Author: Rob Staton (Page 52 of 424)

Here are my takeaways from the Senior Bowl week, starting with the players who I think stood out the most. A quick note — this is based on a study of what was available on the NFL Network Broadcast and YouTube. There’s a ton of practise reps I haven’t seen, so keep that in mind. It’s also quite difficult to evaluate linebackers and safeties at the Senior Bowl during practise, because unlike receivers vs cornerbacks and the trench 1v1’s, there’s not a translatable practise that really suits either position.

Standout performers

Quinyon Mitchell (CB, Toledo)
For me he was the clear star of the week. Mitchell displayed a constant X-factor in coverage — staying in the hip-pocket of receivers with natural fluidity and speed. He looked incredibly smooth in transition and his instincts when tracking the ball were top-notch. Mitchell can mix it up and be physical when he needs to be. He also has a confident swagger to his personality that most of the top cornerbacks possess. There’s just something a bit special about him and based on this evidence, don’t be shocked if he ends up going in the top-15.

Jackson Powers-Johnson (C, Oregon)
Angles, the ability to latch onto defenders quickly and be the aggressor and a strong base. JPJ showed all of these key characteristics for a center while also flashing plus athleticism, especially when he needed to recover and reset. He looked like the complete package during practise and if he tests well, will have a chance to go in the first round. He also battled a hamstring injury and only practised the first two days.

Darius Robinson (DE, Missouri)
Robinson looks the part physically with a big, thick frame and he flashed a versatile repertoire when attacking in 1v1’s. Off the edge he was able to win with power consistently, connecting and bull-rushing opponents into the pocket. There was evidence of a quick inside counter off the edge too. When they lined him up inside, he’d switch between power and excellent disengagement and a quick get-off to knife into the backfield. On every rep he was all-out in terms of effort and he looks like a player who can be very effective rushing inside and out. ‘NFL ready’ is a good way to describe him. If he tests well at the combine, he could be a first rounder.

Taliese Fuaga (T, Oregon State)
An absolute beast. I’m not sure why Tyler Guyton (who I like) has been name-checked among standout performers on different platforms and Fuaga isn’t the man getting more attention. He overwhelmed opponents in nearly every 1v1. He showed excellent footwork for a big man, a great ability to drop and set and once he latched on to an edge rusher it was over. He was just too big, too physical and too good. He will be OT1 on my new horizontal board and I don’t think he’ll get out of the top-10.

Luke McCaffrey (WR, Rice)
Watching McCaffrey run routes I kept thinking of Tyler Lockett. They have similar movement skills and quirks to get open and they’re both highly consistent and reliable. McCaffrey, as with Ladd McKonkey from Georgia, just had a knack of getting open and making the catch. While the other receivers had a few ups and downs, these two were very consistent. As second or third receivers, they could both be very productive. Roman Wilson from Michigan also stood out.

Honourable mentions

Emani Bailey (RB, TCU)
He was the real MVP in the game. Bailey is short but with a nice frame and he just looked so dynamic as a runner and receiver. On several occasions he made the first man miss to make positive gains on the ground. He finished every run and flashed an acceleration that could be really threatening if he breaks into the second level. As a receiver his routes were crisp and he showed good hands. The game went through him for the most part and as a depth piece at running back, he’s a very interesting prospect who could carve out a decent role in the NFL.

Braden Fiske (DT, Florida State)
It’s a shame he has shorter arms and a less than ideal frame because Fiske just picked up where he left off for Florida State. He’s a chaos creator inside and just finds a way to disrupt, whether that’s with power or quickness. He’s adept at knifing through gaps or bull-rushing and he’ll give all-out effort on every down. Whether he can carry on doing it at the next level is a big question but he had a good week.

Justin Eboigbe (DE, Alabama)
As with Fiske, the shorter arms are a bit of an issue but Eboigbe’s frame is otherwise prototypical. I liked him a lot at Alabama but was still surprised to see how athletic he looked in 1v1’s — winning not just with power but with speed. He’s not going to be a game-wrecker at the next level but he showed enough quickness, strength, versatility and range here to be a very useful rotational end who can move around the line.

Keith Randolph (DE, Illinois)
I thought he was surprisingly disruptive this week. He kept finding ways to get into the backfield with a mix of power and quickness. He was a good run defender in college but based on the 1v1 reps he looks like a potential fourth round 5-tech who can do a job at the next level.

Cam Hart (CB, Notre Dame)
Sticky in coverage all week and more polished than a lot of the other defenders, Hart has the size and skill to be a potential third round pick. There was a good moment in the game where he was blown-up by Cody Schrader on a run, so he came roaring back a couple of plays later with a big tackle in the backfield for a TFL on another running play. It’s very easy to imagine him competing for a starting job in the NFL.

Carlton Johnson (CB, Fresno State)
Whenever the receiver/cornerback 1v1’s took place, Johnson kept popping up and making plays. He’s undersized and had a few reps get away from him but overall he had a decent showing and did a better job than most getting a hand in there to break-up a pass, gaining position or recovering when needed.

Other names that impressed: Ben Sinnott (TE, Kansas State), Theo Johnson (TE, Penn State), Jha’Quan Jackson (WR, Tulane), Ray Davis (RB, Kentucky), Roger Rosengarten (T, Washington), Jarvis Brownlee Jr (CB, Louisville)

Thoughts on the quarterbacks

I’ve read and heard a lot about certain quarterbacks performing well in Mobile but the truth is, nobody really shone. I thought it was a mostly underwhelming week. Too many passes from the group were off target in 1v1’s which should be food and drink. We didn’t see any big flashes from Michael Penix Jr with his great arm. The most impressive physical feat was Bo Nix throwing +60 yards downfield on a flea-flicker during the game. It just all felt a bit average.

Spencer Rattler barely played in the game but seemed to win MVP for one decent touchdown throw. Overall I thought he did show some positives and he was just a bit sharper and more decisive than the rest. He didn’t do anything to massively elevate his stock though. He also looked small on the field compared to Penix Jr and Nix. Of the three, Nix fits the ‘prototype’ mould the best.

