Identifying the ‘character studs’ in this draft class

In my final piece before the combine begins (and please do check out our extensive combine preview and ‘mock off-season‘ if you haven’t already) — I wanted to once again return to the topic of character.

If you’ve been reading my articles over the last couple of weeks, you’ll know we’ve raised the regularity with which John Schneider and Pete Carroll are hailing the attitude of the 2022 class, noting it was integral to their early success. We’ve also come to learn Kayvon Thibodeaux wasn’t a consideration for the Seahawks, presumably due to his obsession with his personal brand.

There will be a big emphasis on character in this draft. I’m going to run through who I think are the ‘character studs’ in the class. But first, I want to draw your attention to an article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

People reacted angrily to Todd McShay questioning Jalen Carter’s character. Those same people seemingly didn’t notice Lance Zierlein raised similar concerns in his draft report for Carter stating, ‘his maturity will need to be vetted by each team as they make their evaluations’ before adding, ‘scouts say maturity has been an issue for him at times’.

Now, there’s this report on the car accident that led to the recent deaths of a Georgia player and a football staffer:

“At first, Jalen Carter told the police he was nearly a mile away when a University of Georgia teammate and a football staff member died in a car crash.
Later, Carter said he had been following the car when it wrecked, close enough to see its taillights.

And, at one point, he acknowledged he was alongside the other car, whose speedometer stuck on impact at 83 mph — double the speed limit.
Carter, a defensive star for Georgia who is projected as a top pick in this year’s NFL draft, left the crash scene, apparently before the police or emergency medical workers arrived. When he returned an hour and a half later, he gave shifting accounts of the wreck as an Athens police officer questioned him about whether he had been racing the car that crashed, according to documents reviewed by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Carter denied he was racing before the Jan. 15 crash, which killed recruiting analyst Chandler LeCroy, 24, and offensive lineman Devin Willock, 20. Another recruiting staff member, Tory Bowles, 26, and offensive lineman Warren McClendon, 21, were injured.

Carter’s presence at the moment of the crash, previously unreported, alters the narrative that Athens police officials offered publicly from the beginning. It was, officials said, simply a single-car accident, caused by LeCroy’s driving too fast.
But the police had reason to suspect almost from the moment of the crash that other cars had been at the scene, and they soon learned at least two of those vehicles were driven by Georgia football players. Seeking evidence of possible racing, officers have obtained surveillance video from city-owned cameras along the route the players took out of downtown Athens. They also obtained footage from at least one business owner. The police have declined to release these videos, saying they are evidence in an open case.”

It’s now been revealed that an arrest warrant has been issued for Carter for reckless and dangerous driving:

Details of the investigation, released Wednesday, cited evidence that Carter and LeCroy were “operating their vehicles in a manner consistent with racing” shortly before the fatal crash.

“The evidence demonstrated that both vehicles switched between lanes, drove in the center turn lane, drove in opposite lanes of travel, overtook other motorists, and drove at high rates of speed, in an apparent attempt to outdistance each other,” the police statement said.

Police investigators have determined that “alcohol impairment, racing, reckless driving, and speed were significant contributing factors to the crash.”

A toxicology report indicated that LeCroy’s blood alcohol concentration was .197 — more than twice the legal limit in Georgia — at the time of the crash, according to police. The 2021 Ford Expedition driven by LeCroy was travelling at about 104 mph shortly before the crash.

This article was published on January 23rd, with the headline:

REVEALED: Chilling image of Georgia football players and staff leaving a strip club just minutes before the fatal car crash that killed OL Devin Willock and recruiting analyst Chandler LeCroy

Georgia offensive lineman Devin Willock and some of his teammates were pictured leaving an Athens strip club just minutes before a fatal car crash that killed him and a recruiting analyst.

Images from the Athens-Clarke County Police showed Willock and teammate Warren McLendon leaving Toppers International Showbar around 2:30 in the morning, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Also pictured with them were, ‘two women who strongly resemble the UGA employees involved in the fatal crash,’ the paper reported.

Quite a few people owe Todd McShay an apology for the vitriol they posted in response to his comments on ESPN.

This is a very concerning development. If this situation is unresolved before the draft, how can any team draft Carter? They can’t. That’s how serious this is.

And it seems a virtual certainty at this point that he won’t be on Seattle’s board.

I do have some thoughts on who they might desire, however, due to a combination of character and talent.

It’s long been understood that Will Anderson has exceptional character. Nick Saban has gone above and beyond to praise Anderson and quarterback Bryce Young. When I say he’s gone above and beyond — I don’t mean throwaway remarks in a press conference for two important players. I legitimately mean he has delivered emotional speeches, specifically detailing why these two players are incredible team-mates and individuals.

Watch this interview with Anderson. It is the most impressive sit-down interview I’ve ever seen from a college football player:

I’m going to make a prediction. I think, based on Seattle’s need on the defensive line, that Anderson will be the player they possibly covet the most in round one. I think he’s possibly the one player they’ll bypass a quarterback for.

I wrote about his play on the field here so won’t rehash all of that. Given he fills a vital need for an impact rusher and has 10/10, elite level character — I think they’ll want him. I suspect they’ll view him as a potential cornerstone for the next decade — someone who will carry the team emotionally much like Kam Chancellor used to do.

The direction of Seattle’s draft could go through Anderson and whether he lasts to #5.

We recently discussed the sliding doors effect of a draft. Anderson could provide the biggest jolt to the different scenarios facing Seattle.

Scenario #1

a.) If Anderson is there at #5, draft him
b.) In order to draft a QB, take Hendon Hooker on day two
c.) BPA at #20, possibly including an offensive weapon (Mayer? Downs? Robinson?)

Scenario #2

a.) Anderson isn’t there at #5, so they pivot to quarterback
b.) This forces them to go D-line at #20 instead of necessarily BPA

These are just a couple of examples. I wouldn’t rule out Tyree Wilson at #5. There are no obvious character flaws with Wilson, I just don’t get the sense he’s in the top echelon. That’s no different to Charles Cross, though.

The top-three QB’s are bonafide character studs. Young, like Anderson, has been hailed by Saban. Will Levis is beloved at Kentucky, is incredibly intelligent and dedicated to his craft. C.J. Stroud is seen as a fantastic person who is well liked at Ohio State. I don’t have enough information on Anthony Richardson to pass judgement but haven’t heard anything negative and he interviews well.

Watching interviews is something I’ve done more and more over the years. It’s the only insight we have into personality and character. It was reassuring, therefore, to hear both Schneider and Jim Nagy say watching interviews online is something the pro’s do to get an angle on character. It’s a useful exercise.

I haven’t watched every player speak to the media because that’s a big ask. However, these are the players I have listened to who I believe are ‘character studs’:

Will Anderson (EDGE, Alabama)
Josh Downs (WR, North Carolina)
Will Levis (QB, Kentucky)
Bryce Young (QB, Alabama)
Kenny McIntosh (RB, Georgia)
Ji’Ayir Brown (S, Penn State)
Byron Young (DE, Alabama)
Hendon Hooker (QB, Tennessee)
C.J. Stroud (QB, Ohio State)
DeMarvion Overshown (LB, Texas)
Michael Mayer (TE, Notre Dame)
Julius Brents (CB, Kansas State)
K.J. Henry (EDGE, Clemson)
B.J. Ojulari (EDGE, LSU)
Nolan Smith (LB, Georgia)
Ventrell Miller (LB, Florida)
Derick Hall (EDGE, Auburn)

This list of players wowed when speaking to the media and/or are celebrated publicly for their character. I would recommend digging out their interviews to see for yourself. May I recommend Kenny McIntosh’s cigar-smoking post-National Championship victory press conference as a starting point.

I think the following players also deserve a mention for their maturity, drive and thoughtfulness:

Joey Porter Jr (CB, Penn State)
J.L. Skinner (S, Boise State)
Brian Branch (S, Alabama)
Cody Mauch (OL, North Dakota State)
Alex Forsyth (C, Oregon)
John Michael Schmitz (C, Minnesota)
Max Duggan (QB, TCU)
Sydney Brown (S, Illinois)
Chase Brown (RB, Illinois)

Like I said, I’ve not watched every player and I’m open to suggestions so I can add to the lists.

I think this will be a huge factor at #5. You have three quarterbacks and Will Anderson who I’d put in the top category for character. It wouldn’t surprise me if they ended up being the top-four picks in round one. If Jalen Carter is no longer a consideration, it does make it a little bit more frustrating that Seattle dropped from #3 to #5. The teams everyone should blame are Houston and Indianapolis for the farcical way their week-17 encounter ended. I don’t blame the Chargers for losing to Denver — they played their starters way longer than anyone could’ve expected for a meaningless game.

So what should Seahawks fans be hoping for if a.) I’m right about Seattle’s thought process here and b.) they want the team to get what they want.

I would suggest hoping Tyree Wilson has an amazing pro-day. He isn’t doing drills at the combine as he recovers from injury. There’s no negative to Wilson having an amazing pro-day. He could usurp Anderson as the top-defender taken, pushing the Alabama pass-rusher closer to Seattle. He could be taken in the top-four, pushing a top-three QB to Seattle. Or he’ll simply be interesting enough to warrant taking at #5.

Currently I can’t see any way Anderson gets by Arizona at #3.

Could the Seahawks trade up? Either for Anderson or a quarterback?

The problem is price. It cost the Jets three second round picks to go from #6 to #3 to select Sam Darnold in 2018. Chicago gave up third and fourth round picks, plus a third the following year, to go from #3 to #2 in 2017 to select Mitchell Trubisky.

I can’t imagine there’s a price Seattle would feel comfortable spending to get to the #1 or #2 pick. They can’t afford to turn three high picks into one player.

It would probably require the Bears getting no offers for #1 and becoming a bit desperate. They would also need to decide trading down at all costs is better than taking a player themselves at #1. That doesn’t feel likely.

That said, they had Adam Schefter announce this week that they’re ‘leaning towards trading the #1 pick’. That was a come-and-get-me plea if ever there was one.

It’s possible the Colts call their bluff if the asking price is too high. Indianapolis is guaranteed one of the top-four quarterbacks at #4. Do they rate one significantly higher than the others? If not, why trade up? And if at least one defender is destined to go in the top-four, they’re guaranteed one of Stroud, Young or Levis.

If the Bears can’t work a deal with Houston at #2 — and the Texans appear totally unprepared to trade up — they might be more inclined to drop way down to #7 with Las Vegas or #9 with Carolina to get a haul of picks. That’s their aim — a haul.

