Whatever you’re watching today — this is thread to discuss it. The big game tonight sees LSU take on Alabama. Paxton Lynch looks to continue his strong run against Navy. Shon Coleman also gets his biggest test of the season against Texas A&M and Myles Garrett. Remember, Laremy Tunsil did a good job against the Aggies. This will be a nice benchmark game for Coleman.
Category: Front Page News (Page 201 of 367)
I would urge everyone to listen to this weeks ‘Real in the Field Gulls’ podcast (see above). Danny O’Neil from ESPN 710 is the guest and provides a big dollop of educated Seahawks takes.
At the 24:15 mark Danny is asked about Seattle’s O-line. He suggests Russell Okung will probably leave the Seahawks in the off-season, that J.R. Sweezy could be re-signed and that Garry Gilliam might get a shot to take over at left tackle.
They clearly rate Gilliam and in many ways this first season at right tackle could be an audition. Can he show, over a 16-game campaign, that he’s ready to be a blind-side protector? He has the frame and the mobility. Can he develop into a technically sound blocker? We’ve seen gradual signs of improvement over the course of the season.
If the Seahawks pick late in the first round again in 2016, it’s going to be very difficult to draft a capable left tackle. So many teams are desperate for good O-linemen. They aren’t going to last very long in the first round.
It’s perhaps more likely they’ll get a chance to draft Gilliam’s replacement at right tackle or bring in a tackle-convert to play guard or center. Either way, it’s something to contemplate as we go through this process. It’ll certainly help if Justin Britt continues his much improved form at left guard, meaning they could theoretically focus on center and right tackle (Alex Mack + a draft pick? Maybe).
Corey Coleman is a bad man. pic.twitter.com/NMV4ORvXwL
— Dr. Saturday (@YahooDrSaturday) November 6, 2015
I’m not quite sure why Baylor’s Corey Coleman isn’t going early in mock drafts. Then again, you could make the same case for Shon Coleman and until recently Paxton Lynch. Nobody seems to be taking them seriously.
They should be.
The play above is a perfect example for why I recently mocked Corey Coleman with the #3 overall pick. We all know he has the fantastic athleticism, deep speed, explosive breaks and good hands. It’s the fact he adds this competitive spirit, grit and willingness to compete for the ball that separates good from great.
He also had an +80-yard score against Kansas State last night in a game-winning performance (11 catches, 216 yards, two TD’s). He has 20 touchdowns in just eight games. Think about that. He also has 1178 yards.
Teams are going to love Coleman. I think he’s a top 5/10 pick. Hopefully he’ll start to get the attention he deserves soon — along with Shon Coleman who is battling with Laremy Tunsil to be the best offensive tackle in college football.
Another receiver to keep an eye on is Mississippi State’s De’Runnya Wilson. He was superb against Missouri last night in horrendous weather conditions — snatching four catches for 102 yards and two scores.
He looks more polished, more consistent and more rounded this year. He’s 6-5 and around 215-220lbs. There’s some Kelvin Benjamin to his style. He’s a prototype big-bodied receiver who could work into the first round equation next year.
Taylor Decker could help upgrade Seattle’s O-line. But yeah, it’s November. So who knows?
In the podcast this week we conducted a live 1-31 mock draft (the Pats don’t have a first rounder). I said I’d list it out in full today and you’ll find it below. It’s very much a loose projection, designed mainly to look at the kind of range certain players might be drafted. Do I think the Bears will prioritise replacing prospective free agent Alshon Jeffery over defensive help? Not really. But I wanted to emphasise Laquon Treadwell’s stock as a possible top ten pick.
Picks 1-10
#1 Detroit Lions — Joey Bosa (DE, Ohio State)
#2 Tennessee Titans — Robert Nkemdiche (DE, Ole Miss)
#3 Baltimore Ravens — Corey Coleman (WR, Baylor)
#4 Cleveland Browns — Paxton Lynch (QB, Memphis)
#5 San Diego Chargers — Jaylon Smith (LB, Notre Dame)
#6 San Francisco 49ers — Tre’Davious White (CB, LSU)
#7 Jacksonville Jaguars — Laremy Tunsil (T, Ole Miss)
#8 Chicago Bears — Laquon Treadwell (WR, Ole Miss)
#9 Dallas Cowboys — Cameron Sutton (CB, Tennessee)
#10 Houston Texans — Shon Coleman (T, Auburn)
The Lions, Titans and Ravens aren’t likely to be in the quarterback market. If the Browns ended up with the first overall pick — or the 49ers — I’d have no issue putting Paxton Lynch right at the top of this class. He could go that early. I’ve said it a few times now — but teams are going to look at this quarterback class and decide Lynch has the bigger upside and the greatest combination of physical tools and accuracy. He’s leading Memphis, almost single-handedly, into the top-15 teams in the nation. Think about that. They beat Ole Miss, who won at Alabama. He doesn’t turn it over. He throws with touch and he’s mobile enough to be a threat as a runner. He won’t be Cam Newton. But he won’t be far off if he lands with the right team.
