Category: Front Page News (Page 97 of 367)

Florida State defensive tackle Marvin Wilson has a lot of athletic upside. He just needs to be more consistent.

Part of his problem might be the team he plays for. Florida State have been bad for a while. Really bad at times. It’s hard to show anything but the occasional flash in that environment. There are some technical flaws though that prevent him really becoming a dominant force.

For starters he’s tall (6-5). When you’re playing exclusively inside at that size you’ve got to master leverage. Too often he plays upright and his pad level means he cedes leverage. He doesn’t control double teams in the way Raekwon Davis did at Alabama. He can get jolted backwards and the very least you expect from a player with this build is to be stout at the POA.

His gap discipline isn’t always great either. That can be blamed on scheme and coaching. You have to commit to it. At Alabama they do (as they do in Seattle). Other teams are happy to play free and fancy — to attack and try to find gaps rather than handling your business. Still, this isn’t something you can assume will be better at the next level.

These are some of the reasons why he possibly didn’t declare for the 2020 draft. I’m not sure what feedback he received from the draft committee but if he’d been given a first round grade — and with FSU going through another raft of changes — you’d think he would’ve turned pro. Especially in a weak year for defensive linemen. He didn’t declare and will return to college in 2020.

So with all that noted, what makes him interesting?

There are great flashes. Despite missing the final month of last season he still managed 8.5 TFL’s and five sacks at defensive tackle. His 2019 pass rush win percentage was 16.8%. Only Javon Kinlaw and Jordan Elliott scored higher marks. He also broke up four passes, forced a fumble and added a couple of hurries too.

There’s no questioning his athleticism. At SPARQ he ran a 5.17 at 332lbs. He also added a 4.56 short shuttle which is superb for his size (Malik McDowell ran a 4.53 at 295lbs). Wilson was the #4 overall recruit in the country and was coveted by all the top teams (especially Ohio State, LSU and Oklahoma — but also Alabama, Florida and Georgia). It would’ve been interesting to see what he could’ve achieved with one of the big SEC teams or Ohio State given FSU’s collapse. He’s from Texas, so there was no local connection to the Seminoles.

He’s now listed at about 311lbs so he could be even quicker and more athletic. Watching him on tape it wouldn’t be a surprise if he sneaked under 5.00 for his forty. He’s so quick and when he times his get-off he explodes into the backfield. He’s not just a straight-line runner either. He can shake off blockers and he’s incredibly agile with quick feet for his size.

Wilson isn’t a slouch when it comes to power either. You see evidence of heavy hands and an impressive jolt when he connects. He can create room to work with initial contact and once he separates from a blocker he has the quickness and agility to work into the backfield.

I’ve not seen any problems with his motor which was something I looked for given the way Florida State’s last couple of seasons went. He’s smart enough to jump and tip a pass if his initial rush stalls.

The one thing he isn’t is explosive. That shows up especially when he has to plant the anchor sometimes. He’s also not going to explode out of the traps and leave blockers standing. He’s going to need to beat opponents, not blow by them. He only jumped a 25 inch vertical at SPARQ. So while he’s quick for his size — he’s not tremendously explosive.

Wilson is appearing on a lot of early watch-lists and he’s immensely talent with enormous potential. Yet the dearth of obvious ‘second tier’ candidates behind the Trevor Lawrence, Penei Sewell, JaMarr Chase and Micah Parsons group has led to some projecting he could go top-10. It’s a bit rich to make that projection now. It’s not beyond the realms of possibility but he has things to work on. At this stage he’s a potential top-50 pick if he can have a good season. A terrific 2020, with his testing potential, could launch him into the first round.

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San Francisco 49ers

The Niners had an inspired and carefully thought out plan for the draft that deserves tremendous credit and praise.

Clearly they acknowledged it was going to be very difficult to keep both Arik Armstead and DeForest Buckner. So rather than simply let Armstead walk in free agency in return for a possible comp pick, they moved Buckner for the #13 pick in the draft. This, in turn, allowed them to replace Buckner with another top-15 selection in Javon Kinlaw.

The alternative was to let Armstead walk and try to replace him with limited resources and one draft pick before round five. Trading Buckner probably was a tough pill to swallow but it was clearly the best way to secure their NFL-leading D-line for the foreseeable future. Armstead, Kinlaw and Nick Bosa are all signed to long term deals, instead of just Buckner and Bosa — with no obvious way to replace Armstead.

Trading up for Brandon Aiyuk was also another smart move. He was always underrated in the media and a legitimate first round prospect. He’s an ideal fit for Kyle Shanahan’s offense with the YAC talent and breathtaking acceleration to be a leading light for the Niners passing and return game.

The trade for Trent Williams was similarly masterful. It took the Seahawks an age to sufficiently replace Russell Okung — going through Bradley Sowell, George Fant and Rees Odhiambo before eventually spending a second and third round pick on Duane Brown. The Niners made their move for Williams (for a mere third and fifth rounder) before the announcement that Joe Staley was retiring was even made.

They’ve legitimately acquired three impact players for 2020. Their day three picks — Colt McKivitz, Charlie Woerner and Jauaun Jennings all have a shot to last too. This was a terrific draft and off-season for the Niners, securing their status as the team to beat in the NFC.

LA Rams

The Rams are in a weird position at the moment. They’re going through a bit of a roster reset at the same time as adding major talent at a huge price. Trading for Jalen Ramsey while paying Jared Goff and Aaron Donald huge sums was bold but has thinned out their depth. They seemed to be ‘all-in’ and now they’re ‘sort of all-in’.

They still have the talent to cause teams major problems. In Donald they have the defining defensive player of this generation and a true game-wrecker. Ramsey is arguably the most talented defensive back in the NFL. Sean McVay’s offense is still incredibly difficult to stop as Seattle witnessed in LA last season.

They have lost players though and had to patch-up other areas. With no first round pick they’ve been pretty much forced to bring back Andrew Whitworth. Corey Littleton, Dante Fowler, Nickell Robey-Coleman and Greg Zuerlein have departed. They accepted their fate with Todd Gurley. They didn’t have the money to bring in reinforcements on the open market. They did catch a break with Michael Brockers returning, having initially agreed terms with Baltimore.

