Seattle Seahawks Dynasty (FOF9)

[canuxrok]

TEAM: Seattle Seahawks
Yeah, my lifelong favourite team. Been there for the ups and downs. Looking forward to running them, hopefully we can have some sustained success and get back into the playoffs.


YEAR: 2023



GAME: Front Office Football Nine
In my opinion this is the best football sim there is despite some of its quirks. (For instance, although I'm using somewhat updated/modified rosters the ratings aren't all as accurate as I'd like because the game generates the ratings slightly differently every time for the sake of replayability and to replicate the unknown factor that goes into every season (Puka Nacua's season wasn't on my bingo card this preseason let's just say)).

DRAFT CLASS: Generated
Sorry if you were looking forward to Caleb Williams and Drake Maye and Marvin Harrison Jr, I don't know if there are real draft classes created yet for this game and if there are I'd rather the random route just to change it up. Also, one of the game's limitations/flaws is that the draft class doesn't show up to look at/scout until the offseason so I won't be doing running stories on prospects during the season probably (unless I can stay far enough ahead in my simming to insert them into writeups for the season).

STYLE: Varied/Creative

This dynasty will use a few different formats/styles. Sometimes there will be basic information (rosters, stats etc), sometimes recaps or article style writeups on games or off field situations, sometimes press conferences and sometimes journal entries to show/discuss the thought process of John Schneider (the GM) more casually.

FREQUENCY: Occasional
I don't intend to update this daily. Hopefully weekly on average, sometimes much more frequently and sometimes less. I want this to last and for that to happen it has to stay fun so it can't become a burden. If life gets busier updates will become fewer and farther between. My goal is to keep going, not to set some speed record then fizzle out. Don't expect constant updates. But I don't intend to abandon ship after a few weeks either.



PLAN: Observe, Analyze, Act.
Year One I will be mostly observing and reporting on the team without making big changes or being too hands on. FOF9 has incredibly detailed and realistic gameplanning options but for year one I am leaving that in the computer coach's hands. Perhaps I will eventually take over these responsibilities in future years or maybe I will leave it up to the coaches I hire. Since this season has already happened in real life (and there's no start today option - one cool thing Madden has going for it) it will be interesting to mostly observe and see how differently things shake out (will the Jets thrive with an uninjured Aaron Rodgers? What if Joe Burrow doesn't struggle with injuries all year for the Bengals? Who will have surprisingly good or bad performances? Etc.) and then take it from there. It's also worth noting in case anything goes very strangely that I have run multiple test sims with this roster and things typically come out reasonably well so if somebody sucks who should be doing well or does amazing that I wouldn't expect I'm comfortable chalking that up to random chance/aberration/etc and rolling with it. Anything can happen in the NFL.

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SEATTLE SEAHAWKS 2023 Coaching Staff

Head Coach: Pete Carroll - the 71 year old bounded into training camp with his usualy energy this season and shows no sign of slowing down. He brings a positivity and enthusiasm that is infectious but some critics feel his playcalling and system have grown stale. This is a big prove it year for him and his staff. Pete is known especially for his work with the secondary and he will look to see Tariq Woolen take another step this season while also coaching up rookie Devon Witherspoon.

Offensive Coordinator: Shane Waldron - Waldron is noted for his ability to work well with younger players and for his creativity but there are legitimate knocks on his play-calling and if the season doesn't go well fans will be calling for change in this area. Waldron runs a West Coast offense and specializes in developing and utilizing tight ends.

Defensive Coordinator: Clint Hurtt - known for his excellent scouting and developing, Hurtt specializes with defensive linemen and runs a True 3-4 Defensive Front. His overall football IQ and playcalling are considered somewhat mediocre and he doesn't especially inspire his players.

Assistant Coach: Carl Smith - the 75 year old Carl Smith is regarded as one of the best at interviewing prospects and he has a sharp football mind. He isn't particularly well known for developing players but he does specialize in working with quarterbacks. He fits best with a West Coast offense. With an expiring contract this offseason it's unknown if John Schneider will keep him on staff or let him go to search for younger blood.

