The Seahawks did exactly what they set out to do — improve the pass rush. Pete Carroll made it clear as soon as the 2012 season ended. That was the #1 priority. And while most of us assumed they’d find a solution in the draft, who would’ve guessed they’d find what they were looking for in free agency?
Here we are, days into the new league year, and there are high-profile players seemingly sat at home waiting to make even their first visit. The market is shot. And it’s worked to Seattle’s advantage. Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett were expected to get mega deals, but the offers never came in. So they signed modest contracts with a contender to enhance their earning potential in the future. It’s win-win.
Avril fills the prospective hole left by Chris Clemons while he recovers from an ACL. Bennett almost certainly replaces Jason Jones as a hybrid pass rusher. He’s like Jason Jones+ — he can play the nickel three technique position but he can pretty much line up anywhere. If the Seahawks have a two-score lead in the fourth quarter, why not switch to an orthodox four man front with Bennett and Avril playing the edge? I suspect we’ll see him all over the line. He’s more versatile than Jason Jones but essentially, he fills that void.
Imagine if Clemons makes a recovery and what kind of options will be open to Seattle then? Avril, Bennett, Clemons and Bruce Irvin. Scary.
Danny Kelly at Field Gulls has a great piece on how Dan Quinn might look to use all the weapons at his disposal. This could be a much more attack-minded defensive line going forward. Not so much because there’s going to be any great ideological changes — but with an explosive offense capable of building big leads, Quinn and Carroll will have more opportunities to attack.
The two key need areas remaining are defensive tackle and linebacker. I do think we’ll see further moves in free agency to address at least one of these needs (Alan Branch?). Releasing Ben Obomanu today brought some cap relief, so there’s room for a modest addition at least. I think we’ll see further moves on the way too. What it all means is the Seahawks can pretty much do whatever they want at #56 and I wanted to emphasise that in this week’s mock. I haven’t gone for a prospect who will fill one of the two key needs. I haven’t gone for a player I think they’ll definitely be monitoring. It’s a pick that kind of emphasises that anything could happen now. The roster is good enough to justify any move.
I went for Tennessee’s versatile lineman Dallas Thomas. He’s a player I’m very fond of — athletic, strong and he gave Jadeveon Clowney a run for his money in October (he’s one of the very few who did last season). He’s capable of playing guard or tackle. He has the kind of height Seattle has looked for on the offensive line (6-5) and he has good size (around 310lbs). At #56 I wondered who might be the pure best player available at a position we might not really consider. I came up with five names — Thomas, Tyler Wilson, Robert Woods, Markus Wheaton and Marcus Lattimore.
I’ve debated with several people on here the teams likely satisfaction with the depth and quality of their offensive line. So what better way to express that anything can happen than to pick a guard/tackle in this mock? Thomas is certainly good enough to warrant the choice. Is it likely? Maybe not. But the Seahawks can feel comfortable doing it if they wish.
I wouldn’t rule out any of the other names either. John Schneider worked on a Green Bay front office that drafted Brian Brohm in the late second round despite having Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers on the roster. If Carroll feels drafting Woods or Wheaton to spell Percy Harvin on kick off’s is the best move, so be it. And if they want to bank Marcus Lattimore for a redshirt year knowing what he’s capable of when healthy, why not?
I’m at the stage now where any player at any position really is on the table. Seattle has the quality and depth to do whatever they want. So sit back and enjoy.
There are several trades in the first round again this week. We know we’ll see moves and given the way free agency has played out, I felt obliged to include some deals again. I will go back to a conventional mock next week. Unless people prefer seeing trades?
Buffalo trades from #8 to #2 with Jacksonville (estimated compensation — 2nd + 2014 second rounder)
The Bills just cut Ryan Fitzpatrick and Tarvaris Jackson is the next man up. Buddy Nix said it during the regular season — it’s time to go and get that quarterback. This front office has taken a first round prospect they’ve had come in for a visit for the last three years. It was revealed this week that Geno Smith will take a trip to Buffalo. The Jags are content to move down in this scenario.
San Diego trades from #11 to #6 with Cleveland (estimated compensation — 2nd round pick)
The Browns don’t have a second round pick so this makes some sense. The Chargers move up to get Eric Fisher. They have to come out of this draft with a left tackle.
Dallas trades from #18 to #14 with Carolina (estimated compensation — 3rd round pick)
Jerry Jones always seems to go after the guy he wants. He might see Jonathan Cooper as the answer to his problems at center. Cooper is good enough to make the switch. Trade up for a center? Again, Cooper is good enough.
Atlanta trades from #30 to #26 with Green Bay (estimated compensation — 4th round pick)
The Falcons, seeing Bjoern Werner fall, make a small move up the board to add a pass rusher that can start immediately.
San Francisco trades from #31 to #24 with Indianapolis (estimated compensation — 4th + 5th round pick)
The 49ers can afford to make a move like this, they have enough picks. They go after Datone Jones here. Indy is happy to move down and target Travis Frederick to play center or guard.
Tampa Bay trades from #43 to #29 with New England (estimated compensation — 3rd + 3rd round pick in 2014)
We saw discount moves at the end of round one in last years draft and we could see the same here. The Pats love a trade down and Tampa Bay moves up to guarantee they get a cornerback. They moved up to get Doug Martin last year and that worked out pretty well.
Arizona trades from #41 to #32 with Baltimore (estimated compensation — 3rd + 3rd round pick in 2014)
The Cardinals move back into the first round to draft a quarterback.
Note — picks involved in a trade can be identified by ** after the player’s name.
There are no trades in round two. This thing is convoluted enough as it is. And in this projection, the Seahawks re-sign Alan Branch.
