Seahawks 2020 draft class
R1 — Jordyn Brooks (LB)
R2 — Darrell Taylor (EDGE)
R3 — Damien Lewis (G)
R4 — Colby Parkinson (TE)
R4 — Deejay Dallas (RB)
R5 — Alton Robinson (DE)
R6 — Freddie Swain (WR)
R7 — Stephen Sullivan (TE)
Thoughts on Seattle’s 2020 draft
The Seahawks know they need to be tougher.
They’re no longer the bully in the NFL. They’re not even the bully in the NFC West.
The attitude, intensity and swagger of the LOB era is missing. Their run defense is poor. Their pass rush is poor. They miss tackles. They struggle to defend the perimeter.
They’re trying to fix the problem.
They added a thumping, physical linebacker, a speedy edge rusher who plays with attitude and a violent run blocker with their first three picks. They followed it up with more pass rush help, a big move TE and a fierce running back.
They’re going to keep trying to create the team they want. They crave to be the punishing, physical, take-your-soul team that they used to be.
Smart, tough, reliable.
It makes sense. It’s reasonable. It’s something they’ll need to reclaim if they’re going to get back to the top.
If you take a step back and acknowledge, rightly, that the Seahawks were never going to blow your socks off with this class — you can look at it through a positive lens. It wasn’t realistic to address the large collection of needs they had. They needed to do more in free agency for that to be the case. They’ve added fast, physical tough guys with upside and potential. That’s a good thing.
There are also issues though.
They didn’t draft a defensive tackle to help anchor or provide pass rush. In a reasonable DT class, that’s disappointing.
They drafted two pass rushers but they still require the veteran proven quality of a Jadeveon Clowney or Everson Griffen. It’s an absolute must that they secure one of those two as soon as possible.
They’ve not added a nickel corner. They need one. Ugo Amadi is not a guaranteed solution.
They’ve not added a developmental left tackle or further competition for Brandon Shell.
They’ll need to add at least one more running back to the stable.
There’s so much that still needs to be done.
While there’s nothing this draft class could really do to change this — the Seahawks have not moved the needle this off-season towards winning a Super Bowl. San Francisco added two first round picks then stole Trent Williams from Washington. The Cardinals nabbed DeAndre Hopkins and Isaiah Simmons.
In comparison, the Seahawks have been strangely quiet. They’ve padded their depth. Their biggest investment so far is on a linebacker — despite the fact Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright are taking up $25m in cap space this year.
Russell Wilson keeps Seattle a contender of sorts but his presence shouldn’t be taken for granted. You can’t pretend that this team isn’t dragged along by the quarterback. It is. And there’s been a lack of aggression this off-season. Failing to land the pass rushers in free agency or improve the front seven forced them to prioritise both areas in a draft that was superior at offensive tackle and the skill positions early.
Russell Wilson called for superstars. They haven’t been added.
The roster, currently, is good enough to once again make the playoffs. Taking the next step — being a genuine contender and reaching a Super Bowl — requires more talent. Whether it’s developed or added. There’s still an awful lot of work to do.
The problem is — they no longer have the benefit of draft picks and a heap of cap space to work with. They are somewhat limited — even if they start cutting the likes of Justin Britt to create space.
The next few weeks are vital. They have to find a way, somehow, to add more.
Thoughts on each pick
R1 — Jordyn Brooks (LB, Texas Tech)
I need to spend some time over the next few days studying him closer but the initial thought is you can see why the Seahawks like him. He’s extremely physical. He knifes through gaps with suddenness and explodes to the ball carrier. His attitude and intensity will appeal to a team still seeking an edge. His ability to defend the run and handle the perimeter is much needed.
R2 — Darrell Taylor (EDGE, Tennessee))
He bends-and-straightens as an edge rusher as well as anyone in this class. He’s classically sized for the position with the length and build to play early downs and get after the quarterback. His pass rush win percentage (18.6%) is good. He needs to develop a repertoire and develop his technique vs the run. He might not have a major impact early in his career but he has the upside to develop into a top pass rusher. Going into the 2019 season he was being tipped as a first round possibility.
R3 — Damien Lewis (G, LSU)
He’s a top-50 talent in this draft. He’s perfectly suited to play guard with the size and length (33 inch arms) to bulldoze opponents. The Seahawks love explosive linemen and he scored a 97.1 in weighted TEF. He was superb at the Senior Bowl, scoring PFF’s top grade in 1v1’s among offensive linemen. Lewis is a physical tone-setter in the running game who plays with passion and leaves everything on the field.
R4 — Colby Parkinson (TE, Stanford)
Going into the 2019 season, Parkinson was being touted as a potential first round pick. He was used as a big receiver at Stanford and didn’t do much blocking at all. Reportedly he didn’t drop a single pass in 2019. The Seahawks possibly saw a player with first round potential who suffered a little bit as Stanford stalled. We’ve noted consistently how much attention they pay to the three cone at tight end. Anything around 7.10 is the ballpark. Parkinson ran a 7.15. They could try to develop him into a complete TE or they could use him as a big target.
R4 — Deejay Dallas (RB, Miami)
Dallas was on our list of ‘physical ideals’ from the combine. He also runs with toughness and physicality. He lacks the top level explosion to jump-cut from tacklers and his upside will always be somewhat tempered. However — he loves to hammer defenders and gain yards after contact and if he’s given a crease he has just enough speed to break off considerable gains. They badly needed some depth at running back.
R5 — Alton Robinson (DE, Syracuse)
His tape is underwhelming considering his physical profile and he didn’t shine at the Senior Bowl. His pass rush win percentage is 15.9% which is in the ‘good not great’ bracket. However, we’ve consistently noted they pay attention to the short shuttle on the D-line and his 4.32 time was the second fastest at this years combine. He’s also an explosive tester scoring a 3.41 in TEF (the same mark as Marcus Davenport).
R6 — Freddie Swain (WR, Florida)
He’s a 4.46 runner and we know the Seahawks want their wide outs in the 4.4 range. Swain is a slot receiver with the quickness to separate and he has no limitations in terms of running across the middle to get open or sprinting downfield. His route running needs some work. His main asset to Seattle will likely be his ability to compete quickly as a kick returner.
R7 — Stephen Sullivan (TE, LSU)
Sullivan had an incredible journey to LSU and he has outstanding length (35.5 inch arms) on a 6-5, 248lbs frame. He ran a 4.66 at the combine and jumped a 36.5 inch vertical. His agility testing, however, was dreadful. That’s one of the main reasons he’s lasted this long. He’s a high character team player who could develop into a big target (the Seahawks are listing him as a receiver). He had a good Senior Bowl. Hopefully he produces some of this magic in Seattle.
Undrafted free agents
I will update this list as we go along. Here are the reported signings so far:
Anthony Gordon (QB, Washington State)
Eli Mencer (DE, Ualbany)
Anthony Jones (RB, Florida Atlantic)
Chris Miller (S, Baylor)
Gavin Heslop (CB, Stony Brook)
Seth Dawkins (WR, Louisville)
Marcus Webb (DT, Troy)
Debione Renfro (CB, Texas A&M)
Kemah Siverand (CB, Oklahoma State)
Josh Avery (DT, Southeast Missouri)
Tyler Mabry (TE, Maryland)
Tommy Champion (T, Mississippi State)
Aaron Fuller (WR, Washington)
Other draft notes
— The first pick was a difficult one to project. After that? I’m happy with the way we identified potential targets. Things like the three cone for tight ends, weighted TEF for offensive linemen, explosive traits and size for running backs and the short shuttle for pass rushers all proved accurate yet again. It shows we generally know what to look for. All of their selections apart from Stephen Sullivan were listed on our board. Realistically I’m not sure we could’ve done much more to prepare for this draft.
— I take a lot of pride in getting more first round players right (28) than any other mock draft scored by the Huddle Report. I liked the way we approached this draft and that will be a lesson for future years.
— I much preferred the broadcasting format they were forced into due to coronavirus. Can we keep it? It was fun, intimate and cut away a lot of the fat.
— Trey Wingo is a superb host. World class. The gold standard.
— Running backs don’t matter? 10 went in the first three rounds and 12 in the first 120 picks.
— Well done to the NFL for persisting with the draft. Lots of people criticised the decision and used the overused ‘tone deaf’ term. We all needed a distraction and the NFL provided it in a safe and professional manner. This was the most enjoyable draft experience I can recall from a broadcasting and entertainment perspective.
A message to the community
None of us ever thought we’d be in this situation — trying to work our way through a global pandemic. I don’t know how many of you have had the virus, have the symptoms currently or have family or friends who are suffering. You may even have lost loved ones. Yet the fact we’ve been able to spend these last few weeks talking Seahawks and draft — I’ve found it energising. A needed distraction from the reality of the situation we all face.
We’ve done things we haven’t done before with the interviews and videos. It’s been a pleasure, from the start of the college football season to this point at the end of April. That’s because of the people in this community. We don’t always agree. We can argue. But we’ll always come together and continue to be civil.
Thank you for supporting this web site. Thank you for caring about anything I have to say. Thank you for giving me an opportunity. And I hope Seahawks Draft Blog has helped — and will continue to help — during this difficult time.
You can now support Seahawks Draft Blog via Patreon by clicking the tab below.
Reposting this as it was buried in the last thread of comments.
I think we know who the reigning champion of Seahawks draft sites is.
Field Gulls
Day 1 thread: 1104 comments
Day 2 thread: 981 comments
Day 3 thread: 627 comments
Seattle SeaMocks
Day 1 thread: nada
Day 2 thread: zilch
Day 3 thread: Is this thing on?
Seahawks Draft Blog
Day 1 thread 1344
Day 2 thread 1332
Day 3 thread 1342
Who would’ve thunk that a one man operation based out of England would kick the crap out of the combined powers of SBNation and the real GM of the Seahawks, Jared WhoShallNotBeNamed.
Thanks for creating the single best NFL site on the internet, Rob. And to my fellow SDB fans, please click the Patreon link and send Rob some financial support as a thank you.
Nice! To be fair Field Gulls has multiple posts running throughout the day, but I love that this one-man shop lapped them in the main areas. Each editor they’ve had has been a step below the one before, and there’s a lot of clickbait headlines and crap analysis dominating there these days
I tried to be fair and compare the draft threads for each day. Rob smoked them all.
Pete Carroll asked Rob to autograph his Win Forever book. That’s how much Rob has been winning this year.
Rob,
Such doom and gloom……. I see tons of improvement from our 2nd and 3rd year players , plus some Good Rooks. Russ will be Russ.
Go Hawks,
Van Gogh
Doom and gloom?
I’m not a cheerleader. Nothing I’ve written is unreasonable or over the top.
If you want me to pretend everything is perfect, you’re on the wrong site.
“The Seahawks have not moved the needle this off-season towards winning a Super Bowl.”
“They’ve padded their depth”
Could not agree with you more Rob.
We will be entertained and Russ will get us in the playoff picture. But this is nowhere near a Super Bowl roster unless major injuries hit about 5 teams.
KC-Baltimore is going to be a dogfight.
SF-yeesh
Tampa will be interesting as well as AZ.
Saints and Vikings always good.
Should be fun year in NFL assuming we get a season.
One of the big problems for the last three off-seasons is they’ve chased their needs during the reset.
Running game sucks — draft a RB
No pass rush — Collier
Still no pass rush and can’t defend perimeter — Brooks & Taylor
They’re not building a new core, rather they’re trying to fix problems because the QB makes them a contender of sorts every year.
And what they’ve ended up with is a roster than hasn’t dramatically improved from 2018 to today. It’s just deeper in terms of bodies.
This is a 3 yr project to create another SB roster.
The roster has gone downhill since 2016 because PC/JS have used a band-aid approach and chasing their tails in circles. Drafting hasn’t been stellar enough. We’re way too weak in the trenches and Russ gives us an extra 6 wins per year.
2010-2012 drafts were aberrations. I no longer see PCJS as gurus. I’d rather have you drafting this re-tool.
Kind of just chasing their tails.
That’s why this year I was hoping with the cap room they would really concentrate dollars to Dline and fix it. Then get playmakers for Russ in CEH and stud receiver. Mix in Oline and really play to strengths of draft.
Alas it was not meant to be. Another year of enjoying Russ yet being frustrated.
That would’ve been my strategy. It’s what I expected they would do.
2 other things I’m wondering about as we’ve seen this plateau over the last few years.
The first couple of years this regime nailed draft and development. I’m wondering if they are still as good at development with the coaching changes over the years.
The other is you used to hear of Seattle being a sought after free agency destination. The last couple years in particular we didn’t hear the buzz about players either wanting to be traded to Seattle or free agents wanting to come here.
I’m pretty sure the buzz is still there.
Playing for a regular playoff team with Russell Wilson is all the buzz any player needs.
Yeah I agree with that on the offensive side of the ball.
I’m certainly not saying Parkinson & Sully are Kelce or Kittle esque, but the 2 teams that just played in the SB get more from their TEs as legit pass catching options than anyone else excelt for maybe B’more.
Say what you want about Seattle adding all these TE’s. It’s very obvious they want one of their main weapons in the passing game to come from this position.
Bigger TEs who can bully people….. helps with the OL with in-line blocking. Much more scheme versatility with guys who can block AND also catch passes down the seams. Not necessarily a spectacular draft, but a solid one.
Cardinals upgraded (draft and FA)
49ers stood pat mostly (slightly worse on O… with WR and RB loses)
Rams slightly regressed, but did pretty good work with limited draft capital.
Seahawks at least held serve, once they get another DE in the building off the FA class….
