While we attempt to catch our breath amid one of the most clamorous days in league history, can we collectively agree on one thing?
Yes, the Sam Bradford-Nick Foles deal leaves us wondering what Chip Kelly is really thinking -- draft positioning? -- and the Haloti Ngata deal was brilliant, but will any of it really matter?
The Seahawks are absolutely loaded.
The deal which, according to NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport, sends Jimmy Graham and a fourth-round pick to the Seahawks for center Max Unger and a first-round pick positions Pete Carroll and John Schneider to make a run at a third straight Super Bowl berth.
Who is going to stop them?
Without a mammoth, 6-7 menace in the red zone, Wilson already found a way to win with a pair of excellent possession wide receivers no bigger than 6-1. Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse made plays, but Graham changes defenses.
Graham will alter the dimensions of the field from a coordinator's perspective and, if he's become any more adept with his blocking, will allow for even more of a punch on play-action rollouts, already such a staple of Darrell Bevell's offense.
Make no mistake; this is not the Percy Harvin deal again. Graham doesn't need a situation tailored to his skill sets. Because he is a natural pass-catcher and is comfortable lining up anywhere, the transition should be smoother and the effect should be just as potent.
Graham should age better in that offense as well, again, so long as he's intent on improving his blocking skills.
In Schneider, the Seahawks have a general manager that understands the evolution of his roster better than anyone. The team has thrived on defense and ground control for years and now has a chance to thrive on both ends of the field. Which NFL team, at least on paper, currently has more balance? If Paul Richardson continues to develop -- which he will -- how will opposing defensive coordinators manage to cover everyone assuming you'll double Graham or at least devote a second defender to cheat his way if need be?
We can applaud the aggressiveness around the league on Tuesday, but know that few are making such a calculated gamble as Schneider.
The circumstances are greater and the reward will ultimately be, too. It's hard to imagine Foles, Bradford, Ngata or anyone else standing in Seattle's way.
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