The 2022 off-season has seen more social media action than was seen during the 2021-22 pre, regular, and post seasons.

The Russell Wilson management and media crews were back to business as usual, barely waiting for the final snap of the season to complete, with rumors of discontent and imminent trade offers and negotiations, ringing out across the internets social media sources.

The Seahawks and Wilson camps were eerily evasive and quiet, with no responses denying or confirming the rumors that only seem to grow louder and were being substantiated by “reliable sources”, although no names of note were being provided.

Then the bombshell announcement exploded across the social media sports world, and on every televised sports news network in the world,  Russell Wilson, QB for the Seattle Seahawks had requested a trade to the Denver Broncos, as his contract allowed for, moving into the final year of his contract and entering into negotiations of an extension.

His deal would leave the Seahawks with 3 players from the Denver Broncos, and several 2022 and 2023 draft picks, also relieving the Seattle Seahawks of Wilson’s cap debts and the potential savings of a $50,000,000.00 a year 5 year $250,000,000.00 extension contract with Wilson, that Denver had agreed to, and that reliable sources within the Seahawks organization indicated that they had agreed to match in an effort to reconcile with Wilson, who was intent on abandoning his 12vs and his Seahawk teammates.

There was, of course, the expected emotional and mental meltdown within the Seahawks communities.

There has been an element within that community that has opposed the hire of Pete Carroll and John Schneider the Seahawks Head Coach and General Manager, since before they first assumed their positions with the team, and have remained publicly opposed to their hire. In spite of all the historical successes that this duo have brought to the Emerald City, under the ownership of initially Paul Allen, who passed away, leaving the Seahawks organization in the hands of his sister, Jody Allen, who has honored and supported her brothers love and commitment to the Seahawks NFL franchise, and more importantly, for the residents of the Pacific Northwest, and all the good that this team has sponsored and championed throughout its existence.

This group of Seahawk Saboteurs that have persisted in poisoning the minds of unsuspecting fans, all the while attempting to undermine and diminish the efforts and accomplishments that the Seahawks enjoyed under the guidance of Pete Carroll, John Schneider and now Jody Allen as well, since she has remained committed to her Brothers faith in and commitments to the Seahawks Organization, and not succumbed to the efforts of these saboteurs.

This element of the Seahawks “fan base” wasted no time in their initial attempts to suggest that Russell Wilson’s departure was the work of Pete Carroll and John Schneider, and immediately began rallying and attempting to initiate an uprising of the Seahawks loyal following to call for the resignations and replacements of Pete and John.

Their attempted coup d’etat quickly lost momentum as “reliable sources” made clear that the Seahawks Franchise QB, had initiated all activities related to his trade, and had approached the Seahawks organization, requesting their cooperation and agreements to facilitate his request, and that Pete Carroll, the Head Coach and John Schneider had made every attempt to convince their Franchise Quarterback to reconsider and remain, so much so that they agreed to match the offer made by the Denver Broncos, which was rejected by Russell Wilson, saying he was ready to move on.

If all of this were not enough of a blow to the Seahawks loyal 12th Man fan base, in this same time frame, the Seahawks all pro defensive lineman and leader of its defense, Bobby Wagner, who is now entering his 11th year, after ending last season with a substantial injury, reported to the Seahawks fans thru social media sources, that his contract extension had been rejected and that he’d been cut from the Roster as Free Agency was getting underway.

The way it was presented by Bobby Wagner, who is loved by his fan base, and I’m sure in the moment was the way that he interpreted things, again painted Pete Carroll and John Schneider as villains for not declining and rejecting Bobby’s contract proposal for a one year $11,000,000.00 deal.
Pete Carroll explained that he had purposely delayed declining Bobby’s proposal, asking John Schneider if he might not find some way to meet his request and retain him for the last season of his NFL career.

When John concluded that Bobby’s proposed contract was not feasible and that with the additional needs created by Wilson’s departure, that the budget would not justify or allow for the Seahawks to meet Bobby’s request, and because Bobby is his own Manager, Pete had not yet informed him of their decision, before John Schneider had made it public, creating an awkward situation for Bobby and Pete, with Bobby learning of his contract request being denied through social media at the same time his fans were learning of it.

Bobby now having shopped his contract throughout the NFL without any takers to date, most saying that the would be motivated at a lower price, ie.. 8 million instead of the proposed 11 million Bobby was asking for, it is hoped by nearly all of the Seahawks fan base that some terms might be struck with the Seahawks that would allow Bobby to play out his final season with them.

It was announced on Richard Sherman’s Podcast yesterday, 03/30/2022, that there was “good news pending” for Bobby Wagner, that was to have been announced last night, but Richard deferred to this morning to make his announcement and provide everyone with the details.  I will follow this closely and report my findings immediately.

*** UPDATE:  Richard Sherman did just announce that Bobby Wagner has signed a 5 year, $50,000,000.00 deal with the LA Rams, $10,000,000.00 per season with a potential for $65,000,000..00 total with added incentives.

I will express some apprehension knowing that the Rams have already exceeded their Cap and financial limitations resulting in a few instances where players were not paid in a timely msnnaer or without having to secure legal counsel.
Bobby  negotiates his own contracts. I hope he doesn’t get taken.

I also sat 100 feet away from Bobby when he experienced the season ending injury verses the Lions at Lumen Field last season. I hope that we never see anything like that again.

That injury was a result of Bobby’s body betraying him, and was not the result of contact with another player. His legs just did a split, not finding any better description, and it was instantly evident that Bobby was in tremendous pain, and was out for the remainder of the game at very least.

