This week I had the opportunity to sit down with Jim Nagy from the Senior Bowl and discuss the Seahawks’ 2023 draft class (and he provides some insight on the conversations he had with John Schneider before and after the draft). We also get into some other topics in a wide ranging conversation. Check it out below:
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Thanks Rob.
Just when I couldn’t think McIntosh was a bigger steal, here comes Jim saying he had him rated higher than Charbonnet.
I need to go lie down.
Deal of the day for sure! The Seahawks having three great running backs and a better offensive line is just amazing!
Three legit running backs and a very capable do it all depth guy in Dallas. RB room is in awesome shape.
One of the first things that stood out to me is that he’s a fearless, natural catcher. Most throws to the running back I cringe and think, “please don’t drop it, please don’t drop it.” No so with McIntosh. He plucks the ball out of the air as easily as a handoff.
Great stuff Rob on the Nagy interview, cool nugget that John calls him for info, nice little bit of content there.
Also cha I’ve been on vacation and finally read your cap piece. Interesting they decided to go with restricting Lockett, essentially locks him in for 2 more years with an out on the final year with some big cap savings. Maybe gives them some more leverage to try negotiating with Jamal to bring down his salary to be more team friendly.
When Jim was talking about Hall I got chills. Damn! Lets kick off!
The tag alpha gets applied too often, but Hall is the definition.
Really excited about him. Taylor and Mafe have some pass rushing chops but Hall seems like he can do it all. I think he’ll get a ton of PT.
I feel very lucky to have met this man in person very briefly here in Pensacola and seen him flying around talking to everybody at the Senior Bowl. He’s one of the nicest people you will ever meet.
You think he will do an interview with Top Billin’?
In the spirit of returning the favor of name mashing for a good laugh, how about we rename him to
“Flop Shillin”? LOL. Yep, I got the laugh I was looking for!!!
Would enjoy seeing Mr. Top explain to Jim that HE had played real football and watched a lot of tape, and that Jim was in contrast just a “fan.”
I point it out because they are polar opposites when it comes to personality.
“I dare you to fly out here…”
“Hey, I want to fly you out here…”
I LOVE it!
(In Jigsaw voice)
“Let’s play a game!”
The Breakout Player of the year will be:
The most surprising cut will be:
The least surprising cut will be:
The unexpected player to make the roster will be:
The rookie that will exceed expectations will be:
The rookie that will fall short of expectations will be:
Breakout: Boye Mafe
Surprising cut: Dee Eskridge
Unsurprising cut: I guess some udfa guy?
Unexpected roster spot: Matt Landers
Rookie exceeding: Olu Oluwatimi
Rookie falling short: Derick Hall (just for this year I don’t expect that much impact with the way they bring their edge guys along and my high hopes for Mafe improvement)
The Breakout Player of the year will be: Evan Brown
The most surprising cut will be: Jarran Reed
The least surprising cut will be: Dee Eskridge
The unexpected player to make the roster will be: M.J. Anderson
The rookie that will exceed expectations will be: Anthony Bradford
The rookie that will fall short of expectations will be: JSN (sorry)
I agree completely about Brown he was really really good at Center for the Lions the year before last when Ragnow was hurt. Would be very surprised if he is not the best C the Hawks have had since Max Unger.
I hate to agree on JSN, but I just have a weird feeling with his hamstring issue. He might be that guy that just doesn’t put it together this year due to not getting a ton of work in. I know everyone loves him and I hope I’m way off. I just wish he would have played a lot more last year.
Great questions and great responses so far. I look forward to adding my own shortly. Hopefully they exceed a “Flop Shillin” level of expectations . . .
Breakout: Made
Surprise Cut: Jamal Adams. CB Brown.
Not surprise cut: Adams. Eskridge.
Unexpected roster: LB Patrick O’Connell. S Ty Okada
Rookie to exceed: RB McIntosh. DL Morris.
Rookie falls short: Witherspoon. Expectations are very high with him being the fifth pick.
