5 Reasons the #Seahawks Will Make The Playoffs in 2025 — No. 4️⃣ | #SeattleSports

5 Reasons the #Seahawks Will Make The Playoffs in 2025 — No. 4️⃣ | #SeattleSports

All right, we’re going point by point as to why your Seattle Seahawks are a playoff team this year because nobody seems to believe in them nationally. We’ve talked about it. The the Vegas line is somewhere around seven and a half games in terms of a win total for them. So Dave and I have come up with five reasons each as to why this team will be a playoff team this year. And now we’re on on to reason number four. Dave, what do you got for number four? Yeah, for me it’s it’s the contribution from the rookies uh this year and even more so than last year and it was maybe a little bit on the the disappointing side as far as Byron Murphy goes. He didn’t in no way did he play poorly. It’s just that we didn’t see a lot of production out of him. Now that’s sort of inherent with that position. Defensive tackle, you’re taking on double teams, things like that. But, you know, and I and I think he’s going to have a great second year. But, you know, this year’s first round draft choice, the number 18 pick in Gray Zable, he’s going to be they’re going to expect him to be a starter. And I think in a lot of people’s minds and the coaches as well, it’s like, okay, we’ve got that left guard situation taken care of. So, u I think him, the fact that they packaged the two trades that, uh, you know, for DK and for, um, Gino Smith to move up and get Nick Emani makes it even more special. And I think there’s probably going to be more pressure on him, but um I think he’s going to be need to be a major contributor. And then you just go down the list like Elijah Royo. I mean, we talk all the time about Jimmy Graham being the the best tight end in the history of the Seahawks. And maybe Royo, he hasn’t shown that he can block very well, but he needs to get to that point where he’s a good blocker. But he’s an incredible, like John Schneider told us, they can use him as an ex receiver. So they can He’s really a versatile player. Multiple as you like to say, Bob. Yeah, I love it. But yeah, I mean, you look at him um you look at uh Milro, we’ll see what happens. I think that there has been kind of a people got a little bit too excited about ah we’re going to get him in 10 12 plays a game and packages. Yeah, I I’m not so sure about that. And I know Daniel Jeremiah said a lot of times those things don’t translate from upstairs to downstairs on the field. So, um, maybe, you know, pump the brakes a little bit on Melro, I think he’s going to be, uh, great as far as, uh, developing. So, like for his role, if he gets in in a couple of plays, maybe a short yardage, and I don’t want to say gimmicky play, but, you know, like a package that, you know, John said, we we can use him as a weapon and he just develops as a quarterback behind Darnold and Lock, then, you know, I think that’ll be that’ll be a victory for him. Um, you know, and then, you know, the other guy I’m I’m going down the list here, but, um, Riley Mills is a guy they really like, but he had an injury at the end of the, um, his, uh, season and didn’t get to play in the playoff game and everything. It was disappointing for him. But, um, and then Ricky White, because, you know, we talk a lot about how when I came out of college, I didn’t play any special teams. Um, I was, you know, a starter for the last three years of my career there. And a lot of guys, you know, they don’t they don’t play special teams in in college just because, you know, they’re they’re starters and you don’t want to put those guys on the kickoff team or whatever. But you look at Ricky White, wide receiver. Uh, one source said that he blocked four punts. I saw three, but this guy is uh, he can be an amazing uh, contributor as far as um, you know, special teams go. So, yeah, I think these guys are really going to have to step up their game. And you know, I think just like we talked about the first year for Eris Jones coming in and you know, this is the the second year. I mean, that was the first year draft last year with Mike McDonald and and John Schneider together. And I think in this draft, they were really sort of, you know, aligned on almost everything. So, it’ll be interesting to see how these guys contribute. But I think in order for them to to make the playoffs and do what we think they’ll do, you’re going to have to have a lot of contribution from your rookies. Before I give you my number four, of the rookie group, which position do you think is going to be the toughest to have an impact as a rookie and the easiest? Um, well, I think the easiest probably path is for Gray Zable at left guard just because, you know, he uh he’s got protection around him. Yeah, he he can if the center’s good next to him, he’s got Charles Cross next to him. I think, you know, that would be a good path. I think the the hardest one probably is going to be Elijah Aoyo just because it’s it’s just different, you know, and if you can’t block in college, well, it’s only going to get tougher, you know. I talked about Devin Witherspoon and how he’s always moving. He’s a moving