All Eyes Turn To The Cards-Rams

[River Dog]

Oddly enough, due to how the tiebreakers are likely to fall, last night's win vs. the Bears did little to advance our playoff chances. We still do not control our own destiny. In either case, we were/are dependent on the outcome of the Cards-Rams game. We have to win the division outright if we are to play in the postseason, and that means that the Rams have to lose in order for them to be tied with us at 9-7 going into next week's game in LA.

The Rams, who visit Arizona (7-8) on Saturday, can clinch the division crown with a victory and at least three wins plus a draw this weekend from among Buffalo, Minnesota, Cleveland, San Francisco, Cincinnati and Washington.

That would enable the Rams to seal the division crown and playoff berth on the basis of a "strength of schedule" tie-breaker advantage over Seattle.

The game is scheduled in the 3rd time slot, at 5pm and not 5:15pm or 5:20pm, on a Saturday triple header, and you have to have NFL Network to watch the game live.

[c_hawkbob]

Yeah, go Cards!

[Spohawk5092]

but it shouldn't. If we had won the games we should have this season, we wouldn't be as dependent. I give the Cards little to no chance here.

[River Dog]

but it shouldn't. If we had won the games we should have this season, we wouldn't be as dependent. I give the Cards little to no chance here.

We also won a couple of games we shouldn't have. We had to go to OT to beat the Pats, and we caught a huge break by playing the Broncos in their rookie QB's first game as a pro. We also played the Dolphins the week after their starting QB went down. Those things tend to even themselves out.

The Cards absolutely crushed the Rams 41-10 early in the year, so we know that they match up well against them. I don't think that the Cards will be mailing this one in. They have a chance to finish 9-8, which would represent a pretty good improvement for their head coach Jonathan Gannon as they were 4-13 in his first season. I agree that the Rams should win this one, but I'm giving the Cards a little more of a chance than your estimate. I'll definitely be watching closely.

[Aseahawkfan]

I have no interest in the playoffs. Just dropping draft position to be a non-contender. I don't care who wins the Rams-Card game. As far as I'm concerned, our season is over and has been for some time. I hope John is planning for the draft as he has a lot of work to do to make this team a real contender. It's been 10 years since we were real contenders.

As far as I'm concerned, I want to fast forward to the draft. If John continues to draft badly, he needs to go. I have reached the point of fatigue watching this team barely make the playoffs and do nothing against the better teams in the league due to a low talent base and a more bad teams than good in the NFL. Being a middling team is nearly as bad as being a bad team as the result at the end of the year is the same and you also don't get much in draft position.

This team needs a lot of work. It especially needs an upgrade at QB and interior O-line.

Not even sure I like Grubb as OC. Seems far too committed to the pass for my tastes. Racks up more passing yards, doesn't seem to rack up more TDs.

Main positive for me from this year is Mike MacDonald does seem to have greatly improved the defense. I figure with more development time, we will have a strong defense again even against good teams. Mike needs better players and maybe a different OC and a talent infusion on offense. Geno will never lead a contending team. If we are keeping him around to be a mediocre, middling contender, then pull the bandaid off and get rid of Geno, crash and burn, get someone better with higher draft position.

[River Dog]

I have no interest in the playoffs. Just dropping draft position to be a non-contender. I don't care who wins the Rams-Card game. As far as I'm concerned, our season is over and has been for some time. I hope John is planning for the draft as he has a lot of work to do to make this team a real contender. It's been 10 years since we were real contenders.

As far as I'm concerned, I want to fast forward to the draft. If John continues to draft badly, he needs to go. I have reached the point of fatigue watching this team barely make the playoffs and do nothing against the better teams in the league due to a low talent base and a more bad teams than good in the NFL. Being a middling team is nearly as bad as being a bad team as the result at the end of the year is the same and you also don't get much in draft position.

This team needs a lot of work. It especially needs an upgrade at QB and interior O-line.

Not even sure I like Grubb as OC. Seems far too committed to the pass for my tastes. Racks up more passing yards, doesn't seem to rack up more TDs.

