MMQB SI - Sherman's perspective on MRob's release

[volsunghawk]

Of course, I don't have all the details into the decision process, but I think JS and PC made a bad decision. It undermines their "ra ra we love you" shtick. It undermines their credibility over time. It makes concepts like "loyalty" mean nothing.

I don't like the decision made either, though I understand it.

I disagree that it undermines anything, though. I don't think Carroll or Schneider have ever demonstrated that they'll keep a guy for loyalty's sake, and I don't buy the idea that just because Carroll is "rah rah," it means that he'll ignore the ramifications of the salary cap and the 53-man roster just to keep people feeling good.

Yeah, you acknowledged it's a business, but I think the people who understand that best are the players. And I like to think that the Seahawks have brought in guys who are smart enough to handle that reality, even when it bites them in the ass. Sherman seems to indicate just as much when he mentions quickly returning focus to his job and acknowledging that no one player is bigger than the team.

The problem with concepts like "loyalty" in the NFL are that rosters and salaries are limited in the name of competition. We're going to be releasing fan favorites and locker room leaders each year - and that's if we're lucky. It means that we're staying young and talented.

 

[MysterMatt]

Of course, I don't have all the details into the decision process, but I think JS and PC made a bad decision. It undermines their "ra ra we love you" shtick. It undermines their credibility over time. It makes concepts like "loyalty" mean nothing.

I don't like the decision made either, though I understand it.

I disagree that it undermines anything, though. I don't think Carroll or Schneider have ever demonstrated that they'll keep a guy for loyalty's sake, and I don't buy the idea that just because Carroll is "rah rah," it means that he'll ignore the ramifications of the salary cap and the 53-man roster just to keep people feeling good.

Yeah, you acknowledged it's a business, but I think the people who understand that best are the players. And I like to think that the Seahawks have brought in guys who are smart enough to handle that reality, even when it bites them in the ass. Sherman seems to indicate just as much when he mentions quickly returning focus to his job and acknowledging that no one player is bigger than the team.

The problem with concepts like "loyalty" in the NFL are that rosters and salaries are limited in the name of competition. We're going to be releasing fan favorites and locker room leaders each year - and that's if we're lucky. It means that we're staying young and talented.

I got you, but let's assume Robinson isn't too sick and that he'll be back to form soon, if he isn't already. In that case, he'd far and away be the best FB NOW, in a year we're allegedly going to make a SB run. Robinson helped build that, he'd be the best option at his position, and that was yanked out from underneath him. Even the players were shocked. If the goal is to manage a cap and stay young, then great, JS should be Exec of the Year. But if the goal is to build a SB champion and attract/retain talent, then I'm not sure this move helps.

Anyhow, I'm not interested in a lengthy debate. I just now will never blame any football player for saying "FU Seahawks, I'm going to get paid", and that's sad. Part of being a fan is developing a relationship with players in addition to the team (why else buy a jersey?), after all, and if all the Seahawks are is another business, then I've no idea why the hell I've separated with as many dollars I have over the years. I'd never scream myself hoarse over my mobile phone or travel across the country to see a new kind of Jameson's.

 

[pmedic920]

I've always considered team chemistry as important as, O,D,&ST. Worried bout what MROBs release will do to the mix. Great piece by Sherm. As a fan I will miss MROB.

 

[DTexHawk]

Of course, I don't have all the details into the decision process, but I think JS and PC made a bad decision. It undermines their "ra ra we love you" shtick. It undermines their credibility over time. It makes concepts like "loyalty" mean nothing.

A lot of good points.

As you state, there really isn't much loyalty, particularly in a sport that has players with such short careers. IIRC, Parcells said it was always better to get rid of a player a year too early, rather than one year too late.

Coaches don't have longevity either, and with Carroll in his 60's, he may feel the need to win it all soon for personal and professional reasons.

 

[Anonymous]

I think it's more about Coleman and Ware, than it is about Mike Rob.

Clearly, the FO did exactly what they are being paid to do and were willing to make the correct call for the situation they have in front of them, and to do so by putting the best team they can forward while spending the least amount of money. They also, as Richard eludes to, must keep the social intangibles out of the decision-making process. An interesting perspective and the right one to take.

At some point, age and experience does get beat by youth and vitality. It sucks, but what can you do?

 

[MysterMatt]

Of course, I don't have all the details into the decision process, but I think JS and PC made a bad decision. It undermines their "ra ra we love you" shtick. It undermines their credibility over time. It makes concepts like "loyalty" mean nothing.

