Russell: " I hope it’s not my last game (in Seattle)"

[RiverDog]

Unsolicited, Russell Wilson says as Seahawks sit at 5-10 entering home finale Sunday vs Detroit: “I know for me, I hope it’s not my last game (in Seattle). But at the same time, I know it won’t be my last game in the NFL.”

https://twitter.com/gbellseattle/status ... conference

If there was any doubt that Russell wants out or at least is considering asking for a trade, that quote should put it to rest. You just don't come out of the blue and say something like that.

[I-5]

I need to listen to the entire interview first, but I find that particular quote a bit disingenuous. It comes off sounding like he's an innocent bystander who is not in control of what happens to his situation, when in fact he has the ability to control a lot of what happens. I've said this earlier, but I don't think the Seahawks have any intention of parting with Wilson, unless he makes it clear to them that he wants out. Plus, he's already said on record that he wants to play in Seattle the next 20 years (which we know is just a typical Russell Wilson platitude), so it's going to be awkward for him to spin it if he does demand a trade.

[c_hawkbob]

Unsolicited my arse, I watched, the question was "do you believe you can win the three more Super Bowls that is your goal while as a member of the Seahawks?"

I'm liking Greg Bell less and less. He knew exactly what he was doing adding "unsolicited" to that headline; generating clicks.

[NorthHawk]

Russ was answering the question honestly - if what Bob said is correct.
He does control his destiny here, though and I think he wants out from under Carroll's Offensive strategy and get on to a more dynamic Offense.

[tarlhawk]

This happens in politics all the time...you report only the part of context that suits your intent then parlay a word or phrase to "box" your target into representing your own view expressed. In politics this tactic is used to frame your opponents unspoken view on an important topic by using words from their past out of context to allude it represents the view in question. Russell knows he played lousy this year for whatever reasons it was a very challenging year and he knows upper management will do whatever needs done to help the team...this season needs to close at least to allow the timed release of our teams plans for 2022.

[NorthHawk]

On the other hand he has a no trade contract so he could have said 'I don't want to play anywhere else', but he didn't.
Earlier this year he also updated his list of teams he would be willing to be traded to include the Giants and Eagles.
Add to last year and I don't think he really wants to be here - at least under the current FO.

[I-5]

Yes, Bob and the others are right. I listened to the interview, and Greg Bell definitely solicited the response by asking Russ if he could accomplish his goal of 3 more SB’s in Seattle. Kind of a d@&k move.

But I do believe Russ holds the leverage of whether he goes or not.

[trents]

I think the word is "conflicted." Russ is conflicted about remaining in Seattle. If Pete is jettisoned, Russ wants to stay here. If Pete stays, Russ wants out. Pete's status is the pivotal factor in Russ' thought process.

[obiken]

I think the word is "conflicted." Russ is conflicted about remaining in Seattle. If Pete is jettisoned, Russ wants to stay here. If Pete stays, Russ wants out. Pete's status is the pivotal factor in Russ' thought process.

Wow that is so true!

[trents]

I think that explains the mixed messages we have been getting from Russell. Obviously, he can't come out and say, "If Pete stays I'm out of here." That would make Russ the bad guy, the one really in charge, the divider and would destroy esprit de core. It might get rid of Pete but would destroy his own credibility with his team mates and the fans, whatever credibility is still there. And Russ knows it is just not his place to force that kind of decision in an outright way.

[Agent 86]

I remember that article that RiverDog posted not long ago from years back when it talked about the divide in the room and the team when it came to Russ. This was after the Super Bowl loss. It talked about how Pete "protected" Russ from the criticism from teammates like Sherman et all in practices, how he didn't want them to "trash talk" Russ when all they were doing was trying to make him accountable as everyone else. If true, I can't imagine a guy like Russ wanted that from his coach, Russ seems like the kind of guy who could handle himself. I have to wonder if there is a resentment there from Russ when it comes to Pete if that is how it happened. And has that been lingering all these years inside of him and finally came out last off season? And the relationship has now been fractured beyond repair?

I think 95% of Seahawks fans prefer to have Russ stay and Pete go if a choice has to be made by the higher ups. I feel that way for sure. I just don't see both being back next season, seems like something has to give. I sure hope it is not Russ's last game in Seattle this weekend, would be a shame to go out like that.

[tarlhawk]

We have lost at a rate out of character for our team but we do still have a nucleus of strength. I still think our core talent drop-off is more a result of our winning ways and having an elite QB and the contract that rewards years and years of close games won...many in comeback fashion. Many of the reasons we have lost are probably more complex...more detail driven than the average fan cares to devote time to. Its much easier to point out obvious stat reasons and simplistic resolve to fire the Coach...fire the GM...fire Russell...fire any well paid player who doesn't conform to our own personal standards. We ignore the reality of what it really takes to make important decisions...to "shape" a team of character and skill. How many NFL teams actually compare to our past ten years? Since 2012 our team has taken its fans to the playoffs (none of those seasons were easy if you look in the "weeds") 8 times with back to back SB trips in 2013/2014 ...with our worst season being a 9-7 record (2017). Our own divisional opponents? Rams 3x w/ one SB loss...49ers 3x with 2 SB losses...and the Cards? 2x w/ no SB. New England is quickly lauded and indeed they are worthy of praise...but being "mired" in the AFC East? Since 2012 the Bills have beaten them 4x (swept the Pats in 2020)...the Jets? 2x...and the Dolphins? 8x they have split series.

