This one was a 2016 collectors item — a routine win.
Philadelphia’s late rally masks the comfortable nature of this victory. At one point it looked like the Seahawks might’ve won by a 34-7 type scoreline. 26-15 looks closer than it actually was.
Yet it was still a game decided ultimately by two major swings:
1. Russell Wilson’s ability to improvise, keep a broken play alive and find Jimmy Graham — a miraculous play by both quarterback and tight end leading to an unlikely touchdown.
2. An avoidable illegal formation penalty on Nelson Agholor — nullifying a long touchdown for Zach Ertz. The Eagles bench were screaming at Agholor pre-snap. Instead of an immediate reaction to Seattle’s score through Graham — the Eagles were forced to punt and never really recovered.
In terms of big plays this was basically a checklist, ideal performance for the Seahawks. Cliff Avril got his 10th sack of the season, Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor both had interceptions, C.J. Prosise had a big touchdown run, there was the Wilson-to-Graham score, a trick-play TD and explosive plays in the passing game.
The only big negative is all the injuries. Prosise could be out for the rest of the regular season at least with a big shoulder injury. Earl Thomas picked up a hamstring problem (so did Deshawn Shead). George Fant battled a shoulder issue. These are just the highlights.
The Seahawks can ill-afford to lose Thomas for obvious reasons. Losing Prosise is more disappointing than back-breaking — especially after his 72-yard score today. He’s clearly a dynamic weapon — but worryingly he’s been totally injury prone as a rookie.
At least Wilson is starting to look back to his normal self (evident on his touchdown catch) while Rawls ran hard and Michael Bennett is expected back in a fortnight. The Seahawks have battled adversity on the injury-front from week one and they’re still 7-2-1.
On a personal note it was good to end my two-game losing streak watching the Seahawks live. I’m writing this having just shared a bar with Phil Simms (he’s staying in the same hotel tonight). Century Link is a special, unique venue and it was a pleasure to enjoy being there once again this weekend. I look forward to my next trip.
Seattle’s sitting pretty in the playoff race with Arizona and Los Angeles both losing again today. The Seahawks hold a three-game lead in the NFC West and play both the Cardinals and Rams at home in December. The quest now is at the very least to secure the #2 seed and possibly find a way to overtake Dallas at #1.
I don’t understand this rash of hamstring injuries, to supposidly exceptional athletes. It may be time to look for a new conditioning coach.
No way of knowing without seeing any real data about their workloads. They may well have been doing conditioning work presuming a certain amount of snaps that’s been completely thrown out by the wild amount of defence they had to play against the Cards and Saints.
They’re right up at the cutting edge of this stuff as far as I understand, so they’ll have a pretty good grip on it.
Wow, really living up to your username there… 😉
This is the hardest hitting game that the Seahawks have been in this year. Also seemed like a lot of players dehydrated and had cramps on both sides of the ball. I’m hoping Prosise is back before the playoffs. We really need his versatility, and it would be good to have two hard running backs. Rawls had a good first game, looking for more next time. Pope and Collins – we just don’t know what they will bring to the game yet.
I thought Lockett and Richardson had breakout performances. Baldwin and Graham both continue to look excellent.
Seemed like the offensive line struggled at times. Ifedi got beat by Cox a few times.
The defense was just awesome. Still a bit soft on pass coverage but made up for it with two interceptions on long balls. The defensive line just wore the Eagles out, loved all the blitzing in the fourth quarter.
We are No. 2 in the Division Yeah. Go Seahawks!
I thought the OL acquitted themselves very well vs such a talented DL AHawk. Frequently RW had a good pocket and there were opps for runs.
Speaking of runs, big ups to Baldwin for sealing his man on the Prosise run. What a great block and just shows one of the lesser talked about strengths that make the Hawks so tough to play against.
We are number two in the Conference, number one in the Division.
Great win, minus the injury onslaught. I was worried how we’d respond to PHI’s d-line and linebackers but we came through pretty dang well.
Rawls adds such a physical element we’ve been missing all season; shame to lose prosise so soon after discovering his shake and bake.
Nit to pick: I just don’t see why we insist on isolating Kearse, especially at the goalline. Avg size and hands worse than me. That’s why you have Jimmy Graham, to make a defense react or over-compensate, and if they choose to leave him one-vs-one…yes please. I know Kearse has his fans here, but for me he lacks; I digress.
I like Kearse but has been droppin too many balls lately
Kearse really hasn’t looked like himself this year–neither has Lockett for that matter. But it’s hard to separate either from the effect of WIlson’s injury. Both of them went from top-5 DVOA last year to bottom-10 this year for Kearse (and bottom half for Lockett if he had enough targets to qualify).
Somehow Doug Baldwin is completely immune to his QB and offense’s fall-off though, still sitting top-4 in both DVOA and DYAR. And Graham is a lot more effective this year (#1 in DYAR and #4 in DVOA for TEs), but outside of the two stars and Prosise, we’re just getting nothing in the passing game from WRs 2-4.
But I don’t want to make it seem too much like sky is falling–despite WIlson’s injury, OL chaos, and poor output from secondary targets, we’ve still fallen only to #9 passing DVOA (#2 last year) and #11 overall offense (#1 last year). And that’s with stats up through last week, which will probably get better after the Eagles game and continue improving through the latter part of the season.
There’s a reason he didn’t get a lot of FA offers on the open market. He’s a nice role player, but you don’t pay big money for a role player. I think his contract is pretty fair for both sides, but I would like to see them try to develop someone there long term who provides the mismatch that Rice used to give. It doesn’t have to be a high pick.
I’d like to see more McEvoy. He seems to make big plays when he gets his opportunities.
I really want Prosise to get and stay healthy.
Hamstring issue in rookie camp.
Broken wrist to miss a big chunk of the season.
Now a shoulder injury that will likely last weeks.
We’re beyond the bumps and bruises an average NFL player has to endure. I hope he can shake all these injuries and carve a productive career.
Hope he hits the weight room this offseason. I was surprised at seeing how slight his upper body is during his post game NE interview. He has room to add more mass, improve his strength, and enable him to continue to deliver punishment without crippling himself
Glad you broke your streak Rob! Looks like it was a fun game to be at.
Will be interesting to see what the Hawks do with the backup RB slot with Prosise and Pope both going down. Have a safe trip home!
Russ’s ability to accurately throw across his body, running opposite, with accuracy and touch was other-worldly at times today. So fun to see him on the receiving end of a touchdown. Baldwin was actually under duress and I was momentarily worried Russ had fumbled through the end zone.
Speaking of Baldwin it almost seems he gets free from the defense at will. Remember when the line used to be that Hawk receivers couldn’t get separation?
Prosise’s touchdown followed immediately after he was one jump cut away from taking THAT one to the house. So glad you had two fun games Rob. Let’s hope for quick Hawk recoveries.
Just added a video I took from the game — managed to get the Wilson TD catch from my seat. Check it out.
just out of curiosity Rob, how was the fan noise in the 100 level?
I’ve sat in all 3 levels and the 300’s are by far the loudest. So much fun up there!
Today was incredibly loud for sure.
Fans are loudest up top, for aure
I think the higher you go in the stadium the drunker people are…ergo louder as well.
RW looked great again today
ADB’s throw to RW under pressure was a thing of beauty
Rawls looked more explosive then he did at the beginning of the year.
Britt could have had a better game
really sad with all the injuries but am curious to see who steps up
overall great game hope the injuries aren’t too bad go hawks
Given how much grief the eagles’ D has given opposing offenses so far this year, kudos to the Hawks’ OL today. A few blown blocks and Glowinski had at least two penalties called on him, but otherwise pretty good.
My biggest concern is the health of ET. It’s just a less effective defense when he’s not prowling back there in centerfield. He’s probably the least replaceable player on the defense. Hopefully it was just a mild hammy tweak because those can be tough to come back from if significant.
Now we know why the Seahawks added so many RBs to go with Rawls and C-Mike: Prosise, Collins, Brooks, Pope and Madden. Does anyone remember what injury placed Madden on IR? I wonder if he is healed up and might be the one IR guy designated to return? Brooks is with the KC practice squad and could be claimed, Farmer is on the practice squad but I have seen nothing from him, honestly. Prosise has suffered his 4th injury of the past six months, and we really have to worry about him going forward, particularly because he and Rawls seem the ideal pair.
