Arizona State’s Kalen Ballage scored eight touchdowns against Texas Tech last weekend. Even more remarkable is that he did it with just 15 touches.
Ballage’s most impressive score was a 75-yard run (see above) where he ran away from the defense. It’s pretty impressive for a runner listed at 6-3 and 230lbs. He admitted in a recent interview he’s actually 6-2 but the weight is accurate.
I did a bit more digging on Ballage — a player I haven’t focused on much because he works in a committee and has never really been the lead guy. He had just 653 yards last season but did average 5.2 YPC. He scored just four times.
This season he already has 193 yards, nine scores and 8.4 YPC in two games.
One of those four touchdowns from last season included this against UCLA:
Physicality, effectiveness, speed, size. This guy is intriguing.
His character and personality is even more impressive. Listen to his demeanour in this interview, or the way he handled the on-the-field post game reaction to his record setting night (it’s at the end of the video at the top of the page).
Character is big for the Seahawks. So is difference making physical qualities. If Ballage continues to produce, he could be a name to keep an eye on. After all, Christine Michael’s contract expires next year and as the Seahawks transition towards more of a committee approach — they’ll be looking to add bodies at running back all the time.
I’m going to be attending the Washington vs Arizona State game in November so will get the opportunity to watch Ballage live.
He at least has the potential to get into the second round mix. Oregon’s Royce Freeman is a similar bigger back with plus speed. They could both go in a similar range. Right now you’d also have to put Nick Chubb in that bracket. Keep an eye on NC State’s Matt Dayes too. Leonard Fournette is a shoe-in for the top five picks while Christian McCaffrey and Dalvin Cook could also find a home in round one.
Would be a steal in any round passed the 2nd. He looks special, similar to how Lockett looked in college, just on another level mentally. Lockett also had speed, Ballage has grit. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up a Seahawk considering all the other Backs who are likely still ranked ahead of him. Although I think he’ll pass Chubb due to the injury concerns. That is if he can continue 5+ YPC and the occasional break off run.
Ballage…that just might be the best football name ever.
It’s funny. I mentioned that Seattle should or probably will grab a RB in this year’s talented class. They always do. And was met with ‘why?’ ‘They have this guy and that guy.’
Rawls isn’t a sure thing. C-Mike is a FA. Prosise is more of a specialized role player. And Collins is a backup.
Adding a RB would be exactly the type of things this team would do.
And Ballage is a tremendous physical and athletic talent. Is part of the acclaimed Ballage family from Colorado. His size isn’t a detriment. It’s a plus when you combine it with his skill set and traits.
As much as I am enjoying the C Mike awakening, the idea of giving him any substantial $ to re-sign makes me nervous. It will be an interesting decision. I think they draft RB at some point. Ballage ticks a lot of boxes. He was like a video game character last week.
But, I do like the potential longevity of RB Rawls as part of a RBBC. Much more suited for that IMO. Could he be a workhorse? I think so. Also don’t think that’ll happen again under PC. And if it does, it pretty much says they haven’t found their committee yet.
Yeah, the big unknown with him is if he can hold up through a 16 game season.
No RB get substantial money anymore…. max 4M a year… more likely 2M per year.
The last great RB contract most likely will be AP.
“It’s funny. I mentioned that Seattle should or probably will grab a RB in this year’s talented class. They always do. And was met with ‘why?’ ‘They have this guy and that guy.’”
If you’re referring to our exchanges a couple threads down V12, I guess I still haven’t made my point clear.
If the Hawks feel the need to draft a RB early AKA in the first 3 rounds in 2017, that means there is a serious issue with one or more of Rawls, Prosise and Collins (Let’s just assume CM is gone next year – and reaching for the stars the Hawks get a comp pick!). Injury, they haven’t met expectations/lack of development, off the field issues, etc.
OR the fact that a runner so talented has dropped in their laps they feel like they have to bypass other needs like OL and DL to draft him.
In ANY of those scenarios, I’d support drafting a RB.
Otherwise, having 3 good young cheap RBs on the roster and a proven track record for finding more cheap young RB talent means they have as equal a chance of drafting a RB as other need positions early. I’m not saying we should ignore scouting RB prospects or discussing them.
Just my $.02 and no disrespect intended.
No offense taken.
I don’t see Prosise as anything more than a draw player and check down guy right now. He’s glass man. Durability at this level is a huge concern for him right now.
I hope I’m wrong about him. I like his potential.
But this is now a RBBC. They’ve shown us they want 4 RB’s. A 1-2 punch, a backup or possible short yardage guy (Collins), and that 3rd down, move around the formation back (Prosise). Even if C-Mike is brought back, Seattle will always push a guy or make him compete.
Not saying take a RB in rounds 1-2 this year. Drafting a back also doesn’t preclude them from taking one in UDFA either. It’s smart to double dip. Gives you a hedge. Especially with one of the strongest positions in the draft.
