Tag: Pete Carroll

Seahawks GM John Schneider talks about ‘Picturegate’ at the VMAC

Seahawks GM John Schneider talks about ‘Picturegate’ at the VMAC

If you have been online at all this week, you have likely seen the latest “scandal” hitting the Seattle Seahawks. New head coach Mike Macdonald reportedly took down several murals in the hallways at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center – the Seahawks team head quarters. Images such as the BeastQuake, Richard Sherman’s “tip” and even hoisting the Lombardi.

Gasp!

If you are good at reading sarcasm, you’ve probably realized how “serious” I am taking this development, and I am not alone. It seems Seahawks general manager John Schneider shares similar levels of concern. During his weekly appearance on the Wyman and Bob Show, Schneider gave his thoughts on the latest “nontroversy” gripping the internet.

It is the offseason. Free agency is over, and we are still not quite to the 2024 NFL Draft. Folks online are scrambling to pick up anything at all to talk about to satiate our collective hunger for new NFL stories… especially with a brand new head coach in charge.

Macdonald is new. With “new” comes excitement and enthusiasm. But “new” can also bring about a sense of trepidation. With Pete Carroll, we grew accustomed to his ways and how Seattle operated. Macdonald is ushering in a new regime, new ways of thinking and doing things. The hesitation and concern among fans for something that could be easily seen as history erasure is understandable.

But for now, no one at the VMAC is taking it as seriously as fans online.

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Why Mike Macdonald removed old Seahawks murals from team facility

Why Mike Macdonald removed old Seahawks murals from team facility

As I have written multiple times in regards to new Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald, it is the dawn of a new era in Seattle. This could not possibly be more evident than it is right now with the recent redecoration reports.

Macdonald has removed iconic murals from the team facility, images of some of the greatest moments in Seahawks history – specifically ones created in the past 14 years. Moments such as:

  • The BeastQuake
  • Richard Sherman’s tip
  • Russell Wilson being emotional after the win over the Packers in the NFC Championship game
  • Kam Chancellor forcing a fumble of Calvin Johnson Jr.
  • Hoisting the Lombardi Trophy

Why are these iconic moments gone? Why are the walls at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center left bare? Why are all remnants of the Pete Carroll era seemingly… erased?

Two words: new legacy. Macdonald is sending a clear message to his new team, he wants them to forge a new way forward. Create new moments and memories, something to define this new era. In the words of Star Wars villain Kylo Ren, “let the past die.”

Such a move is certainly far more than curious. Dave “Softy” Mahler mentioned on Twitter how it is hard to imagine other teams, such as the Green Bay Packers or the loathsome Steelers or 49ers erasing their histories, especially their Golden Years. Yes, make no mistake, the Carroll era was the height (so far?) of the Seahawks franchise.

But perhaps there might be some mad genius to this unusual method. Perhaps Macdonald’s new tactic can help inspire his young team to push themselves to new heights. To feel a sense of freedom of not being trapped by the past.

So far, it has not seemed to ruffle feathers. Macdonald’s new players seem to sing nothing but his praises. Julian Love, Uchenna Nwosu, Leonard Williams, Devon Witherspoon and Charles Cross have all been effusive in their enthusiasm for their new coach.

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Pete Carroll made an appearance at University of Washington football practice

Perhaps Carroll will return to the VMAC in some future capacity, but right now it doesn’t seem like he will be around the team in 2024.

When the Seahawks fired former head coach Pete Carroll a few months ago they said that he would be taking on an unnamed “advisory” role. Since then we haven’t heard anything about what that role might entail and we also haven’t heard from Carroll since his final press conference.

One thing we can count on is Carroll putting in time around the Washington Huskies, where his son Brennan is on Jedd Fisch’s staff as the team’s new offensive coordinator. Pete was spotted at practice yesterday.

Former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has also been around the building a lot lately, as his son Steve is their new defensive coordinator.

Perhaps Carroll will return to the VMAC in some future capacity, but right now it doesn’t seem like he will be around the team in 2024.

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Every move the Seahawks have made so far this offseason

Every move the Seattle Seahawks have made in the 2024 offseason

Next week the offseason will culminate in the 2024 NFL draft, so let’s take a moment today to review what the team has done so far.

It’s been an eventful offseason for the Seattle Seahawks and their fans to say the least. It began with a thrilling one-point win over the division rival Arizona Cardinals, followed immediately by a short-lived but silly controversy over cigar smoking in the locker room. Since then the team has changed head coaches, totally remade the back end of their defense and brought in another backup quarterback via trade.

Next week the offseason will culminate in the 2024 NFL draft, which is the main event of the non-football season calendar. Let’s take a moment today to review what the team has done so far. Here are all 32 of their major moves this offseason.