The Breakout Player of the year will be: Coby Bryant (Not sure if some of his snaps get taken away with the arrival of Julian Love, but I think another year will help him settle in his role in the slot)
The most surprising cut will be: Phil Haynes (If Bradford and/or Olu earn starting spots, Evan Brown can be a backup OG with Curhan filling in when needed)
The least surprising cut will be: Joey Hunt (Don’t need 3 centers)
The unexpected player to make the roster will be: Lance Boykin (they like his height and want to keep developing him, making him the 6th CB on the roster after Woolen, Witherspoon, Bryant, Brown, Jackson)
The rookie that will exceed expectations will be: Cameron Young (Sounds like he put on weight and will see significant snaps at NT)
The rookie that will fall short of expectations will be: Derick Hall (I think it might take him some time to get used to NFL blockers + speed of the game)
Way to Early 53 Man Roster Prediction
Offense:
QB: Geno Smith, Drew Lock
RB: Ken Walker, Zach Charbonnet, DJ Dallas, Kenny McIntosh
FB: Nick Bellore
WR: Tyler Lockett, D.K. Metcalf, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Dee Eskridge, Dareke Young
TE: Noah Fant, Will Dissly, Colby Parkinson
OT: Charles Cross, Abe Lucas, Jake Curhan, Stone Forsythe
OG: Damien Lewis, Anthony Bradford
OC: Olu Oluwatimi, Evan Brown
Defense:
DL: Dre’Mont Jones, Jarran Reed, Mike Morris, Cameron Young, Mario Edwards, Myles Adams, Robert Cooper
Edge: Uchenna Nwosu, Darrell Taylor, Boye Mafe, Derrick Hall, Tyreke Smith, Alton Robinson
LB: Bobby Wagner, Jordan Brooks, Devin Bush, Jon Rhattigan
CB: Tariq Woolen, Devon Witherspoon, Coby Bryant, Mike Jackson, Tre Brown, Lance Boykin
S: Quandre Diggs, Jamal Adams, Julian Love, Jerrick Reed
Special Teams:
K: Jason Myers
P: Michael Dickson
LS: Chris Stoll
Unless they think outside the box with Hunt. See if he can successfully convert from C to LS. Then you have a specialist who is a legitimate player, giving you blocking and versatility.
The Breakout Player of the year will be: Boye Mafe
The most surprising cut will be: Devin Bush
The least surprising cut will be: Dee Eskridge
The unexpected player to make the roster will be: Robert Cooper
The rookie that will exceed expectations will be: Kenny McIntosh
The rookie that will fall short of expectations will be: Zach Charbonnet
Excellent..
This all looks legit to me. Charbonnet has skills, but that 2nd round weight gonna hang around his neck for a while. Kenny Mac will be our 3rd down back and killing people on scfreens and wheels before this season is over. DJ Dallas headed for the practice squad.
Okay me.
“Let’s play a game!”
The Breakout Player of the year will be:
The most surprising cut will be: Tyler Mabry. That guy has stuck around like a bad STD. This year it clears up.
The least surprising cut will be: Jamal Adams. Good riddance.
The unexpected player to make the roster will be: Dee Eskridge. Looking at OurLads depth chart, Deejay Dallas is listed as both our punt and kick returner. Eskridge was a MAC Special Teams Player of the Year. I see him in that limited Percy Harvin role. And JSN should allow him to remain healthy. Also, Jim Nagy said, “Sometimes it takes these guys two or three years, but not JSN.”
The rookie that will exceed expectations will be: Kenny McIntosh. Big chip on his shoulder.
The rookie that will fall short of expectations will be: Derek Hall. See Boye Mafe, Darrell Taylor…He’ll break out in year two.
Whoops. Boye Mafe will be the breakout player of the year.
