Guest post: Curtis Allen reviews the off-season (part 2)

This is a guest post written by Curtis Allen

Reviewing the Seahawks’ off-season to date: Defense

We will be reviewing some of the issues discussed in the Offseason Position Reviews posted in January and February:

Curtis Allen’s off-season positional reviews: DL

Curtis Allen’s off-season positional reviews: LB

Curtis Allen’s off-season positional reviews: DB

Questions the Seahawks Have Addressed

DL: Will the front office finally change its offseason mode of operation for addressing the defensive line?

They have definitely broken the pattern they have established the last two off seasons, that’s for sure.

Cutting Carlos Dunlap in order to save cap room with the idea of re-signing him was a bit of a high-wire act.

Dunlap had a major positive effect on the pass rush after arriving and messing with that after two poor seasons on the defensive line could have been real trouble.

The move worked out this time, as they were able to get him back in the fold and accomplish their objective of having more cap room.

The Seahawks spent a good chunk of the previous summer and camp telling the press that their young players would fill big, important roles on the defensive line. Obviously that was unrealistic and the defense paid the price. It would appear they have learned from that miscalculation and are attempting to pad the defensive end position with depth this offseason.

The challenge, of course, is they have let go their second best pass rusher (Jarran Reed) and have made no moves to replace his production. That deficiency needs to be addressed before Week One if they are to reach a standard of getting pass rush with their front four.

Right now, the truth is, who on the defensive line other than Dunlap deserves attention? Who keeps quarterbacks up at night? Who needs to be schemed and planned for by offensive coordinators?

Put another way, this line is Dunlap and a bunch of guys. Can they be more than the sum of their parts?

Unless they get a big leap in effectiveness from Robinson, Poona, Green and Collier, they have not improved all that much from 2020. And despite the common narrative that the Seahawks went from outhouse to penthouse in the second half of the season in pass rush — and the presumption that all woes are in the past — they have merely moved from the bottom of the league to the middle-bottom.

DL: What will they do at the 5-tech position?

In February I wrote:

What do the Seahawks do at this position? Do they bank on these two players for the third year in a row? Or do they commit more resources there?

Will the Seahawks make an investment in the draft or free agency?

The team made a small investment at the position, signing Kerry Hyder to a very modest two-year contract. Hyder has the body type and run defending skills that fit the role very well.

Hyder has had a Benson Mayowa-like career, playing for multiple teams and has been able to sandwich two relatively productive seasons around many that were far less so. He had a good season playing with Arik Armstead and Javon Kinlaw. With Seattle’s serious lack of talent on the interior, can Hyder be as effective as he was in San Francisco? That remains to be seen. The good news is the Seahawks bought low on him.

While he appears to be an attractive addition, it not only underscores the lack of development of their two young players at the position, it continues the trend of papering over the cracks on the roster with good but not great players to “just get by.”

Even with a small commitment, he appears set to take a good chunk of the snaps at 5-tech, unless Green or Collier come out of nowhere to force themselves further into the conversation.

The team appeared deep if not talented at the position. At least that was the outlook immediately after signing Hyder.

But plans change quickly.

With Jarran Reed being cut, this likely will force either Green or Collier inside more frequently. So the team has lightly strengthened one spot (signing Hyder at 5-tech) and weakened another (cutting Reed at 3-tech).

DL: What does the future hold for Carlos Dunlap and Jarran Reed?

I was wrong in my review. Cutting both players after witnessing them providing nearly the only defensive line pass rush seemed unfathomable. Yet that is exactly what happened.

Dunlap was brought back on a much more affordable contract.

Reed however, is gone.

The team re-signed Poona Ford to an extension and will likely slide him over to take a good number of Reed’s snaps.

Al Woods was brought in to assist on both interior spots. But calling him a “replacement for Reed” is a mischaracterization. Woods has collected 5.5 sacks in his ten year NFL career. Reed got that many in half a season in 2020.

DL: How much can they count on Darrell Taylor in 2021?

It would appear that the Seahawks are preparing for Taylor to not have a key role on the defense in 2021. Signing Benson Mayowa early in free agency, moving quickly to bring Carlos Dunlap back and then adding Aldon Smith may indicate they are not expecting much from Taylor.

