The NFL is a copycat league. After the game, Steve Young stated teams might send guys to Seattle to learn from and copy the Seahawks' model. One of the things I have found impressive with the team is how Pete Carroll and his "new age" style has developed his players at every position. He isn't Chuckie or The Chin, snarling, soaming at the mouth. Yelling and screaming at players, "holding them accountable." This is a nice guy who sets out a vision for each individual player and gets them to buy into developing into that vision. So when NFL teams in this notorious copy-cat league start Seahawking, will they just be thinking QB vs. defense or will they be thinking about the total system that organization has put together? Will other owners and GMs start looking for their own Pete Carrolls over Grudens and Cowhers? Sherman of Carroll: I was a high school junior when I first met him. I got pulled out of class unexpectedly to see him waiting in the hallway—Pete Carroll, national championship-winning head coach. We stood and talked there by the lockers for a few minutes. I’ll never forget that—USC’s head coach coming to recruit me at Dominguez High School in Compton in 2004. At the time, it was one of the coolest experiences of my life. He said, “you’ve got the perfect size to be a lock-up corner.” I’d never heard that before: “lock-up” corner. I made ‘lockup2006’ my email address and used it until I got to college. I didn’t end up going to USC, because my mind was already made up to go to Stanford, and there was no way I was passing up the opportunity to get a Stanford education, but I could tell then there was something that separated Carroll from others coaches who recruited me. You could feel the positive energy, how upbeat he was and how much he believed in what he was saying. He had a different aura to him. He had some football smarts too. He knew I’d end up being a corner even though I went to Stanford to play wide receiver. Years later, after a position switch halfway through my career, he drafted me in the fifth round in 2011 as part of his second draft class. At Stanford we’d beaten USC before he left for Seattle, and one of the first things he told me was, “you’ve got one strike against you already.” I can’t imagine what life in the NFL would be like for me if he hadn’t used a third-day pick on a still-raw cornerback. I get texts from guys across the league which remind me how good we’ve got it in Seattle. They ask, “Is he really as cool as he seems?” and “I hear you guys have fun at practice?” Yes and yes. All he asks is that we be ourselves and protect the team’s reputation by not saying anything controversial. I haven’t exactly earned straight A’s in the latter department lately, but he sees it as a learning experience, just like the games. He finds the positives when we lose, in addition to the things we can improve on. I’ve never been on a team where the coaching staff was so positive. There isn’t a lot of yelling and cursing at players. There’s no talking down to players. It’s about conversations, not aggression. . . . But he’s not coaching in the Super Bowl because he’s a nice guy. He’s here because he’s pulling off the most unique philosophy in football. Think about it. We use a power running game and press coverage—the oldest of the old school. Yet we have specialized doctors who monitor us for concussion symptoms and wrist wear that helps the team track our sleep patterns. The same coach who shows us clips of Lester Hayes and Mike Haynes playing press-man 30 years ago wants to know if we’re getting our proper REM sleep (and, in case you’re wondering, the sleep science has paid off for several guys). Here’s a guy who’s been through everything, even getting fired twice as an NFL head coach, and he has a sense of humor about it. He’ll tell self-deprecating stories that begin, “I coached for the Jets a million years ago and they kicked me out of there before I could even get the shirt on.” And you’re thinking, Man, I don’t know if I would be able tell that story. But that’s coach. He never changes. Even this week, practice is just like it was back home because we’ve been playing championship football for him for 22 weeks now. And before that, when he finished 7-9 two seasons in a row in 2010 and 2011, coach Carroll stayed true to himself and the things he believed in, because it was finally his chance to do things his way. For a guy to come up with a philosophy and stick by it through good and bad, you’ve got to tip your hat to that. NY Daily News: Now Carroll is a made man, a genius. There are stars among coaches, just as there are stars among quarterbacks, wide receivers and corners. Seattle’s quarterback, Wilson, is fine, an intuitive, undersized scrambler. The defensive line is balanced, quick-footed. The cover backs are special. But there is no transcendent star here, not like Manning, and so the Zen-like Carroll becomes the center of attention. His enthusiasm, his positivism, has always seemed strangely out of place in this sport. He doesn’t seem angry or surly enough. Maybe that’s why Carroll never really fit well on the East Coast. He’s a Left Coaster, for sure, born in San Francisco and tethered to the touchy-feely stuff. “It’s just the only way I know how to do it,” Carroll said. “We’ve created a culture that, hopefully, allows for guys to be at their best, the culmination of years working with guys, and teams and coaches, all of that. This is the result of a journey to figure out how you can create an environment where people can find their best, stay at their best, foster their best for the people around them so that everybody can join in.” Carroll is no saint. He bolted from USC, signed a five-year, $33 million contract in Seattle, just before the NCAA came out with its report on his violations. He’s defended some indefensible players along the way, too. But the players buy into his stuff, and in the end that’s really what determines who wins, who loses. “The thing that Coach Carroll has done a great job of is situational football: going over every situation possible, imaginable,” Wilson said. “We’ve done so many two-minute situations, end-of-game situations, end-of-half, so many different situations we get prepared for as a whole, as a team. Not just the quarterback or the defense, but special teams and offensively.”
