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Groz: If you think Seahawks’ Pete Carroll has too much power, you’ve got it all wrong
Mar 1, 2021, 4:43 PM
Russell Wilson’s relationship with the Seahawks has been put under a microscope after he and his camp made it clear in the media that he is unhappy with the pass protection he has received since he was drafted in 2012.
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The relationship was put on full display in a report from The Athletic last week, which detailed Wilson’s disappointment with the team pulling the plug on its attempt at a pass-happy approach, noting that head coach Pete Carroll was opposed to that offense after Wilson had 10 turnovers in a four-game stretch.
That story also said Wilson believes that Carroll “answers to no one” in the building, something Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio dove further into in a recent article. Florio highlighted that the Seahawks’ ownership, Vulcan Sports and Entertainment, is fairly hands off and treats Carroll, who is also executive vice president of football operations, as the team’s de facto CEO.
Former team owner Paul Allen died in 2019, with his sister, Jody Allen, taking over ownership. She has been even more hands off than her brother was, which leads many to believe Carroll has full control, which isn’t the case with most NFL coaches.
Longtime 710 ESPN Seattle voice Dave “The Groz” Grosby shared his thoughts on Florio’s article in his latest “Just a Minute” video, and you can count him as one who isn’t concerned about Carroll’s amount of power within the organization. You can watch the video at the top of this story or at 710 ESPN Seattle’s YouTube page here.
“Apparently some people think this is a bad thing,” Groz said of Carroll having more power than most head coaches.
Groz pointed out that Paul Allen “was always in the background” as an owner, letting his “football guys” make personnel decisions. He also stayed out of headlines when it came to the Seahawks, which isn’t always the case with team owners, and Allen also didn’t comment publicly on player moves or comments.
Groz said it’s clear that things have stayed that way with the Seahawks now that Jody Allen owns the team, and that’s the type of ownership that has proven to be successful in Seattle.
“Although they haven’t won the big prize, they’ve won 30 of 42 games since (Paul) Allen’s passing with Pete Carroll and (general manager) John Schneider presumably calling the shots,” Groz said.
And when it comes to Wilson’s comments and media blitz, Groz said Paul Allen would stay out of it just like Jody Allen has.
“You think Paul Allen would be publicly commenting on Russell Wilson? Then you haven’t been paying attention,” he said.
Follow Dave “The Groz” Grosby on Twitter.
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