[RiverDog]

Cbob makes a fair point about Russell's response being somewhat less than unsolicited, and that does change things slightly as it would indicate that he didn't come to the interview with an agenda and might have been to some degree set up as reporters often do by being asked about his past success. However, as I-5 pointed out, it's in pretty stark contrast to his "I want to play in Seattle for another 20 years" statement he made just a few weeks ago as there's quite a difference between an expressed desire and an acknowledgement that it might not happen, especially when everyone knows that Russell has considerable leverage with his no trade clause and that it's as much his decision to stay or leave as anyone else's.

[tarlhawk]

What leverage have you maintained by letting it be known...if the team wants to trade me...this is where I will waive my no trade clause?
Without disputing he won't allow himself to be traded ...he has opened the door for upper management to give our GM the green light (on pursuing any teams listed by Wilson's "camp") to get a feel for what is on the table. My opinion is this is an RW appeal for a little more leverage in personnel decisions made by our GM...whether advising RW that the O-Line isn't our top priority for this draft but will be addressed via FA if not in the later rounds of the 2022 draft...or these are the three O-Line UFA's is there one of these you feel you can't do without? This type of leverage should not be revealed if it ever exists because it can hurt team unity. Its barely tolerable for a player to get a "pink slip" as a business decision (GM) but to suspect Russ "had it in for me...after I gave up those 2 sacks in the LA Wild Card Ram Playoff game". Its best that these personnel decisions that affect real lives be handled by management not seen to be influenced by a fellow player. Anytime you "suggest" management pursue this player or this type of player...you are doing it while aware that someone on the roster must leave. HeHe (...as Spock would say) the needs of the many exceed the needs of the few.

[Clem7]

The new RW “might not be in Seattle next year, but I sure will be in the NFL somewhere.”

The old RW “of course we can win 3 more Super Bowls in Seattle.”

[NorthHawk]

What leverage have you maintained by letting it be known...if the team wants to trade me...this is where I will waive my no trade clause?
Without disputing he won't allow himself to be traded ...he has opened the door for upper management to give our GM the green light (on pursuing any teams listed by Wilson's "camp") to get a feel for what is on the table. My opinion is this is an RW appeal for a little more leverage in personnel decisions made by our GM...whether advising RW that the O-Line isn't our top priority for this draft but will be addressed via FA if not in the later rounds of the 2022 draft...or these are the three O-Line UFA's is there one of these you feel you can't do without? This type of leverage should not be revealed if it ever exists because it can hurt team unity. Its barely tolerable for a player to get a "pink slip" as a business decision (GM) but to suspect Russ "had it in for me...after I gave up those 2 sacks in the LA Wild Card Ram Playoff game". Its best that these personnel decisions that affect real lives be handled by management not seen to be influenced by a fellow player. Anytime you "suggest" management pursue this player or this type of player...you are doing it while aware that someone on the roster must leave. HeHe (...as Spock would say) the needs of the many exceed the needs of the few.

He's been saying he wanted out by way of his people making the statements they have.
Last year when the Offense had some stumbles (prior to that Russell practically won the first 5 games himself) Russ went into a meeting with Schottenheimer and Carroll with ideas as to how to
fix what was going wrong. Pete shut him down and said they were going to do it his way and went back to Pete's Offense.
Russell Wilson hasn't been the same since and the list of teams he would be willing to be traded to appeared some time after.
We have a new OC from a vastly different system and when hired, Pete said it was good for the team and Waldron would be running a lot of the former plays. The Offense looks the same as it did
under Bevell and Schottenheimer.

Wilson's leverage? He's the Franchise QB and Offensive leader. If the leader wants out, the team falls either behind the HC or the QB and the team is split. It's not a good situation so one has to
go if the team wants to do better.

My choice is the HC to go.
In the 45 or so years of this franchise we have had 3 or 4 excellent or possible HoF Head Coaches, but only 1 Franchise QB.
So it's clear to me that it's more difficult to get a Pro Bowl quality QB than a very good HC.

[tarlhawk]

[quote="NorthHawk"]
Russ went into a meeting with Schottenheimer and Carroll with ideas as to how to
fix what was going wrong. Pete shut him down and said they were going to do it his way and went back to Pete's Offense.

Russell Wilson hasn't been the same since and the list of teams he would be willing to be traded to appeared some time after.
We have a new OC from a vastly different system and when hired, Pete said it was good for the team. It's not a good situation so one has to
go if the team wants to do better. [quote]

Your opinion is sound but its merits still border on speculation. No actual details have been revealed about Russell and the "actual meeting" ...only that the outcome angered Russell. Without knowing the real context of the conversation it only fosters speculation. The Coach has every right to accept advise but not "told" by a player...even a star QB...issues that fall under his own purview. This is not good precedent especially if team mates were aware of any subjects that were targeted. Again even what I have responded with is pure speculation without knowing what was said and how it was presented.