The Breakout Player of the year will be: Colby Parkinson
The most surprising cut will be: Mario Edwards
The least surprising cut will be: Bryan Mone
The unexpected player to make the roster will be: Alton Robinson
The rookie that will exceed expectations will be: Olu Olu
The rookie that will fall short of expectations will be: Cameron Young
Breakout: D. Taylor and Boye Mafe
Most surprising cut: boy I wish I could write Adams here, but I’m going for Mario Edwards
Least surprising cut: Eskridge
Unexpectedly making the roster: Tyreke Smith
Rookie exceeding expectations: JSN
Rookie failing short: Mike Morris (not that the expectations were too high)
The Breakout Player of the year will be: Darrell Taylor
The most surprising cut will be: Stone Forsythe
The least surprising cut will be: Myles Adams
The unexpected player to make the roster will be: Cade Johnson
The rookie that will exceed expectations will be: Anthony Bradford
The rookie that will fall short of expectations will be: Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Love the questions and everyone’s answers except cutting Eskridge. Has this team under Carroll ever cut a drafted player still on their roomie deal taken in the first few rounds? I dont think so but I could be mistaken. Collier comes to mind here.
Amara Darboh, Kris Durham
They don’t have enough space to carry unproductive players. Plus there are other receivers who might be really good and deserve a shot at proving themselves. He’s had his shot.
Marquis Blair…
Korey Toomer
Thanks, Rob – great interview. With the easy rapport between you two and evident mutual respect, I think I know who one of your NFL sources is. 👍
Can we talk about espionage for a moment? Because I think we have had back-to-back stellar draft classes.
And we are all like, “What went wrong when we drafted L.J. Collier?” Every team in the league seemed to know who we wanted that year. But with success, staff get better jobs with other teams. All of the have-nots focus on the haves. We have lost a lot of coaches and front office personnel. Some of the new people may have had divided loyalties.
But there was a purge. And some hated nepotism.
Now, we are surprising people again. While some of the front office moves seem puzzling to us, I think they might have paid off.
Remember, that in the NFL Network Super Bowl Special about when we lost to the Patriots Bill Belichich said, “We knew that play was coming.” They knew that play was coming even though we had never ran that play all year, saved it for a special occasion, and ran false plays in practice because we were so suspicious of the Patriots.
And I wonder how the Patriots “Culper-not-Dante” spy ring is doing without Tom Brady?
Pretty sure we had run that play 6 times in that situation, for 5 TDs and one INT. For me, the issue with that play wasn’t that we passed, it was the high risk type of pass. The fact that we had shown the play before makes it unforgivable. A slant was RW’s worst throw. Play action with a sprint out, or heck, since you’ve shown the play, have Kearse try to screen inside and and half Lockette take a jab step in, then sprint out to the front corner of the end zone and float it over his head. But you have to throw a no-risk pass there. The PC RW early years were characterized by an unwavering belief that things would go right. But sometimes you need a risk assessment.
Browner apparently tipped it off. Also if it had been Doug in that situation, he would have caught it. Lockette was a burner but was basically the last guy you want in that situation. Russ was good at spreading the ball to different receivers but paid for it
Oh wow, Cam Young already up to nose tackle weight. Perfect.
Hopefully it was “good” weight that he put on.
This. No sloppy please
For sure. Hope it wasn’t “Carter” weight, but to be fair, his could have just been out of shape weight.
Most players strip down for the combine to help with their speed and agility.
I’m sure the weight they have both put on is just closer to their playing weight during the season than just for the benefit of the underwear olympics
Interesting to hear Pete talking up Rhattigan and Levi Jones in his presser this week.
Wonder how much of that is true and how much is his usual rah rah routine. Maybe they do actually believe they have depth there? Or maybe they’re just deflecting attention from their poor cap management.
I think this has been the best offseason in years from a cap management standpoint. I’d give them a B+/A- personally.
Just hope they earn that grade with post June 1 cuts.
I see where you’re going with that😁
Me too and I truly hope that happens
I didn’t necessarily mean this off-season, but I do still think we overpaid for Bellore, Haynes, and Myers. We’re in this position now because of the past few years of horrible mismanagement. Namely Adams, Diggs, and Dissly.