It’s going to be an unpredictable draft at the position once the top-three go off the board. Penix Jr could easily go in the first round or last into round three. I feel the same way about Rattler. Nix is a day two pick who might convince someone to take him earlier. J.J. McCarthy is a third rounder on my horizontal board but everyone says he’s going in round one. Trying to guess where they all land is going to be tricky and I’d say no real clarity was provided in Mobile.

Players who struggled

Kalen King (CB, Penn State)
All week he just played in first gear. He was consistently beat on routes, showed almost no physicality to disrupt routes, he didn’t seem that interested in playing the ball and he got beat badly at times too. It was a horrible week for an overrated player. I’ve dropped him into day three on the board.

Tez Walker (WR, North Carolina)
He’s a tease. You saw little flashes where he bursts into a break and separates with natural ease. He made difficult catches look easy at times. You saw flashes of natural talent. Then you’d also see him run a lazy route, show horrible catching technique, drop a pass, not track the ball properly. How easy is it going to be to bring all the good things together at the next level?

LaDarius Henderson (T, Michigan)
I was really keen to see him play because he was solid if unspectacular at Michigan. Yet here he struggled, showing very little resistance against speed or power and looking highly uncomfortable. A big disappointment.

Patrick Paul (T, Houston)
Paul is enormous and looks the part but my word his technique is shocking. Consistently he stretched out his arms and exposed his chest in blocking drills, allowing opponents to get into his frame. He did nothing to rectify it all week and it’s clearly a bad habit he’s developed. He’ll need a complete technique re-work at the next level or he’ll be a liability.

I’m going to post another article tomorrow listing the players I thought stood out the most, based on the NFL Network and YouTube footage I’ve been able to study. Here are my thoughts on the game itself. Note that several players sat out or played minimal snaps this year.

— The opening drive for the American team ended in a Spencer Rattler touchdown. Rattler looked sharper than the other quarterbacks this week with his decision making and subtle movements in the pocket to adjust and release. Here he ID’d an opportunity on the outside, threw a nice pass to the left corner of the end zone and found his target. It was a good example of being able to manipulate the defense on a long drive (it had been all runs and screens before this play) then delivering the kill shot. That’s what he can do.

— The National team’s first play was a flea flicker to Bo Nix, who used it to show off his arm strength by launching the ball from his own 15-yard line to the opponents’ 25-yard line. Tez Walker, who had a disappointing week, couldn’t catch the ball. That’s a 60-yard throw by Nix. Impressive. The drive ended with a high, inaccurate pass by the Oregon quarterback to the talented tight end Theo Johnson. He somehow caught it but the terrible pass left his body exposed and he was lit-up by a safety.

— On his second drive, Nix scored a red zone touchdown. His initial read wasn’t there on a naked bootleg. He came off it and threw across his body to an open Brevyn Spann-Ford. Nix did well to throw it low into an area away from a lurking defender and Spann-Ford adjusted brilliantly to make a difficult catch for the score.

— It’s hard to watch Joe Milton. Physically he has everything. He’s just not very good. His processing, decision making and internal clock are off. He’s not a constantly accurate passer. In the second quarter he threw a nice layered pass with great touch for a completion but a few plays later, he threw awfully across his body for a terrible interception. He had a second interception in the final two minutes basically throwing it to the other team. I’m surprised people have him down as anything more than a late-round throwaway pick.

— Running back Emani Bailey was the MVP in the game for me and showed well as a runner and receiver. He’s diminutive, powerful and quick. He kept making the first man miss, finished runs, had good acceleration and he looks dynamic. His route running as a receiver was very impressive. When Milton threw his late pick, Bailey chased down the DB from way back to make a TD-saving tackle. That’s the kind of effort that sticks in the mind of teams. Based on what he showed today, I’d want him on my roster.

— Sam Hartman missed a major opportunity to throw to a wide open Theo Johnson but under-threw an easy, short-range throw. He also threw an interception right before half-time and in the fourth quarter he was too late throwing downfield to Walker, missing an opportunity for a big play. He just doesn’t have the physical tools to work in most systems or the accuracy to make up for it. Bloody great hair though. I would walk the world to have hair like that.

— Luke McCafrrey made an outstanding one-handed catch in the third quarter on a wayward slant thrown by Hartman. It was a stunning grab. McCaffrey is legit and will carve out a role in the NFL. At times he reminds me of Tyler Lockett.

— Braden Fiske, who had an excellent week, capped it off by walking Beaux Limmer into the backfield for a late sack. He has very short arms and that’s an issue but he’s been incredibly disruptive in Mobile, just as he was consistently throughout the season. Illinois’ Keith Randolph also had a good week and he ended the game by hammering Michael Pratt for a big QB-hit, forcing an incompletion.

— Cedric Gray made some nice plays in the game, hustling to the ball and breaking up a nice pass late on. He’s a good, solid linebacker who does everything at a decent level.

— Overall the game was fairly lowkey and I don’t think anything spectacular happened — which we have seen in previous years. The number of players sitting out was a tad disappointing and of the ‘big three’ quarterbacks we didn’t get much of a look at Rattler and Nix before they called it a day. Michael Penix Jr didn’t participate.

Here are a few things that are on my mind at the start of a new Seahawks era…

1. What might happen with the offensive coordinator

When it was revealed by Mike Florio that Ryan Grubb was in the running for the job, the report was framed like it was on the cards. Other journalists confirmed the story and it felt like it could be confirmed quickly. This was their guy.

Mike Macdonald at his press conference also talked about bringing someone in who would be around for some time to build the offense. It didn’t sound like they were looking for a hot-short position coach or passing coordinator who might be seeking a short stay and a fast-track route to a Head Coaching gig.

That’s not to say Grubb wouldn’t be thinking big, I don’t know what his career plans are. Yet he appears to really like being in the Pacific North West, he wanted to be the Washington Head Coach and he might find it appealing to spend a few years running Seattle’s offense.

