November 4, 2025 • 5 mins
Fletcher Mackel, Sports Director of WDSU television in New Orleans, joins Dave Softy Mahler and Dick Fain to talk about the Hawks trading for Saints wide receiver Rashid Shaheed earlier today, how he could thrive in Seattle’s offense, and the compensation.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Joining us right now on the radio show.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Again.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
He's our go to guy with the New Orleans Media,
which means he's the only guy that even ever calls back.
By the way, w DSU NBC affiliate sports director ap
Sportscaster of the Year for Louisiana three times now, according
to his Twitter bio, our friend Fletcher mackel joining us
on the radio program. Fletcher, how are you? First of all,
thanks for doing this, and then give us your take
(00:23):
on the newest member of the Seahawks wide receiving Corps,
Rashid Shahi. If you're a Seahawks fan, you give up
a fourth and a fifth for this guy. How pumped
up should Hawk fans be for this kid's arrival?
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Yes, First, thanks for having me as always, always appreciate
coming on. Your city's one of my favorite places to
visit for games. Always love getting out to the Emerald City.
You all also have Kate Anderson. You're getting a good one.
That's your quick baseball report. He's going to be awesome
for you all down the road. You love it. Rashid.
Rashid Sheed is a really good addition for you all. Look,
he's a little bit of a one trick pony, and
(00:59):
he is a gimmick guy. He is a take the
top off the defense, go deep guy. But he's awesome atic.
That's how he made the team as an undrafted player.
That's how he stayed on the team. He has a
familiarity with Clint Kubiak. He's an awesome guy, hard worker,
great teammates, beloved in the locker room, beloved by the
fan base. He's everything you want in a guy that
(01:23):
has done it the right way, overcome the odds, and
will be a great fit with Darnold. When you all
get Cooper Cup back with Smith and Jigba, you're adding
another serious weapon to your offense and what is a
crazy arms race in the NFC West.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
You mentioned the relationship with Kubiak. Was he used differently
with Clint Kubiak last year than he's being used this year?
Speaker 2 (01:47):
A little bit. He had a little bit more responsibility
this year because, look, the Saints are awful, I mean,
like beyond affl like the worst team in the NFL. Awful.
We have had a massive fall from grace since Sean
Payton and Drew Brees left. So he was called on
to do more and there were some drops he's not
a slot receiver, he's not a possession guy. He's a
go deep guy, and that's where he really excelled. That's
(02:08):
where he excelled when he first got here with Pete Carmichael.
That's how Kubiak used him. When he's asked to do more,
you see more flaws when he's playing in an offense
with a lot of weapons and he does what he
does best, take the top off the defense and beat
everybody on the field. I don't care who you all
have on your roster, he's the fastest guy on your
(02:29):
roster starting today. So in your offense, with the players
you have and as good as you are, he should
be a great fit. But look here, he was asked
to do more because they're so bad, and again some
of his flaws were exposed. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Well, Fletcher mackel, who has no flaws, is with us
from NBC in New Orleans, and Fletcher, I'm just kind
of wondering if the Saints, and you mentioned it right there,
I mean, the quarterback situation is a train wreck down there.
If they had a better, more stable quarterback situation, would
they have made this move?
Speaker 2 (03:01):
No? But I mean if they had a better, more
stable quarterback situation, they'd be relevant, and right now they're
completely irrelevant, and they're at their lowest points in Hurricane Katrina. Look,
they have bungled everything over the last few years. I
tell everybody this. Sean Payton and Drew Brey's least and
a lot of the football brain power left the building.
That being said, the Saints and the Buccaneers were on
(03:24):
equal footing in twenty twenty three. The Bucks signed Baker Mayfield,
the same sign Derek Carr. The Bucks drafted well, the
SAME's drafted poorly. The Bucks are relevant and good. The
Saints are an absolute disaster. So the Saints have no
quarterback situation. They're in a this is a gut rebuild here.
They need draft picks. The only way forward is threw
the draft into kind of start over starting now. And
(03:46):
it was painful to trade Rashi Jiheed, but look, he's
a free agent after this year. He's probably gonna want
a significant contract. He may not get the timeline if
they draft a quarterback or continue to go young. And
so I actually think this is one of those huge
trades that is probably a win win for both sides.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
Finally, and maybe you alluded it to it there. Finally,
what'd you think of the compensation Seattle All had to
give up.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
I think it was fair. I would have loved to
have seen it as a third and fourth, but I
think that was probably too rich for a lot of teams.
Blood given that Shaheed is not a number one option,
He's not going to be a number one option for you,
and he probably isn't even a number two. But as
the number three, is a guy that you know like
he's going to make everybody else better just because of
his ability to get over the top. He's a great
(04:30):
number three. He's a solid number two. I think the
compensation at the end of the day was probably pretty
fair for an undrafted guy who is probably a three
receiver on a really great team.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Got it? Fletcher mackall, great stuff. Always appreciate you answering
the phone when so many others don't. Man, thank you.
We'll talk sooner.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
Problem all right?
