March 11, 2025 • 11 mins
Gregg Bell of The Tacoma News Tribune joins Dave Softy Mahler and Dick Fain to talk about the Seahawks moves in free agency and where things stand with the offensive line right now, who is left on the market to sign for the line and the swap at quarterback.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Live from the R and R Foundation Specialists Broadcast Studio.
Now back to Softie and Dick on your Home for
the Huskies and the Kraken Sports Radio ninety three point
three kJ R FM.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Al right back here on a Tuesday afternoon in Zach
Saint Mary's wss. He's he's, he's the championship game coming
up six pm tonight.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Uh?
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Is that still in Vegas, by the way, at the Orleans, Orleans? Yeah,
the Orleans, the good old Orleans. They still have a
dollar ninety eight steak and eggs at two in the
morning down there. Or is it a thing of the
pasad memories of the Orleans? Oh, very good memories of
that place.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
I was rolling and my brother and losses. Now I
gotta play. I gotta play some more. I gotta play
some more. And I was stupid enough to listen to him, and.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Well, listening to your brother's pretty dumb. I would know.
My brother in law.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Oh yeah, listen to my brother is very dumb.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Listen my brother in law not usually dumb, not even
a member of your immediate family. Man, I mean, come on, jeez, Well,
joining us right now on the radio show, our own
resident Seahawks insider. You hear him every morning with Chucking Buck.
Our friend Greg Bell. Greg, how you doing man?
Speaker 4 (01:07):
All right?
Speaker 2 (01:07):
How you guys doing good?
Speaker 4 (01:08):
Hey?
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Condolences by the way on your pops thinking about you guys.
Number one, let me just toss that out there. I'm
in there, I've been there, that you have the spot
that you're at right now and it's not fun.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
Man.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
So he raised a hell of a son, no question
about That'd be proud as hell of you, man. So thanks,
thanks for everything you do for us, and condolences to
your family. Let's let's get to the Seahawks here and
just talk about kind of there's all this just mounting
frustration right by the fans, and it's not just about
the last twenty four to forty eight hours. It's about
(01:39):
the last five, six, seven years, if not longer, where
they just for some reason have this major hole in
their game where they can't fix the damn line either
through the draft or through free agency. So when Seahawks
fans see a guy like Will Fries get five years,
eighty eight million from Minnesota and they're annoyed the Seahawks
did not get a deal done with a guy like
(01:59):
that are they justified in being annoyed.
Speaker 4 (02:03):
Yes, And I've talked and written many times guys that
if they want to change the results of the last
half dozen you could even argue ten years back to
trading Max Hunger for Jimmy Graham. They want to change
the results on the offensive line, they have to change
the input. They have to change the evaluation, the signing,
(02:24):
the drafting, and then the development of those offensive line
or else you're going to get the same results, right,
You're put in the same ingredients, you get in the
same cake. Well, today is another example that the process
of signing is the same as it has been for
the last ten years. I was told him and have
heard from a couple people that the Seahawks offered three
(02:45):
years just over fifty million dollars to Will Frees this morning.
That's the same deal they offered Draymon gave Draymond Jones,
who signed a couple of years ago and he flamed
out and got cut last week. But that's a big
splash for John Schneider, especially an interier offensive line, as
we know in the famous quote in saying guards are
overdrafting of the paid but they offered him three years
(03:05):
for fifty one, about seventeen million years. He signs for
five years and eighty eight with the Colts, with the Vikings,
excuse me, from the Colts, which is about the same
average annual value right, seventeen point five six million dollars.
So it wasn't the money, it was the length and
you can go. I went back writing a story for
the News Tribune Newsregon dot com. Right now. Aside from
(03:29):
Jason Myers the Kicker in twenty nineteen, from the Jets
who've got a four year deal, John Schneider has not
given an outside free agent who played the previous year
from another team a contract of more than three years.
Since you want to.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
Guess the year guys, Oh geez, thirteen, fourteen.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
Twenty eleven, you want to guess the players?
Speaker 2 (03:50):
No, just tell us because it's hurting. Alred, Sidney Rice, Sidney.
Speaker 4 (03:54):
Rice and Zach Miller the tight end are the last
guys outside free agents that are not Jason Meyers a kicker?
What about to get a deal more than three years?
Speaker 2 (04:03):
But what about Draymond Jones deal? He was three? Got
you sorry, he.
Speaker 4 (04:08):
Only realized two of them before he got cut. So
the point is the process didn't change here. To get
Will free signed, they would have had to go to
five years, but they don't do that. Now there's all
kinds of conspiracy theories that the Seahawks don't want to
go to five years because Paul Allen's the state is
going to sell the Seahawks sooner than later and they
don't want to commit to moneies to a new owner.
