Don’t forget to check out this weeks podcast…
A few thoughts before we get into this weeks projection…
— The Seahawks were never going to enter the Kelechi Osemele market and the latest reports have Russell Okung wanting $13-14m a year. Limited cap room plus a desire to keep the bulk of their free agents limited their ability to be extremely aggressive in free agency. They’ve fixed their biggest needs in the draft before and it seems like that will be the case again this year.
— Garry Gilliam possibly switching to left tackle, the idea of starting two rookies drafted in rounds 1-3, adding increased competition at a reasonable price. We’ve discussed these things for months. Seattle’s moves in free agency really haven’t been that surprising. They prioritised keeping Ahtyba Rubin and Jeremy Lane and now they’re looking for value in the market. Increased competition on the O-line is crucial in 2016. They didn’t have that last year.
— This is a better draft for the offensive line than the general media has recognised. It’s deep on the defensive line — but there’s a better mix of freaky athletes and physical tough guys on the O-line. They should be able to find two prospective starters and this is the best way to build a cohesive unit for the next few years.
— Cris Collinsworth posted an interesting mock draft earlier today and had the Seahawks taking Alabama center Ryan Kelly. If they were to re-sign Okung and with sufficient depth at tackle and guard — this could be a possibility. At the moment they arguably need to keep adding players that can play tackle or guard. There are some nice center options in the middle rounds.
— Following the Chandler Jones trade yesterday, it wouldn’t be a total shock if the Seahawks put together a similar move to add a pass rusher. This isn’t a great class in that regard. If they want to get back to the depth they had in 2013 — trading for a pass rusher makes some sense.
Round 1
** Indicates trade
#1 Tennessee — Laremy Tunsil (T, Ole Miss)
#2 Cleveland — Carson Wentz (QB, North Dakota State)
#3 San Diego — Jaylen Ramsey (CB, Florida State)
#4 Dallas — Joey Bosa (DE, Ohio State)
#5 Jacksonville — Myles Jack (LB, UCLA)
#6 Baltimore — Ronnie Stanley (T, Notre Dame)
#7 San Francisco — Jared Goff (QB, California)
#8 Philadelphia — Ezekiel Elliott (RB, Ohio State)
#9 Tampa Bay — DeForest Buckner (DE, Oregon)
#10 ** Los Angeles — Paxton Lynch (QB, Memphis)
#11 Chicago — Jack Conklin (T, Michigan State)
#12 New Orleans — Sheldon Rankins (DT, Louisville)
#13 Miami — Eli Apple (CB, Ohio State)
#14 Oakland — Vernon Hargreaves (CB, Florida)
#15 ** New York Giants — Darron Lee (LB, Ohio State)
#16 Detroit — Reggie Ragland (LB, Alabama)
#17 Atlanta — Leonard Floyd (LB, Georgia)
#18 Indianapolis — Taylor Decker (T, Ohio State)
#19 Buffalo — Kevin Dodd (DE, Clemson)
#20 New York Jets — Noah Spence (DE, Eastern Kentucky)
#21 Washington — Keanu Neal (S, Florida)
#22 Houston — Corey Coleman (WR, Baylor)
#23 Minnesota — Derrick Henry (RB, Alabama)
#24 Cincinatti — Laquon Treadwell (WR, Ole Miss)
#25 Pittsburgh — Shaq Lawson (DE, Clemson)
#26 Seattle — Germain Ifedi (T, Texas A&M)
#27 Green Bay — Jarran Reed (DT, Alabama)
#28 Kansas City — Mackensie Alexander (CB, Clemson)
#29 Arizona — William Jackson (CB, Houston)
#30 Carolina — Emmanuel Ogbah (DE, Oklahoma State)
#31 Denver — Jason Spriggs (T, Indiana)
Round 2
#32 Cleveland — Josh Doctson (WR, TCU)
#33 Tennessee — Ryan Kelly (C, Alabama)
#34 Dallas — Vonn Bell (S, Ohio State)
#35 San Diego — Shon Coleman (T, Auburn)
#36 Baltimore — A’Shawn Robinson (DT, Alabama)
#37 San Francisco — Will Fuller (WR, Notre Dame)
#38 Miami — Jonathan Bullard (DT, Florida)
#39 Jacksonville — Charles Tapper (DE, Oklahoma)
#40 New York Giants — Sterling Shepard (WR, Oklahoma)
#41 Chicago — Willie Henry (DT, Michigan)
#42 Tampa Bay — Nick Martin (C, Notre Dame)
#43 Los Angeles — Michael Thomas (WR, Ohio State)
#44 Oakland — Karl Joseph (S, West Virginia)
#45 Los Angeles — Robert Nkemdiche (DT, Ole Miss)
#46 Detroit — Le’Raven Clark (T, Texas Tech)
#47 New Orleans — Andrew Billings (DT, Baylor)
#48 Indianapolis — Vernon Butler (DT, Louisiana Tech)
#49 Buffalo — Kamalei Correa (DE, Boise State)
#50 Atlanta — Kenny Clark (DT, UCLA)
#51 New York Jets — Travis Feeney (LB, Washington)
#52 Houston — Cody Whitehair (C, Kansas State)
#53 Washington — Joshua Perry (LB, Ohio State)
#54 Minnesota — Braxton Miller (WR, Ohio State)
#55 Cincinnati — Joshua Garnett (G, Stanford)
#56 Seattle — Connor McGovern (T, Missouri)
#57 Green Bay — Kyler Fackrell (LB, Utah State)
#58 Pittsburgh — Xavien Howard (CB, Baylor)
#59 Kansas City — Chris Jones (DT, Mississippi State)
#60 New England — Devontae Booker (RB, Utah)
#61 New England — Jihad Ward (DE, Illinois)
#62 Denver — Christian Westerman (G, Arizona State)
#63 Carolina — Kenneth Dixon (RB, Louisiana Tech)
Thoughts on Seattle’s picks
Ifedi and McGovern are both flexible players. Ifedi played right tackle in college but has the size, length and athleticism to play left guard and both tackle spots in Seattle. McGovern has started all across Missouri’s line but played left tackle in 2016. He’s projected as a possible center candidate.
The Seahawks love unique traits and athleticism and Ifeid and McGovern are both ranked in the top four for SLA. Physically Ifedi is in the 98th percentile for NFL offensive linemen. McGovern’s in the 87th percentile.
Ifedi can compete at right tackle or left guard immediately (with J’Marcus Webb) and McGovern could start at guard or center.
Mock Draftable says Ifedi’s closest pro-comparison physically at guard is Kelechi Osemele. McGovern shares some comparisons to Mitch Morse — who also switched from tackle to center after playing for Missouri. He started immediately for the Chiefs last season.
Alternative scenario
If the Seahawks don’t make a pre-draft trade for a pass rusher, they might look to move up in round two using one of their third round picks.
In the 2014 draft Philadelphia traded from #54 to #42 with Tennessee for the price of a late fourth round pick. It was a generous deal — but a third rounder should at least get you into a similar range.
It could enable them to target a player like Jonathan Bullard or Emmanuel Ogbah if he drops into round two.
Starting to really like the idea of Seattle getting Ryan Kelly at 26… if you get Okung back, you can keep Gilliam at RT, and have competition for the LG/RG spot with Webb being the presumptive starter.
Okung’s asking for $13-14m. Not even sure the Seahawks will stretch to $10m now. They might’ve moved on.
If he does return, Kelly comes into play.
No one is going to pay a left tackle who has never stayed healthy for entire year $13-14mil.
John Clayton says 4-5 million on a one year deal. Okung is coming off shoulder surgery.
Well I guess Okung has the right to ask for 13-14mil. But NFL franchises also has the right to decline his offer.
I’m led to believe the Seahawks have already offered him twice as much as Clayton is suggesting.
Never heard that. Rob: Just curious. Where did you hear that Seattle offered Okung in the 8mil neighborhood. If that is the case I can see why the Hawks signed J’Marcus Webb.
Something someone passed on. They actually said more than $8m.
I find it hard to believe Okung turned down 8M+ a year…. I’ve heard around 7M mentioned in connection with another visit he had…… there is now the latest Broncos rumor and Seahawks… and that is more or less it for LT landing spots.
Seattle offered first before Okung could even talk to other teams and he thought he could get more. Not happening and other teams are offering less and I’d guess Seattle’s offer is no longer on the table.
It’s my understanding he was offered more than $8m a year and chose to start taking visits.
We’ll see if that offer remains.
I agree with you Rob. I can’t remember where I heard/saw it, but it was something along the lines of 4 yr/$34M ($8.5M/avg). SEA has no reason to keep that on the table. He’s already made rounds and I’m pretty sure he got nowhere near that offer. SEA has “potentially” made moves to live life without him and if he does somehow return to SEA, I’d see a 1-2 yr deal worth about $6-13M. IMO, he gambled on himself and it didn’t workout…
I think they’re earmarking that money for someone else now. A pass rusher. Just a hunch. If it doesn’t come off maybe Okung returns.
Does your source indicate anything about structure?
I can imagine 8-10m annually if it’s on really team-friendly terms (super-low guarantee where the team can get out after one year with no dead money but can choose to hold onto him long-term if he stays healthy and gets back to Pro Bowl form–so something that’s effectively a 8-10m 1-year deal with a few team options on the back end).
But if it’s a real long-term deal (with actual guaranteed money over multiple years) it’s hard to figure he could get to that kind of AAV.
Didn’t they offer $8 mil per year to Maxwell last year before he signed with Philly? If so, this could be the second year in a row we should feel lucky that the pending free agent in question chose to bet on themselves.
I don’t expect Seattle to draft a center. They drafted Sokoli to play center and they kept him on the 53-man roster all year even though he didn’t play because they did not want to risk losing him. Carroll mentioned Sokoli as a player they were excited to see in 2016.
They tendered Lewis. The line calls improved when he replaced Nowak.
I think they see guard and tackle as higher needs.
They may draft a guard who has the versatility to play center like McGovern or Dahl but I think they clearly expect Sokoli to compete with Lewis.
I keep coming back to the same point. Although I’m also puzzled that Seattle is intent on converting many of the defensive lineman conversion candidates to become centers. As many remarked as Nowack struggled with line calls, center seems like it would require the biggest learning curve and the least physical gifts. Based on that perhaps flawed reasoning, I have wondered if Seattle wouldn’t be flexible with Sokoli and shift him to another line position. Physically, it’s hard to see why he isn’t at least as promising a candidate for tackle as Gilliam, for example.
I note as well the recentTimes’ article, where Condotta remarked that Seattle is excited about Perick’s potential at center. Obviously we should be so lucky as to have too many promising candidates, but center certainly doesn’t seem like a position of greatest need (or opportunity for upgrade). Thus, a guard-center candidate may be more likely than a pure center.
Great point Steve, I’m along the Sam lines of thinking/ wondering how much the front office actually likes Sokoli. Obviously they like him and I hope he surprises some people in camp and battles for a starting job, it wouldn’t surprise me though
That would be great! I say that with respect to you, Rob, who has been spot on when identifying players who will succeed in the NFL. I trust your analysis, and two rookies that upgrade the OL would give me hope for the future of the OL.
The veteran FA will either be reliable backups or serviceable starters if the rookies are not ready. Maybe:
Gilliam
Ifedi/Britt
McGovern/Sokoli
Glowinski/draft
Webb/Britt
My prediction: Gilliam, McGovern, Lewis, Glowinski, Ifedi.
Lewis is staying at center as he is a lot better then anyone will admit.
Britt is a backup swing type player.
Lewis is just a guy.
He can do the job if needed — but he is what he is. A replacement level player who didn’t win the job from Drew Nowak to start the year.
Not that I think Lewis is the definitive answer at center, but he replaced Nowak because the coaches realized that Nowak was garbage. I didn’t notice Lewis’ performance to be bad, however he is no Unger. With that being said I do like the McGovern pick in round 2 because of his versatility, and if Ifedi or Coleman could be had in the 1st that would be a great way to start the draft.
But when lewis came in the line went from bad to above average. The coaches messed up bad not playing lewis from the start.
I agree. The point I’m making though is that Nowak — as bad as he proved to be — was deemed to be a superior option to Lewis for a whole half of the season. It was a mistake — but it suggests they didn’t think too highly of Lewis.
In half fairness (though not really since it was such a bad initial decision), as has been pointed out to me by someone on here, they gave up on Nowak after the fifth game. Lewis started the 6th against Carolina, but got injured and Nowak unfortunately had to go back in for two more games.
And he was so bad that they just cut him completely after that and put LJP as the backup to Lewis instead. Sure Nowak re-signed on the practice squad, but all that high praise showering Nowak from Cable early in the season turned out to be either fluff or Cable whiffing big time.
I think Cable may have lost some power in the selection of o-line department. I think there were some rumors of friction? Don’t know if they’re true, but it probably has to do with this. Pete putting his foot down to solve this o-line issue. Should come out of this a stronger team with stronger coaches and hopefully a better system for analyzing offensive lineman.
I think it had more to do with Cable’s ego and refusal to change and finally Pete or Paul just put their foot down and forced the change to save their franchise QB who was getting murdered every game…
“The point I’m making though is that Nowak — as bad as he proved to be — was deemed to be a superior option to Lewis for a whole half of the season.”
