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Seahawks trade down, draft John Moffitt at #75

April 29, 2011 /

The Seahawks added a second player to their offensive line on Friday, drafting Wisconsin guard or center John Moffitt. It follows the acquisition of James Carpenter with the #25 overall pick, a player expected to feature at right tackle. It further emphasises the team’s ambition to improve the offensive line with three high picks in the last two drafts.

Seattle traded down from the #57 pick after a deal with the Detroit Lions (who took running back Mikel Leshoure). The Seahawks moved down to #75 where they took Moffitt and added another fourth round pick (#107 overall) while switching picks in rounds five and seven with Detroit.

The Seahawks will be back on the clock shortly after round four begins, making the second pick when the draft resumes at 9AM PST on Saturday.

So what about Moffitt?

He’s 6-4 and 319lbs, with 33 inch arms and experience starting at guard and center for the Badgers. He ran a 5.55 at the combine and benched 23 reps. The first thing that stands out to me is a need to improve his overall strength, because for a guy his size he’s not that powerful. It’s something he’s had an issue with against physically superior defensive lineman. Neither is he particularly mobile or an above average athlete.

Moffitt does a good job finishing his blocks and he’s a grafter, but he’s not an obvious zone blocking fit. Aside from a lack of obvious mobility, he’s not a great second level blocker and sometimes struggles to diagnose what his role needs to be on a given play. There are flashes of an edge on the field, which is good to see – but you’d like to see that nastiness more often because it exists.

Some things you maybe don’t know about Moffitt, apparently he’s a soundbite wonder for the media, often making entertaining quotes to the press. He’s also started 42 out of the last 45 Wisconsin games.

Watch John Moffitt in the NFL Networks ‘First Draft’ series

Watch John Moffitt’s combine work out

Two things stick out to me as we approach the final day of the 2011 draft. Firstly, despite the links to Tom Cable and Alex Gibbs, this is very much a different approach to the Gibbs philosophy. Size is the order of the day, which goes against a lot of what Seattle’s former line coach would preach. Clearly the offensive line has been an issue for some time and it’s getting a make over in two drafts. It’s not the only area of need, however, and it’s not the only reason why Seattle’s run game has been poor the last couple of years.

Secondly, there appears to be real contrast in the way the team has gone about business. Last year there were bold moves to trade for running backs like Lendale White, Marshawn Lynch and Leon Washington – all at the expense of draft stock. The trade for Charlie Whitehurst was considered an expensive yet calculated gamble to fill a vital position. Last year they invested a second round pick in a wide receiver with very raw talent but needed some polish (Golden Tate).

Twelve months on, it’s been nothing but conservative. Two additions that won’t win any style points and a determination to accumulate picks rather than spend them. Of course, the lockout plays a part in that. Yet this is seemingly a very different approach.

Seattle’s remaining picks

Round Four: #2 (99) and #10 (107)

Round Five: #23 (154) and #25 (156)

Round Six: #8 (173)

Round Seven: #2 (205) and #39 (242)

Seahawks draft James Carpenter 25th overall

April 28, 2011 /

The first round of the 2011 NFL Draft is in the books and it had more twists than anyone expected.

After a predictable start with Cam Newton going first overall to Carolina, we had a number of big shocks. Atlanta traded up in a pro-active way to grab Julio Jones and help their quarterback, Tennessee picked Jake Locker ahead of Washington and Christian Ponder was taken 12th overall by Minnesota.

Not wanting to feel left out, Seattle pulled off a surprise by drafting James Carpenter (OT, Alabama) with the 25th overall pick. A surprise to many, anyway.

Watch the Seahawks draft James Carpenter here (Note Nick Saban’s reaction)

Watch Carpenter’s combine work out here

On Thursday my source told me the Seahawks would favor offensive lineman if they couldn’t move down and I touted Carpenter as an option alongside Danny Watkins (already off the board) and Rodney Hudson.

Regulars to the blog will know how highly I rate Carpenter. He originally caught my eye early during the 2010 season and stood out for the Crimson Tide as the team’s left tackle in 2010. He’s athletic and has the lateral agility to play left tackle and understands run blocking as you’d expect from the Nick Saban offense.