(04:30):
But that's been going on now. As I said, back
to twenty eleven, Paul Aland was still around. So this
is a philosophy that John Schneider has in his free
agency for outside free agent. Now he's done, of course
four or five years for Russell Wilson and Richard Sherman
and his own homegrown guys, the contracts and resigning. I'm
talking about outside free agency of the teams. So if
you want offensive line resolves to change, you got to
(04:52):
get the process to change. And today it didn't change.
And that's why that he will freeze. And that's the
way the game goes in free agency. The guys, some
agents will tell their twenty six year old client about
to turn twenty seven, take the three year deal so
you can go back to free agency before your thirtieth birthday.
But in Freeze's case, he took the five years in
the eighty eight instead of the three for fifty and
(05:14):
a half.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
How many new offensive line starters do you think will
be acquired by the Seahawks in free agency this year?
Speaker 4 (05:23):
Oh? In free agency? Maybe one the way it's shaping
up now, Okay, perhaps to replace Lake and Thomlinson at
left guard. I ham a Kai back then from of
course the Jets eleventh overall pick from Louisville and a
few years ago flamed out in New York and had
to bounce back a year with the Eagles when they
moved it from tackle into guard. But Beck then is
(05:45):
a huge man. He's six six, three eighty pounds. That's
not what they need for outside zone and be able
to block outside and move latterly and run off the ball. Now,
of course he could be coached into that, but it
doesn't appear that that's a fit for Clint Kobya's new system.
And Mike McDonald has said, and John Schnedder has said
the same words, we need offensive linemen who run off
(06:07):
the ball. What's that mean? They don't want round graders
who just drive somebody into the mud. DJ Flucker types,
Guy Becton types. They need athletic lateral moving run outside,
more of a finesse thing. Denver Broncos Terrell Davis super
Bowl years, Mike Sheneher, That's exactly what this offense is
based upon. So Becton doesn't seem to be a fit.
(06:29):
But I would think they're going to have to sign
a veteran instead of relying on if they go with
one in the draft, they're gonna have a second year
starter at right guard, a rookie starting at left guard,
and an unproven half a rookie at best and Olow
at Timmy were perhaps an undrafted rookie last year in
Jalen Soondel as your center as it stands right now.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
Yeah, So who are the guys? Greg Greg Bell again
with us on the radio show talking free agency, kind
of focusing for a while here on the offensive line.
Who are the realistic targets for them? I mean, Josh Meyers,
Tevin Jenkins, you mentioned Makai Beckton. If you had to
look into your Greg Bell crystal ball right and tell us, Okay,
here's the Bell ball, rub that thing and tell us
(07:12):
what it says. Well that came out by the way.
I know that I apologize.
Speaker 4 (07:17):
I just glossed over how came thank you?
Speaker 2 (07:19):
Yeah, good for you. You're a pro.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
You know, in a perfect world, Trey Smith would have
been available.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
Right.
Speaker 4 (07:26):
Of course, he could argue the Seawks wouldn't have given
him a deal longer and rich enough to get him.
But yeah, I thought Freeze fit them very well, although
there was some hesitation because the fact they had a
broken tibia in October, and there's some thought that the
Seahawks wanted to get him in the building and take
a physical before they would commit to signing him, and
that couldn't happen till the league year starts tomorrow. But
(07:47):
the fact that I was told they were really in
on him and you just went three years as they
lost out, not because of the physical but because of
the lengths of the contract. Kevin Jenkins is an interesting
case and he pass protection has been his problem. Their
coaching staff thinks that they can make pass protectors be
past eight. They need run blockers and movers on the line,
(08:09):
and it was pass protection with the Browns that Tevin
Jenkins sometimes had problems with. At this point, that's probably
the best available option for them with the most experience
in doing what they need to do. John Venton is
the new offensive line coach in nineteen year betch in
the NFL. We haven't seen even teaching in mode and
develop mode here in Seattle, yet were well respected in
(08:31):
the Outside Zone and the Shanahan system from way back when.
Rick Dennison the same way, the former offensive coordinator and
line coach for the Broncos and their Super Bowl team.
So they have the pedigree and the experience to coach
these guys up into their system. I think Jenkins would
fit that. I thought Freeze would fit that. I don't
think Becton fits it, but that doesn't mean you can't
develop them into it. But I would The two best
(08:53):
available are Jenkins and Beckman at this point. Let's see
if the Seahawks make a play, and if they do
three years they could lose out again.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
Greg, real quick, do you think the Seahawks upgraded a quarterback?
