Whatever that is on Cullen Jenkins' left hand, I want it in Seattle
Seahawks to meet with Cullen Jenkins
According to Adam Schefter, the recently released Eagle will be making a stop in Seattle.
Former Eagles DL Cullen Jenkins, who visited Giants on Friday, is scheduled to visit Seahawks on Monday and 49ers on Tuesday.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 2, 2013
John Schneider is familiar with Jenkins during their time in Green Bay and the Seahawks need the ‘Packers version’ of Cullen Jenkins. He has 21 sacks in the last four seasons, so Seattle’s interest is perfectly understandable.
He’s also 32. How much has he got left in the tank? Even on a one year deal, can he continue to be productive? The Seahawks don’t carry ineffective, past-their-best veterans. This is a young, vibrant roster and that’s likely to remain the case. Jenkins would have to be worth it.
This could be due diligence or there could be genuine intent to talk about a contract. It’s no surprise that the Giants, Niners and Seahawks are the three showing the early interest here. They’re all likely to target defensive line help in the draft, and none seem particularly likely to open the cheque book in free agency to address this need. With Henry Melton receiving the franchise tag and Randy Starks likely to follow, the interior defensive line options are dwindling.
I didn’t spend any time watching Jenkins in 2012, but he had an excellent 2011. He looked powerful, quick off the snap and he made a difference. He’s good enough against the run to anchor but he also has a playmaking streak in him. He’s developed a lot of veteran moves and counter’s during his career. This is what Seattle needs.
The only question is, will Jenkins still be up to the task in his 9th season as a pro?
Barkevious Mingo is still confusing
Last night was pretty eventful. I dropped boiling water all over myself which led to a night in serious pain without any sleep. Before that delightful experience, I watched a couple more LSU games to try and ‘get’ Barkevious Mingo. I’d watched five last week and came away so completely and utterly underwhelmed I dropped him out of my first round projection. Then at the combine, he showed enough athletic quality to make me re-consider and put him at #15 to New Orleans.
There are plenty of teams in the NFL looking for pass rushers. I guess that search never ends, really. There are teams transitioning to the 3-4 who could use a skilled outside linebacker. But more than anything, there are also teams looking to mimic the Seahawks. Pete Carroll has created an ‘en vogue’ team. Seattle is flavour of the month, the trendy outfit. Young, fast, skilled and aggressive. Who doesn’t want that?
There will be GM’s out there looking at the moves made by Pete Carroll and John Schneider and they’ll want a piece of that. Bruce Irvin — a much maligned pick 12 months ago — is now considered a great success because he led all rookies for sacks. The truth is, Irvin was the least effective of the three early picks last year. But the NFL loves production and eight sacks is considered a positive in season one.
Mingo doesn’t have the same blazing 4.4 speed or 1.53 ten-yard split, but he’s the player who most closely resembles Irvin in this draft. So while 3-4 teams might be coveting him for a switch to linebacker, 4-3 teams might consider using him as a LEO.
If there’s enough demand for pass rushers this year (remember, Irvin was the first to leave the board twelve months ago at #15), then he could go early. Much will depend on the stock of guys like Bjoern Werner and Damontre Moore. Could he fall? Absolutely. The 2012 tape is not very good for Mingo. He hasn’t got close to the level of production Irvin managed at West Virginia, even though he acted mainly as a third-down specialist. At LSU Mingo had the benefit of Sam Montgomery, Michael Brockes and Bennie Logan, not to mention some of the best secondary talent in college football. He had 4.5 sacks in 2012, one of which came against Towson University.
When speaking to John Clayton recently, Pete Carroll stated he wants another LEO. That might be to cover the possibility of Chris Clemons never quite being the same post-ACL surgery. The Seahawks need to plan for the future anyway with Clemons approaching his 32nd birthday in October.
