Pocic is currently the starting center

[Michael K.]

article from back when they signed Finney, remember this from it talking about arm length. Anyway, the guy claims the contract, even though its for $8mil looks like a contract the Hawks give to depth pieces.



https://www.fieldgulls.com/2020/4/15/21 ... itt-iupati

Sounds exactly like what I have been complaining about. We signed a bunch of depth guys, just a bunch of guys, instead of adding a stud. I’d rather have Conklin and Badass along with Lewis then Lewis and all the scrubs we paid. No way we paid $8 million for a guy we thought couldn’t beat out the guy that couldn’t beat out Joey Hunt!

Dude - all you do is complain. Every move Seattle makes is the Hindenburg crashing and burning to you. Have you ever had anything positive to say - I mean like, ever?

WHy should I repeat it again for you? All you respond to is when someone says something negative. I have many times said what I like, I just don't have any worries about saying what I don't like, and having someone like you bitch at me about it isn't going to change that.

So, in your opinion, the right move was to cut a bunch of guys we already had, sign a bunch of backups from other teams, one guy that didn't eve play a fucking snap last year, draft one Guard and call it good on the O line? Why does my opinion matter so much to you? If I am wrong, great! I have been in the past and I've admitted to it. I've been right more than I was wrong, but guys like you don't have to worry about that. You get to bitch all you want and call it objective...throw in a few praises, bitch and DT and me and then claim your Hawk is bigger.

Debate my point, for once in your fucking life. Not with wins and losses, because a thousand times I have told you my issue. They are NOT surrounding Wilson with what it takes to maximize his talents. He is almost always THE reason we win. There was ZERO reason for a team lead by Russ at QB to always be in close games in the 4th quarter, often times trailing, and definitely ZERO reason for us to be in about year six of an Offensive Line rebuild. I don't think throwing six scrubs at the problem solves it. I guess you do.

[Michael K.]

By the way I praised the Josh Gordon signing, loved the move for Adams and Dunbar, liked just about every draft pick besides our first one and have had good things to say about adding Olsen. I have been on record to saying that, more than enough times for you to have read it. You just ignore that because I am pissed that our two biggest weaknesses from last year, O Line and D Line, are IMO not any better.

[D-train]

article from back when they signed Finney, remember this from it talking about arm length. Anyway, the guy claims the contract, even though its for $8mil looks like a contract the Hawks give to depth pieces.



https://www.fieldgulls.com/2020/4/15/21 ... itt-iupati

Sounds exactly like what I have been complaining about. We signed a bunch of depth guys, just a bunch of guys, instead of adding a stud. I’d rather have Conklin and Badass along with Lewis then Lewis and all the scrubs we paid. No way we paid $8 million for a guy we thought couldn’t beat out the guy that couldn’t beat out Joey Hunt!

Dude - all you do is complain. Every move Seattle makes is the Hindenburg crashing and burning to you. Have you ever had anything positive to say - I mean like, ever?

I do. I thought the Jamal Adams was the best move the the entire off season in the entire NFL.

[Michael K.]

they seem high on Brandon Shell

"It might be my favorite acquisition because he looks so much the part," Carroll said. "He's a big kid, has good body control – there hasn't been a thing about him that hasn't looked good. His consistency and his technique is really a joy to see. I think he's going to be really good. He can get downfield. He can get off the edge and block. He's stout in pass protection so far."

Shell is listed at 6-foot-5 and 324 pounds, so he's certainly imposing from that standpoint.

"He's physical enough to be dominant," Carroll said. "I'm really fired up about that."

This entire thing just feels like the old days when we added guys like Webb, and other below average FAs, added a ton of them and thought that adding more shit to the pile would change the fact that it was a pile of shit!

I hope you are right. If he is the answer at RT, that is great. I am high on Lewis, always had high hopes for Iupati....find a Center and we are in good shape. I just have doubts because I have seen all of this before.

[Michael K.]

By the way I praised the Josh Gordon signing, loved the move for Adams and Dunbar, liked just about every draft pick besides our first one and have had good things to say about adding Olsen. I have been on record to saying that, more than enough times for you to have read it. You just ignore that because I am pissed that our two biggest weaknesses from last year, O Line and D Line, are IMO not any better.

Odd that this doesn’t get a response from Aurora. I’m sure the next thing I post that isn’t about what I like will draw His ire, and I will be once again be told how I hate everything....while he posts win loss records, again.

Why the fuck do you come out of hiding just long enough to sling insults at me, then limp away again?

[D-train]

By Bob Condotta
Seattle Times staff reporter
The Seahawks were off Thursday following their second of two CenturyLink Field mock games Wednesday. They’ll hold another mock game at the VMAC in Renton on Sunday and — believe it or not — start preparing for the 2020 season, which they will begin Sept. 13 at Atlanta.

The day off is a good time to answer some reader questions. So, away we go.

Q: @DMetGawd asked: Will we have dead cap if we cut (B.J.) Finney? Signing (Justin) Britt and putting Finney’s money towards (Jadeveon) Clowney would be ideal.