First round
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#1 Luke Joeckel (T, Texas A&M) They can pretty much do whatever they want here, but Joeckel probably makes the most sense. |
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#2 Geno Smith (QB, West Virginia) ** Jumping above Oakland and fending off interest from Cleveland, the Bills make sure they get their guy. |
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#3 Dion Jordan (DE, Oregon) The Raiders have to start building a core of talent, they have nothing right now. This is a long, painful rebuild. |
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#4 Sharrif Floyd (DT, Florida) He’d make a nice fit in Philly’s new 3-4 scheme as a five-technique. |
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#5 Dee Milliner (CB, Alabama) The complete cornerback prospect and a fine addition for Detroit if he goes here. |
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#6 Eric Fisher (T, Central Michigan) ** I don’t think the Chargers will mess around hoping one of Fisher or Lane Johnson falls to #11. |
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#7 Lane Johnson (T, Oklahoma) They decide a tackle is best value here. |
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#8 Matt Barkley (QB, USC) ** Gus Bradley spent the last three years with Pete Carroll. So he’ll know Barkley’s worth. |
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#9 Chance Warmack (G, Alabama) Rex Ryan’s future beyond 2013 is unclear, so go back to running the ball. A solid pick with no long term issues if there’s a coaching change. |
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#10 Ziggy Ansah (DE, BYU) Someone’s going to fall in love with his upside. |
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#11 Sheldon Richardson (DT, Missouri) ** Ray Horton had Darnell Dockett in Arizona. Meet the second coming. |
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#12 Tavon Austin (WR, West Virginia) In a draft like this, Austin going in the top-12 wouldn’t shock me at all. |
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#13 Star Lotulelei (DT, Utah) Corner is a big need, but Lotulelei could be too good to pass here. |
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#14 Jonathan Cooper (G/C, North Carolina) ** Jerry Jones seems to really go after guys he likes. He might consider moving up for Cooper, who could play center for Dallas. |
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#15 Jarvis Jones (OLB, Georgia) Some teams will still be cautious, but if Jones’ back injury really isn’t as serious as feared — he should be a top-15 pick. |
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#16 Kenny Vaccaro (S, Texas) A good fit for player and team. |
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#17 Kevin Minter (LB, LSU) He looks like a Steeler or a Raven in the making. |
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#18 Cordarrelle Patterson (WR, Tennessee) ** The Panthers could use some cheap points on offense. This perhaps takes some of the pressure off Cam Newton. |
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#19 Barkevious Mingo (DE, LSU) The Giants appear to be starting again on defense. That could mean going after an athletic pass rusher. |
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#20 D.J. Fluker (T, Alabama) They’d probably like to keep building their offensive line. Fluker could play guard or tackle. |
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#21 Alec Ogletree (LB, Georgia) Someone will take a shot on this guy in round one I think. |
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#22 Eddie Lacy (RB, Alabama) Steven Jackson is off to Atlanta, so they’ll need another big, physical runner to win in the NFC West. |
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#23 DeAndre Hopkins (WR, Minnesota) He just seems like the kind of receiver Minnesota will go for. Consistent, reliable, driven. A nice partner for Greg Jennings. |
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#24 Datone Jones (DT, UCLA) ** The 49ers surely don’t think Glenn Dorsey is the answer? They have enough picks to move up and do this. |
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#25 Manti Te’o (LB, Notre Dame) Rick Spielman has already hit on two other Notre Dame players. Will he try and make it a hat-trick? |
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#26 Bjoern Werner (DE, Florida State) ** The Falcons move up to get an impact pass rusher. |
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#27 Tyler Eifert (TE, Notre Dame) This is probably a need-meets-value type pick. |
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#28 Blidi Wreh-Wilson (CB, Connecticut) This secondary needs more than just Dominic Rodgers-Cromartie. |
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#29 Desmond Trufant (CB, Washington) ** The Buccs move up into the late first for the second year in a row. |
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#30 Justin Hunter (WR, Tennessee) ** They move down and grab a pass-catcher. This is a need considering they’ve lost both Greg Jennings and Donald Driver. |
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#31 Travis Frederick (G, Wisconsin) ** Maybe Indy’s biggest need? |
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#32 E.J. Manuel (QB, Florida State) ** I think this would be ill-advised, but he’s done a lot to help his stock this off-season. |
Second round
#33 Jacksonville – Corey Lemonier (DE, Auburn)
#34 San Francisco – Jonathan Cyprien (S, Florida International)
#35 Philadelphia – Xavier Rhodes (CB, Florida State)
#36 Detroit – Tank Carradine (DE, Florida State)
#37 Cincinnati – Matt Elam (S, Florida)
#38 Baltimore – Arthur Brown (LB, Kansas State)
#39 New York Jets – Zach Ertz (TE, Stanford)
#40 Tennessee – Johnthan Banks (CB, Mississippi State)
#41 Jacksonville – Jesse Williams (DT, Alabama)
#42 Miami – Larry Warford (G, Kentucky)
#43 New England – Khaseem Greene (LB, Rutgers)
#44 Carolina – Sylvester Williams (DT, North Carolina)
#45 Cleveland – Ryan Nassib (QB, Syracuse)
#46 St. Louis – Ryan Swope (WR, Texas A&M)
#47 Dallas – Kawann Short (DT, Purdue)
#48 Pittsburgh – Johnathan Hankins (DT, Ohio State)
#49 New York Giants – John Jenkins (DT, Georgia)
#50 Chicago – Keenan Allen (WR, California)
#51 Washington – D.J. Swearinger (S, South Carolina)
#52 Minnesota – Jamie Collins (LB, Southern Miss)
#53 Cincinnati – Jonathan Franklin (RB, UCLA)
#54 Miami – Jamar Taylor (CB, Boise State)
#55 Green Bay – Giovanni Bernard (RB, North Carolina)
#56 Seattle – Dallas Thomas (G, Tennessee)
#57 Houston – Robert Woods (WR, USC)
#58 Denver – Damontre Moore (DE, Texas A&M)
#59 New England – Menelik Watson (T, Florida State)
#60 Atlanta – Justin Pugh (G, Syracuse)
#61 San Francisco – Gavin Escobar (TE, San Diego State)
#62 Baltimore – Phillip Thomas (S, Fresno State)
Watson or Thomas would both, in my opinion, be solid selections if Seattle decides to go OL in the first. I would, however prefer trading up for Sylvester williams or draft Hughes.
I would prefer other positions personally, but I do think this team is good enough to basically look at a draft board and pick the highest ranked guy. This is a loaded roster. The second round pick might struggle to ever make the team, whichever position we draft for.
Big 3T is a base package, starting position that has noone manning as of right now. Add to this the fact that there really is nobody backing up the 5T (in the Big Red model), and as of right now you have a glaring weakness (or two) in the defense.
The fact that Red has sustained injuries in 2 of the last 3 seasons has to be in the forefront of the FOs mind. So, looking at the strength of this draft (DL), and the roster needs of the team, it would make a ton of sense to bring one of these talents into the fold to solidify the strength of the Dline.
Sylvester Williams or Montori Hughes would have no problem making this team. On the contrary, both would likely start in the “allen branch” role barring being outcompeted by an undersized Howard.
To be fair, I did state in the piece that in this projection Alan Branch re-signs with Seattle. I also had Sly Williams off the board before Seattle’s pick. Hughes has plenty of upside but he also has a laundry list of off-field issues that limits his stock somewhat.
Granted. I just don’t see them resigning Branch after JS’s comments about the draft on the Avril conference call. I did notice Sly was off the board the board, that’s why I mentioned trading up. And as far as Hughes’s issues, this is a very strong locker room (especially on D). Further, his problems center around the fact that he likes to puff herb…according to the latest election here in Washington, not a problem.
The thing about a Thomas pick is that it would make it easy to cut McQuistan, since we’d have some extra insurance at guard; if Carp/Moffitt/Sweezy developed and stayed healthy, then you could shift Thomas out to RT and get him ready to take over from Giacomini. He’d free up cap on the OL so we could hang on to people elsewhere — that would be a real benefit, imho.
Or trade McQueetan. I think he would demand some value across the league. Perhaps teams going into training camp may not having the line play they were hoping for or injuries or versatility, Pat could become a player on the trade block.
If this team saw a dominating guard that could cement a spot on the line, I think it’d put McQ at odds with his cap hit.
Rob – if our picks in this draft “might struggle to ever make the team, whichever position we draft for”, what could we get in return if we bundled our entire remaining draft and traded the bundle to, say, Jacksonville? Could we get an additional #1 in 2014? Wouldn’t this make more sense than drafting a bunch of guys who won’t even make the team?
What keeps me from really advocating this idea is how successful the front office has been at finding diamonds in the rough. If the past is any indication, there is a great possibility that they will find an outstanding player in the later picks of this year’s draft.
Unfortunately it takes two to tango and I think the Jags are unlikely to make a deal like that. Even if Seattle gave up all their picks this year to get the Jags 2014 first rounder, I think Jacksonville will still be picking in the top ten next year. And they can’t afford to give up premium picks. Plus their new GM seems completely switched on.
What are the Jags doing? I haven’t heard anything from them. Seems like they are standing pat with lots of cap. I thought they would churn the roster like Seattle. You think they’re going to try to do what Seattle did in their first year or run things in a conventional manner?
