Seahawks Pete Carroll and John Schneider focused on the future with the 2022 draft approaching

A week before one of the franchises’ most important drafts’, General Manager  John Schneider and head coach Pete Carroll were gushing with the praise about the energy and buzz around the Vmac.  After going through one of its most surprising offseason in team history it’s no surprise the Seahawks brain trust was looking at the future rather than the past.

“Just to amplify one thought here is that the players coming back is like the third-floor personnel coming back. It really has energized the building and it’s been really fun to get going. There is a real good excitement about it. So, we’re pumped up and I think it’s the draft, and the new players, it is all added to that. We’re fired up about it.” 

Pete Carroll on excitement in the Virginia Mason Athletic Center

Schneider started the press conference and spent the first ten minutes thanking everyone from coaching staff, support staff, and medical personnel.

CAN THE SEAHAWKS STRIKE LIGHTNING TWICE?

For the first time since 2010, the Seahawks have a top ten pick.  The Seahawks have the no.9 pick in this year’s draft. The last the Seahawks had a top ten pick was in the 2010 draft.

The team picked tackle Russell Okung with the number 6th overall, Earl Thomas with the 14^th pick in the first round. Kam Chancellor believe it or not was picked in the 5^th round at 133^rd overall What Seattle is hoping to replicate is their luck in the 2012  draft.

BEST DRAFT YEAR WAS WITHOUT A TOP TEN PICK

For many, the Seahawk’s best draft class in history was in 2012. The  Seahawks did not even have a top ten pick that year. The Seahawks picked Bruce Irvin with the 15th pick, Bobby Wagner in the second round with the 47th pick overall, and Russell Wilson in the 3rd round with the 75th pick overall. The rest as they is history. Well, it was until this offseason when the Hawks traded Wilson to Denver for players and picks. Wagner as heartbreaking as it is to say was simply released and to make matters worse, he heard the news from a third party.

Carroll was asked about the long dry spell between top ten picks and if anything has changed philosophical-wise.

“That was a long time ago. There is definitely an excitement about this because there’s only so many things that can happen. When you’re picking 25^th, and 28^th, and down, there’s a million scenarios. This is not like that. It’s a little different. So, there’s a different level of excitement about the opportunity. As John said we’ll be interested to see how other people see it and are they willing to come chasing that spot too. Just everything about it. Just more challenging, more exciting. And we’re looking forward to it.”

WHERE TO NOW?

Since 2012 Schneider and Carroll have adopted a philosophy of trading down for more picks.

Some moves have panned out others not so much.

The question on everyone’s mind  was will the Seahawks trade down. And as expected Schneider and  Carroll gave vague answers to ensure they were not tipping their hands.

“It’s going to be different. We haven’t experienced it since the first year we were here, we had the two first-round draft picks. So, there’s a lot of planning, a lot of thoughts that go through your head, a lot of different scenarios. We may pick at nine, we may not, we don’t know yet. We’re going to do whatever we can to help this football team as much as we possibly can. It’s obviously exciting, but it’s not necessarily a place that you want to be drafting.”

Two players Carroll and Schneider are keeping tabs are Quandre Diggs and  Jamal Adams. The team’s All-Pro Safeties are rehabbing from season-ending injuries that required surgery.

DIGGS AND ADAMS  INJURY UPDATE

“Those guys are doing great. They’re really excited, enthused with what’s happening, really positive. It was great to see Quandre when he came out to sign his deal and everybody was really pumped about that. Both those guys are working and maintaining the rehab that they’re in to try to maximize these few crucial weeks until they get back in here. Everybody’s connected and ‘Zooming’ and doing all of our stuff, so it’s working out great.”