They were also incredibly fortunate to coax a second round pick out of Houston for Brandin Cooks.

The draft was an attempt of sorts to try and fill some holes. The Rams were practically unstoppable in 2018 when Gurley provided a dual-threat in the backfield. Cam Akers was an inspired pick and he’s very capable of filling that void. They will hope that Van Jefferson’s consistency and sharp technique will make up for the Cooks whiff. There are question marks about his health too though. Likewise, there are major concerns about Terrell Lewis’ ability to stay healthy. They will hope he can replace Dante Fowler but having laboured through his final year at Alabama, it’s no given.

The Rams remain good enough to beat any team on their day — yet they’re far from the complete roster that saw them make the Super Bowl. Any kind of bad luck with injuries will test their weak depth. They’ll likely need another off-season (or two) to get back to their peak powers. They’re still an incredibly difficult opponent and they’ve scored 42, 33, 36, 29 and 28 points in their last five games against Seattle.

Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals pulled off a heist at the start of free agency, trading for DeAndre Hopkins, to launch their attempt to become a serious contender in the NFC West. Kyler Murray has already shown he has the potential to be a special talent. Giving him Hopkins to go with Larry Fitzgerald makes for a serious headache for the rest of the division — especially if some of their younger receivers can take a step forward.

They also added an impact player in the top-10 with Isaiah Simmons. How they use him will be important. They can’t afford to waste a few years working out his fit like they’ve done with Haason Reddick. He has the potential, however, to be the ultimate modern-day defender and a huge boost for a team that’ll need to spy Russell Wilson and provide a coverage solution for George Kittle.

I wasn’t a Josh Jones fan but getting him in round three is great value. Leki Fotu and Rashard Lawrence will sure-up the interior D-line and they already have an elite pass rusher in Chandler Jones. Eno Benjamin is a great compliment to Kenyan Drake.

The Cardinals are still missing a few pieces. The O-line has question marks. Players like Christian Kirk and Andy Isabella have flattered to deceive and they need a speed element on offense. The defense maybe lacks some teeth to go with the obvious talent of Jones, Simmons, Patrick Peterson and Budda Baker.

Even so — this is a team a year removed from picking first overall and they’re very much heading in the right direction. They might not be the finished article yet but they’ll be a difficult opponent every week. They improved this off-season.

Final thoughts

With the Cardinals growing, the Niners enhancing their status at the top of the conference and the Rams proving a particularly difficult challenge for the Seahawks — this is a murderers row of opponents for Seattle in 2020.

On the positive side, they have the best player in the division (Russell Wilson). They’ve also found a way to play the Niners close, which is a good thing given how much they struggle against McVay and the Rams.

Since Seattle’s last Super Bowl appearance, the Rams and Niners have both competed for a title and the Cardinals have been in the NFC Championship game. The Seahawks have become stuck in a rut — being good enough to finish second in the West and make the playoffs — but not good enough to go much further.

It’s going to be difficult to end that run in 2020. Certainly not impossible — but difficult.

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Today I had an opportunity to speak to Brian Baldinger about the Seahawks, the draft, Jadeveon Clowney and the NFC West. Unfortunately, only four minutes of the interview recorded properly — basically all of the stuff discussing Jordyn Brooks.

I’ll try and review what else we talked about here. Baldy compared Darrell Taylor to Cameron Wake and noted that he’d heard a different team were very interested in Taylor, so he’d done a lot of work on him pre-draft. He said he’d talked to Clowney earlier in the year and due to a lack of a proper off-season in 2019 — he could be even better this year with a full camp (if possible due to Coronavirus). He noted he liked B.J. Finney having watched him at Kansas State. We also talked about Baldy’s Breakdowns — one of the best things about the NFL on Twitter.

Apologies to you all that I’m unable to provide you all 12 minutes of the conversation we had. Here’s the bit that did record on Brooks…

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It was revealed yesterday that Bruce Irvin’s 2020 cap hit is about $5.9m. Media members had estimated a $4m hit. A year ago he signed a $4m contract in Carolina with $1.5m guaranteed. Seattle has given him a 32.2% pay increase.

It leaves the Seahawks slightly more cap-restricted than originally thought. They now have $16.1m remaining. A significant portion of that has to be saved for the rookies, injured reserve and other costs. So they realistically have less than $10m left with a lot still to do.

Seattle entered the off-season with a healthy amount of available cap room and a nice collection of draft picks.

Have they used their resources wisely?

So far they’ve spent about $53.37m on new signings or retaining existing players for 2020:

Jarran Reed $9.35m
Greg Olsen $6.9m
Bruce Irvin $5.9m
B.J. Finney $3.5m
Brandon Shell $3.475m
Quinton Dunbar $3.421m
Jacob Hollister $3.259m
Benson Mayowa $3.018m
Mike Iupati $2.5m
Cedric Obuehi $2.237m
Joey Hunt $2.1m
Branden Jackson $2.1m
David Moore $2.1m
Neiko Thorpe $887,500
Luke Willson $887,500
Phillip Dorsett $887,500
Chance Warmack $887,500

In order to have these players on the books they’ve parted with Justin Britt and D.J. Fluker, replacing them with B.J. Finney and Damien Lewis.

Al Woods signed with the Jaguars and so far hasn’t been replaced. Jadeveon Clowney remains unsigned and could still potentially return. If not, he will also be a subtraction from the 2019 defensive line. Quinton Jefferson signed with the Bills too.

There are interesting ways to look at the list above. For example, they’re spending $11.796m on David Moore, Branden Jackson, Joey Hunt, Cedric Ogbuehi and Jacob Hollister. There are positive arguments to be made about the depth you’re getting for nearly $12m. You can also counter that it’s a lot of money for backups and role players at a time when the Seahawks needed an injection of real quality (thus Russell Wilson’s comments about superstars at the Pro Bowl).