I was convinced in that moment that we might never see him play again. I can’t help but wonder if after hearing all the medical reports and prognosis that might have had more to do with John’s decision to cut Bobby, instead of the terms of his contract.

Much like what I always suspected was what occurred with Richard Sherman’s departure from the Seahawks following his injury. John’s job is to be the Snidely Whiplash of the the Seattle Seahawks, when it comes to those sort of business decisions.

Sherm was able to pass physicals but his game was never the same, and agreed he still played better than some of the CB’s that proceeded him, the Seahawks paid less for all of them combined than they would have to had they kept Sherm.

I worry that Bobby rehabbed and was able to pass a physical for the Rams, in order to get a deal, but if the underlying conditions that prompted the injury in Seattle isn’t still present and it isn’t just a matter of time before he replicates the same circumstances that resulted in the injury that ended his season last season, and that could end his career for good, or worse yet result in some permanent injury that effects his mobility in retirement.

I guess we all just hope and pray for the best. Bobby gave us years of excitement and happiness. He gave so much of himself to the Seattle community and will continue to for years to come I’m sure. Love and good wishes to you Bobby Wagner, much success except when you face the Seahawks.

So while most of the Seahawks fan base has been tossed on its head and many are busy crying the sky is falling, Pete Carroll and John Carroll have been calmly going on with the business of assembling a championship caliber and capable NFL Football team, and are turning what many perceived as a negative into a positive.

I happen to be amongst many others who had expressed much concern about Russell Wilson and his deterioration as a QB, only a few years into his time with the Seahawks. It was clear that Russell rejected the idea that his height would not allow him to succeed as a pocket passer, or that his only strength was his ability to scramble outside the pocket, where by doing do, he not only frustrated defenses, but also opened up the Seahawks running game, and positioned himself where he had a clear line of view to the receivers in his progressions.

Pete Carroll did his very best to try and accommodate Russell’s fantasy, with the whole “Let Russ Cook” era, where Russell solved the concerns of every defense we faced by remaining in the pocket (contained), and because he couldn’t see his targets, he held the ball too long, resulting in increased sacks, fumbles, and interceptions, because he was blindly throwing the football where he hoped his target might be.
Instead of accepting the reality of his height challenges, as everyone else involved had, and why Pete insisted that the Seahawks needed to get back to what worked, first hiring Shotty, to reinstall the play action Westcoast offense, that complimented Russell’s only effective QB style, and Russell fought the transition by insisting on “improvising on nearly every snap” and entertaining his “let Russ Cook Pocket Passer fantasies”.

When Shotty proved unable to harness Russell and bring him onboard with his team, Pete fired him and hired Shane Waldron, who is considered the best offensive coordinator of the play action Westcoast offense in the NFL, to see if he could bring Russell around. The first half of the 2021 season, it was clear that Russell wasn’t having any part of it, and his game reflected that, with a decline in successes and wins.

Then the finger injury that would remove Russ from the equation and allowed Geno Smith, the Seahawks backup QB, considered by most to not be in the same class as a Russell Wilson, but who was willing to get on the same page with the play action Westcoast offense scheme that Shane had been trying to implement

Geno’s stint as the Seahawks QB quickly exposed Russell as more of a problem than a solution. When he did resume his role as QB for the Seahawks, about 3 weeks to soon I might add, finally got on the same page with Pete and Shane, and for the remainder of the Season we witnessed the rebirth of the Seahawks offense, only better than it has been when Russell first joined the team.

His willingness to engage in and embrace the play action Westcoast offense opened up everything in the offense, passing, running, 3rd down conversions multiplied, increasing time on the field and ultimately more wins.

At seasons end Russell realized that he had been exposed and that if he was going to remain in Seattle that he was going to have to abandon his fantasies of being an elite pocket passer, and instead was going to have to get back to the gym and push himself to get in the level of conditioning that his successful style of QB play would require in order for him to endure the abuses he would be subjected to or that would allow him to avoid

It appears crystal clear, that faced with that reality, and that alternative, if he wanted to remain in Seattle and truly give his team an opportunity to compete for championship status, that Russell opted instead to “Take The Money And Run”, while he still could, and before the rest of the NFL recognized what we did about Russell’s game.

Both Russell and Denver are willing to continue entertaining Russell’s pocket passer fantasies. While there is a part of me that wishes him success, I can’t help be reminded of the old definition of insanity playing itself out in Denver. Instead of Seattle, and when I consider that I can’t help but be a little bit grateful that Russell opted to move his delusions to Colorado to do harm to the Seahawks oldest and first real nemesis from our AFC days.
I could be totally wrong, only time will tell. Meanwhile we need to turn our attentions to the issues at hand, and the realities that the Seahawks face in assembling a complete elite NFL football team, that is ready to make itself known and respected in the 2022 season.
That process is already well underway. With our Roster not yet complete you can’t help bet feel optimistic and hopeful as you read the names that are already signed to those lists.
The 2022 NFL Draft is less than s month away, and the Seahawks are posed to have one of the best draft experiences in many years. Given John Schneider’s Draft history, we can expect that he will parlay his current picks into twice as many or more before it’s conclusion.

There is increasing levels of chatter between the 12th man fan base about what positions need to be filled, and in what priorities, and of course which college players who have declared for the draft are most qualified and attainable.

This is always a time for spirited debates, that can become quite passionate and at times quite heated, but in the end we all shake hands and reunite to support our Seahawks as they take to the fields of battle with their 12vs at their sides.