Seattle Seahawks Kevin Smith’s Success Story

Competition is everything with the Seattle Seahawks.  That was proven once again when wide receiver Kevin Smith was promoted from the practice squad to the 53-man roster after the Seahawks released Chris Matthews.  To be a part of the best roster in the league takes true grit and determination, and to see Kevin Smith succeed is a great story.

The road hasn’t been easy for Smith, as he had to work his way up to make the roster with the Seahawks.  After playing at the University of Washington he went undrafted in the 2014 NFL draft.  He had stints with Arizona and Jacksonville before spending training camp with the Seahawks in 2014.  He wasn’t able to crack the Seahawks’ roster and was cut for a third time.

Smith went back home to Los Angeles and found a job working for FedEx.  Failure was never an option for Smith; instead, getting cut seemed to fuel his hunger to succeed.  He never gave up on his dream of playing in the NFL, and the Seahawks rewarded that effort with a contract in February of 2015.

Kevin Smith showed up at training camp as a man on a mission to prove the doubters wrong.  He stood out right away with his knack for making big plays.  Smith showed he can play all wide receiver positions and was a standout on special teams.  He was part of the final cuts, but was signed back on the practice squad.

Smith was rewarded for his hard work in practice, and on November 17 he was promoted to the 53-man roster.  He was active in his first game against the 49ers and got his first career reception for 21 yards last Sunday vs the Pittsburgh Steelers.  It was a huge catch at a big moment in the game.  He almost had another catch in the end zone on a 2-point conversion attempt.

Smith’s success story in the NFL has just begun.  From being cut three times to working early mornings at FedEx and now making an impact for the Seattle Seahawks, he has shown that he is a relentless competitor. Kevin Smith has been able to overcome adversity, and he is a great example to all of us how hard work pays off and to never give up on your dreams.  Watch out for Smith to keep showing up and making big time plays as the Seahawks make a playoff run.

Winning is Fun

Wow.  What a crazy game. What a stressful game. But, what a HUGE win. This team battled the whole way through. They did not give up and came away with a big victory at the end of the day. A few highlights from yesterday’s win:

Russell Wilson had the best game of his career. He threw for 5 TD’s and came up clutch with several 3rd and longs. He also battled through having the flu and, on his birthday, stepped up and played like a star. Big time performance.

Doug Baldwin is so underrated. He has been extremely clutch over the past few years and yesterday proved once again how important he is. His game clinching touchdown was a perfect example. Hardly pedestrian.

DeShawn Shead played very well in his first start in place of Cary Williams. He was tested as much as you possibly can against Big Ben, responded well and made some nice plays. Competition is everything and he stepped up to the challenge.

Having Jeremy Lane back is an amazing story. During the Super Bowl he suffered a torn ACL and a compound wrist fracture. In his first game back he gets a huge interception and almost returns it back for a TD. He is only going to get better.

This was the first game in the Russell Wilson era that the Seahawks have won a game when the defense has given up 25+ points. That’s huge for the offense as a whole and a big step forward. When the defense struggled the offense came through and showed what they can do.

Next week will be another big game against the Vikings. The Seahawks will slow down Adrian Peterson and pressure the heck out of Teddy Bridgewater. The offense will continue to keep rolling and make big plays.

This season is just starting folks, and it’s about to get fun.

twitter: @dstobbe11

Never Finished

The Seattle Seahawks are still the most talented team in the National Football League.  When you have been to back-to-back Super Bowls and you have such a talented roster it seems that anything less than a Super Bowl victory in February is a disappointment.  When you have high expectations, you can be set up for a letdown.  This season has had its share of crushing losses as we have watched as the Seahawks crumble in the 4^th quarter of games.  I believe thus far the lack of success has had less to do with the talent on the Seahawks and more to do with the mental toughness of the individuals that play for the team.  Beating the 49ers was a great step in the right direction.

Today I faced my fear and watched Super Bowl 49 from start to finish.  I could write a book on the psychological aspect of a team going forward after losing a Super Bowl in the fashion that they did.  This season we have witnessed the Seahawks lack of confidence and trust in each other, especially at the end of games.  Instead of the 4^th quarter being an opportunity to dominate, this team has looked scared of making a mistake and overthinking instead of making a play.  As much as I hate talking about the Super Bowl, I truly believe it can be used as a way to motivate and make the Seahawks a stronger team.  But, it can also be something that could cause a team to crumble and fall apart in times of adversity.

