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Pete Carroll

Bears Offered Seahawks Three First-Rounders For Russell Wilson In 2021

September 28th, 2023 at 9:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

When Russell Wilson‘s agent named Chicago as an acceptable trade destination in 2021, the Bears sprang into action. They made what was labeled at the time as a “very aggressive” offer for the perennial Pro Bowler. More details on that proposal have since emerged.

Then-Bears GM Ryan Pace is believed to have offered three first-rounders, a third and veteran players for Wilson in March 2021, Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. At the time, Wilson had listed the Bears, Cowboys, Saints and Raiders as teams for whom he would be willing to waive his no-trade clause. While the Broncos were subsequently added to his list, they were not part of the original group.

At this point, the Seahawks were not prepared to trade their franchise quarterback. John Schneider took the offer to Pete Carroll, who determined he did not want to trade Wilson, Finley adds. It is not known which players the Bears were prepared to deal away in 2021, which ended up being Pace’s final year on the job in Chicago.

This was one of the original Wilson what-ifs. The Commanders offered three firsts for Wilson in 2022, beating the Broncos in terms of Round 1 choices included, but he would not waive his no-trade clause for Washington. The Eagles and Browns also pursued the potential Hall of Famer in 2022, but Wilson determined Denver would be the best fit.

The Seahawks turned down the offer in March 2021, leading the Bears to the draft. Pace initially sent the terms to Schneider at Trey Lance‘s pro day in Fargo. A month later, the Bears then vaulted up to No. 11, (via the Giants) to nab Justin Fields. While the Fields-Bears fit has proven rocky, the Ohio State product’s run-game brilliance in 2022 notwithstanding, Chicago did not have to give up what it would have cost to pry Wilson from Seattle.

A year after this offer did not move the needle for the Seahawks, they engaged the Broncos on a swap that came to pass in March 2022. The Seahawks then received a stunning season from three-year Wilson backup Geno Smith and have him signed to a team-friendly deal, which becomes a pay-as-you-go accord following this season.

The Bears, of course, signed off on a similar trade in 2009. They sent the Broncos two first-rounders, a third and Kyle Orton for Jay Cutler in April 2009, with that swap coming weeks after a Cutler-Josh McDaniels feud developed. Cutler ended up setting franchise records for QB starts, passing yards and touchdowns but only piloted Chicago to one playoff berth in his eight-year run. The Bears have struggled to replace the strong-armed passer, who had arrived in Chicago ahead of his age-26 season. Mitch Trubisky bombed, and Fields enters Week 4’s Broncos matchup with the NFL’s lowest QBR.

Wilson has not lived up to the Broncos’ investment, and the decision by management to authorize a five-year, $245MM extension — featuring $124MM fully guaranteed — before seeing how the trade acquisition fit with Nathaniel Hackett has hurt the organization. After the Hackett fit proved disastrous, Wilson has shown better form with Sean Payton. Of course, the Broncos join the Bears at 0-3, thanks largely to a suddenly leaky defense. Wilson, 34, will attempt to continue his progression in Payton’s offense, but his long-term future in Denver is far from certain.

The NFL’s Longest-Tenured Head Coaches

July 4th, 2023 at 12:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

After the 2022 offseason produced 10 new head coaches, this one brought a step back in terms of turnover. Five teams changed HCs, though each conducted thorough searches — four of them lasting until at least January 31.

The Colts and Cardinals hired their HCs after Super Bowl LVII, plucking the Eagles’ offensive and defensive coordinators (Shane Steichen, Jonathan Gannon). The Cardinals were hit with a tampering penalty regarding their Gannon search. Conducting their second HC search in two years, the Broncos saw multiple candidates drop out of the running. But Denver’s new ownership group convinced Sean Payton to step out of the FOX studio and back onto the sidelines after just one season away. The Panthers made this year’s first hire (Frank Reich), while the Texans — running their third HC search in three years — finalized an agreement with DeMeco Ryans minutes after the Payton news broke.

