Tag: K.J. Wright

Bleacher Report releases Seahawks all-time Madden roster

Seven current Seahawks make up Bleacher Report’s all-time Seattle squad, which will be used in a Madden tournament.

Bleacher Report is putting together a tournament pitting each NFL squad’s all-time team against each other using the popular video game Madden. That means they put together an all-time squad for the Seattle Seahawks – and while the team has a pretty modern flair it’s fun to see the old names mixed with the new.

Of the 31 players on Seattle’s all-time roster, six of them are currently on the Seahawks – seven if you count Marshawn Lynch, who played briefly for Seattle last season but is currently a free agent.

The list also includes the Legion of Boom secondary, as well as many names from Seattle’s 2005 squad, including Walter Jones, Steve Hutchinson and Shaun Alexander.

Here is the entirety of the Seahawks all-time Madden roster, along with their overall ratings in the game:

Russell Wilson, QB (94 OVR)

Matt Hasselbeck, QB (85 OVR)

Marshawn Lynch, RB (92 OVR)

Shaun Alexander, RB (92 OVR)

Mack Strong, FB (96 OVR)

Steve Largent, WR (93 OVR)

Joey Galloway, WR (90 OVR)

Doug Baldwin, WR (87 OVR)

Tyler Lockett, WR (87 OVR)

Will Dissly, TE (82 OVR)

Walter Jones, OL (98 OVR)

Steve Hutchinson, OL (97 OVR)

Robbie Tobeck, OL (85 OVR)

Bryan Millard, OL (84 OVR)

Chris Gray, OL (83 OVR)

Jacob Green, DL (91 OVR)

Cortez Kennedy, DL (95 OVR)

Michael Bennett, DL (89 OVR)

Joe Nash, DL (86 OVR)

Bobby Wagner, LB (98 OVR)

Lofa Tatupu, LB (86 OVR)

Chad Brown, LB (85 OVR)

KJ Wright, LB (83 OVR)

Richard Sherman, CB (95 OVR)

Marcus Trufant, CB (89 OVR)

Shawn Springs, CB (87 OVR)

Kenny Easley, S (97 OVR)

Earl Thomas III, S (95 OVR)

Kam Chancellor, S (95 OVR)

Stephen Hauschka, K (86 OVR)

Michael Dickson, P (83 OVR)

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NFL Draft: Seattle’s best pick in each round since 2000

The Seattle Seahawks have had a lot of success in the NFL draft, particularly in the early part of the last decade.

The 2020 NFL draft is still expected to occur in about three weeks, and the Seattle Seahawks are gathering as much information as they can about prospective prospects in the challenging COVID-19 times.

The Seahawks are known for finding late round gems, particularly in the Pete Carroll/John Schneider era, and one or two diamonds in the rough would go a long way toward making the 2020 roster even more competitive as they strive for another deep playoff run.

The Seahawks have had their fare share of success all the way through the draft, along with plenty of duds, but there’s no doubt their best run of success – at least in the past 20 years – came just before the team’s back-to-back Super Bowl appearances, when they were able to build the infamous Legion of Boom almost exclusively via the draft.

Here’s a look at the team’s best picks by round in the past two decades, along with a handful of honorable mentions.

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A look at 4 Seattle Seahawks who could become cap casualties

The Seattle Seahawks are in the market for superstars, and acquiring any might require them to cut some players to clear cap space.

The Seattle Seahawks are in the market for superstars this offseason, and while they have more cap space than usual they are still going to have a hard time affording top-tier talent on the open market, unless they make some chances to their roster.

The signing of Greg Olsen and the re-signing of Jarran Reed sucked up a huge chunk of Seattle’s cap space, and any chance of re-signing Jadeveon Clowney or bringing in another quality free agent likely rests in the team’s ability to shed some salary.

Here are four players who could find themselves looking for a new job this offseason, starting with the most obvious candidate.

Tight End Ed Dickson

Cutting veteran tight end Ed Dickson would save the Seahawks $3.8 million dollars, and seems like a no-brainer following the team’s addition of Olsen and the reported return of both Jacob Hollister and Luke Willson.