I’m not sure. I think we have to remember that Dave Caldwell is the GM and Gus will only have so much influence in terms of the roster. I think he sets up JAC’s defense in he mould of Seattle’s, but some of the philosophical moves will be different.
Another possibility along the OL is Barrett Jones. He is projected as the top center in this draft but has been compared to Bruce Matthews because of his versatility and smarts. He could play all five OL positions at a high level. Adding him to the roster would free several roster spots. We would not need Lemuel Jeanpierre to backup Unger, for example. Because he is coming off Lisfranc surgery he will fall down the board. Kyle Long out of Oregon sounds interesting. Anyone who is the kid of Howie Long has to be good. He has played both guard and tackle.
Jones is more and more underwhelming the more tape I watch. Round 3-4 I think.
Rob,
You seem to imply that Lattimore would be a consideration at #56. I think that’s way too big of a risk to take for a guy who will miss this coming season at the very least, and may not ever be an effective player considering the nature of his injury. Let me know where you are coming from here or maybe I read this wrong.
I considered him for this mock because I wanted to portray a situation where Seattle can pretty much do whatever they want. I don’t think he’s a realistic option at #56, but I also wouldn’t feel bad about the pick in the unrealistic event that it happens. Seattle is strong enough to do whatever it wants, just like Green Bay did when drafting Brohm.
For what it’s worth I would consider Lattimore from the R3-4 range onwards. Players have come back from bad injuries before and Lattimore is such a driven character. He was a special talent previously. It’d be a roll of the dice, but if anyone can come back from that horrific knee injury it’s ML.
This would actually be a pretty good pick. LYnch will be getting older adn I don’t think Turbin is the long term answer. Lattimore would be a good long term fit.
So far the biggest shock of the off season is seeing you mock an O-lineman to the Seahawks!! I never thought I’d see that but I like it! I think when the team is loaded like it is now the trenches are a good place to seek value. In this mock there is a lot of good line talent at the #56 pick. Do you think the Browns still go D-line with Richardson after the moves they made? I can’t see them not choosing offese. In this senario I could see them going Gavin Escobar as well. A tall TD maker for the jump balls to pair with Rice. Great work Rob!
The thinking with Cleveland was I looked at Arizona and saw the bedrock of their defense under Horton — Calais Campbell and Darnell Dockett. They clearly think Desmond Bryant can be Campbell… I just wonder if they’ll now go after their answer to Dockett. You need great defense in the AFC North and you need to run the ball — which they should be able to do with a great o-line and star running back.
Wow I need to proof read. I could see the Seahawks going Escobar. I didn’t mean to imply the Browns pick Escobar.
Agreed. Tight end is my best bet. But Rob’s right, with the FA moves we can do anything we damn well please.
I hope they don’t go oline, not because it wouldn’t be value or because this particular o line men is of good value, I just would prefer not to through another high leverage brick on the oline fire… On the other hand we do have ? Marks along the line can Carp stay healthy? Will sweezy or moffit take the RG job for Thier own?maquiston is getting older as our jack of all trades back up? Breno is a free agent after this year? So I could definitely see the going oline with this pick… Can Dallas Thomas play RT? If we go oline I want a Guy who can swing between gaurs and tackle
Not seeing it with Thomas. 33 1/8 is on the shorter side but not damning for his arms if the goal is for him to be a potential starter inside and depth outside. In this video he doesn’t go up against Clowney many times, but he does blow a couple pickups on stunts and blitzes early in the video. The DT he is lined up against looks pretty undersized, and he does a good job holding his ground in pass pro, but he totally stops moving his feet most of the time. Generally looks half a step late trying to get into the second level and when pulling. Only lined up at LT a few times and meh. This draft at OG is very weak IMO once you get past Warmack and Cooper.
I like Menelik Watson more, just based on how natural he looks in pass pro at RT. Arms are an inch longer as well, and has at least the size to move inside. Sounds like he has only been playing football a couple years though, so doubt he knows how to play all over the line.
Would the plan for drafting a guy like Thomas be as a potential starter at G, as well as fill in as depth at other positions?
Yep that would be the thinking.
I agree that Thomas is a great player and would make a great NFL guard. He also fits the “athlete” mold that the Seahawks FO likes. But I just don’t see the Seahawks grabbing him. I think the James Carpenter pick was the aberration. The Sweezy pick is where they will go in the future: take a great athlete with little or no OL experience. They want to indoctrinate their linemen in their version of ZBS before they have all kinds of pre-conceived notions of “the right way to block”. Now that they have a solid line, they have the luxury of getting guys in the later rounds who can learn from the bench for a year or two. The two most likely fits for that mold are Reed Fragel of OSU and Menelik Watson of FSU. If Watson is as good as Trudy Beekman says, then I definitely think he could be in play for #56. Fragel could go anywhere from round 3 to 6. With all that being said, I would be ecstatic to see Dallas Thomas in Timberwolf Gray.
I like your thinking on this in general. I think Cable’s able to get great value out of guys making it unnecessary to use high draft picks on them. Let’s hope I’m right at least…
Lions fan here again. FA is not over yet, but I would still be skeptical of Milliner for a number of reasons:
1. Just resigned Chris Houston as #1 CB.
2. Both starting tackles (Jeff Backus and Gos Cherilus) are gone. I would imagine a good chance of Fisher taken if he falls to #5.
3. Lions play zone – Dre Kirkpatrick said he never had to backpedal in Alabama.
4. #5 pick is going to cost about $5mil/year for 4 years. In this depressed CB market, veteran CBs are making close to that amount – would have made more sense to pick another veteran CB up for that price and trade down. That’s why I can’t see Milliner being taken at picks #1-5. #1 pick will make about $6mil/yr.
5. Lions lost both starting DEs and will probably take a DE if they don’t take an LT.
6. Lions have 3 young CBs they drafted in 2012 that they probably want to give a shot to for the #2 slot.
Thanks for the insight E — will take this on board for the next update.
We could see all 3 top LT gone by pick 6. Unless Dion Jordan falls, there’s not really a good DE worth taking at 5 for the Lions unless they want to reach for Ansah. Lions have to go LT with this pick, IMO.
Whoooaaa someone who isn’t a seahawk fan is on this blog?!?! This is a first for me. Good insight though E. Just a perfect example of why drafts are IMPOSSIBLE to predict.
E,
Who do you think would be a good CB target for the Lions in round 2?
We had a Minnesota Fan who graciously volunteer some imformation about Perceys migraine headache last article. I thought it was pretty classy like Trudy here. You did get Jason Jones and i hoping he stays injury free for you because when was healthy he did a good job for us.
I would love to read more about the corners that will be available in round two I think that is a position we early talk about this year and it could be in play this year
What i’m curious about, Rob, is our cap space right now?? I’m no wiz at cap hits vs. contracts but I’m guessing Avril and Harvin are taking a big chunk of our 18 million. Do you know if Leon and Obo account to the cap anymore?? And if not, how much was their cap hit before they were released?
Leon and Obo did create some cap room. After all the activity we’ve seen this week, Davis Hsu (cap expert) reckons there’s $5-6m left for 2013. The draft doesn’t count against this any more because the total cap only includes the top-51 earners.
Money to sign a kicker, unless we draft one. Possibly another specialist slot CB? What else do we need?
That figure includes Carson Wiggs who has been signed to the roster
Caleb Sturgis would appear to be a solid addition, particularly if we can get him with the 7th-rounder we nabbed from Buffalo. Don’t know which 7th we gave up for Harvin.
