The start of training camp is just a couple hours away. If you can’t wait that long for football, might I suggest some reading to keep you busy.
In The Herald, we have five questions the Seahawks will try to answer during camp.
Over at Grantland.com, Bill Barnwell has part two of his NFL player trade value column, and Seahawks QB Russell Wilson checks in at No. 2, while Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas rank 24th and 23rd. And in case you don’t read the whole thing, this isn’t his ranking of the best players, but rather who might be most valuable on the trade market. In other words, age and salary are big factors.
On Thomas and Sherman, Barnwell writes:
Earl Thomas moves like Richard Sherman talks, and I’m complimenting each of them in saying so. Thomas is already the best safety in football and he’s just 24 years old, so if he stays healthy, we could very well be looking at a guy who is a lock for the Hall of Fame by 30. Sherman’s upside isn’t quite as high, and he’s not quite as good as his world-class shit-talking might suggest (I remember that Falcons game, too), but he’s a very good cornerback who fills in admirably in run support and who will have a cap hit of $600,000 this year and less than $700,000 next year. Both benefit from the presence of Pete Carroll, who is regarded as a wizard with defensive backs.
If Thomas plays at this same level for four more seasons, he’ll be Patrick Willis, who is as sure a bet for the Hall of Fame at 28 as anyone has been besides Tom Brady.
On Wilson, who is ranked one spot ahead of Andrew Luck, and behind only Aaron Rodgers, Barnwell writes:
Now that Russell Wilson has proven that his work ethic, intelligence, and heaping gobs of football ability translate to the NFL level, there’s no reason to think that other stuff matters. And in terms of the skills that actually translate to pro performance, Wilson’s every bit as good as Andrew Luck. He also has a far better performance record after one season and, by virtue of teams passing on Wilson 73 times between Luck’s selection with the first pick and Wilson’s arrival into Seattle at no. 75, Wilson’s four-year contract will cost the Seahawks just $2.2 million, which is about half of what Luck will make in just one season of his four-year deal. And Luck’s contract is a bargain!
If you missed it yesterday, Richard Sherman is on the cover of this week’s Sports Illustrated. And the magazine’s website also put out its preseason power rankings with the Seahawks checking in at No. 3.
Seahawks.com has a look inside the locker room from Wednesday when player reported to camp.
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