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Dr. D asked Nathan two Seahawks questions and enjoyed his two posts responses as much as I have any Seahawk articles in a long time. Way to pick 'em up and lay 'em down.
Possible that I'm biased because they were my questions :- ) but the answers were Jamesian. They transferred knowledge from a hardcore follower (you) to a guy with a rather basic question (me) and they did so with a bright tone that was not condescending. Very compelling logic also, getting to the point and not wasting words.
I don't know how many M's fans are Seahawk fans at my level, but boy, an "Ask Nathan" would make an interesting blog section to me.
Really, half the reason that we put this post up is that it seems so rare and elusive to find this kind of friendly, bottom-line writing. You either get experts talking to each other, or beginners in a "blind leads the blind" situation, or you get experts who are impatient with "naive" questions, or you get an expert who wants to help but doesn't know how (Wikipedia, usually, and certainly a lot of saber sites. The "Chemistry for Dummies" books are not for dummies. They're the right way to transfer information in the internet age.
:: daps ::
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Nathan compared Tyler Lockett to Percy Harvin here and surprised me a bit, opining that Harvin's athleticism cleanly separates him even from Tyler Lockett. That's interesting. Makes sense; I'd like to know whether anybody else has an opinion. Nathan on Harvin's "Lovecraftian" physical gifts:
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Harvin has rare top-end speed, rare agility/elusiveness (even in tight spaces), vision, understands blocking schemes and sets up his blocks accordingly, neigh Golden Tate-esque gyroscopic balance, and toughness/bravery.
Lockett has good top-end speed, excellent agility/elusiveness, intelligence (football and otherwise), vision, understands blocking schemes and sets up his blocks accordingly, work ethic, and clutchiness (he steps up against top-end competition. Seriously, it's in his scouting report.)
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It is only in baseball that anybody doubts that last characterization. Baseball is apparently a completely unique sport in that focus and courage are non-factors. ...
Lockett (over his career) looks like he's going to get comparable receiving yards; since he has a big technical edge over Harvin, it makes sense that Harvin's advantages must be large enough to compensate.
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Nathan says, re: Avril / Bennett -
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My opinion is that we are watching the end of the Avril/Bennett era. Bennett will NOT return next year.
Facts:
- Bennett will hold out for a new contract next year. (Yes, fact)
- Cutting Bennett will result in a net $10.5 mil savings against the cap. $3 mil in 2016 ($4 mil dead cap vs. $7 mil salary) and $7.5 mil in 2017 ($2 mil dead cap vs. $9.5 mil salary).
- Bennett's replacement, Frank Clark, has fulfilled expectations
The ideal scenario is that we see one more year of Bennett at his current salary. That will not happen. Bennett nearly held out at an $8 mil salary THIS year. Expecting him to take a $1 mil paycut after a dominant statistical season, as someone who has made it abundantly clear to anyone who will listen that $$ is, by far, the most important thing to him, is wishcasting.
The Seahawks salary cap is currently stretched to its limit in the most Stars and Scrubs configuration imaginable in the NFL and, next year, Russell Wilson's cap hit REALLY starts. It cannot handle one more Star, especially when there is a comparable scrub waiting in the wings (Frank Clark) and ESPECIALLY especially when that Star has a negative aspect associated with his play (penalties).
A holdout staredown until he blinks, will not happen because
1. They just did that with Kam and did not like the result
2. Bennett is crazy enough to follow through with a season-long holdout
So the Seahawks will trade him (if lucky) or suck up the dead space and cut him.
The ONLY scenario that I foresee where the Seahawks keep Bennett next year is if they cut Jimmy Graham (no dead cap hit) and use that money to restructure Bennett. If they value Bennett THAT MUCH over Jimmy or are sure that Jimmy's knee injury is sufficient that he'll never be the same, sure, it could happen.
I think that's the unlikely scenario, though.
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And here's where he's being patient with somebody who didn't look up Bennett's contract status or plow through the salary cap implications. :- ) That's a necessary part of a good Mariners for Dummies read.
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By the way, this Sports Illustrated feature on Bennett/Avril is tremendous. If you only read 5 football articles this month, that would be one of 'em. Bennett states that both players' glamor stats are hurt by the system they play in, which is okay with him, but Avril and Bennett still rank #4-5 in the NFL for QB pressure.
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This seems compelling because it IS obvious that Bennett is all about the dinero. And, there's been a lot made lately of his toe injury which hurts "a 10 out of 10." (When my pain is a 10 I'm immobilized and on a ketamine I.V. drip, half-unconscious.)
That said, we now notice that Bennett has TWO years left on his deal and I thought the Seahawks only re-negotiated with 1 year left? Cutting Bennett in 2016 would leave $4M dead cap space when his salary is less than half that, $7M. In 2017, the dead cap space is a manageable $2M against a $9.5M salary.
So, it seems to me like they could restructure Bennett (move $2 or $3M up a year) without cutting Graham - acquiescing to give Bennett his release the next year. No?
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At any rate, this D-Line is overwhelming. Nice to know that if they've only got three or four games left :- ) we need to savor them. Which would be okay: in 2016-19 we become Belichick/Brady West, right?
BABVA,
Dr D
