I have taken alot heat of heat for stating that I think that the Hawks are rebuilding...funny thing is that the Ruskell statements in the Times today almost confirm that is what they are doing...he is talking about a team two years down the road and how everyone will say what a great draft this was! Maybe i have just been a Seahawk fan for to long ...but this sounds very similar to what Holmy said 6 years ago! I hope that this time the front office is right...thats what most of you dont understand is that I want to be wrong! But unlike Randy...its not my nature to be a cheer leader regardless of whats going on.So ...we have gone to the playoff's the last 2 years and we were maybe one or two players away from making a great run...my question is ..do we believe that this team right now is better then last years? and will the coach's be able to get them to gel? What happens if they dont make the playoff's? or lose in the first round again? How long are you willing to go in this direction and with Holmy? My point is regardless of the draft and FA's that were brought in this team needs to win now ..not in two or three years!
Ruskell is trying to take the pressure off this team ..is that a good thing? My old boss once told me that pressure was needed to keep people focused and working as hard as they can. he also told me that in this world "you either apply pressure or you feel it". So what will the Hawks do this year? we know last year they felt it and crumbled.
So what now???
GOX - I was in posting my fluff article on the new SeaGals, so I took the liberty of adding a graphic to your post, and correcting the spelling of our new President's name. I hope you don't mind.
ReplyDeleteNow, I chose this picture of Matt to go along with your post since I think it properly depicts your emotional reaction to the draft.
Don't forget we started 3-0 last year, albeit against mediocre teams, but we had a really good defensive unit before it started crumbling with injury.
We did lose Chike, Ken, and Huff from that defense, but the additions of Sharper, Dyson, Herndon, and Fisher should more than make up for it, so we really didn't need to draft immediate starters on defense.
The term "rebuilding" brings so much baggage with it, and is definitely NOT what the Seahawks are doing.
Teams that are rebuilding let their talented veterans go. We didn't throw a ton of money at Hass, Jones, and franchise Shaun so we could rebuild.
Ruskell's comments about the future is that expects this team to be good THIS season, but not ONLY for this season.
He's not willing to mortgage the farm for ONE shot at a title, but rather invest wisely to hopefully take several shots at it in the coming years.
The "gold standard" that every club measures themselves against is the Patriots.
They've been able to reload each year and continue to make runs at the title (very successfully, I might add!) by investing in good young talent and getting them experience before they're needed to be called upon to make a difference in a game.
They also groom this young talent to be ready when it's time to say good-bye to a seasoned veteran who may be out-earning his value to the team, like they did this season with Troy Brown, and unfortunately, we had to do with Chad Brown.
I think if we bundled a bunch of picks to trade up and get the marquee defender we all craved, we'd proabably all be complaining today about wasting our basket of draft picks on ONE guy, and not building the depth we need for the long haul.
It's too soon to judge anything by this draft. And it's certainly no indication that we're rebuilding.
I do remember Holmy getting rid of some vets, like Tez, but I don't remember him bringing in the caliber of free agents to replace them, like we've done this year.
ReplyDeleteHolmy attempt was to "buy" older guys with no gas left in the tank, like Kirkland and Randall.
The Holmy purge was to get out from under a bad cap situation leftover from Ericson, and the rebuilding was done by "buying" older guys with no gas left in the tank, like Kirkland and Randall, and through draft picks that were expected to come in and shine right away.
The difference this year is that we're investing in free agents that hopefully will reach their peak of maturity (both physical and financial) during their Seahawks tenure, and bringing in draft picks to contribute strategically now, and more directly down the road.
The flip side of the coin that you suggested GOX is that maybe the team is so OK with the current roster that they felt no need to reach for starters and instead focused on adding depth to what they feel is a playoff caliber team. I'm not suggesting that I wasn't a bit dissapointed with the draft I was. But in hindsight, and after hearing what the FO was thinking of doing with these guys when they picked them I am beginning to warm up to this draft quite a bit. TE Jackson will be a 269 LB fullback, that sounds almost scary. $th round pick OL only dropped because of injuries in college and they are looking at him as a starter this season. Spencer will be a monster for years to come. He was the highest rated center on everyones board. Tatupu might be the biggest surprise of all. While I still think we could have gotten him in the third without trading away two routh round picks to get him, he may end up being the one guy in this draft we will all come to love the most. Just read what his teammates at USC say about him, just read about the path he took to make it here and I am convinced that he is a LB with the will and heart that it takes to make an impact on this team. People have been comparing him to Zack Thomas, I like that.
ReplyDeleteGranted this was not what I expected, and I was flying through the roof on draft day but I for one will wait and see. Ruskell has shown me that he has a plan, a plan to change this team from a talented bunch of underachievers into a team with heart, desire and character. This draft certainly infuses this team with just that.
Stopping the run has got to be #1 priority, with Steven Jackson at the Lambs and young studs in the stables at the Cards and 49ers.
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