Dumbest Non-Futch moves that Ruskell made in Hawks history

[Throwdown]

I actually don't think Julius Jones was all that bad. From 2006 to 2010, our run blocking was steaming dog shit. Football Outsiders basically had it around the same ranking (near the very bottom of the league) each of those years. Shaun had 3.6 yards per carry behind it from 2006 to 2007 (and that was with a good passing attack). Marshawn Lynch had a woeful 3.5 yards per carry behind that line in 2010. Over two seasons, Jones had a 4.0 YPC behind that line, and that was during 2008 and 2009 when our passing offense was a complete joke. He wasn't great, but he was able maximize yardage in sub-optimal conditions, though he did struggle to produce in the red zone. His contract wasn't cheap but it didn't break the bank either. Really the worst thing about Jones was that it prevented Seattle from drafting a RB early in the draft, though they did get Forsett in the 6th round (2008) and very nearly drafted Arian Foster in the 7th round of 2009.

Which leads me to my nomination*: not drafting Arian Foster because he seemed less than enthused to be a Seahawk. Sure, that was more of a Jim Mora mistake, but TR could have over-ruled him, and didn't.

*(Hutch and Curry were the worst. Foster is just the worst one that hadn't been named yet. The long snapper is the dumbest looking screw up he had.)

I'm glad that I don't have to walk on eggshells talking about Tim Ruskell anymore. He really was terrible, but for a few years, that was a touchy subject. It probably still is a touchy subject in one particular neck of the woods.

No, HELL NO!

That dude was blind as hell, those poor linemen had sore backs from Jones finding his way into them. I told people he shouldn't of been signed at all, but everyone told me I wasn't giving him a chance. Dude was certifiable trash in Dallas and it was worse in Seattle, and can't no one tell me any different.

 

[McGruff]

Shutting out Holmgren on personnel decisions.

It's was my first thought. Alienating the man who is still the best coach this team has ever had was a colossal mistake that led to many of the others.

 

[Subzero717]

This would be a much shorter thread if we were to list the good decisions he made.

 

[hawk79]

I think with the Ruskell administration you saw what happens when a team really has no direction in terms of what they are looking for in a football player and how they will fit in your scheme. (Unfortunatly, there are many teams like that today). Even Whitsett before him, how had no idea how to run a football team, there never seemed to be any cohesion between the front office and Holmgren. The difference between then and now with PC and JS is day and night and there is a definite direction with this team in how they evaluate talent. Ruskell would NEVER go with any player with any kind of questionable character. Well, sometimes you have to that. Players can change, especially when it's your livelihood and you are getting a paycheck. It makes me appreicate JS/JS even more.

 

[Ballz]

Edgerin James and TJ Duckett were solid.

 

[Sprfunk]

Cutting Forsett looked really really stupid.
Cutting Bennitt was worse. GOOD LORD!!!!!

 

[Jase]

Edgerin James and TJ Duckett were solid.

Wow. I completely forgot those guys were ever even on the team. I must have blocked it out.

 

[CalgaryHawk]

All good suggestions. Drafting a long-snapper in the 5th round with a degenerative back condition who never played was pretty dump. And trading a 5th round pick for Keary Colbert was inexcusable.

 

[tubbs51]

All of them?

But seriously though most of his roster moves sucked big ones.

 

[sam1313]

Shutting out Holmgren on personnel decisions.

It's was my first thought. Alienating the man who is still the best coach this team has ever had was a colossal mistake that led to many of the others.

You are joking, right? You consider Holmgren the best coach still? Um, ok....

 

[C-Dub]

Shutting out Holmgren on personnel decisions.

It's was my first thought. Alienating the man who is still the best coach this team has ever had was a colossal mistake that led to many of the others.

You are joking, right? You consider Holmgren the best coach still? Um, ok....

Hard to argue with that logic when he's been the only coach to send this team to the Sooperbowl. Though, Petey's going to push Holmgren very soon for that title.

 

[C-Dub]

I'd have to say keeping 2 kickers on the regular season roster. Who does that?