I can be annoyingly optimistic about the Seattle Seahawks even in tough circumstances, but I truly believe the Seahawks will get into the playoffs and make a run. Pete Carroll has worked hard to developed a winning culture, and it will continue.  If the Seahawks choose to use the adversity from the tough losses to make them stronger as a unit, then they will be hard to stop.  Love Our Brothers (LOB) is one of the many mottos of this team and in order to start to making some noise they will need to come together and start playing for each other.  If they can do that, we will see the team that we all know and get excited about.  This season is far from over.

twitter: @dstobbe11

 

Will Jared Allen sign with the Seahawks?

He was supposed to make his decision over the weekend, and the weekend is basically over. And, there is no new Jared Allen news. Seahawks fans are still waiting and hoping that Allen signs with Seattle.

It seems as if the Seahawks have the upper hand. Jared Allen visited Seattle two times within a week. There were also reports that he was close to a deal on Thursday, but a couple hours later those reports were denied and they said he would now make his decision on the weekend.

Jared Allen doesn’t want to be a situational pass rusher. He wants to be a full time player for a team and he wants to get paid good money. If he signed with Seattle he would have a role similarly to the one Chris Clemons had. But, I don’t know if he would be a full time player and I’m also not sure if the Seahawks can pay Allen enough money.

But, this really seems to be a great fit for Allen. He is nearing 32 years old, but still can play at a very high level. The Seahawks have had very good recent success with defensive lineman. Pass rushers especially seem to have success, because of the very loud 12th Man and the All-Pro secondary. And, Jared Allen would be joining the reigning World Champions and a team that will be contending for another Super Bowl ring.

So we wait and hope that Jared Allen decides to sign with the Seattle Seahawks. He would be a lot of fun to watch on the Seahawks defense and would make an elite defense even better. So does he choose to play for a Super Bowl contending team (Seahawks) or does he take more money to play for a less talented team. I think we will hear a decision by tomorrow. Go Hawks!!!

Seattle Seahawks Position Battle: Left Guard

The left guard is one of the few positions on the Seahawks roster that has a bit of uncertainty. The Seahawks still have James Carpenter, who split the duties this year with FA Paul McQuistan. But, the position could use an upgrade from last year. One thing I know for sure is that there will be some serious competition during training camp at the left guard position. Here are the players that will be competing.

James Carpenter: Carpenter is going into the final year of his contract with the Seahawks. This may mean some extra motivation to have a good year. Carpenter has been solid for the Seahawks over the past few years, but not elite. James Carpenter is still only 24 years old and has the potential to become a full time starter. It will be interesting to see if he will step up this coming year and show that the coaches that he can start at left guard.

Michael Bowie: Bowie started in the Seahawks playoff game against the New Orleans Saints and did a very good job. He also started several games at right tackle when the injury bug hit the Seahawks offensive line. Right now the popular pick for replacing Breno Giacomini at right tackle is Michael Bowie. But, Alvin Bailey can also play right tackle. He played in many games for the Seahawks and played 16 snaps in Super Bowl as an extra blocker usually for run plays. If Michael Bowie doesn’t end up filling in at right tackle, then he would compete and have a very good chance to start at left guard.

Greg Van Roten: Van Roten has been on the Green Bay Packers roster for two years. In 2012 he was on the practice roster until week 5, when he was bumped up to the active roster and was the Packers backup center and guard. He also got a few snaps as an extra blocker in the Packers playoff game against Minnesota on Jan. 5 2013. Tom Cable does a great job at getting the best out of his offensive linemen and I believe that Van Roten in his third year in the NFL, will compete for a position at left guard for the Seahawks.

