Sidney Rice retired

[depaashaas]

Been a while since I have been here been busy this summer, can't believe first pre season game is only two weeks away

Sidney Rice retired today due to concussion and other health issues. It was a concern for me when they signed him back a few months ago sad to see him forced to see him end his career at such a young age and wish him nothing but the best.

Guess he opened some restaurant in Tacoma, will have to drop in and try it out

http://www.seahawks.com/news/articles/a ... d2666b8bab

[HumanCockroach]

LOL, I need to type faster, my bad, took me more than 3 Minutes to type my new thread....

[Seahawks4Ever]

Concussion was the last reason that I thought would cause him to retire, I would have thought that maybe too many extensive surgeries would have been the cause. I am glad he was on our Super Bowl team and got a ring even though he didn't contribute that much. He wants to have a life and enjoy his family so I respect him for that. He has had a tough time in the pros health wise and when he witnessed so many former players dying at a relatively young age I am sure that had him do some serious soul searching. He made a ton of money playing for the Hawks so I am sure that made his decision a bit easier.

Thanx Sydney and enjoy your retirement. I too will have to check out his restaurant.

[c_hawkbob]

Thanks Syd, it's been a slice. You take care of that noggin of yours.

[Bird Droppings]

You think WR is tough on mind and body ... hah, it's not as tough operating a restaurant and staying on that field.

Ain't no PUP in that business either.

He''s had a nice payday considering the amount of time he was available ....

...but when he was able, he seemd to put it all in the pot, and had the respect of his teammates and adversaries alike.

Now, the game plan is vendors, employees, the government, promotion ... all for those fickle fans and empty tables in February.

Now you really need Good Luck Rice, and you ought to keep it on the menu.

zoom

[RiverDog]

That narrows down the WR field and opens up a spot for someone like Norwood, but without Rice, it leaves us a little short on experience, and there's only one WR with any familiarity with Russell. Plus when he did play, Rice was a gamer, hardly ever dropped any passes (a priority of mine since Largent), and was one of the few big WR's we had on our roster.

[HumanCockroach]

I'm not sure I agree with the "familiarity" thing. Baldwin and Kearse both do, I would think that Harvin has some at least, and even Lockette, Walters had quite a bit of time with him.... That said I doubt Walters sticks ( unless he is an awesome punt returner, like Hester type punt returner) unless he is still eligible for the PS ( not sure)... Lockette I think might end up being a sixth receiver due to his amazing coverage skills.

Leaving :

Locks:

Baldwin

Harvin

Kearse

Richardson

Probable:

Norwood

Fighting for 6th spot:

the other 14 receivers in camp....

Lockette, Mathews more than likely have a leg up I would think, with Walters somewhere in the mix depending on ST ability...


Honestly, I felt like for Rice to make the roster, he was going to have to pass a starter to remain. I don't think that 6th spot was going to go to someone that didn't play special teams at all. I liked Rice and respect what he did, the guy was clutch, and I am sorry to see all those injuries derail a truly talented receiver, but honestly I wasn't banking on him making the roster to begin with, so while I'm sorry to see him go, and wish him nothing but the best in the future, I really feel like this isn't something that will change the way the final roster was going to shake out anyway....

[kalibane]

Completely agree HC. As soon as the reports started coming out that Norwood was catching anything that got near him in mini-camp my first thought was, "Sidney Rice isn't making this team". He clearly wasn't going to start or work out of the slot, and if you can't contribute on special teams there isn't much chance someone is going to keep you further down the depth chart.

Harving, Richardson, Baldwin and Kearse were locks. Norwood establishing himself as a valuable young guy makes him the probable 5th and there is no way they keep Rice as #6 over Lockette who is great on special teams even though Rice is far more professional than Lockette as a WR.

Writing was on the wall.

[briwas101]

This is good news for the Hawks. Injury-prone players cause problems for the coach and gm because you don't want to go out and spend big $ on a replacement only to see the injury-prone player finally stay healthy and one of them is "wasted" on the bench (or pushing a lower-ranked but high-quality player such as Doug Baldwin to backup status).

You also don't want to enter the season relying on that player to be healthy because if they aren't healthy then you'll be thin at the position.