If the top rated defensive lineman at #25 is a LEO, I think they take him. I think they’ll look at any player with that first pick and try to find the best pass rusher. Could be an end, could be a tackle. If Mingo was there at #25, would they pull the trigger? Is a pass-rushing double threat of Irvin and Mingo too good to turn down? After all, nobody is doubting his physical talent and speed. He’s got the kind of length they look for. It’s just the attitude, the motor, the application. Is he a relentless guy who thrives on impacting games? Or is he doing what team mate Sam Montgomery admitted at the combine — picking his moments, taking weekend’s off? To fall to #25 there’d have to be some issues, even considering his measly 4.5 sacks this past year.
I could imagine a scenario where Mingo’s off the board at #6 to Cleveland or #9 to the New York Jets. Keeping him in Louisiana also makes sense for New Orleans. But I could just as easily see him dropping a bit, especially if Werner holds position and other players like Dion Jordan and Ziggy Ansah go early.
So, would you take him at #25 if he’s there?
Snap judgement? More tape on Cornelius Washington
We published tape of combine warrior Cornelius Washington earlier in the week. Many people were pretty underwhelmed by what they saw in the game versus Buffalo. So it’s only fair we put a couple more video’s on here for a more rounded debate. See what you think.
Further thoughts on Datone Jones
Who is this guy? That’s the question I keep coming back to. In fact, it’s more like two questions.
– Just how explosive is he? He isn’t running a 4.64 like Cam Jordan. He’s running a time comparable to J.J. Watt but at 10lbs lighter. You put his times and measurable’s together and there are similarities to Lawrence Jackson. So are we talking about a difference making, explosive defensive lineman or not?
– What position will he play at the next level? He lined up everywhere for UCLA – nose tackle, three-technique, defensive end. That can be a positive or a negative. On the one hand, you can put him in all kinds of confusing looks — get him rushing from a variety of angles and gaps. At the same time, he might always be a ‘tweener’ without a defined role.
For the first question, I went back to my notes during our live blog for the combine. It’s very easy to look at a list of numbers and get caught up. Tape, tape, tape. That’s how to do this. Whether it’s a work out in shorts or watching a game. Trust your eyes. And I asked myself this week — why am I still doubting this guy’s athleticism? This is what I wrote about Jones when watching the drills:
“Datone Jones is a superb athlete.”
In the video below you’ll find the defensive lineman vs offensive lineman drills from the Senior Bowl. I’d recommend watching the first 3:50, even if you can’t watch the full 46+ minutes. At 3:18 Jones makes his first appearance. And he destroys the interior lineman. The reason I’d recommend watching the first 3:50 is simply to see how things suddenly kick into life when Jones turns it on. Prior to that play you see John Simon get absolutely stoned, Brandon Williams get floored, Alex Okafor struggle a little bit with bog-standard blocker Ricky Wagner. Eric Fisher dominates his guy. Then there’s Datone Jones.
Mike Mayock is commentating from the booth and it’s like someone just injected him with a shot of caffeine. You can picture his eyes lighting up as soon as Jones flies into the backfield. “Boy was that a quick, explosive move there. Wooof, I like that. Let’s see it again here.”
On the next play, he does beat his guy again. Pure athleticism. And yes, he looks like a difference maker.
I’m at the point now where I really don’t care what forty time he runs, or whether his vertical jump and bench press compare favourably to Lawrence Jackson. They are just numbers. When I watch the tape, his athleticism stands out. And I get the impression in a few years time we may well be comparing other 275-285lbs defensive lineman to Datone Jones when it comes to combine performances.
Over the last two nights I’ve gone over seven UCLA games to revise my position on this guy. I made the decision to place him at #25 last week based on how he might fit as a Jason Jones replacement in Seattle. He could still fit into that role. However, can he be more than that?
The question over whether he’s a tweener will be a legitimate one for a lot of teams. If you’re running an orthodox 4-3 you’ll need to decide whether he’s stout enough to play inside permanently or whether he’s a power end. A 3-4 team will need to know if he fits at the five-technique, or if he can be that same roaming pass rusher that J.J. Watt is in Houston’s scheme.