Only one of last year’s top 10 longest-tenured HCs lost his job. A turbulent Colts year led to Reich being fired barely a year after he signed an extension. During a rather eventful stretch, Jim Irsay said he reluctantly extended Reich in 2021. The Colts passed on giving interim HC Jeff Saturday the full-time position, despite Irsay previously indicating he hoped the former center would transition to that role. Reich landed on his feet, and after losing Andrew Luck to a shocking retirement just before his second Colts season, the well-regarded play-caller now has another No. 1 pick (Bryce Young) to mentor.

After considering a Rams exit, Sean McVay recommitted to the team and is overseeing a reshaped roster. Andy Reid also sidestepped retirement rumors, staying on with the Chiefs after his second Super Bowl win. This will be Reid’s 25th season as an NFL head coach.

Here is how the 32 HC jobs look for the 2023 season:

  1. Bill Belichick (New England Patriots): January 27, 2000
  2. Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh Steelers): January 27, 2007; extended through 2024
  3. John Harbaugh (Baltimore Ravens): January 19, 2008; extended through 2025
  4. Pete Carroll (Seattle Seahawks): January 9, 2010; extended through 2025
  5. Andy Reid (Kansas City Chiefs): January 4, 2013; extended through 2025
  6. Sean McDermott (Buffalo Bills): January 11, 2017; extended through 2027
  7. Sean McVay (Los Angeles Rams): January 12, 2017; extended through 2023
  8. Kyle Shanahan (San Francisco 49ers): February 6, 2017; extended through 2025
  9. Mike Vrabel (Tennessee Titans): January 20, 2018; signed extension in February 2022
  10. Matt LaFleur (Green Bay Packers): January 8, 2019: signed extension in July 2022
  11. Zac Taylor (Cincinnati Bengals): February 4, 2019; extended through 2026
  12. Ron Rivera (Washington Commanders): January 1, 2020
  13. Mike McCarthy (Dallas Cowboys): January 7, 2020
  14. Kevin Stefanski (Cleveland Browns): January 13, 2020
  15. Robert Saleh (New York Jets): January 15, 2021
  16. Arthur Smith (Atlanta Falcons): January 15, 2021
  17. Brandon Staley (Los Angeles Chargers): January 17, 2021
  18. Dan Campbell (Detroit Lions): January 20, 2021
  19. Nick Sirianni (Philadelphia Eagles): January 21, 2021
  20. Matt Eberflus (Chicago Bears): January 27, 2022
  21. Brian Daboll (New York Giants): January 28, 2022
  22. Josh McDaniels (Las Vegas Raiders): January 30, 2022
  23. Kevin O’Connell (Minnesota Vikings): February 2, 2022
  24. Doug Pederson (Jacksonville Jaguars): February 3, 2022
  25. Mike McDaniel (Miami Dolphins): February 6, 2022
  26. Dennis Allen (New Orleans Saints): February 7, 2022
  27. Todd Bowles (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): March 30, 2022
  28. Frank Reich (Carolina Panthers): January 26, 2023
  29. Sean Payton (Denver Broncos): January 31, 2023
  30. DeMeco Ryans (Houston Texans): January 31, 2023
  31. Shane Steichen (Indianapolis Colts): February 14, 2023
  32. Jonathan Gannon (Arizona Cardinals): February 14, 2023

Latest On Seahawks’ RB Room

June 26th, 2023 at 12:59pm CST by Adam La Rose

Seattle is in line to have a strong backfield in 2023 after supplementing starter Kenneth Walker with rookies Zach Charbonnet and Kenny McIntosh. That trio is likely to be joined by DeeJay Dallas, giving the team a number of decisions to make with respect to how each back is used.

All four players, to varying degrees, have shown an ability to produce in the passing game at either the NFL or college levels. That could lead to a notable increase in passing plays out of the backfield this season, ESPN’s Brady Henderson notes. Charbonnet (a second-round selection) and McIntosh (seventh round) in particular helped their draft stock with notable pass-catching seasons in 2022.

Walker stands to serve as the undisputed starter after he finished second in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting. His success made it little surprise when Rashaad Penny and Travis Homer departed in free agency, creating the vacancies filled by Charbonnet and McIntosh. Their roles will likely involve signficant pass-catching duties, especially if the Seahawks elect to use a committee approach.

