Friendly visit, some offseason questions

[Fitz the Ram]

First of all, want to say congratulations on winning the Super Bowl!! Know it's a little late, but better late than never right? Had meant to post that after you won, but with so many posts and excitement going on here, figured it'd get passed by pretty fast, then I forgot about it till came here for this post. So yea, congrats!! Seahawks tore the Broncos a new one big time. Much deserved win and champions.

So anyways, it's a pretty slow part of the offseason, waiting for camps to begin and such. So just had some questions to get some inside perspective on the 2014 Hawks. I have read what media outlets have said about your offseason and the draft but rather get your take on it all.

1. I know you lost some players on both sides of the line, but don't know much about your depth and how you feel about the people replacing them. You had a really good D-line last year, will it be better/same/worse than last year given the changes? How much playing time is Marsh gonna get this year? I know its still very early to ask these questions, but I am curious of your opinions.

2. What are your expectations this year for the new wide receivers you picked up in the draft? Richardson seems like he will add some more speed to your offense when combined with Harvin. Norwood was a guy I really liked before the draft, he isn't the fastest or shiftiest, but he can run good routes and has good hands. How do you think these guys fit into the offense this year with your other wide receivers?

3. Good re-signing of Baldwin, good price and good move.

4. How much will Tate be missed from this offense? I know you grabbed the two wr's in the draft, but not sure they are gonna produce as much in their rookie years.

5. What are your expectations of Rice this year? I know he never lived up to his contract but did make some good plays when needed. Is that about what to expect this next year?

6. What is your opinion of Britt? Is he going to be playing RT straight away? Are there any concerns on the O-line?

7. How did you like your draft? I thought it was good. Britt was a little questionable just since everywhere had him rated going later in the draft. Pierre-Louis is a great pick. I think you guys had a a really solid draft.

8. This isn't about the Seahawks, but how much do you think it hurts the Cardinals to lose Washington for the year(and probably more) after Dansby left to the Browns? Seems like a major hit.

9. What are you biggest concerns on the team? What areas do you think got worse/better?

Thanks for your time and best of luck this offseason. The ACL tear bug has already began, and hope neither of our teams have to suffer from it. Any questions you have about the Rams I will answer as best as possible.

 

[Basis4day]

1. Not too worried about D-Line at all. It's a group based on rotation so i wouldn't put too much stock in who the starters are or any single player. McDaniel, Avril, Mebane and Bennett were all strong contributors last year and expectations are high for them. Greg Scruggs is returning from injury and the FO is very high on him and 2nd year players Benson Mayowa and Jordan Hill. Jesse Williams is still a question mark but it's a good time to be optimistic.

2. Though run oriented, Pete Carroll likes to stretch the field with speedy WR. Richardson fits that mold to a T. Norwood seems like a solid possession receiver who doesn't have the same stats as a WR who played in a pass heavy college system. No two WR on the Hawks are similar at all and i like the diversity.

3. Absolutely. Fan favorite since day 1.

4. We're still a run first offense. If Harvin can stay healthy i'm not too worried about losing Tate. I won't pretend that i didn't love what Tate did for the offense the last two seasons.

5. I expect the hawks to keep 5-6 receivers. Ideally i think Rice starts season on PUP and we get six weeks to see how the other WR fair. The Hawks WR is very diverse and no one player makes or breaks the season.

6. O-Line is by far the biggest concern for this team. Okung is recovering from Surgery and we lost a solid starter in FA in Giacomini. James Carpenter is said to be in great shape but has never really lived up to expectations. I expect Unger to bounce back after having the injury bug last year and playing through a pectoral inury. I am not looking forward to playing the Rams D-Line. I'm excited for Britt, but Tom Cable runs a fairly complicated blocking system and openly states that it takes a few games for the line to gel. Throw in injuries in those early games and it can be a problem. Wilson's elusiveness has a way of hiding this.

7. I was fine with the draft. As typical with a Seahawks' draft you need to research the players we choose because they are rarely household names. PC and JS deserve the benefit of the doubt IMO. The roster was already solid to begin with and any new player will need to earn playing time.

