Markus Golden, a former JUCO star, is ready for a big season

— Markus Golden (DE, Missouri) is one of the more underrated pro-prospects in college football. We talked about him back in May as a potential breakout candidate. His state line against South Dakota State in week one? 10 tackles, three for a loss and two sacks. Only one player troubled Ja’Wuan James (first round tackle from Tennessee) last season — Markus Golden. Keep an eye on him.

— Devin Funchess (WR, Michigan) has switched from tight end to receiver this year. He’s 6-5 and 230lbs, he’s incredibly fluid running downfield and it’ll be interesting to see how he adapts to the change. On Saturday he had seven catches for 95 yards and three touchdowns. Considering he only had six total touchdowns last season, this is an impressive start. He has the potential to be a first round pick next year.

— The West Virginia/Alabama game featured two intriguing receivers. Amari Cooper is well known and he finished with 12 catches for 130 yards. He’s going to get a ton of targets this year — new starting quarterback Blake Sims pretty much looked his way on every read. He’s adept at getting open and he runs crisp routes. You still have to question what his ceiling is at the next level given his lack of size. Is he another Marqise Lee/Robert Woods? WVU’s Kevin White has the size (6-3, 210lbs) and could be set to deliver on his massive potential. He’s a senior and recorded nine catches for 143 yards and a score.

He has a fantastic size/speed combo and he can high point the football. The way he comes back to the quarterback is reminiscent of Sidney Rice. He’s suffered with confidence issues in the past. Last year he managed just 507 yards from 35 receptions. This is a better West Virginia team and he’s another prospect who could really emerge this season.

— Nebraska’s highly rated pass rusher Randy Gregory hurt a knee against Florida Atlantic. It’s not said to be serious, but it’s something to monitor.

— Todd Gurley (RB, Georgia) had a sensational performance against Clemson. He had a 23-yard touchdown, a 100-yard kick return TD, an 18-yard score and then a 51-yarder. Georgia didn’t ask him to do too much and that’s the way it has to be. I’m not sure he’ll ever be a 25-30 carry runner who wears down a defense over time. He’s an impact playmaker. He finished with 198 rushing yards from 15 carries. It’s also worth noting Clemson’s run defense isn’t the greatest.

— Oklahoma announced yesterday that receiver Dorial Green-Beckham will be forced to sit out the season. The Sooners had requested a waiver for DGB after he was dismissed by Missouri. He’ll not play football this season — so will he declare for the 2015 draft?

Colts also trade DB Marcus Burley to Seattle Seahawks for a 6th rd pick in 2015

— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) August 30, 2014

After a difficult night in Oakland, it isn’t a total surprise that Seattle looked elsewhere for an extra corner. Phillip Adams and Akeem Auguste had rough outings. The Seahawks are likely to gain a cluster of conditional picks next year and they’ve chosen to give up a 6th for Burley.

He’s 23 and another native of Richmond, Virginia. He went undrafted in 2013 and had spells in Jacksonville, Philadelphia, St. Louis and Indianapolis. He’s listed at 5-10 and 189lbs and hasn’t made a NFL start.

New #Seahwks CB Marcus Burley had nice preseason. No. 3-ranked corner on 103 snaps according to @PFF.

— Stephen Cohen (@scohenPI) August 30, 2014

Burley ran a 4.35 forty and had a Baldwinesque 6.65 cone…so even tho small at 5-9 5/8 he perfect for slot. #seahawks

— Davis Hsu (@DavisHsuSeattle) August 30, 2014

Meanwhile…

Been told that LB Korey Toomer and DE Benson Mayowa have been released by the #Seahawks.

— Danny 710ESPNSeattle (@DDMon710) August 30, 2014

This was also expected. Toomer hasn’t had a fair crack due to injury, while Mayowa was outplayed by O’Brien Schofield.

Veteran tackle Eric Winston is something of surprise cut. Gary Gilliam has tweeted he made the team — clearly the Seahawks feel good about his development. Jimmy Staten and Phillip Adams were also cut.