Head Trainer: Ivan Lewis - Lewis is great at conditioning and with only four injuries after the pre-season the Seahawks look to be in decent shape. He is not as good at strength training and his overall football IQ is unimpressive.

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SEATTLE SEAHAWKS 2023 Opening Day

Pre-season has wrapped up and 53 man rosters have been announced. Seattle cut the following players to get down to the 53 man limit:

• WR Easop Winston
• WR Dareke Young
• WR Cade Johnson
• WR Matt Landers
• TE Tyler Mabry
• C Joey Hunt
• OG Ben Brown
• OT Jake Curhan
• DE Austin Faoliu
• OLB Joshua Onujiogu
• ILB Drake Thomas
• CB Robert Rochell
• CB Artie Burns
• CB Michael Jackson
• S Ty Okada
• S Brady Breeze

Some surprises making the roster include undrafted receiver Jake Bobo who had an impressive pre-season, Ravens fifth round pick Kyu Blu Kelly at cornerback beating out veteran Artie Burns and former starter Michael Jackson, running back Kenny McIntosh (a seventh round pick) making the team as they will run with four running backs plus a fullback in Nick Bellore and linebacker Jon Rhattigan who was expected to be a victim of the numbers game but was kept around for his special teams, experience and energy.

Star rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba will be out with an elbow injury to start the season and is expected to miss the first 2-4 weeks. Projected starting Nose Tackle Jarran Reed will be inactive for week one, he is listed as questionable with a leg injury. Depth receiver Cody Thompson is also listed as questionable and defensive end Dre'Mont Jones is probable for week one.

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NFL Pre-Season News

TRADE: CAR acquires DT Maliek Collins, 2024 HOU 7th; HOU acquires 2024 CAR 5th, 2024 CAR 6th.

NOTABLE INJURIES:

• Arizona C Pat Elflein will miss the entire season and his career may be in doubt with a serious achilles tear.
• Baltimore will be without DE Justin Madubuike for 2-4 weeks.
• Baltimore's starting LT Ronnie Stanley should miss most or all of the season with an ankle injury that will require surgery.
• NT Michael Pierce of Baltimore will also likely miss the season
• Chargers LB Joey Bosa is expected to miss up to 14 weeks with a torn ankle ligament.
• WR Juju Smith-Schuster of the Patriots is likely to miss all of the regular season with a serious leg injury.

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What kind of season will the Seahawks give us this year?




September 9th, 2023 -

As the Seahawks wind down their final practice before their meeting with the Rams tomorrow for the season opener we as fans have a lot of questions, some hope and probably even more cynicism.

How did the offseason go? Well, we stuck with Geno at QB after a surprisingly solid season from him and also kept Drew Lock around as his backup. Geno Smith could have another impressive year throwing to Lockett, Metcalf and co, provided his offensive line can keep him healthy and give him time to make his throws. Kenneth Walker III should have another dynamic season and we drafted another RB in the second round (probably too high in this journalist's opinion) in Zach Charbonnet to be the thunder to Walker's lightning. Seventh round running back Kenny McIntosh impressed enough at camp to stick around but if everyone stays healthy it's unlikely he sees many snaps. We took Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the first round, a prodigious talent who will struggle to get targets in an offense with Metcalf, Lockett and three worthy tight ends. Once he's healthy that is. Jake Bobo was a nice surprise and he made the team but he won't move the needle much in that receivers room. The Offensive Line needed more help than it got and while Lucas and Cross both have exciting potential as they enter their sophomore season they still have work to do to establish themselves as starting NFL tackles. The interior line is uninspiring as well, with mediocrity all around and really only Damien Lewis looking like a legitimate starter on a good team. Haynes and Brown are serviceable veterans but they are going to be asked to do a lot of the heavy lifting.