The Seahawks came into the off-season needing to make significant improvements to the defense. People might be sick of me repeating these statistics — but it’s the only way to prove just how badly they needed to make changes:

— The Seahawks finished with 28 sacks, second fewest in the league behind only Miami (23)

— Their sack percentage was 4.5% — third worst overall

— The Seahawks produced a sack or quarterback hit on just 14.4% of opponents’ pass plays — worst in the NFL

— They had only 126 pressures, sixth fewest in the league behind Detroit (125), Oakland (117), Houston (117), Atlanta (115) and Miami (96)

— Seattle’s pressure percentage was the fourth worst in the league (19.3%) behind Detroit (18.9%), Houston (18.1%) and Miami (16.7%)

— Seattle hit the quarterback 68 times — fourth fewest

— They had 52 TFL’s — fourth fewest

— They gave up 55 explosive running plays on defense, seventh most in the NFL

— Their explosive run play percentage (14%) was the third worst overall behind only Carolina (16%) and Cleveland (15%)

— They gave up 4.9 YPC — fourth most overall

— They had 131 missed tackles during the regular season — fourth most.

The pass rush in particular was a major crisis point last year.

So far the fix looks like this — Benson Mayowa and Bruce Irvin for $9m this season, to replace Jadeveon Clowney, Quinton Jefferson and Ziggy Ansah. They also spent two draft picks on Darrell Taylor and Alton Robinson, plus retained Jarran Reed for a cap hit of $9.35m this season. They still need, eventually, to replace Al Woods.

Seattle’s two premier pass rushers at the moment will be Mayowa (29) and Irvin (33) with Taylor in particular contributing too. The Seahawks seem to be pinning their hopes on the production Mayowa and Irvin produced last season (15.5 sacks). Yet a threatening pass rush also needs to be able to produce regular pressure — not just collect isolated sacks.

After all — if Irvin and Mayowa combine for 15.5 sacks in 2019, that’ll only be one per game.

Irvin played on a line in Carolina that had multiple, high-quality contributors. Mario Addison and Brian Burns delivered 17 sacks between them. Vernon Butler, Gerald McCoy and Dontari Poe also combined for 15 more sacks rushing the interior.

In Oakland, Mayowa’s production fit in alongside Maxx Crosby, Clelin Ferrell and Maurice Hurst collectively providing 18 sacks.

You can make a strong case for both players being nice rotational cogs. It’s a lot harder to make a case for them being the players you rely on. And if you don’t have enough contributors elsewhere — 15.5 sacks won’t be enough.

Sacks aren’t indicators of a consistent rush too and this is why we look at stats like pass rush win percentage and pressures to tell a more complete story. A lot is made of Clowney’s sack production (3) in 2019 — but he was among the league leaders in pass rush win percentage:

Robert Quinn — 33%
T.J. Watt — 28%
DeMarcus Lawrence — 27%
Myles Garrett — 26%
Jadeveon Clowney — 25%
Joey Bosa — 25%
Shaquil Barrett — 25%
Dante Fowler — 23%
Za’Darius Smith — 23%
Preston Smith — 23%

The Seahawks, who already struggled to rush the passer, will need to make up that production with their existing collection of players if they’re unable to bring back Clowney.

In terms of pressures, Irvin and Mayowa played fewer snaps than Clowney as rotational role players. However, Irvin had 23 pressures in 2019 to go with his 8.5 sacks. Mayowa had only 15 pressures.

In comparison, Clowney had 30 pressures. Everson Griffen, who is regularly suggested as an alternative, had 35.

Again — sacks are just one piece of the puzzle. You actually need to be challenging opposing quarterbacks down-to-down.

Given they’ve spent $53.37m on veteran players so far, you can at least make an argument that they’d have been better off ensuring they added Clowney and Griffen before trading up for Darrell Taylor. That arguably would’ve been a more formidable combination, similar to the Bennett/Avril/Clark trio of yesteryear. It might not have been possible, of course. There’s a reason why Clowney remains unsigned after all. Yet had they committed serious resources to that plan — who would’ve complained had it failed?

The point is — if the pass rush struggles badly again in 2020, people will understandably question whether Mayowa and Irvin were the right additions to try and solve this glaring weakness. If Clowney and Griffen didn’t work out — the execution might be criticised but certainly not the planning.

However — had you invested in Clowney and Griffen it’s unlikely you would’ve been able to pad out the depth on the roster. There is some benefit to that and the Seahawks didn’t have a high number of players signed for 2020 going into the off-season.

You will likely answer whether they’ve spent correctly or not depending on your view of the need to acquire depth vs the need to add the stars Wilson called for.

If Clowney does come back eventually to go with Mayowa, Irvin and Taylor — that would be an understandable blueprint. A lot rests on them being able to bring him back though. At the very least, they have to turn to Griffen.

It’s also interesting that while the question marks remain on the defensive line, the Seahawks are spending so much on the linebacker position. Bobby Wagner’s cap hit in 2020 is $14.75m. K.J. Wright’s cap hit is $10m. They are both in the top five highest paid players on the team. On top of this, you can now include the first round investment (salary and resource) in Jordyn Brooks.

There aren’t many teams in the league spending $25m on two linebackers. And that money, along with the price to acquire Brooks, will be seriously questioned if the defensive line isn’t good enough to keep the linebackers clean to play free and fast.

I also think, in defense of the Seahawks, that this has been a harder off-season than they perhaps anticipated.

I suspect they knew or believed they had the best offer on the table for Clowney at the start of free agency. They probably presumed, not unfairly, that after a few days of exploring his market he would return for their best offer. That’s what happened when Michael Bennett tested free agency in 2014.

Instead Clowney didn’t return. He opted to wait. The Seahawks have had to react to this, probably without a plan for this scenario. Who could’ve really predicted this long stalemate?

Because they clearly want him back, they’re compromised too. With Clowney still available they’ve always had to keep some money free just in case. They don’t want to fully move on because he’s without doubt the player who can provide the most impact on the open market.

The addition of Mayowa was a base-covering move. A cheap signing they can talk up. Some depth, just in case. Someone who can exist with or without Clowney. Someone who allows them to claim they’ve ‘moved on’ but in reality, they haven’t.

The situation with Clowney has probably had a major impact on everything, even if they’re not willing to admit it. The questions that will be asked now are — was it worth doing what it takes to avoid this happening (basically just ‘get it done’)? And can they bring him back later this summer to at least bring a positive conclusion to this exercise?

