Soccer hurts.
It doesn’t simply damage when the Seattle Seahawks lose, though that too, positive. It damages human our bodies, and yearly it seems like one of many convention champions made their run largely as a result of they dodged important accidents greater than the common crew.
Draft luck comes and goes.
Actually no higher instance this millennium exists than the Seahawks, who plucked All-Professional stage gamers out of the late rounds in 2010-2012 like that they had a magic 8-ball, rectangular with stitches throughout one aspect, via which John Schneider may see the long run. Till he abruptly couldn’t, so the wizardry dried up. And with it, the roster, till by the ‘21 offseason, it was obvious the Seahawks star energy was at its dimmest in a decade. The as soon as Olympic pool-depth had evaporated to a puddle.
Poor drafts — for no matter purpose — had left DK Metcalf and possibly Jordyn Brooks because the lone younger franchise constructing blocks.
2022 informed a special story, nonetheless. Armed with extra picks from the Denver Broncos, the Seahawks collared their LT of the long run in spherical 1, RT of the long run in spherical 3, and a few dude who would’ve slot in simply tremendous with the LOB in spherical 5. Plus different contributors up and down the board. NFL.com ranked the Seattle draft third in the entire league. PFF gave them an A-. And that was earlier than Riq Woolen and Co. performed a snap.
The Seahawks had their mojo again, an ascendant trajectory once more, and eventually a hearty serving to of the key sauce that invariably results in true contenderhood: low-cost younger expertise.
Till soccer began to harm once more. Because it does. Now, as a substitute of ready to see if a draft encore is within the playing cards, Seahawks coaches, gamers and followers are left in a lurch introduced on by the worst harm luck I’ve ever seen befall a rookie class. Perhaps we’re all not saved in the dead of night excessively lengthy, as a result of not each setback appears to be like critical. But it surely’s been brutal to observe nonetheless:
The one two Seattle draft picks who didn’t miss time in coaching camp or a preseason recreation are security Jerrick Reed II and guard Anthony Bradford, who himself was held out of necessary minicamp with a head harm.
Snakebitten is sort of too impotent a phrase for what the harm cobra bug hath wrought this preseason. Little doubt in all our minds it’s been very gratifying to observe the Seattle backups outplay their mirrors, and there’s little doubt in my thoughts personally the Seahawks could be undefeated if Pete Carroll had caught with Drew Lock for yet one more drive in Inexperienced Bay. It’s cool why he didn’t although.
Carroll on enjoying Ahlers on the ultimate collection: “Wished him to play. His dad is right here, the entire thing. He is been such an important competitor via this camp. I did not assume he had any much less likelihood of profitable it than anybody else within the recreation.”
— Bob Condotta (@bcondotta) August 26, 2023
On the flip aspect, it’s been ungratifying and exasperating to see one thrilling rookie after one other disadvantaged of their helpful acclimation interval and essential growth time. Preseason is perhaps the most effective avenue to determining how NFL pace compares to school pace (trace: they’re not the identical). You may simulate recreation pace in practices, positive, however you too can simulate learn how to land a aircraft, solely to search out out in actual life it feels a wee bit totally different.
How are we alleged to know if that is the yr, if this explicit infusion of expertise is what pushes the Seahawks to catch the 49ers? After which surpass them, because the prophecy has foretold?
Free prediction: there’ll by no means come one other level in franchise historical past the place Seattle selects the primary nook and the primary huge receiver off the board. It hadn’t occurred in any earlier draft, and the circumstances that might result in it re-occuring are farfetched. It positive could be peachy to get an concept if each blue chips are, in reality, as blue as believed.
Thankfully, JSN appears to be like the a part of a contemporary WR3 already. How about this almost-score once more, however from a cool unique approach:
Seahawks Rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba with an important catch on a crossing route, and nearly takes all of it the way in which to the home.
The Ohio State product does a pleasant job trying Drew Lock throw into the fingers, over the shoulder. pic.twitter.com/RrJa9qAyRp
— Seven Rounds in Heaven (@7RoundsInHeaven) August 20, 2023
JAXON SMITH-VETERA-NJIGBA
— John Fraley (@johndavidfraley) August 20, 2023
He hasn’t performed a snap since my egregiously terrible tweet, however there was each indication in his preseason that his recreation would instantly switch to the subsequent stage.
Nonetheless, the Seahawks will want multiple hit in the event that they wish to reclaim the division throne that’s theirs by birthright.
So what now?
On the return entrance, it’ll be compelling to see which rookies return to full well being in time for Week 1, which guys begin to get their ft moist in Weeks 2 and three, and which unlucky souls should delay their coming-out events till after the Week 5 bye. How secure do the entrance workplace decision-makers play it with their rookies when it’s obvious the crew shall be playoff caliber within the neat future?
What these relentless waves of accidents do do, is give gamers an opportunity who may in any other case have been neglected within the chilly at cutdown time. And that’s cool. Within the universe the place JSN, Dareke Younger and Cade Johnson stay wholesome, does Jake Bobo have a sensible path to WR5? Coronary heart may say sure however intestine says no. Different tremendous fellows who appeared destined for the follow squad — right here or elsewhere — will make the 53. Can’t discover the subsequent diamond within the tough when you don’t look via the tough, in any case.
Apart from, in just a few weeks, it’s very attainable we may look again on this harm spate as a mere pace bump. If Corridor’s shoulder is a nothingburger, if Witherspoon’s hamstring holds up, if Smith-Njigba doesn’t have a setback, if Younger’s calf doesn’t flare up once more, if Morris is that this yr’s fifth-round steal, if McIntosh can ever get on the sphere and win the third-down again job — wow that’s numerous ifs, isn’t it? Hate to begin a playoff-looking season with that many questions.
True Tremendous Bowl aspirations start with the draft. Lasting rivalry requires than one profitable draft. Two excellent courses would come near sealing the deal, and the Seahawks are midway there.
The rookies simply should, you realize, truly play first.