I also find it very hard to believe that "it is Pete's Offense" and his Offensive Coordinators don't create plays to insert in the playbook. What is the need to practice if most of the team "has seen this before"? And what grounds does the Head Coach present to upper management to fire a successful OC who was only following what "Pete says".

There is sometimes a disconnect in logic when speculating. If Pete is so adamant about "his way" which remains undefined other than he favors what has long been a winning formula (and still continues in your more successful teams)...a smash mouth defense and a featured aggressive running game to balance an ever increasing passing attack...all designed to balance time of possession and take advantage of your fast developing elite QB. I define elite as a QB who overcomes an opponents advantages and performs the "magic" to string together wins in close games.

Choosing and deciding on an Offensive Coordinator is not always an easy decision but you left out any talk of how Russell gave his approval of obtaining Waldron. This also doesn't explain why Pete would work with our GM to acquire play making WR's spending draft capital to move up in both drafts to get Lockett and to acquire Metcalf.

Surely an undrafted WR like Doug Baldwin would suffice in a "Pete offense" and why draft a Red Zone TE (Colby Parkinson) known for running good routes and having height with good hands? ...yet settling for only 1 high draft capital *1rst Rd* RB (Penny) and a 7th Rd RB (Carson). Russell has plays called in but seems to audible when he sees something he likes as he recognizes a mismatch in coverage on one of his play makers. When we only have 3 draft picks...why did we get Eskridge with our first selection of 2021 Draft? Is he a RB for our future or another play making weapon for Russ to use?

[Hawktawk]

The new RW “might not be in Seattle next year, but I sure will be in the NFL somewhere.”

The old RW “of course we can win 3 more Super Bowls in Seattle.”

Yeah and sadly that attitude adjustment is why he won’t win one anywhere . You have to win a divisional first . And we could not do that with him healthy . Frankly I hope he’s gonna get traded because he’s a disgruntled qb with a rapidly diminishing game .it might get worse before it gets better . What if we lose to Detroit ? With their backup ? I hope Russ plays great because I think it’s clear he’s planning to leave and my guess is the organization feels the same way .

[obiken]

Yeah and sadly that attitude adjustment is why he won’t win one anywhere . You have to win a divisional first . And we could not do that with him healthy . Frankly I hope he’s gonna get traded because he’s a disgruntled qb with a rapidly diminishing game .it might get worse before it gets better . What if we lose to Detroit ? With their backup ? I hope Russ plays great because I think it’s clear he’s planning to leave and my guess is the organization feels the same way .

Yeah and sadly all you guys are wrong, and I am going to say I TOLD YOU SO, when he wins in a place like NO, that has all the parts to win except a QB! Russ had NO one to help him on the Hawks offense except TL. Brown is the only Olineman worth a crap, and he was rated 27th by PFF, sorry we have no pieces around him. WE have no number 1 receiver, DK is not that guy. WE have no running game, we have TE's that are adequate at best, and RB's that suck. Now, you want to call RW washed up, and ship him out, go right ahead. IF Pete stays and I was RW, I would want out.

[Uppercut]

The more of this soap[ opera I see the more I think that Wilson will go where Ciara wants him to go. His long steady decline happened after the winning SB when the hip hop crowd started calling the shots.

[TriCitySam]

I think the word is "conflicted." Russ is conflicted about remaining in Seattle. If Pete is jettisoned, Russ wants to stay here. If Pete stays, Russ wants out. Pete's status is the pivotal factor in Russ' thought process.

Guess I missed where Russ indicated that "if Pete is jettisoned, Russ wants to stay here. If Pete stays, Russ wants out". I haven't heard any reports that he feels that way. His "last game" comment was referred back to things Bobby Wagner said in following up to a question.

[Hawktawk]

The more of this soap[ opera I see the more I think that Wilson will go where Ciara wants him to go. His long steady decline happened after the winning SB when the hip hop crowd started calling the shots.

This right here^^^^^^^^^no more obvious than the brutal loss to Atlanta in the divisional with Ciaras baby daddy Future jeering him from the Atlanta sidelines . After a terrible second half with a careless toss into triple coverage for a game sealing pick he got on the podium and said basically we did some good stuff , just came up short we will get them next time blah blah blah . He just didn’t seem too upset his season was over . He ended that presser with some slogan about an arena group he was involved in . Not GO HAWKS. Not “I’ve got to do better . I made too mistakes “ not as upset as he used to be at losing . Frankly I think he’s been seeing ghosts since that terrible pass from the 1. I really do .

[c_hawkbob]

So now instead of not being black enough he's too black eh? What a crock.

[Hawktawk]

So now instead of not being black enough he's too black eh? What a crock.

Not black . Celebrity . Too much .

[trents]

The more of this soap[ opera I see the more I think that Wilson will go where Ciara wants him to go. His long steady decline happened after the winning SB when the hip hop crowd started calling the shots.