We will have to see if the coaches use those tight ends in productive ways. Until now it feels like the te scheming has been underwhelming, even when players like Zach Miller and Jimmy Graham clearly thrives elsewhere.
Seems like Hollister is on the way out. Maybe even Dissly, if only to temporary IR
I’d definitely keep Hollister of those two. He stays on the field and makes plays.
If you can turn one of the two new TEs into at least a marginal blocker it adds quite a bit of versatility, even if they still mainly act as a big WR. You can line up with DK and one of the new guys as the outside WRs, Lockett in the slot, and Dissly or Olsen as the in-line TE…or motion the rookie (and DK) in tight to the formation for a pseudo-jumbo package from the same personnel. If the defense stays in base you can isolate a LB in coverage, or if they go nickel/dime you can run over them.
It’s even better if you have two true two-way TEs, but if Dissly stays healthy and can be that Gronk-type guy you can make it work with the other being mostly a pass-catcher.
Anthony Gordon as a potential backup to Russ is interesting. I like that pickup a lot.
I agree, Gordon has to be the most exciting QB prospect we’ve brought in as a backup
Interesting info on Swain. They’ve seemed to identify a personality type: guys that are good characters but play with an edge
Sorry that was meant for Bobby K post below
Just awesome work Rob this entire offseason and I love this summary to wrap up a great draft season. Like you say, more work to go by the Hawks but it will be fun reading about it here over the next several weeks. I’m sure you will cover it as well as you did for the draft prep. Your work really made this draft fun! thanks
Thanks Doug
Rob – I’ve been reading this blog since Pete’s 1st or 2nd season. It was so long ago and so much has changed, I can’t remember. I’ve never posted because I don’t follow college ball enough to add any value. I come for your insight, as well as the insight of the community members on this blogs. This continues to be the best community for seahawks fans IMHO. I echo your sentiment at the close of this posting and just wanted to thank you and all the folks on this blog for their fellowship in these uncertain times.
Thanks man
My former student texted me the Taylor pick in advance. He wrote, “Get ready to be excited. I love this player.”
He also wrote, “I think he’s a really good player. Our whole staff liked him.”
Considering he works as a scout for an NFL team – that’s a good sign. I’m not paid like he is to evaluate football players but we’ve had some good (texting) conversations about some of these guys. I questioned the character questions I’ve heard surrounding Taylor and he wrote that they are “Not terminal.” That’s a good sign, too.
Rob – as usual – great job! You’re the best and there’s nobody even in a close second place.
My former student coached our sixth round pick and he said he’s one of his favorite players he’s ever coached (before he moved to becoming a scout).
Cheers to us and an improved team!
Interesting inside info on Swain, thanks
Apologies for not knowing as I’m sure you posted it here or in one of your articles you’ve done, but what do you teach Bobby?
Iirc, I think it’s yodeling…
Correct. How’d you know?
Great share, bobbyk. Thank you.
Just wanted to say congrats on another fantastic year Rob. Thank you for all your work making the draft enjoyable for all us!
Thank you!
Rob, you are special. You have such a knack for this, the insanity that is the NFL draft. I’m truly grateful to be a Seahawks fan and this blog is a huge reason why. I have loaded up this site every day for what seems like 7-8 years and I am a more knowledgable fan for it.
Thanks for your hard, quality work again, Rob. You’ve always been phenomenal, but this year you took it to the next level. So much content. The interviews. We as a fanbase are so lucky to have you. Can’t wait for more post-draft analysis before you take your hard-earned break. Thank you Rob.
Thanks Chris, I really appreciate that.
+1 definitely this! Always a great read.
Great stuff Rob. As always the draft brings out heroic effort on your part and these posts simply sparkled.
You have to work with what you got, and while I feel a little disappointed in the team’s haul compared to their rivals, there’s some real quality there. I suspect that there’ll be some veterans cut if these rookies show up and develop quickly. And seeing the Dallas and Parkinson highlights was a major eye opener. DeeJay looks downright Marshawn-esque, and Colby is a grown man among undersized db’s.
Thanks Kyle!
You did a fantastic job identifying targets and leading a broad discussion, Rob. You keep doing it better than its ever been done before!
Don’t kick yourself so much for missing Brooks with the limited info we had this year. If he had a pro day I think his agility drills would have put him on our radar.
Thanks Nathan!
Per: 3sigmaathlete.com This 2020 group of players, especially at DL/EDGE groups didn’t do much in the way
of testing and didn’t get a firm PSparq score this season. Previous years of PSparq data shows a whole lot
more players with testing #’s and PSparq scores.
2020-DT’s; (Note: UDFA’s: DT-Marcus Webb, Troy & DT-Josh Avery, SE Missouri, = no testing #’s)
13 with PSparq scores and complete testing,
10 (43.7%) DT’s without enough testing to get a PSparq score.
2020 EDGE; (Note: Taylor was one of the EDGE players w/o full testing #’s)
21 with PSparq scores and complete testing.
13 (38.3%) EDGE’s without enough testing to get a PSparq score.
2020 LB’s; (Note: Brooks was one of the LB’s w/o full testing #’s)
25 with PSparq scores and complete testing.
8 (24.2%) LB’s without enough testing to get a PSparq score.
Obviously due to the pandemic, only minimal pro-day testing was done this season. Due to the fact that pro day #’s are often unreliable, together with all of the players that don’t do full testing, I think you end up with
3 different sets of data. Those with full testing, those with pro-day (inflated?) testing and finally those with no, or minimal testing $’s. I guess tape study is still the most accurate way to judge prospects especially
when all other data points are unknown. It seems that the players that do all of the testing and put up some
decent #’s have a better chance to be drafted than those that don’t, however this year does show that the Seahawks indeed do look beyond just the measurements and performance testing #’s available as shown with their drafting of both Brooks & Taylor. Perhaps we as fans need to look A LOT HARDER at prospects w/o testing #’s in future drafts????
Hope Solo and her husband Jerramy Stevens recently welcomed twins.
UW better send them a scholarship offer.. ASAP
That offer better have a NO ALCOHOL clause… I’m just sayin’
Jerramy Stevens is married? Maybe he’s matured a little….
No mini vans please 😉
lol…no
both he and his wife have been cited for domestics with each other and hope sister I believe
Thank you Rob.
I don’t wanna share my situation or story, no woe is me, but I can’t thabk you enough for giving me an outlet. I know we don’t know each other but this community feels like a bunch of friends getting together, joking, bullshi**ing, and talking football. I have so much fun here every year and am always a little bummed out when it’s over. Bittersweet.
Anyways man, I think your work ethic and dedication is incredibly inspiring and I think you deserve good things in this life my man.
I’ve been posting on message boards since the early-mid aughts (wrestling forums mainly) and this is hands down the best community snd collection of insight I’ve been a part of.
This site has got me through and been there for me through some of the worst moments of my life. So thank you SDB! Love ya’ll.
+12
I truly consider you a friend and mentor, Vol. I’ve also gone through so much with this blog and guys like you and Rob as some of the few constants through it all.
Truly blessed , now more than ever, to have something like this in such stressful times.
Can’t say it better.
SDB is a wonderful fellowship.
Grateful.
That’s so cool to hear. I don’t post often but love the discussions and camaraderie here. Plus y’all grind some tape.
Love your insights V12. Thank you.
You are one of my favorite poster V12. Thank you for your positive contributions to this site. You are appreciated!
I always read your posts Volume – you do a lot of research into players.
Thanks V12! And rest assured your contribution has been incredibly valued over the years. You are a special part of the community and we all respect your contribution.
Getting me all misty Vol. Well said, and much love.
This. Get well soon!
Your right that Trey Wingo was a fantastic host that kept going and going when you could hear his analysts fading. We also had a great host in you. I know you have to be exhausted kowing you are 8 hours behind us. Hopefully you can enter a mild coma state tonight and just get unconcious. Thank you for the work you put in these last three days and three months.
Thanks Greg
As always, Rob, you are the best at analyzing the Seahawk’s needs and philosophy then matching it to the incoming draft class. We’re fortunate to have you do this and share the experience with us. Thanks for everything!
Thanks Hoberk!
You crushed it Rob thank you ! really top notch stuff.
Thanks Alex!
Stephen Sullivan, my nickname for him will be “Uncut Jem”….
little used at LSU in the pass game, but could really be a late round find in the rough.
Arms – 35 3/8”
Wowza
He might have to raise his shoulders when walking so his knuckles dont scrape.
I feel like all the homework you need to do when picking up an LSU guy is to ask Ed Orgeron if he thinks they’re a “ball playuh”.
Ed was on Pete Cutler’s staff at USC and they talk about players Seattle is considering so when we get an LSU kid, I have extra confidence in the pick. Orgeron reportedly said Damien Lewis was his favorite player on the team.
Rob. In this age of readily available content I subscribe to 2 online media outlets. This blog (via Patreon) and the New York Times. I spend an embarrassing amount of time here. Thanks so much for providing such an enjoyably distracting rabbit hole of Seahawk analysis, content and comment mediation. Well done and thank you!
Thank you! For your support and for reading.
Bravo, Rob! Outstanding job this year with the draft. Thank you for your dedication to this site and our team we love.
Thanks Tom!
Thank you once again for everything Rob. Pass on our thanks to your wife too.
Absolutely. Thank you so much, Rob.
Thanks Tomahawk
Thanks cha!
Personally Im not disappointed at all about not getting a DT as they seem to prefer the veteran route. As far as the nickel they can go Amadi or they can still look to put Dunbar or Griffin in the slot in nickel with Flowers outside as an option.
Flowers not starting just playing outside when one of the other two slide inside in nickel.
I’m choosing to be optimistic and think that they really believe in Ugo taking that role. I have to think they would have liked Amik’s toughness and play making, but they had a chance to draft him but chose not too.
Still struggling to get my head around moving back up for Sullivan after taking Colby Parkinson, but I do like this class. It’s got speed, grit and upside in many places. There was no one I got really excited about like DK last year, Lewis was probably the most exciting pick, and it kinda sucks to have not got a receiver until the 6th round (that wasn’t Quez Watkins). I am very glad we got one of the interviewed players.
Thanks for all the hard work Rob.
I think with Sullivan, think of him as a really big WR, then everything makes sense.
He Sully ran a 4.6 which isn’t in their usual wheelhouse for a wideout…
We’ll have to wait and see what Pete and John say, but I 100% see Sullivan as a TE.
They told him he will be used as a WR
Fair enough, interesting move in that case. A major break from what they normally do at position, will be an interesting race for WR3,4 and 5.
Im curious if he is only in on 2 TE sets, and if we feature that setup often. With so many TEs on the roster, you gotta think that could be a staple of next years O.
Trading, for the pick of Sullivan, is basically UDFA insurance. Meaning they wanted him and didnt want to risk losing him in FA. Spent a 2021 6th-JS said they were waffling between Swain and Sullivan. Got them both.
Thanks Henry
Pete and John with a press conference soon…. oh boy
Per Schefter – FIU RB Anthony Jones, who has recovered from being shot in the face last year and is a relative of Vikings’ RB Dalvin Cook, will be signing with the Seattle Seahawks, per source.
Jesus christ! Shot in the face? 😬
Just watched the Stephen Sullivan phone interview. Man am I routing for that kid! Was watching the interviews on YouTube of our draft picks and saw his pop up an wondered what the heck? Found out we got back into the 7th. Liked the jib of all the players. Gonna be good team players.
Thanks for your hard work keeping us informed and engaged, Rob and also to my fellow draft lunatics. Go Hawks!
Thanks misfit
Reported signings, but not 100% confirmed:
FIU RB Anthony Jones
Baylor S Chris Miller
Chris Miller
Gavin Heslop
Marcus Webb
Anthony Jones
Heslop. That was one of the CBs they met w/ at a pro day.
Greg, you must be seeing the names the same place I am.
Baylor S Chris Miller Highlight Reel – 2019 Season
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvi3Rk9fLmQ
James Madison is also in the conference with Albany and Stony Brook, so hopefully we sign DEs Carter and Daka of JMU.
Here’s an interesting UDFA we just signed:
Marcus Webb, Troy. 6-3 279 lb DE/DT who had 9! Sacks last season for Troy.
Cool pickup.
WOW CaptainJack! Is that 9! or 91 sacks?
901
Actually had seven sacks but that’s still a great amount for a DT
That’s a good get!
He had 9 tackles for loss, and 6-7 sacks.
My bad, I’m seeing seven sacks
Maybe you were reading the 9 upside down, only says 6 sacks in 2019.
https://www.espn.com/college-football/player/_/id/4039919/marcus-webb
Can’t say the stats tell the whole story ever. He has Some tools. Not much film
https://youtu.be/dJel-7Iy3KM
Definitely a “seahawk” class, I’m glad they are getting back to their ideals.
Positional strength tiers post-draft:
1 – QB. Russell Wilson is a top 3 QB in the league, along with Mahomes and Brees.
2 – CB/S. Flawless personnel. Dunbar and Griffin are probably the best tandem in the league. Diggs and McDougald played very well together, and enough to be in the top 10 safety tandem in the league. Flowers, Amadi, and Blair are young players that could be critical factors next season.
3 – WR/TE. Improved from the already outstanding 2019 season for this position group. Wilson to Lockett has been one of the most dominant QB/WR duos in the past two seasons. Metcalf has an unlimited ceiling. Dissly and Olsen could be the best TE tandem in the league if both are healthy. Dorsett, Turner, Moore, Hollister, and Willson are a solid group of complementary pieces.
4 – ST. We’re solid here. Great punter, good kicker, elite gunners, solid returners all along. The Seahawks have done well at acquiring elite ST personnel.