So far the only other person to be connected to the job is Tanner Engstrand in Detroit. It seems pretty clear that John Schneider is a fan of the Lions offense given he flew to Detroit for a second interview with Ben Johnson. Schneider said he was rooting against the Lions and Ravens in the playoffs so he could speak to Macdonald and Johnson. It seems they were the two prime candidates he was focused on. Engstrand is Johnson’s right hand man in Detroit.

It’s possible we’ll learn of other interview requests over the next 24 hours and the situation could change (there is a Rooney Rule element involved in coordinator hires these days). Here’s my prediction. Grubb is in the driving seat for the job. However, the Seahawks see a possible opportunity to get the Johnson offense with Macdonald as Head Coach, essentially getting the best of both worlds. Thus, they’ll interview Engstrand. If he blows them away, it could get interesting. If not, Grubb will be Seattle’s new offensive coordinator.

2. Changes are coming at quarterback

Schneider was lukewarm when discussing Geno Smith at his solo press conference a couple of weeks ago. It was a far cry from the regular effusive praise Pete Carroll would offer Seattle’s quarterback.

Macdonald similarly followed suit. I’ve attended enough press conferences to know when an answer is calculated. This was the new Seahawks Head Coach being non-committal and keeping his options open, when asked about Smith:

“Well, we’ve played against Geno. He’s a really good player. Pretty sure he’s at the Pro Bowl right now. But we’re going to build around the quarterback. You’ve got to. Just like we say on defense, we build the system around the players on defense. We’re going to build it around the players on offense, and the most important player is the QB. We’ll see how the whole situation shakes out over time.”

A lot of people have focused on the first bit of that answer. I’d focus on the last line. “We’ll see how the whole situation shakes out over time.”

Smith isn’t a problem for Seattle but he isn’t the long-term answer either. He’s a bridge, who’s about to see his cap-hit triple in 2024. Many believe a $31.2m salary is fair for a player of his quality, compared to other quarterbacks. Alternatively, the team is $9.5m in the red for effective cap space. Serious, difficult decisions need to be made. That might include making a saving at quarterback. They might have to re-set things from a cap perspective this year.

Macdonald name-dropped Drew Lock, a free agent, more than once at his press conference. Schneider was a reported fan of Lock’s before he was drafted by the Broncos. I don’t think Lock is better than Smith but Schneider might think for a bridge quarterback, the salary difference between the two players is significant enough to go with the cheaper option.

I also think Schneider is itching to draft a quarterback. I think he might start taking his shots at the position until he finds greatness. Putting a rookie with Lock and opening up the competition might be a decision they wish to take.

New eras often start with a new young quarterback. If Macdonald wants to build something to last, he might prefer to take on a long-term solution and get on with developing a player who can be the starter for years to come.

Smith lost his biggest advocate in the building when Carroll departed. Schneider is going to have a plan at quarterback for the long haul. The Seahawks no longer have to think shorter term after making a coaching change and can plan ahead. I think there’s a good chance they will draft a quarterback early. Grubb’s potential addition will make connections to Michael Penix Jr obvious — and he has the kind of arm, experience and college success Schneider likes.

Thus, I think the question will be — do they cut Smith before February 6th to save money or do they keep hold of him and try to trade him for a modest pick, before his contract makes it impossible? Either way, I think change is coming.

3. The Seahawks are going to do things differently

The Carroll/Schneider era was full of splashy trades and big acquisitions. We’ll find out over the next few years whether that was more of a Carroll thing or a Schneider thing. I suspect it was Carroll, though.

When I spoke to someone recently who worked closely with Ron Wolf in Green Bay, I asked about the approach to team building. Wolf was Schneider’s mentor. I was told that the focus is always on building through the draft. That was the lifeblood of your team. The trenches are king. Raw physical tools were not as important as great tape. All-star games were a means to identify traits you missed in the fall, before returning to the tape. Focus on positives and what a player can become, not the other way around.

As I was listening I got a sense that the ‘best player available’ approach of the 2022/23 drafts were more closely aligned to the Wolf philosophy. Before that, there were a lot of instances where things were different.

I asked whether there was a difference between the late, great Ted Thompson and other Wolf disciples, given Thompson had a reputation for being quite a conservative GM who focused almost exclusively on the draft. I was told no, Thompson, Schneider and co. were all cut from the same cloth.

If you look at the way Baltimore approach things in their front office, they too have been quite strict in their approach. They build through the draft, cherish their picks, rarely make splashy moves via trade or in free agency. They have been quite calculated with their team building process.

I’m convinced Seahawks fans are going to spend a lot of time discussing whether the team will go after Patrick Queen, Justin Madubuike (who will probably be franchised) and Geno Stone. My prediction is — they won’t. They don’t have enough money to do it, as a starting point. But I don’t think they are going to build this team by throwing big money at outside players, even if they used to play for Macdonald.

Remember — Macdonald said in his press conference that he didn’t know what the defense would look like in Seattle yet because he will tailor the scheme for the players. He isn’t trying to bring Baltimore to the PNW. He’s trying to create something unique here that best suits the players at his disposal.

What do I think this means? I think there will be a big focus on improving players on the roster and getting them in the best position to succeed. That’ll include players who have already enjoyed success, such as Devon Witherspoon, Uchenna Nwosu and Boye Mafe. It’ll also mean getting more out of Derick Hall, Cam Young and Mike Morris — who spent most of the season out with an injury.

They might bring back Jordyn Brooks, given Schneider’s reference to Baltimore and Seattle often liking the same players. In the 2020 draft, there was a consensus top-three linebacker group expected to go in the same range — Kenneth Murray, Jordyn Brooks and Patrick Queen. It’s plausible both teams viewed the latter two similarly and believe Brooks can break-out under Macdonald, as Queen just did in his contract year. They won’t have enough money to sign both. The contract will need to be right but Brooks will be cheaper.

Other than that, I’d expect a heavy focus on the draft and attention to value in free agency. Again, that’s what Baltimore do. They aren’t big free agent spenders. They find cheap, role-playing talent to complement their drafted stars.