Some might just say, “too many question marks.” The thing is, I doubt the Seahawks will be one of those teams.
Pete Carroll and John Schneider appear to be spending less time on what a guy can’t do. Of course, you never ignore a player’s limitations. You just don’t want to be consumed by them. So while we can sit here and argue Jones is maybe a shade small to feature as a permanent three-technique, or a bit too big to play the LEO, Carroll and Schneider might be debating what he can do for this team. What he can be is a possible upgrade for Jason Jones in an underrated role for the Seahawks.
He had 19 tackles for a loss in 14 games this season. He’s strong enough at the point to push his blocker into the backfield — something we recently highlighted as a key need for Bill Walsh defensive tackles. He also has a good enough first step, repertoire of moves (swim, spin, club, rip) and explosion to shoot a gap and make his presence known.
One of my big issues is execution. Given how often Jones has success in 1v1 battles, he should be even more productive. I’m a little surprised watching the tape that he only manufactured 6.5 sacks in 2012. Yet it’s not all about pure sacks. We should know that from the Walsh article. Being able to impact plays by your very presence is good enough for an interior rusher. And Jones appears to impact his fair share of plays, even if he doesn’t always finish.
The Seahawks really benefited from using Jason Jones at an interior starting point while getting Bruce Irvin to stunt around and come at the offensive line from a different angle. As well as Greg Scruggs played in relief of Jones, I’m not sure this tactic was quite as effective in the second half of the season. It’s perhaps no coincidence that Irvin’s production fell of a cliff as a consequence. So it was pleasing to see UCLA running similar stunts with their edge rushers while Datone Jones worked inside.
Jones has some pretty good tape (see: Washington State) but he also has some pretty average tape (see: Nebraska). There are occasions where he just absorbs blocks and doesn’t have any influence on the play. There are times where he’s not blocked and given a free road into the backfield, but he makes a bad read — pursuing a running back on a QB-keeper or failing to detect a draw play. He’s not a brilliant run stopper working inside, although upon further review I’m less concerned about using him inside as a conventional three-technique. I also think he gets tired in games and despite being athletic enough to shift around at 280lbs like he does, he could maybe use some pro-conditioning to max-out his potential for sixty minutes. He tired a bit at the combine too.
When Seattle drafted Lawrence Jackson in 2008, it was seen as a copy-cat move to mimic Justin Tuck’s role in the Super Bowl winning Giants team. Of course, it never worked out. Jackson was a pure effort and hussle guy, not the kind of versatile, roaming athlete that Tuck’s been in New York. Jones is bigger than both Jackson and Tuck, but he appears primed to take on a role that puts him in different positions. That probably puts him on New York’s radar. He should be on Dallas’ too as they move to the 4-3.
If Jones ends up being a top-20 pick, it could push two or three other defensive lineman down the board — which wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing for Seattle. If he is available, there’s a pretty good chance he’ll be on Schneider and Carroll’s radar. And even if they feel he isn’t an orthodox three-technique or end, don’t rule out this team drafting a specialist rusher in the first round. They want to play stout on early downs then create turnover opportunities in third and long by bringing the pressure and putting athletes in coverage. The Jason Jones role might be specialist, but it could also be crucial for this defense. Jones is the most likely candidate to fill that position in round one. If he’s available.
Here’s all the Datone Jones tape… this will keep you busy for a while…
I’ve liked this guy since I first heard him mentioned. Love his relentless style. He could slide down draft boards, even far enough to allow Seattle to trade down 2-5 picks, as the FO has done before. Worse case scenario this guy becomes a rotational player to bring the rush on key downs.
Datone Jones^
Rob,
Nice re-think on Jones. You’ve added a lot to consider, and I appreciate a separation from the L. Jackson comparison.
