Tag: Cody Barton

The good, the bad, and the ugly from Seahawks’ win over Rams

The Seattle Seahawks beat the Los Angeles Rams 20-9 on Sunday to claim the NFC West crown and avenge their Week 10 beatdown.

The Seattle Seahawks avenged their Week 10 loss to the Los Angeles Rams with a division-clinching 20-9 rematch victory at Lumen Field on Sunday, adding yet another eventful chapter to the two teams’ oft-tumultuous rivalry. Both defenses put on a show, preventing any touchdowns until the second half, while penalty flags flew left and right in a good old-fashioned messy matchup. Let’s look at some of the good, the bad, and the ugly from the Seahawks’ latest “hat and t-shirt” game.

THE GOOD

Jason Myers: Myers continued his perfect season by hitting two field goals from 45 and 49 yards out, respectively, while also making both of his extra-point attempts. His franchise-record 33 straight field goals have made him one of the Seahawks’ most reliable players, particularly in such a season of ups and downs. At 29 years old, Myers has several good years of kicking left in him; although his contract does not expire until after the 2022 season, Seattle would be remiss not to consider an extension within the next year.

The defense: Seattle’s defense from Week 10-15 was among the best in the NFL, allowing just 16 points per game. In Week 16, they positively dominated the Jared Goff-led Rams offense, holding them to just three field goals despite Los Angeles finding tremendous success in third-down efficiency early on. The linebacker duo of K.J. Wright and Jordyn Brooks were positively electric, combining for 15 total tackles, a tackle for loss, and two pass breakups. Jamal Adams, playing despite multiple broken fingers, posted six tackles and a near-interception, while rising superstar D.J. Reed made his presence known with eight tackles. This red-hot Seahawks defense, who coach Pete Carroll showered with praise after the game, should be well-primed to wreak havoc on the struggling 49ers offense next Sunday.

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Pete Carroll praises Seahawks involved in 4th-and-inches stop

Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll praised the play that set up the team’s final drive, the red zone stop on 4th-and-inches Week 5.

Following the Seahawks’ improbable Week 5 victory over the Minnesota Vikings, coach Pete Carroll talked about the play that set up the Seahawks’ unforgettable final drive, the red zone stop on 4th-and-inches.

This defense has a tendency to make crucial plays with the game on the line regardless of prior struggles. Carroll praised them for doing just that with that play.

“It was awesome. A freaking great moment in the game and a great moment in football when you can stop somebody,” Carroll said in his Monday press conference. “And the whole game relies on that foot and a half that they’ve got to make, so we’re going crazy because we know we have a chance to win the game right there.”

On the play, Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins handed off to running back Alexander Mattison. Seahawks linebacker Cody Barton pushed the RB’s lead blocker back, and a split second later, Bobby Wagner and Benson Mayowa crashed down on Mattison short of the line of scrimmage for the turnover on downs.

“Our guys kicked down in there and were ready for the sneak and both linebackers – Cody made a great scrape to turn the ball to Bobby – and a phenomenal job by Benson Mayowa when you really dig in to what he had to do and throw his body at that play and made it happen,” Carroll said.

The Seahawks found the perfect way to enter their well-deserved bye week at 5-0 atop the NFC. They will play the  Cardinals on the road in Week 7.

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Former UW star Ben Burr-Kirven could be victim of roster crunch

Seattle Seahawks linebacker and former Washington Huskies star Ben Burr-Kirven will need to prove his worth on special teams in 2020.

The Seattle Seahawks are heading into the 2020 season with their two longest tenured defensive players, Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright, reprising their roles as starting linebackers.

With Mychal Kendricks no longer in the fold, the SAM linebacker position is up for grabs in a competition between rookie Jordyn Brooks, a first round pick in 2020, as well as Cody Barton, a third rounder in 2019 who looked good in brief action last season.

Of course, with coach Pete Carroll, it’s never that simple. Bruce Irvin, who the team signed early on in free agency, is expected to play some SAM on early downs, before transitioning to a defensive end/pass rushing role in third down situations.

