How do you honestly feel about this team right now?

[kearly]

Nice post, Hawks46.

Kearly pretty much nailed it and especially the bit about 2015 having dark clouds over everything from day 1.
I feel like this year there are no dark clouds, and there are a lot of bets that could pay off huge.

There have been a few times I've been to Emerald Downs, and picked horses who are not the favorites, but do have a shot, have a good jockey, and have a payoff good enough that if they finish in the money, I've done very well on that race.

That's how I feel about the 2016 Seahawks, like I should go to Vegas and bet a couple hundred on the Hawks to win the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, Vegas is giving co-favorite odds, rather than longshot odds, on the Seahawks.

While our OL will probably start rough, I think we'll be average there by midseason. Our projects will start paying off.

I really like the gambling analogy. Another analogy would be the stock market. The Seahawks stock price is down a bit, but their indicators are up.

 

[McGruff]

I am honestly more exited about this team than I have been since 2013. The last two years have felt like we were holding on to something. Trying to maintain. That's boring, and to a certain extent, stagnant by nature.

This year feels a bit like a new team. Marshawn and Okung gone on offense. Mebane and Irvin gone on defense. Rebuilding the oline. Wilson taking the reigns. Rawls on the upswing. Excited about our receivers for the first time in . . . 10, 15 years.

 

[kearly]

I am honestly more exited about this team than I have been since 2013. The last two years have felt like we were holding on to something. Trying to maintain. That's boring, and to a certain extent, stagnant by nature.

This year feels a bit like a new team. Marshawn and Okung gone on offense. Mebane and Irvin gone on defense. Rebuilding the oline. Wilson taking the reigns. Rawls on the upswing. Excited about our receivers for the first time in . . . 10, 15 years.

I feel exactly this way.

From the moment Seattle signed Avril and Bennett in free agency on shockingly good deals, it just felt like 2013 was our year. And it was.

The feeling this time around isn't quite as fateful, but it's still a good feeling. It feels like Seattle is on the cusp of a very fun season. As you say, the beginning of a new chapter.

 

[MontanaHawk05]

I am honestly more exited about this team than I have been since 2013. The last two years have felt like we were holding on to something. Trying to maintain. That's boring, and to a certain extent, stagnant by nature.

This year feels a bit like a new team. Marshawn and Okung gone on offense. Mebane and Irvin gone on defense. Rebuilding the oline. Wilson taking the reigns. Rawls on the upswing. Excited about our receivers for the first time in . . . 10, 15 years.

I feel exactly this way.

From the moment Seattle signed Avril and Bennett in free agency on shockingly good deals, it just felt like 2013 was our year. And it was.

The feeling this time around isn't quite as fateful, but it's still a good feeling. It feels like Seattle is on the cusp of a very fun season. As you say, the beginning of a new chapter.

I'm not the type who likes change, so for me, the new season could just as easily herald 9-7 as it could another Super Bowl.

 

[McGruff]

I am honestly more exited about this team than I have been since 2013. The last two years have felt like we were holding on to something. Trying to maintain. That's boring, and to a certain extent, stagnant by nature.

This year feels a bit like a new team. Marshawn and Okung gone on offense. Mebane and Irvin gone on defense. Rebuilding the oline. Wilson taking the reigns. Rawls on the upswing. Excited about our receivers for the first time in . . . 10, 15 years.

I feel exactly this way.

From the moment Seattle signed Avril and Bennett in free agency on shockingly good deals, it just felt like 2013 was our year. And it was.

The feeling this time around isn't quite as fateful, but it's still a good feeling. It feels like Seattle is on the cusp of a very fun season. As you say, the beginning of a new chapter.

I'm not the type who likes change, so for me, the new season could just as easily herald 9-7 as it could another Super Bowl.

I love change. In college I rearranged my dorm room every week just cause. Roommate hated it.

 

[beaumaris]

We still have Russell Wilson, right? I feel as confident as ever.

My thinking also.

 

[ivotuk]

Kearly pretty much nailed it and especially the bit about 2015 having dark clouds over everything from day 1.
I feel like this year there are no dark clouds, and there are a lot of bets that could pay off huge.

