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The FutureContributions from the Seahawks' last two draft classes have them feeling good about the future.Friday Round-Up: ESPN.com Picks Pete Carroll As NFC West Coach Of The YearNFC West ESPN.com reporters have selected Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll as the NFC West Coach of the Year.Friday notes: Roster predictions Shaquill Griffin Color Rush Jersey , Devin Bush & more 芦 Seahawks Draft BlogYou Called A Run On First Down. You’re Already Screwed. | FiveThirtyEightEstablishing the run didn't work for Seattle in the wild-card round — and it's not a great option for other teams, either.Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson will attend Yankees’ spring training in TampaHis football season ended Saturday, when Seattle lost to Dallas in the wild-card round of the NFL playoffs.Seahawks sign kicker Sam Ficken to reserve/future contractAre the Seahawks taking two kickers into training camp this year? Seattle signed free agent kicker Sam Ficken to a reserve/future contract Friday.Reports: Seahawks sign former Rams’ kicker Sam Ficken | KIRO-TVLess than a week into their offseason the Seattle Seahawks have already begun turning over their roster for next year. Third-down sacks, CB play, and a changing NFC West: What stands out from the Seahawks' 2018 seasonWhen looking back at the Seahawks' 2018 season, there are a couple stats that jump out at you. 710 ESPN Seattle's John Clayton breaks down what Seattle did well -- and where it can improve in 2019.Numbers tell the tale of the Seahawks' season | Seahawks | yakimaherald.comSEATTLE — Before we close the book on the year that was for the Seahawks in 2018, it’s time to take a look at some numbers that defined the season,Should the Seahawks pursue defensive end Ezekiel Ansah?The Seattle Seahawks need some extra help in the pass rush, and former Lions defensive end Ezekiel Ansah could be the perfect fit.Injuries: Sammy Watkins expected to play vs. Colts - NFL.comKansas City Chiefs wide receiver Sammy Watkins, who has been sidelined with a foot injury, is expected to make his return to action, according to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.Bears hire Chuck Pagano as defensive coordinator - NFL.comAfter spending a season out of football, Chuck Pagano is back in the NFL. The Chicago Bears announced they hired Pagano as their defensive coordinator Friday.Cleveland Browns working to hire Steve Wilks as DC - NFL.comSteve Wilks is headed from the desert to the Midwest. The Browns are working on a deal with the former Cardinals head coach to become Cleveland's defensive coordinator, Ian Rapoport reported.Dolphins expected to hire Patriots' Brian Flores as HC - NFL.comThe Miami Dolphins are keeping it in the division. The Dolphins have focused their search on Patriots linebackers coach Brian Flores for the position and are expected to hire him, Ian Rapoport reported.Gary Kubiak will not be Broncos' offensive coordinator - NFL.comThe Broncos are no longer considering former head coach Gary Kubiak to be their offensive coordinator. They are looking to add HC finalist and Steelers OL coach Mike Munchak to Vic Fangio's staff.Jets announce Adam Gase as new head coach - NFL.comAdam Gase has found a new head coaching gig in the AFC East. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Gase would join the team on Wednesday and it was made official on Friday.Can Brian Flores buck the trend of the Belichick coaching tree? – ProFootballTalkSome great coaches also have great "coaching trees," a list of assistants who became successful head coaches in their own rights. And then there's Bill Belichick. Belichick has had one of the most successful careers in NFL history, but his coaching tree has laid an egg.Cowboys, Rams to meet for ninth time in playoffs, most in NFL history – ProFootballTalkA whole generation of fans doesn't remember it, but there was a time when the Cowboys and Rams met almost every year in the NFL postseason. In fact, when the Cowboys visit Los Angeles tonight, it will be the ninth playoff game between the teams. That's the most for any two teams in NFL history. With Earl Thomas set to move on from the Seahawks in free agency, the future at free safety in Seattle is a curious thought. Tedric Thompson stepped in for Thomas, following the All-Pro’s season-ending injury in Week 4, and started the rest of the way except for two weeks missed through injury. Thompson’s performance was up-and-down Delano Hill Color Rush Jersey , with the downs