Speaking of the draft — this is a rich class for offensive linemen so they’ll have opportunities to add there. There’s some depth across the different D-line positions. There are plug-and-play linebackers in the class including Junior Colson who played for Michigan when Macdonald coordinated the defense. He could be available in the third or fourth round.

I think this will be a different approach though. I’m not sure Schneider will become conservative like Thompson but I do think, moving forward, the draft will be the focus, the trenches will be critical to the building of this team, they will draft and develop, they will look for value in free agency and Seattle’s approach will be increasingly reminiscent of the Packers and Ravens.

Darius Robinson has an easy bull-rush move. He gets his hands inside, drives through contact and walked the blocker back into the QB on his first Thursday rep off the edge. Then he drove Christian Haynes backwards when lining up inside. Robinson is a beast and I have to say, plays like a Raven. Testing will be key to match up to his performance here but there’s a lot to like.

T’Vondre Sweat’s first rep was lethargic on day three, he couldn’t get off the block and looked sluggish. He had a better effort against Christian Haynes who lined up out of position at center. This is the thing with Sweat. There’s inconsistency to his game where the good moments are ‘wow’ moments and the bad stuff makes you roll your eyes. There’s a definite talent here but he’s not a traditional nose, he’s more of a pass-rush threat who can combine power and quickness. He could be devastating if he shifted 20lbs and gained a bit more mobility.

McKinley Jackson didn’t get many wins with speed or quickness this week but he consistently drove blockers back into the pocket from the interior. He shoved Christian Haynes backwards on his first rep on Thursday. Jackson did a good job working against Charles Turner too, who got out of position and couldn’t recover. Turner started well but faded as the week went on. Jackson pulled off the hat-trick by driving Javion Cohen into the backfield. He’s still my top ranked DT because he’s powerful, can anchor, disrupt and doesn’t just play in fits and starts like the two big name guys from Texas. Testing is key though because the two Texas guys have the potential to make headlines.

Houston left tackle Patrick Paul continues to keep his hands so wide when he engages. It’s not good enough, it’s awful technique. He hasn’t fixed it at any point this week. If you draft him you’ll need to knock this habit out of him or he’ll leave his chest exposed down after down.

Brandon Coleman had a good win against Jordan Jefferson, then came back and won a rep against the dangerous Braden Fiske. This was a better day for Coleman who’s had a mostly underwhelming week, raising questions about his ability to kick inside at guard quickly.

Justin Eboigbe, a blog favourite throughout the college season, capped off a fantastic week by destroying Javion Cohen with a brilliant push-pull move and then flying by him into the backfield. He was also too quick for Oklahoma’s Andrew Raym on a rep. Eboigbe has shorter than ideal arms which is a surprise because his frame is good. He’s underrated in the media.

The NFL Network showed some of the 7-on-7 drills. Spencer Rattler nailed a difficult throw to the right near pylon and it was well caught by Jamari Thrash. Great play by the quarterback and receiver. He threw a fantastic low pass to Ray Davis the running back, who’s shown some skills as a pass-catcher to go with the rugged running style he portrayed at Kentucky. Rattler had an iffy Tuesday practise but grew as the week went on. You could see he looked sharp with his decision making, his release is quick and there’s a lot to like. I don’t think he did enough to elevate into round one — but certainly he warrants serious consideration as a very intriguing day two pick if he can reassure teams over the character issues from his Oklahoma days.

Tyler Guyton didn’t practise on Thursday.

Michael Penix Jr showed tremendous touch on one red zone drill to find Luke McCaffrey in the left corner. He layered the pass nicely over a leaping linebacker and gave the receiver an easy opportunity to make the grab. McCaffrey had a great week — showing excellent hands, body control and he made it look easy. He will be a dynamic WR3 for somebody. He and Ladd McConkey put on a show.

Javon Baker the Missouri receiver made a wonderful, high-pointed catch in a similar redzone drill, doing ever so well to catch the ball cleanly and get his feet in bounds. Baker had a mixed week at times but this was a great rep.

Brenden Rice at times looks like such a dynamic athlete and he left cornerbacks in the dust on some his routes. He’s also had some really nice grabs. Yet there’s a clumsiness and a lack of polish with his body control and tracking. The physical tools are there but he’ll need a fair bit of work to max out his talent.

I was impressed with linebacker Cedric Gray working in coverage. The 1v1 coverage drills for linebackers are often a thankless task, working the whole middle field with no support against much smaller, quicker players. He did a good job staying in the hip-pocket of opponents, keeping low and then tracking where the ball is to make a play. I’m not sure he’s the best athlete in terms of testing but his instincts are good.

Georgia State’s Jontrey Hunter looks big and heavy at linebacker but I was surprised how well he shifted his weight in open space when guarding running backs and stayed in position to make a tackle.

Cornerback Kalen King has had a dreadful week. I’m not sure what his mindset is. He was slouching during 1v1’s, letting receivers easily get by him. He couldn’t track, he barely ever made a play for the ball and he didn’t make contact most of the time. People were touting him as a high pick but I’ve never seen it. He’s a day three player for me.

Everyone knows I love Payton Wilson as a player but one thing that stood out to me during drills was his frame is not typical for a linebacker. He’s lean and long, not thick. Teams do pay attention to stuff like this. He looks more like an EDGE and I wonder if he might be seen as someone who has to transition into a more specialist role looking like this. As mentioned earlier, these practises are hard for linebackers when they’re doing a lot of coverage work. Wilson needs the game to show what he can do.

None of the quarterbacks really blew the roof off with their performances this week. Even so, I’ll never forget Josh Allen’s performance six years ago. Don’t let anyone say the game is irrelevant, you can still make an impression. It’d be nice to see Penix Jr, Bo Nix and Rattler push the ball downfield, avoid mental mistakes and target the better receivers on their teams on Saturday.

According to Mike Florio, Ryan Grubb could be Mike Macdonald’s offensive coordinator. It’s since been confirmed by a number of other reporters and seems to have some legs. This is gaining a lot of momentum very quickly.

Grubb was never officially announced as Alabama’s offensive coordinator and made it clear he wanted the Washington Head Coaching job, but they preferred Jedd Fisch. This would be a way for him to return to Seattle.