I repeat what I wrote in the offseason review: Do not get sucked in by positive reports and even Pete Carroll saying very positive things about Taylor at the draft, over the summer, or even in training camp.

Let’s see him take the field Week One. Then we can move forward.

DB: Do they need to completely revamp the outside cornerback spot?

This is under ‘questions addressed’ only because they have players to line up if Week One were today. Akhello Witherspoon and either D.J. Reed or Tre Flowers will line up outside.

Cornerback is still a work in progress though.

It is possible Witherspoon can be 2021’s version of Brandon Shell — a starter who had been benched by his former team and then allowed to leave in free agency, who makes good for the Seahawks on a middling contract.

It is possible that D.J. Reed can play a full season on the outside and use that feisty attitude and those elite feet to really make a difference on defense.

It is possible Tre Flowers can settle his mind and find the confidence he needs to play a full season of good football.

It is possible Damarious Randall can tap into the talent that made him a first round pick and be a Reed-like gem unearthed by John Schneider in 2021.

Would you bet the house on all those things happening?

No, me neither.

This is where comparing 2020 and 2021’s group of corners may prove a bit of a trap for fans.

This group has just as much of a chance to be as good as last year’s. 2020 was a train wreck of a season for cornerbacks in Seattle.

Shaquill Griffin was a 64 rated corner by PFF.

Tre Flowers mixed bouts of decent play with injuries and ineffectiveness.

Quinton Dunbar is playing in Detroit for $137,000 guaranteed this year. The Seahawks, in desperate need of cornerbacks, decided that price was too rich after getting a front row seat to his play and health in 2020.

Just by stepping on the field — Reed, Witherspoon, Randall and Flowers should equal or better last year’s group.

But it is not enough. The defense needs more.

Particularly if the team is going to continue blitzing their strong safety ten times per game.

A workable prospect from the draft would be a great start. So would a veteran who has a history in Seattle and would not cost a fortune…

Stay tuned.

Questions the Seahawks Have Yet to Address

DL: How will the team attack the passer in 2021?
LB: What will the linebackers’ role in this defense be in 2021?

This remains to be seen. The defensive line as currently constructed is in a spot where we have to see that they can consistently pressure without blitzing 35% of the time to really grasp that it can be done.

Dunlap has to do what he did last year – make everyone around him better. Can he do it without 2020 sidekick Jarran Reed?

Kerry Hyder will have to stop being a journeyman and put together a second consecutive good season – something he has not yet managed to do. It is time to put all those years of sleeping on couches and studying playbooks to good use and put down some roots in Seattle. Can he?

Alton Robinson will have to take a big step in the right direction. Being able to spell Dunlap and Mayowa and do more than occasionally pop would go a long way.

Can Bryan Mone parlay about 200 snaps in 2020 into about 400-450 snaps in 2021 and maintain his quality of play? Can he turn some of that surprising quickness into pressure more frequently?

Can Ken Norton Jr and Clint Hurtt find some creativity with the front four to keep offenses guessing?

A good number of those questions need to be answered in the affirmative.

Otherwise, buckle up. We are going to see the linebackers and safeties blitzing far too frequently and Russell Wilson and the offense straining to keep ahead on the scoreboard again.

LB: Do they move on from Bobby Wagner?
LB: Do they bring K.J. Wright back?

No movement here on either front.

Wagner has not had his contract restructured nor has there been any talk about a cut, trade, or extension. You can probably interpret the lack of action any way you like.

All the challenges remain though.

His salary is too high.

We have very likely seen his best years already.

He is an asset that can be traded for draft capital the Seahawks sorely need.

And yet the fact remains he is their best player on defense. The lingering feeling that Pete Carroll either cannot or will not depart from Wagner is present and will not go away. Just like K.J. last year, a big cap hit may not be enough to persuade him to move on.

K.J. has indeed found a less than enthusiastic free agent market, even after having a terrific season. He has said he will not give the Seahawks a discount. The fact is, though – the Seahawks can certainly use him at SAM and WILL. But only if the price is right.