ranging from glaring to catastrophic. Most would like to see the Seahawks address the position this offseason and find Bradley McDougald a long-term partner on the back-end. (On the topic of McDougald, let’s address this now: Signing or drafting a strong safety and moving McDougald to free safety is not an option. Yes, McDougald is the best safety currently on the roster and would provide the best play at free safety as it stands. However, a full-time move to free safety would require a drastic change in scheme by Pete Carroll. That’s simply not happening.)Though Thompson may not have instilled confidence in a fan base that has spent nine seasons watching Hall of Fame play at free safety, that doesn’t necessarily mean the coaching staff is in agreement. From the beginning of Thomas’s holdout in August through to the end of the season, Pete Carroll spoke of Thompson as though he’s the long-term plan at free safety. Importantly, he also consistently spoke of how important it was for Thompson to have confidence in his game. The message from Carroll, particularly in training camp, boiled down to: Thompson produces in practice, sees things so well, but he isn’t reacting accordingly. That idea of reacting slowly showed up in games, as time and time again his game speed appeared to be deficient. Whether that’s a matter of confidence in anticipating and reacting to the ball, or simply a shortcoming in his athletic ability, is an important question to answer. If it’s the former, perhaps Thompson can become a reliable free safety in Carroll’s defense. If it’s the latter, it really is a fatal flaw in this scheme. By now, we know a large part of what makes Thomas one of the greatest safeties, ever, is his out-of-this-world range. That stems from uncanny anticipation, but it’s aided by his athletic ability. Prior to the 2010 NFL Draft, Thomas ran a 4.37 40-yard dash, with a 1.49 10-yard split. Thompson, meanwhile, ran a 4.6 40-yard dash with a 1.63 10-yard split prior to the 2017 NFL Draft. That tiny difference in burst of .14 seconds can make all the difference when needing to move from the middle of the field all the way to the sideline, with the ball mid-flight. If Thompson doesn’t possess the range to be a true centerfielder in Carroll’s defense Earl Thomas Color Rush Jersey , then he cannot be depended upon to play that spot for 16 games in 2019. It would be a betrayal to both the scheme and the roster; the defense has collapsed before without the correct player at free safety, and it will again. Unfortunately for Seattle, they’re in a position where they may have to roll with Thompson in 2019, regardless of whether his previous struggles come down to confidence or a lack of athletic ability. For as loaded as the draft is along the defensive line, it’s quite shallow at safety. In the top-60 or so, an argument could be made for two proper rangy free safeties: Delaware’s Nasir Adderley and Alabama’s Deionte Thompson. However, both players have flaws in their games that could cross them off the list. Adderley is a slight 195 pounds—their threshold is 205, and here’s what Carroll had to say about Thompson’s body type prior to the 2018 season: “He’s 208 pounds right now, same weight as guys we’ve had play there in the past.” Adderley is the best safety in the draft, but he isn’t the best safety for this defense. Meanwhile, Deionte Thompson’s awareness and anticipation is lacking—would it make sense to spend a top-50 selection on a player whose shortcomings are similar to the player he would be replacing in Tedric Thompson? The options aren’t much better in free agency, either. The safeties headlining the class—Landon Collins, Tyrann Mathieu, Lamarcus Joyner—are more of box safeties than deep-middle roaming defenders. Tre Boston would make the most sense among the group, but that would be much more of a stop-gap than a long-term solution.All this goes back to how poorly the Seahawks handled Thomas’s situation. Judging by all of their actions up to this point, we know Seattle was quite sure they weren’t going to extend Thomas as early as last offseason. We also know the Cowboys were/are interested in Thomas. The best free safety in last year’s draft, Jessie Bates, is a legitimate centerfielder and would’ve fit into Carroll’s defense wonderfully. The Seahawks could’ve, and likely should’ve, moved on and used the extra selection last year to select Thomas’s successor. Instead, Seattle’s hands are tied, and their defense is tied to the development of Tedric Thompson and a trait he simply may or may not possess.