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USC hopes 2024 LSU opener recalls the Pete Carroll era

USC fans hope the 2024 LSU opener will be a lot like another SEC game from the Pete Carroll days.

If you follow our USC call-in show at The Voice of College Football, which airs Fridays at 9 p.m. Eastern time and 6 p.m. Pacific, you know our callers bring up some great points. One caller raised a comparison on an April call-in show. The caller likened the upcoming USC season opener against LSU with the Auburn game in 2003. It really is a fantastic comparison which works on so many levels. That 2003 Auburn game, one of the more memorable ones of the Pete Carroll era at USC, will hopefully serve as a good parallel to the 2024 LSU opener.

You don’t have to twist your mind into a pretzel to grasp the comparison between 2024 LSU and 2003 Auburn. It’s a very obvious and clear comparison. In 2003 at Auburn, USC went into battle with Matt Leinart, a new quarterback taking over for a Heisman winner, Carson Palmer, the year before. People were optimistic about Leinart, but everyone needed to see him prove on the field that he was worthy of the starting quarterback job and could lead the Trojans at a high level.

The parallel with Miller Moss entering the 2024 LSU game is right there for everyone to see. Moss takes over for a Heisman Trophy winner, Caleb Williams. The link with 2024 is there. Now, Miller Moss just needs to complete the circle at USC.

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What could have been for Giancarlo Mike Stanton and USC football

Did you know that Giancarlo Stanton received an offer from Pete Carroll and USC? He never did play for the Trojans.

Giancarlo Michael Stanton of the New York Yankees is one of the best power hitters of the past 20 years, but I always wonder what could have been if he had chosen to play football at USC instead of signing his MLB draft contract in 2007.

In the fall of 2006, USC head coach Pete Carroll and assistant Steve Sarkisian learned of a senior wide receiver and defensive back at Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California, who went by the name of Mike Stanton.

Stanton was drafted in the second round—No. 76 overall—by the Marlins in 2007.

“My high school football coaches worked with NFL guys,” Stanton said, citing former USC and Raiders running back Justin Fargas. “They watched me play against current NFL guys and believed I could have made it. I picked baseball over football because of the opportunity. I wanted to stick to one sport full-time for the first time in my life.”

Stanton ended up signing a 13-year deal worth $325 million. He eventually got traded to the New York Yankees in 2018 after winning the NL MVP award in 2017.

His quarterback in high school, Dayne Crist, played at Notre Dame, Kansas and the Baltimore Ravens. Crist called Stanton one of the most athletic players he has ever seen at any level.

During his senior year at wide receiver, Giancarlo Michael Stanton caught 29 passes for 745 yards and 11 touchdowns with an average of more than 25 yards per catch.

On the defensive side of the ball, Stanton played strong safety at 6’4 and 210 pounds. He totaled 50 tackles and five interceptions. He also was a punter, making him a three-phase player.

Stanton went up against notable opponents in high school: Christian Fauria, Marc Tyler, Richard Sherman and Jimmy Clausen. He was able to hold his own.

We all wonder what could have been for Stanton if he chose to play football at USC for coach Carroll, Sarkisian and Lane Kiffin for the Trojans.

I think Stanton would have changed positions. He grew into a larger frame at 6’5 and 245 pounds. He ended up filling out nicely. He probably would have moved to tight end in the 2007 class with Rhett Ellison on a USC team that already featured tight ends Fred Davis and Anthony McCoy.

https://youtube.com/shorts/uDe1Up2OptY?si=9mIOHFiyYMTz94Zp

Giancarlo Stanton made the right choice. He has carved out a very productive career with the Marlins and Yankees. Yet, he would have been a solid tight end for the Trojans and at least had a cup of tea in the NFL. He might have had a ceiling as a starter and played multiple years, like USC tight end Fred Davis.

USC has so many what ifs, but this one has always been interesting to me. If Stanton invested his full time in football, what truly could have become of his career?

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Pete Carroll gets props from Mike Macdonald for building Seahawks foundation

Mike Macdonald knows he has some pretty big Monarchs to fill.

When the Seahawks announced they were removing Pete Carroll as head coach they said he’d be staying on in an “advisory role.” Since then we haven’t heard from anyone on what that means exactly or how he fits into the new front office structure. It’s starting to seem like he won’t be involved at all with this organization, at least not this year.

We’ll continue to monitor the Carroll situation. For now, new head coach Mike Macdonald knows he has some pretty big Monarchs to fill – and he is cognizant of the fine work Carroll did in establishing a winning culture at the VMAC. However, he also recognizes that in order to improve the Seahawks have to take on their own identity.

Here’s what he told Tom Pelissero yesterday at the Annual League Meeting about his predecessor and moving forward without him, via Coral Smith at NFL.com.