8. Losing Washington absolutely hurts the Cards. But they are still a dangerous team with some nasty players.

9. O-Line is the biggest concern. WR will improve assuming you have a healthy Harvin. Baldwin and Kearse are very underrated because of a run heavy system and Richardson and Norwood have great potential. Potential means nothing until you show it on the field. Lynch had a lot of wear on the tires but is still the best RB in football. The team is planning for the future with Christine Michael who rarely saw the field last year due to deficiencies in pass protection. According the Pete Carrol he had improved greatly in understanding the overall scheme.

 

[DavidSeven]

1. I know you lost some players on both sides of the line, but don't know much about your depth and how you feel about the people replacing them. You had a really good D-line last year, will it be better/same/worse than last year given the changes? How much playing time is Marsh gonna get this year? I know its still very early to ask these questions, but I am curious of your opinions.

Avril and Bennett were our best pass rushers last year, and we still have them. They had to split reps with Clemons, who was recovering from an ACL tear and never really got going during the regular season. Presumably, their reps go up a little now that Clemons is gone -- so, I don't see a huge drop there. We have a couple promising D-Line players who were "redshirted" last year due to depth/health, so we have yet to see what they have to offer. Bryant will be missed for his leadership, but his role on the field was gradually minimized last year. Depth is the real question mark... if we have to rely on Marsh, Schofield, Irvin, etc. as primary rushers, we don't know exactly what we'll get.

For OL: It's a shame to lose Breno, but honestly, he's about a league-average RT. We used a 2nd rnd pick on a new RT, and the hope is that he can play up to that level.


2. What are your expectations this year for the new wide receivers you picked up in the draft? Richardson seems like he will add some more speed to your offense when combined with Harvin. Norwood was a guy I really liked before the draft, he isn't the fastest or shiftiest, but he can run good routes and has good hands. How do you think these guys fit into the offense this year with your other wide receivers?

Probably spot duty to start. Baldwin and Harvin are entrenched as primaries at the split-end and slot positions. Kearse will get a lot of reps, as well Rice if he's at all near his former self. We can take our time with the rookies, but it wouldn't surprise me if Richardson won the job on the outside opposite Baldwin.

3. Good re-signing of Baldwin, good price and good move.

4. How much will Tate be missed from this offense? I know you grabbed the two wr's in the draft, but not sure they are gonna produce as much in their rookie years.

Harvin presumably takes over Tate's production. If he gets hurt, we have a couple promising rookies who will get an opportunity. I think we all consider our WR group quite deep -- deeper than last year.

5. What are your expectations of Rice this year? I know he never lived up to his contract but did make some good plays when needed. Is that about what to expect this next year?

I think he can contribute, especially in the redzone. Others don't seem as confident.

6. What is your opinion of Britt? Is he going to be playing RT straight away? Are there any concerns on the O-line?

If he can't beat UFA linemen for the starting job, then that says a lot right away IMO. The hope is obviously that he can be our starting RT and gives us something similar to Breno. Too early to tell how good he'll actually be, but he fits the profile for guys Seattle likes at RT.

7. How did you like your draft? I thought it was good. Britt was a little questionable just since everywhere had him rated going later in the draft. Pierre-Louis is a great pick. I think you guys had a a really solid draft.

Loved this draft way more than last year's. Richardson, Marsh, KPL and Norwood are especially exciting to me. Plus, our UFA haul was the best I've ever seen for the franchise in terms of name value.

8. This isn't about the Seahawks, but how much do you think it hurts the Cardinals to lose Washington for the year(and probably more) after Dansby left to the Browns? Seems like a major hit.

Imagine if SF lost Willis and Bowman at the same time for an entire year. That's essentially what just happened in Arizona. Brutal losses.

9. What are you biggest concerns on the team? What areas do you think got worse/better?

OL and pass rusher depth. I don't think our OL got worse, but there's a lot of unproven players in the group, so we'll see. If Okung and Unger can stay healthy, that solves a lot of our issues from last year immediately. Our starting pass rushers are studs; the guys behind them are bigger question marks, as stated above. I think we're great everywhere else.

