Just a short overview on draft capital and UFAs on this defense. I will only factor in the first 4 rounds, as 5th-7th picks are largely spent on projects and special teamers.
SOP in the NFL is: Rd 1 = Pro Bowler, Rd 2 = Good Starter, Rd 3 = Solid Starter, Rd 4 = Spot Starter
2017
1st - Malik Mcdowell - (traded out of the 1st and selected him in the 2nd, massive whiff.)
3rd - Shaquill Griffin - (for a 3rd rounder, definitely a hit.)
3rd - Lano Hill - (Miss.)
3rd - Naz Jones - (Miss.)
4th - TT - (Miss.)
1/5 Batting .200
2018
3rd - Rasheem Green - (Was supposed to be a top 10 talent that came out a year too early. Miss.)
0/1 Batting .000
2019
1st - LJ Collier - (Traded out of the 1st and selected him in the 2nd, Miss.)
2nd - Marquise Blair - (Never is on the field, now injured. Miss.)
3rd - Cody Barton - (Looking like a career special teamer. Miss.)
4th - Ugo Imadi - (Doing a good job as a rotational player and spot starter. Hit.)
1/4 Batting .250
2020 (Waaay early here, but I'm going to evaluate with current info anyway for completest sake.)
1st - Jordyn Brooks (Disappointing so far, and underwhelmed against Kyler. Miss.)
2nd - Darrell Taylor (Traded up to get him, Z-E-R-O snaps. Miss.)
0/2 Batting .000
============
Total: 2/12 Batting .167
============
This right here is one of the main reasons why the Seahawks are bad on defense. 12 defensive players taken in rounds where you expect to get starters and they missed on 10 of them. Talk about flushing picks down the Toilet. But it gets better.
2021/2022 (Draft Capital already spent.)
1st, 1st, 3rd Jamal Adams (A hell of a price to pay for a Safety, and he will also command a top contract.)
DEFENSIVE STARTERS ACQUIRED IN FREE AGENCY & TRADE
2017
LB M.Wilhoite (Miss.)
S Bradley McDougald (Hit)
1/2 Batting .500
2018
DT Shamar Stephen (Hit, barely, more like meh.)
LB/Leo Barkivous Mingo (MIss.)
CB Dante Johnson (Miss.)
1/3 Batting .333
2019
DE Ziggy Ansah (Massive whiff.)
CB Jamar Taylor (Miss.)
Traded away Frank Clark, with no plan for a long term replacement. (Whiff.)
DE JD Clowney (Hit, Miss.) Letting him walk for 0 compensation is a massive fail in my book.
S Quandre Diggs (Hit.)
1/5 Batting .200
2020
LB/Leo Bruce Irvin (Miss.)
DE/Leo Benson Mayowa (Miss.)
CB Quinton Dunbar (Hit.)
S Jamal Adams (I'm going with hit, but so far it has been a miss.)
2/4 Batting .500
============
Total: 5/14 Batting .357
============
===================
Combined: 7/26 Batting .267 <-- Epic Failure
===================
(7/26 on guys they projected to be starters!) (If I factor in every UFA and draft pick on defense it gets much worse.)
Compounding bad drafting with bad UFA's and trades is a recipe for disaster.
But personnel acquisition isn't even the half of it.
You see, when you have an antiquated system, and a bad DC, you never have a chance to improve, instead it's a consistent, gradual decline. Exactly what has happened.
It reminds me of the Cable years on offense. They threw asset after asset at Tom Cable, and they just kept getting worse on the O-Line. Got rid of Cable, now suddenly their O-Line draft picks can play, they find nice bargains in Free Agency like Brandon Shell, and Mike Iupati.
Ken Norton is a huge factor in why the defense is so bad, along with Pete Carroll who has overseen this thing for YEARS.
Pete Carroll continuing to inexplicably stay loyal to Ken Norton is the worst move all. File it in the Tom Cable/Bevell category.
What needs to happen is this: Fire Ken Norton, bring in a DC that has full autonomy, preferably a guy who was a head coach, but got fired and is a career DC. Someone like a Vic Fangio if Denver fires him after this season. Surrender all draft and UFA power to JS. Strip Pete Carroll as VP of Football Operations and is a Head Coach only from now on, he is too old to be spinning all those plates.