The timing on this one will be critical. If the Seahawks want him back, John Schneider is going to have to discern when Wright’s desire to get something locked down for 2021 will be at its peak.

Act too quickly and the price might be too high. Wait too long and Wright could go cold and sign with any other team, feeling the appreciation is no longer there in Seattle.

DB: Are the Seahawks really going to shape their defense as well as their salary cap around Jamal Adams?

In February I wrote:

Absent a Russell Wilson trade, what they do with Jamal Adams could determine the entire direction this team takes this offseason, from how they deploy the players they already have on the roster, to who they draft, to what free agent decisions they make, to how much cap money they have available in the next 3-4 seasons.

It demands the team’s attention. Right now.

Just like Wagner, we have heard nothing on Jamal Adams.

It is possible the Russell Wilson drama has provided a bit of a smokescreen – diverting the media pressure away from topics like Adams and Wagner.

But as I wrote, this is a huge decision for the Seahawks.

Trade Adams, recoup some draft capital and get to work on drafting some key positions and build depth in other places.

Or extend him and pray to the heavens above that Adams stays healthy, improves in the other areas of his game and that you can hit on some lottery tickets in the UDFA market.

DB: What do the Seahawks do with Marquise Blair?

This is another issue that will not be settled until training camp and pre-season.

The Seahawks started out having Blair at safety in his rookie season. He got snaps in both positions with mixed results.

After acquiring Jamal Adams, the Seahawks decided they’d like to try him at nickel corner and they seemed thrilled with the results. His work in training camp got Pete Carroll very excited. He then got hurt and Ugo Amadi filled his spot and played effectively.

The thought has occurred to some that given their lack of depth at outside cornerback, that perhaps the Seahawks should try Blair out there.

He has length — which is a plus — but his skillset is better suited to playing inside, where his ability to deliver hits and discern the play developing in front of him and react are what made him so valuable in the first place.

Furthermore, it would be the third season in a row the Seahawks would have tried him out at a different position. They would be taking a real risk in a critical season for his development, particularly one with Blair coming off a major injury.

But we have all learned the past two seasons that nothing is off the table when it comes to the defensive backfield.

****

Thoughts on the draft

Unfortunately the defense is much like the offense – plagued with players soon out of contract and lacking in long-term building blocks:

DE — Dunlap, Mayowa and Hyder are signed to two-year contracts. Collier and Robinson have a long way to go. The book is closing quickly on Green. Taylor may never play a NFL down.

DT — Poona Ford is the only inside linemen contracted for 2022.

LB — Wagner’s cap hit in 2022 is $20 million. Barton and Burr-Kurven have not been trusted to play on defense for any length of time. Brooks is coming along nicely, though.

S — Adams and Diggs are free agents in 2022.

CB –- Everybody is a free agent in 2022.

It is safe to say the Seahawks can punt on drafting a safety or a linebacker in 2021 (although again, all bets are off when projecting this front office’s priorities).

For every other position on defense, it is all hands on deck.

A cornerback project would be extremely useful.

You can never have enough pass rushers.

Inside pass rushers? The rarest gem of them all. The Seahawks have been chasing a good one of those for years. And the best one they have developed in the PCJS era, they just let walk out the door.

Even if the Seahawks had 5-7 picks, they would still not have enough to cover all of their needs. With only three at this time, well, you must do the best you can with what you have.

You know the best way to eat an elephant?

One bite at a time.

If you just make good picks and find players who can contribute to the team on a rookie contract — that can go a very long way towards building a successful roster.

If you missed the interview with leading draft insider Tony Pauline, check it out below (and subscribe to the YouTube channel):

You can now support Seahawks Draft Blog via Patreon by clicking the tab below

Become a Patron!

48 Comments

  1. J

    They cut Dunlap and Reed because each was overpaid.

    It was pretty clear by comping him to recent FA that Dunlap was going to resign for 2 or 3 years and 6 to 8 mil per year. They made a smart bet that they could get him back for about half his cap hit and it paid off.

    Reed has only been good when he has a good pass rusher next to him. Frank Clark then Dunlap. I’m excited to see what Collier can do inside, seems like he can get pressure there.