 

[mikeak]

OP good post. I expected one of those - "just visiting in the offseason here are a few questions and by the way my team is awesome this year and will crush the seahawks and proceeds with telling us all why and how then dissapears when the season starts". We had a few of those last year

Think the two replies covered it better than I could so I will be quiet now

EDIT: Nevermind

Receivers drafted -- I like it. From the tape Richardson can get separation. Hawks is about ball control and minimizing turnover. Receivers that can get open will get the ball as it is a "safer play" and if Richardson can keep that going in the NFL then I expect him to become a primary target with Harvin. Others may disagree

Tate -- I think we will miss his returning. He frequently took it from inside the 10 and brought it out to past 20. While against the normal teaching it worked out 9/10 times and helped with field positions. I think we will be backed up more this year than before. From a receiving standpoint he had great hands and did great things after the catch. I think he was limited with us because he doesn't get enough separation. I rather see a receiver that gets open, catches the ball for first down and then doesn't get much more yardage than the yardage that Tate would get battling. Moving the chains is the philosophy with this run first team and I think this year we will do it more passing the ball.

 

[Fitz the Ram]

Thanks for all the great feedback and answering the questions guys!!! Really helped me get a better grasp of your team. Love that the NFC West is the best now. Best of luck this year(except when playing the Rams of course). :thumbup:

 

[Seahawkscrazy]

First of all, want to say congratulations on winning the Super Bowl!! Know it's a little late, but better late than never right? Had meant to post that after you won, but with so many posts and excitement going on here, figured it'd get passed by pretty fast, then I forgot about it till came here for this post. So yea, congrats!! Seahawks tore the Broncos a new one big time. Much deserved win and champions.

So anyways, it's a pretty slow part of the offseason, waiting for camps to begin and such. So just had some questions to get some inside perspective on the 2014 Hawks. I have read what media outlets have said about your offseason and the draft but rather get your take on it all.

1. I know you lost some players on both sides of the line, but don't know much about your depth and how you feel about the people replacing them. You had a really good D-line last year, will it be better/same/worse than last year given the changes? How much playing time is Marsh gonna get this year? I know its still very early to ask these questions, but I am curious of your opinions.

1) We don't know. We have the talent to not have a lot of drop-off, IMO, but none of it is seasoned enough to be counted upon. Williams, Marsh, Hill, and Scruggs could all be big-time players this season. Or none of them could. Still looking for our version of Long and Quinn (who got robbed, BTW).

2. What are your expectations this year for the new wide receivers you picked up in the draft? Richardson seems like he will add some more speed to your offense when combined with Harvin. Norwood was a guy I really liked before the draft, he isn't the fastest or shiftiest, but he can run good routes and has good hands. How do you think these guys fit into the offense this year with your other wide receivers?

2) I have tempered expectations for any 1st- or 2nd year WR. They statistically don't make any sizable impact until year 3. That said, P-Rich has the speed to stretch a defense which may or may not result in him directly benefiting from the play, but should open up the seam and underneath routes on a regular basis. That coupled with (hopefully) a full season from Harvin, who stretched the field laterally a great deal, should allow 6 man boxes for our running game and mismatches in nickel defense for the TE's.

Norwood ran a 4.4 at the combine, so he's plenty fast enough. I would expect that he might be the statistically speaking "better" year one WR. Seems to have a knack for finding a soft spot or working the sidelines, which is great for a scramble-drill team and QB like ours. He might find a lot of catches that way this year.

3. Good re-signing of Baldwin, good price and good move.

3) Thanks.

4. How much will Tate be missed from this offense? I know you grabbed the two wr's in the draft, but not sure they are gonna produce as much in their rookie years.

4) I think we will miss him more than we know. His attitude on the field especially.

5. What are your expectations of Rice this year? I know he never lived up to his contract but did make some good plays when needed. Is that about what to expect this next year?

5) Absolutely 0 production, Veteran leadership.

6. What is your opinion of Britt? Is he going to be playing RT straight away? Are there any concerns on the O-line?

6) Has Wrestling and MMA in his background, so should be an immediate fit in the run game. Not sure about his feet in pass-pro, but he is a gifted athlete according to SPARQ. Bailey will start the year at RT I would suspect, and it will be an ongoing competition from there.

