Kudos to the Seattle Seahawks, and Pete Carroll for an amazing season. They were a truly dominant team and were without a question the best team in the NFL this year. No one was more deserving to win the championship than them,
What does the Seahawks win mean for the Patriots as a team? We've already heard a lot said by the media elite about how the Patriots should view the Seahawk's victory going forward, and how we as observers of the Patriots should view the performance of the Patriots. For example, I have heard lavish praise put forth on Pete Carroll for his efforts in building the Seahawks roster. Unlike say, a coach who "got lucky" when a sixth round draft pick became a top 5 QB of all time and who "won with Parcells' players".
Look, Carroll and the Seahawks deserve a lot of praise for their accomplishment. But lets be reasonable when we take what they have done and how we view the Patriots. The Patriots in their current form, and not going to be able to construct a roster, a defense (in particular a defensive secondary) the caliber that the Seahawks had this season. The reason is quite simple. Their quarterback is making a very small amount of money (under $1 million). Many of their star defensive secondary players are making a very small amount of money. Most of these players are still on their rookie deals. While some in the media, like Michael Felger, would lead you to believe that the salary cap does not exist, the Patriots have constraints to work within. And that they have a star veteran quarterback making a lot of money, and other defensive veterans like Vince Wilfork, Jerod Mayo or Aqib Talib making a lot of money (or due to make a lot of money this off season) means they are simply incomparable with the Seahawks right now. A huge reason why Seattle was able to have the success they did this season was for that very reason. They were able to take the money they didn't have to spend on their quarterback and star secondary players to spend on other parts of the roster.
What does this mean? Two things. First off, those clamoring for the Patriots to make a big splash in free agency shouldn't expect a ton. The Patriots will make a few moves, but don't expect the huge free agent signings that the media wants so desperately. Second? This Seattle Seahawks team in its current form, despite what the media is proclaiming, is not going to automatically be a long term dynasty. It will not be long before those like Russell Wilson and Richard Sherman see their pay escalate, which will quickly impact the Seahawks' ability to to bring in the supporting cast around them to keep the team as talented as it is. That is not to say that the Seahawks cannot do it. They certainly may be able to. They were able to build this current roster after all. But let us not forget why and how they are in this position before declaring them a dynasty. Let us also not forget that they were really healthy this year. They lose the calibur of players to injuries the Patriots lost this year, I have a hard time seeing them making it to the conference championship game like the Patriots did.
Another thing to consider, which the media elite will never bring to your attention is that the Seahawks have been very successful bringing in good players from later in the draft. Russell Wilson's a third round draft pick. Richard Sherman? A fifth. I find it laughable that the same media members that on an annual basis heavily criticize Belichick for trading down (which paid off tremendously for him this season by the way) want the Patriots to emulate the Seahawks, not realizing that they aren't all that different from each other in trying to identify good talent later in the draft rather than putting all their eggs in one basket near the top of the draft.
In closing, congratulations again to the Seahawks on a well deserved championship. But let us not be delusional like the media has been when trying to correlate this to the Patriots and their success and way of doing things.
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