A year ago, Nick Saban tried to appoint Grubb as Alabama’s offensive coordinator but he chose to stay in Washington. Macdonald’s old team, Baltimore, hired Todd Monken from Georgia a year ago (although Monken had extensive prior NFL experience).

Most of you will know I visited the UW facility before the Apple Cup. Firstly, there is a tremendous amount of respect for Grubb in that building. The staff speak about him in the most glowing of terms. I also had an opportunity to go into his tape room. It’s not a large room, with a huge screen on the wall and the rest of the space mostly taken up by two hefty treadmills. I was told he works out while watching tape — which I thought was impressive.

Grubb called plays at Washington and Fresno State for Kalen DeBoer.

Another potential plus is he seems connected to the PNW. It might be important if the intention is to try and find someone who is prepared to stick around for at least a few years, rather than bolt for the first Head Coaching job available.

Mike Garafolo was on KJR with Puck & Jim this afternoon and said the Seahawks are looking at several candidates in the college ranks. This may include current Head Coaches, given Boston College Head Coach Jeff Hafley quit to take the Packers’ defensive coordinator job yesterday. He cited how NIL’s had changed college football, made existing within it miserable and I sense a lot of coaches feel this way — including the now retired Saban.

Could a promising offensive-minded Head Coach or coordinator in college try and get in the NFL instead by coming to run Seattle’s offense? It’s plausible.

Garafolo had already revealed that Arthur Smith had been lined up to go with Mike Macdonald if/when he got a Head Coaching job — but when offered the Steelers gig he opted to take that instead, given the guaranteed offer of employment. Everyone else is an unknown. You’re plucking a QB coach, a passing game coordinator or a tight ends coach to come in and call plays. If you take someone who at least has a history of calling plays in college, that’s a bonus.

I had a recent conversation with a highly respected talent evaluator recently and he complained about the limitations in Washington’s offense. It’s a lot of pre-determined calls, with the quarterback just having to do what the sideline says. You have to be more complex than that at the NFL level — even with the college game and spread offenses having more influence than ever.

The Seahawks looking to college could also mean Chip Kelly. A reminder, this week I was told by a source I trust that the Dan Quinn and Kelly combo rumours were true, if Quinn got the Seahawks job.

Earlier today reporters in New York said Mike Kafka is expected to stay with the Giants, seemingly ruling him out.

I do think a couple of things about Michael Penix Jr. One — he’s going to be available later than people think. Two — John Schneider is going to love Penix Jr’s arm. If they end up hiring his old college play-caller, it increases the likelihood of the Seahawks targeting the Washington QB. That doesn’t mean at #16 either, it could be later.

EDIT — It’s now being reported by Albert Breer that the Seahawks have requested an interview with Tanner Engstrand, Detroit’s passing game coordinator. This was the first name I thought of yesterday. They clearly had interest in Detroit’s offense given they interviewed Ben Johnson. This would be an opportunity to potentially still bring it to Seattle. Engstrand is bright, young and worked closely with the tight ends (Sam LaPorta). He is well worth an interview, even if — unlike Ryan Grubb — he has no playcalling experience.

For more thoughts on the coordinator search and Mike Macdonald’s first press conference, check out the video below:

Apologies for the delay in publishing the notes, some other news got in the way yesterday…

Texas defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat played with more intensity in 1v1’s on Wednesday. He showed off a lot more power, driving the center right back into the QB and onto the turf on one snap. He had a nice arm-over move to release from a block on his first rep to explode into the backfield. I still think he’d be so much better shedding weight. He’s a fantastic athlete and could be even more dangerous if he lost some of the bulk.

McKinley Jackson had a win vs Charles Turner and then Braden Fiske had a good rep against him when he lined up at left guard. Turner struggled to match Fiske’s quickness bursting through the gap. After a strong day one, this was a step back for Turner who I like.

Darius Robinson was a beast on Wednesday. He looked so good connecting with blockers, using his length to disengage and then his quickness to beat the block. He can counter inside and rush the edge competently. His inside rushes were exceptional, showing power and a great arm-over move. In the run blocking drills he was driving people backwards and when he needed to win with agility he was surprisingly slippery for a 285lbs rusher. Even when he was stalled, he’d turn to a bull-rush and drive his man backwards. He demolished Tyler Guyton on one rep, it was such a remarkable beating you half wonder how early he could go. His quickness working inside vs the center was like lightning. Robinson looks like the real deal in Mobile, can line up across the line and he’s pretty much the complete package of power, speed and technique. The first round buzz in Mobile, based on this performance, isn’t unwarranted.

Another versatile defensive lineman Justin Eboigbe had a terrific day one and followed it up on day two. He’s just quicker off the snap, knows how to use his hands and he can swipe away attempted blocks to burst into the backfield. When he needs to use power he can do. He embarrassed Brandon Coleman on one inside rush. He had an underrated season for Alabama and he’s played well in Mobile so far.

Roman Wilson had the catch of the day, a sensational one hander at the sideline while falling away from a misplaced Michael Penix Jr throw. Showing this level of concentration and talent to go with his sensational speed could move him up a lot of boards. Speaking of the throw — I thought Penix Jr and Bo Nix were a bit sloppy at times on day two. I went back and reviewed there day one performances once more tape became available and they did better than I initially thought, so adjusted my notes. But this was a bit underwhelming on Wednesday. Spencer Rattler had a better day two than day one.

Quinyon Mitchell has looked sensational so far. There’s no doubt he’s a first round talent and he could easily be the first cornerback off the board. His mirroring, change of direction, recovery speed, ball-tracking and size are all incredibly enticing. He could be a top-20 pick on this showing. Just a wow performance on both days.

Taliese Fuaga is a joy to watch. Once he latches on to you it’s over. When he gets challenged by speed/agility he still manages to get his feet into the right place, he combats any counters and just constantly clamps on and wins. If he gets out of the top-12 it’ll be an upset. For me, he’s out-performed Tyler Guyton and is in contention to be the first tackle drafted. He’s just an absolute beast.

