For my father in law Frank Barone I pray...

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
[Dylan Thomas (published 1951)]

Instant reaction: Thoughts on Seattle's draft

To post just a bit from the thread above...click on the link for more...

Seahawks 2020 draft class

R1 — Jordyn Brooks (LB)
R2 — Darrell Taylor (EDGE)
R3 — Damien Lewis (G)
R4 — Colby Parkinson (TE)
R4 — Deejay Dallas (RB)
R5 — Alton Robinson (DE)
R6 — Freddie Swain (WR)
R7 — Stephen Sullivan (TE)

Thoughts on Seattle’s 2020 draft

The Seahawks know they need to be tougher.

They’re no longer the bully in the NFL. They’re not even the bully in the NFC West.

The attitude, intensity and swagger of the LOB era is missing. Their run defense is poor. Their pass rush is poor. They miss tackles. They struggle to defend the perimeter.

They’re trying to fix the problem.

They added a thumping, physical linebacker, a speedy edge rusher who plays with attitude and a violent run blocker with their first three picks. They followed it up with more pass rush help, a big move TE and a fierce running back.

They’re going to keep trying to create the team they want. They crave to be the punishing, physical, take-your-soul team that they used to be.

Smart, tough, reliable.

It makes sense. It’s reasonable. It’s something they’ll need to reclaim if they’re going to get back to the top.

If you take a step back and acknowledge, rightly, that the Seahawks were never going to blow your socks off with this class — you can look at it through a positive lens. It wasn’t realistic to address the large collection of needs they had. They needed to do more in free agency for that to be the case. They’ve added fast, physical tough guys with upside and potential. That’s a good thing.

There are also issues though.

They didn’t draft a defensive tackle to help anchor or provide pass rush. In a reasonable DT class, that’s disappointing.

They drafted two pass rushers but they still require the veteran proven quality of a Jadeveon Clowney or Everson Griffen. It’s an absolute must that they secure one of those two as soon as possible.

They’ve not added a nickel corner. They need one. Ugo Amadi is not a guaranteed solution.

They’ve not added a developmental left tackle or further competition for Brandon Shell.

They’ll need to add at least one more running back to the stable.

There’s so much that still needs to be done.

While there’s nothing this draft class could really do to change this — the Seahawks have not moved the needle this off-season towards winning a Super Bowl. San Francisco added two first round picks then stole Trent Williams from Washington. The Cardinals nabbed DeAndre Hopkins and Isaiah Simmons.

In comparison, the Seahawks have been strangely quiet. They’ve padded their depth. Their biggest investment so far is on a linebacker — despite the fact Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright are taking up $25m in cap space this year.

Russell Wilson keeps Seattle a contender of sorts but his presence shouldn’t be taken for granted. You can’t pretend that this team isn’t dragged along by the quarterback. It is. And there’s been a lack of aggression this off-season. Failing to land the pass rushers in free agency or improve the front seven forced them to prioritise both areas in a draft that was superior at offensive tackle and the skill positions early.

Russell Wilson called for superstars. They haven’t been added.

The roster, currently, is good enough to once again make the playoffs. Taking the next step — being a genuine contender and reaching a Super Bowl — requires more talent. Whether it’s developed or added. There’s still an awful lot of work to do.

The problem is — they no longer have the benefit of draft picks and a heap of cap space to work with. They are somewhat limited — even if they start cutting the likes of Justin Britt to create space.

The next few weeks are vital. They have to find a way, somehow, to add more...