Pat Kirwan: http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/writer...not-built-with-blueprints-en-vogue-around-nfl After watching the Seattle Seahawks win the Super Bowl and examining how they got there, I wonder how many other NFL owners are looking at what they're doing and scratching their heads about how to build a winner with a chance to sustain success. The Seattle Seahawks did not get the memo on how to build a Super Bowl champion. They didn't use all their salary cap space and use cash over cap to try and "rent" a title-winning team which has to be dismantled the day after the game. They didn't think they needed a 6-foot-4 quarterback with big passing numbers. They didn't spend their top draft picks on cover corners, pass rushers and 6-5 wide receivers so they could win in the red zone. They didn't pick some hot young assistant coach to run their team, instead hiring a guy who had been fired twice in the NFL. The truth is Seattle exposed all the clubs that operate under the impression there is one blueprint for success. As we walk through Seattle's roster, keep in mind that coach Pete Carroll and GM John Schneider kept turning it over until Carroll had 53 guys who bought into his program. He never had that opportunity as coach of the New England Patriots, but he learned it was the most important factor toward success when he went to USC. Some quality players on this world championship team will take the money and run to other clubs, but those clubs should be wary of Seahawks players. I went after and secured a number of Pittsburgh Steelers players when they were an elite team and I found out quickly that those players just weren't as good when they weren't in a Steelers uniform. Trust me, Carroll will take a wave of late draft picks and street free agents to build this team up once again. It's the model, not the names, that make the Seahawks a special franchise. Seahawks roster breakdown Drafted players Round 1: Russell Okung, James Carpenter, Bruce Irvin, Earl Thomas (4 starters) Round 2: Golden Tate, Max Unger, Bobby Wagner, Christine Michael (3 starters) Round 3: Russell Wilson, Brandon Mebane, Jordan Hill (2 starters) Round 4: Red Bryant, Walter Thurmond, Robert Turbin, K.J. Wright (2 starters, 1 role player) Round 5: Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor, Luke Willson (2 starters, 1 role player) Round 6: Byron Maxwell, Jeremy Lane (1 starter) Round 7: J.R. Sweezy, Malcolm Smith, Michael Bowie (1 starter 1 role player) College free agents: Doug Baldwin, Jermaine Kearse, Alvin Bailey, Lemuel Jeanpierre, Benson Mayowa, Mike Morgan, DeShawn Shead (1 starter, 2 role players) Unrestricted free agents: Zach Miller, Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril (3 starters) Street free agents: Michael Robinson, Ricardo Lockette, Paul McQuistan, Kellen Davis, Tarvaris Jackson, Derrick Coleman, Heath Farwell, Clint Gresham, Steven Hauschka, Jon Ryan, O'Brien Schofield (1 role player and both kickers) Practice squad: Breno Giacomini (1 starter) Trades: Marshawn Lynch, Chris Clemons, Percy Harvin, Clinton McDonald (2 starters, 2 role players) Keep in mind, that Sidney Rice and Jesse Williams were on injured reserve this season, which will only fortify the 2014 roster. And not one NFL owner looking to hire a coach was willing to wait for either of Seattle's coordinators -- Darrell Bevel or Dan Quinn -- to offer them a head coaching position and they most likely will return. Finally, since my days working with Pete Carroll, he has taken a lot of criticism for his style and philosophy but he was right all along and many of his critics are now finding out the hard way. ---------- Here is the Seahawk draft history: http://www.nfl.com/draft/history/fulldraft?teamId=4600&type=team
Isn't it funny how everyone has forgotten that half the team got busted for "adder all", yet if this was baseball the first thing everyone would say is, "they must of cheated."
The Seahawks are the definition of system players that excel with the right coaching. The Seahawks have proven that the right coaching in the right environment can produce wins. Players bought into the system and everyone plays for each other. The real model is the coaching staff that Pete Carroll put together. They have made the work place an environment of learning and fun, and the results have yielded a title. They understand situational football. They learn tendencies and they look to capitalize on mistakes. They are opportunistic and resilient. The Seahawks arent doing anything that is beyond understanding. They just have a group that understands football concepts and are working harder in the locker-room than other teams. Richard Sherman put it the best...they are a bunch of misfits that are playing the game the right way. There are plenty of talented teams in the NFL, but talent gets you only so far.
