Seahawks GM knows you, hears you, feels you...

[WestCoastChippewa]

So most NFL teams will sign veterans on 1 or 2 year deals and draft developmental guards in rounds 3, 4, and 5 to give them a year or two to start or compete to start.

Teams that are backed into a corner for interior OL help tend to draft them in rounds 1 and 2 as the urgency is greater.

Seahawks do not have the luxury having a veteran that can help them along. How realistic is another third, fourth or fifth round rookie to the mix to start over existing players like Olu, Sundell, Laumea, or even Haynes?

He's a "veteran mentor". I don't know that he's going to have that kind of responsibility.

Okay, Veteran Mentor. I couldn't think of the position he was brought in as. Still on my first cup of coffee, on my day off, which I probably spend refreshing my browser every 15 minutes to see if we signed any "new" OL yet.

 

[Rat]

Okay, Veteran Mentor. I couldn't think of the position he was brought in as. Still on my first cup of coffee, on my day off, which I probably spend refreshing my browser every 15 minutes to see if we signed any "new" OL yet.

I wasn't ripping on you or anything. Honestly, I've never heard of this position he was given before, and I'm curious if anyone knows what he'll be doing exactly. In my mind, that title makes him sound more like a life coach. I agree with you though that I think he could be great influence if he is working directly with players.

 

[AirStrike]

Free Agency is how losers build football teams. No team has won, let alone competed for a Super Bowl by building their team and plugging multiple holes through big money deals in free agency. Over the years we've seen some real egregious examples from Washington, Jacksonville, New Orleans and LAC have nothing to show for it. And the biggest mistake in free agency, in my opinion, is dishing out big money deals to offensive linemen. The O-Line is probably one of the only positions in the NFL where you can bring a career average player to good with coaching given the nature of the position.

If you don't have a foundation built from the draft and a pipeline of signing and retaining those draft picks to second and third deals you have no shot, and signing guards to 90 million dollar deals when you can get a guy in the third round to perform the same, if not better, solely on scheme makes it a franchise killing mistake.

 

[Rat]

Didn't Philly bring in Saquon Barkley and Zach Baun in free agency last year? Not exactly loser moves.

Nobody is talking about a free agent foundation, but it's an incredibly valuable tool to get a team to the next level.

 

[WestCoastChippewa]

We have roughly 5 weeks until NFL draft, .NET might lose all civility by then.

 

[chris98251]

We have roughly 5 weeks until NFL draft, .NET might lose all civility by then.

It has never been civil, just well mannered psychopathic ramblings.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

 

[JayhawkMike]

It has never been civil, just well mannered psychopathic ramblings.

I’m always civil to the smart people who agree with me but not always with the idiots that’s don’t.

 

[Ostatehawk]

We have roughly 5 weeks until NFL draft, .NET might lose all civility by then.

 

[rjdriver]

I usually don’t make it through 15 minute press interviews.

I watched every minute of this one and found it valuable. It helped back away from the ledge a little bit.

(I watched it on YT, not via the link).

 

[CouchLogic]

 

[SoulfishHawk]

 

[bsuhawk]

I was thinking about that Will Fries contract. Is it really that outrageous of a contract when it makes him the 33 highest paid OLman at a time when the CAP is going up and salaries are skyrocketing? Just a thought.

I agree that the IOL is limiting the team's success. However, to be fair let's keep in mind that this is a zero sum game. If JS spends more on the IOL he has to cut spending some place else. Had JS given Will Fries a 5 year 88 million dollar contract it's entirely possible that he doesn't resign Ernest Jones. Personally, I would rather have Jones than Fries.

I don't have a problem with the way JS is handling free agency. I do have a problem with the 2020 to 2022 drafts. If you're going to go cheap on the IOL you HAVE TO HAVE a steady supply of young IOLs ready to step up when the starting group leaves in free agency. From 2020 to 2022 the Hawks drafted one IOL (Damien Lewis in 2020) and let him leave. The good news is that they double dipped in 2023 (Anthony Bradford and Olu Oluwatimi) and 2024 (Christian Haynes and Sataoa Laumea). While I hope that JS signs an IOL free agent, I'm fine if he doesn't. I won't be fine if he ignores the IOL in the draft. He needs to either draft one early or, if he waits until day three, double dip like he has the past two drafts.