A lot of good points.

As you state, there really isn't much loyalty, particularly in a sport that has players with such short careers. IIRC, Parcells said it was always better to get rid of a player a year too early, rather than one year too late.

Coaches don't have longevity either, and with Carroll in his 60's, he may feel the need to win it all soon for personal and professional reasons.

I just fainted.

 

[Happypuppy]

It is not so much about loyalty as it is economics. If we did not have a salary cap that that each team must spend we could be like baseball. On team spends 11$ Houston ( and leads in profit for the year as well) and other Angel , NYY 250 million or more.

It is sad to see it happen, but going in you know it is a small window. And MRob did very well in His time with the Hawks.

 

[jlwaters1]

The overreaction on here is EPIC. What so now the Family means NOTHING because one guy is cut. Since when is Robinson this legendary figure around here. I think many of you have revisionist history with Robinson. In 2010 he was brought in with little FB experience. Infact he was spotty at best that year and horrible at times catching the ball. There was constant complaing about him in 2010.

Then in 2011 training camp he was much like Kearse, in that fans assumed he'd be cut and replaced only for him to make a monumental leap in consistency and production and became a pro-bowler. 2012 he was solid despite playing a mere 1/3 of the teams snaps. Does that really justify being paid as the highest FB? We have NO clue if the team offered him a restructured contract that he turned down. We also don't know the extent of the illness he had. If in fact he lost a bunch of weight and strength (than he is physically unable to perform at the requisite level), than the choice was obvious and Coleman's the guy. How could anyone begrudge the staff for that decision?

Besides Carroll made it perfectly clear that Robinson could return last this season. Which would lead one to beleive that he did lose weight and strength and that it make a month or more to get back into fighting shape. Who knows. We don't know jack.

I for one am excited to see what Ware and Coleman will bring to the table. There's a real possiblity that they will do just fine and the loss of Robinson will be minimal at best.

 

[Thunderhawk]

That was beautifully written by Sherm. Guess those Stanford educations are actually good for something.

 

[Thunderhawk]

That was beautifully written by Sherm. Guess those Stanford educations are actually good for something.

 

[HansGruber]

MikeRob's release actually hurts. I've never been bummed like that about another player release, but I really am bummed deeply.

Something tells me he'll be back on a cheaper contract once he's healthy. Sure hope so, cuz he deserves a ring.

 

[drdiags]

Part of what others were sniping about Carroll when he came in (Mora). That the Seahawks wanted a bunch of young players they could manipulate vs veterans who would laugh at the supposed "Rah Rah" stuff. They were thinking the players would tire of the mantra as they matured. I think they (Mora, etal) miscalculated but it is the business of football that will erode some of the cache built in this competitive environment.

Players will still want to dedicate themselves to their craft, they just will see that buying in doesn't mean total commitment. This move gives the Matt Flynns of the world more credibility for taking a standoff position. MRob had ownership of his leadership position right up to the point where he was shown the door. The fact that MRob was at a loss for why he was cut is disturbing. You would think the club would have at least put it all on the table. Maybe they did and MRob just opted not to share it with Sherman?

Stuff happens, this scenario will be repeated next year if BB isn't resigned or Rice and other big contracts have to be dealt with (Mebane/Bryant/Miller).

Tough call by the FO/HC. I am sure it is a minor blimp. The players close ranks when TJack was shown the door. Same with Leon Washington and now MRob. Part of the sport I guess.

 

[Shadowhawk]

Those of you worrying about what effect this will have in the team need to remember that this is also the franchise that went out of its way to re-sign Kam Chancellor, gave Brandon Browner a raise when they didn't have to, and designated Antoine Winfield as a cut instead of "reserve-retired" so he could pocket an extra $500k. I'm sure a lot of people in the locker room are sorry to see Robinson go, but this one decision isn't going to wipe out all of the things this franchise has done for its players. It is a business and sometimes that means making some hard choices, but Seattle still takes better care of its employees than a lot of other franchises do.

 

[DavidSeven]

Tough call by the FO/HC. I am sure it is a minor blimp. The players close ranks when TJack was shown the door. Same with Leon Washington and now MRob. Part of the sport I guess.

At least when Leon and Tjack were cut, there were dynamic "tilt-the-field" type players coming in to replace them (Percy and RW). From a player and fan perspective, those cuts were understandable. In this case, I don't think it's entirely clear that Coleman is a better player TODAY than Robinson, and that is something that has to be weighing on minds in the locker room.

