Blitz
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- Mar 20, 2019
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As the Seahawks pieced together an unexpectedly solid season in 2018, after performing fairly major surgery to the coaching staff and roster, quarterback Russell Wilson said that it felt like 2012 all over again. Which was an important observation, because the Seahawks won the Super Bowl to cap the 2013 season.
After the Seahawks exited the divisional round of the playoffs in 2019, coach Pete Carroll reiterated the notion that it feels like 2012 all over again. Which means that, if 2019 wasn’t 2013, maybe 2020 will be.
And now it’s just a matter of getting there. Speaking to ESPN at the Pro Bowl, Wilson expanded on his prior thoughts regarding what the Seahawks need to do to turn back the clock seven years.
“I think we need a couple more [players],” Wilson told ESPN, via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. “I think we need a couple more. [Defensive end] Jadeveon [Clowney] is a big-time guy that we would love to get back on our football team. He was so good in the locker room. He brought so many just havoc plays to the field. Hopefully, we can get a few other players there on the defense. Then also on offense, we have a great offense, but I think we can always add more pieces. I think that’s going to be the part that’s going to be great with [General Manager] John Schneider and [coach] Pete [Carroll], as well, in terms of this offseason’s free agency. Free agency is very, very key to getting those superstars on your team and try to get great players that can fill the space.”
It’s a bold statement from Wilson, who rarely ventures into any territory that remotely could be regarded as controversial. For plenty of teams, the input of the quarterback regarding what the team should or shouldn’t do from a personnel standpoint isn’t welcome, since it falls beyond the boundaries of the “do your job” mantra that isn’t exclusive to New England. Of course, if teams want quarterbacks to act like members of management when it comes to putting in extra time and effort and keeping teammates accountable, maybe the job should include input on roster construction. Even then, teams that accept general or specific input from the quarterback regarding offseason roster moves likely would prefer that those views remain internal.
The fact that Wilson tiptoed toward the line reflects the urgency he’s undoubtedly feeling. As he said the day after the loss to the Packers (via Condotta), quarterbacks like Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, and Tom Brady had “pretty special” seasons during years “eight to 13, 15” of their careers. Wilson now has eight seasons under his belt. His ability to craft a legacy of winning at the highest level hinges in large part on the help he has around him, and he’s currently willing to say he wants more of it, in the form of the Seahawks finding a way to keep Clowney, and to add another “superstar” or two.