I would imagine that Farmer gets activated next week, but I wonder if they don’t look to poach a PS player off another team. There’s a three week minimum we would have to keep him on the roster, and we’d have to release a player (assuming Farmer gets called up). With Webb being inactive today, I wonder if he gets released, especially if Sowell comes back this week.
With how thin we were at RB late last year I think we have to make a move for someone that could theoretically stick around for the rest of the season.
Apparently Sowell has been healthy the past 2 weeks. I think the younger guys have shown enough improvement that they no longer need the old guys
I agree that Webb has played his way off the roster. Interesting that Odhiambo played so well at LT, his college position, after struggling to adapt to OG. Could he and Fant be our OTs next season with Sowell as the backup and probably a high draft pick to develop? While still on the OL, I am a big Joey Hunt fan, but can the Seahawks carry an OC on the active roster again next year? That slot almost has to go to a swing OG-C type, and Joey is no one’s idea of an OG. I also wonder if T-man Pope will have to go on IR? A 4-6 week healing for a high ankle sprain is too long to take up a roster spot, especially when they will have to carry Prosise for the same length of time.
Prosise needs an offseason to bulk a bit and get healthy. I think it’s just a fluke of injuries. He’ll be great for years to come.
Fully agree. He needs it really bad!
How will that help? He had a hamstring problem, then a broken wrist, now a broken shoulder blade. Getting bigger won’t do anything for those injuries.
The wrist bone’s connected to the… oh, never mind.
You would be surprised how much adding muscle weight and mass strengthens ligaments and tendons throughout the body and increases durability.
That’s fine, even though I’d like to see some studies, but it still doesn’t explain how getting bigger will stop him breaking his wrist or shoulder blade?
Of course he could go find Von Miller’s doctor and gain 20+ pounds through good old fashioned hard work, but he might well lose his agility and pop. Bigger isn’t always better, most athletes settle into a comfortable playing weight that works for them. Just look at Michael Bennett.
There are plenty of studies on this and the science of weight training is better today than at any time in history. Outside of food and sex, it’s probably one of the most studied subjects in the world, so I’m not sure where you’re looking.
Wilson had a great touch on the ball today, real accurate. I sure enjoy his long passes to Doug Baldwin. Loved the play where Baldwin threw him the ball for a touchdown. It must be extremely rare for a starting quarterback to have a touchdown reception, any stats on that?
I know I picked a little on ifedi earlier. The offensive line held up well considering the elite defensive line they faced. The one holding Fallon Glowinski was bogus – he drove someone to the ground. It was a good finish to his block. Wilson is just mobile enough to move away from blitzers
I may be expecting too much of RW but I thought he could have been better. He had Richardson wide open and threw it over his head. Don’t get me wrong I love him and he played well. Just wasn’t as crisp as he could be.
Go back and watch that play again…Richardson slowed down too soon to jump for the ball, another 2 steps and he could have high pointed it easy
You’re right, Preach came back to make contact with the DB. He keeps his stride and that’s probably a long TD
Fantastic game today, but tempered by injuries to key players in ET, CJ, and Shead. Really hoping Earl isn’t out for a long period of time. A few random thoughts.
1. Russell Wilson is getting back to the old Russell Wilson with each game. Ran a bit better today. That broken play touchdown pass to Jimmy Graham was vintage RW3. The great news is he’s becoming more seasoned in the pocket.
2. The OL held up pretty well. Fant managed well enough again, and Odhiambo looked decent at LT as his replacement went he was out with his injury. IMO, good to see Odhiambo get some snaps. I thought it was interesting the team chose to activate him over Sowell and Webb. Curious to see what his role might be in the future, if there is a starter spot for him at some position.
3. For as excited as I’ve gotten about Prosise, man was it great to see Thomas Rawls back in action. Loosing Prosise to injury sucks, hopefully Rawls stays healthy enough the rest of the way. If Rawls gets banged up again, they offense might as well go full out Air Raid, ’cause right now, we got Rawls, and Alex Collins healthy on the roster. Running back might still be an early target in 2017. We are yet again, scary thin there.
4. The DL has some players now. Avril and Clark continue playing lights out. Damontre Moore continues to look like a really solid find on the DL. John Jenkins looked decent as well. But for my $, Jarran Reed is looking more and more like an eventual 3 down player. He kinda reminds me a lot of Randy Starks in build, and I think he can get there in play. He had a number of QB hurries, hits, and a pass defense. It seems like lately the team has him rotating in more at 3 tech the last hand full of games, and when he’s there, you see more push. I noticed he in there on some NASCAR stuff towards the end of the game, as well. While the team might go for a pass rushing DT, and I certainly wouldn’t complain, I wouldn’t be shocked if Reed becomes something more than just a run stuffer for this team. Can’t wait for Bennett to come back.
5. Teams are continually showing an ability to run outside on this D. IMO, I think they need to address SAM this offseason. Loosing Mike B has hurt the D here b/c he’s tremendous against the run, but I think they are lacking a physical presence setting the edge. Personally, I miss Bruce Irving playing on this team.
6. Earl Thomas’ injury scares the holy poop out of me. I thought Lane stepped in well for Shead. One player I’m curious to see maybe get some more playing time is DeAndre Elliot. But really hope, play ET isn’t out long.
Reed was the one with the pressure on Wentz’s arm punt to Sherman, I think. Would have been a sack for a safety if the QB hadn’t released it too early–and of course, it produced a pick.
Exactly, and he split through two blockers to get there, bulled one of them backwards.
I’m glad to see that fant was not seriously hurt…wow his ascent from basketball player to dominant left tackle will get cable a hcoach job. Did not feel like they really comitted to the run game today although they had great numbers. I was miffed as to why they ran to the right side what only seemed like a few times…I know cox was over there but two of the runs were successful. I thought it was interesting to see how they send in different groups of receivers. Also liked the two tight end formations with Wilson graham.
Dominant left tackle?? Where are you seeing this, he hasnt even played a full season as a starter
I’m not sure if it’s been mentioned, but I love how Rawls always gets an extra few yards after contact. It makes such a difference to have second and six rather than second and 8. He just has that ability to fall forward. Just love his style of running.
So true. Night and day compared to CMike who spent most of his time trying to run round people then fall
So who’s out there as street free agent running backs to fill in for Prosise? I don’t really know the young/practice squad-type guys, but looking through a list of available veterans (I haven’t checked health/fitness for any of these, just looked at whether/how they played last year):
You’ve got Fred Jackson and Bryce Brown as guys who know the playbook…
Chris Polk and Marcel Reece (who has played mostly FB but could be a 3rd-down back for us) as former Huskies that fans would be excited about and who have ties to the area…
Joique Bell and Pierre Thomas as proven pass catchers…
Anyone else you’d be excited about?
Marcel Reese could be interesting. I could see them also take a look at Polk.
Rod Smith recently released from the Cowboys. He was battling with Rawls last pre-season and I must confess I preferred Smith over Rawls by a fair margin. He’s a big bruiser with good athleticism Farmer up from PS as a 3rd down/passing down threat?.
I think those are two very attractive choices. Farmer is probably a sure thing and I like the idea of Rod Smith coming back to where it all started to spell Rawls and keep pounding a lot more than all of the other realistic options, such as Bryce Brown, Fred Jackson, Pierre Thomas, etc. To make room, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Pope go to the IR and maybe KPL as well. Mike Morgan was designated to return last week and is eligible to play starting next week against the Panthers.
Smith sounds like a solid option to me, too. He’s had time with the playbook and looked at least intriguing in our offense in pre-season. Definitely has the athletic parameters they like since they brought him in initially.
Ray Rice
I would love to see ray rice come to Seattle I havent seen him play in so long however I hope he hasnt lost a step he has had a lot of off time so we know his body is healed and ready it all boils down to if he has been conditioning or not. Would be hard to come back to full stride like he was 3 years ago but not impossible
the Hawks need more interior pressure. I know Bennett helps with that but what do you guys think of the possiblility of adding Sheldon Richardson for our 1st rounder? The jets are rumored to be shopping him (or wanting to after the season) but he definitely has off field issues. Potential to be another Harvin but if he works and takes to the leadership in this locker room the defense would be that much more of a terror. I can’t decide if I’d want the Hawks to chance it with such a good draft class. You aren’t going to find a Richardson in the bottom of the draft class. He has elite interior pressure talent if he can get his head on straight.