The blunder of starting Nowak over Lewis was a decision based on athletic upside, rather than performance. Nowak couldn’t even make the line calls, but he could light up a LB at the 2nd level. Lewis is clearly less blessed athletically, yet when inserted into the starting lineup the offense took off. It was not a coincidence, he made the OL average, which is all the offense really needs to click. This huge mistake of going with upside over solidarity has to be recognized, and not repeated. That said, Ifedi and Mcgovern have both played a lot of big time college ball, and look ready to play day 1.
Centers are cheap in draft terms, so if they want to replace Lewis why not pick a center that has experience at the position? This push to prove that they can convert defensive linemen to offensive linemen is better spent on the guard position where they don’t have to snap the ball and call out blocking coverage.
Rob, off topic for a moment but I figured since its almost March Madness and everyones filling out a bracket. What about doing a friendly competition with SDB guys with the draft approaching? Say everyone completes one mock draft per person and who ever gets the most correct picks wins. Wns what I dont know, bragging rights? Im always open for thoughts and who doesnt enjoy a bit of healthy competition?
That is a great idea and would be fun.
Possibly — although with a draft guide to write I might be limited time wise.
Would rather have Webb at LG and Mcgovern at center.
Lewis just knew how to bark out the line calls pre snap and nowak didn’t know his assignment let alone telling the rest of the line . Lewis really is just another guy. IMO the top 5 centers on most big boards are better than Lewis
I’d be pumped if this came to fruition.
And what’s exciting about it, the odds of it actually happening, seems to be quite high.
I like it! Though, for me, I think that unless the interior guy is really special, if we go OT in R1 I’d probably prefer to go DL in R2, leaving the interior guy for the R3 comp pick or the R4 pick.
But that’s splitting hairs, or picking nits, or whatever.
If Fackrell is there in the second after having taken a tackle in the first, I’ll be a little bit disappointed – especially with the Carroll comments about maybe improving the pass rush in the draft. That disappointment would last for two minutes and then I’d go back to being pumped about the pick.
Bobbyk, just wanted to say really enjoyed your pieces on Kenny Easley. Been trying to leave a comment on that site, but its not functioning.
Myself, Im not high on Ifedi at 26, and I think Seattle will trade down and go with O-line in the later rounds. Im convinced they are going to go BPA, especially high in the Draft. Thus all the competition brought in on the O-line and D-line–now they are not desperate. I like Feeney the LB from WA in the second though.
So glad to finally see Seattle bring in some under 30 yr old vets along the O-line. Just too bad they are the bottom of the barrel. Still dont understand the money they are giving Sowell–he was simply awful onfield.
Oh snap! Yeah props on the Kenny Easley articles, you got to talk to him!? How cool is that
Man, Baylor and all these freak athletes!
OL Blake Muir is 6’6, 315 lbs., 32″ inch vert, 9’8″ broad jump, from Austrailia. Still looking for the rest of his numbers.
He played at the university of Hawaii Prior to Baylor. I thought he was decent but not outstanding. Maybe his technique got better because he was a bit raw.
He’s more than likely an UDFA, that’s for sure.
He jumped from Australia? Impressive.
I am hanging by a thread with these moves Rob lol. Your articles are the last thing keeping me positive in regards to our O-line not looking awful in ’16. All I hear about in regards to the OLinemen we picked up are horrible (Britt level) things from the fans of the teams the players were on. The idea of Webb starting is scary.
The other scary thing is we are hoping our FO drafts the right offensive linemen. Have they changed how they evaluate talent and what they won’t so we don’t end up with another Britt? Another Carp? Even Okung was a disappointment given his cost.
Overall I went from very positive to positive to now just thinking “well…w/e happens happens…” *throws hands up in the air in frustration*.
If they grab Ifedi or another good OT in the 1st and then grab McGovern in the second, or Glasgow in the third, I will gain my positivity and be hopeful again. But so far the best OL decision this FO has made is re-signing Patrick Lewis. Given how our OL played in ’15…that is pretty scary.
I think the only real bust they’ve had on the O-line was Britt. A panic move essentially because they didn’t want to leave the draft without a RT. Okung, Carpenter, Sweezy was an efficient O-line during two Super Bowl runs. Moffitt blew his chance so we never got to see how good he really was.
Yeah I guess that is true. I would call Okung and Carp disappointments more than busts for sure. And I believe from what they knew (college tape and athletic profile) Okung was supposed to be really good, so it isn’t like with Britt where they over-reached and grabbed a projected 4th-5th round guy in the 2nd…a guy who arguably should be a career backup (if that).
I have liked a few moves the FO has made, not re-signing Sweezy, not over-paying for Okung, re-signing Lewis. But Webb and the other guy…again I hear Britt level bad stuff about their play from their former teams fans. (They are turnstiles, awful, etc).
It’s just scary when the one aspect of your team that is the worst in the league, really hurts your QB’s odds of success, arguably cost you the ’16 season (regular season and NFCCG), can easily lead to your QB getting hurt, and we saw how amazing our offense is when our OL is even just decent in pass pro…and your team so far is signing garbage players (one to a cheap deal, the other with some real guaranteed money) and not doing much else? :/ scary.
There were eight offensive lineman drafted in the first round in 2011.
9. Tyron Smith – Dallas
15. Mike Pouncey – Miami
17. Nate Solder – NE
22. Anthony Castonzo – Colts
23. Danny Watkins – Eagles
25. James Carpenter – Seahawks
29. Gabe Carimi – Bears
32. Derek Sherrod – Packers
Of those drafted in the first round, Carpenter was the sixth lineman drafted. But, he has been the fifth best lineman out of the 2011 first round. Watkins is now a firefighter. Carimi has been on three teams, was traded for a 6th round pick and then cut. Sherrod is a free agent and has started one game in his career.
Honestly, Carpenter was drafted where he should have been drafted. When his career is over, he will have played at least 10 years. That is not a bad pick at all.
Great point. Love break downs like that. Thank you.
Just because everyone else was bad, it doesn’t make Carp a good pick for the Seahawks (unless the 5th round comp. pick they got for him turns out to be a good player).
He wasn’t good as a rookie.
He was worthless as a second year player.
As a third year player, he was essentially benched in the play-off opener against the Saints (Bowie started). You don’t bench good players in a play-off game unless they aren’t good.
His fourth year was okay.
They declined his fifth year option.
I’m not sure how that is a good first round pick. As I said, just because everyone else was bad, doesn’t make him good.
I don’t think he said Carpenter was good.
Rather he said “Carpenter was drafted where he should have been drafted” relative to the OL talent in that draft class.
Everything’s relative in every draft.
Good point.
Just because he outperformed the other late-1st guys doesn’t necessarily mean he was picked where he should have been–there were a number of similarly-succesful OL picked beyond the 1st in that draft, and you also have to compare him to other positions taken in the late-1st (lots of fans hoped for Jimmy Smith, we could have grabbed Muhammad Wilkerson, etc.).
But regardless of how you evaluate Carpenter I think ultimately the Seahawks have no complaints about the 2011 draft.
You’d be hard pressed to find 25 better players from that draft that are definitively better. He’s going to end up being a 10 year starter at LG and is being paid as an upper 1/3 interior OL. It was a solid pick, a valuable use of pick #25 in the 2011 draft.
So we go for it like we did in 2011 and hope the results this time are better this time. I like this thou. Its a reach everyone will say but seattle doesn’t care. No matter what Morse we missed but if McGovern can play center great if not he’ll start somewhere on that line. The guy is the most Seahawky lineman I’ve seen to play on the inside or outside in a pinch. He the last one of a very good Mizzou OL.
Nathan: My gut feeling is that the Seahawk offensive is going to be fine. This draft is loaded with offensive lineman.
Yeah but the Hawks drafting the right guys in the right places + those guys being ready their rookie year and not giant liabilities….those are key factors that are rough for every team in the NFL to get right.
The key here is can the new guys coming can they stay healthy. It seems a lot of these college guys coming into the NFL are just not ready for the pounding they will take. The bad thing with Carpenter was he got hurt his 1st year and halfway thru the next season they got him back and he got reinjured and going that long not playing he let his body get out of shape.
Oakland last year signed Rodney Hudson for 8.9M/year, and they signed Osemele this year,plus resigned Penn.(great OL performance last year)
Arizona last year signed Mike Iupati,for 8M/year, and they signed Evan Mathis this year 1 year/ up to 6M $
Texans let Brooks go,but filled his spot with Jeff Allen signing(7m/year)
Why on earth Seahawks not doing this? They rely too much on RW’s scrambling? They basically don’t value OL. Even LT. Just sign Jahri Evans and feel comfortable about it.It can’t be ‘that’ hard.
Are the Raiders paying Sherman, Thomas, Wilson, Wagner, Wright, Graham, Bennett, Avril, Chancellor etc?
When’s the last time Oakland, Houston and Arizona went to the Super Bowl?
Why is a 33-year-old Jahri Evans — who nobody seemingly wants to employ — going to be a solution?
Those teams i talked about were just instances. You’re right about their approach to offseason,that’s a great approach and that approach is the reason of this teams success.
But can’t they just invest a little more to the obvious weakest position group on this team. Maybe they’ll do something in draft but they’re not great at drafting OL. It’s not have to be Jahri Evans. Just anything better than Britt or Sweezy. Not a rookie or Webb. I’m not saying they should overpaid mediocre guys, they should pay for good quality and that is not Webb. I hope i’m wrong.
Or the Seahawks could continue to not be Houston, Arizona, or Oakland.
Onursry, I also have plenty of issues with how the offseasons have gone for the Hawks. I am so far not happy with their signings.
On the other hand, teams like Oakland have massive wallets to shop every offseason. That’s what comes with losing. They have it easy. Watching them sign stars is fun for rosterbaters.
As for Jahri Evans. Yes, he is 33, but he is a proven commodity worth a short contract somewhere. We have discussed veteran stopgaps in here for a long time. We are disagreeing about how they go about it. Until I see otherwise, would rather have an old Jahri Evans to the likes of JMarcus and Sowell, who were turnstiles.
And yet Webb and Sowell have jobs and nobody has seemingly shown any reported interest in Jahri Evans.
Could that be because of comp picks?
Steel: The Reason the Raiders have this is because they haven’t spent it. Now they are forced to spend it.
Would you rather the Seahawks follow the Raiders plan or the plan that has lead to two Superbowl appearances and four straight playoff appearances?
Recent Raiders drafts have been home runs, so they’re going to be in line for some tough decisions the next two offseasons as Murray, Carr, Mack, G. Jackson, Amerson, etc. all come due for new contracts. But that’s later, right now they are loaded with young talent on small money deals so they have to spend big just to hit the minimum.
Rob,
Nice call on the McGovern kid:
“STRENGTHS: McGovern’s strength is his strength. He will emerge as one of the strongest prospects in this draft class regardless of position and possibly the strongest of all linemen. McGovern is a weight room warrior, bench pressing over 500 pounds and 225 pounds 40 times. He also broke school records in the squat (690 pounds five times) and reportedly squatted 785 pounds.
More important, he can translate that strength to the football field. For his size and with all that bulk, McGovern can surprisingly move well and can get to the second level. He does have good, nimble feet. McGovern gets out of his stance well and can drive defenders off the ball. He shows good awareness in zone blocking.
In pass pro, McGovern sets quickly and can slide his feet to mirror and stay in front of defenders. He’s best in phone booth, where he can eat up defenders in tight quarters.”
Sounds like a solid pick. As for your call not to panic, I am one of those with his hand hovering over the button. Using the first two picks like you are suggesting might allow me to relax a bit.
McGovern also had a 1.73 second ten yard split. Is that as good as it sounds?
5.11 40
4.65 shuttle
7.5 3-cone
On this Chandler Jones deal. I can’t see the hawks doing anything like that. Honestly, Arizona got fleeced in my opinion. You essentially get a guy for one year, in exchange for a 2nd and a good young olineman. Talk about building for now and only now. Pisses me off to see the pats continually getting the best on other teams with regards to trades.
It doesn’t have to be a trade for a guy that has one year left on his contract.
Rob that is true. But if they decide to keep him they are going to pay BIG-TIME Bucks to keep. It’s getting to be insane Pass rushers making QB money.
We’ll be in the same boat next offseason – both Avril and Bennett will be in their last year, both will expect heafty pay raises.
Belichick is ruthless, and good at it. He knows how to exploit desperate teams. The Cards are taking a gamble that they can get a SB in a hurry, and that Jones will be great. The fact that NE did not believe he was worth a contract of a great, opting for Sheard/Ninkovich/pending rookie/Grissom, etc for their edge rush speaks volumes.
I think the Cardinals win now approach is appropriate due to Carson Palmer’s age. Their window is going to slam shut as soon as he declines. Look how awful they were once he injured his thumb.
As far as I understand pats fans don’t seem to miss the guy
“Jones was an important part of the defense, however he’d dissappear at times during the season (2014 & 2015). His run defense could be suspect at times too.”
And other than that from my understanding the second Sheard went down Jones production became incredibly limited. I’m not saying he isn’t talented or a special player clearly he is but he might not be as much of a pain as some people think
Rob, do you believe that Deion Jones will be there at the bottom of round 3, or do you have him going in the upper/middle portion?
