Sweezy or Okung?

[hawknation2016]

I thought this topic could use a poll to gauge the current sentiments of the board upon the conclusion of the season.

J.R. Sweezy
PRO: Re-signing Sweezy would lead to better continuity on the offensive line while maintaining depth. He is very physical and has had impressive splash plays in the run game where he totally dominates his opponent. Has missed only one game in four years due to injury. The rookie who replaced him in that game, Mark Glowinski, is still an unknown with some major holes in his technique. Could cost as little as half as much as Okung to re-sign.
CON: Terribly inconsistent play from a guard who may have hit his ceiling two years ago. He tends to lose focus and makes mental errors, taking poor angles and allowing free runners into the backfield. His overall play has been endemic of a line plagued by drive-killing inconsistency.

Russell Okung
PRO: The former Pro Bowler has the ability to be a Top 10 LT in this league. Powerful hands and excellent length to keep pass rushers at bay, he is also the team's best run blocker.
CON: Injuries; he has had a whole lot of them over the last few seasons. Since his rookie season, Okung's injury history has read like the medical report of a triage unit. And then there are the penalties: 46 in total, including 29 false starts and 21 holding calls. He has never been a fast player and has had to rely on his length to make up ground against faster defenders. That has led to an increasing number of false starts and holds, as he is forced to catch up to those faster defenders and his susceptibility to injuries takes its toll. In an ideal world, he might be better suited to the right side of the line, where his excellent run blocking would be allowed to shine without the risk of protecting his QB's blindside.

While some people think both players will be re-signed, I find that scenario to be highly unlikely due to cap restrictions and the trade-offs and inconsistent play from both players. My personal preference would be that neither player be re-signed, allowing the line to grow into a new form as younger players are called upon to fill the void in leadership. But my gut feeling tells me that the cost-benefit analysis will lead the team toward the preference of re-signing Sweezy, while allowing Okung to sign elsewhere. What say the board.

 

[Largent80]

Easily Okung. We really stunk when he was out and we have Glowinski to fill Sweezy's spot. Possibly draft a new LT to groom.

 

[hawknation2016]

Easily Okung. We really stunk when he was out and we have Glowinski to fill Sweezy's spot. Possibly draft a new LT to groom.

Here are a few more details from Carroll's end-of-season presser that make me think the team is leading toward letting Okung go. He would not say whether Justin Britt was better at guard or tackle, and he called Soloki a center in the future. If Okung was leaving and Sweezy was staying, they would need a new tackle (Britt) and a left guard (Glowinski to replace Britt). If they were planning on Okung remaining with the team, then I think Carroll would have said just the opposite: that Britt would remain at guard while leaving open the possibility that Sokoli could play guard.

Just my opinion, but I also thought he sounded a little flippant when mentioning the unusual nature of Okung's latest injury, suffered against Carolina. If he thought they would re-sign Okung, then I imagine the positive-thinking Carroll would have been his usual supportive and upbeat self. If he believed Okung was on the way out, then it seems likely that Carroll would be more dismissive about Okung's tendency to get banged up. To me, it sounded like he was.

 

[Fade]

Parsing Pete in his end of the year press conference, I gleaned that he wants to make changes on the O-Line, and try to upgrade it. Not in the always compete kind of way, but in the let's be really aggressive go get Jimmy, Percy, Bennett, Avril, trade up for Lockett kind of way.

When Pete was asked about the offensive line, with the process, and philosophy he said, "It's still a work in progress, I don't think we've nailed it yet. I think this needs to be a real competitive spot again, and we're going to work really hard to build it up again. I think that's a real area of focus again."

I liken giving money to Okung to the equivalent of flushing money down the toilet. Paying him money isn't going to magically cure him of injuries. He is going to get hurt, paying him is stupid.

Sweezy is a real up & down player, but to maintain some form of continuity I think he gets re-signed.

I voted --> Neither.

 

[Fade]

Easily Okung. We really stunk when he was out.

Help me understand.

@ Carolina Russell Wilson was hit as he threw on both of his picks from left side pressure (1 from Britt, and 1 from Okung.) The offense scored 0 points. Once Okung left the game the offense scored 24 points w/0 picks.

Okung missed the Dallas game --> the O-Line proceeded to allow 0 sacks.

Okung missed the @ AZ game --> The offense put up 36 points.

Okung missed the Rams game --> Yep, but the team struggles when they play the Rams.