And when did that happen? What evidence do you have for this assertion? I agree that Russell does seem to be disinterested, unfocused, disengaged, distracted at times but is that due to the "hip hop crowd started calling the shots"? Yes, it could be due to his other interests, including marriage and children now, but is the hip hop crowd controlling him? I note that his first marriage ended in divorce. No reason was ever given but I wonder if Russ being married to football first had something to do with it. Maybe in his second marriage he's trying to do a better job of being a husband. I know, just speculation.

[Aseahawkfan]

So now instead of not being black enough he's too black eh? What a crock.

Gotta agree with c-bob here. Hip hop crowd? He's married to Ciara, a woman that worked extremely hard to have a career in music. Most of the hip hop and music crowd that achieve success are some of the hardest working, most career oriented people around. Music is a brutal business where you get immediate feedback if you're failing. You don't make it in that business if you're lazy or distracted.

Russ is still working hard, still doing his best, and some just want to bash on him because we're not winning while they look for reasons why and want to assign blame.

To me the blame is obvious. Pete and John have mismanaged the roster. We are weak just about everywhere on the roster except WR and QB.

O-line not good. D-line not good. TEs not good. LBs aging and shallow racking up tackles in garbage time. Secondary has maybe one good piece in Diggs and one could be good but is injured. CBs are not good. RB not good, no I'm not sold on Penny after years of injuries and a couple of good games.

You guys are basically asking Russ to run this Dodge Dart like a Tesla. He did for quite a few years as this heap fell apart with John and Pete missing on pick after pick after pick and trading away our draft capital year after year looking for the "few" players we are away from Super Bowl.

Pete and/or John gotta go. Pete especially, he has a completely unrealistic view on where this team is at and is making bad moves mortgaging our future to try to reach for one last shot at a title which has allowed the entire roster to turned into a less tier team. John and Pete were all about building through the draft when they got here, but now they're all about trading draft picks for talent on other teams.

I'm still not sure why something so obvious is making the fanbase confused as to why we are where we are. Just look at our draft history the past 4 years or so. Terrible. Miss after miss after miss.

[tarlhawk]

Just look at our draft history the past 4 years or so. Terrible. Miss after miss after miss.

These drafts (last 4) are hardly miss after miss...pick after pick. Penny (never injured in college) drafted as a complementing feature back/possible ST Kickoff Returner. Injuries don't make a player a wasted pick. Will Dissley was a highly rated "old school" TE for inline blocking...his soft hands and route running were a pleasant surprise. RW hasn't needed/used TE since he's had at least two very good WR Play makers to work with... starting with Lockett/Baldwin and Lockett/DK these last 2 years. Tre Flowers as a Safety "had no room at the inn" McDougald's good play dumped Flowers into a CB conversion failure. Rasheem Green was one of the youngest players drafted and able to play inside/outside. Michael Dickson was a Special Teams game changer.

2018 Switched Offensive Coordinator to Brian Schottenheimer. Our draft was one of our deeper ones. Our Offense gained RB Rashaad Penny (1rst) TE Will Dissly (4th) and for the O-Line T Jamarco Jones (5th). Our existing O-Line *now under O-Line Coach Mike Solari* looked like LT Duane Brown LG JR Sweezy C Justin Britt RG DJ Fluker RT Germain Ifedi with T George Fant as a swing tackle. Defensively our draft gave us DT Rasheem Green (3rd) OLB Shaqueem Griffen (5th) S Tre Flowers (5th) and DE Jacob Martin (6th) We moved up into the 5th Rd in a trade with the Broncos to grab P Michael Dickson for our Special teams. Our secondary looked like this : LCB Shaq Griffen (1 yr exp) RCB Tre Flowers (Converted rookie S) SS Bradley McDougald (7 Yrs exp) and FS Tedrick Thompson (1 yr exp...played 10 games). This sadly replaced our Legion of Boom.

Our 2019 draft was key for improving our special teams after nabbing our punter in the 2018 draft. These picks were mainly depth picks which aided Special Teams play. M. Blair was supposed to be our near future Safety...assumed to replace McDougald because Blair had a rep as one of the hardest hitting safety's in collegiate ball (another injury disappointment) Our GM compensated by grabbing Q.Diggs from the Lions giving up a 5th Rd Pick in 2020 for Diggs and the Lions 7th in 2021. Phil Haynes arrived with all the promise of winning a starting Guard spot. Cody Barton is a hitting/tackling machine who has shown to be a liability in underneath pass coverage. LJ Collier hasn't full filled expectations but stealing DK in the 2nd Rd is like a 1rst Rd "bounce back".

2019 Deep draft for Special teams : B/U LB Cody Barton (3rd) LB Ben Burr-Kirven (5th) RB Travis Homer (6th) and WR John Ursua (7th). Our Defense gained LJ Collier (1rst) S Marquise Blair (2nd) and Ugo Amadi (4th)...while the big p/u on Offense was WR DK Metcalf (traded up into 2nd to get). G Phil Haynes (4th) was added for the O-line. Only real change to O-Line was LG Mike Iuputti (9 yrs exp FA) replacing JR Sweezey.