Rattigan is a guy that I have been moderately impressed with when I’ve seen him. Injuries have really prevented him from making an actual run at getting minutes.
Wasn’t Rattigan that wizard in The Lord of the Rings that rode that sled pulled by rabbits?
That would be Radagast the Brown.
Ratigan is the villain in Disney’s animated the Great Mouse Detective, their Sherlock Holmes movie. It’s really good.
Radagast was a Brown Wizard in LOTRs, but the rabbit horsepucky is movie-only.
I know 2024 will be all about a QB for the Hawks, but I’d love to add T’Vondre Sweat to our D line.
If it’s possible for people to share this on Seahawks reddit that would be much appreciated, using the link here: https://youtu.be/svBZy5IMvwU
And on any other forum/Facebook group you’re in
Put it on your twitter Rob
Done.
Will do in an hour
Done 👍
Post it in Top billins comments🥳
Done.
You da man Palatypus!
I wonder if he has removed it yet?
Yep.
Always love a Nagy interview and it’s pretty cool to hear his thoughts on Seattle’s draft class.
To think they had McIntosh as RB1 and Charbonnet as RB2 and we got em both…
I think we’re going to see a real renaissance of Seahawks football this season and a big part of that is Carroll being fully in his element. He’s an unequalled leader of young men, a motivator extraordinaire. As XXX would say, Pete lives for this shit.
And now he’s got himself a locker room full of young hungry dawgs looking to be lead and motivated.
Watch out. Some of us are gonna owe him an apology by season’s end. Even if the final record isn’t stellar, I have no doubt we’re gonna love what we see on the field this year.
https://twitter.com/Seahawks/status/1657460983126978560?s=20
It took PC too long to make changes to personnel and scheme for my taste. I’m not sure apologies would be in order whatever the teams final record is going to be. He still needs a QB in the near future, IMO, for the team to actually sniff the SB. I like Geno, I even trust him to be a leader and play his hardest in every game. I’m just not sure he’s the ‘guy’ under center to git ‘er done.
You sound like a fun fan to watch a game with, 😂 😂 😂 !!!
I watch games alone on my cell phone with my car running in the garage with the door closed.
…me too
Sounds like a 49ers draft party
Question for the group: What is the other end date of a post-June 1st designation? Meaning can we cut Adams in July… or December with a post-June 1st designation?
Anytime after June 1 is fine.
But for Adams, as a vested veteran his salary becomes fully guaranteed once Week One hits, so that is when any real benefit evaporates.
For players that aren’t vested, it cap benefit slowly drops 1/18th per week.
Thanks, how would his injury affect this? Would there be a reason we’re waiting to cut him?
I really want to extend Nwosu, Taylor, Lewis and maybe Brooks by end of season. I don’t want him negativity influencing future cap in anyway.
When JS was talking to Eisen he said ‘the company line is we don’t know when Adams will be back.’ He also took great pains to say the injury was bad and they’re not going to rush him. Would not shock me if they PUP him and he gets no action until after Week 6.
The injury doesn’t affect the contract/cap situation at all. He has $2.56m guaranteed salary so if they cut him with a Failed Physical designation, that salary is still paid and there is no veteran injury benefit beyond that.
I think they are being patient with Adams. They’ll get a look at Jerrick Reed this weekend, Julian Love at the next OTA and will get a real evaluation on Adams’ health.
I still maintain they are going to approach Adams about a contract adjustment. They can’t pay him $11m in salary / $18m in cap hit this year. They just can’t. Then it’s up to Adams. Take a paycut and stay with the organization, or get cut loose and be somebody’s “Week 15 hey lets take a chance on this guy for a playoff push” street free agent.
Very well articulate the situation. As much we want to get out of Adams situation, the damage is already done we can just mitigate the situation.
I’m trying to remember how many Seahawk players have had major injuries multiple times and come back to their old physical form??