Here’s the cut list in full:

Seahawks roster cuts pic.twitter.com/3OYmnymDGO

— Brian McIntyre (@brian_mcintyre) August 30, 2014

Bryan Walters’ agent vented a little bit on Twitter:

Walters' agent–>RT @GoalineFootball: Shocked by Seattle releasing @bwalt19 He killed it. All game. Every game. Their loss. Next…

— John Boyle (@johnpboyle) August 30, 2014

It means receiver Phil Bates made the cut. He had a strong camp, even if he was quiet in some of the pre-season games. The Seahawks are carrying seven receivers including Kevin Norwood. They only have four running backs — including full back Derrick Coleman. Steve Schilling beat out Caylin Hauptmann.

Being in Seattle was an amazing experience. Great coaches, tech people , equipment management ! Blessing ! pic.twitter.com/yp678Y8mmg

— Terrelle Pryor (@TerrellePryor) August 30, 2014

This was on the cards. Pryor, for all his outstanding athleticism, simply isn’t a good quarterback. Too often he succumbed to the temptation to run after the first read, too often he made the wrong decision. The interception in San Diego was a glimpse of what he’s capable of under pressure. While Russell Wilson remains ice-cold, Pryor in that instance tried to throw it away and lofted one up for grabs.

Stashing him on the roster would’ve meant carrying a non-active red-shirt player who’s out of contract in 2015. Even if they spent time developing him (and how can you develop a 3rd string QB with limited snaps in practise?) they could’ve lost him for nothing in a few months.

Look at Indianapolis when they had Peyton Manning. They never developed a suitable backup or prospective replacement. Why? Because Manning took all the practise snaps. When you have an established quarterback that’s what happens. Pryor just wouldn’t get the snaps week-to-week to show real growth.

It seems likely they’ll run with two quarterbacks again, freeing up the option to carry an extra wide receiver (Bryan Walters?) or another defensive lineman (Benson Mayowa?). It’d be a surprise if the Seahawks didn’t look on the waiver wire for a defensive line or defensive back addition to the roster.

Seattle’s backups (and some of the starters) had an off-night in Oakland

Well, this was something of a surprise.

I settled in to watch the first half of this game at 3am GMT. By the end of the first drive I was already plotting an early exit. Russell Wilson dissected Oakland’s backup defense with three completions for 77 yards and a touchdown. Everything was going to plan.

Then the defense came out. What occurred next was totally unexpected.

Sleep? I couldn’t take my eyes off this. This was the football equivalent of slowing down to gawp at a car crash.

Dennis Allen has a very different approach to pre-season games compared to Pete Carroll. In this one for example he sat nearly every starter. Seattle gave both starting units a series and kept certain players (Russell Okung, Kam Chancellor) on the field for extra game time.

That’s why it was so surprising to see rookie Derek Carr (poor in his previous pre-season outings) pick apart Seattle’s defense on a long opening touchdown drive.

It might’ve raised a few eye brows, but it wasn’t inexplicable.

The defensive line simply got mauled. They created no pressure with the pass rush and couldn’t stop any run play. They were gashed.

Carr deserves credit for taking advantage, but even the sloppiest NFL quarterback will make a few plays in a squeaky clean pocket. There were some nice back shoulder throws and Carr was very accurate on the night. But he shouldn’t have had such an easy ride.

After the initial tying touchdown things escalated very quickly. Bryan Walters fumbled on the following kick off, gifting the Raiders great field position and an immediate second score. Phillip Adams got torched peaking into the backfield on a downfield throw and was beaten badly. The Raiders had 14 points in 15 seconds.

Pete Carroll preaches protecting the ball and limiting explosive plays. Through Walters and Adams, they betrayed both core philosophies in less than half a minute.

Tarvaris Jackson replaced Wilson for the subsequent drive and immediately had to drag a confused Paul Richardson into the right position. That badly organised play ended in a holding call and a botched snap on the next one almost led to another turnover. Punt time.

The special teams unit gave up a big return to follow and then Carr scored another touchdown immediately. It was certainly his night and a tipped pass by Malcolm Smith deflected kindly into the hands of a receiver.

