HawkShack.com

I haven't logged on in forever since I moved to the great white north, but I've never stopped following my Hawks. I know this has been done many times, but still wanted to put together my all-time team of Seahawks in their prime if I were to go into battle today.

QUARTERBACK - both pure ballers with great instinct, with better wheels on Russ, and one of the greatest arms ever in Moon
Russell Wilson/starter
Warren Moon

RUNNING BACK - Too many great backs to choose from. Love him or hate him (I don't love him), Shaun was the best ever Seahawks back in terms of numbers, and it's not even close.
Shaun Alexander/halfback
John L. Williams/fullback
Marshawn Lynch
Curt Warner
Mack Strong

WIDE RECEIVER - Smallish but crafty group, defined by great hands and uncanny ability. Mike Williams' tenure was too short, but he was brilliant (This future list may include Tyler Lockett when all is said and done)
Steve Largent/starter
Joey Galloway/starter
Doug Baldwin
Bobby Engram
Darrell Jackson
Mike Williams

TIGHT END - nothing spectacular to see here, but highly effective
Christian Fauria/starter
Zach Miller

O-LINE - the only true superstar is the HOF'er Jones, but this group is more than competent
Walter Jones/left tackle
Steve Hutchinson/left guard
Max Unger/center
Chris Gray/right guard
Howard 'House' Ballard/right tackle
Russell Okung
Edwin Bailey
Sean Locklear

DEFENSIVE LINE - Anchored by the best ever at the position, Tez, with a solid, sometimes spectacular supporting cast
Cortez Kennedy/DT
Sam Adams/DT
Jacob Green/DE
MIchael Bennett/DE
Brandon Mebane
MIchael Sinclair

LINEBACKER - An outstanding group with great ball instincts, and a couple of special special team players
Lofa Tatupu/MLB
Julian Peterson/OLB
Chad Brown/OLB
Bobby Wagner
Rufus Porter
Fredd Young

DEFENSIVE BACKS - An embarrassment of riches at every position. I'd put up this all-time Seahawks defensive backfield against any other team in NFL history
Kenny Easley/SS
Earl Thomas/FS
Shawn Springs/CB
Richard Sherman/CB
Kam Chancellor
Marcus Trufant
Dave Brown

SPECIAL TEAMS - there are punters with better numbers (Feagles), but how many have thrown a TD in the playoffs?
Steven Hauschka/kicker
Jon Ryan/punter

Who's on your list?

The must be putting LSD instead of Fluoride in the Water in the Great White North for anyone to think that Shaun Alexander should rank higher than Marshawn Lynch as all time greatest Seahawk Running Back.....

savvyman wrote:The must be putting LSD instead of Fluoride in the Water in the Great White North for anyone to think that Shaun Alexander should rank higher than Marshawn Lynch as all time greatest Seahawk Running Back.....

Haha....come to think of it, the maple syrup is TOO good. As I said, I'm not even an Alexander fan, but you can't give his O-Line ALL the credit...can you?

Hawk Sista wrote:http://www.hawkshack.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1864

I knew it! Thanks!

Always a fun subject! And since Sis linked the last thread I get to participate w/o an hour or two of typing!

The only objection I'd have on that list is Easley not being listed twice.

Let's just put to rest once and for all the most silly viewpoint on Planet Earth about pretty much anything - That viewpoint that some delusional people still have that Shaun Alexander was a superior running back than the greatest of all time Marshawn Lynch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4a0c7yZOU4

savvyman wrote:Let's just put to rest once and for all the most silly viewpoint on Planet Earth about pretty much anything - That viewpoint that some delusional people still have that Shaun Alexander was a superior running back than the greatest of all time Marshawn Lynch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4a0c7yZOU4

I'm not a Shaun hater, but that highlight reel is sick. GOD I'm going to miss that dude.

Here's to Rawls filling those ample shoes.

[edit]

The absolute *inevitability* that he was going to get to the first-down-marker/endzone if he was less than 10yds away with less than three tacklers touching him was uncanny.

Haha....come to think of it, the maple syrup is TOO good. As I said, I'm not even an Alexander fan, but you can't give his O-Line ALL the credit...can you?

Not ALL of it, but a LOT of it. Alexander was a really, really good RB, but it's hard not to see how often he wasn't touched for twenty yards ( if at all) on some of those runs. There's a reason it took him two years to pry away that starting job from Watters, and a reason that once his line left he couldn't crack three yards a carry.

There's good, or even great, and then there's "special". Marshawn belongs in the latter ( even runs where he garnered simply not losing yards were something to behold).

Alexander DESERVES to be on the list, but unless you're talking about best fantasy seasons, he doesn't belong at the top. Lynch, Warner ( hell a case could be made for Watters or Warren at least they ran "hard") before Alexander. Two excellent seasons behind a great offensive line ( even with all the accolades) does not necessarily make him the "best" back in history.

Warren Moon ranked 2nd ahead of Dave Krieg, Matt Hasselbeck, and Jim Zorn? Really? What did you use to base your rankings on? Certainly not as performances while with the Hawks.

I can understand...but don't agree...with listing SA ahead of Beast as SA did win a league MVP. But what I can't understand is ranking John L. Williams ahead of him, too. You probably should have established a separate category for fullbacks, but even if you did, I'd put Mack Strong ahead of John L. based on his ability as a blocker.

Fredd Young was a helluva special teams player, but not much of a linebacker and seldom started. I'd take him off the linebacker rankings and insert Keith Butler and/or Bruce Schultz. I'd take Bobby Wagner over Lofa at MLB every day of the week and twice on Sundays.

Pretty good OL, DB, and DL rankings. I don't see any that I'd really argue about, although I'd consider Herman "Thunderfoot" Weaver over Jon Ryan.

