An interview with Penn State center Juice Scruggs

February 20, 2023 /

This is also available via ‘The Rebuild’ podcast

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51 Comments

  1. cha

    Nice Rob!

    Great questions on teammates and who he played against that was tough.

    He lit up when talking about Ji’Ayir Brown. Always love to see guys reveal that his rep in the room is well deserved.

    And Mazi Smith as his toughest opponent. And I love the ‘he’s bigger than you think’ from a guy lining up over him.

  2. Trevor

    Great interview Rob. Gonna have to check him out.

  3. Trevor

    Crazy stat of the day.

    Only 4 current starting QBs in the NFL have won a Super Bowl.

    Mahomes
    Rodgers
    Russ
    Stanford

  4. Madmark

    He’s got size and shape of a center. He looks like the perfect value pick we are looking for. I really need to put more time in looking at centers again in the draft. I kindia like Connor McGovern in FA.

  5. Peter

    Damn Rob. I’ve liked all these but Scruggs made me smile. Dude loves the game.

  6. PJ in Seattle

    Nice interview. I’m partial to Tippmann and Stromberg at C, but this guy showed out at the bowl, and that matters. Especially to JS. Lucky for us, this is a deep draft at center and IOL. I would be pumped to see this gent manning the ball for the blue and green.

  7. Peter

    I’m not really into highlight reels.

    But do yourselves a favor and watch some parker washington.

    Doug Baldwin.

    I know it’s highlight reels but damn. Those snatching bear trap hands. Ability to go up and get it. And get jammed up by tacklers and keep going.

  8. Nano

    Ji’Ayir Brown is on my own “please, John, please!” target list.

  9. HOUSE

    Great interview Rob. I liked hearing Juice talk about his teammates and his goals. The kid seems very passionate about football, and from all accounts that I’ve seen is a very hard worker. I’m curious to see how he tests and where he ends up going. I think it was great to also hear him provide insight on Mazi Smith.

  10. ac

    These interviews are really cool! I would love to hear you talk to/about Hendon Hooker next. I think he’s another high value guy JS wants to take in the 2nd or 3rd. Also curious to hear from another guy from Tennessee – Darnell Wright. I’d love to hear Wright’s thoughts on potentially moving inside to RG, playing with Hooker, his matchups with top DL (Anderson, Carter), conversations with teams/scouts, etc.

    On another note, thanks for the daily content, I’m always looking forward to reading the next article. I live in Japan currently and Seahawks draft content cures the occasional homesickness (while maybe further adding to it!)

  11. Cheese22

    I hate to ask about a guy you aren’t featuring here, but what is your assessment of Julius Brents? His profile looks a lot like Woolen’s minus the blazing speed. If this guy could develop it would make for a very formidable and young group of cb’s.
    As for Scruggs, he seems to be everything we could want as a prospect and it doesn’t sound like we would have to take him very early. Great looking value!

    • Seattle Person

      I believe Rob is interviewing Brents next. The knock on him is that he can hold his own on vertical routes. Anything where he has to change direction — he struggles. That’s why he’s not a 1st round or 2nd round projection.

  12. Trevor

    Saw this tweet and it makes a lot of sense.

    QB situations in the NFL:

    1) Having Patrick Mahomes
    2) Having a guy on a rookie contract that can go toe-to-toe with 15
    3) Having a guy on an expensive deal that can go toe-to-toe with 15
    4) Having a rookie you drafted and are developing
    5) Overpaying for average

    Get out of 5. Fast.

    • Rob Staton (Post author)

      💯💯💯💯💯

    • HOUSE

      We cannot be number 5…

  13. Roy Batty

    I love the interviews you do where the player smiles the entire time. Ade Ade was that way too.

    Those kind of players always look on the bright side. They keep the mood positive in the locker room. They lift teammates up and are usually the first ones on the field for practice.

    And god help you if you get on their bad side.

  14. Zxvo3

    Loved this interview. Very heart-warming type of guy who shows his passion for football. I’d love to have him on this team

  15. Troy

    This man should be a first round pick based on that perfect NFL name alone.