The Seahawks won’t be willing to offer a haul.

Regardless, I suspect Anderson could be the apple of Seattle’s eye at #5 — followed by the top-three quarterbacks. If they end up being the top-four picks, it could come down to a decision between Tyree Wilson and Anthony Richardson, the two most likely alternatives.

The Seahawks might be disappointed to see Anderson taken within the top-three. Don’t rule out the Bears taking him if the right offer doesn’t materialise. Don’t rule out the Texans taking him either. That’s why Seattle might be preparing to spend #5 on a quarterback — even if they re-sign Geno Smith. Or, ultimately, trading down themselves.

Let’s see if the combine changes things.

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271 Comments

  1. cha

    The #1 pick is expected to net about $40m on his rookie contract.

    The Cowboys would likely be the team that stops Carter’s fall at #27. That slot has a projected $14m total contract.

    • Rob Staton

      Cowboys are a great shout, if he’s even in a position to be drafted at all

      This is serious

      And if it’s not cleared up pre-draft, you can’t take him

      • cha

        Maybe Cleveland at #42.

        • Rob Staton

          Undrafted if it’s unresolved

          • John

            This is very bad for us at 5. We need more elite draft fodder in front of us

            • Wilson502

              Which is why Ive been a proponent of moving up ever since the season ended. Getting the QB of the future will be worth the freight. Just cant risk hoping one of them falls to you at 5, the best we can realistically hope for at 5 is AR15.

    • Steve Nelsen

      I think this could play out the same way as it did with La’El Collins. His agent might tell teams not to draft him so he can become a free agent.

  2. Rob Staton

    Here’s an earlier article on the events that occurred before the fatal car crash

    It went virtually unnoticed at the time

    Headline: ‘REVEALED: Chilling image of Georgia football players and staff leaving a strip club just minutes before the fatal car crash that killed OL Devin Willock and recruiting analyst Chandler LeCroy’

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/college-football/article-11667593/Chilling-image-shows-Georgia-football-players-staff-leaving-strip-club-minutes-fatal-crash.html

    • Rob Staton

      I’ve updated the article to reflect this and note what ESPN has added in their report

  3. TatupuTime

    Just a real bummer for the Seahawks. Even if they weren’t going to draft Carter it’s probably going to take a QB option or Anderson away from them. At this point it feels pretty difficult to see a path to Anderson still being there at 5 (or for either Stroud/Levis to be there). Hopefully someone absolutely blows the combine away and gets added to the top-5 conversation.

    • Chris

      Yep. Bad news for us. He won’t push anyone down, and it looks like he was never a good option to begin with. The top of this draft, other than the QBs, is a joke.

  4. icb12

    Poor decision making all around concerning the Georgia tragedy.

    I’m not going to say that single event should be a death knell for Carters draft stock, but certainly when taken in conjunction with the rest of the reports/rumors, it should give a professional sports team reason for pause.

    It’s the NFL though. Talent trumps character always. He’ll get his millions, just not from Seattle.

    • Rob Staton

      Well if this is unresolved before the draft he won’t have draft stock

      You can’t draft a player who might not be available

      • Glor

        It is odd that an arrest warrant has been issued for Carter when it doesn’t appear he was driving the car?

        • Glor

          NM, I should have read the whole article before posting!

      • icb12

        My understanding is he is facing charges on 2 misdemeanors. I’m not sure why he wouldn’t be available. Racing and reckless driving. Hell spend a night in jail, get released on a hefty bond that his agent will front. He will likely lose his Georgia license and pay a fine after this agent gets him a high priced attorney. I think the jail time those potentially carry would be unlikely to be enforced.. He will hire a buddy from the neighborhood to be his driver with his new found millions.
        My opinion. I’m a skeptic.

        I won’t argue that he hasn’t cost himself millions. He has that. 10s of millions. Maybe he won’t even be drafted, but I would guess that he does. But he will get picked up by someone somehow. And he’ll make millions.

        Lael Collins comes to mind. From top 10 pick to UDFA. Still has made 20 million.

        • icb12

          Lael has made 50 million. Not 20. Fat fingers.

        • McZ

          If he was a student in Washington State, duty to aid regulation would apply, and he would go to jail. Georgia has good Samaritan law, which is his luck.

          There is still the question, if the accident has been caused by a race. If police can find evidence for him causing the accident by a collision or provoking evasive action, he still might go to jail.

        • TatupuTime

          Yeah, I understand them to be misdemeanour charges as well. Not the kind of charges that result in jail time for rich people like Jalen Carter. Despite the very sad consequences of his actions, the US legal system doesn’t treat them as many of the charges that other prospects have had effect them. Add them to the growing list of maturity and character concerns with Jalen. But unless additional issues/charges come to light or the NFL decides to take a hard stance inconsistent with their past precedents, this shouldn’t affect his availability at all for pro day, team activities and training camp.

          It’ll be very interesting to see how far he slides.

        • Rob Staton

          Well let’s see how the process plays out. It’s not unheard of for misdemeanor charges to be upgraded

          • Thomas Wells

            Spot on. I don’t know Georgia law since I practice criminal defense in WA. But a quick review of the Georgia Vehicular Homicide statute indicates he has potential exposure depending on what evidence the investigation turns up (and you can bet one is ongoing). O.C.G.A. § 40-6-393 says that it’s vehicular homicide in the first degree if a driver “causes” the death of another person while driving recklessly or under the influence of alcohol. One of the reports you cited indicates that both drivers (Carter and Chandler Lecroy, who died in the crash along with one of her passengers) may have came from a strip club where they were celebrating the national title. Lecroy’s toxicology report indicates her blood alcohol was a sky-high .197. It’s not terribly irresponsible to speculate Carter may have been impaired at the time of the accident although that may be hard to prove. But even if he was sober, if he was driving recklessly he could still be liable for this offense. The issue would be causality I think. I’m sure his lawyer would argue in this scenario that Lecroy was the cause of the deaths. But you could certainly make an argument Carter is also responsible for causing their deaths if he was drunk and/or racing the other vehicle.

            Vehicular Assault 1 has a minimum penalty of three years in prison. Maximum of 15. This guy is undraftable in my opinion. Can’t use a pick on a player that could be facing a lengthy court battle that may end with at least 3 years in prison.

            • Thomas Wells

              I should add that there is probably caselaw on the issue of causality I brought up. I can’t imagine this is a novel issue in Georgia law so it’s probably been litigated. It’s possible there have been similar cases where a Georgia court ruled a driver like Carter can’t be held liable for vehicular homicide in this is sort of scenario. If so, you can disregard my above comment entirely.

            • Rob Staton

              It’s a shame you can’t explain this to the people hosting radio shows and podcasts, not aware of what is actually possible

              • Thomas Wells

                I wish I could. The “it’s troubling but…” crowd doesn’t seem to understand how serious this situation may be legally. In addition to overlooking the glaring moral failure of leaving your friends to die without even phoning in an anonymous tip to 911 about the accident. Prison or no prison I don’t want that man on my team

    • Hawkdawg

      Not at all clear that this is true. What is clear is that he’s COST himself millions…

  5. Happy Hawk

    Trading Wilson and not coming out of the deal with a QB of the future would be crippling in my opinion.

    • Big Mike

      💯

      • Dave

        Draft AR15 or trade up for Stroud or Levis for you guys? I think getting any of those 3 would be amazing. This pick is supposed to be for our QBOTF. I don’t even want Will Anderson unless we can get one of Stroud/Levis/AR15.

  6. cha

    So the player interviews were Monday.

    This broke this morning (Wednesday).

    You have to wonder if Carter told teams this was coming or owned up to it before it hit.

    • Matt

      Didn’t even think of that…holy hell, if he wasn’t forthright and lied to their faces…how do you not get flat out removed from boards? I’m serious – that’s a type of toothpaste scenario that doesn’t just go back in the tube.

    • Julian L

      Carter must have known this news was going to break at any moment and it’s perhaps why he chosen not to participate in any drills?

      • Big Mike

        Or he was hoping like hell it didn’t break and he’s just fat and out of shape. That is a possibility.

        • Roy Batty

          Teams don’t go into the interviews blind. These are multi-million dollar companies who have an entire investigative staff for researching prospects.

          If he failed to disclose this to any of the teams, then he and his agent are the dumbest people at the combine this week. There is no coming back from that. Especially for someone projected to cost teams so many millions as a top pick.

          • TatupuTime

            Jalen has incredibly experienced agents (Drew Rosenhaus included) that have adeptly handled clients like Tyreek Hill, Plaxico Burress, TO and Darren Waller. Jalen represents millions of dollars to them and I’d be shocked if they weren’t properly out in front of this behind closed doors with the teams. I’d expect Jalen also to have been prepped with the right talk tracks and answers for all of this. Ultimately that only gets you so far and teams will still have to decide on Jalen the person.

    • cha

      Rapsheet saying it ‘did not come up’ in team interviews.

      He kind of waves it off by saying the combine is about football. Man, I don’t know Ian.

      https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1630993989850595335?cxt=HHwWjoC8vY6ZuqItAAAA

      • Big Mike

        Good Lord Ian, don’t be naive. What do you suppose all those interviews between teams and players is all about then?

      • Steve Nelsen

        Wow! Carter and his agent not bringing it up is a huge red flag! Just adds trust issues to the list of maturity concerns and legal issues.

      • Cheese22

        He’s full of shit! I wonder if there’s a connection between Ian and Carter’s agent because this is some serious downplaying. Naive isn’t a strong enough word for what he looks like.

      • TatupuTime

        I don’t believe it. That feels to me like the type of line that Jalen’s agents have fed Ian that he’s parroting. Maybe that’s me being naive.

        Obviously his team wants to minimize the media story as much as possible, but I find it really difficult to believe that Jalen’s experienced agents and legal team didn’t get in front of this with teams behind closed doors.

  7. Steve

    Hey I’m curious if you’d think if the Seahawks would ever draft Bijan? BPA at #5 might be Bijan, just curious if you think PCJS would embrace ANOTHER stellar back?

    • Rob Staton

      Not that high but after a trade down maybe

  8. Rushless pass

    What is it with the Georgia boys? Quay, Carter and Wyatt

  9. Julian L

    I can’t see any way Will Anderson is available at #5.

    I can’t see any other player in the draft, other than the 4 QBs we talk about, offering Seattle as high a ceiling from a team performance perspective as Will Anderson.

    I can’t see how Seattle, if sticking at #5, can at this stage, look to pick any other player than a QB.