7. How did you like your draft? I thought it was good. Britt was a little questionable just since everywhere had him rated going later in the draft. Pierre-Louis is a great pick. I think you guys had a a really solid draft.

7) Liked it fine, think this was only an average draft for PC&JS. Think KPL and PRich could potentially be stars in that their comps are 49ers Bowman and Eagles Jackson.

8. This isn't about the Seahawks, but how much do you think it hurts the Cardinals to lose Washington for the year(and probably more) after Dansby left to the Browns? Seems like a major hit.

8) Honestly? A lot. Dansby was a good part of that defense, so that's a step back IMO, and losing any starter for a year after the draft and after the FA cupboard is already bare isn't a good thing.

9. What are you biggest concerns on the team? What areas do you think got worse/better?

9) O-line, still. D-line, might have gotten worse, Special teams in particular punt returner, may have gotten worse, as we don't know who will be handling full time duties. It won't be Robert Turbin.

Thanks for your time and best of luck this offseason. The ACL tear bug has already began, and hope neither of our teams have to suffer from it. Any questions you have about the Rams I will answer as best as possible.

Question for you- How pumped and jacked are you about Aaron Donald? Your rookie RB says he only needs 10 touches to get to 100yds- has anyone explained to him that he plays in the NFC West yet?

 

[hawknation2014]

The guys above pretty much nailed the answers to your questions. I just want to say that Jeff Fisher has the Rams moving in the right direction. I thought you guys dominated the draft, grabbing the best offensive and interior defensive linemen available. I like all of your first seven picks; all seven have a chance to be playmakers. And every position group should be improved this year. The only thing I would be concerned about is your passing game and long-term QB situation. Anyway, I hope you kick the snot out of the 49ers.

 

[hawk45]

Fitz all I know is the Rams Dline scares the crap out of me. Kept Wilson in the pocket, mitigated our rushing attack, if it weren't for Tate owning your secondary at key moments we'd have been in big trouble. DIsliked Fisher for the head hunting the Rams D did on Tate in game number 2, but understood it a little due to the finger wag incident.

Glad our QB can make chicken salad out of chicken **** because he'll have to in order to beat the Rams. My nightmare scenario is the Rams figuring out the QB position. We could deal with Kellen, barely, but if the Rams find the answer at QB who can make that play in the 4th quarter when it counts, there's a team around him that is very legit. And they're Scrooge McDuck diving into the pool of gold when it comes to those many first round picks they've acquired.

Our Tate replacements have to arrive, and Harvin has to stay healthy. If that happens, we're golden. It's a tall order though.

 

[Fitz the Ram]

Question for you- How pumped and jacked are you about Aaron Donald? Your rookie RB says he only needs 10 touches to get to 100yds- has anyone explained to him that he plays in the NFC West yet?

Thanks for the feedback from the questions, they are a big help.

Seriously, the Donald pick is probably my favorite in the Fisher era. Most of us(Rams fans) didn't think he would fall to #13, and when the Giants passed on him I think everyone of us yelled at the TV wanting Fisher to draft him. He adds an element to the line that we were missing. Love this pick big time. Already had a great D-line, and if Donald plays like he did in college eventually, our line will be a beast.

As for the 100 yards off 10 touches, hadn't read that but I can see him saying that lol. I think he is just excited and trying to say all the right things. Don't think he will be getting 100+yards on 10 touches, thats very very hard for any RB in our division to do, defenses are to good. Also, I fully expect Stacy to get the majority of carries, but if Mason can get 50 yards off those 10 touches a game then I will be happy.

The guys above pretty much nailed the answers to your questions. I just want to say that Jeff Fisher has the Rams moving in the right direction. I thought you guys dominated the draft, grabbing the best offensive and interior defensive linemen available. I like all of your first seven picks; all seven have a chance to be playmakers. And every position group should be improved this year. The only thing I would be concerned about is your passing game and long-term QB situation. Anyway, I hope you kick the snot out of the 49ers.