However, my impression watching Carpenter was that his greatest strength was in pass protection. He had no problems playing at left tackle, which is why I valued him so highly in the first place. At times, he didn’t look unlike Michael Oher – although not necessarily as physically gifted or as aggressive. I have always maintained that if I’m taking an offensive tackle in round one, they have to be able to play on the left. Seattle passed on Gabe Carimi, as I would’ve done, almost certainly because he is a pure right tackle. You won’t fear Carpenter stepping in for an injured Russell Okung. It’s easier to show a left tackle to play on the right than vice versa.

I rated Carpenter highly enough to put him at #23 to Philadelphia in my final mock draft. He turned 22 at the end of March and stands at 6-4, 321lbs. He came from the JUCO ranks prior to joining ‘Bama.

From a pure talent stand point, it’s a very solid pick. I cannot criticise the selection from that perspective because it correlates with my own grade. It isn’t a reach, he will contribute immediately and has much more potential than perhaps people realise. The only real issue is that Seattle has taken a player in the right kind of area and it highlights once again that a poor 7-9 team is picking 25th overall.

You see St. Louis adding a guy like Robert Quinn to their already solid pass rush and suddenly they have their franchise quarterback and they have an ever growing defensive line. There’s identity written all over the team. Who are the Seahawks? They are a team that is realistically staring at a stop-gap option at quarterback, a team lacking a dominating defensive lineman and without any star skill players on offense. Did they need to keep hitting on top-15 talent, especially at key positions? Is a right tackle a key position? Or guard?

They now have two first round offensive lineman – a third if they re-sign Chris Spencer. Max Unger cost a second round pick. I’m not sure any team has invested more draft stock into the offensive line than Seattle over the years, but the results haven’t always been there. Carpenter adds to it now, but the Seahawks cannot expect miracles. If you stack eight in the box, they will beat your five offensive lineman more often than not. Too many times in the last three years Seattle has faced that look and I wonder if it’s part of Seattle’s desire to have mobility at quarterback.

The success of the 2005 Seahawks was greatly enhanced by the left side of the offensive line, but it was helped along by an elite running back and a Pro-Bowl quarterback in his prime. This current line may be blocking for the same quarterback, now 36, and without anyone capable of running the way Shaun Alexander did at his best. Let’s also appreciate the precision and execution of the Holmgren offense during those days.

So my judgement would be – Carpenter has the talent to justify the pick. Whether the Seahawks can justify taking offensive lineman in round one back-t0-back is a question that will only be answered in years to come. People may ridicule that statement, but this is a team with a dearth of talent at premium positions and eventually that has to be recognised alongside the offensive line.

As expected the team passed on Ryan Mallett, the source highlighted his lack of mobility as being one reason (I now believe there are more) for not going in that direction. I understand Oakland may stop his fall tomorrow. Jimmy Smith – a legitimate top-10 talent with character concerns – went just after Seattle. Mark Ingram landed in New Orleans, who lucked out also adding Cameron Jordan. Da’Quan Bowers’ knee injury is clearly a major issue as he is still available.

And as suspected, realism hit home for Andy Dalton who like Colt McCoy last year – did not go in round one despite a lot of nonsense about a high pick. If only I could explain the Ponder selection…

It sets up for an interesting Friday when the draft re-starts at 3PM PST. The Seahawks own the #57 overall pick. Will Colin Kaepernick make it that far? What about Da’Quan Bowers? There’s still a lot of talent on the board.

Thank you to those who participated in making the live chat a major success. We’ll do it all again tomorrow just before the second round kicks off. I’ll also announce the winners of the mock draft competition soon.

Source: Last minute Seahawks draft information

April 28, 2011 /

I contacted the source today that I’ve used many times in the past for draft information, including last week’s Seahawks inside view. He was kind of enough to offer some last minute thoughts hours before the draft.

– Ryan Mallett isn’t just off the Seahawks draft board, he’s sinking in a big way. Apparently he won’t be taken until the mid second round at the earliest. The source was quite adamant about this.

– The desire is still very strong to trade down from #25 and they will consider 2012 compensation. If no deal is forthcoming it’s probably going to be about value.

