Pete said in a recent interview on KJR: “I’ve had the good fortune of coaching some really good safeties over the years and there’s reason to believe that this guy can do just about anything the other guys have ever done”. That list of great safeties includes Polamalu, Chancellor and Thomas III. If that is true… WOW.

I’ve mentioned before that there is generally a 50% hit rate on 1st round draft picks. Half of them work out, and the other half don’t. How many of those become 1st team All-Pros at their position? Even less. Combining this notion with a look back at the track record of the Seattle Seahawks’ recent 1st round draft picks: a bird in the hand. An unfortunate reality that is also part of this whole deal is the instability of next year’s draft due to COVID related college football cancellations. We won’t get the chance to see, scout and evaluate the top prospects in next year’s draft in the same way as usual.

If you can recall, the Jets’ division rival Dolphins wanted their GM fired (Fireland) because of not having the huevos to make big moves. Seattle is the exact opposite. Pete Carroll and John Schneider are going for gold and aggressively reimagining their defense the way they want it. Getting Quinton Dunbar, who was graded as the 2nd best corner in the NFL last season by Pro Football Focus, from the Football Team is another thing to be hyped about. We got a lockdown corner instead of a locked up corner. We’ve now got Quandre Diggs (a pro bowler and former Lions team captain) and Jamal Adams (with his All-Pro talents) at safety. We’ve got Shaquill Griffin (another pro bowler) and Dunbar (with his aforementioned PFF grades) at corner, with Tre Flowers and Ugo Amadi having solid starting experience at outside and slot corner (respectively) coming off the bench. Marquise Blair has been impressing as a 2nd round safety converting to slot. This has transformed into a pretty legit secondary.

I imagined a different route to a defensive resurgence, but hey, this front office has earned my trust. Pete wants to stop deep plays, keep everything in front of them with the safeties, freeing up the corners to jam receivers at the line and make aggressive plays to hit ball carriers immediately and create turnovers. That’s his defensive philosophy. Single-high safety (Quandre) cover 3 scheme allowed for more playmakers in the box (that will be Jamal). This defensive framework has led to unprecedented prosperity in the PNW, so we need to ride with our guy while we still have him. Fingers crossed that the young guys can step up to create a pass rush.

It looks like the Hawks will ride with Rasheem Green + L.J.Collier (last year’s 1st round pick who didn’t play) at strong-side defensive end, and possibly kick inside on pass rushing downs. Across the formation, a combo of Bruce Irvin, Benson Mayowa and rookies Darrell Taylor and Alton Robinson will hold down the fort as Leo Edge Rushers, and double up when the strong-side guys move inside. While I’m nervous about this pass rush rotation and it’s lack of a menacing presence, a la Jadeveon Clowney, let’s not overlook the fact that Adams is cheaper this year than McDougald would’ve been (!). That frees up some space to potentially trade (before the season or during) for a player that may come available or who fits a screaming need. Will that be O-line? Will that be pass rush (DE’s or DT’s such as Snacks Harrison & Marcell Dareus)? We can wait to see if Clowney would take $8-12M to chase a trophy… if not, go get someone else. I hate to say it, but if Jordyn Brooks (this year’s surprise 1st round pick) comes along in his development at linebacker, our guy K.J. Wright could be a trade piece that we move during the season to acquire another player/free up cap space. Pete and John are great at evaluating in-season.

The final piece of this is that we not only prevented the fellow NFC-contending Cowboys from unleashing Jamal Adams, but we also successfully stopped the Niners (who we should have a healthy, begrudging respect for) from getting Adams and creating their own version of a neo-L.O.B. PHEW. When you are as consistently good as the Hawks have been, roster construction isn’t just about your team, but also about how you match up with other good teams in your conference. We now have a player that can confidently match up with George Kittle. Remember when Kam Chancellor struck fear into the hearts of the frontrunning Niners and their beast of a tight end a few years back? That helped to usher in a near decade of Seahawks dominance in the NFC West. When you see a bad dude get punked by an even badder dude, it changes the whole tone of the contest. Guys feed off of that energy. Jamal Adams plays the same position, and has the ability to rival Kam’s exploits… no cap.

Now, there could be an acclimation period, with no rookie camp, team minicamps, OTA’s, preseason or extended training camp this year for our defense to get on the same page. Either way, Pete and John have infused talent and energy into this entire team. No risk-it, no biscuit. Jamal Adams could very well be a culture-shifting game-wrecker all over the field who helps to galvanize this defense. We just brought another serious piece with a dawg mentality to the fight because Pete and John play to win. Is it possible that someday when we look back at Pete Carroll’s legacy in Seattle, that we’ll talk about the old and new testaments of the L.O.B.?? We can only hope that our defense lives up to all of its potential. Pete always gives us a swinging chance to be great. Russ is ready and just hitting his prime. If we can win the division, our team has the swagger and the magic to make it to another Super Bowl. I said it. I’m talkin’ really big rings.