The 2020 draft will be ready for its 3rd year review in 2022 and so far only lost its 7th Rd draft choice. Jordyn Brooks quickly developing as is Darrel Taylor. Damien Lewis stalled from a switch to the left side and Alton Robinson lost some snaps to FA pick-up Kerry Hyder. Freddie Swain has taken advantage of being a "blind spot" in opponents coverage as they focus on Tyler and DK. Colby is a red zone nugget but as Offensive Coordinators shifted from Schottenheimer to Waldron his lack of good in-line blocking skills has limited his current use in Waldron's offense.

2020 One of our best drafts : Special Teams added a kick returner RB DJ Dallas(4th) and a punt returner WR Freddie Swain (6th). Defense added LB Jordyn Brooks (1rst Rd) DE Darrel Taylor (2nd *traded up to get) and DE Alton Robinson (5th). Drafted Red Zone TE Colby Parkinson (4th) and for the O-line G Damien Lewis (3rd)

2021 Our most limited draft (only three selections) but perhaps a hit on each ...WR Dee Eskridge (2nd) his development severely hamped by a hard concussion...but like Lockett as a rookie he could instantly jump start our returns in either Kick or punt returns. CB Tre Brown showed he could handle a starting role at LCB till his recent injury knocked him out. Our last pick T Stone Forsythe is a mountain of a man for O-Line Coach Mike Solari to work with.

2022 No first Rd. Picks but our 2nd /3rd /(2) 4th / 5th/ and 7th. Only six picks but each should be in the top 10 of each round based on our current record...which hasn't been the case for a long long time.

[Hawktawk]

It’s not the roster . Russ is missing wide open guys by a mile. Taking ridiculous sacks . He’s rushing once every 50 plays . Ignoring the middle of the field with only 29 attempts all year . He’s not Russ anymore . That’s the problem . He makes 35 million because of who he was but right now he’s bottom third of the league in every meaningful category .

[tarlhawk]

It’s not the roster . Russ is missing wide open guys by a mile. Taking ridiculous sacks . He’s rushing once every 50 plays . Ignoring the middle of the field with only 29 attempts all year . He’s not Russ anymore . That’s the problem . He makes 35 million because of who he was but right now he’s bottom third of the league in every meaningful category .

You continue to focus on issues that are only relevant to this year. You can continue to create a bad resume for Russell Wilson or accept that "something is wrong" this year...that can only be speculated on. He has had some games that reflect this source of distraction is not a steady decline of skill...but a confidence issue. The home game against the 49ers showed Russell isn't "broken" ...he is having trouble bringing his "A-Game" to every game. The adversity he has faced this year...whether inside the club house...on the field...or personal life off the field has hit him at a time when he's been most vulnerable. He hasn't been able to "dust it off" in denial...and hasn't kept "it" from not showing up on the game field. His persona draws strength when he's able to motivate/inspire the team around him...he values his friendships...and he values winning.

[NorthHawk]

These drafts (last 4) are hardly miss after miss...pick after pick. Penny (never injured in college) drafted as a complementing feature back/possible ST Kickoff Returner. Injuries don't make a player a wasted pick. Will Dissley was a highly rated "old school" TE for inline blocking...his soft hands and route running were a pleasant surprise. RW hasn't needed/used TE since he's had at least two very good WR Play makers to work with... starting with Lockett/Baldwin and Lockett/DK these last 2 years. Tre Flowers as a Safety "had no room at the inn" McDougald's good play dumped Flowers into a CB conversion failure. Rasheem Green was one of the youngest players drafted and able to play inside/outside. Michael Dickson was a Special Teams game changer.

2018 Switched Offensive Coordinator to Brian Schottenheimer. Our draft was one of our deeper ones. Our Offense gained RB Rashaad Penny (1rst) TE Will Dissly (4th) and for the O-Line T Jamarco Jones (5th). Our existing O-Line *now under O-Line Coach Mike Solari* looked like LT Duane Brown LG JR Sweezy C Justin Britt RG DJ Fluker RT Germain Ifedi with T George Fant as a swing tackle. Defensively our draft gave us DT Rasheem Green (3rd) OLB Shaqueem Griffen (5th) S Tre Flowers (5th) and DE Jacob Martin (6th) We moved up into the 5th Rd in a trade with the Broncos to grab P Michael Dickson for our Special teams. Our secondary looked like this : LCB Shaq Griffen (1 yr exp) RCB Tre Flowers (Converted rookie S) SS Bradley McDougald (7 Yrs exp) and FS Tedrick Thompson (1 yr exp...played 10 games). This sadly replaced our Legion of Boom.