Corey Coleman is a production machine who competes for the ball and an elite athlete. He will destroy the combine if he declares for the 2016 draft. He has a realistic shot to propel his stock into the upper echelon of prospects — similar to Tavon Austin’s rise in 2013.
Laremy Tunsil could go as early as the #1 overall pick but in this projection I had teams looking at other needs. It’s no slur on Tunsil — and he lands with the Jaguars here because the value is just too good.
Tre’Davious White in my opinion is going to be highly coveted (leadership, coverage skills and an underrated kick returner). Cameron Sutton and Eli Apple aren’t far behind. Shon Coleman might be the most underrated player in college football. Like Corey Coleman, don’t be surprised if he leaps into the top ten in the new year.
Picks 11-20
#11 Kansas City Chiefs — Eli Apple (CB, Ohio State)
#12 Miami Dolphins — Jaylon Ramsey (CB/S, Florida State)
#13 Tampa Bay Buccaneers — DeForest Buckner (DE, Oregon)
#14 Philadelphia Eagles — Jack Conklin (T, Michigan State)
#15 Washington — Michael Thomas (WR, Ohio State)
#16 Buffalo Bills — Reggie Ragland (LB, Alabama)
#17 New Orleans Saints — Adolphus Washington (DT/DE, Ohio State)
#18 Seattle Seahawks — Taylor Decker (T, Ohio State)
#19 Pittsburgh Steelers — Kendall Fuller (CB, Virginia Tech)
#20 St. Louis Rams — Tyler Boyd (WR, Pittsburgh)
Eli Apple would make a nice partner for Marcus Peters while Jaylon Ramsey fills a big hole for the Dolphins either at corner or free safety. DeForest Buckner is a better football player than Arik Armstead who went in this range to the 49ers a year ago. Jack Conklin might end up at right tackle in the NFL — the Eagles could get creative with Lane Johnson to accommodate him.
Michael Thomas is just a terrific receiver with everything you want in a true #1. Reggie Ragland would be a tone setter and organiser for Rex Ryan’s talented but underachieving defense in Buffalo. Adolphus Washington makes enough splash plays to warrant consideration in round one. Kendall Fuller is a top talent coming off an injury otherwise he’d go earlier. Tyler Boyd is a gritty playmaker and the heart and soul of Pittsburgh’s offense.
What about the Seahawks? Right now it looks like they’ll simply have to take the best offensive lineman available next year — barring some big (unlikely?) moves in free agency. This need will be even more desperate if they lose Russell Okung. Ideally they find a way to keep Okung and then draft a right tackle. Decker’s an underrated athlete and should do better than expected at the combine. He’s technically very sound and has practised against Joey Bosa for a few years. Good personality with a ‘working class’ feel to his game. He should be able to start quickly.
Also playing into the equation is the possibility of Garry Gilliam improving at right tackle or even being given the chance to replace Okung (not out of the question). The Seahawks could look at alternatives later such as Indiana’s Jason Spriggs. They could even target a guard convert here like Germain Ifedi or Joe Dahl.
Ronnie Stanley is also still on the board in this projection and would be a risk/reward option to replace Okung. We’ve seen the best (vs USC) and worst (vs Temple) of Stanley recently. When he squares up to blockers and can hand-fight 1v1 he wins most of his battles. His effort, however, is so inconsistent and he frequently looks lost trying to find someone to block. Coleman, Tunsil, Decker, Conklin — they play with their hair on fire. Coleman and Tunsil in particular seek out the second level and just hammer linebackers. Stanley has this ugly tendency to coast through games playing at half-speed. It’s a real concern and I’d have a hard time personally taking him in round one. Such is the need for quality tackles, however, someone might feel obliged to draft him early and hope for the best.