I’d rather see the team go through the draft. Jarran Reed has as many sacks as Richardson. It’s nice to think about adding a player like him, but I think give more $ to Bennett and Chancellor, and see what the draft brings.
Agreed. Let’s make Bennett, Avril, Kam, Jimmy Seahawks for life and keep building through the draft.
Richardson is great, but the price will just be way too high to be sustainable in the long term IMO.
Rob, what other things do you see differently in person as opposed to film? You mentioned safety speed. Are there any other positions and/or positional traits you would highlight or just kind of a general feel for the flow of the game?
Just curious to hear more of your take on the experience as a guy who has watched a ton of film.
Secondary play overall. You can watch the cornerbacks in coverage downfield. Usually on TV you see the QB look downfield and throw. You can track the routes easily, see if a CB has proper recovery speed, see if they look fluid in coverage etc. You also get a better view of defensive coverages vs Seattle’s offense. On the Jimmy touchdown you could see Philly were giving up a large zone for JG to exploit. Wilson had to scramble and throw on the run — but once Jimmy made the catch he basically ran into an empty zone. If that play isn’t broken early it could’ve been a fairly routine completion. And the RZ throw to Kearse — you get a good view of something like that. You could see the blanket coverage to JG and Doug. They left JK 1v1 and said to Wilson — ‘You can have this matchup’ and he obliged. I know it frustrates a lot of fans — but on that snap it made no sense to force it with such a favourable matchup on the outside. Would’ve rather see a fade.
What I don’t get is why kearse is the one lined up on the outside, not that Russ chose to throw to the matchup. Put Jimmy out there and the D absolutely has to react, and if not you have a supreme matchup one v one.
Then we wouldnt have the option over the middle.
He consistently draws safety and LB attention in the redzone and gives our receivers (mostly Kearse) 1v1s
Thanks, Rob!
Rob, Budda Baker….
In my mind we’ve already traded out of the First to accrue more picks, since we’re lacking. Could Budda handle being a Nickel Corner in The NFL? E.T’s Contract runs Through 2018 and year after year I ask myself, if we lost Earl who do we have? My answer continually keeps recurring.. STEVEN TERRELL… Thanks but No Thanks. Budda right now seems the best candidate to learn from Earl and become his possible successor/Fill In, in this draft… Which is why I ask if he could handle being a Nickel with those coverage duties?
It’s a good question. I think he possibly could play nickel. Not a bad idea to be honest — although they just signed Lane to a long deal. So are you finding a way to get Budda on the field or is he just a backup?
Well that’s the thing, Lane isn’t so much Strictly our Nickel. You know how the match ups can flip flop him and Shead from outside to inside, and vice versa. But Shead is a UFA in 2018, one that I’m unsure we’ll be able to afford. With E.T, Sherm due up AFTER 2018, and Kam, Bennett, Jimmy and Britt due 2018. It might be wise to start/continue stock piling that Secondary, DL, OL
Our 2019 Free Agent Class is N.O. JOKE.
E.T, Sherm, Avril, Rawls,Clark, Lockett, K.J, and honorable mention Fant…
Just prematurely looking at it, it’d be awesome to end up with a Budda Baker, who could hopefully play a similar Honey Badger Roll
ET to Steven Terrell might be the biggest downgrade in the NFL.
He really should have picked off that floater in the end zone. Not sure why he didn’t attack the ball. Maybe he thought the CB had it or something.
I keep putting his name out here, but wsu’s slalom luani is a really good fit for this team. Playmaker, in that deone bucannon hybrid mold. Could play nickel (his current position) and has good speed to play FS if needed (his position last year). Good at rushing the QB and making plays in the backfield
Sorry I gave you a hard time on twitter for wondering where this article was but its the first thing I go to after a Seahawks game so I’m somewhat spoiled lol. Hope you guys had a good time.
It’s usually you who sets me straight when I’m frustrated with Bevell and I have to admit he did very well today. I still don’t know how much of it is Wilson getting healthy or Bevell being really good or just average but who cares, the end result is the offense looked very, very good. Wilson was incredible. He’s still not 100% I don’t think but he’s close enough and Bevell was creative in his play calling.
I really think Kearse needs less playing time especially with us going to more of a Russell led offense. Richardson, McEvoy etc. probably deserve more targets.
Hey all, let’s talk red zone offense. It seems that teams are OK with triple covering Graham and bracketing Baldwin. That leaves the WR on the other side with a clean one on one matchup. Carroll has always been after a big WR and I think this is primarily why. Kearse isn’t winning this matchup (he actually got physically beaten by a smaller corner on a slant when Seattle was inside the 5), and Lockett and Richardson aren’t those guys yet. Perhaps a big WR is a priority in the off season?
Why not put Jimmy outside for that matchup. He either gets the 1-v-1, which he has the big advantage, or it forces Ds to overcompensate leaving the rest of the crew with a better matchup. Kearse isn’t a guy (as you mentioned) that makes anyone adjust. I don’t fault Russ for going to the isolation, I fault the play design
Because then he’s going to be bracketed and you have a no real weapon over the middle.
Russ probably can’t really see too well in from there and a pass over the trenches is more likely to get tipped
Which is why you put your supreme weapon alone.
Most teams won’t have a single guy theyd feel comfortable playing 1v1 against him. We would be dictating that they give safety help.
When he’s inline they use the weakside safety to bracket him anyway.
The only thing this would accomplish is taking another receiver off the field.
Why not put Luke Willson in-line and Jimmy out wide? Luke’s no Jimmy, but I’d take him 1-on-1 in the middle of the field if they do double Jimmy.
Luke is pretty consistently bad at coming down with contested passes, so I don’t think that’s a great option. I think McEvoy should get some chances out there though, just by virtue of being 6’6 and having some highlight reel plays already, he might force the defense to loosen the vice on Jimmy and/or Doug. If not and they still go 1v1 with a CB, throw him the jump ball/back shoulder.
Why would it take a receiver off the field? You’re simply isolating Jimmy, shifting him from the bunch to out wide. Let the defense screw themself up. Even with a db and a shaded defender, who do you want to throw it up to in the corner, Jimmy or Kearse? We can agree to disagree on this one.
Btw – N.O. had plenty of success with this, and they faced the same defensive considerations that we do.
Rawls & Prosise have both shown they can be weapons, and their skill-sets complement each other perfectly. With them both being so injury prone, we’re all pretty much in agreement that a third RB needs to be added next draft to round out the committee. Since we can’t rely on the health of either RB, I’m think they should target an all-around RB who excels in several areas of playing the position.
I haven’t started scouting backs yet, so which candidates offer versatility? Are there options out there that exhibit a variety of traits; such as vision, toughness between the tackles, elusiveness, receiving ability, and pass-blocking? That’s a tall order for a non-elite prospect, but every year there’s guys who check most of those boxes. A prime example was Kenneth Dixon was draft, who lasted until the end of the 4th round.
With the OL continuing to trend towards the positive, does anyone else think Seattle might wait until the late rounds to address the position group, and basically draft depth?
A chance to add a special talent at LB, interior pass rush, another playmaker on the offense, RB, move TE etc, could be tempting.
One of the biggest take aways I had from the Eagles game was Odhiambo active head of Sowell and looking good at LT on that long scoring drive. If Fant is the starter moving forward at LT, is Rees possibly the starter on at RT in 2017, or maybe one of the guard spots with Ifedi moving to RT?
Curious to see what people think on this.
29: R1P29
LB ZACH CUNNINGHAM
VANDERBILT
61: R2P29
DL CALEB BRANTLEY
FLORIDA
93: R3P29
WR COOPER KUPP
EASTERN WASHINGTON
135: R4P32
RB ELIJAH HOOD
NORTH CAROLINA
207: R6P28
TE GERALD EVERETT
SOUTH ALABAMA
214: R6P35
G KYLE KALIS
MICHIGAN
225: R7P7
OT ANDREAS KNAPPE
CONNECTICUT
Knappe is an ole blocker and I believe he’ll be a very old rookie
My expectation for Odhiambo is I’d be thrilled if he could fill the swing OL guy spot for the next 2-3 seasons. Do exactly what he did Sunday, fill in for stretches with negligible dropoff in play. His versatility could be a real asset, especially if he can play T & G.
