For a second consecutive June, Chuck & Buck in the Morning are delivering for you a daily feature called "The One Series". One Seahawks insider/analyst/writer has joined us each day to break down one key Seahawk player for one entire interview.

This blog is dedicated to my "One Big Takeaway" from various entries of the series. NFL wizard/writer Mike Sando (& of KJR) joined us this week, and his player of choice for evaluation was WR DK Metcalf.

"What more do you want?" Sando began. "If you can't get behind this guy, I don't know who you would (back) on the Seahawks?"

Metcalf, being 6'4" & full of muscle, is about to play his first full season without Russell Wilson. And the 2023 NFL free agent-to-be wants to be paid now. As I write this blog on 6/28/22, Metcalf is technically, if not officially, in the midst of a holdout. He didn't participate in Mandatory Minicamp, not even for the purpose of familiarizing himself with a new quarterback in Drew Lock. He's going to get paid, but how much? And by whom?

After the Wide Receiver market exploded this offseason, the top 5 highest paid (per year salary) WR's in the NFL are currently:

1. Tyreek Hill - 30 million

2. Davante Adams - 28 million

3. DeAndre Hopkins - 27 million

4. Cooper Kupp - 26 million

5. AJ Brown - 25 million

Sando on DK's contract situation: "I think if I'm DK Metcalf, I want to come in above AJ Brown. And, as a team, I think I would want to have him (paid) among the top 5 (receivers), but not above Cooper Kupp. For where the team is in its development- cheap quarterback play for at least the next couple years- who else are you going to give a huge contract to?"

Over the last three years (DK's only 3 years in the league), Metcalf ranks in the top 10 in yards per season, top 5 in receiving TD's & #1 in YPC.

Sando on DK's talent: "He just checks all the boxes. Obviously, physically. But I also like his competitiveness, his attitude, and he just seems to get it, and at a young age... What more do you want?"

Seahawk fans and analysts want more of Metcalf. More targets. A greater variety of usage. Getting him the ball when he's beaten his man, and IS WIDE OPEN!

Sando on DK's usage: "They could use him better than they use him. He leads the league in go-routes since coming into the league. You could certainly get him going with more diversity of routes. That could be on the coordinator, it could be on the offense in general, and it could have been on the quarterback."

And now Russell is gone, traded to Denver. So, of the candidates, whose talents are best suited for taking advantage of Metcalf's elite talent? Drew Lock? Geno Smith? Or Baker Mayfield?

It's my "One Big Takeaway"...

"You'd have to put Baker Mayfield first," Sando answered. "That being said, there are a lot of other things that come with Mayfield being on your team that I'm not all that excited about. So, I think it's going to be Drew Lock getting the first crack to do it. For me, Mayfield doesn't enter the picture."

Listen to the entire One Series on DK Metcalf HERE!

Washington Huskies