5 – LB. One of the most unclear position groups. I am inclined to drop LB below OL, given Wagner’s play in 2019, but he still has enough credit to alone put our LB corps high on this list. Wright, Brooks, Barton, and Burr-Kiven are as far from sure things as you can be.
6 – OL. It can surprise everyone. It’s going to be interesting what the Seahawks are going to do with 19+ OLs to work with in the next season. They can virtually work with the 2019 line without Ifedi and with Shell, which is an upgrade, or save 12 mm from Britt and Fluker and still have enough veterans to field a solid offensive line. This position group could surprise many, and end the season as high as 4th on this list, especially if Lewis is as good as advertised.
7 – DL. Really worrisome. Behind Poona and Reed, no proven depth to play DT. Between Irvin, Mayowa, Collier, Green, Taylor, Robinson, and Branden Jackson, there’s not a proven 3-down starter at EDGE, capable of playing 70%+ of the snaps. The Seahawks would do well to sign two or three vets, at least one DT and one EDGE.
Completely missed the RBs.
They would be 4th on my list when healthy.
I’d put ST way lower. Dickson regressed to middle of the pack. Meyers wasn’t clutch. Coverage has no longer been a strength.
Bring in Bryant at TE as a UDRFA?
Bryant signed with the Lions.
Debion Renfro
There’s the annual long DB
Kemah Siverand
Great work, Rob. And thanks so much to so many of you to help guide me through understanding so many players in this draft. I don’t watch much college football so I always have a lot to learn at the end of the NFL season. This site goes so far beyond what I had been used to and bored by (top of the first round and quarterbacks) with the big media sources. I’m so glad I came here many years ago. I still don’t watch much college football but I am so much more knowledgeable about the incoming players across the league and especially with Seattle.
The last two months have been difficult. I have worked hard to focus on what is good and positive and important. I haven’t always been successful, but being able to come here daily, to talk and think about football, helps me get my mind back to where it should be so I can be of better use to the people around me.
Thanks everyone, and especially you Rob. Your work means a lot to many of us.
Thanks Seahawcrates!
I’m so happy that this place has provided some distraction from what’s going on. That means so much to me.
Seth Dawkins
If, and who knows what odds there are now, but if we do re-sign Clowney – im feeling fine about the Hawks going into the year. Defense should be better. We’ve added talent on that side of the ball w the draft and Dunbar (and hopefully Blair and even Collier). The O-line was nothing to get that excited about last year – and we still had a very productive unit until Carson and Penny (and Gordon) all went down around the same time. DK should be better, and our TE’s will be better. This from a team that was a few inches away from winning the division, even w all those injuries bunched together.
It’s true that the NFC West has had a strong off-season — Hopkins, and Trent Williams, are the same kind of windfall that we got last year w Clowney. I still think there’s a gap between the Cards and us; and while the Niners have the better roster top to bottom – we’ve still got them at the position that matters most. Now, let’s all cross fingers and hope we get a season this year.
And echoing others on here – thank Rob for creating a great site and forum for discussion. It’s a real oasis on the internet (sports and otherwise).
Thanks pdway
Rob,
Keep your head up 28 out of 32, you kidding me. That is amazing. Besides that it’s the same deal every year were you point out over and undervalued players prior to the national media (those that do this for a living and earn the $$$). Just off the top of my head Andrew Thomas as the top tackle.
The questions on CeeDee. Not that you he’s not talented, but rather for pointing out that Ruggs and Jeudy had some qualities that could appeal to some teams. I can go on and on, every year there are examples of this.
Media picks up on everything, but a lot of the times you are first.
Big Boy Football is what I want for Hawks, seems to be the path taken.
To the rest of the SDB community, agree that Cardinals made great strides and SFO surprisingly made some shrewd moves. The SuperBowl hangover is real, seems that SF made a concerted effort to minimize that, but let’s try to not compare ourselves to others. PCJS deserve the benefit of the doubt. Perfectly normal to criticize, that’s how everyone gets better but let’s give it a few weeks to see how this process ends up. Next few weeks are critical. We (Hawks front office) have a different way of approaching things. I like that they are clear on their strategy, more to the point it’s awesome that they have a drafting philosophy.
Sorry if I always write the same thing every off season, I tend to think positive, but I agree that I may have written the same thing last year. I just enjoy Pete and John’s approach very much.
Our drafts will never be highly graded, unlike Baltimore’s and they deserve it. It’s just that PCJS think outside the box. The Cowboys seemed to have taken the Ravens approach this year.
it’s ok to question Penny, Malik, Carpenter or Ifedi. But they go for upside, swing for the fences. Can lead to a few strikeouts or missing out on safer picks, but can’t question the Metcalf’s of our world. There are many of those.
You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.
Thanks to all for this community! I sometimes don’t write, but check site many times a day. Even my son is a fan now!! He know has his own NFL channel hahaha.
now not know (there at the end).
Only thing I do not agree with you Rob is as per the viewing. See how all the fluff can interfere with content, but do enjoy the whole atmosphere of a live draft.
Thank you!
Running back Anthony Jones literally had bullets pass through his head his back and his neck and he survived. Insane
I understand why the Hawks did what they did in the draft. But that doesn’t take away from my surprise that we didn’t come away with one, not one of the top receivers in this draft class. I’m not angry about this, just a bit flummoxed.
It was an amazing group of talented WR at the top but perhaps the team felt there was a steep drop off after the first 8 were taken.
The top 8 were gone by pick 35.
I guess we could have had Mims, Claypool, Jefferson or Edwards but the cost would have been high. Taylor.
To me, before the FAcy and draft season was truly underway, getting RW and the offense at least ONE exciting new toy was at the top of my wish list, along with adding some kind of star power up front on the D. Ideally, even getting RW two exciting new toys if at all possible in the draft, though that might have been too much wishful thinking.
The fact of the matter is that we came away with none. Disappointed by that. This draft was loaded with WR and RB talent, and we never ate at the trough.
Again, I understand why. It started with, as Rob has stated over and over again, playing from behind right from the start of FAcy and not getting our situation up front under control. it set a new dynamic in play that started to take away from the idea of getting RW and the offense some bright and shiny new toys.
Just the way it played out.
Ditto to them missing out on all the top running backs – and wide receivers.
On paper it looks like a well balanced (between defense and offense) draft. I’m hoping for the best – after all the Seahawks have so many holes,
The trouble is that the offense has gained solid players who aren’t game changers. Between a lack of defensive linemen and no additional game changers beyond Lockett and Metcalf, Wilson does not have enough weapons to succeed. We can only pray that the new guys rise to the occasion for at least one healthy season.
If there was ONE off season where we could have given RW all the weapons he deserves, it was this one.
Crap. Dolphins got DT Benito Jones, Dallas got a prime UDFA in DE Ron’dell Carter, and Saints got DT Malcolm Roach of TX.
‘Boys had a strong draft.
Michael Gallup might be the most underrated 1100 yd receiver I can ever remember while not a huge fan of his, adding CeeDee Lamb is to the mix is a homerun.
Let Dak Cook!
The talent haul from this draft won’t be known until the season starts, and even then we won’t fully know til couple of years from now — young players especially DE need to brought along.
But I’m really encouraged. A great mix of athleticism and, just as coach Pete and JS like it, immeasurables.
I feel this coming season’s roster will be better than last season’s. Metcalf and others will be a year older and more experienced. The secondary is better. There’s a huge amount of competition for positions in the trenches. Collier will hopefully show us a lot more. Lockett won’t be returning kicks. Etc.
But… am worried about Dissly’s future with the two serious injuries. Olsen is a question mark. Hope Penny hadn’t lost speed. Hope Carson hadn’t lost his edge and ferocity. And feel we are still a receiver short. And edge and OT need addressing as Rob has pointed out. But the draft was a solid one.
Well said, Rob! Congrats on a superb job this year. Once again. You are my “go to” site on the draft. Thank you.
Thanks Alex!
Spanish Seahawks
@SpanishSeahawks
·
11m
UDFAs firmados por #Seahawks:
QB Anthony Gordon, Washington St.
S Chris Miller, Baylor
LB Eli Mencer, UAlbany
DT Marcus Webb, Troy
RB Anthony Jones, FIU
CB Gavin Heslop, Stony Brook
CB Kemah Siverand, Oklahoma St.
WR Seth Dawkins, Louisville
TE Tyler Mabry, UB
Yet another TE Mabry of Maryland. 6’4″ 250
https://www.espn.com/college-football/player/_/id/3916587/tyler-mabry
This guy, Anthony Jones, might be the preseason star. Check out this game against Miami: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zw93nUotxEI
Thanks for posting this. He runs tough and is prime Seahawks size RB(5’11” 215). Hope he can shine in camp like Rawls a few years ago. You know he has to be tough and determined to come back from a gunshot to the head. He was with his nephew Dalvin Cook of the Vikings when it happened, stray bullet in a drive-by.
Looked like Alex Collins
Thank you! Thank you! Thanks you!
Your analysis is fantastic. Much better than the local Seattle media. Continue with all you do.
As pandemic has raged through New York city your columns have kept us grounded.
+12
Thank you!!!
Can we stop crowning the 9ers the winners of the offseason?
They swapped Buckner with Kinlaw: Buckner is everything Kinlaw can hope to be in the future. It’s a good deal for them since it saves them a ton of money but this move doesn’t make you a better football team. Buckner was one of the best defensive players in the NFL last year that is just about to hit his prime. Sure Kinlaw has the potential to become a Buckner type NFL player, maybe even better but this will require time and fortune.
They swapped Sanders with Aiyuk: Sanders was an immediate difference maker when he came to SF last season. He was pretty much everything they were hoping for since he came in and boosted that offense significantly. Aiyuk is a fantastic talent and could become a great pro. But again, will he be better than Sanders last year? Possible but not given.
Now they swapped Staley with Williams: Staley was their guy he was what Duane Brown is now for us and more. He was one of the cornerstones of that team. Losing such a guy sucks. It will hurt us when Brown is gone. Now they got a good replacement in Williams. The best option out there but he is no Staley/Brown type it seems. He is a hard to handle character that didn’t play football for some time now.
They made good moves for sure given their situation. They added Kinlaw, Aiyuk and Williams in one offseason. But they also lost their best defensive player (imo), their best receiver and one of their leaders. For me this is at least a small downgrade if we talk about immediate impact.
Agree with you about Kinlaw. He has Buckners talent, but its not a given.
Staley had a helluva career. Trent Williams is an upgrade.
Traded away a dynamic WR and productive RB…
so I think they are holding steady or slightly diminished.
Agree, Williams was one of the best LT in the league. I just hope the rest of the league was right to not go for him. Will be really interesting from a locker room perspective but usually winning helps a ton with such drama.
You make some good points.
I’d also argue that Trent Williams is very, very good. But he did miss an entire season of football last year. And without a team-centric offseason he might not be fully ready for a full season of top line play.
There is NO WAY DeForest Buckner was their best defensive player. Nick Bosa was. By a mile.
They lost an ageing tackle and got a better one. They lost an ageing receiver and got a better one. They traded a potentially expensive interior defender and potentially got a better (and cheaper) one.
They’ve done a great job.
DeForest Buckner is 26. That’s “ageing”? I think Davido is right on this one, at least to the extent that expecting Kinlaw to be as good or better as a 23 year old rookie than Buckner would have been as a 26 year old vet is sipping the NIner Kool-Aid a bit…
I didn’t say DeForest Buckner was ageing.
I said an ageing tackle — as in Joe Staley. The guy who just retired.
Neither did I say I ‘expect’ Kinlaw to be better. I said that potentially he could be. And that’s a fact, having studied both players in college.
Now I really am off to bed.
Pretty sure Rob is talking about Joe Staley.
Ah, my bad. I did not realize from context that you were talking about OTs, not DTs….
This is the same debate as Reed vs Clark. They have different roles and do different jobs. And I personally think that Nick Bosa benefited greatly from a guy like Buckner. Nick Bosa was a fantastic last year but so was Buckner if you ask me.
Disagree on Sanders, he is aging but he was producing last year, he didn’t look old. Calling someone that didn’t play a single NFL game a better player than a multiple thousand yards receiver is a bit premature for me.
Sure if we look at potential and building for their future they did a good job it seems. My point is that this roster does not look scarier than the 2019 roster so far.
Well it sure doesn’t look less scary than the one that dominated the NFC.
I don’t know. I have no doubt that Williams will be an upgrade, as Staley missed most of last season with an injury and was showing age.
However, I think you are way underselling Buckner. The guy is a pro bowl interior lineman who just got paid big dollars for a reason. Kinlaw has potential, but you know what they say about potential? Potential means they haven’t done it yet. Besides, it often takes interior lineman a few years before they become good. It is unlikely he is as good this season as Buckner was last season.
With a shortened offseason, I think it is going to be hard for any rookie receiver to be on the same page as the QB. He is going to get a chance with SF getting rid of two receivers, but more than a few first round rookie receivers have struggled trying to make the transition to pro ball.
It’s not underselling Buckner to say Kinlaw could be better.
He could be.
I’ve seen both going into the draft. It’s easy to compare.
And it’s a whole lot easier for a rookie playing on that loaded D-line than.
Totally with you that Kinlaw can be better than Buckner.
However do you think that as a rookie, Kinlaw will be better than prime Buckner?
I just doubt a rookie can play at an all pro level his first year, its possible for sure, but statistically its very rare. I think its a downgrade for 2020, no matter how you spin it. Great for their future though, that cheap Kinlaw contract will be huge.