“Yeah, they’re catchers, for sure,” head coach Pete Carroll said of Seattle’s RB room as a whole. “Kenny is a really natural athlete, you can just see it in everything that he does. Zach does everything well… He’s already shown his understanding and his instincts about blocking in the passing game – not the physical side of it, but his assignments and his footwork and stuff like that. We’ve just got to throw them out there and start handing the ball to them, see what happens and see who produces and all.”

As his last remark confirms, little is known at this point with respect to the pecking order behind Walker on the depth chart. Heavy involvement in the passing game out of the backfield could help Seattle’s rookies see the field right away, though the team’s receiver trio of D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and first-rounder Jaxon Smith-Njigba figures to limit the amount of targets available at the RB position.

As Henderson notes, Carroll has not traditionally favored using Seattle’s backs prominently in the passing game. Given the skillsets available to him now, however, it would come as little surprise if that philosophy shifted in 2023 and the years immediately following this season.

Seahawks HC Pete Carroll On LB Jordyn Brooks, CB Devon Witherspoon

May 7th, 2023 at 9:17am CST by Rory Parks

The Seahawks recently declined the fifth-year option on linebacker Jordyn Brooks, which would have locked in a fully-guaranteed salary of $12.7MM for 2024. Brooks will therefore be eligible for unrestricted free agency at the end of the upcoming season.

Seattle’s decision was not a surprising one, as Brooks suffered an ACL tear in January and is therefore a candidate to begin the 2023 campaign on the PUP list. And even if he did not sustain that injury, it’s difficult to know whether the ‘Hawks would have exercised his fifth-year option. After all, $12.7MM is a steep price to pay for an inside linebacker who, despite gaudy tackle numbers, generally struggles in coverage and does not offer much by way of pass rush production.

Head coach Pete Carroll, though, still sees Brooks as a core piece of the club’s defense for the foreseeable future.

“He’s got a long, long future for us,” Carroll said during a recent appearance on 93.3 KJR (via Brady Henderson of ESPN.com). “We love the way he plays and what he brings and all of that. We’ve got to orchestrate the way we move forward. The decision we made now (with respect to the fifth-year option), this is not an indication of our future. We expect Jordyn to be with us for a long time.”

In 2021, his first year as a full-time starter, Brooks set the Seahawks’ single-season tackle record with 181, and he became the team’s defensive signal-caller in 2022 after the departure of franchise icon Bobby Wagner. In the wake of Brooks’ injury and Cody Barton‘s decision to join the Commanders in free agency, Seattle reunited with Wagner and signed former Steelers first-rounder Devin Bush. Both of those contracts, however, are for one-year terms, and the ‘Hawks did not select any inside linebackers in the draft.

So, despite the ACL tear and Brooks’ shortcomings, it is very possible that Carroll’s remarks were more than lip service, and that he truly does envision a new contract for Brooks at some point. If nothing else, the Texas Tech product offers high-end tackling ability and familiarity with the club’s defensive scheme, and there is value in that.

In addition to Brooks, Carroll also spoke about the Seahawks’ selection of cornerback Devon Witherspoon with their first pick (No. 5 overall) in last month’s draft. That choice registered as something of a surprise, as Witherspoon does not have the length that Seattle typically looks for in its CBs, and the team had a more pressing need for a front-seven defender.

One of this year’s top non-QB prospects was Georgia defensive lineman Jalen Carter, who would have seemingly represented a good marriage of need and value for the Seahawks. The club’s decision to bypass Carter in favor of Witherspoon suggested to many that Seattle was scared off by Carter’s character concerns and/or his underwhelming Pro Day performance, but Carroll said that was not the case.

“We spent a lot of time (with Carter) and felt comfortable that we knew what we were dealing with,” Carroll said (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times). “There was just a special aspect of Devon and the way that he fit in. Was going to be a rare opportunity, so we jumped at it.”

Predraft reports indicated that Carroll was more inclined to select Carter than other members of the team’s power structure, but even if Carter was the head coach’s preference, it’s difficult to argue with the Witherspoon selection. Witherspoon was widely-regarded as the best corner in the draft, he plays a premium position, and he and second-year pro Tariq Woolen should form a young, dynamic starting tandem on the boundaries of the Seattle defense.

