Moves (I think) Pete and John Should Consider

[Yxes1122]

I'm not an expert and this is all probably seen through rose colored glasses, but I have no Seahawks fans to talk to where I live.

#1 - Trade for Yannick Ngakoue

[tweet]https://twitter.com/PFF/status/1156840999592890369[/tweet]

This Seattle team desperately needs speed off the Edge. More specifically, Seattle needs a LEO in the vein of Cliff Avril and Chris Clemons. Yannick is that guy. He also held out in the offseason looking for a new deal, seems unhappy in Jacksonville and is in the last year of a deal. The Jags just traded their best CB, they drafted Josh Allen and are 2-4 with a rookie QB under center. If this can be done for a 2nd this year, I think Seattle should make this move.

Normally I would want to hold onto this pick, but I think with the offense really clicking, pulling the defense to serviceable might get us to a Super Bowl caliber team. And maybe it's because he where's 91, but we badly need a Chris Clemons on this team.

#2 - Extend Quill Griffin Before the Playoffs

[tweet]https://twitter.com/PFF_Seahawks/status/1183809349652602881[/tweet]

I've seen enough of Griffin this year to think he deserves a Tyler Lockett style extension. I think an early extension at 3 year $11-13 APY is doable now and it keeps us from having to pay more in the future. I know that it's risky signing him after a rocky 2nd year, but it does feel like Seattle is going to always be rebuilding this defense or pay high dollar in contract years.

Frank isn't here because, instead of extending him for $16 APY early, we waited and he got $20 APY. Extend Quill now and make him a foundational piece.

#3 - Bench Mychal Kendricks, Jamar Taylor and Tedric Thompson. Start Cody Barton, Ugo Amadi and Marquise Blair.

[tweet]https://twitter.com/byAlistairCorp/status/1182332039812403200[/tweet]

At a glance Seattle currently has the 11th ranked run defense and the 10th ranked pass defense. But their defensive DVOA ranks 18th and the ANY/A is bottom tier. And this is against: Andy Dalton, Mason Rudolph, Kyler Murray, Teddy Bridgewater, Jared Goff and Baker Mayfield.

Or the 27th most difficult schedule by DVOA.

This defense his one good QB away from being exposed in a bad way.

I don't know if Barton, Blair or Amadi are better. But I don't think Seattle's defense is going to get much better with journeyman veterans in key roles. Start the rookies and see what they can do. Starting them now lets them get better later in the year at the very least.

#4 - Trade for Michael Bennett.

Controversial I know. But Seattle has just enough cap space to get Ngakoue and Bennett. Having a DL rotation of Clowney, Reed, Poona, Ngakoue, Bennett, Ansah, Jefferson, Green, Collier (Cut Woods and Jackson) is much more formidable than what it is now.

Plus, it's probably a 3rd day pick to acquire him. Especially after his suspension.

And then there's this:

[tweet]https://twitter.com/Brickwallblitz/status/1156309390875660289[/tweet]

 

[HawkStrong]

Bennett has good averages sure, but extremely small sample size. He's played less than 100 snaps this season probably.

 

[hawksfansinceday1]

Liked your 1st two ideas.
Bennett ain't comin' back. Period.
Your idea about the young guys is interesting though Taylor has shown some improvement. Guessing they'd be playing Amadi over him if he showed being worthy in practice. Been wishing Blair would step up and become a starter but again if he'd shown it in practice I think he'd be there. As for Kendricks.............those be some ugly stats. A move to Barton could happen

 

[Mad Dog]

One has to trust the coaches on starting young guys. It's the classic fan fallacy that the unknown is superior to the known. Fans everywhere are known for yelling for backups to be started when the starters struggle. It's the rare player that enters for a starter and doesn't screw up worse.

Let Blair, Barton and Ugo start when the coaches think they are ready. They see them in practice so they are the best judges of readiness.

Trading a 2nd for half a year of Ngakoue is worse than the Sheldon Richardson deal. We aren't one Chris Clemons away from greatness. Just like we weren't one Jadeveon Clowney away from greatness and won't be one Jarran Reed from greatness. We need some young guys like Green to step up. You don't win in this league with disgruntled rentals. You win with excellent young players on rookie deals and/or a great QB.

And just No on the Bennett thing. Locker room culture is solid from what I've heard. Don't need Bennett trolling it.

 

[xray]

Carroll...gives up all offenses play calls to his supporting cast .

 

[lobohawk]

Kendricks is paying the price for them playing base, with all three LBs, more often than is normal. The backers are often mismatched in coverage.

 

[vigilantgrrl]

I don't think we'd be playing base and wearing down the linebackers, if our secondary was any good. We'd be going nickle instead.

 

[WestcoastSteve]

Amadi was terrible at nickel against the Bengals. So bad they felt the need to go sign Taylor.

I don't think you bench a bunch of players when you're 5-1. Wouldn't go well in the locker room. Blair may start this week if he can still a job great.