No but I don’t know why we need to get caught up on 2020 performance. This isn’t just about this season. The fact is Kinlaw is now signed to a modest contract for the next four years. DeForest Buckner is making $21m a year in Indianapolis. The fact that Kinlaw could be better than Buckner (which he can be) and has created an ENORMOUS cap saving during the rest of their Championship window is incredibly smart work by the 49ers. It’ll allow them to keep or bring in other pieces.
Compare that to Seattle swapping Frank Clark for LJ Collier.
As for 2020 — he’ll be playing on the same line as Bosa, Armstead, Thomas and Ford. He’ll be fine. That’s a complete gift for a rookie looking to come in and make an impact.
Anyone who wants to try and suggest that the 49ers have not had a good off-season or draft is clutching at straws. They are the cream of the NFC West, the NFC and they aren’t going anywhere. Meanwhile, the Seahawks are going to try and close the gap with Benson Mayowa, Bruce Irvin and Brandon Shell.
“Compare that to Seattle swapping Frank Clark for LJ Collier.”
Ouch (but a very legit statement)
To be fair Rob, in our SuperBowl winning 2013 season, you had crowned S.F. SuperBowl champs, too. I remember clearly because I was shocked you stated that when I thought we would win it all.
I didn’t crown anyone.
If I said San Francisco were favourites, what exactly is the issue? Why even bring it up? They lost the 2012 Super Bowl by about a yard, then only lost the NFCCG because of an inspired play.
Watch number 48… Marcus Webb
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ryKnRhL5e8Q
Honestly looks pretty good
Really nice.
Well done Rob. Following this blog since your Aaron Curry days, how much you loved that prospect.
Maybe its the uniqueness of this specific year and all the existential circumstances that is all affecting us but this was by FAR the best draft coverage you’ve done and very proud that it’s covering our ‘Hawks. From the constant coverage, the interviews you were able to secure, to even this community you built, really and truly from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU.
Side note: We’re damn close to repeating that 2008 “most expensive LB core” that Ruskell built, are we there yet??
Thanks Kevin!
And re:2008 — yes… yes we are.
Great job Rob, congrats on Huddle Report 3rd place!
Thank you!
Been coming here for years for Seahawks news, first place I come to. Your perspective is top notch, appreciate all you do. Cheers.
If we really wanted a big pass catcher, they should of went with Claypool early, just my opinion.
Other priorities, obviously.
Reading the tea leaves, from the pressor, Pete let John run the draft more this year than previous years… but the final selection was 100% Pete call.
Congrats on the huddle report victory. It is well earned and deserved.
Thanks Tecmo
Thank you Rob!
Your work is really smart and a really enjoyable part of my weekly read. Great diversion from the bla-bla-bla news of the day.
Stay safe.
Thanks Mike!
Thank you for all you do Rob. I truly enjoy reading all the posts and everyones comments.
I wanted to talk a little bit about fans perspectives and opinions on draft(s).
It is important as a fan to realize that just because we do not draft the guy you like or the guy your favorite scout likes does not mean that the team found “their” guy.
Scouts spend countless hours comparing players based on many different factors. They make judgments based on what they see on the field as well as measurables seen at the NFL combine or other outlet. Some are good talent evaluators.
NFL teams have a lot of different people that help out on draft day. The GM is the face of the draft but there are many people who work together as a team to make a draft happen. Every team has specific scouts that look for specific characteristics or player profiles that will fit what their team is all about.
This means that their could be good players that would not even be on your teams draft board. Instead of being disappointed that your team did not draft your player I would recommend changing the way you think. For example, in round 1 we took a linebacker, there were a lot of good linebackers on the board, we had our choice of all those linebackers and we got our guy.
Now, just playing the numbers, there will probably be a player drafted after our pick that will be great. That does not mean it was a bad pick.
Lastly, most longterm successful NFL teams look for specific player profiles. When I hear, “he just looks like [insert NFL team] player. I laugh to myself and say of course he does, that is who they are looking for. Rob has shown us this over and over again every year. He will say the Seahawks look for these specific traits.
Thanks Justin
Rob, thank you so much for your best year yet. You did your usual superior job of identifying who was overrated and underrated in the national media. It was cool to see how often you were quoted as the draft approached and opinions on players and picks began to evolve. You clearly have a national audience. Your success on the Huddle this year is a testament to your hard work and I hope it earns you more recognition.
I am a huge admirer of the way you have developed your own metrics and incorporated them into your analysis. Your work has changed the way educated fans view the Seahawks draft. Every time some commentator mocks a CB with short arms to Seattle in Round 1, there is a whole community that understands why that is unlikely to happen because of all the work you have done for years. Someday a national commentator is going to say “TEF.” I believe that!
Adding in the interviews to the podcasts was a brilliant move. I am so pleased that one of your interviews became a Seahawk. The NFL is going global and you are showing that there is a place for a smart guy with a British accent.
You have fostered a community where thoughtful interesting discussions about the Seahawks and the draft are possible. There are so many regulars on this site that I admire. As your popularity grow, that community grows and some change is inevitable but I hope we don’t lose the civility you mentioned.
With respect to the draft, I admit I had to google our first pick when it happened. But, I like the pick and I like what they did overall. The Seahawks still have needs but so does every one of the other 31 teams. My favorite pick was the last one. I had never heard of Stephen Sullivan before the Senior Bowl but it is so cool to see a kid who was homeless and living under a bridge make it to the NFL. I’ll be rooting for his success.
And I will be rooting for your continued success as well.
Southeast Missouri State’s DT Josh Avery signs.
Thats a great signing.
Thanks for doing this blog. It’s the most interesting and thoughtful site on the internet regarding the Seahawks. If I should ever purchase the Seahawks organization, I’d definitely hire you as a consultant during the draft. Really appreciate all the work you put into this!
-Leo
Thanks Leo! I look forward to you purchasing the Seahawks.
Another reader since the Curry year, want to thank you for another amazing year. I wouldn’t feel to bad about missing out on Hawks pick everybody did.
Rob – Thanks so much again. You, PC & JS really think & live “outside of the box.” So much so that y’all got way outside of my box early & often. Thanks for your insights & interviews. I could be mistaken, but it seemed to me that this draft the Chiefs, Cards, Dolphins, Ravens & the Pats got inside of our box a little bit, too. Overall I’m pleased about the players that were added to the ‘Hawks this year. Thanks for your professional journalism & comments. Peace!
Thanks Mike
Thanks for all the work and all the thoughts, Rob! Whenever you decide to take a bit of time off, it will be more than well earned.
Thanks Comfect!
Its sad but true the Niners are the new bullies. Look at their swagger through out the draft. Seahawks simply are not keeping up.
True. But the nice thing about not being as good/talented as them is that when you have Russell Wilson and they have Jimmy Garbage – you always still have a chance to win.
Granted, Hawks easily could have gone 2-0 against them last year (or 0-2). But both were close slugfests.
Personally, I do not see where they improved for the 2020 season when it comes to swapping Hargrave for Buckner. Bucker is the better player now and they subbed a player who won’t be as good this year in for him. That’s actually good for us in ’20 (maybe not so much for ’21 and beyond).
A little late to the party but like everyone else, THANK YOU ROB! You have outdone yourself. This is truly a great place for Hawks fans to cheer, vent, discuss and learn. Like the draft coverage I hope you keep doing new things like the interviews and simulator. Maybe next we need to really dedicate some time to those “minor” needs like linebacker so we don’t get so caught off guard like this year. Still got to dig into the draft picks and udfa’s. Then hopefully adding final free agents after may (lease God Clowney and Griff). But thanks again for all that you have done and the great community that we all enjoy!
Thank you!
And they even signed a TE as an UDFA.
Thank you, rob, for a wonderful journey. I look forward to continuing this weird Seahawks walk. Appreciate you sharing your talents, and giving folks a healthy place to be a Seahawks draft fan.
Thanks Michael!
Chris Miller is vicious for a smaller guy & has some short area quickness. He’s played slot corner before & I wonder if that’s what they got in mind for him. Jake Heaps picked him late in his mock simulator video. Good signing
Great job as always Rob!
Thanks Jon!
As a long-time Miami Hurricanes fan, I have to take a little exception with your cursory critique of DeeJay Dallas. I wouldn’t describe him as a particularly tough, hard-nosed runner. He’s slippery and will break the odd tackle but he doesn’t really drop his shoulder and blast through contact. That’s simply not his game.
He was a good player for Miami, much loved by his teammates, but he was never a great player and I’ll be surprised if he makes the final cut. He just lacks that short area burst and leg strength. He also runs too upright at times.
Homer is a lot better player overall.
Thanks for the insight. We will see. Dallas has one advantage: he’s only been a RB for a couple of years. There’s room to improve.
Thanks Rob, ive been lurking for years but made an appearance today.I listened to your last podcast and it was very good. The fact that you got more correct picks then the pundits is proof that you know what you’re doing.
Thanks Mike
Husky WR Aaron Fuller signs.
Not a single OT lol…. Do they actually like Shell and Obguehi?
Maybe they will start Lewis at OT. Seahawks have a tradition of moving players around,
John Schneider called Finney, Shell and Obguehi, “Priority 1, 2 and 3” in FA for the O-line. Pete Carroll also said Jamarco Jones would be in the competition for RT.
If you read what Jets fans have said about Shell it sounds remarkably like what Seattle fans have been saying about Ifedi, he’s better run-blocking than pass-blocking and takes way too many penalties. The performance grading sites like PFF seem to agree with the Jets fans although Shell’s performance grades somewhat better than Ifedi.
Jones played solid in spot duty. Had a few blow-ups early, but settled in after a start or so.
If they know they have two years left with Brown maybe they think it’s a bigger deal next draft?
Shell only had 11 penalties in 49 games. Ifedi had 46 penalties in 60 games. I’m not saying he’s going to be great but having an average right tackle without the penalty issues sounds good to me.
+1
Holy moly? Have you guys seen this? One of our UDFAs, an RB out of FIU, Anthony Jones. Shot in a drive-by (not the target) and the bullet went through his neck and head. Miraculously survived. Now he’s going to live out his NFL dream. Go Hawks.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001068487/article/nfl-dreams-back-on-track-for-fius-anthony-jones-after-tragedy
Can you picture the scene: Seahawks all sitting around the the locker room swapping their stories of grit like Quint and Hooper in Jaws. All of a sudden a hush comes over the room as Jones rises and tells his story about be shot in the face and living to tell about it.
Just watched “Sally’s” draft interview. Wholly shiat I love that kid. People like Stephen make this world a better place. I will be a Stephen fan regardless of his career. What an awesome human being.
Agreed. First class human being. Will succeed at something, even if it’s not NFL football. People like him always do.
Thanks so much for all the great content! Couldn’t agree more with your take about the draft and the coronavirus. Great distraction, hopefully no one got sick, and we all need something to do. I think people who don’t follow sports don’t understand the hole it leaves when they’re gone.
Rob, or anyone, if you had to name one player the hawks could have realistically drafted and passed on who would you have liked them to pick….thanks again!
Going into the draft, Seattle needed new starters at RT (Ifefi), DE (Ansah), and OLB (Kendricks). I didn’t see a DE at 27. But, I loved Isaiah Wilson at RT. I think he is a future Pro-Bowler. But, maybe our LB is too!
Thanks Blake!
Clyde Edwards-Helaire.
+1
Barry Sanders only comes around once in a lifetime. Clyde’s no Barry, but he’s one of the closest I’ve seen since. Seattle could of done so many things with him in this offense.
Cool story to share, my buddy I used to play with on our high school offensive line made it to the NFL. Drew Dickinson, OL from Findlay, to the Arizona Cardinals.
Congrats!
Thanks Rob
Bravo Rob. Can’t tell you how much I appreciate it all.
I’m not at a point to discuss the draft and FA other than to say I’m having a hard time seeing this off-season as a step in the right direction. Really hope I’m wrong.
Nothing but praise for the job you’ve done this year though. Top notch, through and through.
Thank you!
Off to bed. Night all.
It was great rob. Reading since 2012. This was the best year. It would be interesting and useful to reflect why this blog and this community are so good. (I think it is possibly the best “fan” site of the whole NFL) Your stellar work is of course the main reason. But i suspect there is more. I also think that it would be fun and interesting an useful to think about ways to both enhance it further and possibly leverage its succes.
Thank you. I’m open to any ideas anyone has to enhance this place further.
Another great draft season! The additions of your interviews, and mock draft videos have made your blog that much better! We’re so spoiled you turned out to be a Seahawks fan, thanks again for everything you do Rob!! Already looking forward to next year!
Thanks Jeremy!
Rob,
Truly remarkable work. I can’t thank you enough for the hard work and dedication! You have truly given us an amazing place to talk Hawks. I appreciate you!!!
With the addition of the UDFAs, I’m counting 91 players. I’m also guessing there will be quite a bit of moment in the coming days.
#gohawks
Thank you!
Amazing
DT and WR were considered very deep in the 2020 draft, but Seattle went other directions (mostly). I was mad about the 1st round pick, but after the draft was completed, the overall draft was good/great. My favorite pick is DE Robinson. I can see this guy being a force within 2 years….. and as a value pick at round 5, I can’t complain since DE/EDGE is a “need” that has to be shored up with FA / RFA and FA pick-ups….. Griffen next. (Clowney’s ship has sailed I believe)
Thank you so much Rob. I’ve been following the blog since 2011 and haven’t really posted, but I wanted to say how immensely I appreciate all of the work you do on this site. I look forward to every post you write and am pretty sure I’ve read them all for the last 9 years.
You’re truly the best in the business, as evidenced by your 28 correct first round picks. Your analysis is always so insightful, thorough and logical.