Main positive for me from this year is Mike MacDonald does seem to have greatly improved the defense. I figure with more development time, we will have a strong defense again even against good teams. Mike needs better players and maybe a different OC and a talent infusion on offense. Geno will never lead a contending team. If we are keeping him around to be a mediocre, middling contender, then pull the bandaid off and get rid of Geno, crash and burn, get someone better with higher draft position.

At this point, we're not going to get a lot better draft pick by going 9-8 instead of 10-7, 3-4 slots. You're talking the difference between a #14 or #18. I'd much rather see this team play well and win, end the season on a high note and carry that momentum into the next year. 10-7 would be a nice start to the Macdonald era.

I'd still rather see us in the playoffs than sitting at home watching. I like having a horse in the race.

[NorthHawk]

It seems to me that a higher draft slot will be better for the 2nd and later picks and not much for the 1st round this year.

I think this draft has a limited number of top end players, but the middle to late 1st rounders could be players that are solid players at positions that don't usually go early. We are in need of those types like Guards and Centers along with LBs and TE's so just maybe this draft can fit what we need. I think the bulk of the QBs are 2nd or later talents so maybe there's one that catches Schneider's eye and we might take him. QBs are usually drafted higher than they should but I think after the Sanders and Ward types it seems that there is a significant dropoff. There are probably some good RBs to be found in the 3rd and 4th so we might let Walker go or trade him as his value behind a bad OL isn't being used and it would permit JS to not re-sign him.
There are probably some good WRs, too in the mid rounds should they think they need an addition if they let Lockett go or maybe even DK to save Cap space.

For us to draft a Guard or Center early, JS would have to break his pattern of bypassing talent and earnestly address the OL problem.

[Aseahawkfan]

It seems to me that a higher draft slot will be better for the 2nd and later picks and not much for the 1st round this year.

I think this draft has a limited number of top end players, but the middle to late 1st rounders could be players that are solid players at positions that don't usually go early. We are in need of those types like Guards and Centers along with LBs and TE's so just maybe this draft can fit what we need. I think the bulk of the QBs are 2nd or later talents so maybe there's one that catches Schneider's eye and we might take him. QBs are usually drafted higher than they should but I think after the Sanders and Ward types it seems that there is a significant dropoff. There are probably some good RBs to be found in the 3rd and 4th so we might let Walker go or trade him as his value behind a bad OL isn't being used and it would permit JS to not re-sign him.
There are probably some good WRs, too in the mid rounds should they think they need an addition if they let Lockett go or maybe even DK to save Cap space.

For us to draft a Guard or Center early, JS would have to break his pattern of bypassing talent and earnestly address the OL problem.

I think we're a few drafts and a starting QB away from contention. I don't mean barely making the playoffs with near zero chance of a Super Bowl. I mean drafting a competitive starting QB who can win consistently even against other strong teams and making it to the Conference championship and a Super Bowl.

What would suck is having a few bad few years with bad drafts, seeing Schneider and then MacDonald fired, then heading into the limbo of non-competitive ineptness you see on so many teams in the NFL. Noncompetitive indefinitely with no light at the end of the tunnel in sight. It's all going to come down to if Schneider can draft a starting QB for MacDonald's coaching era. If he can, then MacDonald has a chance of succeeding and if he can't, then MacDonald likely doesn't succeed and we're in that dark non-competitive limbo.

One thing is clearly obvious after the last few years: Geno isn't a competitive starting QB. He had the one year that made him look like a fugazi starter and has come back down to the backup level he is.

[c_hawkbob]

Well damn, I thought the Cards might pull it off.

[Aseahawkfan]

Good. Now let's see what strange convoluted series of games must go our way to squeak into the playoffs as a noncontending team dropping our draft position by however many points.

[River Dog]

A game not unlike ours vs. the Bears except that they don't have the weather as an excuse for it being so low scoring. Murray just couldn't get it done when it counted, threw the ball a little behind his receiver instead of leading him.

I was a little surprised that the Cards didn't try to run it in on first and goal from the 5 and 40+ seconds left, make the Rams burn their last timeout if they weren't successful or run it down to 20 seconds or so and take three shots at it.