Thanks for the kind words, the draft on paper is a home run just about. Hope when they hit the field its the same. As for the passing game, hoping Bradford stays healthy this year, he also needs to raise his YPA big time or else we are not going to make it to the playoffs again. It's his make or break year IMO. Fisher and Snead have faith in him but even they will pull the Bradford plug if he is injured again or doesn't play well. I am hoping he has a good year and proves many people wrong, but we will see. If he has a bad year or is injured, there are some good QB's coming out next year(Petty, Mariota, Hundley, Winston if he declares) so we shall see. Just rather have Bradford play well and not have to get another QB early. I hope they kick the snot out of the 9er's as well lol

Fitz all I know is the Rams Dline scares the crap out of me. Kept Wilson in the pocket, mitigated our rushing attack, if it weren't for Tate owning your secondary at key moments we'd have been in big trouble. DIsliked Fisher for the head hunting the Rams D did on Tate in game number 2, but understood it a little due to the finger wag incident.

Glad our QB can make chicken salad out of chicken **** because he'll have to in order to beat the Rams. My nightmare scenario is the Rams figuring out the QB position. We could deal with Kellen, barely, but if the Rams find the answer at QB who can make that play in the 4th quarter when it counts, there's a team around him that is very legit. And they're Scrooge McDuck diving into the pool of gold when it comes to those many first round picks they've acquired.

Our Tate replacements have to arrive, and Harvin has to stay healthy. If that happens, we're golden. It's a tall order though.

I love our D-line lol, without it we are straight screwed. Will be exciting to watch it this year with the addition of Donald, hope we can get after Wilson even more this year. That last game wasn't fun for any Ram fan watching, lots of stupidity pulled by the Rams. Thought the ejection of Langford was garbage though. Hoping they dont implode again like that. Hoping it was just a culmination of a young team pissed at the end of the season and will learn they cant do that crap. I try to forget that game lol

As I posted above, Hopefully Bradford can stay healthy and play good. He doesn't have to play elite or anything, but he was playing solid last year with no running game and a defense that wasn't clicking fully yet. If he can play like he did last year with a better YPA, combined with a good running game and a better defense(Walton sucked, Williams defense will be good hopefully). Walton was so bad, around halfway through the season Fisher took over calling the defense.

I think your wide receiver unit will be good, and Wilson will make them seem better with all the time he is able to buy, allowing them more time to get open. Its a good group, albeit young.

 

[FargoHawk]

No time to answer your questions but I have to say I LOVE what the Rams did with their 1st round picks. Donald is an absolute stud and your Dline is going to be even more dominant than it already was.

This division is going to be TOUGH!

 

[MizzouHawkGal]

Fitz, there really isn't much else to say other then if Bradford remains healthy you guys will make the playoffs. Problem is we have Percy and Wilson. But you'll be good enough to beat the 49ers if you stop playing dirty.

 

[drdiags]

1.I am concerned about the loss of Big Red and Clemons. I figured they would get whacked but it hurts to see them go. All the potential replacements for Red are coming off injuries and don't have a bunch of experience. Clemons was the Alpha dog of the DL, even with the additions of Avril and Bennett. He has a nastiness to him that influenced the D. I am not sure about what we have going on with the guys that remain or will replace him..

2. I am wondering who misses the cut with the new guys coming in. I think both make the squad, but not sure what happens with Kearse and Lockette. I already have Clark, Bates and Walters cut. That most likely isn't accurate. I didn't think the team would be drafting WRs with PRich's size. I figured they wanted more physical WRs to compliment their running game?

3. Smart move by both him and the team. I think he will move on after the contract is up.

4. Having Tate gone is gonna hurt, but you could see it coming. I think going to Detroit is the best move for him. The team will miss his impact. He personafied the type of player the Seahawks are. Willing to stick his nose in it and mix it up, quirky yet competitive. Hope he expands his game in the Motor City.

5. I like Rice. I wonder if he starts off on the PUP though. If healthy, he will be a big asset. Health concerns with the WR corp has to be lurking in the back of the coaches minds.

6. No opinion. Though I will say that Cable/FO has done better with UDFAs than drafted OL players. They are due to hit on a high pick. Okung's injuries were snake-bit luck, Carpenter's as well. But Cable missed on Moffitt.

7. No clue. Felt better as it went along.

8. You have to think it will be an impact. D Washington came back last year after the 4-game suspsension to help the Cards. They surely were counting on him to pick it up from last year. Don't know enough about their depth to make a fair assessment.

