James Carpenter Is Going To Beast 2014

[Pandion Haliaetus]

jornanderson,

I hate to be anal but by your logic then half the players in the league if not more are "in between injuries".

 

[BlueTalon]

What I can't fathom though is how quickly Seahawk fans give up on their own guys especially ones who have gone through injury hardships that have derailed their career. Its a little unsettling.

Agreed, yet these are most likely the same fans lamenting over not resigning Chris Spencer who worthless for 4 years and thought that Unger would be a failure, entirely off his struggles as a rookie playing guard. players do improve, to make a snap judgment on a player after 1-2 years is ridiculous yet every year the same baseless judgments are made.

We're fanatics.

Fanatics are not known for their ability to be rational.


On topic, I'd love to see Carp really blow things up (in a good way) this year. I agree with Pandion that this year is set up better for him to succeed than any other year so far, so it's on him to take advantage of it.

 

[scutterhawk]

Although I believe Carpenter might put together a dominant season barring any setbacks, he doesn't have to dominant to be a great improvement over last year's Carpenter.

He just needs to improve upon three things:

1. Consistency- Obviously being healthy and able to actually work out over this off-season physically and mentally is huge for him but getting back to football and finishing the '13 season and getting all that experience was a giant stepping stone. And the more he can work, the more he can prepare, the more consistent he'll probabally become.

2. Effort- This is where dropping all that weight and improving his fitness level thus far in the off-season will help him. Being overweight made him slow, he couldn't get to the 2nd level, finish blocks, and fatigued pretty quickly in the last two seasons he played. Getting down to 315 is a great achievement for a guy who started the past two seasons out of shape at 340+. Furthermore, he also has the best motivational tool slapping him in the face and likely keeping him on his toes: Money. The crossroad is work hard and prove you can be a starter in this league and make modest money on your next contract at best. Or continue to linger in a lack of effort that will likely put him out of the league at worst. Which road he takes and how much effort he puts into this season is up to him, and he looks to be doing all the right things for himself so far.

3. Attitude- For me this could be the biggest one and that's getting rid of that pyschological fear of his injury and just go out and be natural. A lot of his problem last season was he was too tenative and hesitant... and that made him slow minded along with being slow footed. If he can get past his injury, mentally, and just play mean, play aggressive, and bring the nasty...he can be as dominant as anyone in this league if he's consistent and also giving 100% effort.

It will all add up one way or another, and as in another it might not add up at all but I continue to believe in the positive and continue to believe that some of these malaligned players can possibly fulfill their potential and get better. And someone like Carpenter he has temendous potential its just his injuries/setbacks have put mental and physical limitations and handicaps on his development. If he can get past those issues, he'll in the least be solid with flashes of being dominant maybe not greatlike everyone expects out lf a first rounder. But I would accept average from him over what he has provided in year's past... average is great improvement for him... but yeah I still think he can dominant at LG if he goes ALL IN .

Also, it will help in tremendous if the LT and C can stay healthy, be stable, and put in great years... it probably didn't help his cause that McQuistan was horrible at LT and Unger because of injuries put in a below average year.

I have to agree PH, he knows what Tom Cable expects from him, and he also knows that the sand in the hour glass is running out, and that the Seahawks may not elect to turn it over, and give him that big payday.
He will have to optimize on his one last opportunity, or step aside and let someone else realize his dream job.
Time to see if he can stoke the fire and build up the steam to put him over the top.
I believe he can, but as you said, it's going to be critical that he has the help from the guys on both sides of him on the O-Line.
Make Or Break Time.

 

[Hasselbeck]

If we fail to repeat we are likely gonna have to scratch our heads and wonder why we didn't take the proper steps to fix our atrocious O-line. That's really the only weakness we have and we didn't do ANYTHING about it this offseason.

:lol:

What did you want them to do? Who was available in FA and the draft that would have "fixed" our line?

 

[bigcc]

If we fail to repeat we are likely gonna have to scratch our heads and wonder why we didn't take the proper steps to fix our atrocious O-line. That's really the only weakness we have and we didn't do ANYTHING about it this offseason.

:lol:

What did you want them to do? Who was available in FA and the draft that would have "fixed" our line?

Dietrich-smith and Veldheer are playing for a combined 5.5 mil this season.... just sayin

 

[bigcc]

The hawks declined the 5th year option on carpenter, if they thought he'd be a beastly part of the future theyd get him the extra cheap year.

 

[LickMyNuts]

Please change the thread title to "James Carpenter is going to feast 2014." Thanks.

 

[CANHawk]

i love carp. he blocks downfield like an angry grizzly bear. he was blowing guys up in the second level last year and i love that shit. he's one of those "cant teach strong" kinda guys. if he could only round out the rest of his game with some better pass pro and quicker feet when pulling, i think he could be our starting LG between Okung and Unger for the next several years.

glad to see him with his weight down at a respectable number. i still have very high hopes for carp, though i also believe that its a prove it year for him and if he doesnt prove hes the guy, its probably time to get another guy...

 

[RiverDog]

Eh, Cable said Carpenter's last 4 games of 2014 were the best of his career.

Cable's also the one that thought Carpenter had what it takes to be a starting OT in the NFL, so his opinion, if he really said that, gives me little comfort.