– I’m told it’s likely Seattle will favor offensive lineman if they can’t move down. This is based upon what is expected to happen and who will be available. This can change quickly, but it’s worth considering the guys Kip reviewed a few days ago. Right tackle may be an option and purely from my own opinion, I wonder if you can include Danny Watkins, Rodney Hudson or James Carpenter in the debate too? That’s not from the source, just a hunch.

– Do not expect Andy Dalton to be drafted at #25. The words used to describe the possibility of that happening were very negative. I understand there’s a big drop off between Dalton (#3 on the teams quarterback board) and the top two – an unnamed player at #1 and Colin Kaepernick at #2.

– Speaking of Kaepernick, I believe there’s still a chance he goes at #25 especially if quarterbacks leave the board quickly. I think they want to draft a quarterback but on their terms and preferably after trading down. They are high on his talents. They also won’t ignore better value at a different position if it’s staring them in the face. Even so, if you’re someone who wants the team to draft a QB early you need to back the guy from Nevada.

Seahawks draft predictions

April 27, 2011 /

It’s the eve of the draft, so I wanted to offer some predictions and thoughts based around what I’ve heard about the possible direction the Seahawks will take.

Last year the left tackle position was a main target area. We saw that with the drafting of Russell Okung with the 6th overall pick. It really came down to whoever was remaining between Eric Berry, Trent Williams and Okung. Had Berry been there at #6, he would almost certainly have been the choice, but the Seahawks would have tried to get a left tackle at #14. By adding Earl Thomas to pair with Okung, Seattle was able to address the two places on the roster they most desired.

This year I get the feeling there’s a much more open feel about things. Perhaps there is a slight leaning towards the quarterback position, but they’re certainly not going to reach to fill the need. What it means is there’s likely to be a handful of players they’re prepared to take at #25 in a best player available scenario. Mike Pouncey, the offensive guard from Florida, is one of those players. The Seahawks don’t expect he’ll make it to their pick, because he’s a legitimate option for Miami as early as the #15 overall pick. There are a cluster of teams including New York, Tampa Bay and Kansas City who should ensure he’s off the board before Indianapolis pick at #22.

Jimmy Smith is likely to be another player in that situation. Despite a lot of negativity about his character, the guy is a top-ten talent physically. The Seahawks won’t be the only team to have him higher than Prince Amukamara on their draft board, but again it isn’t likely that either make it to #25. Should that be the case, I think they’ll waste little time handing in the pick.

I’ve no further information on who else they’d be prepared to take at #25 and feel absolutely satisfied. Perhaps they look at a Muhammed Wilkerson (DE, Temple) and see defensive line depth and a Red Bryant clone? Maybe the lack of height on Brandon Harris (CB, Miami) will be less of an issue for the Seahawks given his strong open field tackling ability? Despite my opposition towards spending a high pick on a right tackle – a position easier to fill than most without spending expensive draft stock – I have no information as to their thoughts on a Gabe Carimi (OT, Wisconsin), Nate Solder (OT, Colorado) or Derek Sherrod (OT, Miss. State). Is Jabaal Sheard (DE, Pittsburgh) an option?

The player you can label as a wildcard is Mark Ingram. One member of the Seahawks offensive coaching staff (who joined the team during this off season) loves the guy and has been making a case for the Alabama prospect to be drafted (if available) at #25. I understand that the front office don’t share that enthusiasm for the pick considering the needs elsewhere on the team and the current depth at running back on Seattle’s roster. You do wonder, however, if there is a situation where Ingram is the best player available and they pull the trigger. What if they can’t move down? What if he’s clearly graded much higher than the next available player? It’s perhaps an unlikely scenario, but there is no way I’m ruling out Ingram.

Don’t expect Ryan Mallett, Adrian Clayborn, Stephen Paea, Marcus Cannon, Marvin Austin or Phil Taylor to be the choice. These are all players Seattle has expressed interest in and feel positive about, but for scheme purposes or other undefined reasons, they are not likely to be drafted by Seattle. In the case of Mallett, the Seahawks see his lack of mobility as enough of an issue not to include him on their board.