    I think the real story is they used all these void years (something they haven’t done before) and extended guys to create cap room when they could have restructured Wilson (something they have done before). That speaks a lot to me.

    Regarding Blair I wouldn’t be surprised if he beats out Amadi for the slot.

    The longer KJ is in the market the more likely he is a Hawk IMO. That is if we still want him back. I cant see rolling with Barton or BBK back so there has to be an addition there unless the plan is to move Taylor there but I can’t see how you can rely on him anyway.

    • Rob Staton

      “Reed was only good when he had good players next to him”

      You mean like Dunlap/Clarke? 16.5 sacks in two seasons. From a defensive tackle.

      You’re too dismissive of that.

      • J

        He is a clean up guy. Guys who get sacks from the havoc that top pass rushers generate. Guys like that are certainly not worth 8.5mm.

        When he has to get pressure on his own he folds. 16.5 sacks in two seasons but 10 of those came three years ago.

        Far better ways to spend that money IMO. We could sign Geno Atkins right now for half that.

        Now if you want to criticize how that money was spent, have at it.

        • Rob Staton

          It must be a coincidence the Seahawks have only been able to find one clean up guy in 11 years capable of getting anywhere near 17 interior sacks in two seasons

        • Scot04

          For a clean up guy; he sure was double teamed alot until Dunlap got here.
          Not easy to get sacks when your the only D-line player on the team that the other team sees as a legitimate pass rush guy.
          Other OC’s said they prepared for Reed. I’ll take our opponents opinions of him as a pretty good indication of his value.
          Very under appreciated by some in my opinion.
          Would have love to see him here this year, unfortunately he was willing to take less elsewhere.
          People need to remember that part. Seahawks valued him enough to keep him at the same price just restructured. He took less to go play for KC. So the Seahawks didn’t think he was overpaid, just they had too little cap space and needed the restructure.

    • Mick

      But at the end of the day, Dunlap is still here, so it’s likely that Reed would have produced. I understand cutting costs, but I wonder if that’s not going to create another big hole that we’ll struggle to fill for the next 3 years.

      The roster situation seems such that we could draft at any position, as long as the prospect develops into a reasonably good player.

    • cha

      I think the real story is they used all these void years (something they haven’t done before) and extended guys to create cap room when they could have restructured Wilson (something they have done before). That speaks a lot to me.

      What does it say to you? I’m curious.

      • schuemansky

        I don’t know about J but to me it says that up til now RW being our QB on Week 1 is not a given. and that won’t change until round 1 of the draft is almost over.
        The same goes by the way for BW and JA for the same reason.

  2. cha

    Jeremy Fowler
    @JFowlerESPN
    Speedy WR Marquise Goodwin, who signed with the Bears on Friday, also had interest from Seattle, though Seahawks are high on Freddie Swain as a complementary piece to D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.
    7:45 AM · Apr 17, 2021

    Two nuggets of Seahawks information, for what they’re worth.

    • Rob Staton

      And if one of our receivers gets hurt, we’re going to try Tre Flowers at receiver

      • cha

        I think I saw a clip of Cedric Ogbhuehi working the juggs machine on Twitter.

      • cha

        Tre Flowers practicing at WR: “Wait. How come the corner isn’t giving me a 7 yard cushion? I don’t get it.”

      • cha

        Seahawks have Tanner McEvoy on speed dial.

        (I could do this all day)

      • Big Mike

        Bring back Sully! I heard he played WR in middle school.

    • Henry Taylor

      Which could suggest they A) will look to draft a speedy wr in the draft but B) are comfortable enough with Swain to wait until day 3 for that player.

    • Mick

      We need a receiver but I’m not gonna cry because of Goodwin.

  3. bmseattle

    Cha,
    When you say that Blair has the “length” to play outside, do you simply mean his height?
    All the resources I’ve looked at say that both Blairs arm length and wingspan are significantly below the Seahawks usual requirements.

    • cha

      31″ arms, so yeah I was being a bit generous.

      • Blitzy the Clown

        And Damarius Randall has 30.25″ arms so the DB room is totally fine

  4. Russ

    Nice writeup as always Cha.