I think early third. Maybe late second.
I agree. If the Hawks want Jones they will have to take him at 56. Jones will not be on the board at 90.
Jones at 56 then trade up in the 3rd to get the Michigan o-liner….what’s his name..
Given our current free agency situation I think it is vital that the Hawks not only draft Oline with 2 of the first 4 picks, but also that they hit on these lineman and get at least one solid starter. If they get two then that would be awesome, but hard to expect two solid rookie starters on the O line.
Of course I can’t even imagine how I would feel if they don’t go O line early, but it would be tantamount to thinking that the Hawks FO has made the biggest mistake of their respective careers.
I think the Seahawks FO deserves a lot more benefit of the doubt than people are prepared to give them.
i get that you are trying to stay positive but look at the current O line as it is today (it will change but for sake of argument)
LT (no one) no one with LT exp on roster currently
LG (britt) terrible (comp with Webb who has also been graded bad)
C (lewis) ok
RG (glowinski) 1 start, hopeful he will be good but wont know til next year
RT (gilliam) liked gilliam, think he will continue to improve
If we sign Okung, and get a high pick for RT or LG then I will give them credit.
If they DON’T sign Okung, and don’t go oline high in draft, I don’t see how it is possible to give them credit. Sometimes you just have to call a spade a spade.
“i get that you are trying to stay positive”
Nope.
I’m just trying to offer some perspective. The draft hasn’t even started yet and people are acting like they know how the line is going to look in 2016.
Too much negativity.
I mean I don’t see how it is possible for people not to be negative given what I outlined as the current state of the left side of our line, but as I said that can change with the fortunes of Okung/draft. Hopefully it turns out well but at the moment not a lot to be happy about.
Because the draft is still weeks away and free agency isn’t close to being over.
People being negative today before they have any idea who will start in 2016 is just an overreaction. This FO has built a legendary team. They’ve earned a bit of patience on this one.
fair enough we will see how the O line plays out next season, hoping they perform well
Rob, it is not an overreaction to question every move.
Because this is a team that does not have a huge budget. The championship window is not so wide open that they can afford to miss. Every move has to be on point, and every move must reap huge dividends. Especially at weak positions.
The FO is far from perfect. A strong argument can be made that they could have two more SBs in the trophy case, if they had had a few more/different pieces on the roster.
Webb, Sowell have Cary Williams type resumes—underperformers. They are paying J’M Webb a starter’s salary. Could they both turn out to be fine? Perhaps. The “trust the FO” mantra failed in the case of Cary. Jimmy Graham didn’t live up. Harvin bombed.
“Rob, it is not an overreaction to question every move.”
Read that back Steele. Questioning every move of a sensational front office IS an overreaction.
“The FO is far from perfect. A strong argument can be made that they could have two more SBs in the trophy case, if they had had a few more/different pieces on the roster.”
I think your expectations have grown beyond what is realistic.
I think there are fans that believe winning a Superbowl is easier than it actually is.
Not a lot to be happy about? Top 5 QB. Top two rookies at their positions last year in Rawls and Lockett. Best secondary in the league. Two monsters starting at LB. A d-line with Bennett, Avril, Rubin, Clark. Yes the OL needs help but we have a lot of free agency left and an entire draft t address those weaknesses.
We live in the era of the salary cap yet our team still has room after locking up their core to either re-sign Okung, absorb a trade for Joe Thomas or be creative with post June 1st cuts.
If you’re gonna panic, wait until there’s actually something to worry about.
My post was clearly pointing at the O line specifically, not the whole team. To point out all the bright spots of the team completely ignores the point I was making.
Wasn’t ignoring your point. Addressed it in the second paragraph.
Seems to be a lot of back and forth between the “the world is ending because we didn’t upgrade the line” camp and the “don’t worry you’re overreacting” camp, so as someone who resides probably further on in the former camp I’d like to just express where my fear is coming from.
Last year everyone seemed to give PCJS the benefit of the doubt in regards to the line. I don’t remember many, if anyone, expressing much worry about it. I think people just figured they’d stick Bailey in as a starter and there would be not significant downgrade from the year before. But then the season started and the line was downright atrocious. I don’t think anyone is disputing that. Yes they made some changes eventually and things got better but it took a good 6-8 games to get to that point. My biggest worry is that history repeats itself and we sign some mediocre FAs, draft a few guys, and then come out to start the season and start to lose games because of horrible line play and by the time the team gets it fixed, it’s too late to recover. Especially considering that it’s not like everyone didn’t know this was a need coming into the offseason. Everyone knows the Hawks have a talented roster, one of the best in the league and it would be a shame if they didn’t live up to their potential because it takes too much time for rookies to acclimate on the line or the depth guys aren’t good. The Hawks started the season bad last year and got behind early (not blaming all on the line) and kind of caught up (not enough) but that doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t try to dominate from the start, the core is definitely there, which is why I would have liked to see a little more priority put on the line because I believe that’s the only real weak spot on the team.
Hi David,
I will say at this point that we voiced legitimate concern about the O-line on this blog. Having mocked Seattle taking Mitch Morse in R2 we acknowledged the need — and before the season I went on a Field Gulls podcast and stated I thought the line’s lack of experience could result directly in an 0-2 start. I also wrote this piece in August during the pre-season…
https://seahawksdraftblog.com/o-line-issues-dogging-nfl-not-just-seahawks
I didn’t think it would take half a season to improve — but the initial concerns were there.
This year it’s hard to judge the O-line until after the draft. Last year they relied on day three for O-liners. I doubt that will be the case in 2016. And if they take two in the first three rounds — that’ll be a concerted effort to improve the line.
They also had what, 2 or 3 weeks in August to put an O-line together last year?
Here we are in March, with the draft still approaching and FA not being close to done.
Big difference IMO.
Troy: can you tell me who is going to start at LT/LG/OC. Give it a break man. We have only been in free agency two weeks and the draft is 6 weeks away and you are in panic mode.
I think that “the draft” is a particularly iffy resource for building an immediately successful offensive line. Sure, a good draft pick on the OL can help a franchise for years–but not all that often for the first year. Morse-type players are not very common.
Offensive linemen are not running backs. It takes more time, given the pretty significant talent increases in the defensive linemen they are now facing in the NFL, the cohesion element with other linemen on their OL, etc.
So concern, especially in the short term, about the OL is reasonable here.
What evidence is there of this though?
Old, ageing veterans from a recent era where O-liners were very different and weren’t necessarily dealing with the extreme athletes on defense in the modern game. Are they any more likely to perform?
STL had two rookies on their line last season and had the best pass protection in the league according to Football Outsiders.
Over the last 4 years the Seahawks offensive line has looked pretty bad early in the season. I don’t see how adding 2-3 starters from the draft would make it any worse. The offensive line will have the same progression this year, terrible looking the first 2-4 games, then gradual improvement to average at mid season. Hopefully with some new talent they will continue to improve on the way to the superbowl.
Concern is absolutely warranted, but there’s no reason at this point to assume all is lost.
LT: Okung is way too expensive at $10+M to re-sign, Bailey fell out of favor and signed for a lot more than the Seahawks were interested in paying him. Okung will likely be replaced either by Gilliam or a rookie. You yourself said you liked Gilliam and that “he will continue to improve”.
LG: Britt was a poor pass blocker, but effective run blocker. Webb was a 16 game starter and a clear upgrade from Britt as a full-time Guard. He was having a good season at RG in Oakland, but when he moved to RT due to necessity he struggled.
C: Lewis is average, he will struggle with the Kawann Short’s and Aaron Donalds of the world, but so will most Centers. I think the draft has some good upgrade options, so the position is in better shape this year than last.
RG: Sweezy’s run blocking and tenacity will be missed, but the Bucs vastly overpayed for a guy who is a poor pass blocker. Glowinski (or possibly Webb) should offer an upgrade in the passing game at least and Britt and/or Sowell could figure in depending on what they do at LG and RT.
RT: Gilliam was a poor fit at RT I thought, he didn’t offer the kind of run blocking I think they prefer on the right side. Since Webb’s a better Guard than Tackle, I think Sowell and Britt will likely compete with a rookie and maybe Poole to figure it out in training camp.
Pass blocking in the interior is going to be better with Webb on board and Sweezy gone. Pass blocking could be worse on the edge though with Okung possibly leaving. Who knows what the draft will bring and who knows exactly how much Gilliam steps up in 2016 though. Okung was oft injured, so it’s not like we could safely rely on him anyway. Good linemen are drafted low sometimes, so assuming that it’s first round pick or bust is the wrong way to look at it.
I am hoping the Hawks go offensive line/pass rusher. With their first two picks. In either order. Denver’s pass rush DOMINATED: Carolina in the Super Bowl.
What did Michigan St DE Shilique Calhoun do today at his pro day?
I like him.
Rob doesn’t.
He has continued to project high.
(Calhoun projects high)
I think he has a ton of average tape.
Flashes in spots but too infrequently.
Hopefully better than at the combine
That’s my point.
Depends on what he did today.
I don’t think he’s a guy you want starting, but as a 3rd or 4th DE, he’d be good.
JS is subsidizing the impact positions (QB, DB’s, DL’s) at the cost of the OL. This might be our new norm and I for one don’t mind. They could do a “OL by committee” for all I care. I hope the first two picks are on defense. Give me a tandem of:
Keanu Neal/Travis Freeny
A’Shawn Robinson/Jonathan Bullard
Jarran Reed/Karl Joseph
Any combo of these six, I’d be a happy ‘Hawks fan.
When is the last time a good offensive line led to a Superbowl? I’m trying to think back and it’s surprisingly hard. Denver’s O line was awful last year. New England’s was trash in 2014 – they won because of Tom Brady and severe mismatches at receiver spots. Seattle’s wasn’t anything special in 2013. Baltimore maybe?
I’m not trying to make a point that an offensive line isn’t required, but just having a serviceable one would be enough for Seattle to be Superbowl contenders. I’m with you, though I think they should go O line early to make this line serviceable.
Agreed.
Further, there doesn’t necessarily seem to be a correlation between having a top oline and keeping your QB in the lineup. Romo and Dalton missed significant time and played behind two of the better olines around.
Well put, Darnell. Point taken!
I think the more important point is to not have the play blown up on the snap. You are correct that it has almost nothing to do with keeping Russ healthy!
Super Bowl history going back to the 1960s is full of teams that had great and good o-lines. Limiting it to “recent” distorts the point.
They need better than serviceable. Unless you like watching them struggle mightily and make things difficult for themselves.
The game has also changed dramatically since then, especially “recently”.
The Cowboys title run was in large part of their incredible OL. The triplets get the credit but thier OL and DL were amazing. Big Walt and Larry Allen are my two favorite OLineman of all time. That is what Jerry is trying to recreate with his new OL and investing all the early picks.
Nobody is saying that a good OL will lead this team to a Super Bowl. That’s what they have Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor, Earl Thomas, Bobby Wagner, KJ Wright, Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril, Russell Wilson, Doug Baldwin, Tyler Lockett, etc. for.
However, when you’ve got a talented team like that and you can’t get to the Super Bowl and getting manhandled offensively in the trenches in the first half of your play-off loss (and horrible early season especially performance)… it means a specific area of the team isn’t pulling its weight and that area needs improvement.
It takes a team to win it all. Part of our team just needs improvement. Pass rush, too.
Derrick Henry to MN is interesting, especially with Treadwell still on the board. I think if he gets past MN, then he is in play for the Hawks as you’ve previously explored. OR at that point, a team at the top of RD2 might be interested in Henry enough to make a deal. Each of the top 3 teams could use him, DAL especially.
Any idea when Treadwell’s pro day is supposed to be?
Interesting to note the news about Bevell spending a lot of time with Tyler Ervin. He is one of the most dynamic offensive football players in this year’s draft. I’ve watched a lot of his film and he drew my attention in the same way that Tyler Lockett did last year when I watched KSU tape. His measurements were phenomenal at the combine. However I assumed that the Seattle wouldn’t go near him in the draft because he falls into the scatback mold. Then it turns out that Lance Dunbar made a visit. Then there are rumors about Seattle’s interest in TT’s Washington and Illinois’ Ferguson. Then the news about Bevell dominating Ervin’s time at the pro day. I strongly believe that if Ervin is Seattle’s pick in the fourth or fifth round, he will have a similar impact to their offense as Lockett did last year (albeit with fewer snaps).
Hmm, that’s pretty interesting. I just read a couple scouting reports and they were pretty positive. Sounds like a later round field tilter. I could see the Seahawks biting here. Thanks for the info!
Yup- I tried to say that he was ‘Seahawky.’
I’ll say it again, the COP RBs are the way to go in this draft.
You nailed it Sam. He’s too electric and dynamic for Seattle to ignore.
They also met with Baylor WR Jay Lee.
Don’t forget about VMAC visitor Clemson RB Zac Brooks. Only 200 lbs.
I like him a lot and he would be a great compliment with Rawls and CMike. Anyone know how he is as a blocker. I know he struggled a little in Senior bowl drills but looked more than willing which is the most important thing.
Not really his thing, or what you’d be drafting him for.
He’s an OW. A guy that is incredibly versatile. Can line up at receiver, provide value on STs.
RB is starting to look like a possible day 3 pick. They’ll probably take 2.