Depending on what offers are available, the Seahawks will look to trade down. The guy to keep an eye on is Colin Kaepernick, because I understand he’s had consensus approval among the Seahawks draft room. He is the #2 quarterback on Seattle’s board, with #1 remaining unknown, although I would predict it’s Jake Locker. When the Huskies quarterback is drafted by Washington in the top ten, it’ll leave Seattle contemplating their options. Do they like Kaepernick enough to avoid risking missing out on day two of the draft? With seven picks after the #25 on Thursday, teams could well move up to target the Nevada quarterback. New England own the first pick of day two and rest assured they will be fielding calls for the pick with the Patriots only currently owning five picks in 2012.

If they are not committed to Kaepernick, they may be willing to accept any deal to move down with offers as low as an extra 4th or 5th rounder touted. Ideally, they want that 3rd round pick back they spent on Charlie Whitehurst. It’s going to be very interesting to see how they play this if the Pouncey’s and Smith’s are off the board and whether they’d actually commit a first round pick to a guy like Kaepernick. It could happen.

Yesterday we had information about Carson Palmer potentially landing in Seattle down the line. Make no mistake, drafting a guy like Kaepernick doesn’t impact that at all. Whether it’s Palmer or Matt Hasselbeck starting in 2011, the idea will be that in two years time they want to hand over the keys to a guy they have developed. It would be a perfect scenario to train up Kaepernick behind the veteran, ready to start in the future. It’s a lot of stock placed in one position, particularly if you include the Whitehurst deal. Even so, we’re talking about the most important position in football here, it warrants this much attention.

Players to keep an eye on in round one at #25 or after a small trade down the board:

Confirmed: Mike Pouncey, Jimmy Smith, Colin Kaepernick, Mark Ingram

Speculation: Jake Locker, Jabaal Sheard, Muhammed Wilkerson, Prince Amukamara

Late round prospects to watch:

Confirmed: Lee Ziemba (OT, Auburn), DeMarcus Van Dyke (CB, Miami), Curtis Marsh (CB, Utah State), Jeff Tarpinian (LB, Iowa)

Later tonight I will publish my final mock draft for 2011… 

So stay tuned!

Prospect tracker: How Colin Kaepernick measures up

April 25, 2011 /

Andrew Luck was a 70% passer last year, how does it compare?

During the 2010 college football season I tallied statistics from all of the top quarterbacks, receivers, running backs and defenders and listed the results in the prospect tracker. You can find the numbers in the new menu bar under the title ‘prospects‘.

I chose the players I expected to get the most attention on draft day, so it’s quite telling that I decided against adding Andy Dalton. Whenever I watched TCU in 2009 or 2010 I never saw him as anything more than late round fodder and a career backup. Depending on who you believe, he might have a chance to go in round two on Friday and I understand he’s the third quarterback on Seattle’s draft board. Either I made a major error in grading Dalton, or he’s seriously over rated.

Using the prospect tracker I wanted to compare the performance of Colin Kaepernick, who I believe is receiving serious interest from the pacific north west. The stats are based on regular season performances only, so they don’t account for a 192-yard, one touchdown performance against Boston College in the Kraft ‘Fight Hunger’ Bowl.

Despite opting not to declare for the 2011 draft, I kept Andrew Luck’s name on the list if only for the basis of a comparison. After all, this is the poster boy for college football at the moment and the man everyone expects to be the #1 overall pick next year. His numbers at Stanford in 2011 were very impressive, yet distinctly similar to Colin Kaepernick’s.

Luck went 245/349 passing for the season with an excelent 70% completion rate. Kaepernick wasn’t far behind, going 213/326 for a 65% completion rate.

Very little separated each players yards-per-attempt (8.9 to 8.7 in favor of Luck). Kaepernick had 2830 passing yards compared to Luck’s 3051. Both players threw seven interceptions, but Luck recorded seven more passing touchdowns.  To compensate, Kaepernick’s running ability in Nevada’s pistol offense generated 1184 yards and an eye catching 20 touchdowns compared to Luck’s 438 yards and three scores. Of course, Luck ran a very different offense where his mobility and sneaky athleticism was merely a bonus and Kaepernick’s rushing qualities were a focal point for the Wolfpack.