I understand the economics of the move, but at the end of the day what we're really talking about is $1-2 million in rollover cap space. This isn't a Dumervil/Boldin situation where you're talking about $6-8 million this year and next. I think it's fair to question whether the loss of leadership, blocking experience, ST production and overall impact on locker room milieu is worth those marginal savings. And yes, I, too, would like to know how much effort was really put into restructuring his deal. By Sherm's account, it seems Robinson may have felt like the rug was pulled out from beneath him.

 

[volsunghawk]

Those of you worrying about what effect this will have in the team need to remember that this is also the franchise that went out of its way to re-sign Kam Chancellor, gave Brandon Browner a raise when they didn't have to, and designated Antoine Winfield as a cut instead of "reserve-retired" so he could pocket an extra $500k. I'm sure a lot of people in the locker room are sorry to see Robinson go, but this one decision isn't going to wipe out all of the things this franchise has done for its players. It is a business and sometimes that means making some hard choices, but Seattle still takes better care of its employees than a lot of other franchises do.

Well said.

I don't begrudge any player trying to maximize his guaranteed money precisely because this is a business. At the same time, I don't think this move is going to hurt our leadership any more than letting Hass and Lofa did. And I don't think it's going to ruin the Seahawks' chances of attracting free agents... winning will be attractive enough.

Finally, I think anyone assuming that this move means the death of potential "hometown discounts" for guys we want to re-sign in the future is wildly overestimating how likely the hometown discount is in the first place. I would, however, like to think that if we were offering equal dollars, the guys we want to re-sign would choose to stay in Seattle for the familiarity and the chance at a ring.

 

[John_Redcorn]

Its a business.
Next man up.
Im the best.
-sherm

 

[NorCal]

That was a good article. I actually like his writing. Is he going to be doing this for MMQB during the season?

 

[FlyingGreg]

That was a good article. I actually like his writing. Is he going to be doing this for MMQB during the season?

Yes.

 

[seedhawk]

Sherman has the correct players perspective. Bet anyone here that in 2 years either Sherm or Earl are gone. Will be a fan crap-fest but, it is also the new economic reality in the NFL.

Looking ahead about 2 years, we have to decide who to keep and pay. Okung? Wilson? Sherm? Earl? Unger? Michael? Tate? Do we wind up like Indy did, using 25% of their cap just on their Qb Peyton?

I actually believe PC and JS's model is to stay as young and cheap as they can, with basically equal talent, (across the entire team, not at just 1 or 2 positions). So, we lose guys like MRob, Tru, etc. Fact of life in the NFL under the new CBA.

 

[sc85sis]

This article didn't make me feel any better about the release. No mention of "serious illness" that affected Robinson's ability to play. I really hope the team considered the effect this would have on the locker room. I think you can throw out any notion that these guys are going to offer "home team discounts" when it's time to re-up. If they didn't realize this was purely a business before, they do now.

I agree with you, David. I understand Sherman's perspective, I really do, but I learned a similar lesson years ago in the corporate environment...and I hate it. I'll refer you all to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs (a bit outdated, but this one is still a good reference). It demonstrates that, as human beings, we need understanding, to be witnessed, and to be valued within our "group". When the message to a person is "your value to us is nothing more than what you can do on the field NOW and only for so long as we can't replace you with someone cheaper", you are inadvertently saying "I don't give a crap about you off the field and outside the context of a salary cap. I value you only for what you can do for me now". It's brutal, and its the same message common folks like you and I get just about every day in the workplace. It can be dehumanizing, being given the message that the group you value so much sees no value in you.

On the other hand, yes, I get it, "it's a business" and for the sake of the team no single person is indispensable.

Unless you're a franchise quarterback.

Of course, I don't have all the details into the decision process, but I think JS and PC made a bad decision. It undermines their "ra ra we love you" shtick. It undermines their credibility over time. It makes concepts like "loyalty" mean nothing.

Pete is a big follower/proponent of Maslow. It's one of the reasons he works so hard to help guys reach their full potential. It's why he coaches by teaching guys what they should do instead of focusing on what they shouldn't do. It's why he tells his assistants that he will do everything he can to help them find their dream job, even if that means they end up leaving to coach elsewhere. It's why he (at least at USC) would conduct mock interviews for his assistants, with feedback from their peers, to help them prepare for interviews elsewhere.

But yes, at the end of the day, it IS a business. Every player on every team knows that. It doesn't mean the coaching staff doesn't care about them.