Picks 21-31
#21 Indianapolis Colts — Ronnie Stanley (T, Notre Dame)
#22 New York Giants — Darron Lee (LB, Ohio State)
#23 New York Jets — Myles Jack (LB, UCLA)
#24 Oakland Raiders — A’Shawn Robinson (DT, Alabama)
#25 Minnesota Vikings — Germain Ifedi (T/G, Texas A&M)
#26 Atlanta Falcons — Joe Dahl (T/G, Washington State)
#27 Arizona Cardinals — Ezekiel Elliott (RB, Ohio State)
#28 Green Bay Packers — Jonathan Bullard (DT, Florida)
#29 Cincinnati Bengals — Shaq Lawson (DE, Clemson)
#30 Carolina Panthers — Braxton Miller (WR, Ohio State)
#31 Denver Broncos — Jared Goff (QB, California)
It’s still too early to even consider how this part of the first round will play out. I like Darron Lee and Myles Jack a lot and they could go earlier than this. Ifedi and Dahl can move inside. Dahl is performing well in pass protection for the Cougs, while Ifedi is starting at right tackle for the Aggies. A’Shawn Robinson offers very little in terms of pass rush and that could hamper his stock.
Zekey Elliott could end up going to a good team who can afford to take him in round one. In this instance it’s Arizona. He might need a bit of time to click at the next level — but he’s a well-rounded weapon of a running back. Jonathan Bullard has lived in the backfield all season for Florida and deserves a first round projection here.
Shaq Lawson might be the best pure edge rusher after Joey Bosa but there will be some doubts about yet another undersized Clemson DE. I have no issues putting Braxton Miller in round open. He’s dynamic in space, has shown to be a natural hands-catcher. He’s bright, intelligent and an X-Factor.
Jared Goff completes the round. He had another rough day against USC with one horrendous interception in particular. He’s a very skilled, accurate, surgeon of a passer at times. He’s also erratic and needs to be brought along slowly at the next level. The internet has decided to anoint him as their champion (see: Teddy Bridgewater, 2014). So expect major overreactions when he goes later than ‘Draft Twitter’ projects followed by repeated ‘told you so’s’ when he has a good performance (and stoney silence when, like Bridgewater, he finds it pretty tough).
For further thoughts on each pick, check out the podcast:
The Seahawks had to grind their way to 4-4. That’s not such a bad thing.
It doesn’t feel like the most satisfying win. The NFL public cares about style points. Nobody is going to give the Seahawks big licks for this performance. They beat Matt Cassel by a point. That’ll be the perception.
And really, you shouldn’t care one iota.
The Seahawks can take plenty of positives out of this one. The defense did what it had to — limit the damage in the running game and shut down Cassel. Dallas had four field goals for their efforts. That’s it. The Cowboys had 220 total yards in the game. Compare that to the 460 they had against the Giants last week.
Cliff Avril continues to have a brilliant season. It won’t show up in the stat column — but what he did against a very strong Cowboys O-line deserves respect. Michael Bennett came on strong at the end and Jason Witten was a non-factor. Don’t underestimate that by the way. Seattle has struggled against tight ends mightily.
On offense they generally moved the ball. Marshawn Lynch had 71 yards but it felt like more. Jimmy Graham had a nice 75-yard game. Luke Willson was an x-factor with the only touchdown. The Seahawks didn’t give up a single sack despite having to start Alvin Bailey at left tackle.
At times the offense lacked rhythm. Yet when it mattered in the fourth quarter they secured a 17-play drive starting at their own 15 for the game winning score. Given the inability to finish games on offense this year, that drive was a huge plus point.
Overall this was a good, solid road win against a desperate team. The Seahawks are 4-4 with three home games to follow. There was a lot of pressure to win today. A defeat puts you three games behind Arizona in the NFC West and the Wild Card group would be drifting clear. They had to win today. Job done.
There’s one big issue they need to resolve during the bye week.
Third downs.
For too long now, third down conversion has been an issue for the Seahawks. For some reason, despite a lot of time, resource and attention dedicated to addressing the issue, it lingers.
A great example was a third and four in the third quarter. Seattle threw a low percentage fade to Jimmy Graham. The score was 10-9 after a long, time consuming and punishing Cowboys drive. Three-and-out. The Seahawks punted.