 

[LickMyNuts]

LT's are much harder to find and develop than right guards. Based on RO's injury history he may only have a few more years left in the league. But with the run on Tackles lately in the first round of the draft we will have to be good to draft a good one.

IMO Sweezy is too stiff and light in the ass to ever be a good pass blocker. His athleticism at getting to and blocking LB's is excellent but I think he is easier to replace than Okung. Even if Okung only plays 75% of the season.

 

[onanygivensunday]

The team's available cap space to re-sign FAs is limited this year to $22.8Mm and that assumes that Marshawn is cut before FA starts, which should happen.

That $22.8M will allow us to re-sign either 3 or 4 of our own FAs.

In descending 2015 salaries, the top of our own FA list are Okung, Mebane, Rubin, Kearse, Irvin, Ryan, Shead, Michael, Lane, Lewis, Sweezy, Bailey, Seisay and Burley. (I left out several who, imo, are not in the running to be retained.)

The problem comes in picking out the 3 or 4, at best, who you feel can, and should be retained within the team's $22.8M spending allowance.

My choices are Rubin, Kearse, Lane and Sweezy... howbeit not in that order.

In order of importance to the team, my list is Lane, Rubin, Kearse and then Sweezy.

I would let Okung, Mebane, Irvin, and Ryan test the FA waters. They are not priority signings for this club this year.

 

[Fade]

The team's available cap space to re-sign FAs is limited this year to $22.8Mm.

Source?

 

[SomersetHawk]

Okung's coasting. I really don't think football's the be all and end all for him and Pete sees it. This was a contract year for Okung, who's regarded among the league as a solid LT (didn't he even earn pro bowl honours last season?), we should have seen him kicking ass up and down the field and hustling this year but he wasn't. He knew that he could get by and still earn very good money as a free agent, but it was important he kept healthy and so compromised some of his performance.

Of course, that's just my opinion given what I saw out of him at left tackle this year, and there were plays that negated this view, just not enough for me. I want us to draft some young and hungry O-linemen to light a fire up some asses. Competition is what Pete preaches, but we've never really had it on the O-line (apart from a few undrafted guys going at it for the center spot this season).

 

[onanygivensunday]

The team's available cap space to re-sign FAs is limited this year to $22.8Mm.

Source?

It came from a CBS Sports article about whether or not the Seahawks SB window is starting to close. Here's the crux of the article with their analysis.

NFL teams were informed at a league meeting in December that the 2016 salary cap is preliminarily projected to be between $150 million and $153.4 million. When the 2016 salary cap is set in late February or early March, the expectation is for it to be at the high end of projections if not over the preliminary numbers like in the last two years.

During the offseason, only the top 51 cap numbers count on the salary cap. The Seahawks have slightly more than $123.875 million in 2016 cap commitments with 36 players under contract. Approximately $11,500 of unused cap room can be carried over from the 2015 league year. After accounting for tenders for restricted free agents and exclusive rights players with expiring contracts, futures contracts for practice squad players and earned incentives, Seattle should have a little more than $16.325 million of 2016 cap space assuming a $153.4 million salary cap. The total will increase to approximately $22.825 million if ties with Lynch are cut quickly.

Link to the article... http://mweb.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-fo ... still-open

 

[RichNhansom]

Okung and Irvin will both likely net a 3rd round comp pick.

If Okung couldn't even stay healthy in his contract year he likely never will. Even so his price will be insanely high given his position and FA. Remember the best ability is availability. That goes double for O-line because it drastically effects continuity.

Sweezy might be worth a 6th round comp pick if he gets a good enough FA contract but if he is affordable and Pete believes he hasn't hit his ceiling yet then I could see retaining him.

To me the priorities are Kears, Lane, Shead and Tuba Rubin.

 

[jammerhawk]

I think the $ amount available for FA is light by about $6 mil., or thereabouts.

I take my numbers from the draft blog and from OTC factoring Marshawn being cut. Most of us are guessing here but there is ample money to do some deals and keep most of our guys.

 

[Fade]

The team's available cap space to re-sign FAs is limited this year to $22.8Mm.

Source?

It came from a CBS Sports article about whether or not the Seahawks SB window is starting to close. Here's the crux of the article with their analysis.

NFL teams were informed at a league meeting in December that the 2016 salary cap is preliminarily projected to be between $150 million and $153.4 million. When the 2016 salary cap is set in late February or early March, the expectation is for it to be at the high end of projections if not over the preliminary numbers like in the last two years.