Man, can't beat what Marshawn Lynch brought to field. The whole highlight reel was awesome, but that run against Arizona at 4:45, Marshawn had amazing vision and footwork working through blockers and defenders.

And "You don't feel Beast Mode; Beast Mode feels you". Word, Marshawn, word.

John L was by far a more complete player than Mack, blocked as well was the leading receiver on the team( one with Largent) and could run the ball effectively. Wouldn't put him over Lynch or Alexander for that matter, but he IMHO was the greatest fullback to ever play for the Seahawks, one of the best to play in the NFL history.

Young made two pro bowls as a LB prior to Boz showing up, one as a ST player. You seem to have a selective memory on him. The Seahawks traded him for I believe a first round pick to the Colts, not something someone struggling to start is going to get in return.I also would have placed Schultz or Gaines on that list, but you obviously are misrembering the level of play Young was performing at when Seattle traded him over money.

Edit: my mistake, they traded him to the Colts for TWO first round picks...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fredd_Young

HumanCockroach wrote:John L was by far a more complete player than Mack, blocked as well was the leading receiver on the team( one with Largent) and could run the ball effectively. Wouldn't put him over Lynch or Alexander for that matter, but he IMHO was the greatest fullback to ever play for the Seahawks, one of the best to play in the NFL history.

Young made two pro bowls as a LB prior to Boz showing up, one as a ST player. You seem to have a selective memory on him. The Seahawks traded him for I believe a first round pick to the Colts, not something someone struggling to start is going to get in return.I also would have placed Schultz or Gaines on that list, but you obviously are misrembering the level of play Young was performing at when Seattle traded him over money.

Edit: my mistake, they traded him to the Colts for TWO first round picks...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fredd_Young

Boy, was I off on Fredd Young or what! I thought that one of the reasons why we had traded him was that he wanted more PT at LB than he was getting with us. He disappeared when he went to Indy. I remember thinking that we fleeced the Colts on that trade, perhaps that accounts for my 'selective' memory.

But I stand by my assessment of Strong over John L. IMO Strong was the better blocker, both in the running game and in pass protection, wasn't that bad of an option coming out of the backfield although admittedly John L was by far the better receiver.

I guess it would depend on what era you wanted to use as a common point of reference. If it was for the 80's where fullbacks were utilized more on 3rd downs, then I'd be more inclined to take John L. But for today's requirements where often times the FB isn't even on the field on 3rd down, I'd take Strong.

But my major point was Beast being ranked below John L. As much as I like John L., ranking Beast below him is outrageous. Heck, IMO Beast ought to be in consideration for being in the top 6-8 Hawks of all time, both sides of the ball, perhaps as high as 5th...in no particular order, Largent, Walt, Tez, and Easley would be the only ones I'd for sure rank ahead of him.

John L and Mack is an interesting comparison. John L was better with the ball in his hand (though still a great blocker) but Mack was the perfect pure FB. Kinda like comparing Magic Johnson and John Stockton. There will never be a better pure point guard that Stock (check the record books for PG stats: assists and steals) But nobody would deny that Magic was the better basketball player.

For me if Alexander is my RB I want to pair him with Mack, if it's Beast pair him with John L ... and either would be the best pair in the league at just about any point in NFL history.

c_hawkbob wrote:For me if Alexander is my RB I want to pair him with Mack, if it's Beast pair him with John L ... and either would be the best pair in the league at just about any point in NFL history.

Quoted for truth. I'd chop off a finger to have either of those combos on the field for us next year (unless Rawls does what I think he'll do and become BeastMode 2.0!).

Moon ahead of Matt? no, not here long enough. Krieg, aka Karl Mecklenburg's Santa Claus? NO! Zorn, Yes.

obiken wrote:Moon ahead of Matt? no, not here long enough. Krieg, aka Karl Mecklenburg's Santa Claus? YES! Zorn, no.

Not only was Moon not here long enough, he didn't produce enough for us when he was here.

But I disagree with your analysis of Zorn. He was the perfect quarterback for us in those expansion years...mobile, gutsy, young...he gave us a lot of thrills in those first few years, and deserves to be mentioned within the top 4-5 QB's in franchise history....Wilson, Hass, and Krieg are all ahead of him, but the list really starts to dwindle after those 3.

Sorry River, I got the yes and no mixed up, I was never a big Krieg fan at all, but I am willing concede I am wrong. With the team we have had the last 2 years, could Zorn have done what Wilson did? I have kicked it around River and I really don't know. He was really mobile but was he nearly as accurate as RW?

RiverDog wrote:Warren Moon ranked 2nd ahead of Dave Krieg, Matt Hasselbeck, and Jim Zorn? Really? What did you use to base your rankings on? Certainly not as performances while with the Hawks.

I'm not ranking Moon ahead of Krieg, Hasselbeck, or Zorn. Those three certainly accomplished more as Seahawks, so they would rank ahead of Moon in that sense. My premise was who would I go into battle with today, with any Seahawks in their prime. I'd take Wilson and Moon.

obiken wrote:Sorry River, I got the yes and no mixed up, I was never a big Krieg fan at all, but I am willing concede I am wrong. With the team we have had the last 2 years, could Zorn have done what Wilson did? I have kicked it around River and I really don't know. He was really mobile but was he nearly as accurate as RW?

To be fair, Zorn never had anywhere near the defense that Wilson has had. Playing with a great defense is a huge advantage for a quarterback. But nevertheless, even at his best, I don't think Zorn would have been able to do the things Wilson does for us. Like you said, Russell is more accurate and takes better care of the ball, and although Zorn was athletic, he wasn't as athletic as Russell is.

The problem with Zorn is that he never progressed and quickly fell out of favor when Knox took over the team.