Rice was never a bad WR when healthy but he was barely average for the Hawks even during his temporary spurts of "health". Addition by subtraction, my friends. Addition by subtraction.

PS. Ive never had a problem with him as a person. He seemed to stay out of trouble and by all accounts he was a good teammate. The problem is that there are millions of men out there who can stay out of trouble and be a good teammate. We need players who can help us win and Rice stopped being that guy long ago.

[HumanCockroach]

Bump

[RiverDog]

I'd kinda forgotten about Kearse. He does have some familiarity with the O and with Russell, but he can't replace what Tate did for us. I do like Norwood, and I'm encouraged that he's showing some good hands. Lockette? He's no better than a rookie as far as his familiarity with Russell goes. Harvin? I don't even want to go there and will only say that I'm not holding my breath.

IMO WR is a huge unknown, almost as much as the OL. It could be a huge weak spot or it could be dynamite.

[HumanCockroach]

Not sure how you get to the not familiar with the QB after years together. But OK I guess. Harvin knows this offense forward and back, as does Baldwin and Kearse. Lockette was not a premier passing option, and I never believed he was, but he is a receiver that has been in the system a long time, and did have a reception in the SB, has played with Wilson for a lot longer than a lot of those receivers, so I listed him as being familiar.

I'm not expecting Kearse to replace Tates production, I expect Richardson/Harvin to eat up and expand his production. I have always defended Tates play and production, but the truth is, at least in the passing game, the Seahawks have drastically improved the weapons that Wilson has to throw to. I'm worried about replacing the ST portion of what Tate brought to the team, but not in the least concerned with performance at WR. Tate was a poor mans Harvin, and the Seahawks have the original copy roaming around, so I'm not overly concerned about what was "lost".

[kalibane]

Agreed. I will really miss Tate's jump ball ability, lack of drops and tenacious blocking. However, let's be real. He was also inconsistant in his route running and ability to get separation.

My concerns are ONLY health related. Harvin obviously has a checkered injury history and Richardson is so slight... but overall I think the unit has improved from last year.

Lockette's value to the team is primarily on special teams. And Rice not being on the team really won't hurt the Hawks at all. Even though he was tall he was never really the "big" receiver I've coveted. So I don't think we miss him as far as on the field production.

[RiverDog]

Not sure how you get to the not familiar with the QB after years together. But OK I guess. Harvin knows this offense forward and back, as does Baldwin and Kearse. Lockette was not a premier passing option, and I never believed he was, but he is a receiver that has been in the system a long time, and did have a reception in the SB, has played with Wilson for a lot longer than a lot of those receivers, so I listed him as being familiar.

I'm not expecting Kearse to replace Tates production, I expect Richardson/Harvin to eat up and expand his production. I have always defended Tates play and production, but the truth is, at least in the passing game, the Seahawks have drastically improved the weapons that Wilson has to throw to. I'm worried about replacing the ST portion of what Tate brought to the team, but not in the least concerned with performance at WR. Tate was a poor mans Harvin, and the Seahawks have the original copy roaming around, so I'm not overly concerned about what was "lost".

Familiarity with the system is one thing. Familiarity with the QB is another.

We'll see. WR has been a weak spot on this team even before the current regime. It was adequate last year, but losing Rice and Tate means that someone between Harvin, Richardson, and Norwood is going to have to rise to the occasion and fill that gap. I'm encouraged to hear that Norwood is doing so well. In some ways, I'm more optimistic about him than I am about Richardson.

And don't forget. We're not only having to replace Tate's receiving capability, we're going to miss his ability as a punt returner as well.

[HumanCockroach]

I did mention Tates return ability. As for the familiarity, I guess you are talking about "in game" versus practice and camp time. For me it's more about Wilson understanding the timing of guys, and Lockette, Harvin,Baldwin,and Kearse all have over a year of being on the practice field with Wilson, so I'm not overly concerned with it. Richardson and Norwood don't have that time, so I hope they can stay healthy and get those much needed reps. Wilson is an exceedingly hard worker, and I would guess that he would encourage them to stay late, come early or whatever to get the needed timing down.