And that wasn't the only coaching decision I found unusual yesterday. With the way the Bengals had been moving the ball, I thought that for sure Payton would opt to go for two at the end of regulation in their game against Denver. The Bengals punted just once.

A win next Sunday vs. the Rams would constitute a good start for this new regime. A loss and we'll hit my preseason W/L expectations right on the nose.

[NorthHawk]

I think we're a few drafts and a starting QB away from contention. I don't mean barely making the playoffs with near zero chance of a Super Bowl. I mean drafting a competitive starting QB who can win consistently even against other strong teams and making it to the Conference championship and a Super Bowl.

What would suck is having a few bad few years with bad drafts, seeing Schneider and then MacDonald fired, then heading into the limbo of non-competitive ineptness you see on so many teams in the NFL. Noncompetitive indefinitely with no light at the end of the tunnel in sight. It's all going to come down to if Schneider can draft a starting QB for MacDonald's coaching era. If he can, then MacDonald has a chance of succeeding and if he can't, then MacDonald likely doesn't succeed and we're in that dark non-competitive limbo.

One thing is clearly obvious after the last few years: Geno isn't a competitive starting QB. He had the one year that made him look like a fugazi starter and has come back down to the backup level he is.

We might even see some coaching changes. Most young HCs don't really know what to expect from their coordinators or if they fully agree on philosophy or game time decisions until the games are played.
Everybody might come back next year or maybe Durde or Grubb might want to move on or MacDonald might make changes.
Player wise, this year was a building block year for MacDonald and a test for which players from the last regime fit what he believes he wants to do and the culture he is expected to develop, so there may be some surprising changes come next year.

If MacDonald believes in a similar philosophy as the Ravens as has been suggested in the media and other forums, then the OL must be a greater focus. We'll see come FA and draft time what they end up doing.

[Aseahawkfan]

If Field Gulls is right, with Buffalo, Minnesota, and Washington winning, the last game is meaningless.

If that proves to be true, I'd sit Geno and see what we have in Howell with preparation. That will provide more information on how to move forward at the QB position. Keep believing Geno can be "The Man" with a better O-line with his backup level production from year to year or go with a much cheaper Howell for similar production and see what happens then see what's in the draft.

[NorthHawk]

Speaking of the Draft, here's a LB who might be on the Radar:

LB Tyreem Powell, Rutgers, Sr, 6050, 240, 4.62

I've read a couple of comments that he's a big hitter and has pretty good range. The consensus was he is a Day 2 selection.

[Oly]

If Field Gulls is right, with Buffalo, Minnesota, and Washington winning, the last game is meaningless.

If that proves to be true, I'd sit Geno and see what we have in Howell with preparation. That will provide more information on how to move forward at the QB position. Keep believing Geno can be "The Man" with a better O-line with his backup level production from year to year or go with a much cheaper Howell for similar production and see what happens then see what's in the draft.

I'm 100% with you, but it's a much bigger decision. Geno is within pretty easy reach of something like $6M in incentives, and if they bench him, the locker room might get pretty pissed. When it comes to hitting escalators in contracts, players usually have each other's backs. With Geno's good locker room reputation, benching him could lead to a bigger problem. I'm still for benching him though. He's not the future so I don't really want to tie up $6M more of our cap next year in a bridge-at-best QB when we should be using it to attract some better OL.

[River Dog]

If Field Gulls is right, with Buffalo, Minnesota, and Washington winning, the last game is meaningless.

If that proves to be true, I'd sit Geno and see what we have in Howell with preparation. That will provide more information on how to move forward at the QB position. Keep believing Geno can be "The Man" with a better O-line with his backup level production from year to year or go with a much cheaper Howell for similar production and see what happens then see what's in the draft.

I'm 100% with you, but it's a much bigger decision. Geno is within pretty easy reach of something like $6M in incentives, and if they bench him, the locker room might get pretty pissed. When it comes to hitting escalators in contracts, players usually have each other's backs. With Geno's good locker room reputation, benching him could lead to a bigger problem. I'm still for benching him though. He's not the future so I don't really want to tie up $6M more of our cap next year in a bridge-at-best QB when we should be using it to attract some better OL.

Good point about the incentives angle. It's something that I wasn't even aware of.