Latest On Jalen Carter, Seahawks

April 26th, 2023 at 5:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jalen Carter met with every team holding a pick from Nos. 5-10. Despite the turmoil the Georgia-developed prospect encountered this offseason, he may still end up being a top-five draftee.

The Seahawks hold the highest pick of the teams to have met with Carter. While another team could leapfrog the NFC West franchise — or the Texans or Cardinals could provide a surprise, based on what we have heard thus far, green light on the talented defensive tackle — the Seahawks’ No. 5 slot may well be the ceiling for Carter, given the quarterbacks who could go off the board from Nos. 1-4.

Pete Carroll looks to be on board with a Carter selection, with SI.com’s Albert Breer reporting the 14th-year Seattle HC “really likes” the idea of adding the ex-Georgia game-wrecker to his team’s defensive line. Carroll believes he could make Carter a fit, despite the higher-risk profile his recent arrest created, Breer adds.

It would not be a stretch to see the Seahawks gambling on Carter’s upside. Seattle both drafted Frank Clark in the 2015 second round, despite a domestic violence arrest leading to his dismissal from the Michigan program, and acquired Sheldon Richardson via trade in 2017 — two years after the defensive tackle was pulled over for driving 143mph with a firearm in his vehicle. While the Seahawks did not extend either player, they felt confident enough each could avoid off-field trouble. Both did while in Seattle. Malik McDowell also carried off-field questions coming into the 2017 draft, when the Seahawks selected the D-lineman in Round 2. The team also signed Aldon Smith in 2021 but released him before he played a game with the team; Smith was arrested for felony DUI causing injury that offseason. Those two investments burned the Hawks. This Carter call, due to the draft capital required, brings higher stakes.

Other Seahawks power brokers may not be as convinced as Carroll, but Breer adds the Super Bowl-winning HC — after Carter’s visit — is comfortable here. The Bears and Eagles are believed to be OK with a Carter add as well, but they hold the Nos. 9 and 10 picks. The Seahawks could have first dibs on a player viewed as a top talent in this draft. Carroll has final say on Seattle’s 53-man roster, though it is unlikely Seattle would pull the trigger without GM John Schneider signing off on Carter.

The Seahawks have already added multiple interior defensive linemen — Dre’Mont Jones, Jarran Reed — and gave the former a $17MM-per-year deal. But Seattle ranked 30th in run defense last season. Adding Carter to that group would make for one of the most significant D-tackle offseasons a team has put together in some time. Carter reached a plea deal and will not serve jail time in connection with the two misdemeanor charges that emerged this winter.

Ravens To Meet With Anthony Richardson; Seahawks On Radar For QB?

April 4th, 2023 at 10:00am CST by Sam Robinson

Submitting an intriguing prospect profile during an uneven 2022 season at Florida, Anthony Richardson has seen his schedule fill up. Six teams have booked visits with the high-end QB prospect, with No. 6 currently embroiled in one of the odder situations in many years at the position.

The Ravens will host Richardson on a visit, Josina Anderson of CBS Sports tweets. Richardson’s Baltimore trip will come amid an itinerary that still includes previously reported plans to meet with the Panthers, Colts, Raiders, Falcons and Titans. The Texans are not planning to meet with Richardson, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, but a private workout is not out of the question. 105.7 The Fan had previously indicated the Ravens would host Richardson (Twitter link).

Richardson is on track to meet with the Ravens during the Lamar Jackson standoff. The former MVP continues to push for a contract that rivals Deshaun Watson‘s for fully guaranteed money. The Ravens have continually expressed a desire for Jackson to remain their starter, but the sides have been unable to come to an agreement despite the sixth-year passer having been extension-eligible since January 2021. As the Ravens navigate messy negotiations with their self-represented quarterback — who requested to be traded more than a month ago — they will meet with at least one of this year’s top prospects.

