Been reading this conversation take places multiple places online. Two thoughts:
1) The average Seahawks fan highly underestimates/undervalues Sidney Rice. And I'm not talking from an injury standpoint. Many seem to consider him a whatever, expendable player. Taking the injury recovery factor out of things, that couldn't be more off-base. But he is coming back from injury, so that will be the factor. If he's healthy, he makes this team. Period. He's not making much on the new deal, and he offers something that the Hawks don't have, at a skill level they don't have. When he went down last year, teams immediately started playing the other Hawks wr's differently. It just so coincided with a period where the Hawks were having trouble with their passing game, and when a lot of fans starting jumping on the "The wr's aren't getting separation" train. It's really dumb that it even needs to be pointed out. Some fans really need to get over the expectations that came with his big deal when he was originally signed. None of that matters in terms of the player he is, and the contract he's under.
2) The average Seahawks fan highly overrates Ricardo Lockette as a special teams ace. This new opinion is solely based on a couple of big hits he had at the end of last year. One of which, was penalized. Don't get me wrong. Dude is big and very fast. And that can lead to some big highlight plays on special teams. But that's not the most important aspect to playing special teams. Consistency factors a lot more over highlights. Lockette isn't exactly the most sound tackler. His two big plays were him recklessly flying a a guy looking up in the air. He's a solid to good gunner. But I don't feel he's good overall enough to keep on the roster over a young WR like Kevin Norwood with MUCH MUCH MUCH more upside as an actual wide receiver. In that regard, Lockette is what he is. Not much more than a guy who can burn down the field and catch a ball every once in a while. Not a player I'd keep over Rice or Norwood.
The way I see it:
Harvin
Baldwin
Kearse
Rice
Richardson
Norwood
A lot of people seem to think that the new rooks might spell the end of Doug Baldwin when his deal is up. I'm not so sure about that. I think the Hawks value Baldwin, and that his price won't exactly be a killer that they'll have to pass on like they did with Tate. No, the guy I think it might signal won't be extended is Jermaine Kearse. I don't know when his contract is up. But the big plays he's made for this team in the playoffs and Super Bowl has to have upped his profile. And for someone who isn't exactly a focal point of the Hawks offense, I have a hard time seeing the Hawks able to pay him what some other team will likely offer a young guy like him with upside. I think it's going to come down to Baldwin or Kearse, with Baldwin being the guy they view as more vital to RW.