However, I'd still be reluctant to sit Geno not only for what you mentioned, but the whole thing about not trying to win. I don't like the message it sends. It's one thing to set someone who is nursing injuries but simply turning it into a glorified preseason game isn't something that will build a winning culture. I don't think the scant info on your backup QB that could be gleaned from one game is worth the damage that could be done to team psyche. Players are competitive and like winning even if it doesn't have any bearing on the playoffs. You don't want to make it too business-like.

[Aseahawkfan]

Good point about the incentives angle. It's something that I wasn't even aware of.

However, I'd still be reluctant to sit Geno not only for what you mentioned, but the whole thing about not trying to win. I don't like the message it sends. It's one thing to set someone who is nursing injuries but simply turning it into a glorified preseason game isn't something that will build a winning culture. I don't think the scant info on your backup QB that could be gleaned from one game is worth the damage that could be done to team psyche. Players are competitive and like winning even if it doesn't have any bearing on the playoffs. You don't want to make it too business-like.

If I were GM, I would manage it like a business with the goal of real contention with cycles based on the quality of the QB and the talent. Why? Because that's how the NFL is built to work, intentionally.

People with this, "You'll teach the players to lose" rubbish don't want to accept how the real NFL works. You have to allow for major downside drops so you can draft quality talent. It's an expected part of the cycle built into the system. The number of years you contend is built around the quality of your QB and the talent you surround him with in the modern era. Sure, you can have some one offs with an amazing defense like Baltimore or Tampa Bay in the 2000s, but perennial contenders have high quality, dominant QBs with quality head coaches and as much quality talent as you can surround them with.

A GM should be able to go, "I need to assess this backup Howell. Geno is not the long-term answer at QB. I need to know if Howell can replace him while I cut cap to set up for the next competitive cycle." You do this without telling the head coach to lose. Rather you want him to evaluate and set up the QB to see if they can do the job at a replacement level for less money than your overpaid backup QB that you have starting.

There is nothing that makes me more unhappy than to see a GM and head coach who are bad at talent evaluation. I have known for years and it was made me want to move on from Pete that this team has a low talent base. It's talent base is still lacking. There needs to be strong, strong accountability during a rebuild cycle for poor performance as in cut them loose and take a bit losing season before you tolerate some mediocre middle performance that doesn't set you up in the draft or make you a real contender. That is mediocre purgatory, almost as bad as being eternally bad.

It's where we've been for ten years now. Mediocre Purgatory where your fanbase is just happy to make the playoffs and be one and done hoping for some miracle run that happens once in a blue moon rather than just going into full rebuild mode, crashing a few seasons, and getting some high end talent infusions to your team.

Another ten years of one and done playoffs pretender contention is what we've had most of this franchise's history until Paul Allen came. With him gone, it's looking like we're heading back to middling contention if John Schneider doesn't start showing he knows how to build and manage a team meaning knowing when you have a non-competitive talent base with a non-contending QB that needs to be kicked loose until you let competition find a high upside QB you can build the next contending cycle around.

That's how the NFL works. Wasting time with middle tier QBs is what puts teams in bad to mediocre purgatory of non-contention or pretender contention where the fan base becomes used to watching one and done playoff runs.

Screw that. Ten years of it is enough. I want a real contending team built which means going younger at QB and pushing competition at that position until someone comes out on top.

[NorthHawk]

It would seem next year would be the better year for a QB in the draft.
This one is pretty light at the top and there's talk that Ewers (who some think might be good) has been offered $6 Million to enter the Transfer Portal in College and play another year.
Next year looks like it could be a lot better, but even then so much can happen both good and bad for drafting a QB that it's a bit of a gamble waiting. The other option is to try to pick up a castoff from another team and hope he's younger but like Geno in ability without as many faults. Darnold is an example but before we go that route, we have to have an identity on Offense and know what type of Offense we want to play so as to fully understand which player or players skill sets fit our Offense.
I think that's one of the failings of JS's tenure in that we relied so much on Wilson to create that no clear identity was developed after the Marshawn years. We tried to manufacture the big run game but the OL wasn't built to match that kind of game and for the last decade or more we have struggled on short yardage situations. How many times have we been stuffed at the goal line or 3rd or 4th and 1 over the years? And yet nothing has been done except rotate a number of players through the Guard and Center positions with very little success.

