Author: Rob Staton (Page 303 of 423)

Sports Broadcaster, Journalist and creator of Seahawks Draft Blog in 2008.

Combine Sunday review: thoughts on the receivers

February 23, 2014 /

Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell worked out the QB's and WR's today

Today provided more questions than answers.

First of all — how good is this receiver class? I mean, really?

There’s a heck of a lot of depth — enough to extend into the second round before a considerable drop in talent. That’s one major positive to come out of the day.

The other was Odell Beckham Jr — who put on a clinic during the Group 1 receiver drills.

He ran an official 4.43 and looked impressive in every session. He’s always been a top-20 talent. Go and watch the Mississippi State tape from 2013 if you have any doubts.

Yet his performance today provided a rare moment of clarity.

Here’s what we can say with some certainty. Sammy Watkins, Mike Evans and Beckham Jr all deserve to be top-20 picks.

Can we agree on that?

In terms of the rest — well, we could see 8-9 receivers go in the first round. That’d be a new record.

Or we could see as little as four — an underwhelming suggestion given how many people are praising this receiver class.

In many cases, there are plenty of question marks.

Let’s start with the three we can feel confident about…

Sammy Watkins
Didn’t run as fast as expected (official 4.43) but didn’t harm his stock after a superb on-field work out. He was silky smooth throughout — running crisp, effortless routes and catching the ball with natural ease. You have to assume he’ll be the first receiver taken.

Mike Evans
He ran a 4.53 which is perfectly acceptable for a 231lbs receiver. It isn’t the 4.41 Vincent Jackson managed at 241lbs however, probably ending any chance he usurps Watkins to be the first receiver taken. Here’s the major positive though — he has 35 1/8 inch arms and recorded a 37 inch vertical jump. That’s some catching radius.

Odell Beckham Jr.
He’s a superb football player who’ll be able to start very quickly. It’s not just the physical qualities either, he’s technically a gifted receiver. There’s a little Golden Tate to his game — he’ll be able to work the sideline despite a lack of size (5-11, 198lbs). He has 10-inch hands that absorb the football. He’s a fantastic competitor, an explosive return man and he high points the ball better than anyone in this class.

And here’s the rest…

Kelvin Benjamin
He ran a 4.61 at 240lbs. Which is fine. But we mentioned Vincent Jackson with Mike Evans — and he managed a 4.41 at a similar height/weight to Benjamin. Jackson was the 61st pick in 2005. I’m not suggesting Benjamin will fall that far, because he won’t. But can we really say with any confidence he’ll be the top-20 lock we’d started to predict? He’ll be a 23-year-old rookie, he had some ugly drops in college. He had the worst three-cone drill along with Brandon Coleman (7.33). And yet he’s the prototype size for a #1 receiver and has almost no body fat at 240lbs. I could see him going in the top-15, I could see him going in the 20’s or 30’s.

Marqise Lee
The NFL Network had a camera on Pete Carroll during Lee’s forty yard dash (see the video here). When the timer showed a 4.5, Carroll mouthed “wow”. Everyone expected him to run faster, especially the guy who recruited him to USC. He’s only 5-11 and 196lbs and with an official 4.52 he isn’t going to go as early as expected. Lee didn’t have a great 2013 season — he was injury-hit, the Trojans imploded and he had a high drop percentage. We all saw Robert Woods as a top-15 guy at one time. He ran a 4.42 at 6-0, 201lbs and was pick #41 last year. Lee might suffer a similar fate, but he is better than Woods. Would you be shocked if the Jets took him at #18? I wouldn’t be.

Brandon Coleman
I noted earlier in the live blog that this was ‘job done’ for Coleman. He had his knee cleared. He had 21 reps on the bench press and looked in fantastic shape at 6-6 and 225lbs. He ran an official 4.56 which is only 0.03 slower than Mike Evans. But he also had the joint worst three cone at 7.33 (with Kelvin Benjamin). That’s a big deal for teams like Seattle, who DO take combine drills very seriously. How do you balance out a nice forty with a disappointing three cone? We’re talking about a guy with mountains of potential, an insane ceiling. There aren’t many players capable of doing what he does. But he’s a complex mix of extreme highs (size, forty, upside) and lows (inconsistency even in a crappy offense, lousy three cone, technical flaws). He could go anywhere — round one, round two, lower. Who knows?

Martavis Bryant
Bob McGinn reported today that Bryant could slip into the first round mix. Athletically, it’s not impossible. He’s 6-4 and 211lbs running a 4.42. He completely looks the part of at least a high second rounder. And yet McGinn’s report also labels him a “knucklehead” and someone you wouldn’t want to grab in the first round. Despite his good showing in the forty, his three cone time of 7.18 is lower tier and worse than Mike Evans. He has shorter arms than Odell Beckham Jr. He did post a 39 inch vertical jump — third best for receivers. The tape isn’t great. Another guy who really could be anything to anyone.

Brandin Cooks
He ran a 4.33 and with his massive production in 2013, it won’t be a shock if he goes in round one. He’s also in-between 5-9 and 5-10 and only 189lbs. With guys like this, you have to create a gameplan around them. Brian Schottenheimer in St. Louis refused to do that for Tavon Austin, and the results were a mediocre rookie year with only flashes of brilliance. A creative coach picking in the early 20’s might fancy a shot here. But what if Odell Beckham Jr is still on the board? His floor will be round two, he could go in the first — but nothing’s certain.

Jordan Matthews
I don’t think anyone expected him to run a 4.46. He followed it up with a 35.5 inch vertical and a 6.95 three cone. Very few players did more to help themselves than Matthews today. Understandably, it’s kicked off the first round talk again. I don’t think you can rule it out. But I’m still not sure the tape indicates much more than a solid #2 receiver. He just looks pretty good. He isn’t overly physical, contesting (and winning) passes down the sideline. He’s a crisp route runner with a ton of savvy working the middle of the field. That has some value, but I’m not sure anyone bangs the table for him in round one. He is a hard worker though, with the right attitude. You can’t help but like him, but it’s hard to get too excited at the same time.

Davante Adams
I think he got a bit too much hype during the season. He lacks size at 6-0 and 212lbs. Watch the San Jose State game and tell me he didn’t benefit from a serious lack of quality opposition last year. Fresno State were found out by a pretty average USC team, the one opponent of any quality they faced. And yet despite the lack of speed for his size (4.56) he pulls out a 39.5 inch vertical jump — third best among receivers. His three cone was in the top-15. It’s probably not enough to get him in the top-50, but he has a weird blend of fantastic jumping ability and middling speed.

Allen Robinson
He just isn’t an explosive player, and nobody should’ve expected more than a 4.60 forty today. He’s a shifty open field runner, a tremendous competitor and a really level headed prospect. The big question is — can he continue to be elusive and a YAC threat at the next level? Can he get downfield to take the top off a defense? I’m not convinced. Everything is faster in the NFL. And watching the Penn State tape, you can’t help but wonder if he can remain effective. There’s only one nagging thing in the back of my mind. I didn’t really like Keenan Allen, and he wasn’t a burner either. Allen’s a former 5-star recruit, so he was still a vastly superior athlete to Robinson. But still, fool me once –shame on you etc.

Donte Moncrief
He’s not quite as big as expected (6-2, 221lbs) but he promised a decent forty time and he delivered a 4.40. His 39.5 inch vertical is equal to Davante Adams’ — tied-third best among receivers. He had a 7.02 three cone. And yet during the drills he looked exactly like he does on tape — kind of cumbersome, going through the motions. There’s a really good player in this guy waiting to break free. Someone needs to light a rocket up his ass and he might actually deliver on his potential. Nobody in this class has more self-confidence than Moncrief. That can be a good and a bad thing, I think in his case he needs to realise what is he right now — and what he could potentially become if he just worked that bit harder.

So yeah, we could see 8-9 receivers in the first round. It wouldn’t be a major shock. It’s a good group.

But it also wouldn’t be a big surprise if by the end of day one — most of these names were still on the board, with a rush on the position commencing shortly after round two begins.

I’ll also add — after yesterday’s underwhelming performance by the tight ends, we might only see one Eric Ebron drafted in the first frame.

How the Seahawks might approach this receiver class

Assuming they retain Golden Tate (increasingly likely with the cap set to be extended to $130-132m), they simply don’t need another sub-6-0 receiver. Neither do they need a relatively well sized, technically gifted 6-1/6-2 type.

What they need is a beast. A guy with the size to develop into a true #1. Someone who can win jump balls downfield, dominate the red-line and be a much needed force in the red zone.

Seattle doesn’t have that right now.

Mike Evans will be gone. Kelvin Benjamin could be gone. They both look like classic #1 receivers, the type Pete Carroll admires.

So it could come down to how they view the remaining options. Do they see Coleman as a player worthy of the first round? They’ve shown they’re not afraid to draft for athletic potential early in the draft. And it was reported earlier today that Seattle has shown genuine interest in Coleman.

Do they like Bryant enough, with all of his scary athleticism, to take a major chance on him at #32?

If they don’t see a big receiver worthy of a first round pick left on the board, I think they’ll simply look at other positions. I doubt they’ll take another receiver just for the sake of this being a good class.

The way they judge needs is to grade where they can get the biggest on-field improvement. With Percy Harvin, Golden Tate, Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse — they don’t need to add to the group for the sake of it. They need what they don’t have — a 6-4/6-5, +225lbs monster.

If that guy isn’t there, I think they’ll simply look at other positions.

Time for the defense to shine

With a lack of great front seven depth beyond the first round or two, we might see teams prioritise the defensive talent early.