I’m grateful to be a Seahawks fan. It must suck for all the other fanbases to not have Rob Staten writing for their team. When are the Seahawks going to finally hire you as a consultant?
Go hawks!!!!
Thank you Porter!
We get to keep 55 on the roster this year instead of 53, right?
That could mean easily fitting four tight ends on, or 10 defensive linemen if you want to do pass rush by committee. right now 2 QB, 4 TE, 4 RB, 6 Wr, 10 OL, 10 DL, 6 LB, 10 DB sounds good.
Got to make tough cuts at O-line, complete overload there right now. Who is it going to be? Fluker? Jones? Pocic? Iupati? Shell? Ogbhuehi? Britt? Finney? Hunt? Who will go?
Got to cut one of Dissly (if his knee is just shot), Willson Olsen or Hollister. Parkinson as a massive rookie is probably safe, he brings size good health hands and youth. If olsen is over the hill I could see them just moving on, but I hope he can contribute. If Dissly IS good to roll you’d have to imagine it’s Willson who is out of luck, as Hollister was pretty decent last year.
Wide receiver will be very competitive after adding Swain, Dorsett and Sullivan. Moore probably has to watch his back, Dorsett, Turner, Ursua and Swain will all be good candidates to keep. Sullivan could surprise everyone but is more likely a practice squad guy. You could also bring back Gordon for cheap.
If you bring in Griffen or Clowney, which I think they still will, you probably have to cut one of Benson, Alton Robinson and Bruce, because it’s hard to imagine them cutting either Green of Collier (too much investment) and Taylor is a lock.
We are light at DT, but we only have Reed, Ford, Mone, Naz Jones as guys who have actually played in NFL games. We took a late round flier on Christmas last year so let’s see if he can challenge for the roster. Pete talked about both Collier and Green playing inside on third down this season, so it’s hard to imagine them feeling the need to really stock up there besides UDFA bodies.
If they don’t bring back Kendricks, BBK Cody and Shaquem pretty much all look safe unless an UDFA challenges which is possible. You hope Brooks plays a lot as a rookie and makes a mark on the defense after taking him so early. Seahawks NEED that spark of youth desperately. Will be fun to see if a UDFA like Mencer can beat our Shaquem or BBK.
At corner, I imagine some UDFAs will have a legit bid to make the roster, only having to beat out the likes of Neiko Thorpe and Linden Stephens for backup roles. Will be fun to monitor that. Safety is pretty set with Lano hill, bradley, blair and diggs, unless they have an UDFA there they really like, they could carry five.
Let the competition begin
I don’t want to sound heartless, but I would be pretty intrigued by Mencer’s potential to be a superior version of how use Shaquem, as an occasional edge rusher/ blitzer to mix it up.
Check out these highlights:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXN2eMrs_48
Omg his twin sack 😇😇😇😇
I will always have a vendetta against Malik Turner for dropping that pass, ruining what would have been one of the most emotional sequences, if not THE most emotional sequences, of seahawks football ever.
How do you think he feels? Are you holding a grudge against poor Ricardo Lockette, who never should have been asked to run a slant, especially with Immortality on the line?!
Lol. catch the damn ball I say. You’re a pro.
In fairness to ricardo the playcall was terrible. Kearse didn’t execute his screen. Wilson threw a bad ball.
Malik Turner was wide open and dropped a perfectly catchable ball on a perfectly sensible play.
Shaquem’s days on the team are numbered.
They brought in several guys who could fill his position on the team.
He will have to bring the A+ game this pre-season.
Nice highlights
Thanks for a great year of content Rob; It’s truly appreciated, especially in times like these.
As for the draft, I have to chalk myself up as firmly in the “skeptical” camp.
Maybe it was unfair for me to expect the Seahawks to be able to leverage their 27th pick into something more “meaty” in the 2nd through 4th rounds, but missing out on the trade back obviously put a damper on just what this team was able to do.
That 60 pick gap was excruciating, and I think it’s reflected in the distinct lack of Offensive and Defensive Tackles being addressed, as well as Wide Receiver being largely relegated to UDFA players.
Criticisms aside, I think the Seahawks made as much hay as could be reasonably expected, and the fact that they either; 1. Took the first player at a position run (Brooks, Lewis) or 2. traded up to get *their* player (Taylor), makes me think that there weren’t any desperation “bottom of the barrel” picks like last year.
I think ultimately this draft class will come down to the Seahawk’s coaching staff and their ability to squeeze as much potential out of these players as they can. They simply cannot afford to continue to “red shirt” or throw away “upside” players as they have the last few years.
Thanks Adam
Thanks to everyone for the thoughtful comments and the quick acceptance of picks. I didnt get a single one right. This was one of my worst draft years but it may have been my favorite
But your hair looked great *crying*
Im never going to get over that. Whenever I see his dracula ass hair…
😂
When Rob’s away the light cursing comes out to play
So, I won the draft?
A+
No, the Ravens, Dolphins and 9ers did.
Love this place because of people such as yourself.
Same to you, I caught a bunch of your posts during the draft, I had a lot of fun this year.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARDWORK!! Your website is the most indepth and substantive work on the Seahawks draft. I hope the Seahawks 1 day hire you into their organization as a scout.
Thanks Ken!
Rob, another great year of Seahawks draft coverage. I don’t always agree with everything, but I appreciate the work you put into writing thoughtful pieces and the time spent watching college football in the fall and film in the winter. The draft process wouldn’t be the same without your terrific coverage.
A sincere thank you, this is the fourth year I’ve been following the draft and it is by far the best place for Seahawks draft coverage.
Thanks anon
Mississippi State offensive lineman Tommy Champion signs.
We should have Lewis start at RG and then have Fluker come in as the 6th OL. Or just put Fluker at RT when you’re on the 1 and run behind them lol
Fluker as our ‘Jumbo’ TE? Haha. I want to see him catch a pass like Fant.
This is how I would have played this draft. It will be interesting to see how these players careers shape up.
R1 Isaiah Wilson
R2 Josh Uche
R2 Byron Edwards
R3 Leki Fotu
R4 Amik Robertson
R4 TRADE Fournette
R6 Madre Harper
Holy moly the stimulator ( simulator) is already set up for next year sheesh
I saw that! lol
They need to turn that thing O-F-F for a while. Give us a chance to get our lives back for a couple of months.
My favorite part, it auto sim’d all the players picked day 1 and 2.. and you could start at round 4 fresh today… it was awesome.
Rookie minicamp will be on zoom…
Also Stephen Sullivan has an absolutely five star personality. Love him.
I think a lot of us appreciate him a lot more after his presser. I’ll be rooting for him for sure but it is going to be a tough climb onto the team.
Immensely intrigued by Avery.Sounds like the D Line version of Damien Lewis. Weight room bulls. 6’4″ Nose Tackle according to his post college season game he played in (NFLPA game). Went to a CC and then transferred like Damien as well although Damien played at the highest of levels in college in the end. Avery will be a project but he is the one guy I could see having a great chance. 330 lbs who to me looks about 300. Hope he takes the limited chance and runs with it.
On the running backs being taken. I wonder, with San Fran and Tennessee doing well without true franchise QB’s, if that is leading to a re-emergence of the running back and the perceived value of them. Also the fact that it seems somewhat rare to get value out of running backs into their 2nd contract (when they actually cost cap space for good ones). Hopefully it also means alot less teams targeting the position next year when it may be even more advantageous for the Hawks to look at one higher in the draft. Although Im fine with Dallas coming in and takinga job for himself and then some.
Im bullish on Avery, and yes Im sentimental towards the interior lineman so that will skew my enthusiasm some. Other than that, I do worry for UDFA’s and late round picks across the league this year (maybe more so next year with college Prez’s talking about a cancelled CFB season out loud already). With likely very little off season programs and the like, the chances of someone coming in and taking a vets job in direct competition is likely lower than ever across the league. Hope Im wrongbut just seems they will have a couple preseason games and very little camp to do it in a situation where literally every rep in practice matters for these young guys.
Something my friend said recently resonated with me:
Last year the Saints lost Drew Brees and won every game he missed.
How many games do the Seahawks win without Russell Wilson?
That says everything you need to know about what separates us from the best teams.
I completely disagree. Not many teams have a backup ready enough to take over and win for a franchise if qb1 goes down. That is not a reflection on how great or top tier the team is or not. I could debate this in more detail, but it isn’t an overly challenging position to support.
Bridgewater is not a difference maker. The strength of the Saints roster was evident throughout his time starting for them. They elevated the bar, allowing him to game manage.
Put Bridgewater on last year’s Seahawks team for the same slate of games; can you honestly say this roster would have made him look as good?
The Saints in the 5 drafts previous to this have had the 13th, 12th, 11th, 14th and then finally last year they didnt have a top 15 pick. Credit is due for their drafting but its a huge difference drafting there than our highest since 2013 being 27th. So hitting in the mid rounds is good but having those top 15 picks can be massive cause it just adds to the talent. I’d say even the best at drafting later are gonna see degradation over time. I believe the Pats havent drafted more than 1 or 2 Pro Bowlers in the last 8 years or something like that.
Unfortunately (and fortunately) that is likely to continue while we are blessed with Wilson as QB.
A plausible explanation. Still, we are where we are, and they are where they are.
It’s a fair point
You unequivocally have the best site and information on draft prospects and scouting (seahawks specific but in general as well). I’ve said rude things in the past and I apologize for that. You’re the man, and your site deserves all the roses. I’ve put five friends of mine onto you and you’re site and all five rave about you and constantly did throughout this draft process this year. Can’t say it enough, you’re the man.
Thanks Kyle
I’m excited to see if Jamarco Jones can win the RT job. He looked great at RG vs Aaron Donald, Brockers, Joseph Day and Greg Gaines.
Didn’t perform as well at LT. Maybe it’s just the left side and he can be a solid RT? Hes got the strength for guard, and the athleticism for tackle. Maybe they feel comfortable with what they have.
Fluker can play RT too, so if the plan is for Lewis to start at RG, Fluker could still backup RT and be a 6th OL, or we could just cut him. I hope we keep him though, I love the idea of Britt, Lewis, Shell, Fluker on the right side on the goal line.
That might be the first time I saw “athleticism” and “Jamarco Jones” in the same sentence as a positive.
Rob! Really impressive work. I’m more of a reader than a poster but it blows my mind what you’re able to do on your own. Thanks for staying up late! Thanks for everything!
Cheers Donuts!
LT: Brown, Jones, Ogbuehi
LG: Haynes, Finney, Pocic
C: Britt, Finney, Pocic
RG: Lewis, Fluker, Jones
RT: Shell, Jones, Fluker, Ogbuehi
10 OL. Pocic > Iupati, Simmons, Roos because he can play C. Pretty confident we can get them on the practice squad.
Pete praised a lot Robinson.
LJ, Green, Mayowa, Irvin, Taylor, Robinson…Thats six…the way Pete spoke about them I think the chances they are going into season with this six guys are pretty big…there is no place for one more edge…you would need to cut one of this six…who? (And I think.most of the time they go.into season with five edges but lets add one more because of.increased 55 roster)…
And if you count Irvin as LB…Bobby, Brooks, KJ,Burton, BBK, Griffen…thats allready six…no way they go into.season with seven…maybe cut some of them..
And at the begining of presser he mentioned Brooks as a guy from who they expect pressures…I think in his first season he will have that kendriks role…
He expects lot.more from Reed…
I know most of.you wont agree with me, but I think we will add one more veteran DT and thats it for DL for 2020 (maybe some late surprises in august)..
You’re possibly right given that they’ve added 2 guys. But they could also keep 7 DEs and 3 DTs on the roster. Robinson seems like he’ll need at least a year before he can contribute much.
I think he could just come down to whether Clowney or Griffen present value they’re comfortable with. But, for me, they absolutely need one of those guys as a bare minimum to be a real contender this year.
Heres a current 55 man roster projection.
DE: Bruce Irvin, Darrell Taylor, A. Robinson
DT: Jarran Reed, Bryan Mone
DT: Poona Ford, DeMarcus Christmas
DE: Benson Mayowa, Rasheem Green, LJ Collier, Branden Jackson
11
WLB: KJ Wright, Ben Burr-Kirven
MLB: Bobby Wagner, Cody Barton
SLB: Jordyn Brooks, Shaquem Griffin
6
CB: Quinton Dunbar, Tre Flowers
CB: Ugo Amadi
FS: Quandre Diggs, Marquise Blair
SS: Bradley McDougald, Delano Hill
CB: Shaquill Griffin, Neiko Thorpe
9
Defense: 26
____________________________________________
LT: Brown, Jones, Ogbuehi
LG: Haynes, Finney, Pocic
C: Britt, Finney, Pocic
RG: Lewis, Fluker, Jones
RT: Shell, Jones, Ogbuehi
10
RB: Chris Carson, Rashaad Penny, Travis Homer, DeeJay Dallas, Nick Bellore
5
TE: Greg Olsen, Hollister, Parkinson
3
WR: Lockett, Metcalf, David Moore, Phillip Dorsett, Swain, Sullivan
6
QB: Russell Wilson, Anthony Gordon
2
Offense: 26
____________________________________________
Kicker: Jason Meyers
Punter: Michael Dickson
Long Snapper: Tyler Ott
Special Teams: 3
____________________________________________
Roster: 55
Practice Squad hopefuls:
Jordan Simmons
Jordan Roos
Mike Iupati
Kyle Fuller
Chance Warmack
Demetrius Knox
Joey Hunt
Chad Wheeler
John Ursua
Luke Willson
Nazair Jones
Branden Jackson
Emmanuel Ellerbee
Linden Stephen’s
Brian Allen
Ryan Neal
Sutton Smith
Shakir Soto
Thanks for this! But there is no way Iupati can go on the PS can he? The dude has been in the league a long time.