The Seahawks have a perfect blend of weapons for third and short. A mobile quarterback. A punishing, brilliant running back. One of the best move-tight ends in the game. Even the pass protection was good today. And yet third and manageable remains a major headache.
Seattle finished the game 4/14 on third downs. If they convert at 50% they pull away in this one. Anything more than that and it’s probably a blow out given the way the defense played.
Teams generally have stock plays on third down. It’s the bread and butter of an offense. ‘This is what we are’. On 3rd and short — you kind of know what a team is going to try and you just have to stop it.
What is the Seahawks’ best play on third and short? We can all make a suggestion, but we don’t know a definitive answer. We should know by now.
The trade deadline is on Tuesday. There’s been some talk of possible moves by the Seahawks. They play Arizona in Seattle two weeks today.
I’m currently travelling so can’t embed the report, but Ian Rapoport says the Browns have engaged in talks about trading their star left tackle Joe Thomas and excellent center Alex Mack. There’s no suggestion that a deal is close with another team with the trade deadline on Tuesday
The Seahawks haven’t been named as an interested party either, but they’ve been as aggressive as anyone in recent years when it comes to trades. The O-line is the biggest weakness on the team. Jason La Canfora is also reporting Seattle is working hard to trade for a veteran O-liner and is willing to deal receiver Chris Matthews.
The Browns would expect a big return. Thomas is arguably the best tackle in the NFL. Mack is one of the top center’s. Either player would command a princely sum.
The Seahawks could package picks and Russell Okung plus a receiver to possibly interest the Browns. That might get you one of Thomas or Mack. Even then it’s pure rosterbation. Madden 16 would reject the offer it’s that fanciful.
Still, the Seahawks know they’re in a Championship window that won’t last forever. They’re the ultimate win-now roster with maybe 2-3 years at the very top to come. Making a deal and giving up 2016 draft stock isn’t something they’ll be concerned with it helps them win in 2015.
Some early notes…
— UCLA running back Paul Perkins was banged up but still excelled early in a win over Colorado. He had 12 rushes for 118 yards and five catches for 49 yards. He added two touchdowns. He’s one to monitor — very fluid and athletic as a runner with great vision. Finds a crease and explodes. Doesn’t go down after contact. Very impressive one-cut runner.
— Alex Collins of Arkansas is having a big day against UT Martin. With a full quarter still to play he has 173 yards on just 16 carries with FIVE touchdowns.
— USC won at California with Jared Goff having another mixed day. He threw two touchdowns and two interceptions. Goff also had 272 yards completing 23/31.
— Jacoby Brissett is a player we focused on in the summer. He’s having a good performance against Clemson. He’s had a slightly erratic season with up and down games. He’ll make a nice quarterback project for someone at the next level.
— Ole Miss receiver Laquon Treadwell continues to put up big numbers. In a victory against Auburn he had seven catches, 114 yards and a touchdown snagged in tight coverage.
If you’re watching a game or a prospect — tell us about it in the comments section.
Paxton Lynch will go higher than people think
According to a report in Sports Illustrated, NFL scouts expect Memphis’ Paxton Lynch to be the first quarterback taken in the 2016 draft. It’s something we discussed a few weeks ago on the ‘3000 NFL Mock Draft’ podcast and noted here. For me it’s not a question of whether Lynch will be the first quarterback taken. It’s how high will he go?
There are two things to consider. Firstly, Lynch will not be the best overall player in the class. That honour will go to somebody else. It could be Joey Bosa. It could be Laremy Tunsil. Don’t be shocked if Baylor’s Corey Coleman really emerges as a big favourite too (more on him in a moment).
That said — any team needing a quarterback will look at Paxton Lynch and feel like they can win with him. He’s a very accurate passer with tremendous size and poise. He throws with touch and doesn’t turn the ball over. Despite being a big, strong quarterback he’s also surprisingly elusive and will make plays with his feet. He isn’t Cam Newton. That doesn’t mean he can’t be used in a similar way.
Importantly he’s also making an unfancied Memphis team competitive. They’re ranked. They’ve beaten Ole Miss (who beat Alabama on the road). In that game he made several outstanding plays. One example was a four-read progression before an accurate dart to the outside for a third down conversion. His third score was a beautiful (yet safe) deep-ball to the back-shoulder.