    Looking at all their DL signings, I’m hoping they’re going to be re-inspired by 2013.

    That year the Seahawks had 8 defensive linemen play 45% of the snaps or more:

    Michael Bennett 57.39%
    Chris Clemons 54.51%
    Cliff Avril 53.26%
    Brandon Mebane 51.06%
    Clinton McDonald 50.96%
    Tony McDaniel 50.58%
    Bruce Irvin 47.89%
    Red Bryant 46.16%

    Out of that group, 3 were listed as DT, 5 at DE. We know that Bennett would jump inside on passing downs and I wouldn’t be surprised if Red saw a handful of snaps inside.

    Now that was an insane rotation and I’m not saying that this line is going to be anywhere near that. But, you can see a resemblance, personnel wise, to this roster.

    Without adjusting percentages at all, here’s an attempt at plugging in the current players on the roster in the place of their corresponding 2013 counterparts:

    Kerry Hyder Jr 57.39 %
    Carlos Dunlap 54.51 %
    Alton Robinson 53.26 %
    Poona Ford 51.06 %
    Bryan Mone 50.96 %
    Al Woods 50.58 %
    Darrell Taylor 47.89 %
    L.J. Collier 46.16 %

    We all know Darrell Taylor is still a big unknown, so that probably won’t happen. So instead, you slot in Aldon Smith. DE gets injured in camp? You still have Benson Mayowa. I choose Aldon over Mayowa because Smith played SAM in 2015 for KNJ’s Raider defense (listed as LB on PFR), so he’s a little more versatile.

    Again – I’m NOT saying this line is the 2013 Seahawks line. And snap wise, you’d probably like to see a little more out of Hyder Jr., Dunlap, and Ford.

    But we’re actually going into the season with a possibility at a DLine rotation that could keep players fresh and have some semblance of depth.

    Considering what we’ve seen the last couple years, that’s at least a little reason for hope.

    • cha

      Not bad.

      Keep in mind a few things

      -Irvin played SAM in 2013, not DL

      -That team not only was good, they were extremely fortunate with injuries. Almost all those guys played 15 or 16 games.

      -They played 990 snaps that year. The Seahawks defense in 2020 played 1112 – about 12% more. So even if these guys match the splits you list, they’re going to be playing more overall snaps.

      -They have 11 defensive linemen on the roster right now, 12 if you count Lattimore, and the Seahawks dress 7-8 on game day. So this is going to take some managing, and their handling of snap distribution in 2020 was atrocious. Maybe Tater can talk some sense into PC.

      -Stacking so many ends is an ominous sign about what they think of Taylor’s future.

      -I think counting on Woods and Mone for 50% of the snaps is optimistic.

      -There are still open questions on the interior. Collier may provide some pass rush but it has to be seen first to be counted on. Reed was an anchor player inside. They don’t have one now. As much as I like Poona, and as great a story as he has proven to be, I really question if he’ll ever be a Reed level guy.

      • Russ

        All very fair points.

        Regarding Irvin – I thought he mainly played DE in 2013, but started taking the majority of his snaps at SAM in 2014, coming in line for passing downs in the role we now know him best for. I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re right though.

        Regarding Injuries – No question there. There’s going to be a certain amount of luck no matter what. We could get lucky this season, or we could see Dunlap and Poona get hurt and be SOL. Anything can happen.

        Regarding Mone, Woods, Collier, and general depth – You’re not wrong here. We’ve pretty consistently seen them use a DT rotation like this – leaning more on people like Jarran Reed for 80%+ of snaps in recent years. Would be very for another addition or 2 on the interior. Signing someone like DaQuan Jones to be a 1-Tech and taking a shot on Maurice Hurst to play the Clinton McDonald role, for example, so we didn’t have to rely too much on Collier, Woods, and Mone to be massive contributors.

        Regarding Taylor’s future – Really. Really. Ominous.

        • cha

          Mebane/McDaniel/McDonald>>>>Mone/Woods/Poona

          They were the ‘secret weapons’ of the 2013 defense.