9. OLine is the major concern. I think the WRs have potential to be better, but health is the key at least heading into the season.

Question about the Rams.

1 - Saffold. I understand the team originally wanted him back, but was it a position thing that motivated him to try to get on with the Raiders?
2 - What position on the defense has you concerned?
3 - Is Tavon Austin going to have a bigger impact this year?
3 - I think you lost Clemens. Who is the backup QB and will he be able to step in for Bradford if required?
4 - Is Bradford losing the lockeroom?

 

[Fitz the Ram]

Question about the Rams.

1 - Saffold. I understand the team originally wanted him back, but was it a position thing that motivated him to try to get on with the Raiders?
2 - What position on the defense has you concerned?
3 - Is Tavon Austin going to have a bigger impact this year?
3 - I think you lost Clemens. Who is the backup QB and will he be able to step in for Bradford if required?
4 - Is Bradford losing the lockeroom?

1. I read at a few places that the Raiders were going to play him at guard, but he probably would have competed for playing time outside. I think it was more about money. They gave him a $42mil contract to play guard essentially, and he has only played that position not even a full season. I think most players would take that. So I think it was just about the money. FA is the time for crazy over spending. We are glad that they backed out on it and we were able to get him back for $10mil less. He is a damn good guard. I really hope he never plays outside again, cause he always gets injured out there. He was healthy the hole time playing guard last season, and then Long went down and they moved Saffold outside and he got hurt of course lol. The pairing of Saffold and Robinson at guard is huge for our running game. On paper at least.

2. Free safety!!!!! Ughhh, Fisher really frustrates us with this. Apparently he doesnt really go by FS and SS, and they are interchangeable and such. McCleod was our FS last year, and some think he is a good starter, but a lot of us dont view him as anything more that a decent backup. We drafted Mo Alexander in the 4th, but he is strictly a SS, and we already have that in McDonald. We also have Cody Davis who we got as an UDFA last year, and on paper he is awesome, 6'2, 203 lbs, 4.4 40. But his vision isn't great and seems just like a backup at best. I really have no idea what they plan to do with two Strong safeties, but oh well. Hope they make it work. Lamarcus Joyner could play FS, but they always talk about him as being their nickle cb and nothing else. FS is a huge concern. WR is somewhat a concern as well for many reasons, but FS is easily the biggest concern as a lot of our secondary problems last year were because of FS issues.

3. I hope so. Austin is probably in the worst situation because we have motherfkn Brian Schottenheimer as our damn OC. He has no imagination beyond a few end arounds. He failed to design plays to get him the ball in space. Thats when hes at his best but Schotty decides instead to do a screen with 1 blocker at best that nets around -2 yards. Austin will have a bigger role this year, and will have some nice games and nice returns, but as long as Schotty is here, doubt he will have a truly amazing season worthy of a pro-bowl or anything unless he has a handful of td's off punts and kick offs. I hope I am wrong.

4. Yea, Clemens is a Charger now, which is fine by me. He played OK, he wouldn't lose many games for us, but he would never win any either. I blame him and his two crappy int's for our loss against you guys the first game. We had our running game beasting it up and if he doesn't throw those picks we have a really good chance of winning that game. Also, any pass attempt beyond 10 yards is a gamble as his accuracy is complete garbage passed that point and his arm strength is junk. He was decent, and did his best, but I am glad he is gone. He also cant throw a fade to save his life.
We now have Shawn Hill as the back up which I view as a big upgrade. He did good up in Detroit, and I feel much better if he has to go in compared to Clemens.

5. I don't think so. He is a good teammate and nothing I have seen has shown me that he is losing the locker room. Now maybe he has or maybe he hasn't. That is not something that is easy to find out. Maybe in a few years if he is off the team someone will say something but really have no idea right now, but haven't read anything that he has and everything seems fine. He hopefully will have a good year and stay healthy, or else he will be gone or become a backup till his contract is up.

 

[BlueTalon]

Yea, Clemens is a Charger now, which is fine by me.

Well, someone had to replace sir Charles Whitehurst. (stifled snickering)