Just a quick post for Boxing Day (and I trust you all had an excellent Christmas)…
Last night I had a bit of quiet time in the evening, and decided to go back and watch all four of the Draft Breakdown videos for Mike Evans.
Yes, I live an exciting life.
If you want to spend Boxing Day evening doing what I did on Christmas Day, click here.
It just reaffirmed my take on Evans — he’s a terrific player, exactly what the Seahawks need and worth moving up the board for if the opportunity arises.
I’m stunned he’s rated so lowly by some. ESPN’s Scouts Inc have him down as the 24th best player in the draft. He’s not even listed on Mel Kiper’s big board. The two CBS sports mock drafts have him at #18.
He’s right up there with Sammy Watkins and Marqise Lee. It’s a three-pronged, elite receiver group for 2014 with depth to follow.
I can’t get enough of Evans. Forget about the deep speed, it’s not an issue. He falls under the category of ‘fast enough’.
At the end of the day, he can create separation. And that’s the important thing. He can beat press, he’s shifty to slip a corner and get down field. He knows how to set up the double move.
When he faces tight coverage (and he has, against the best college football has to offer) he goes and gets the football. Nobody high points the ball like Evans in college.
But it’s the competitive spirit he shows in every single game that is also so important. You need to have an edge to play receiver. Watch Lee at USC and you see it every week. All of the current top receivers in the NFL have it. It’s not arrogance, it’s fight. It’s a permanent pissed off attitude and a sheer rejection to accept a single missed opportunity.
It’s this kind of approach that has made Doug Baldwin a legit pro as an UDFA. Larry Fitzgerald, a consummate professional, quietly is among the most competitive players in the league. You can’t saunter and coast. Not if you want to dominate every single year.
Evans just gets it.
I want five things from a true #1 receiver:
1 — Be a red zone threat, regardless of size
2 — Contest the ball in the air, high point it and consistently exploit single coverage
3 — Go back to the quarterback when a play breaks down
4 — Be a big play threat
5 — Be a great third down option
Evans ticks every single box.
If he runs a 4.6 at the combine, I simply don’t care. I’ve seen enough to want this guy on my team.
Playing with Johnny Manziel makes the prospect even more enticing. Manziel’s ‘hair on fire’ act is similar to Russell Wilson’s. When a play breaks down, he’ll scramble around to extend it. He’ll buy time. Evans has learnt how to react in that situation.
Even when Manziel makes the wrong choice and just throws it up for grabs, Evans will make the play.
The Seahawks want explosive throws downfield. They want to dominate the red line. They want to exploit single coverage and the blitz.
Go get Evans.
Plus, what is the one thing they don’t have right now? A great red zone threat.
Here’s your answer.
If the NFL shares the opinion of Kiper, McShay, the CBS duo and the rest… I hope the Seahawks are ready to act.
Mike Evans would be a perfect compliment to this offense. Arguably, the receiver Wilson needs to reach his absolute peak.
Rob how do you feel about taking a chane on Kenny Britt. Only if you money is right, can only get him on the cheap. Possibly a high risk/high reward deal. I know he’s got the injuries and the off field stuff, but he does have the talent that comes with it. I’m definitely in favor of still drafting a reviewer, regarsless if we sign one in the offseason. Thoughts?
Very talented receiver but he’s never made the most of it. Off field issues, injuries. He’s been in the league five years and has never put up great numbers. To me he’s needed to take more responsibility, and he’s failed to do it. One of the biggest disappointments at WR in the last few years. I’m not against giving him a shot in camp as a minimal salary, but I wouldn’t hold out much hope that the light will switch on.
Agreed with everything you said. Maybe the poor output could have been a result of poor QB play, however I haven’t watched him enough to validate that.
I don’t think “injuries” really cover it with Britt. It’s much worse than that. He’s shredded both knees now. I’ts been over two years since the last ACL tear and teammates say he’s lost his confidence. The guy that Matt Hasslebeck said was ‘the best player on the Titans roster’ probably doesn’t exist anymore.
I think you hit the nail on the head. Through injuries/maturity issues, I think things have piled on him and broken his spirits.
Today he was quoted as saying “I’m going to be a #1 WR somewhere next season”. Some could look at this and say “kid spouting off” and others could look at this as a “man on a mission” statement. I personally am leaning towards “man on a mission”.