    On the draft pick, going back to the final day of the season I remember reading an article describing a game by game results scenario whereby Seattle could end up with I think the #2 and #10 overall picks. From memory, I think it accounted for about 12 games. Literally, like an inverted once in lifetime accumulator, every result Seattle wanted went against them, so they ended up with the absolute worse case scenario, it was quite ironic to see. This also doesn’t take into account the Colts giving up the biggest half time lead in NFL history to lose a few weeks earlier and Arizona losing to the Falcons with a last second field goal the week before, putting them in range of the #3 pick, which without that defeat they wouldn’t have been.

    With the scheduling of kick offs on the last Sunday, it also seemed to me the NFL didn’t value a traded pick as much as a teams own pick. Where Seattle would pick as a result of Denver’s final position, wasn’t a great consideration when setting up the last games of the season.

    Of course, what we couldn’t have anticipated was quite how bad Denver was going to be, but they were that bad and Seattle’s advantage shouldn’t have been so dramatically undermined. It’s why I’ve mentioned before the draft order outside the playoffs should be set after the 15th game, it’ll be a much better reflection on a teams performance over the whole season.

    • 509 Chris

      I love that idea! Set the draft order before the last couple weeks. It helps to stave off that last minute tanking. Let coaches and players leave their hearts on the field those last couple weeks and give the fans better football to watch.

  10. Kerren

    Have to think about a package to CHI for #1 would 5 and 37 and 2024 #2 do it if LV,ATL,CAR start a bidding war. CHI can turn around at 5 and trade again for the last of the 4 QB’s to a needy team could be selling point to the trade. Can’t see AZ taking the chance that INDY doesn’t grab Anderson at 4 if we try to swap places. Please someone blow up the combine for us…

    • MountainHawker

      There’s no player I want that would be worth those picks. But I’m not the team

  11. Matt

    Just read Kirby Smart’s statement…I think Carter is done. There was ZERO defense of him in the statement and I think UGA could get penalized hard for this, meaning if the kid is not totally innocent, that program will look out for itself, first.

    I’m still shocked by this. It’s so hard to process.

    I listen to Patrick Bet David a lot and he had a great rant the other day about “you are one stupid mistake from ruining your life.”

    • Roy Batty

      Henry Ruggs.

      Ugh.

      • Matt

        I’ve been very open about my hesitancy with Carter. While this validates the concern, it’s just incredibly sad. I have nothing against the kid. But, it is sad to watch someone ruin their life over being quite simply, an idiot.

    • 509 Chris

      I watched that PBD bit too and it is really fitting here. The community here has been down on Carter and it’s nice to be validated after a month of being told how stupid I am all over social media by seahawks fans, but my stomach aches when I think about this poor kid (and kid is the right word.) I was wild and irresponsible at that age so I understand how those kinds of mistakes get made. I imagine he left the scene because he was drunk and didn’t want the dui. It seems like he has enablers around him and not the kind of people that are giving good advice or encouraging him to do the right things. He needed to tell them the truth at a minimum 48 hours after the incident. I hope he gets a chance to learn from this and get his life back on track with or without football.

      • Matt

        This is really a fantastic post.

        What’s hard for me is that at some point; kids have to grow up. And there is always something disturbing to me about someone who really doesn’t grasp how their actions can lead to the loss of innocent life. Reckless and drunk driving to me…it’s really hard for me to move on from those (not saying you are making the opposite point btw). There’s a sociopathy with that which troubles me.

        Glad you too saw the PBD clip – I thought it was unbelievably powerful.

      • IDhawk

        Honestly can’t say I share the sentiment. Two other kids died and Carter decided to run and lie about it. All while hoping it would just go away, so he could make his millions. That’s low character behavior, not just being young and dumb.

  12. Aaron Bostrom

    I’m sure it depends on the haul, but I wonder if the bears won’t want to trade with anyone at 4 or worse. Otherwise they can’t get Anderson, whereas before they would have gotten Anderson or Carter.

    • Tomas

      Off -topic but Barstool Sports has article this morning about Bezos maybe wanting to buy Seahawks, and quotes from Jody Allen to the effect of it might be 10-20 years (!) before Hawks are sold. I’d link the article but I’m still in the stone-age in some respects. Cheers.

  13. Scott

    Rob, today I heard Trenton Simpson and he sounds to mature. He really comes across well. What are your thoughts on his play as LB?

    • Rob Staton

      He had a decidedly poor 2022

      Just didn’t make any plays. A ghost at times

      More athlete than player right now

  14. SoCal12

    Was listening to Mina Kimes’ podcast and she mentioned that Laura Rutledge who’s dialed into the goings on at Florida have heard nothing but rave reviews on Anthony Richardson’s character and intelligence and it is reflected in how much he’s improved on his perceived weak areas.

    I could see Pete/John really coveting him or Levis, based on how complimentary they’ve been about this QB class plus their love of athletic traits and now focus on hard working characters.

    • Matt

      Echoes everything I’ve read – this QB class is actually a special one. Great traits and elite character.

    • MountainHawker

      I’m all aboard the Richardson at #5 train. I’m actually afraid someone will jump us to take him.

      • Dave

        I think this is the best case scenario. There’s talk of Richardson going number 1.

  15. Trevor

    Kelijah Kancey is a lock to be a top 10 pick and the first DT off the board if he has 33 inch arms. Maybe even if he doesn’t. Seems to have great character as well.

  16. Olyhawksfan

    The top 5 picks just got really interesting with Carter off the board.

    Does this help Seattle’s chances in getting a QB? Does Tyree just move into the top 5 and replace Carter? If CHI can’t get their haul, could they accept a modest trade with ARI so the Cardinals get their guy (Anderson)? If CHI takes Anderson number one, what will ARI do? Those two teams are intriguing because they aren’t QB needy.

    • Olyhawksfan

      I guess there’s no such thing as a ‘modest’ trade up to number one.

      • God of Thunder

        Right. Modest in terms of numbers, “immodest” in terms of the price you have to pay!

  17. Beastie

    Hi Rob, Can you (or anyone else) provide a few names of players being forecasted to go in the first couple rounds with character concerns that might fall similar to Jermain Johnson last year (besides Carter)? I think that it will be interesting to watch those players and see which teams like to bring them in despite the red flags (Raiders, Browns, Cowboys?)

  18. MoBo

    The time of the year when all your analysis comes together for some beauty pieces. Would love the draft of the previous article. There are some FA I want to hear your opinion:
    DT Tomlinson: not a star defender but a consistent and good player who can play both spots NT/DT. I think it was PFF mentioning he never missed more than 5 tackles per season and got a 83 run defense grade since 2017. Also +33 inch arms and a superb 4.39 short shuttle. Could he be a target? Woods getting older and got limited snap counts last year. Could be a playing who can play NT be a focus?
    LB: Vander Esch, Tranquill, Troy Reeder and Holecomb all ran a 4.14(5) short shuttle and three of them jumped more than 37 inch in the vertical. You mentioned Holecomb in the last article, what’s your opinion on the other ones?
    And last Pocic at center: spotrac and PFF both predicting his contract in the area of 7M. Showed improvement the last seasons to career best PFF last year. Especially his run blocking was a huge factor for the browns. Should the Seahawks consider bringing him back?

  19. DarrinM

    Total bummer for Hawks as a top 5 player is now gone. It is like moving back to #6 with no compensation.

    I really like all 4 qb’s. They have their weaknesses, but their strengths as well. If Young and Stroud are gone, I can easily talk myself into Levis or Richardson. Levis fits based on system and tools and Richardson might have the highest ceiling. When I watch Richardson I see flashes of Mahomes (arm strength and arm angles) and I see a lot of Josh Allen (size-athleticism). People were down on both because of the same narrative: inconsistent, not enough tape, makes bad decisions, etc. But the tools play out. They both need time to sit and learn for 1 year maybe 2 with Richardson. But we cannot trade back and expect one of these guys to be there with LV, Atl, Car, heck Det all with the same need.

    • Sean

      The problem with Richardson is that he did not even come close to matching Mahomes production as a passer in college. With that high ceiling comes an extremely low floor as a passer. Look at some of his games (FSU specifically) and how much trouble he had completing passes. In the NFL, you can’t have a QB who is consistently not capable of making the throws necessary to move the chains.

      • Rob Staton

        In his first season starting

        In the SEC

        For a hopeless Florida team that gave him naff all support

      • CHaquesFan

        You can’t compare Richardson at Florida to Mahomes at Texas Tech because Mahomes’ system under Kingsbury was made to jack up production and jacks up every QB’s stats ever

      • Ben

        Ever see Burrow’s stats his first year starting in college?

    • MountainHawker

      I’d argue the only players with as strong or a stronger arm than Richardson would be Allen and…maybe prime Stafford? Not that arm strength is everything but I’ve seen Mahomes under throw quite a few deep balls these last two years. Stroud and Levis both throw a pretty deep ball. I’m underwhelmed with Young’s arm strength. I think that’s why he’s chosen not to throw at the combine with the other qb’s.

      • Dave

        Levis and Richardson both have cannons.

  20. Big Mike

    Rob touched on it in his article here and I mentioned it yesterday but I’m going to say it again: Houston and especially Indianapolis should have had their draft picks taken away from them for what they pulled the last regular season game. If you want to stop teams from tanking that’s what you have to do. I guarantee the 1st time a team had its 1st round draft choice taken away from them for tanking would be the last time anybody tanked. If Roger Goodell had one testicle let alone two and was nothing more than a puppet for the owners of this league he would have done so already. He’s as bad as Rob Manfred who didn’t have the balls to take the World Series title from the Houston cheaters.

    • Scot04

      Nothing he could do to Houston.
      How can you fault the Texans for winning & costing themselves the #1 pick. Indianapolis had all the Incentive to lose, so atleast I can understand that.
      Watching that Hailmary to push us out of #4, was a painful gut punch.

    • cha

      The NHL instituted the lottery in the mid-90’s, primarily after the Nordiques tanked for Eric Lindros.

      I hate tanking but in this case it was hard to blame them. They traded Lindros for one of the biggest hauls in NHL history and that propelled them to their first Stanley Cup (as the Avalanche).

      • Big Mike

        NFL needs to go to a lottery. And yeah, the Hawks got screwed this year but that opinion is not the case of being a Seahawks fan cuz my team has never been in this position for the last decade. Integrity of the sport matters and Goodell and Manfred have failed in their positions to ensure that there is integrity. Bart Giamatti called from beyond and said they’re pathetic puppets.
        Since Goodell won’t punish teams for tanking, a draft lottery is the only answer.