On the defensive side of the ball the consensus of fans and analysts is that not enough was done to improve the line. Games are won and lost in the trenches and with Edwards, Jones and Reed the Seahawks will at least be fielding a competent 3 down linemen but none of them moves the needle or dominates like you want to see in a 3-4 front and Reed is injured to start the season which will thrust either Bryan Mone or rookie Cameron Young into a starting role for opening day. Boye Mafe has taken some good steps at edge and Nwosu looks like he could have a decent season as well, but neither of them are exciting needle moving defensive players either. Darrell Taylor is a passing downs specialist who is relatively good at getting pressure but his game isn't well rounded enough to play regularly and sophomore Tyreke Smith and rookie Derick Hall have some work to do before they are ready for a consistent role. In the middle an aging Bobby Wagner will bring leadership, intelligence and competitive fire and should pack a decent punch alongside Jordyn Brooks but will teams be able to take advantage of his declining coverage skills? Devin Bush is a good insurance policy at linebacker although he may never live up to his first round pedigree. The cornerbacks look solid. Not all-world but solid and Pete has a great history of doing great things with this position group. Witherspoon will hopefully continue to develop as the season goes on and should step in alongside last year's outstanding rookie at the position Tariq Woolen. Coby Bryant looks to have earned the nickel back role and Tre Brown will be the fourth cornerback and looked very competent in pre-season. At safety Jamal Adams still looks dangerous even though injuries have clearly deteriorated his play. If he can stay healthy and keep his attitude in check he could be a difference maker for them on defense. Quandre Diggs is slowing down a bit and Julian Love really stepped up in training camp and pre-season to earn a spot ahead of Diggs. Rumours are that Diggs is not impressed with the situation, it will be interesting to monitor how the coaching staff manages him.

Basically without having made any big improvements at D-Line or O-Line this could be a team that is mired in mediocrity. PFF Ranks their roster as 26th in the league but with Geno's chemistry in the offense and Pete Carroll coach they are expected to finish higher than that. They should win at least 7 games still and maybe even push for a playoff spot but they don't scare anybody and if Pete's magic squeaks them into the Wild Card Round somehow don't expect them to go any farther than that. Unless they surprise us this year this team could be due for some bigger changes, either with the coaching staff or the roster or both. For now let's sit back and enjoy the season.

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NFL Season Preview

San Francisco is the favourite to win the Super Bowl - Kyle Shanahan has a strong team on both sides of the ball with difference makers at key positions. Brock Purdy will have weapons like Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle at his disposal and their defense has Nick Bosa terrifying quarterbacks, Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw patrolling the middle of the field, Charvarius Ward shutting down top receivers and Talanoa Hufanga at safety. The development of backup runninback Elijah Mitchell and backup quarterback Brandon Allen have been big pre-season stories that just add to their overall depth as a team.

Baltimore is another team in the mix this year, led by dual threat star QB Lamar Jackson. Star LT Ronnie Stanley is out and we will see how that affects Jackson's rhythm and confidence this season. Jackson will again be throwing to star TE Mark Andrews but he has a lot better and deeper WR corps than he has had in the past as well, with Duvernay, Agholor, Bateman, OBJ and Zay Flowers all looking like capable targets. The Ravens vaunted defense is led by linebackers Roquan Smith and Patrick Queen and safeties Marcus Williams and Kyle Hamilton. They will be missing Justin Madubuike on the line to start the year as well as Nose Tackle Michael Pierce. If they can weather those injuries they have a good chance to do some damage.

The third best odds at the start of the season belong to the Buffalo Bills. Could this be the year that Josh Allen finally breaks through? Stefon Diggs may be the best receiver in the league if he can keep his focus on the field. If Von Miller stays healthy he could be a difference maker on the defensive line. The Bills boast a strong secondary, with Tre'Davious White and Taron Johnson forming a solid cornerback tandem and Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer making an effective duo at safety. Their offensive line isn't great beyond Center Mitch Morse and they will have to grow as a unit to give Josh Allen and co the best opportunity to win games

Miami is a popular choice this year, and their offense is possibly the most exciting in the league. Tyreek, Waddle, Mostert and Cedrick Wilson are all weapons for Tua Tagovailoa who is eager to prove he is who he looked to be at the start of last year. Vic Fangio commands a defense that has a strong secondary with Xavien Howard and Jalen Ramsey locking down receivers while Jevon Holland patrols at safety. Bradley Chubb should bring the heat as an edge rusher for them. Look for Mike McDaniel's squad to push the pace and play with creativity on offense as they aim for their best finish in years.