Or Luke Willson, and I don’t think Hunt either.
Nevermind, just read Donny’s comment below. I didn’t know the new CBA changed the practice squad rules.
Way to early 53 man roster
QB- Wilson, Gordon
RB- Carson,Homer, Dallas
FB- Bellore
WR- Lockett, Metcalf, Moore, Dorsett, Ursua, Swain
TE- Olsen, Dissly, Hollister, Parkinson
LOT- Brown, Jones
LOG- Iupati, Haynes
OC- Britt, Finney
ROG- Fluker, Lewis
ROT- Shell, Ogbuehi
5 tech- Green, Collier
3 tech- Reed, Jones
1 tech- Ford, Mone
LEO- Mayowa, Taylor, Robinson
WILL- Wright, Brooks
MIKE- Wagner, Barton
SAM- Irvin, Griffin
CB- Griffin, Dunbar, Flowers, Thorpe, Stephens
FS- Diggs, Amadi
SS- McDougald, Blair, Hill
K- Myers
P- Dickson
LS- Ott
* Penny would start on PUP, hence Homer making the roster.
* Still need to add a veteran QB, and possibly they might add a RB, a 1 tech/3tech, and a long shot on Griffin/Clowney
* hopefully BBK can be put on Practice Squad
* wouldn’t be surprised if they went 4 RBs, 4 TEs, and 5 WRs this year.
Two practice-squad players each week can be elevated to the team’s active roster, and a team doesn’t have to replace the player on the practice squad
Active game-day rosters increased from 46 to 48 players
Practice squads expanded from 10 to 12 players in 2020-2021, then to 14 players starting in 2022 (including between two and four players with unlimited accrued seasons per team)
Only 2 practice squad guys can have unlimited accrued seasons, the remaining players need to be 3 accrued seasons or below.
One scenario that only requires signing 2 players and only needing to cut Iupati, Dickson, and maybe Hollister if needed, keeping Willson instead.
DE: Griffen, Bruce Irvin, Darrell Taylor
DT: Jarran Reed, Bryan Mone, Christmas
DT: Poona Ford, Brandon Mebane
DE: Benson Mayowa, Rasheem Green, LJ Collier, Branden Jackson
12
WLB: KJ Wright, Ben Burr-Kirven
MLB: Bobby Wagner, Cody Barton
SLB: Jordyn Brooks, Alton Robinson
6
CB: Quinton Dunbar, Tre Flowers
CB: Ugo Amadi
FS: Quandre Diggs, Marquise Blair
SS: Bradley McDougald, Delano Hill
CB: Shaquill Griffin, Neiko Thorpe
9
Defense: 27
____________________________________________
LT: Brown, Jones, Ogbuehi
LG: Haynes, Finney, Pocic
C: Britt, Finney, Pocic
RG: Lewis, Fluker, Jones
RT: Shell, Jones, Ogbuehi
10
RB: Chris Carson, Rashaad Penny, Travis Homer, DeeJay Dallas, Nick Bellore
5
TE: Greg Olsen, Hollister, Parkinson
3
WR: Lockett, Metcalf, David Moore, Phillip Dorsett, Swain
5
QB: Russell Wilson, Anthony Gordon
2
Offense: 25
____________________________________________
Kicker: Jason Meyers
Punter: Michael Dickson
Long Snapper: Tyler Ott
Special Teams: 3
____________________________________________
Roster: 55
Practice Squad hopefuls:
Stephen Sullivan
Jordan Simmons
Jordan Roos
Mike Iupati
Kyle Fuller
Chance Warmack
Demetrius Knox
Joey Hunt
Chad Wheeler
John Ursua
Luke Willson
Nazair Jones
Emmanuel Ellerbee
Linden Stephen’s
Brian Allen
Ryan Neal
Sutton Smith
Shakir Soto
Shaquem Griffin
Cutting Dickson? The TE? He’s already gone.
Where’s Will Dissly in this scenario?
I’d prefer to keep offense and defense 50/50
Coleslaw, the O-line competition will be fierce! You can count on Duane Brown starting at LT but every other position is up for grabs. Here is how I see it.
LG – Iupati started last year and was effective but not great. Age is catching up to him. Before he came back, I saw it as a 2-way competition between Jamarco Jones and Phil Haynes. Jamarco Jones looked good as a replacement G in several games before getting hurt himself. Haynes was next up when Jones went down and showed promise. This is the most competitive spot.
C – Britt started last year and was effective before getting injured. His rehab seems to have him on track for the start of the season. Joey Hunt looked overmatched as a starter when Britt got hurt. Finney will compete for the #2 center role and he looked way better doing that last year than either Hunt or Pocic. He could be an effective starter for Britt if that becomes necessary.
RG – Fluker started last year and was effective not great and battled injuries. Father Time and a violent sport seems to be catching up with him too. Pete and John Schneider said they wanted to see some young guys come in this year with the attitude that they were going to take some veteran’s job. Damien Lewis has that attitude so the battle will be fierce. Given the lack of training camp, the experienced veterans are going to have a big advantage making the team and starting at the beginning of the season. But, I would be surprised if Fluker holds off Lewis all year. Warmack was signed as a hedge before the draft. He will have to fight now to earn a roster spot.
RT – Shell was signed to replace Ifedi. He is a better run blocker than pass blocker and frustrated Jets fans by taking way too many penalties which sounds a lot like Ifedi. Pete Carroll mentioned Jamarco Jones as competition but I honestly don’t see it. Cedric Ogbuehi was signed as a backup swing tackle.
C: Britt, Finney
G: Iupati, Fluker, Lewis, Jones, Haynes
T: Brown, Shell, Ogbuehi
There is room for some of the young developmental guys on the roster to flash like Jones and Haynes did last year. I do expect the roster depth starting to transition away from Cable guys like Pocic to Solari guys. And guys with position versatility will have an advantage over guys like Hunt who can only play one spot.
Nick Bellore, probably a goner
Keep 5 TE and have one playing a FB/TE hybrid spot.
Ok, maybe that is overkill, so 4 TE with one being a Hybrid FB/TE.
I hope he is gone. He was utilized too little to justify his roster spot. Especially later in the season I would have prefered to just have another TE/RB as depth. He was mainly brought in for special teams and he was not very splashy there neither.
I feel such an emptiness every time draft ends. Like someone took part of my body or soul.
Rob thank you so much for creating this place.
And tnx all the guys who write in comment section for making theis place so special.
Thank you
Being from Northern Ireland, I’m not exactly surrounded by Seahawks fans which is why I love this site so much.
I post very occasionally, but am on it every day. The content you put out is second to none, it’s not even close. You put a lot of professional draft evaluators to shame.
A lot of the regular commentators are also great to hear from.
It’s all really appreciated.
Btw Rob, you and me work for the same company.
That’s great! If you’re ever over this way when this thing’s over let me know.
Cool, will do
Is LEO more often on right side of defense or?
In the 4-3 Under that we ran last year the Leo is typically lined up on the weakside with the slot linebacker on the strong side. So yes the LEO is more often lined up at the right side of the defense.
Nice work Rob. 28 out of 32 in the mock competition is pretty impressive. But, I have to say, not nearly as impressive (in a very different kind of way) as my own zero out of 12 in SDB mock competition. Clearly, more work to be done!
Enjoy a well deserved Sunday morning lay in. Onwards to the 2020/1 season! Go ‘hawks!
Thank you!
I don’t hate this draft from the players standpoint. But I highly disagree with priorities.
If I’d have to redraft while keeping the pick positions after the trades, I’d do this:
#27 – Isaiah Wilson / Robert Hunt
OT is one of the most important positions of the roster. Really hard to get good guys in FA and even harder through the draft (especially end of R1). Brown getting old and we don’t have a clear RT. Wilson or Hunt could start at RT and maybe groomed for LT.
#48 – Chase Claypool
Claypool will be a starter for long time. Good athlete, good WR, A+ blocker. Seemed like a Hawk
#69 – Jabari Zuniga
Huge dropoff after Zuniga. He’s not really a LEO, but could help the passrush
#133 – Amik Robertson
I want hungry mad dogs in our roster. Robertson plays like his hair is on fire. Love his attitude. Could compete for nCB or learn in year 1, 2 and trained to be a safety.
#144 – Tyler Biadasz
Not sure about Britt and not a fan of Hunt. Biadasz likely wouldn’t start year 1, but he could be coached to start year 2
#148 – Joe Reed/ Bryce Hall
Hard to decide. Reed is an instant returner and could compete for WR3-4. Hall probably redshirt but could play all CB positions imo. Most likely nCB, but he seems like a really good CB with ton of potential
#214 – Eno Benjamin
We need an RB. Benjamin is a bit smaller but plays bigger than his size.
Ofc this re-do doesn’t really matter, but strange that they didn’t attack OT for example. Unlikely we’ll have this good of an OT class soon.
And while typical Hawks’ CBs weren’t really in this draft, there were ton of pretty solid slot CBs even later.
If I’d have to redraft for the same position I wouldn’t do differently than PCJS. So I’m fine with the players…just the positional priorities seem off to me
Thanks Rob, awesome work!
I’m waiting for the season, but also can’t wait for the next draft 😀
Thanks
Started with the Brooks tape and I have to warn everyone who is going to study him. This tape is so frustrating to evaluate him as a player because you just see him as a QB spy for almost entire games and him running into the OLine on blitzes.
I will still share my early takeaways:
-Tackling: His tackling form seems very good to me, if he got a good angle on the ballcarrier he will bring them down. He has a strong upper body it seems which helps him to finish tackles. He does not get stiff armed by 36 year old quarterbacks. He can also lay the boom if he gets a free shot on the ball carrier.
-Play recognition: This stood out to me so far. He seems to have a really good eye for where the ball is. I didn’t see him getting tricked by play fakes so far. He was playing the QB spy on so many snaps that you expect him to know where the ball is but I was still happy to see how well he reads the play once it got going. He has a special ability to find lanes into the backfield.
-Athleticism: Brooks is an athlete. Schneider refered to his 40 as 4.46. He was a bit slower than that on the official combine number but this is still fast enough given his weight. I read that he didn’t even practice for the 40 due to injury which makes the time slightly more impressive. This could also explain why he didn’t do the other drills. He left out the agility testing which is very important for Seahawks linebackers. From the tape I have seen you definetly see his athleticism in every game. He just shoots gaps and flys over the field. You get what you are advertised by his 40.
-Pursuit: As just mentioned he shoots gaps like a missile. However, on his tape he often seems reckless in his approach. You see him flying into the backfield but then taken out of the play by a small juke. It’s hard to evaluate that fully from the outside without knowing the responsibilities and his team seems to not do their respective jobs but it sure looks like he needs to get more diciplined in the NFL.
-Coverage: The make or break for him as an early selection. If you take a linebacker early in the draft he has to provide value in pass coverage. Hard to evaluate from his tape since he did not drop into coverage a ton. However, some analyst saying that he can’t cover are either straight up wrong or know something I couldn’t find on tape. He looks fluid when dropping into coverage and did a good job on the snaps I saw him do so. I couldn’t find him 1v1 against a TE which would be a really interesting to see. Given his speed and overall athleticism I would assume that he can cover but this is nothing I can be sure on after watching his tape.
-Block shedding: I saw him running into OLiners a lot. This was not fun to see but it’s something that will happen in the NFL too. If you run into an Olineman that is just waiting to pick you up you are not going to do much besides trying to tip the ball. I also saw occasions where he struggled to get off a block in the run game. This is not what you want to see from a run stopping linebacker. I read an analysis that said this is caused by the lack of strength but I don’t agree. A linebacker blocked by an Olineman is a missmatch by nature. If you are able to just shed that guy 1v1 you play on the defensive line and you are probably much bigger. From my perspective he needs to work on his technique and his pursuit to fix it he already has a spin move to disengage from blocks which worked fine for him.
Conclusion: You see the highlights you want to see from a first round pick. He just blows up some plays in the backfield and was overall productive. There is just a lot missing that you would like to see on his tape to be sure that he is such a good player. I would have loved to see him getting picks like Willie Gay Jr in pass coverage on top of him shooting into the backfield.
Some bits of the tape that show what I meant:
-Tackling:
https://youtu.be/QabOT3sQaq8?t=622
His tape is full of him getting into the backfield. Here he makes a good tackle in addition.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QabOT3sQaq8&feature=youtu.be&t=524
One of his highlight plays. He finds a way into the backfield and then makes the elite shoestring tackle on Kyler Murray.
-Play recognition:
https://youtu.be/QabOT3sQaq8?t=245
Reads the play action quickly and forces a hurry.
https://youtu.be/wXu-gViUyIw?t=339
Another example of him understanding the play quicker than the rest of the defense.
-Pursuit:
https://youtu.be/wXu-gViUyIw?t=133
If his pursuit is right he creates texbook plays like those
https://youtu.be/QabOT3sQaq8?t=181
Sadly, you see some of those snaps too, looks reckless.
https://youtu.be/QabOT3sQaq8?t=396
Gets into the backfield but is then fooled by Kyler Murray.
Coverage:
https://youtu.be/wXu-gViUyIw?t=362
Watch him move smoothly, has his man covered.
https://youtu.be/q5eM8C8s3aY?t=163
First looks good in coverage but AJ Brown has too much time and gets back to the QB allowing the completion.
Thanks for the analysis. I watched those snaps last night with Oklahoma. I noticed some of those same things. What really impressed me about that game was seeing how much Jalen Hurts has improved since Alabama. Good pick by Philadelphia. He will either beat out Wence or be traded for some good draft picks down the road.