Like Rob said, follow @DavisHsu on twitter. He is the Cap wizard!
I second that. Hsu is a machine not just w/ the cap but all kinds of Seahawks facts and insight. My favorite Twitter follow, to be perfectly honest.
Rob, you should keep the projected trades next mock, thats 1 vote for keeping. From your perspective, would it be wiser to draft a tackle instead of a guard? The reason I ask is because if that player cant make it at Tackle, he could be moved to Guard (ala Carpenter). If the player is a Guard only, the competition is pretty stiff it feels like. Probably wishful and hopefull thinking on my part that Carpenter will finally stay healthy for an entire season (see Okung) and that either Moffitt or Sweezy (sp.) will step up to fill the RG position.
If we did draft Thomas we could possible cut McQuisten? We do need to be more mindful of the cap in all our future thinking…This has been amazing off-season so far and we havent even had the draft yet!
Thomas played tackle at Tennessee and could play it (IMO) at the next level. He’s pretty flexible and could play three positions (LG, RG, RT).
I always thought that they never should moved Carpentar to ROT. All the tape i watched he was devastating as guard. I really believe that h’s going to step it up and I think Sweeney Getting 1 year as right guard should start coming into his own. I mean i completely surprise that he’d was able to change form a DT to G and be starting the Playoffs as a rookie. Its actually astonishing. 7th round DT shares roll with 3rd round guard for RG spot best value I’ve seen anywhere so far. Hope the next one a professional basketball player as a TE. My fingers are crossed.
I say keep the trades in there. No one else does that, so it sets apart your mock as special (well, more special… it’s always been superb).
Interesting mock draft.
I think a TE Joker like Escobar would be more valuable at #56, because the Hawks only have one TE who can catch a pass. If Zack Miller gets injured, the Hawks are in trouble big time. The Oline is a good idea if there is a really good player who drops, but the TE is more of a need since there is only one pass catcher amoung them.
I would rather see us pick up Vance McDonald TE, from Rice in the 2nd or 3rd round. Escobar doesn’t seem like a true joker to me. Not like Hernandez at least. Escobar looked to have slower feet.
Vance is 6’4 267 ran a 4.69 40, 31reps @ 225lbs, and played in the slot a lot at Rice. Reminds me of the Cowboys TE, Jason Witten. If I remember correctly was also drafted Round 3.
Problem with McDonald is on tape he doesn’t look comfortable catching the ball.
I too like the Escobar draft idea. I also like the idea of the Hawks drafting a big and tall receiver. I think their are a few 6’4-6’5 guys that might be available in the mid/later rounds. Brandon Kaufman, Rodney Smith or the like.
Rob, didn’t you scout some small college big targets recently?
Unfortunately not — I have very limited access to small school tape.
I am really intrigued by the big WR Harrison (from Rutgers ?). He looked really good at 6′-3″. I wish the Hawks could get Hunter, but he will be gone at #56. Harrison might be the next best big receiver in case Sidney Rice gets injured.
Do you think Harrison would be available in the 3rd rd ?
Great work on the mock draft and research! I always look forward to reading your articles.
Absolutely, he should be there in R3 if not a little later.
I thinkhe could drop much farther but I don’t see him as a FA like Draft insiders has him.
Any thoughts on Courtney Gardner?
Reminds me of Randy Moss in college destroying lower level talent. Not as polished or instictive as Moss on the field but has tools to be great. If he has really good coaches teaching him how to master those tools and a decent head on his shoulders, he has probowl upside. BIG damn IF, but that is what 7th round comp picks are for.
I disagree with your contention that Randy Moss destroyed lower level talent at Marshall. The MAC sends a lot of players to the NFL. Definitely it’s a lower level conference to the Big 10 or SEC, but it’s serious football. Randy Moss looked as good at Marshall as he did in his rookie season with the Vikings. JUCO football, however, is just slightly higher level than high school football. Any starting wideout in major college football should look as good as Gardner did in that tape. Now he might be as good as Randy Moss, we can’t tell from that tape. But he could also be as good as a Kenny Stills or a Marcus Davis. The key to drafting Gardner correctly will be in private workouts and face-to-face interviews. That’s something that no non-NFL person has access to. I think that someone will draft Gardner and that team will feel confident because they spent a lot of time with him pre-draft.
No access to Sierra tape unfortunately. Looks athletic but hard for me to judge.
I second that! Harrison would be awesome.
I would also love Harrison kinda gave up on him now that we got harvin but with all the speculation that rice might be cap casualty at some point finding his replacement might be prudent.
I suspect that John & Pete are more comfortable with the OG position than the rest of us. Two from the pool of James Carpenter, John Moffitt, JR Sweezey and Rishaw Johnson should claim the spots. Pete talked often of Rishaw during training camp, in glowing terms. He and Carpenter are so strong they could push an elephant backwards. McQuistan is more of an ideal backup, swinging between OG and OT. Lem Jean-Pierre is a solid C backup. I would expect OT would be the way they would go, to backup and eventually replace Giacomini. I would love to see Lattimore selected. That would insure an elite RB for the second run in about three years, after Lynch, Rice, Miller, Mebane and Bryant have graduated, and as Wilson, Harvin, Wagner, Sherman, Okung and Thomas move into their prime years.
And I suspect you are right. I don’t want to draft a guard or a tackle in round two. The point of this mock is to bring up the idea that ‘anything goes’ given the moves they’ve made this week.
I think that this Dalas Thomas Guy would be a good value pick as far as the cap as well. This is only a thought if he is the best player on the Hawks board, but he would replace Mcquistan as a utility OL. They both could fill in at RG, RT, or LG. We would be droping 3m in cap by releasing Mcquistan and paying thomas around .8m. Savings is over 2 m plus we get younger.
Rob what do you think of Jordan Reed the TE from Florida. I like his playmaking ability more than that of Escobar, and doing it against SEC competition.
I was disappointed with his combine. On tape he looked really sharp and fast, but he didn’t stand out as an athlete in shorts. There are things I like and dislike about his game. I think he’s a R2/3 guy.
According to Mayock his pro-day was awesome.
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-draft/0ap2000000151071/Evaluating-Florida-s-pro-day
I’ll have a watch later, thanks for the link.
Rich – thanks for the link. Jordan Reed has been on my radar. His ability to light it up after the catch is really impressive.
I’ve been banging the Jordan Reed drum for awhile. He’d be a great move TE as a supplement to Miller and in the slot.
Rob,
I understand the idea of taking the best player at 56, but do you like any LBs there? I haven’t kept track, but was wondering if there was anyone after Brown, Greene and Collins (the 3 possible WILL LBs you shown taken prior to 56) that would be worthy of taking in the second round? That’s the one remaining position I can see drafting a starting-level player possibly to compete with the USC guys to start.
I do not. Wouldn’t take Gooden or Moore that early.
Gooden lacks the thing the Seahawks love in their starting LBs, the ability to be assignment correct and diagnose early (natural football instincts).
This just my opinion and we all understand we really are just guessing because I never saw the 3 FA we just saw being signed. My mock draft will have a couple names because I’m not really sure who will be there in the late 2nd round and to be quite honest if Alan Branch isn’t resigned I would probably go in a slightly and I mean slightly different direction because at this time I fill we can go with BPA. I believe Seattle will resign Alan Branch and until I hear otherwise I’m going to believe JS comment about resigning our own guys. I read an article about Leon Washington and that we was offer a trade by Tampa Bay for a draft pick but Leon asked us to release him so he could go where he wanted to and thats how he ended up on the Patriots for a 1 year contract. To me that speaks volumnes on what they said all along. That if if you comein here and perform and do what we expect then we will take care of ya and Chris Clemons would be another good example.