target. I mean, these guys are it’s harder to block definitely. And so he might be a guy that um you know and and look you know I thought last year AJ Barner was was great at tight end and I think he’s going to develop but um Aoyo it’ll be interesting to see how they use him and if they truly do use him as an ex receiver because he has that kind of speed. My number four is another individual, uh, big cat, Leonard Williams. A guy who in football years you could say, “All right, he’s getting older, 31 years old. He’s he’s an interior guy. We’ve talked about it’s not a glamour spot. Hard to rack up stats, yet he does. He’s a guy that’s had double digit sacks, who’s had an impact in terms of sacking the quarterback, in terms of quarterback pressures last year. In fact, we talked in the uh in the last bit about, you know, ESPN ranking each position group top 10. So far, the only Seahawk that’s made a list is Leonard Williams for defensive tackles. So, you know, we something you brought up a lot about, you know, scheming for teams and and preparing for teams that you would face. There were guys you called extra meeting guys. To me, the Seahawks have two of them and they’re both on defense. And we’ve talked about Witherspoon. Leonard Williams is the other one. He’s a problem. And we also talked about, you know, somebody saying, “Oh, you can scheme to stop a quarterback. You, you know, a defensive tackle is a game wrecker.” Yeah, they’re often in the same spot, but he’s not. He’s a guy that’s all over the place. You talked about him at the nine. He can be out there on the end. He could be there in the middle of of the the the bodies there and and wreaking havoc. He’s just a problem no matter where he’s at. He’s just another guy like Ernest Jones that I think impacts everybody around him. his presence, his leadership. It just he’s a differencemaker for a defense that’s young that everybody, you know, especially last year, everybody’s learning this new defensive system, his new head coach, everything’s new. I think we talked about the turnaround in the second half after Ernest Jones got here. He was a huge key to it. Talking about Leonard Williams to the turnaround as well. Yeah, Ernest Jones deserves his flowers. He was he was a differencemaker, but so was Leonard Williams and he he is just such a pro. It’s been such a massive acquisition for them. Yeah, he’s done such a brilliant job and, you know, kudos to the front office for for getting him and recognizing what he could bring to the table and the impact he could have on this defense because to me, he’s exceeded what I expected from him. Yeah. No, he absolutely has. And, you know, that was a guy that John Schneider had been looking at for a long time. And as you mentioned, he can play all over the place. And so, yeah, I mean, you put him out on a tight end, I mean, don’t try to block him with a tight end. It’s ridiculous. So, uh, yeah, he he is, uh, and he started to make plays in the second half when the defense got good and and we’ll we’ll get into that later, but, second half numbers were phenomenal and guys like him and Spoon started making plays all of a sudden. So we started I thought that was when we really started to see Mike McDonald’s defense really shine and Leonard Williams was one of the best playmakers definitely. So yeah, I he’s 6’5, 300 lb, and he can run like a deer or as Rael said, like a racehorse. And that’s what when he he picked off that pass and and I remember that play against the Jets where, you know, it was either going to be him or Jiren Reed that was going to drop and I think he switched with him at the last second, but God love Jay Reid. I mean, I think he’s a great player. I don’t I don’t think he runs away from that. He’s not getting to the end zone. Aaron Rogers might have caught him. Sorry, Jay Reid. Yeah. No, I mean, he he’s incredibly important player as well, but yeah, that was uh just watching him run, I’m like, I can’t believe what I’m looking at right now. And he ran away from everybody now. He had some good blocking and and all that, but just those kinds of plays. I mean, you’ve seen him split double teams. Like you said, I think the I always call it a extra meeting player, but like he’s a problem. Yeah. There you go. There’s reason number four from Dave and myself as to why the Seahawks will make the playoffs this season. So stay tuned for number three coming your way.

There is some skepticism with this year’s Seahawks team, but hosts Dave Wyman and Bob Stelton (Wyman and Bob) share their optimism in Seattle’s playoff chances with their top 5 reasons the Seahawks are a playoff team. Today they discuss there #4 reasons. Stay tuned all week!

Catch up on #5: https://youtu.be/YgfiLVA5NF8?si=aylVm3BCFubi6uY2

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0:00 – Intro
0:28 – The Rookie Class – Wyman’s #5 Reason
5:00 – Leonard Williams – Bob’s #5 Reason

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Listen to The Wyman & Bob Show weekdays from 2 p.m. – 7 p.m. live on Seattle Sports 710 AM and the Seattle Sports App, or on-demand wherever you listen to podcasts.
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