SOP in the NFL is: Rd 1 = Pro Bowler, Rd 2 = Good Starter, Rd 3 = Solid Starter, Rd 4 = Spot Starter
2017
1st - Malik Mcdowell - (traded out of the 1st and selected him in the 2nd, massive whiff.)
3rd - Shaquill Griffin - (for a 3rd rounder, definitely a hit.)
3rd - Lano Hill - (Miss.)
3rd - Naz Jones - (Miss.)
4th - TT - (Miss.)
1/5 Batting .200
2018
3rd - Rasheem Green - (Was supposed to be a top 10 talent that came out a year too early. Miss.)
0/1 Batting .000
2019
1st - LJ Collier - (Traded out of the 1st and selected him in the 2nd, Miss.)
2nd - Marquise Blair - (Never is on the field, now injured. Miss.)
3rd - Cody Barton - (Looking like a career special teamer. Miss.)
4th - Ugo Imadi - (Doing a good job as a rotational player and spot starter. Hit.)
1/4 Batting .250
2020 (Waaay early here, but I'm going to evaluate with current info anyway for completest sake.)
1st - Jordyn Brooks (Disappointing so far, and underwhelmed against Kyler. Miss.)
2nd - Darrell Taylor (Traded up to get him, Z-E-R-O snaps. Miss.)
0/2 Batting .000
============
Total: 2/12 Batting .167
============
This right here is one of the main reasons why the Seahawks are bad on defense. 12 defensive players taken in rounds where you expect to get starters and they missed on 10 of them. Talk about flushing picks down the Toilet. But it gets better.
2021/2022 (Draft Capital already spent.)
1st, 1st, 3rd Jamal Adams (A hell of a price to pay for a Safety, and he will also command a top contract.)
DEFENSIVE STARTERS ACQUIRED IN FREE AGENCY & TRADE
2017
LB M.Wilhoite (Miss.)
S Bradley McDougald (Hit)
1/2 Batting .500
2018
DT Shamar Stephen (Hit, barely, more like meh.)
LB/Leo Barkivous Mingo (MIss.)
CB Dante Johnson (Miss.)
1/3 Batting .333
2019
DE Ziggy Ansah (Massive whiff.)
CB Jamar Taylor (Miss.)
Traded away Frank Clark, with no plan for a long term replacement. (Whiff.)
DE JD Clowney (Hit, Miss.) Letting him walk for 0 compensation is a massive fail in my book.
S Quandre Diggs (Hit.)
1/5 Batting .200
2020
LB/Leo Bruce Irvin (Miss.)
DE/Leo Benson Mayowa (Miss.)
CB Quinton Dunbar (Hit.)
S Jamal Adams (I'm going with hit, but so far it has been a miss.)
2/4 Batting .500
============
Total: 5/14 Batting .357
============
===================
Combined: 7/26 Batting .267 <-- Epic Failure
===================
(7/26 on guys they projected to be starters!) (If I factor in every UFA and draft pick on defense it gets much worse.)
Compounding bad drafting with bad UFA's and trades is a recipe for disaster.
But personnel acquisition isn't even the half of it.
You see, when you have an antiquated system, and a bad DC, you never have a chance to improve, instead it's a consistent, gradual decline. Exactly what has happened.
It reminds me of the Cable years on offense. They threw asset after asset at Tom Cable, and they just kept getting worse on the O-Line. Got rid of Cable, now suddenly their O-Line draft picks can play, they find nice bargains in Free Agency like Brandon Shell, and Mike Iupati.
Ken Norton is a huge factor in why the defense is so bad, along with Pete Carroll who has overseen this thing for YEARS.
Pete Carroll continuing to inexplicably stay loyal to Ken Norton is the worst move all. File it in the Tom Cable/Bevell category.
What needs to happen is this: Fire Ken Norton, bring in a DC that has full autonomy, preferably a guy who was a head coach, but got fired and is a career DC. Someone like a Vic Fangio if Denver fires him after this season. Surrender all draft and UFA power to JS. Strip Pete Carroll as VP of Football Operations and is a Head Coach only from now on, he is too old to be spinning all those plates.