Could he pack on a bit more weight? Maybe they consider him as a bruising lead-back/H-back type. Having a FB on the field who was actually a threat on his own would be fantastic for this offense, as it would keep defenses that much more off-balance, never sure who the real threat was on any given play. Couldn’t hurt in the red zone either.
Rob, got a question for ya.
We both know this year’s OT class is less than stellar at the top. Which brings me to Florida St OT Roderick Johnson. Has the length, look, build, and rumored athleticism of everything you want in a potential LT. However, again, we both know how raw he really is and needs a ton of work.
But, I’m beginning to wonder. Would Seattle maybe roll the dice on a guy like this? Or do you take more of an offensive guard early and grab one of the talented OTs in 2018?
Somewhat related to this question, it is interesting that they currently list Ifedi on the team website as a guard/tackle. That may not be significant, but it could also be a little insight that they might be looking at a position switch for him in the future, possibly 2017.
.
I wouldn’t read too much into a website listing.
Although I would like to see him become a tackle.
As I heard someone say after the draft, there is diminishing returns on arm length, as you move inside.
Personally I can’t see Johnson at tackle in the NFL. Just not impressed. Could see them rolling with Cam Robinson on upside maybe. They need an answer at LT.
Definetly do need an answer at LT.
Vol I am with you on this years OT class it is worst I have seen since I started really following the draft 6 years ago. JS is always looking at the draft 2 years ahead from what I can tell. I really believe that is why they stashed George Fant on the roster this year even though he will likely not play a snap all year. They likely feel his athleticism makes him a better prospect at OT than almost anyone coming out this year.
This is a rare year when our biggest need does not line up with a strength in the draft. I hope Fant can develop into the real deal.
Agree. I’d like to know if Gilliam’s “fall” if you want to call it that from offseason presumptive Week One starter at LT to competing Week 4 of Preseason for the starting RT job is something that is correctable, or whether his true ceiling is mid-range RT. Getting that answered over the course of this season will be one of the critical keys to how desperately the team will need to pursue OT options in the offseason & draft.
I personally didn’t see anything overly special about the 8-TDs. (lol, that just sounds crazy to say). I think most average backs given that blocking, scheme, and field position, would have accomplished the same. The record was a byproduct of the situation.
That said, the second video was pretty impressive. That’s some serious strength and balance. But one play. I’ll reserve judgement until the end of the season and the combine. Interesting measurables and I absolutely love the personality.
6’2″ or 6’3″ and 230lbs
When have the Seahawks drafted or traded for a RB with this type of size? They love the 5’10 / 225 sized guys since the PC/JS era began. He is productive, but I’m wondering if his measuarables are not what the Seahawks are looking for…. shorter, but built like a little brick house.
Isn’t Prosise 6’2, 220-230?
They’ve shown plenty of interest in big backs before. Gurley, Yeldon, Henry.
Fair points — but Prosise is listed at 6-1 and 220lbs so it’s not too dissimilar.
I also can’t see him lasting until pick #64 in the second round. I also don’t see Seattle drafting a guy in the first in the RB position, that would not be an efficient usage of draft capitol imo. Intriguing guy to keep an eye on, but his draft stock will continue to climb.
Royce. Freeman.
Would Seattle consider a QB in round 2 or 3 in the 2017 draft? Boykin is great and has nice upside, but the “great” teams continue to identify and produce QBs….. who would Seattle target and have a legit shot of acquiring in the 2017 draft ?
I think only if they feel like they can develop him into the next starter, which with the youth of Wilson, not likely, and probably too high of resources to spend on a backup QB. When Seattle drafted Wilson, they had no clear answer at QB.
They need a solid veteran behind him more than anything. Who? I don’t know.
Pretty slim pickings out there right now, but yeah, I agree. It would be nice to get a vet.
Watching Jimmy Garropolo play well for the Patriots, I was wondering the same thing. There was lots of media crowing and naysaying about them taking a QB that high, but it appears to be paying off.
Maybe the Hawks should play the long game and spend a quality pick on a QB who won’t see the field for 2-3 seasons.
The pats consistently draft qb’s almost every year they continue adding and developing most of the qb’s are good enough to attract free agent signings which says a lot about how good the coaching staff in New England really is
The “great” teams develop UDFAs – 4th rounders into 2nds and 1sts, that’s where a great GM shows why he’s better than a good GM.
I’d rather them spend time trying to develop Boykin into trade bait versus worrying about Russell going down and having a competent backup.
If Russell goes down, the season is over.
Rob,
First time long time – love your Blog! Been an ASU Season Ticket Holder for 12 years. Ballage info:
1. Came out of a small school in Colorado. Beast in Football and Track.
2. Freshman year highlight was a 96 yd kick return in the Sun Bowl.
3. Sophomore year Coach Graham had him playing running back and Devil Backer (Rush End – i.e. Carl Bradford) in camp. Got sick w/ Mono and missed the first three games of the season.