With four tight ends already in the fold, and Dickson unable to play a single game last year thanks to injuries, it seems like a near certainty he will be released soon.

The soon-to-be 33-year-old may have a hard time finding another gig, although his experience and strength as a blocker should land him another opportunity before he has to call it a career.

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2020 NFL Scouting Combine: List of linebackers expected to attend

The Seattle Seahawks have one of the best linebacking corps in the NFL, but could still be looking at the scouting combine prospect list.

There’s no denying the Seattle Seahawks have one of the best linebacking corps in the league but there’s no harm in adding a little extra depth or some youth at the position.

Ahead of April’s NFL draft, the following linebackers are slated to participate in the scouting combine at the end of the month.

LINEBACKERS
Joe Bachie, LB, Michigan State
Markus Bailey, LB, Purdue
Zack Baun, LB, Wisconsin
Francis Bernard, LB, Utah
Daniel Bituli, LB, Tennessee
Shaun Bradley, LB, Temple
Jordan Brooks, LB, Texas Tech
Cameron Brown, LB, Penn State
K’Lavon Chaisson, LB, LSU
Nick Coe, LB, Auburn
Carter Coughlin, LB, Minnesota
Akeem Davis-Gaither, LB, Appalachian State
Michael Divinity, LB, LSU
Troy Dye, LB, Oregon
Tipa Galeai, LB, Utah State
Cale Garrett, LB, Missouri
Willie Gay Jr., LB, Mississippi State
Scoota Harris, LB, Arkansas
Malik Harrison, LB, Ohio State
Khaleke Hudson, LB, Michigan
Anfernee Jennings, LB, Alabama
Clay Johnston, LB, Baylor
Azur Kamara, LB, Kansas
Terrell Lewis, LB, Alabama
Jordan Mack, LB, Virginia
Kamal Martin, LB, Minnesota
Kenneth Murray, LB, Oklahoma
Dante Olson, LB, Montana
Jacob Phillips, LB, LSU
Michael Pinckney, LB, Miami
Shaquille Quarterman, LB, Miami
Patrick Queen, LB, LSU
Chapelle Russell, LB, Temple
Isaiah Simmons, LB, Clemson
Justin Strnad, LB, Wake Forest
Darrell Taylor, LB, Tennessee
Davion Taylor, LB, Colorado
Casey Toohill, LB, Stanford
Josh Uche, LB, Michigan
Mykal Walker, LB, Fresno State
Curtis Weaver, LB, Boise State
Evan Weaver, LB, California
Logan Wilson, LB, Wyoming
David Woodward, LB, Utah State

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K.J. Wright’s resurgence one of Seahawks’ best stories of 2019

The return of K.J. Wright, who had a career-best season despite only playing five games in 2018, is one of the best stories of the year.

When the 2018 regular season concluded, veteran linebacker K.J. Wright had played just five games, and his future with the Seattle Seahawks was in serious jeopardy.

However, an extremely strong performance in Seattle’s wild card loss to the Cowboys helped build some of his confidence back, and after re-signing for two years and $14 million dollars, Wright had a resurgent 2019 season with the Seahawks.

The veteran linebacker appeared in all 16 games for Seattle, recording a career-high 132 combined tackles – his fifth season of 100 plus tackles.

“It’s been amazing watching him play, especially after last year,” teammate Bobby Wagner commented on Wednesday. “He had a lot of struggles last year injury-wise. But he came back. You could see towards the end of the game, I’ve mentioned before, against Dallas. That kind of transitioned into the next season.”

Wright not only rebounded from an injury-riddled campaign, he also had to adjust to a new defensive scheme that saw him out in pass coverage far more often than in year’s past. Wright managed to excel in that new role, with 11 pass breakups and three interceptions – both career highs.

“K.J. is just one of a kind,” defensive coordinator Ken Norton, Jr. said on Wednesday. “Extremely unique. He’s a really heady, smart, instinctive guy. He spends a lot of time studying, watching film, talking ball. He’s just a gym rat. He loves ball. He knows how to carry it over to action on the football field. He’s been doing it for a long time. He’s, no question, one of the best.”