Detroit could build on last year and make some noise, surprising some people and maybe even winning a playoff game for the first time in decades. They have a solid offensive line, a great one two punch at runningback with Montgomery and first round pick Jahmyr Gibbs and a number one receiver in the reliable Amon-Ra St. Brown. The defense will depend on Aidan Hutchinson getting pressure as they don't have a lot of big names but this offense should be able to move the ball well and keep the pressure off the defense. Rookie TE Sam LaPorta earned the starting job out of camp and look for him to continue developing throughout the season.

Cincinnati has one of the top rosters in football but their weakness in the trenches, especially on defense, and Joe Mixon's nagging injury could hold them back this year. There is a general lack of cohesion in their roster this season, especially on defense, and that could limit their success as well. They have one of the best QBs in the game in Joe Burrow and he forms a dynamic duo with star WR Ja'Marr Chase while receiver Tee Higgins goes under the radar but also has gamebreaking skill and could be a WR1 on a lot of teams in this league. Logan Wilson leads their defense from the MLB position and he will have to be sharp with a rookie Jordan Battle starting at safety.

Oddsmakers are low on the Chiefs this season, with some analysts skeptical that they will even make the playoffs but Reid and Mahomes always seem to find a way. Mahomes doesn't have a lot to work with outside of top TE Travis Kelce. With a wide receiver room of MVS, Richie James, Kadarius Toney and Justin Watson that looks mediocre and a runningback tandem of Pacheco and Edwards-Helaire that doesn't really move the needle Mahomes will need to be in MVP form to carry this offense but there are few who doubt he is capable of just that. Chris Jones will play a huge role on the defensive side of the ball, he should consistently get pressure and enable Steve Spagnuolo to count on rushing the QB even with only a four man rush.

Tampa Bay doesn't look like much on paper but they have solid coaching and teamwork and one of the most cohesive rosters in the NFL. Their players play hard and work together well and that attitude and unity can sometimes lead a team on to greater things than the sum of its parts. Star NT Vita Vea was a bit banged up in pre-season but should still start in Week 1. The left side of their line looks strong with Wirfs at Tackle and Ryan Jensen at Guard. Baker Mayfield will have a couple of prime targets in Evans and Godwin but neither Chase Edmonds nor Rachaad White looked very effective in pre-season running the ball. Inside Linebackers Lavonte David and Devin White are going to be a key part of that defense while cornerback Jamel Dean locks down his side of the field and Antoine Winfield and Ryan Neal form a dangerous duo at safety.

Predictions:

AFC East
Buffalo
Miami (WC)
NY Jets
New England

AFC North
Baltimore (Bye)
Pittsburgh (WC)
Cincinnati
Cleveland

AFC South
Houston
Tennessee
Indianapolis
Jacksonville

AFC West
Las Vegas
Kansas City (WC)
Denver
LA Chargers

NFC East
Dallas
Philadelphia (WC)
Washington
NY Giants

NFC North
Detroit
Minnesota (WC)
Chicago
Green Bay

NFC South
New Orleans
Tampa Bay
Atlanta
Carolina

NFC West
San Francisco (Bye)
Seattle (WC)
LA Rams
Arizona

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Pre-Season Presser with Pete Carroll and John Schneider

Reporter: Pete, who impressed you the most in camp and pre-season?

Pete: Well, even though we know him well I was still super impressed with Bobby, just his attitude, leadership and compete is off the charts as always. Always pushing the guys, he's gonna be a great mentor Jordyn at linebacker and he's really going to help our run defense. We have a couple of young receivers who earned spots on our 53 man roster in Bobo and Cody Thompson, they just outworked everybody and did everything we asked them too with an awesome attitude and they're going to be great depth for us going forward.

Reporter: Do you have any comments on Jaxon Smith-Njigba and his injury?

Pete: Well, he competed and showed really well in camp, it's hard to see him hurt like this, he was really ready to go to start the year. When he gets healthy he's gonna be a great complement to D.K. and Tyler and we expect to use him a lot of different ways but right now we really want him to focus on getting healthy and being 100%. That guy is going to have a long and productive career in front of him and we want to get it started on the right foot.