4. Sophomore highlight was a 48 yd TD run against Washington. Power and Speed.
5. Saturday Night he was unstoppable in the Sparky (Wildcat), and that final TD was awesome.
Ballage needs to turn it up field more often; he can run over guys. He’s finally realizing that. I believe he’ll return for his Senior Year in Tempe. His running mate, Demario Richard, ain’t bad either.
I am not worried about the offensive line this year. At all.
Did they perform well against Miami? Not at all. Why am I not concerned?
1. Justin Britt had never started a real regular season nfl game at center before.
To expect him to come out after the position change and and instantly be great is ridiculous. He’ll get better at making the calls.
2. Communication Issues
Related to point one. A lot of the pass protection issues sunday were due to communication. As the season wears on… the communication throughout the line will improve.
3. JMarcus Webb vs Germaine Ifedi
Once Ifedi gets healthy we’ll see an upgrade. Webb is really not a guard. The chemistry was likely thrown off with Ifedi out.
4. Miami has a monster defensive line.
If Mario Williams, Cameron Wake, and Ndamukong Suh were all playing together in their primes, Miami would be heralded as the best defensive line in the league… without a close second. Every nfl team has a good defensive line to an extent. Miami is special.
I expect this line to perform quite well down the stretch. My only worry is Sowell and his penalties. However Sowell still needs to shake off rust, since he hasn’t started a game since 2013.
Britt graded out highly in PFF against Miami. So did Gilliam, I think. Webb and Glowinski did not. I might be the only person on this board not really worried too much about Sowell. I think they can get by.
I am not near as worried about the OL this year, as I was last. Not even close. I was expecting a rough start to the season, and I am expecting it to get a lot better as the season goes on.
Kind of ironic actually.
PFF doesn’t rate Glow high, but the only guys on the line that TC praised and thought played Bette than OK was Glow and Britt.
And as a side note. 3 more years of Jeff Fisher? Sweet. Keep stockpiling those loses Jeff. You don’t deserve it.
I thought that was really weird when I saw that. Reports are now coming out Fisher didn’t even want them to draft Goff. Interesting situation down there.
Yeah, I was surprised PFF gave Glow such a negative grade, but he did get bowed backwards pretty significantly by Phillips on that one play. I think the grades probably reflect that there wasn’t a lot of lanes cleared up for the inside runs. Also, I wouldn’t be shocked if the Fins end up with one of the better defenses in the league this year. We knew their DL was stout, but I thought they got really solid LB and safety play.
I didn’t think the line was that bad. They were certainly better than last year’s line.
I still think if we go into the bye week at least 3-1 (esp since Ifedi got injured) I’ll be satisfied. Those are some pretty stout D-lines they are going up against.
Would LOVE to see the Hawks destroy the Rams, but realistically I’m just hoping for a win and no significant injuries.
I agree that this years O-line is going to be better.
However, this line is a HUGE liability.
We saw it play out that way. Seattle is going to probably try and spread opposing defenses out more than any other team. RW has got to become more of an anticipation thrower. Less see it-throw it stuff. Their OTs are cutting on 3rd downs. That’s college stuff man.
Thinking about it, that’s not who he is or something he’ll probably ever do well consistently.
Regarding the OT’s cutting on 3rd and longs, yes it’s pretty standard for a 3 step drop, getting rid of the ball quicker, but if that slant route isn’t open, it’s a sack all day long or even a pick.
Taking a look at some prospects tonight.
Man. Royce Freeman is the truth. Could easily be the best back in this class when it’s all said and done. Lightning fast feet huuuge bubble. Got me droolin.
Adam BisnoVaty does seem like a really annoying player. Like he’ll be drafted by Pittsburgh and stay instate again and kind of not do much and lose his job. Had some ugly ugly whiffs at the second level. He’s sort of not really a guard, not really a tackle.
As Kenneth Arthur mentioned in the last ‘cast, those dangerous pairs?
Of these I would cautiously say now that the pure guard is the better prospect. Excellent functional strength, really moves guys off the line. Gets to the second level and gets a hat on.
I’m Not really seeing the potential of Dan Feeney? He’s a decent guard with some solid mobility but he gave up a lot of penetration to my eye. Not sure what I’m missing.
Really don’t like either of Gallman or Watson. Their awareness is their biggest appeal. You can win with Watson at the next level. Not sure about Gallman. Relies too heavily on the cutback. Doesn’t really fight through contact to create seams. Needs a wide hole to run through. Seems smaller and slower than other backs in this class.
And he’s always falling forward just before the snap. Not only will that be called, but the professionals at the next level will take notice and time their rushes accordingly.
Big fan of Brad Kaaya can’t wait to see more of him. He seems like the leader Lamar Jackson and Deshaun Watson are not and he’s got a pretty live arm.
Cool. Let us know what you find!