Unlike at receiver, where you can get a good one in round two — that probably won’t be the case up front on defense.

Here are the players I’m particularly keen to see work out.

Demarcus Lawrence (DE, Boise State)
Ideal length for a LEO, 6-3 and 250lbs. Long arms. On tape he has speed to burn, a relentless attitude and he gets to the quarterback. He needs to prove he has top-end speed with a solid 10-yard split. I touted him for Seattle in my pre-combine mock draft and he’s someone we should be taking very seriously. I just wonder if he could be set for a Chandler Jones-style rise — respected within war rooms for some time, but doesn’t get any media attention until late in the process.

Brent Urban (DT, Virginia)
Another player with the kind of length Seattle loves on the defensive line — 6-7, 295lbs and 34 1/4 inch arms. Looks the part on tape. Had to leave the Senior Bowl with an injury, so this is a good chance to get some momentum going as a potential first round pick. I’ve said many times he could be the steal of the draft. Get him in the weight room and try to turn him into J.J. Watt-lite. He has a ton of potential.

Ra’Shede Hageman (DT, Minnesota)
A former basketball player, Hageman has the odd moment where he looks unstoppable on tape. Can he prove he’s worthy of a top-25 grade tomorrow? Another player with ‘Seattle length’. You could see him going to Arizona or Green Bay. He could be another Mohammed Wilkerson. I thought he’d blow up the Senior Bowl, but he left that to Aaron Donald. Now this is Hageman’s time to make a statement.

Stephon Tuitt (DE, Notre Dame)
He’s lost weight for the combine. Some pundits rank him in the third round, others say he’s too athletic for the size not to be a day one pick. I’m leaning towards him being in the round 2-3 range, but if he runs a 4.8 tomorrow at 6-5, 304lbs — I have to reconsider. Big guys who can run don’t last long. So let’s see if he can run.

Kony Ealy (DE, Missouri)
I’ve not seen anything on tape to get really excited about. I’m not sure what he is — a 4-3 end? A poor man’s version of Michael Bennett? Does he need to play inside as a nickel pass rusher? Some people think he could play outside linebacker. The fact is, however, that if he performs well at the combine at 6-4 and 273lbs — someone will take him early. You can work with a guy like that.

Aaron Donald (DT, Pittsburgh)
For me, you could take him as early as you wanted. Terrific football player, without doubt one of the best in the draft. He has nothing to prove tomorrow. But can he be the star of the show? Tony Pauline has been reporting all week he could run in the 4.6/4.7 range. If he manages it, he’ll be a top-15 pick. He should be anyway.

Louis Nix (DT, Notre Dame)
Apparently he dropped 20lbs for the combine. How on earth did he get up to 350lbs? And why? He won’t run like Dontari Poe, but it’s not that long ago people considered him a top-15 pick as a rare 3-4 nose tackle. Let’s see if he can give his dwindling stock a boost.

Closing notes

— Tony Pauline has the latest on Austin Seferian-Jenkins’ foot injury:

Doctors x-rayed Seferian-Jenkins left foot with the sole intention of examining the ankle which he sprained a year ago and kept him on the sidelines during a small portion of the 2012 season. In reviewing the x-rays doctors noticed what seemed to be a potential small fracture in the foot and ordered more tests. I’m told Seferian-Jenkins was getting ready to take the field for his workout when he was pulled from the line and told additional tests were needed. The big tight end was as surprised as anyone as he’d never experienced pain in his left foot to that point. Seferian-Jenkins combine weight of 262-pounds is a number significantly lower than his playing weight of 2013. I’m told Seferian-Jenkins had been timing in the 4.6’s during recent training.

— Blake Bortles looked good today throwing the ball, but is he really #1 pick material? Johnny Manziel won’t suit every team — and might not fit the club picking first overall. But he’s the only quarterback in this draft I’d really want to build around.

I sympathise with those saying they’re not sure Bortles or Bridgewater are top-ten locks. I know the QB position is important, but there’s a ton of value at offensive tackle (Robinson, Lewan, Matthews), defensive end (Clowney) and receiver (Watkins, Evans). If I’m Houston or Cleveland, I consider taking Manziel. If I’m Jacksonville or Oakland, I’m not sure I force a quarterback pick. Keep building. Draft smart.

— This could be the end for Big Red…

“We all we got, we all we need”

This would save $5.5m, to go with the $7.3m saved when they officially release Sidney Rice. There could be more painful cuts to come. Keeping Michael Bennett is a priority, and so it should be. Re-signing Earl Thomas and Richard Sherman is a priority. There’s a handful of other free agents you’d ideally keep. Any why not at least have the option to look at the open market?

— And what a strange story this is…

Tomorrow we’ll be live blogging all throughout the drills, starting at 6AM PST.

See you then.

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LIVE BLOG: NFL scouting combine (WR, RB & QB)

February 23, 2014 /

Live blog to begin at 6AM PST.

We’re up and running with the quarterback forty yard dashes…

These are the unofficial times.

Blake Bortles (UCF) — 4.81 & 4.88
Tajh Boyd (Clemson) — 4.75 & 4.84
Teddy Bridgewater — DNP
Derek Carr (Fresno State) — 4.68 & 4.65
David Fales (SJSU) — 4.94 & 5.03
Jimmy Garoppolo (Eastern Illinois) — 4.93 & 4.95
Jordan Lynch (Northern Illinois) — 4.72 & 4.72
Johnny Manziel (Texas A&M) — 4.63 & 4.56
Jeff Mathews (Cornell) — 5.22 & 5.22
A.J. McCarron (Alabama) — 4.94 & 4.91

Here’s some mid-combine reading from Bob MGinn at the Journal Sentinel. He’s well sourced.

He looks at 32 players in this class, with a scouts take on each.

Demarcus Lawrence is included, the guy we had going to Seattle in our pre-combine mock draft.

Here’s McGinn’s report:

“He can fit anywhere,” one scout said. “He’s athletic enough to play outside linebacker. He’s long enough to play an edge 4-3 rusher like Seattle uses. Worker. Good athlete. Second round.” Was suspended three times for team violations.

Note the Seahawks reference. This is a guy we have to look at for pick #32.

There’s a scathing review of Austin Seferian-Jenkins too…

He’s going to be close to Gronkowski talent-wise,” one scout said. “Now he’s lazy and a (expletive). It’s all kinds of just minor stuff. There’s always something wrong with him.” Had 146 receptions in three seasons. Played some basketball for Huskies. “I think he’s a pretender,” another scout said. “Not really a football player. The hype is big, but he don’t want to block and he is kind of half-(expletive) in everything he does. Inconsistent and unreliable.”

Back to the quarterback forty’s — Johnny Manziel had the fastest unofficial time (4.56).

In comparison, Russell Wilson had an official 4.55.

WIDE RECEIVER FORTY YARD DASH — GROUP 1

Again, these are all unofficial.

Jared Abbrederis (Wisconsin) — 4.50 & 4.44
Davante Adams (Fresno State) — 4.50 & 4.54
Odell Beckham Jr (LSU) — 4.40 & 4.31
Kelvin Benjamin (Florida State) — 4.59 & 4.53
Chris Boyd (Vanderbilt) — 4.60 & DNP
Corey Brown (Ohio State) — 4.37 & 4.44
John Brown (Pitt State) — 4.30 & 4.35
Martavis Bryant (Clemson) — 4.34 & 4.35
Isaiah Burse (Fresno State) — 4.56 & 4.50
Michael Campanaro (Wake Forest) — 4.46 & 4.44
Brandon Coleman (Rutgers) — 4.50 & 4.53
Brandin Cooks (Oregon State) — 4.30 & 4.30
Mike Evans (Texas A&M) — 4.50 & 4.47
Damian Copeland (Louisville) — 4.43 & 4.40
Quincy Enuwa (Nebraska) — 4.40 & DNF (hamstring)
Bruce Ellington (South Carolina) — 4.37 & 4.31
Shaq Evans (UCLA) — 4.50 & 4.50
Bennie Fowler (Michigan State) — 4.50 & 4.48
Jeremy Gallon (Michigan) — 4.45 & 4.42

RECEIVER GROUP 1 NOTES

Kelvin Benjamin looked superb. He carries 240lbs perfectly. This is prototype, #1 receiver size.

His first time of 4.59 was 0.09 slower than Davante Adams. He’s over 4 inches taller and 28lbs heavier.

His second time — a 4.53 — topped Adams’ 4.54. This is why Seattle will be drooling over Benjamin — and why I don’t think Adams is a likely option at #32.

Brandon Coleman looked chiseled and ran a 4.50. That’s good enough for me at 6-6 and 225lbs to say “job done”.

Interesting tweet…

Been saying this for a while. Don’t sleep on Coleman to Seattle at #32…

Odell Beckham’s second unofficial run was a 4.31. Wow.

The Bob McGinn piece earlier referred to Martavis Bryant being a possible #1 pick. Hmmm. He ran a 4.34 at 6-3/4 and 211lbs.

Mike Evans’ 4.47 was excellent. That should be enough to put him in the top 10-15. It might not be enough to put him ahead of Sammy Watkins as the #1 guy.

From Group 1 — it wouldn’t be a total shock if Benjamin, Evans, Beckham Jr, Cooks and Coleman all went in the first round.

What a year for receivers.

ON FIELD DRILLS — WR G1/QB

The receivers are running downfield, the quarterbacks get a chance to show off some arm strength.

Blake Bortles is throwing. Teddy Bridgewater doesn’t appear to be doing anything today.