I like this idea. Someone’s gotta catch those backside passes Lynch used to get for big gains when no one else was open 🙂
I was hoping we were going to sign Mathis as our LG but after seeing him get $6 mil for 1 yr from the Cards I am not surprised we didn’t. They must feel he is motivated and has something in the tank. That is going to be a solid run blocking OL.
Arizona is definitely pushing all their chips in the middle and going all in.
Really hope they do not get Keanu Neal or Ryan Kelly with that first picks as Safety / Center seem to be their only needs and those two guys are studs IMO.
Too bad about Mathis. $6 m itself isn’t much, but just a one year?
They’re all in this year. Palmer probably doesn’t have more than 1 year left, Larry Fitz is getting older and slower, and they have a bunch of people they have to pay soon.
They have to win now, or never.
Tell GB Fitz is getting older and slower.
Can someone explain the idea of having Gilliam switch to LT instead of staying at RT? He’s still relatively inexperienced at playing on the offensive line, so wouldn’t it make sense to just keep him at the same spot instead of shuffling him around? We could draft someone like Shon Coleman in the 1st round, and plug him in at LT, the position he played in college, and have two people playing positions they are familiar with. And I know the old adage is that you want your best tackle playing on the left side, because that’s where the opposing team’s best pass rusher will be rushing from, but with someone who scrambles so well like Russell, I feel like it wouldn’t be as big of an issue. Plus teams are sending guys like Von Miller all over the field.
The difference between right and left tackle in the modern NFL is minimal.
My main thing with Ifedi is his tape – seems like he gets smoked a lot. Athleticism is one thing, but for a first round pick – I hope they pick someone that performs well ASAP, and isn’t just SPARQie. Rob, you are always saying that Seattle likes to draft athletic freaks in the first round that also performed well in college, does Ifedi really fit this? I’ve read all your material on his athleticism/size, etc, I get it, but what about the tape and his coordination thus far, etc… ?
Thanks for the great material – makes the offseason fun.
His tape is better than a lot of people think IMO. Lot to like. Not flawless, but Ronnie Stanley has his moment too.
Pats get Martellus Bennett for swapping late round picks. Is that is the compensation required to pull that off its disappointing that the Hawks weren’t in on this.
Is that=If that
This is a run first offense. Another $5-6m on another passing TE?
Patriots also had 10m more in cap space to play with than us
A good point certainly
Bennett wants to catch passes, and is good at it. But he’s also a pretty big dude who blocks well. He’s a real, old-school All-Around TE, not a glorified WR who cant block worth a damn like Jimmy Graham. Personally, I think Carrol meddled with the offense once again (as with Percy), when he should leave that side of the ball to Bevell. Bevell seems unable to maximize Grahams strengths–or minimize his weaknesses, and from what I have seen, would likely do better with a TE like Bennett for 5 mill a season than a guy like Graham at 8-10.
Unless they can get the ball to Graham in the Red Zone and on third down–to the tune of 10+ TD’s this year–his acquisition will go down as a bust. You dont need to pay what we did in picks and salary for the production he provides within our offense. He just doesnt fit.
Having said that, I thought his stats were fine last year, except his ridiculous lack of TD receptions. That has to be fixed, and it starts with RW actually practicing throwing him jump balls BEFORE he’s open. Last season, its seemed RW waited too long to throw, and either threw the ball 15 feet in the air, or at Grahams numbers. I still cant understand how the heck RW couldnt throw some decent Fades or skinny posts to a guy who is 6′-7″ and can jump….
This is going to be yet another strong offseason for NE, the third aggressive one. They know Tom Brady won’t be around long, and they are going for it again.
Interesting how players so quickly sign on with them.
Kraft probably guarantees players a lifetime supply of Mac and cheese…
Steele, curious are you a hawks fan?
TE Martellus Bennett to the Pats.
Great move. Pair him with Gronk.
They just keep making good moves really. Incredible organization really.
I wouldn’t consider consistently identified for possible cheating to be a great organization
Belichek knows what he’s doing. Another great move. Rob has them drafting Booker and Ward, both would fit in perfectly in NE. I can’t stand the Pats, but have to recognize BB’s brilliance.
Of note: Connor McGovern’s closest comp. on mockdraftable is M. Glowinski (2015). If they like how Glow is developing, picking up McGovern seems like a no-brainer.
Talk about Roster mirroring 🙂
I would bet dollars to donuts that the Patriots take 1 WR in the second round. They absolutely need a young WR that can make plays. The addition of the TE Bennett from Chicago was another nice move. The rich get richer it looks like.
They are going to take a long deep threat type somewhere in the draft.
They are going to be scary.
Would be ecstatic over that draft.
Gilliam/Webb/McGovern/Glowinski/Ifedi
Young line that can learn together and gel. Would rather have the learning pains with a young line, than old and players learning different positions.
The two 3rd picks would be Notre Dame DT (Day) and RB (Prosise)
Oops. Posted this in yesterday’s thread.
This is my first 7-round mock.
1 G/T Germain Ifedi
2 LB Deion Jones
3 G/C Connor McGovern
3 DE Ronald Blair III
4 WR Devon Cajuste
5 RB Tyler Ervin
6 T Stephane Nembot
7 FB Dan Vitale
7 DL David Onyemata
I like it!
Wonder if Onyemata is their next OL project.
I actually hope they keep him on the DL he has a ton of upside and has only been playing for 3-4 years. He had some nice splash plays at the Shrine Game.
I hope the Hawks are looking at a pass rusher. I have said all along. I have wanted two pass rushers. One veteran and one early(especially the 1st/2nd round)in the draft.
Pauline on Temple WR Robbie Anderson, worked out as a CB for SEA:
“Final word on Temple is Robbie Anderson was faster than first reported, as I’m told there were times in the low 4.3s (4.32/4.34) on his 40s. I’m told he looked good in both receiver and defensive back drills. He caught the ball well at wideout and was clean in the defensive back drills. Scouts commented that they feel Anderson has definite potential as a next-level cornerback.”
Interesting tweet from Kam Chancellor:
@Kam_Chancellor: Seattle is my Second home. I don’t plan on going anywhere unless some higher power places me… https://t.co/e09cCLLbQo
What does that even mean? Was he replying to someone or just randomly posting it? He just needs to get off twitter or get someone to manage it for him. That whole series of loyalty to yourself tweets every time someone signed a deal last week was just ridiculous.
If it was replying to someone then I would take it as a positive that he wants to be a Hawk still.
Not a reply as far as I can tell. More of a public declaration.
Danny O’Neil at Kiro had just posted a “Hawk Talk” n which he suggested that Kam would not play next season for the Hawks on his current deal, and predicted a draft-eve deal that exchanged Kam for a “lower half of the draft pick”….
That would be the definition of selling low — a terrible deal for SEA if all they get back is a throwaway pick.
Rob is there a young tackle across the league that you might be worth our Bam Bam in a trade….I know you don’t like the Kam trade talk but hypothetically?
There isn’t. The only trade I’d be interested in is for a pass rusher.
Danny needs something to talk about during this pre-draft period. Why not speculate wildly about this and that?
He doesn’t want to go anywhere until he wants to whine about more money. I’m over him and his ego. When he came back and he said that he forgives his teammates and people who do not understand why he held out…. Get outta here
Sounds like he’s all in. /s
Sounds like he considers Seattle his second home.
I’m ringing the bell for Defense early. In recent years, the Hawks have spent early picks on mediocre offensive linemen, (Carpenter, Moffit, Britt ) and wasted a valuable time converting Defensive linemen.
I like their current strategy of signing veteran offensive line JAGs, at least you know what your getting. With Wilson, all you need is a guy to stand his ground for a little while and not get run over.
Last year the DL did not get the push up the middle like previous years, due to losing some of the D-line rotation, and some due to teams attacking the Hawk’s defense with short routs over the middle. IMO, early picks would be better spent on DT, LB, and cornerbacks to counter opponents offensive quick-pass strategy. If Tom Cable want’s a project, I hope it will be in the later rounds.
I agree Shoreline Bill. Much talk of the OL but the Seahawks bread and butter is and always has been their defense. If an impact player is available at 26 (Keanu Neal?) it wouldn’t surprise me a bit if they snatch him up. I wouldn’t be surprised if one or more of the Seahawk developmental O/L step up. Sokoli/Glowinski/Poole/Nowak have all had a year in the system to develop in the same way they have coached up Gilliam who went from tight end to a seemingly realistic shot at starting left tackle.
That’s an understated point one or more of those guys might be ready and the front office knows their progression far better than we do.
@AdamSchefter: Former Chicago LB Shea McClellin is signing a 3-year deal with the Patriots, per source.
Oh well.
Bill Freakin’ Belichick
Not all of their moves are golden, but how shocked will you NOT be if Mclellin’s career is suddenly resurrected like Sheard’s was last year?
Wouldn’t be shocked at all… Players fitting/not-fitting schemes is HUGE. NE rarely wastes a roster spot on a guy that doesn’t fit them. NE has replaced Chandler Jones (a player they were knowingly going to lose in a year) with Sheard (last year) Chris Long and McClellan while getting Jonathan Cooper and a 2nd rd pick… Well played Pats… Well played!!!
Man, what an offseason for NE. Get Cooper, a starting o-lineman for Jones (who disappointed them), M.Bennett, Shea McClellin, Chris Long, Frank Kearse, Chris Hogan, Donald Brown. Wow. They are going for it.
I think Seattle will still make another move or two.
Who it is, I got no idea, but I’m guessing they got a pass rusher in mind.
Starks? Dansby?
Clem?
Clem and Schofield are definetly in the mix. Although maybe more as fall-back options?
Mike Neal?
Interesting option.
I’ve been thinking Mike Neal all along. Can play DE/DT/OLB, about as versatile as versatile can be for a HC who loves versatility.
I hope the Hawks are looking at a pass rusher. I have said all along. I have wanted two pass rushers. One veteran and one early(especially the 1st/2nd round)in the draft.
The best FA pass rushers are gone. The cupboard is already dry.
Mike Neal is not an outside backer, nor is he really a pass rusher, although he has been used sporadically.
Who’s left?(In FA, it’s crickets…) Nobody exciting. Jason Jones. A couple of reunion options. Chris Clemons (34). O. Schofield.
Cameron Wake may or may not be in the Dolphins’ plans, who knows if anyone can get at him.
Trade for a pass rusher? Not sure. Draft for sure.
Starks is a possibility I’d think.
Have a tough time seeing them go after Dansby. More of a MIKE.
@AdamSchefter: Many pegged Shea McClellin to Pats before 2012 draft. McClellin first went to CHIC, so Pats took Chandler Jones. Now, McClellin lands in NE.
@ProFootballTalk: In a year without a first-round pick, the Patriots have added four former first rounders in two days: Cooper, Long, Brown, McClellin.
McClellin immediately replaces Dane Fletcher.
I hate the Pats but they are the best in the business there is no doubt about that. Bilichick /Brady have kept them on top for over 10 years and in this day and age that is amazing. They just find a way to keep churning players through. They can acquire veteran players cheaper than everyone else because if you want a shot at an SB they are the place to go.
We had the cap space to aquire both Long and Mclellin if we wanted to. I wonder if they are saving cap space for Okung.
I would like our depth at LB and pass rush a whole lot better with those two guys aboard.
We have a better def overall and a better def line ….probably from 2012 until 2017
I’d be happy with this mock being reality. McGovern seems quite versatile and seems to fit Cable type. I really hope we get the O line figured out and if it takes going OL 1 and 2 or 1 and 3 I’m happy to hear it. We have spent a lot of draft choices and money on the defense and it is about time we do the same with the OL.
I feel a bit bad for Okung, he has seriously overestimated his worth and since he hasn’t been healthy in years, I doubt any team will give him more than a one year prove it deal.
Looks like Denver is gonna ‘wine & dine’ him.
Not sure how well that’s gonna go if this is true:
“The Broncos, per 9News, is looking to cut Clady’s salary to less than $5 million.”
From what we know about Okung’s expectations, they’re about $8M APY apart.
http://www.inquisitr.com/2895904/nfl-rumors-denver-broncos-enter-the-race-for-top-ol-free-agent-russell-okung-veteran-tackle-ryan-clady-may-be-heading-out-of-denver/#Qtgr2XeBXH7fj7lQ.99
Wining and dining is all fine and dandy, but he wants to be shown the money. Ain’t gonna happen. He screwed up.
He’s right that franchise left tackles are worth a lot of money. He just needs to understand that often-injured and currently injured left tackles don’t get paid the way he thinks they should.
Whoever ends up with Okung has to have a Plan B back-up at left tackle who they are confident starting 1/4 of the season at that position, because if Okung is honest with himself — he misses about a quarter of every season and with him getting older, that number probably isn’t going to get any better.
The best thing for the Seahawks to load-up on comp. picks for next year is for Okung to sign for good money in Denver and for them to sign Clady (someone who started all 16 games in ’14).
That would almost guarantee the Hawks four comp. picks. In that scenario, I wonder if the Hawks would be willing to dangle a pick next year to move up in the second or third this year, as Rob has suggested (since they know they will be getting four extra picks).
Not sure you can trade next year’s comp pick, this year.