If Ryan Swope is at 56 I going to grab him. But we got Percey people will say and my come back would be Swope can play any of the WR spots and Rice, Baldwin, and Harvin don’t exactly have the health history on there side. Swope isn’t that white guy in the slot to me. Hes a bigger and faster Steven Smith from Carolina who I think will draft him at 44, if not I don’t see him making it pass Miami. Anything is possible.
For some reason I have a gut feeling that theres going to be a run on TE. The top 3or 4 will be gone by time we pick. I like to get Travis Kelce but i just don’t see him making it to the end of the 3rd round. I really like this guy. This team runs the ball and this guy can block and he gives RW a big target to throw to. He need some work on route running but he did lead Cincinnati in receptions the 1st year they started to involve him into the passing side of the offense. I think with RW leadership and Tom Cable in a year he could easily take McCoy’s spot who is in the last year of his contract. This is my 2nd round pick right now.
I’m going with John Simon DE/OLB this guys not the pass rusher but we have other guys that can do that now. What we need is guy who can attack the run on 1st and 2nd down and this can do it from diffferent position. He has a leadership quality and a work ethic that fits with this team. This is my 3rd pick.
My 4th pick has slowly and quietly be moving up on the drafttek.com mock draft board. He didn’t do the combine since he had played with a toe injury most of the year and had surgery after the BCS Championship game. Quintain Dial can play the 3 or 5 tech spot. I think he can make this team easily taking Howards spot if nothing else he makes the practice squad. He has the size to maybe in a year or 2 and I mean maybe take Reds place at tech 5 orBranch’s spot at tech 3. He pick to go to baltimore at 118 but I’ll take a chance that he falls to 120.
My 5th pick is kindia like having a late 4th rounder at 131. Oday Aboushi ROT. Alot of tackles disappearing in the first 2 rounds and depth of this class by the time those that needed a tackle have got there guy. This guy I had as a 2nd round pick in my first draft this year and I get a feeling he’ll be here and with 1 year left on breno contract this pick makes since. I basically get a 2round talent in the 5th.
The other 5th round i take Nickell Robey CB. He was the best corner at USC and because of that other simply didn’t throw his way and there something to be said about that.
In the 6th i taking Mark Harrison WR he has all the potential to be great. His problem is he know to drop those the easy passes like Anthony McCoy but I’m hoping that with some time with RW that can be changed.
In the 7th Coby Cameron QB we need another one to compete and I don’t every think you don’tstop trying to find another good QB that fits your offense.
And with the last 7th I reaching but Glen Foster DT, he played for Illinois next to Akeen Spence and had exceptional pro day work out and thats all ya get since he was not invited to the combine. He’s 6’4″ 286lbs
There are so many options at this time, FA only a few days in but these are some of the players I’ve been looking at as possibilities for Seattle.
i like Swope but he would be our 5th WR if he makes the team. I think using the #56 pick on him would be a waste. He isn’t going to replace Rice on the roster and will be behind all of the slot guys. He would be a good choice for some team but not the Hawks. They will draft a WR but later in the draft. They have a better chance of getting a contributor at TE. I think Kelce or Escobar in the third would be a good choice.
Swope should go in the second due to his productivity and speed but the risk of the next concussion going against NFL defensive backs will drop his stock a bit.
I don’t think concussion at this stage is that big of deal if it was we never would have spent the money we did to get Rice or Harvin on this team if we was thinking about injuries.
Any college player having had multiple concussions is a big big deal, especially given the state of the NFL in regards to this issue. It is the basis for game changing rule changes, it has been cited as a source for suicide in former NFL players, it has led to a massive lawsuit by former players, and there are other efforts by many to inform the public and football players at every level about the risks and fallout. It will impact his draft status, Gil Brandt has him dropping to round 4 despite all of his upside which is noteworthy.
Think of last year and how many different receivers came off the bench and played in games while Baldwin, Butler, and Obamanu were all injured and you wish to take a chance with just 4 Harvin, Tate, Rice, and Baldwin . I think we can afford to go deeper thru the draft at this spot and why not get another play maker with sure hands.
Don’t forget we get this guy for 4 years, Rice and Tate i don’t think will be here that long.
I like the Swope pick.
This team, needs to start reloading with players that will succeed expendable draft picks. Golden Tate is one such draft pick. He isn’t a foundation performer but he is a key performer. He will be UFA next year. He’s exactly the kind of guy you need to be able to let go of so you can turn around and give his salary to a true foundation player like Russell Okung.
Swope would be an extra receiver. But he’s competition and depth for the WR corps today. And a player who should be starter quality next year when there is an open position.
It’s not a waste. Waste assumes they have no value. But the reality is, when you don’t have many if any holes, you need to stockpile talent for the foreseeable holes. Swope is that kind of pick.
I keep hearing slot guy and Ryan Swope isn’t just a slot guy. When you can run 4.34 in 40yd and your routes are nice and crisp you can play 1,2 or 3 position. I did however pick a TE for 2 round because i thought with tall pass catcher and blocker we would get more value.
Has Montee Ball fallen off draft boards? If he makes it to the third round, is he someone we might grab? Or is he considered a late round pick now?
IN the 3rd round I would consider grabbing him. I think he would be a steal in the 4th.
Ball put up some crazy numbers at Wisconsin. He’s a big boy power runner like we like. Wilson knows him well. He was a Heismann Candidate last year I believe. I hear nothing about him because he ran slow at the combine. Be beautiful if he fell to round 3 or 4.
Third rounder for me and a good one too.
I think the favorite at #56 is Sylvester Williams. Until Seattle signs back Branch/McDonald, they are still short two DTs. Jaye Howard is on our roster and is probably not a strong bet to make the next 53 man. We definitely need a run stopping 3-tech who can also create some rush, and Williams is that guy to a tee. I also think he’s got a solid chance of reaching us. Bennie Logan could be a fringe option as well.
If he doesn’t, then I’d expect TE and T to be the next strongest considerations. Ertz or Escobar could make sense there, and if Menelik Watson is there I could see Seattle sprinting for the podium to get him. There’s also that rumored interest in Mills from Louisiana Tech.
3-tech could also be an area where they look to scrape the final cuts from teams deeper in that area trying to float a guy to the practice squad. Trades might be an option there as well at some point. With an eye towards churning Rice and Giacomini down the road, I could see tall receivers and OT depth candidates receiving extra scrutiny in addition to 3-tech and OLB.
I like the pick of Sly Williams there. He seems like the perfect scheme fit for what needs we have left on defense. Kip, have you posted any analysis of Jordan Mills?
I couldn’t agree more. I’d be thrilled if Williams were still on the board at 56. He could end up being the best DT out of this draft. I’m not predicting that, but it’s certainly possible. I know Derek Stephens likes him a lot. I just think he’ll be gone by 56, but maybe if PC/JS like him enough they would consider moving up a bit to grab him.
Unfortunately, there’s not enough material on Mills yet to do a report. He reminded me of James Carpenter on his 3 play youtube highlight. Slow footed, but powerful in the upper body. Pushed people around.