Speaker 4 (09:07):
I don't. I'm not sold. I'm not. I mean, we
don't know how good Sam Donald is right, the Seahawks
don't have Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison and T. J.
Hawkinson coming down the starting lineup. This year. And that's
I mean not to say that the guy throwing the
ball wasn't responsible for some of that, but he threw
for twenty three hundred yards and twenty eight touchdowns to
(09:30):
his two wide receivers. The Seahawks have Jackson Smith and
Jigba and Jake Bobo and that's it. And right now,
even if they draft wide receivers, they're still going to have.
I would I would put four guys covering Jackson Smith
and Jigger next year if I was a few cents,
because they have nobody. They have nobody else, So the
run game is even more important for Sam Donald. He
(09:51):
holds onto the ball a long time. We saw that
playoff game against the Rams. We got sacked nine times
to tie a playoff record. Those guys nine sacks, guys,
he held the ball for four point seven three seconds.
That would make that would make Hugh Mellen's head explode.
It's like twice twice as long as you can hold
the ball in the with the Seattle line, I thought,
Gino Smith, if you just take who's the better quarterback
(10:13):
right now? I think Geno Smith is. He wanted he
wanted more money. Yeah, So the Seahorks didn't want to
pay him, and that's just what happened. As soon as
Pete Carroll took the Raiders job, John Schnyder knew he
had an escape patch if the contract negotiations stalled with
Gino Smith. He knew he could trade him to the
Raiders in one second. He knew that Pete Carroll would
(10:34):
take him, knew that Smith would love to go to
the coach that resurrected his career, and he had to
act quickly because he hadn't needed the money and the
space to go after Sam Donald hat the start a
free agency. But time will tell if he's better than
Gino Smith at right now, and especially with what the
Seahorks have on offense and the offensive line, I'd say no.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Gotcha, Greg, great stuff, man. Hear you again tomorrow morning
and I will talk down the road buddy.
Speaker 4 (11:00):
Appreciate it past, Greg, appreciate you guys. Thanks forards.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
Greg Bell, you bet man with us on the radio
show textimonials. That's interesting that Greg says he does not
think the Seahawks got better at quarterback. What do you think?
Four nine, four to five one answer that question? Did
they get better at quarterback?
Speaker 1 (11:16):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (11:16):
A simple question yes or No. Fort nine four or
five one. John Wilder joins at five to war and
Moon at five twenty eight on ninety three to three
KJRFM
Live from the R and R Foundation Specialists Broadcast Studio.
Now back to Softie and Dick on your Home for
the Huskies and the Kraken Sports Radio ninety three point
three kJ R FM.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Al right back here on a Tuesday afternoon in Zach
Saint Mary's wss. He's he's, he's the championship game coming
up six pm tonight.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Uh?
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Is that still in Vegas, by the way, at the Orleans, Orleans? Yeah,
the Orleans, the good old Orleans. They still have a
dollar ninety eight steak and eggs at two in the
morning down there. Or is it a thing of the
pasad memories of the Orleans? Oh, very good memories of
that place.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
I was rolling and my brother and losses. Now I
gotta play. I gotta play some more. I gotta play
some more. And I was stupid enough to listen to him, and.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Well, listening to your brother's pretty dumb. I would know.
My brother in law.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Oh yeah, listen to my brother is very dumb.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Listen my brother in law not usually dumb, not even
a member of your immediate family. Man, I mean, come on, jeez, Well,
joining us right now on the radio show, our own
resident Seahawks insider. You hear him every morning with Chucking Buck.
Our friend Greg Bell. Greg, how you doing man?
Speaker 4 (01:07):
All right?
Speaker 2 (01:07):
How you guys doing good?
Speaker 4 (01:08):
Hey?
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Condolences by the way on your pops thinking about you guys.
Number one, let me just toss that out there. I'm
in there, I've been there, that you have the spot
that you're at right now and it's not fun.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
Man.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
So he raised a hell of a son, no question
about That'd be proud as hell of you, man. So thanks,
thanks for everything you do for us, and condolences to
your family. Let's let's get to the Seahawks here and
just talk about kind of there's all this just mounting
frustration right by the fans, and it's not just about
the last twenty four to forty eight hours. It's about
(01:39):
the last five, six, seven years, if not longer, where
they just for some reason have this major hole in
their game where they can't fix the damn line either
through the draft or through free agency. So when Seahawks
fans see a guy like Will Fries get five years,
eighty eight million from Minnesota and they're annoyed the Seahawks
did not get a deal done with a guy like
(01:59):
that are they justified in being annoyed.
