Are Seahawks GM John Schneider and HC Pete Carroll under a lot of pressure in 2020? (AP)
Heading into the 2020 season, the NFC West is widely regarded as the toughest division in the NFL, and there is one case that can be made for the Seahawks or any of the other three teams in the division to take the NFC West crown. this next season.
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The 49ers won the division last year and played in the Super Bowl, Seattle finished second and won a playoff game, the Rams made it to the Super Bowl in 2018, and the Cardinals are viewed as a rising team that acquired one of the best receivers in football. at DeAndre Hopkins. But who faces the most pressure in the NFC West?
Former NFL wide receiver Michael Bumpus was asked when he joined Danny and Gallant Wednesday morning and said the case could be made for Rams head coach Sean McVay, the Cardinals’ head coach, Kliff Kingsbury, or 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. But he thinks a duo in the Pacific Northwest faces more pressure than anyone in the division.
“Honestly, I think it is a global agreement. I think it’s (Seahawks general manager John) Schneider and (head coach) Pete Carroll, ”he said. “I think it is his division to lose this year. I think they are the favorites to win this division. “
An important factor in determining Seattle’s success in 2020 is its focus on both sides of the ball and how it changes and adapts.
“I think (Carroll and Schneider are) responsible for forcing this defense to change a bit. They are responsible for making changes to this defense in terms of personnel, “Bumpus said.” I think we are going to see if they let Russell Wilson cook. Are they going to change their philosophy a little bit on offense?
The defense was one of the worst in the NFL in 2019, and fixing that for 2020 will be key for the Seahawks, as Wilson is at his best, and the pieces are on offense and could be used differently than in previous years. .
“I’m putting it on John Schneider and Pete Carroll. They must adjust in defense and let’s see what they do in attack, ”said Bumpus. “They made some moves, they got Greg Olsen, how are they going to use him? We’ll see what happens to Quinton Dunbar. You still haven’t made any moves on that defensive line. I think the pressure is on them. It is their division to lose and if they do not win this division, I would be very disappointed. ”
Danny O’Neil said the Seahawks have had time to rebuild the defense in the draft and in free agency the past two seasons and if it doesn’t improve in 2020, you should ask yourself why it’s not improving.
“I understand why they took a step back,” he said. “When Kam Chancellor has to retire and Cliff Avril has to retire due to injuries and Richard Sherman cuts himself and Earl Thomas leaves, you understand why there is a fall, but he has to recover. And if he doesn’t recover this year, I think the question is: why not? Why is this group not improving? He’s young, you’ve had a lot of draft picks and you have time and opportunities. Something should be happening to improve this defense. “
Bumpus said there seemed to be some understanding of why the defense was lacking in 2019, but that it won’t fly in 2020.
“I think last year, people either agreed with this, or they didn’t, but they understood where this defense was,” he said. “You don’t have a five-cent boy, really, so you will stick to your base defense out of necessity. And they’re not going to go out there and say, ‘Hey, our staff forced us to play this hand.’ They will stay with their boys and say, ‘Look, this is what we wanted to do, this is our philosophy.’ This is the year of change. “
Last season saw a lot of soft zone defense and Bumpus believes it should look different and that another addition on the defensive line would help with a passing career that was one of the worst in the league in 2019.
“Defensively, are they good enough to go down and play the stroke and run and push a little? Are they going to bomb more? Everyone has been calling for bombings, you know, “he said. “If they go out and do exactly the same thing, it will be very disappointing.”
Paul Gallant wanted to know if the Seahawks are closer to making a Super Bowl in 2020 than in 2019.
“I want say yes. I definitely can’t say yes, ”said Gallant.
Bumpus disagreed.
“I say yes because there are more defensive catches on paper,” he said. “I say yes because if Quinton Dunbar gets out of this (legal problem), they will improve in the corner. I say yes because Russell Wilson is on the offensive and they chose Phillip Dorsett, who I really like and I think is going to be a very good No. 3 receiver. They have improved. “
The question, again, remains on the defensive line, Bumpus said, including adding Bruce Irvin and Benson Mayowa, who combined for more than 15 sacks in 2019.
“Have you had enough boys? I don’t know, “he said.” But I think they are making movements and moving in the right direction. We will see how everything unfolds.
Listen to the entire conversation at this link or in the following player.
Follow Michael Bumpus of 710 ESPN Seattle on Twitter.
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