Numbers only tell one side of the story of course, because using pure statistics you’d find it hard to seperate the pair. I’m not trying to say in this article that the two are on an equal footing, something I’m sure Colin Kaepernick – being a humble individual – would accept himself. Kaepernick will not be the first overall pick this year even if he does find a home in round one. Luck’s throwing mechanics are uniquely perfect for a college quarterback and he has some experience of pre-snap reads and adjustments, although a lot of those appeared to be scripted.

Level of competition also has to be taken into account. Kaepernick did beat Boise State, California, Fresno State and Boston College but Nevada’s schedule was also padded out with Eastern Washington, Idaho, Louisiana Tech and Utah State. Stanford negotiated the PAC-10 with some style, only losing to eventual BCS Championship runners-up Oregon on the road.

One thing the numbers do back up is Kaepernick’s elusiveness. He was sacked just ten times in 2010, which is a lot less than other mobile quarterbacks such as Jake Locker (19), Cam Newton (23), Blaine Gabbert (23) and Christian Ponder (23). Again though, you have to wonder about level of competition considering Andy Dalton’s eight sacks at TCU running a similarly weaker schedule. Andrew Luck was sacked an incredible six times, testament not only to his ability to get the ball out quickly but also to Stanford’s superb offensive line.

It is interesting to see that Kaepernick had a better completion percentage than both Locker and Gabbert, significantly so in Locker’s case. Again this perhaps doesn’t tell the whole story as Kaepernick was never faced with an almost impossible situation against Stanford and Nebraska, although performances such as Locker’s against UCLA proved he wasn’t entirely blameless. Another interesting note on Gabbert is that his 62% completion rate came despite throwing more passes (418) than anyone other than Nathan Enderle (478). Gabbert also had the lowest number of touchdowns (15).

Looking at Kaepernick’s previous years at Nevada also hints toward some level of development as a passer. He took less sacks, significantly improved his completion percentage (he averaged in the mid-50’s before 2010) and maintained a low turn over ratio, throwing just 24 interceptions in four years of starting football.

On the face of it the numbers are very impressive and you want to see that development, particularly as a senior. It’s one of the criticisms labelled at Jake Locker who would almost certainly, in my opinion, have been the fourth overall pick last year to Washington. His inability to pass in the 60% range – whatever the reason – gave ammunition to the critics. Statistics can be manipulated in both a positive and negative way and rest assured had Locker been a 60-65% passer, even if the performance wasn’t ultimately much better, people would’ve spoken about him in a more favorable manner. It’s really only a 3% improvement in terms of completions, which is nothing.

Kaepernick did make that jump and the team who ultimately drafts him this week will hope that it’s just the start of further development as a passer, because that is how he’ll be successful at the next level.

Searching for diamonds: Seattle’s late round targets

April 24, 2011 /

Pete Carroll and John Schneider see depth as an issue. It’s not really surprising, considering the number of injuries sustained in recent years and how the team has suffered as a consequence. The Seahawks got better value than usual out of their late round picks last year, finding contributors like Walter Thurmond and trading for Leon Washington. They also found a few guys for the future, including Kam Chancellor and Anthony McCoy.

Currently they own the second pick in round four, two picks in round five and some late round change in the 6th and 7th. Schneider has been part of a franchise in Green Bay that has the best draft pick retention in the league over the last few years. Seattle must emulate that and it means continuing to search for diamonds.

The list further down the board will be much larger than the possible options at #25 – that’s pretty obvious due to the talent pool and nature of the draft. I understand these four are among the players the team is considering – in some cases possibly as early as #57 and in others as low as priority undrafted free agents.

DeMarcus Van Dyke (CB, Miami)
Originally seen as a late round pick, now a fast riser after running a 4.28 at the combine. If the Seahawks want him badly enough, they may have to consider spending their #57 pick. A track star at Miami, he sometimes plays that way with a lack of natural instinct for the position, but he has raw potential as a cover corner.

