Anyone who has read my posts over the years knows a favorite emphasis of mine is learning how championship teams were built. 

 

In the aftermath of Seattle's impressive win over Denver in the Super Bowl, I hadn't given much thought to how Seattle built their team until I heard a member of the Seahawks being interviewed on the radio in the after game celebration of their win.

 

I can't remember who it was (WR Doug Baldwin, IIRC), but he indicated that a whopping TWENTY ONE (21) of the team's Fifty three (53) man roster were undrafted free agents!  That's FORTY PERCENT of the team!! To me, that number absolutely boggles the mind, if it's true.

 

But then there are other ways Seattle bucked "conventional wisdom" in building this team.

 

Their QB is an undersized 3rd round pick. More Super Bowl QBs were first rounders than any other single round, and most were over 6'.

 

Many people have argued against the use of free agency and trades for players in building a championship team, yet Seattle signed guys like Cliff Avril, Michael Bennett, Matt Flynn  and Marshawn Lynch as free agents, and traded a first round pick in exchange for Percy Harvin.

 

Many, including TMD, have argued that it is now impossible for a defensive, ball control team to win the Super Bowl any longer, yet Seattle, a defense first, run the ball team dominated all year and won the big one.

 

I have argued that the best teams of all time (those who won multiple Super Bowls within a short period) have tended to place a heavy early round emphasis on skill players.  This runs counter to those who maintain building through the trenches is the only way to truly win.  It's too soon to say whether Seattle will win multiple Super Bowls.  Nevertheless, looking at them at this early part, Seattle seems to buck both trends.   Going back to 2009, Seattle spent three first round picks on linemen (Okung, Carpenter, Irvin), and three first round picks on non linemen (Curry, Thomas, and this year's first on Harvin). 

 

Conventional wisdom also seems to pooh pooh the idea that having guys with character issues on your team is anathema to winning a championship.  But once again, facts show otherwise.  Percy Harvin, Marshawn Lynch and Bruce Irvin are among those champion Seahawks that had multiple off field issues at different points in their lives.

 

No matter what your philosophies are in building a team, an honest evaluation would leave you marveling at what Seattle has done, and if you are a Jaguars fan, hopeful their success can be replicated here.

 

Hats off to Seattle!

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Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

yolo

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Excellent review of that roster Bullseye, thanks for posting that. What's really amazing to me about this Seattle team is that they won their Championship while playing in what is arguably the toughest division in the League in the NFC West. They didn't simply stumble through this season, they rolled through it, cutting a swath as wide as Pete Carroll's grin. It will be very interesting to watch how they do next season, but for now Congratulations to Seattle!

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I'm trying to make myself more informed and less opinionated.

Stop saying whatever stupid thing you're talking about and pay attention to all the interesting things I have to say!

After seeing what was done by seattle , we can hope.

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Because Jaguars is our mantra 

Great review, and thoughs bullseye,I would like to mettion the one thing though you forgot to mettion.  That is bradlys goal for the jags to build a defense as strong as settles. 

 

As for settle next year if they get everyone  back,and stay heallty I can see them being first team to win back to back in a while.

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snowwolf titans owner in madden.

note titans owner means im undeafted againest them. 

I guess Carroll's habit of paying players at USC paved the way for his success in the NFL....





Sorry...I couldn't resist!!! :woot:

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What in the Wide Wide World of Sports is agoin' on here???

Excellent review of that roster Bullseye, thanks for posting that. What's really amazing to me about this Seattle team is that they won their Championship while playing in what is arguably the toughest division in the League in the NFC West. They didn't simply stumble through this season, they rolled through it, cutting a swath as wide as Pete Carroll's grin. It will be very interesting to watch how they do next season, but for now Congratulations to Seattle!

There's more.


Conventional wisdom suggests CB is one of the marquee positions in football, and as such, you need to spend at least one high pick at the position. Conversely, safety is a position where you typically put lesser athletes, therefore you can and should draft them later. However, Seattle put conventional wisdom on its ear in building a championship team. Their corners were drafted in the 3rd and 5th rounds respectively, while S Earl Thomas was a mid first round pick.