        • Julian L

          Don’t like the idea of a lottery. If you’re a bad team, it’s right that you get a better chance to improve via the draft compared to your peers.

          Set the draft order after the 15th game. After the 14th game, all but a handful of teams will still have a mathematical chance of making the playoffs, especially with the 7th seed now in play. Meaning that more teams will be performing at their best level.

          Bringing the order cut off early will mean it’s too late for almost all teams to tank. The last week will then only be about play off spots, which focusses only on teams that need to win, not those that need to lose!

          If teams after 15 move from outside into play off spots, teams numerically will go up one spot in the draft order.

          It will add intrigue to the 15th game, as well as the 17th.

          • Big Mike

            I’m good with that too.

          • Ben

            Won’t teams out of the playoff race just tank sooner then? It’s never too soon or late to tank a season!

            • Julian L

              The point is Ben, that with three games of the season still to go, many more teams (than in the final week) will still be in a race for the playoffs, so more games will be played as a real contest in the 15th week.

        • Mr drucker in hooterville

          Another intriguing idea is to give special lottery weight to teams who just missed playoffs.

    • 509 Chris

      I’m pretty ignorant to the NHL. How does their lottery work and how could the NFL do something similar?

    • JamesSelvin

      What did Houston do wrong here? They won multiple times to finish the season. Isn’t that the anti-tank?

  21. Hojo

    I think the 5 pick is still a great spot. You get one of the top 4 QBs or Will Anderson.

    If you don’t like the last QB available, you trade down as there are plenty of QB needy teams that should be interested in trading up to 5 to get the last top tier QB.

    • Julian L

      You’re right, we should be looking at the #5 as a massive opportunity, which it still is.

      I think how it’s going to pan out, is more or less how it was going to happen anyway, irrespective of this tragic accident. As we know with Malik McDowell, dropping players on boards due to character concerns, is not always because what has happened but because what can happen with such people.

  22. Scot04

    Loved the pre-combine post & this follow up piece on character.
    So important; especially after watching Schneider’s press conference again.
    I found some of his comments about last years draft very interesting.
    Talking about balancing team need with best available.
    “In Charles they knew they were going to have a tough time signing Duane so getting a LT was a big deal. They knew they wanted to add a passrusher, in Boye they were able to aquire him.”
    Then after Boye they were just going to take the best players. Sounds like Cross & Boye were not the BPA on their board for either pick, but more for need.
    So will all the issues coming up with Carter I’m concerned we still go need; & and another defensive player is pushed up. Ex: Murphy after an explosive combine.
    I think they stay at #5, but am thinking the QB talk might be more to generate interest for a trade back. Obviously necessary to do regardless of who they like.
    Indianapolis losing ended up being huge.
    For me it’s definitely one of the 4 QBs at #5, but I’m not in charge. Rob’s correct in it being highly unlikely Anderson is available.
    I can see even more of the consensus having us taking Tyree or Murphy at #5 or after trade down.
    Going to be a very interesting month.
    Thanks for continuing to keep us informed with all the great content Rob.

    • MountainHawker

      If you think dline is a need, wait until you see how many qb’s are on the roster.

  23. Ty the Guy

    The news on Carter is not good at all. But, like you’ve been saying Rob, I think his character concerns extend beyond this and he may not be high on Hawks board anyway.

    Does this point to 4 of the top 5 picks being QB? If Carter is undraftable, expect the trade market to be set on fire. AZ may get a haul now too.

    INDY – Young
    HOU – Stroud
    CAR – Levis
    CHI – Anderson
    SEA – Richardson

    It almost seems inevitable, with the order of QBs subject to change of course.

    • DarrinM

      I like this for the Hawks. Richardson likely runs in the 4.45 range and can throw it all over the field. If they can turn Geno around, they can work with AR. Don’t need to trade up and can now focus on the DL.

    • Roy Batty

      Chicago might just keep trading down and down. They can fill a lot of holes and utilize their huge cap space to get the FA leadership they need.

      The first 1/2 hour of the draft, once the picks have actually begun, is going to be absolutely crazy.

      • Qoolio

        I see this as the only way for the Seahawks to get Anderson. Chicago trades out of the top 5 and two other teams trade up for QBs. A weak top of the draft has four QBs go in the top 4.

        can’t imagine Chicago taking a defender other than Anderson in the top 4. Likewise, I don’t think another team would trade into the top 5 for someone other than a QB or Anderson.

  24. EmperorMA

    If you include Max Duggan in your list of high-character, high-effort, high-leadership guys, you probably should add Jake Haener. I’m not sure there is anyone in this draft class who has done more to lead his team to glory than him.

    • Rob Staton

      I haven’t listened to Haener but he and others don’t come close to Duggan

      The bloke showed as much bollocks this year as I’ve seen from any player ever

      • TomLPDX

        Really glad to see you said that, Rob. I love Duggan’s “want to” and winning attitude. Would love to get him on day 3 if we can. No, he isn’t a generational QB, but is definitely someone people would rally too in the thick of the fight. Good dude!

        • Rob Staton

          I don’t think he has a NFL future, he’s just too limited

          But that was a heck of a ballsy season in 2022 — high-character personified for multiple reasons

          • TomLPDX

            Which is a shame. Definition of grit right there. Really enjoyed watching him and the Frogs this past year, our old Southwest Conference foe, do good.

          • KD

            Duggan strikes me as the kind of guy who may end up going the Kellen Moore path one day. Not much of an NFL future is likely, but if he has the acumen, I could see him being a great coach or coordinator one day.

    • M drucker in hooterville

      We can probably assume that Stetson Bennet won’t get drafted then.

      • TomLPDX

        I bet he goes on day 3, early. Don’t forget that the reason Stroud had to keep up with GA was because Bennett was playing extremely well in that game.

        • Mr drucker in hooterville

          I was thinking about the character issue.

          • Thomas Wells

            Let’s not forget Leonard Little. Drove drunk as fuck (.19 BAC) and killed a woman his rookie year. The league suspended him for 8 games but the whole “murdering a woman” thing didn’t seem to bother the Rams. They continued to employ him for 12 years because hey, the guy could get after the QB. He even helped the Rams win a Super Bowl!

            After murdering a woman due to his selfish actions he enjoyed a 12 year career where he was handsomely rewarded to the tune of $31.55 million in career earnings. Even a second dui in 2005, which made it crystal clear he had zero remorse and learned absolutely nothing from his actions, failed to deter the rams from continuing to employ him.

            Talented players get chances. The difference with Carter is that Georgia’s laws are tough. He could legit go to prison for 3 years before his career even starts.

            • Thomas Wells

              Sorry this was meant to reply to another post

  25. TomLPDX

    Does anyone have the links for both John and Pete’s full news conference this week?

  26. Gaux Hawks

    We honestly can’t thank the broncos enough for P5 and P37.

    Guaranteed Anderson or one of the top QBs (personally hoping it’s not Young though).

    Love the idea of:
    R1: Richardson
    R1: McDonald
    R2: BPA
    R2: BPA
    R3: BPA…

  27. Cambs

    [i]They can’t afford to turn three high picks into one player.[/i]

    Couldn’t disagree with this more strongly. Hitting on a premium young QB is worth three picks/players easily. Between fielding a soft defensive front for another year and missing your shot at nailing down quarterback, there’s no comparison at all. Who’ll even care in ’24 or ’25 if we’ve got the next Justin Herbert or Joe Burrow at the nucleus of the team.

    Elite QB play is the biggest trump card in the game. If there’s a guy, pay the iron price and figure the rest out later. The bare fact that he might be acquirable by trade at all is a happy accident; in other years, there is no number of picks that a suitor might have successfully offered the 1.01 holder for Murray, or Burrow, or Lawrence.

    Not a prediction as to what they will do, of course. Not a claim about the quality of any of the big four — maybe the fourth dude ends up being legitimately the most desirable to the brain trust and sticking and picking is the play. Just … I would hope they not be penny wise and pound foolish about the scarcest and most important position.

    • God of Thunder

      Agree on importance of a/the QB. In this case, however, there is no obvious Burrow or Lawrence, let alone a Mahomes. Levis Stroud and Richardson *could* all be first ballot hall of famers but there is no guarantee.

      There was more certainty around Burrow and Lawrence… and even there, it’s still inconclusive.

    • Rob Staton

      I’m sure the Jets felt the same when they moved up for Darnold, when they could’ve stayed put, got Josh Allen and had three second round picks to keep

      • Cambs

        Strikes and gutters. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

      • Sean

        Altenatively, I’m sure the Chiefs are glad they traded three picks (including their 2018 1st rounder) to move up and get Mahomes, rather than stay put and possibly lose out on him to the Saints. Point being, trading multiple draft assets to move up can absolutely be a good thing if you find the right guy.

        • Ben

          Trey Lance says hello. I assume we just have to trust JS will make ale the right decision, but trading up seems to be a loser much more often.

  28. Blitzy the Clown

    Rob your output in the last week has been epic. I’ve not been able to keep up with commenting on each piece, but I’ve read every word and it’s all fantastic. Each year it seems you find a way to outdo yourself and it’s quite remarkable.

    A quick shout out to Adam Nathan and the Pedestrian Podcast for their excellent interview of Nick Bellore. I’m still not ok with his cap hit, but his intangibles really shone in the podcast and I can understand the investment.

    My quick take on Carter and how this impacts is draft stock is that while the criminal liability aspect is concerning, the initial charges are misdemeanors and even if he were found guilty it’s unlikely he’d be incarcerated as a result. Therefore, it’s probably not an issue of his availability that would concern teams, but rather the fact that he fled the scene where his teammate died, then lied about his involvement and hid from the situation for a few weeks. What kind of teammate flees the scene of another’s death? What kind of person runs from responsibility for his actions?

    And now he’s out with a defiant statement of his innocence? Not a word of condolence for his dead teammate.

    No thanks. Not with any pick. Not even as a UDFA.

    • Rob Staton

      Thanks Blitzy, really appreciate that (and your continued support)

    • Cheese22

      Exactly what I thought. After seeing the photos of the wreck, I can’t believe anyone worth a damn could drive away. One of the most selfish, narcissistic moves I can remember from an athlete…and that says quite a bit.
      Also, from a teammates perspective, would anyone trust him to have their back on Sundays!? He’s already making business decisions when it comes to teammates lives.

      • Rob Staton

        Exactly what I thought. After seeing the photos of the wreck, I can’t believe anyone worth a damn could drive away. One of the most selfish, narcissistic moves I can remember

        100%

        Which makes all this ‘well kids do the silliest things when they’re young’ all the more unsettling

  29. KennyBadger

    Thanks for all the great content this week Rob and I’m sort of relieved that carter won’t be an option at #5 although I realize that thins the field of top picks.