    • Madmark

      I was thinking the same thing about his name myself.

  16. AL

    Rob, I was reading over your horizontal board and PFF’s top 100 prospects and was thinking it would be really interesting if you did a Value Board from the Seahawks prospective.

    Meaning, not how you think they should rank players, but how you think John Schneider/Seahawks will rank them and have it cover at least the first three rounds. You already do most the work. You know their draft tendencies, scheme fits, which players might be medical or character risks and their needs.

    I think you have a pretty good idea of what the Seahawks Value Board would look like and I for one would really like hearing your thoughts on it.

    • Rob Staton (Post author)

      After the combine I’ll do a post on likely targets

  17. Rob Staton (Post author)

    https://youtube.com/shorts/tAztoOelcxA?feature=share

    • Peter

      Need to start putting this into the fine print on contracts. Can not work with this guy.

      • Rob Staton (Post author)

        💯💯💯💯💯

      • cha

        That or take it another step further.

        Mr Free Agent, you’re a Seedman client? I’m sorry, we can’t work with you. The risk is just too great. Enjoy the rest of your steak dinner and the ride back to the airport. Good luck out there.

        You know how fast he’d get dropped if a team or two did that?

        • Peter

          That would probably do the trick.

        • Rob Staton (Post author)

          I cannot believe multiple professional teams allow their players to train with him or others like him

      • Palatypus

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        But don’t take my word for it. The Seed Master 9000 has been endorsed by Hall of Fame baseball player Frank Thomas. And he has assured me that she’ll like it, too. *wink*

        So, take it from “The Big Hurt.”

        The Seed Master 9000.

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        Buy it now with NeckCoin$ and receive a free one-month supply of Alex Jones Info Wars Super Male Vitality.

  18. Steve Nelsen

    Juice’s positive attitude was on full display in the interview. He seems to understand what he needs to show at the combine and he’s working on it. Seattle doesn’t have a center on the roster. I expect them to draft a young developmental type on Day 3 and sign a veteran FA starter.

  19. Peter

    Another day another mock.

    This time from the athletic with Ocyrus Torrence at #20.

    Any time I see this I think Rob’s plan of moving Lucas inside makes more and more sense. A first round right guard needs to be a special player and athlete. I just don’t see anything like that from Torrence.

    Been thinking about Seamode’s thoughts that it might not be as painful to move up for as some think. The closest analog(ue for the UK readers) I can find is Philly moving up for Wentz. I think that was #8 to #2 I believe.

    I think it’s possible to move from #5 to #2 with the following:

    5, 20, and our pick in the 50’s.

    I know that seems like a lot but when you right it down Seattle essentially has just a run of the mill draft with picks in every round.

    With no QB’s currently and two picks in the first and the second prior to Geno being good, one has to think Seattle was planning to do something like this all along.

    Just the dollar cost alone makes sense. A top two pick is not much more over three years than Spotrac thinks Geno’s one year value is.

    I know it sucks to miss on a ton of cool players. Just something that’s been rolling around in my head lately.

    • Rob Staton (Post author)

      Any mock that has O’Cyrus Torrence at #20 should be clicked off immediately

    • Big Mike

      McShay 2.0
      Seattle takes Tyree Wilson at 5 with Will Levis still on the board. Levis went 7 after someone traded up with Vegas.
      I just clicked off.

      • Peter

        Do people really think John is going to pass on levis, richardson, and sometimes even Stroud? Give me a break.

        I like the hawks fans that think we are getting a future first from tge raiders so they can move two spots. How about we don’t give you a future first and “make,” you take a qb.

        It’s just delusion station to not at least consider that John who loves a big armed qb is going to pass and then what? Really blow a ton of picks the following year when there’s less ammo and we’ll be probably be “in on it,” at pick 15-20 next year. Okie dokie.

    • cha

      Haven’t scratched my itch for a Chaos Draft in a while.