Making the playoffs last season, the Ravens do not pick until No. 22. They would need to come up with a monster trade package to move into Richardson territory. The rest of the teams meeting with the ex-Gators QB pick from Nos. 1-11. Jackson would be worth a Watson-like trade haul (a package starting with three first-rounders), but his contract demands and injury history have led to the rest of the league passing on an offer sheet. An unmatched offer sheet would lead to the Ravens receiving two first-round picks. The Colts hold the No. 4 pick and would make sense as a Jackson suitor, but Jim Irsay‘s comments about guarantees do not point to a serious push.

The Seahawks should also be considered on the Richardson radar. Pete Carroll has developed a quality rapport with the 6-foot-4 passer, Anderson adds, but Seattle has not yet scheduled a visit. The Seahawks recently re-signed Geno Smith, but that contract — despite it being billed initially as a three-year contract worth more than $100MM — looks more like a “prove it” deal. Smith signed for just $27.3MM fully guaranteed, giving the Seahawks flexibility. Carroll and GM John Schneider have been regulars at pro days this year, and the power duo has not shied away from a potential QB pick at No. 5. While Schneider is fond of first-round trade-down maneuvers, Richardson falling to No. 5 at this point would be a bit of a surprise.

Buzz at last week’s league meetings connected the Seahawks to a trade-up from No. 5 to No. 3 for either Richardson or Will Levis, Vic Tafur of The Athletic adds (subscription required). C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young are the favorites to go off the board at Nos. 1 and 2, though this is not the slam-dunk proposition a Trevor Lawrence–Zach Wilson draft start was in 2021. Richardson completed only 53.82% of his passes last season but showed tremendous athleticism during his one season as a full-time starter. Richardson, who weighed 244 pounds at the Combine, would profile as a developmental player. The Seahawks having Smith under contract for three years would help pave a potential Richardson runway.

It would be interesting to see if the Cardinals would move out of that spot to allow their division rivals to select a quarterback. The Titans have also been connected to moving into that spot for a passer, as have the Raiders. The Seahawks moving up would not seemingly require as much trade compensation, though the intra-NFC West element complicates matters.

Seahawks HC Pete Carroll: Seattle Is “Totally Connected” To Collegiate QBs

March 5th, 2023 at 8:34am CST by Rory Parks

Reports on contract talks between quarterback Geno Smith and the Seahawks have indicated that both sides are optimistic a deal will get done. However, the latest such report was a full month ago. With the March 7 deadline for teams to utilize a franchise or transition tag looming, it is unclear how much progress has been made in negotiations, or if Seattle will hit its breakout passer with a tag.

Deadlines can always spur action, so it would not be surprising to see a deal struck over the next 48 hours or so. The Seahawks, though, are carefully evaluating the top quarterbacks in this year’s class, and as they possess the No. 5 overall pick in the 2023 draft due to last offseason’s Russell Wilson trade (along with their own No. 20 overall selection), the club is well-positioned to select a high-profile signal-caller if it so chooses.

At the scouting combine in Indianapolis last week, head coach Pete Carroll told reporters, including Brady Henderson of ESPN.com, “[w]e are totally connected to the quarterbacks that are coming out. This is a really huge opportunity for us. It’s a rare opportunity. We’ve been drafting in the low 20s for such a long time; you just don’t get the chance with these guys. So we’re deeply involved with all that.”

When asked how much the Seahawks are studying this year’s quarterback class, GM John Schneider said, “a lot. Every year, honestly, we really look at it a lot. Like I said earlier, we haven’t picked fifth overall since we’ve been here. So yeah, I got out to see a lot of quarterbacks this year. It was pretty fun.” 

As Carroll and Schneider indicated, the ‘Hawks have typically had a native pick late in the first round during their tenure in Seattle, and the most coveted collegiate passers generally do not fall that far. So while Schneider acknowledged that he looks closely at every year’s quarterback class, his 2023 draft capital gives him an opportunity he has rarely had.

Of course, as Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic posits, the comments made by Carroll and Schneider could be part of a ploy to get quarterback-needy teams to leapfrog the Seahawks in a trade-up maneuver, thereby increasing the chances that an elite non-QB like Alabama edge defender Will Anderson Jr. or Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter falls to them (subscription required). But Dugar does not believe that is the case. Even when Wilson was piloting the club to division titles and playoff runs, Schneider attended the pro days of quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen, and he has regretted not selecting more QBs over his 13 drafts as Seattle’s GM.