One more three and out and yet another quick Oakland scoring drive completed one of the worst quarters of football in Carroll’s ultra-successful reign. In a flash 7-0 became 7-28.

Seattle regained its composure by half time and the rest of the game played out as a pretty even (if somewhat tedious) contest.

It’d be easy to overreact to this ultimately meaningless outing. A lot of the players who played badly here will be cut. It’s unlikely Seattle’s two starting units will perform this badly next week.

Yet there are some concerns that need to be addressed. The depth on the defensive line is the key one.

Michael Bennett, Brandon Mebane, Tony McDaniel and Cliff Avril are fine starters. O’Brien Schofield has possibly been Seattle’s brightest spark in August after Russell Wilson. It has to be of some concern, however, that beyond this group hardly anyone has stood out.

Gregg Scruggs has drifted between ineffective and at times a liability (see his needless hands-to-the-face penalty that torched Kevin Pierre-Louis’ interception). D’Anthony Smith was pushed around all night. Cassius Marsh looks like he needs a red-shirt year and left the game with a hip problem. Jordan Hill had a sack but hasn’t exactly filled Clinton McDonald’s shoes in pre-season. Veteran addition Kevin Williams hasn’t had much impact.

The pass rush will probably be OK if Bennett and Avril stay healthy. Schofield can provide some threat in the three man edge rush that worked so well at the end of last season. The interior line and rotation could be a problem though.

Will the line suffer when the starters aren’t in? How about the run defense? You could argue they had ugly games last season too (see: Tampa Bay). In fact the run-D was pretty patchy for the most part. It hasn’t improved. Not on this evidence.

The NFC West is a war of attrition and you need to be stout up front. Seattle needs to be effective against the run. They also need the ability to rotate like they did so brilliantly last year.

Carroll and John Schneider have done a fantastic job building this roster. One of the all-time great jobs in fact — they don’t get enough credit nationally, even despite all the plaudits this year. Yet they’ve struggled to draft for the defensive line.

They inherited Mebane and Bryant and traded for Clemons. They signed McDaniel as a free agent and traded for McDonald. They made cost-effective moves in free agency for Bennett and Avril. They went after Williams this off-season to add experience to a line now missing some key leaders.

The moves they’ve made should be applauded — it’s just as tough to find starters in free agency or via trades as it is in the draft. But with money getting tighter they need to find young, cheap talent for the DL. So far it’s the one thing they haven’t achieved.

They’ve avoided defensive linemen early in their five drafts. The highest pick they’ve spent is Jordan Hill in round three. Does it need more attention?

It’s also evident that Seattle’s incredible depth — created by excellent drafts between 2010-12 — is on the wane somewhat. Last year Seattle’s backups terrorised pre-season opponents and many were snapped up by rivals on cut day. That level of depth isn’t there any more.

The number of misses in 2013 is mostly to blame. From 11 picks last year only Christine Michael, Jordan Hill, Tharold Simon and Luke Willson remain, plus UDFA’s Alvin Bailey and Caylin Hauptmann. It was unfair to expect Seattle to retain the 2013 depth for years to come, but it does show the kind of pressure they’re under to keep hitting in the draft.

The 2014 class has already suffered some setbacks. Garrett Scott is unlikely to return, Jimmy Staten appears set for the practise squad along with potentially Kiero Small while Eric Pinkins is on the PUP list. Kevin Norwood is fighting to be healthy for the start of the season. Terrelle Pryor, who cost a seventh rounder, could be cut this weekend.

There are promising signs too. Cassius Marsh could develop into a versatile pass rusher while big things are expected of Paul Richardson. Both players probably require a red-shirt season, though. The only immediate starter to come out of the class could be Justin Britt — and coupled with a lack of starters in the 2013 class — it’s not surprising the depth is weaker this year.

It’s no reason to panic or be overly negative. But it’s also worthy of debate. We shouldn’t avoid talking about this.

On the positive side Russell Wilson appears ready to take a major step forward, Percy Harvin is healthy and sharp and the offensive line is moving in the right direction. Bruce Irvin is also facing a big year and could be set for a break-out season when he gets healthy.