[Aseahawkfan]

6 million to enter the transfer portal? If a top QB can make his money in college, what motivation to go to the NFL? That is going to shrink the pool if they start making big money in college as many QBs will do their years in college, take the millions, invest it, and not bother with the NFL level intensity and beating. That kind of sucks.

[NorthHawk]

If it continues like this is said to be, it just means we wait another year because they only have 4 years of eligibility. This years Seniors don't get to return to the Portal.
In the long run, it might be a good thing if QBs stayed all 4 years (5 if Red Shirted) as they would get more reps, mature both physically and emotionally, and NFL teams would get a better read on their abilities.

That being said, some of the talk around CFB is suggesting there will be a Cap of how much each team could pay for players so if 1 QB takes 75% of the Cap, the team could be hurt because they couldn't offer more for the supporting cast, just
like in the NFL.

[River Dog]

Good point about the incentives angle. It's something that I wasn't even aware of.

However, I'd still be reluctant to sit Geno not only for what you mentioned, but the whole thing about not trying to win. I don't like the message it sends. It's one thing to set someone who is nursing injuries but simply turning it into a glorified preseason game isn't something that will build a winning culture. I don't think the scant info on your backup QB that could be gleaned from one game is worth the damage that could be done to team psyche. Players are competitive and like winning even if it doesn't have any bearing on the playoffs. You don't want to make it too business-like.

If I were GM, I would manage it like a business with the goal of real contention with cycles based on the quality of the QB and the talent. Why? Because that's how the NFL is built to work, intentionally.

People with this, "You'll teach the players to lose" rubbish don't want to accept how the real NFL works. You have to allow for major downside drops so you can draft quality talent. It's an expected part of the cycle built into the system. The number of years you contend is built around the quality of your QB and the talent you surround him with in the modern era. Sure, you can have some one offs with an amazing defense like Baltimore or Tampa Bay in the 2000s, but perennial contenders have high quality, dominant QBs with quality head coaches and as much quality talent as you can surround them with.

A GM should be able to go, "I need to assess this backup Howell. Geno is not the long-term answer at QB. I need to know if Howell can replace him while I cut cap to set up for the next competitive cycle." You do this without telling the head coach to lose. Rather you want him to evaluate and set up the QB to see if they can do the job at a replacement level for less money than your overpaid backup QB that you have starting.

There is nothing that makes me more unhappy than to see a GM and head coach who are bad at talent evaluation. I have known for years and it was made me want to move on from Pete that this team has a low talent base. It's talent base is still lacking. There needs to be strong, strong accountability during a rebuild cycle for poor performance as in cut them loose and take a bit losing season before you tolerate some mediocre middle performance that doesn't set you up in the draft or make you a real contender. That is mediocre purgatory, almost as bad as being eternally bad.

It's where we've been for ten years now. Mediocre Purgatory where your fanbase is just happy to make the playoffs and be one and done hoping for some miracle run that happens once in a blue moon rather than just going into full rebuild mode, crashing a few seasons, and getting some high end talent infusions to your team.

Another ten years of one and done playoffs pretender contention is what we've had most of this franchise's history until Paul Allen came. With him gone, it's looking like we're heading back to middling contention if John Schneider doesn't start showing he knows how to build and manage a team meaning knowing when you have a non-competitive talent base with a non-contending QB that needs to be kicked loose until you let competition find a high upside QB you can build the next contending cycle around.

That's how the NFL works. Wasting time with middle tier QBs is what puts teams in bad to mediocre purgatory of non-contention or pretender contention where the fan base becomes used to watching one and done playoff runs.

Screw that. Ten years of it is enough. I want a real contending team built which means going younger at QB and pushing competition at that position until someone comes out on top.