Him becoming a starting-level Tackle would be a windfall IMO. I’m not smart enough to scout his technique and upside but with how physical this OL plays, having a swing guy at the ready is not a luxury but a necessity.
Did we get a glimpse at why Seattle used a relatively high draft pick on Odhiambo? Pete Carroll praised him on Brock & Salk today, said he plays naturally and comfortably at tackle and will add competition there. R3 is kind of a high point in the draft to take a swing player. IMO, I think he might have made things interesting yesterday.
“R3 is kind of a high point in the draft to take a swing player”
I agree but as I said a solid swing guy is a valuable commodity. I tend to think first a guy can contribute, then if he can start and be effective, all the better.
Besides this team finds OL in the dustbin and the basketball court. Everything is upside down.
What do you guys mean when you say swing player? Are you talking about a guy who plays guard and can swing out to tackle when needed or what?
First OL off the bench to fill in. Versatile enough to play either tackle spot and not embarrass himself or get the QB killed. Can be used in jumbo type run packages. Think Alvin Bailey.
What if Ifedi does go to RT, Odhiambo comes in at LG, and Glow goes back to RG?
Then you really only need depth. And a lot of these O-lineman this year, the good ones, not all but a lot, are from smaller schools.
And we know that Seattle likes to draft from the bigger schools through the first 3 rounds.
I could envision that. Along with the usual 4-6 week OL growing pain/learning curve/fan freakout. Maybe they could get that down a little as all 3 are Cable indoctrinated and Britt is still solid at C.
I think that’s definitely a good possibility.
Here’s my crazy thought: Tom Cable and company were really high on his talent during the draft, thinking that they were getting a much higher round talent that, due to major injury, slid. They took him ahead of SDB favorites Dahl and McGovern, who most of us thought would be plug and play. Odhiambo never got fully healed during training camp, and into the regular season. Now he’s healthy and caught up. They want to use him as the swing player ahead of Sowell and Webb to get on the field. Carroll said today tackle comes natural to him. Next year, with Fant and him both dedicating more time building up their bodies, get ready to become the starting tackles, Fant possibly even shifting to the right side and Odhiambo at LT. This is my crazy thought.
Not crazy at all in my opinion, C-Dog. JS said after the draft we would see how dominant Odi is once he got healthy. They had him as a top-40 prospect.
Not sure how the positional shifts will work themselves out in the end, but we do have a history of wanting to run behind a jumbo right side, and as of right now, it looks like Fant and Ifedi are our best run blockers. So I would guess that is definitely a possibility that we see them together on the right side sometime in the future, probably next year so they have the whole off-season to gel.
Great points, Sea Mode. All lends to my wild speculation, but with Fant being longer and with the freak natural athleticism, he could pair well with Ifedi. Odhiambo was a good LT in college, and Carroll said question that he’s comfortable there. I think it was Mayock in his draft analysis saying that, when heathly, Odhiambo has the skill set to be a solid LT in the league.
I could also see a scenario where Odhiambo starts at one of the guard spots, shifting Ifedi to RT, if they genuinely think Fant is going to be special at LT, or maybe getting a crack at RT.
I know this is big time speculation talk on my part, but I find my mind giving a fair amount of space to the idea that the 5 starters on the OL moving forward for future season might already be on the roster, and Odhiambo is one of them. As much as they are committed to Fant starting the rest of the way, Carroll hasn’t said he is our answer at LT, and yesterday he said Odhiambo is going to add to the competition there. In terms of Ifedi when asked about possibly becoming a RT, the coaches has just said that they like him at RG for right now.
Vol, we can’t shift Ifedi to RT or play Odiambo as a starting tackle.
The cable strategy seems to be as follows –
Since we do not trust the way offensive linemen learn to play at college, we’ll use draft picks on college tackles so we can shift them to Guards or Center and teach them how to do it properly from scratch.
Then, we’ll pick some athletic UDFAs that has no training whatsoever and teach them to play tackle.
It takes a year according to Gibbs so next year we should have a great OL.
The injury to Earl is huge I hope they give him a couple of weeks to really get that Hammy right as he is critical to a legit SB run IMO.
I know this is going to sound crazy to most Hawks fans but I actually hope we get the 2 seed. We still get the bye to rest and home game. The advantage is we get to play Dallas in the NFC final in perfect conditions and I think that really favors us as I see our offense and passing game against the Dallas secondary. The chances of a great day weather wise in Seattle in January is pretty slim and a cold, wet windy day in Jan would definitely favor the Cowboys and that run game. Curious if I am alone in this thinking or if it makes sense.
I’ve thought this way too. If Dallas wins out…they could be at risk for a trap game, and seattle has already proven it can go on the road against the best in the NFL and take it from them last week. I also don’t think that dallas’ D can stop a healthy seattle offense.
I like the Hawks 3-0 record in home NFC Title games and the idea of getting the rookie QB in the crazed den of Century Link a lot more than I like good weather. Dallas doesn’t have much of a home field advantage though so it wouldn’t be the worst thing to happen – I’d handicap it as a neutral field if I were a Vegas oddsmaker to be completely honest. I just keep coming back to Seattle’s defense at home in January has got to be Jerry Jones’ worst nightmare. That’s an inexperienced team and a coach that has yet to play meaningful playoff football, I think the pressure of playing in Seattle would really hurt them more than bad weather would hurt the Hawks offense.
After an absolutely embarassing display to start world cup qualifying (losing to Mexico at home for the first time in 16 years and a 4-0 galloping at Costa Rica) US Soccer has decided to cut ties with our National Team Head Coach; German Legend Jurgen Klinnsman.
Fruitless tinkering and an inability to transition from the old guard has left fans wanting and most would agree with this decision.
It is the first time a USMNT HC has been fired in the middle of the qualifying Hex.
Despite recruiting several talented dual nationals and aiding the development of several young up and comers, Klinnsmann’s tactical deficiencies and critical comments on the state of US Soccer were on full display as Jurgen, billed as a master motivator of men, had seemed to lose the ear of his team.
We’re not even close to eliminated from contention, yet, but the prospects for HC are not inspiring and the next round of games is in March.
I suppose it was time, although I mostly contend Jurgen was coaching with a rigged hand. He was operating with a pretty big talent-gap from day 1. Perhaps his vision or methods were just at a level a bit too high for this current crop of players? Not sure. It does seem he lost them somewhere along the way. I’ve seen no real improvement the last few years, but again, the speed of our decision making and ball control is markedly behind most of the world. Players don’t seem to out work anyone and constantly make atrocious on-ball mistakes (looking at you Bradley) and off-ball marking gaffes. Enough to drive any coach crazy. I do wish he had played the youngins more; I think he was banking on the veteran calm…but they didn’t deliver.
Not overly inspired by Arena taking over.
Btw -no shame losing to Mexico, their talent is clearly superior. But Costa Rica in a shellacking? Boys, it’s WC qualifying!…where’s the heart?
Liking Pulisic. Thinking we have a keeper there.
What are your thoughts on the move Kenny? I was a bit surprised by the timing, but I guess it makes sense to transition now.
Why is Terrell replacing Earl, and not Powell or McCray? I saw McCray playing very well at free safety in the preseason (as Earl got looks at strong safety against the cowboys)
This is probaby a question for Rob or V12 or kenny sloth or c-dog or trevor, they are the intelligent question answer ers. Im not a fan of terrell but my best guess is because terrell has more experience at free safety than powell and Mccray has been playing SS this year so maybe they dont wanna move Mccray to FS if he has already been playing well at SS. btw I think Mccray doesnt ever get the attention and credit he deserves. he has played lights out when called upon to do so, we had to give up such little in order to get him on the roster and it has payed volume value for us. Also a lot of people dont realize how prominant of a special teams player he is for us.
Powell was inactive.
Terrell has 4.4 speed.
Spot on evaluation of McCray.
I think he gets the snaps at FS of they become available. They realllly like him.