[RiverDog]

I did mention Tates return ability. As for the familiarity, I guess you are talking about "in game" versus practice and camp time. For me it's more about Wilson understanding the timing of guys, and Lockette, HarviHn,Baldwin,and Kearse all have over a year of being on the practice field with Wilson, so I'm not overly concerned with it. Richardson and Norwood don't have that time, so I hope they can stay healthy and get those much needed reps. Wilson is an exceedingly hard worker, and I would guess that he would encourage them to stay late, come early or whatever to get the needed timing down.

Well, Harvin hasn't been there a year. You can count his Seahawk game experience/familiarity on one hand. Lockette has had multiple chances to make this team. He hasn't ever played a full season. Why? Could it be that he's not that good? Kearse is a second string receiver on even a bad team, which we are not.

So what we are counting on is Harvin staying healthy and either Kearse, Lockette, or one of the rookies stepping up.

That's what's bothering me.

[NorthHawk]

Norwood at Alabama always stood out to me when they were on TV.
I hope he makes the roster and can contribute. He was McCarron's security blanket and always seemed to make the big play or first down catch in college. Maybe he can do something similar at the next level.
OL and punt returns concern me more than WR at this point.

[RiverDog]

Norwood at Alabama always stood out to me when they were on TV.
I hope he makes the roster and can contribute. He was McCarron's security blanket and always seemed to make the big play or first down catch in college. Maybe he can do something similar at the next level.
OL and punt returns concern me more than WR at this point.

I like Norwood, too, more so than Richardson. He could be this year's surprise rookie, especially in the vacuum that exists at that position. Everything hinges on Percy Harvin. If he stays healthy, all these problems take care of themselves. If he plays in less than half the season, we could be in serious trouble as it will allow teams to stack the box against us like they did last season when he was out.

I agree that the OL is the #1 concern. Punt returns? I'm obviously concerned, but let's wait and see who they have doing it in preseason. As long as they don't fumble and we teach them how to fair catch, I'm not going to get too worried.

It should be an interesting preseason, at least on offense.

[HumanCockroach]

I did mention Tates return ability. As for the familiarity, I guess you are talking about "in game" versus practice and camp time. For me it's more about Wilson understanding the timing of guys, and Lockette, HarviHn,Baldwin,and Kearse all have over a year of being on the practice field with Wilson, so I'm not overly concerned with it. Richardson and Norwood don't have that time, so I hope they can stay healthy and get those much needed reps. Wilson is an exceedingly hard worker, and I would guess that he would encourage them to stay late, come early or whatever to get the needed timing down.

Well, Harvin hasn't been there a year. You can count his Seahawk game experience/familiarity on one hand. Lockette has had multiple chances to make this team. He hasn't ever played a full season. Why? Could it be that he's not that good? Kearse is a second string receiver on even a bad team, which we are not.

So what we are counting on is Harvin staying healthy and either Kearse, Lockette, or one of the rookies stepping up.

That's what's bothering me.

Like I originally posted, you are discussing in game experience, I'm not. Harvin, Lockette,Kearse,Baldwin have all been on the team for over a year with Wilson, all have received reps with him both in practice and in game situations. NOt overly concerned with "familiarity" with the QB.

[RiverDog]

I did mention Tates return ability. As for the familiarity, I guess you are talking about "in game" versus practice and camp time. For me it's more about Wilson understanding the timing of guys, and Lockette, HarviHn,Baldwin,and Kearse all have over a year of being on the practice field with Wilson, so I'm not overly concerned with it. Richardson and Norwood don't have that time, so I hope they can stay healthy and get those much needed reps. Wilson is an exceedingly hard worker, and I would guess that he would encourage them to stay late, come early or whatever to get the needed timing down.

Well, Harvin hasn't been there a year. You can count his Seahawk game experience/familiarity on one hand. Lockette has had multiple chances to make this team. He hasn't ever played a full season. Why? Could it be that he's not that good? Kearse is a second string receiver on even a bad team, which we are not.

So what we are counting on is Harvin staying healthy and either Kearse, Lockette, or one of the rookies stepping up.

That's what's bothering me.

Like I originally posted, you are discussing in game experience, I'm not. Harvin, Lockette,Kearse,Baldwin have all been on the team for over a year with Wilson, all have received reps with him both in practice and in game situations. NOt overly concerned with "familiarity" with the QB.