It doesn't sound like Mike Macdonald is subscribing to your philosophy:

Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said the team doesn't plan on playing backup quarterback Sam Howell in their Week 18 regular-season finale on Sunday against the division-rival Los Angeles Rams.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/se ... ngNewsSerp

[Aseahawkfan]

It doesn't sound like Mike Macdonald is subscribing to your philosophy:

Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said the team doesn't plan on playing backup quarterback Sam Howell in their Week 18 regular-season finale on Sunday against the division-rival Los Angeles Rams.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/se ... ngNewsSerp

It's not him I'm worried about. It's Schneider who should be forcing the issue as he has to plan for talent acquisition, not MacDonald. This is Schneider's team now, not MacDonald's. If Schneider fails, then likely MacDonald will have failed and we're starting over anyway.

Pete's gone, bud. MacDonald has nowhere near the power, pull, or support as Pete Carroll. Right now Schneider and MacDonald are tied together. If Schneider fails to acquire the talent for MacDonald to succeed, you're looking at another full reboot of the GM and Head Coach in a few years. And another indefinite period of non-contention.

Carroll when he came in had a clear vision for team building. Knew what he wanted across the board. He had the full support of the owner. A locked in contract with final power on just about everything related to football operations.

MacDonald is John Schneider's pick as head coach in his first year as the "The Man."

Suffice it to say, the only thing I think of with MacDonald is he at least seems to have turned the defense around in year 1 against weak teams. The offense? Not so much. Special teams? Not a great year for special teams.

Now we're going to find out how good at assessing talent for an entire team Mike MacDonald is and how well he and John can use his assessments to acquire the talent make this team competitive again.

So whether or not MacDonald agrees with my philosophy matters not at all. What I stated above is just how it works. If Schneider and MacDonald want to think they have a magic, special way of doing things that doesn't require a few down years given how the NFL works, that's up to them. It won't change what I watch with every team cycle whether the Rams or 49ers or Kansas City and Pittsburgh and all the competitive teams. The down years are when you're supposed to hit big on talent to replenish your ranks while the teams that did it before are competitive. That's how the NFL is built.

We're going to find out if during our down years picking up Witherspoon and JSN and Murphy was the smart move over grabbing a higher ranked QB and starting development.

Right now RD, we're ten years into non-contention. Last Super Bowl appearance was 2014. That was also our last trip to the Conference Championship. We've done plenty of "punching our ticket" playoff one and done or division round losses and haven't been really competitive for a decade now.

The reason I believe that to be so is we have been bad at talent acquisition and development. Talent acquisition and development is what really separates the winners and losers in the NFL. That's why the NFL GM is one of the most important GMs in all of sports.

In baseball, it's ok to have a good GM or team manager or whatever, but baseball often comes down to how much is the owner willing to pay for a championship like the Dodgers did last year. Basketball GMs are laughable now. You can build a super team in the NBA with money and it happens all the time. Only NFL GMs of the big Three major sports have a hard salary cap and thus must be able to pick better talent in the draft. You can't sign a super team and hope to win in the NFL, cap doesn't allow it. That was done prior to the cap and we saw those 80s Frisco teams and 90s Frisco and Cowboy teams where they passed players back and forth and bought championships. But the cap changed all of that. So now you gotta be smart about talent management and acquisiton and good in the draft undertanding the ebbs and flows of the NFL or your fanbase will be in mediocre hell like we are now.

Pete Carroll lost sight of this. If Schneider has too or Schneider just isn't good enough to draft competitive talent, then I guess we start over in a few years and go on a 15 years of non-competition.

Personally, I'm not a fan of it. NFL has an obvious way it works and GMs coaches that think they can "beat the system" tire me out as beating the system is rare.

The thing I most hope has not happened is that one Super Bowl and Legion of Boom Era is our Steel Curtain or our 90s Cowboy Team or the last twenty years of the Patriots meaning that we won't be competitive again for decades due to the passing of the only owner that ever made us competitive because he was so focused on ensuring a quality head coach and a GM to support them. I'm not even sure the ownership right now even knows what to do to make for another winning team or even cares that much.

I'll find out for sure with the rest of us in a few years if Schneider is getting fired and MacDonald is hitting the door with him.

This year is what I call a mixed bag. Defense was better. Offense not so much. Special teams not so much. A winning record for a first year head coach with limited talent who the entire league now has film on his defense. So now it will call come down to if Schneider and MacDonald can make the moves to get better. If they stay pat next year or get worse, I'd give both about another year before the owner likely has to reboot from scratch again.