I think Lane has played better than Shead at several points this year.
Tom Brady didn’t try him but once. He might not relinquish the job if he can stay healthy and consistent.
Terrell has the speed to play single high safety. It will be interesting to see if the team stays in single high as much as they do for the next couple games or if they adjust coverages and looks to get McCray on the field. I didn’t notice Terrell playing poorly out there. He’s been in the system for a while, they may be okay just staying with him.
Also both Fant and Odhiambo looked pretty good yesterday. Exciting to walk away from that draft with what now looks like three pretty good linemen, Ifedi Odhi and Fant. Gilliam seems to be the problem still, with Ifedi and Glow still being inconsistent. I think Ifedi will develop but hopefully Odiambo can eventually usurp either Glow or Gilliam’s spot. I think Glowinski can still improve as well although his play has been a way overrated by fans this year.
Well all in all, I don’t beleive o line is a huge need in this next draft. I think we need impact defenders more, such as a deathbacker SAM guy or another pass rusher or nickel corner.
I thought Glowinski played pretty well yesterday. I don’t think he’s overrated at all. In fact, I sense the opposite.
For Glow being “the strongest O-lineman” (according to Cable) he sure does get stood up, stone walled, or pushed back a lot. Saw it last year against Arizona and have consistently seen it this year.
Given the recruitment profile the Seahawks have shown in their running backs (5’10/11”, 220 pounds) there was an interesting tidbit from Pete Carrol’s radio segment on 710 today (yesterday?). It was put to him whether Thomas Rawls was close to his ideal running back for his scheme and Pete responded that Rawls is very close, maybe if there was a guy that was 6’2” and 240 that could play the way Rawls does.
Might be an interesting point of discussion given it departs significantly from that aforementioned recruitment profile we have seen in recent years.
There’s no such thing as a prototype for RB. There just isn’t. Its about style.
The smaller a guy is, the lower to the ground he is, less surface area to tackle, and as you know, the low man wins when it comes to leverage.
Sure Seattle likes a certain size at RB, but I would almost guarantee you they wouldn’t pass on a guy because he’s a couple inches taller or 5-10 pounds more if they run with the style they like.
Brock Huard named 3 running backs to look out for before the draft last year, he said he knows for a fact, that the look for the guy that just runs the hardest.
Jordan Howard and Jonathon Williams were 2 of the 3, can’t recall other one.
I think the RBs that are built in the mold Seattle typically likes just happen to be the ones that do run the hardest or run angry because of the size.
Maybe I phrased it poorly but the 6’2” 240 part isn’t my take on Pete’s ideal running back from the Rawls comment but the actual words from Pete’s mouth. His perfect running back for Seattle would be someone that plays like Rawls but with the 6’2” 240 body.
I completely agree about the size vs style argument just thought Pete’s qualifier gives us another filter, albeit perhaps an overly fine one, for the draft.
No, I knew what ya meant.
I heard Pete’s remark and I think he simply asserted the ideal back was one with incredible athleticism and size (thus the 240lbs remark). There are very few great athletes at 240lbs. I think they want extreme athleticism and a minimum of size and that’s why they end up almost exclusively drafting players at 220.
Sounds like D’Onta Foreman in the second to me
Maybe, but I’m still not sold on him in Seattle. Might be Pete fantasising over Fournette.
So, Bo Jackson? That should be easy to find.
And yet Rawls is 5’9, 213 lbs.
Pope is barely over 200 lbs. They’ve shown interest in guys bordering around 200-205.
Prosise ain’t 220. He’s 6’1 with shoes on. Rod Smith was 6’2-6-3, 240 lbs or so.
They like the 210 range, because history shows and tells us that in order to be a workhorse or carry a heavy load, a RB has to be 210 or so.
ET out 1-2 weeks. At least it isn’t worse.
Shead out 1-2 weeks.
Prosise? No surgery needed. Good news there. Hoping he’s back for the last game of the year. But, should be back by playoff time.
Indy WR Donte Moncrief had the exact same injury and missed 5 weeks so there is a precedent.
Are you sure they are out? From my understanding, Carroll said they are typically 10-14 day injuries but they will check throughout the week. Never the less, I think we can beat Tampa without them.
That’s what I heard too. Check later in the week. Does Earl have RW-like recuperative powers? LOL.
You could be right. I took it to mean they’d be out for that amount of time, if they do miss time. Maybe I read too much into it.
As long as the temperature in Tampa isn’t over 100 degrees, they can probably get by with out them. Carolina and Green Bay, I am not so sure. Green Bay in December has been a bad experience for the Hawks over the years. Even if the Packers are out of the playoff picture then, you can bet they will want to even the score for that last minute playoff loss.
I wonder with the backfield depleted, if they’ll shadow Mike Evans with Sherman. If Sherm can erase him, that will go a long way towards a good defensive game.
Keep him in check, yes. Erase him, no.
Tampa will be a tough game without Prosise, Thomas and Shead. Prosise basically single handedly beat New England for us.
When will Bennet and Morgan get back? Coyle has been horrible.
I think horrible is a little over stated, but I see your point. Actually, watch the tape closely… Just about everybody is getting hooked or sealed (Avril, KJ, Clark and even Kam). W/ Coyle, he is so light & not strong enough to set the edge. You know every remaining team on the schedule (& Dallas) has seen the tape & will try to duplicate the success that NE & Phili have had the last two weeks.
I think they’ll be fine against TB. I’m ready for Rawls, but Prosise is a big loss. This offense has been searching for a guy like him for awhile now. Hope they save him for the playoffs. Its so disheartening that a guy with so much potential and electricity gets hurt just when he starts to turn it on.
RW can more than carry this offense against a bad Bucs team.
Morgan is eligible to come back for the Carolina game and they’re hoping/expecting Bennett back this week I beleive.
Watching the Eagles game, I don’t think Coyle was horrible. He had around 18 snaps. Actually looked solid to me. Not the best at setting the edge but looked good to me in coverage. Watching the NE game, he had 39 snaps. I saw only 2 not so good plays of run defense, which is understandable with NE’s TE of Gronk and Bennett. I mean, even Cliff and Wright get dominated at times by their strength. Most runs were actually away from him. As long as you’re not expecting him to play at Wagner’s or Wright’s level, he looks like a solid LB, especially knowing that he’s an UDFA.
Watching the Eagles game, I don’t think Coyle was horrible. He had around 18 snaps. Actually looked solid to me. Not the best at setting the edge but looked good to me in coverage. Watching the NE game, he had 39 snaps. I saw only 2 not so good plays of run defense, which is understandable with NE’s TE of Gronk and Bennett. I mean, even Cliff and Wright get dominated at times by their strength. Most runs were actually away from him. As long as you’re not expecting him to play at Wagner’s or Wright’s level, he looks like a solid LB, especially knowing that he’s an UDFA.
WR Green-Beckham of the Eagles looks like he’s getting his head on straight at least on the field. A guy we spoke at length about when he was coming out. Good for him.
Rob you had mentioned a bit ago that you might be doing a piece on DL Solomon Thomas of Stanford and I noticed you had him up to the 1st round in your latest mock. Is that a piece still to come or did I miss it? He’s been at the top of my wish list for a while now as a Pac-12 homer. Think he’d be a great addition to the Hawks DL. Love that he took up boxing with a renowned trainer in order to improve his hand use in football. Hard working, athletic freak on the field. Hard working level headed kid off the field. One more trip to the Stanford well please.
We learned a few things Sunday….
Prosise as a change of pace back, GREAT, every down back….. not as great, due to injury concerns or durability concerns.
Bennett was missed on multiple plays requiring some pass rush. However, the DL has been holding up decently and may not be #1 in the NFL, but they are managing the injuries and still showing up.
The coaching/training staff have been doing an exceptional job all season of getting guys ready, rehabbing guys or making various pieces fit into a MASH unit on the defensive side of the ball. Have they been dominant this year (scoring wise yes), not exactly. But holding teams of various types down enabling the offense to get rolling….. very impressive imo. Every team is hit with injuries, but Seattle has weathered the storm better than most. 7-2-1 looks good in my book.
As much as I love a good AC/DC tune, is it just me, or are the Texans getting absolutely hosed by the refs on MNF?