Of course you can’t. Just saying that if you know you’re slated to get comp picks that they may be more willing to deal one of their own next year.
Sorry, misread your comment.
Not sure how it’ll work out either.
Just merely pointing out that Denver is gonna try.
At this point I kind of hope we keep what remaining cap we have to extend Baldwin and restructure Bennets contract.
I am hoping for Bennett and Baldwin extensions. They can extend Baldwin and Bennett without having a big impact on this year’s cap. Especially if they wait until after June 1.
With the deals we’ve seen, can we really expect Baldwin, Bennett, Kam to sign extensions? Would have to be close to market value and not sure that’s a good idea. I’d prob follow NE’s example.
Related: Have a feeling Hawks target pass rushers and receivers early/often.
I’d be pretty shocked if Baldwin isn’t extended before the season. If they decide to do Bennett, they may actually be able add cap space, depending how it’s structured.
The OL situation will eventually sort itself out either thru FAs, Okungs return, or via draft. How that is done is still up in the air. One thing is certain, there will be a surprise pick that will yield huge dividends.
I enter this as the surprise 2nd Rd pick. He won’t be available after the 2nd Rd. He will be scooped up by SF @ 68.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4eLC2APXRc
I would happily draft him in the foruth or the third, but not the second.
Reminds me of Chris Johnson when we came out…
You don’t think he’ll last until the 3rd. I agree he looks like someone Chip and SF would be interested in. I wouldn’t be overly upset about this pick, but in the 2nd I think Id pass
I love everything about this kid myself but let’s be right here.
That would be a major upset.
Then it would probably be an upset if we traded down until we had 5 x 7th round picks to invest in that entire San Jose Oline!
Just watched some IU tape on RB Howard. #67 on the OL really jumped out at me, Feeny is his name. What a FANTASTIC blocker, at all levels. He can really get to the second level and makes multiple blocks downfield. Vision and awareness. Exceptional footwork,speed and power. Check him out….
Dan Feeney? One of the best guards in the country for next year.
One who thinks Okung’s best option is to return to Seattle on a one-year “prove it’’ deal is former NFL agent Joel Corry, who tweeted Wednesday that “Russell Okung should try to go back to Seattle for 1 year at $5M-$6M once convinced his asking price won’t be met.’’
http://www.seattletimes.com/sports/seahawks/what-does-it-mean-for-the-seahawks-that-russell-okung-continues-to-make-visits/
Kind of what I was thinking… I think DEN is using him to bait Clady, NYG is interested in him playing RT and DET is DET… His BEST option might be to return here if we’re still interested in bringing him back
Kind of falls in line with what my prediction has been. The fact Seattle has been solely bargain shopping, I kind of think plays into the idea they are waiting for him to come back and take their offer. We’ll see if he does.
I think he’ll get much less than what SEA had initially offered him. The well dried up quick on him…
Yeah, maybe, but at this point, if he wants to get paid $13 Mill, or whatever, best way to do that is come back on a one year dealy and have a great season. I think Seattle’s probably still hoping they can work something out.
If poking decides to play for us Seahawks has the leverage when before he did. 7-8 mill a year four year deal works out well for both parties
I don’t see Okung signing in Denver. John Elway is a very tough negotiator. Built in the same mode as John Schneider. If Okung is looking for the big bucks he is NOT going to find it in Denver.
I completely agree with you. They are trying to get Clady to take less money and I don’t see them willing to pay Okung more than Clady anyways…
Well it looks like Ifedi is going to be the pick all the way. I have went on ad nauseum about my dislike of that pick and his potential as a day one NFL lineman, so I want to comment on some other things.
Last year they seemed to have a few guys they knew they wanted, and they went and got them. I think Clark, Lockett, Glowinski, and Sokoli were the musts on their board. Now while I think Poole was a Cable decision, the other ones didn’t appear to represent a clear plan. Gwachum and Smith had length, but the didn’t really add any DL prospects or anyone at LB. It makes me curious if there just wasn’t the talent there, or if the Seahawks just have a certain position they know they are going to get no matter what, and the highest rated guy gets the pick. If that is the case, I wonder mid round positions they want to tackle this year. Depth is weak at DT, TE, and LB. I think they couse another body who can play free safety. If my idea is on point, and they focus on a position more than individual players, that makes it hard to pin down who they might try and acquire. Because it seems a little arbitrary sometimes. But we need depth again. Depth like we had with 2013.
On whether or not Ifedi is the guy this year, who knows? But to me, it will feel like when they chose Richardson over Bitonio and left solid talent on the board. I want an ‘Is’ guy this year, not an ‘If’ guy
I meant our depth is weak at DT, TE and LB
Articles from fieldgulls has revealed we are deeply talented for te. For dl we need another pass rusher dt like most of the league and we don’t have a need for lb as we have marsh as poss rep
We have Willson and Graham (who is coming off a catastrophic knee injury and it is unknown at what level he will come back). That isn’t great depth until we know Graham is back at close to 100%
And Marsh has never taken a legitimate snap at LB. We have Coyle, Morgan and KPL at LB. That doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence just yet. We can’t count on a bunch of converts like Marsh and Pinkins to develop into playmakers. We need to get some depth and competition at LB. And I don’t feel like a pass rushing DT is all we need. We have a need for at least 2 interior run stuffers. Mebane’s presence will be missed and we were already a little tight on depth last year after he and Rubin
Agree, Jarhead. When they want guys, they pursue hard.
Ifedi? The consensus, including in here, was towards Coleman and others were superior. The rumors of Ifedi interest don’t persuade me.
I don’t believe that.
Ifedi isn’t perfect, no one is saying he is, but we have talked about him in depth and at length before those rumors came out.
Coleman is still a very likely possibility, no one is arguing that either. But, right now, he is a bit of an enigma.
So is a RT worth it at #26, if the board falls the way Rob has it falling? I guess the Hawks thought so before, taking Carpenter around there. What do you think?
I think there are only a handful of LTs in this draft, myself. Only two will likely be available where we are picking: Spriggs and Clark. If we re-sign Okung, better to go with the transition plan guy in Spriggs? That’s where I’m leaning today.
“The rumors of Ifedi interest don’t persuade me.”
Persuade you that SEA really are interested in him, or that he’s worthy of being their #1 pick?
It’s not about rumors. It’s about what the Seahawks look for in a player. And Ifedi fits.
Totally. Just curious what Steele wasn’t buying about him.
But in this instance, the rumor of SEA being interested in him reinforce that he’s what they look for in a prospect.
If Okung doesn’t re-up I would rather select Spriggs. He can play both tackle positions and is a long term prospect in that regard, which makes that much more valuable. I like McGovern in the 2nd a lot. In the 4th or maybe the 5th I like Dahl. I like the OC from Michigan.
Ifedi at LT, McGovern at LG, Glasgow at C, Glowinski at RG, Gilliam at RT, Fahn Cooper backup/ swing tackle, Greene SDSU, or DHAL WSU at backup guard., wishful thinking to think we can draft a whole oline, it’s gonna take anot her draft to do that.
Please no
Latest Drafttek mock graft for Seahawks.
Rd1 Taylor Decker
Rd2 Germain Ifedi
Rd3 Josh Garnett
Kind of funny!
That would be a perfect draft IMO if you swapped Decker for Ryan Kelly.
I’m not sure wif Garnett is necessary in this situation, but if the OL situation isn’t fixed after that type of capital, I’m not sure it ever will be.
I would agree with that.
Kelly C
Ifedi RT
Garnett LG
Would be tough to argue with that. Grab Jordan Howard with the other R3 pick…Hello Run Game Dominance for the next 4 years.
@nfldraftscout: Isaac Seumalo and Darrell Greene are two mid-round guards to watch. Both are mean SOBs.
@dpbrugler: As long as the doctors give the thumbs up, #OregonState’s Isaac Seumalo is a top-3 center in this class. And it’s a very good center group.
I like Seumalo a lot.
I like that he played center in college and was part of a very explosive/dynamic offense when Mannion was QB for them back in 2013/14 time period. He was considered one of the top centers in CFB, until he had some injury problems.
Seumalo is a stud. Son of a coach , 33″ arms, played every position but LT, IIRC.
Seattle isn’t afraid to roll the dice on guys coming off injuries. This we know. The off-season has only reinforced that notion for me. Look at ll the FAs they’ve brought in that are coming off ACL injuries alone.
Buy low, which could be tremendous value.
That’s might be how you get that pro bowl center in the 3rd or 4th round.
Simulated mock inspired by Rob’s 2 round mock
26: R1P26
OT GERMAIN IFEDI
TEXAS A&M
56: R2P25
G CONNOR MCGOVERN
MISSOURI
90: R3P27
DT WILLIE HENRY
MICHIGAN
98: R3P35
OLB TRAVIS FEENEY
WASHINGTON
125: R4P26
RB KEITH MARSHALL
GEORGIA
172: R5P32
DE STEPHEN WEATHERLY
VANDERBILT
216: R6P40
CB MIKE JORDAN
MISSOURI WESTERN STATE
226: R7P4
C AUSTIN BLYTHE
IOWA
248: R7P26
DT QUINTON JEFFERSON
MARYLAND
Ifedi and McGovern are drafted to be fixtures on the OL for the next four years. Willie Henry is drafted to eventually become a starter at DT with talent to develop an inside rush. Feeney’s shoulders terrify most teams, but not Seattle here. Marshall is an athlete who runs the ball. Weatherbly adds pass rush. It would be “cool” for Seattle to have a corner named Mike Jordan. Blythe is a poor man’s Jack Allen, for what that is worth. Jefferson is an inside rusher.
Bold 2016, Seahawks fans will love Quinton Jefferson.
Blythe’s 30 1/4 inch arms probably take him off our board. We are willing to compromise on arm length at center but not that much.
If at the end of four rounds we had picked up 2 OL, a DT, an OLB, and an RB I would be doing cartwheels. That’s exactly what I want.
You wouldn’t be alone in the cartwheels, Jake. I think there would be a massive hoard of 12s cartwheeling in unison.
We do we assume Seattle wI’ll look at his shoulder injury in a better light than other teams.
One center I like is Evan Boehm out of Missouri. Four year starter in the SEC. Not a great athlete and his 31 5/8 inch arms may take him off our board. But as a day three center I like him.
Also like Brandon Shell out of USC. Another four year starter in the SEC. Might be a round three guy.
I understand that we’re in desperate need of OL help if Okung departs, but it feels like a huge reach to me to be taking Ifedi here, and this tackle class feels very deep to me with some guys we haven’t been talking about. John Theus ranks high by the SLA metric and has much better tape than combine phenoms like Ifedi, Stanley, and Clark who don’t look like they should be cracking Day 2 based on their tape. Parker Ehinger and Tyler Johnstone are two other guys that I wouldn’t feel bad about having to roll out next year and no one has been talking about in the first 3 rounds.
Coleman is a guy you’ve been talking about positively for months, and I think for very good reason. He looks like a Top 10 OT, if not for the age and cancer concerns. Otherwise Will Fuller, a DE/OLB, or someone in the interior OL. I just feel like we’re fighting the board in taking the scraps of a mediocre OL class by trying to coach up a “freak” at OT.
Justin Britt was a Cable guy. The first 30 seconds of his tape against Georgia was the worst tape I have ever seen, and that’s not an exaggeration. His gritty wrestling ability was not enough to translate to being a starting NFL tackle. I would prefer to not try another one of these experiments with a 1st rounder.
John Theus is awful.
Everyone knocks Clark for his Senior Bowl, Theus was by far the worst O-lineman there.
If the top tackles are mediocre, what’s that say about Johnstone and the likes?
Haha So because she has an opinion that is different from yours, you have toget all snarky? 12 you post on this blog a million times a day, and I have never seen Trudy Beekman post once. You need to chill out, because ut us snotty posts like these that are going to make people not want to post anymore. Especially when her post seemed well informed and thoughtful. The first commen she gets is this inflammatory condescending stuff. Even when I disagree with someone, I am corteous about it. And by the way, Clark has about as much NFL potential as Jason Smith. Put him in a game and watcj
Vol12 is just upset because Trudy Beekman got the last available spot on the new luxury airship Excelsior….
As to the point, I think Vol12 is right. Theus looked bad to me.
I would say that there is no sense to taking a guy like Theus. Either take a guy early who can be good right away or take a guy late who can be very good down the road. Theus’s ceiling is basically Jamarcus Webb. Or Alvin Bailey. No point to it.
The worst tape I’ve ever seen also starred Britt vs Von Miller last pre-season. After Von clowned Britt early in the game for a sack, I figured no biggie because it’s Von Miller. Later on, Von juked Britt on a running play. Britt lunged where Miller used to be and proceeded to fall to the turf. Meanwhile, Von had ducked inside and tackled our RB near the mesh point. Von literally had our RB wrapped up and on the ground while Britt was still struggling to complete his gravity assisted plummet to earth. It was the most pathetic and unathletic fall I have ever seen. I have hated Britt as a Seahawks’ Olinemen ever since.
would that hate turn into love if Britt became a superstar
Indeed it would. That I’m here in the off season pretty much answers your question! Britt lacks foot speed and plays too tall. I also think his quick twitch reactions are non-existent. So, while I am not optimistic, I remain hopeful, but prefer he gets beat out of his job this summer early.