A: It’s a nice thought.

But the Seahawks can’t save any money this year in regards to Finney.

The Seahawks signed Finney in March to a two-year deal worth up to $8 million with $4.5 million guaranteed (figures from OvertheCap.com).

All of that guaranteed money counts as dead money against the cap this year, so there’s nothing to be gained by cutting Finney, which is why he’s almost certainly going to be on the roster.

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The team gave Finney that deal thinking he could take over for Britt as the starting center. That was one reason why the Seahawks cut Britt in April, saving $8.5 million against the cap (another reason was that it was unclear if Britt would be healthy after he suffered an ACL injury Oct. 27).

While much of Finney’s experience in four years with the Steelers came at guard, he got three starts at center late last season. Those games undoubtedly convinced the Seahawks he would be a viable candidate to start at center for them this year (two of those came in Pittsburgh wins against the Browns and Bengals).

But Finney has struggled to take over the spot, and 2017 second-round pick Ethan Pocic has been running with the first unit consistently as Seahawks coach Pete Carroll acknowledged again after Wednesday’s mock game.

Carroll noted there are still two weeks for the competition to continue and he wasn’t ruling out Finney emerging. Carroll said, for now, the team is going with Pocic because he has more experience in the offense.

“He’s just learning the system,” Carroll said of Finney on Wednesday. “It’s just catching up and making sure he’s playing fast and helping the guys around him play well.”

As for Britt, the Seahawks gave him a tryout earlier this week, but that was thought to be in large part to gauge where he is in his recovery. The Seahawks made no signings on Thursday, so it’s unclear if a move with Britt is imminent (or one for receiver Paul Richardson, who was also listed as working out Wednesday).

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But obviously if Britt signs there is more competition for Finney to find a way to make an impact this season. The Seahawks also have Kyle Fuller playing center, though his situation is complicated since he will be suspended for the first two games for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy. That’s another reason Finney will hang around, since unless Britt signs, Finney would be the only other center on the roster for the first two games.

Finney could slide to guard, but the Seahawks’ guard spots appear set with Mike Iupati on the left side and Damien Lewis on the right. They also have capable backups in Jordan Simmons and Jamarco Jones, and has Phil Haynes there, as well.

So yes, the Seahawks could be paying a lot of money for Finney to be a backup swing interior offensive lineman.

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As for Clowney, the issue was never really cap space. The Seahawks had more than enough cap space to pay Clowney what they thought he was worth. Clowney wanted more than they wanted to pay him. I don’t think anything has changed there.

Q: @Jurgen_Meyer asked: Who is the starting center week 1?

A: Pocic.

With no offseason program and no preseason games, deciding on a starting five to begin getting the comfort needed for in-game communication is more vital than ever.

With Pocic having settled in as the starter and the regular season just 17 days away, it seems likely the Seahawks will want to keep the starting five it has, even if Carroll is publicly saying that things could still change.

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“He played everything in college (LSU), but mostly at center — where I though the looked the best,” Carroll said last week of Pocic. “He had a fantastic offseason. He’s as primed as he’s been.”

[Donn Beach]

Gregg Bell speaking about Finney

What’s happened to him this month?

“He’s just learning the system, you know,” Carroll said. “It’s just catching up and making sure he’s playing fast and helping the guys around him play well.

“Ethan’s been around us a long time and he’s a little bit ahead in that regard. But B.J.’s going to get it done. We’re just not forcing it at him with the first group as he’s learning, because I’m trying to, I want good continuity with the guards and the whole group, and for Russ. So it’s a little more in Ethan’s favor in that regard.

“But we’ve got two full weeks to go (before the opener). He’s done really well. He’s really applying himself. He’s capable. He’s going to handle it all. Just, I didn’t think we should go through his learning curve for Russ and the other fellas when we are really trying to get together on the offensive line at this point.”

Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer elaborated on Finney’s struggles learning Seattle’s offense. He mentioned Finney has struggled picking up all of the offense, which is different in terminology, play calls, audibles with Wilson and blocking schemes than what he ran for four years with Pittsburgh.

Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer says the Seahawks are set at left tackle and guard with veterans Duane Brown and Mike Iupati. Damien Lewis is in at right guard.

The Seahawks are learning center is the one position on the line that is not just plug in from another system and play. There’s a reason Wilson has had only two full-time centers in his career: Max Unger and Britt.

“B.J., it’s hard, right? You are coming in and you are trying to learn the system,” Schottenheimer said Tuesday. “As a center I would say it has probably the hardest on him.

“Not because he’s not learning it, but he’s got the most to learn of all those guys.”

[D-train]

Great that it only took them 11 seasons to learn this.

The Seahawks are learning center is the one position on the line that is not just plug in from another system and play.

[Donn Beach]

if you aren't going to bring in someone from another system what do you do? Play Britt or Pocic

[Sibelius Hindemith]

I've never seen a front office that was more clueless with regard to building an offensive line than this one. And they wouldn't even be talking to Britt if they had any confidence in Pocic.