Tuesday, June 18, 2013 @ 11:20pm

For Wilson, still plenty to prove after stellar debut

By Danny O'Neil

One month into the 2012 season, the city of Seattle couldn't agree on whether Russell Wilson was the best quarterback on the Seahawks' roster.

Now, just over a month before training camp, that same city seethed at the failure of a national columnist to include Wilson near the top of the NFL's next generation of great quarterbacks.

"Of all the young star quarterbacks coming off breakout seasons," Jeffri Chadiha of ESPN.com wrote of Wilson, "he still has more to prove than any of his peers."

The fact that sentiment can inflame an entire city the way it did is testament to just how well Wilson played in December and January. That there are places in the rest of the country that remain unconvinced speaks to the skepticism that endures even into Wilson's second season.

And before we dive into the specifics of the argument, let's pause for a moment and recognize how great it is for Seattle in general, and Wilson in particular, to have a place at the table in this debate. For the first time in more than five years, there is no doubt about this franchise's quarterback of the future.

The only question is how good Wilson is going to be, and for as much faith as he inspired in this city last season, there remain the unconverted who will point to other circumstances to explain the team's success.

You know the song by now: Wilson averaged only 25 passes per game last season, reaping the benefit of a defense that allowed the fewest points in the league and playing in an offense that ran it more often than all but one team in the league. And don't forget, Wilson still stands 5 feet, 10 and 5/8 inches.

All of that is true.

Now that doesn't mean Wilson is going to be a quarterback who's good – but not great – as Chadiha projects. But by the same token, the fact Seattle won its final five regular-season games and averaged 38.6 points during that stretch is no guarantee that Wilson is destined for a spot in the upper echelon of the NFL's quarterbacks.

Wilson didn't shoulder as much an offensive load as Andrew Luck did in Indianapolis or Robert Griffin III in Washington or even Cam Newton has over the past two years in Carolina.

But to say he was a placeholder under center whose primary job included a handoff undersells what Wilson did over the second half of last season. Because while Seattle may have remained a run-first team, Wilson was much more than a game manager.

He was the player the team turned to down the stretch of close games. The one who led Seattle on a 97-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter at Chicago and followed that up with an 80-yard scoring drive after Seattle's defense inexplicably allowed the Bears to force overtime.

Wilson is the player who put Seattle in position to win at Detroit in Week 8 and the one who had Seattle 32 seconds from playing for the NFC Championship after leading a 21-point fourth-quarter comeback in Atlanta.

He passed for 26 touchdowns in the regular season, matching Peyton Manning's record for NFL rookies. His improvement was systematic over the course of the season, addressing first his third-down passing then his red-zone production and finally becoming a threat to run the ball himself.

The result was a rookie season that answered any questions Seattle had about its future at quarterback. But any doubt that both the Seahawks and their quarterback have something left to prove was answered before his sophomore season began because even after seeing that rookie season, there are those such as Chadiha who don't believe he's on the cusp of greatness.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013 @ 9:37pm

Time for a reality check with expectations for Wilson

Based on the feedback we received Tuesday to our interview with ESPN.com's Jeffri Chadiha on "Brock and Danny", I felt it was worth commenting on our audience's reaction to a set of opinions that don't necessarily fall in line with the prevailing wind in the northwest.

Russell Wilson is great. Not good, but great. He's the underdog that even non-Seahawks fans can root for because of his size (or lack thereof) and the draft spot in which he was chosen. We all assumed he would be Matt Flynn's backup last year, but by the third preseason game it was clear that we were all wrong.

But let's not overdo it.

Yes, he led what we believed to be a great team to the divisional playoffs. Yes, he put the team on his shoulders and spearheaded wins over Green Bay, New England, Chicago, and Washington – not to mention those blowouts of Arizona and Buffalo.

But for us to simply resign ourselves to the idea that Russell is always going to perform at that level is dangerous a way of thinking. The run-first offensive mentality of this team may prevent him from throwing too much and making foolish mistakes, but let's face it – with Percy Harvin and all the other weapons he has at his disposal, his pass attempts will increase and he will make more mistakes.

When Chadiha was on the air with us today, the Text Toy lit up with negative comments (many of them profane) from listeners who simply refuse to believe that Wilson could ever do anything wrong (see the image I posted on my Twitter page).