It does raise the interesting point though of quality versus quantity in a draft. Seattle has traded down en masse for consecutive drafts selecting 20 players in 2013-14. The New England Patriots have taken a similar approach in recent years, with mixed results.

You can hardly blame the Seahawks for feeling confident about their ability to hit in the later rounds and find “their guys”. Yet a high number of picks doesn’t guarantee depth and quality. Sometimes less is more — picking higher and getting better players. I don’t expect their philosophy to change in 2015 and it’s not like they aren’t flexible. They’ll be aggressive when the time calls (see: Harvin trade).

It’s hard to criticise anything about their draft approach, but I also think there are lessons to be learnt from the Pats here. Did they get a bit cute? While they’ve been competitive for years, they’ve often fallen just short in recent seasons.

I’ll end with some final thoughts on a few players vs Oakland:

— Bryan Walters played really well despite the fumble. He scored a touchdown and had an impact as a receiver. If there’s no home for him in Seattle he’ll land somewhere else. It’s easy to linger on the fumble, but take that out of his performance and what more could he have done on the night?

— Terrelle Pryor just doesn’t look special enough. Yes he’s a great athlete, but at no point during this pre-season has he been truly exciting and worthy of stashing as a third QB. Keep two quarterbacks and bring in a player who can contribute to the DL or DB rotation.

— Phillip Adams and Akeem Auguste both made nice plays and had some big errors. With A.J. Jefferson injured it’s probably a safe bet Seattle’s final defensive back comes in from another team. On the plus side Deshawn Shead had a good performance.

— It was a tough night for any of the running backs to impress given Seattle quickly fell behind 28-7. I still think Spencer Ware will make the cut.

Terrelle Pryor could feature against his old team this evening

1. Can Terrelle Pryor earn a roster spot?
Who knows whether the Seahawks are willing to keep three quarterbacks — they have a secure 2014 backup in Tarvaris Jackson. If they keep Terrelle Pryor they’d have to re-sign him as a free agent next year. If he was on a cheap three-year contract it might be a no-brainer, but he isn’t. The ugly interception last week against Chicago stuck out like a sore thumb. It’s unclear how much he’ll play tonight. Here’s why he might stick around — Seattle probably wants to groom a new backup. Jackson is 32 next year and while not terribly old, he hasn’t got Pryor’s outstanding athleticism. He also has zero trade value these days. Pryor is similar to Russell Wilson as a mobile, potentially explosive playmaker. He could have trade value in the future. He’s also a good scout-QB when preparing to face the 49ers. If he gets some playing time tonight and he doesn’t mess up — there is room to stash him on the roster.

2. What is left to decide?
Not much. O’Brien Schofield easily won his battle with Benson Mayowa. Ricardo Lockette easily beat out any potential wide receiver competition. Heath Farwell needing surgery made life easy at linebacker. Korey Toomer gets another chance to stand out, while Mike Morgan has had a good summer. Akeem Auguste and Phillip Adams might be fighting over one spot. The fringe players may simply be fighting for an opportunity elsewhere.

3. Can they keep up the momentum?
In the last two weeks the offense has been on fire. Russell Wilson might take a drive and call it a night with the rest of the starters. It’d be nice to see the backups collect the baton and make it another productive display. In the grand scheme of things these games don’t matter and whatever happens tonight is unlikely to have much impact against the Packers next week. Yet last year the Seahawks started hot in pre-season and began the regular season in a similar fashion. It won’t hurt to keep things ticking along.

4. Stay healthy
This one is obvious. No injuries tonight — to the starters and key backups. These week four games carry a sense of desperation — players know this is their last chance to create an impression. Get what you need out of your key guys and move on. It’s staggering the NFL forces teams to cut down to 75 players before this game. Why not maintain the 90-man roster for another week and cut straight to 53? You play four pre-season games and this is the one where you want a large roster.

Per #Seahawks, players not expected to play tonight are: Harvin, Lane, Simon, Michael, Helfet, Irvin, Staten, Bennett, Norwood.

