Danny O’Neil writes that Yannick Ngakoue fits in with what the Seahawks need for 2020. (Getty)
An early warning: I will end up using a torturous analogy from a black and white movie that is over 25 years old to explain why the Seahawks should be willing to offer some concept picks that they will release next year still have in exchange for defensive end of Jacksonville Yannick Ngakoue.
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The film analogy will be a bit boring, but I’m seriously dead set on the offer. I do not know if it will be enough. After all, the Seahawks sent their first-round pick and their third-round pick to the Jets for Jamal Adams, and Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network said the Jaguars search for more than a second for Ngakoue. But Seattle has already invested enough in the outcome of this season that I would not dare place the rest of next year’s concept to add Ngakoue to the pass.
Now is not the time to become timid about long-term risks. To lend a poker season, the Seahawks have been awarded pot, which means they have already placed so much on the outcome of this season that they need to be more willing to make additions that increase their chances of winning, no less willing. What do your draft picks save for if you have given up all two of your most valuable chips to get Adams over the next two years?
And that brings us to “Clerks,” a film by Kevin Smith that came out in 1993. The film chronicles what appears to be a unique misery 8 hours in the life of one Dante Hicks, who is called upon to work on the convenience store where he is committed to what his day should be like.
Hicks did not even have to be on this particular day, a fact that he repeats with disgusting frequency. Of interest to Hicks is a street hockey game he had planned earlier, and when no one comes up to reduce him so he can play in that game, he improvises a solution: Call the other players to the store. He shoots up and the game is played on the roof.
Afterwards, one of the players asks Dante if he can take a Gatorade out of the store. Dante says no, pointing out that once he lets a Gatorade take over, every other player wants one. I’m now presenting a redacted transcript of the scene, as there have been many dumb words in what is a fairly smoky film.
• Dante: Hey, I have a responsibility here. I can not let everyone grab free drinks.
• Sanford: Responsibility? What responsibility? You close the (flip) shop to play hockey!
• Randal “The Bezerker”: He’s blunt, but he has a point.
• Dante: Will you show me some light of control here?
• Sanford: No, all I’m saying is that if you’re going to be insubordinate, you might not go all out (chicken) when it comes to drinking (Gatorade) for free.
Ngakoue is the Gatorade. The Seahawks have already packed two of their first three picks into next year’s draft for a safety they think will push them over the top. While you can debate the price Seattle is paying, there’s no question about the motivation: Seattle saw an opportunity to add a player who thinks it can get over that bump of losses along the way in the playoffs division round as it has in three of the past five seasons.
What are a few more draft picks to land a pass rusher like Ngakoue? Sure, the Seahawks added Benson Mayowa and Bruce Irvin in free agency, but Jadeveon Clowney’s asking price was too high and now Darrell Taylor – Seattle’s second round pick – still needs to be removed to practice and may not be ready for the start of ‘ the regular season.
Some people will worry that Seattle has given up too much draft capital to win now, but in fact that is precisely the reason why the Seahawks should not bother to give up a little more as it will improve their chances of earning that gamble in the greatest way possible.
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