A.J. McCarron throws despite suggesting he wouldn’t. His first attempt downfield was a shocker, way off target. His second attempt was much improved.

Brandon Coleman looked as smooth as caramel on his route. Great strides, caught the football. He’s killing this so far.

Mike Evans and Kelvin Benjamin didn’t look quite as comfortable. Evans made a nice adjustment to a loose throw from Bortles.

Now it’s time for the gauntlet.

Jared Abbrederis had a drop. Davante Adams looked sharp. Odell Beckham Jr is one of the most natural catchers you’ll ever see.

Kelvin Benjamin avoided drops (shock horror) and looked pretty good after a false start.

Got to say, Martavis Bryant has looked extremely good so far. He caught the ball away from his body. Made a difficult grab on one wayward pass.

Brandon Coleman had zero drops and also caught the ball away from his body. He hasn’t put a foot wrong so far.

Mike Evans showed strong hands, just looked like a natural out there.

Man this is a receiver class and a half. And we’ve still got Sammy Watkins and co to come later.

The record number of receivers taken in the first round is seven.

That is going to be smashed this year.

Now the receivers are running in-routes. Benjamin made a lovely high grab on a pass thrown behind him.

Bryant just laid out to get an errant pass, but couldn’t bring it in.

Another nice job by Coleman and Evans. Smooth route, nice cut. Both caught their passes.

Evans looked crisper on the curl route than Benjamin. Coleman looked a little safe on his, focusing too much on catching the ball and hesitating a little.

A.J. McCarron after a tough start looked good throwing the ball. Bortles really warmed up on the deep out throws.

Coleman rounded off his deep route. Benjamin looked really good — and Beckham Jr was even better. Evans got the timing on his route all wrong and didn’t catch the football. It was messy.

I’m crossing over to Camera 2 now to watch the forty yard dashes for the second group of QB’s and WR’s.

QB FORTY’S — GROUP 2

Stephen Morris (Miami) — 4.62 & 4.57
Aaron Murray (Georgia) — DNP
Bryn Renner (North Carolina) — 4.85 & 4.88
Tom Savage (Pittsburgh) — 5.00 & 4.85
Connor Shaw (South Carolina) — 4.58 & 4.55
Logan Thomas (Virginia Tech) — 4.60 & 4.57
Dustin Vaughan (WTAMU) — 4.91 & 4.94
Keith Wenning (Ball State) — 4.88 & 4.85

An unofficial 4.57 is superb for Logan Thomas. He struggled the last two years at Virginia Tech, but he’s got a ton of potential as a longer term project.

And don’t rule out someone taking him much earlier than expected.

The time will increase talk he could switch to tight end.

WIDE RECEIVER FORTY YARD DASH — GROUP 2

Robert Herron (Wyoming) — 4.45 & 4.50
Cody Hoffman (BYU) — 4.54 & 4.53
Josh Huff (Oregon) — 4.45 & 4.47
Allen Hurns (Miami) — 4.53 & 4.55
Jeff Janis (Saginaw Valley State) — 4.30 & 4.44
T.J. Jones (Notre Dame) — 4.40 & 4.50
Jarvis Landry (LSU) — 4.65 & DNP
Cody Latimer (Indiana) — DNP
Marqise Lee (USC) — 4.50 & 4.44
Marcus Lucas (Missouri) — 4.52
Jordan Matthews (Vanderbilt) — 4.40 & 4.44
Donte Moncrief (Ole Miss) — 4.40 & 4.35
Kevin Norwood (Alabama) — 4.39 & 4.48
Tevin Reese (Baylor) — 4.40
Paul Richardson (Colorado) — 4.35
Allen Robinson (Penn State) — 4.60 & 4.56
Jalen Saunders (Oklahoma) — 4.42 & 4.41
Willie Snead (Ball State) — 4.60
Devin Street (Pittsburgh) — 4.53 & 4.47
L’Damian Washington (Missouri) — 4.43 & 4.43
Sammy Watkins (Clemson) — 4.34 & 4.37

Jeff Janis out of Saginaw State Valley — wow. An unofficial 4.30 and a fairly big guy. That’s impressive.

Jarvis Landry slower than expected — his first run is an unofficial 4.65. He didn’t run a second attempt, complaining of a ‘right hamstring injury’.

Marqise Lee’s first run of 4.50 is the same as Brandon Coleman’s at 6-6 and 225lbs.

Here is a video of Carroll’s reaction to Lee’s first run.

Lee’s second attempt was a 4.44.

Jordan Matthews’ 4.40 is very impressive. That’s much better than I expected.

Donte Moncrief also managed a 4.40. Again — that’s impressive. Can we afford to say again how good this wide receiver class is?

Another shock — Kevin Norwood with a 4.39? We’ve got to wait for the official times, but man.

Allen Robinson got a 4.60. Not a shock — he was never expected to run a good time. He’s shifty in the open field, but not an explosive athlete.

Most ill-advised comment of the combine so far? That award goes to Oklahoma State quarterback Justin Gilbert…

The NFL Network/NFL.com killed us again during these runs, going away from any live action to show talking heads.

Some of the second unofficial runs won’t be listed here. But at least we got to hear Charles Davis talk about Sammy Watkins (unbelievable).

ON FIELD DRILLS — WR G2/QB

Jarvis Landry is back on the field despite not running a second forty yard dash. He is struggling with the hamstring though.

Despite their good runs, Jordan Matthews and Donte Moncrief just don’t look as big as the earlier guys (Evans, Coleman, Benjamin). Both very athletic, but are they what Seattle is looking for.

The first drill is a short out route.

L’Damian Washington ran a sloppy route, followed by Sammy Watkins dropping his catch.

Matthews and Marqise Lee looking smooth on the deep routes. Paul Richardson high pointed the ball nicely.

Stephen Morris floated his passes a little too much. He’s athletic, but doesn’t have a great arm.

Connor Shaw was putting a little too much juice on his throws, while Logan Thomas completely under-threw his guy.

Allen Hurns had a hot-potato drop on his deep throw. L’Damian Washington had two attempts — laying out and failing to get one, and spilling the other.

Sammy Watkins had one of the best gauntlet runs. Very soft hands, flawless movement.

Jordan Matthews equally looked good. Donte Moncrief made hard work of his, dropping one ball and looking a little awkward.

Allen Robinson was a little tight but didn’t have any drops.

I liked Marqise Lee’s gauntlet runs. Like Watkins — very smooth, very natural.

Seattle offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell led some of the wide receiver and quarterback drills:

Defensive back measurements

These are starting to filter through. You can see them here via Walter Football.

Bashaud Breeland is 5-11 and 197lbs.

Official forty times

These are starting to filter in.

Logan Thomas — 4.61
Stephen Morris — 4.63
Connor Shaw — 4.66
Johnny Manziel — 4.68
Blake Bortles — 4.93
Derek Carr — 4.69
A.J. McCarron — 4.94

Sammy Watkins — 4.43
Allen Robinson — 4.60
Jordan Matthews — 4.46
Donte Moncrief — 4.40
Brandin Cooks — 4.33
John Brown — 4.34
Marqise Lee — 4.52
Jeff Janis — 4.42
Jarvis Landry — 4.77
Kelvin Benjamin — 4.61
Odell Beckham Jr — 4.43
Martavis Bryant — 4.42
Mike Evans — 4.53
Paul Richardson — 4.40
Jared Abbrederis — 4.50
Davante Adams — 4.56
Brandon Coleman — 4.56

I’ll do a review piece later going into some of the big stories from today. But Marqise Lee running a 4.52 at his size is very disappointing.

RUNNING BACK FORTY YARD DASH

Antonio Andrews (Western Kentuck) — 4.76 & 4.69
Dri Archer (Kent State) — 4.29 & 4.28
George Atkinson (Notre Dame) — 4.41 & 4.39
Kapri Bibbs (Colorado State) — 4.60 & 4.72
Alfred Blue (LSU) — 4.63 & 4.78
Ka’Deem Carey (Arizona) — 4.65 & 4.62
Isaiah Crowell (Alabama State) — 4.50 & 4.50
David Fluellen (Toledo) — 4.69 4.66
Devonta Freeman (Florida State) — 4.50 & 4.53
Tyler Gaffney (Stanford) — 4.43 & 4.48
Jeremy Hill (LSU) — 4.63 & 4.63
Carlos Hyde (Ohio State) — 4.62 & DNP
Storm Johnson (UCF) — 4.50 & 4.50
Henry Josey (Missouri) — 4.40 & 4.40
Tre Mason (Auburn) — 4.44 & 4.50
Jerick McKinnon (Georgia Southern) — 4.38 & 4.35
LaDarius Perkins (Miss State) — 4.40
Silas Redd (USC) — 4.68
Bishop Sankey (Washington) — 4.47
Lache Seastrunk (Baylor) — 4.45
Charles Sims (West Virginia) — 4.48 & 4.47
De’Anthony Thomas (Oregon) — 4.34 & 4.40
James White (Wisconsin) — 4.52
James Wilder (Florida State) — 4.78 & 4.78
Andrew Williams (Boston College) — 4.54 & 4.53

To put Archer’s 20 reps into perspective, earlier today Jadeveon Clowney managed 21 reps.

Once again the feed has jumped away from the action. It’s pretty obvious the NFL wants you to watch the NFL Network (or in my case, spend money to watch it).

NFL.com’s coverage this year has constantly jumped away at the worst times. Frustrating.

Once again the forty’s above will be incomplete as a consequence. I’ll keep an eye on the running back drills but otherwise I’m ready to call it a wrap for this piece.

I’ll have a review of the day on the blog shortly, discussing some of the key talking points.