If they keep Geno, I think they're headed for failure in the rebuild department. You can call me on if it if I'm wrong. That is a key decision. Geno is not the one to carry this team to a Super Bowl going forward. A good GM should know this, and set themselves up to draft a higher QB and bring in younger QBs to start a major competition to upgrade to younger, better talent for a longer term competitive run.

My prediction is here on the forum to be called on if I'm wrong. I don't think I am which is why I don't mind putting it out there. I think keeping Geno as this team's starting QB after this year would be a huge mistake and admission that they have no confidence in their ability to draft and develop a better QB.

[NorthHawk]

MacDonald (and his Coordinators) and Schneider have to agree on a plan for it to work. GMs don't acquire players in isolation and then say ' Here, coach em up'.
So they have to agree on what qualities and skills the players they want have then go after them. IF they can get the players they want then the plan can be fully implemented. However, this happens rarely and we were the beneficiaries of it early on the in the Carroll/Schneider era with fantastic results. If they can't get the players they want, then the next FA and Draft will be the next attempt.

This is where the team identity comes in and I don't think we've done that in a long time. JS talked about returning to being the bully on the field then drafted skill and finesse players along with signing FA's that were on their last years or were cheap backups to fill the holes. So to me, this will be a defining draft for JS on his own. If he doesn't get this right or at least get on track towards that end, it could be his last chance in Seattle. The ownership got rid of Carroll so it seems there are some expected results but what we don't know is how much time to give him is in the ownerships minds.

[NorthHawk]

Since I'm discussing team building, here is a Guard who I've mentioned before who could fit the play ability and identity role for us:

Tyler Booker, G, Alabama, 6-5 325

The following comment from a scout seems to show up on tape:

For Booker, who switched from offensive tackle to guard early in the season, he is one of the more nasty players you will come to find in the trenches. He thrives in the run game and has made strides in pass protection since sliding inside.

I think we need this kind of attitude and power for the whole IOL and he could be a good start - if he's still there at 21.

[Aseahawkfan]

MacDonald (and his Coordinators) and Schneider have to agree on a plan for it to work. GMs don't acquire players in isolation and then say ' Here, coach em up'.
So they have to agree on what qualities and skills the players they want have then go after them. IF they can get the players they want then the plan can be fully implemented. However, this happens rarely and we were the beneficiaries of it early on the in the Carroll/Schneider era with fantastic results. If they can't get the players they want, then the next FA and Draft will be the next attempt.

This is where the team identity comes in and I don't think we've done that in a long time. JS talked about returning to being the bully on the field then drafted skill and finesse players along with signing FA's that were on their last years or were cheap backups to fill the holes. So to me, this will be a defining draft for JS on his own. If he doesn't get this right or at least get on track towards that end, it could be his last chance in Seattle. The ownership got rid of Carroll so it seems there are some expected results but what we don't know is how much time to give him is in the ownerships minds.

Yep. This is the first year of Schneider and MacDonald together from the start planning for the draft. MacDonald should be able to give Schneider a clear idea of what he needs if he's going to make it as a head coach. Year 1 a head coach has a lot of leeway to fail and people are happy with a basic winning record. Year 2 is when the expectations start to rise and they must improve on what they've started or the shine starts to wear off. Year 3 is when the seat gets hot if the team isn't turning around. So I figure Schneider and MacDonald have at least two more years to show they are clearly improving or the seat will start to get hot.

I'm really not sure how MacDonald views team building. He's a complete unknown. The only model we know he spent a lot of time is with the Harbaugh brothers, mostly with John in Baltimore. John Harbaugh has kept the Ravens competitive for years, but he only has one Super Bowl to show for it in 16 years. That's about on par for anyone not named Bill Belichick or Andy Reid.

[Spohawk5092]

so whats the thinking...will the Hawks play all the starters or not?

[c_hawkbob]

As I see it there in no reason not to.

[Stream Hawk]

They are playing. At least until we get too big of a cushion. I’d love to see things line up on offense like it finally should; minus Abe & K9, of course.