Seattle could also slide Wright, who is expected to be fully recovered from offseason shoulder surgery by Week 1, over to the SAM role, allowing Brooks to play his more natural WILL position in his first NFL season.

Plus, after staying in their 4-3 base defense nearly 70% of the time last year, often leading to poor results, the Seahawks could opt to play nickel a lot more in 2020, especially if they like what they see out of Ugo Amadi in training camp.

All this leads to a myriad of questions about Seattle’s defensive setup, including what will happen to the team’s other linebacker, Ben Burr-Kirven, a fifth round pick in 2019 out of the University of Washington.

Burr-Kirven joined the Seahawks as a tackling machine, having led the entire NCAA in tackles in 2018 with the Huskies. He was always seen as a developmental linebacker who would cut his teeth on the special teams in year one, and that’s exactly how things went down.

BBK appeared in all 16 games for the Seahawks in 2019, racking up eight combined tackles and forcing one fumble on 310 total snaps – 306 which occurred on special teams.

The odds of him stepping into a bigger role on defense in year two got a lot slimmer with the additions of Irvin and Brooks.

And, since he’s unlikely to go the route of Shaquem Griffin and develop into an undersized pass rusher – that’s just not his game – he is currently on the outside looking in for regular snaps on defense.

Of course, coach Pete Carroll loves his core special teamers, and while there’s not room for many on the active roster, it does seem hard to imagine the team cutting someone who appeared in all 16 games last year, and was a part of 66% of the team’s special teams snaps.

BBK will have to prove he’s one of the most valuable, if not the most valuable, special teamer on the roster if he wants to find himself in a Seahawks uniform for the duration of the 2020 campaign.

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Bobby Wagner excited to be a leader for new LB Jordyn Brooks

Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner is prepared to help Jordyn Brooks and the rest of the team’s young players develop.

The Seattle Seahawks took two linebackers in the 2019 NFL draft, Cody Barton and Ben Burr-Kirven, despite having an elite trio of starters in veterans Bobby Wagner, K.J. Wright and Mychal Kendricks.

They followed that up by using their first round pick in 2020 to take yet another linebacker, Jordyn Brooks, which certainly raised some eyebrows in the Emerald City.

Despite adding a handful of youngsters who are capable of playing middle linebacker, Bobby Wagner, who turns 30 this offseason, is not concerned about his job security, and is instead taking on an active role in helping the young players, including Brooks, succeed.

“If you all go back and listen to what I’ve said over the years, I’ve always been wanting to give away knowledge to anybody that comes and asks for the knowledge,” Wagner told Seattle media members earlier this week. “At the end of the day this is bigger than just football to me. This is young men getting a chance live out their dream and provide for their family. That’s how I see it. I don’t really see it the way everybody else sees it. I’m not going to sit here and just not speak to him or whatever. I want him to be as successful as possible, I want him to do as great as possible and I’m excited to have him. I think it’s going to be really fun.”

Brooks is expected to compete at weakside linebacker right away, which could push Wright into the SAM role vacated by Kendricks this offseason. That may not leave much room for Barton, who impressed in his brief time as a starter last year, although he will likely be a big factor on the special teams.

Wright also had offseason shoulder surgery, which could be part of the reason the team went with Brooks. If Wright is forced to miss any time, the team will have enough depth to replace him.

Wagner and Wright are the two longest tenured members of the Seahawks’ defense, and they are both well aware of their responsibilities not just on the field, but as leaders to the young players who come through – regardless of what position they play.

“I think as an older player, I want to see the guys do better from every aspect, whether it’s on the field and off the field,” Wagner continued. “Players come in and they don’t leave with what they came in with. I’ve seen it firsthand. And so if I can help players come in and leave with more than they came with, than I feel like I did a good job of leading.”

The Seahawks are hoping to get back on the field for training camp, which is set to begin in late July.