Speaker 4 (02:03):
Yes, And I've talked and written many times guys that
if they want to change the results of the last
half dozen you could even argue ten years back to
trading Max Hunger for Jimmy Graham. They want to change
the results on the offensive line, they have to change
the input. They have to change the evaluation, the signing,
(02:24):
the drafting, and then the development of those offensive line
or else you're going to get the same results, right,
You're put in the same ingredients, you get in the
same cake. Well, today is another example that the process
of signing is the same as it has been for
the last ten years. I was told him and have
heard from a couple people that the Seahawks offered three
(02:45):
years just over fifty million dollars to Will Frees this morning.
That's the same deal they offered Draymon gave Draymond Jones,
who signed a couple of years ago and he flamed
out and got cut last week. But that's a big
splash for John Schneider, especially an interier offensive line, as
we know in the famous quote in saying guards are
overdrafting of the paid but they offered him three years
(03:05):
for fifty one, about seventeen million years. He signs for
five years and eighty eight with the Colts, with the Vikings,
excuse me, from the Colts, which is about the same
average annual value right, seventeen point five six million dollars.
So it wasn't the money, it was the length and
you can go. I went back writing a story for
the News Tribune Newsregon dot com. Right now. Aside from
(03:29):
Jason Myers the Kicker in twenty nineteen, from the Jets
who've got a four year deal, John Schneider has not
given an outside free agent who played the previous year
from another team a contract of more than three years.
Since you want to.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
Guess the year guys, Oh geez, thirteen, fourteen.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
Twenty eleven, you want to guess the players?
Speaker 2 (03:50):
No, just tell us because it's hurting. Alred, Sidney Rice, Sidney.
Speaker 4 (03:54):
Rice and Zach Miller the tight end are the last
guys outside free agents that are not Jason Meyers a kicker?
What about to get a deal more than three years?
Speaker 2 (04:03):
But what about Draymond Jones deal? He was three? Got
you sorry, he.
Speaker 4 (04:08):
Only realized two of them before he got cut. So
the point is the process didn't change here. To get
Will free signed, they would have had to go to
five years, but they don't do that. Now there's all
kinds of conspiracy theories that the Seahawks don't want to
go to five years because Paul Allen's the state is
going to sell the Seahawks sooner than later and they
don't want to commit to moneies to a new owner.
(04:30):
But that's been going on now. As I said, back
to twenty eleven, Paul Aland was still around. So this
is a philosophy that John Schneider has in his free
agency for outside free agent. Now he's done, of course
four or five years for Russell Wilson and Richard Sherman
and his own homegrown guys, the contracts and resigning. I'm
talking about outside free agency of the teams. So if
you want offensive line resolves to change, you got to
(04:52):
get the process to change. And today it didn't change.
And that's why that he will freeze. And that's the
way the game goes in free agency. The guys, some
agents will tell their twenty six year old client about
to turn twenty seven, take the three year deal so
you can go back to free agency before your thirtieth birthday.
But in Freeze's case, he took the five years in
the eighty eight instead of the three for fifty and
(05:14):
a half.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
How many new offensive line starters do you think will
be acquired by the Seahawks in free agency this year?
Speaker 4 (05:23):
Oh? In free agency? Maybe one the way it's shaping
up now, Okay, perhaps to replace Lake and Thomlinson at
left guard. I ham a Kai back then from of
course the Jets eleventh overall pick from Louisville and a
few years ago flamed out in New York and had
to bounce back a year with the Eagles when they
moved it from tackle into guard. But Beck then is
(05:45):
a huge man. He's six six, three eighty pounds. That's
not what they need for outside zone and be able
to block outside and move latterly and run off the ball. Now,
of course he could be coached into that, but it
doesn't appear that that's a fit for Clint Kobya's new system.
And Mike McDonald has said, and John Schnedder has said
the same words, we need offensive linemen who run off
(06:07):
the ball. What's that mean? They don't want round graders
who just drive somebody into the mud. DJ Flucker types,
Guy Becton types. They need athletic lateral moving run outside,
more of a finesse thing. Denver Broncos Terrell Davis super
Bowl years, Mike Sheneher, That's exactly what this offense is
based upon. So Becton doesn't seem to be a fit.
(06:29):
But I would think they're going to have to sign
a veteran instead of relying on if they go with
one in the draft, they're gonna have a second year
starter at right guard, a rookie starting at left guard,
and an unproven half a rookie at best and Olow
at Timmy were perhaps an undrafted rookie last year in
Jalen Soondel as your center as it stands right now.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
Yeah, So who are the guys? Greg Greg Bell again
with us on the radio show talking free agency, kind
of focusing for a while here on the offensive line.