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Fletcher mackell, NBC affiliate New Orleans on Rashid Shahed loves him, says,
great pickup for the Hawks, fair compensation for the Saints,
and everybody goes home happy. How about that
Joining us right now on the radio show.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Again.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
He's our go to guy with the New Orleans Media,
which means he's the only guy that even ever calls back.
By the way, w DSU NBC affiliate sports director ap
Sportscaster of the Year for Louisiana three times now, according
to his Twitter bio, our friend Fletcher mackel joining us
on the radio program. Fletcher, how are you? First of all,
thanks for doing this, and then give us your take
(00:23):
on the newest member of the Seahawks wide receiving Corps,
Rashid Shahi. If you're a Seahawks fan, you give up
a fourth and a fifth for this guy. How pumped
up should Hawk fans be for this kid's arrival?
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Yes, First, thanks for having me as always, always appreciate
coming on. Your city's one of my favorite places to
visit for games. Always love getting out to the Emerald City.
You all also have Kate Anderson. You're getting a good one.
That's your quick baseball report. He's going to be awesome
for you all down the road. You love it. Rashid.
Rashid Sheed is a really good addition for you all. Look,
he's a little bit of a one trick pony, and
(00:59):
he is a gimmick guy. He is a take the
top off the defense, go deep guy. But he's awesome atic.
That's how he made the team as an undrafted player.
That's how he stayed on the team. He has a
familiarity with Clint Kubiak. He's an awesome guy, hard worker,
great teammates, beloved in the locker room, beloved by the
fan base. He's everything you want in a guy that
(01:23):
has done it the right way, overcome the odds, and
will be a great fit with Darnold. When you all
get Cooper Cup back with Smith and Jigba, you're adding
another serious weapon to your offense and what is a
crazy arms race in the NFC West.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
You mentioned the relationship with Kubiak. Was he used differently
with Clint Kubiak last year than he's being used this year?
Speaker 2 (01:47):
A little bit. He had a little bit more responsibility
this year because, look, the Saints are awful, I mean,
like beyond affl like the worst team in the NFL. Awful.
We have had a massive fall from grace since Sean
Payton and Drew Brees left. So he was called on
to do more and there were some drops he's not
a slot receiver, he's not a possession guy. He's a
go deep guy, and that's where he really excelled. That's
(02:08):
where he excelled when he first got here with Pete Carmichael.
That's how Kubiak used him. When he's asked to do more,
you see more flaws when he's playing in an offense
with a lot of weapons and he does what he
does best, take the top off the defense and beat
everybody on the field. I don't care who you all
have on your roster, he's the fastest guy on your
(02:29):
roster starting today. So in your offense, with the players
you have and as good as you are, he should
be a great fit. But look here, he was asked
to do more because they're so bad, and again some
of his flaws were exposed. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Well, Fletcher mackel, who has no flaws, is with us
from NBC in New Orleans, and Fletcher, I'm just kind
of wondering if the Saints, and you mentioned it right there,
I mean, the quarterback situation is a train wreck down there.
If they had a better, more stable quarterback situation, would
they have made this move?
Speaker 2 (03:01):
No? But I mean if they had a better, more
stable quarterback situation, they'd be relevant, and right now they're
completely irrelevant, and they're at their lowest points in Hurricane Katrina. Look,
they have bungled everything over the last few years. I
tell everybody this. Sean Payton and Drew Brey's least and
a lot of the football brain power left the building.
That being said, the Saints and the Buccaneers were on
(03:24):
equal footing in twenty twenty three. The Bucks signed Baker Mayfield,
the same sign Derek Carr. The Bucks drafted well, the
SAME's drafted poorly. The Bucks are relevant and good. The
Saints are an absolute disaster. So the Saints have no
quarterback situation. They're in a this is a gut rebuild here.
They need draft picks. The only way forward is threw
the draft into kind of start over starting now. And
(03:46):
it was painful to trade Rashi Jiheed, but look, he's
a free agent after this year. He's probably gonna want
a significant contract. He may not get the timeline if
they draft a quarterback or continue to go young. And
so I actually think this is one of those huge
trades that is probably a win win for both sides.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
Finally, and maybe you alluded it to it there. Finally,
what'd you think of the compensation Seattle All had to
give up.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
I think it was fair. I would have loved to
have seen it as a third and fourth, but I
think that was probably too rich for a lot of teams.
Blood given that Shaheed is not a number one option,
He's not going to be a number one option for you,
and he probably isn't even a number two. But as
the number three, is a guy that you know like
he's going to make everybody else better just because of
his ability to get over the top. He's a great
(04:30):
number three. He's a solid number two. I think the
compensation at the end of the day was probably pretty
fair for an undrafted guy who is probably a three
receiver on a really great team.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Got it? Fletcher mackall, great stuff. Always appreciate you answering
the phone when so many others don't. Man, thank you.
We'll talk sooner.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
Problem all right?
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Fletcher mackell, NBC affiliate New Orleans on Rashid Shahed loves him, says,
great pickup for the Hawks, fair compensation for the Saints,
and everybody goes home happy. How about that
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