Either way — the unpredictable nature of this saga at least needs to be considered when judging whether they used their cap space wisely.

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If the college football season goes ahead as planned in 2020, we’re going to spend a lot of time talking about receivers and tight ends. That’s where there appears to be an early round strength in the 2021 draft class. For the second year in a row the pass-catches are going to dominate the headlines.

We’ve already talked about Florida’s Kyle Pitts and Purdue’s Rondale Moore. Today we’ll look at Penn State’s Pat Freiermuth.

Comparisons are never 100% but Freiermuth has some Gronk tendencies and a legit chance to be a high pick in 2021. Purely in terms of the way he runs routes, uses his size and can beat you in the short and long range — it’s very Gronk-esque.

He has a fantastic ability to create separation on routes working from the slot. He’ll shake off covering cornerbacks or linebackers with a shimmy at the top of the stem and wrong-foot defenders to create wide open throwing lanes. That’s not easy to do at 260lbs and he’s going to be a nightmare matchup at the next level.

When you can put your big tight end in the slot and have him win in the same way a smaller receiver can — that’s a dangerous proposition.

Freiermuth finds the soft spot in zone superbly. He’s very difficult to cover running the seam. He works to get open very well. He’s really difficult to cover on a simple Y-stick route where he heads straight to the sideline. You create the free release in design and once he’s in position he can just wall off any defender, he can contort his body to make any catch, he tracks it superbly and extends his hands and you just can’t get around him.

He also knows how to help his quarterback. There’s a game against Minnesota where he ran a Y-stick to the sideline but lost early position (they run it so much defenders will read it). He just broke off the linebacker to find the space in behind and present his QB with an open target for a big gain.

He creates easy separation when split out wide running a slant. His short-area quickness is so impressive it’ll be a surprise if he doesn’t run a blazing three-cone to secure a high grade. If you don’t disrupt his route early and give him a free release he will beat you time and time again. He and Pitts are very similar in that regard.

If you watch a lot of the tape it’s noticeable how often he’s open. Sometimes that’s good scheming but he’s also really savvy. He doesn’t stop moving, he settles down well. He’s a natural tight end weapon.

Freiermuth finishes his runs. He absolutely hammered a Memphis defender in the Cotton Bowl. Just ran over him going for the end zone, Beast Mode style…

Penn State TE Pat Freiermuth doing his best George Kittle impression in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic. pic.twitter.com/2gxb3ruATv

— Rob Paul (@RobPaulNFL) December 28, 2019

He also finished a run against Michigan State with defenders draped all over him to fight his way into the end zone. He’s clearly tough and physical and enjoys mixing it up.

He has good hands. As a redshirt freshman he had a great one-handed touchdown against Ohio State. He gains position and he’s so big it’s really hard to get around him to play the ball. He plucks the ball out of the air and can high-point. He presents his hands to the football. So often Penn State have him settle down at the sticks, box-out and present a safe target.

Penn State used him as a H-back or slot receiver a lot so there’s not a ton of evidence of him in-line blocking. There’s little concern here though. Just looking at his frame and his attitude. He’s so dynamic as a pass-catcher you can work on any of the blocking duties he needs to master. On WR-screens he reaches out and connects with his target in space which is difficult to do. Against Minnesota last season he delivered the key block from the H-back position to spring a 45-yard running touchdown. There aren’t going to be any concerns about his blocking. If you can do this in space, you’re going to be just fine…

Penn State TE Pat Freiermuth is out here making pancakes 💪🏼

pic.twitter.com/WRz7rjIY7a

— Nick Farabaugh (@FarabaughFB) May 5, 2020

He ran a 4.44 short shuttle at SPARQ which is about where he needs to be. The key will be a three-cone that is quicker than a 7.10. For some reason, despite the clear data, not enough people focus on the agility testing at tight end. It’s a major indicator of NFL potential and early round draft potential.

Freiermuth has a classic TE frame and while he isn’t quite the same athlete as Kyle Pitts he does have the agility and the subtle tricks and technique to create separation and he’s more equipped to block as a sixth man at the line. He can make the easy conversions you need on third down, the big plays at the second level, he can bust seams and he’ll be a major red zone threat.

Both players have definite first round potential.

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While delving into the 2021 draft class, a couple of things have become clear:

1. Early in the process, this appears to be a top-heavy class with a handful of ‘elite’ prospects who are seemingly already destined to go in the top-five.

2. The depth, at the moment, is slightly concerning — and we’re seeing a lot of players who won’t be first round picks appear on early watch-lists.

This is particularly interesting this year. While the NFL is pretty confident they’ll be able to host a full 2020 season, there’s at least a little bit more concern for college football. There’s been some positive noises recently — such as Notre Dame saying they believe there will be a full season. But there’s obviously a big difference between paid professionals and student athletes competing during a global pandemic.

I do wonder if contenders in the NFL who are expected to be picking later in each round will consider using some of their 2021 draft stock for veteran trades — either just before or during the NFL season. If it’s a lot harder to scout this class — and if it continues to look like a top-heavy class — that might be a consideration.

It’s something to at least consider when we get towards August and September.

If there is a fully functioning college football season, Penn State’s Jayson Oweh is one player to keep an eye on.

He’s slated to replace Yetur Gross-Matos in 2021 having previously operated as a rotational pass rusher. Even so, he had five sacks last season and is well sized at 6-5 and 255lbs. He also forced a couple of fumbles and had five TFL’s.

He’s clearly a very accomplished athlete and the first thing that stands out is his ability to burst off the edge, round the arc and get to the quarterback. That’s what you want to see when a player is listed at his size. Has he got a speed rush? Oweh answers that question positively and that’s a good starting point.

Purdue can’t handle the Wild Dogs

Jayson Oweh gets the seventh first half sack for Penn State pic.twitter.com/Ry8gppZTP3

— Ben Ferree (@BFerree_) October 5, 2019

He had a particularly good performance against Michigan State in 2019. He had five pressures on just 19 pass rush snaps per PFF and collected two sacks.