But I do acknowledge that Carpenter has lost weight and appears serious about turning a new leaf, but I'll believe it when I see it.

 

[bigwrm]

The hawks declined the 5th year option on carpenter, if they thought he'd be a beastly part of the future theyd get him the extra cheap year.

Extra cheap year? I think that fifth year would have cost over 7 million. No way we were paying him that much.

 

[Pandion Haliaetus]

Tom Cable:
http://blogs.seattletimes.com/seahawks/2014/05/09/tom-cable-on-justin-britt-hes-just-my-kind-of-guy/

On if he looks to James Carpenter to step in at left guard this year: “Well if you think about what James Carpenter was able to do the last four weeks of the season, what a cool way to end the year and then to go into the playoffs and play the best football he’s played since he’s been a Seahawk. So we’re excited in that here the guy is, seems to be completely through the injury, has got his weight under control, his work ethic has really come on, he smiles every day – so there’s a peacefulness about that big guy that I start to see why we took him. And he’s healthy and I think that’s really key when you’re a big person is feeling good about your legs and your body. I’m excited for James. I think it’s going to be a really cool year.”

So, yeah Cable didn't exactly say what I thought he said about Carpenter, that Carp last 4 games was the best of his career but it was still damn close.

While I support Carpenter and believe if he can maintain his health and fitness at a high level that he can be dominant but I don't even feel he's a lock to make the roster. He has to put in the work and compete and prove he's worth a roster spot or the Seahawks could go with a cheaper option with more club control.

And perhaps even if Carp does dominant or does merely "well" next season, and will command some quality money, let him move on, because I love me some Alvin Bailey. But this season AB has to be Okung's primary insurance even though he will swing back and forth on that left side if need be.

I see the depth chart looking something like this with some assumptions:

LT: Okung, Bailey, Hauptmann, Bowie
LG: Carp, Bailey, Bowie,Jeanpierre,
OC: Unger, Jeanpierre, Hauptmann
RG: Sweezy, Bowie, Baiely, Jeanpierre
RT: Britt, Bowie, Hauptmann, Bailey

I only listed 9 linemen and the Seahawks usually carry 10. Could look like this, and I'll use Van Roten as an example because he seems the most intriguing:

LT: Okung, Bailey, Hauptmann, Bowie
LG: Carp, Bailey, Van Roten, Bowie,Jeanpierre,
OC: Unger, Jeanpierre, Van Roten, Hauptmann
RG: Sweezy, Bowie, Van Roten, Bailey, Jeanpierre
RT: Britt, Bowie, Hauptmann, Bailey

Hate Cable all you want but you gotta love the VERSATILITY possibilities.

 

[hawknation2014]

Tom Cable:
http://blogs.seattletimes.com/seahawks/2014/05/09/tom-cable-on-justin-britt-hes-just-my-kind-of-guy/

On if he looks to James Carpenter to step in at left guard this year: “Well if you think about what James Carpenter was able to do the last four weeks of the season, what a cool way to end the year and then to go into the playoffs and play the best football he’s played since he’s been a Seahawk. So we’re excited in that here the guy is, seems to be completely through the injury, has got his weight under control, his work ethic has really come on, he smiles every day – so there’s a peacefulness about that big guy that I start to see why we took him. And he’s healthy and I think that’s really key when you’re a big person is feeling good about your legs and your body. I’m excited for James. I think it’s going to be a really cool year.”

So, yeah Cable didn't exactly say what I thought he said about Carpenter, that Carp last 4 games was the best of his career but it was still damn close.

While I support Carpenter and believe if he can maintain his health and fitness at a high level that he can be dominant but I don't even feel he's a lock to make the roster. He has to put in the work and compete and prove he's worth a roster spot or the Seahawks could go with a cheaper option with more club control.

And perhaps even if Carp does dominant or does merely "well" next season, and will command some quality money, let him move on, because I love me some Alvin Bailey. But this season AB has to be Okung's primary insurance even though he will swing back and forth on that left side if need be.

I see the depth chart looking something like this with some assumptions:

LT: Okung, Bailey, Hauptmann, Bowie
LG: Carp, Bailey, Bowie,Jeanpierre,
OC: Unger, Jeanpierre, Hauptmann
RG: Sweezy, Bowie, Baiely, Jeanpierre
RT: Britt, Bowie, Hauptmann, Bailey

I only listed 9 linemen and the Seahawks usually carry 10. Could look like this, and I'll use Van Roten as an example because he seems the most intriguing:

LT: Okung, Bailey, Hauptmann, Bowie
LG: Carp, Bailey, Van Roten, Bowie,Jeanpierre,
OC: Unger, Jeanpierre, Van Roten, Hauptmann
RG: Sweezy, Bowie, Van Roten, Bailey, Jeanpierre
RT: Britt, Bowie, Hauptmann, Bailey

Hate Cable all you want but you gotta love the VERSATILITY possibilities.

Good post. But a few things to note. 1) Bowie has been running with the first team at RT, and there is little evidence that he will lose that starting spot to the rookie, absent an injury, 2) Hauptmann has been running almost exclusively at left guard, which makes sense given that he is 6'3, and 3) rookie Garry Gilliam has been taking first and second teams reps at LT, Hauptmann and Van Roten are probably long shots to make the roster. Britt can also play inside at right guard.