They kinda were. The consistency of the calls overall this season have been ridiculous. Across the league. You almost get the feeling that the NFL is a WWE league.
What was that punt about from Houston?
I have no idea. No trust in their overpaid QB?
Thought I was watching a hawk game with those one sided calls all night
Was just thinking hopefully one positive about Prosise’s injury is that he should (I imagine) still be able to run and maintain his conditioning, and perhaps even take non-contact reps to keep up to speed with the offense.
Would be great to have him hit the ground running for our first playoff game (after 1st rd bye, yes please). As someone also mentioned earlier, lack of game film on him could also be an advantage for us. Use these upcoming weeks to secretly design and practice some plays for him.
I think this really does have the makings of a Championship season if everyone can get healthy for the stretch run. The next couple of weeks could be a struggle with injuries but I think with the 2 seed and a bye week we would be perfectly positioned for a legit SB run. IMO the Hawks / Cowboys are the elite teams in the NFC and Pats / Raiders in the AFC.
I also think another solid off season and Draft could really set us up for a sustained 2-3 more years minimum with a championship caliber roster.
Here are my initial thoughts and would love to get other peoples ideas.
Draft
Use Rounds #1 and 2 to focus on completing the construction of our offense and getting a legit RT and RB. We have all the dynamic weapons we need and the rest of the offense is locked up the next couple of years. Then next year or two focus on the defensive side of the ball starting to look for elite players to replace our aging defensive core.
Rd#1 Garrett Bolles (OT) – If he is on the board this is a no brainier pick like Ifedi last year IMO. As Rob has so clearly pointed out is is an elite athlete and great run blocker for the position with a nasty streak. Plug him in at RT and we have what I believe could be an elite OL for the next 2-3 years.
RT Bolles, RG Ifedi, C Britt, LG Glowinski, LT Fant. Swing Backup Reese
Rd #2 Joe Mixon or or Dante Foreman (RB) If the Hawks clear his background then Mixon is a 3 down back who would be a steal like Frank Clark in Rd #2. If he does not check out off the field then a big power back like Foreman or Perrine to go with Rawls and and Prosise would give us a dynamic 3 headed monster in the backfield and help keep all 3 fresh and hopeful reduce workload and injuries.
Rds#3-7 Let JS work his magic finding elite athletes and guys with chip on shoulder to play on the defensive side of the ball and let Pete and the gang coach them up.
Free Agency
-Cut Webb hopefully this week
-Sign one veteran as pass rush depth (Sheard is having a down year with Pats and maybe a steal of a signing as a situational pass rusher)
*Lock up Bennett, Avril, Kam with extensions at cap friendly deals with more guarenteed $ that allows them to play 2-3 more years and retire seahawks
-Sign Shead to Jeremy Lane type deal
? Try to sign Willson as he seems like a great team guy and good TE depth. Really depends on his market I think.
I like your thinking for the most part, Trevor. My thoughts at the moment to get the discussion going:
Playoffs>
I also think we’ve got what it takes this year.
Not sure why, but I just can’t seem to buy into the Dallas hype enough to worry about them. Rookie QB and questions on defense (esp. front 7) make me suspect they might not go as far as everyone thinks in the playoffs. Even if we do play them in NFCCG, I would be quite confident.
Honestly, the more I watch, the NFC team that begins to worry me vs. Hawks is Washington. Like us, they are getting stronger as the year rolls on and McCloughan is building a tough team that plays hard. And I think their offensive weapons could give us trouble matching up. ET would have to help with DJax deep and Jordan Reed I think could do some serious damage as well as Crowder vs. Lane.
Free Agency:
Agree completely. Would consider throwing in Britt this year too before he fully establishes himself as a top ZB center. They have bet on players before they fully broke out and it has paid off most of the time as great deals. I think center is probably the one position they would rather not churn on the OL if possible.
Can’t forget about Graham either, unless they want to wait it out until 2018 for him.
Vannett makes me think Luke could be all the more expendable, even if his market ends up being low.
Draft:
Here is where I’m still not so sure. JS has said they look ahead 3 years in roster building, so I’m thinking this will be more of an opportunistic approach BPA for the future than strictly filling those last holes of the present.
R1 since I don’t think Bolles will be there (he seems to be getting more recognition already in a shallow OT class), we might look to grab a DE/DT or DE/OLB if there is a real good one on the board. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be too surprised if they saw a chance to dip into the elite safety class or hybrid LB/S. Get the talent then figure out how to use it. Still intrigued by Evan Engram as well and might go for the luxury pick. Impact players…
R2-3 If the RB they really want is there in R2-3, they might pull the trigger and reach a bit for him. But it seems that in a deep class, they will be able to find guys later on considering we are looking for a third-string RB. I think an OLB would be nice in R2 and then OL in R3 perhaps.
Later rounds we already know JS Jedi ways…
I can’t believe I am saying this but I like the idea of locking up Britt too. Who would have ever thought after the last two years he would be the corner stone of the OL.
Bolles defo getting more hype. Shame as I think Rob & Co had identified the perfect, billy prospect for the Hawks:
http://www.sltrib.com/blogs/uofusports/4507357-155/utah-football-notes-garett-bolles-graded
http://www.1280thezone.com/film-study-hans-awards-his-man-crush-garett-bolles-the-week-7-hoolow/
http://www.draftinsider.net/blog/?p=11419
https://www.profootballfocus.com/college-football-pff-team-of-the-week-selections-week-8/
In free agency I think will budget 3mil-4mil for a WiLL/OLB UFA list not bad Malcom Smith Justin Durant JJ Wilcox could be hybrid SS/OLB Mike Morgan we could keep for maybe 1.5 mil. Looking at Dallas man they have cap problems coming up they are 10 mil over for 2017 and only save 5 mil when they dump Romo. There Starting LG is UFA starting WR is UFA starting corner is UFA starting SS is UFA backup SS is UFA 4th and 5th linebackers are UFA will have to cut starting K and probably the starting RT as well.
Just quickly on Mixon, I wrote a bit about him in the last thread when you brought him up – I just don’t think he’s explosive enough for the Hawks, even if he was squeaky clean off the field. His 2013 SPARQ numbers are really pretty ordinary, especially his vertical. He wouldn’t be the first athlete to make a miraculous physical transformation to reach the pros, but I just don’t see him having enough pop.
This Justin Senior, OT, Miss St. is very interesting.
If he does not test well at combine then you are probably right he would not be worth the hassle. I just think is NFL comps are Arian Foster or Matt Forte and neither of those guys were Sparq demons just great 3 down backs with good patience, vision and hands. All things Mixon has if you watch his tape.
As Vol 12 so perfectly he just makes the game look easy.
Once again I know there are off field issues and I am not in any position to comment on those but realize it may well exclude him from even being a prospect if the reports are accurate.
Sure, but it’s about what the Hawks have gone for in the past and using that to project what they’re after in the future. Obviously have to wait for the combine, but those 2013 numbers were way below what the front office seem to like, his SPARQ was only 105 or something
I should mention that they took Alex Collins, and he tested dreadfully so who knows. Collins has had maybe two good plays all season though, so that might even prompt them to go back to picking plus athletes
I don’t think they take him purely on JS’s comments regarding assault when he said they only looked at Frank Clark because they believed he didn’t do it. There is no doubt with Mixon and his lack of contrition will only increase the chance they pass
As I mentioned I don’t even try to figure out the off field stuff the teams pay investigators and physiologists etc. for that stuff. I am just looking at the players on the field.
Really? Nixon is one of the most explosive backs in this draft. What doesn’t he do well? I think your underrating his athleticism.
Not every back Seattle targets or ends up drafting has to have a Christine Michael like SPARQ.
*Mixon
Agree. I think sparq and its variants are great starting points. I’d like to monitor “TEF,” this year more closely but for seattle RB’s I think its the hardest position to pin down pre draft.
Also Joe Mixon seems like a problem without looking too much further into him. But if Prosise sadly is going to (hope not,) keep getting injured physically Mixon especially catching the ball jumps off the screen to me.
The problem with TEF for RB’s is the TEF formula is based around a self-confessed ideal physical profile for O-liners per Tom Cable. We’ve used it for DL’s too because essentially it helps us to compare the two competing lines at the LOS and how ‘explosive’ certain OL’s are compared to the DL’s they’re facing.