Jackson Powers-Johnson has such quick, active hands and he connects his hands to his feet so well at center. His agility and athleticism really shine, especially when he has to move off his spot as he did against Michael Hall. He’s the rare high upside center who could crack the first round. He left practise early as he’s been nursing a hamstring issue but it’s job done for JPJ. On this evidence, he’ll be the first center drafted.

Illinois lineman Isaiah Adams has been physical and competitive on both days and had some nice wins. He’s someone I want to study more after the Senior Bowl.

Gabe Hall’s inconsistency showed on day two. After dominating on day one, he was massively underwhelming on day two and couldn’t get off blocks.

Roger Rosengarten has had two really solid days of practise — a nice rebound after a difficult game against Michigan in the National Championship. They even tried him at left tackle on Wednesday, where he won a nice rep. On one 1v1 he absolutely butchered Austin Booker, getting right after him and sending him flying up into the air.

Michigan O-liner LaDarius Henderson continues to disappoint, even inside at guard. He was dumped on his backside by Dewayne Carter and has struggled on both days so far.

Patrick Paul has technical flaws which are hard to get over. He gets his hands out too wide and exposes his frame, making it easy to get into his pads. For some reason before he engages contact he spreads his arms out and it’s such awful technique. He isn’t setting properly and punching. It’s a killer in the 1v1’s.

Some final notes — Brandon Coleman looks way more comfortable at tackle than guard. Chris Braswell had an easy win vs Christian Jones (who continues to be a bit hit and miss). Christian Haynes had a much better day two, winning a number of 1v1 reps and frustrating Jordan Jefferson enough so that he ripped off Haynes’ helmet and lobbed it across the field. I think receiver Tez Walker has looked really poor at times with half-hearted routes, no physicality and lazy drops. Yet in some of the 1v1’s he’s separated like a first round pick and made it look easy.

It’s the start of a new era and I’m looking forward to it. Mike Macdonald is young, fresh and comes from a team known for playing a brand of physical, fast and mostly winning football. My preference was to hire an offensive minded Head Coach but with the options dwindling, this is a perfectly acceptable alternative.

Here are some thoughts on the hire…

Bring on the youth movement

Sometimes you just want to embrace the unknown. Is it a risk to appoint the youngest Head Coach in the league with only three years of coordinator experience (two in the NFL)? Sure. Give me the risk of disaster to try and achieve greatness any time. It’s so much better than hiring a ‘safer’ coach who might just keep the Seahawks in the middle-ground where they’ve been stuck for a few years. Roll the dice.

This feels like an attempt to find someone a bit special. If Macdonald can’t live up to that, so be it. I never felt Dan Quinn would lead the Seahawks to greatness so give me a coach who, if nothing else, carries a bit more mystery and intrigue.

I like Seattle’s hiring process

I never wanted the Seahawks to just go out and crown a new Head Coach. Not unless they firmly had a top, top candidate in mind and wanted to go all-in to land him, like they did with Pete Carroll. Once it became clear they weren’t going to be looking at candidates like Jim Harbaugh, a thorough search was needed.

That certainly happened. They interviewed numerous people with various backgrounds, took their time and while it would’ve been slightly underwhelming to go through all of this just to appoint the so-called favourite in Quinn, the fact they ended up targeting Macdonald and landing him suggests they legitimately considered their options and were calculated in this decision.

That doesn’t mean they necessarily got it right but if nothing else, I like the way they went about it. Unlike the Commanders, who now look stuck sifting through what’s left on the market, they went and got a hot-name and delivered.

What does it say about John Schneider?

This was his first hire as a GM and it’s interesting that he went with a defensive coach. A few weeks ago I spoke to someone who worked for Ron Wolf, Schneider’s mentor, and asked for advice on Wolf’s approach to coaches. I was told he had no offensive or defensive preference — it was all about the person. Whether he could lead. This decision, ultimately, seems to fit with that.

I think it’s reassuring that Schneider had no biases in this process, kept an open mind and specifically targeted the best Head Coach candidate, not someone who fit a specific preference.

How will they build the team?

I don’t want to start chasing free agents from Baltimore like Geno Stone, Justin Madubuike or Patrick Queen. They’ll cost a fortune and the Seahawks don’t have a lot of money to spend. I hope they play a slightly longer game here and try and find their own versions.

Macdonald and the Ravens excelled developing players who had been drafted by Baltimore and finding great value in free agency. That’s what I’d like to see in Seattle. Develop Boye Mafe, Derrick Hall, Riq Woolen and Devin Witherspoon. Find cost-effective contributors in free agency to mimic Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy. Draft players who can fit into roles at safety and linebacker. Don’t splurge to accelerate a situation that needs to be developed slowly.

For example, there are good linebackers who could be available in rounds 3-4 this year. Macdonald has coached one of them, Junior Colson at Michigan. Payton Wilson’s toughness, speed and intensity scream ‘Ravens’. Try to find a younger and cheaper version of Patrick Queen, don’t pay him for one good year in the NFL.

What I would like to see is a big focus on the trenches on both sides of the ball. The Seahawks have claimed to want to be a bullying team for many years but every decision they’ve made has inched them closer to being finesse. Time to rectify that. If you want to play like Baltimore, you’ve got to be better up front.

The offensive coordinator hire is vital

You have to believe Schneider has a plan. He interviewed enough defensive coaches to know he might appoint one. He must have offensive coordinator names to target and that process is hopefully well underway.

People are saying the Seahawks have enough pieces to be fine. Not true. Look at the 2023 season. They were way too streaky, couldn’t run the ball and they were shocking in the red zone. It was a major disappointment.

They need someone with good ideas, innovative thinking and a plan to get the most out of their weapons. They can’t just plonk anyone into this role and hope for the best.

Tanner Engstrand is a name that really intrigues me. He’s the passing game coordinator in Detroit. If you can’t get Ben Johnson, can you get his right hand man to bring the Lions’ offense to Seattle? Engstrand is bright, young and worked closely with the tight ends in Detroit. Sam LaPorta’s rookie season is a feather in his cap. I hope they give him an interview.

