The Seahawks are a very deep team

[hawkfan68]

Each game it becomes clearer and clearer to me. This team is well built from the 53rd guy to the 1st guy on the roster. Watching Maxwell and Lane play last night just drove that thought even more. The Seahawks have the deepest team in the NFL. Bar none. There is very little drop off from starters to backups and from backups to 3rd stringers. It's absolutely amazing. Well done PC and JS.

 

[HawkinNY]

I think it's our defensive system also. I hope when PC retires this system stays in place. The long armed tall CB's and fast line backers. As long as we find these gems in the late rounds that fit our system we will always be deep. And our leadership is better than we ever had. Yes we have some players making dumb decisions but we have a group of players that will set the tone for our team for years to come.

GO HAWKS!

 

[CANHawk]

And the VAST majority of those guys came well removed from the first round of the draft. AMAZING scouting department!

 

[Hawkscanner]

I posted this in the Saints/Seahawks Pre-Game Thread, but I'll go ahead and post this here again because it really underscores the remarkable job that John Schneider and Pete Carroll have done ...

DE Cliff Avril … FA Signing 2013
OT Alvin Bailey … UDFA 2013
WR Doug Baldwin … UDFA 2011
DE Michael Bennett … FA Signing 2013. Originally an UFDA by Seahawks in 2009
OT Michael Bowie … 7th Round 2013
CB Brandon Browner … FA Signing from the CFL
DE Red Bryant … 4th Round 2008
G James Carpenter … 1st Round 2011
SS Kam Chancellor … 5th Round 2010
DE Chris Clemons … Trade for Daryll Tapp in 2010. Hawks also got a 4th Rounder from Eagles
RB Derrick Coleman … UDFA 2013
TE Kellen Davis … FA Signing 2013
LB Heath Farwell … UDFA originally w/Vikings. Signed by Hawks in 2011.
OT Breno Giacomini … FA Signing 2011 (was 5th Round pick by GB in 2008)
C Clint Gresham … UDFA 2010
WR Percy Harvin … Trade for 1st Round 2013, 7th Round 2013, 3rd Round 2014
OT Caylin Hauptmann … UDFA 2013
K Steven Hauschka …. FA Signing 2011
DT Jordan Hill … 3rd Round 2013
LB/DE Bruce Irvin … 1st Round 2012
QB Tavaris Jackson … FA Signing 2013
C Lemuel Jeanpierre … UDFA 2011
S Jeron Johnson … UDFA 2011
WR Jermaine Kearse … UDFA 2012
CB Jeremy Lane … 6th Round 2012
WR Ricardo Lockette … Signed FA 2013. Originally UDFA by Seahawks 2011
RB Marshawn Lynch … Trade from Bills to Seahawks for 2011 4th Round Pick in 2010
S Chris Maragos … FA Signing 2011. Originally UDFA by 49ers in 2010
CB Byron Maxwell … 6th Round 2011
DE Benson Mayowa … UDFA 2013
DT Tony McDaniel … FA Signing 2013. Originally UDFA by Jaguars in 2006
DT Clinton McDonald … FA Signing 2011. Originally 7th Round 2010 by Bengals
G Paul McQuistan … FA Signing 2011. Originally 5th Round 2006 by Raiders
DT Brandon Mebane … 3rd Round 2007
RB Christine Michael … 2nd Round 2013
TE Zach Miller … FA Signing 2011. Originally 2nd Round 2007 by Raiders
LB Mike Morgan … UDFA 2011
OT Russell Okung … 1st Round 2010
FB Michael Robinson … FA Signing 2010. Originally 4th Round 2006 by 49ers
P Jon Ryan … FA Signing 2008. Originally UDFA 2006 by Packers
LB O’Brien Schofield … FA Signing 2013. Originally 4th Round 2010 by Cardinals
CB Richard Sherman … 5th Round 2011
LB Malcolm Smith … 7th Round 2011
G J.R. Sweezy … 7th Round 2012
WR Golden Tate … 2nd Round 2010
FS Earl Thomas … 1st Round 2010
CB Walter Thurmond … 4th Round 2010
RB Robert Turbin … 4th Round 2012
C Max Unger … 2nd Round 2009
LB Bobby Wagner … 2nd Round 2012
TE Luke Willson … 5th Round 2013
QB Russell Wilson … 3rd Round 2012
LB K. J. Wright … 4th Round 2011

I’ve gone ahead and highlighted in light green the players that were already on the roster when Pete Carroll and John Schneider were hired in 2010. There are only 3 left from pre-2010. Of the players that ARE on the roster, here is a breakdown of how they were acquired by Seattle (Note: I am ONLY counting the players that John Schneider has acquired) …

1st Round Picks … 4
2nd Round Picks … 2
3rd Round Picks … 2
4th Round Picks … 3
5th Round Picks … 3
6th Round Picks … 2
7th Round Picks … 3

UDFA’s by Seahawks … 11 (I’m including Lockette in here)

FA Signings … 13 (nearly all are on low salary bargain deals. Only 1 is making any kind of money: Zach Miller. Avril and Bennett are on 1 year deals.)

Trades … 3 (but all are key players: Harvin, Lynch, and Clemons)

So, only 6 players on the active roster were either 1st or 2nd Round Picks (and Carpenter’s sure been a disappointment) … 5 players were either 3rd or 4th Round Picks … 8 players were drafted 5th to 7th Round … and 11 were Undrafted Free Agent signings by the Seahawks.

Seattle and John Schneider’s ability to find talent truly is remarkable. In fact, in taking a look at their roster, 8 players on it were drafted in the 5th Round or later ... and 11 players were Undrafted Free Agents (that’s a full 36% of their roster).

You gotta admit, that’s fairly impressive when you stop and think about where this team is at.

 

[KK84]

Nice work Hawkscanner. One slight correction. There's actually 4 players pre pc & js. You forgot to highlight Jon Ryan. But your point still stands. The complete overhaul of this team from the mora year is incredible.

 

[KARAVARUS]

And Avrill is on a 2 year deal. Love this breakdown though!

 

[hawkfan68]

Thanks for the list Hawkscanner. I'm impressed with how many UDFAs have turned out to be valuable players. They may not all be pro-bowlers but they are adding value by their contributions. Not many teams can say that. It speaks to the talent evaluation but also the coaches. Carroll has put together a solid corps of coaches. A lot of these guys may not have played a down in NFL had it not been for PC and then getting good coaching. It's good to see player development at this level.

 

[Sports Hernia]

Each game it becomes clearer and clearer to me. This team is well built from the 53rd guy to the 1st guy on the roster. Watching Maxwell and Lane play last night just drove that thought even more. The Seahawks have the deepest team in the NFL. Bar none. There is very little drop off from starters to backups and from backups to 3rd stringers. It's absolutely amazing. Well done PC and JS.

The little secret that the NFL and the talking heads are ever so slowly learning.....
"The Seattle Seahawks are freakin' loaded with talent!"

 

[Blitzer88]

Yes, yes we are.

 

[AgentDib]

It speaks to the talent evaluation but also the coaches. Carroll has put together a solid corps of coaches. A lot of these guys may not have played a down in NFL had it not been for PC and then getting good coaching. It's good to see player development at this level.

I think you make a really great point here. My first reaction is certainly to credit the GM for finding all of these diamonds in the rough, but at some point you have to look at the coaches who are polishing all those diamonds up. It's obviously a product of both elements working together well and it may not be possible to truly evaluate one side without the other.

I also wonder what part our defensive scheme plays in personnel acquisition. Have we exploited an advantage in being unconventional, like the teams who went to a zone blocking scheme in the 90's to utilize cheaper linemen?