Stephen Schilling: The Seahawks latest FA grew up in Bellevue, Washington and has had some experience playing left guard for the San Diego Chargers. In 2011 during his rookie year he actually started two games. Since then he has gotten action in several games as a backup. Schilling went to the University of Michigan and was projected to go in the 4th-5th round in the draft. He ended up getting picked by the Chargers in the sixth round. Watch for Schilling to stand out during training camp. He is a kid with a lot of potential that hasn’t gotten a full opportunity yet.

Jared Smith: Smith was drafted in the seventh round last year. He played DT in college, but just like JR Sweezy the Seahawks coaching staff decided to change his position to offensive guard. He will provide depth to the position, but I wouldn’t expect Smith to challenge for the starting spot quiet yet. But, who knows… competition will bring the best out of any player and I will never say never to any player on the Seahawks roster as long as Pete Carroll is the coach and John Schneider is the GM.

Draft Pick: The Seahawks could decide to draft a player with their first round pick or maybe one of their mid-round picks. If they do decide to draft an offensive guard, I would expect that player to have the same success that Michael Bowie and Alvin Bailey did last year in their first year as a Seahawk. A popular pick for the Seahawks in mock drafts so far is guard out of UCLA Xavier Su’a-Filo.

Here is a good article on Greg Van Roten: http://www.thedp.com/article/2012/11/greg-van-roten-playing-on-packers-first-team

Seattle Seahawks Free Agency Tracker: UPDATE

Henry Melton has signed with the Dallas Cowboys. The deal is a for 1 year with a 3 year team option. The reason for this is probably due to the fact that Melton tore his ACL last year. If I understand it right, the Cowboys can decide after 1 year if they still want Melton on the team and if they do, then the 3 years would pay Melton some good money. The incentives for having a good first year of his contract basically would reward his with a big pay day for the next 3 years of his contract. Anyways, more importantly, Melton is out of the Seattle Seahawks radar. This could help get Jared Allen though. The Cowboys were also interested in Allen, but wouldn’t have enough money to sign both Melton and Allen. Go Hawks!

Seattle Seahawks Free Agency Tracker

Well so far the Seahawks haven’t done a whole lot in free agency. They have re-signed Michael Bennett. The Seahawks have also signed WR Taylor Price, who hasn’t play in two year due to injuries.

The Seattle Seahawks have lost many veteran players that were big parts in the Super Bowl 48 win. This list includes, Golden Tate, Walter Thurmond and Clinton McDonald. They have also cut Chris Clemons, Red Bryant and Sidney Rice.

Despite these losses the Seahawks are in great shape for next season. John Schneider and Pete Carroll have a plan that will work out in the end.

Here are three of the players that are still on the market that the Seahawks have shown interest in. If the Seahawks can get all three of these players, then that would be spectacular.

Jermichael Finley, TE, Green Bay Packers:
The Seahawks had Finley in for a visit last week. It sounds like they are going to sign him, but need to wait for medical clearance first. Finley had spinal surgery this past year after suffering a near career ending injury. If signed by the Seahawks, he would provide a big red zone target for Russell Wilson. Zach Miller and Jermichael Finley would provide the Seahawks with a very good tight end duo.

Henry Melton, DT, Chicago Bears:
Melton visited the Seahawks on Saturday and sources said that on Saturday night they were in deep contract negations. He eventually left and went to his next visit which is in Dallas. They have a scheduled meeting on Monday. Dallas doesn’t have as much cap room as Seattle, so the Seahawks have the advantage in that area. Dallas is Henry Melton’s home town, so that might be appealing to him. Melton would replace Clinton McDonald and most likely be an upgrade. He was a pro bowl player in 2012, but tore his ACL last year.

Jared Allen, DE, Minnesota Vikings:
Jared Allen visited Seattle today, but was said to have gone back home without a contract. He is also scheduled to be meeting with Dallas this week. Seattle seems to be a perfect landing spot for Allen. If Jared Allen signed with Seattle, he would instantly be a fan favorite. Seattle has been interested in Allen since the trade deadline, when they were said to have inquired about Allen and were thinking about trading for him. Jared Allen would replace the loss of Chris Clemons and would probably end up being a bit of an upgrade.

12 thoughts on the Seahawks Offseason

1. Re-signing Michael Bennett was Huge. He even took a bit less money to play for the Seahawks, and one of the main reasons was the 12th Man.