— Stephen Cohen (@scohenPI) August 29, 2014

Cedric Ogbuehi is a potential top ten pick at left tackle

Game #1 this year will be Texas A&M vs South Carolina. Who knows what to expect from these two in 2014 — both are sporting new quarterbacks. Both have lost top ten picks this year (Clowney, Matthews, Evans).

Most of the focus will be on the two offensive lines. Cedric Ogbuehi could easily make it a hat-trick of top-10 O-line picks for the Aggies. He moves over from right to left tackle just like Jake Matthews a year ago. SCAR’s Corey Robinson isn’t going to be a top pick in a loaded tackle group but he could generate some second day interest with a good season. Guard’s Germain Ifedi (TAMU), Mike Matthews and A.J. Cann (SCAR) plus center Mike Matthews (TAMU) are worth keeping an eye on, as is running back Mike Davis (SCAR).

On Saturday I’ve got three games on the schedule — Virginia vs UCLA, West Virginia vs Alabama and Florida State vs Oklahoma State.

I’m quite interested to see which players emerge from the SEC. It’s not a conference loaded with obvious first round picks this year. Ogbuehi should be one, but after that you might be struggling.

Alabama receiver Amari Cooper is a natural talent but lacks size and has inconsistency issues. He could suffer the same fate as Robert Woods and Marqise Lee.

Markus Golden (DE, Missouri) has the potential to be a top pick as a former JUCO transfer — but he needs to fill the gap left by Michael Sam and Kony Ealy and deliver on his enormous potential.

Dante Fowler Jr (LB/DE, Florida) is an exciting athlete capable of playing anywhere on the line or dropping into space. He needs to make more big plays, however, and with the Gators hoping for a bounce back year he should be more of a consistent playmaker.

La’el Collins (T/G, LSU) could’ve been a first or second round pick this year but chose not to declare. Talented offensive linemen are popular in the early rounds but his stock will be impacted if teams see him as a guard and not a tackle.

Todd Gurley (RB, Georgia) gets a lot of unfair Marshawn Lynch comparisons. He’s not Marshawn Lynch. He’s a capable playmaker with decent speed for his size. But he tired quickly in some games last year. At his size you want to see him wear down a defense over three or four quarters.

Players can and will emerge from a still deeply competitive SEC. But there isn’t the big name draw of previous years. It could be a wide open conference in 2014.

The Big Ten has an interesting crop of potential first rounders. Brandon Scherff (T, Iowa) is a sure-fire lock to go in round one if he stays healthy while Melvin Gordon (RB, Nebraska) is by far the most intriguing skill-position player eligible for the 2015 draft.

Devin Funchess (TE, Michigan) has ideal size and speed for his position and is so fluid running down field but he most improve his catching (he’s set to switch to wide receiver this year, apparently). Randy Gregory (LB, Nebraska) struggles to get off blocks attacking the edge but when he works in space he’s an effective blitzer. Noah Spence (DE, Ohio State) is another one to monitor when he returns from suspension.

In the PAC 12 you’ve got Marcus Mariota (QB, Oregon) who should go on to be the top pick next year. Marcus Peters (CB, Washington), Leonard Williams (DT, USC), Ifo Ekpre-Olomu (CB, Oregon), Andrus Peat (T, Stanford) and Brett Hundley (QB, UCLA) have their admirers. The depth is perhaps more impressive with Hroniss Grasu (C, Oregon), Hayes Pullard (LB, USC), Austin Hill (WR, Arizona), Shaq Thompson (S/LB, Washington), Kasen Williams (WR, Washington),
Hau’Oli Kikaha (DE, Washington) and Jake Fisher (T, Oregon) making this a conference to watch. Jaelen Strong (WR, Arizona State) is a bit overrated for me while USC’s Williams and Stanford’s Peat need to prove their worthy of the pre-season hype.

The ACC will be dominated by Jameis Winston (QB, Florida State) talk. He has the skills and the talent to be an effective NFL quarterback — but he must make technical improvements (throwing motion, delivery) and stay out of trouble. He’ll be protected by likely high pick Cameron Erving at left tackle — a defensive line convert. Vic Beasley (DE, Clemson) is the real deal, despite a lack of size.