Can you try and find your own version of Bobby Slowik? Klint Kubiak perhaps from the 49ers? He’s their passing game specialist. Or tight ends coach Brian Fleury? What about Nick Caley, the highly rated tight ends coach with the LA Rams? Or Jake Peetz, the Rams’ passing game specialist? Joe Bleymaier is Kansas City’s passing game coordinator, could he get a look in?

Many have wondered whether they can coax Mike Kafka to find a way out of the Giants to come to Seattle. Whether he’s keen to do that after missing out on the top job is unclear.

This is a highly competitive market with a number of teams still searching for an offensive coordinator. It’s absolutely vital the Seahawks get this right. They should be working out who has the potential to be the next hot-shot candidate. Unlike in the Carroll era, they can probably offer full control of the offense. They have to make this a highly attractive gig and they need to land the best candidate they can find — no settling. It’s the difference between being the Texans with DeMeco Ryans and Slowik, or one of the defensive-led teams who toil and struggle because the offense stinks.

Add some experience to the staff

Macdonald is going to be learning on the job and he’ll need someone he can go to for advice. It’d be worth adding someone as an Assistant Head Coach, on either side of the ball, who he can lean on. Sean McVay had Wade Phillips as his defensive coordinator and really benefited from having that experience on his staff. You can’t force an appointment like this on Macdonald but if there’s someone who fits the bill, it would probably be a good idea.

What does it mean for Geno Smith?

I think if they’d appointed someone like Kafka as Head Coach it’d be indicative of perhaps wanting a person well regarded for quarterback development paired with a rookie QB. This hire makes things a little less clear.

Schneider was incredibly lukewarm about Smith at his press conference. There was no commitment or effusive praise. His cap hit in 2024 is three times what it was in 2023. However, he’s far from a problem for the Seahawks and he remains an ideal bridge option.

They’re going to have to draft someone eventually. They can’t keep putting it off. The question is whether they’re better to just go ultra cheap with Drew Lock and a rookie this year and risk regression on the offense as part of a longer term plan, or continue with Smith as a shorter-term fix.

It could go either way. It’ll be fascinating to see what they do. My guess would be they re-work Smith’s deal to lower his cap hit but I think there’s still every chance the Seahawks will just move on and draft a quarterback this year. Smith lost his biggest fan in the building when Pete Carroll was fired.

I’m now going to watch the Senior Bowl drills from day two and will post my notes either tonight or tomorrow. If you missed the live stream with Jeff Simmons earlier, reacting to the Macdonald appointment, you can watch it here:

I was also live on VSiN today, please watch this video too:

It looks like the Seahawks have their man…

The #Seahawks are bringing in #Ravens DC Mike Macdonald today for a second interview for their head coaching job, per sources.

Seattle met with Macdonald, 36, on Tuesday in Baltimore. Now, he’s going through the expanded process they did with other candidates. pic.twitter.com/GSI6RytrQ3

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 31, 2024

It’s very difficult to imagine, after meeting him just yesterday in person, that the Seahawks have asked Mike Macdonald to make the long trip to Seattle just to say, ‘actually, we’re going to hire someone else’. I appreciate there’s an element of wanting to see how he fits around the facility, plus he might want to go and visit the place too before making a decision. Yet this feels very much like a meeting where a contract is signed at the end.

My preference all along was to go in a more offensive-minded direction but with Ben Johnson opting to stay in Detroit and with Bobby Slowik seemingly out of the running after one interview, options were limited. If Macdonald is as good as people have been suggesting, I’m intrigued to see what he can do. Certainly it’ll be refreshing to see a defense able to adapt, adjust and work things out — rather than take a predictable beating from McShanahan each season ‘doing what we do’. Please, let those days be gone.

It’ll be fascinating to see what this means for the roster if the appointment is confirmed. Macdonald has had success developing drafted players and getting the most out of cheap free agents like Jadeveon Clowney. Personally, I’d like to see that be a focus here. Improve the players you’ve already invested in, find some cheaper diamonds on the market. That would be more preferable than splurging on Baltimore’s free agents, such as Patrick Queen. I think younger, faster and more physical should be the focus for defense — with more money and experience being invested in the offensive line.

What would the draft focus be? Is it to continue the ‘best player available’ approach of the last two years? Or will John Schneider focus on getting a young quarterback? What happens with Geno Smith?

What coaches can Macdonald snag from Baltimore? It’d be good to get a few out of there, although that might be tricky. I think it’d be a good idea to find an experienced coach to put alongside him as a sounding board. That seemed to benefit Sean McVay with Wade Phillips. Most importantly, who would the offensive coordinator be? If you can’t prize Mike Kafka away from the Giants, this could be a tricky problem to solve. It’s absolutely critical that they get a top-notch offensive leader.

If it isn’t Kafka, my shout would be Tanner Engstrand, the passing game coordinator in Detroit. I’ve watched a few of his interviews and he seems incredibly bright, creative and you could maybe steal some of the ideas from the Lions offense even without having Ben Johnson. Take a look for yourself, I think he comes across well and he notes here that he’s spent a lot of time working with Detroit’s tight ends (Sam LaPorta just had a fantastic rookie season):

It could be a busy day. If/when there’s an official announcement, I’ll jump on a live stream. I’ll also be watching the Senior Bowl drills on the NFL Network for a new batch of notes.

After Ben Johnson opted to stay in Detroit, I was asked on Twitter who I wanted instead. I said I didn’t know and needed time to think about it. After all, a couple of weeks ago I listed a top three of Johnson, Bobby Slowik and Mike Vrabel. None are in contention, after Slowik signed a new deal in Houston and Vrabel seemingly was never in the running.

I’ve slept on it and I’m still not 100% sure this is the right opinion to have but I’ll share it anyway.

I’m ready for the unknown.

My preference for this search was that the Seahawks would talk to a number of candidates and they’ve done that. I also wanted them to come out with a clear favourite, go after them and land them. I’m not sure they’re doing that, unless it ends up being that Dan Quinn was their target all along.