The RB position is likely to have a very different ideal physical profile. What we can determine is that the Seahawks have consistently drafted RB’s at around 5-11 and 220lbs with a high degree of athleticism. I suspect if they were to deviate from this, the player in question would have to be an exceptionally rare athlete. For example, if they take a RB at 230lbs they better be a Fournette level athlete.
Obviously not everyone is going to be Michael levels of athleticism, he’s a superfreak. We might find someone like him once every five seasons or so. But Mixon had a SPARQ of 105. His vert was 31″. Now he might have been sick, he might have made a miraculous transformation, but I really struggle to see the Hawks taking an RB with those sort of measurables.
He’s silky smooth, very balanced, good foot speed, has field speed, but he’s not explosive. At least to my eyes anyway. I don’t think the physical upside is there for them to take a shot at him given the very nasty off-field stuff.
Jordan Hill claimed off waivers by Jacksonville yesterday.
I kinda get the vibe that the Seattle has had zero interest bring him back, maybe just the fans interested in seeing him return.
The organization has been jettisoning “injury prone” players for a few years now it seems. Okung and Unger were moved on from pretty easily.
Yeah, I think that’s very true. Carroll seemed especially exasperated with Hill’s injuries this camp.
Dont sleep on W. Michigan WR Corey Davis.
Let me just say this. I think JS likes this kid.
My favorite WR in the draft class hands down. Everything you read about this kids character screams Seahawks. I just think he is going to mid 1st round if he has a decent combine.
He screams Seahawks.
Has that backstory. Big, strong, long, easy speed. Kid has a 2nd gear. Great fluidity and COD. Good route runner, good run blocker, described as having a great work ethic. Dominant, record breaking production.
Its possible he goes that early, but for me he’s more of a late 1st-early 2nd.
He is supposed to be a quiet almost shy guy whose teammates love him. Supposed to be the ulimate student of the game / gym rat and would fit right in your WR room you have to believe.
I don’t view WR as a need but would absolutely love the pick. I was banging the table hard for him last year as our potential 2nd rounder when I thought he was coming out.
I agree. Not sure about how much of a need WR is, but JS likes someone on this team.
Then I think, they need to keep adding to this offense. Ya gotta give RW as many weapons as possible.
To me, Davis seems like a guy teams will overlook because of the conference he’s in, and he seems like a Tyler Lockett type of prospect if you know what I mean. Character and work ethic wise.
Exactly like Locket character wise it seems.
He also has a backstory that resembles Utah’s Garrett Bolles in a certain aspects too.
I’ve heard two draft guru types say he was their WR1 for them, so if teams share that view, he could go very early.
I can’t say I’m a huge fan. Not a R1 fan, anyway (I’m a big fan of Davis overall). He seems like a guy who does everything very well but doesn’t have that one exceptional thing. And he seems to need a good 10 yards plus to get up to speed.
But if you can tell me we can throw him the balls we are currently wasting on Kearse in the red zone and he will go up and win it most of the time, go for it.
I should specify that I heard others say the knock on him is that he doesn’t have that one exceptional trait. For me, I’m just saying if we are going to go WR in R1, I want Dez Bryant. I want Brandon Marshall. And if we aren’t getting that in the 20s or 30s, rather just get competition for Kearse that could turn into that (or something close) in Rds 2 or 3: Chesson, Dupre, that kind of guy.
Dupre? Where does he win?
I don’t see one weakness in Corey Davis’ game. Not one. That’s his strength. He’s a complete receiver.
His ability to win contested catches and the way he accelerates especially over the middle are 2 things that stand out to me.
I think some teams will question the caliber of CBs he faces and he’s probably not viewed as a #1. Those guys aren’t going top 20. But, let’s be real here. No matter the receiver or TE Seattle drafts, they wont be.
I really liked Chesson last year and was excited for him this year, but he might be my most disappointing prospect. What happened to him? He’s been outplayed by Amarah Darboh. I worry about his ability to separate and getting redirected in his routes.
W. Michigan has 2 other guys that are intriguing.
RB Jarvion Franklin and OL Taylor Moton.
Their HC, PJ Fleck, is a former WR coach for Tampa Bay. He says his program is about letting players embrace their individuality.
I’ll take a look at Moron tonight.
Moton* lmao
I watched Moton last night. W Mich vs Kent State. Fell asleep about half way through. He’s big but didn’t look dominant to me playing RT. Doesn’t look all that quick. Would he be a guard in the NFL? Might get roasted out on the edge.
Yeah, he’s a guard.
Not sleeping on him at all. One of the reasons I’d like to see this OL continue to settle in, Jarran Reed continue to flash on 3rd downs, Thomas Rawls to stay healthy, etc.. is that I would love for Seattle to draft for luxury on a player like him early, and not necessarily feel the need to go with need.
Yeah, they really don’t have a lot of needs right now. It doesn’t look that way to me at least. And Davis eventually would get those 1 vs 1 looks that we see Kearse currently getting.
Unless a guy like Bolles is there, I just feel like they’d be reaching for an O-lineman. I also don’t think Bolles age will negatively impact his stock. Maybe another year where the O-line talent and depth is better.
Yeah, I feel the same way about OL, and if Seattle is drafting towards the bottom of R1 again, and Bolles declares, I think there’s likely very little chance he’s anywhere close to Seattle’s pick.
This might be another draft where Seattle can afford to trade back and collect a few more picks. Having that 5th round pick taken away hurts, and they already traded away their native 4th. Really hoping the Bruce Irving comp ends up a 3rd, but still, if they can drop back a bit, pick up another mid rounder, draft a guy like Corey Davis first, then go after corner and DL depth, maybe take an OL or two later round to develop, that would be some good gravy, IMO.
I think Ole Miss WR Evan Engram could be a possibility too.
Yeah, I like the notion of adding more size at receiver. There’s been really interesting talk lately about RW’s QBR rating when targeting Kearse as opposed to all the other receivers the last few games. It’s like 66.6 or something and when targeting Baldwin, Lockett, Jimmy and P Rich it’s over 100. Some of that could be circumstance, but I think it’s a down year for Kearse thus far. Evans, Davis, maybe Cooper Kupp later could be quite possible. I wouldn’t be surprised if we start seeing more P Rich involved the rest of the season.
Here’s a mock draft to consider if all stays rosy for team the rest of the way. Maybe the Seahawks zag when everyone expects them to zig.
29: R1P29
WR COREY DAVIS
WESTERN MICHIGAN
61: R2P29
TE EVAN ENGRAM
OLE MISS
93: R3P29
EDGE RYAN ANDERSON
ALABAMA
135: R4P32
DL MONTRAVIUS ADAMS
AUBURN
207: R6P28
RB MATTHEW DAYES
NC STATE
214: R6P35
OT JONAH PIRSIG
MINNESOTA
226: R7P8
CB AHKELLO WITHERSPOON
COLORADO
Grab a couple bonafide pass catching playmakers early. Get someone with junkyard dog in him like Ryan Anderson if he’s still available R3, use the depth of draft at DL, RB, CB to maybe find some later round gems. Use a late round pick on a physical guy like Pirsig to develop at tackle or guard.
If you could get Andreson in Rd #3 that would be a steal. Same with Adams in Rd #4
Yeah, depending on who declares, seems to be a draft stacking up to have a lot of edge and DL. Some are going to fall. I think Anderson could be a hard one to project, he might be a way better football player than athlete, someone a team doesn’t use R1 pick on, or possibly even R2, but hopes is there R3.
Some interesting stuff from one of the best and my personal favorite, (not including Mr. Rob Staton of course) Tony Pauline.
As if we didn’t know this, as a community here at SDB, he was told by someone that Udub CB Kevin King is a typical Seahawk type of corner.
Kutztown and Senior bowl invite Jordan Morgan: Lining up at left tackle for Kutztown, Morgan is explosive, athletic and powerful. He annihilates defenders at the line of scrimmage while also showing a lot of skill blocking in motion. He displays good instinct and a feel for blocking. He definitely needs to improve the consistency of his fundamentals as Morgan gets upright in his stance and he’s often late with his hands. He’ll have the opportunity of a lifetime for a small school blocker as Morgan will be participating in the Senior Bowl this January where he’ll likely line up at guard. I presently grade him as a fifth/sixth round choice but he offers tremendous upside which, if met, could result in Morgan eventually starting on Sunday’s.