That big a fan of ‘Rolls’ Royce huh?
I’m conflicted with him myself.
Agree about his feet. His jump-cut move is very, very impressive.
Love his skill-set, production, size, but he lacks burst and acceleration. Runs kinda soft and indecisive. Really good back, but better than Fournette or Chubb?
Gallman is an excellent pass protector. Does everything well, but nothing extraordinary. Balance is his issue, but damn that dude runs tough.
I thought Freeman was a little slower than I’d hoped to see, but at 5’10 230 he certainly moves well. His lower half is thick as they come.
His problem is he’s not really that home run hitter you want in a bellcow back. But in interviews from camp he seems to acknowledge that and seems to be responding. He’s third in the nation in yards per run behind only Teriyon Gipson of New Mexico and Lamar Jackson.
I have neglected Nick Chubb tape thus far. Gonna look at him tonight.
Mostly checking out RB’s and OL right now.
Like I said Gallman plays very intelligently, gets to his assignment in pass pro, but he really needs a big gap to get any traction.
My biggest thing when looking at running backs is if they get tackled behind the line. Good backs don’t. Great backs will break that initial contact and pick up yards.
Don’t get me wrong, Freeman is a really good back. Definetly a top 5 back for me.
His long speed isn’t a huge concern for me. Or any RB for that matter. The burst and acceleration are more worrisome.
Freeman would absolutely be a fit in a ZB scheme.
I like Gallman’s ability to work out of the shotgun.
This year’s RB class is absolutely loaded. Every time you watch a game, it seems like another back emerges.
Love Oklahoma’s Samaje Perine. And check out Boise St’s Jeremy McNichols.
Freeman is almost identical to Carolina RB Jonathan Stewart. Eerily similar.
That’s a perfect comp for me. Downhill fast feet. Perhaps he is overthinking in that simple Oregon scheme? Taking longer to pick his hole. Always stretching horizontally behind the line. Could be muddying the water.
This is why I hate scouting before the combine. I pick favorites and won’t heed the numbers. Stats or measurables.
She’s a fickle mistress, scouting.
But, then your basing who’s good off measurables and stats. That’s box score scouting.
The combine is for medicals, interviews, and testing in that order.
If a guy isn’t enough of an athlete or doesn’t have the length, cross him off your list or outta your notebook (Yes, I use a notebook. If ya write it down, your more apt to remember it). Anyways, it’s OK to be wrong or miss on a guy. It guys can’t admit that you know what they’re in it for? To prove people wrong. To base their evals on what their smarter ‘friends’ say. It’s called ‘parroting.’
Your gonna miss more than you hit my man.
Traits and skill sets should=production.
Measurables fill in the blanks.
If a guy has next level traits but isn’t producing that’s when you go back and look at why? Is it the scheme he’s in? Is he just really raw? Does he do little things that don’t show on a stat sheet? Is he on a loaded offense and only the 4th or 5th option? Was he maybe playing hurt?
Or is he too passive? Going through the motions? Perfect example last year? Ole Miss DL Robert Nkemdiche.
Oh hell yeah, I’m the first to admit my mis-takes.
I’ve said a couple times I didn’t like Kuechly coming out
I also backed Kaseem Greene out of Rutgers pretty tough.
I just like to have a complete picture of the prospect before I make emotional attachments or otherwise.
I think certain stats are helping to give a more complete portrait of a players profile. Such as TEF and Slaytics and all of the great work FO does. Perhaps that’s the parroting you mentioned.
I like this blog because there are several armchair scouts that maintain their positions on players pretty vehemently and have different opinions on what makes a successful NFL player.
Interviews, Measurables, Tape for me
If he’s big and fast and is a worker that’s gonna bust his ass, I believe in our coaches ability to develop talent.
Sure I get wanting to have the complete picture.
I’ll eat crow every day of the week.
#1 rule. Never, ever, fall in love with a prospect. Football and the draft process itself are too damn fluid.
No the parroting I mention is when someone takes what a guy says and bases his eval off that. There’s too much of that. We should all want to learn something from those that are smarter than us. But, when someone won’t budge off an opinion because of what Daniel Jeremiah or Gil Brandt say without making their own deduction is ‘parroting.’ And it’s very easy to do that nowadays. We can all be guilty of it.
The slaytics stuff is too baseball oriented for me.
Another guy I like watching is a guy V12 and I talked about last year.
Cals Vic Enwere
Totally forgot about Enwere. That dude is all heart and physicality.
Hey, guys. Really cool “Sound FX” video on NFL.com. Doug Baldwin mic’d up:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-films-sound-efx/0ap3000000702859/Sound-FX-Doug-Baldwin
Looks like Doug would have had 2 TDs if someone hadn’t gotten in RWs way earlier. I guess that’s what many are saying, that Russ needs to trust his receivers and not wait to see before getting rid of the ball. I’ll have to go back and look at that play in particular, but sounds like we really left some points on the board there.