Jayson Oweh notched two strip-sacks in the @PennStateFball win over Michigan State to help earn his first Freshman of the Week award. pic.twitter.com/lZY1kai0hA

— Penn State On BTN (@PennStateOnBTN) October 28, 2019

What he’ll need to prove as a starter is an ability to win in different ways and contain his side of the field. He’s not too bad at stunting inside and bulldozing his way through a crowd to reach the QB. That at least hints at some strength. What we don’t have enough evidence of so far is an ability to convert speed-to-power and win by connecting and forcing the tackle backwards. We also need to see more evidence of hand-use and can he engage at the POA with a straight arm, keeping his frame free to read and react against the run.

These are all basic things that’ll become clear very quickly if/when the new season begins.

So what kind of potential does he have?

Reportedly he’s been clocked running a 4.33 at Penn State. This is clearly a highly wind-assisted time if it’s even true at all. At SPARQ he ran a 4.63 which is perfectly fine and acceptable for a man his size. If he can get that into the 4.5’s with a 1.5 10-yard split then certainly that would be ideal. He doesn’t have to run a ridiculous 4.3 to boost his stock at the combine.

His body fat has also been measured at 4.9%. He’s been jumping in the 35-36 inch range in the vertical and reportedly he can manage a 10-7 broad. He can bench 380lbs and clean 365lbs.

Most importantly though he can supposedly run a 4.46 short shuttle. That’s about in the range he needs to be. It’s not a spectacular time (Alton Robinson ran a 4.32) but if he combines it with explosive testing and a fast forty and split — then it’s where he needs to be physically.

You always need a college season to really get to grips with a class. Players emerge. Nobody was predicting Joe Burrow, Kyler Murray or Cam Newton to be Heisman winners and #1 overall picks a year out. Generally you can get a sense though what are going to be the strong positions.

This year you’ve got the star names — Trevor Lawrence, Penei Sewell, Ja’Marr Chase and Micah Parsons. You’ve got another rich looking receiver class and some tight ends with exciting potential. So far I can’t get excited about the D-line options. It’s an area where players like Oweh will have an opportunity to emerge and earn a lot of money. I’m not sure why, suddenly, college football is having a D-line lull. We’re only a year removed from a draft known for it’s defensive line depth.

For that reason the Seahawks probably made a good call moving up for Darrell Taylor. He has as much potential as anyone this year or next to turn into a quality, dynamic EDGE. His main issues were injuries and inconsistency. He’s been given the #58 jersey today. Not sure whether he chose that or the team — but the thinking and the aim is clear. Von Miller wears #58.

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Jadeveon Clowney has broken his silence on his elongated free agency period and the news is — nothing is any closer to being resolved.

In a piece with Mark Berman of Fox 26 in Houston, he revealed what we more or less already knew — the stalemate is set to continue for some time.

Free agent DE Jadeveon Clowney (@clownejd) working at @PlexAthlete in Houston: “Whoever I sign with is gonna get the best version of me..I know what I got to do to get where I need to get.” (Hasn’t ruled out the @Seahawks): “I love Seattle..I love everybody on the coaching staff” pic.twitter.com/Al0dbbKQcG

— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) May 6, 2020

Here are 10 takeaways from this…

1. This isn’t going to be resolved any time soon. This is the latest attempt by Clowney to try and drum up some interest. He wouldn’t be doing this if he was close to making a decision.

2. He speaks glowingly of Seattle, the staff and the players — from Russell Wilson all the way to Branden Jackson. It’s pretty clear that both parties are very interested in getting something done. The problem is that while the Seahawks offer is probably the highest — it’s still not the kind of deal Clowney is interested in.

3. The medical/coronavirus side of things is still a red herring. Clowney can bring it up and say it’s a reason for his colder-than-expected market if he wants. The reality is, plenty of other players with injuries in their careers have been able to have medicals and pass or fail them. Most free agents agree big contracts before they even take visits, especially the ones earning the kind of money Clowney wants.

4. It’s very unlikely that, randomly, some team will offer Clowney the kind of contract he’s hoping for. It’s very likely he’s seen everyone’s best offer by this point. Any interested teams are all going to be acting the same way. They’re going to be looking for value. That’s the stage we’re at now. Free agency, the meaty end of it, is over. The draft is complete. He has virtually no real leverage.

5. Presumably there’s a lot of frustration in Seattle with this situation. The Seahawks need Clowney. They’ve probably offered him more than anyone else. They might’ve even tried to find some middle ground and raised their offer. But Clowney is dug in. Once you’ve waited this long, you might as well keep going. And the Seahawks, in such a clear way that it’d be arguing against the obvious to suggest otherwise, are willing to wait too. Otherwise they’d be out there signing a defensive tackle, Everson Griffen, Geno Smith and others. They aren’t for the pure and simple reason that they’re keeping their cap space available for Clowney. There’s no other explanation.

6. A lot of people are going to say, ‘just move on’. The thing is, there’s nobody available like Clowney. Nobody capable of practically beating the 49ers on his own like he did. Nobody who can impact Seattle’s 2020 season in the way he can. There’s a reason they aren’t just ‘moving on’. They’d probably like to. No team wants to be stuck in a stalemate like this. But why would you make your team worse than it can be through sheer impatience?

7. With the way he speaks about Seattle — and the way the Seahawks have talked about him — I get the sense the team is still pretty confident this will eventually get resolved. They just might have to wait until the week before training camp starts.

8. I don’t know how far apart the team and Clowney are in terms of negotiations. And I know we’ve heard from so many people this off-season questioning how he will play and compete once he receives a new deal. That said, the Seahawks have barely any long term commitments contractually. It’s Russell Wilson and that’s about it. Signing Clowney and him underwhelming is forgivable. Missing out, having waited this long, would be much more of an issue. Sometimes you’ve just got to go and land the player you want.

9. Equally, they’re basically bidding against themselves at this point. If you’re offering the most, you might not see any reason to go any further. A market is what it is. It’s just become an exhausting, repetitive and frustrating saga.