Tod Leiweke’s speech when Pete Carroll was appointed began by saying something along the lines of, ‘this will allow Seahawks fans to dream of Championships again’. I genuinely believed that in 2010. I’m not convinced any of the current remaining candidates will re-create that feeling.

Therefore, I want to dive head first into the mysterious. I don’t want a re-tread coach like Dan Quinn. I wrote about some of the positives about his candidacy two and a half weeks ago. I just don’t think he’s special. I think his time post-Shanahan in Atlanta is alarming. There were complaints about him not holding players accountable enough, he finished 0-5 before being fired. For all the deserved praise for hiring Kyle Shanahan, he had two goes at replacing him and failed with both.

Quinn’s a nice guy, extremely likeable, he’s said to be an excellent communicator — but I don’t think he’s a difference maker. Seeing Shanahan smirk about Green Bay’s demolition of Dallas in the playoffs was the final straw for me. He thrives on seeing his old boss beaten and I don’t want any part of that.

The Shanahanites take such a perverse pleasure out of embarrassing Dan Quinn.

My official ruling is that it’s still funny, but starting to get a little mean. https://t.co/o90CwpQ6xi

— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) January 16, 2024

Then there was the note I received yesterday, from somebody who I trust, saying there’s some legitimacy to the Quinn/Chip Kelly talk. If true, the idea that these two are going to take the Seahawks to the pinnacle of the game feels like fantasy land stuff. It would be a complete energy vampire of a double-act. For all the talk of Quinn’s ability to build a great staff, that would feel pretty tragic. Meanwhile some of the better, more experienced staff on the market have already been snapped up by other teams because Seattle’s search has gone on a long time.

Give me Mike Macdonald or Mike Kafka instead.

I can’t say with any confidence I think either will be great. I’m intrigued by the talk around Macdonald. I think his character and personality are appealing and there’s clearly some tactical quality to his decision making and adjustments. I’m concerned about his ability to build a great staff, who his offensive coordinator will be, how that coordinator intends to drive the offense forward and as I noted in my recent article, there are things fans and media are not acknowledging with Macdonald as they’ve pinned their hopes on him being the saviour.

Even so, if — as Ian Rapoport suggested yesterday — Macdonald is viewed by some as a defensive version of Sean McVay, let’s roll the dice and see how it goes.

From The Insiders on @NFLNetwork: The #Seahawks are interviewing Mike Macdonald today, and this is one to watch. pic.twitter.com/dGZ4WcAKft

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 30, 2024

I’m not a fan of going with a defensive coach again because I think the team has been built to be offense-centric. Rebuilding the defense could take a long time and it’d be easier to produce a complementary unit rather than a top-ranking unit. Without an innovative, dynamic offensive leader I worry that Seattle’s offense will stay average — leaning on the players for streaky success — and that the defense at best might only upgrade to middle-of-the-pack given the extreme work required on that side of the ball. Thus, you’re left with in totality an average team.

Even so, the options are so underwhelming that if John Schneider decides there’s something a bit special in Macdonald, let’s see how it goes. Just make sure you get the offensive coordinator position right and that there’s a clear, broad vision for what the Schneider/Macdonald Seahawks look like, rather than simply hiring the hot candidate on the best performing team from the regular season.

With Kafka, I’m equally torn. He would satisfy my preference to have an offensive mind at the helm. I like the fact Andy Reid speaks so positively about him. If you could get Ejiro Evero out of Carolina to be his defensive coordinator, that would feel like a great move. Often it isn’t the flashy hire that works — or the top performing coordinator. Kevin Stefanski was Minnesota’s offensive coordinator for a season and a half before taking over in Cleveland. He led the 10th best overall offense with the 10th best pass offense and 15th best rush offense in 2019. He’s not exactly Mr. Personality but has done a great job for the Browns.

It’s just hard to get excited about someone who is part of the New York Giants stench, having come off a poor season having seemingly been one of the victims of Brian Daboll’s reported toxicity. Listening to Kafka is a boring experience. He is not inspiring and will not get anyone excited. It doesn’t mean he can’t coach, though, and with the right support staff it could work, I guess. If nothing else — it’d be indicative of the Seahawks understanding they need to draft and develop a quarterback soon.

Going back to Stefanski, that’s kind of what I want. Someone who, when faced with a nightmarish quarterback situation in 2023 and the loss of his best offensive weapon in Nick Chubb, still produced a tough, physical, brutal brand of football that was creative and challenged opponents. He’s a coach of the year candidate and he’s already won it once, in 2020. I would’ve had no idea he was as good as he is based off his time in Minnesota, so if Schneider hires Kafka — I’ll embrace it and see what happens.

I really hoped there would be an appointment that united the fan base, had everyone excited and buying into the potential for the good times returning. That was probably a bit optimistic and naive. As the search has gone on, in classic passive-aggressive PNW, ‘Seahawks Twitter’ style, I think people have split into camps/teams and have argued for their positions, sometimes unfaithfully. I’m sure I’ll be accused of that too but I’ve also spent time reviewing several of the candidates and was always open about my preference from day one — and made my case for Johnson I feel, if nothing else, with reasoned arguments.

Now, I just want to know who’s replacing Pete Carroll. This has gone on long enough. Today’s the day. Let’s have a decision and move on.

I can’t shake the feeling though that this all feels very similar to some of Seattle’s free agency periods in recent years. Waiting for the process to come to them, being patient, not being overly aggressive. It’s how you end up swapping peak Frank Clark and streaky-yet-effective Jadeveon Clowney for Benson Mayowa, Bruce Irvin and L.J. Collier. I hope that actually, all along, Schneider has instead found his ‘Russell Wilson’. Someone we didn’t really talk about, kept in the background, who ends up being better than anyone could’ve imagined.

I’m surprised at how few offensive minds Schneider spoke to in this process. Two interviews with Ben Johnson, two with Kafka, one with Slowik and one with Frank Smith. That, to me, never felt like enough.

If you missed my day-one notes from the NFL Network broadcast of the Senior Bowl, check them out here.