          Not crazy about having tons of ‘end depth’ and very little middle support

  5. Rob Staton

    Bob McGinn on Daviyon Nixon:

    Personnel people from six teams said he likely would fall in the draft because of off-field issues from his past that concerned them; two of the teams removed him from their draft board. Finished with 74 tackles (19 for loss) and 8½ sacks. Returned an interception 71 yards for a touchdown at Penn State.

    If he falls they should be ready.

    • Henry Taylor

      What are the off field issues?

      • Rob Staton

        Nobody appears to have shed any light there

        Apparently he has a learning disability but that’s hardly a ‘character’ issue. It might influence teams though

        • Henry Taylor

          I know he had academic issues, but if that were down to a learning difficulty it would suck for him to fall because of it, especially since he got it in order.

    • Aaron Bostrom

      I think he could make the biggest impact for us. Especially if he hits, creating some interior pressure could dramatically improve this unit.

    • Gary

      Malik McDowell 2.0? If he falls, they should run, not walk, away from this selection.

      • God of Thunder

        Yes.

        Walk, run, jog … whatever. But no taking the ATV.

  6. Sea Mode

    Wow. Not bad comps to have…

    https://www.mockdraftable.com/player/milton-williams

    • Russ

      With those measurables and that arm length, we really need to get the nickname “T-Rex” circulating.

  7. JimQ

    WR Jacob Harris, Height: 6’5″ (98th percentile), Weight: 219 (88th), Arm: 33 1/2 (91st), Hand: 9 1/2 (69th), Vert: 41 (94th), Broad: 133 (97th), Bench: 15 reps (60th), 40-yard: 4.39 (86th), Short shuttle: 4.31 (33rd), 3-cone: 6.54 (99th).

    WR-D K Metcalf, Height: 6‘4“, Weight: 228, Arm: 34.875“, Hand: 9.875“, Vert: 40.5“, Broad: 134“, Bench; –,
    40-yard: 4.33, Short shuttle: 4.5, 3-cone: 7.38.

    I know the SEC is the strongest conference, but I don’t see the SEC vs: ACC difference to be anywhere near the difference between a Rd. 1-2 WR prospect and an unranked, UDFA (and perhaps overlooked) player that compares closely in most regards. If IRC, Metcalf was knocked about his 3-cone time during the draft process. Harris certainly doesn’t have that problem. So, what am I missing? Shouldn’t this Harris guy get a little more hype with his numbers? NOTE: The Seahawks have drafted from UCF in the recent past & may have info. we don’t know about. I could see this kid becoming Metcalf’s (while he’s here) understudy.

    COMPARISON: WR Jacob Harris — WR-D K Metcalf:
    Height: 6‘5“ 6‘4“
    Weight: 219 228
    Arm: 33.5“ 34.875“
    Hand: 9.5“ 9.875“
    Vert: 41“ 40.5“
    Broad: 133“ 134“
    Bench: 15 N/A
    40-yard: 4.39 4.33
    Short shuttle: 4.31 4.33
    3-Cone: *6.54* 7.38

    Sr. Season production: (neither player had very much production in previous years.)
    WR-D. K. Metcalf, Mississippi(SEC), 2018: 7-games; 26/560/21.88-ypc/5-TD’s, 3.7-rec/81.3-yds per game.
    WR-Jacob Harris, UCF(ACC), 2020: 10-games; 30/539/17.97-ypc/8-TD’s. 3.0-rec/53.9-yds per game.

    WR-Harris on U-TUBE: https://thebrawlnetwork.com/articles/jacob-harris-nfl-draft-profile-highlights-and-nfl-comparison/
    Pro-day interview, mentions Metcalf/Evans & practicing against Shaq G: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcJPAODk3OY

  8. STTBM

    Rob, I keep seeing folks equate Dunlap with Clemons. I thought Dunlap played Avrils position, not the LEO….that was where we used Mayowa. Robinson played at LEO last year, which I thought odd, since he’s sized more like a Avril/Dunlap DE….Am I nuts? Doesn’t Dunlap play opposite the LEO?

    • Henry Taylor

      Dunlap, Avril, Mayowa and Robinson all played LEO.

  9. Sea Mode

    Starting to catch on…

    VSiN
    @VSiNLive
    ·2h

    “Justin Fields is not going to go #3.”

