The Seattle Seahawks value many things, but at the top of the list is culture and chemistry. No team stresses that each player and employee treat their other players and employees with respect more than Seattle. Above all else, disrupting the way the team tries to go about its business is a mistake.
Not that cornerback Terrion Arnold is trying to disrupt things, of course. What he hopes is to land a job after being released in the summer by the Detroit Lions. But if Arnold does sign with Seattle, he should heed the words of star defensive lineman Leonard Williams.
Arnold, you see, is facing some major off-field issues. He has an arraignment hearing scheduled for Thursday that will somewhat address his eight felony counts. Four are for kidnapping, and four are for armed robbery. His future in the NFL hangs in the balance.
Seattle Seahawks leader Leonard Williams has strong words about a potential Terrion Arnold situation
According to ESPN's Brady Henderson, Williams was asked about the possibility of the Seahawks taking a chance on a player with high-degree legal issues, and Williams said, "We have such a culture and way about ourselves here that if you don't fall in line with the way our team is, you're just going to get steamrolled and not fit in, to be honest...If you're not following all of our principles and guidelines, you're going to stand out really easily. You're either just going to fall in line or not end up here."
Williams wasn't calling Arnold out directly, of course, but was specifically addressing the situation that could unfold with the former Lions cornerback. To be clear, at least one member of the Seattle Seahawks organization believes in Terrion Arnold the person, and that is quarterback Jalen Milroe. Milroe and Arnold were roommates at the University of Alabama.
No one knows how good or bad a teammate Arnold can be better than Milroe, but that doesn't disclude that the cornerback could have off-field concerns be a disruption in the Seattle locker room. As Williams said, that kind of thing wouldn't be allowed.
The Seahawks won the Super Bowl last season because of an abundance of talent, but other teams also had elite talent, such as the Los Angeles Rams. What helped propel Seattle toward winning a title was the unity the players felt. The organization is one unit, all working together. That is how general manager John Schneider and head coach Mike Macdonald have built it.
As anyone watching Hard Knocks this summer can attest, building chemistry remains a vital part of what the team does during training camp. Should Arnold be free to play this season and beyond, and should he sign with Seattle, he likely would do so during training camp.
The hope if that happens is that, Arnold proves he is a better person than the charges against him imply, and that he understands his place on the team. To not do so would mean he doesn't stay in the Pacific Northwest very long.
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