I think that one of these dt’s ,Jenkins, Hankins, or the three Williams will make it to us at 56. They are all candidates to play in the 3 or backup (replace eventually) big red in the 5 spot. The fact that we have bolstered the pass rush thru the F.A. Signings leads me to believe that we are probly not going to find the ideal pass rushing DT in this years draft and getting one of these immovable objects for the line will have to do. Allowing big yards up the gut on the run probably did more to cost us the NFC crown (see the first game against SF) and a spot in the NFC title game ( see the first 1/2 vs the falcons) the haveing a sub par pass rush did. Any one of these guys could improve the run defence in the middle as well as they all seem to have the attributes to play the red Bryant role, great length, size to anchor, bull rush abilitys,ect. The middle of the line is still our most concerning need as far as I can tell. Some of the other spots that people are lobbying for like a joker TE, or a tall WR, or even a will LB strike me more as “luxury” items given the current roster that we have and not a real need like DT. The BPA approach seems a little different under this front office. It’s more like ” the player who does this one thing better then anybody, and how can we use that skill to our advantage” that JS/PC like to draft. It’s with this in mind that makes trying to mock for the seahawks so challenging and so fun!
I feel like John Jenkins is the best space-eating DT in this draft. God, I’d be so happy if we got him. 6’4″ 340 pounds on the line to add with Red Bryant and Brandon Mebane… it would be very hard to run on us. But also look for Kwame Geathers to fall to us later in the draft; I really like him. Although he’s probably more of a 3-4 NT type.
Also Kip I wouldn’t be so sure about leaving Khaseem Greene if he’s available at #56. The guy has all the tools to be a solid starting linebacker. He has a nose for the ball that’s rare in an outside linebacker. But the key thing is that I think he’s faster than people will give him credit for. He just ran another 40 at the Rutgers pro day and posted a 4.64. That’s impressive. It’s sure a lot better than a guy like Jelani Jenkins who is light, compact, and supposed to be fast but plays in slow motion on the field. With what little athleticism Greene lacks, he makes up for in instincts, leadership and football IQ. Also, since KJ Wright is a pending free agent next year, I think Greene would serve as a great insurance policy for that strongside LB spot. It’s much harder to fill that spot than the WLB position. I suspect he’ll be gone by 50, and for good reason.
I wouldn’t, and I don’t think Seattle would. Khaseem Greene has just average speed, so I’d be surprised is Seattle took him. Pete sounded content with his “USC backup crew” and said he would add competition, not a replacement, for them. There are very few linebackers that run in the 4.4s and 4.5s this year. Might be a reason why Cliff Avril (who ran a 4.51) was given Leroy Hill’s old number- so he could play DE and LB.
Jordan Campbell?
Couple random thoughts:
I don’t think any of the mocks around the web are dropping the risky picks far enough. Lotulelei, Mingo, Ogletree, and Jones are not going to go as high as they keep getting projected. I think you’ve done a better job than most by putting them all in the teens and number 21 but one or even two of these guys could drop out of the first round all together. If I had to put money on it, I’d say Jones and Ogletree fall out of the first, Mingo in the 20s, and Lotulelei in the late teens. These guys fall into an area where they are graded higher but teams have moved them down their boards in favor of less risk for these high picks.
I know you see Armstead as a workout warrior, but he will go in the second round. He graduated in industrial technology and learned quickly from the coaches at the Senior Bowl, showing great improvement over the course of the week. I’m sure Cable believes he could coach him up but I think Seahawks will go a different direction. McShay has him going between 42-69 and Rang has him at 50. He has athleticism and a high ceiling and has to interview as a smart guy. LT is such a premium position in the NFL, he’ll go higher than he probably should as a project, albeit a promising one.
I like Armstead @ 56 for us. Think he would start day one at RT under Cable’s guidance. Could see him in the Pro bowl as well.
Based on the fact he ran well at the combine?
Enjoyed this mock tremendously Rob. Highly entertaining. For what it’s worth, I prefer the trade scenarios, mostly because we know there will be some. Even though mocking them is highly speculative, yours make a lot of sense.
To add some fuel to the mid- late round speculation fire, and in case anyone is interested, here are notes on some pro day performances. A couple of names you’ll no doubt recognize, a couple you might not.
First, the familiar…
Denard Robinson WR/RB/KR Michigan:
5’11” 199lbs. Nothing new by way of Combine drill numbers, but apparently Denard has been working VERY hard to transition from QB to WR, and it showed at his pro day. He also participated in RB drills. Essentially, he confirmed his explosive, game-breaking athleticism, and demonstrated vastly improved confidence catching the ball – not only did he catch EVERY pass thrown his way, he caught ALL of them with his hands.
Armonty Bryant DE East Central Oklahoma
6’4″ 260lbs. Combine drill numbers: 4.72s 40yd (4.86s at Combine), 34.5″ vertical (31.5″ at Combine), 121″ broad (118″ at Combine), 15 reps on BP (DNP at Combine), 4.42s 20yd shuttle (5.00s at Combine), 7.09s 3-Cone (7.32s at Combine). Reasonably impressive numbers in their own right (except perhaps for BP), but it’s the across-the-board improvement that stood out. He also participated in both DE and LB positional drills, where he impressed with his quickness, agility, movement skills and all-around athleticism. Convinced many that he can play either down as a defensive end, or up as an outside linebacker. Projected as a solid RD 3 pick.
Then the dark horses…
Charles Johnson WR Grand Valley St. :
6’2″ 215lbs. Combine drill numbers: 4.36s 40yd, 39.5″ vertical, 133″ broad. Those are flat out impressive numbers, particularly for a guy his size, but really stood out in his positional workout. Ran sharp, precise routes with good acceleration off the snap and explosiveness out of his cuts. Most importantly, he caught the ball cleanly all day long. Reasonably productive college career, with back to back 1000+ reception yd seasons in both years at GV St (he transferred in). Projected to go somewhere in RDs 4-6.
William Campbell DT/OG Michigan:
6’5″ 318lbs 33.5″ arms. Combine drill numbers: 35 reps on BP, 5.15s 40yd, 27″ vertical, 107″ broad, 4.71s 20-yd shuttle, 7.28s 3-cone. Campbell played on both sides of the LOS in HS but was primarily a DT at Michigan. Consensus seems to be, however, that he’s a better NFL O Line prospect, particularly at OG (remind anyone of a current Seahawk?). He’s described as “a massive man with outstanding natural strength” who looked surprisingly smooth and easy in both O and D line drills. He wasn’t invited to the Combine so he’s under a lot of teams’ radars and is projected to go RD 7-UDFA.
Good scouting reports Eric, thanks
Thanks Turp.
Some interesting players there, Eric.
Great notes Eric… thank you.
Some cool Charles Johnson info I read this morning, here: http://rotoviz.com/index.php/2013/03/is-this-man-the-next-miles-austin-or-marques-colston/
Thanks Misfit. Salivating stuff to be sure. I had read about concerns regarding his double transfer, but didn’t mention them because I also read this:
“Most ‘double transfer’ players are vied [sic] with real caution as there are usually some real character/maturity questions, but according to sources Johnson is a good kid who will not be a problem for an NFL team.”
Here’s the rest of the quote (in the interest of full disclosure):
“Although he was highly productive, over 1,000 yards receiving in each of his two seasons playing football at Grand Valley State, NFL scouts told us that they felt he was still raw as a receiver and more of a developmental prospect who would be a late round selection…While scouts in attendance cautioned not to over-react to Johnson’s workout, they all admitted that if you had not watched film before this workout you would probably consider him as at worst a third round prospect based on his Pro Day display. He will likely end up as a fourth or fifth round selection.”