10. People will criticise Clowney for dragging this out and risking losing money. Those people will also fail, again, to appreciate this is a person who has earned over $50m in his football career. To him, getting respect in terms of salary is probably more important than anything. He’s seen other players who are not as good as he is receive big long-term extensions. He’s in a position, due to his wealth, where he can afford to risk losing a few million to get that respect. That’s his prerogative. He doesn’t have to do what anyone wants just because it makes life easier.

It’s still more likely than not he’ll end up back in Seattle, in my opinion. Their willingness to wait for him and protect their cap, the positivity from both sides and the fact no new teams have ponied up a better offer keeps the Seahawks in pole position.

Unfortunately, for those hoping for a swift resolution, you might have to wait another two months.

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Yesterday I wrote about the state of the roster as things stand. Today, I’m going to make some predictions for the rest of the off-season…

Jadeveon Clowney will return to the Seahawks

The Seahawks have about $21m in available cap space and they’re not spending it, despite multiple holes to fill (defensive tackle, backup quarterback etc). It’s pretty clear they are waiting for a resolution to the Clowney stalemate.

As Dianni Russini reported this week, they’re still interested. They have the best offer on the table. This is about Clowney deciding when he’s going to finally make a call after receiving a colder free agent market than he anticipated.

Eventually that time will come. The Seahawks must be pretty confident otherwise they’d have moved on by now and spent the money elsewhere. They could sign Everson Griffen and three other players tomorrow if they wanted. They haven’t, seemingly, because they’re willing to wait for a resolution with Clowney.

What will the contract be? My guess would be something short term at about the $16m mark. It might need to be two-years in order to manage the year-one cap hit but they can also add incentives to make it worthwhile for the player.

They’ll sign a cheap defensive tackle

Re-signing Clowney will limit their ability to do much more. His signing is crucial though to have any chance at improving the 2019 D-line performance (and again, that’s why they’re waiting for him). The remaining defensive tackle options are majorly limited. It basically comes down to Damon ‘Snacks’ Harrison, Brandon Mebane and Mike Daniels.

Both Harrison and Daniels have bounced around despite their reputations as big name players. The idea of signing either might be better than actually having them. Harrison flirted with retirement recently and that’s never a good sign when you’re a 350lbs nose tackle. Daniels is a strong personality and it’s unclear if he’s the kind of character the Seahawks want to bring into the locker room.

Presumably, both players will want a decent salary too.

For that reason, Mebane on a one-year deal might be the preferred option. There’s familiarity, he’ll not be expensive and they can manage his snaps. He’s 35-years-old but they featured Kevin Williams at a similar age in 2014.

There likely won’t be a big investment at nickel

It’s a nice thought that the Seahawks will make a statement by going out and landing a Logan Ryan or Darqueze Dennard. Ryan is basically in the same slow dance with Tennessee that the Seahawks are in with Clowney. He wants more than they are offering. Dennard failed a medical after initially agreeing terms with Jacksonville early in free agency.

The Seahawks have avoided paying even modest money for a nickel in 10 years of the Carroll era and it seems unlikely that will change now. If they do add anyone else, it’ll likely be a low level signing — especially if they bring back Clowney.

Carroll hinted after the draft that they had a plan at nickel, one that he didn’t want to reveal. My best guess is it includes finding a way to get Tre Flowers, Shaquill Griffin and Quinton Dunbar on the field at the same time when they want to use another corner. They could also incorporate some ‘big nickel’ concepts or three-safety looks — bringing Marquise Blair, Ugo Amadi and Lano Hill into play.

Either way, it seems unlikely they’ll be making any kind of big splash here.

They will turn to three familiar faces on offense

Geno Smith’s cap hit was $805,000 in 2019. It seems very likely that once the Clowney situation is resolved, he will return for a similar amount.

They need to sign another running back. Rashaad Penny will likely start the season on the PUP list and they can’t risk being a Chris Carson injury away from a Deejay Dallas and Travis Homer backfield.

I think Marshawn Lynch will return either just before the start of the season or after week one when his contract is no longer fully guaranteed. Look at this snippet from a Mike Silver article written a month ago:

Lynch would score four touchdowns in three games, but another Seahawks comeback fell short in a Divisional Round clash against the Packers at Lambeau Field.

Afterward, as Lynch praised the organization effusively during a postgame speech in the Seahawks’ locker room, Carroll agonized over the squandered chance to do something special in conjunction with the running back’s dramatic return.

There are two things to note here. Firstly, this is a different Marshawn. If he really did stand in front of the team after the Green Bay game and praise the organisation, that’ll have struck a chord with Carroll. Secondly, it’s pretty clear Carroll is also fond of the idea of winning another Championship with Marshawn.

It’s something to remember as this situation plays out. Also, there’s no danger of Lynch signing anywhere else. So they can wait this one out for a while.

Finally, I think there’s a chance Josh Gordon returns. The Seahawks could still use a third wheel to compliment Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf. It’ll depend on how the team feels about his latest suspension (and he’ll need to be reinstated). Again though, he’s a cheap add who’s worth a camp and you’re not going to get a more talented player for the price.

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Since 2015 the Seahawks have been in a position of being good enough to make the playoffs but not good enough to make the Super Bowl. They’ve only won the NFC West once in the last five years — in 2016. In that same five year period the Niners and Rams have both competed for the Super Bowl and the Cardinals have played in the NFC Championship game.

For the last couple of seasons being ‘good not great’ hasn’t been much of an issue. They were clearly going through a reset. Making the playoffs during this period was a bonus — a credit to the team and staff and a real achievement all considered.

Eventually though you have to take a step forward. This year provided an opportunity with ample cap space and a decent collection of draft picks.

So have they achieved it?

Let’s start with the defense and note the defensive statistics from 2019:

— The Seahawks finished with 28 sacks, second fewest in the league behind only Miami (23)

— Their sack percentage was 4.5% — third worst overall

— The Seahawks produced a sack or quarterback hit on just 14.4% of opponents’ pass plays — worst in the NFL

— They had only 126 pressures, sixth fewest in the league behind Detroit (125), Oakland (117), Houston (117), Atlanta (115) and Miami (96)

— Seattle’s pressure percentage was the fourth worst in the league (19.3%) behind Detroit (18.9%), Houston (18.1%) and Miami (16.7%)

— Seattle hit the quarterback 68 times — fourth fewest

— They had 52 TFL’s — fourth fewest

— They gave up 55 explosive running plays on defense, seventh most in the NFL

— Their explosive run play percentage (14%) was the third worst overall behind only Carolina (16%) and Cleveland (15%)

— They gave up 4.9 YPC — fourth most overall

— They had 131 missed tackles during the regular season — fourth most.