As far as being a specialist, Seattle rotates the d-line often, unlike SF say who keep in the same players for 85%+ of the plays. That being the case, someone like Jones, while technically a rotational specialist, has more value to a Seattle defense than one that relies on the same 4 guys all game.
And you are dead right to look at the guy and make a judgment based on what you see. Thanks for sharing.
Carroll and Schneider are visionaries. And I think they’d love to keep the size up front and find a dynamic ‘specialist’ three technique. Rotate the lines, play stout against the run and force teams into 3rd and 7/8 or better. Then you bring the heat. Pressure + extra DB on the field increases the opportunity to force turnovers and that’s Carroll’s focus.
Right. Everybody wants pass-rushers that are stout against the run and can play 3 downs. That makes them very hard to find and expensive. Unless you spend a ton of FA $ or hot on multiple top10 draft picks, you’re probably not going to have too many of these (and certainly fewer than you’d like). So you have to make comprises somewhere. And that’s where this FO seems to have done it.
While the Niners use the same 12 guys for 90%+ of their snaps, they use a nickel D (with 2 DL and 2 rush OLB) for ~60-70% of the snaps according to FO’s snap counts.
I like the idea of signing Cullen Jenkins. The price must be right and his usage as more a rotational tackle at this stage. I like him as a player and IIRC, we had interest last time he hit the market.
Wonderful piece, Rob!
It seems that one of the things that this FO does is leverage the strengths of players at key positions to create value. Scheme transcendent lockdown CBs are highly valued (expensive in draft capital and/or cash) so Pete incorporated coverage schemes that allowed him to use undervalued (big,slow) guys with great results. The same is true of the LEO position which can use players too small to be traditional 4-3 ends and too limited in coverage to play 3-4 OLB. I suspect that something similar is at play at the QBS position.
In the history of football, this isn’t necessarily new or rare (it’s the story of the origin of the WCO and the modern era rise of the 3-4), but it is especially important for teams in a salary-capped league where blue chip franchise QBs and pass-rushers are found 1 or 2 per draft class. If you want aLuck or a Suh, you’re going to have to suck hard AND be lucky enough to do so in a talented draft class at a time when you can build around that player. Most teams can’t/don’t want to/shouldn’t do this. There’s always a chance at finding a Geno Atkins or Brady or Dockett late, but you can’t depend on that happening for your scheme to work. And you’re always going to have some holes (due to injuries or whatever).
So how can you exploit market inefficiencies to generate value and production? Well, big fat guys that can rush the passer are very rare (probably rarer than 4-3 ends and definitely rarer than run-stoppers). So can you replace the 3-down production of a good traditional 3-tech with a run-stopper on early downs and a situational pass rusher on late downs? It may not be ideal, but few personnel situations in the NFL are and this cheaper method may leave you with more resources to devote elsewhere. It’s also a common thing for 3-4 teams (the Niners NT only played ~30% of their snaps last year.
Well, the hawks tried this last year. Did it work? Maybe. The overall D using Branch and Jones as part-time 3-techs left us with a statistically strong D but some holes in early-down run defense and 3rd down pass-rush. Jones wasn’t necessarily a liability against the run nor Branch against the pass. They weren’t strong in these areas but their usage leveraged their strengths and hid their weaknesses. The problems, then, might have been that their strengths may not have been strong enough (especially late in the season when they were worn down and dealing with injury). The same may also be true of Kam and Red.
So what do we do? Find a “better Jones” and so more depth. Scruggs and Datone could be these guys if they can’t find their Floyd or Suh.
Appreciate those thoughts Ben, they made fascinating reading.
Thanks. Sorry for the wall of text. I had a spark of inspiration.
Luckily, we already found our blue chip franchise QB 🙂
Nice diagnosis and break down Ben. Also why you see PC and JS being ahead of the rest of the pack, scheme to get someones strengths stronger and the weaknesses neutralized.