Reporter: John, a lot of the media scrutinized your selection of Devon Witherspoon 5th overall. How has he looked to you and do you feel vindicated so far in drafting him ahead of other positions of greater need.

John: Yeah, well we believed he was a special player and we still do. He's looked great so far and should be a day one starter with room to improve. Devon is a motivated competitor with incredible football instincts and he is going to be a difference maker for our defense for a long time. We stand by the selection and are super pleased with how he has come along and what he's shown us so far.

Reporter: Could you also comment on complaints from the fan base that the defensive line hasn't been adequately addressed?

John: Mario Edwards and Dre'Mont Jones have both shown us everything we wanted in pre-season and I think you guys are going to be impressed with them this year. Jarran Reed is a good nose tackle and it's unfortunate he's injured but when he's ready I believe we have a very solid defensive front, especially with Nwosu and Mafe, who I think is going to take a big step this year, attacking from the edge.

Reporter: Pete, how has the offensive line come together so far? Are you confident in the group you have protecting Geno?

Pete: I'm really excited for our guys to show what they can do. It's not a lot of big name guys we have but everyone knows their job and does their part and we all support each other. Charles and Abe are great young tackles and it's awesome to be able to watch them develop and mature on a daily basis, I think soon they're both going to be stars in this league. Our offensive line is underrated this year and we're excited to prove everybody wrong.

Reporter: Is there any truth to the rumours Quandre Diggs is wanting to be traded and is disruptive in the room?

Pete: Quandre is a competitive, fiery guy and we love that. He hasn't taken it the best that he isn't going to start Week 1 but he's a leader for us and still going to be playing a role on our defense. We have full confidence that Quandre is going to give us his best and put the team first. I have a good relationship with him and we talk regularly. He'll be fine.

Reporter: Any final comments guys?

Pete: Yeah, we're just excited to get out there and play football again in front of the 12s, looking forward to it, we're going to have a fun season. See you guys out there!

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John's Journal

Sept 9th, 2023 -

Publicly I have to keep a positive face on things but I have my concerns this year. Our roster isn't strong, we haven't seen our guys progress as much in camp as I was hoping and some of our veterans are clearly slowing down.

Jamal could become a problem. I don't like his abrasive attitude and it's rubbing off on some of the younger guys. He's probably our best defensive player so there's not much I can do though. Quandre isn't happy that he isn't starting Week one and he's a vocal leader for us so I hope we can keep him in line and on board.

Without a ton of cap room I'm wondering what to do about Geno. He's going to be expensive next year but we don't really have anyone to replace him. Drew Lock doesn't cut it. Maybe we can move Lockett or Metcalf to save some salary but their bonuses will minimize our actual savings. Adams or Diggs at safety might have to go so Julian Love stepping up is a huge encouragement on that front. The media's right we have to improve in the trenches and that is probably going to take cap space we don't have right now.

I need to make some decisions about extensions eventually. All three of my interior offensive line starters are up this offseason. I need to evaluate if any of them move the needle enough to extend them and if not I need to find suitable replacements that hopefully will be upgrades. My inside linebackers all have expiring contracts as well. Do I re-sign Bobby? He's a great leader but also getting slower and probably will still want a lot of money. Are Bush or Brooks worth extending? What about Rhattigan? If I let them all walk how will we rebuild our linebacker group? Fant and Parkinson both will need new contracts but I can't afford to keep all three of our starting calibre tight ends. Let's see how Shane uses them this year and make a decision later. If he isn't using them all frequently enough maybe we can move one of them for a draft pick mid-season.

There's going to be a lot of pressure to move on from Pete if we struggle this year. Hopefully we can exceed expectations and I won't have to deal with that. It would be nice in some ways to bring in my own coach and have more full say in personnel decisions instead of running everything by Pete but we also have a great working relationship and I really appreciate him and how much he's been able to get from our guys and the culture he's built. His coordinator hires have been sloppy and I'm not very impressed with Shane or Clint so we're going to have to evaluate that this offseason as well. I'm personally leaning towards finding a coordinator who will bring in a 4-3 front instead of 3-4 but that would involve changing a lot of personnel around at this point so we'll see.