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Seahawks to utilize Bruce Irvin at SAM linebacker on early downs

The Seattle Seahawks plan to use Bruce Irvin in the same capacity they did his first time with the team from 2012-2015.

Bruce Irvin’s first tenure with the Seattle Seahawks lasted four seasons, with the former first round pick lining up primarily as an outside linebacker and coming off the edge on third downs, where he managed to rack up 22 sacks in 58 games.

Since then, Irvin has established himself as a well above-average pass rusher, playing 61 games in the last four seasons and totaling 30 sacks, including a career-high 8.5 last year with Carolina.

While Irvin has proven a capable defensive end, the Seahawks are apparently planning to utilize him the same way they did in his first go-round with the team, as an early down SAM linebacker and a defensive end on third downs.

“Pretty much the same,” Irvin offered to Seattle media when asked about his role with the team.

Irvin has thrived coming off the edge since his time in Seattle, but now he will compete with K.J. Wright and first round pick Jordyn Brooks for snaps at the SAM linebacker position.

It’s unclear exactly how things will shake out in the linebacker corps. Bobby Wagner is starting in the middle, no doubt, but coach Pete Carroll indicated Wright can be moved from WILL to SAM, and Brooks will likely compete at WILL to start out.

So, does that mean Irvin and Wright will compete with each other at SAM? What about Cody Barton? Irvin’s revelation leaves a lot more questions than answers, and it seems like it would make more sense, based on Seattle’s current roster construction, to allow Irvin to play defensive end exclusively and leave the linebacker corps as is.

Of course, there could still be more roster moves to be made, including the addition of a premier pass rusher, and Wright’s offseason shoulder surgery could be far more of a concern than the team has let on up to this point.

Even if Irvin is back in his old role, the nine-year veteran believes he has more to offer than he did in his first tenure with the Seahawks.

“I’m a more polished player,” Irvin continued. “The game is slower. I know how to set up certain moves, I know how to study film. How to take care of my body.”

How Irvin is utilized will have long-reaching effects on this Seattle defense in 2019, and probably won’t be fully answered until the start of the season in September.

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Former Seahawk Mychal Kendricks’ sentencing postponed

Mychal Kendricks will have his sentencing hearing postponed yet again, with a new date set for October 14 – two years after he plead guilty.

A new filing in the Eastern District Court of Pennsylvania revealed that the sentencing hearing for former Seattle Seahawks linebacker Mychal Kendricks, now a free agent, has been postponed yet again.

A new date has been scheduled for October 14, 2020, over two years after he initially plead guilty to insider trading in September of 2018, right before signing with the Seahawks.

Kendricks ended up appearing in 18 games for the Seahawks over the last two years, primarily lining up at SAM linebacker and racking up 90 combined tackles, five passes defended and five sacks.

He missed most of 2018 with a suspension and a knee injury, and he tore his ACL near the very end of the 2019 season and is currently rehabbing while he looks for his next NFL job.

A sentencing hearing scheduled right in the middle of the season likely won’t help him land a new job, but considering his hearing has been postponed a handful of times now, it seems entirely possible he will be able to suit up for the entire 2020 season – assuming he is able to stay healthy and the season is able to continue as scheduled with the current state of the world.

Seattle is almost certainly not going to bring Kendricks back after drafting Cody Barton in 2019 and Jordyn Brooks in the first round of 2020, two players who are expected to compete for the SAM linebacker position this year.

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3 biggest losers for Seahawks after 2020 NFL draft

The Seattle Seahawks added eight new players via the NFL draft, and they will challenge veterans for playing time at multiple positions.

The 2020 NFL draft is in the books, and the Seattle Seahawks came away with eight new players to compete for jobs on the 53-man roster during training camp.

A pair of edge defenders and a pair of tight ends highlight the class, but the team also added a run-stuffing linebacker, a slot receiver, a third down running back and a mauling right guard – an eclectic group of talented players, many who have battled adversity in their young careers and are ready to come in with a chip on their shoulder and immediately make an impact on this club.