Also I should pry have been a bit clearer on the “ahead of the pack”. When everyone else is drafting huge hulking O-linemen, develop a system that utilizes smaller/quicker guys. There is surplus and in camp the best rise to the top. — Nothing new just wanted to clarify myself.
Enjoyed your article. It seems like hubris to say that other teams are trying to become like the Seahawks defense. Are we talking about the defense that couldn’t make a stop on third down? Thats the one I saw for half the season. And I certainly wouldn’t be talking up Irvin till he has proved that he will have an impact- which he didn’t have even with his sacks. Jones may prove to be the opposite, he has an impact without the sacks.
In short- when we challenge for a super bowl then it’s time to say other teams are imitating us.
Other teams are talking about imitating us, rightly or wrongly. During the combine I kept hearing the word ‘Seahawks’ constantly. Teams going for our types of corners, or looking for the next great LEO, or searching for that Russell Wilson or Bobby Wagner. Seattle’s a trendy team right now. Now, we know some of the positive chatter is justified and some of it is not. But whatever your take, some teams are copying the Seahawks.
The Seahawks DC last year is now the head coach of another football team. Pete Carroll is a follower of Monte Kiffin’s defensive philosophies, and Kiffin is back in the NFL as a DC (Dallas). So that’s 2 teams at a minimum looking for the same types of players we are.
Fair enough- but they would be just as well off imitating the Giants or Ravens.
Why would they? I don’t know what kind of defenses the Giants or Ravens run. I am sure they are good defenses. Gus Bradley and Monte Kiffin have defensive philosophies that are very similar to what Pete Carroll runs, and that’s the bottom line.
We did lead the league in fewest points allowed, and games are won with points, so there is that.
I would trust the defensive statistics more if we could have made a stop on third downs. If you really believe in our team stats for giving fewest points- then there is no need to improve our defense. But we all know there were serious issues with the defense. We have an elite secondary, the rest is a work in progress.
I think we won in the last half due to our offensive line coming together and blocking for Lynch, and Russel Wilsons excellent pass and scrambling abilities. The offense won games while the defense just held the field.
Based on that, and the excellent defensive stats, we should be drafting for offense – not defense.
I don’t think anybody is denying the defense has issues. Teams are trying to mimic the Seahawks though. Check the quote about Bruce Irvin in today’s piece on Lemonier. How about the fact every tall and fast corner was labelled a ‘Seahawks type’ at the combine? Seattle’s defense and team in general is trendy. Not flawless, but trendy and some aspects are going to be copied.
Rob,
What’s your feeling about how UCLA used Jones? I watched the USC tape and saw him line up right under the center quite a bit. Seems like a lot to ask for a 280 pounder to play nose tackle. Could his usage explain is production and lack thereof? On several snaps Jones was literally the only guy playing with his hand on the ground. UCLA ran a lot of stunts and delayed blitzes to great effectiveness. I am just wondering Dontae Jones playing one position (the 3 tech) and that position alone will allow him to display his strength (getting into the backfield) on a more consistent basis.
It’s a very valid suggestion. I think it can work two ways. Lining up in different looks probably stopped teams from game-planning Jones most weeks. He basically did it all, lined up everywhere. But as you say, it probably also didn’t help him master a position and in some cases limited his production when he played at the nose.
Coming from a Coug, good tape for a d lineman against WSU is hardly anything to get excited about. Ranks up there with getting sacks against Towson considering that offensive line has been the weakest unit on the team, and it isn’t even close (which is saying something cuz corner is bad too).
Still, I’m warming up to Datone, but then again JS/PC have taught me time and again to not get my hopes up for anyone in particular coming to Seattle.
Sorry about the boiling water, Rob. Sounds like a rough night. Do you think the Hawks might pass on Jones because they think they have a similar player in Scruggs who they’re relying on?
Jumped down on the couch, dropped a hot drink on my bare skin. It’ll teach me about watching Jarvis Jones tape after 1am. I think they like Scruggs in his rotational role but not sure they’d turn over the Jason Jones type position to him full time. Not yet anyway. Think they sign/draft at least two DTs and one DE this off season.