Have they done enough to avoid a repeat in 2020?

(Note — the units below are optimal groups — I’m not including players who were on the periphery or injured for most of last season)

2019 Defensive line
Clowney/Reed/Woods/Ansah
Jefferson/Green/Collier/Ford/Jackson

2020 Defensive line
Green/Reed/Ford/Mayowa
Irvin/Collier/Taylor/Mone/Jackson/Robinson

2019 Linebackers
Wagner/Wright/Kendricks
Barton/Burr-Kirven/Griffin

2020 Linebackers
Wagner/Wright/Brooks
Barton/Burr-Kirven/Griffin

2019 Cornerbacks
Griffin/Flowers/King

2020 Cornerbacks
Griffin/Dunbar/Flowers

2019 Safeties
Diggs/McDougald
Blair/Hill/Amadi

2020 Safeties
Diggs/McDougald
Blair/Hill/Amadi

The defensive line looks inadequate for a title push. Their best player (Clowney) remains unsigned and they’re yet to replace Al Woods. They’ve added two veteran journeymen and two rookies to the defensive end rotation. At the moment their starting five technique would be the underwhelming Rasheem Green or L.J. Collier.

Carroll and Schneider have talked up Bruce Irvin and Benson Mayowa combining for 15.5 sacks last season but the year before they combined for only 7.5. It’s a stretch to imagine this group creating any level of consistent pressure, which could expose the secondary. They’re also still lacking a dynamic interior rusher — something they’ve seemingly been searching for since 2010 and haven’t been able to find. They hope Jarran Reed can provide pressure but it would’ve been nice to see him playing alongside a threatening partner.

The depth is clearly improved, however. Instead of rotating in the likes of Branden Jackson they’ll be able to move in Irvin, Mayowa, Darrell Taylor and Alton Robinson. That’s an improvement. They’re still missing a star though. Depth without top-level talent isn’t a fix. The Seahawks across the board are arguably more depth-rich than talent-rich at this point. You need someone you can rely on to create consistent pressure and help you win key games. There’s a Clowney-shaped hole in the rotation.

The current line also doesn’t appear capable of protecting the linebackers, which impacts your ability to defend the perimeter effectively or max out the major investment Seattle has made at the position ($25m on Wagner & Wright alone in 2020, plus a first round draft pick).

The significant additions compared to last year are Jordyn Brooks (replacing Mychal Kendricks) and Quinton Dunbar. There’s a lot of hope for Dunbar because he was rated highly by PFF in 2019. He does have to learn a new system/scheme though and he missed 14 games in the last two seasons through injury. Brooks could ultimately replace Wright (who in turn would replace Kendricks).

If the aim this off-season was for the defense to take a big step forward, it’s hard to argue that has happened so far. Where are the difference makers? They weren’t active enough in free agency to add bodies to the group. They appear to have prioritised retaining Reed and Clowney — and then by being stuck in stalemate with Clowney, they’ve not been able to work around his salary already being on the books.

Even now, they have cap space available but seem to be in a holding position waiting for a resolution to the stalemate. They’re not signing a backup QB, a defensive tackle, a nickel or filling any other remaining needs. They could sign Geno Smith and a defensive tackle tomorrow if they wanted. Presumably they aren’t because they have to keep the available cap space free for Clowney. Having taken it this far, they more or less have to see it through to a conclusion now. He’s the only genuine impact player out there who remains available. There’s nobody else who can do what he does (Everson Griffen is good but he doesn’t wreck games).

The ability of the defense to take a step forward might rest solely on their ability to get Clowney back. They seemingly know that too — which is why whenever they’re asked about the situation they always talk about ‘moving on’ then couch everything with ‘the door remains open’. Of course it is. It’s going to remain open — and they’re going to protect their cap space — until a resolution is met.

It’s also possible they simply played the hand they were dealt. If they didn’t see the value in Robert Quinn and Dante Fowler, or didn’t like the trade market for Matt Judon or Yannick Ngakoue, that’s understandable. That said, Baltimore were able to add Calais Campbell and Derek Wolfe to their already talented defense. Failing to come to a conclusion with Clowney — regardless of circumstances — has to impact the assessment of the off-season. They wanted him and called him a priority — but as of yet he’s not a Seahawk. Not sealing a deal there — or bringing in a replacement — is a black mark.

On offense they finished the 2019 season with the fifth ranked unit per DVOA. Russell Wilson had a MVP caliber season while D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett were superb. The team fumbled too often, though, and the offense collapsed at the end of the season when Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny were injured.

2019 quarterbacks
Wilson/Smith

2020 quarterbacks
Wilson/Gordon

2019 running backs
Carson/Penny/Prosise/Homer

2020 running backs
Carson/Penny/Dallas/Homer

2019 tight ends
Dissly/Willson/Hollister

2020 tight ends
Olsen/Dissly/Hollister/Willson/Parkinson/Sullivan

2019 receivers
Metcalf/Lockett/Moore/Brown/Ursua

2020 receivers
Metcalf/Lockett/Moore/Dorsett/Ursua/Swain

2019 O-line
Brown/Iupati/Britt/Fluker/Ifedi
Haynes/Jones/Hunt/Fant/Pocic

2020 O-line
Brown/Iupati/Finney/Lewis/Shell
Haynes/Jones/Hunt/Ogbuehi/Warmack/Pocic

There are two big moves on offense. One is the addition of Greg Olsen at tight end. The other is the significant change to the offensive line.

Olsen provides some stability given Will Dissly’s injury history and they have depth at the tight end position now. He might be older and he might’ve been close to retiring and taking his place in a broadcast booth — but Olsen has always been a class act. He’ll provide a safety net and be vital on key third downs and in the red zone. The young developmental depth in Colby Parkinson and Stephen Sullivan provides hope for the future too. It’s an intriguing unit that makes up for the lack of a significant receiver addition. Even so — the way this team improves in 2020 will come down to the availability of Olsen and Dissly rather than the young talent emerging.