Maybe with maturity and focus he is determined to be a better player. Low-cost/high-reward prove it contracts seem to work. Even if his role is a cheap replacement for Rice, it might be worth looking into.
You make a great point in comparisons of Manziel to Wilson, Texas A&M offense has adapted to Manziel’s talents of extending plays and receivers doing scramble drills. I recall Ryan Swope getting a lot of catches this way last year.
Evans can come in and contribute right away in this fashion. He could fill that Sidney Rice role but with hopefully some red zone jump ball tds too.
Rob! Evans is EXactly what we need, I agree! We have 2-3 Solid TE’s, and 1 of Tate/Baldwin will certainly be still here, and if Percy does EVER get to ‘just play’, Mike Would be a killer addition!
Imagine Mike Evans on one side, Percy in the slot, and Golden Tate on the other side…! Brilliant!
As far as some Seattle fans might say, we need to use all our draft picks—I say NO. We bleed free all the extras we have, and our depth has made us one of the best teams, but to ‘be the best’, we need #1 Quality, not just depth… Plus, that adds quality and depth for a chunk of time!
I just wonder if there is a team out there that sees Manziel as their QB, and is smart enough to KNOW that if they also took Evans, they would dramatically prosper quickly… i.e. Cleveland or St. Louis…
If a QB needy team did that, regardless of compensation, they would have a home run team for quite some time. I see that since the game is shifting so much more to points and offense, that teams need to consider drafting players that all ready know one another! Years of being in synch can help the WR position grow faster. Yes, I know, I know the NFL level is different, but a smart team would carry over some comfortable and effective college plays to make the guys shine!
Rob, do you see that as a possible new strategy? (given that the team needs both positions?)
I;d be up for trading up for Mike Evans…Period. We need Quality, and we need it soon!
If I were St. Louis I’d seriously consider going with Manziel & Evans. They’re the only team who can do it without trading up in a big way. That would be a huge upgrade for the Rams and make them very dangerous.
And if the Seahawks have Wilson throwing to Evans, Percy, Tate and Baldwin, it’ll take some of the pressure off the running game if it is taking a step back (certainly that has been the case the last five games). If we’re witnessing the passing of the torch from Lynch to Wilson as the MVP on offense, you need to make RW’s life as easy as possible.
I think the built in chemistry you get with a QB/WR tandem is an added perk more so than something teams consciously pursue, but there recent examples to support either theory. The Luck/Fleener pick sure looked like a chemistry thing, but then I was so sure the Jets would grab Stedman Bailey last year to pair with Geno Smith and that didn’t happen (think they could have used another pass catcher on that roster?)
Like anything else, it’s probably somewhere in the middle with plenty of variance from team to team.
Yeah the Jets sure could have used Stedman Bailey! Imagine how much comfort from that relationship could have helped Geno Smith/ (If they really actually like each other).
Heck, the Jets w him in synch with Geno, and the Jets may have won one or two of their close games…?!
I think the idea of taking college ‘chemistry’ and having it translate to the pros is one of those huge misnomers that gets presented every year.
‘Oh X played with Y at Z college! They’ll pick up right where they left off in college’
Never have been a fan of that thinking.
Rob- Davante Adams has declared and hired an agent. I saw some Keenan Allen comps, and while I know you weren’t a KA fan, he’s had a hell of a rookie year, so I’m curious for your initial Adams thoughts?
I was very sceptical of Keenan Allen — and he’s absolutely proven that to be an incorrect judgement.
On Adams… I have to say I’m sceptical again. I’ve never been blown away by his play. Decent not great size, not blazing speed. Stats are great but he’s in an uber prolific passing offense that uses a lot of short stuff and cheap yards. I went back to look at him last week and couldn’t muster much of a grade to be fair.
What do you think of Kelvin Benjamin as a later first round alternate to Evans if he is off the board?
I’m not a big fan. Seems like a good guy, definitely has masses of potential. But he doesn’t play with any urgency what so ever. He has a handful of mental errors in every game. He’s a pretty frustrating player to watch.
Yes, Mike Evans would be perfect in every way for us. Our front office has proven success with R-5 through UDFA. If we didn’t have a 1,2 and a 4 but had Mike Evans,would you pull the trigger?
