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Forget the Standings. The Seahawks are a Year Behind the Rams.

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  • #1

    Forget the Standings. The Seahawks are a Year Behind the Rams.

    Seattle 5-9
    St. Louis 1-13

    It should follow that the Rams have further to go to become a playoff contender. Well... maybe not.

    There are a lot of similarities between these teams in terms of roster turnover. However, I believe that the Rams are a year ahead of Seattle in this process.

    At QB, the teams are similar. Both are at a point where a "QB of the future" must be found. However, in the Rams case, Bulger's fate is pretty much sealed. Seattle, on the other hand, will likely rely on a 35 year old Hasselbeck for another year.

    At WR, the Rams have purged their roster of the aging vets they relied on, and have started the process of developing a young WR corps. Seattle's top 3 WRs will be 29 (Burleson), 33 (Houshmenzadeh) and 31 (Branch) when next season starts. They need to begin planning for the future.

    On the O line, the Rams let Orlando Pace go and have drafted his replacement. The Seahawks will have a similar decision to make with Walter Jones, and will have to consider using their first pick in 2010 to draft his replacement.

    On defense, the Rams youth movement is in full swing. With the exception of Leonard Little, the Rams' starting unit is very young. Seattle, on the other hand, has several key parts that are aging rapidly (Kerney, Trufant, D.Grant).

    Even in the Front Office, the Rams have made their changes, while Seattle is in the process of finding a new GM.

    It isn't unsual for a team that has had success to try to hold on to their veterans for one more run at the playoffs. The downside is that a veteran roster can age rapidly, requiring a quick purge and a difficult reload process.

    The Rams have started that journey.

    Seattle soon will as well.
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: Forget the Standings. The Seahawks are a Year Behind the Rams.

    The Seahawks may have been holding out hope that they were a few veterans away from contending, but they should be seeing now that their team is breaking down, and they have a lot of rebuilding to do. I think they are almost locked into a LT with one of their first picks, given their offensive line woes as of late.

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    • #3
      Re: Forget the Standings. The Seahawks are a Year Behind the Rams.

      personally i hope it takes them a long, long time to rebuild

      Comment

      • #4
        Re: Forget the Standings. The Seahawks are a Year Behind the Rams.

        IMHO Seattle needs to start their rebuilding process by bringing in a new headcoach 1st and foremost. I know Mora has had only one season at the helm but the guy is a stiff. So on second thought.... the longer they hold onto him the better for us.
        sigpic :ram::helmet:

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        • #5
          Re: Forget the Standings. The Seahawks are a Year Behind the Rams.

          IMO Seattle should keep their old players and not worry about rebuilding. I'd like that.

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          • #6
            Re: Forget the Standings. The Seahawks are a Year Behind the Rams.

            Originally posted by laram0 View Post
            IMHO Seattle needs to start their rebuilding process by bringing in a new headcoach 1st and foremost. I know Mora has had only one season at the helm but the guy is a stiff. So on second thought.... the longer they hold onto him the better for us.
            No. Fire him and hire Mangini

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            • #7
              Re: Forget the Standings. The Seahawks are a Year Behind the Rams.

              Originally posted by AvengerRam View Post
              Seattle 5-9
              St. Louis 1-13

              It should follow that the Rams have further to go to become a playoff contender. Well... maybe not.

              There are a lot of similarities between these teams in terms of roster turnover. However, I believe that the Rams are a year ahead of Seattle in this process.

              At QB, the teams are similar. Both are at a point where a "QB of the future" must be found. However, in the Rams case, Bulger's fate is pretty much sealed. Seattle, on the other hand, will likely rely on a 35 year old Hasselbeck for another year.

              Except that the Rams do not have even a moderately acceptable #2, a young QB, or a grisly veteran to hold the reigns while a young guy learns. Seattle has Seneca Wallace, who has played well in a number of games. Bulger will simply cost too much to keep next year, but Hasselbeck will still be a Seahawk while a replacement is found.

              At WR, the Rams have purged their roster of the aging vets they relied on, and have started the process of developing a young WR corps. Seattle's top 3 WRs will be 29 (Burleson), 33 (Houshmenzadeh) and 31 (Branch) when next season starts. They need to begin planning for the future.

              Except that any one of those older receivers would be the #1 threat for the Rams. The Rams WR's may be young, but that does not mean they are any good (and they are not).

              On the O line, the Rams let Orlando Pace go and have drafted his replacement. The Seahawks will have a similar decision to make with Walter Jones, and will have to consider using their first pick in 2010 to draft his replacement.

              Good point here. Although, the rest of Seattle's line looks a lot better to me than the Rams line (excepting Justin Smith).

              On defense, the Rams youth movement is in full swing. With the exception of Leonard Little, the Rams' starting unit is very young. Seattle, on the other hand, has several key parts that are aging rapidly (Kerney, Trufant, D.Grant).

              Except that Seattle has a good young DE Jackson and a future star rookie at LB, along with Tatupu and a couple of pieces in the secondary. The Rams do not have a pash rush at all, Atogwe will either require waaay too much money or leave (leaving nothing to speak of in the secondary), and they have no answers (other than Laurinitus) at LB.

              Even in the Front Office, the Rams have made their changes, while Seattle is in the process of finding a new GM.

              Another good point.

              It isn't unsual for a team that has had success to try to hold on to their veterans for one more run at the playoffs. The downside is that a veteran roster can age rapidly, requiring a quick purge and a difficult reload process.

              The Rams have started that journey.