    A shot at Anderson or any of the 4 qbs is still a great spot to be in. I hope AR has a good enough combine to convince Seattle he’s worth the pick at #5 while not so good that other teams value him above Young.

  30. cha

    Gregg Bell
    @gbellseattle
    Bobby Wagner’s return to the Seahawks is growing more plausible.

    Multiple NFL sources tell
    @thenewstribune
    at the scouting combine Seattle is keenly interested in signing back the 6-time All-Pro LB for 2023. But there’s much to sort out for it to happen:

    • Blitzy the Clown

      I can see it happening.

      He’s a HOFer and don’t we all want to see HOFers finish their careers with the team what brought them to the dance?

      FO have to be keenly aware of the potential PR goldmine his return would present.

      On the sharp side of things, it’s clear he has juice left in his tank. Regardless of how he played in his final seasons with Seattle, he balled out for LA this last year. He’s better than any LB on the roster right now, injured or not.

      There are questions.

      Can he play for us again like he did for LA? That’s a mental question, not a physical one.

      Will he accept a reasonable salary, one that represents the positional value his return represents — both in terms of separating that from the PR feel-good shtuff — and in terms of the fact that he’ll be a 33 yo playing a young gun’s position, in a defense that isn’t overvaluing said position anymore?

      Those are crucial questions, but I see potential here.

    • Ashish

      Seattle media in celebration – early Christmas. By the way how good is Bobby Wagner, how much we missed last year. Pete can eat another 10 mins of press conference.

      • BobbyK

        But if he’s cheap, why not? I’d clearly have no interest in any big money contract. I wouldn’t even do a somewhat modest contract. But if he’s a stopgap bargain – yes, bring him back.

    • Ok

      Bringing Bobby back would signal, to me, that the team was not as serious about competing. It seems like a move borne of potential entertainment/fan engagement, and less about winning football. Respectfully

      • Dave

        I don’t need to feel good. We need hard hitting hungry to make a name young guy.

  31. samprassultanofswat

    Well Seattle will still get one of the top four QBs or Will Anderson. So not much has changed (for the Seahawks organization).

    Personally, I would hate to see Seattle not getting their QB of the future out of this draft. I would love to see the Seahawks draft board. Last year the Hawks (for the most part) took talent over need. And what happened? They had their best draft in years. Eventually, every position will be a position of need. You can almost never go wrong by taking talent over need. Taking need over talent is how teams get burned.

    • God of Thunder

      Well said. Even before this, I was leery of Carter. We’re getting a very good prospect at 5. (Or several good prospects if there’s a trade down.)

  32. Bankhawk

    Great stuff you are posting lately, Rob (but then it always is). You just make the off-season so much more interesting!

    • Rob Staton

      Thank you

  33. Madmark

    I want talk about Mel Kiper 2.0 mock draft. He has Seattle making a trade with Panther and taking Anthony Anderson at pick 9. I’m thinking what did the Panther’s give for trade? What would say to pick 9, 39, 114, and 1st round next year. This the perfect time to get more picks and let JS add more talented players on rookie contracts. It seems like it’s the best way to get get around this cap problem. Kiper talked about Young and for teams weight is a concern. 200lbs looks a lot better than 190. Wilson was short but was slightly over 200lbs. He talked the Lions going with defense and not a QB. He also talked about McDonald after combine could make himself a top10 pick. I still think Seattle gets Will Levis at 5.

    • cha

      Who was on the board at 5 that would make Carolina trade up? Levis?

      • Aaron Bostrom

        Yes, Levis

    • BobbyK

      Boy, that sure would be nice if we could get Richardson at 9 and add some extra picks. I can’t think of a much better scenario (except Geno Smiff signing with any NFL team other than the Seahawks… that’s my number 1 dream/wish this off-season).

  34. Nick

    Daniel Jeremiah saying Tyree Wilson is shining in interviews…https://twitter.com/MoveTheSticks/status/1631010374743998465?t=Z6-QixKhbCIly7gGl_Q5eQ&s=19

  35. BobbyK

    The Seahawks already drafted Jalen Carter with their first pick in the 2017 draft. I don’t have interest in a ticket to that old show again. #moron

  36. Bballin

    So Jalen carter and friends got really drunk, decided to to race at over 100 miles per hour, teammate and recruiting coordinator dies, lies to police, then hides it for months. How many bad decisions can someone make in such a small amount of time. I don’t care how talented he is, they can’t draft him.

    • dand393

      I wonder if it’s possible he could get charges upped to manslaughter if he found partially responsible for there deaths if they were drag racing

      • Thomas Wells

        I commented on this above but the short answer is he could potentially be facing a vehicular homicide charge with a minimum of 3 years depending on the results of the investigation

  37. John

    I don’t get the QB frenzy that the NFL has evolved to.
    In the last 20 years, a QB was selected in the 1st rd (4) times, the last 2 drafts 1-2-3 1-5-6
    http://www.drafthistory.com/index.php/positions/qb
    out of all, 6-8 players ended up being “franchise” QB’s
    Yes, QB is the most important position on a team,
    but it has been proven a game manager…IE, Dilfer, Flacco, Johnson acn win the big win with a great supporting cast.
    If our management has determind that a QB is worthy of the 5th pick, I trust them.
    In my opinion, Young ,size aside is the only QB worthy of a top 5 (1) pick.
    we will all see 5 years from now.
    BPA with a slight move down for positional need is gthe way to go. Go Hawks!

    • Rob Staton

      it has been proven a game manager…IE, Dilfer, Flacco, Johnson acn win the big win with a great supporting cast.

      Sure, all you need is:

      — To create one of the all-time great defense’s to prop up someone like Dilfer

      — Joe Flacco to go on an unpredictable, barely believable playoff tear where he became virtually unstoppable when it mattered most

      — Hark back to the Buccs 20 years ago for that one season nobody really can remember

      Meanwhile, let’s ignore the countless examples where journeymen QB’s don’t even get a .500 record let alone win a SB

      I despair sometimes

      • John

        Rob, yes it takes a great team to surround a journeyman to produce a SB qualifing team and other than Brady and Mahomes,whom won without the greatest supporting cast, top picks also have failed to win the big ones.
        I loved Wilson, all my anti Hawk buddies were always screaming “game manager” which was totally wrong.
        I never counted the Hawks out of a game due to his track record of come backs.
        Alas Wilson also was not able to get back to the BIG one without the LOB.
        Obviously, a top flight QB is needed, I just don’t see the current prospects being a sure thing, other than Young.
        BPA, hopefully after a trade down is what I am hoping.
        Anderson (will not make 5), Kancey, Smith, LB is a HUGE need. CB, IOL
        Hopefully a top center/guard.
        Would really like Hooker (QB’s play well into 30’s if they play well at all), although he is rising up the charts

        Anyways, appreciate all your work. You are the best writer of players and needs I’ve read.
        You deserve to be a national writer, but selfishly of myself and most readers (I presume) would hate to lose your Seahawk insights.

        • Rob Staton

          Rob, yes it takes a great team to surround a journeyman to produce a SB qualifing team and other than Brady and Mahomes,whom won without the greatest supporting cast, top picks also have failed to win the big ones.

          Of course — but success and failure isn’t purely defined by winning the SB.

          For example, Philip Rivers was a good pick in the top-five but he didn’t win a SB.

          If Josh Allen or Justin Herbert never win a SB — they’ll be good picks

          Ditto Joe Burrow or Trevor Lawrence etc.

          The fact is there are almost infinite examples of journeymen QB’s who achieve absolutely nothing. Not even a playoff qualification as a sixth seed. They’re just mediocre players.

          There are always a group of good, young QB’s — usually drafted early — who give you a shot every year, even if they don’t reach the pinnacle.

          Not all highly drafted QB’s work out but that’s not a reason to avoid trying

          I can’t imagine ‘wanting’ to have a journeyman QB and try and be fantastic in virtually every other area. That’s far harder to do than using one pick on a young QB and developing them.

          Your point on not liking the QB’s is a better one to make — but I disagree strongly. I think this is about as good a foursome we’ll ever see at the top of round one in a single year.

          • Cheese22

            I think this is about as good a foursome we’ll ever see at the top of round one in a single year.

            Especially if you factor in us having the #5 pick. It will probably be a long, long time before both of those factors happen in the same draft.

        • Peter

          Here’s the problem with geno as journeyman.

          He’s not expecting to get paid like that. He’s expected to get paid like peak Wilson w/o playing better than him in metrics that matter: wins, tds vs ints.

          Him setting tge franchise record for yards ( 17 games smh) and completion percent (who cares when you go 9-8) isn’t enough for ne to think he’s worth 40 million.

          Then the other side:

          There’s no money to be the eagles and build/buy a great roster. So you need every single draft pick to hit. All of them. The defense is rubbish and it takes 2-4 years for dlinenen on average to get rolling.

          So now we have geno and we hope he plays well at 35-36 while the roster really gels in that time?

          Seems like a tall ask.

          And yes the LOB was formed quickly over three drafts plus a rookie qb. PLUS and this is a big one getting an Avril and Bennett level talent for at tge time peanuts.

          I’d be actually okay with geno as journeyman if the coffers were full and they could get like Hargraves, Nnaddi, and another for next year while hoping in a good if not great draft. But there’s what like 22 million (less?) In available cap.

        • MountainHawker

          I only have 2 things to dispute.

          You’re looking to the draft to fill all your needs. Free agency matters.

          Young isn’t a sure thing. His size is unprecedented. He’s smaller than Kyler without Kyler’s agility/quickness. Bryce is good at off script stuff, but will that translate at NFL speed vs NFL defenses? It’s a legitimate question.

          I think the QB frenzy is a result of so many teams needing QB help and seeing the roster building advantages of having a talented rookie QB. That combined with the inflated contracts mediocre qb’s are getting. Teams want the next great rookie vs overpaying and ending up in purgatory.

          • God of Thunder

            And I don’t even like Kyler!

    • PJ in Seattle

      It has gotten crazy, but the argument for the competitive advantage of having a stud QB on a rookie contract has been well laid out. In a class like this one, the frenzy to get one of those Top 4 QB prospects is no surprise.

      I do trust that JS will do what is needed to either secure the QBOTF he loves, or will leverage our #5 pick to secure as much additional draft capital as possible.