I haven’t done the math yet to move from 32 down to 12 or so. Heck, it may cost even more than that.
I always wondered in TE Luke Willson could be moved to the big WR. What are your thoughts?
Basically, are you asking if Mike Evans is worth a Julio Jones trade? I think that price is too steep, even though I like Evans as much as I liked Sheldon Richardson last year.
That would not be a “Julio Jones trade”. Sure the Falcons gave up the 1st, 2nd and 4th that year, but also had to cough up a 1st and 4th the following year. I don’t think it would not cost nearly that much to go up to get Evans.
Remember that Julio Jones was #6 overall in a draft with a ridiculous top 5. (I really think at any of the top 6 picks from that draft would have been #1 overall in 2013) Julio absolutely destroyed the combine, which Evans probably won’t do. And there wasn’t a single red flag on Jones in the realm of off the field/competitiveness/effort/charisma.
It’s also cheaper to move up in drafts that aren’t insanely top heavy. Remember when Dallas jumped from #14 up to #6 for Claiborne and it only cost them a 2nd rounder for the privilege? And this top ten is much worse than the 2012 one.
At the end of the day if I had to bet money, I’d take the under on Evans as a top 15 pick anyway. Vincent Jackson ran a 4.46 and was still a second rounder, though to be fair he was coming out of Northern Colorado. Unless Evans shocks us all by running in the 4.4’s I think he’s in the second half of R1 at best.
Benjamin is someone that I would love to see fall to us, but that probably won’t happen. He is so raw, yet he’s ultra-productive and you can’t teach what he’s got.
If Kelvin Benjamin of FSU declares he’s entering the draft , I say hell ya take the chance . 6’6″ 220 Ibs may take 2 years like golden but this guy has more upside than Tate.
I think we have a much better shot at Benjamin or Coleman. Evans would definitely be a GREAT fit though. I think, like many others have stated, KB may take a bit more time to develop, but there is tremendous upside.
Coleman was one of my favorite college players last season and I think crappy QB play destroyed his ’13 season. He will more than likely be under-drafted which could be great for us
Not sure if I’m allowed to post this video, but look at this guy… RZ threat is an understatement.
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Kelvin+Benjamin+Highlights&FORM=VIRE7#view=detail&mid=F7894821E6F4E945CB87F7894821E6F4E945CB87
I like this guy a lot. Damn.
You have to see the lowlights, too. Frustrating player to watch.
I agree. I watched some more tape and there are big lulls in the game where he doesn’t even seem to do anything on the build. Hit or miss is a good way to describe him
Completely agree with you, Rob.
Actually would expand that to watkins , lee, and Evans all are unique talents this team could utilize. if any opportunity presents itself to get any of this 3, they should do it.
I was badly disappointed they “passed” on Patterson ( I know we differ on him at present) and Keenan, and actually I was sad to see even woods and Goodwin go- these guys are difference makers and cheap ( Percy! Ugh) . I hope the hawks find a cost controlled edge players for the next 4 years. They’ll need them.
I don’t think Evans or Watkins will be there. But i suspect Lee drops like woods and Allen did. And Lee will work. These guys don’t have the “ideal” measures but they run slick patterns and have the mental attributes you identify above.
I like Evans for his size. But if lee is there at 20, yeah… Move to get him.
Imagine us staying and taking Cordarelle as you mention.
Playmaker? Yes
Kick Returner? Hell Yes!
Young, Cheap, and Uninjured? Triple Yes
CP could help us in these playoffs like we thought PH would…
Alright Rob, this is not about a WR, DL, or even a G but one player I keep focusing on is Carlos Hyde from OSU. I know Mike Evans seems like a perfect fit, and we can get him great. But watching game tape- not just highlights, I see a player consistently running North-South or at least to daylight with a split legged downhill truck much like Lynch. Yes, he plays in a read option with Braxton Miller, but Lynch plays in read option with Wilson. Hyde has character red flags but so did Lynch. Hyde doesn’t have break away speed but neither does Lynch, although he does have a great burst and really seems to smash players. Plus he has a mean streak it seems and loves violence. I’m just saying, if we’re thinking outside the box and if Lynch is on his last legs. Hyde could be Beast From The East Mode. I think little to nothing of Christeen Michael and already await his replacement. But RB is huge for this team, so perhaps we could have a shot in the 2nd round at adding a great power ZBS RB instead of a utility OL
Hyde is a player I intend to get into soon. I saw games earlier in the year involving Ohio State and he wasn’t featured at all — I need to see why that was. I did watch one game (Northwestern I think?) where he had a huge impact. I’m generally sceptical of running backs with his size (he’s listed at about 240lbs) but I’ll check him out.