How many reps do you think Harvin's had with Wilson? He was out all camp, all preseason, all but one regular season game, and played in just 1.5 playoff games. Or Lockette? He wasn't even on the team until halfway through last season, and caught all of 5 passes for the season.

I understand that you're looking solely at familiarity with the offense, and certainly knowing the offense helps a bunch. But when there's that few of reps between QB and receiving corps, it has to be a concern. I don't think you can just plug-and-play and not expect there to be some sort of a learning curve. How many times have we seen receiver and QB not be on the same page?

[HumanCockroach]

Harvin has been there a year, and while you may want to insist our third receiver isn't up to snuff, I like what I've seen out of Kearse. Lockette is raw, and isn't anything more than number 6 on our depth chart, and that because of his outstanding special teams play ( Baldwin, Kearse, Harvin, Norwood, Richardson) I'm not overly concerned about his regular offensive snaps. Of the 19 receivers currently holding spots on this roster, yes I do believe one or two step up big this season. They have MORE weapons this season, not less, no matter how much you worry over it. Cream rises to the top, and IMO there is plenty there to be excited about. I suppose a pessimist might say Kearse, Baldwin take steps back, or that Harvin is assured of some lengthy injury, or that there is no way two truly exceptional rookies can have an impact. I'm not one of those, so I see talent, lots of it, I also see gained experience ( Baldwin and Kearse who CARRIED this passing game for weeks and months and made HUGE play after HUGE play to get us where we were going) I see gained health of a premier athlete and wide out ( Harvin) and a slew of talented guys fighting for the LAST roster spot amongst the group.

I'm not going to worry about things that can't be qualified or quantified like "familiarity" with the QB, as there is simply no way I lack faith in Wilson putting in and leading those receivers in the necessary work during this offseason to hit the ground running, it is what he does. I'm not going to fret over uncontrollable circumstances like injuries, or concern myself with Harvin ability to catch WR screens and short to mid range passes. Harvin showed the ability to play off Wilson in every one of his opportunities on the field ( Catch against Minnesota and missed end zone pass against Saints are prime examples of him finding open space on Wilson scrambles).

Just choose not to make a bigger deal out of something than it needs to be. So far Norwood and Richardson have been the targets on several huge plays from Wilson, and I'm not about to assume anything about them until I see them on a field.

I trust Wilson to lead these guys, and I trust Kearse and Baldwin to improve and learn from last season, I trust that Carroll and Schneider had a plan when they drafted Richardson and Norwood, and I trust that Harvin will play more than 1/2 of one game during the regular season. If that makes me an optomist than so be it. It does surprise me that you of all people don't trust Wilson to put in the work necessary to get on the same page as his receivers, it is after all what premier, face of the franchise, great leaders DO after all, and I've seen zero evidence to the contrary up to this point.

[RiverDog]

First, the loss of Rice is mostly in terms of leadership. He made about 15 catches all year, so that is not a big concern. It seems to me that the talent pool we have this season is a step up. We may miss Tate's return ability, and he made some key catches during the year, but Kearse, for one, seemed to step more into that role as the season went on, and Norwood may be of the ilk.

If this group is going to be considered among the better receiving corps in the league, we are going to need a healthy Harvin, in my opinion.

Apparently, Rice is opening a wings place. I love good wings, but talking to the owner of my local I am understanding that the wholesale price of wings is getting out of hand, especially when you consider how little meat is on those little wavers. He is thinking of not doing wings anymore because of it, even though his are easily the best in the area. We are pleading.

The only thing I'd disagree with is your statement about Kearse. He didn't just "step up as the season went on.". Didn't he make a fantastic, game winning catch in the season opener at Carolina last season?

Kearse could fill the role left by Tate. Can he return punts?

[HumanCockroach]

Kearses role and opportunities increased incrementally as the season continued, and he became more consistent as the season progressed. The catch and run in the SB is one of the finest runs after a catch I've witnessed in any game over the decades of watching football, and what the Denver announcers called the "greatest run after a catch in SB history" and personally I'd be hard pressed to come up with another more impressive display. The dude makes plays, and has done so regularly. Unless his head gets to big for his helmet I just don't see that changing.