To be clear, even if Schneider is serious about nabbing one of this year’s prized quarterback prospects, it does not mean that he will allow Smith to walk. Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com (via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times) projects that a fair contract for Smith would be a two-year pact worth between $55MM-$60MM, and given that the 2023 Comeback Player of the Year will turn 33 in October, a two- or three-year accord sounds about right. Which means that Schneider could draft a top-flight quarterback and groom him behind Smith for a couple of years before turning over the reins, just as mentor Ted Thompson did when, as general manager of the Packers in 2005, he selected Aaron Rodgers and had him sit behind Brett Favre for several seasons.

Schneider recently said that contract discussions with Smith have been “positive,” but he did not indicate that an agreement was particularly close. And as Henderson writes in a separate piece, Schneider may not be inclined to use a tag on Smith (as our own Sam Robinson suggested last month, and as ESPN’s Dan Graziano wrote in a subscription-only piece today). If he doesn’t, and if no deal is reached by the time the legal tampering period opens on March 13, Smith would then be able to talk to other clubs, and the Seahawks would not have the right of first refusal.

Meanwhile, Seattle still wants to retain Drew Lock (ideally to reprise his 2022 role as Smith’s backup). Several experts that Henderson has consulted believe Lock will get no more than a one-year deal for the league minimum salary ($1.08MM), while others believe he will be able to command slightly more, but no higher than $3MM.

Russell Wilson Wanted Sean Payton To Replace Pete Carroll With Seahawks?

February 24th, 2023 at 11:02am CST by Sam Robinson

More information emerged regarding Russell Wilson‘s odd 2022 Friday morning. A report from Kalyn Kahler, Mike Sando and Jayson Jenks of The Athletic indicates the veteran quarterback made a request that Seahawks ownership fire both Pete Carroll and John Schneider, citing the duo had inhibited his pursuit of Super Bowls and awards.

This alleged request came weeks before the Seahawks decided to trade Wilson to the Broncos. Wilson denied (via Twitter) he asked for the Seattle HC and GM’s firings, and a lawyer for the QB described that assertion as “entirely fabricated.”

Wilson-Carroll disagreements about the direction of the Seahawks took place ahead of the QB’s 2021 trade destination list surfacing, and after the 2022 trade, reports indicating the NFC West team viewed its former franchise passer as declining came out. A shockingly mediocre Wilson season commenced in Denver. His partnership with Nathaniel Hackett proved a poor fit, and Hackett became the third first-year HC since the 1970 merger to be fired before season’s end.

The Broncos have since traded for Sean Payton, nearly two years after Wilson’s trade list included the Saints. Wilson wanted the Seahawks to trade for Payton’s rights after his Saints exit last year, according to The Athletic. Payton announced he was leaving the Saints on Jan. 25, 2022; Schneider and Broncos GM George Paton began discussing a trade ahead of the Feb. 5 Senior Bowl. The trade took place March 8.

The previously referenced Latavius Murray text message to his former coach occurred just before the Broncos’ Christmas blowout loss to the Rams. Payton had said Murray texted him about he and a backfield teammate wanting him in Denver, with the veteran running back confirming Wilson was the teammate. Murray sent the text Dec. 23, per The Athletic. The Broncos fired Hackett on Dec. 26, following a 51-14 loss to the Rams. No accusation is made of Wilson wanting Hackett to go, but that relationship had long trended in that direction. During the Broncos’ coaching search, Wilson reached out to Payton.

Payton soon put the kibosh on Wilson’s team having full access to Denver’s facility, but Paton allowed Wilson’s personal coach (Jake Heaps), a physical therapist and a nutritionist such privileges last year. Heaps had partial access to the Seahawks’ facility, per The Athletic, and Wilson did not have an office there. Wilson agreed to stop using the office and to keep his support staff out of the building over the season’s final two weeks.