There have been a few times I've been to Emerald Downs, and picked horses who are not the favorites, but do have a shot, have a good jockey, and have a payoff good enough that if they finish in the money, I've done very well on that race.

That's how I feel about the 2016 Seahawks, like I should go to Vegas and bet a couple hundred on the Hawks to win the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, Vegas is giving co-favorite odds, rather than longshot odds, on the Seahawks.

While our OL will probably start rough, I think we'll be average there by midseason. Our projects will start paying off.

This is a GREAT topic. Kudos to the OP.

I'm surprised we're co-favorites. Give it some time though. As usual, we will start rough while the team starts to gel, and 3 - 4 games in, there will be a huge shift in capabilities that will have us all smiling. I think I predicted 15-1 this year, if not that, then 14-2.

I feel like our 2016 is going to be like Green Bay's 2011 season, except we won't get "punked" by the Giants. Instead, we'll ride Home Field Advantage straight to another Lombardi, with odds to repeat in 2017. The difference between us and the 2011 Packers being an elite defense.

In 2011 the Packers had the #1 offense at 560 PPG, but allowed 22.4 PPG, ranked 19th, and fell to New York 37-20. Not going to happen to the Russell Wilson led Seahawks.

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/t ... b/2011.htm

 

[Trenchbroom]

How do I feel about the Seahawks right now? Well, let's see:

Greatest QB in franchise history is on the team, still in his prime

Greatest CB in franchise history is on the team, still in his prime

Two of the top Safeties in franchise history are on the team, still in their prime

Two of the top LBs in franchise history are on the team, still in their prime

Two of the top D linemen in franchise history are on the team, still in their prime

Greatest coach and GM in franchise history are still with the team, doing magic every year



I feel pretty damn good about the Hawks right now, thanks for asking!

 

[hawkfannj]

I think we are above average team as of now lots of questions to be answered still IMHO . Not to high on the team not too low either .

 

[MeanBlueGreen]

We definitely have some question marks.

Offensive Line
We have zero starters from the 2013 Owl team. I know many thought our line wasn't good then, but they did block for the No. 4 rushing offense of all-time. Right now, the group looks pretty bad. I'm not trying to be overly negative here - I do believe there's some young, untapped talent available to us. But the Seahawks spend the least amount of money by an NFL franchise on their offensive line by a pretty healthy margin. I'm pretty much 50/50 on whether or not this group can be coached up and end up being pretty decent. The draft should infuse some talent into this group (hopefully). 2016 is going to be Tom Cable's toughest test yet.

Kam Chancellor
I have no idea what to think of the Kam situation. I have to believe that it's still there. He's not happy with his contract, but his holdout, followed by average play doesn't justify a reworking of his deal, and I hope the front office holds firm with him. I think he's a bit irreplaceable, which is quite the conundrum - anyone remember Earl basically telling the media that Kam is the entire brain of the defense?

Michael Bennett
Very underpaid at this point. Two years left on his deal. I think Bennett is hitting the last half of his prime. Will be 33 by the time his deal is up.

Mostly standing pat in Free Agency
Arizona got better. New England is the favorites to win 51 after having a pretty productive offseason so far. I don't hate that we didn't do much. The contracts this season were insane. But I do feel like we didn't really get better, either.

Thomas Rawls
Love this kid, and I hope he makes it all the way back from his injury and can stay healthy. But as a second year back coming off a pretty significant injury, I hope he can pick up where he left off. He looked like the league's best back in spurts last season.

Offensive Philosophy
I still read posts on here from people who think we're still a power run team. I don't think that's us anymore. The offense is going to be completely geared around Russell Wilson and the passing game. I can see us being a balanced attack for the most part, but I think the days of the power run are mostly over.

The draft is going to be huge for this team, and the front office can't whiff on picks. I'm going to support each pick when the time comes, but I really hope some serious draft capital is infused into our offensive line.

Right now, I think we're a top 10 team in this league. We have the talent to win 12-14 games if everything clicks. But the rest of this offseason is going to be huge.