Who are the realistic targets for them? I mean, Josh Meyers,
Tevin Jenkins, you mentioned Makai Beckton. If you had to
look into your Greg Bell crystal ball right and tell us, Okay,
here's the Bell ball, rub that thing and tell us
(07:12):
what it says. Well that came out by the way.
I know that I apologize.
Speaker 4 (07:17):
I just glossed over how came thank you?
Speaker 2 (07:19):
Yeah, good for you. You're a pro.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
You know, in a perfect world, Trey Smith would have
been available.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
Right.
Speaker 4 (07:26):
Of course, he could argue the Seawks wouldn't have given
him a deal longer and rich enough to get him.
But yeah, I thought Freeze fit them very well, although
there was some hesitation because the fact they had a
broken tibia in October, and there's some thought that the
Seahawks wanted to get him in the building and take
a physical before they would commit to signing him, and
that couldn't happen till the league year starts tomorrow. But
(07:47):
the fact that I was told they were really in
on him and you just went three years as they
lost out, not because of the physical but because of
the lengths of the contract. Kevin Jenkins is an interesting
case and he pass protection has been his problem. Their
coaching staff thinks that they can make pass protectors be
past eight. They need run blockers and movers on the line,
(08:09):
and it was pass protection with the Browns that Tevin
Jenkins sometimes had problems with. At this point, that's probably
the best available option for them with the most experience
in doing what they need to do. John Venton is
the new offensive line coach in nineteen year betch in
the NFL. We haven't seen even teaching in mode and
develop mode here in Seattle, yet were well respected in
(08:31):
the Outside Zone and the Shanahan system from way back when.
Rick Dennison the same way, the former offensive coordinator and
line coach for the Broncos and their Super Bowl team.
So they have the pedigree and the experience to coach
these guys up into their system. I think Jenkins would
fit that. I thought Freeze would fit that. I don't
think Becton fits it, but that doesn't mean you can't
develop them into it. But I would The two best
(08:53):
available are Jenkins and Beckman at this point. Let's see
if the Seahawks make a play, and if they do
three years they could lose out again.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
Greg, real quick, do you think the Seahawks upgraded a quarterback?
Speaker 4 (09:07):
I don't. I'm not sold. I'm not. I mean, we
don't know how good Sam Donald is right, the Seahawks
don't have Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison and T. J.
Hawkinson coming down the starting lineup. This year. And that's
I mean not to say that the guy throwing the
ball wasn't responsible for some of that, but he threw
for twenty three hundred yards and twenty eight touchdowns to
(09:30):
his two wide receivers. The Seahawks have Jackson Smith and
Jigba and Jake Bobo and that's it. And right now,
even if they draft wide receivers, they're still going to have.
I would I would put four guys covering Jackson Smith
and Jigger next year if I was a few cents,
because they have nobody. They have nobody else, So the
run game is even more important for Sam Donald. He
(09:51):
holds onto the ball a long time. We saw that
playoff game against the Rams. We got sacked nine times
to tie a playoff record. Those guys nine sacks, guys,
he held the ball for four point seven three seconds.
That would make that would make Hugh Mellen's head explode.
It's like twice twice as long as you can hold
the ball in the with the Seattle line, I thought,
Gino Smith, if you just take who's the better quarterback
(10:13):
right now? I think Geno Smith is. He wanted he
wanted more money. Yeah, So the Seahorks didn't want to
pay him, and that's just what happened. As soon as
Pete Carroll took the Raiders job, John Schnyder knew he
had an escape patch if the contract negotiations stalled with
Gino Smith. He knew he could trade him to the
Raiders in one second. He knew that Pete Carroll would
(10:34):
take him, knew that Smith would love to go to
the coach that resurrected his career, and he had to
act quickly because he hadn't needed the money and the
space to go after Sam Donald hat the start a
free agency. But time will tell if he's better than
Gino Smith at right now, and especially with what the
Seahorks have on offense and the offensive line, I'd say no.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Gotcha, Greg, great stuff, man. Hear you again tomorrow morning
and I will talk down the road buddy.
Speaker 4 (11:00):
Appreciate it past, Greg, appreciate you guys. Thanks forards.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
Greg Bell, you bet man with us on the radio
show textimonials. That's interesting that Greg says he does not
think the Seahawks got better at quarterback. What do you think?
Four nine, four to five one answer that question? Did
they get better at quarterback?
Speaker 1 (11:16):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (11:16):
A simple question yes or No. Fort nine four or
five one. John Wilder joins at five to war and
Moon at five twenty eight on ninety three to three
KJRFM
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