It remains to be seen what the changes to the O-line will provide. Damien Lewis is a very talented rookie but unproven. B.J. Finney has limited starts at center and is far from a proven commodity. Brandon Shell was benched by the Jets in 2019.

Whatever your views on Britt, Fluker and Ifedi — they haven’t been replaced with proven upgrades. They’ve been replaced with players who themselves are question marks. The Seahawks have 18 offensive linemen on the roster but a good 5-6 are camp bodies. They hope for strong competition but it seems pretty obvious who the starting five will be with only one question mark at left guard.

At running back — Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny both suffered somewhat serious injuries at the end of last season. The only change from 2019 is Deejay Dallas has replaced C.J. Prosise. There’s already talk of Penny starting the season on the PUP list. That would put tremendous pressure on Carson to stay healthy, otherwise the running game could collapse the offense much like it did at the end of 2019.

It’s inevitable, therefore, that they bring in at least one more veteran runner. That could be Isaiah Crowell, Devonta Freeman, Carlos Hyde or Marshawn Lynch. Again though — the Clowney stalemate means they can’t plan at other positions until that issue is resolved. They’re stuck in a waiting pattern. Once a decision is finally made with Clowney — they can sign a new running back, backup quarterback, defensive tackle and maybe even bring back Josh Gordon. For what it’s worth, I think Lynch will be the choice and they can wait that out until pre-season. It’s strange though how they’ve added major depth at two positions (TE, OL) and yet the running back group — an area which really held them back at the end of last year — hasn’t been significantly bolstered yet.

Finally at receiver — they will hope that David Moore and John Ursua take a step forward. It’s hard to say either will though. Philip Dorsett is an upgrade from Jaron Brown. Yet they could really do with a proper third wheel to compliment Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf. Re-signing Josh Gordon would produce that — but it’s unclear whether the Seahawks have any interest in him after last seasons suspension (plus he’s yet to be reinstated).

Writing down the roster in this way makes you realise how much is still to be done. It also makes you realise how important Jadeveon Clowney still is. Add him to the D-line rotation — and bring in a defensive tackle — and you’ve got the makings of a slightly improved group. Without him, the whole thing looks inadequate. Meanwhile there are question marks about the O-line and further depth is definitely required at running back.

Depth is important in the NFL. The healthiest teams with enough quality often last the distance. Seattle has some of the ingredients but arguably not enough proven or developed star power. Not hitting on early draft picks in recent years has been costly.

The Seahawks are a good football team. The current group can make the playoffs again — mainly due to the sheer quality of the quarterback. They haven’t made a stride forward this off-season however and unless Clowney re-signs, they run the risk of failing to properly address their struggling D-line in terms of 2020 impact.

The frustrating thing for fans and the Seahawks as an organisation is for any further moves to be made, we’re seemingly going to have to wait for Clowney to make a decision. And nothing appears imminent.

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Rondale Moore is a special athlete.

It’d be easy to pigeonhole him as a K.J. Hamler, diminutive speedster at 5-9 and 190lbs. He’s so much more.

For starters you just need to look at his lower body. He has enormous, powerful legs for his size. It shows up in the weight room. He can squat 600lbs. He had a 42 inch vertical jump at SPARQ. He has crazy explosive power for a player at 190lbs.

The thing is, it doesn’t slow him down. He also ran a 4.33 at SPARQ.

Here’s a workout video from a couple of weeks ago…

Teams are going to love his potential, which is sky high. The only thing that could hold him back are injuries. He missed most of 2019 with a hamstring issue, only playing four games. For someone who’s going to need to be fast and free at the next level, you don’t want to see any nagging hamstring injuries. If he can play a full, healthy season in 2020 — he’ll have every opportunity to challenge the first round of the draft.

As a freshman he had 1258 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. He added two more scores and a further 213 yards as a runner. He also had 662 kick return yards at an average of 20.1 YPA and 82 punt return yards.

Per PFF…

On balls thrown nine or fewer yards downfield, Moore saw over 20 more targets than anyone else (118 in total) and was one of two receivers who produced a receiving grade above 90.0. Moore also broke a tackle on over a third of these catches and averaged 7.5 yards after the catch per reception.

He’s a multi-purpose threat who can change a game any time he has the football.

So why did he end up at Purdue with this kind of physical profile?

The truth is every big team in the country was recruiting him. Yet he actually cites A.J. Dillon as an inspiration. He saw Dillon — another big-time tester who was just taken in the second round — make a name for himself as ‘the guy’ at Boston College. He decided to try and tread a similar path and not just become Texas’ next athlete to underwhelm.

I suspect teams will like that thinking come draft time.

So what does he show on tape?

The thing that stands out is he finishes runs. He doesn’t seek out the sideline that often. He’s always cutting back inside knowing with his speed he’s a missed tackle away from a scoring opportunity. He’s just so powerful and if you fail to bring him down on first contact you’re in trouble…

He’s so difficult to tackle, partly due to his size but also his quickness and explosive traits…

He’s also incredibly elusive and can juke away from tackles and run through attempted arm tackles.

Unsurprisingly he’s a massive threat on screens and end-arounds…

He gets on top of flat footed defenders in the slot and creates easy separation time and time again. He has great foot quickness and doesn’t dance too much at the start of the route. He knows when it’s time to get a shift on and release.

If there’s one area he can perhaps do a little better it’s high-pointing. Jalen Reagor is undersized too with similar explosive traits. He could go up and high-point above bigger defenders, especially in the red zone. That was a unique thing about Reagor’s game and it’s why he was the #21 pick (and why we spent so long talking about him during the college season). Moore doesn’t have to mimic that — but he does have a tendency to let the ball come to him sometimes. He has the power to leap high and pluck it, so it’d be good to see him win some of those battles too.

Even so, you’re going to have to account for him on every snap. He will break tackles that lead to enormous scoring runs. You just don’t see many smaller receivers with this level of power. To be this quick and this explosive is rare and he undoubtedly possesses first round potential.

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