The run game is so vital to this time, with a runner like Lynch. As much as I liked Michael coming in, we’ve got nothing out of that pick. Eddie Lacy, with hindsight, would’ve been a wise move instead of trading down.
William’s of BC reminds me of Beast Mode. Check him out Rob.
I would definitely prefer Mike Evans or Brandon Coleman. But I don’t think their is that bid a difference between Coleman and Cody Hoffman at BYU. Hoffman would be a great player if he had ever played with semi decent quarterbacks.
TE Colt Lyerla, his value has crashed with all the off field problems hes created and put himself in however, hes still a HUGE talent and would fit into our system very well. Perhaps all it would take is a 5th or 6th RD pick to aquire Lyerla?…
I think the damage has been done there and he’ll be lucky to get a shot as an UDFA.
Id be willing to take a flier on his talents alone with a 6th RD pick. High reward/6th RD is low risk. Not going to hit on ever pick but a guy like him would be worth considering, great value in a later RD.
Completely agree. I think Lyerla will have to bust his butt to get some team to take a flyer on him. Very talented, but teams seem to be concerned w/ drug abuse and depression/mental disorders. I’m rooting for him to recover and become a productive NFL player
I just don’t see a future for him in the NFL with his background. He’ll need to go the UDFA route for me.
Rob, to be fair, you’ve never talked to the guy, something execs will be doing.
It’d be like passing on a player who’s too short to play the position to completely dislcude him from your board based on past problems. Pete Carroll is clearly not afraid to rehabilitate problem players if they’re willing.
They might rate him extremely highly.
If he blows up the combine and does well in interviews I don’t see any way he falls to UDFA.
Let’s be right here, there’s a world of difference between ignoring a player’s talents based on his height (a mistake) and a guy who just yesterday pleaded guilty to drug possession (cocaine), and clearly has a problem.
That’s not to say he can’t turn his life around. I sincerely hope he does. But he’ll be doing it as an UDFA more than likely.
The damage is done. The guy is such a … But, why not a late round pick to ensure he is ours for camp?
Rob, do you think TE Luke Willson could be a WR for us? Tall, fast etc.
Why rob Peter to pay Paul? I’ve been pleasantly surprised with Willson’s blocking so far (that is to say I haven’t seen any egregious misses) so I’m excited to see what he can do with more chances at TE. You can always motion him out into space if you want anyway, so I see no reason for a full on conversion. Really it doesn’t matter how you list him on the depth chart, it’s not gonna change what Willson can do for you, but since part of what he can do is adequate blocking you might as well leave him as a TE.
Hard to tell on Willson without seeing him line up out wide. It’s a very difficult skill to translate. I’m going to lean towards saying he can’t make the transition, but that’s because it’s so much harder to create separation as a pure WR. Naturally TE’s are a mismatch.
Our front office seems to have shown disinterest in moving up in the draft over the last few years but I have had the feeling that once the right player comes along they would jump at the opportunity. Do you think Evans is the player they have been waiting for? I know that Evans is not a Calvin Johnson type athlete but I can’t help but wonder if he would have a Calvin Johnson type impact on this team with Russell Wilson at QB.
He could well be. Evans is the type of receiver Wilson has not had in Seattle — and as the Seahawks’ identity transitions (inevitably, IMO) from power running with Lynch as the MVP cog to the quarterback… they need to make life around him as easy as possible. A healthy Percy, Evans and Tate/Baldwin/Miller would be a big time passing game in the making.
If they are truly transitioning from that power run offense to a more Wilson-centric one, I wonder if New Orleans offense is what it could mimick? Then, we are only a jump-ball player, redzone threat (Like Graham) and maybe a Darren Sproles-type RB away from making this happen.
Could a pass-catching RB be in fold for this year’s draft? Day 3?
I’m not sure it’ll ever be quite as extreme as the New Orleans offense, but certainly I expect Wilson to become more of a focal point. But the running game will still be vital and very different to what NO do.