Lee Ziemba (OL, Auburn)
Played right tackle for the Championship winning Tigers. Considered a fourth round prospect in some quarters and could be a depth solution on the offensive line at 6-5, 317lbs. Very superstitious apparently and a four year starter, but not considered an obvious fit in the zone blocking scheme.

Curtis Marsh (CB, Utah State)
Converted running back who is believed to be a hard working, team first kind of guy. Possible 5th or 6th round selection. Above average speed but struggled with a hamstring injury at the Senior Bowl. Reportedly strongest in press coverage.

Jeff Tarpinian (LB, Iowa)
Special teams prospect who carries a late round or UDFA grade. It’s not hard to see where his value is (see video below).

Updated two-round mock draft: 23rd April

April 23, 2011 /

Miami's Orlando Franklin doesn't need a helmet to block

I’ve updated the two-round mock draft today to represent how I feel some of the teams may be thinking five days before the draft. 

Essentially it comes down to two factors. Firstly, Colin Kaepernick is very much an option for the Seahawks and they believe they can trade down and target him at the top of round two. If a deal is not forthcoming, does the team still feel comfortable drafting him in round one? To see the latest projection, click here or select ‘Mock Draft’ in the menu bar above.  

Secondly, which players do the Seahawks grade higher than Kaepernick so that they would avoid the position with their first pick in the draft? Mike Pouncey appears to be one of them. I would project that Jimmy Smith is another and I understand one member of the offensive coaching staff is very high on Mark Ingram. I truly believe neither Pouncey or Smith will be available at #25 and the team isn’t trading up for them. Correctly, the Seahawks believe running back would be a luxury considering their investment in the position through Marshawn Lynch and the many other needs elsewhere.  

The impression I’m getting is that they aren’t tied to any one position and that’s an opinion John Schneider expressed in his press conference last week. They would probably like to make an investment in quarterback first and foremost, but they are confident in their ability to perhaps solve three or four problems instead of one. They found some mid-to-late round talent last year, but didn’t strike gold in round two gambling on Golden Tate. You can’t write him off after one year, but evidently he has a lot of work to do to warrant the investment Seattle made.  

Nevertheless, Kaepernick fits the bill in terms of what they’re looking for in a quarterback – mobility, arm strength, the ability to extend plays, the non-reliance on brilliant pass protection in order to make plays, running ability to develop the zone blocking scheme and become part of the overall gameplan, character and playmaking quality.  

It’d be taking a chance, just like trading for Charlie Whitehurst was taking a chance. Kaepernick would not be expected to start in year one, with either Matt Hasselbeck being re-signed or Carson Palmer being brought in from Cincinnati for perhaps a 5th rounder and a further conditional pick depending on performance. I believe a deal like that could be possible to land Palmer and there has been some discussion. Both are stop-gap options that the team likes enough to run with as it re-builds. There are people out there who rate Kaepernick highly, very highly. Don’t sleep on him being off the board before Seattle is on the board at #25, particularly if a team trades back into the first.  

In round two I’ve gone back to the Seahawks taking an interior lineman in Miami’s Orlando Franklin. I suspect guard is an area they are determined to improve and will consider early – but as with other needs, they aren’t going to focus in on the position as a life or death situation.  

Elsewhere, I have Buffalo making a surprise move at #3 taking Cameron Jordan. Make no mistake he is a big-time talent who would instantly upgrade Buffalo’s defense. Adding Phil Taylor in round two could set up that defensive front for a long time, particularly in a division that contains a lot of offensive punch. So why not Von Miller, Blaine Gabbert, AJ Green or Patrick Peterson? No specific reason, but how many people had C.J. Spiller pinned to #9 last year? Or Aaron Maybin and Eric Woods to Buffalo the year before? Zero. That alone is not enough to warrant the Jordan projection, but he is a flashy playmaker who will provide a quick impact at a position of need. To some degree, he could be the back-up option to Marcell Dareus for Buffalo.  