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Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

They interviewed Gus during the pre-Super Bowl stuff and asked him about all of the roster moves. They said that Seattle did the exact same thing. Constantly bringing in undrafted or practice squad guys to kick the tires on them. Seattle looks smart now.

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I would rather read what you have to say than what John O, Crow, and Frenette have to say.  Great post. 

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Allow me to simplify the first post and let everyone know how Seattle did it.

 

They essentially got a free number one overall pick when they hit on a franchise QB in the third round and they stuck to picking up value and trusting competition everywhere else.

 

If the Jaguars stick to always taking the best value, play the best guys regardless of contract status, and eventually are fortunate enough to get a franchise QB outside of the top 3 picks in the draft they'll reproduce the Seahawks success.

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but, I thought they were a fraud...

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http://mmqb.si.com/2014/01/29/super-bowl...s-success/

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Allow me to simplify the first post and let everyone know how Seattle did it.

 

They essentially got a free number one overall pick when they hit on a franchise QB in the third round and they stuck to picking up value and trusting competition everywhere else.

 

If the Jaguars stick to always taking the best value, play the best guys regardless of contract status, and eventually are fortunate enough to get a franchise QB outside of the top 3 picks in the draft they'll reproduce the Seahawks success.

 

But that still doesn't explain the defense, or the 21 undrafted free agents, or the signing of free agents, or trading for Harvin, or gambling on guys with character issues.

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Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

Excellent review of that roster Bullseye, thanks for posting that. What's really amazing to me about this Seattle team is that they won their Championship while playing in what is arguably the toughest division in the League in the NFC West. They didn't simply stumble through this season, they rolled through it, cutting a swath as wide as Pete Carroll's grin. It will be very interesting to watch how they do next season, but for now Congratulations to Seattle!

 

 

Thanks, Deacon.

 

That whole division plays grind it out football on offense and tough, hard hitting hard nosed defense.

 

If the Rams hit on their picks this year, and the Cardinals manage to find a competent LT, it'll even be more brutal getting through it next year.

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Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

Great review, and thoughs bullseye,I would like to mettion the one thing though you forgot to mettion.  That is bradlys goal for the jags to build a defense as strong as settles. 

 

As for settle next year if they get everyone  back,and stay heallty I can see them being first team to win back to back in a while.

 

Thank you Snowwolf. 

 

I thought it went without saying that Bradley would like to replicate Seattle's success here.

 

I think every Jaguars fan would love that.

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Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

They interviewed Gus during the pre-Super Bowl stuff and asked him about all of the roster moves. They said that Seattle did the exact same thing. Constantly bringing in undrafted or practice squad guys to kick the tires on them. Seattle looks smart now.

 

That's common for a lot of rebuilding teams, especially those who hit rock bottom like we did.  Dallas did that under Jimmy Johnson. 

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Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

I would rather read what you have to say than what John O, Crow, and Frenette have to say.  Great post. 

 

If you were referring to me, I thank you. 

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Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

But that still doesn't explain the defense, or the 21 undrafted free agents, or the signing of free agents, or trading for Harvin, or gambling on guys with character issues.

 

Actually it does. What part of "play the best guys regardless of contract status" do you not understand?

 

The gambling on character issue guys isn't at all unusual. What is unusual is landing a franchise QB in the third round. That's what really mattered. If the Jaguars get to always take the best player in the first and manage to have a franchise guy that everyone didn't know was a franchise guy in a later round they'll have success on the level of the Seahawks, too.

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So... you've taken a thread that has the intent of discussing the entirety of the Seattle roster, and are attempting to boil it down to one draft pick move with insults thrown in for good measure. Why not just make your own thread about Russel Wilson?

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I'm trying to make myself more informed and less opinionated.

Stop saying whatever stupid thing you're talking about and pay attention to all the interesting things I have to say!

So... you've taken a thread that has the intent of discussing the entirety of the Seattle roster, and are attempting to boil it down to one draft pick move with insults thrown in for good measure. Why not just make your own thread about Russel Wilson?

 

Are you addressing me?

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