      Here’s what I got from PFF

      I traded up to #1 from 5. Also picked up #64 from CHI. Only cost me #37 and 2024 First Round.

      Arizona wanted #1 so I traded down. #3, #34 and their 2024 First Round.

      Anderson went #1 and Young #2

      Detroit wanted #3 so I traded down. #6 and #18.

      I now have 6, 18, 20, 34, 51, 64, 83 and 122.

      It gets better. Detroit takes Witherspoon at #3, Indy takes Brian Branch at #4, and Chicago takes Jalen Carter at #5. I’ve got my choice of Levis, Stroud and Richardson at 6.

      I could trade down some more but this is already ridiculous enough.

      1.6 CJ Stroud QB
      1.18 Will McDonald EDGE
      1.20 Michael Mayer TE
      2.34 Keeanu Benton DL
      2.51 Josh Downs WR
      3.64 Drew Sanders LB
      3.83 Ji’Ayir Brown S
      4.122 Juice Scruggs C (H/T to Rob)

      • Roy Batty

        You want fun? Try being Chicago.

        I ended with 5 first rounders in 2024, plus a smattering of 2-7’s, this year.

        In the end, my first pick was Kancey at 19.

        Good fun in the nutty world of PFF.

      • D

        I did one today traded up to one for about the same as you and indy gave me their entire draft for the next two years and their first for the next year as well….

      • Aaron Bostrom

        My hero.

      • Trevor

        Imagine coming out of Day #1 with Stroud, Mayer and Mcdonald. The surest thing at QB, the best TE to come out in the last 5 yrs and potential double digit sack guy in a year or two. Won’t happen but it would be sweet.

      • Scot04

        Cha, lol PFF will give you picks 7, 38, 109, 43, 146, 174, 204, & 214 for #5 everytime without forcing it. 2% chance, but successful 100%.
        Or if wating for now & future:
        Picks 7, 38, 109, 143, 174, plus a 2024 4th & 5th for #5. 1% chance
        Picks 7, 38, 109, 143, 146, plus a 2024 4th & 6th for #5. 2% chance
        “These as well as others are always accepted without being forced.”
        As long as the other team wants your pick, you get ridiculously impossible returns throughout the draft. This System is so broken.

  20. ErickV

    I was just reading an article from 12th Man Rising about why Seahawks should not take Levis if he fell to #5. Oh boy , it’ll be a fun day to see how Seahawks Twitter reacts to us taking either Levis or Richardson at #5 .

  21. Matt

    Jeremiah’s new mock draft is out…wild stuff. Will Anderson drops to 5. Tyree Wilson at #3.

    Somebody needs to explain Tyree Wilson to me. Yes, his pictures are amazing. Then you watch him play and I walk away saying, “nice player. Little plodding.” And now he’s a top 5 lock…I sincerely wonder if hubris is the single biggest downfall of GMs in this league.

    “Sure he’s not a great player, but I’m so special I can will it into existence with my sheer brilliance.”

    For QBs, I get it. There are so many factors that impact a QBs success.
    For a pass rusher? How many excuses are people really willing to make?

    *and I’m not saying Tyree Wilson is bad – not at all. It’s just bonkers to me he’s being discussed as a top 5 lock. That would be the most uninspiring pick. I just don’t see the foot speed for him to become a real dude. He seems inevitably destined for the “if he could figure this out, he’d be special” category.

    I’m just an amateur with an opinion, but it’s shocking how bad this class is in the top 12, excluding the QBs. Way too many excuses for why a lot of these guys didn’t perform all that well in college.

    • Peter

      I totally feel this. It’s boiling down the the lack of firepower in this draft. Isn’t it?

      I mean great size. Looks strong. I think he’s actually a better value than Carter because he seems more engaged play to play. But he looks like a project.

      There’s a clip I see often and MSD maybe used it in his newest seahawks mock.