Thanks for the link.
Doug’s a/the leader on offense.
Yah, I saw that. Worth the watch.
Hasn’t that been a knock on Russ since he’s been in the League? I remember plenty of times w/ S Rice and more recently ADB is SB49.
You would be shocked by how many yards Russ leaves on the field. He gets away with it because he scrambles and picks up yards.
He bails in the pocket way too quick when there isn’t pressure. This is the NFL. Pockets will collapse every couple of plays.
Never throws his receivers open. One reason he holds the ball too long. In CFB you throw to open receivers. In the NFL you throw them open.
Love the guy. He’s c!utch, a magician, a playmaker. But, he’s far from a complete QB.
How scary is that for the rest of the league????
Russell Wilson and Cam Newton are really only scratching the surface of their potential.
I think Russell will still improve on throwing receivers open and staying in the pocket as he gets older and minor injuries stack up limiting his mobility.
I think Russ is getting much better in the pocket.
I thought, for the most part, he showed pretty solid accuracy last Sunday. I think there were about 3 drops of some pretty catchable balls on him. His one bad play was throwing the INT deep when he just should have thrown it away. That’s the one area of his game, I think he sometimes gets a little hormonal with trying to make a play, and needs to improve on.
A couple things: all wide receivers think they are open all the time. My sense watching Russ is that he may be so cautious to not throw INTs, it’s a challenge for him to trust sometimes. He’s been grilled ever sense he was a rookie to not turn over the football.
Cool video, Thanks. Not sure how but I came away more impressed.
Oklahoma vs Ohio St this weekend.
Oklahoma TE Mark Andrews- 6’5-6’6, 250-255 lbs., had something like 9 TDs on 27 receptions last year. And this year he’s got 3 TDs on just 15 receptions.
Keep an eye on him.
Listed as a WR but plays at TE really flashed when I was watching Perine. Good find!
Rob. You checked out that kid from W.Kentucky, OT Forrest Lamp?
Technique is immaculate. Tons of potential. Uses DEs speed to his advantage so well. Just directs them past the QB. He stood out to me against a ‘Bama defense and front 7 that might be Nick Saban’s best in terms of NFL talent.
He’s a little bit of a secret right now, but I don’t think he will be much longer.
I don’t think he gave up a single pressure or hurry against ‘Bama.
I remember PFF really liked Lamp last year… For whatever that’s worth.
I haven’t, not yet.
I liked what I saw ok in that game and from LSU last year.
He gave up half a sack against Bama and some hurries.
Definitely mirrored very well and had good punch and sustain. Didn’t see much push in the run game, stalemated more often than not.
Western Kentucky really develops guys well
His name is Forrest, Forrest Lamp
I love lamp.
Went back and watched. I counted one pressure and one hurry against the best defense in the country. Saw a blitz from the B-gap that the LG didn’t pick up.
Where was the sack? Please don’t say at the 27-30 second mark or so. That’s on the QB. He leaves the protection of the pocket and creates it for himself.
He could sustain his blocks in the run game better. Didn’t see him get blown off the ball, wasn’t once knocked off his feet or off balance either.
I shouldn’t say protection of the pocket. There wasn’t much of one.
The QB strings the play way too far to the outside.
I thought the same thing. Dude was bearing down. It’s difficult to judge these technicians on the OL because they don’t really stick out. He was certainly solid.
He was technically sound, but not the kind of athlete Seattle necessarily would target. That being said his strength was evident despite not driving these blue chippers off the ball. Seems like the kind of guy who elevates his level of play to the opponent.
He really defended a difficult stunt perfectly although the guard completely missed the over man
It’s possible. Something to keep in mind though is with all the changes regarding cut blocks, this and that, it changes zone blocking.
So, might we see a shift towards the kind of O-lineman Seattle takes? TC is #3 in charge after all.
This Quincy Enunwa cat, WR for the Jets, is a stud!
What a find for New York.
Seattle’s D-line is gonna eat against this Jets offense.
The pass rush in particular is gonna feast on that O-line and Fitzpatrick.
Forgot to mention this on Sunday, but I loved how they were using BWagz. Blitzing that A-gap and just letting him attack downhill. That’s what they did his rookie year.
Both teams look pretty mediocre. Whoever is not matched up with Gilmore is going to consistently be open. I can see Jimmy Graham having a big night against this Bills defense.
Good thing Shead has really come along. All those weapons, Decker, Marshall, Enumwa.. will be fun to cover. Lane and of course Earl both need to have great games week four to get a W.
On a side note, the Bill’s defense looks absolutely awful. Should be a blowout when they come to the clink.
Jet’s defense looks overrated.
I’m not worried about those receivers. They’ll make a couple plays due to their obvious talent. They’re more man beaters. Or man coverage.
I think our zone will frustrate the hell out of them.