Wright is one of the most prolific tacklers in Seahawks franchise history, and his resurgence after many felt his career was circling the drain is a remarkable story that went overlooked this season.

“It’s really fun to watch him be successful,” Wagner continued. “The man he is, the person he is. The way he prepares. I wasn’t surprised by it. I was very, very happy for him.”

Wright and Wagner will look to lead this team to victory in the wild card matchup in Philadelphia against the Eagles, which is slated to kick off at 1:40 p.m. PT on Sunday, January 5.

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Seattle Seahawks Week 16 player of the game: LB Bobby Wagner

Very little went right for the Seattle Seahawks in Week 16 against the Arizona Cardinals, but Bobby Wagner was his usual dominant self.

The Seattle Seahawks had an absolutely disastrous game against the Arizona Cardinals at CenturyLink Field on Sunday, falling 27-13 and losing running backs Chris Carson (hip) and C.J. Prosise (broken arm) for the rest of the season.

In a game where seemingly nothing went right, our player of the game award goes to middle linebacker Bobby Wagner, who was his reliable dominant self in the middle for a team that looked dazed and confused throughout.

Wagner finished with a game-high seven solo tackles and tied K.J. Wright with 13 tackles combined. He also had a sack, one of just two the Seahawks had all day against Kyler Murray and his backup, Brett Hundley.

Wagner was named to the Pro Bowl for the sixth consecutive year, and his performance this season will likely merit another All-Pro nod as he continues to cement himself as the best linebacker of his generation and a future Hall of Famer.

Meanwhile, Seattle will need to regroup with a banged up squad to try to take down the 49ers at home in Week 17, with the top spot in the NFC West still at stake.

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K.J. Wright believes NFL should reconsider policy on marijuana

K.J. Wright, who is the Seattle Seahawks NFL players association rep, believes the league should reconsider their policy on marijuana.

The NFL handed down an indefinite suspension to Seattle Seahawks receiver Josh Gordon on Monday, effectively ending his tenure in Seattle and jeopardizing his NFL career.

It was the sixth drug related suspension of Gordon’s career.

Gordon’s latest suspension, and the news that the MLB plans to stop testing for marijuana next season, has many folks clamoring for a similar rule change in the NFL.

“I think they need to look way more into it,” Seahawks linebacker and player rep K.J. Wright told the Seattle Times. “I think the old mentality of marijuana that it is just terrible for you and does bad stuff for you, I think they definitely need to look into it. I don’t know why that is still a rule and why that is the case.”

It is unclear if Gordon’s latest suspension involves marijuana use or not, but he has been connected to marijuana previously.

Wright called the MLB’s decision “a step in the right direction”, and he believes the NFL will eventually start taking steps to change their outdated policy.

“I think so, because at the end of the day, the whole PED thing is getting a competitive advantage,” Wright continued. “Like, we know some things give you a competitive advantage and I don’t think marijuana gives you an advantage. … At the end of the day, what it’s all about is making things fair and competitive.”

The Seahawks will host the Cardinals on Sunday, without Josh Gordon, at 1:25 p.m. PT.

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Seattle Seahawks defensive player of the game: Linebacker K.J. Wright

The Seattle Seahawks took care of business on Sunday against the Panthers in Carolina, winning 30-24 to move to 11-3 on the season and 7-1 on the road.

The Seattle Seahawks took care of business on Sunday against the Panthers in Carolina, winning 30-24 to move to 11-3 on the season and 7-1 on the road.

The Seahawks had strong performances on both sides of the ball today, leading to both an offensive and defensive player of the game.

On defense, linebacker K.J. Wright earned the honor by putting together his first career two interception game, both which came within five plays of each other late in the third quarter.

Wright’s first interception came courtesy of a tipped ball at the line of scrimmage by defensive tackle Poona Ford. Wright took it 11 yards to the 50-yard line, giving Seattle a great chance to pad their lead.

Seattle got too cute however, and a trick play involving Josh Gordon throwing a deep pass to DK Metcalf predictably went poorly, leading to an interception by Tre Boston.

No matter, as Panthers quarterback Kyle Allen’s first pass with the ball back resulted in another interception from Wright, this time thanks to pressure from defensive tackle Jarran Reed.

