I'm actually liking this offseason...

[McGruff]

Fans need to come to grips with the fact that Pete runs this team like a college program.

The vast majority of players are going to play 4 years and leave. When that happens, it's time for the next class to step up. It's time for Gilliam and Glowinski and Clark and Marsh and Lane to show that they belong.

Pete treats free agency largely like JUCO transfers. They've got a few years under their belt but are still coach able with upside to supplement the roster.

Older vets are like 1 year eligibility transfers. They are okay, but really only as a last resort. They are the guys you bring in when training camp has revealed your flaws.

 

[Atradees]

I like the college analogy. My thinking is that the average career i the NFL is three years. Those guys leaving us are not valued like they got paid.


If we can buy some protection from the line this year and Russell Wilson can keep up his fast reads/delivery......we have the potential to be awesome.

Both Irvine and Sweezy got paid.(I am happy we didnt do eet) It speaks to the strength of our program.

I think this kid Sealver gonna be a good starter. He is big and physical. Sheds blocks well and put our RB in the dirt.

I wonder what miracle we pull from the draft this year.

Its true that the Cards and Pats made some high Profile moves already.

 

[titan3131]

Well they haven't made any ridiculously expensive and utterly stupid FA acquisitions yet. So there is that.

It is pretty clear they are going more into the "give Russell Wilson the offensive pieces and he will win you a championship" side though. Which the data pretty clearly indicates that outcome would be exceptional and rare with that approach (It is more important for team to have a dominant defense to win the SB, and teams with dominant offenses + closer to average defenses tend to not make the SB. Based on the data, the most common attribute that SB winners share is a dominant secondary.)

So we will see if that works out, but I am really hoping we have some guys in the wings for the secondary. Because it is pretty clear that no strong secondary means no trophy.

The 2013 Ravens? 2014 Broncos? 2015 Patriots?

Those defenses were not dominant by any stretch and played in the last 3 Super Bowls (and won 2 of them)

The most common attribute most SB winners (and losers) share is the QB. Defenses will win games, and we know the stats on the #1 defense vs. the #1 offense. But our #1 defense didn't take the team to a Super Bowl this season.

Team needs more balance.

I am pretty sure we lead dvoa and scoring defense.

I doubt that we were the #1 ranked defense. I could be wrong but these terms are separate.

 

[McGruff]

Well they haven't made any ridiculously expensive and utterly stupid FA acquisitions yet. So there is that.

It is pretty clear they are going more into the "give Russell Wilson the offensive pieces and he will win you a championship" side though. Which the data pretty clearly indicates that outcome would be exceptional and rare with that approach (It is more important for team to have a dominant defense to win the SB, and teams with dominant offenses + closer to average defenses tend to not make the SB. Based on the data, the most common attribute that SB winners share is a dominant secondary.)

So we will see if that works out, but I am really hoping we have some guys in the wings for the secondary. Because it is pretty clear that no strong secondary means no trophy.

The 2013 Ravens? 2014 Broncos? 2015 Patriots?

Those defenses were not dominant by any stretch and played in the last 3 Super Bowls (and won 2 of them)

The most common attribute most SB winners (and losers) share is the QB. Defenses will win games, and we know the stats on the #1 defense vs. the #1 offense. But our #1 defense didn't take the team to a Super Bowl this season.

Team needs more balance.

I am pretty sure we lead dvoa and scoring defense.

I doubt that we were the #1 ranked defense. I could be wrong but these terms are separate.

1st in points, 2nd in yards.

 

[olyfan63]

I was very impressed with Denver's defense this year, in the same all-time conversation with elite defenses of the recent and not so recent past, including the elite 2013 Seahawk defense, Ravens 2000, Tampa Bay 2002, 85 Bears, etc.
If anything, Denver's D this year was a spittin image of the 2013 Seahawks.

The 2016 Seahawks should have a top defense again, plus a great QB in Russell Wilson. Why not both?

Carroll's competitive edge, aside from defense in general and secondary play in particular, is being the best at assembling a *teaching* coaching staff and coaching up players. The offseason thus far has been consistent with Carroll & Co's strengths.

 

[Jerhawk]

I'm in agreement. Any offseason we don't trade a 1st round pick for a superstar that doesn't fit here I'm happy

I also agree because they are kicking the tires on quite a few people but I don't agree with this. The Percy Harvin experiment didn't work but he still was a big part of a Super Bowl win and Jimmy Graham was our leading receiver when he had his fluke injury. There is no proof that Jimmy Graham has not fit in here. Everyone is begging for a big target for Wilson and we have one of the biggest. He had 8 catches for over 140 yds vs Carolina in the regular season, that might have been a nice target to have had in the playoff game?

The harvin trade was a disaster, and we saw the effect of trading Unger had on the o line. Yes, we went 10-0 without him the previous season, but his loss was felt.

Jimmy graham had a great game against Carolina, but our offense took off after his injury. Look at Russells stats after the Pittsburgh game. Trying to say those two blockbuster trades have been beneficial to this team in anyway is asinine

Biased at all? High-profile signings aren't automatically a bust. There are night and day differenences between Graham and Harvin. Graham and Russell took awhile to mind meld, but Jimmy didn't spend his time in the training room exaggerating an injury. He also didn't pick fights with his teammates bases upon nonsensical reactions to their comments to the press.

Also, you mentioned Russ 'taking off" after Pittsburg?? Look at his numbers DURING the Pittsburg game. Jimmy was a big part of that. That's were your bias is blatantly evident. You chose to not include one of Russ's best games of the season.

Biased about what? Trying to state my opinion?

I wanted Percy to be successful, it obviously wasn't. Of course I want graham to be successful here, I'm not trying to say I want him to fail. I'd love to see him be a dominant force in our offense, but let's be serious here. The first half of the season was a work in progress for him. There were stretches in games where he wasn't even a factor.

As far as that Pittsburgh game goes, he had 4 catches for 75 yards prior to his injury.

As far as this topic is concerned, I love the analogy used aboved how coach treats this program like college. Great comparison and I agree with it. I'm glad the team hasn't made any big trades or significant big name signings yet. Focus on the draft. That's what got us to this point, by building through the draft. Let's keep it that way.

 

[sutz]

Well, frankly I haven't really seen any high profile FAs out there in an area of need that we would run out and bid for anyway. Hasn't been a real good year for that.