2. It’s sad to see Golden Tate leave and play for a different team. He did so much for the Seahawks. But, the Seahawks can’t afford to pay Tate big money. Especially given the fact that the Seahawks are a run first team. If Percy Harvin can stay healthy, this loss should not be a problem next year.

3. If Sidney Rice re-signs, then I think the Seahawks are set at WR. I don’t think they would need to draft a WR. I think the WR’s will have some serious competition come Training Camp. Lots of depth.

4. Henry Melton (Rated the #2 Free Agent at the DT position) is visiting the Seahawks. This would be a huge addition for the defense. Vance Walker DT is also visiting the Seahawks. He started for the Raiders last year.

5. Jermichael Finley would help stretch the defense and would give Russell Wilson a receiving TE. It would be nice to be able to keep Miller. Might have to restructure Zach Miller’s contract for that to happen.

6. We could use a veteran DE to replace Chris Clemons. Maybe Jared Allen. But, don’t forget that Bruce Irvin could be playing a lot of the DE/LEO position.

7. O’Brien Schofield’s contract didn’t work out with the Giants because of a failed physical. It would be great if the Seahawks could bring him back. Good special teams player and can also rush the passer.

8. Re-signing Tavaris Jackson was big. One of the best backup QB’s in the league. If RW ever goes down, Jackson can step up and play without losing too much.

9. Watch for these 12 players to have breakout seasons for the Seahawks next year: Gregg Scruggs, Jordan Hill, Bruce Irvin, DeShawn Shead, Benson Mayowa, Christine Michael, James Carpenter, JR Sweezy, Ricardo Lockette, Taylor Price, Chris Mathews, Michael Bowie

10. Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport know everything about the NFL and Free Agency.

11. It would be nice if we can sign Doug Baldwin long term.

12. In Pete and John we trust. They have a plan that will make sense in a few weeks. I think they will be able to sign a few players for good prices. Players want to play for Pete Carroll and will take a bit less money to get a great opportunity to get a SB ring. Watch for a DT, WR and possibly a DE to get signed in the next couple weeks.

Go Hawks!

The Seattle Seahawks Punt Return Department

You know you have a pretty good team, when one of the Seahawks fans (my dad) biggest worry is the punt return department. Since Golden Tate has been signed by the Detroit Lions, the Seahawks need a new punt returner.

I predict that Taylor Price (recently signed) will return punts for the Seahawks.

I don’t see Harvin or Baldwin doing it. They haven’t returned punts in years past (pre-season and regular season) that I can remember. Kearse would be someone that could potentially be able to return punts though. He has returned kickoffs in years past so I wouldn’t be surprised if he is given a chance to be the punt returner.

Taylor Price is 6-1 200 and is just as fast, if not faster than Golden Tate. He is also a bit bigger. Price returned punts a bit in college. Taylor Price was actually rated 1 slot below Tate on the Seahawks draft board during the 2010 NFL draft.

And there is no way Lynch is returning punts. That would take Beast Mode to a another level though. Turbin won’t be either (biceps are too big.) But.. maybe Christine Michael who is the 3rd string RB could be able to return punts. He basically “red shirted” last year, but was drafted in the 2nd round in last years draft and has a lot of potential.

This could all change if the Seahawks draft a speedy WR in the 1st or 2nd round. But, I think if they draft a WR it will be a tall and physical player, not someone that will be returning punts.

So my money is on Taylor Price to have a great camp and to end up making the active roster. He would then take Golden Tate’s place in the punts return department for the Seattle Seahawks. And, if not Price, then I would have to predict either Kearse or Michael.

Celebrating a Successful Season- A 12th Man Reflection

After cheering for the Seattle Seahawks since I was a young boy, I finally got to celebrate a Super Bowl win with my family and friends. Then, a few days later, I was able to celebrate the Seahawks first ever Super Bowl win with almost 1 million other Hawks fans. What a party!

After watching the Seahawks dominate the Broncos, I celebrated the win by staying up all night. I just couldn’t go to sleep; I was so dang excited. I watched tons of postgame interviews, celebrations, I watched the game again, played some Madden and enjoyed using social media to see the Seahawks tweet their excitement. Eventually my parents woke up, so I went upstairs and shared the special moment once again with them.