NFL Combine: Saturday in review

February 22, 2014 /

Today was pretty disappointing.

Injury news, players not working out, bad results.

Today had the lot.

Let’s start with the big headline of the day.

Cyrus Kouandjio had a rough outing to put it mildly, looking totally unprepared for the drills and running a 5.59 forty yard dash.

All the positivity over his size and frame washed away in a nightmarish session.

But the work outs weren’t the worst part.

This is going to hammer his stock I’m afraid.

A guy who was once considered a first round lock will end up being little more than an after thought.

You have to feel for the player, but any hopes he had of going in round one are now surely a distant memory. We could be talking about a Jesse Williams-style fall here.

He wasn’t the only injury story of the day.

Austin Seferian-Jenkins didn’t work out at all because of a fractured foot. Tony Pauline is reporting he’s unlikely to be healthy enough to fit in a pro-day before the draft.

ASJ did a live interview with NFL.com (you can see it here) and he revealed he hadn’t been medically cleared to work out.

The medical checks are the most underrated part of the combine. Nobody knew about Kouandjio’s knee issue, not even Seferian-Jenkins himself knew he had a foot injury.

This is a significant blow for a player who had a lot to gain this weekend. His stock is a complete mystery now.

How serious is the issue?

How does he compare athletically to the other players in this group?

Is he a first, second or even third rounder?

We have no answers.

It kind of sums up what ended up being a pretty miserable day for the big name tight ends.

Jace Amaro ran an official 4.74 forty and an average 7.42 three cone drill. He just didn’t look like a great athlete.

In fact Amaro’s athleticism was comparable to C.J. Fiedorowicz — a limited player who is expected to be a mid-round pick.

We’ve seen only three tight ends drafted in round one since 2009. Nothing about Amaro’s display today made me believe he was going to add to that list — especially in a deep draft like this.

The one positive with Amaro is the 28 reps he managed on the bench press despite his 34 inch arms. That was a pleasant surprise yesterday.

It was extremely disappointing, if not surprising, that Troy Niklas didn’t run the forty. He complained about a vague ‘strain’ on Thursday and we should’ve known that was a big fat hint towards a limited work out.

He said he was “80%” and that’s why he didn’t run.

Strangely enough he still completed the other drills — recording the worst three cone drill (7.57) and the second worst short shuttle (4.55).

Either the strain is a real killer, or he’s just not that great an athlete after all.

There’s every chance Eric Ebron will be the only tight end drafted in the first round. He managed an official 4.60 at 250lbs before shutting it down due to a minor injury issue.

This position carried some momentum going into the combine, but a lot of that has evaporated in the space of one day.

Shame.

I will say this about Niklas though — Seattle likes size just as much as brilliant athleticism. His bloodline attachment to the Matthews family is also intriguing. He carries almost no body fat at 6-6 and 270lbs. Today was a disappointment with him not running, but he’s got to remain on the radar.

Before we move onto the good news, a couple of other notes on the offensive lineman work outs…

— Antonio Richardson looked sluggish and clumsy. He ran a 5.30 and challenged Kouandjio for the worst performance during drills. Great size, but this was a bit of a reality check. The mirror drills were cringeworthy.

— David Yankey is another player who just looked so limited today. He ran a 5.48 despite being 20lbs lighter than Richardson. A lack of athleticism here follows an average bench press performance (22 reps). He’s got mid-round pick written all over him.

— I wasn’t blown away by Morgan Moses today. He looked OK. That’s it.

So what about the positives then? Let’s have some good news.

— Greg Robinson should be the #2 overall pick at worst. He ran a 4.92 at 332lbs with a 10-yard split of 1.68. Add that to the 32 reps on the bench press yesterday with his long 35 inch arms. In the drills he looked stunning — flashing superb footwork and mobility. Robinson is a superstar in the making.

— Jake Matthews had a good day to keep his name in the mix for a top-ten spot. His work out performance was a big improvement on Luke Joeckel last year. He ran a solid 5.07 forty with a 1.70 split. For me Robinson and Matthews are going to be the top two tackles off the board.

— Third on the list will be Taylor Lewan. Somehow, he managed a 4.87 forty and a stunning 1.64 split. Known as a terrific run blocker, I’m not sure anybody expected to see this show of athleticism from Lewan. He can book a place in the top-12.

— I thought Florida center Jonotthan Harrison really looked the part today. He looks ripped, he’s technically sound on tape and he moved around very well today. He’s also a big time leader and worth tracking in the mid or late rounds.

— Seantrel Henderson struggled to earn a start in college, had major character red flags and was a complete headache for the coaches in Miami. Yet today’s performance made you think, ‘what a waste’. He looked incredibly agile and did all the drills well. The character and attitude problems are a concern, but he’ll make a nice project for someone. He could be anything — mid rounder, UDFA.

— Xavier Su’a-Filo, as expected, showed a ton of upside. He’s the best pure guard in this class and it’s not even close. He’s a bundle of potential. It was no surprise at all to see people jumping off the Yankey bandwagon today and leaping swiftly onto the Su’a-Filo cart. The tape told you everything you needed to know.

For all of today’s combine numbers, check out Walter Football.

Defensive linemen/linebacker measurements

Here are some of the headlines. Remember, length and speed are key here when it comes to Seattle. You can see a full list of the defensive line measurements here.

— Demarcus Lawrence, a player we touted for Seattle at #32 this week, has 33 3/4 inch arms and is listed at 6-3 and 251lbs. This is prototype LEO stuff we’re talking about here. Let’s see how he runs on Monday. Lawrence is a player we have to take seriously.

— You just know Pete Carroll would love to coach Jadeveon Clowney. 6-5, 266lbs and 34 1/2 inch arms. Majestic. He’s also dropped a few pounds to record a dynamite forty time. He reckons he can crack 4.4 — but a solid 4.5 would still be beastly.

— Aaron Donald is 6-1, 285lbs and has 32 5/8 inch arms. He could’ve been tagged at 5-7 and 125lbs for all I care — the guy can play.

— Stephon Tuitt needed to lose weight before the combine and he managed it. He’s 6-5 and 304lbs with long 34 3/4 inch arms. He’ll be one of the more fascinating players to watch on Monday. If he runs well at that size, he’ll be back in the first round mix.

— Brent Urban has Seattle-size at 6-7 and 295bs with 34 1/4 inch arms. Some teams will be turned off by his personality, but physically he’s exactly what NFL teams should be looking for.

— Kaleb Ramsey is one to monitor out of Boston College. He’s had a horrendous injury record but he’s going pro and is undoubtedly talented. He came in at 6-3 and 293lbs.

— Dee Ford has actually added weight (9lbs) since the Senior Bowl. He’s now 252lbs. He clearly wants to try and prove he can stay at defensive end, but will this have a negative impact on his forty time?

— Louis Nix, at 6-2 and 331lbs, was both shorter and fatter than expected.

— When I looked down the list of linebackers today, I was pretty underwhelmed. We’ll keep an eye out for the fast, depth guys as usual.

Brandon Coleman benches well…

We’re still waiting for the full list of receiver bench press numbers, but Brandon Coleman put up some impressive reps today…

And if you want to get your hopes up…

Tomorrow I’ll be live blogging throughout the drills and forty runs. Join us from 6am PST.

Combine work outs: Day one (OL & TE)

February 22, 2014 /

Today the work outs begin, with the offensive lineman and tight ends running through drills.

Unfortunately I have to work today so we’re going to have to use this as an open thread for now. Later on I’ll sit down and watch the replay and put some thoughts in writing.

Thankfully I’ve got the rest of the week off and I’ll be live blogging on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday as events unfold in Indianapolis. So I hope you’ll join us for that.

For the time being you can watch the combine via the NFL Network or live via NFL.com by clicking here. Use the comments section to react to everything that’s going on.

Everything you need to know from the combine today

February 21, 2014 /

News Flash: Seahawks like really good football player

Seahawks like Aaron Donald

According to Tony Pauline, the Seahawks have a lot of time for Pittsburgh defensive tackle Aaron Donald.

This isn’t a major revelation. He’s a fantastic football player, should be a top-15 pick and deserves to go as high as defensive prospect not named Jadeveon Clowney.

Pauline: “I’m told the Seattle Seahawks brass love Donald. In fact (a) source mentioned the Seahawks made Donald a lot of money based on the way they played their defensive tackles in 2013.”

It’s a shame he has almost no shot of making it to pick #32. A real damn shame.

Pauline also quotes sources suggesting Donald could run in the 4.5/4.6 range, after initially reporting the 4.7’s. Nothing would surprise me. This guy is a star in the making and only a really short-sighted front office will overlook him based on size.

Carroll speaks at the combine

Pete Carroll spoke at the podium with a few interesting observations. You can hear the full press conference here.

— Despite the occasional hand-wringing over Christine Michael’s future role, Carroll spoke very positively about the second year receiver…

“He’s really talented and he’s a really exciting guy in our program. Probably has the most breakout potential out of anybody because you haven’t seen much of him yet… We’ve seen him, we know that he can do really special stuff.”

— Carroll spoke warmly about Sammy Watkins, a player the Seahawks have no shot at drafting…

“I was watching Sammy Watkins take the stage as he gets measured today and I think he was like 6-1 and 211 pounds or something like that. What separates that guy? What makes him such a great football player? It’s all the other elements. It’s not his height-weight-speed. It’s all the other stuff that’s part of his makeup, his gifts. Also the experiences he’s had, the coaching he’s had, the opportunity to play with great players.”

