The Defense

[Idahawk]

How am I the crybaby, when you're the one who's constantly complaining?

About the team I complain about the team . Not members views or opinions ( well not all the time ) at least .

I don't like PC and I don't have to . I see a con man and another motivational Mora type. I want a tough team and a tough coach not one who goes into SF and allows a first year head coach that bitch slapped him in college to do it again, with Alex Smith and Ted Ginn . We have now lost 2 out of 3 games to the 49ers..........thats the 49ers ! I'm not ok with that .

 

[Hawk096]

It's funny how when Ruskell left the team I wrote a piece about his failing to "build" for the future. That's evident as ever! He never took guys to groom from Hasselbeck instead went with guys like David Greene. He never drafted a guy like Russell Okung to learn from Walter Jones. Now I love Jones but towards 07 they could have gotten a guy in the later rounds and let him have two-years of learning from Walter. Now don't get me wrong we may never see a guy like Walt in the NFL or Seattle ever again, but still his knowledge and work ethics would have been a great thing to learn for a young guy.

Ruskell had his guys he drafted and signed and wouldn't replace them. That's what killed us in the long run. It's not Pete making so many moves I can't count them or Schneider's fault. It's Tim Ruskell's. You have to give Pete Carroll some time to learn who fits his puzzle pieces. It won't happen over night, but when it does it might be a good thing for us... If not well looks like we go back to re-building LOL.

 

[Hawk096]

Here's the article I was talking about that I wrote after Ruskell left Seattle:

For the second year in a row the Seattle Seahawks have found themselves finishing its season off in which they will be playing for no playoff spot or division title.
In 2008 the Seahawks lost a total of 14 players to the season ending Injured Reserves list. It looked as if the health of the team and quarterback Matt Hasselbeck would bring the Seahawks back to their spot at the top of the NFC West, but then star offensive lineman Walter Jones was injured again. Causing a domino effect that would take its toll on the offensive line.
Jones hadn’t played a game since the Thanksgiving match-up against the Dallas Cowboys in 2008. Since then he’s had surgery on his knee and added a year to age and another year of torture from the NFL. With a bad knee and the fact that he’s only getting older Jones is playing on a limited clock- admitting that he would re-evaluate at the end of the year if he will play another year or retire.
It could be the sign of the Seahawks going younger and cleaning house.
General Manager Tim Ruskell entered the 2009 season in the final year of a five-year contract he had signed the off-season in 2005 just before the Seahawks became the top team in the National Football Conference. He brought in team orientated players from his days in Tampa Bay. Instead of going after big names he went after guys that brought a presence with them in the locker room like Joe Jurevicius. In his first draft he drafted future linebacker starters Lofa Tatupu and Leroy Hill.
Seattle rewarded his work with their winningest season in franchise history with 13 wins and its first appearance in the Super Bowl in team history. It looked as if Ruskell had a foundation of an NFL powerhouse. They were guided by Matt Hasselbeck a now proven NFL QB. They had one of the best running backs in the NFL in Shaun Alexander and he had his own set of guardian angels in Jones and Steve Hutchinson- possibly the best two offensive linemen in the NFL at the time. Defensively they had a group of guys who filled roles. Guys that weren’t going to lead the NFL in sacks or interceptions, but got the job done.
That’s when the dark clouds formed and slowly showed that Ruskell’s time could someday be limited. After giving Alexander a luxury contract worth over $60-million at an age and position that has a very limited NFL time clock. Instead he decided to place the transitional tag on Hutchinson allowing him to negotiate with other teams and all the Seahawks would get is nothing, but the option of accepting the contract a team signed him to. He ended up signing with the Vikings and head coach Mike Holmgren was unaware that Ruskell would place the transitional tag on him- instead thinking the more logical franchise tag was going to placed on him.
As time went on age started to catch up to the Seahawks. For years they were never bothered with injuries and that was shown as they had a long run at top of the NFC West. Then 2008 hit and Holmgren walked away following the season. Ruskell on the other hand still had yet to hear talks of an extension and started to await a potential time bomb going off.
That prompted him to meet with management at the beginning of the month and see where they stood on his future. It didn’t favor him and the next day he stepped down as GM. It was the end of an era that brought the Seahawks to a Super Bowl, but also brought them poor depth and players that never turned out to be worth their selection in the NFL Draft.
Now with the Seahawks out of the playoff race and three games remaining to the season players are playing for jobs. Coaches will be re-evaluated and they still have to find a GM.
Where to start if you’re Paul Allen? Find the right guy to handle the football side of the team.
His tasks will be a longer list than Allen’s. It starts with deciding if Mike Teel has the potential of being a starter in the NFL at QB. If not he will have to draft one. Luckily the Seahawks have two first-round picks in the upcoming draft and could use it at the QB position and also at left tackle. Walter Jones would be wise to retire and that would help the Seahawks salary cap out if the NFL even has one after this year. Then the GM will have to evaluate each and everyone on the roster. Guys like Deion Branch, Patrick Kerney and Chris Spencer. Luckily Spencer is in the final year of his rookie contract and appears to be on a limited time as well.
Ruskell has failed at his job. His task was simple- bring in talent and depth that will carry its spot among the top of the West. Instead he brought in first-round busts like Spencer, trading away a first-round pick for Branch who never had had a 1,000-yard season as a receiver. Instead Branch had one big game which happened to be in the Super Bowl for the New England Patriots. Ruskell allowed the core positions of a successful NFL team to get older without ever looking for future replacements. It was a poor execution of a fourth quarter offense and it ultimately cost Ruskell his job.
The next GM coming in will have a lot of spring or I guess you could call it “roster” cleaning to do. His job will be a tough one- bring the Seahawks back to the top and he will have to find future replacements for Hasselbeck and Jones to do so. It’ll be a challenge, but like everything in the NFL world it’ll be fun.
Unless a miracle happens like striking gold for Hasselbeck and the crew next year the Seahawks appear to be on the road of re-building and that takes some time. Until then all one can do is sit back and watch. Hope that the future GM isn’t like Ruskell- one to bring in a few years of success and excitement only to watch it fade off into the sunset for another re-building process to kick-off.