The 10 AM start sucks though.
The Jets gameplan on offense seemed to be Fitz lobbing up floaters in man coverage, and the Jets receivers won their battles 99% of the time. I thought the Bills had good corners but Gilmore and Darby looked pretty bad yesterday.
I like Darby. But Gilmore is awful. Wants to be paid like a top 15 corner? No way bro bro.
Their safeties are bad, Rex Ryan sucks as does his brother, SD Reed looks completely lost as a DB coach.
DT Marcelo Dareus is a $100 million dollar man and sitting at home? Or ‘rehab?’ They spent a 1st round pick on Shaq Lawson who they had to have known was going to need surgery on his shoulder that’s been hurt for 2 years now. Manny Lawson is always suspended. DT Kyle Williams can’t stay healthy.
QB Tyrod Taylor can make one throw. The deep ball. They’re wasting WR Sammy Watkins talent. RB LeSean ‘Don’t call me Shady no more’ McCoy is in the wrong scheme.
Buffalo is a mess!
They just canned their OC after two weeks. Rex is trying to keep his head above water.
Jon Moore: Iowa St WR Allen Lazard (6’4-6’5, 225-230 lbs) has accounted for 41% of his teams offensive yards this season-not receiving yards-TOTAL YARDS.
Plays in an awful offense and jumps off the screen. Reminds me of P-Rich’s situation at Colorardo, although they were a spread system.
Did I mention he returns punts?
He also has some size to him, unlike P Rich.
The combine will be important and his SPARQ score of course 😉
As v12 pointed out the Ohio St Oklahoma game, here are the other games to watch that will be competitive close games:
At 11am:
2Florida State vs. 10Louisville
North Dakota state vs. 13 Iowa
25Miami vs. App State
At 2:30
1Alabama vs. 19Ole Miss
22Oregon vs. Nebraska
17 Texas A&M vs. Auburn
Miss St. Vs 20Lsu
At 6:30
12 Michigan State vs. 18Notre Dame
16Georgia vs. Missouri
Usc vs. 7Stanford
And at 9:30
11Texas vs. Cal
That’s an incredible slate of good games. Wow!
I specifically mentioned the Oklahoma vs Ohio St game not just because it’s a huge game with a lot of NFL talent, but also because it’s a game Seattle will be scouting.
Really glad the Miami vs App St game is gonna be televised. They got OT Colby Gossett who I wanna check out and I’ve been hearing good things about their RB Marcus Cox-5’9-5’10, 210-215 lbs.
I’m off topic here, but before the kickoff for the Patriots’ game last week, TV showed Garropolo and then some other Pats player using “smelling salts” or maybe something else in “popper” form. It got me wondering what it is that they are using and why they use it. If it is not a PED, then why use it? If it is a PED, shouldn’t it be banned? Maybe my distaste for the Pats is showing ….
There’s heaps of stuff that you could classify as a PED. Most of these guys will be on caffeine pills before games, sleeping pills after, and painkillers at all other times. That said, there are WAY bigger PED issues in the NFL than whatever smelling salts the Pats are using – no institutional will to do anything about them either.
If we lose to THIS Rams squad… I’m giving up any play off hopes we might have had. The Rams look like one of the worst teams in the league right now.
That would be foolish of you to give up on a playoff spot because we lose to the rams in WEEK 2 now I know you will recall the fact that last year we started out 0-2 and still made the playoffs and I would like to point out that if a team starts the season 0-2 the percentage of their playoff chances is 11% or 12% and we did that this team continues to defy the odds every season dont count the hawks out ever
This is a question for you stat guys on this blog
When is the last time a team besides the hawks repeated super bowl appearances whether they won bac to bac or not Im just talking about give appearances?
Also, when is the last time a team started out the season 0-2 and still made the playoffs besides the hawks?
Last time a team went to back to back Super Bowls would have to be the Pats when they won both in ’03-04 over the Panthers and ’04-05′ against McNabb’s Eagles. Including their ring from beating the Rams from ’01-’02 that made it 3 Super Bowl wins in 4 years.
As for overcoming 0-2 starts, enough teams have done it. Before the Seahawks in ’15 the ’14 Colts did it, as did the ’13 Panthers. It’s not as uncommon as you might think.
The problem is the likelihood of winning your conference is highly diminished after an 0-2 start, which makes it all the more difficult to get to the Super Bowl without home field advantage as the hawks learned last year. No team has done it in the forced parity of the salary cap era.
The last team to make the Super Bowl after an 0-2 start was the ’96 Patriots behind Drew Bledsoe and Curtis Martin and coached by Bill Parcells who then lost to Holmgren’s Packers led by Favre. The last team to win a Super Bowl after 0-2 would be the Cowboys in ’93 after Emmitt Smith held out he first two games for a boatload of loot. After Jones ponied up they went on to dominate the rest of the league on route to the 2nd back to back championship. Those were the days when cowboy and niners dominance was really unparalleled save for the redskins and giants popping up with decent years from time to time.