    • GrittyHawk

      People can name drop Dilfer and Johnson all they want, but those are quite literally the only two “game managers” to win a Super Bowl in the last 30 years. Yeah, all you need is a game manager when you have 2 of the best defenses ever to step on an NFL field. Do people even remember how ridiculously stacked that Tampa defense was? Derrick Brooks, Warren Sapp, Simeon Rice, Ronde Barber, John Lynch… my god. They had THREE pick sixes in that SB game, which they needed to overcome Johnson’s incredibly mediocre performance (79 QB Rating). Ditto for the 2000 Ravens — they gave up only 10 (!!!) points a game that year. They could have won that SB if they had a QB with one leg and no arms. The Giants only managed 152 yards. Dilfer did his very best to screw that up, though, managing only 153 pass yards and an 80 rating. Dilfer wasn’t even a proper game manger that year. Dude threw 11 picks in only 8 starts. To put that in modern context, that interception rate is 40% higher than Justin Fields this year. He did his very

      You really can’t lump Flacco in with those two either — he was straight up merking dudes in the playoffs that year with 11 TDs, 0 picks, and a 117 rating. Hardly what I would call a game manager, plus he was still on his cheap rookie deal to boot.

      Can we talk about every other QB to win a Super Bowl over that time? Nearly every single one was a literal hall of fame player. Brady, Brees, Rodgers, Manning, other Manning, Mahomes, Roethlisberger… The historical facts in no way agree with your position that you can expect to win with terrible QB play.

  38. dand393

    I see Charlie Campbell who is at the combine says talking to 7 sources of teams Brodric Jones is a day 2 calibre player as Rob has been saying for some time

    • Rob Staton

      He keeps dipping his head into blocks

  39. Rob Staton

    I’m sorry, but this video on 710 is absolutely incredible

    Staggering. Truly staggering.

    MB: “All the dudes I went to college with all made dumb decisions growing up, we even drove our cars pretty fast. Not making excuses but I’m just taking people back to reality because…”

    SR: “We’re looking at people as human”

    SR: “What he did was stupid. Is he the only person ever to do something stupid?”

    They then compared it to ‘murdering someone, shooting someone’ for context.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6l7BxOUslBw

    • Volume12

      Unfortunately? I think that’s the case. He’ll be shown in the green room sitting there, someone will stop his slide, camera pans back to big smiles from him & his family and I guess us, the viewer, are supposed to be happy for the kid.

    • cha

      I don’t know. I just don’t know.

      This is the discourse on our local radio.

      I weep.

      • Rob Staton

        Can’t believe what I’ve just listened to

        • cha

          Bump: “If he does go to 5, you know what you’re doing.”
          Stacy: “Unfortunately, yeah.”

          Huh?

        • ErickV

          I stopped listening last week when they were talking about the Russ article and they basically called Russ narcissistic. It’s a sad scene what Seahawks sports media has turned into.

        • Canadian Hawk

          Logically you’re spot on Rob.

          Issue is, the highest paid person in football had 24 lawsuits filed against him for sexual assault and it didn’t matter. In fact, he shattered the ceiling with a guaranteed contract.

          The football community knew what he did and (many) didn’t care. In fact a bidding war broke out.

          I just hope Seattle is smart enough to learn from past mistakes and not take him.

          • Rob Staton

            Logically you’re spot on Rob.

            Issue is, the highest paid person in football had 24 lawsuits filed against him for sexual assault and it didn’t matter. In fact, he shattered the ceiling with a guaranteed contract.

            The football community knew what he did and (many) didn’t care. In fact a bidding war broke out.

            Not sure this is really relevant here though Canada.

            I found the way this topic was discussed, in a situation where two people died, really troubling.

            I just hope Seattle is smart enough to learn from past mistakes and not take him.

            You don’t need to worry there. As we’ve discussed plenty before today, doubt he was a serious option anyway.

          • Peter

            Point/counterpoint:

            One broadly the nfl and society doesn’t care about what Watson did. See: robert kraft.

            Carter however may not even get to play next year plus his decided lack of effort to be the best.

        • Rob Staton

          A crash happened that left two people dead — including a team-mate — and others injured

          And you drove off to try and avoid getting into trouble

          Then came back a while later with a story that was all over the place

          All this after you were with a group out until 2:30am at a strip club per reports — and per other reports one of the deceased was driving while 2x over the limit

          ‘But he didn’t murder anyone’

          • Rob Staton

            Florio & Simms had a similarly uncomfortable conversation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0BB9p9MWl4

            • Peter

              Chris “I’m not condoning it but,” Simms.

              • Big Mike

                Chris is usually better. Disappointing.

          • Brett

            They’re treating him like he’s a kid who doesn’t know any better and in the same breath say they’d still draft him at #5. Do they not realize the gravity of the situation or the gravity of taking a player at #5?

        • Romeo A57

          I heard this discussion live and was very taken aback. If the reports are correct, then it seems Carter left his friends to die by the side of the road because he didn’t want to get in any trouble. If this is remotely true, who wants this person on their team?

        • Cheese22

          Absolutely pathetic, wasn’t it. This is not about football, although that’s what his sympathizers want to make it. This is about a guy leaving his friends behind to die because he is thinking about his future. How f%$#ing pathetic of him and of MB and SR for changing the whole narrative of the situation to diminish his responsibility instead of the fact that he left behind 3 friends to die! Lost any respect I might have had for them.

    • Bballin

      Such an embarrassing segment. Most people don’t drag race at 3am likely drunk at 120 mph. It really pisses me off how okay people are with stuff like this.

      Jalen carters lucky he’s alive and who knows how many other times he’s done stupid shit like this.

      • Rob Staton

        The jist was — ‘he didn’t murder anyone though so…’

        I did a lot of dumb stuff at university too. Mostly it involved waking up with a hangover and wondering ‘where am I?’

        Not going to a strip club, leaving at 2:30am, getting in a car and racing

        With one of the sad fatalities involving someone who was 2x over the legal drink drive limit behind the wheel

        • ErickV

          It’s frustrating as a 22 year old to see how age seems to be the constant “ get out of jail free” card. He should know better , especially being an elite draft prospect with millions of dollars on the line.

        • cha

          I just hope this wasn’t in the context of what the Seahawks will/should do in the draft.

          To hear Pete say what he did yesterday to Florio about who they are targeting in the draft, and then waive off a serious, red-flag level problem as the stupidity of youth?

          Beyond tone-deaf.

        • Bballin

          Totally agree. Like for example, what Stetson Bennett got arrested for was a dumb college mistake that caused no harm.

          Jalens arent dumb college mistakes they were negligent and dangerous.

  40. Volume12

    Ade Adebawore has a meeting w/ Seattle

    • Ashish

      Will be interesting if Hawks draft – #5 Levis and #20 Ade Ade which is very much possible both interviewed by Rob.

    • Rushless pass

      I like that!

  41. Dingbatman

    One item I’ve not seen mentioned that would pertain both to character concerns Geno Smith’s upcoming contract negotiations is his impending DUI case. Is there a possibility he will be suspended for a certain number of games? That would have to affect his value to a team.

    • PJ in Seattle

      It’s been discussed here previously, while a suspension is a possibility, it’s unlikely. In WA State, a first DUI offense will almost certainly be plead down to misdemeanor reckless driving and a fine. You never know what the NFL might do, but unless new information comes out that shows this is much more than a run of the mill offense, I doubt he misses any games over it.

      Do other teams have to take it into account? Sure, but I don’t see it as a make-or-break factor. You can bet the Seahawks are making sure that the possibility is not lost on Geno and his agent, though.

      • Rob Staton

        I think the last time we discussed this, not so along ago, the situation was there’s a large backlog of cases and that’s why his hasn’t been addressed yet.

      • Rowdy

        Wasn’t he belligerent and threatening the cops? I remember they called the seahawks and the head of security had to come down to calm him down. It wasn’t run of the mill and the fact they signed him after makes me wonder how much they really value character. Another seahawk player had all charges dropped and still got a 6 game suspension.

  42. Trevor

    Watching Nolan Smith on the podium you can just feel his energy and passion. Not sure how he fits in the Hawks scheme but that’s a guy I will be be rooting for in the NFL.

    Also according to Daniel Jerimiah both Micheal Mayer and Tyree Wilson got rave reviews from the teams interviewing them. No surprise with Mayer as Rob has pointed out already.

    • cha

      Supposedly he was the alpha on the Georgia defense – even being off the field with injury a lot.

      • Rob Staton

        Nolan Smith — bags of energy, speaks like every day is the best day ever, very intelligent, quality, high-character person

    • MountainHawker

      Just saw a clip of him. Hard not to like him

      https://twitter.com/ZachKleinWSB/status/1630923106125488128?t=Gg7Bm0jk8i1ZI4Q-0fTOZw&s=19

      • HOUSE

        Nolan Smith is a great kid. Hearing him talk about Willock made me sad. As a former member of the military, we were ALWAYS told to have our brothers’ back. I joined right out of HS (Senior when 9/11 happened) and we were programmed to take care of each other.

        To see these young men out drinking and doing dumb stuff hurts my soul… To find out Carter fled the scene and lied about his involvement for self-preservation is infuriating.

  43. Trevor

    Pete always talks about how they look for multi sport athletes and that it is big for them.

    It was interesting today listening to Dexter the DT from Florida today rave about what an incredible athlete Richardson is in basketball and pretty much any sport he plays. Justin Herbert is the same way I guess.

    I would be shocked if Richardson does not end up as QB1 on the Hawks board. Sadly I doubt he makes it to 5. Have a feeling our choice will be between Bryce Young and Tyree Wilson or a trade back when this is all said and done.

    • Peter

      I remain optimistic.

      Regardless if the Carter gloom and actual doom I have rarely if ever seen a draft go pure chalk from this site or any other for that matter in the 12 years I’ve followed.

      I’m not saying it’s unlikely but I’m not going to count on qb going 1-4 and Anderson prior to combine and pro days.

      Additionally Richardson stays in my sights as I think it’s very likely Anderson wins the interviews and Wilson now slides easily to the top five maybe to Chicago or AZ or even other now that Carter might be out.

    • MountainHawker

      That’s nightmare fuel for me.

  44. ErickV

    https://247sports.com/college/lsu/Article/Anthony-Richardson-helping-LSU-QB-commit-Colin-Hurley-prepare-for-football-and-life-205539208/Amp/

    Pretty fun read that helped me learn a little more about him. Definitely seems like a high character guy that I would absolutely root for if the Hawks drafted him.

