Possible contender?

Is there a single player who is still available and we can afford who you would say, “Now we are a contender” or “Super Bowl or bust”.

I think we would need more than one. So no. We are not a contender this coming season. Russ will light it up for 6-8 weeks then we will be one and done in the playoffs. Unless we have a top 5 running game and D this is what will happen every year.


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Sherman would be the closest thing, assuming his play doesn't decline this upcoming season. Need another guy at corner.

No, but I think AB, Sherman, or Mitchell Schwartz would help tremendously. Geno Atkins is coming off a poor year, but I'd be willing to give him a look too.

Playing the way Carroll likes to play?

Probably Clowney.

Obviously, if we massively upgrade the line we would be contenders too but that would require more than one player.

Even a great CB won't fix the problems we have now, but decent corners and a much better DL line might. We might have that or be close on that now.

Clowney isn't a great fit most places but he is stellar here, because he is one of the better guys against the run and tends to blow up plays. He also shows out a bit for us in the playoffs.

We would be an easy dark horse contender with Clowney and probably do well in any playoff game we did not have to play the Rams in.

TwistedHusky":1abwvln3 said:

Playing the way Carroll likes to play?

Probably Clowney.

Obviously, if we massively upgrade the line we would be contenders too but that would require more than one player.

Even a great CB won't fix the problems we have now, but decent corners and a much better DL line might. We might have that or be close on that now.

Clowney isn't a great fit most places but he is stellar here, because he is one of the better guys against the run and tends to blow up plays. He also shows out a bit for us in the playoffs.

We would be an easy dark horse contender with Clowney and probably do well in any playoff game we did not have to play the Rams in.

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I like Clowney, but that doesn't feel like a signing we NEED to make any more. I feel like the money is better spent elsewhere, but I wouldn't complain at all if we did go that direction anyway.

Clowney, Tate, & Sherman.

Draft a starting Center.

HawkinNY":3w0zzpmk said:

I think we would need more than one. So no. We are not a contender this coming season. Russ will light it up for 6-8 weeks then we will be one and done in the playoffs. Unless we have a top 5 running game and D this is what will happen every year.


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Lol he only has 6- 8 good games every year..NOT

We can be if we play the right system and stick with it.

No

HawkinNY":3s02xzjn said:

I think we would need more than one. So no. We are not a contender this coming season. Russ will light it up for 6-8 weeks then we will be one and done in the playoffs. Unless we have a top 5 running game and D this is what will happen every year.


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How is a 12-4 team that arguably improved (at worst stayed the same) not even a contender??

This place is straight weird at times

To be a contender you have to be a threat in the playoffs.

And some of our 12-4 last year (and likely the division win) was due to one of the best, if not the best, team in the division blowing a tire (or all 4 tires) midway through the season last year. That likely won't happen again, unless maybe if they roll with a rookie QB.

To be a contender we need 2 things to happen:

1 - We have to miss/avoid the Rams in the playoffs entirely. Any head-to-head matchup is a loss.

2 - We have to play better defense in the playoffs or focus more on offense in the playoffs.

#1 is just luck. The latter part of #2 is not going to happen, so the only option is build up our defense.

Last year our run defense was spotty. Good at times, but completely inconsistent for the most part. Clowney is a great defender against the run, especially backside pursuit. And he is amazing at blowing up run plays in the backfield. Finally, while not an A+ pass rusher, he is streaky and has a small history of being great in the playoffs for us.

If we fixed the DL with him, to at least close up the run weakness and shore up the pass rush - we would stand a puncher's chance. Otherwise, we have no shot. (not really true, if we actually got rid of Pete Ball we could be a force in the playoffs, but we won't so it does not matter what we 'could' do.

There are plenty of great players that would make this team so much better, but they are not available. The only one that looks somewhat available and would have this impact is Clowney. We probably could not afford him, but with him, we could be dangerous in the playoffs (as long as we missed the Rams.)

Pete might actually be too conservative and old at this point to win in the playoffs past the wildcard game anyway but if there is an option, it would require someone like Clowney to fix that DL.

This place IS just weird at times.

Any game vs the Rams is an automatic loss? We split our games with them in the regular season last year. Theyve lost 2/5ths of their secondary. That playoff loss really stung. But man, it was one game. We played basically the same schedule as the Rams last year and had a better record. We have a different OC coming in.

If youre a player, yes, at this point you tell yourself its the playoffs that matter. As a fan, to discount 12-4 and winning the West because of a playoff loss is not appreciate what youve got.


As far as the 49ers.. we will see. They will bring in a rookie QB ..which means there is a 60% chance hes good.. or they start Garoppolo who hasnt shown to be consistent or the picture of health.

Weve improved out O line, brought back Carson, upgraded our TE, and have a new coordinator.

Our D line is the best its been since the Super Bowl years, we have maybe the best LB corps there is (I believe KJ will be back, and Brooks will continue to develop), and we have 2 Pro Bowl DBs.


Pro Bowl (in the old meaning, not the popularity contest meaning) type players:

Offense:

Duane Brown
Russel Wilson
Chris Carson
Lockett
DK Metcalf

Defense:

Dunlop
Bobby Wagner
KJ Wright
Diggs
Adams


So.. nearly half the squad on both sides of the ball..plus our punter.

