‘Hawk Talk’ highlights: Tom Cable’s coaching future

By Brady Henderson

The Seahawks were worried about losing Tom Cable to a head-coaching job after their 2011 season ended, so much so that coach Pete Carroll joked about cutting the wires on Cable’s phone to thwart any interested team’s attempt to reach out.

Cable, Seattle’s offensive-line coach and assistant head coach, was considered the driving force behind what progressed into a formidable running game despite losing three starting offensive linemen to season-ending injuries.

Tom Cable

“It’s just a matter of time before somebody recognizes that and wants to come after him,” Carroll said at the time.

The Seahawks lost one coordinator, Gus Bradley, to a head-coaching job earlier this offseason and nearly lost another as Darrell Bevell interviewed with a pair of teams before receiving a new contract to stay in Seattle. There were no reports of Cable, who had head-coaching experience, interviewing for any vacancies despite Seattle finishing the 2012 season with the league’s No. 3 rushing offense.

But as Carroll said, it’s only a matter of time.

Cable’s coaching future was among the topics during the latest edition of “Hawk Talk” with Danny O’Neil. The full transcript of the chat can be found here. Highlights are below.

K Falls asked whether Cable would want to become a head coach again or if he’d rather remain an assistant.

Danny O’Neil: Yes, I think Tom Cable wants to become a head coach again, and I think he certainly has a resume worthy of another head-coaching job. His 8-8 season in Oakland was the one beacon of hope in that franchise’s dark decade. Unfortunately for him, that year in Oakland brought out a great deal of baggage. I’m torn on the discussion of the spousal-abuse allegations from his past because he was never charged with a crime, which is usually the barometer for reporting on those. He was never charged, but those allegations were widely reported to the point he had to comment on them. But football-wise, he absolutely deserves another head-coaching opportunity.

Isaac asked whether the Seahawks’ defensive backs coach, Kris Richard, could become a defensive coordinator or even a head coach in the near future.

Danny O’Neil: Very much so. He seems like he would wear that very well, and certainly, Seattle’s success in the secondary and developing players (not just Richard Sherman and Brandon Browner, but right now, Jeremy Lane).

Isaac later asked which Seahawks have reached their ceilings.

Danny O’Neil: Ceilings? Well, Marshawn Lynch isn’t going to get better. The question is how long he can stay this effective. Ditto for fullback Michael Robinson. And for offensive linemen, I would say Paul McQuistan is in the same boat, and I wonder how much room for improvement there is with Breno Giacomini.

Slim Shady asked how rookie wide receiver Chris Harper has looked during offseason workouts before Craig asked for a comparison between Harper’s minicamp performance and that of Golden Tate when he was a rookie in 2010.

Danny O’Neil: Chris Harper has not stood out following the three-day minicamp. Golden Tate stood out MUCH more. But that just goes to show you how much (or in Tate’s case) how little minicamps and offseason training translates to regular-season success.