Wilson organized weekly meetings for Denver’s offense during the players’ Tuesday off day, and The Athletic notes Heaps was part of those summits, which were aimed around preparing for the next opponent. An anonymous coach also said he did not agree with the evaluations Wilson and Heaps made on scouting reports distributed on Tuesdays. With Hackett also being accused of being too deferential to players, the potentially incongruent scouting reports would provide a partial explanation for the Broncos’ myriad offensive issues. Those came to a head during an ugly Thursday loss to the Colts in October and persisted for much of the season.

The team ended the year with three play-callers. All three (Hackett, QBs coach Klint Kubiak, OC Justin Outten) are elsewhere now. Melvin Gordon, whom the Broncos waived in November after extensive fumbling problems, said Hackett attempting to blend Wilson’s Seattle offense and Hackett’s preferred Green Bay-style blueprint was “a bit much.” The organization fired Vic Fangio in large part due to his team’s struggles offensively, but the Broncos’ Pat Shurmur–Teddy Bridgewater setup ranked 23rd in scoring. The Hackett-Wilson season produced a last-place ranking, and while numerous injuries contributed to this decline, the Broncos’ QB-HC partnership generated most of the attention. Payton, who signed a five-year contract, will be tasked with cleaning up this mess.

Payton will call the Broncos’ plays next season, accepting the team’s offer after DeMeco Ryans had generated some buzz. Ryans may not have been a serious candidate. While he preferred the Texans, The Athletic describes the former 49ers DC’s Broncos interview as “awkward.”

The Seahawks have begun negotiations with Geno Smith, whose surprising season earned him Comeback Player of the Year honors. It remains to be seen if the organization will make a true long-term commitment to Wilson’s former backup, but the team that had made some draft missteps late in Wilson’s tenure will be in position to land more starters via the 2023 first- and second-round picks obtained in the Wilson swap. Carroll is signed through the 2025 season; Schneider’s latest extension runs through 2027. Both decision-makers are going into their 14th seasons in Seattle.

Seahawks, Geno Smith Begin Contract Talks

January 17th, 2023 at 11:03am CST by Adam La Rose

The Seahawks enjoyed a surprising level of success this season, with their transition to Geno Smith under center leading to a postseason berth and massively boosting the veteran’s free agent value. Both parties have already begun the process of negotiating a new contract which will keep him in Seattle.

Head coach Pete Carroll confirmed that “preliminary talks” have been held between the Seahawks and Smith. The latter won out the team’s preseason QB competition (something he was not expected to do), and wound up playing every snap of the season en route to a Pro Bowl nod and multiple franchise passing records. His performance in Seattle’s Wild-Card loss to San Francisco – in which he committed two turnovers – did not dissuade the team from attempting to keep him in 2023 and beyond.

“He had an excellent game for us in that game,” Carroll said, via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. “And even though the turnovers happened… he played really well just to show you again that he’s on it and we got our guy. We need to hopefully work things out so he’s with us… There’s business to be done there, of course. But there’s really no lid to what we can do. The sky’s the limit. That, along with returning him with his leadership factor that he had, he’s a big deal to us, and I just couldn’t be more tickled by the way the whole thing turned out and how he handled it. And really as we look to the future, he’s a big part of why we look to the future more promisingly.”

Smith played out the 2022 season on a one-year, $3.5MM contract; incentives allowed him to double his earnings for the year. He will significantly outpace that figure on a new contract of any kind this offseason, though his uninspiring stint as a starter with the Jets, and the years spent strictly as a backup which followed, make the 32-year-old an interesting case study. Seattle also has the option of using the franchise tag to keep in him place on a one-year deal (or at least extend the window to continue negotiations into July).

Talks between the sides come against the backdrop of backup Drew Lock also heading into free agency. The former Broncos second-rounder was expected to win the summer QB competition, but wound up sitting the entire campaign due to Smith’s success. Carroll doubled down on his compliments of Lock, repeating that he hopes to have the 26-year-old back in the Emerald City next year.

By virtue of the Russell Wilson trade, however, Seattle owns the fifth overall pick in the upcoming draft. That could provide the team with an opportunity to land a long-term answer at the position, something which may be less likely now than it would have seemed before the campaign. Carroll nevertheless called this year’s class of passers “extraordinary” and acknowledged the rarity of having the draft capital the team currently does as it relates to drafting franchise QBs.