During the offseason, only the top 51 cap numbers count on the salary cap. The Seahawks have slightly more than $123.875 million in 2016 cap commitments with 36 players under contract. Approximately $11,500 of unused cap room can be carried over from the 2015 league year. After accounting for tenders for restricted free agents and exclusive rights players with expiring contracts, futures contracts for practice squad players and earned incentives, Seattle should have a little more than $16.325 million of 2016 cap space assuming a $153.4 million salary cap. The total will increase to approximately $22.825 million if ties with Lynch are cut quickly.

Link to the article... http://mweb.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-fo ... still-open

Thanks.

 

[HawkGA]

I think Okung will be too expensive and while it may be tough to replace a LT, he simply isn't worth what he is going to get paid. I'm not enamored with Sweezy but I suspect he comes fairly cheap and get resigned.

 

[SomersetHawk]

The team's available cap space to re-sign FAs is limited this year to $22.8Mm.

Source?

It came from a CBS Sports article about whether or not the Seahawks SB window is starting to close. Here's the crux of the article with their analysis.

NFL teams were informed at a league meeting in December that the 2016 salary cap is preliminarily projected to be between $150 million and $153.4 million. When the 2016 salary cap is set in late February or early March, the expectation is for it to be at the high end of projections if not over the preliminary numbers like in the last two years.

During the offseason, only the top 51 cap numbers count on the salary cap. The Seahawks have slightly more than $123.875 million in 2016 cap commitments with 36 players under contract. Approximately $11,500 of unused cap room can be carried over from the 2015 league year. After accounting for tenders for restricted free agents and exclusive rights players with expiring contracts, futures contracts for practice squad players and earned incentives, Seattle should have a little more than $16.325 million of 2016 cap space assuming a $153.4 million salary cap. The total will increase to approximately $22.825 million if ties with Lynch are cut quickly.

Link to the article... http://mweb.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-fo ... still-open

Worth noting Lynch could retire or we could cut ties later on in the year and spread the dead money. That would give us at least $25m in either scenario and around $20m for eight players after signing our draftees (assuming we keep all our picks, which we wont, but we will keep some UDFAs).

 

[Fade]

I think the $ amount available for FA is light by about $6 mil., or thereabouts.

I take my numbers from the draft blog and from OTC factoring Marshawn being cut. Most of us are guessing here but there is ample money to do some deals and keep most of our guys.

I think "ample" is a little strong. Once the RFA players are tendered, and the roster accounting is taken up from 36 to 51 they lose cap space. The CBS article is spot on. Of course there is always a way to create more space. The cap may also go above that $153.9M. I think the last 2 years it has gone a little over the suggested mark. I would not be surprised to see the cap at $156M.

 

[Fade]

If Marshawn gets the post June 1 designation then that money saved cutting him cannot be spent until after June 1. I think Lynch will end up being traded to Oakland, or Jax anyway, so the point is moot.

 

[onanygivensunday]

Worth noting Lynch could retire or we could cut ties later on in the year and spread the dead money. That would give us at least $25m in either scenario and around $20m for eight players after signing our draftees (assuming we keep all our picks, which we wont, but we will keep some UDFAs).

As Fade points out... but I'll emphasize... if we cut ties with Marshawn "later on in the year" as you suggest, his cap savings can not be spent until after he is cut, which comes WAY too late to sign our own FAs.

It's all about timing.

Marshawn must be cut before March 15th in order to spend the cap space saved on our own FAs (or other FAs).

 

[Overseasfan]

I really can't see us keeping Okung. Some team will pay him more than he's worth no doubt. I'd like to keep Sweezy if he resigns cheap.

 

[CalgaryHawk]

I know this will hurt us again for the first half of next season as the line gets to know one another, but I'd vote for signing neither. I simply don't believe Sweezy is worth the 3-4 million a year or Okung is worth the 7-8 million per year they are likely to be offered in free agency. I'd prefer the comp. picks and to sign a free agent and a couple more draft picks this year.

LT Starter: Gilliam Backup: Bailey or draft pick
LG Starter: Free agent Backup: Bailey or Britt
C Starter: Lewis Backup: Sokoli or Nowak
RG Starter: Glowinski Backup: Britt (Poole?)
RT Starter: 1st/2nd round draft pick Backup: Britt