    @mlombardiNFL asks you to put your sources up against his because he is here to confirm to you,
    @TheWrapRadio, and everyone else that Justin Fields is NOT going to be the 3rd overall pick.

    https://twitter.com/VSiNLive/status/1383516297175044096

    • Rob Staton

      I’ve said it over and over again.

      He just doesn’t fit that offense.

      Lombardi is 100% right

  10. KD

    Walterfootball has a list of some of the virtual meetings that the Hawks have had with players (not a complete list I’m sure):

    Zaven Collins, Outside Linebacker, Tulsa (VIR)
    Isaiah McDuffie, Linebacker, Boston College (VIR)
    Rondale Moore, Wide Receiver, Purdue (VIR)
    Asante Samuel Jr., Cornerback, Florida State (VIR)
    Anthony Schwartz, Wide Receiver, Auburn (VIR)
    Darius Stills, Defensive Tackle, West Virginia (VIR)
    Mike Strachan, Wide Receiver, Charleston (VIR)
    Trill Williams, Cornerback, Syracuse (VIR)

    Strachan is interesting. 6053 height and 226 lbs. Ran a 4.50 40, but that height is intriguing. one to keep an eye on perhaps.

    • Rob Staton

      A quick reminder though that there are no limits to the number of virtual meetings you can have. Jim Nagy’s already stated that it’s likely every team will talk to virtually every player.

      • Sea Mode

        Will literally talk virtually to virtually every player… 😜

        • Big Mike

          nice
          😀

      • KD

        I think he may be a target player. Reminds me of Kris Durham a bit when they took a chance on him.

  11. Bankhawk

    Great read, Cha. This stands out even in the context of your string of really nice posts.
    I’m still hoping for something ‘bigger than trading down’ that will impact the Hawks’ draft stock in a fairly major way. But than again, not holding my breath.

    • God of Thunder

      Yeah, thank you cha

      • cha

        You’re welcome. Thanks for reading.

  12. Roy Batty

    I don’t get sucked in to what Pete says on pretty much anything. The guy, to me, is no different than a CEO or politician when it comes to believability. “He’s killing it in practice” is a phrase that immediately informs me that the player is a gym rat. Great in situations with little pressure, but disappear or are exposed as subpar on game day. Taylor, in my view, is a done playing any meaningful football.

    And for those few fans hoping for a rebuild, well, I would tell you to wait until next offseason. So many players not under contract in 2022 and the very real prospect of Russ being traded, may in fact lead to what amounts to a rebuild. Then you throw in Bobby’s uncertain future, DK’s looming massive payday and Brown getting towards retirement age. The next off season will be the one that truly has me excited and apprehensive, with no idea of which emotion will win out.

    I also think there might be an eventual butting of heads between Wagner and Adams. Adams going off-script one too many times will lead to a confrontation on the sidelines or locker room. I just can’t see it not happening.

  13. Big Mike

    “…extend him and pray to the heavens above that Adams stays healthy, improves in the other areas of his game and that you can hit on some lottery tickets in the UDFA market”

    Sounds like a lot of hoping to me, maybe especially the staying healthy part. Trade him and your future is much more open.

    Enjoyed the write-up cha. Thanks as always.

    • cha

      Just a quick frame…

      -Keep Adams, pay him $9.86m this year, probably $10-13m next year and $15-17m the year after (and up and up)

      or

      Trade Adams

      -start Blair at SS and pair him with Ryan Neal

      -have two draft pick shots at: the Mills/Mond duo, the Mienerz/Cleveland duo and the Eskridge/Brown duo. Use your native picks to get a tackle prospect and a corner prospect.

      -another draft pick in 2022 to work with

      -$9.86m of cap room to work with immediately (hello KJ, Sherman, Sheldon Richardson and bank some cap $ for in season acquisition like a WR, a Bruce Irvin, Geno Atkins or shoot for the stars like a Fletcher Cox or Akhiem Hicks)

      -$10-13m cap room next year when your tackles need resigning

© 2024 Seahawks Draft Blog

Theme by Anders NorenUp ↑