[rquoter]His enthusiasm, his positivism, has always seemed strangely out of place in this sport. He doesn’t seem angry or surly enough. Maybe that’s why Carroll never really fit well on the East Coast. He’s a Left Coaster, for sure, born in San Francisco and tethered to the touchy-feely stuff. “It’s just the only way I know how to do it,” Carroll said. “We’ve created a culture that, hopefully, allows for guys to be at their best, the culmination of years working with guys, and teams and coaches, all of that. This is the result of a journey to figure out how you can create an environment where people can find their best, stay at their best, foster their best for the people around them so that everybody can join in.”[/rquoter] I found this part really interesting and Carroll's approach and personality has some similarities to Phil Jackson's. I think it will be hard to duplicate that because so much of the team does rely on the personality of the coach. What I think will come out of the Seahawks is a greater emphasis on fundamentals, particularly on D. The days of hi flying offenses dependent upon super accurate QB's might be going out the window. The last team to win it all primarily with offense and a passable D was Green Bay and they haven't been back. This year's NFC playoff emphasized the downfall of hi flying offensive teams when Green Bay got beat by the 49'ers, Seattle beat New Orleans, and then beat up on the Broncos.
One other thing about Carroll that is also very interesting is how many players he has from rival college teams to USC. He has had several players from Cal and Stanford like Marshawn Lynch who played against USC teams that he coached. He clearly has an eye for scouting talent even from opposition.
Easier said than done. It's one thing to try and copy the WildCat or the Pistol or the no huddle offense and it's another to try and copy what Seattle has. That's why teams are more flexible in trying the "latest and greatest" thing on offense versus defense. The Seahawks has the deepest level of talent on defense I've seen in a long time and that's due to, like you said, scouting and being lucky. Unfortunately, being lucky is more important than scouting. Take the Spurs. Everyone wants to copy their model or how the organization is ran but it's impossible because they lucked out on a LOT of players (e.g. Manu, Parker, Leonard, etc.). Sure their scouting has been more hit than miss but it's lucking out on the important things (e.g. getting star players) that has made them successful. For another team to replicate what the Seahawks have without a few established stars on paltry salaries already on board is impossible IMO. The closest team is probably the 49ers and maybe the Panthers.
The two NFC games were one possession games (GB moreso than NO, though). It's a hell of a lot harder to keep an entire defense together than have a dominant QB and interchangable offensive parts around him. Besides, this isn't anything new. Baltimore (in the early 2000s) and Pittsburgh both won with this Seattle type of team. St. Louis back then followed the Green Bay / New Orleans model. There's not really one right way to build a team as far as defense vs offense goes. Both methods can get you to the Superbowl and then it's a matter of getting a favorable matchup and some luck. I think Denver fares much better vs the 49ers because Seattle's defensive strength is against the pass, while the 49ers are strongest against the run, which Denver doesn't care about as much.
I agree. There's pros and cons to everything. Take this Seattle team--if they would have lost to Denver how many more seasons does this core have left? Sherman, Thomas, Chancellor, Wilson, etc. are going to get big money either in Seattle or elsewhere. Having a dominant defense can definitely increase your chances of winning it all but it takes, IMO, more 1. time 2. luck. and 3. collaboration than any other type of "team building". The rub against building around an elite QB is that he alone can't guarantee you a super bowl, however, he can sure as hell keep your team in contention for a lot longer than an elite defense.
Weren't Dungy and The Ram's coach considered nice guys too? There weren't copied . ... . but we will see Rocket River
Yeah his eye for talent is probably his greatest strength...his character/personality isn't that different from Kubiak, at least not when compared to other coaches. I guess that's why players liked Kubiak also.
Things like the WildCat and Pistol are more gimmicks whereas the what Seattle is doing is playing more fundamental defense. You and Major have a good point though that it isn't easy to build a great D while you can put a lot of parts around a great QB. I was just thinking that the 2013 Texans kind of rebut my argument. You can have a great D but if you have a QB that gives the other team the ball a lot you aren't going to go far.
Great scouting , coaches and players who obviously have "Chip on shoulder" guys picked later rounds. Key free agent pickups like Bennett and Avril.
I think consistant defensive effort and style. I found .. . . like in basketball . . .. teams with a consistent physical style tend to get away with more physical play. I think that will be copied. I wonder if the NFL will 'clean that up'? Rocket River
I bet adderall would help with the constant effort and coming out of the game firing on all cylinders... lol