— When asked about the blueprint for his defense, he had this response…

“We want to be more and more aggressive (up front), always with speed.”

— In a separate, shorter piece with ESPN he made the following comments about Johnny Manziel. And he’s right…

“You better draft this guy… he’s an extraordinary football player.”

Receiver measurements and why Seattle will look for a ‘beast’

I’ve hand picked some key names, but you can see the full list via Walter Football.

Davante Adams — 6-1, 212lbs, 9 inch hands

Odell Beckham Jr — 5-11, 198lbs, 10 inch hands

Kelvin Benjamin — 6-5, 240lbs, 10 1/4 inch hands

Brandon Coleman — 6-6, 225lbs, 9 1/4 inch hands

Brandin Cooks — 5-9, 189lbs, 9 5/8 inch hands

Mike Evans — 6-4, 231lbs, 9 5/8 inch hands

Jarvis Landry — 5-11, 204lbs, 10 1/4 inch hands

Marqise Lee — 5-11, 196lbs, 9 1/2 inch hands

Donte Moncrief — 6-2, 221lbs, 9 1/8 inch hands

Allen Robinson — 6-2, 220lbs, 9 1/2 inch hands

Sammy Watkins — 6-0, 211lbs, 9 5/8 inch hands

The average hand size of a receiver over the last five years is 9 1/4 inches.

Some initial thoughts…

How weird is the human body? How can 5-9 Brandin Cooks, with his 189lbs frame, have the same sized hands as 6-4, 231lbs Mike Evans?

That is crazy.

I also find it interesting that Brandon Coleman at fully 6-6 and 225lbs has hands that are nearly an inch smaller than Odell Beckham’s Jr’s.

I’m going to reserve making any big judgements until after the weekend when these guys have worked out, but I will say this…

The Seahawks, if they’re going to draft a receiver early, they’re going to want a beast.

Not a middling 6-1/6-2 guy who runs a safe and steady forty time.

I’m talking about a monster who is big, fast and might have a few flaws, but is just a nightmare to gameplan.

If they don’t have great size, then they’ll need to be a tremendous athlete.

Look at the draft history under PC/JS.

In 2010 their two first round picks were Russell Okung (great mobility, long arms) and Earl Thomas (4.3 speed, electric athleticism).

The year after they drafted a man-mountain in James Carpenter — not a brilliant athlete, but incredibly huge with an impressive run blocking résumé at Alabama.

In 2012 Bruce Irvin was the top pick — a 4.4 guy and another big time athlete.

And last year their top two ‘picks’ were essentially Percy Harvin and Christine Michael.

Each year at the top of the draft they’ve gone after difference making physicality, speed or athleticism. Later on they’ve been willing to consider a John Moffitt or Jordan Hill. But early picks = nothing average.

And that’s what we should be looking at when it comes to the #32 pick. Even if that player is far from the finished article, they’re going to be special in terms of size or speed.

I suspect they’ll probably have Kelvin Benjamin and Mike Evans right at the top of their list. It’s a shame neither player will get close to #32 — in fact both could be top ten picks.

Evans doesn’t just have the size — on Sunday he’ll show the speed. And he has 35 1/8 inch arms. That’s just incredible length.

To put that into perspective, in the last five drafts the average arm length for a receiver is 32 inches.

Benjamin isn’t too far behind Evans with 34 7/8 inch arms — he too is going to run well for a 240lbs monster.

For a time they may have wondered if Benjamin would last to the late first, but after the weekend he’ll be considered a top-20 lock. I have no doubts there.

After that I’m not convinced there’s an obvious size/speed receiver fit unless Brandon Coleman has a terrific work out.

Don’t get me wrong, the list above is filled with good receivers. But a lot of them are similar to what the Seahawks already have.

If they’re going to draft a bigger target and a red zone threat, it might be time to start looking at Troy Niklas. If he runs well with that physique, he could be their guy.

He’s already a sound blocker with incredible size (6-6, 270lbs). How well is he going to run? We’ll find out tomorrow.

This could be an option for Seattle — especially with Evans and Benjamin likely to be long gone.

It’s also worth monitoring Austin Seferian-Jenkins’ work out. He was a former 5-star recruit, after all. And USC showed some interest during recruitment before Carroll left for the Seahawks.

OL and TE bench press results

Russell Bodine, a guard from North Carolina, had the most reps (42). He’s 6-3, 310lbs with 32 inch arms.

Here are the some other hand-picked results. Again, Walter Football has the full list.

Cameron Fleming — 34 reps

Gabe Jackson — 30 reps

Ja’wuan James — 22 reps

Cyrus Kouandjio — 21 reps

Taylor Lewan — 29 reps

Marcus Martin — 23 reps

Zack Martin — 29 reps

Jake Matthews — 23 reps

Morgan Moses — DNP

Antonio Richardson — 36 reps

Cyril Richardson — 25 reps

Greg Robinson — 32 reps

Xavier Su’a-Filo — 25 reps

David Yankey — 22 reps

Jace Amaro — 28 reps

Eric Ebron — 24 reps

Marcel Jensen — 24 reps

Colt Lyerla — 15 reps

Troy Niklas — 27 reps

Austin Seferian-Jenkins — 20 reps

It’s worth noting arm length for these players and the total reps. It’s much harder for Cyrus Kouandjio with nearly 36 inch arms to bench press than it is for someone like Jake Matthews, Zack Martin or Taylor Lewan.

Antonio Richardson’s 36 reps with 35 inch arms is positively freakish. We talked all year about how he could make a move up the boards. This might be the start of the hype train leaving the station.

In terms of the tight ends, Jace Amaro and Troy Niklas performed well considering their +34 inch arms.

Running back and quarterback measurements

A few other choice notes…

There were no major headlines involving the top three quarterbacks. Johnny Manziel is listed at 5-11 and 207lbs with big hands — 9 7/8 inches.

With hands like that, it’s safe to say John Schneider likes this guy.

Average hand size for a QB is around 9 5/8 inches. Considering there are very few quarterbacks under 6-0, that’s impressive for Manziel.

Blake Bortles is 6-5 and 232 lbs with 9 3/8 inch hands. Teddy Bridgewater is 6-2 and 214lbs with 9 1/4 inch hands.

For the full list click here.

I don’t expect the Seahawks to draft a running back, but for the record Carlos Hyde is listed at 5-11 and 230lbs, Bishop Sankey is 5-9 and 209lbs and Lache Seastrunk — who could run a fantastic time this Sunday — is 5-9 and 201lbs. You can see the rest here.

The weirdest story of the day award goes to…

The Cleveland Browns, who apparently tried to trade for Jim Harbaugh.

Plus there’s this addition from Mike Florio… “A deal that would have sent multiple draft picks to San Francisco was in place between the teams. But Harbaugh ultimately decided not to leave the 49ers.”

And then this…

And this little go-between is a classic…

This is so Harbaugh. And clearly something isn’t right in San Fran if he really is entertaining this switch. Seahawks begin negotiations with Michael Bennett’s agent According to this tweet…

What is Jared Allen’s market?

Jason La Canfora has an interesting piece on free agent Jared Allen.

Can he beat the collapsing pass rusher market for veteran players?

There’s been some talk that free agency could take a battering this year, due to the sheer quality and depth of this draft class.

However, it’s not a great draft for edge rushers. And this could actually benefit the likes of Allen and others when the market re-opens next month.

Even so, the Seahawks might keep an eye on what happens here. They reportedly showed interest before the trade deadline. If they cut Chris Clemons and with the cap growing to $130m — is there a chance to work out a cap-friendly deal to help Allen win a ring?

Sidney Rice makes it official

Adam Schefter broke the news earlier. I guess it’s now official.

Report: Seahawks releasing Sidney Rice

February 21, 2014 /

This move frees up $7.3m in cap room. It won’t be the only piece of cost-cutting by Seattle.

Rice was an important capture in 2011, a key note signing after the lockout. The Seahawks were determined to make a splash, to get the rebuild moving. Adding Rice, Robert Gallery and Zach Miller was a big deal and undoubtedly helped create some momentum for the franchise.

Yet as they move forward after winning their first championship, there’s at least some chance none of that trio will be part of the future.

Miller is another potential cap casualty, although unlike Rice he’s stayed relatively healthy and had a big impact as a blocker.

But with a salary worth $7m — a year after earning $11m — it might be too much. Cutting him saves another $5m.

Nothing has been made official by the Seahawks on Rice, but this news along with the combine really kicks off an intriguing off-season.

Thursday combine notes – TE’s and OL measure up

February 20, 2014 /

Why do college teams embellish the truth?

I’ve never understood this.

One of the best things about the combine is simply getting the facts on height and weight.

Cornerbacks listed at 6-1 suddenly drop to 5-11. Expect Justin Gilbert to get that treatment. Johnny Manziel’s going to struggle to crack 6-0, even though he’s listed at a very generous 6-1.

Today the offensive linemen and tight ends were weighed and measured. Kudos to @ThePatton for putting together this spreadsheet for the tight ends…

Troy Niklas is 6-6 and 270lbs. It’ll be very interesting to see how he performs with that massive size.

When I saw how big he was, I immediately thought back to this 66-yard touchdown he scored against Temple:

I know it’s only Temple, but look at the way he moves in the second level. If he comes out all guns blazing in Saturday’s work out, be prepared for the hype factor to go through the roof.

At 270lbs he’s built like a third offensive tackle. When that third offensive tackle can run a seam route down the field for a touchdown, that guy is going to be popular among NFL teams.

I wouldn’t mind but there’s barely any body fat on that frame either.

Niklas also had the second longest arms among TE’s. He has ten inch hands.