 

[bobflipaburger]

That's why you can't give up on these guys too early, because someone else will come in and blow the whole thing up again before what PC is building is even finished.

 

[Fenom]

I love how you call PC's team a mess and this IS his team now after 420 roster moves, just shows the same frustration that I have at getting worse not better . It is a mess.

If Ruskell did his job, Carroll would have came in with quality players already in place. Instead, he had to gut the roster and start fresh.

 

[bobflipaburger]

About the team I complain about the team . Not members views or opinions ( well not all the time ) at least .

I don't like PC and I don't have to . I see a con man and another motivational Mora type. I want a tough team and a tough coach not one who goes into SF and allows a first year head coach that bitch slapped him in college to do it again, with Alex Smith and Ted Ginn . We have now lost 2 out of 3 games to the 49ers..........thats the 49ers ! I'm not ok with that .

SF SHOULD beat us right now, especially at home. Both times they beat us were in SF.

 

[Idahawk]

If Ruskell did his job, Carroll would have came in with quality players already in place. Instead, he had to gut the roster and start fresh.

400 plus roster moves
300 plus last year
100 plus this year
2 OC last two years
2 O-line coaches last two years

How many do overs do you get

 

[bobflipaburger]

400 plus roster moves
300 plus last year
100 plus this year
2 OC last two years
2 O-line coaches last two years

How many do overs do you get

Actually 3 O-Line coaches.

and I don't see how roster moves and coaching changes are "do overs."

 

[Idahawk]

The majority of this team is a do over. Clearly we started the season with no interest in winning . We cut all the fat contracts and brought in nice affordable players and we will take beating after beating after beating.

I don't mind losing games in the right way, but I can't take a plan to not win by management as a fan. It makes me sick.

 

[bobflipaburger]

The majority of this team is a do over. Clearly we started the season with no interest in winning . We cut all the fat contracts and brought in nice affordable players and we will take beating after beating after beating.

I don't mind losing games in the right way, but I can't take a plan to not win by management as a fan. It makes me sick.

What the hell are you talking about? We only cut one "fat contract" and that was Lofa, we had Hawthorne and Hill. That wasn't huge, in fact I consider it an improvement. Defense looked just fine last week and Hawthorne wasn't even there. "Nice, affordable players?" We just went out and spent money for the first time in a while. new LG, WR, TE, and DT then we brought back our money return man, DT, and WR.