Good teams lose to bad teams all the time. It happens.
This is the Rams biggest game of the year for them. Seattle? Game 2 in a 16 game season in mid September.
Good questions Stevie.
TE Jake Butt and WR Jehu Chesson are arguably the best players at their respective positions and their early season play has validated that opinion. ~ NFL.com
What do you guys think?
I think Butt probably is the best TE in the country.
Chesson? That’s tough. He’s a top 3? He’s got a shot to become the best. No doubt. Michigan has another receiver Amarah Carbon, same back story, same adversity, and he’s very good in his own right. A poor man’s Chess on. Kind of.
I got ‘Bama facing Michigan in the championship. Michigan had 18 seniors on the Senior Bowl watch list I think? Most of any team in the country.
*Darboh. Not Carbon.
I also have been a big fan of Malachi Dupre WR at LSU.
My opinion is that neither will be available for us to draft come second round because we sure as hell wont be drafting a Wr TE in the 1st round even if we traded out of the first round and into the early second I still dont think we would draft a Wr or a TE
Shit when I heard this cat scored 8 touchdowns I thought he was a quarterback throwing for that many which would still be simply amazing. A running back scoring that many times?
Really?
Unbelievable
L’ville QB Lamar Jackson changing CFB before our very eyes.
This kid is incredible.
He’s a ball handler man. Slippery, burst, quick. It’s almost like he’s crossing people over on a basketball court. Truly unique and special ability.
This is gonna be the new big thing. Every CFB team is gonna want a ‘ball handler.’ His get he ball in someone’s hands and let the backyard, playground style take over.
Only one guy I’ve seen do this and I’ve followed the draft for 18 years. Vince Young.
When is he draft eligible? 2018?
Yup.
New CFB thread? This Florida St. vs. Louisville needs to be talked about!
Yes please!
Holler at your boy. I’m here to talk this game my man.
I like this DT from L’ville De’Angelo Brown. Hand strength. Great low base.
He stands out for me. Loo’vuhl has some NFL caliber players on that roster right now. Hard to understand how they were not ranked as a playoff team from the start of the season. They will have to be after this game.
DeVonte Fields moves around like a damn safety too.
His movement skills are not that of a 245-250 lb guy.
I’ve been kinda eyeing Fields a bit as an athletic edge player.
He’s got all the talent in the world. No doubt about that.
And he’s a pass rusher with a checkered past, off the field concerns, whatever. Seattle seems to be attracted to those types.
My only issue with Fields is that at times he doesn’t always turn it on or give it 100%. However, if he plays all year like he did today? He’s gonna have scouts drooling.
Yeah there’s a lot of vetting to be done there, but with Ivrin and seemingly now Clark, when Seattle does turn in that draft card, they’ve done pretty well. The effort stuff might be the biggest concern. Nobody is going to knock the effort of Clark.
Dual threat Louisville QB Jackson runs like Kaepernick. Long frame long strider.
There’s some similarities. Much more explosive than Kap. Hips are more loose, more slippery and agile.
He’s skinny now at 19 years old. Has that fastball like Kap too.
My god though how good is this kid gonna be when he adds a changeup to his repertoire and inevitably adds some mass.
Another thing. This kid actually stands poised in the pocket. Map never did. He was scatter-shot. And when Map scrambles he drops his eyes. Jackson is still looking downfield. And the competition level isn’t even close.
And what’s with Florida St RB Dalvin Cook? It’s almost like he’s playing not to get hurt. Running with hesitation and trying to protein his lower half?
I call that stage fright V12, Dalvin has a bit of stage fright. Ha!
Nice. ?
Little inside joke between me and you.
L’ville RB Brandon ‘B-Rad’ Radcliffe is someone to monitor and keep an eye on. A ‘Seahawky’ type of RB.
Thought he’d breakout last year. Was discussing him with CHAWK back then.
CHAWK, where you at man? Miss ya over here! Hope all is well bro bro.
Oregon RB Royce Freeman done for the day.
Hope it’s nothing serious.
Love this article…
http://www.hawkblogger.com/2016/09/major-changes-seahawks-since-last-rams-game.html
…it makes Gurley’s victory guarantee look, well….girly
For those of you watching the Alabama game heres and update on the Oklahoma st and Pitt game the score is Ok St. 17 Pitt 10
There is NFL talent on both teams I kno we have discussed the Guard and Tackle on Pitts O-line on this blog before so some of us might want to watch a bit of this game
Been watching “Bizz”nowati, LT for Pitt and one of the players on Rob’s radar. His slide step is downright Paul-McQuistan-esque. Not seeing anything in this game from him that I’d want to put at either tackle for us, but I’ll take Rob’s word for it for now.
I think Bisnowaty is a guard at the next level, not a tackle.
