Quick Thought On The Seahawks Staff Changes
By Keith Myers
I’m excited for Gus Bradley. He’s an outstanding coach and is definitely deserving of a head coaching gig. It’s too bad it’s in Jacksonville though. He has a long rebuild ahead in order to get that team to the point it can contend. There’s talent on that defense, but the offense is a mess and they have no QB.
At the same time I’m excited to get Dan Quinn on board. Quinn appear to be exactly what the Seahawks need to take the next step. He ran the same defense the Seahawks run (they even had a 300+ lb DE) at Florida, and he never didn’t have the 3rd down problems that plagued the Seahawks during Gus Bradley’s tenure.
Ultimately, we wont know if he’ll actually improve the defense until the games start, but I’m confident for now. The only problem is that if the Seahawks defense remains strong for over the next couple seasons, the Seahawks will again be looking for a DC again, because Quinn will be a HC somewhere. Though I’ll admit that it would be a good problem to have.
Dec 1, 2011; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell during the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at CenturyLink Field. The Seahawks defeated the Eagles 31-14. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports
Getting Bevell back is big for the Seahawks. I know he’s not popular, but Bevell is a very good coach. He’s innovative, and puts his players in a position where they can be successful. He simply doesn’t get enough credit for his creative play designs and the new wrinkles he adds every week. Schematically he’s done a good job with the Seahawks offense.
Plus, I think it’s great that Russell Wilson wont have to learn another offense this offseason. I have full faith that he couple have if he’d needed to, but there’s no reason to make him do so if you can avoid it. Continuity, and letting him continue to grow in the current system will only help him be better in 2013.
And finally, it’s tough see a smart guy like John Idzik go. He and John Schneider made a good team. Seattle’s very positive cap situation is directly the result of Idzik’s work on contracts and such. He won’t be easy to replace, even if his impact is tough to notice for most fans.
I am surprised he got the GM job in NY though. It is certainly an interesting move by the Jets. A GM is always defined by their drafts, and Idzik isn’t a scout. Schneider did get Idzik involved in the scouting department to help him pad his resume, but that isn’t his background. His success as a GM will ultimately hinge on his hiring an assistant that will take care of his most important responsibility for him. That’s simply not a recipe for long term success.
At the same time, I think everyone with the Jets knows that. Their cap situation is a mess, especially the Mark Sanchez contract. Idzik was hired to fix that problem and get the roster and cap situation in sync. I’m confident he can do that. Just don’t be surprised if after 3-4 years he’s promoted into a vice president roll so that someone with a scouting background can be brought in.