Awww. I fond memories of Britt. I never liked him and will only usually rewind games to point out to ppl what I’m talking about as they were watching a different part of the play.
90% of the time it was wtf is Britt/sweezy doing?
A lot of these guys like Theus are unlikely to play tackle in the NFL.
Ifedi is much better than a lot of people realise. In a few years he could be a better Duane Brown.
^^^^^ This is how you respectfully disagree with someone.
Dude, you take things way too personal my man. It’s an opinion.
I get it. Ya don’t like me.
Making peope not want to post? Seems like 300 comments on the daily says otherwise.
I promised myself that will not be sucked into the OL panic after the season ended. However, it’s impossible not to that while spending my time on “SeahawksOLdraftblog” . I got into it but its time i try to pull myself out so here goes:
The Seahawks OL is what it is by design, not by accident. We do not sign high priced players to play on this OL. We are not going to invest big money to fix the OL. All those wonderful options that ended up signing for other teams are players we wouldn’t sign unless they are coming for a ring at a super extra special bargain price.
Why?
Because we have 1 player on the roster with 20M+ APY – RW.
Because we have 4 players on the roster with 10M+ APY – Graham, Wags, Thomas and Sherman.
Because we have 4 players on the roster with 7M+APY – Kam, K.J., Bennett, Avril.
We pay those guys the big bucks and we are not paying offensive linemen.
Can it work?
We had Breno Carp, Sweezy, McQ, JP, Bowie and Bailey starting on this line when we won SB48.
We had Carp, Britt, Lewis, JP, Sweezy and Bailey starting on that line when we got to SB49.
We had Britt, Bailey, Nowak, Lewis and Sweezy starting on that line last year when we got to the divisional round.
I have read what you all think about those guys. Even if every word of it is true, it doesn’t seem to stop the whole team from functioning.
We are a run first team with a run first OL coach. We pick run first offensive linemen and we invest most of their training time on run blocking. We also do it without a big financial investment and they look the part, especialy when pass blocking.
We had the most prolific running game in the NFL in the last 3 years (combined) behind that line. Even during the first half of 2015 when this line performed attrouchessly, we won 4 games and held the lead in the 4th quarter in the other 4. This offense ended the season 4th in both yards and scoring last year behind that line.
Yes, this line was not great, or good, or even solid. It didn’t stop RW from putting together the best year of his young career by far. (and no, he didn’t do it with Antonio Brown/Julio Jones/Fitzgerald/Backham as his targets)
This FO will do it’s best to populate this OL with the best players they find in FA/Draft that fit the OL concept they decided on. If history is any indication, we’ll hate most of them just like we hated most of their predecessors.
Hopefully, they will serve thier prescribed roll as the lesser possition group of a great football team. We’ll keep giving the RBs and RW the credit for every yard on the ground. We’ll moan as RW will face constant pressure and we’ll start talking about having to do something next year.
It is what it is. Some teams dream of a QB, others need RBs or WRS, some crave a good secondary or pass rush. We are the team with that poor excuse for an OL that wins football games in spite of it.
So, breath in, breath out, no panic.
Just watched some IU tape on RB Howard. #67 on the OL really jumped out at me, Feeny is his name. What a FANTASTIC blocker, at all levels. He can really get to the second level and makes multiple blocks downfield. Vision and awareness. Exceptional footwork,speed and power. Check him out….
Dan Feeny OG 6’4″ 312 lb. jr.
Great post EranUnger, appreciate your perspective. And Rob brought up some good points earlier. That’s kind of where I am. Disappointed we didn’t upgrade the line more with more prestigious vets, but what’s done is done and all we can do now is look forward. Hopefully we can grab some guys with upside in the draft and hopefully our first 5 games on the schedule aren’t as brutal it was last year. Plenty of time to shore things up and we are taking some good offensive momentum into next year without losing any significant players on offense (except on the line 🙂
How often we forget that the offensive line talent coming out of college has been relatively poor.
We invest in talent and We surround talent with compliment players and we do this with expectation and control. We don’t manipulate or take advantage of or simply put lie and cheat to win either.
Pete carol and John and the leader from this organization and the various bloggers including rob are simply treasures we get to enjoy while we have it.
It unfortunate how many people feel entitled for more and lack the character to be more appreciative to what we have
“Even during the first half of 2015 when this line performed attrouchessly, we won 4 games and held the lead in the 4th quarter in the other 4.”
Those first few games really left a bitter taste in the fans’ mouths.
It was easy to take a side on who you wanted to point the finger at – offense or defense. The offense wasn’t executing in the run or passing game early on. Some of those blown 4th quarter leads, the offense surely could have contributed more to running the clock out. It appeared early on, the game plan was run-run-pass-punt and hope the defense would hold a lead. When they tried putting the ball in RW’s hands, that killed even more of the clock with incompletions.
On the other side, the defense had plenty of chance to stop long, game winning drives as well. At times the opposing QB looked very comfortable moving down the field and taking what the D gave him.
On whole, it just looked like both sides were taking longer to get into regular season form than normal. I don’t have an answer to why exactly that is. Was it the new personnel? The new defensive coordinator?
On the OL, I think Rob’s point on competition is valid. Also they need to blend the OL better with veterans & young players with athletic potential. The easy fix is high priced FA’s and first round picks. Yet that doesn’t seem to be the course the FO traditionally takes. I’d be happy with a middle of the pack OL but one that performs at least for the most part consistently.
Defensively it appears another pass rusher is warranted, whether it’s through the grizzled vet wanting one more season route, through the draft or a trade. Just that little edge that could put just 3-5 extra pressures on the QB a game.
“We’ll keep giving the RBs and RW the credit for every yard on the ground.”
Really?? I just can’t understand this mentality, unless you’re someone who just has to scapegoat this.
Football is a team sport. RW and the RBs don’t gain a yard without the OL.
“If history is any indication, we’ll hate most of them just like we hated most of their predecessors.”
Yes, EranUngar. It is what it is, they do what they do. Cable is not going anywhere.
But this does not stop some of us from hoping—in vain—that they make things easier for themselves. I am tired of seeing them force Russell Wilson to escape pass rushers. Tired of (in bad games) 3 and outs. Russell is an expensive investment worth protecting. Conversion projects, veterans who have underperforming backgrounds? That may be “value” but they are risky.
It isn’t necessary to stack an o-line with expensive stars. Just a few very good ones to solidify it, while the new guys develop. Particularly at center.
Russell allows them to get away with it. But he shouldn’t have to.
ob: In regards to Okung. I did hear that Seattle made a substantial offer to Okung. Around the time free agency started. I believe that it was right before the free agency period began. So maybe the Hawks did offer Okung in the 8 mil range.
Whether they did or not is mute point Kung didn’t take it. He gets to choose what happens next. If he does choose to come back and Knowing this office they will either match his original deal or not move to far away from it significantly.
We have higher priorities like extending BALDWIN to 2017 and several other core players.
Remember we are here to compete and the only way we do that is keep the core players draft well and coach players up.
I’m guessing Okung’s money went to Kearse and Lane. No surprise that Lane took no visits elsewhere and was signed in the exact hour free agency began. Kearse shopped around a little, but signed the next day. Nail in the coffin was probably the signing of Webb.
It’s a shame Okung couldn’t talk to other teams before FA, but it is what it is. Seattle has to move quick or lose everybody.
“I’m guessing Okung’s money went to Kearse and Lane.”
SEA are still sitting on about $8M in cap space for 2016, enough to sign Okung to a reasonable contract.
Sure, it’s really more (or less), that’s just what we have available. Can’t tell until the team makes a decision on Lynch, who’s still on the roster. 14.8m becomes available if we release/retire Lynch now, 17.4m becomes available if we do it June 1st. However, waiting until June means we only have 8m available to sign anyone else AND the rookies. I’m guessing they haven’t done it yet because they want the flexibility, but could if they need to.
The Hawks have to have money to fill out the rest of their roster. Plus they need cash for rookies/UDFAs.
Rob
Appreciate through blog AGAIN! I personally believe the moves we have made so far just reconfirm the notion that this front office plans to spend major draft capital on the oline. Plus every day that goes by that the older vets don’t sign they become a couple hundred thousand dollars cheaper. I have full faith in this front office and fully expect everyone to be thrilled with the way in which they approach this draft. I’d like to see them grab Decker or Ifedi in the 1st Coleman or Mc Govern with that 2nd pick Dlinemen they like with the first 3rd and jaylon smith with the comp. Then grab Glasgow Tretola or Dahl somewhere 4 through 7! Love this blog and all the views expressed daily thanks!
Thanks man — really appreciate the kind words. Really makes me appreciate the great community we have here and how much I enjoy writing this blog.
For those worried about the money we spent on Webb, the 49ers just signed Zane Beadles to a 3 year, $11 million deal. That’s more money and investment in a player that is around the same talent level as Webb. Webb is also younger.
Beadles has had injury issues, and problems adjusting to changes in blocking schemes. Beadles likes the ZBS, had some above avg seasons until Jax went away from it.
hey Rob (or anyone else who has great wisdom),
Say the Hawks deem Okung as expendable with our signings and draft, would it be a better idea to just roll over the money saved from him, and have an extra 7mil to play with on top of the cap raise (assuming it goes up) allowing us to sign a more marquee player next year?
That’s a great idea that I haven’t seen mentioned yet.
Would make some sense as oppose to spending money for the sake of spending it.
I would think we would use it to secure Baldwin AND Bennett though instead of bringing in a big money guy.
Unused, that cap space doesn’t do anything to help get them to a SB in 2016.
Why wait?
“Following the Chandler Jones trade yesterday, it wouldn’t be a total shock if the Seahawks put together a similar move to add a pass rusher”
Any realistic (or off the wall) trade targets for pass rushers?
I can think of a couple…
We’ll see what happens.
Such a tease.
Won’t be easy. Would require a surprise trade.
Nothing left out there in free agency.
Haha. Care to share? Or do we have to wait for the article?
Oops. I don’t know how to comment or reply properly….
Let’s see what happens over the next few days. We’ll see. Would make sense to find a pass rusher because this draft is really weak there.
Rob: Love seahawksdraftblog.com. I probably check it out at least 4-6 times per day. Love it!!!
Thanks man — thank you for supporting the blog and this community.
@Steelersdepot: Baylor’s Andrew Billings had dinner with Mean Joe Greene Tuesday night: #Steelers #NFLDraft
@937TeenWolf: The Steelers sent Mike Tomlin, Kevin Colbert, Keith Butler, AND Joe Greene to Baylor DT Andrew Billings’ pro day. Think they’re interested??
Pauline on Justin Simmons:
“Fast-rising safety Justin Simmons ran his 40s in the 4.5-to-4.52 range, exceptional times by the senior.
Simmons interviewed with the Detroit Lions on Tuesday, doing film work and having dinner with the franchise. That is significant as the Lions also spent time with Simmons during Shrine week and interviewed him at the Combine.”
And with the 46th pick of the draft, the Detroit Lions select…
I would love to get Simmons on day three. Didn’t even get a Senior Bowl invite (which made some people think he wasn’t very talented) and now he’s climbing up the board, although 2nd round might be too high. Funny how perceptions can change so quickly when it comes to the NFL draft. Seems like he has good instincts to go with his length and ball hawk abilities. Would love him as a backup safety/special teamer/cornerback project.
We seem so stacked at DB right now, though. I can’t help but think that maybe we don’t draft our usual DB project sort of player this year.
Anyone else catch the SI.com article on WR Keyarris Garrett? Now that’s a Seahawky chip on his shoulder.
That I did. Maybe a day 3 flier for the Hawks, who knows. Hard to project as he wasn’t playing against great competition.
Here’s the link if anyone is interested:
http://www.si.com/nfl/2016/03/16/keyarris-garrett-nfl-draft-tulsa-career-injury
Agreed, but he did go up against some big name schools too and performed well. By that logic we’d also have to discount everything Carson Wentz or Paxton Lynch did too.
Yeah, I read that. Scouts at times seem to talk themselves into thinking something using everything but logic.
It is kind of like the discussion regarding Joe Dahl. Some scouts are discounting him because he played in the Air Raid. Yet, Coach Leach comes back and says that is nonsense. When he was at TT, he put more lineman in the NFL than any other position and more lineman than most schools during the same period.
Yup, isn’t that interesting? He’s had some lineman have some accomplished careers, and that’s recruiting to a place like Lubbock. People only focus on Crabtree, Amendola, etc. I think it’s forgotten sometimes that Dahl gave up like 2 sacks in two years, even when WSU lapped most schools in pass attempts over that period.
Balance of off season plan to consider
#1 Okung comes to his senses and signs a 4 yr / $40mil deal with $20 mil Guaranteed ($8mil Cap hit )
#2 Kam Chancellor + our 4th round pick traded to Jags for thier 2nd round pick #39 (cap savings $4.1mil)
#3 Extend Baldwin and Bennet.