In 2013, after the playoff loss to Atlanta, I felt like we were on the cusp of being a great team. My optimism level for the 2013 season was about an an eight out of 10. In 2014, I felt there was a great chance to repeat. In 2015, after acquiring Jimmy Graham, I was a solid 10 out of 10. I just felt we were far and way the best team in the NFL. Right now, I am at about a six out of 10, and feel like there's a lot of work to be done. But while I feel that way, I wouldn't be surprised if the 2016 season churns out the best Seahawks team ever.

Basically, it's tough to gauge where we're at right now.

Wish there was a chicken little emoticon...

Feel great about the team :
1. No offseason drama with Russ's contract, losing the SB in horrible fashion, holdouts, bitterness etc.
2. Oline continues to be a worry but...none of our division teams have significantly upgraded their pass rush and I'm positive Schneider, Carroll, Cable et al. will not repeat the mistakes of the last season.
3. Nobody of significance is having offseason surgery (except Jimmy Graham...debatable how significant he is)
4. Our defense remains largely intact and therefore will be that much better
5. We haven't lost any significant coaches
6. Word from Pete is team is more focused than ever - they don't like coming in 2nd. I think we will see a return to the nasty, vicious SOB defense that cause so much consternation in the past
7. Our secondary, will not as deep as years past, feels much more complete with Jeremy Lane being there. the Cary Williams experiment was a sh*tshow from Day 1
8. I thought I would miss Lynch more but he didn't do much last season and we still managed to do pretty good.
7. Russ is coming off his best 2nd half season finish ever, as is Doug Baldwin.

 

[ctrcat]

Kearly pretty much nailed it and especially the bit about 2015 having dark clouds over everything from day 1.
I feel like this year there are no dark clouds, and there are a lot of bets that could pay off huge.

There have been a few times I've been to Emerald Downs, and picked horses who are not the favorites, but do have a shot, have a good jockey, and have a payoff good enough that if they finish in the money, I've done very well on that race.

That's how I feel about the 2016 Seahawks, like I should go to Vegas and bet a couple hundred on the Hawks to win the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, Vegas is giving co-favorite odds, rather than longshot odds, on the Seahawks.

While our OL will probably start rough, I think we'll be average there by midseason. Our projects will start paying off.

Odds actually changed after FA began. Denver loses it's QB and two key defenders, and their odds go up. New England loses it's best defender and is now the favorite say the "odds". http://www.ninersnation.com/2016/3/17/1 ... ree-agency

 

[kearly]

I am honestly more exited about this team than I have been since 2013. The last two years have felt like we were holding on to something. Trying to maintain. That's boring, and to a certain extent, stagnant by nature.

This year feels a bit like a new team. Marshawn and Okung gone on offense. Mebane and Irvin gone on defense. Rebuilding the oline. Wilson taking the reigns. Rawls on the upswing. Excited about our receivers for the first time in . . . 10, 15 years.

I feel exactly this way.

From the moment Seattle signed Avril and Bennett in free agency on shockingly good deals, it just felt like 2013 was our year. And it was.

The feeling this time around isn't quite as fateful, but it's still a good feeling. It feels like Seattle is on the cusp of a very fun season. As you say, the beginning of a new chapter.

I'm not the type who likes change, so for me, the new season could just as easily herald 9-7 as it could another Super Bowl.

The change happened in the middle of the 2015 season. 2016 will be new in the sense that it's a new era.

 

[kearly]

Odds actually changed after FA began. Denver loses it's QB and two key defenders, and their odds go up. New England loses it's best defender and is now the favorite say the "odds". http://www.ninersnation.com/2016/3/17/1 ... ree-agency

They probably assumed Peyton wasn't retiring on the initial ranking.

As for the Pats, they did add a few interesting players to their roster, so it doesn't shock me too much that their number went up. I still think they should have kept Jones though.

 

[pehawk]

Alot of my feelings will be firmed up when the schedule comes out.

Since the Seahawks defense is built on "our guys will beat your guys", simplistic philosophy, playing 6 teams off extended rest absolutely killed them. It hurts Seattle more than almost every other team. It evens the playing field and gives way to late game meltdowns.

Also, I want to see Rawl's recovery. That offense went as he went alot of times. He masked other roster deficiencies.

 

[ctrcat]

Odds actually changed after FA began. Denver loses it's QB and two key defenders, and their odds go up. New England loses it's best defender and is now the favorite say the "odds". http://www.ninersnation.com/2016/3/17/1 ... ree-agency

They probably assumed Peyton wasn't retiring on the initial ranking.