 

[Kixkahn]

Such a huge number of screw ups. Most of the worst mistakes were not even really trying to strengthen the o-line. The small secondary is definitely high on the list. Hass and the runners looked bad due to a sucky line.

 

[Hawks46]

I'd question some of this stuff. For a while I defended Ruskell, as he did have some pretty decent mid round draft picks on defense that ended up well.

Wilson wasn't that bad for a 2nd round pick. He's still starting for Washington, and he isn't horrible.

I didn't think Julius Jones was all that bad; like Kearly said, our OL was a steaming pile of dogshit, which was his fault.

Is cutting Bennett really on Ruskell ? Did Ruskell come out of his office, come down to the field, and make Mora cut him ? Or is that on coaches (which is what I believe). Now, hiring Mora might not have been the greatest move....but Mora might have been a better coach if he actually had something to work with.

Trading for Branch was bad. I get why he did it...Branch was tearing it up in NE....but we way overpaid for him.

Housh....meh. Housh was a top 10 WR in the league the year before, and someone was going to pay that guy (maybe not quite as much as us, but it was going to be a lot). I think this is a flaw of going after high dollar FA's in general, and not endemic to just Ruskell (I think Miami was dumb for paying that much for Wallace, who was also going to get paid...just not that much). It didn't work out, but I think that's a more philosophical flaw, and the fact remains that none of our FA's really worked out with the impact that Ruskell hoped for.

I'd say the mess he made of the OL in general was probably his biggest issue.

 

[Subzero717]

I think with the Ruskell administration you saw what happens when a team really has no direction in terms of what they are looking for in a football player and how they will fit in your scheme. (Unfortunatly, there are many teams like that today). Even Whitsett before him, how had no idea how to run a football team, there never seemed to be any cohesion between the front office and Holmgren. The difference between then and now with PC and JS is day and night and there is a definite direction with this team in how they evaluate talent. Ruskell would NEVER go with any player with any kind of questionable character. Well, sometimes you have to that. Players can change, especially when it's your livelihood and you are getting a paycheck. It makes me appreicate JS/JS even more.

Holmgren was just as much to blame for that as Timmay. Tim should have never had been hired while Holmgren was still coaching.

 

[Tmagopis]

The thing about Ruskell is that he seems to be able to evaluate of d-lineman. When he was here I kept hoping hed be able to rebuild that tampa defense here, but he never could obviously.
Still, Mebane an Bryant are still here and starting, I dont know if its a great idea, but if he came back as a scout for d-lineman I think that'd be cool.

 

[Happy]

I'd have to say keeping 2 kickers on the regular season roster. Who does that?

That's my vote too. Mainly because that was really the point at which I began to have serious doubts about the man.

Edit: you just know that had to get up Holmgren's nose BIG TIME. who knows, maybe that's why Ruskell did it.

 

[warden]

If Ruskell didn't screw up as bad as he did, we would not be experiencing this Pete Carroll era. We moved on, we got better

 

[McGruff]

Shutting out Holmgren on personnel decisions.

It's was my first thought. Alienating the man who is still the best coach this team has ever had was a colossal mistake that led to many of the others.

You are joking, right? You consider Holmgren the best coach still? Um, ok....

Yeah, when Pete has won 4 straight NFC West Titles and brought us a Superbowl trip, maybe then we can talk about him being the best coach ever. Until then, Mike is still the man.

 

[McGruff]

I think with the Ruskell administration you saw what happens when a team really has no direction in terms of what they are looking for in a football player and how they will fit in your scheme. (Unfortunatly, there are many teams like that today). Even Whitsett before him, how had no idea how to run a football team, there never seemed to be any cohesion between the front office and Holmgren. The difference between then and now with PC and JS is day and night and there is a definite direction with this team in how they evaluate talent. Ruskell would NEVER go with any player with any kind of questionable character. Well, sometimes you have to that. Players can change, especially when it's your livelihood and you are getting a paycheck. It makes me appreicate JS/JS even more.

Russell had a plan . . . Draft mediocre players with low floors and low ceiling but high character. What his plan produced was a mediocre team that was unable to withstand injuries or elevate poor coaching.