Peter King shook this ball and it told him Seattle will not win the Super Bowl this season

Peter King says the Seahawks are the best team he’s seen during a 2014 camp tour.

Peter King says the Seahawks won’t win the Super Bowl.

The reason?

History.

“… of the 27 teams I witnessed in person this summer (at 22 camps, four games and one joint practice session), Seattle’s the best I saw. Stubbornness is a good reason why one of the other 31 teams will be my call, but the reality of repeating is that it’s become the toughest thing to do in sports. Think of it: For eight straight years, the defending champ has either not made the playoffs or hasn’t gotten past its first playoff game.”

It’s nothing to do with any issues the Seahawks might face, or the quality of their potential opponents. It’s nothing about the motivational challenge of doing it all again…

Pete Carroll hasn’t focused on the R word. “Teams not repeating—that’s not topical to us,” he told me. “I just asked them to have the best offseason of their lives and to come back ready. They have.”

Nope. This prediction is all about other non-related teams failing to repeat in the past. It’s about Joe Flacco winning a title in a key contract year and failing to play at the same level with a $120.6m deal safely secured. It’s about the New York Giants — a 9-7 team during the 2011 regular season — failing to be anything more than a hot playoff outfit. It’s about an Aaron Rodgers-reliant Green Bay coming up against a killer pass rush and having no Plan B.

Because those teams failed, Seattle will too.

That’s the theory.

It’s not exactly a stretch to suggest the Seahawks won’t win the Super Bowl this season. But if they don’t, it won’t be because history says it’s unlikely. The 2012 Baltimore Ravens, 2011 New York Giants and 2010 Green Bay Packers were not built for longevity. An ageing roster with a QB earning his pay day, a hot playoff team and a typically modern day QB-dependent franchise. The Seahawks are none of those things.

King knows this, he’s been at camp. He’d probably concede they’re different to the other recent Super Bowl winners.

He even knows there’s still room for improvement…

Hard for any team that won the Super Bowl by 35 points to look better the next year. But if Harvin plays every week—which is no lock, with his recent injury history—I could well be eating my prediction in five months. Which, as you know, will be nothing new.

It’s not just Percy Harvin either. Russell Wilson is only entering year three of his pro-career, after setting records in the first two. The entire defense is pretty much intact. They’ve tied up the key components of the roster. Carroll set out from the start to ‘Win Forever’. Forever’s a long time, but 3-4 years at the top isn’t unachievable.

History won’t beat the Seahawks but a loaded NFC might. Arizona beat Seattle at Century Link last year. Tampa Bay came close. So did San Francisco in the Championship game. The Seahawks are not unbeatable even at home and the NFC West is a war of attrition.

They can be beaten. They will be beaten at times in 2014.

Point to a resurgent Packers team, the rivalry with the 49ers, the Saints behind Drew Brees. Get on the Denver bandwagon or believe in Tom Brady. There are others too. There are teams capable of matching up with the best.

But history?

That’s the last thing that’s going to stop the Seahawks.

History says you can’t draft a 5-10 quarterback and start him as a rookie. History says college coaches don’t work in the NFL. History says a 5th rounder can’t turn into the best cornerback in the NFL.

King will pick somebody else to win the Super Bowl this week. Probably Denver, New England or Cincinnati. Maybe Green Bay or San Francisco. Who knows. But it won’t be Seattle.

And his reason for not picking the team he declares as the best will be because they are simply ‘Champions’.

Rusell Wilson had another terrific performance against Chicago

— The offense hasn’t ever looked this devastating under Carroll. In the last two weeks it’s hit new heights. Russell Wilson is playing at a new level. The running game is rolling. The offensive line is doing a fine job. And with a healthy Percy Harvin, the Seahawks genuinely have one of the most explosive players in the NFL. Yes it’s pre-season, but this is incredibly encouraging.

— Jermaine Kearse had a big game. He’s still the best deep ball and contested-catch receiver on the team. His reliability catching in traffic and ability to make tough grabs should make him a key third down target. He’s incredibly underrated only because he doesn’t play on a pass-happy offense. He did a great job getting open in the first quarter and the touchdown on the third drive capped off an excellent display. Nobody stands to benefit more from Golden Tate’s departure than Kearse.