That next day I was the happiest man in the world and what did I decide to do? Well, I got myself a haircut and made sure to shave off that nasty playoff mustache. Sometime around 3pm my body shut down and I fell asleep. I woke up again at 9pm and stayed awake for another hour, just to make sure this wasn’t all a dream. And then I slept till 11 am. Those were two great days.

So once I woke up, I realized that the amount of people for the parade was estimated at 300,000. Prediction was a bit off, but it got the point across. I decided that I needed to make my way over to Seattle asap in order to make the best out of this experience. So I booked a hostel and headed on over to Seattle. My hostel was located right next to beautiful Pike Place Market. I scouted out the best spot on the parade route walking down 4th Avenue and around the stadium.

The 12’s are awake bright and early

It was a quick stop at the hostel, because when I was walking at 8pm I saw that people were already parking and setting up spots for the parade. I was at the hostel just long enough to shower and use their computer to tweet my excitement. I checked out of my hostel (it was a short stay) and drove over to Century Link Field. I paid for my great parking spot for an even better price, well at least until 4am when it became “Event Parking.” That is when I said good bye to my spending money. Before catching some sleep I made sure to secure a spot on the sidewalk. I had an extremely cold sleep in my car until 7am and then I walked two blocks to my parade spot. Lots of people were already lining up for the parade, so I had to pick up my bag and leave the sidewalk. There was going to be no comfortable seating for anyone. It was PACKED by about 10am. The 12th Man is truly a family, and we had to get comfortable and up close real quick.

I was waiting from 7am till about 2pm and eventually the players, coaches, cheerleaders and a whole ton of skittles came through. The wait and anticipation was all worth it. Getting to see the players up close and personal was very cool. I managed to stand in the 3rd row of the packed crowd. I cheered, started SEA!!! Hawks!!! chants, took pictures, chanted L.O.B., took some more pictures and truly enjoyed sharing the moment with the many 12th Man and the Seahawks players.

Luke Willson is the man

Once everyone passed, I followed the players into the stadium. Well, not quite. I was able to get into the stadium parking lot and watch the rally on a nice big screen TV just outside Century Link. All the Seahawks players were introduced, speeches were spoken and fans were going wild.

After the show was done, I was in dire need of some water. I was exhausted! It had been a long day of standing and walking. Luckily, I found a place just outside the stadium where they were selling deep fried donuts or something like that. Anyways, all I wanted was some water. But, the line took about 30 minutes, and I froze my butt off. But, looking on the bright side of things: I eventually got my water and I got to talk to a fan that went to NY to watch the Super Bowl. He had a lot of great pictures and stories to share.

I finally headed back to my car, but on the way back there was a Fox reporter interviewing some fans and talking about the parade. So I made sure to photo bomb the news and I, in fact, did make it on TV. You can see me in the upper corner of the TV, yes I am now famous. My car eventually warmed me up and I could finally layer down. I could breathe!

On the drive home I was able to reflect on the Seattle Seahawks amazing season. What a great finish to a fantastic season. As a fan, the Seahawks have done more than just win games. They have changed people’s lives in a positive way. The Seahawks have given us all something to cheer about when life isn’t all high-fives and thumbs up. The Seattle Seahawks appreciate the 12th Man’s support just as much as we appreciate their play both on and off the field.

Doug Baldwin lovin the 12th Man

So, as the 12th Man slowly ventures from cloud 9 back to reality, we can reflect and remember the great moments we have all shared with each other. Through the ups and downs of life we can always remember the time that the Seattle Seahawks achieved greatness by winning the Super Bowl. We can remember the time that the Seattle Seahawks went down 4th Avenue holding up that Lombardi trophy in front of nearly 1 million fans. And finally, we can remember when this group of normal people used their athletic ability to positively change lives and show all of us that anything is possible. Would it be too much to anticipate another Super Bowl victory parade in the near future? Not according to Pete Carroll who said, “We’re just getting warmed up, if you know what I’m talking about.” Yes, you read that right. The Seattle Seahawks are just getting warmed up. Watch out NFL. Go Hawks!