Kenny will love this.
Iowa DT Jaleel Johnson: Eleven games into the season he’s totaled 51 tackles, 10 tackles for loss as well as 7.5 sacks. The numbers during the victory over Illinois read 4/1.5/1. Johnson is a terrific athlete with size, growth potential and possibilities in a variety of defensive schemes.
Yeah Jaleel Johnson is all motor and dog.
I’d love to see Seattle get their coaching mitts on Kevin King. Shead is going to be 28 next year, as Rob pointed out a little while ago, it might impact the length of contract Seattle could be looking to offer him.
I’ve been looking at Jaleel Johnson a bit lately. Very interesting player.
Johnson is absolutely all motor.
I can’t remember who, but one draft analyst said this years CB class is what last years DT class was.
Seems like a great year for Seattle to grab that developmental corner on day 3 and a couple as UDFAs. But your right. King would be fantastic on this defense.
I like Jordan Morgan a lot. I’m hoping the Hawks select Kevin King somewhere in the draft. He reminds me of a young Richard Sherman type with the same potential. This is looking like a very deep draft at CB. I like the local kid Thompson who play’s for Utah too.
Seattle cuts OL J’Marcus Webb. Do they get a comp pick back or is it too late?
Does that mean they’re bringing up Farmer as 3rd down back? Or bringing in someone else altogether?
Probably. They did add Zac Brooks to the PS again.
I’m interested to see how Alex Collins looks behind a much improved line and with a healthier RW.
I think he had to be cut before week #10.
Your right. Had they cut him 2 weeks ago they would’ve gotten a 6th round comp. Sucks they didn’t, but with Sowell being injured they had to keep him I’m guessing.
Interesting question on the comp pick. Here is Over The Cap’s summary on this situation:
In order to qualify for the comp equation, a player must have been a true Unrestricted Free Agent whose contract had expired or was voided after the previous season (i.e., he cannot have been released by his old team); he must sign during the UFA signing period (which ended July 27 last year); if he signs after June 1[*], he must have been tendered a June 1 qualifying offer by his old team; his compensatory value or contract value must be above a specific minimum amount; and he cannot have been permanently released by his new team before a certain point in the season (which seems to be after Week 10) or, possibly, before getting a certain amount of playing time, unless he was claimed off waivers by another team.
So who knows? It can’t hurt the Hawks’ position that he played little and poorly and was permanently released, but it would have been better had the release been a couple of weeks ago. It doesn’t appear that the team saves any salary this year, since his 2016 salary was guaranteed.
The better news is that the dead money on his deal for 2017 is modest: $600,000.
I assume .. TOO LATE.
Yup.
Hindsight is always 20/20, but Seattle could have 3 comp picks in the 6th round had they not signed Sowell and Webb. One isn’t starting and one is now gone.
Its actually a decent FA class for O-lineman this year. Nothing special, but not bad. Might not mean anything in terms of what Seattle will do in FA, but just food for thought.
Looks like Okung will be gone after the year according to rumors. As will Donald Stephenson.
OTs:
Marcus Cannon
Austin Pasztor
Ricky Wagner
Matt Kalil
Riley Reiff
Andre Smith
OGs:
Luke Joeckel
Chance Warmack
Ronald Leary
TJ Lang
Larry Watford
Kevin Zeitler
Brian Winters
*Warford
Seems like the two positions we need to draft or udfa are Corner and OL. Can’t think of a Free agent signing for either position which has worked out. At least this year we will not be loosing any of our starting OL so things can only get better.
Why are tix in the 200 level more than in the 100 @ CLink? Do the players on the sideline block the view or something?
You can see the field better from 200 level… and most of which are covered, unlike 100 level field/sideline seats.
In addition 100 level are charter seats so those that own paid for their right to buy those tickets
Is this Rawleigh Williams III, RB, Arkansas a true SO or R-SO?
This dude runs hard!
True.
Are we giving up on Gilliam? Why di we need to draft Oline early?
Fant is a miracle, we like Glow (to my knowledge), we like Britt, we like Ifedi, why do we need another guy? Gilliam is still developing. He had a sophomore slump but i just wanna see a group of guys play a FULL season together then have an entire off season to grow TOGETHER. No more crazy line turnover please…
Mostly Win Forever.
I thought Gilliam played a bit better against the Eagles, maybe Carroll bringing up Sowell as competition at RT lit a spark. My problem with that is, there shouldn’t be a spark needed to be lit in the first place, and one of the problems I have with Gilliam is that he doesn’t particularly bring the nasty at a position, that for this team, needs to be there. Kind of why I wouldn’t be shocked to see the starting five from left to right be Fant, Odhiambo, Britt, Glowinski, and Ifedi. IMO, I think they drafted Odhiambo to eventually be a starter.
I agree. I think they may want more physicality out of their RT, but if Gilliam ends up being the only weak link, that ain’t too bad.
Glow reminds me of a Sweezy type especially his temperament. He’s gonna draw some flags and have some missed assigments, but hes got a lot of potential.
Sneezy played excellently at the end of 2015. Let’s just hope Glow gets there sooner. I think he will, since he is not learning an entirely new position.
haha Sweezy*
I think that’s true about Glowniski. He looks to abuse on the second level. Way better in pass pro though, IMO.
On that long series Odhiambo was in, I noticed him getting to the second level for some nice blocks as well. He had a really interesting interview on Danny Dave and Moore a couple days ago, explaining how he has been getting healthy and learning on the positions in practice, says he prefers playing on the left side because he’s more used to it. Really came across as a solid, smart, grounded dude. You could sense from just that alone why Seattle was enamored with him.
Zac in the saddle again?
Probably old news to most now, but just saw the reason a spot was opened in the roster was to bring Zac Brooks back. Is anyone else as underwhelmed as I am? In general I’m no negative nellie (mild pun intended), but if we really need some RB support/help given our injury situation (which we do) why wouldn’t we go and rent/secure a RB on a one year deal that can actually come in an make a difference. From all I saw before his departure, Zac appeared to have been a wasted draft pick anyway – but now to bring him back? Don’t get it. I would love to be enlightened with a better and more positive POV than I current have . . . Thoughts!!
Thanks all – love this blog!!!
Better pass catcher than Rawls or Collins with plus speed and agility. Basically replacing prosise.
Who would you prefer that’s available to fill that role? I’m not sure I would have ever dropped CJ Spiller, but alas, not much we can do about that now.
ICB, thanks for the reply. My initial wise-arse response would have been, just about anyone!! I’d rather see Rawls do his best catching, which doesn’t appear to me to be as bad as the rap has received, than to stick in a dud that even if he does catch the back will likely get stopped quickly (or funble?).
To your point, yes, Spiller wouldn’t have been a bad choice at all, but that ship has sailed. Jsut hope we’re not stuck in a lifeboat now . . How about Ronnie Hillman??
Go Hawks!!
Its not just about talent with Seattle. They’ve built a culture and if a guy doesn’t fit that culture and won’t fit in with the rest of the team, there’s no point no matter how good they might be.
Remember this. It takes a whole team to establish that culture or identity. It only takes 1 guy to bring that culture or team down.
Curious, are you saying Hillman is not a culture fit?
I really hope that Collins can show something the next 4-5 weeks. Most importantly I hope he can hold onto the ball. Seems like a fumble opp every time he carries the ball. I really did not like him as a draft pick because I thought he lacked the burst to be an NFL RB but we need him now so I pray I am wrong about him.
One thing for sure is he is going to get his shot and IMO it is make or break it time for him with regards to having an NFL career.
I would actually like to see Farmer get an opp as a 3rd down back. He played WR so must have decent hands. Hope he can hold up in pass pro though.
Seahawks scouting Florida vs Florida St. That one is obvious since they play in TB.
And also scouting USC vs ND. They like someone on this USC squad. 4th time they’ve scouted them this year.
*3 times for USC
*3 times for Florida
Where is this info available? About who’s scouting who?
I got these 2 from NFL.com, but there’s other places too.