Seattle Seahawks front office has respect of player agents
In a recent survey of 30 NFL player agents, the Seattle Seahawks front office drew high praise.
During the Pete Carroll/ John Schneider era, the Seattle Seahawks have been one of the best-run organizations in professional football. The Athletic (subscription required) conducted a recent survey of 30 anonymous player agents about the NFL. One of the sections dealt with Team management. The Seahawks GM and members of his staff received high marks.
Conducting business the right way
Agents answered a series of questions on many different topics. When it came to front office personnel, Schneider scored near the top in one huge area, trust. When asked: Among general managers or front-office leaders, who do you trust the most? Schneider finished second to Indianapolis GM Chris Ballard. What stands out are some of the quotes.
“Out of the 32 teams, I’d say I trust maybe five. John doesn’t lie.” – Anonymous NFL agent.
“I really enjoy working with the Seahawks’ front office, from John Schneider all the way throughout his whole scouting staff.” – Anonymous NFL agent.
While some might say its better to have an antagonistic relationship between a team’s front and agents, that’s not always the best approach. Honesty and trust go a long way to getting deals done.
The Seattle Seahawks have done a consistently good job of being competitive over the past decade, with a 100-60 regular-season record, eight playoff appearances, two trips to the Super Bowl and a championship. That’s why those surveyed named Schneider as one of the smartest front office people in the league.
“Just think he’s really ahead of the curve in terms of player evaluation. (The Seattle Seahawks) rarely seem to have salary-cap problems. He’s very proactive with his roster. I don’t see him as reactionary. They don’t seem to ever be in a situation where they’re sort of scrambling with their hair on fire, trying to patch a situation that they weren’t prepared for.” – Anonymous NFL agent.
If you are a 12, that last part has to put a smile on your face. Very few things on the business side of the game look worse than an unprepared team.
Understanding and developing talent
Some Seattle Seahawks fans reading this may think Schneider is a mainly business side guy. In addition to negotiating with agents, he also gets credit as one of the league’s top talent evaluators.
The final area has to do with other members of the front office. Ted Kirchner, Seattle Seahawks Co-Director of Player Personnel, finished tied for first on: Who is a future GM to Watch? Also receiving consideration was Scott Fitterer, Co-Director of Player Personnel, and Nolan Teasley, Director of Pro Personnel.
The fact that so many members of the front office team come across as future general managers means, not only can Schneider evaluate player talent, he also does a great job of finding management talent as well.
How do you feel about John Schneider and his staff? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.