HawkShack.com

I am sure most everyone have read many articles by now regarding Free Agency. Here is what I think makes most sense and what will likely happen.

1. Top Free Agent (Besides Suh which Hawks have little chance now because several teams with a lot of cap to spend and few brains will bid him too high) that The Hawks are targeting? Julius Thomas.

This makes sense on so many levels. Right now if teams stack the box against Marshawn then JT will be able to exploit a slower linebacker or a safety all season long. I think the Seahawks Brass would see JT as further opening up the running game for Marsahwn and Russell. Plus it gives Russell a desperately needed bigger target in the Red Zone.

2. Tramon Williams from Green Bay - apparently Maxwell may get up to $10 million so this will make sense. If Williams goes for too high then look for Walter Thurmond to return.

3. Sleeper - Bryan Bulaga - Yes BB - If he can be had at a reasonable (for Offensive Tackle $7 - $8 Million) price then look for Bulaga to be signed and start at RT with Justin Britt sliding to guard to replace James Carpenter - - and then for next Season the Hawks pass on paying Russell Okung $12 million again in his new contract and move Bulaga to LT and return Britt to RT in 2016.

These are my guesses for Free Agency - I do think #1 Julius Thomas is who Pete & John are targeting as their Top Priority for Free Agency. Note - there is no discussion here about the draft only what the Hawks will do in free agency which begins next week.

Do you think that Carpenter is gone in free agency? I think the hawks will make him a reasonable offer. One that will possibly keep him here, much to the dismay of several posters on this board....personally, I worry that he may get complacent if he signs a long term deal. He just seems the type to me.

I think we will sign a DT, perhaps Starks or Odrick who might be cut from Miami after they sign Suh.
If we go OL in FA, I doubt they will be anything more than late round equivalent fodder.
I would rather we spend early-mid round pick(s) on OL in the draft.

Carpenter might get a better offer, but it seems to me he may have reached his ceiling.

Edit:
PFT is reporting today (Monday) Odrick is to sign with the Jaguars.

We will not rush into FA. No Suh, no Maxi, no Marshall, no Thomas... No players to get name drunk on. Pete and john will slow play it, wait for other big names to sign and take more moderate impact players.

I do expect them to push for the TE from Cleveland - (Cameron Jordan (or it the other way around??)) I'd be surprised if he's not here for a visit by week's end.

I think we lose carp, maxi... Extend Wilson and wags and fill in w/ this year's version of bennet along oline and D-line. Not sure if any of these FA corners will do...I'm not overly impressed.

Chance we take a vet receiver (Johnson) if price is right.

I would have liked us to pick up a WR, honestly it would have been nice if we would have traded for Marshall, although it probably would have cost us a 4th rounder. I think we might regret missing that opportunity, although we probably will never know for sure because his numbers are going to be down regardless playing for the Jets and Geno (or whoever else they have back there). Nobody else on the FA market really intrigues me at WR, except possibly Johnson, if he were to come available, but he will be 34 this season. A pass rushing DT or upgrade at G would be nice but those guys aren't really out there right now. I have heard us linked to Sheard, who I would like as another pass-rusher. Imagine Sheard and Avril at the ends with Hill and Bennett rushing up the middle, that would be a pretty promising pass rush.

I'm glad we stayed away from Brandon Marshall, or him from us. No more locker room cancer WR's.

I'm not sure if we want to get into a bidding war over Julius Thomas. Jordan Cameron might be a good second option. I also think we're going to land a starting CB to replace Maxwell. We're pretty thin at a position that you really can't have too many of. I also think we go CB within the first 3 rounds of the draft.

As far as Carpenter goes, I'm very leery of rewarding a guy that was a full fledged bust and needed the incentive of the team refusing to pick up his option before he decided to get into shape. He hasn't earned my trust the way my other former whipping boy Bruce Irvin did.

I also wouldn't mind us taking a run at Henry Melton. He is a guy we wanted last year and was a heck of a player when healthy in Chicago. Might be able to get him cheap as he is coming off of a down year.

Agree on a WR - but am keeping in mind that this year's draft is supposed to have lots of them. If we bring in a 34 y/o Johnson for a few years while Norwood, Richardson, the current crew and drafted guy learn from Johnson for a few years, we could do worse.

As far as TE goes, from everything I have seen, heard or read - the Hawks targeted Jordan and prefer his play-making ability over Julius....who knows how the concussion thing will add to the story.

Also, I noticed that BB may be back on the CB market. While I realize he lost his starting job to Maxi, is slower than we would like and a half a yank away from a PI flag, we could surely do worse. I doubt this happens, but it is interesting indeed.