Lynch is making Memphis relevant. He’s elevating that squad. A bad team needing a lift will like that aspect.
If the franchise picking first overall needs a quarterback — Lynch could be in play. Believe it. At the moment Detroit, Baltimore and Tennessee are set to pick first, second and third. If it stays that way — it’s unlikely those three teams go QB in round one. Cleveland are at four and Houston at five. The Texans in particular are trending downwards largely because of their lack of an effective and consistent passing game.
Even if Lynch isn’t the top pick, he could easily find a home in the top five with the task of changing the fortunes of a slumping team. GM’s and coaches will look at his flaws and feel they’re fixable. They’ll love his upside.
Watch out for Corey Coleman
West Virginia Head Coach Dana Holgorsen recently called Baylor receiver Corey Coleman the best player in college football. Presumably he forgot about Leonard Fournette, but he still raised an interesting point.
There just aren’t many players like Coleman in the NFL, let alone in college.
He’s gaining headlines for a ridiculous stat line in 2015. He’s scored 18 touchdowns in seven games, adding 962 receiving yards. He’s virtually sewn up the Biletnikoff Award for this year and we’re not even into November.
When you watch the tape — you see his success isn’t purely down to a well-drilled, prolific passing offense.
Coleman is a perfect blend of competitiveness, attitude, skill and speed. He’s incredibly quick into his breaks creating separation almost immediately and often appearing wide open. Teams are petrified of his speed over the top and offer such a soft cushion that he’s nearly always open in the short-range passing game. He’ll go up and snatch a pass out of the air, he’ll make the tough grabs. He’s had a couple of ugly drops but it doesn’t appear to be a reoccurring issue.
He’s a thoroughly dynamic playmaker. He speaks well and doesn’t appear to be a diva. He looks the part of a new age wide receiver making it in the NFL. He’s only 5-11 and 190lbs. He’s just so explosive — not unlike Odell Beckham Jr. at LSU and Antonio Brown currently at Pittsburgh. That’s not to say he’ll have their success — he’d need to land on a good passing offense for a start. The potential is clearly there, however.
There are some issues too.
Coleman has a knack of giving up when he knows the ball isn’t coming his way. If it’s a run call, for example, he frequently lines up and just doesn’t do anything off the snap. No attempted block. No route to throw off a defense. He’ll just stand still or walk around. On a couple of occasions a running play has broken off to this side of the field and with a greater effort he could’ve made a downfield block.
At Baylor it doesn’t really matter. They’re so explosive most teams get blown out of the water by half time. At the next level he’s going to need to up the ante and the work rate. He can’t be taking snaps off when it’s a run. He can’t saunter through plays when he’s not the primary target. I suspect he’ll know and appreciate this — it’s just strange to see a player so lethargic on the field when he’s not getting the ball. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen it before.
That aside he has the potential to blow up the combine (he’s a junior and eligible for next years draft). Don’t be shocked if he ends up going as early as Tavon Austin in 2013. Players like Coleman with mass production and insane athleticism always rise and rise. He could be a top ten or fifteen pick.
An elite group emerges
Opinions are still pretty varied but for me a clear handful of players are separating themselves as the best crop eligible for 2016:
Joey Bosa (DE, Ohio State)
Robert Nkemdiche (DE, Ole Miss)
Laremy Tunsil (T, Ole Miss)
Tre’Davious White (CB, LSU)
Shon Coleman (T, Auburn)
Paxton Lynch (QB, Memphis)
Corey Coleman (WR, Baylor)
Jaylon Smith (LB, Notre Dame)
There’s also a good looking second tier that arguably includes:
Cameron Sutton (CB, Tennessee)
Laquan Treadwell (WR, Ole Miss)
Jack Conklin (T, Michigan State)
Michael Thomas (WR, Ohio State)
Eli Apple (CB, Ohio State)
Taylor Decker (T, Ohio State)
DeForest Buckner (DE, Oregon)
Reggie Ragland (LB, Alabama)
Jalen Ramsey (CB/S, Florida State)
Tyler Boyd (WR, Pittsburgh)
Obviously I haven’t seen every player yet — this is just based on my own personal thoughts so far.
It’s hard to figure out how Ezekiel Elliott fits into the class. He’s a very talented running back but doesn’t possess a unique skill set. He’s reasonably sized, pretty fast and doesn’t go down on first contact. A good back to build a running game around and a possible feature runner. Is he going to transform a team, carry the load and have an instant impact? Debatable. Todd Gurley he aint. It wouldn’t really be a surprise if he went in the top-20 or lasted into round two. His stock is wide open.
