LA Rams Wednesday Walkabout Diner Fare 2.0

Seattle Seahawks

Let’s flip the order this time. With the LA Rams seemingly better at the quarterback position, how will the Seattle Seahawks respond?

Jay: I would think the Goff-Stafford trade should energize the Seahawks a bit – make them come to the realization that the Rams will likely be much improved at QB and be a much tougher opponent for them in the short term. It should now be obvious to them (as well as the rest of the NFL) that the Rams are all in and serious about going for it this year and are not afraid to mortgage short-term success in exchange for the longer view.

The Seahawks’ “Let Russ Cook” experiment seemed to break down as the season wore on and their offensive line woes mounted. This was certainly most evident in their Wild Card playoff game when Wilson was running for his life. (as he seemed to be doing most of this year). The Seahawks must improve their offensive line play, especially in the interior, and give him the protection he needs to truly “cook.”

Otherwise, it’s Wilson’s goose that gets cooked. (again)

The Hawks have no Day One draft picks and they have spent draft capital on their O-Line in the past to little or no avail. Their center this year, Ethan Pocic, did not impress me, as he was consistently beaten by opposing linemen and looked hopelessly over-matched all year long as teams routinely were able to mount pressure straight up the middle against Wilson.

It often seemed as if there simply was no pocket for Wilson at all. That is an unsustainable situation, as evidenced by that team’s decline as the season progressed. . . but using your first pick on a center is probably a reach.

The ‘Hawks secondary doesn’t scare anybody anymore. I’d look for them to draft a cornerback, maybe even with their first in the second round, because Shaquill Griffin played horribly for them this year and they just didn’t seem to have a dependable CB all year, let alone someone capable enough to go up against the league’s premier WRs.

Bret Stuter:

Well, what can the Seahawks do to improve the quarterback position? Nothing. You are correct, the Seahawks tried the ‘Let Russ Cook’ and the Rams cooked them instead. So their rapid exit from the NFL Playoffs led to their decision to fire their offensive coordinator and poach two offensive coaches from the LA Rams staff to run their offense.

The Seahawks want to run the ball more frequently. To do that, they will need to invest heavily in offensive linemen. That’s not just drafting some, but rather signing some in free agency or trading for some. That will be a tough row to hoe because over half of the Seattle roster projects to hit the NFL Free Agency market in 2021. Of that group, four are offensive linemen, and two are running backs. That’s a tough starting point.

The Seahawks are clearly hoping that investing in upgrading and committing to a running game on offense will rest their aging defensive players. They are getting pretty long in the tooth, and they may be beyond staying refreshed in a football game.

The Seahawks run so well for so long that many forget that they are human too. Many of the younger 2020 players will not be able to step up rapidly enough to fill all the roster holes that a breaking out all over this roster. The Seahawks may fight to remain successful this year, but I fear that will only delay the inevitable. The Seahawks looked very tired at the end of 2020 and would be wise to allow the team to fall under .500 this season so they can be very competitive in 2022.