As for the Pats, they did add a few interesting players to their roster, so it doesn't shock me too much that their number went up. I still think they should have kept Jones though.

LOL

 

[pehawk]

Odds actually changed after FA began. Denver loses it's QB and two key defenders, and their odds go up. New England loses it's best defender and is now the favorite say the "odds". http://www.ninersnation.com/2016/3/17/1 ... ree-agency

They probably assumed Peyton wasn't retiring on the initial ranking.

As for the Pats, they did add a few interesting players to their roster, so it doesn't shock me too much that their number went up. I still think they should have kept Jones though.

Bastards signed Nate Washington today. That kids a stud. Very unsung. Brilliant signing.

Bastards.

 

[Hawks46]

Nice post, Hawks46.

Kearly pretty much nailed it and especially the bit about 2015 having dark clouds over everything from day 1.
I feel like this year there are no dark clouds, and there are a lot of bets that could pay off huge.

There have been a few times I've been to Emerald Downs, and picked horses who are not the favorites, but do have a shot, have a good jockey, and have a payoff good enough that if they finish in the money, I've done very well on that race.

That's how I feel about the 2016 Seahawks, like I should go to Vegas and bet a couple hundred on the Hawks to win the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, Vegas is giving co-favorite odds, rather than longshot odds, on the Seahawks.

While our OL will probably start rough, I think we'll be average there by midseason. Our projects will start paying off.

I really like the gambling analogy. Another analogy would be the stock market. The Seahawks stock price is down a bit, but their indicators are up.

Funny, but what you both said is interrelated.

Vegas is usually right a lot more than most football analysts. If Vegas has us as the co favorites, there's a reason for it. Us being a favorite to win the Super Bowl is an indicator that we should expect good things from our team this year.

 

[Scottemojo]

So, almost every year since Pete arrived, the offensive line is new faces in new spots taking half the season to realize a level of competence.

I expect exactly that in 2016.

 

[TeamoftheCentury]

I am honestly more exited about this team than I have been since 2013. The last two years have felt like we were holding on to something. Trying to maintain. That's boring, and to a certain extent, stagnant by nature.

This year feels a bit like a new team. Marshawn and Okung gone on offense. Mebane and Irvin gone on defense. Rebuilding the oline. Wilson taking the reigns. Rawls on the upswing. Excited about our receivers for the first time in . . . 10, 15 years.

I feel exactly this way.

From the moment Seattle signed Avril and Bennett in free agency on shockingly good deals, it just felt like 2013 was our year. And it was.

The feeling this time around isn't quite as fateful, but it's still a good feeling. It feels like Seattle is on the cusp of a very fun season. As you say, the beginning of a new chapter.

I'm not the type who likes change, so for me, the new season could just as easily herald 9-7 as it could another Super Bowl.

I love change. In college I rearranged my dorm room every week just cause. Roommate hated it.

Did you move his stuff, too? Rearranging generally leads to cleaning, too. So, maybe that was appreciated to some degree by your roommate.

Not quite cleaning house. But, how do the players feel about moving pieces in their established house?

I certainly don't feel as excited about the team as going into 2013. Back then, I felt like a shark that smelled blood. I do, however, generally agree about the feel the last couple of years. Still, they were right there in contention both years (albeit with the slow starts record wise.)

To some degree I share that excitement knowing they've got to do some retooling. It's still very much a Championship Caliber team. Hopefully, they'll address some of the problems - particularly get the LOB back to being feared, get a blocking TE and maybe utilize Graham as more of a split out receiver, and make improvements to the O-Line, continually work to improve the pass rush - gotta dominate there.

And maybe, just maybe... they'll very surprisingly add a player no one appreciates that ends up anchoring the line. McGruff will be calling him "BAyM-BAyM eVAyM" by mid-season. :lol:

 

[TeamoftheCentury]

So, almost every year since Pete arrived, the offensive line is new faces in new spots taking half the season to realize a level of competence.

I expect exactly that in 2016.

Do you expect it to lead to another poor record out of the gates? You think they'll be playing catch-up in the division once again? Man, I sure hope not.