  45. Rob Staton

    Smith-Njigba not running a 40 apparently

    https://twitter.com/RosterWatch/status/1631073124035751942

    He’s not fast, it’s a problem and this would confirm he’s trying to hide the issue

    An overrated player in terms of draft projection

  46. Canadian Hawk

    The most up-to-date from the folks at CBSSports.com in their latest NFL First Round Mock Draft has Jalen Carter sliding all the way down to No. 17 to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Saying that the Steelers organization can handle “everything that will come with making this selection.”

  47. Big Boi

    I’ll be honest, I’m a little disappointed that no one has drawn a direct line of comparison between this tragedy and Geno Smith’s DUI. I mean this is the literal actualization of “But for the grace of God go I”. Geno drunk as a skunk, driving 90+ mph, weaving in and out of traffic. The only difference is no one died in Geno’s case but that should not minimize or justify his decision-making and crime. If Jalen Carter should lose his career over this deal as a 21 year old college kid, shouldn’t there be more ramifications for a 30+ year old man who has way more resources at his disposal? Makes me sick.

    • TomLPDX

      You’re not alone in your assessment. Geno’s DUI case is being swept under the rug.

      • God of Thunder

        Well said by both of you.

        That was the first incident that made me think I’d not have a beer with Geno. I admire him as a bust who has turned himself into a solid solid journeyman but that incident, ugh.

        • Big Mike

          I’m on the same page as you guys as well.

    • BobbyK

      Of course!

    • GrittyHawk

      Agreed. I was honestly surprised (and a little disgusted) they even brought him back after that. But the NFL doesn’t care — as long as you have talent, someone will take a chance on you. The only difference between Kareem Hunt and Ray Rice is that one of them was still playing well enough to help a team win games.

      • Roy Batty

        I’ve stated this in here before, but remember when Schneider, years ago, stated that the Hawks have a ZERO tolerance policy for domestic violence?

        They then drafted Clark and kept Reed. Zero tolerance is for the backups, not the stars. No different than any other team, I guess.

        • GrittyHawk

          This was so obscure I had to Google his name, but do you remember Josh Portis? He was an undrafted free agent QB we signed in 2011 (I only remember this because he went to California University of PA, a small state school where I live in PA). He got arrested for DUI the following year and was cut 2 weeks later, pretty sure he was cut immediately after the news broke. So once again, talent trumps character concerns. Had he been a first round pick you know it would have been swept under the rug and he would have been given a dozen more chances.

      • Thomas Wells

        Let’s not forget Leonard Little. Drove drunk as fuck (.19 BAC) and killed a woman his rookie year. The league suspended him for 8 games but the whole “murdering a woman” thing didn’t seem to bother the Rams. They continued to employ him for 12 years because hey, the guy could get after the QB. He even helped the Rams win a Super Bowl!

        After murdering a woman due to his selfish actions he enjoyed a 12 year career where he was handsomely rewarded to the tune of $31.55 million in career earnings. Even a second dui in 2005, which made it crystal clear he had zero remorse and learned absolutely nothing from his actions, failed to deter the rams from continuing to employ him.

        Talented players get chances. The difference with Carter is that Georgia’s laws are tough. He could legit go to prison for 3 years before his career even starts.

  48. Rob Staton

    Albert Breer on the concerns teams had about Jalen Carter before the news broke today:

    https://www.si.com/nfl/2023/03/01/jalen-carter-arrest-warrants-cloud-nfl-draft-status

    • Trevor

      A lot of the questions were like, well, there’s nothing criminal, but he may not really love anything about football other than game day. Now, you can’t really say there’s nothing criminal.”

      That pretty much says it all doesn’t it.

    • cha

      I don’t know, it feels like Breer had the effort stuff in his notebook for a while, and for whatever reason didn’t publish it until he had this big ugly thing to sandwich with it.

      Highlights to me all the more that McShay should be apologized to for expressing what he did about Carter so early on.

      • Bballlin

        Let’s get the character and upside prospects especially early on. To me there’s just no need to draft Jalen carter there’s just plenty of other talented guys.

  49. Madmark

    Kiper had Chicago trading down twice and want really have play Chicago on the simulator. Pick 1 your offered 6 trade down offers I considered 3. Texans, Colts, and Raiders I took the Colts 4,35,79 and 1st and 2nd Indy 2024 picks. They got C. J. Shroud. When 4 came up 3 trades were offer Raiders, Jets, saints. I took the trade with Raiders getting 7, 38 and a Raider 1st pick 2024. What load to have to improve your team. 7,35,38,53,64,79,103,133, 137, 159, 220 then for future Colts 1&2 and Raiders 1 2024 picks. Pick 7 you Tyree Wilson that’s just crazy.

  50. Ashish

    I saw Kenny McIntosh one on one drill for pass protection draft him 3rd round we have good 3 down player.
    Rob, we do have 7th round in draft correct?

    • Hawkcrazy

      Brady Henderson
      @BradyHenderson
      Clearing up some confusion on the Seahawks’ draft picks: You may see them listed with nine but it’s actually 10. I’m told they didn’t have to give up a seventh in last year’s trade for John Reid. So they have two firsts, two seconds, two fifths and one pick in every other round.
      1:44 PM · Jan 23, 2023
      ·
      112.8K
      Views

  51. Hebegbs

    Rob- Daiyan Henley also has great character and has had some great interviews to CougFan last year. He’s a stud. No character concerns I can discern and is just a joy to listen to. Smart guy, very passionate and he’s funny as heck.

    I think he’d be an instant leader and a great teammate. I really hope he lands in Seattle next year.

    • Steve Nelsen

      Daiyan had an interview with Seattle at the Combine.

  52. Thomas

    Well it’s down to the QBs and Anderson and Wilson.

    I don’t want Young. I have only one criticism of him. His size poses serious injury risk. That’s my criticism. If you can answer that, I’m fine with drafting him.

    • Big Mike

      Feel the same way. It just seems like he’ll never hold up physically.

    • Zeke

      Young is the Tyler Lockett of QBs. I want him so bad 🙏

      • BK26

        He’s more like the Mugsy Bogues of quarterbacks. Pass.

      • MountainHawker

        It really. Young’s size is unprecedented. He’s shorter and thinner than kyler. There have been tons of receivers Tyler’s size. Maybe if Tyler was 5’7 and 150lbs

        • Zeke

          He’s probably 5’11” and currently started working with a nutritionist to try to get up to 210 pounds (Drew Brees weight)

          • BK26

            And because of that, will he lose mobility? A lot of guys mess up by putting on weight and then they can’t play that way. He’s too slender for that. He’s not like Russ or Kyler.

            I think he’s only doing it for the combine. Then he’ll be back down. I can’t see him surviving long enough for a second contract. And we’ve done the short quarterback dance already, there are too many changes that need to be made for that.

            • Zeke

              Todd McShay says there’s no QB in the country who took more punishment than Bryce Young. He definitely proven to be durable even before he adds extra muscle weight.

              “we’ve done the short quarterback dance already”

              I’d say that worked out pretty well, no?

              • BK26

                Good thing that the NFL is the same as college football. And if you watch Levis or Richardson, they got hit a lot more, Levis especially. Many times over. Young still had one of the the most talented offensive lines in college.

                And we also spent how much time and effort creating an offense just for Russ to be able to see, moving the pocket. There’s a reason why Russ is the only one that size that has panned out. And now it looks like his legs are gone and he might be a shell of what what he was when he was with us. Young has height and weight both against him.

                I don’t think he’ll even be on Schneider’s radar. He doesn’t have the big arm. Still a good arm, but doesn’t fit with all of the other’s that he’s had interest in.

                • Zeke

                  How much tape have you watched on all the QBs? No offense, but I’ll take Todd McShay’s word that no other QB took more punishment. Even if slightly inaccurate, Young has proven he can take hits (even before adding weight to his frame) and is defiantly not made of glass like Tua.

                  Young is a completely different QB than Wilson. You think being 5’11 like Wilson, and 6’0 like Brees makes a huge difference?

                  • Zeke

                    * definitely, not “defiantly”

                  • BK26

                    It’s the playing weight, not the height. Young is just little, even if he adds weight he won’t be built like Russ or Kyler. And the NFL isn’t college. Everyone is just too much bigger and faster

                    We’ll have to agree to disagree. I respect you have a opinion and a hope for what the team does. At least we agree that they have to take a quarterback.

                • Zeke

                  Here’s a late hit he took like a boss

                  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yo2YrmrcW-k&ab_channel=ETProductions

                  I guess I don’t understand why he can’t add muscle mass to get near Drew Brees’ playing weight of 209 lbs. 15lbs of muscle with all the help in the world, with professional nutritionists and trainers helping seems like it should be fairly easy

                  Brees next to Zach Wilson and Herbert:
                  https://i.redd.it/129kw3u7gyv61.jpg
                  https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/private/t_editorial_landscape_mobile/chargers/nvg466p1eprl1w2kix5k.png

                  • Rob Staton

                    I don’t think some people realise how difficult it is to ‘just add 15lbs’

                    I think that is unrealistic in the extreme for Young

                  • Zeke

                    “I don’t think some people realise how difficult it is to ‘just add 15lbs’

                    I think that is unrealistic in the extreme for Young”

                    I’m reading it’s possible to add up to 0.5-2lbs of muscle in a month. Is what I’m reading wrong? I’m guessing for a guy like Young, who’d have the best nutrisionist and trainers, it’s probably closer to 2lbs than 0.5.

                    • Rob Staton

                      Not everyone can do that, no

                      Genetics play a part

                      I’m 6-4 and work out all the time, eat like a monk for about 10 months of the year — I can never get bigger than I am now more or less without taking gear

                      You can’t just magically eat and train your way to being an ideal weight.

                      You can’t just add 15lbs like it’s no sweat

                      And if you do — you usually often carry bad weight, struggle to keep it on or your performance is massively impacted and you are more susceptible to injury

    • bmseattle

      I’m open to being convinced otherwise… but Wilson underwhelms me as the pick at #5.
      I agree with not wanting Young.
      Give me one of the other 3 top QBs, or Anderson, if they are gone and he is there.

      If the top 4 picks are some combo of Levis, Richardson, Stroud and Anderson, I’m going to be very disappointed.

      • Big Mike

        Ditto.
        I’m still saying, as I have all along, that Richardson drops to us at 5 and we take him.

        • Peter

          It’s feels like such a no brainer. Short of two of either Stroud, levis, ruchardson falling to five you have to make the pick and be happy for it.

          There’s so many guys from will macdonald, white, ade ade, mauch, Schmitz, heeanu benton, and others from 20-53 that you don’t sent the team backat all taking this swing.