I have Gabbert dropping to #8 and past a few quarterback needy teams. Cincinnati is still a very likely proposition, but would anyone be surprised if they take a receiver in round one? AJ Green may be able to help a mediocre pick at quarterback in round two (such as Christian Ponder or Andy Dalton) look a little brighter. Arizona should take him at #5 but appear to be leaning towards a veteran option (Marc Bulger is the hot tip). San Francisco, for whatever reason, seems an unlikely fit. If Gabbert does squeeze past the first seven picks, you’re looking at Tennessee as perhaps being the floor.  

The reason for the fall in this projection? Gabbert looks the part across the board, yet he was just so completely unspectacular in college. You’re investing in the unknown to a degree. I suspect that Gabbert will be top of a lot of boards in the quarterback department, but may not thrill some GM’s enough to make the call. At the end of the day, Carolina are going to end up taking Cam Newton – a guy with a bigger boom and a bigger bust ratio – over Gabbert, who is the presumed safe option. 

I could be wrong here and Gabbert go as high as #2-#4 overall, or perhaps he will slip a little bit?

Colin Kaepernick #2 quarterback on Seattle’s board?

April 21, 2011 /

Following up yesterday’s information, I’ve had further contact with my source and he’s been able to shed a bit more light on a few things. Remember, these are just things he’s heard. I’m merely relaying the information. Don’t forget to check out my earlier article on Colin Kaepernick and the ‘Pete Carroll offense’.

– Ryan Mallett is not part of Seattle’s plans due only to a lack of mobility and it is not an issue of character.

– It’s understood Colin Kaepernick is the second ranked quarterback on Seattle’s board and apparently Andy Dalton is ranked at #3. The top ranked quarterback is not known. It’s important to remember that guaranteed top-ten locks Cam Newton and Blaine Gabbert are probably not on the board due to their likely exit point.

– Mike Pouncey is viewed as a guard, not a center and is a favorite but likely won’t last to #25.

– Adrian Clayborn, Marcus Cannon, Phil Taylor, Stephen Paea and Marvin Austin – players the team has shown interest in but will not be drafting for various reasons.

– Some mid/late rounders to keep an eye on – Curtis Marsh (CB, Utah State), DeMarcus Van Dyke (CB, Miami), Lee Ziemba (OL, Auburn), Jeff Tarpinian (LB, Iowa).

– It’s understood that Jimmy Smith is valued higher than Prince Amukamara and that he’s likely to go in the 15-20 range on draft day.

– Trading up appears to be unlikely. In the fact the words used by my source were that a trade up won’t occur unless “Aaron Rodgers re-enters the draft”.

– Finally, it’s said that one high profile member of the coaching staff is a big fan of Mark Ingram and would love to draft him at #25 if available. However, the front office believe there are too many needs on the roster to draft a running back in round one.

Source: Mallett not on Seahawks board, Kaepernick is

April 20, 2011 /

Gaining momentum: Could Colin Kaepernick be a Seahawk next week?

I wanted to offer some information I received today from a proven source. Regular visitors to the blog will be aware of the success rate of this source in the past. There have been occasions when the information hasn’t been 100% accurate as well, but never illogical. This is speculation and not fact, but as I say it comes from a guy I trust. 

– Ryan Mallett is not on the Seahawks draft board. No reasons were given.

– The Seahawks like Mike Pouncey (OG, Florida) but the belief is he’ll be off the board before the 25th overall pick. He is seemingly receiving consensus approval. 

– Trading down is very much part of their plans. The desire is to drop down into the first 5-7 picks of the second round. Regaining a third round pick is considered the target. If a deal isn’t there the likelihood is they’ll remain at #25 although depending on how the board falls, they may consider dropping back for as little as an extra 4th or 5th rounder. 

– I understand the other player that is gaining approval across the board is Colin Kaepernick (QB, Nevada). It’s believed they can get him in the early second round, but could be willing to take him at #25.

– The third player I’m told they really like is Stephen Paea (DT, Oregon State). The Seahawks were incredibly impressed with him. Nevertheless, it’s suggested he won’t likely be an option based on where he is projected to go. 

One final note, it’s believed the team came close to completing a deal with Matt Hasselbeck just before the CBA expired with guaranteed cash the stumbling block. This is something the Seahawks expected more flexibility with, but it didn’t happen. 

Don’t forget to check the latest Seahawks Draft Blog mock draft.

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