Adding eight new players creates some competitive positional battles in camp, and while that will certainly create some tough roster decisions for Pete Carroll and John Schneider – that’s exactly how they prefer it.

It’s not the best news for three of Seattle’s veterans, however, as the Seahawks sent them a strong message that their job security is dwindling, and they may have to fight pretty hard to keep their jobs in 2020.

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Seahawks held video conference call with Utah DT Leki Fotu

The Seattle Seahawks held a video conference with Utah defensive tackle Leki Fotu ahead of the 2020 NFL draft.

The Seattle Seahawks, just like the rest of the NFL, are forced to hold their pre draft ‘visits’ with draft-eligible prospects via video conference, thanks to the global pandemic sweeping the country.

While it’s by no means the ideal way to get a sense of a player’s ability to help your team, it at least allows teams to meet players face-to-face, so to speak, and to ask their questions.

The lack of in-person meetings has made it harder to surmise which prospects the Seahawks have actually interacted with, and with just 16 days until the NFL draft the team has managed to keep most of their video conference calls a secret.

One call that we do know the Seahawks made is with Utah defensive tackle Leki Fotu, who has now had calls with 17 teams, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.

The Seahawks are no strangers to snagging defensive players from the University of Utah, drafting both Marquise Blair and Cody Barton last year.

Fotu is a good fit for Carroll’s 4-3 defensive front, with most scouts believing his best chance of success in the NFL will be as a two-gap nose tackle.

Fotu isn’t much of a pass rusher, but Seattle needs more interior defensive linemen and adding Fotu in the middle round could be just what they need up front.

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Sentencing hearing for Mychal Kendricks postponed yet again

Former Seahawks LB Mychal Kendricks, now a free agent, is scheduled for sentencing on May 29 following his guilty plea for insider trading.

It has been well over a year since linebacker Mychal Kendricks was supposed to have his sentencing hearing after pleading guilty in September 2018 to insider trading.

However, another postponement means that Kendricks, who is a free agent after playing the past two years for the Seattle Seahawks, won’t be sentenced until May 29 at the earliest.

It is unclear whether the COVID-19 pandemic and the mass closure of business and government offices around the United States have anything to do with the latest delay.

Regardless, it will force teams that are considering signing Kendricks to weigh the fact he could face jail time in the near future.

Kendricks faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison, although his co-defendant, TV writer Damilare Sonoiki, was sentenced to three years of probation. That’s a likely scenario for Kendricks, and one that should allow him to continue playing in the NFL.

The 29-year-old linebacker played in 18 games for the Seahawks but suffered a season-ending injury both years. He is recovering from an ACL injury and seems unlikely to re-sign with Seattle after the emergence of Cody Barton as a viable Sam linebacker.

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Seattle Seahawks 2020 free agent profile: LB Mychal Kendricks

Will the Seattle Seahawks bring back linebacker Mychal Kendricks, or will they turn to 2019 rookie Cody Barton to replace him at SAM?

*The Seattle Seahawks are heading into the 2020 offseason with 19 players set to become unrestricted free agents, which should make for another busy spring and summer for Pete Carroll and John Schneider as they look to shore up the roster and contend for the number one seed in the NFC again next year.*

Our free agent series continues with a look at linebacker Mychal Kendricks.

Lining up as the team’s SAM linebacker, Mychal Kendricks had a solid season for the Seahawks. He racked up 71 combined tackles, four passes defended, three sacks, one forced fumble and an interception in 14 games played.

However, Kendricks often struggled in pass coverage, a task assigned to Seattle’s linebackers more than ever in 2019 thanks to an over-reliance on their base 4-3 defense, and he had issues with open field tackles as well.

Kendricks also suffered a torn ACL near the end of the season and is facing potential jail time stemming from a charge of insider trading leveled against him before the 2018 season.

All that, along with the emergence of 2019 rookie Cody Barton down the stretch, makes it look more and more like Kendricks has played his last down with the Seahawks while the team looks to Barton to replace him at SAM.

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