Yes, we love Russell Wilson. We should. But even the most diehard fan has to admit that there is obviously room for error. I love the passionate reaction, and as most of you know, I thrive on negative energy, so keep it coming. Conflict is what I believe to be the cornerstone of sports-talk radio.

But, let's at least strive to be smart about issues that will presumably take years to resolve.

Agree? Let us know.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013 @ 3:13pm

Columnist doubts Russell Wilson will ever be elite

"Game manager" has become almost a pejorative term in the NFL lexicon, one that's used to describe quarterbacks who aren't good enough to win games on their own and instead are effectively told not to lose them.

Russell Wilson led the Seahawks to an 11-5 record and the divisional round of the playoffs last year while tying the rookie record for touchdown passes with 26. The Seahawks, particularly in the second half of the season, won some of those games because of their rookie quarterback, not in spite of him.

So naturally, the gloves nearly came off when ESPN.com's Jeffri Chadiha told "Brock and Danny" on Tuesday that he sees Wilson as more of a game manager than someone who will become one of the game's elite quarterbacks.

"I think there's a perception out there – whether it's fair or unfair – that he's going to be a superstar," Chadiha said, "and I don't think that's gonna be the case."

Wilson's passing yardage was the basis for Chadiha's contention. He averaged 195 yards per game during the regular season while throwing for fewer than 200 yards nine times. Wilson's only 300-yard game came in the playoffs, when he threw for 385 in a loss to the Falcons.

"I think if you look at his numbers, yeah, that's what I would call him. I think if you're talking about somebody who is carrying a football team, you're talking about somebody who is throwing for 300, 400 yards per game, doing what Tom Brady does in New England, doing what Peyton Manning does in Denver, doing what Philip Rivers does in San Diego," Chadiha said.

The genesis of the conversation was Chadiha's latest column on ESPN.com in which he contends Wilson has more to prove than fellow young quarterbacks Andrew Luck of Indianapolis, Washington's Robert Griffin III and San Francisco's Colin Kaepernick – who all had breakout seasons in 2012 as either rookies or first-time starters. Those other three, Chadiha wrote, were more impressive than Wilson because they did just as much or more despite factors that made their situations less favorable.

"I think that team (Seattle) is built to run the football, it's built to play good defense and it's built to have a quarterback who plays efficiently," Chadiha said. "He makes plays, don't get me wrong. But I think it would be wrong to say he is in the same category as some of the guys who are as young as he is."

Huard and Danny O'Neil pick up the conversation there.

You can listen to Tuesday's show here.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013 @ 9:04am

Wilson, beer dominate Danny's 'Hawk Talk'

Russell Wilson, the NFC West and Danny's beer snobbery dominated Wednesday's Hawk Talk. See what you missed with the complete recap below.

Monday, June 17, 2013 @ 2:20pm

Position aside, who's the Seahawks' best player?

Danny O'Neil's latest column provided a starting point for what would be a spirited debate on Monday's edition of "Brock and Danny".

Earl Thomas

"If we forget about the positional pecking order and just talk about on-field performance, [Earl] Thomas right now is the best Seahawk at his craft," O'Neil writes while noting that a safety isn't as important to a team's success as a left tackle or a quarterback.

Sando agreed with O'Neil's choice of Thomas as Seattle's best player, saying his range is instrumental to what the Seahawks do defensively.

"I did this exercise last year, talked to some people around the league about it and Earl Thomas was the name that we kept coming back to. I think there was a period there where you could make a case for Marshawn Lynch, and I wouldn't argue against that, but Earl Thomas for his ability to let them play that man coverage the way they do with bigger guys works because he's able to get over there," Sando said.

"We saw it all the time. Look at the playoff game against the Redskins. There was an outside matchup that RG III likes and because he doesn't throw the ball absolutely perfectly, Earl Thomas picks it off. Well, having a guy who can do that is such a luxury. You talk about trying to make corners in the Seahawks' image, it really helps to have a guy who can let you play that defense the way you do by being able to get to different places around the field."

Clayton went with cornerback Richard Sherman, saying the "mind-boggling" plays he made during offseason workouts are evidence that he's even better than he was last year, when he earned first-team All-Pro honors. Clayton suggested that Sherman could reach double-digit interceptions in a season if opposing quarterbacks weren't so deterred from throwing his way.