Nice summary, I have similar thoughts about his play overall and coverage in particular was hard to evaluate given his role on the team. Still need to watch some 2018 tape where he played outside more which is what he’ll be doing year 1.
On your last point, I wonder if they had managed to trade down in round 1, and Baltimore had taken Brooks, if they’d have drafted Taylor first and Willie Gay second. I think I would have liked that more.
No problem with the Brooks and Taylor, but would have preferred CE-H/Gay Jr or Queen/Taylor.
I should be way more positive about their draft but it requires too much energy to convince myself that there is a coherent plan.
This is what I wanted. Both CEH and Gay jr. just seemed to ‘pop’.
Penny was ballin before his injury, I’m a Chris fan for sure. Both have a long haul back, Penny is concerning, mentally. We require production from rb to function. Imo it’s much, much more important than wr3. After an off offseason of loading up on hedged O-line….felt like the move to get a great rb would be sweet.
I do like the idea of getting a LB with significant speed, and I think Jordyn is most likely faster than his recent tested time. Coupled with long arms, could be excellent.
I love Bobby. I won’t pretend to know what I’m looking for with film, I can’t tell if he lost some juice (understandably), the line in front of him wasn’t doing him favors. Feels like he is on the precipice, and K.J. is past that. If the Seahawks, painfully, move on, this will make more sense.
As an aside, And not that it matters at all what I think, I’m not sure if I want Clowney back. Love the player. The situation is pretty burnt. Time to definitively move on, and acquire players that might be happier to be here, super invested in playing as hard as possible. I wouldn’t want to go all out if I was him.
If they’ve committed to a plan, I don’t see it. IMO, the defense is still a mess.
Pass rush is improved, got speedy BAMFs and quality in the back 7 with Brooks, Dunbar and hopeful development from Blair and Amadi.
The D might not be perfect but it’s better than last year imo
Actually, KJ played better in 2019 than he did in 2018. Whether he can keep that up another year is a another question.
I am totally on board with Willie Gay Jr. he was the player I wanted us to get. Even with our first selection in the draft. So from a strategical standpoint I was not suprised nor disappointed with them adressing LB that early in the draft. From a strategical standpoint I was never in the RB in R1 boat. I think this RB group is skilled enough and only needed depth. WIth a R1 selection you would have started to pay a whole lot of money to a RB group that is yet to show that it’s healthy/that good. I would not have hated it neither. CEH and Jonathan Taylor are fun prospects and would have brought joy to watching Seahawks games.
JS scoffed out loud during the day 1 presser when his coverage ability was brought up. I don’t remember the exact words but he said he was giving Louis Riddick a hard time over that comment (they used to work together).
Branden Jackson is a healthy 295. He could be the fourth DT in Quinton Jeffersons role since there is so many DEs, particularly if Clowney or Griffen sign.
They still have to sign another DT.
Frankly I’d cut him and save $2m.
Agreed. I just saw some people listing him as a DE on their early rosters and that seems like quite an uphill battle for him to climb to make it as an edge.
Yes, they will 100% sign one more vet DT. And go with 10 DL. Or maybe even 11.
Reed, Poona, Mone, new vet, Green, LJ, Irvin, Mayowa, Taylor,Robinson.
11th would be new vet DE (Clowney, Griffen) but after yesterday presser I really dont see it any more.
They are going to sign a veteran DE.
Nothing they’ve said in any press conference contradicts that. In fact it’s quite the opposite. They are spelling it out. ‘The door is open for Clowney’. They want him. They’ve always wanted him. They’re desperate for him to sign but on their terms. And if it isn’t him it’ll be Griffen.
John on Clowney : “We needed to move on and we did it”. Yes he said the doors are open but he would never said opposite because it would be contrary to “we are always in every talk in every deal”..
yes I also think if something change drastically they will try again…and actually thats what Pete said: “. If there’s an opportunity that makes sense, we’ll dive back in and pursue it.”
And here is what Pete said on pass rush:
” 5-techs Rasheem Green and L.J. Collier will rotate inside with Jarran Reed on passing downs. If Reed can return to 2018 form, it’s going to be a nice mix (with four new outside guys) and we should be really better than we’ve been. Green & Collier are developing pass rushers. They’re learning their way. Both have a lot of ability and a lot of upside to them.”
So he thinks that with this current roster they should be better than last year. Rob its his words not mine. Yes if some opportunity shows they will accept it but I think its not priority. He also said , when spoke about pass rush pressure issue from last year, that they adressed the issue with new additions (he mentioned brooks in that context also), now they need to find a way to use that players in right way.
I wont write about this anymore, dont want to be boring, but i really see this situation completely opposite of you…
Well, to be blunt with you, you’re wrong.
And if you ever want to play poker, let me know.
This is all classic negotiating. ‘We’ve moved on (but we haven’t really)’ is what they say EVERY time.
Carroll talking up players on the roster means nothing. What do you expect him to say? “Yeah we need to get busy here because the guys we’ve got are crap”????
Please.
LOL. If it makes you feel any better (it shouldn’t), I agree with you.
That said, I think they need more talent in the front 7, be it Clowney, Griffen, trade for DT depth, etc.
Good times.
I can’t believe there are two of you reading it so badly.
They have waited ALL OFF SEASON for Clowney. And now that they’re saying to the media, ‘well jeez we had to move on but ah shucks you never know and he loved it here and we love him so if there’s a chance to do it well great’ — you think that’s the evidence that they’re rolling with Irvin and Mayowa and co?
Come on.
Carroll literally used the words, ‘if an opportunity makes sense we’ll dive back in’.
It’s pretty clear what’s going on. They’re going to wait this out to the death.
I think they want him back, but are willing to risk losing him. All I’m saying.
But if they do lose him — they’ll sign Griffen.
Agree. Griffen and maybe a trade for better DT depth.
I think they’ll probably sign a veteran free agent DT.
Rob, how long do you think it reasonable for Griffen to wait?
If you read Carroll’s quotes re Clowney – – they’re still in touch, still texting. Got to imagine Carroll is pretty good in this scenario – connecting w players is kind of his superpower.
I guess Clowney still holding out hope for a bit more money – and maybe feels like the chance to prove he’s healthy will do that for him – – but Pete’s words gave me some optimism that this still works out.
My POV is that if we do re-sign Clowney, the defense will be better than last year’s version, and if the young guys can contribute (and you hope 1st and 2nd rounders will) – then it could take a signficant step forward. The D-line was a big issue last year, but so was Flowers, who always looked the part, but was an easy completion whenever the other team needed one. Upgrading him should not be underestimated.
Yes, if you based your opinion solely on Schneider’s comments, there might be some doubt. But as Rob says, Pete made it very clear they’ll take him back if the opportunity presents itself.
Post-draft, my concern is that teams will free up cap space to sign Clowney.
yep – agreed. that’s why the relationship matters. i’m hoping Pete is keeping that going, and will deliver Clowney to us if the multiple offers amount to a jump ball.
One thing that’s kind of interesting about this whole situation – haven’t heard word one from Clowney. Not to a reporter, not on social media, nada.
FYI tomorrow at 1pm the deadline for signings to count against comp picks passes. I would bet Clowney has been holding out for that date, to see if any teams get a little more free with their purse.
Yep. Cuts, cap space and compensation all work against us, now.
That said, the draft allows the Seahawks to cut Britt, Fluker, maybe Wright (doubtful to no), maybe McDougald to do some interesting things, including improving their offer to Clowney.
With the volume of Tight Ends and Offensive Linemen on the roster I wonder if any of them will have any trade value closer to cut season. It may be a chance to pick up some late rounders next year with injuries etc on other teams.
I’m just deflated about this whole off-season. I read through a lot of the comments and appreciate much of the optimism, even if I don’t share it.
This feels like the worst off-season in memory to me. FA was a confusing appropriation of cap dollars that was somehow by design. I can’t fathom how Shell/Finney/Ogbuehi were priorities 1-2-3 in the whole of FA, for a team with one of the worst DL’s in the NFL.
The draft was another series of baffling choices. I disagree with the players themselves, but that isn’t even my biggest complaint. It is the construction of the roster. Damien Lewis is great, but we had 18 OL already. Is another Guard the best direction there? I see Rob and some others standing by the pick because we like him and think he’ll be a solid pro. I mean, I like Lewis too, but our 19th OL just leaves me scratching my head. Especially when the DT’s (which we actually need) were for the most part all there.
Brooks, I don’t get either. And until John actually hits on taking a guy that 99% of the NFL community has graded lower than him, I get to question the pick. There’s no chance he’s gone with a small trade down, and even if he is, so what? Why is a consensus 2nd-3rd round LB our must have? Didn’t Pete say that LB wasn’t the plan? How did John get caught so flat footed? Your trade with GB fell through, so what? That’s the only iron in the fire? Trade back one pick for a future 5th so you can get some other teams on the phone. Let the clock expire. Take less than ‘fair’ value. It’s the same mindset that has us sitting here without Clowney because, even though he’s a priority – we don’t want to pay him too much.
I don’t want to pick apart every pick, and it seems I’m trending that way. I’m just really at a loss for what the vision of this team is and where our disconnect as fans might be.
Russ asked for superstars, and we give him Colby Parkinson, DeeJay Dallas, Freddie Swain and Stephen Sullivan.
An amazing draft for WR/OT/RB and we essentially pass on all of it for a LB, G and a couple of TE’s.
I’m happy we got some DE help. I’m hopeful that the guys we got pan out. I’ve just moved from the “In PCJS we trust” bandwagon to “In PCJS we hope”. I really do hope they’re right.
Looking at this, I realize it comes off as really negative. Obviously I’m a bit frustrated with how things have gone, but I think this probably reads more harshly than I intended.
I hope some time and the rest of FA will provide more clarity and also understand that there is a lot that I don’t know.
Just needed to vent somewhere, because my wife doesn’t want to hear it!
Maybe it is too hash. Maybe history will prove this to be a good offseason/draft. But there’s no need to apologize for your opinion. You like the Hawks, want them to win – just like everyone else. The people who expect everyone else to wear rose colored glasses, which is fine, but feeling you have to give up your opinion for the sake of others who think a certain a way (and expect you to feel their way) is wrong, imo.
You have every right to question the Brooks pick, especially when Jonathan Taylor will go to more Pro Bowls than Brooks will in his career. Guaranteed? No. But I’d definitely bet money on it. They also don’t a great track record of 1st round picks after they used the Tim Ruskell pick to draft Earl Thomas. But they’re sure great in later rounds.
In my perfect world, they took Jonathan Taylor and used the Lewis pick to draft Logan Wilson – but then they don’t get A. Robinson by trading for that pick in the 5th. All we can do is hope and root for our team to have a great 2020. When you have a franchise QB – you can potentially do some special things. Doubting them is fine. It’s your right. Don’t let others tell you it’s not (because there are some here who do). But when you actually root for the Seahawks – that’s wrong, imo. And I don’t think there’s one person on this blog who would do that. So, again, we’re al in this together.
And I know your frustration with the Brooks pick, and that’s fine, but my former student who is an NFL scout texted me on Thursday night, I haven’t watched him but numerous scouts around the league love this guy.” That should be comforting knowing that other NFL teams really liked him, too. He’s a regional scout so he doesn’t have every player but he did have Tennessee as one of his teams and he loved our second round Taylor (wish there was two). Add the Brooks frustration with the fact that it looks like Baltimore was going to take him – and that means it might not be as big of a head scratcher as the first round pick last year.
I just don’t get this continued commenting on “18 OL, now we have 19” meme. It’s not numbers, it’s pretty clear by now that for the Hawks on draft day it’s talent, toughness and life-long grit. John mentioned Lewis when asked what player surprised him the most by being available when it came time to make the Hawks’ pick. We don’t have that much money tied up in the 18 OL. Brown (which is fine), Shell (who cannot be worse than Ifedi, and is likely at least somewhat better), Finney (who is already a decent NFL lineman)…. Britt’s a question, of course, but there are solutions to that discussed regularly here. Otherwise, they can bid adieu to many of these players before they play a regular season snap, without much financial consequence. So picking Lewis, if he’s as good as they (and Rob) think he is, makes good sense to me. It’s not like we are gilding the OL lily talent-wise, or anything…
Many of those interior guys are injury prone and/or ineffective. Iupati is on his last fumes, Fluker in the last year of his contract and never been an iron man who plays all the time (same with Simmons) and then you’ve got ineffective guys like Hunt, Pocic, etc. There may be quantity, but there’s not much quality after Brown (though I do like the potential of Haynes). I’m fine with that pick if he turns out to be a guy who will/can block well for Wilson the next 4-10 years.
I really understand your frustration. I feel it too. This has been my first year reading the blog. I have always been a casual observer until I started paying closer attention during the 2019 draft, but not until right at the time of the draft. This year though, spending more time leading up to the draft, learning more about the players and the team, there is more expectation which can lead to more disappointment. The most frustrating part of it is the confusion that is created by not understanding what they are doing. Why are they picking this person when that person is still on the board? Someone posted a link several days ago of an interview between Steve Kerr and Pete Carroll. Pete discussed his draft philosophy. He said it was a very subjective process. There is a lot more than just talent that goes into his thinking process. After day 2 of the draft, lying in bed and thinking about all of it, I remembered that interview. I can see what they are doing now and even though I don’t agree 100% with it, I can at least accept it without getting to upset.
