by Futureite » Wed Jan 10, 2018 3:23 pm
I think you guys are underselling Cable a bit and Bevel's O scheme. For several years I noticed that the Seahawks ran some of the widest splits in the league. The philosophy in place called for pressing the edges with speed with Wilson, Harvin, Richardson etc and stretching the D sideline to sideline even before the snap, thus creating more room in the middle for a punishing, north/south runner with great lateral explosiveness in Lynch. This combined beautifully with Cable's zone blocking scheme. IMO, it's much easier to take an inexperienced lineman and teach him how to run block than to set him up in a prostyle O and pass protect. The players and personnel in place made for a very explosive if not consistent O, which played well with a great special teams and turnover creating machine of a D. The O philosophy was easily good enough to contend for a SB, and the Seahawks' personnel decisions reflected that.
Now though, you are asking Bevel to produce with no true number 1 receiver (Baldwin is great, but not a #1), no true threat at RB and the same makeshift O line that is now asked to pass protect a lot more due to the decline in D. The personnel is not in place to succeed in that style of O. You have the same undersized speed threats on the edges in Lockett and Richardson, but it's a lot easier to scheme against without one of the best rushing O's in the entire league. The one piece that is there in Graham had a very productive year in the redzone. So, I don't think Bevel was all that bad.
Seahawks are at a crossroads. They could try to load up and hit the lottery again on D, but it's unlikely they are going to find perennial all-pro if not HOF caliber pieces in Sherman, Chancellor et al to replicate that D. The "known" commodity that they do have is what they've determined is their franchise QB. Now they need to give him the weapons, an O scheme that is suited for a franchise QB and supporting pieces. I think that's the route they have to go now.