Jared Goff is equally confusing. He throws a prettier deep ball than most quarterbacks in college football. He can be very accurate, he can win games on his own for California and he’s helped make an average looking roster somewhat respectable. He’s also very skinny, prone to head-scratching errors and a five-interception game at Utah wasn’t pretty (not all the picks were his fault, but there were two ugly ones).
He could easily be a first round pick. He could also face a similar fate to the likes of Andy Dalton, Colin Kaepernick, Derek Carr and Teddy Bridgewater. Teams will like Goff. But do they like him enough to make him a high first round pick? Is a GM or Head Coach going to tie himself to Goff with the big investment? The difference between pick #15 and #35-40 isn’t that much — but it offers much more wiggle room for a team to save face and ultimately move on if it doesn’t work out.
The Seahawks need to find the next Breno Giacomini to bolster an inexperienced O-line
In 2011 the Seahawks made a big commitment to the running game in the draft.
It was quite a statement at the time. They needed a quarterback. The likes of Andy Dalton and Colin Kaepernick were expected to go in the range of their first round pick (#25 overall).
Pete Carroll had to make a call — and he chose not to build around a young QB.
Carroll wanted a running game and in 2010 — even with the arrival of Marshawn Lynch — they had the worst running attack in the NFL. So they settled on Tarvaris Jackson at quarterback and built their O-line via the draft instead, while adding Robert Gallery in free agency.
Although they did achieve their goal of creating a potent ground game — the 2011 draft investment plus Gallery arguably had a minimal impact. It’s possibly the failure of Carpenter, Moffitt and Gallery that has shaped some of the current issues facing Seattle’s O-line.
They tried proven. They tried productive. Let’s go for upside instead.
It’s created a different type of problem up front.
The nameplate of 1st round draft pick James Carpenter gets sewn onto his ceremonial #1 jersey today – http://moby.to/stamqw
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) April 29, 2011
James Carpenter was considered a surprise pick in the media — but anyone who spent considerable time watching Alabama knew why he went in the first round. Carpenter had a fantastic senior season playing left tackle. Mark Ingram won a Heisman running to the left. Carpenter dominated SEC defensive linemen with his power and size. He was easily the best run blocking tackle in the 2010 college season and the Seahawks clearly hoped he could have similar success in the NFL.
Seattle spent their second pick in the 2011 draft on another O-liner.
For years Wisconsin fielded big, powerful offensive linemen and they’d been able to run the ball with great success. John Moffitt didn’t possess any astonishing athletic traits. In many ways he looked like a classic ‘JAG’. He worked the inside with power and tenacity and the Seahawks probably felt his gritty style would benefit their interior line.
Carpenter’s size and length aside — neither player was particularly SPARQ-y. They had good tape. They were part of hugely productive running attacks. The Seahawks appeared to be looking not so much for difference making traits but instead for proven entities. Plug-in-and-play types. The Gallery pick-up, given his familiarity with Tom Cable in Oakland, wasn’t a big surprise either.
Moffitt quit the league shortly after a disappointing spell in Seattle and Carpenter struggled at tackle before shifting inside to guard. Neither draft pick paid dividends — although Carpenter’s annual handling of Justin Smith was always fun to witness. Gallery struggled to make an impact and didn’t last long either.
It’s not unfair to question whether these failures provoked a switch in Seattle’s thinking. Did they start to consider a new plan based on athleticism and upside? Without the dependency to spend high draft picks or go through free agency?
How much of this was forced through cost? Did they see a potential saving on the O-line to help pay for the new contracts dished out to Richard Sherman, Michael Bennett, Russell Wilson, Earl Thomas and co.? Or was it more than that? A genuine philosophical shift? “We want these types of players on our O-line.”
Since the 2011 draft the Seahawks have only spent one high pick on their O-line despite the loss of starters like Carpenter, Max Unger and Breno Giacomini. The second round pick — Justin Britt — was somewhat forced given the diminishing number of tackles available in the 2014 draft. Seattle didn’t have a third round pick that year and risked missing out on a full class of tackles. It was a major reach that at the time probably felt necessary.