"Just incredible to see how he's able to move toward the ball, his ability to read a play and know where the guy's going to be on the route, it's just a marvel to watch," Clayton said.

Huard shares his take as he and O'Neil continue the debate in the video below.

You can listen to Monday's show here.

Monday, June 17, 2013 @ 1:05pm

Seahawks' Moffitt pleads guilty to disorderly conduct

Seahawks guard John Moffitt pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct in Bellevue District Court last Friday, paying a fine of $1,407 and receiving a suspended sentence of 24 months in jail.

John Moffitt

Moffitt originally faced two misdemeanor charges, one for criminal trespassing and another for obstruction of a law enforcement officer after a series of three different incidents at Bellevue Square mall in 2012.

Those were amended to a single charge of disorderly conduct, according to the court clerk who summarized the sentencing terms from last Friday's hearing. Moffitt will not have to serve any of the suspended sentence so long as he avoids further legal trouble.

Jon Fox, Moffitt's attorney, said via e-mail that Moffitt had no previous legal incidents and as a result received a deferred sentence. If Moffitt complies with the court's stipultions for two years, the verdict will be changed to not guilty and expunged from Moffitt's record. Fox said Moffitt is happy to have the situation behind him.

It's very unlikely Moffitt would face further discipline from the league regarding the personal-conduct policy.

The first incident occurred in January, when a member of the mall's security staff stated he saw Moffitt urinating on the skybridge between Bellevue Square and Lincoln Square malls. Moffitt was given an order – which he did not sign – stating that he was not to enter Bellevue Square, Bellevue Place or Lincoln Square for an entire year.

In June, mall security called officers after seeing Moffitt at one of the restaurants at Lincoln Square. The security officers informed police Moffitt was last seen running away from the mall after urinating near a parked car. The officers went to a nearby apartment complex where Moffitt was said to hang out.

Moffitt was seen running away from the apartment complex, and according to the police report, the officer alleged he yelled Moffitt's name while in full uniform, in a patrol car with emergency lights flashing. The officer stated that Moffitt looked back, but continued running.

Mall security later picked out Moffitt from a photo array.

The final incident occurred in August of 2012 and resulted in Moffitt's arrest on a misdemeanor charge of criminal trespass. Mall security again summoned police, stating Moffitt was seated at the bar of a restaurant in Lincoln Square. Two officers responded, arresting Moffitt when they found him on the premises.

Moffitt appeared at a preliminary hearing last month before entering a guilty plea to the amended charge Friday.

Monday, June 17, 2013 @ 7:47am

Seahawks' Earl Thomas is on the cusp of greatness

By Danny O'Neil

He is the shortest member of a secondary known for its size, and one of the softest spoken members of a defense that has a reputation for its swagger.

But overlooking safety Earl Thomas is impossible. At least it is to anyone paying attention because he just might be the best football player on this Seahawks team that's as loaded with talent as it is with expectations.

That's right: the best player.

Because as good as cornerback Richard Sherman played last season and as much of a cornerstone as Russell Okung is at left tackle and as important as Russell Wilson will be as Seattle's quarterback of the future, Thomas is the member of this team who is closest to being considered the best at his position in the entire league.

Yep, he's that good.

"There's no end to the potential Earl has," coach Pete Carroll said, "because he's so fast and he's so tough, but more than that, he's just so driven to be great. He's just driven to be a great player."

And in that way, it's Thomas who best embodies the situation in which Seattle's entire team finds itself entering this season.

There's no doubt about the talent. Not for Thomas, who has been voted to the Pro Bowl as a starter in each of the past two seasons, and not for the Seahawks, whose roster is considered one of the most stacked in this league. Now, the question is about the ceiling because being considered among the best is different from being anointed the best.

But make no doubt, Thomas is in that conversation as a previous generation of playmakers enter the twilight of their careers. Guys like Pittsburgh's Troy Polamalu and Ed Reed, who's now with Houston, are past 30, leaving Thomas, the Chiefs' Eric Berry and the Bucs' Dashon Goldson as the vanguard of generation next.

