Seattle, WA
What does Al Woods release tell us about Seahawks’ defense?
The Seahawks are present process a giant change within the trenches this offseason, and that continued Monday when veteran nostril deal with Al Woods was launched.
Seahawks proceed D-line revamp, launch NT Al Woods
Woods, who will flip 36 Saturday, was considered one of two defensive captains for the Hawks final season, and he was launched forward of the ultimate yr of his contract.
Woods is the third defensive lineman Seattle has lower this offseason, becoming a member of Shelby Harris and Quinton Jefferson. Moreover, Poona Ford is a free agent, as is 2019 first-round choose L.J. Collier. The Seahawks have signed D-linemen Dre’Mont Jones and Jarran Reed in free company this offseason.
Whereas Bump and Stacy host Stacy Rost wasn’t stunned by the discharge of Harris, Jefferson or veteran guard Gabe Jackson, Seattle parting methods with Woods did catch her without warning.
“One of many strikes I didn’t essentially see coming was the discharge of Al Woods,” she mentioned. “The group continued their overhaul of the line of defense by releasing the veteran nostril deal with. The transfer frees up $3.6 million in cap house – that’s not rather a lot. And it additionally raises a query, Bump: Who’s your nostril deal with? It’s a fairly necessary factor to determine and is one thing you want particularly for a 3-4 protection.”
Seahawks Offseason Tracker: Sustain on strikes, draft picks, extra
Former NFL receiver Michael Bumpus mentioned that Bryan Mone, who’s coming off a significant knee damage, is the one nostril deal with on Seattle’s roster.
“He’s injured proper now. You don’t have a nostril deal with,” he mentioned.
Like his co-host, Bumpus was not anticipating Woods to get launched this offseason. He defined what it means particularly with Seattle proudly owning two first-round picks, together with No. 5 total, within the NFL Draft subsequent month.
“I assumed they’d do all they’ll to maintain the man. It’s not like he had an enormous cap hit,” he mentioned. “So with that transfer being made, this tells me that free company isn’t over … We thought it was over. We thought, ‘OK, the massive strikes have been made, let’s concentrate on the draft proper now.’ However with the discharge of Al Woods, it’s important to go and get anyone else … After which it makes you have a look at the draft now. I have a look at that No. 5 choose now and go man, if they don’t go line of defense they usually go quarterback (with that choose), one thing’s up.”
So what does Woods’ launch imply for the Seahawks?
“It tells us that they’re not enjoying with that line of defense,” Bumpus mentioned.
The Seahawks went 9-8 and made the playoffs final yr, however the line of defense was a giant weak spot.
Seattle’s secondary was a brilliant spot with rookies Tariq Woolen and Coby Bryant exhibiting play-making potential alongside Professional Bowl security Quandre Diggs, however the Hawks’ defensive entrance struggled mightily to cease the run, which sank them each partway by the common season in addition to within the playoffs.
“They noticed what we noticed, they usually mentioned, ‘If we can’t management the road of scrimmage, it doesn’t matter who we now have at linebacker, it doesn’t matter who we now have within the secondary – there’s all the time gonna be strain on this protection,’” Bumpus mentioned. “So that they mentioned sadly, ‘Poona, my man … not going to have you ever right here anymore. (Jefferson), my man … sadly, there’s no house right here for you.’ After which Shelby, as effectively. In order that reveals me that they’re taking the wants of this protection very severely and they will assault it in free company much more, and they need to assault it within the draft.”
For Rost, the discharge of Woods makes her hesitate as a result of Seahawks enjoying a 3-4 scheme.
“What did we are saying all yr lengthy?” Rost requested. “That is earlier than they had been making any of those adjustments alongside the line of defense and it was earlier than the season even ended. It was all the time, ‘Hey, Bump, they switched to a 3-4, what are a number of the points?’ And it was, ‘Nicely, have they got the massive our bodies up entrance? Al Woods is absolutely the one man that like purely suits this protection.’ And now he’s gone.”
So what are the Seahawks presently shedding with Woods being launched?
“What Al Woods dropped at this protection is a man who can two-gap. Two-gap get means I can play each A-gaps, so I’m gonna get my palms on the middle, I’m in all probability gonna get double-teamed loads of the time, however my job is to stalemate,” Bumpus mentioned. “If I can stalemate this line of scrimmage, that’s gonna hold our bodies off my linebackers they usually’re in a position to work.”
Woods’ launch now highlights the addition of Jones on the Seahawks’ line of defense despite the fact that he performs a special place.
“I have a look at the opposite two linemen aside from the nostril (deal with), and people should be versatile guys,” Bumpus mentioned. “They’ve bought to have the ability to play inside, they’ve bought to play outdoors. That’s what you bought out of Dre Jones, so they’re making a real personnel shift. As scary as it would sound, everyone knows that it was fully vital.”
With Lock re-signed, are Seahawks out on drafting a QB within the first spherical?