Man my guy Keevan Lucas is having himself a day 4 receptions 119 yards and 3TD’s yes you read that right ONLY 4 RECEPTIONS
I like Lucas myself. Gritty little dude. He’s a playmaker.
Anyone else watching Bama, Mississippi.
Bama just kicked a punt 8 yards after looking quite impotent on offense
Marlon Humphries beat bad on a deep ball. Allowed separation and was a non-factor on WR Stringfellow’s back. Totally boxed out.
Obviously he had outside shade and should have had safety help, but getting beat/ rattled because the coverage is blown isn’t a good look
He was beat by a guy that’s just about as talented as former Ole Miss WR Laquan Treadwell was.
Keep in mind Humphries is only a SO.
Ah I thought he was RSJR.
I haven’t looked at Stringfellow much. It wasn’t an outstanding play on his part tbh.
I didn’t think Treadwell was quite as talented as some pundits suggested. He’ll be facing those types of receivers every week in the NFL.
No I don’t think so either. He didn’t even play week 1. Was a healthy scratch.
My point being, Stringfellow has a lot of talent.
And no matter how good a prospect or highly touted they are doesn’t mean they can’t make mistakes. No such thing as a flawless football player.
Great players have bad games or plays too.
True. He certainly had the athleticism to keep up with a huge WR prospect.
Stringfellow showed good strength to box out for sure
Bingo.
Humphrey timed it nicely and played it well.
Stringfellow is legit. Height, weight, and speed.
Evan Engram with a huge 30 plus td on a fake shovel
Engram is a stud. He’s not TE Jordan Reed. We’re gonna hear a ton of that in the clear up to the draft. He’s way more similar to WR Devin Funchess.
Ole Miss EDGE Marquis Haynes playing his best in big games as he usually does. For me, he’s got a lot of Bruce Irvin in his game.
Kenny, you watching this RG from ‘Bama? Alphonse Taylor. He’s a bada** man. What a mean streak. Good body distribution, big time power.
He’s on my radar now.
*proportion.
WR Devin Funchess
Always thought he was going to have more of a Benjamin-esqe league debut. Disappointing imo.
Couple names to watch in tonight’s games.
Besides Oklahoma’s RBs, DT Charles Walker, and TE Mark Andrews, got my eye on Oklahoma LT Orlando Brown. His size might move him to RT in the NFL. 6’7-6’8, 335-340.
Ohio St the obvious names being OL Pat Elfein, EDGE Tyquan Lewis and Sam Hubbard, QB JT Barrett, and CB Gareon Conley.
But, I’m paying close attention to S Malik Hooker. Incredible ball skills, good size.
And Ohio ST WR/RB/OW Curtis Samuel. 5’11, 200 lbs. 21 rushes, 162 yds., 1 TD. 14 rec, 242 yds, 2 TDs. Averaging 11 touches/plays and 200 yds of total offense.
Miss St DL AJ Jefferson. 6’3, 275-280 lbs. They move this cat all around the formation. He’s already got 6.0 TFL and 3.0 QB sacks in 2 games. Keep an eye on him going forward.
Samuel has become more of a receiver. His route running is exceptional for only having one off-season to work on it. Just a natural.
He might be this year’s version of Braxton Miller.
OK St WR James Washington is having a monster game! Almost 300 yds receiving?
You know you’re having a good day when you take away a 91-yard touchdown and still average over twenty yards-per-game.
per-catch… I meant per catch.
VA-Tech CB Brandon Facyson is a big time talent at corner. Has battled a bunch of set backs, but has the size, length, and IQ Seattle likes from their corners.
Man that Alabama team is loaded I cant help but want the Hawks to draft someone from this team. I think #3 Ridley will be a 1st or 2nd round pick. He’s a guy who I haven’t heard many talk about. Ole miss has some amazing talent on both sides of the ball as well, they have a hell of a football team and played well tonight.
That’s because Ridley is only a SO.
He’s got some limitations, but I’d love ‘Game’s OT Cam Robinson. Explodes into his pass sets, but does struggle in pass protection. He lunges and gets his shoulders too far over his feet.
In the run game? A finisher. That’s his strength.
But, him and ND OT Mike McGlinchey are probably the 1st two O-lineman off the board.
Speaking of ND, LG Quenton Nelson is a stud. This is the best left side in all of CFB.
Ridley’s a sophomore only.
Sorry about the early hype I did not kno he was a sophmore thanks v12 and Rob
Damn man. Oklahoma RB Joe Mixon is elite.
Explosive, suddenness, versatile, pass catcher, ST’s contributor. He’s electric. One of the best backs in the country hands down.
But, those off-field issues.
Incredible potential with major, major flags.
Ughh. Tell me about it. He’s a sh**head.
He’s got ‘it’ in spades.
Arizona States RB Kalen ballage from this post had 14 carries for 62 yards and the game scoring touchdown friday night just thought Id point that out