BTW remember the discussion yesterday regarding Tyrann Mathieu and pot, and how I said I was going to write a detailed comment about all that?
Yeah, well I smoked a joint before I sat down to write it. Then I got sidetracked for a while. And then I just said fuck it.
LOL
Rob,
With regard to Danny Kelly’s piece about the Seahawks D being more aggressive and blitzing more often, what would you say about the possibility of drafting Jamie Collins? He’s high on the list of tackles for loss (20), and had 10 sacks and 4 forced forced fumbles on a winless team with no talent around to help him.
I know his traditional position would be as a 3-4 linebacker. I’ve heard it said that it could be a bit of a stretch for him to play as a linebacker in the 4-3, but what do you think? Danny mentions that he envisions Dan Quinn “dabbling” even more in the 3-4 style looks that were shown last season. Perhaps that’s significant?
Would it be out of the question to play him at the WILL when we have Bennett and Avril in the short term, and possibly bring him along as a potential LEO candidate?
I’m not sure how or whether he could fit within the Hawks’ system. I’m curious to know your thoughts.
I think you nailed it really Aaron. He played rush linebacker at Southern Miss and really I think he’s going to be more edge rusher than orthodox WILL. Can he make the switch and end up as a LEO down the line? I’m not totally convinced to be honest. I need to study him a bit more and watch how he works when he drops. I think right now I’m looking at him as a pass rusher more than anything else.
Will someone please talk me off a ledge here …
Signing Avril made sense, signing Bennett after that did not.
I can see the nickel defense with Irvin at LDE, Bennett at 3T pass rusher, and Avril at LEO, but in normal downs I see nothing but money flushing down a toilet bowl.
If Bennett only plays the 3rd down role of Jones then his agent should have told him before he signed that he is going to be on the field about 1/3 of all downs and he’ll be lucky to have 4 sacks this year, unless he is replacing Irvin at LE on passing downs which means Irvin will get less playing time than last year. If Bennett is going to play at LE or LEO then it means Irvin is a failure.
In this defense there is no way for Bennett, Irvin, and Avril to play enough for one of them not to be deemed a bust or wasted money. Anyone please give me detailed information about their playing times, which includes Red in the base defense, which does not include one of them as being a bust (Irvin) or a massive waste of money.
While most fans here are rubbing JS’s private parts, frankly I’m seeing Charlie Whitehurst type deals this year. The Seahawks have a fantastic drafting front office, but they also have a front office with occasional over-paying tendencies (Whitehurst, Miller, Flynn, J.Jones, etc). Harvin will be fun as hell to watch this year, but his large deal PLUS draft picks means he will be a slight over-payment unless he is at least a borderline all-pro for the next 4 years. If he is not one of the most electric players in the NFL for the next 4 years (something he still has to prove), then the Seahawks wasted money on him.
Something every single fan/pundit seems completely oblivious to is the fact that the team is now right at their salary cap, including the 13 million rollover from last year. We’re at 133 million right now (maybe a couple less due to the Obo cut), and next year we’ll need to be at 120 million, as we have almost no rollover as it currently stands. We’ll need to cut money next year, and NO the 4 million drop in Zach’s cap hit is no where near enough to keep everyone around. I fought about this stuff before Percy was signed when it was just an idea, but now that he is signed, we are now like every other team fighting with their salary cap. Seahawk fans think we’re fine in terms of the salary cap because they don’t really understand the math involved in that we are now at a “fake” cap that is 13 million above the real cap due to last year’s rollover, and that next year we have to massively cut our payroll. All that money we spent this year was A 1 YEAR ILLUSION following from last year rollover.
People do not know this, because they haven’t gone to really look at the cap situation, but this team has fully sold itself out this year for the superbowl. As things are RIGHT NOW, if we let Kam, Browner, Tate, Breno, and all free agents ALL WALK next year WE WILL BE AT OUR 120 million CAP for next year. There is no money to resign anyone at all now, unless we cut current players such as Clem or get rid of Flynn. The 13 million drop in our payroll is already totally filled up by players under contract, and doesn’t include the large # of FAs that come due next year.
Instead of posting mock drafts, Rob, I’d actually be far more interested if you took a week or two to fully spell out this team’s cap situation including how it stands with current contracts and the rollover from previous years. Inform people how the cap situation looks next year and beyond given the rollover rules of the NFL and the Seahawks current cap space.
Two things Chris.
1/ The FO gets paid to maximize talent at the cap every year. With a roster like the one they are seeking some good to great players will compete and stay, some will not.
2/ One draft idea with (1) in mind might be to draft competition at the upcoming UFA for 14′.
In addition to that..
I believe the cap this year is $123m not $120m and is projected to be at $125 next year. The $133 figure before Obo’s release is right, Davis Hsu has us at about $5.5m left.
Bennet’s contract is just for 1 yr so with him gone next season and the almost certain release of Matt Flynn next season, that’s 11m or so freed up before any other cuts.
Lastly, the $133m figure is counting 60+ players, so is due to drop anyway.
Over the next three years, Wilson, Sherman, Chancellor, Wright, Okung, Tate and Thomas must be signed to big dollar second contracts. That is a great deal of money, but Flynn, Lynch, Rice, Miller, Mebane and Bryant will be “graduating” off the payroll. Also, the cap will jump significantly in two years. The money will be there to sustain a run with the current roster over the next couple of years, and then a second run with the key younger guys. The key to a second run is successful drafts over the next three years to groom new guys to replace the graduating players. It is a brilliant, sustainable strategy, built upon John and Pete’s ability to draft elite players in all rounds of the draft, something they do better than any team in the league.
Relax Chris, there are some pretty smart people at seahawk headquarters who have probably considered the ramifications of all this stuff. My advice to you is… Enjoy this year and worry about next year AFTER you have recovered from you Super Bowl hang over!!
I have to admit. I agree with the way Chris thinks about our future. I’m an optimist when it comes to the next year but a pessimist when it comes to the long term future about the team… But then i think “Relax Dan, there are some pretty smart people at seahawk headquarters.”
Everyone on the Dline rotates enough to get Bennett enough snaps. I’m sure he will give Red a break at 5T end several times a game. If Red gets hurt, which does happen fairly often, Bennett has proven to be one of the better run stopping DE’s in the league and would be a very good starter in that spot. If Clemons isn’t ready right away I could even see Bennett playing a little LEO DE on short yardage plays.
I’m excited for a 3rd and 20 using a three man front with Clemons, Bennett and Avril on the line and Irvin roving up and down the line like a LB looking for a spot to blitz.
Plenty of snaps for everyone and everyone stays fresh.
I agree this would be the best use of Bruce Irvin…to make him a blitzing LB on passing downs. If the OL has no idea where he is coming from, with his speed, it would be a huge weapon. Play to Bruce’s strengths – speed, and don’t waste him on bull rushes at 340# RT’s.
He’ll probably come in on run downs opposite Red. Then kick inside on passing downs. Plus it’s only a 1 yr deal.