— For all the concern about the offensive line, James Carpenter and J.R. Sweezy are ready. It’s taken a while for Carpenter — who had a superb career at tackle for Alabama. He’s in shape, he understands the scheme. Sweezy needed time. He was playing defense three years ago. Physically he’s ideally suited to the right guard spot. He had a solid 2013 and will only keep getting better. He’s ready to take another big step forward. The only concern at the moment on the O-line is Russell Okung’s ability to stay healthy and a rusty display here. He was easily beaten by Willie Young on a Wilson sack and had a false start in the red zone shortly after. Let’s hope this was just a loosener.

— If there’s any concern right now it’s probably the interior pass rush. We’re still not seeing any real game-plan from the defense and the Michael Bennett/Cliff Avril duo will be effective. Losing Clinton McDonald could be a problem though. McDonald was a consistent force in 2013. The Seahawks need some interior rush and nobody’s really stood out so far. An injury or two inside and the big-bodied depth also looks a little weak.

— O’Brien Schofield has been excellent. He had one big sack on Jay Cutler and nearly had another. The battle with Benson Mayowa is essentially over. Schofield will surely get the opportunity to replace Chris Clemons. Cassius Marsh had a sack against the Bears and has flashed at times — he looks good. But I fear we won’t see the best of him until 2015. He looks like a guy who needs a year.

— Byron Maxwell couldn’t get the better of Demaryius Thomas but since then he’s been lights out. The downfield coverage on Alshon Jeffrey in the first half here was exquisite. He looks assured and ready for a big (contract) year. Recovery speed is absolutely necessary to be a top corner and Maxwell has it in abundance. Technically he’s taken big strides from last season. Jeremy Lane also looked good in the slot against Chicago — getting one pick at the end of the first half and almost grabbing another. If there are a few question marks with the pass rush, there’s nothing to worry about in the secondary.

— The ref’s let the DB’s play. The so-called ‘Legion of Boom rule’ wasn’t a feature at all. This is interesting too:

1,071 flags thrown through 47 NFL preseason games: 144 for defensive holding, 80 illegal contacts, 61 for defensive pass interference

— Brian McIntyre (@brian_mcintyre) August 24, 2014

Only one team has not been flagged for a defensive holding penalty: The Seattle Seahawks, the team many blame for “point of emphasis” flags

— Brian McIntyre (@brian_mcintyre) August 24, 2014

— It seemed like they wanted to get Christine Michael involved and he ran the ball with authority and added a touchdown in the passing game. As much as Robert Turbin and Michael are competing, I suspect we’ll end up seeing both players spelling Lynch equally during the season — with Turbin remaining #2 on the depth chart for now.

— It seemed like Terrelle Pryor had a shot of making the roster as a #3 quarterback. That lousy interception late in the game (throwing one up for grabs) suggested otherwise. He’s an athletic freak but is there any real reason to keep a player out of contract in 2015 who’s capable of such poor decision making? The Seahawks preach ball protection and that was ugly. He’ll likely get significant playing time against the Raiders and he’ll need to make it count.

— Heath Farwell had a sack. For the last couple of seasons people have written him off, but he sticks on the roster because he’s a special teams dynamo and a fantastic leader. Brock Coyle’s performance in pre-season might spell the end for Farwell, but don’t count him out. They really appreciate his value and the cost saving on his salary isn’t quite as significant as some make out.

Meanwhile…

Rams QB Sam Bradford is out for season after MRI shows he did tear left knee ACL, per sources. Rams will announce later today. @ESPNNFL

— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) August 24, 2014

The Rams passed on Robert Griffin III in 2012 to collect draft picks and build around Sam Bradford.

That’s all well and good, but given the question marks surrounding Bradford’s play and health — why didn’t they draft an insurance policy?

He’ll miss the whole season with another torn ACL and this pretty much signals the end to his Rams career. Surely they won’t go through another year of this in 2015? Eventually enough is enough and you have to move on.