Our 2019 draft was key for improving our special teams after nabbing our punter in the 2018 draft. These picks were mainly depth picks which aided Special Teams play. M. Blair was supposed to be our near future Safety...assumed to replace McDougald because Blair had a rep as one of the hardest hitting safety's in collegiate ball (another injury disappointment) Our GM compensated by grabbing Q.Diggs from the Lions giving up a 5th Rd Pick in 2020 for Diggs and the Lions 7th in 2021. Phil Haynes arrived with all the promise of winning a starting Guard spot. Cody Barton is a hitting/tackling machine who has shown to be a liability in underneath pass coverage. LJ Collier hasn't full filled expectations but stealing DK in the 2nd Rd is like a 1rst Rd "bounce back".

2019 Deep draft for Special teams : B/U LB Cody Barton (3rd) LB Ben Burr-Kirven (5th) RB Travis Homer (6th) and WR John Ursua (7th). Our Defense gained LJ Collier (1rst) S Marquise Blair (2nd) and Ugo Amadi (4th)...while the big p/u on Offense was WR DK Metcalf (traded up into 2nd to get). G Phil Haynes (4th) was added for the O-line. Only real change to O-Line was LG Mike Iuputti (9 yrs exp FA) replacing JR Sweezey.

The 2020 draft will be ready for its 3rd year review in 2022 and so far only lost its 7th Rd draft choice. Jordyn Brooks quickly developing as is Darrel Taylor. Damien Lewis stalled from a switch to the left side and Alton Robinson lost some snaps to FA pick-up Kerry Hyder. Freddie Swain has taken advantage of being a "blind spot" in opponents coverage as they focus on Tyler and DK. Colby is a red zone nugget but as Offensive Coordinators shifted from Schottenheimer to Waldron his lack of good in-line blocking skills has limited his current use in Waldron's offense.

2020 One of our best drafts : Special Teams added a kick returner RB DJ Dallas(4th) and a punt returner WR Freddie Swain (6th). Defense added LB Jordyn Brooks (1rst Rd) DE Darrel Taylor (2nd *traded up to get) and DE Alton Robinson (5th). Drafted Red Zone TE Colby Parkinson (4th) and for the O-line G Damien Lewis (3rd)

2021 Our most limited draft (only three selections) but perhaps a hit on each ...WR Dee Eskridge (2nd) his development severely hamped by a hard concussion...but like Lockett as a rookie he could instantly jump start our returns in either Kick or punt returns. CB Tre Brown showed he could handle a starting role at LCB till his recent injury knocked him out. Our last pick T Stone Forsythe is a mountain of a man for O-Line Coach Mike Solari to work with.

2022 No first Rd. Picks but our 2nd /3rd /(2) 4th / 5th/ and 7th. Only six picks but each should be in the top 10 of each round based on our current record...which hasn't been the case for a long long time.

You seem to be watching a different team than most everyone else.
Some big misses:
Penney instead of Chubb
Collier instead of TJ Watt
Passing by Jonathan Taylor
Not drafting a true Center

Cody Barton a tackling machine? He's had 11 tackles in 14 games!! And Burr-Kurven was behind him in the depth chart before being injured.

Just because players make a team doesn't make them good players. Just look at the bad teams over the years. Players made those teams, too but those
teams never amounted to much.
Teams never draft for Special Teams. They draft players in the expectation that they will start or push to start at some point in their career.
Look at the players we've drafted, but didn't re-sign to a 2nd contract or traded away. That's the real measure of a successful draft. So with the
exception of some picks, it has been miss after miss after miss. And even worse, JS has often dropped down past players in the 1st round to select
players that didn't work out or not as well as those passed by.

My opinion is the jury is still out on the last 2 drafts. It takes a few years for most players to really get a feel for the game, but some (mentioned above)
dominated from the start and continue to do so. They play positions we still need to address and we ignored them. Just brutal drafting.

[c_hawkbob]

Well if it was his last game it was a hell of a bow out.

Amazing how silent this forum is with us putting up a 50-burger, you'd think all the noise has been the haters.

[Aseahawkfan]

These drafts (last 4) are hardly miss after miss...pick after pick. Penny (never injured in college) drafted as a complementing feature back/possible ST Kickoff Returner. Injuries don't make a player a wasted pick. Will Dissley was a highly rated "old school" TE for inline blocking...his soft hands and route running were a pleasant surprise. RW hasn't needed/used TE since he's had at least two very good WR Play makers to work with... starting with Lockett/Baldwin and Lockett/DK these last 2 years. Tre Flowers as a Safety "had no room at the inn" McDougald's good play dumped Flowers into a CB conversion failure. Rasheem Green was one of the youngest players drafted and able to play inside/outside. Michael Dickson was a Special Teams game changer.

2018 Switched Offensive Coordinator to Brian Schottenheimer. Our draft was one of our deeper ones. Our Offense gained RB Rashaad Penny (1rst) TE Will Dissly (4th) and for the O-Line T Jamarco Jones (5th). Our existing O-Line *now under O-Line Coach Mike Solari* looked like LT Duane Brown LG JR Sweezy C Justin Britt RG DJ Fluker RT Germain Ifedi with T George Fant as a swing tackle. Defensively our draft gave us DT Rasheem Green (3rd) OLB Shaqueem Griffen (5th) S Tre Flowers (5th) and DE Jacob Martin (6th) We moved up into the 5th Rd in a trade with the Broncos to grab P Michael Dickson for our Special teams. Our secondary looked like this : LCB Shaq Griffen (1 yr exp) RCB Tre Flowers (Converted rookie S) SS Bradley McDougald (7 Yrs exp) and FS Tedrick Thompson (1 yr exp...played 10 games). This sadly replaced our Legion of Boom.