Wright finished the day with four combined tackles and the two interceptions.

On a day where Seattle was without Jadeveon Clowney, Mychal Kendricks, Shaquill Griffin and Ziggy Ansah – and lost both Quandre Diggs (ankle) and Bobby Wagner (ankle) – Wright’s strong performance was crucial in helping this team gain their 11th win of the season, inching them one step closer to a playoff berth.

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Instant analysis of Seattle’s 30-24 win over Carolina

The Seattle Seahawks finished the 2019 season with a 7-1 record on the road, the best in franchise history, with a win over the Panthers.

Despite being without four defensive starters, and losing Quandre Diggs for most of the second half, the Seattle Seahawks handled their business on both sides of the ball and earned themselves a 30-24 victory over the Carolina Panthers.

A 30-10 lead turned into a narrow 30-24 win after Seattle’s defense – without Bobby Wagner, who left the game with an ankle injury – gave up two touchdowns in the final five minutes of the game.

Regardless, the Seahawks finish the season with a 7-1 record on the road, including going 5-0 in 10:00 a.m. starts.

After not scoring a touchdown against the Rams last week, the Seahawks wasted no time putting six on the board, scoring on their opening drive after Chris Carson ran it in from 16 yards out. It was clear right from the get-go that Seattle would be able to gain yards on the ground all game long, with Carson gaining 47 rushing yards on the opening drive.

He finished with 24 carries for 133 yards and two touchdowns.

Seattle also did plenty of damage through the air, with Russell Wilson finding DK Metcalf on the following drive for a touchdown to go up 13-0. After a strong drive from the Panthers, led almost exclusively by Christian McCaffrey, the Seahawks scored again on a connection from Wilson to Tyler Lockett, giving them a 20-7 lead heading into halftime.

Things got interesting late in the third quarter when linebacker K.J. Wright picked off Kyle Allen for Seattle’s second interception of the game. The Seahawks gave it right back after trying a trick play with receiver Josh Gordon throwing a deep pass to Metcalf that was picked off by Tre Boston.

However, on the next play, Wright picked off Allen yet again for the third interception in five plays – and the second by Wright. Seattle got a field goal out of it, to go up 23-10.

Seattle nearly had an interception on a third consecutive drive, with Ugo Amadi appearing to pick off Allen and take it in for a touchdown, but replay review overturned the call after the ball bounced.

The fourth quarter saw Seattle let Carolina right back into the game, as the team’s makeshift defense (down six starters on the final few drives) couldn’t stop McCaffrey, D.J. Moore and Curtis Samuel.

The loss of Diggs and Wagner is the major downside of this game, and as of this writing it is unclear what their status is for Week 16’s matchup with the Cardinals.

However, the good news is the Seahawks (11-3) will officially clinch a playoff spot if either the Vikings or Rams lose their games today against the Chargers and Cowboys, respectively.

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K.J. Wright: McCaffrey would be in MVP conversation if Panthers had more wins

The Seahawks know as well as anyone how special Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey is.

The Seahawks know as well as anyone how special Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey is. Last year when these two teams played, he totaled 237 yards from scrimmage and scored two touchdowns. McCaffrey has gotten even better this season and early on he was in the MVP conversation. According to Tiffany Blackmon at NFL Network, Seattle linebacker K.J. Wright says he’d still be there if Carolina had a better record.

Wright knows what he’s talking about. While no running back has won the award since Adrian Peterson in 2012, McCaffrey’s production this year made him a strong candidate to break that streak. Heading into Week 15, McCaffrey has totaled 1,946 yards and scored 16 touchdowns from scrimmage.

Unfortunately, team success is still the ultimate consideration when it comes to deciding MVP and the Panthers simply haven’t won enough games.

Even if Carolina was undefeated, McCaffrey would be hard-pressed to beat out Lamar Jackson for the award, though. Russell Wilson deserves a few votes (which would be the first of his career) but Jackson is an easy favorite to earn the honor.

If Jackson comes back down to earth in 2020 and the Panthers manage to get hot, McCaffrey could be in the conversation again.

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