Rams QB Sam Bradford has a $16.85 million cap number for 2015, and will be due $12.985 million in cash. Team will have a decision to make.

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) August 24, 2014

They face another season with an elite defensive front and a substandard quarterback under center. Shaun Hill is the next man up without some kind of trade. Maybe former SDB favourite Austin Davis will get a shot?

Either way it’s a big blow to the Rams… and they only have themselves to blame. OK, they passed on RGIII for a kings ransom. They backed Bradford. To avoid the position in the three drafts since is a head scratcher though.

Surely it was worth investing in a QB in this years draft before the 6th round (where they took Texas flop/transfer Garrett Gilbert)? What about last year, where a host of QB’s dropped in the draft presenting decent project value in the mid/late rounds? Surely it was worth entertaining the idea of bringing in someone to develop just in case?

It’s not like they’ve had a shortage of picks either. They drafted 18 players in 2013 and 2014.

They put all their eggs in the Bradford basket — and now what?

They enter a sellers market unless they truly want to run with Shaun Hill. Mike Glennon showed enough last year to warrant at least a call to Tampa Bay. He deserves a chance to start in this league — but he won’t be cheap.

Marshawn Lynch will take some carries against the Bears

1. How will the refs call the game?
The new rules on illegal contact are incredibly frustrating. Who ever thought the NFL needed more defensive flags? Let’s hope it’s just the ref’s proving a point in pre-season. The Tharold Simon flag last week, ruling out a +100-yard pick-six, was a classic example of poor refereeing. It shouldn’t have been called and the league office have since admitted as much. Week three is the key game in pre-season, with the starters getting significant time on the field. It could also be the best gauge on how the officials will call the new rules during the regular season. The Bears have a productive passing game and Jay Cutler will no doubt take a few shots. Will the ref’s let the play flow? Or are we about to see what many are referring to as the ‘Legion of Boom’ rule having a significant impact on Seattle’s defense.

2. Can the pass rush slow down Cutler and co?
Last week Seattle’s starters shut down Philip Rivers in an encouraging display. Can they do the same to the Bears? Cliff Avril had a productive game against the Chargers and Michael Bennett could return. The competition between O’Brien Schofield and Benson Mayowa continues, with Schofield carrying a significant edge. There’s not much more to be settled on defense — but after losing Chris Clemons they need a third pass rusher to emerge. Schofield has really stepped up to the plate, impacting plays and coming close to 2-3 extra sacks. Mayowa had a nice edge rush last week but hasn’t had the same consistent impact. He’s running out of time.

3. Will the offensive line have another good week?
The O-line played well last week after a difficult game in Denver. Russell Okung could return. With James Carpenter and J.R. Sweezy earning rave reviews during camp and Justin Britt looking particularly impressive against San Diego, a potential problem area is looking more positive. That has to continue though. Can they provide big running lanes like the one that sprung Robert Turbin last week? Can they keep Russell Wilson clean in the pocket? The Bears D-line is transitioning after several off-season moves but this will still be a good test.

4. Turbin vs Michael, part three
Last week belonged to Robert Turbin. He was superb. Yet Pete Carroll made a point this week of highlighting Christine Michael as the teams most improved player. They clearly want him to take the next step — it’s up to Turbin to stay ahead in this race. Both players will get plenty of snaps even if Marshawn Lynch gets a few early carries. Turbin can probably win the race with another big display, but there’s still time for Michael to catch up.

5. Is it too late for Korey Toomer?
He’s been touted as a potential impact player for a while now. He ticks pretty much every box for a Seattle linebacker. Injuries have had a major impact on his career — and that’s been the case again this off-season. Carroll admitted this week he’s running out of time with cuts upcoming. It’s harsh, but he pretty much has to stand out in his one and only pre-season game this summer to have any chance. Even then it might be too late. Mike Morgan has enjoyed a terrific pre-season, Brock Coyle has impressed and Kevin Pierre-Louis isn’t going anywhere. Don’t rule out Heath Farwell making it again either. He’s a key special teams leader and he’s been written off before.