Our 2019 draft was key for improving our special teams after nabbing our punter in the 2018 draft. These picks were mainly depth picks which aided Special Teams play. M. Blair was supposed to be our near future Safety...assumed to replace McDougald because Blair had a rep as one of the hardest hitting safety's in collegiate ball (another injury disappointment) Our GM compensated by grabbing Q.Diggs from the Lions giving up a 5th Rd Pick in 2020 for Diggs and the Lions 7th in 2021. Phil Haynes arrived with all the promise of winning a starting Guard spot. Cody Barton is a hitting/tackling machine who has shown to be a liability in underneath pass coverage. LJ Collier hasn't full filled expectations but stealing DK in the 2nd Rd is like a 1rst Rd "bounce back".

2019 Deep draft for Special teams : B/U LB Cody Barton (3rd) LB Ben Burr-Kirven (5th) RB Travis Homer (6th) and WR John Ursua (7th). Our Defense gained LJ Collier (1rst) S Marquise Blair (2nd) and Ugo Amadi (4th)...while the big p/u on Offense was WR DK Metcalf (traded up into 2nd to get). G Phil Haynes (4th) was added for the O-line. Only real change to O-Line was LG Mike Iuputti (9 yrs exp FA) replacing JR Sweezey.

The 2020 draft will be ready for its 3rd year review in 2022 and so far only lost its 7th Rd draft choice. Jordyn Brooks quickly developing as is Darrel Taylor. Damien Lewis stalled from a switch to the left side and Alton Robinson lost some snaps to FA pick-up Kerry Hyder. Freddie Swain has taken advantage of being a "blind spot" in opponents coverage as they focus on Tyler and DK. Colby is a red zone nugget but as Offensive Coordinators shifted from Schottenheimer to Waldron his lack of good in-line blocking skills has limited his current use in Waldron's offense.

2020 One of our best drafts : Special Teams added a kick returner RB DJ Dallas(4th) and a punt returner WR Freddie Swain (6th). Defense added LB Jordyn Brooks (1rst Rd) DE Darrel Taylor (2nd *traded up to get) and DE Alton Robinson (5th). Drafted Red Zone TE Colby Parkinson (4th) and for the O-line G Damien Lewis (3rd)

2021 Our most limited draft (only three selections) but perhaps a hit on each ...WR Dee Eskridge (2nd) his development severely hamped by a hard concussion...but like Lockett as a rookie he could instantly jump start our returns in either Kick or punt returns. CB Tre Brown showed he could handle a starting role at LCB till his recent injury knocked him out. Our last pick T Stone Forsythe is a mountain of a man for O-Line Coach Mike Solari to work with.

2022 No first Rd. Picks but our 2nd /3rd /(2) 4th / 5th/ and 7th. Only six picks but each should be in the top 10 of each round based on our current record...which hasn't been the case for a long long time.

How many of these picks would be starters on other contending teams? It's as simple as that.

We don't have high draft picks because Pete and John been trading them away for players that don't perform as expected or work out. It doesn't matter why they fail, they are missed picks.

[Aseahawkfan]

It’s not the roster . Russ is missing wide open guys by a mile. Taking ridiculous sacks . He’s rushing once every 50 plays . Ignoring the middle of the field with only 29 attempts all year . He’s not Russ anymore . That’s the problem . He makes 35 million because of who he was but right now he’s bottom third of the league in every meaningful category .

It is the roster. I'm still not sure why it isn't obvious to anyone with even basic football knowledge.

Defensive line is getting no pressure.

Run game is inconsistent at best.

LBs are racking up tackles, but that is more a factor of time on the field.

Secondary is churning through CBs.

The elite strong safety we traded for is injured.

Diggs is good.

Besides the WRs and Wilson, tell me who is great on this team? Who is a real high performing keeper? Most of this roster are aging vets on the downside of their career, draft players who are at beast serviceable backups, and a handful of truly good starters. It's pretty obvious to see that we have not replenished the CBs, LBs, DTs, DEs, OTs, OGs other than perhaps Lewis, TEs, and this team mostly has a bunch of parts that wouldn't be starters on other teams.

Lots of missed picks, not developing, and overall a lower tier NFL roster that was held up by an elite QB who is having a bad year for him.

[Aseahawkfan]

You continue to focus on issues that are only relevant to this year. You can continue to create a bad resume for Russell Wilson or accept that "something is wrong" this year...that can only be speculated on. He has had some games that reflect this source of distraction is not a steady decline of skill...but a confidence issue. The home game against the 49ers showed Russell isn't "broken" ...he is having trouble bringing his "A-Game" to every game. The adversity he has faced this year...whether inside the club house...on the field...or personal life off the field has hit him at a time when he's been most vulnerable. He hasn't been able to "dust it off" in denial...and hasn't kept "it" from not showing up on the game field. His persona draws strength when he's able to motivate/inspire the team around him...he values his friendships...and he values winning.