Apart from that they’ve spent time converting athletic defensive linemen like J.R. Sweezy, Drew Nowak and Kristjan Sokoli. None of that trio cost a high pick. All carry an extremely high upside. They’ve also looked in the later rounds at guys like Mark Glowinski and Terry Poole.
It’s fair to say Seattle’s current plan for the O-line is having some teething problems. You could even say it’s having less success than the early draft picks in 2011.
Perhaps Carpenter and Moffitt arrived with bad habits? Combined with the fact both entered the league during a lock out — they were virtually thrown into the deep end when the new CBA was agreed. When Tom Cable eventually began working with the pair — was it hard to refine their technique? Cable’s made it clear he has to start coaching from scratch with college linemen — and it’s one of the reasons they’ve turned to former D-liners. If you’re starting with a blank canvas, why not go for the better athletes?
Yet there’s also a case to be made though for those battle tested blockers. They might have suspect technique and need a great deal of coaching — but they also have at least some grasp of the position. James Carpenter wasn’t a perfectionist with a well-honed blocking style. And yet he had a great deal of experience competing against the best the SEC had to offer before entering the NFL.
Doesn’t that count for something?
So what now as the Seahawks face what seems like an inevitable rebuild of their O-line? Aside from Russell Okung and J.R. Sweezy being free agents (their two most experienced linemen) you could argue they need replacements at left guard, center and right tackle too.
There’s nothing really to be lost taking on a project like Kristjan Sokoli. Wouldn’t it be better, though, to have him battling for a starting job against more experienced team mates? J.R. Sweezy won his job on a much more experienced line. Nowak, Britt and Garry Gilliam are almost starting by default.
Returning focus to the early rounds of the draft is probably necessary — especially if they have to replace Okung at left tackle. Auburn’s Shon Coleman is one of the most underrated players in college football and could easily jump into the top tier of draft picks for 2016. If he stays under the radar — he’d be a nice option for the Seahawks at either tackle spot or even at guard.
Yet it’d also be beneficial to add more of a veteran presence to the line while the Sokoli’s and Mark Glowinski’s learn their craft. If they don’t re-sign Okung and/or Sweezy it might free up enough room to have another tilt at Evan Mathis or look at Alex Boone. There might be another Breno Giacomini out there or even a Paul McQuistan. Nobody would ever tout McQuistan as a leading impact player — but it’s that veteran savvy and reliability at guard that at times Seattle has lacked.
A combination of youth, upside, experience and grit might be the way to get this back on track.
Giacomini — vilified by some at a time when the Seahawks roster had virtually no holes — is exactly the type of player Seattle currently lacks. Was he perfect? Far from it. Did he set the tone, offer genuine leadership and a punishing, physical blocking style? Absolutely. It’s no surprise that since he (and Carpenter) moved to New York, the Jets have been able to run with a purpose and offer adequate pass protection to Ryan Fitzpatrick.
They don’t necessarily need an elite group — they showed that in 2013. Following the Jets’ approach and plugging in a couple of veterans might be the ideal approach for Seattle.
They need a serviceable bunch who can develop some chemistry, run the ball consistently and give Russell Wilson more time than he’s currently receiving. Considering the Seahawks are right in the middle of what might only be a two or three year Championship window — stop gaps aren’t a bad thing. Finding a group that can get the job done right now should be the priority.
At the moment there seems to be a lack of the nous we saw in 2013. A good line doesn’t need endless first rounders or a bunch of big names. It does need attitude, experience, familiarity and execution. Ingredients that have been missing at times in 2015.
The current Seahawks line feels green and unless it shows a big improvement could be set for major surgery. Getting even younger isn’t ideal. Getting better — that has to be the target. And that could mean a combination of 2016 draft investment (two picks?) and some key veteran additions.
This week, Kenneth and I grade some of the young players who entered the NFL in the 2014 and 2015 drafts. We pick out a ‘best O-line under-25’. We also talk about Washington State, Derrick Henry and cigars.
If you missed a career night for Paxton Lynch (QB, Memphis) last night, you’ll find some highlights above. Memphis defeated Tulsa 66-42 to remain undefeated. Lynch’s stock just continues to rise and rise. He threw four touchdowns and no picks — collecting 447 yards. Look at some of the throws above. Pro teams are going to love Paxton Lynch.
Here’s this week’s open thread. Whether you want to discuss a game or a prospect, here’s the place to do it.