Draft
Rd#1 Keanu Neal- Pefect player to replace Kam and bring the Boom back to LOB
Rd#2 #39 from Jags Ryan Kelly- Lets sure up the middle of the line with a tough nasty SOB to snap ball to Russ for the next 10 years
Rd#2 Charles Tapper- Speedy DE to provide pass rush depth on the DL
Rd#3 Javon Haegraves- Penetrating 3 Tech with lots of upside
Rd#3 comp Travis Feeney- Possible replacement for Bruce with great athleticism. Will be a core special teamer from Day #1
Rd#4 Traded to Jags
Rd#5 Joe Dahl- Can play all over the line and would be a great depth guy
Rd#6 Tyler Ervin- A small but dynamic Rb to team with Rawls and CMike
Rd#7 David Oneymata – Developmental DL prospect with tons of upside
Rd#7 Stephen Nembolt- Really raw OT prospect but tons of upside.
Think about our 3rd Down defense in 2016
DB Earl, Neal, Shem, Lane, Simon
LB Wags, Wright, Feeney
Pass Rush Bennet, Avril, Hill, Clark /Tapper
2016 OL (LT)Okung (LG) Webb (C)Kelly (RG) Glowinski (RT) Gilliam
I’ll admit I’ve thought about this before, but I’m not trading Kam unless he puts up another stink about his contract or another team makes an outrageous offer we can’t refuse. I think he would be gone by now anyway if that were the case knowing our front office.
He is a CORE player. His understanding with Earl and leadership on D makes him worth more than just his physical game (Earl admitted Kam helps put him in the right spot on plays). Ok, his physical game fell off a bit from past years, but I think a lot of that was due to A) missing so much time due to holdout and possibly B) having to overcompensate for Cary Williams when he was around.
If we really need a couple million in cap room to extend Bennett and Baldwin, we have other options I consider better:
1. Cut Lynch post June 1 and spread the dead money out over the next two years instead of all this year.
2. Restructure/extend Graham.
Keanu Neal would be nice, and maybe they will draft him anyway if he is still on the board at #26, but I would rather stick with Kam on his current deal for the next couple years of championship window.
Kam’s chemistry with Earl took a hit this year with assignment confusion on that TE seam play that burned the Hawks more than once for TDs. I trust they’ll tighten it up and get it right for 2016 but that was a critical defect that (maybe?) could have been addressed before had Kam not held out.
No one is going to give more than a fourth round pick for Chancellor. He’s aging and injury prone, and his play declined noticeably last season. His holdout wont make him more attractive to teams either. The Giants wanted him last year, but that was before he came back and played mostly poorly. And no one is going to be willing to pay him more than we already are, unless its a team desperate for leaders–maybe Jax or the Raiders.
The only way Seattle trades him is if he just totally checks out and becomes a major distraction. And I cant see him doing that. But who knows?
I don’t think Kam is going anywhere, but in this scenario I’d wonder if the Hawks would take Ogbah at #39 and a C at #56.
Barring that, trading down from #39 and getting an extra midround pick or two would be an option.
I agree we need to upgrade at center, but why not later in the draft. Max Tuerk, USC, had an ACL tear and so is projected to go Rd 4-5. He’s athletic, quick on his feet, and experienced making line calls. some say he is similar to Max Unger. I’d like the Hawks to go for him in Rd 4, and save the early picks for LT and defense.
I like this idea, particularly if we don’t keep Okung. No Okung, I go OT early, then DL, then fill RB and OLB spots in R3, then use R4-R5 for interior OL. Only three centers I would have as draftable players are Kelly, Martin and Tuerk, in that order (thinking of guys like McGovern, Glasgow, Martin, Whitehair as OG/C, not straight C; obviously those guys are draftable players).
If we keep Okung, though I probably lean toward grabbing Ryan Kelly at #26 (or after a slight trade down, if possible).
I like Tuerk there too, great value pick. Esp as it will be tough for ANY rookie to come in and start at C.
Tuerk has an unlikely body shape for C. He’s pretty tall and lean. Seems like a quick, thick DT would give him fits. But if any HC knows him it’ll be PC.
FWIW, I think Seumalo > Tuerk, but he might require one of the R3 picks.
Having loved every draft JS and PC have done at the time (except trading our first rounders for Harvin and Graham), I still feel they will do well this year. But the proof is in the pudding–several years down the road, if the top guys picked arent major contributors, its not good.
They havent had a great draft since 2012, and they cant afford to have drafts like that this year. They have lost the luxury of taking risks like Michaels in the second by missing on a few key picks and losing depth to FA, as happens so often in the NFL. And unlike the Pats, Seattle seems uninterested in trading good players a year before they decline for more high picks.
This is a make or break draft for JS and PC, and could have some bearing on why neither is locked up long-term in Seattle. Here’s hoping they crush it this year, and stick around for at least another decade.
Wow, I’m surprised you see it as a “make or break draft” in the sense of their continuity in Seattle. I don’t think that’s the case at all, maybe I’m wrong though.
If they bring you to two Super Bowls and two playoff runs in four years and still have a very healthy cap situation and one of the most talented rosters that is also the youngest in the league, I think if you are Paul Allen you just ask: “how much?”
I would think so too. Perhaps they want a ton more money, or perhaps JS really wants to go back to GB. There are rumblings around the league that all is not hunky dory in GB–Thompson’s rigid refusal to go after any first or even second tier FA’s despite his teams holes doesnt seem to be sitting well with the HC. Talking heads and other teams are making note of it too.
And for all we know, Allen is offering those two blank checks to stay. But I think a really good Draft is paramount to Seattle’s continued success. In order to make this team work, what with so many players making top dollar on defense, they must backfill with young cheap talent, and they need to find a couple stars on the cheap.
Between FA defections and some misses in the draft, Seattle’s insane depth from 2013 has nearly totally evaporated. We’re thin at pass rushing DE, SAM, CB (though much better after resigning Lane), safety, RB, and the O-line. Thats a tall order, to fill that out in one draft. But it can be done. They dont have to replicate the 2012 Draft, but they do need to do better than they have the last three years.
Every team has holes. Most teams have a lot more holes than the Seahawks. Since FA is not finished and the draft has not even happened yet. Last years draft already produced one allstar. An UDFA would have been another if not for an injury. There are a few others from last years draft class that will be contributors, even starters.
I am excited about last years draft class (except for trading the first pick for Graham), as I was with all the others. Only time will tell if this was a good class, but Clark surely looks like a fine pick at least. That guy is a beast at any weight.
Terry Poole was a terrible pick, but I am high on Glowinsky and am truly excited to see him replace Sweezy at RG. Sweezebag was too inconsistent–even in run blocking–for me to ever truly embrace him, and his contract with the Bucs will likely prove laughable.
Lockett was the steal of the draft, and Sokoli and Smith have potential. Even Murphy and Gwacham were good enough to be picked up by other teams and have mostly been kept on 53 man rosters. Gwacham could end up being another Jaye Howard–one that got away….
Unlike the Pats, Seattle hasn’t been in a position yet for their top players to decline. We’re still hovering around being the youngest team in the NFL. All our core elite players are in their prime and getting better. Kam Chancellor has “supposedly” declined, but he’s only 27! and there’s no reason to believe he won’t bounce right back and get even better. The players we lose are the ones seeking their second contract in FA and, in my opinion, get overpaid.
I agree we need to draft better to be good for the next 10 years rather then 4-5, but this is a very solidly built team.
It’s not his age that worries as much as the beating he takes on a weekly basis. Same with Earl, both of these guys are among the most physical players at their positions.
Why is everyone so down on Lewis? Our offense went from non-existent to one of the most explosive in the league nearly overnight when Cable finally pulled his head out and benched Nowak.
I get that Cable and Carrol arent super high on Lewis–he’s got shortish arms and isnt all that big–but he was mostly solid last year. Without him, this team wouldnt have won half their games.
I like the McGovern kid, and Im fine with drafting him. But if competition is fair, I think Lewis wins the starting C job next year and keeps it.
Agreed on Lewis, though I don’t want Drew Nowak anywhere near the center position again. If we draft McGovern and the most we get is someone who can step in for Lewis if he gets injured without the offense skipping a beat, that’s still a win.
26 Germain Ifedi OL Texas A&M
56 Connor McGovern OL Missouri
90 Deon Jones LB LSU or a Travis Freeney LB Washington (one of them will be here)
97 Javon Hargrave DT So Carolina
124 Paula Perkins RB UCLA or Kenyan Drake RB Alabama
171 Evan Boehm C Missouri
215 DeAndre Ellison CB Colorado St
225 Andy Janovich FB Nebraska
247 I’m still looking for.
Can McGovern be a center I don’t know but he would definitely be a stud at either guard position. The true leader of that really good Missouri line was Eva Boehm. He has that leadership quality and grit Cable loves. 52 games started. He would need a year to learn system but at 171 I think he’s a steal and insurance now JPL gone and Lewis has 1 more year. Janovich is my favorite as a ST/FB to take Coleman’s place. I stole your CB there Rob
Lewis was alright, I think it was more of just how bad Drew Nowak was. Still can’t believe he won the job out of training camp. I like Lewis but I would be thrilled if he was our backup center next year.
Lewis is just okay.
“This is a make or break draft for JS and PC, and could have some bearing on why neither is locked up long-term in Seattle”
Seriously? If we draft just 1 quality player on OL our team will be contenders for the 5th straight year. I’m positive that Paul Allen will keep JS/PC as long as they want to be in Seattle.
I agree. The Oline was fine in the 2nd half. Resign Okung, upgrade at LG and go with Glow. Panic over
My point was they need a good draft this year to cement the team as a championship competitor long-term, which would boost their claim for huge money. Thats the only thing other than a desire to keep options open (GB, LA) by the Twins that might be slowing down a contract extension for them both.
Deon Joins tore up his pro day.
4.38-40
20shuttle-4.26
3cone-7.13
Vert- 35 1/2″
Reps 18
he definitely won’t last long at the end of the 2nd round.
He’s being mocked consistently in the top 20, sometimes in the top 15. No way in hell he’s even there at 56, let alone the third round…
Pretty funny draft speculation lately….
@ProFootballTalk: Jon Gruden says Carson Wentz is the most “NFL-ready” rookie he’s seen in years https://t.co/NinikU1AYk
Argle-bargle or foofaraw?
Foofaraw. Not only do I think Goff is more ready, I think the Browns take him.
Obviously my opinion isn’t worth a hill of beans and my scouting acumen is nil, but I’ve watched a ton of Pac-12 games. I’ve just never been overly impressed by Goff. He has his moments, but man can he be shaky
Browns, huh? So you’re calling him a surefire bust?
Wentz impressed Gruden with his perfectly cromulent performance.
Its cremulent. And I see what you did there…
Seahawks resign Christine Michael.
http://www.seahawks.com/news/2016/03/17/seahawks-re-sign-rb-christine-michael
No contract details yet.
Makes a lot of sense, the team doesn’t have a backup RB on the roster. This eliminates another need before the draft.
Delays it. A one-year deal buys some time, but the Hawks need to get some fresh legs in the stable. If Michael has a nice season, he’ll almost certainly look for a starting gig elsewhere. Love to see Seattle add a late round guy.
I feel really good about this signing. Hey Christine here your sign. Its make it or break it this time.
I hope it was dirt cheap.
Familiarity is the theme so far. For better and worse.
Boom! (JS drops the mic)
Good. Im glad to hear he’s back. (And I cant believe Im saying that). He played well and finally seemed to “get it” when he returned to the team late last season. He’s a great pickup on the cheap.
Vikings just signed Andre Smith. They have Kahlil at one tackle and tj Clemmings and Phil Loadholt. Loadholt might have to go…well see
Okung to the Broncos
@RapSheet: Russell Okung’s agreement with the #Broncos (first reported by @JosinaAnderson) is 5 years, up to $12M per year.
@JosinaAnderson: Sources tell me that OT Russell Okung is close to finalizing a 5-year deal with the Denver #Broncos worth $10.6M per year.
This should be a 3rd/4th Rd comp pick…
Wow! Broncos trading one injury prone LT for another…still doling out big bucks…
Seattle pretty much has to draft a LT at 26. If they dont, we’re in for another rough season. I cant imagine Webb at LT (shudder!) and I like the guy, nor do I see any way that Gilliam is ready to man the Blind Side. He struggled mightily much of the time at RT, and obviously still needs to gain some weight and muscle.
They will likely release Clady soon. I wouldnt mind him coming here, especially if we can get him for less than 8-10 million per year.
Yeah- I kind of agree.
I do think Gilliam could play LT and it’s something we hear they’re open to, but I’m wondering if the’re open to it as a last resort.
Of the two, I would prefer Loadholt to compete with Britt or Sowell (or Webb) at RT over Clady to play LT. Despite his inexperience, I think the highly athletic Gilliam has a bright future as an NFL LT. Loadholt should be a lot less expensive than Clady and the Gilliam/Loadholt pairing would boost the run game a lot more than a Clady/Gilliam pairing.
Bye RO (5 years to Denver). Maybe Vikings and Broncos release a veteran. Otherwise the Hawks get young and hopefully more talented and healthy with at least two starting rookies.
First 4 picks:
OL
OL
DT
RB
Looks like Okung is finalizing a deal with Denver, according to ESPN’s Josina Anderson.
That most likely means Ryan Clady needs a new home. He would have to be cut which would not affect comp picks. Also a third round comp pick for Okung
Well I guess we know that we are going in OL in RD 1 now. I hope round 2 as well.
If Okung was going to leave the bigger the deal the better. Looks like two 4th round comp picks next year.