“(Carroll’s) such an integral part of building this foundation, of who the Seahawks are, and that’s one of the reasons why it was so appealing for this opportunity. So it’s hard to separate those things… I have my way of seeing things and what I believe in, and a lot of that is aligned with what he believes in, from what I understand. However, this team needs to take on its own identity, just like any team, any year, and I’m the one to lead that charge. So it’ll be in our vision, and we’ll move forward.”

On paper, the team has taken a small step backwards – having lost key performers like Bobby Wagner and Quandre Diggs. At least in Year 1 the Seahawks may have to rely on Macdonald’s schematic genius for their improvement on defense.

Fans should try to be patient in 2024 and remember that it usually takes a season before a team really turns the corner under a new coach. If they can hit on a third-straight strong draft class then this team should make a pretty big surge forward in 2025.

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According to Over the Cap’s projections, Seattle is currently on track to get four comp picks in next year’s draft.

Seahawks general manager John Schneider now has the final say over all personnel decisions. However, the team would not have hired Mike Macdonald as their new head coach they weren’t planning to give him at least some input on roster construction. Already we can see one dramatic change in the organization’s team-building philosophy and it’s arguably related to Macdonald’s influence given where he’s coming from.

During the Pete Carroll years Seattle never made much use of the compensatory pick bucket. This year the team has exactly zero comp picks based on what they did in free agency in 2023. That’s in stark contrast to how things are done in Baltimore, where Macdonald is coming from. No other NFL team has made better use of the comp picks system than the Ravens over the years, and the Seahawks may soon be following suit.

According to Over the Cap’s projections, Seattle is currently on track to get four comp picks in next year’s draft:

  • Fourth-round pick for LG Damien Lewis to Panthers
  • Fifth-round pick for LB Jordyn Brooks to Dolphins
  • Sixth-round pick for LB Bobby Wagner to Commanders
  • Sixth-round pick for TE Colby Parkinson to Rams

Paying Lewis what Carolina was willing to was never a realistic option – and if you think they should have then you have bigger problems than comp picks. One could argue that Brooks was worth the deal he got from Miami – and Schneider’s bizarre answer about why they couldn’t re-sign him doesn’t help his case. However, there is a good argument for letting Brooks walk and hitting the reset button at linebacker – the same principle goes for Bobby Wagner and Washington. Getting anything for Parkinson leaving is just gravy.

Carroll had his strong points to be sure, but this is the right way to build a team and stay competitive in the long run in the modern NFL.

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Mike Macdonald: Ryan Grubb ‘very much in control’ of Seahawks offense

Macdonald’s instinct to give Grubb the reins may remind Seahawks fans of their last head coach.

Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald won’t commit to saying that Geno Smith will start Week 1, even though he’s obviously the best candidate on the roster to do so right now. However, Macdonald has committed to offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, who was the most important hire that he made while building up his 23 assistants deep 2024 coaching staff.

Last week when Macdonald was on Sports Radio 93.3 KJR radio, he said he wants to empower Grubb and trusts him to build his scheme, per the team website.

“I want to empower him to build the offense the way he sees it, but one of the reasons I was so excited about hiring him is just the type of person he is, and his track record throughout his entire career, and how he sees the game. I felt like our value system as people and as football coaches align, so I have all the trust in him in the world in how he builds his scheme out and how he empowers our staff. He’s very much in control of what we’re doing.”

Macdonald’s instinct to give Grubb the reins may remind Seahawks fans of their last head coach. One of the things that endeared Pete Carroll to players and assistants was empowering them. Sometimes to his own detriment Carroll let his coordinators call their own shots. (Can you imagine Pete not running the ball at the one-yard line?)

In any case, while we’re happy with Macdonald, keeping Grubb around may be difficult. The impetus behind hiring an offensive head coach is that talented play callers tend to move on to a head coach job after only a year or two max of success. Just how long they Seahawks will be able to retain Grubb if he does live up to the hype could be one of their major challenges in the coming years.

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Pete Carroll coaching up rookie Earl Thomas is a blast from the past

Pete Carroll coaching up rookie Earl Thomas is a blast from the past

We can debate about a lot of things. It is what makes sports so fun and interesting. But one thing we can all find a consensus on is this: Pete Carroll is/was the best coach in the history of the Seattle Seahawks. His unique, player-focused style is truly unrivaled. Every so often, we get a glimpse at him in his element. Such is the case with this now-vintage footage of him talking to Earl Thomas.

Thomas was one of the best defensive players of the 2010’s, period. His elite speed and power punished NFL offenses week in, week out. But he had to grow into this role, channeling raw talent and skill into dominance. Fortunately, he had a quality mentor in Coach Carroll.

Of course, the caption in the tweet above is a bit misleading. Nothing Carroll said was tough or brutal, just simply a brilliant mentor teaching his young star. The Seahawks won the featured game 27-20, and the victory proved pivotal as Seattle would go on to win the NFC West with a 7-9 record.

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