Hawk Sista wrote:Agree on a WR - but am keeping in mind that this year's draft is supposed to have lots of them. If we bring in a 34 y/o Johnson for a few years while Norwood, Richardson, the current crew and drafted guy learn from Johnson for a few years, we could do worse.

As far as TE goes, from everything I have seen, heard or read - the Hawks targeted Jordan and prefer his play-making ability over Julius....who knows how the concussion thing will add to the story.

Also, I noticed that BB may be back on the CB market. While I realize he lost his starting job to Maxi, is slower than we would like and a half a yank away from a PI flag, we could surely do worse. I doubt this happens, but it is interesting indeed.

Browner's also a risk to get his butt suspended for drugs, and if he stubs his toe again, he's out for a half season or longer.

True! I kinda forgot about that part of it.

We go after the best OL in FA and the worry about the rest in the draft.

obiken wrote:We go after the best OL in FA and the worry about the rest in the draft.

That's just it, who? There are no great options in FA right now, and the best OL in FA is probably going to be overpaid and wouldn't be much of an upgrade over what we have right now.

The question you have to continually ask is will the player you are looking at improve the team?
I believe Andre Johnson could do so for a couple of years. At 6-3, 230 he's bigger than most of our WRs and he has the veteran savvy to get open even if he has lost a bit of a step.
Whether he would want to play for a lot less than his previous contract is a big question.

The Seahawks didn't tender Lockette as a RFA, so he could end up on some other team.
WR in FA seems a larger possibility and even more in the draft.

They signed CB Will Blackmon today, but he's not a long term solution and might not see much action when Lane gets back on the field - if Blackmon makes it through TC for the first game.

Old but Slow wrote:The Rams just cut Jake Long. Worth a look?

Hell yes! ... IF he recover's completely from that ACL injury he's rehabbing. The went to 4 straight Pro Bowls and was an All Pro before he started getting hurt ... if he's just had a run of bad luck and our medico's clear him he'd be just the ticket. The Rams had to clear cap room and cutting him cleared $8M. If dollars was all there was to it their loss could be our gain.

I predict that we 'trade' cornerbacks with the Eagles, and we sign Carry Williams to replace BMax (at probably 1/2 the price)

js

jshawaii22 wrote:I predict that we 'trade' cornerbacks with the Eagles, and we sign Carry Williams to replace BMax (at probably 1/2 the price)

js

According to PFT, we already have signed Williams.

Old but Slow wrote:The Rams just cut Jake Long. Worth a look?

Thats Howie Longs son, isn't he? Dude is a beast!

No, he's not Howies son.
That one plays for the Bears and is only going into his 3rd year.
Jake Long has been around for quite a while.

According to PFT, Andre Johnson has 4 teams he is interested in: the Patriots, Colts, Seahawks, and Packers.

I think if he has a choice he will select the Patriots because they throw more, but he might end up in Indianapolis replacing Reggie Wayne.

I was gonna say.............two longs came out in the same year. One on D and the other on O-line. Howie's son is cuter and plays on the D-Line. Jake was the first overall selection in his class and played for the Fins. He made tons of pro-bowls until he started getting dinged up. I think, to date, he has two torn ACLs and one torn biceps ending 2 or 3 of his seasons.

I'm all for adding him at the right price, but caveat emptor folks. Dude has not been able to stay healthy. Before that, though, he was ELITE!

NorthHawk wrote:According to PFT, Andre Johnson has 4 teams he is interested in: the Patriots, Colts, Seahawks, and Packers.

I think if he has a choice he will select the Patriots because they throw more, but he might end up in Indianapolis replacing Reggie Wayne.

Indy per reports, they know how to put weapons around their franchise QB

I'm hoping to see us selecting a player with good size and skills at WR in the draft along with at least one OL earlier than the 6th, too.
With 10 picks, it should be possible.

NorthHawk wrote:I'm hoping to see us selecting a player with good size and skills at WR in the draft along with at least one OL earlier than the 6th, too.
With 10 picks, it should be possible.

I hope your right, but would love to see at least 2 wr in draft or FA, as well as Oline.

Certainly wouldn't have predicted teams going apesh*t crazy with trades this year ( really big time trades seldom happen, much less on the first day of FA period, and I can't remember the last time a QB trade occurred, maybe Cutler for Orton??) multiple all pros ( Graham, Unger and Ngata) all moved zip codes today, and then their is a starting QB swap to boot? Kind a big start to the FA period. Interestingly enough, most of the "prized" FA's really didn't sign ( Suh, Murray, Maxwell etc, even though the imminent deals had already been announced).... Just a weird start.

Yea, these trades are crazy, and they may not be done yet. They sure kept the Unger-Graham trade quiet. No one saw that one coming. It makes you wonder who's next: Kaepernick? Geno Smith? Johnny Football?