From the Super Bowl thread:
What positional needs would you like to see filled in the draft?
I gave some of my thoughts
above.
I think John and Pete have done a great job, obviously. They really have put themselves into a position of drafting for
future need, not
immediate need. It is tough to win a Super Bowl if you are drafting, and banking on, rookies coming in and filling holes for all 16 games.
The next couple years are very interesting because the a huge percentage of contributors are young players. Seattle will be drafting more to fill voids in players they decide NOT to keep. So who will that be?
Free agents:
2013: Tate (WR), Bennett (DT/DE), Walter Thurmond (Nickel CB), Giacomini (RT)
2014: Earl Thomas (S), Sherman (CB), Maxwell (CB), Baldwin (WR), Malcom Smith (LB), KJ Wright (LB), Carpenter (G)
2015: Wilson (QB), Wagner (Mike LB), Turbin (RB), Sweezy (G), Kearse (WR), Bruce Irvin (Sam LB), Lane (CB)
Chancellor is locked up and Okung is still on his rookie contract on the old pay scale but that contract needs to be reworked and they need to decide if they stay with him--he has had a number of injuries but he has a lot of skill.
For this draft
Offence: No need to draft a QB or RB as Turbin and Michael (Rookie, 2016 free agent) both look good and will fill the void when Beast Mode is phased out in 2015 or 2016 (Lynch is 28 next year). FB is fine with young talent.
TE is a trouble spot as McCoy had an Achilles injury and is a free agent and Zach Miller can is making $7M ($2M dead money) and Seattle can save $5M by cutting him. He is unlikely to get $5M elsewhere so he will likely restructure IMO. He is a good blocker and receiver but Seattle does not get to use him as he blocks so often.
Both Guard positions are bad. Bowie and Bailey (rookies) show promise to maybe fill one position or, minimally, add depth. McQuistin is gone. Even if Bailey and Bowie can fill the voids at G/T Seattle is in
dire need of OL depth. Baldwin will be Tendered but Seattle needs to continue adding WR Depth as every year they have free agents: 2014 (Tate; Rice probably gone), 2015: Baldwin, 2016: Kearse.
Offensive Summary: Immediate needs are OL and Tight End; need to continue adding OL and WR depth.
Special Teams. Tate is their punt returner and had 2nd highest average in the league. Hauschka is a free agent but I assume they resign him or find a suitable replacement. Baldwin would be serviceable on returns.
Defense. There are no immediate holes on this unit, even if Bennett leaves (who I really like and hope they can keep). They actually have a bit of depth on the DL in young players who rode the bench or were on IR (IR: DE-Scruggs, DT-Williams; Bench: DT-Hill, DE-Mayowa). They also have Bruce Irvin who could move back to LEO when Clemons and Avril leave (1 year left on his contract). Their biggest problem is they will be
losing ALL of their Linebackers over the next two years: Smith and Wright in 2014, Wagner and Bruce Irvin in 2015. So building LB depth now is essential as they cannot keep all 4. I assume they will get Earl Thomas his long term contract so they have to figure out CB. Tharold Simon (Rookie on IR) is 6'3" 200lb and they have Lane another year. So they need at least 1 CB this year to ensure they have enough depth when Maxwell and/or Sherman leave.
Defensive Summary: They need young LB depth and CB depth to plan for the impending free agents in 2015 and 2016.
Prime Needs: OL, TE, WR.
Secondary Needs: LB, CB, DL.
John and Pete usually whiff on the 1st round, do great in later rounds and un-drafted players, and make good free agent pick ups of low key players who fit their team chemistry and style well so I don't think we can predict when they will pick these need positions or which ones they will look to free agency to fill. I think first and foremost they will try to keep the core in tact. I expect them to cut some bigger contracts of players who are not able to perform to those dollars (Rice, Clemons?) and also other players who they can move laterally in performance but for far fewer dollars (Miller? Bryant?).
I expect them to start making long term deals with the core players to gain a cap advantage. The reality is they could make some players play their 4th season on their rookie deal and then Franchise them. Some of this may play into the contracts, e.g. Russell Wilson. I expect them to rip up his rookie deal after next season. But this may get Seattle a savings--Seattle could have Russell at $1M for a 4th year. So why give him $20M in 2015? I am sure his agent knows they can get the cheap 4th year AND Franchise him in 2016. Seattle won't do that but I expect that to be a factor in how his contract works out.
Remember, this isn't a Flacco situation. The Ravens failed to extend Flacco. The problem is Flacco performed, won a Super Bowl, and was a free agent. Baltimore had NO leverage. Instead of extending him on favorable cap terms the Ravens used the last year of his contract as a Show Me year. Either Flacco could get a ring or they were going to dump him (or get a far more favorable contract). It backfired. Seattle would be in the same position as Wilson has proven to be a young QB you could build a franchise around and win a Super Bowl.
Seattle is a very young team. On their active roster there are only 6 players 30 or older. They have 32 players 26 or younger and 34 players have 4 years or less experience. Pete and John are finding talent every year. This year was a problem as it was hard for any youth to make the team, so that is a problem they have to address. It doesn't hurt that Pete Carroll is the #1 coach NFL players want to play for. There is a reason Avril and Bennett took favorable deals to come to Seattle. I expect to see 1 or 2 players in free agency this year take "hired gun" contracts to a) have a chance to win a Super Bowl and b) know they are surrounded by other talent so they can prove themselves, like Bennett and Avril, to earn a bigger contract.
Seattle is, imo, in the best position for 2014 of the top tier teams, especially now that Harvin is healthy. San Francisco is getting older at key positions (e.g. Justin Smith, Frank Gore), Boldin is a free agent, and Bowman has a horrible injury. (I am still sick he got hurt--Seattle fans owe that due a HUGE standing ovation when he comes back to the CLink). Denver is older, has cap issues, and has too many holes to fill. New Orleans, Carolina, and Green Bay will be interesting NFC teams to watch. In the AFC KC may be interesting (Reid and Smith, who I like, I don't think are game changers without a great cast though), the Pats, and Indy. Although the horrible trade for Richardson has me seriously wondering how good the personnel decisions are there. I like Luck a lot (even stated in another thread I thought if he was in Seattle the last 2 years he could have gone to the SB, too) but I fear he may be in the Manning/Marino situation where the GM's fail to get a complete team but they are too good to lose to get better draft positioning, sticking them forever in the "good team but not great." HOPEFULLY they are smart and build a strong defense and OLine first. Luck will be great--when the D and Line are good enough to go to the SB Luck can do what Wilson did. What Luck does NOT need is for them to surround him with elite WR/TE and RB while the defense and line wallow in mediocrity.