I was watching the Fight Hunger Bowl, and I have to say that Cody Hoffman looked great. He’s no Mike Evans, I’ll give you that, but if the Hawks don’t move up to take Evans, Hoffman is a guy I like as a day 2 pick. I think it’s highly likely that the Hawks may pick two receivers in this draft and there are a lot of good ones out there.
I watch that same bowl game since I’m from Washington ST. Austin Seferian Jenkins the TE from the Huskies also look good catching a TD pass in the game.
If we were to move up to get Evans, it really would fly in the face of this FO’s formula for success.
We currently are short on our pick quota. Seattle likes to have a lot of picks. And unlike last year, it would appear there are going to be roster spots available via UFA attrition. Evans is going to help any team he lands on. But he’s not the only good WR in this draft. This is a good year for WRs. I think that really hurts the trade up scenario.
I’d like Evans too. And if we do trade up, I’ll echo the applause for the move. But stepping back for a moment, and trying to play Devil’s advocate for a moment, it really doesn’t appear to be a scenario conducive for such a move. There are a host of reasons that all conspire to make such a bold move up look dubious.
Is a trade up (and we don’t know how substantial it would need to be yet) so against the FO’s formula for success?
To be fair, we probably would’ve said the same thing twelve months ago if someone suggested trading a first and third for Percy Harvin and then making him one of the highest paid receivers in the NFL.
Brandon Coleman has started the Pin Stripe Bowl strong. (2 receptions/66yds and a TD)
So far
Harvin=BUST, 1st, 3rd and 7th
Michael=BUST, 2nd
That is some serious draft capital. That would devastate many franchises, those lost picks. A big trade up wont happen. Maybe a smaller one, maybe. Most likely they will trade down and try and pick up a 3rd rounder. Harvin is Mr. Glass and Michael is ????. PLEASE, both of you come back and contribute for the playoffs!
There is nothing to suggest either are busts.
I’m not sure why the poor first year returns on those two players stops Seattle making a bold move up the board, Stuart. I’m a big believer in players making a team, not the most possible picks you can get your hands on. If Evans is as good as I suspect he will be, having him on the roster could equate to a major positive impact that merely having an extra third rounder won’t necessarily generate.
Rob what do you think about bringing in Payton Hillis to replace Turbin in the off season?
I’m not a big fan. Hillis hasn’t had an impact in the league for a while. I’d rather they try and find a way to utilise their second round draft pick from 2013.
I understand Turbin hasn’t shown to be Lynch 2.0, but would he ever really with Lynch always playing? Yes Turbo fumbled the KO return last week, but so did Kearse vs. TB.
I agree that Michael needs to get some field time, but there are reasons why he isn’t there and effort/maturity aren’t the only 2 reasons. He had no Pass protection assignments @ Texas A&M and hasn’t picked it up yet.
Turbin’s YPC (4.4 vs 3.6) is down almost a full yard vs last year, as is Lynch’s (5.0 vs 4.2). There could be several reasons for the drop (OL woes, change in playcalling), but Turbin isn’t the blame
Just my opinion.. but I think Turbin is the very definition of an average running back.
I understand. I wasn’t insinuating he’s a great RB by any means. I think Michael has the potential to be great and just needs time to get it together. I think Michael is the replacement for Lynch and Turbin could remain the change of pace guy.
Turbin does have pretty good receiving skills out of the backfield and I think the offense will morph a bit in the next 2-3 yrs as Lynch fades
Yes, I agree about Evans. I also like Coleman. The goal is to make the team better, and you do that with adding talent that makes an impact, and having depth.
The Seahawks already have depth, but no superstars on offense.
The Hawks lack impact players that other Defensive coordinators have to worrying about. They have success because of scheme, and RW making average players better.
They need an impact player, not more picks for depth. Move up and get Evans or Coleman.
I would be happy of they used their 7 picks and moved up in each round and picked up 3 quality players total that actually play and contribute.
Well, I should correct myself and say they have two superstars on offense, Lynch and Wilson.
The defenses focus on stopping the run so they need a high quality big receiver to provide more options and take the pressure off the run.
Seahawks will look heavily at Wisconsin’s Jared Abberderis. Count on it. RW will be in John Schneider’s ear on that one.
He’s not really the type of receiver Seattle needs.