took longevity out of the equation and the fact that Kam pretty much put the BOOM in LOB, I ranked him 2nd. Honestly I can understand those who might argue for him to be lower, even several spaces lower.

I wanted to put Alexander lower, but I just can't erase his MVP season from my head. If I were to pick which guy I'd want to start a team with, I'd probably have to go with Lynch, but Alexander just had that special year here.

 

[RiverDog]

Wagner's got six 1st team All Pro's and eight Pro Bowls. So while I agree the correct answer is Jones, Wagner's closer IMO than you think.

Even closer if you remove the first three years of Jones career because the 21st century didn't start until 2000.

IMO Big Walt dominated his position more than any Seahawk player, including Largent. I honestly think that he should be in the conversation for the best OT in the history of the game. As good as Wags has been, I still don't think he dominated anywhere close to the way Walt did. JMHO.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

You could argue that Walt is the best LT in the history of the game. Or at least top 3. You can't really honestly say that about any other of those guys.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

IMO Big Walt dominated his position more than any Seahawk player, including Largent. I honestly think that he should be in the conversation for the best OT in the history of the game. As good as Wags has been, I still don't think he dominated anywhere close to the way Walt did. JMHO.

I agree it's Jones, but anytime you have these sorts of debates using subjective words like "best," all you have to go on is tangible metrics like SB's, Pro Bowls, All Pro's, longevity of excellence, etc.

My point is Bobby has more accolades and more SB's. So IMO it's closer, that's all.

 

[BASF]

I agree it's Jones, but anytime you have these sorts of debates using subjective words like "best," all you have to go on is tangible metrics like SB's, Pro Bowls, All Pro's, longevity of excellence, etc.

My point is Bobby has more accolades and more SB's. So IMO it's closer, that's all.

A reasonable take. For me it boils down to would I take a player before them. I'd take Lewis and Singletary (mad respect for Butkus and Lambert, but they didn't have the speed for this era) before I chose Wagner. There is no left tackle I would take before Jones.

 

[kidhawk]

I agree it's Jones, but anytime you have these sorts of debates using subjective words like "best," all you have to go on is tangible metrics like SB's, Pro Bowls, All Pro's, longevity of excellence, etc.

My point is Bobby has more accolades and more SB's. So IMO it's closer, that's all.

The fun thing about being a fan, we get to put in our personal feelings into all of these "best" lists, so none of these lists is really wrong nor are they perfect by any means.