Chris, you have a valid point about the $13m in rollover that “artificially” raises our cap this year. It’s why (and how) the FO went out and spent big $$ in FA like a princess with daddy’s credit card. However, there are several things to keep in mind before you lose yours over this:
(1) You can just about bet the bank (no pun intended) Flynn will either be cut, traded or have his contract restructured before his salary counts against the 2014 season cap (unless, of course, RW goes down with a major injury, in which case I hope we’ll all be THRILLED to pay Flynn the big $$). Also, I fully expect JSPC to take a QB somewhere in this draft, with the intention of replacing Flynn and his salary. On a side note (and to demonstrate just how complicated the whole cap issue really is), IF Flynn is cut this season, it won’t be until AFTER June 1. If he’s cut before then, ALL of his signing bonus counts against this year’s cap; conversely, if he’s cut after June 1, then his bonus is prorated over the next 2 seasons, softening the impact. My point being, wait a while for things to shake out. It’s possible, nay, even probable, that at least one of the big money players currently on the team won’t make the final roster cut on August 31.
(2) Bennett signed for 1 year/$5m salary, no signing bonus (so all $5m counts this year with NOTHING rolling over into 2014 or beyond). Accordingly, you can add his $5m hit right back to the cap next year (unless we resign him, in which case I’m betting you’re happy with the money spent). Also with respect to Bennett and how he fits on this team…think of him as if Jason Jones had lived up to our expectations [another side…someone on SDB suggested dropping the “Jason Jones role” moniker in favor of “Rhino” and I’m all for that] so think of Bennett as a proven Rhino; or more apropos to the draft, think of him as a proven Datone Jones. They are quite similar, in size, stature and play style. Personally, I’d have been thrilled if DJones was our R1 pick this year (btw, thanks Rob for mocking me by mocking him to SF!). Hold on for a moment…I get that a veteran Bennett costs more than a rookie Jones, but surprisingly, not by much: in last year’s draft, the 25th pick (Dont’a Hightower) signed a 4-yr, $7.7m contract worth an average of $1.875m/yr (no doubt the salary is weighted on the back end, but the average is illustrative enough for present purposes). I don’t know about you, but a one-time premium of ~$3m for a proven player at a key position which is currently unfilled is, IMHO, a bargain.
Finally, your point regarding selling out the future for the present isn’t really applicable to SEA. Sure, that’s a wise strategy for teams that are several (or more) moves away from being legit playoff contenders (let alone SB ones); teams like ARI or even STL. However, SEA is in a much different situation. Arguably, they were the best team in the League at the end of last season, and were perhaps only 2 or 3 PLAYS away from an NFC Champ berth and potential SB appearance. In a sport where fortune is a fickle bitch, and last year’s Conference/SB Champ can find itself next year’s goat (say, through injury, FA loss, changes in players/personnel/team chemistry, or even the beat of a butterfly’s wings in Shanghai), the wise choice is to strike while the iron is hot. For a team like that, a team like SEA, the future is NOW.
As a side note for any coming back to this “old” post 🙂
I am interested in hearing about the Hawks plans to have Avril play some strong side backer.
Despite the hopeful responses below, I still saw no way that Avril, Bennett, and Irvin could all be played enough for both of the DE signings to be worthwhile (not even mentioning the idea of Clemons coming back, which is still a huge issue of playing time) … but if Avril can get some regular LB snaps it makes a little bit more sense. There is simply not enough snaps in existence amongst a pass rush only DE, pass rush only DT and LEO for two top DE signings and a 1st round pick to share. It’s just math. It doesn’t work, unless Avril can play some LB.
Re the draft priorities, starters are needed at DT, Nickel CB, and Will LB. Depth is needed at OT, S, RB, and TE. Based on the past three drafts, it would not surprise me if John and Pete fill every one of these slots. Unless addressed in free agency (Branch?), I see the biggest need at DT, so that is my prediction in R2.
FYI for anyone (still) interested in Keenan Allen…he has a personal pro day scheduled for April 9. I’m not suggesting by any means that he’s in play for SEA. I’m just interested in how he measures up to his hype. I sincerely hope he’s sufficiently healed to give us all a good show.
Hope so, he has a lot of questions to answer.
Rob, if the Seahawks go DT in R2, and both Brandon Williams and Bennie Logan are there, which way would you go? Both these guys look pretty good for late round two, in my view.
Out of those two I take Williams, but I’m not fond on either in that range. I think Williams has a lot of raw upside but R2 may be a little high. Logan I’m just not fussed about really.. not sure I’d take him at any point.
I personally really like Logan. I watched a modest amount of tape on him, mind you, but enough to figure out that he’s an athletic D-tackle who can “congest” the line of scrimmage, if I may use that word. He may be a reach in round 2 but I wouldn’t fault the Hawks for taking him in Round 3. My main scenario right now is probably to draft a nickle corner or offensive lineman in round 2 (unless we are able to trade up for a DT we really want), and trade down from Round 3 to 4 with the intention of drafting Logan or someone else in that round 4 range. Personally I think Geathers would be a great pick anytime from rounds 4-6.
Fascinating to see you refer to the Packers drafting Brohm in the 2nd when they had Favre and Rodgers Rob. If Tyler Wilson does drop he would be the ultimate luxury pick, do you realistically see us taking him if he was on the board?
Thinking ahead it might actually make sense.
I could see it for sure. Flynn isn’t likely to see the 2014 season due to his salary. Wilson would be dirt cheap with potential trade value down the line. At worst you get four years of quality backup at great value.
Scheme wise, how good a fit is Tyler for us?
Well he’s more mobile than a 4.95 suggests. Bit of a gun slinger which I don’t think PC will be overly fond of. Also has small hands which is a no-no with John Schneider. But he can make plays, he’s technically gifted. Can be worked into a point guard role.
Hey Rob, have you checked out the Duke quarterback Renfree? I think that guy could be a good late-round draft pick to groom as the backup for 2014 (assuming we’re able to trade Flynn next off-season). Guy runs a solid 40 in the 4.7s I believe, and is an accurate short passer. Not a great deep passer but I think he’s what you’re looking for in a guy who can come in for a 1-2 game pinch and man the offense in a serviceable way. Make short completions to Harvin, let him get YAC, spread the ball around on short posts, and ram the ball down the other team’s throat, and hopefully that’s enough to win.
I would be underwhelmed by the Dallas Thomas pick. If the Hawks draft an O-Lineman in round 2, I’m sure Pete and John are simply going to ask Cable who he wants at that spot. It could very well be Thomas, but I agree with another poster on here who was not impressed with his run-blocking. He is technically sound, but once he hits the defender he doesn’t drive. He just sort of holds his man in place. Not saying that isn’t valuable, but it’s definitely a concern that he’s not clearing paths as opposed to just colliding with defenders. Also, sure he can play guard, but the transition from G to T is much harder at the NFL level. I think it might be more effective to draft a tackle because if for some reason it doesn’t work out at tackle, or an adjustment needs to be made, they can much easily kick inside to Guard, especially in Cable’s blocking schemes. People are singing Melenik Watson’s praises, so this is obviously cliche by now, but I really like Watson. And if he’s available in Round 2 and all of the DTs we want in that spot are gone, I would take Watson. Unless the Hawks have a keen interest in Cornerbacks Darius Slay or Robert Alford. I really like both those guys; plus, the nickle corner position is going to be crucial. That player is on the field for a league-average of 70% of snaps. A big part of me is hoping the Hawks get a guy early to fill that role. I hope Thurmond can play a full healthy season at that spot, but it’s not ideal to bank on that happening. He’s always injured.
I have and I like him as a later round option. There are a handful of things that bother the heck out of me but they’re fixable. He has a basic skill set that calls for a round 4/5 grade, train him up and maybe get some trade value down the line.
Cool. Thanks for the input.