Until they improve the roster, especially along the lines and in the secondary this team is not contending for jack squat.

[Hawktawk]

Wtf where has this team been the last year and a half . Good for Russ if it is his last game here it’s memorable . So much for bad players , bad drafts Penney is a bust Carroll can’t coach . Some play the it was a bad team game but I don’t . They had a decent defense coming in . Scoring 51 and kneeling at their goal line to boot . Impressive . I’m scratching my head. I’m sure Jodi is too.

[Aseahawkfan]

Wtf where has this team been the last year and a half . Good for Russ if it is his last game here it’s memorable . So much for bad players , bad drafts Penney is a bust Carroll can’t coach . Some play the it was a bad team game but I don’t . They had a decent defense coming in . Scoring 51 and kneeling at their goal line to boot . Impressive . I’m scratching my head. I’m sure Jodi is too.

Why are you getting spun up over a single win against a 2 and 14 team?

This game means about as much to me as its playoff implications. This was a meaningless game to two bad teams that need overhauls and you're getting spun up about it?

We'll see what happens in the offseason. That's what I care about at this point. We got a lot of issues on the roster. Even in a 51 point game against a garbage team, no sacks. If this were a fight for the playoffs, I still think we would have been trashed. But wait, we weren't even in contention.

[RiverDog]

Well if it was his last game it was a hell of a bow out.

Amazing how silent this forum is with us putting up a 50-burger, you'd think all the noise has been the haters.

I've been in Vegas for the past few days, so I have an excuse for my silence.

But yes, I was thoroughly impressed with that hell of a bow out in a meaningless, Week 17, glorified preseason game against the 2-12-1 Detroit Lions. It truly was one for the history books, a fitting departure for the best coach/QB combo in franchise history. And I'll bet that standing room only crowd of maybe 25,000 brought the house down! Yessiree!

[RiverDog]

The new RW “might not be in Seattle next year, but I sure will be in the NFL somewhere.”

The old RW “of course we can win 3 more Super Bowls in Seattle.”

I've seen the same metamorphosis as you have, but there's a little more to it than that. The 'new' Russell says "I hope it's not my last game in Seattle" as if he has nothing to do with that eventuality, that he's the victim of the greedy, slave driving owners looking to sell him to the highest bidder, or at least that's what he wants us to believe.

My relationship with Russell has been a slow progression. In my heart, I want to believe everything he says as he's not only the best QB we've ever had, but he's been one of the finest citizens and truly caring individuals we've had on our team, and I'll be forever grateful for the Lombardi he brought home for us and his contributions to the best period of Seahawk football we've ever had. It's been a fun ride.

However, the logical side of my brain offers a different appraisal. I've become very disenchanted with Russell over these last couple of years, with his "I'm being hit too much", the little game of cat-and-mouse him and his agent played with his 4 team trade list last spring, and now this "I hope this isn't my last game in Seattle" just weeks after he tells us he wants to play for us for 20 years, bringing me to the point where I find it hard to believe anything that comes out of that man's mouth. Some of the things he's been saying lately, solicited or not, have struck me as being very disingenuous, that he's playing us as a gullible, pollyannish, keep them in the dark and feed them bull$h!t, group of mindless Stepford Wives that will gobble up his every word like a stray kitten lapping up a saucer of milk. I'm tired of constantly giving the man the benefit of the doubt by rationalizing his statements, or hearing others rationalize his statements, and trying to view his words in the best possible light.

I feel bad about my attitude, but to say anything less about it would be lie. I honestly don't give a rip if he stays with us or not. If he's not fully committed to playing for us, committed to being a 100% team player like he was as a rookie no matter who our head coach is next season, then I don't want him here anymore. If that makes me a hater, then so be it.

So it's up to you, Russell. $h!t or get off the toilet!

[Hawktawk]

Yep RD you said it . I don’t need to really add to it . It makes me feel kind of dirty to even feel this way but yeah ….. I’m happy with the job Russ did , amazed by his career but it’s become so me centered , so about attention . If you go I wish you the best . If you’re staying quit saying you want to go . I literally told a wife that once

[RiverDog]

Yep RD you said it . I don’t need to really add to it . It makes me feel kind of dirty to even feel this way but yeah ….. I’m happy with the job Russ did , amazed by his career but it’s become so me centered , so about attention . If you go I wish you the best . If you’re staying quit saying you want to go . I literally told a wife that once

A bad marriage is a good analogy for the type of relationship that I'm going through with Russell. It was great for a while (2012-2014), but slowly, almost unnoticeably, got worse (2020-21); she gave me an amazing child (a Lombardi). But it just isn't working anymore (teams suck). I still love you, but it is better for the two of us and for the child that we both love (the Seahawks) if we go our separate paths.

I'm disappointed in Russell, but I can still appreciate what he's done for us both as a fan base and for me personally as a dedicated 12.