I think Datone Jones is the pick for hawks due to Ken Norton relationship with him as well as the fact its a major need. He hustles and is still growing into the position. If he’s not there, I think Cowboys (Monte Kiffin) may snag him to rebuild there defense. Kawann Short or Justin Hunter may be two names we may hear at the podium.
I’m not sold on Justin Hunter to Seattle. Tools are there to be very good. Yet he lacks any fight or competitive streak on the field. 2012 tape was bad. Toolsy but does he fit this teams competitive mantra?
It’s going to be pretty frustrating if we draft another specialist third down rusher in the first round. We need pass rush the first two downs too (datone jones might be able to fill in for chris clemons, we’ll see). I would rather draft a receiver or joker TE in the first round and let the offense become a powerhouse.
but that’s not who this team is. Pete and John Built this team literally from the ground up, they will wear your defense down with Lynch and Turbin, and if you can stop or stall those two, the defense will stop the TD and get the ball back in the hands of the playmakers.
As usual, excellent analysis Rob, notwithstanding the fact that I couldn’t agree with you more.
IMO it’s entirely possible Jones goes to DAL before us.
But then, that’s the juice of the Draft, isn’t it? Never knowing what you’re gonna get til you get it.
And this particular Draft is mighty juicy indeed.
Thank you for this forum.
I would love the Datone Jones pick, I used to bash him for his lack of pass rush, that’ll teach me for looking at statistics too much, he was in the backfield literally every other play. I was shocked, that is the DT that we need.
That Cornelius Washington guy is a strange one. You can definitely see the athleticism that was on display at the Combine at times in the Mizzou tape. I watched the Buffalo tape you posted a couple days ago and was blown away by how applicable the “looks like Tarzan plays like Jane” saying that you referenced was. And it’s still there in the Mizzou tape, but there was some good plays in between a lot of rotten tape. I think the thing that struck me was that he looks so good when he’s unblocked and he can really show off his athleticism. Cuz man that guy is big and he can run fast. But the instant an OL gets a hand on him he can’t figure out what to do with his body. I think I saw a couple leading shoulder bull rushes in there where his arms where just kind of hanging around. I don’t know.
So it seems to me that he needs hand technique 101 in order to be a real pass rusher with any hope of impacting a game. The question is how much coaching and the quality of it he’s received in this area of his game? Because man that big man can move. And we all know how PCJS like those qualities.
Side note: that Georgia defense was nuts. All the talented individuals make it fun to watch any of the prospects’ tape.
Those 2 games were certainly better than the buffalo one, definitely needs to be coached up some more. I also saw at least one play that he totally took off. Still, I would love to spend a 7th rounder on him and see what Pete can do with the guy!
I’m not sold on Datone Jones at all. I don’t see a unique enough quality (speed, strength, agility, bull rush) to merit a first round grade. I don’t think that adding another situational pass rusher just because we did it last year makes him an option this year. The hawks are a little unpredictable and corky – and they do have Jason jones’s position fil but I just don’t think it will be round one again. Who knowns, Maybe Datone Jones will be there in round two? I think there will be someone who we wouldn’t expect to be on the board at 25 that we will take – like Earl Thomas sitting there at 14 a few years ago – maybe Star Lotulei? D. Moore?
Rob, are there guys in the mid or late rounds that could fill this same role? I know you like Jordan Hill but who has similar weight to jones but who else is there in this draft that could come in as a situational 1 tech pass rusher that wouldn’t cost us a high pick?
Margus Hunt at a pinch might be able to do it. The thing is, you’ve kind of got to look for DE/DT hybrid’s undersized three technique types or slightly over sized DE’s. And explosion more than anything is what you’re looking for. There aren’t many draftable options for that role if they keep it.