Seattle Seahawks order of needs (as it stands):

• Defensive End

• Corner (competition)
• Offensive Tackle
• Defensive Tackle (rotational)
• Center
• Running Back
• Outside Linebacker
• Quarterback

Free Agent Targets:

Ndamukong Suh, Michael Pierce, Timmy Jernigan, Alex Collins, P.J. Walker, Jimmy Smith, Ronald Darby, Daryl Worley, De’Vondre Campbell

So, if defensive end is our most pressing need by far, then why don’t I have Jadeveon Clowney listed in my Free Agent Targets section? As much as I loved the move to get Jadeveon Clowney in a trade, I think that it may be a good idea to consider a different option at this point. While it may sound crazy at first, I think that the Seahawks should let Clowney join another team in free agency and make a blockbuster trade for Yannick Nicolas Ngakoue of the Jacksonville Jaguars. I’m in the minority here but let me explain.

The first stat that I’ll throw out there is that Yannick Ngakoue has 37.5 sacks over the last 4 years for the Jaguars, without any season total lower than 8. I want to let you know that this means he has been very good at dropping QB’s. For comparison’s sake, Von Miller has 46 sacks the last 4 years. Jadeveon Clowney (who had 3 sacks this past year) has 27.5 sacks in the last 4 years, and 29 sacks in his 4 final years with the Houston Texans. Believe it or not, Clowney has never registered double digit sacks in a season in the NFL. Clowney is a former #1 overall pick in the first round with name recognition. Ngakoue is a former 3rd-round pick. While we can begin to try to justify with points about there being differences from team to scheme, Yannick has taken advantage of opportunities at every point.

But… but! What about everything we’ve invested in Clowney??

Jadeveon Clowney was a nice roll of the dice that didn’t quite land as the Seahawks had hoped. Luckily, we took advantage of the GM-less Texans to not have to give up much to get him (sound familiar?) The real beauty of the Clowney trade is that if he walks in free agency, we can quite possibly recoup the 3rd round pick that we traded for him in the compensatory draft! Seahawks GM, John Schneider doesn’t just do this for praise: he is a shrewd businessman with eyes always to the future who takes calculated shots. He’s also rolled the dice on Marshawn Lynch, Percy Harvin, Jimmy Graham, and Sheldon Richardson.

Ultimately, it’s been speculated that Jadeveon may be better suited standing up as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 defensive scheme. Yannick Ngakoue is a designated pass rusher (DPR) who has the chance to be great in the right scheme! Ngakoue was a part of that great ‘Sacksonville”, “Teal Curtain” defense from a couple years ago. He’s already been a consistent producer who outproduced a former 1st round pick (Dante Fowler). He’s made it known that he doesn’t want to continue to play in Jacksonville. He’s just entering his prime and eerily reminds me of a Michael Bennett or Cliff Avril type of addition.

You know the names, but they are not superstars. They are young, ascending pass rushers with time to develop. That’s Yannick. BUT, in his 4 years with the Jags, Yannick has more than double the count of sacks that Bennett had in his 4 years with the Bucs prior to signing in Seattle. Now, Ngakoue was drafted in the 3rd round while Bennett was undrafted… but with Yannick, there is added security since he’s been ballin’ since day 1. I don’t care if it takes a 1st and a 2nd (what we got for Frank Clark) … go get this young bull!! See if I care… We have two 2nds, so there!

It would be nice if, like Dee Ford, this trade would only cost a 2nd. The good/bad news is that Ngakoue has been WAY more consistent than Ford was prior to his trade. Imagine if the compensation is a 1st and a 3rd: We’d most likely get a 3rd back for Clowney walking, and we basically will have only had to give up a 1st round pick (and look better than the Chiefs)! First round picks generally have about a 50% success rate. I’d rather have a young, proven option than take the next confusing Seahawks pick behind door #3 and hoping he doesn’t redshirt like L.J. Collier. A lethal pass rush would take our defense (and, quite possibly the play of our secondary) to the next level. Pete Carroll knows this well.

I’ve heard talk of targeting Everson Griffen, formerly of the Vikings. Pete coached him in college, and could convince him to throw his purple in the sky like a toxic ex. He may be nearing the end of his career and has had some personal issues to work through in the recent past. That may not be the best fit for what this team is currently building. Targeting Jadeveon Clowney has the potential to initiate this whole dance again next year. There are rumors that his lack of a mega contract offer this year makes him want to take a 1-year deal so that he can raise his value and hit the market again in 2021. Yannick may be more amenable to starting over and signing a long-term deal. We want someone who is trying to invest in what we are building. Ask Sherman and Bennett.

We are, of course, not the only team that would be interested in Ngakoue’s services. If we get involved in a bidding war with say, the Bills, Dolphins and Giants, John Schneider may bow out. Even in that scenario, let’s remember that proven pass rushers who are just hitting their prime don’t usually come available. It may be time to follow Lil Jon’s advice and take another shot. Adding a player that could be the catalyst to a lasting defensive revitalization in Seattle should be a priority. Yannick Ngakoue feels like the kind of consistent, driven and prototypical defensive end who the Seahawks would love to deploy. He feels like a guy that belongs in blue and action green.