Running Back Penny comes to mind. Yes he recovered but was only useful less than half the time.
Diggs? Sounds like he is getting back to his old form?
Can’t tackle with a bum shoulder. I’m hopeful for a healthy JA, but I’m not optimistic.
Can’t catch the ball with mangled fingers.
Can’t cut and accelerate with a strained groin.
Can’t run with a torn quad.
Time for the glue factory?
It sure sounds like it. I just don’t understand why Pete would want to keep his biggest free agent failure. And calling Adams the biggest after a bunch of other problems like Percy Harvin is really saying something.
Love these interviews. Jim really seems to enjoy his time with you. I do wonder (and obviously you don’t have to answer) whether you guys have ever discussed you working for him. (even if it’s just helping during the Sr. Bowl week)
You’re so passionate about the draft, seems like there has to be a way to make it your career. (I’m sure the BBC would understand. 🙂
We’ve never had a conversation like that, no
It’s always oxycotin and fentanyl with you two.
Can i start the Mike Morris hype/hope train? There is something about his physical profile, role reassignment and general attitude that intrigues me. Its a longer shot compared to some of the other draftees…but if it plays out, at a position of need…one can dream.
I’m right there with you.
I’m optimistic. I didn’t have him rated highly despite his production at Michigan because he seemed a bit stiff and not very impactful as an OLB. Clearly, the Hawks think Michigan misused him and want him to bulk up and play 3T with his hand in the dirt. Seems that could allow him to unlock his potential.
If anyone is interested in watching the Seattle Seahawks become the Seattle sacrificial lambs to the Pittsburgh stealers in Super Bowl 40 as per the NFL pregame storyline, that game is on NFL network at the present time. I would rather be tortured than watch that shit again, EVER.
what game is that again? I don’t recall there ever being a Super Bowl 40.
RIP Bill Leavy
I just put an asterisk next to it cuz it was a total sham. Super Bowl XL*
At least the other one we lost was fair and square
I wouldn’t call it fair and square; the pats were caught cheating before, and after this Superbowl, filming practices. A little too perfect that they knew from Browner what play was coming next?
Oh no question that was possible. I just meant the in game officiating.
Anyone else else curious about the point Nagy dropped about Bryant able to play free safety? I’m excited to see how they make the most loaded DB room and that could be interesting in two ways: an heir to Diggs and opens up nickel snaps for Tre Brown
I think it’s more likely we see Witherspoon at nickle (outside starter in base) and Mike Jackson on the outside. He’s the guy to play that star role who can help to erase the fantastic slot recievers around the league.
I think they’ll also be a lot of 3 safety nickle and dime as well so the slot corner might not be as heavily used anyway.
I just told Top Billin’ he eats his chips with mayonaise.
Even he’s not that low…
But does he put it in his coffee?
He’s got a real pencil tongue.
That Merv at Top Billin sure is one angry dude.
Merv sips on tea from Pakistan.
In case there was ever any doubt, this is clearly PC’s defense. You can hear him speaking here. Anyways, wonder who will take the fall if they struggle badly again…
I have to say, I couldn’t care less if they play a 3-4, 4-3, 6-1, 1-6, bear front, mouse front
I am beyond caring what the scheme is
Just stop playing like absolute crap to start the season, needing weeks to figure things out
Stop being terrible vs the run
Find a way to create consistent pressure
This team has pumped resources into its defense now and it’s time to see some results
I listened to this interview three times.
I think the comments on the gaps are pure revisionist history. Clapping back against what Avril and KJ have been saying on the radio, that the one-gap is the style for the DL’s skillsets they’ve had and it means the LB’s can attack downhill.
Does it matter? Not really, no.
As he acknowledged, they didn’t coach either scheme well. They changed on the fly and had a great stretch in the second quarter, and because they changed, and when teams adjusted, they couldn’t.
They clearly schemed too much on Jamal Adams being available.