Great expansive write up Rob. I enjoyed being able to see more tape on Washington and Jones. I was one of the many underwhelmed after seeing Washington’s game against Buffalo. After seeing the games above, I am a lot more impressed but I would say that taking him in the 3rd might be as comfortably high as I would want him and even that is probably too high. With the numbers he put up at the combine you would expect better tape but he does not seem to have the motor of Jones. That could be conditioning like you say but he does not attack blocks while Jones fights into them and uses his hands well to release. I would welcome Jones with the #25 pick but I can’t figure where the Hawks would develop him. I think he has more to offer than just the Jason Jones role but he might not offer as much run stopping as they want from the 3 tech. His best position in the NFL might be a 3-4 DE.
Anyway, I remember hearing JS mention that they had 3 guys in mind in the 1st round last year. That allowed them to move down and still pick up Irvin. I read on the blog about this guy or another and start to fall in love with them like if we don’t get him, we will make a bad pick. I’m starting to feel that there will be several good players available that at least one will fall to us such as Short, Jones, Greene, etc. What I’m wondering on top of that is if PC/JS are thinking of several players they can target but of the same position or from different positions? It seems they focused on the DE position last year.
I certainly feel like it’ll be a more expansive search this year… open to adding a DT or DE. Basically, someone who helps the pass rush. Last year I’m led to believe the first round pick was always going to be a DE.
Dude, this is fantastic. How on earth do you have a real job.
I second that your the best Rob, Its amazing that you right about Soccer for your real job, and know so much about Football. I am verry happy that you happen to be a seahawk fan.
Okeafor sure did look good! Brandon Williams is impressive – a lot of clay for our teachers to work with. When I look at the actual game film of Datone Jones compared to John Simon, there is no comparison. Check out Simon’s game tape vs Nebraska and Wisconsin (He sacks RW in the open field!). He is so consistently disruptive, it is ridiculous. He might be too short, but he has a lower center of gravity! His arms may be too short, but his violent hands technique destroys blockers almost every play! His 40 time might bee too slow, but his 10 yard time chopping, swimming and spinning through blockers is the fastest I have seen! John Simon destroys the opposition’s possibility of establishing offensive continuity and rhythm at the college level like Lawrence Taylor did as a Pro!
Never saw that senior bowl video but from the first 7 minutes of watching, the three players that stood out, and I’d love to see the Seahawks target, are Datone Jones (in rd 1), Okafor (if he’s available in the 2nd), and Kyle Long (3rd-4th). Kyle seems to have that nasty side the hawks love and he’s extremely athletic. Could become like McQuistan later down the road for us, but seems like he has more upside. He also seems like a Cable lineman.
Hope that you feel better soon.
Thanks Jim.
Rob – I haven’t read any comments about whether the Seahawks might be interested in John Abraham. I’ll have to admit that I don’t know much about him other than he is the NFL’s “active” sack leader and that his height/weight make him look like a potential replacement for Clemons until he recovers fully.
What do you think?
I think he’s been on the decline for a couple of years despite maintaining his production. I’m very lukewarm to ageing pass rushers. Getting him wouldn’t be a move that would excite me, but I wouldn’t oppose it if it happened.
I hope SEA meets with every available DT. I want us to drive the market price up for whomever we don’t sign because I’m fairly sure we won’t over spend.
Dallas on the other hand…
Of Jones 6.5 sacks two of them were against Rice I think it was on a read option play where he was virtually unblocked. I could be wrong on that and it’s so late its almost morning. The tape that keeps haunting me is the USC tape. I didnt see anything good from that game that would make me consider using a first round pick on him. Another thing that worries me is after contact or initial movement he looks sllooooow for someone as cut as he is at 280. He looks heavy heavy footed. Maybe he was getting warn down and its a conditioning thing I’m not sure. That move he made at the Senior Bowl was pretty but I didnt see anything like that on any of the game film.
I’m going to go back and watch the film on him that I can find again tonight. i hope my inter-webs co-operate as they have not been this weekend when no cust service is open -.-