Matt is gone, that sucks, most of us wanted him back... The orginization may have made the right call on this one though. He's been injury prone, and we have a new O-line that played like shit during the preseason. I don't like his chances of making it to the regular season in one piece. Then once you do you have teams that GOOD offensive lines have a hard time blocking (SF twice, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, etc.). Matt wasn't going to win a superbowl here, The rebuilding process is just going to take too long.

Its not like Pete is in the locker room telling the team to lose. I don't know if its a coincidence this all happened the year Luck was going to be available, but if Carroll wanted Luck that bad we probably would have seen this last year too since he didn't know for sure he'd stay in school.

 

[Idahawk]

http://seahawks.sportspressnw.com/2011/09/02/thiel-really-the-seahawks-meant-to-do-this/

Seems I'm not alone! and read again where did I say shit about the players not wanting to win. I agree we added some pieces but the pie is yet to be baked .

 

[bobflipaburger]

You read again... I never said that either.

They decided to rebuild, we had some verterans whose contracts were up. They decided to get younger, but they also added talent. The fact that Luck will be in the draft may have factored into that decision. Either way I'm on board. Long term, they seem to be making good decisions.

 

[Idahawk]

Knowing we had no chance this season at all , its smart from the aspect . Yet season ticket holders or people like me who bought single game tickets and booked rooms to come and see a game are getting jobbed .

 

[SeaHawksHuddle]

Yeah I wish I could have "suspended" my season tickets for this year. Oh well. My wife and I still enjoy going even when they lose.

 

[szat]

Its part of the deal Ida, live with it. Rebuilding is painful, I am a STH too and its gonna suck, but I'll still have fun tailgaiting for that Az game, and I EXPECT to win, and "if we lose its a shame" but not a sham, its part of the deal.

This is Pete Carrol's club now, and they need to own it, and I'm sure they would never say that they are not accountable for the this team or its record at this point. I need to see continued growth and improvement in this very young team, and so far I have. Im not going to base it off of 1 away game that basically was lost by our ST unit.

Jim Mora lost his job becasue he lost the team and the team got worse under his watch, The TB game at home comes to mind where we got slaughtered. He isnt half the coach or the foot ball mind the PC is IMO.

 

[bobflipaburger]

That's part of having a rebuilding season. I sat through a few pummelings last year at Qwest.

 

[JustDoug]

Gruden would entertain me more at least.

 

[LaceyBALL3R360]

i love how after one fucking game ur so quick to whine like a little girl...ITS ONE FUCKING GAME good lord, seeing how young our team is and given the LOCKOUT i would expect us to look bad.every single position besides qb is upgraded from the year carrol took over. including OC and OL coach.

 

[Idahawk]

i love how after one fucking game ur so quick to whine like a little girl...ITS ONE FUCKING GAME good lord, seeing how young our team is and given the LOCKOUT i would expect us to look bad.every single position besides qb is upgraded from the year carrol took over. including OC and OL coach.

I was pretty much whining before the first game so POUND SAND. And thanks for the tip that we have all new young players , I was wondering what the hell was going on out there ???? And I also expected us to look bad and lose a bunch of games, it doesn't mean I have to like it ! So don't come chest up on me and repeating whats already been talked about for some 30 plus posts . Didn't you read the thread ? Idiot

 

[LaceyBALL3R360]

I was pretty much whining before the first game so POUND SAND. And thanks for the tip that we have all new young players , I was wondering what the hell was going on out there ???? And I also expected us to look bad and lose a bunch of games, it doesn't mean I have to like it ! So don't come chest up on me and repeating whats already been talked about for some 30 plus posts . Didn't you read the thread ? Idiot

lol "Pound SAND" who the fuck says that...and with all ur girly ass bitching it sure didnt seem like u knew that we were a young team.you obviously know nothing about football,ur just one of those typical dumbass fans that watches the games and cheers when were doing good and are one the biggest fans, but when they arent good its a complete 180,all u do is whine and bitch and act like u kno what the problem is,when in fact ur a complete dumbass and dont realize how professional sports work.i am so tired of our fans, we REALLY do have some of the worst fans in the league, and u define them