Seahawks…What a difference a year makes
Dec 23, 2012, Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider looks at the Seahawks bench in between during the fourth quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Given the Seahawks lofty status of playoff team and being ranked as the 2013 preseason NFL’s best team, it’s easy to forget where this team stood last year at this time, a week before the draft. Here we are in mid April again, wondering who the Seahawks may draft starting with the second round after having traded their first round pick to Minnesota for Percy Harvin. The Seahawks are widely said to have “won” free agency after having gone blow for blow with the San Francisco 49ers in signing big name players. And the likely answer to the question; “who will the team pick in the second round”?, is a resounding – “Who cares? Let’s PLAY”!
The team has already improved itself so much that any player they pick up in the draft will be the sprinkles on the frosting of the cake. In one year the team has gone from just recently having achieved the “respectable” moniker, to “Super Bowl favorite”, and that’s BEFORE the 2013 draft even takes place! There is really some question as to whether any draft picks will even make the team. While the draft may seem a bit anti-climactic after the free agency blitz the team just put on, just remember it was exactly a year ago we were almost positive Matt Flynn would be the Hawk’s starting quarterback in 2012. In other words, with John Schneider and Pete Carroll calling the shots, expect the unexpected. Expect a player or three who can not only make this team, but who can make this team better.
Just for fun, let’s review a few stories Seahawks fans were reading and hearing about their team exactly one year ago.
– Fans of the Seahawks were being told by football writers that;
– We should take heart in the fact that although the Seahawks started 2011 with a 2-6 record, they finished well with a 5-3 record and matched their 2010 mark of 7-9.
– The Seahawks of 2011 were competitive in all but one of their losses.
– The Seahawks had released their big 2011 free agency catch Robert Gallery.
– Excitement for the “two tight end set” grew with the signing of tight end Kellen Winslow from Tampa Bay.
– The team had released and re-signed Marcus Trufant.
– The team was happy to have locked up Marshawn Lynch for the next 4 years and Red Bryant for 5 years.
– Breno Giacomini had done such a good job filling in at right tackle for the injured first rounder James Carpenter, he was re-signed and talk began of moving Carpenter to the guard position.
– The names Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor, Brandon Browner, and Earl Thomas were not yet “household names”, much less the “best secondary in football”.
– Matt Flynn was the “crown jewel” of the Seahawks free agent class. His position with the team would require him to beat out Tavaris Jackson and whatever rookie quarterback the team may pick up in the 2012 draft. Consensus was the QB job was Flynn’s to lose. Nobody, except for a few die hard college football junkies or Wisconsin fans had ever heard of Russell Wilson…
Seahawks fans should understand it’s OK be excited about the 2013 draft, even without a first round pick. Last year the team picked up a franchise quarterback, a starting linebacker, an excellent backup running back, and a starting offensive lineman converted from defense…all AFTER the first round.