          • 805Hawk

            Taking Creed Humphrey seemed like a no brainer, too. I am so confident that taking a QB is the right thing that it makes me nervous.

    • Madmark

      So your saying if he weighed 205lb you’d alright with him?

      • Thomas

        Maybe… but even that’s a little low for me. 210 is about as low as I’m comfortable with unless he can really scramble at 205.

        Here’s what I’m saying. Can you imagine Tyler Lockett surviving 4 clean sacks from Aaron Donald? Would you bet he’d start the whole season?

        • Zeke

          Drew Brees was 207lbs

          Young has taken a ton of sacks already…..

          • Zeke

            *209lbs

  53. cha

    Bob & Wyman finally making some sense discussing tagging Geno.

    https://youtu.be/fMJED4YH9Q8

    • samprassultanofswat

      I listened to Dave & Stelton. Please explain to me why you would give Geno Smith the franchise tag? Do you realize that if you franchise tag Smith that is ALL(salary cap) counted in the 2023 season. There would not be room fill out their roster. The Hawks are going to have to come up with in the neighborhood of 32.5mil. They don’t even have that cap space. The Hawks are going to have close to 10mil just for their rookie class. Let alone fill out their roster.

      • cha

        I wouldn’t. I’m just saying what we’ve been saying for ages.

        Where is his market? It’s very, very quiet out there.

        And are teams honestly willing to shell out big money for one good season when he could not score a starting gig for years and years?

      • Rowdy

        This has been my exact arrangement about this. You have a decent qb but will have at best the same talent around him. If you go qb at 5 no way will compete spending that much on Smith. To me that contract will stall this franchise 2 years.

  54. QAgrizzly

    I’ll add Andre Carter to the character list, have to believe Military commitment will not be hinderance given what was just granted to Phillies pitcher, if so have to believe his stock will climb, 6′ 7″ athletic freak.

    • Palatypus

      Military fitness reports might be publicly available.

  55. Madmark

    Saw one of those rumor stories about Javon Hardgrave to Seattle for 3 year 61.5 million, 40 million guaranteed. Will see.

  56. Jabroni-DC

    Team travel was the worst category for Seattle as they received a “C” grade, which ranked 21st in the NFL.

    Some of that is out of the team’s control as they typically are among the NFL’s leaders is miles traveled due to the relative remoteness of Seattle compared to the rest of the league. Some of the complaints related to the Seahawks not offering the first class seats on their charter flights to players. They are one of only seven teams in the NFL not to do so. However, the players do get the first class seats following road victories.

    These guys are gigantic. Can’t imagine them not getting 1st class seats. Kinda funny to learn.

  57. Thomas

    185 to 207 is a big difference.

    But there is one thing with your Brees reference in that Brees (as I understand it) strengthened his arm over his first few seasons. Maybe Young could pull off bulking up without hurting his play. Tough thing to do though. You have to have some confidence he can do it.

  58. vanhawksfan

    I must admit that Bryce Young reminds me of a lighter, more evolved Jalen Hurts without a specific situation (Tua in the wings) that limited his stock. This may be a bit simplistic but would you draft Jalen in the top 5, even with his success? Not saying I wouldn’t based on his evolution but I’m intrigued to ask an educated community how they would consider both. Thank you.

    • Thomas

      Jalen had a strength training background. He was kind of the opposite from Young in a sense. No one doubts Young as a passer but they did doubt Jalen a bit.

    • Henry Taylor

      I have to be honest, I think this is a horrible comp. Young is an incredibly sophisticated and quality passer, his accuracy, pocket presence and creativity are light years ahead of Hurts even now, the only issue is his size (and that is a big issue). Whilst Hurts was the opposite, big strong guy that needed to work his arse off to improve as a passer.

      Both seem like high character guys though.

  59. MarkinSeattle

    I will be curious to see how far Carter slides based on this arrest. Ultimately the biggest concerns will be whether he is open to a manslaughter charge. I would be surprised if racing alone caused a conviction for manslaughter. If he is just convicted of racing and leaving the scene, then I bet he is selected by the early second round. But if there was contact or if it is shown that Carter’s vehicle in some way directly caused the accident, then it will likely end his career.

    Leaving the scene and not calling for help is a big problem.

  60. samprassultanofswat

    Jalen Carter “Leaving the scene and not calling for help is a big problem.” Not only is that a HUGE problem. That tells you everything you need to know about his character. How committed is this guy to football?
    . Going to strip-bars, racing cars +100mph between 2:30AM -4AM. Totally out-of-breath/out of shape for the two MOST IMPORTANT games during college career. This guys is starting to make Malik McDowell look like a Saint.

    • MarkinSeattle

      Agreed on the character front, although he eventually came back so I guess he doesn’t completely flunk the character test. It is hard to get over that people were dying in that car and if he had called 911 immediately maybe the driver would have gotten help early enough to through. I get panicking, but that is no excuse.

      I don’t begrudge a college kid from hitting a strip club. I don’t begrudge the time either. The high speed racing weaving through traffic is not excusable. You put not only yourself but other drivers in danger. As for being out of shape, that also demonstrates his character unless they discover some medical condition impacting his endurance.

      • UkAlex6674

        ‘Eventually came back’ says it all for me.

        That is a statement that should never have to be said in the first place.

    • Zeke

      It’s crazy how some blame his “youth” for actions like these. He’s 21, not 12.

  61. Steve Nelsen

    Mike Morris interviewed with Seattle at the Combine. We don’t have a 5-tech on the team in my opinion and he seems to fit that profile. 5-T is an important role in a 3-4. He has a reputation for setting a strong edge which was a weak point for Seattle last season. Has Rob or anyone seen tape to back up the scouting reports?

    • Seattle Person

      Interesting. I think the Hawks aren’t really playing a true 3-4 with those big, strong, and long 5T types. But…we should explore players that fit this bill if they offer something unique — like unique length.

    • Mick

      Rob has him on his horizontal board as a 3rd rounder. It would be a good spot for the position, IMO.

    • Rob Staton

      Morris’ tape is frustrating

      Played like his hair was on fire vs Michigan State

      Went through the motions too often in other games

  62. Seattle Person

    A fun little player I saw recently is Florida A&M’s Xavier Smith. The way he conducts himself reminds me a lot of Tyler Lockette. Calm, cool, and composed at all times.

    He’s not going to be at the Combine but he did do the drills during the HBCU Combine. He was in the low 4.3s with some watches and in the 4.4s with others. Interesting player. Probably someone in the 5th-7th rounds. He is getting some big time attention. Steve Smith gave him huge praise recently.

    • Trevor

      Nice shout! Have seen some clips of him and would definitely be down with him anytime on Day #3

  63. GoHawksDani

    Did I saw right that Austin Blythe retired?
    Will that put more emphasis on C in this draft? Or in FA?
    I wouldn’t mind QB #5, C #20 then go all in on defense

    • Cawww

      There’s not a C worthy of the #20 pick though

  64. Trevor

    Rob every year you seem to be way ahead of the curve on scouting and player rankings etc. Abe Lucas was a prime example last year.

    This year howeve you have been dialed in like never before.

    – Levis and Richardson being top5 talent since day 1
    -Dewand Jones and Darnell Wright being the two best and most under rated OT
    – Myles Murphy and Bryan Breese being over rated
    – Jalen Carter legit character issues. You have been saying that since even before Todd Mcshay did

    These are just some of the calls you have been way ahead of the pack on. I really think the next one to drop will be. Bryce Young’s size is a legit concern for teams with some even taking him off the board.

    Incredible content and insights this year Rob just wanted to give you a shout for that.

    • Rob Staton

      Thank you Trevor — and I appreciate you raising this

      I have honestly committed so much time to this, we’re talking hours of work every night after I finish my day job. I have had two day jobs since the summer

  65. Trevor

    The most disturbing thing I heard from the Jalen Carter report was not the strip club or 2 AM drinking / partying or even the street racing. It was the fleeing the scene, not reporting the accident and not calling 911 or trying to help.

    People can say he panicked but ask yourself this if you saw your team mate in a accident and you knew it was serious would driving away even be a consideration? No of course not because in that situation helping save your friend / team mates life becomes the only thing that matters regardless of how scared you are.

    I feel bad for Carter and the families of those kids because this is an awful situation and soooo tragic but I would never want him was a team mate because I would know he can’t be trusted when the pressure is on and he is needed most. He will always put himself first. That is why they say crisis and difficult situations are where people’s true colours shine through.

    Don’t think fans should keep piling on this kid but I hope the Hawks just take him off the board and he gets the legal and professional help he needs to get through this. Personally he is no longer part of this draft class when I consider what the Hawks might do.

    • Hawk Finn

      Great take and well-articulated. I agree

    • Roy Batty

      💯

  66. Roy Batty

    Don’t know if it’s been mentioned, but the Florio interviews with Anderson, Wilson, Murphy, Andre Carter, Van Ness and Bresee have all been a nice relaxing watch.

    Anderson is an absolute Alpha. He will become a defensive captain, very, very soon.

    Murphy sounds like he could do a lecture on options trading. The glasses helped🤣

    Wilson is a beast. His arms are massive. Humble guy.

    Carter looks like an NBA power forward.

    Van Ness is a large man. He said he gained 40 pounds of muscle in college. He looks like he did. Nickname is Hercules.

    Bresee was relaxed. Sounded like your favorite buddy to hang with at a game, no matter the sport.

    I have to say, every single one of these guys is a nice, humble, thoughtful person. They all had different personalities, but they all had an air of knowing they should be there, but not letting it get to their head. They all talked about needing to improve and talked up those who helped them get where they are.

    Loved all of them.

  67. Mick

    If I may, I’d like to leave this link here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSP6zrFQC-8
    This is how I prefer to remember Wilson, not as the guy who’s scheming to fire Pete and John.

    • TomLPDX

      Love it! Russ was pretty darned awesome and our receivers were no slouches either. Wish we could have had Sidney Rice earlier on in his career.

    • VanHawk

      Oh hell yeah!

      The rest is pettiness, best Seahawks QB all time and a decent human being to boot.

  68. Morgan

    Not an interview per se, but UCLA QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson has basically vlogged his entire football career on his youtube channel. It’s very humanizing and he strikes a great balance between confidence and self-awareness. I don’t know if he’ll ever be a superstar but it’s clear he takes his development seriously. If we don’t get a blue-chip I would love to see him as a Geno apprentice.

    https://www.youtube.com/@DorianThompsonRobinson

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