He mentioned during his interview he’s struggling with an unspecified ‘strain’ but still intends to work out.

How is he as a pass catcher? The video below details all his 2012 and 2013 targets. This isn’t just a highlight reel, it includes drops:

Austin Seferian-Jenkins has shed some weight for the combine, which is good to see. He was listed at 6-6, 276lbs by ESPN during the 2013 season. He came in at just under 6-6 and 262lbs in Indianapolis.

Let’s see if the weight-loss leads to a positive work out. He can really help his stock by running well here. The late first round isn’t totally out of the question, but he needs to compare favourably to the likes of Jace Amaro — who is almost identical in size.

Another stat worth monitoring with ASJ — according to @FantasyDouche he coverted 38 red zone targets into 19 touchdowns at Washington. That’s the kind of production Seattle currently lacks in that area.

Keep an eye on Fresno State’s Marcel Jensen too. He’s someone we talked about during the season. His best football is going to come at the next level.

At 6-4 and 250lbs, Eric Ebron looked more like a big receiver than a tight end. And that’s exactly what he’s going to be drafted to be. You can see his combine interview here.

Walter Football has the offensive line measurements from earlier.

Over the last five drafts, the average size of an offensive tackle is 6-5 and 315lbs — with 34 1/8 inch arms.

Now look at these…

Cyrus Kouandjio — 6-6, 322lbs with 35 5/8 inch arms

Greg Robinson — 6-5, 332lbs with 35 inch arms

Taylor Lewan — 6-7, 309lbs with 33 7/8 inch arms

Morgan Moses — 6-6, 314lbs with 35 3/8 inch arms

Antonio Richardson — 6-6, 336lbs with 35 inch arms

This is a draft filled with monster offensive tackles, completely hammering the five year average in terms of size.

A player like Jake Matthews will look at these numbers and get sweaty palms. He’s only 6-5, 308lbs with 33 3/8 inch arms. That’s decidedly average in comparison.

Stanford guard David Yankey is 6-5, 315lbs and has 34 inch arms. Very similar.

Unless he separates himself during work outs, I’m not sure Matthews’ tape will be enough to make him the first tackle off the board. Luke Joeckel was usurped by Eric Fisher last year because Fisher was just a better athlete with greater upside.

Robinson, Lewan, Kouandjio — these players are more than capable of jumping to the front of the draft.

Morgan Moses has also dropped considerable weight since the Senior Bowl, probably on the recommendation of the NFL teams he talked to in Mobile.

If the players listed above move well at that size, this is going to be some draft for offensive linemen in round one.

Elsewhere today…

— Jermiah Attaochu will not work due to an injured hamstring.

— Steelers GM Kevin Colbert said the 2014 draft class might be the most immature group he’s seen. He started by saying it’s the deepest class he’d evaluated, before dropping that little bombshell. Very interesting.

— Minnesota GM Rick Spielman also referred to the depth of the draft, saying you can find instant starters in rounds three and four.

— Tony Pauline says Aaron Donald is expected to bench 30 reps at the combine and run a 4.7. If he manages that, say hello to the top-15. Incredible player.

Tomorrow the quarterbacks, receivers and running backs will be weighed and measured.

Away from the combine, the big news of the day involved the salary cap.

Reports are saying it’ll be increased by 5% to $130m.

Originally a $3-4m increase was expected. This would represent a $7m jump.

This significantly improves Seattle’s chances of re-signing Michael Bennett and Golden Tate, while also retaining some of the clubs other free agents.

With an extra $7m in cap room and cuts to be expected (Sidney Rice, possibly Zach Miller and Chris Clemons), life just became a little easier for the Seahawks. Especially with Earl Thomas almost certainly receiving an extension this off-season.

In his combine press conference today, John Schneider essentially ruled out using the franchise tag on Bennett. It’s probably unnecessary given today’s news on the cap. Tagging Bennett as a defensive tackle (contentious) would incur a $9.6m cost.

Schneider was interviewed by the NFL Network. You can see it here.

Pre-combine mock draft, big changes: 19th February

February 19, 2014 /

This week I’ve tried to project what a lot of mocks could look like immediately after the combine.

We’ll do another one next week to compare. Let’s see if some of the moves here come off.

For example, I’ve got Mike Evans at #5 going to Oakland. I suspect he’s going to run a lot faster than people think — possibly matching Vincent Jackson’s 4.46 in 2005.

If he does that to go along with everything he’s shown in college, he might be a top five pick. He might be the first receiver off the board.

And that’s no slight on Sammy Watkins. I have him going to Tampa Bay at #7. I just wonder, after weeks of Watkins being the perceived #1 wide out, whether a change will occur next week.

We’ll see.

That’s just one example. There are others…

— Will Jadeveon Clowney convince the Texans they have to take him with the #1 pick? Or will he leave the door open for a quarterback instead? In this mock, I think he performs well enough to be the first name called.

— Can Kelvin Benjamin wow onlookers with a crazy work out at 6-5 and 230lbs? He’s a physical freak and this setting could suit him. By this time next week is he a consensus top-10/15 player?

— Two of my personal favourites — Ra’Shede Hageman and Brent Urban — will both perform well enough to get a little more attention. That’s my projection. Although I hope Urban doesn’t use the whole ‘moody Canadian Hockey Player’ persona during team interviews.

— Justin Gilbert is being tipped to run a fast time. Does he become the consensus #1 corner after running a fast forty?

— Can Brandon Coleman silence a few critics about a lack of production with a first round work out? I think he’s capable, he also has to clear medical checks over his knee.

Then there’s the players not involved here…

— Will Austin Seferian-Jenkins give his stock a boost, or does he run a middling 4.7 and remain a second rounder at best? I’m not expecting a sensational work.

— Stephon Tuitt, for me, looked cumbersome and ineffective in 2013. Does he show up in better shape or does he remain a 320lbs monster with marginal athletic skills?

— Will Allen Robinson actually run in the 4.5 range? I think it’s very possible, hampering his hopes of a first round grade.

— Is Kony Ealy really worth the first round chatter? I guess we’ll see what he’s made of during drills.

We’ll come back to this mock next week and review the before and after.

I’ve also gone in a different direction with Seattle’s pick at #32.

Over the last few days I took in some Demarcus Lawrence (DE, Boise State) tape. He’s generally ranked anywhere between rounds two and four by the internet pundits you all know.

I think he might be flying under the radar a little bit.

He’s far from the finished product. You’d want to get him in the weight room and add a bit more upper body power. He’s capable of carrying another 8-10lbs I reckon without losing any speed.

He also needs to develop a better bull rush and perform better against double teams. Again, these are things that can be rectified with pro-strength training.

Here are the positives — wonderful, long frame (ideal LEO size at 6-3 and around 250lbs). He’s a natural pass rusher with 20 sacks and 34 total TFL’s in two seasons after leaving the JUCO ranks.

Lawrence is a very fluid athlete who knows how to get off a block and explode to the ball carrier. I like the fact he plays with an edge — this is an underrated feature in a pass rusher. He’s a violent dude. But at the same time, he never seems to lose control and he has terrific balance.

I like his hand use, even if it could be even better (extra strength will help here). He’s got a great motor and he’ll chase across the field to get involved. Always finishes plays.

In a year where there aren’t a ton of great pass rushers, he’s one of the better ones. There are a few character issues (suspensions) that need to be addressed. Hopefully we’ll get some info on that during the combine.

He’s not going to be on every wish list. I’m not sure he’s got the coverage skills or mobility in space to convert to a 3-4 linebacker. He lacks the size to play a lot of downs at end in an orthodox 4-3.

Yet for the Seahawks he fits quite nicely. They can line him up across from Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett (if he re-signs) and limit how many double teams he faces. In that type of situation, I think you could generate an instant impact.

Seattle needs to consider the future at defensive end. Chris Clemons might be cut this off-season, while Avril is a free agent next year.

They spent a year training Benson Mayowa and Bruce Irvin could always return to the LEO. Even then, there’s no guarantee Mayowa takes the next step and Irvin might remain at linebacker.

Adding a long, athletic pass rusher into the mix might not be such a bad idea. The Seahawks tend to see things differently compared to other teams, and they might see some value in this particular edge rusher at #32.

I also wouldn’t rule out a late surge. Chandler Jones ran a 4.87 at the combine two years ago, but ended up going 21st overall. Lawrence could experience something similar — but I think he’ll run a lot faster than that.

I’ve included his 2013 tape vs Nevada at the top of this article. Take a look for yourselves. Check out that last play to end the game.