 

[Seahawker]

The reason for this the offensive line.

 

[chris98251]

The reason for this the offensive line.
View attachment 70311

Well there is something to be thankful for in that chart, seeing the Cowboys there at the bottom puts a smile on my face

 

[glenwo2]

Well there is something to be thankful for in that chart, seeing the Cowboys there at the bottom puts a smile on my face

Also, the drought for the 49ers BEGINS....

 

[NoGain]

It's not just the contract that's the issue.

It's the decision by the Vikings NOT to make Fries take a physical.

Remember that Fries had a broken leg (lower leg fracture) and JS wanted to exercise due diligence by having him take a physical before attempting to sign him.

I wasn't necessarily saying to go get that guy. I was more saying that if you want to improve the OLine in FAcy, it's going to cost you money. Quit thinking you can skimp on it.

 

[Scout]

I agree that the IOL is limiting the team's success. However, to be fair let's keep in mind that this is a zero sum game. If JS spends more on the IOL he has to cut spending some place else. Had JS given Will Fries a 5 year 88 million dollar contract it's entirely possible that he doesn't resign Ernest Jones. Personally, I would rather have Jones than Fries.

I don't have a problem with the way JS is handling free agency. I do have a problem with the 2020 to 2022 drafts. If you're going to go cheap on the IOL you HAVE TO HAVE a steady supply of young IOLs ready to step up when the starting group leaves in free agency. From 2020 to 2022 the Hawks drafted one IOL (Damien Lewis in 2020) and let him leave. The good news is that they double dipped in 2023 (Anthony Bradford and Olu Oluwatimi) and 2024 (Christian Haynes and Sataoa Laumea). While I hope that JS signs an IOL free agent, I'm fine if he doesn't. I won't be fine if he ignores the IOL in the draft. He needs to either draft one early or, if he waits until day three, double dip like he has the past two drafts.

JS is a Ron Wolf disciple and he is more likely to double dip on OL on day three in all honesty. While double dipping is a sound strategy sometimes you need to aim higher to have a higher caliber player to work with. With 10 picks how many more WRs, CBs, Safties, and RBs do you really need?

Given that the offense will be running 12 personnel grouping frequently then 2 WRs will see the majority of snaps. MVS, Bobo and Young bring up the depth so you probably have room for one more WR to develop. Same with RB possibly but is it that important to replace Holani who is the 4th string RB? or even the third string RB like McIntosh?

 

[bsuhawk]

JS is a Ron Wolf disciple and he is more likely to double dip on OL on day three in all honesty. While double dipping is a sound strategy sometimes you need to aim higher to have a higher caliber player to work with. With 10 picks how many more WRs, CBs, Safties, and RBs do you really need?

Given that the offense will be running 12 personnel grouping frequently then 2 WRs will see the majority of snaps. MVS, Bobo and Young bring up the depth so you probably have room for one more WR to develop. Same with RB possibly but is it that important to replace Holani who is the 4th string RB? or even the third string RB like McIntosh?

While this is a great draft for RBs, I would be shocked (and pissed) if the Hawks draft one early. It's not a great draft for WRs, so taking one early makes more sense. I'm fine with someone like Booker or Zabel in the first, but JS doesn't draft IOL that early. My guess is that the Hawks go defense at 18 and select an IOL in the second and maybe another one on the third day.

 

[AnimeAmore]

None of Schneiders quotes in the article sway me.
I understand not wanting to "overpay" someone, but that can be subjective. As much as I don't want to pay $20M to one offensive lineman, if the offense can't function because the line is so bad then you just wasted well over $100M on the offensive side of the ball by *not* paying a lineman $20M.
His request for patience is also completely tone-deaf. The Seahawks fanbase has been waiting 15 years for a good offensive line. How many *DECADES* does he expect fans to wait? Honestly one of the dumbest things I've ever heard a GM say. If 15 years isn't patient, then I don't know what is.
"We want things now". No, we wanted things "now" 15 years ago, then 14, then 13, then 12...Trying to paint the fanbase as impatient is a complete mischaracterization.

I'd also like to make this point: if Schneider was our GM when Walter Jones was playing for us, he never would've gotten a 2nd contract from us. Schneider would've let him go in FA. A GM like Schneider would prevent us from having nice things like Walter Jones.