You cant be that good and NOT be a contender.

This place is weird?

We lost to a Rams team with 1/2 a QB and not even using their stud DT for 1/2 the game.

We beat the Rams in the regular season. Yay. By one point. Then the Rams came back and curb-stomped us in the next game. When we beat the Rams, it is usually by the slimmest of margins. But they have no problems pounding us into the turf and generally embarrassing us.

Do you remember everything we needed to beat the Rams the year before? At home?

Yes, occasionally we can squeak out wins here and there in the regular season against the Rams.

But Carroll turtles up in the playoffs.

So splitting in the regular season is super fun and all... but if we ratchet ourselves down against a team we struggle with anyway? Then we are pretty much screwed. We struggle against the Rams.

No, we cannot beat the Rams in the playoffs. We literally lost to the Rams in the playoffs with 1/2 a QB and not even using their top DT for half the game! It must have been hilarious for anyone that is not a Seahawk fan to watch, but for us Seahawk fans it was a regular reminder we want no part of the Rams in any playoff game.
(BTW the Rams knew this, that is why the Rams players were saying BEFORE THE GAME that their whole plan was to face the Seahawks in the playoffs. That was literally a goal for the season because they knew we were a free pass to the next game if they got us....and they were right.)






Psst....we had all those players you listed above against the Rams in the playoff game AT HOME and somehow lost to a team with no QB. Never underestimate Carroll's ability to underproduce on offense in the playoffs until it is too late. And until he stops that (unless he has 5 HOF players on his defense), we aren't contenders without another field tilter on this team. Not even sure if that will be enough to offset Carroll but it might.

TwistedHusky":1w2cgaez said:

To be a contender you have to be a threat in the playoffs.

And some of our 12-4 last year (and likely the division win) was due to one of the best, if not the best, team in the division blowing a tire (or all 4 tires) midway through the season last year. That likely won't happen again, unless maybe if they roll with a rookie QB.

To be a contender we need 2 things to happen:

1 - We have to miss/avoid the Rams in the playoffs entirely. Any head-to-head matchup is a loss.

2 - We have to play better defense in the playoffs or focus more on offense in the playoffs.

#1 is just luck. The latter part of #2 is not going to happen, so the only option is build up our defense.

Last year our run defense was spotty. Good at times, but completely inconsistent for the most part. Clowney is a great defender against the run, especially backside pursuit. And he is amazing at blowing up run plays in the backfield. Finally, while not an A+ pass rusher, he is streaky and has a small history of being great in the playoffs for us.

If we fixed the DL with him, to at least close up the run weakness and shore up the pass rush - we would stand a puncher's chance. Otherwise, we have no shot. (not really true, if we actually got rid of Pete Ball we could be a force in the playoffs, but we won't so it does not matter what we 'could' do.

There are plenty of great players that would make this team so much better, but they are not available. The only one that looks somewhat available and would have this impact is Clowney. We probably could not afford him, but with him, we could be dangerous in the playoffs (as long as we missed the Rams.)

Pete might actually be too conservative and old at this point to win in the playoffs past the wildcard game anyway but if there is an option, it would require someone like Clowney to fix that DL.

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Dont forget that we don't play the AFC and NFC Easts like last year, which had a combined one good team out of 8.

People still being fooled by that 12-4 record.

Need a pass rusher like Jason Pierre Paul caliber which isn’t out there. Also Sherman at 75% what he was and a center and another OL stud because the line still isn’t very good. We won’t be contenders with PC regardless, but a couple playoff wins would be amazing.

Sign Geno Atkins or Kawann Short. This would significantly upgrade the interior DL and create pressure from there. That will make the secondary better. They have improved the edges but they needed help on interior when Reed was here, even more so now that he's gone. Woods is a solid addition but he's not enough (as pass rush is not his strength).

pittpnthrs":3h0vixmd said:

People still being fooled by that 12-4 record.

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The Seahawks have primarily been between 10-6 and 13-3 under Russ/Pete

Thats not being fooled. 12 wins wasnt a fluke. This is a double digit win team, and double digit win teams are contenders.

Now are they favorites? Probably not currently unless they can show they can get over their recent playoff struggles

But contenders? Absolutely

The teams Knox coached were almost always contenders, the teams that Coryell coached were almost always contenders. Knox does what Pete does, turtle shells in the playoffs. Coryell's teams rarely had a defense that could make a team one dimensional and would always try to out score them. Both coaches won a lot of regular season games and ended up in the playoffs. Once there Other playoff teams could take away something and the two coches either would not or could not make the adjustments needed. Knox trusting his QB and WR's when the run was taken away and Coryell giving up some of the all stars on offense for a defense to compete in the Playoffs.

You could add Bud Grant as well, he had great defenses and usually a good passing game with Tarkenton, Foreman was his Back, he was a great receiver as well, but not a back that could pound for yards when needed most.

Vikings came close like 5 times, Bills just could not get it done by bad luck with Kickers to win games, I didn't add them.