They clearly did not lay out a comprehensive plan in the offseason and teach it to the players very well.
What scares me is that the D-line is supposed to be Clint’s area of expertise. At least with Norton the linebackers were always solid, KJ got better as he aged and changed positions, even. Hurtt is basically betting his job on having to do better at the line. If it’s haphazardly thrown together like last year he’ll get fired
Pete should’ve just gone after a top level DC by now and passed it off, settling for a true overseer role
We’re now stuck in this weird halfway house where he’s willing to try different things but there’s an ill-fitting mix of Carroll sort of still leading it accompanied by inexperienced coaches with no proven record
I hope we don’t waste this season seeing the same issues on defense
I also wish PC had been more active in being prepared to move aside and allow a Dan Quinn type to just have complete control of the D, like he has in Dallas
Exactly, Rob! I could say more, but nah, not now. I’ll just say I agree with you whole-heartedly.
“I also wish PC had been more active in being prepared to move aside and allow a Dan Quinn type to just have complete control of the D, like he has in Dallas.” Agree 100%. However, even if Pete Carroll had moved aside and given more control to Dan Quinn. I don’t think it would have mattered. Because Quinn was offered a head coaching job. And he took it.
Dan Quinn is the defensive coordinator in Dallas, not a Head Coach
I’m not talking about 2015 I’m talking about 2021 when he took over in Dallas
Not sure if this has been posted or not but its a great 5 minute video on Derick Halls life.
https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1657793419723386883
You’re last sentence of what you would like to see goes against what we’ve seen of his personality seems to me Rob. Control is high on his priority list imo. I don’t think you’ll ever see him step aside to the role of overseeing especially on that side of the ball.
Meant as a response to rob’s post up above
On an unrelated note Rob, this seems like a quality process this Wrexham is undergoing:
https://theathletic.com/4514210/2023/05/15/ryan-reynolds-ottawa-senators-sale-wrexham/
Love to see well carried out plans.
Notes from Salk on rookie camp
Always good to hear
https://sports.mynorthwest.com/1756622/seattle-seahawks-observations-mike-salk-takeaways-rookie-minicamp/
“murky”?? LOL
Over/under on him playing more than 5 games this year? Wish that description meant cut 6/2.
Good to hear they’re already this high on the rookie class. Hopefully “people around the team” means not just eternally optimistic Pete. That would be a more balanced assessment.
Seahawks sign NT Forrest Merrill
https://www.nfl.com/prospects/forrest-merrill/32004d45-5245-9317-2439-c3d274843fd5
Gotta love a “Squatty Little Door Jam”
https://twitter.com/LanceZierlein/status/1366201488620613635?t=H8r2VSJAuLp_azRpge-ZEQ&s=19
GAME 7 TONIGHT
LETS GO KRAKEN
https://youtu.be/qP-7GNoDJ5c
👍👏
Every time I watch them they lose.
I’m hearing they restructured Lockett to free up 5.6 mil
At least on paper, it looks like they accomplished their upgrade on the DL…
2023 (2022):
OLB: Uchenna Nwosu (Uchenna Nwosu), Derick Hall (Bruce Irvin)
DE: Dre’Mont Jones (Shelby Harris), Mario Edwards (Quinton Jefferson)
NT: Cameron Young (Al Woods), Robert Cooper (Bryan Mone)
DE: Jarran Reed (Poona Ford), Mike Morris (LJ Collier)
OLB: Darrell Taylor (Darrell Taylor), Boye Mafe (Boye Mafe)
ILB: Jordyn Brooks (Jordyn Brooks), Bobby Wagner (Nick Bellore)
ILB: Devin Bush (Cody Barton), Vi Jones (Tanner Muse)
NT is suspect, but DE, OLB and ILB are looking much younger and stronger.
I think you forgot to put Bruce Irvin’s name after Boye Mafe.
Also, the Seahawks just signed another NT today. Forrest Merrill
I’m starting to feel pretty good about our upgraded run stuffing players as well.