      Wilson is standing up, gets a two yard lead into the LT. Absolutely handles him. The LT is reeling knowing he is getting ready to be turtled up. But……

      As cool as that play is Tyree at no point releases and realizes that he has an easy as as it comes by unblocked qb with his whole a– backside not even aware that Wilson is there.

      On the one hand you know he’s got power but on the other hand is he top five lock material when there are a handful of really interesting players further down the board all needing the same level of work?

      • Rob Staton (Post author)

        Wilson has to test well

        He can’t just be about size/length

        Big week for him next week

    • Rob Staton (Post author)

      I think you can guess what I think of Jeremiah’s latest mock…

      • ErickV

        I had my hands covering my face as I read through this mock draft. I try to tell myself he has to be trolling us just to get more engagement in comments sections. I will no longer subject myself to the pain of another DJ mock draft.

  22. Trevor

    When the Hawks traded Russ I really think PC / JS viewed this as a 3yr rebuild despite whatever they said publicly.

    Year #1 add talent via the draft and start resetting the culture of the team. It was a weak QB class so the punted and focused on the OL etc.

    Year #2 Find your QB of the future which was made easier with he gift from the Broncos at #5 and continue rebuilding the trenches. Us the year to let the rookie QB and young players develop and get experience.

    Year #3 Add key free agents once you have identified needs and round out the roster and become a legit contender. They will have lots of cap space next year assuming they don’t do anything stupid and sign Geno to a big $ deal. They can also move on from Diggs and Adams much easier.

    Free Agency this year

    -Sign a quality Center / G to go with your young OTs so the rookie QB has a quality OL to develop behind. Hope they target Bradbury and Isiah Wynn.

    -Add at least one BAMF DT who can step up and stop the run. Would love to see Payne or Hrgrave but they seem like a pipe dream to me. A really good and realistic option would be David Oneymata from the Saints or Dremont Jones from the Broncos or Dalvin Thomlinson.

    -Find a quality veteran middle linebacker who excels against the run and is a good communicator. Termaine Edmunds would be my choice but like Panye and Hargrave he seems like a pipe dream. More realistic options would be Jermaine Pratt or David Long. Both guys are athletic and very solid against the run.

    -My favourite free agent for the Hawks is Chauncey Gardner Johnson. Safety / Slot is not a place they can really afford to spend more $ given that they kept Adams and Diggs but I really believe CGJ is the kind of tough, smart veteran leader the Hawks need in the secondary and have been missing since Kam, Earl and Sherm moved on. He is also a turnover machine. The idea of Gardner Johnson , Woolen and Bryant roaming around back there I would be pretty exciting IMO. I realize there is almost zero chance this will happen as they have too much $ allocated to Safety but I think he would have a bigger impact longer term than anyone else they could sign this off season.

    Draft this Year

    #5 QB – Stroud, Richardson, Levis
    #20 BPA – Mayer, Branch, Kancey, White, Flowers
    RD #2 and 3 OL / DL that fit the scheme
    Day #3 High Upside Prospects who have great athletic profiles but need development

  23. Ashish

    No nonsense wonder how much you can squeeze in less than 15 minutes. Fantastic interview, Rob.
    What round Juice will go ? I really want Hawks to invest in center I’m sure Big Mike is acknowledging and many others.

    • Rob Staton (Post author)

      Depending on testing he could go R4 I think

  24. BK26

    Chad Reuter has Seattle trading #5 to the Panthers for them to draft Levis while we take….Tyree Wilson at 9, then us trading 20 with the Bills for us to take Torrence at #27…………

    Tyrique Stevenson And Hooker in the second. Campbell and Benton in the third.

    Didn’t look at the detail of the other picks but noticed Drew Sanders lasting until 68, Skinner at 69.

    This is an article that got published. I mean, are they just bored? Going for shock value? Is it a game to see who we could overdraft the hardest?

  25. Nathan W.

    Have you ever tried to hop on. Call with Dugar? I’m sometimes puzzled with the conclusions he arrives at and would love to see you two hammer it out

  26. HOUSE

    Austin Blythe retired… Uh-oh

    No QB or C on our roster

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