Thomas isn't at the top of the heap. Not after a year in which he dropped more interceptions than he made, but in three years he has never missed a game and has proven himself as one of the hardest-practicing players his coaches have ever seen. And his interception totals don't show the fact that he put himself in position to make so many plays, and if he starts hanging on to the ball, we could start talking about him as one of this league's game-breaking players.

After all, he just turned 24, entering the prime of his career at a position that has produced three of the league's past nine defensive players of the year.

"He's really just kind of hitting it now," Carroll said. "He's just getting going."

Carroll has got a little bit of history coaching that position, whether it was Joey Browner with the Vikings, a young Lawyer Milloy – who made his Pro Bowl breakthrough while Carroll was in charge of the Patriots – or Polamalu at USC.

"Earl is as good as any of the guys I've ever coached," Carroll said.

Now, location matters as much in football as it does in real estate, and a safety isn't considered as valuable as a left tackle, a position that Okung occupies so capably. And it's certainly not on par with quarterback.

But if we forget about the positional pecking order and just talk about on-field performance, Thomas right now is the best Seahawk at his craft, a fact that speaks as much to his development as it does to the team's scouting.

Thomas was the second player drafted by general manager John Schneider, someone Seattle didn't think it would ever get the chance to choose with the 14th overall pick in 2010. Not after the Philadelphia Eagles vaulted up the draft order, trading into the 13th spot.

Schneider was so certain the Eagles were selecting Thomas to replace the departing Brian Dawkins that Schneider had a trade worked out to move back from No. 14 if Thomas were gone. But after the Eagles chose pass rusher Brandon Graham out of Michigan, the Seahawks picked Thomas, one of the youngest players in the draft and someone who had played just two seasons at Texas.

Three years later, that 5-foot-10 safety stands out not only amid one of this league's most talented teams, but all of pro football.

Sunday, June 16, 2013 @ 2:08pm

Sherman wants to change secondary stereotypes

In the last year, Richard Sherman has gone from a little-known Seahawks cornerback to one of the most recognized and outspoken defensive players in the NFL. He makes headlines on an almost-daily basis, whether it's for smack-talking TV personalities or rival receivers, riding a jet ski outside the team's training facility, or (in a more traditional sense) being one of the best players in the game.

"They say big corners aren't quick enough, aren't fast enough, aren't smooth enough in the hips to play this game at a high level, and we're trying to change that," said 6-foot-3, 195-pound Richard Sherman. (AP)

"People say we (big corners) can't play," said the 6-foot-3, 195-pound Sherman. "We're trying to end all stereotypes. They say big corners aren't quick enough, aren't fast enough, aren't smooth enough in the hips to play this game at a high level, and we're trying to change that. We're opening up the game for any size corner – small, big. The receivers are getting bigger. Why can't the corners?

"We're just a bunch of hard-working individuals who like to lay hat on people. A lot of people say corners don't hit, secondary players aren't big hitters, are more relaxed, more tentative, and we want to change that persona."

Sherman has certainly done his part this offseason, as Clayton estimated that he has yet to allow a single completed pass during workouts.

"I'm sure somebody's beat me somewhere, but not in man-on-man, I don't think," Sherman said. "You kinda get respect after a while. If you're there most of the time, they kinda assume you're gonna be there. I work hard. I try to make sure I'm in position, not to let my teammates down – that's what you're really concerned about, letting your teammates down. That's why you work hard and wanna be perfect."

Technique has been a strong point for Sherman in OTAs.

"I'm definitely on the balls of my feet the whole time. You kinda slow down when you get on your heels," he said. "You want to dictate pace. A wise man once told me, 'If you dictate the pace and you play the pace you wanna play and you can still dominate, then you're really dominating.' At the line of scrimmage, somebody might be faster, quicker, more explosive, but I will dictate the pace. If I can control the pace and control how fast we're moving, how fast everything's going, it will be a good play for me."

Sherman and the "Legion of Boom" is looking to build on very successful 2012 where the Seahawks allowed just 15 receiving touchdowns, tied for second-fewest in the NFL, and the rest of the team is also striving to match the secondary's success.

"Consistency, that's what it's about. That's the main thing I'm concerned about," Sherman said of the Seahawks' 2013 aspirations. "We've got a lot of great players, and now we're looking to be consistent. We're looking to win a lot of ballgames and take it as far as we can."