 

[AgentDib]

#1. Not a terrible idea but too all-in for my tastes. You can't have every area on a team be a strength in the salary cap era and I think with Reed coming back we have enough guys. QJeff and Branden Jackson have played pretty well next to Clowney while Collier and Rasheem Green should show more as well as the season wears on. We could probably get more out of a guy like Yannick in the short term but we're better long-term if either of those guys work in the rotation enough to show something on valuable rookie contracts.

#2. Not allowed due to NFL rules.

#3. Suggesting we start rookies over veterans is completely at odds with idea #1. Rookies are going to make more mistakes which is why Pete loves to play the veterans. If we fall out of the playoff race then this will happen, but as long as we're in contention they are going to start whoever they feel is best in the short term and that will likely be a veteran.

#4. Still the same FO and coaching staff that got rid of Bennett for off-field reasons. What's changed? We need him less now than we did when we first traded him.

 

[hawksfansinceday1]

Amadi was terrible at nickel against the Bengals. So bad they felt the need to go sign Taylor.

I don't think you bench a bunch of players when you're 5-1. Wouldn't go well in the locker room. Blair may start this week if he can still a job great.

Yeah I read today Blair is likely to start due to McDougald and Hill possibly being out injured. 2nd rounder and supposedly part of the future at Safety so...........

 

[McGruff]

Griffin cannot be extended until after the season.

 

[McGruff]

One has to trust the coaches on starting young guys. It's the classic fan fallacy that the unknown is superior to the known. Fans everywhere are known for yelling for backups to be started when the starters struggle. It's the rare player that enters for a starter and doesn't screw up worse.

Let Blair, Barton and Ugo start when the coaches think they are ready. They see them in practice so they are the best judges of readiness.

Trading a 2nd for half a year of Ngakoue is worse than the Sheldon Richardson deal. We aren't one Chris Clemons away from greatness. Just like we weren't one Jadeveon Clowney away from greatness and won't be one Jarran Reed from greatness. We need some young guys like Green to step up. You don't win in this league with disgruntled rentals. You win with excellent young players on rookie deals and/or a great QB.

And just No on the Bennett thing. Locker room culture is solid from what I've heard. Don't need Bennett trolling it.

I remember when Charlie Whitehurst couldnt possibly be worse than late career Hasselbeck

 

[SantaClaraHawk]

Disagree with #2, the Shaquill Griffin extension.

First, he's shown to be above average but not elite. Second, he is codependently infused with his brother Shaquem and peddling that (and Shaquem's lack of a hand story) all over 60 Minutes, book deal, etc. On the 60 Minutes segment, they came out and glorified their "promise" they made to each other as 8 yos--that staying "bonded" meant they had to both play football, live in the same house, marry twins and then all live together and have kids--was actually admirable and so far realistic.

It's not.

Shaquem has not to my knowledge made an appearance in this season and his trade value is negligible. He would have been cut in preseason if not for Shaquill, and if you pay him even after the season, it just exacerbates the cap space problems when he sits/declines/gets a sore back over a third-grade sibling pact that's frankly dysfunctional.

Right now, I see the Hawks floating 1 for the price of 2 with no real gain to Hawks except the 1, and I don't see Shaquill's attitude getting better about it.

 

[hawkfan68]

I don't think we'd be playing base and wearing down the linebackers, if our secondary was any good. We'd be going nickle instead.

Bingo....we have a winner!!!

Kendricks is far more dangerous at pass rush than coverage. If Kendricks could tackle better, he'd have some daunting sack numbers.

 

[HawkGA]

Sounds like Blair may get a start this weekend.

 

[TreeRon]

Get Jamal Adams

 

[MontanaHawk05]

I realize this was a peripheral point in the OP, but don't cut Al Woods. You need to look past his bad penalty last week. He's done far more than either Jackson or Green thus far this year and cutting him would leave a depth problem.

 

[Mad Dog]

I realize this was a peripheral point in the OP, but don't cut Al Woods. You need to look past his bad penalty last week. He's done far more than either Jackson or Green thus far this year and cutting him would leave a depth problem.

Umm Woods job is entirely different than Jackson or Green.

I wouldn't cut him because Reed, Ford and Woods make a good run stuffing rotation. But that has no bearing on Jackson and Green that are competing with Jefferson, Collier, Ansah and Clowney for playing time.

 

[Fade]

Trade a 2nd rd pick for Yannick Ngakoue? Hell yes.

But I don't think the Jags would do it though. After getting a king's ransom for Ramsey. They are going to want a 1st.

They should trade for Austin Hooper, and Dan Quinn as a throw-in if they can swing it.

 

[hawksfansinceday1]

Trade a 2nd rd pick for Yannick Ngakoue? Hell yes.

But I don't think the Jags would do it though. After getting a king's ransom for Ramsey. They are going to want a 1st.

They should trade for Austin Hooper, and Dan Quinn as a throw-in if they can swing it.

Couple more weeks and Quinn will be a free agent so no need for a trade.