Shop for Conference Champs and Super Bowl XLVIII Match Up Merchandise at NFLShop.com

#1 Jadeveon Clowney (DE, South Carolina)
If Clowney performs as expected at the combine, this will be an easy decision — however much they need a quarterback.
#2 Jake Matthews (T, Texas A&M)
It’s up to Matthews to flash the kind of athleticism Luke Joeckel failed to show at last years combine.
#3 Johnny Manziel (QB, Texas A&M)
He could be the sparky competitor Gus Bradley needs at QB to continue the building job in Jacksonville.
#4 Teddy Bridgewater (QB, Louisville)
After all the changes, who knows what to expect in Cleveland any more?
#5 Mike Evans (WR, Texas A&M)
He could blow up the combine. Seriously. Adding speed to the size and production could put him in the top five.
#6 Greg Robinson (T, Auburn)
It would be the perfect review of the strength of this draft if Robinson lasted this far.
#7 Sammy Watkins (WR, Clemson)
He’ll do everything well in Indy and won’t get out of the top ten. It’s just a case of how high does he go?
#8 Blake Bortles (QB, UCF)
He’s a decent fit for Norv Turner’s offense, and they need a quarterback badly. He’ll throw at the combine apparently.
#9 Kelvin Benjamin (WR, Florida State)
With his size, a good showing this week could put him in the top-ten mix.
#10 Khalil Mack (DE, Buffalo)
Detroit could field a front four of Mack, Suh, Fairly and Ansah. All four are top-15 picks.
#11 Anthony Barr (OLB, UCLA)
I’m still not overly convinced by Barr. Ray Horton’s arrival as defensive coordinator means they need a 3-4 OLB.
#12 Taylor Lewan (T, Michigan)
He could easily go in the top ten and this is pretty much his floor.
#13 Zack Martin (G, Notre Dame)
Doubling up on the offensive line might not be a bad idea for the Rams.
#14 Calvin Pryor (S, Louisville)
Every team in the league is looking for a rangy safety. The Bears need one badly.
#15 Eric Ebron (TE, North Carolina)
Terrific athlete with the potential to be the next big time tight end. He’s predicting an “illegal” work out on Saturday.
#16 Aaron Donald (DT, Pittsburgh)
If he shows above average athleticism at the combine, he deserves to go this early. Geno Atkins-esque.
#17 Marqise Lee (WR, USC)
Baltimore always seems to get great value in the draft. They consistently make smart picks.
#18 Jarvis Landry (WR, LSU)
Terrific receiver. It’s a toss up between Landry and Odell Beckham Jr who goes first. They’re both fantastic players.
#19 Cyrus Kouandjio (T, Alabama)
He could easily go earlier based on potential, but he needs to impress this week to move up a talented tackle board.
#20 Ra’Shede Hageman (DT, Minnesota)
They won ten games without a very good offensive line last year. Hageman is better value than any of the remaining tackles.
#21 C.J. Mosley (LB, Alabama)
Green Bay needs to keep adding toughness to that defense. It’s holding them back.
#22 Brent Urban (DE, Virginia)
Long, talented defensive lineman. Could have a big weekend. Personality is very ‘Canadian hockey player’.
#23 Jace Amaro (TE, Texas Tech)
Big, third down converting tight end. Would have an instant impact in this offense. Needs to avoid a Gavin Escobar type work out.
#24 Justin Gilbert (CB, Oklahoma State)
Touted to run very fast this weekend. It’s not a great corner class, so Gilbert has a shot to create some separation.
#25 Xavier S’ua-Filo (G, UCLA)
Major upside and could impress on Saturday. Has the potential to ‘wow’.
#26 Morgan Moses (T, Virginia)
The Browns might wait on a receiver and instead secure a book end tackle for their new quarterback.
#27 Darqueze Dennard (CB, Michigan State)
The Saints could use a new corner and Dennard is probably the #1 or #2 corner available.
#28 Brandon Coleman (WR, Rutgers)
Insane potential. Give him a year and he could be big time. Has a chance to silence a few critics this weekend.
#29 Louis Nix (DT, Notre Dame)
Didn’t have a great 2013 and won’t be Dontari Poe at the combine. Needs to turn up in better shape.
#30 Odell Beckham Jr (WR, LSU)
I’m not going to lie — this would be tough to accept. Beckham is such a good player.
#31 Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (S, Alabama)
Not a brilliant 2013 season and will probably struggle to match Calvin Pryor’s work out on Tuesday.
#32 Demarcus Lawrence (DE, Boise State)
Keep an eye on how he performs. He has the required length and speed. He might be flying under the radar a little bit.

The only scenario I’d want to go offensive line at #32

February 18, 2014 /

Breno Giacomini -- underrated, under appreciated, our guy

By now I think you know my stance on drafting an offensive lineman at #32, but here’s a quick recap…

— Whatever o-line you put on the field, Russell Wilson is going to get hit. That’s not to say he didn’t get hit too often in 2013, but he’s always going to get more punishment than other quarterbacks. Pete Carroll wants to be the best scrambling team in the league. His words. That comes with a cost.

— Arizona, St. Louis and San Francisco are going to create pressure. That’s an unavoidable fact. Russell Wilson is going to get sacked by these teams, because the NFC West is loaded with defensive talent. You simply cannot shut down Robert Quinn AND Chris Long. You can’t dominate San Francisco’s excellent front seven. And the Cardinals were ranked #2 on defense by DVOA. The 49ers have the best o-line in the division and they can’t stop Colin Kaepernick getting hit. The defenses are too good.

— I think it’s a poor draft for guards, outside of Notre Dame’s Zack Martin moving inside from tackle. Even then, you wonder how he’d react to a positional switch. The likes of Cyril Richardson and Gabe Jackson were found out at the Senior Bowl, while Xavier S’ua-Filo is more upside over proven ability. David Yankey looks like a classic Stanford lineman — technically gifted within that system, but that doesn’t necessarily translate to the next level.

— I think it’s a very good draft for offensive tackles. Yet three out of the first four picks last year went on offensive linemen. SIX of the first eleven picks in 2013 were either tackles or guards. Any top-tier talent on the o-line isn’t going to hang around. Teams are putting these guys right up there with the quarterbacks. By the time Seattle’s on the board at #32, it’s a major stretch to think there’s going to be a really good offensive tackle just sitting there waiting to be snapped up.

— I know people disagree, but I reckon the Tom Cable project is working. J.R. Sweezy continues to develop and let’s remember, 2013 was only his second year as an offensive lineman and his first as the unquestioned starter. We’re seeing a lot of potential in Alvin Bailey and Michael Bowie. I’d let Cable try and add a couple more later round/UDFA players to the group while further developing the current incumbents.

One final point, and it’s the one that winds people up the most — I don’t think you need a brilliant, elite offensive line to win a title.

A lot of people complain about Seattle’s line, yet they’re Super Bowl champs.

Name me the last team who won a Championship and the offensive line was considered ‘great’.

It certainly isn’t Seattle, Baltimore, New York, Green Bay, New Orleans or Pittsburgh — the last six Super Bowl winners.

Denver won the AFC this year without their stud left tackle playing more than two games.

For me, it’s all about managing situations and finding ways to win. Seattle spent most of the year in damage-limitation mode, reeling from a spate of injuries to Russell Okung, Max Unger and Breno Giacomini.

Wilson got hit too much in their absence, but they still won games.

Why?

Because they managed the situation, working their gameplan to suit. It didn’t always look pretty — but they lost only one game during the OL injury crisis.

I often hear people quote where Seattle’s line was ranked by PFF or some other format. Do these rankings take into account who was starting for most of the season? It’s OK saying they were only 17th for run blocking. But that’s 17th for run blocking with your left tackle, center and right tackle missing multiple games.

An average end-of-season ranking for run blocking when you’re fielding a line of McQuistan-Carpenter-Jeanpierre-Sweezy-Bowie for part of it could actually be perceived as a positive.

I actually think if this unit can stay healthy, they can thrive. They’re well coached by Cable. They know the scheme (such an underrated factor) and each other.

Drafting in the late first round doesn’t always guarantee results (see: James Carpenter) and throwing another rookie into the mix might actually have a negative impact next year.

Do you really want a late first round tackle trying to stop Robert Quinn, Calais Campbell, Chris Long, Aldon Smith etc etc?

*shudders*

In an ideal world they re-sign the underrated Breno Giacomini and pick up one or two more guys for Cable to work with.

But what if they can’t keep Giacomini?

It’s not beyond the realms of possibility he’ll get a relatively attractive offer in free agency. He’s a solid right tackle who plays with attitude — and he’s now a Super Bowl champion. There’s a few teams out there with plenty of cap room who can afford to maintain the average of his 2012/2013 salary (around $3.5m).

I suspect age (he turns 29 in September) plus the strength of the tackle class in the draft might put teams off, and he could end up being a bargain re-sign for Seattle.

If he does walk, that’s when I think you start looking at the position at #32.

Bowie, for me at least, looked a lot more comfortable at guard against Arizona and New Orleans (playoffs). At times he struggled at tackle, particularly the game on the road against the Cardinals.

The fact Bailey sat while Bowie played is a hint the Seahawks don’t see Bailey as a right tackle.

If you lose Breno, you have to replace him.

But will there be a guy sitting there at #32? This is the big question.

As noted earlier, the league is placing a high premium on offensive linemen. Will there be any left?

I’d need to see one of Cyrus Kouandjio, Morgan Moses or Antonio Richardson waiting there to even consider it. I’m going to do more work on Richardson before the combine because I’ve seen quite a lot of negativity on him recently.

Kouandjio is likely to be long gone, while Moses could be snapped up by Baltimore, Miami or Arizona.

If anything the likelihood of a rush on tackles would make me even more determined to re-sign Giacomini.

I’m not being blasé about the offensive line. I just feel better luck with injuries can provide the biggest boost in 2014.

It’ll be a major improvement if they simply aren’t forced to start Paul McQuistan at left tackle for weeks on end, put a 7th round rookie at right tackle and fit in a 2010 undrafted free agent to replace you’re Pro Bowl center.

For me, a healthy line of Okung-Bailey/Bowie/Carpenter-Unger-Sweezy-Giacomini… works just fine.

But if they lose Giacomini, I have to respect tackle becomes a much greater need.

Yet it’s just as likely we’ll see major changes to the defensive line due to free agency and cuts (Bennett? McDaniel? McDonald? Clemons? Bryant?).

Let’s not forget what made this team the best. Even if you manage to keep Michael Bennett, the others would need to be replaced.

