The Media Doesn't Know (Anything): Seahawks Coaching Hires, Coaching and Executive Candidates, and Empty Rumors

"Those reports are false. I have not been offered the job. Therefore, I have not accepted the job. Everything everybody is writing is false ... I'm convinced the media doesn't know shit. This is comical." --Rumored Seahawks Defensive Coordinator and actual New Mexico State Head Coach DeWayne Walker.

Before I post another edition of the Floyd Reese saga, let's try to piece together what we know, what we don't know, and whatever remains.

Acting General Manager: Ruston Webster

Head Coach: Pete Carroll

Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Line Coach: Dan Quinn

Offensive Coordinator: Jeremy Bates

Defensive Coordinator: Gus Bradley

Special Teams Coordinator: Brian Schneider

Offensive Line: Alex Gibbs

Linebackers Coach: Ken Norton Jr.

Wide Receiver Coach: Kippy Brown

(Ordered according to an approximate hierarchy of power and autonomy)

Beyond the above, plenty of names are floating around, the two most significant are: Jerry Gray (DBs Coach) and Jedd Fisch (Quarterbacks Coach). Gray is almost in the bag. Word is, the Minnesota Gophers are fighting hard to keep Fisch.

For all the acid my stomach has produced to aid me in eating out my own insides, the general manager position is still Ruston Webster's. Webster didn't endear himself with Seahawks fans by signing at-best average, and eminently replaceable, punter Jon Ryan to a six-year contract, but that's small beer. Ryan can be cut at any time without major impact to the salary cap. I would still support Webster over some of the names being bandied about.

Speaking of which, the remaining candidates for Seahawks General Manager are: Webster, Reese, John Schneider, Omar Khan, Marc Ross and Pat Kirwan. It's also possible that formerly interested parties, like Eric DeCosta, are superficially out of the running but could still be swayed. What this boils down to is: The position is still open and Paul Allen could, theoretically, sign anyone he wants. DeCosta might be out of the running right now, but back a dump truck full of money to his door and his decision might change.

If I were to order the potential candidates by likelihood of signing, it would read: Ross, Khan, Schneider, Webster, Reese, Kirwan and DeCosta. The recent scuttlebutt about Reese is that his sudden and unexpected appearance atop the Seahawks list was little more than an act of self promotion. Throughout this process, established coaches have been linked to Seattle, but Carroll has instead hired younger, greener talents. Carroll is participating in the general manager interview process. I expect the trend established with coaching hires to continue: Established executives rumored, but a younger candidate hired.

Ross is atop my list because he fits, fits the trend, and hasn't been talked about. You know what they say, a rumor is dead once it is spread. If Seattle wanted Ross, but for whatever reason couldn't make the move yet, keeping his name out of media reports is perhaps the best way to ensure his availability, and ensure his signing would be smooth and without pre-controversy. It's often better to sign someone without a thousand rumors already haunting their shadow.

Rumors are flying that Seattle is interested in adding a top skill position player through trade. The most persistent of these rumors involve Brandon Marshall. It's wrong to say there is no truth to the rumors. I don't know if there is. At the moment though, these are nothing more than fantasy given flight by rumor mongers that profit off the hopes and desperation of a broken down team, and its beaten down fans.