Regardless of the Seahawks’ plans down the road, their ability to keep Smith under contract for at least 2023 is shaping up to be their top offseason priority. Their success in the negotiations to come will likely dictate their other moves in free agency and the draft.

Giants, Saints Pursued Russell Wilson; Seahawks Staffers Viewed QB As Declining

September 7th, 2022 at 12:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

Two teams that wound up on Russell Wilson‘s list of acceptable destinations last year indeed pursued him in 2022. The Giants and Saints were among the teams to discuss the perennial Pro Bowl quarterback with the Seahawks, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com reports.

The Saints appear to have advanced further during this year’s trade talks. Seattle, however, knew Denver had become Wilson’s preference, so the team kept New Orleans in the mix to prompt an improved Broncos offer. It is unclear if the Broncos did so, as Wilson’s no-trade clause could block a Saints move. The 11th-year veteran’s initial destination list included New Orleans, along with Chicago, Dallas and Las Vegas. Of course, the Saints saw a rather notable change take place this year; Sean Payton walked away after 16 seasons. But Wilson became set on Denver this year.

Seahawks GM John Schneider, who initiated trade talks with the Broncos by texting George Paton at the Senior Bowl, apologized to the non-Broncos teams whom he told Wilson was not available. The Broncos had also become the Seahawks’ preferred trade partner, per Henderson, who writes in an expansive piece Schneider’s interest in Drew Lock drove that effort. Lock, whom Schneider was fond of ahead of the 2019 draft, will begin the season as Geno Smith‘s backup.

New Orleans, which later became a Deshaun Watson finalist, pivoted back to Jameis Winston after the Browns’ $230MM fully guaranteed offer changed Watson’s mind on a Cleveland stay. The Giants, who joined the Broncos in emerging as an acceptable Wilson landing spot late last year, will give Daniel Jones a final chance. The Commanders, who offered three first-round picks and change for Wilson, also joined the Browns, Eagles and Panthers in a wide-ranging Wilson pursuit.

Much of the gradual decay in the Seahawks-Wilson relationship has come out, but Henderson offered one reason Seattle was OK moving on. Although this divorce might not have happened had Wilson and Pete Carroll not butted heads continually during the early 2020s, multiple Seahawks front office staffers believed Wilson was in decline.

The nine-time Pro Bowler’s issues with the Seahawks ranged from Carroll’s run-first philosophy to the team’s offseason efforts — particularly along its offensive line — to fortify a contender, and the Broncos look to agree with Wilson that the Seahawks held him back. No team ran the ball more from 2012-21 than Seattle, and Henderson adds the Seahawks ranked 29th in designed pass-play rate over that time. The Seahawks, conversely, had come to view free agent O-linemen as overpaid commodities, per Henderson. During Wilson’s time on expensive contracts, the team did acquire Duane Brown and Gabe Jackson via trade.

Wilson’s 57.7 QBR ranks 11th in the NFL over the past 25 games, a stretch that began with a 2020 midseason dip following an explosive start. Wilson struggled after that hot, oft-labeled “Let Russ Cook” intro to the ’20 season and did not play well in the weeks following his 2021 finger surgery. He did fare better to close the 2021 season, however. Anonymous executives tabbed Wilson eighth among quarterbacks in both The Athletic’s annual quarterback tiers project and in an ESPN.com poll ranking each position. Although certain Seahawks coaches disagreed the 33-year-old passer was declining, the team moved on in March by picking up eight assets — including Lock, Shelby Harris, Noah Fant and two first-round picks — for the likely Hall of Fame-bound player.

Wilson has since signed a five-year, $245MM Broncos contract ($124MM fully guaranteed — second only to Watson’s outlay) and will attempt to craft a memorable second act. The Seahawks, who were reluctant to go through a third round of Wilson extension talks or pay the new going rate to the talented QB, are likely to be connected to 2023 first-round passers. If the franchise does go that route, it would not need to discuss a quarterback extension for at least four years.

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