And if the receivers and offensive tackles go early this year, it increases the chances of a really good defensive lineman making it to #32.

Food for thought.

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The thankless task of projecting tight ends

February 17, 2014 /

Austin Seferian-Jenkins, yet another TE who could sink or swim in the NFL

Tight end is one of the toughest positions to judge.

At least for me it is.

Essentially, the NFL is full of really average tight ends.

And yet they’re all so different at the same time.

What should we be looking for?

Everyone wants to find the next big thing, but for whatever reason it’s just so damn difficult.

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The most highly touted prospect I’ve covered since starting this blog was Jermaine Gresham. He was considered a huge talent at Oklahoma. A true difference maker.

At the combine he ran a 4.66 — which was pretty good at 261lbs. Not elite, but fair. His vertical jump (35 inches) was superior to the likes of Jason Witten (31) and just shy of Jimmy Graham’s (38.5).

He wasn’t joining a team with a hopeless passing game — whatever you want to say about Andy Dalton, the Bengals have put up yards since 2011.

He had the luxury of playing alongside a superstar in A.J. Green — a player who regularly draws extra attention in coverage.

Yet for whatever reason it just hasn’t worked for Gresham. He is the very definition of average.

He’s a classic ‘bye week’ fantasy tight end. He’s always on the waiver wire. You’re hoping the week you grab him in desperation is that one, strange week he actually does something.

We’ve all been there.

And more often than not you’re left completely disappointed.

He has 2262 yards in four seasons and 19 touchdowns. After his most productive campaign in 2012 (737 yards, five scores), the Bengals went out and drafted another tight end (Tyler Eifert) in round one.

For all the promise he showed in college, we’ve seen such rampant mediocrity at the next level.

This was supposed to be a can’t miss type pick. Really, it’s just a classic example of how difficult it is to project tight ends to the pro’s.

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Here’s a list of TE’s taken between rounds 1-3 in the four drafts prior to 2013:

Brandon Pettigrew (1st rounder, 2009)
Richard Quinn (2nd rounder, 2009)
Jared Cook (3rd rounder, 2009)
Chase Coffman (3rd rounder, 2009)
Travis Beckum (3rd rounder, 2009)
Jermaine Gresham (1st rounder, 2010)
Rob Gronkowski (2nd rounder, 2010)
Ed Dickson (3rd rounder, 2010)
Tony Moeaki (3rd rounder, 2010)
Jimmy Graham (3rd rounder, 2010)
Kyle Rudolph (2nd rounder, 2011)
Lance Kendricks (2nd rounder, 2011)
Rob Housler (3rd rounder, 2011)
Coby Fleener (2nd rounder, 2012)
Dwayne Allen (3rd rounder, 2012)
Michael Egnew (3rd rounder, 2012)

That’s a heck of a lot of swinging and missing.

There’s everything in that list above. Big production, minimal production. Great size, smaller tight ends. Athleticism, more of a blocker.

And out of 16 players drafted in the first three rounds between 2009-12 — about three guys made it happen.

Three.

So much swinging. So much missing.

**********************************

It’s a similar story with the 2013 class. Of the six tight ends taken in the first three rounds — the guy picked right at the end of the third (Jordan Reed) had the best rookie year.

Gavin Escobar, Travis Kelce, Vance McDonald, Zach Ertz, Tyler Eifert.

All usurped by Reed — a guy who ran a 4.72.

Drafting this position early, to put it bluntly, scares the crap out of me.

How do you know what you’re going to get?

Michael Egnew ran a 4.62, had a 37.5 inch vertical jump and managed 21 reps on the bench press. He looked every bit the next big ‘move’ tight end at 6-5 and 255lbs. I really liked his potential, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he was high up on Seattle’s list.

He went in the third round to Miami.

In two years he has seven catches for 69 yards and zero touchdowns.

Coby Fleener — solid, Stanford guy. 4.52 speed, 27 reps on the bench. Looked sensational at his pro-day too. He’s a very early second round pick after a lot of talk he could go in the top 20.

He’s even drafted by Indianapolis, the team that just picked his guy to play quarterback — Andrew Luck.

The end result? Drops galore, loads of errors and a marginal NFL target for Luck.

Both players look like the kind of guys you’d take a chance on.

And yet neither is working out as planned.

Then you look at players who did make it work in 2013…

Julius Thomas — a former 4th round pick who ran a 4.64 and spent his college career playing basketball.

Jordan Cameron — another ex-Basketball guy and another former 4th rounder. Ran a 4.53 with a 37.5 inch vertical jump at the combine in 2011.

Antonio Gates — undrafted in 2003, enjoying a renaissance season after a mountain of injuries. Yep — you guessed it — basketball background.

It seems to me a better plan might be to keep searching for those 4.5/4.6 runners who converted from basketball. Dig around in the later rounds to find the next gem.

Seattle had some success uncovering Luke Willson last year with this type of approach.

At least your not making too much of a commitment, because a lot of these early round picks are bombing and it’s costly.

**********************************

Let’s have a look at the upcoming class. Five names stand out going into the combine.

Eric Ebron — the perceived big-time athlete and former basketball talent (take note). He’s getting the big props, a bit like Gresham, with people suggesting he could be the next great tight end to enter the league.

Jace Amaro — an over-sized receiver who doesn’t have great speed but oozes control and manages to find ways to get open. He excelled in a prolific passing offense, but how will he adjust to the next level when he’s not operating in an extreme spread system?

Austin Seferian-Jenkins — At times at Washington he looked like an insane prospect, with ideal size and a solid all-round game. More of a throwback tight end, not just a joker. Some have expressed concern over an entitled attitude. Does he want to be great?

Troy Niklas — a massive tight end with great height and size. Was considered a tackle prospect initially. He can get downfield but he might be better off training to be a blocker first. How fast is he?

Richard Rogers — the wildcard. Touted to flash extreme athleticism at the combine, he drifted under the radar at rotten California. Just how physically talented is he? And can he become more than just a great athlete?

All five have their issues.

Is Ebron really going to put in the kind of performance he’s touting? Can he be the next basketball convert to take over the league?

Amaro’s size can be instantly compared to Gavin Escobar in 2012. He had a very disappointing combine and it hurt his stock. I just don’t see a great athlete here and the combine might not be a good thing for Amaro.

Seferian-Jenkins needs to turn up in great shape and flash the kind of 5-star athleticism that had all the big schools trying to recruit him. If he does it, someone will take a shot early. But there’s every chance he runs a 4.7 or worse.

Niklas might be the latest player off Notre Dame’s tight end conveyor belt, but it also means he has limited experience on the field. Before the 2013 season he had just five catches for 75 yards. That’s it. And he wasn’t a focal point on the offense when he eventually became the starter. It was somewhat surprising he chose to declare.

Rogers has a shot to move up the board with a great work out. If he doesn’t run in the 4.4’s or early 4.5’s — why would you take a shot early? There’s not a great deal to get excited about on tape, even if that’s mostly down to one of the worst passing offenses in the NCAA.

Honestly, I could see all five players entering the NFL and having success. But I can also see all five adding to the list of flops.

There really isn’t a classic modern tight end where you can say — this guy ticks the right boxes so he will be this type of player.

Whether you’re bigger, smaller, faster, more powerful or whatever. All types have failed in recent years.

Here’s the order I’d put them in terms of how much confidence I’ve got in their ability to succeed:

#1 Ebron #2 ASJ #3 Amaro #4 Rogers #5 Niklas

We get a chance to see all five work out on Saturday. The combine gets under way with the tight ends and offensive linemen going through drills.

Also — keep an eye on Fresno State’s Marcel Jensen. What he lacked in consistent production, he makes up for in potential. He’s a very intriguing player.

I’ll write a review of day one from Indianapolis on Saturday evening. I’ll be live-blogging on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday during the other work outs.

**********************************

Monday links

Speaking of tight ends, Mike Huguenin has a nice piece comparing the combine results of previous players and discussing this years crop.

Huguenin on Seferian-Jenkins:

” His combine performance should be excellent, and if you like Seferian-Jenkins, that will strengthen those feelings. But will that combine performance win over any detractors?”

Mike Mayock has published his pre-combine rankings. I love Mayock, but for someone who’s so cagey about doing a mock draft — I’m surprised he puts out an early list like this. It nearly always changes so dramatically after the combine.

His tight end list goes: Ebron, ASJ, Amaro, Niklas, C.J. Fiedorowicz.

Nolan Narwocki has put together a piece for NFL.com, looking at ten players with ‘character’ issues.

Here’s what he has to say about Johnny Manziel, and it aint pretty:

“…not a leader by example or known to inspire by his words. Carries a sense of entitlement and prima-donna arrogance seeking out the bright lights of Hollywood. Is known to party too much and is drawn to all the trappings of the game. Has defied the odds and proven to be a great college-system quarterback, but still must prove he is willing to work to be great, adjust his hard-partying, Hollywood lifestyle and be able to inspire his teammates by more than his playmaking ability.”

Friend of the blog Kenneth Arthur has written a detailed off-season projection for Field Gulls.

Arthur, on the cap conundrum facing the Seahawks:

“Very soon — possibly before this article is published — the Seahawks will really start making offseason news. It will likely start with the releases of some popular veterans, and possibly some other re-negotiations. As of February 17, OvertheCap.com says that the Oakland Raiders have over $60,000,000 in cap space for next season. Per Davis Hsu’s latest projections on next years Seattle roster, the Seahawks are spending $60 million on the offense and defense… each.”

Finally, and seeing as we’re on the subject of tight ends, here’s some new tape on Jace Amaro vs Texas:

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