I thought he would come back to us at 4 years / 40 mil so the Denver deal sounds about right. Good for him!
“Russell Okung should try to go back to Seattle for 1 year at $5M-$6M once convinced his asking price won’t be met” Joel Corry. March 16, 2016
LOL. I guess that’s why his Twitter feed says “former” sports agent.
Nice. I must say, my respect to Russell grew in the process. I knew he was smart and savvy, but he has done a terrific job maximizing his value.
My thoughts as well. Perhaps he could have done better with an agent, but he certainly did better than some were expecting. Kudos to RO.
Er… Just saw the details of his contract. Maybe he could have used an agent after all
We missed out on McClellin, and Okung. Why are we having so much trouble signing free agents? One of these two would have been great.
Money. Seattle wouldnt pay up, other teams did. Simple.
Good for them though honestly nobody knows better what kind of value Okung has than the Seahawks. I trust he is only worth whatever they offered.
Exactly. How can you pay big for a guy that ALWAYS misses games.
Did we miss out McClellin? I mean he came for a visit, but so have many others they didn’t sign.
Hey Rob
Remember me throwing out the Okung for Clady trade? Now I think we’d take Clady and I bet he’d wanna come.
Pass. Costs way too much. Always injured.
If they wanted Clady at $9.5m (plus a pick) they would’ve re-signed Okung at $10.5m.
Clady will refuse to renegotiate his contract–if he’s smart–forcing Denver to cut him. That way they get stiffed and he gets to go wherever he wants, and can maximize his earnings. He cant be happy with them trying to force a paycut, then signing Okung for more money.
Injury prone as he is, he’s a fine player, and while I liked Okung more, if Seattle can get Clady for less than 8 million per season, he’s a risk well worth taking. I cant get excited about starting Jmarcuss Webb at RT and Gilliam at LT, or starting a rookie like Clark or Ifedi or even Decker at one of the T positions.
It would be nice to have Clady to play LT, Gilliam continues to learn at RT and competes with Webb, and we bring in a rookie in the first or second round (Ifedi, Decker, Clark, whoever) to compete at LT and RT and likely benchwarm for a year.
18 missed games in two seasons.
Broncos made the Super Bowl twice without Clady.
Do people need a name signing for reassurance purposes?
Denver made the SB twice without Clady, but we killed them in 2013. Also, the price they are willing to pay Okung–himself an injury prone player–IF he stays healthy for a year shows the value championship teams other than Seattle place on LT’s.
Like the Pats refusing to place any value on WR’s, Seattle has steadfastly refused to put any money into the line. In 2013, they were paying Giacomini 5 million, and had Unger making several million, pus Okung and Carp making money. Since then, the line play has gone down and we’ve yet to win a SB. We spent half of last year unable to move the ball for huge stretches of games due to zero line talent.
I get that we dont need the 2005 Seahawks line to win, but filling a roster with picks like Carp, Moffitt, Bailey, Poole, etc and signing Worst in the League folks like Brad Sowell isnt going to win a SB. Seattle has to figure something out on the line other than Gilliam at LT and Webb at RT. That wont cut it.
The Seahawks would’ve killed Denver in that Super Bowl with two Ryan Clady’s on the field.
Lol, you have a point Rob!
With the signing of Andre Smith the Vikings have 9 OL that are starters. Have to think they will trade or cut Loadholt who just took a pay cut to stay.
Could he be one of JS trades for a late round pick? Would he be worth a 7th round pick to come in and compete at LG?
Rob after the Okung signing by the Bronos your mock of Ifedi and Mcgovern is looking better all the time. I still prefer Coleman to Ifedi but either would look nice at #26.
I’d say the talk of getting an edge/pass rusher (via trade or 1st round) is pretty much dead now. We’re almost at the same position we were in 2011 where we barely had enough OL players to field a practice.
Probably looking at 4 new guys (rooks or position switch). Cohesion is going to have to be built in training camp.
I would think that projects (Spriggs/Ifedi) are lower on the list right now. It could be a season dooming move to pick a redshirt kind of prospect at #26 now. Whomever we take is very to play significant snaps at OT this season.
I’m sure we’ll see the Joe Thomas trade speculation kick into high gear now
If this team truly is in the midst of a 3 year championship window then the Joe |Thomas speculation should heat up. The 3 years left on his deal at $ 9.5mil per look like a bargain. The Browns are in rebuild mode let them take the rookie LT with the 1st round pick we trade them for the all pro LT. Even if he only plays 3 more years it is still a great deal IMO.
I had the day off from work today so watched everything I could find on Ifedi and Webb. The thought of an OL of Gilliam, Ifedi, Lewis and Glowinski, Webb. Scares me to death as Ifedi needs a year at least at LG to learn how to kick step because he has not shown it in college. He has a ton of potential but is going to have a lot of growing pains.
Our best hope is somehow Conklin falls to us as he seems the most ready to start day #1 and Coleman is my next favorite option to be a starter day #1.
I think the draft will turn out to be from these options
Round 1 Ogbah, Rankins(if he is there), Coleman, Ifedi, Braxton Miller
Round 2 Derrick Henry (if he is available), Joshua Garnett (okung walked so GG will swing to left and ifedi will start right), Travis Feeny, Chris jones (if he falls), Connor McGovern, Sterling Shepard (highly doubt it)
Round 3 (options for both picks) Willie Henry, Javon Hargrave, Adolphus Washington
Round 4-5 KJ Dilion, Damien Worley, Marshaun Coprich, Marquez North
Round 6 Montese overton
round 7 punter or project receiver or that giant freak athlete Australian o linemen the seahawks like that kind of player
Some people may not like that I included Braxton Miller however he is a dynamic running, passing and pass catching threat, that kind of player on offense could add what Percy Harvin was supposed to. Its also the kind of player PC drools over a unique skillset with crazy athletic ability. Its very unlikely but I won’t rule out the possibility. In round 2 I put Derrick Henry first, the guy is like christian michael but weighs 250 instead of 220. I am a big believer in Thomas Rawls, but Henry is a fantastic insurance policy. Joshua Garnett would be a nice grab especially if Okung is headed out the door, it would a make a lot of sense to pair this pick with Ifedi or coleman or whoever that way Gilliam can swing left and Garnett can replace Britt while hopefully securing the right tackle spot.
in rounds 3 through 5 i expect the hawks to draft a lot of Defensive players especially in round three i think that picking up a d tackle or two would do the hawks some favors especially if it is Willie Henry or Javon Hargrave both of those guys seem to be ready to make the jump to me, I am not as firm a believer in Adolphus Washington, I see the pass rush ability but i put hargrave and henry above him.
if anyone has comments or questions respond and I’ll try to explain why i think what I do, Rob and the Okung denver signing have convinced me that the hawks can afford to go O line early then pick up d line, my biggest concern is pass rush the hawks need someone for nickel downs and interior pressure but thankfully that may be addressed with a midround DT like Hargrave or Henry, just someone who can push the pocket back the way Mebane used to.
Well, Okung has signed with Denver.
It is officially time to use our first round draft pick in 2016…
I believe this is the start of something good. We have brought in some veteran competition, and Webb probably can start somewhere, so if we draft at least 2 Olineman, I feel progress coming. Russell and Bevel will start faster this year, I hope, and we can build from here, some major continuity.
I hope we use round 1 and 2 picks on Olineman. Get some UDFA too.
Could Jack Conklin be the next Joe Thomas?
Conklin – 6’6″ 308lbs, 35.0″ arms, 5.00/2.92/1.76 40yd, 30″ VJ, 103″ BJ, 4.57 SS, 7.63 3C
Thomas – 6’7″ 311lbs, 32.5″ arms, 5.00/2.93/1.79 40yd, 33″ VJ, 110″ BJ, 4.88 SS, 7.95 3C
Would he be worth 26 + 56?
SEA could move up to 16 (ahead of IND) to get him, if he’s still available.
I like Conklin a lot but he is not worth a 1st and 2nd IMO.
Why not just trade your 1st rounder and get the actual Joe Thomas for 3 years? Then use your 2nd round pick on Mcgovern.
Because Thomas will likely cost your R1 and R2 pick this year. That’s what they wanted from DEN last season.
If a 32 yo Thomas is worth your R1+R2, why wouldn’t a guy like Conklin? He graded as one of the best OTs in CFB – both run and pass block. He’s tough, nasty, iron work ethic, and he’s every bit the athletic freak that Ifedi is. Just 1% separates them in SLA score (Ifedi at 97.8%, Conklin at 96.8%).
Trade those first two picks for a LT that can improve and grow with your team for the next +5 years, instead of a guy who will be lucky to give you two more seasons at his current level.
Oh and Conklin’s entire rookie contract costs less than just one season of Thomas’.
The price they asked Den was when they were desperate and in the midst of a SB run. I am sure he will be traded prior to the draft and I doubt it will be for a #1 and #2. Maybe a #1 this year and #3 next. If so I still make that deal.
So you give up a #1 and #2 for a rookie who has never played a snap and could as easily be Eric Fisher or Luke Joekel as Joe Thomas but you would not trade a 1st round pick for one of the best LT of all time.
We have Russ, Earl, Sherm, Bennet etc signed for the next 3 years. I want to win super bowls now while we have those guys. I don’t care how good the rookie LT we take will be in 5 years. What difference does it make if we have not won any more SBs during this open window.
Anyaways we went back and forth on the Joe Thomas thing the other day no sense beating a dead horse. I don’t think it is a deal that will get done but was fun to think about.
If Conklin fell to us at #26 I would run to podium as I think he is much better than Ifedi, Spriggs or Decker but I would never trade a 2nd rounder to move up to get him as he is far from a sure thing.
Conklin isn’t Fisher or Joeckel.
Fisher was a good athlete with middling tape from a small school. He had a nice Senior Bowl week and shot up to the top of the draft, as much because KC really needed an OT, and they took a gamble on his upside vs Joeckel. And even though Fisher hasn’t quite lived up to his draft hype, I don’t think anyone would say they made a mistake in taking him over Joeckel.
Conklin is a good athlete with great tape from a power-5 school. He was rock solid the entirety of the 2015 season going against some of the best teams in the FBS.
As Rob has pointed out very recently on the blog (and the podcast), Joeckel was a middling athlete with great technique. He relied on that technique to be an effective blocker in college, but his athletic limitations, and the change in technique from college to pros, has rendered him ineffective at LT.
Conklin is a similar caliber athlete to Fisher, far better than Joeckel. He’s as good a technician as Joeckel and played in a power-5 conference.
Also, you assume a lot when you say CLE will take just a R1 or a R1 + future pick when we know for a fact they asked for a R1+R2 not 6 months ago. Maybe they take less, but if not, then what do you do? Still trade 26 + 56 for 32-yo Thomas?
Interesting comp there.
I’m liking Jason Spriggs more and more.
Nope, his arms are too long!
I think he goes #11 to Chicago.
Ryan Clady and Phil Loadholt could still be in play…
Loadholt should definitely be available but what would you give up for him?
@MikeGarafolo: The Russell Okung deal is actually structured as a one-year, $5m deal with a team option for the final four years at $12m per year.
@JasonLaCanfora: Russell Okung’s deal with Denver is essentially 2 contracts in one. He gets $5M guaranteed for 2016 w/chance to make up to $8M in incentives
That is a get contract for the Broncos. They basically sign him to a chap prove it deal and then if he does prove it get him at a decent price. Very good deal for the team. Not sure why Okung would ever sign that deal. If he did why did the Hawks not offer him something like that I wonder?
Does anyone know if the structuring of that deal cheats us out of a comp pick?
Seattle probably wasnt going to offer any chance in hell of 4 years at 12 million per. They just werent willing to match that per-year average, even on a Team Option. Okung is betting on himself yet again. If he stays healthy, Denver gets a good LT and pays him accordingly. If he gets hurt and/or struggles, they can walk away and he gets paid peanuts and he hits FA again in a year.
Smart move to get signed, still looks like big money to the public.
Yet Okung really gave his control over to Denver.
But, if he is cut, Denver gets a comp pick when he signs elsewhere, and he gets to enter FA again healthy. If he has a good year, and especially if he doesn’t miss a game, his value peaks. Thus Denver then would be like, 4 at $12? No Problem…
It’s a Win Win for Both. Glad he is gone too, time to draft his replacement.
Comp picks are only received for losing an Unrestricted FA. If they cut him, they receive nothing for him
Would anyone want to take a one year flyer on Anquan Boldin?
Rumor has it the Hawks offered Okung 4 years at 9 APY per with good guarantee but he wanted to test free agency and they pulled the deal and moved on once he did.
I heard something like 4 years @ $8.5M/yr. Seems legit…
@JasonLaCanfora: Okung signing signals end of Clady in Den. His release likely to come. Hard to see a trade there. If any LT gets dealt, my $ on Joe Thomas
Since we need one my favorite LT prospects in this draft. If we get any of these guys in Rd#1 or #2 they should be an upgrade.
#1 Tunsil
#2 Conklin- I would so love to see him on out OL as our new RT in 2016
#3 Shon Coleman- Has been my favourite prospect at #26 since the year began
#4Germain Ifedi
#4Taylor Decker
#5 LaRaven Clark
#6 Jason Spriggs