Read the opposing arguments from Loyal Homer and Bleacher Fan.
Out of the frying pan and into the fire.
That is the path that Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll has chosen in 2010.
When the calendar turned over last January Carroll still had a Trojan emblazoned on his golf shirt. A few short weeks later he was leaving L.A. as the NCAA rules committee was entering it, skipping out on the consequences of his “oversights” at Southern Cal for the seemingly greener pastures in Seattle.
The pastures appeared greener in Seattle because they are also rainier, an appropriate weather condition for what is THE must-watch training camp session in the NFL this summer.
Since early January, when Carroll first leaked that he was leaving L.A. for the Seattle Seahawks, most fans on both sides were genuinely confused. Why build a legacy in L.A. just to fail to see it through? As talk of sanctions for Southern Cal began to surface after Carroll bolted town the situation became a bit more clear, but the lack of normalcy seemed to follow him up North.
The Seahawks have, arguably, more questions entering training camp than any other team. The questionable health of the starting quarterback has been of concern to fans, and now the team has lost its reliable backup in Seneca Wallace to the Cleveland Browns (of all teams). The team traded for San Diego backup Charlie Whitehurst, one of the most unproven quarterbacks in the NFL. The situation is far from settled.
Uncertainty at running back was another issue Carroll attempted to address in the offseason by trading for a player he coached in college, running back LenDale White. In one of the more bazaar stories from the NFL off-season, Carroll traded the 104th overall pick for White. It seemed to be a solid football move, but White was released just shortly thereafter.
Strangeness in the running game personnel, and anxiety about losing the starting quarterback, were not the only issues Carroll faces offensively. Seahawks rookie receiver Golden Tate already received a visit from the police for being part of a group that swiped a few maple doughnuts from a local shop. Yes, you read that properly. This seems small, but it’s the type of soldering ash that appeared at USC before erupting into a volcano later. Whether Carroll is on the field or off it he is encountering challenges from his group of offensive players.
All of the offensive stuff is very important, but it has rarely been something that Carroll sweated too much about. Carroll is a defensive mastermind, but there is a lack of certainty on that side of the ball, too.
Leroy Hill, probably Carroll’s starting outside linebacker, is in his home state of Georgia dealing with a marijuana charge. While the off the field challenges persist on defense for Carroll, his on the field challenges are real as well. The defensive line, in particular, is an area of concern with Seattle. The type of defense Carroll runs relies heavily on a disruptive defensive line to take pressure off the secondary to disrupt passes and tackle. The several players that currently comprise the line are unproven, and the entire unit lacks depth. The weakness on the defensive side of the ball is a big reason why Seattle will be largely ignored – perhaps rightfully so – when the prognosticators start making picks in the next several weeks.
Carroll is dealing with football-related issues and non-football-related issues this summer. Watching him approach and attack each challenge is what training camp is all about, and few coaches have as much on their plate as Carroll does.
The most interesting bit in this circus is that Pete Carroll’s NFL success is far from a lock. He has an overall NFL coaching career that hovers just over .500, with 33 wins against 31 losses. He is 1-2 all time in the playoffs. Carroll’s track record is questionable, so let’s look at recent history for some context.
Carroll’s offensive strategy guru for many of the glory years at USC was Norm Chow. Chow left college for the pro ranks and was charged with the responsibility of honing Vince Young into a dynamic professional passer. Chow’s college experience was no help in this regard, and the coach took the first opportunity presented to return to college.
There is an old rule in sports media – the weirder the stories, the more entertaining the camp. The Seahawks fit that entertainment ideal very well this upcoming training camp season.
The new management team in Seattle took an enormous risk bringing Carroll in, and it is far from clear that the risk will pay off. For starters, Carroll must decide how to navigate the difficult climate that he has entered, the myriad personnel issues he is confronted with, and the pressure of coaching a franchise with high expectations… all while rebuilding the team. Carroll’s job is the envy of no one, but it will be interesting to watch the soap opera unfold. The entertainment factor alone makes this the one training camp I would attend this NFL summer.