              Seattle soon will as well.
              You make a couple of good points, however, your optimism is unbridled.
              Last edited by Guest; -12-23-2009, 05:04 PM.

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              • #8
                Re: Forget the Standings. The Seahawks are a Year Behind the Rams.

                With an uncapped season in 2010, Seattle will not be a year behind for long. Most likely, they'll make all the moves the Rams made this past season but they won't have a salary cap limitation. Sadly, that's an instant equalizer. If the season is uncapped, the number of available free agents will be very limited as teams will be able to keep more of them.

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                • #9
                  Re: Forget the Standings. The Seahawks are a Year Behind the Rams.

                  Originally posted by RebelYell View Post
                  With an uncapped season in 2010, Seattle will not be a year behind for long. Most likely, they'll make all the moves the Rams made this past season but they won't have a salary cap limitation. Sadly, that's an instant equalizer. If the season is uncapped, the number of available free agents will be very limited as teams will be able to keep more of them.
                  Another very good point. Although, they will be less able to get the FA's they want, and I do not know how much more they are willing to pay for them than, say, Dallas.

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                  • #10
                    Re: Forget the Standings. The Seahawks are a Year Behind the Rams.

                    Originally posted by WhinerFan View Post
                    Another very good point. Although, they will be less able to get the FA's they want, and I do not know how much more they are willing to pay for them than, say, Dallas.
                    Everyone is going to have a difficult time signing free agents if it's an uncapped season. Guys like Brandon Marshall, Tony Scheffler and Thomas Howard (all people wanted) will all most likely be resigned because they'll get another season of being a RFA (just like Barron).

                    If 2010 is an uncapped season, the rebuild is going to be almost impossible to implement. The Rams could very easily go into the season with $20+ million in unspent salary cap because there just aren't players available worth locking up. If Seattle dumps a bunch of older veterans because there are no cap implications, they really aren't a year behind in the rebuild.

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                    • #11
                      Re: Forget the Standings. The Seahawks are a Year Behind the Rams.

                      I notice Hasselback being a little lame---ESPN says he still hasnt recovered from his back injury--perhaps. Yet with most back injuries, you just are not the same and likely his career is winding down. If Seattle is wize they ought to try and trade up to get a chance at the new crop of QBs

                      Vetrans Help--if memory serves when Jacksonville started as a new team in the league--they got as many vets as they could--had a good immediate impact but languished for a long time afterward. Not sure if the reasons for the Raider's meltdown after their last superbowl appearence was an all investment in vettrans or just Al Davis.

                      Personally I think it wise for the Rams to build from within. Gear more to longterm success then a quick splash. Plus acquiring Vetrans doesnt guarrentee good team chemistry

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                      • #12
                        Re: Forget the Standings. The Seahawks are a Year Behind the Rams.

                        First of all, I wouldn't bet the farm on the prospect of an uncapped year. My money's on the issue being worked out before that happens.

                        However, even if there were to be an uncapped year, that does not mean that (a) the players Seattle needs will be available, and (b) they'll sign with the Seahawks instead of some other team.

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                        • #13
                          Re: Forget the Standings. The Seahawks are a Year Behind the Rams.

                          Originally posted by AvengerRam View Post
                          First of all, I wouldn't bet the farm on the prospect of an uncapped year. My money's on the issue being worked out before that happens.

                          However, even if there were to be an uncapped year, that does not mean that (a) the players Seattle needs will be available, and (b) they'll sign with the Seahawks instead of some other team.
                          The same is true for the Rams or do you think the Rams already have enough talent that they don't need to add any free agents?

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                          • #14
                            Re: Forget the Standings. The Seahawks are a Year Behind the Rams.

                            Originally posted by RebelYell View Post
                            The same is true for the Rams or do you think the Rams already have enough talent that they don't need to add any free agents?
                            You need to read the initial post again.

                            I never said the Rams had enough talent. What I said is that, unlike the Seahawks, the Rams have (1) purged their roster of older, declining, veteran players (i.e. Pace, Holt, Bruce) or will do so soon (Bulger, Little), and have (2) started the process of grooming young replacements (i.e. J.Smith, D.Avery, B.Gibson, C.Long, J.Laurinaitis). Seattle is still trying to hold on to the past, and its going to hit them very hard (much like it hit the Rams).

                            Comment

                            • #15
                              Re: Forget the Standings. The Seahawks are a Year Behind the Rams.

                              WhinerFan,

                              Your post about the Rams poor QBs and the weakness of the Rams WRs are really a related matter. Better QB play, and some health, would most likely produce similar results for the Rams WRs as compared to the Seattle WRs. I also don't think Burlson or Branch would be a #1 on the Rams. Though Haz might be, he wouldn't be for long, he's getting old, which was kinda of what the original post about the talent levels on these two teams was about.

                              As for the OL, you said "alot better". Maybe better as a whole, at this moment, but I would much rather be in the Rams predicament than Seattles simply because of the upside of their youth. And I most certainly would consider Brown the better C and they have a young future LT.

                              Sure Seattle has some strength advantages, for instance the LBers. But really, the original post seemed to be about where they're going, not where they are. Who can project what next year will be like, we do know however that the Rams have young unproven players and Seattle has alot of aging vets.

                              One last thing, overlooked is that Seattle doesn't have a SJ. And no, Fossett isn't close. They gotta still find one of those, a LT, a QB.

                              The Rams needed to rebuild. They've got a plan, cleared the structure and started pouring a new foundation. Seattle is still looking over planning documents and haven't pulled a permit yet.
                              Last edited by Richbert88; -12-24-2009, 01:03 PM.
                              Semper Fi!

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