They know who they are going to take at least in the first 2 rounds. One of the reasons they put out clues is because they are pretty certain about who they will draft. Sometimes it doesn’t quite work out for them especially with the first pick. I don’t think LJ Collier was their first choice last year. I think if they had to do it over again they would have kept pick 21 and traded 29. This year the player they wanted was down the board. If they were able to trade down to the mid forties, then the pick would have been more reasonable. Both brooks and Taylor were on the PFF board at 63 and 64. They couldn’t make a trade down so the took Brooks anyway and traded up for Taylor to make sure they got him. They don’t care if they leave talent on the board as long as they get who they want. I think I can live with that.
Yes — I think with hindsight they probably targeted Rashan Gary, Brian Burns and Johnathan Abram with their first pick. Then they probably were very open to trading down from #29 and selecting Collier or Blair.
I think they were very confident about that and that’s probably why they were so deflated. The intel they’d received was probably quite convincing. And they were probably caught off guard. That’ll have been doubly disappointing given they’d just traded away Clark and created a problem for themselves.
It’s pretty clear this year they loved Brooks and were targeting Darrell Taylor. They found an opportunity to get two guys they really liked. And then the fact they added Lewis in R3 despite having 18 linemen already, suggests they got three guys they really loved.
That is the thing that gives me solace. The fact that they got the two guys on defense that they really wanted and had Lewis drop into their laps. Obviously if they wanted Gay/Wilson/Queen, they could have taken him, so they must love Brooks. They moved up for Taylor, so again, they really wanted him.
I would have liked DaVon Hamilton, Amik Robertson & Adeniji VS Lewis, Parkinson, Dallas as I think that fits needs more and they are good players too.
If Lewis is the next Hutch and Parkinson the next Kelce, I’ll gladly recant.
I think they added some good players in the draft.
But yes — overall — a weird off-season that has not moved the needle. They have failed to push this team closer to a SB or fix the pass rush.
Win forever? Lol
Depth, culture, BAMFs and enabling themselves to keep their guys down the road seem to be the theme
Respectfully, I disagree.
Schneider said Shell/Finney/Ogbuehi we’re priorities 1-2-3 for the offensive line in FA. They signed all 3 for less than the cost of keeping our backup Fant. They needed to replace Ifedi and Fant and they did it very cost-effectively.
I think Seattle was clear going into FA that Clowney/Reed was their top priority. Reed was their first signing and by all accounts Seattle’s offer to Clowney was the best in the league so they went after it aggressively. It is disappointing that Clowney is holding out but that is on him, not the front office. When it looked like the Clowney situation would drag on indefinitely, they added two veterans Irvin and Mayowa (who were productive last year and already know our system) and drafted 2 more pass rushers so again they went after that aggressively.
They signed a potential star CB and a #3 WR who was a former 1st-round pick. They added a veteran TE that Russell said he wanted. They didn’t overspend.
John Schneider specifically was asked yesterday if what we have done so far in FA and the draft precludes signing Clowney or another FA and he said “No” quite clearly so this narrative that Seattle has chosen to sign journeymen instead of superstars is just a lazy take in my opinion.
Does the evaluation of the whole offseason come down to signing Clowney or not? I don’t think so.
Appreciate your thoughts Steve. This does give me more optimism, so thank you.
I would be happy to be wrong, truly. I see things in a little different light, and I suppose that is the case with all things (You could make the argument that we signed all 3 of those guys to more expensive contracts than our starter who knew the system and has been serviceable as well).
I do love the Dunbar trade.
As far as John saying that nothing we’ve done means we can’t sign Clowney et al., I guess so. We have about $5M in effective cap space. Sure we could cut/trade/restructure to make room, but we don’t have it now. In order to get Clowney on a one-year deal we would need to make at least two moves, one of which has to be Britt. So while John isn’t lying, he’s not exactly being genuine or forthright with a blanket “No”.
Regardless, we can make it happen and I hope we do. If we don’t, I would imagine Griffen or waiting until roster cuts.
I don’t think the ‘my’ evaluation of the off-season has much to do with Clowney at all. Personally I think DT and slot corner are two HUGE holes that didn’t even get a penny of draft or FA capital. I think RB would have been a very smart move, as both of our RB’s are coming off injury and Carson is in his final year. I think tapping into the strength of the draft would have been nice.
Again, I appreciate your comments and optimism. My glass does look closer to half full than a few hours ago.
Half-empty and half-full are both true. I appreciate your willingness to engage in respectful discussion.
I think the vision for this draft was fairly clear – and shouldn’t be a surprise to us – it was the Defense that had really regressed on this team. It had gotten older, slow, and unimposing. So three of our first four picks are defenders, why is that a bad thing? In terms of Brooks and scouting, there are plenty of reports about other team liking him in the same range. You don’t get sure-thing “superstars” when you’re drafting at #27.
And I really don’t get the complaint that we have 18 O-lineman, so we shouldn’t pick Lewis – do we know that we have 5 good ones? No, we don’t – other than Brown, every spot is a little up for grabs. We didn’t pay crazy money for any of the free agent O-lineman, and if one of them ended being the first O-lineman off the bench – it wouldn’t be a salary cap tragedy. Plenty of those 18 won’t be on the opening day roster.
They committed very little guaranteed money to hedge the draft + to create the opportunity to cut Britt and Fluker if needed to improve other areas.
Agree they hedged the draft but I’d say the easier cut money is the RFA’s, not necessarily the roster mainstays like Britt & Fluker.
Hollister & Branden Jackson are $5.5m of non-guaranteed $. They just drafted 2 guys at each of their positions.
Agree. I just assume all the RFAs are getting cut and re-signed maybe vet min.
This is a solid point cha. A lot of these guys aren’t going to cost anything against the cap if they aren’t on the roster. Much of the cap talk gets focused on the bigger contracts of Britt and KI but if they were going to cut/restructure those guys, I think it would have happened by now.
With regard to Lewis and the OL. The majority of the OLine are on 1 or 2 year contracts and not a lot of money tied up in them. When Lewis was available to them I think their reaction was the same as it was for Jarron Reed when he was available in the 2nd round a few years ago. The quality was tight to pick them up. My feeling is that Lewis will be a mainstay OG for us for a long time and I was really glad to see them pick him up where they did.
Remember that 9 of the OLinemen will most likely be cut throughout camp and only the best will remain. I expect them to turn around and do the same thing next year.
I was really surprised the Hawks didn’t take a defensive tackle. Yes the Hawks have Jarran Reed and Poona Ford. And I I know in passing situations they will kick in guys like L.J. Collier to rush the passer. The Hawks need(and hopefully) will add some beef(DT) to that defensive line.
BTW: Did you are what Miami got. How about this for starters? Austin Jackson, Robert Hunt, Raekwon Davis, on the offensive line. Plus they stoled Jason Strowbridge and Curtis Weaver in the 5th.
Davis is a DL….
Although, Davis might make a fine guard. 🙂
Tom Cable loves your idea
Chiming in on this draft season:
1. Rob’s 28/32 score on the huddle is fantastic and validates what everyone on this site says and feels about Rob,the draft content, and preparation -second to none!
2. I personally have spent hours and hours on this site and has been a great distraction to the pandemic and world we now live! Thanks you
3. Looking at the Hawks roster as currently constructed – does not appear to have the talent of a SB contender. Both lines are below average at best and they lack depth and star power in key skill positions.
4. Comparing the pick of Brooks v CEH at #27 is not a fair fight. KC won the SB and added this elite skill position talent to their roster – OMG
5. Tennessee not drafting a single pass rusher and the Hawks drafting 2 may indicate that Clowney may be a done deal. The focus should now be on Griffen.
6. If Fournette is cut – think it would be an interesting move for the Hawks to bring him in and provide a talent spark for RW and the offense on a short term deal.
7. Hated missing out on all the good RB’s, WR’s, and O Tackles in the draft. But overall think our top 4 picks can help in the near future and be solid.
Thanks again Rob and go Hawks!
Rob,
How will you duplicate 28-32? I know there’s room for improvement, but it’s almost as if your 2020 was the Mona Lisa and the odds say that there’s no way it can be done again. No disrespect at all – and with all your hard work – it simply shows that hard work creates “luck” a heck of a lot more than getting lucky does.
Like I wrote above yesterday, you’re the best fan blog (or “pro” blog) on the ‘Net and NOBODY is even close to being in second place to you.
I worked on this draft even harder than any others previously and spent a lot more time on the final mock. I also did fewer mocks throughout the year which I think helped. I spent more time watching players, more time considering scenarios, more time on team trends. I’m going to work hard to try and do even better next year.
Thanks Happy Hawk! Agree with a lot of what you say there too.
On point number 5. agree Happy I took a look at Tennessee’s draft, do think they make a run at Clowney.
Pete’s comments gives a small window of hope, but won’t keep my hopes up.
Agree on point # 3 we have a solid team, but only a 1-2 playoff win team, mainly because of Russell and well organized club. But to win the whole enchilada requires a bit more talent than what we currently have, especially when you see what other clubs have.
We are not far behind, but not there yet.
30 out of 32. Not bad. 🙂 New 2012 draft.
https://twitter.com/thorku/status/1254429530623635458?s=19
Interesting that several of the teams rated at the bottom are well known for successful drafting, even with lower draft picks than most.
Patriots did just fine. Got a lot of the type of players they always draft, especially defensively. Like you said, 2012 Seahawks draft. I pay little attention to any of these so called experts.
Happy. You make a good point about Tennessee. I do think the Hawks have not given up on Clowney. But I would not be surprised if Tennessee swoops down and steals him.
The ‘Hawks almost stubbornly did not add to our DT depth in the draft. I’m beginning to wonder if that was an indication they weren’t going to reach for need and they were happy to address in free agency after the draft.
OR could be they intended to sign Clowney after the draft the whole time. If you think about it, one of the biggest issues with our pass rush was Clowney being double/tripple teamed and no one else could step up. By signing Mayowa and Irvin and drafting two promising pass rushers, Clowney could be moved around like a chess piece. Plus, the nascar package on third down could be really fun…
Taylor, Clowney, Reed, Irvin
Robinson, Taylor, Clowney, Irvin
Clowney, Taylor, Reed, Robinson
We all know Clowney isn’t the type of DE where you put him on the edge and leave him there all game, he’s not that type of player BUT move him around and give the other team other guys to worry about and Clowney can take over a game.
OK looking for some feedback from those of you that are competent talent review/scouting types.
As I reviewed this earlier thread regarding Eli Mencer that we picked up as an UDFA . . .
https://seahawksdraftblog.com/instant-reaction-thoughts-on-seattles-2020-draft#comment-500330
It’s seem to me that he had an uncanny ability to read plays and then react quickly to make plays. I came away from watching his highlight tape thinking he had an extraordinary football IQ and great instincts.
Can some of you guys take a look at his tape and provide your feedback?
Appreciated.
YouTube highlights:
https://youtu.be/gXN2eMrs_48
First thing that comes to mind is quality of competition. Next thing is that no NFL team is going to put a 230 lb DE on to the field. Maybe a WILL, at some point, although we already have a couple of quick ‘backers who are a bit light for three-down play.
But those caveats aside, fun tape to watch. Diagnoses quickly, aggressive instincts, seems to like contact. Not sure where he plays on an NFL team yet….
Short arms as well, he does bend around the edge fairly well. But he’s a poor mans Shaquem who is already in a weird spot position wise.
Practice squad would be cool for him.
It could just be me, but I like Mercer better than BBK and Barton. Could he take one of their spots? As expected, he appears very good on special teams as well.
28 out of 32 is ridiculous esp. in this draft. Congrats.
Do you mind if I asked which 4 you didn’t include in 1st round? Guess: Terrell, Arnette, Brooks, Igbinoghene.
Arnette, Brooks, Igbinoghene and Gladney.
And in fairness, the only one I could’ve got was Brooks. The other three were so left field. There was at least some R1 buzz around Brooks.
Getting Reagor, Jefferson, Aiyuk and CE-H is impressive. Deserves a can of Beavertown Gamma Ray.
Thanks again for everything.
Ok I have a confession to make. Willie Gay was one of my “guys” this year and when I saw we passed on him for Brooks, a name I didn’t even know, I got a little sideways.
Although I haven’t watched any game tape, I did the very minimum and at least looked at his highlight reel. He looks very aggressive very instinctive and appears to have a lot of strength. Super good against the run, although I really don’t know what his skills are in coverage. I know his coverage skills have been criticized in some of his expert analysis profiles, However I haven’t seen any issues with that on any tape I have seen yet.
Then I went back and watch some tape on my guy, Willie, he also has a strong field and frame and appears to be quick. But honestly I think I may have been taking in a little bit by his cool look, his cool hair and some of the hype. Outside of a couple picks he had, which didn’t appear to be that amazing, he really looked like a similar or somewhat less aggressive version of Brooks.
Brooks Highlight Video:
https://youtu.be/A9QYzOIAMiU
Willie Gay video below.
Comparison between the two from the scout types in our group? Thx
Willie Gay Highlight video:
https://youtu.be/szqq6gtdxGU
Anyone have thoughts on UW left tackle Trey Adams? I know it might be a risk but isn’t every late round pick? The talent is there, maybe a year in practice squad at least to evaluate?
He’s just signed for someone else
I realize they have a ton of OL but was really hoping they would take a flier on him with the sixth pick or at least PS. Literally everyone passed on him but was rated around a third round pick I think.
A lot of roster construction via FA and the draft and how it equates to being a playoff team is based on if the teams have had to pay their franchise rookie Quarterbacks yet. AFC playoff teams last year:
Kc – Mahomes -no
Hst – Watson -no
Balt – Jackson – no
Buff – Allen – no
Tenn – Tannehill – had to pay him this off season
Ne – Brady – yes but not now
The NFC was much different:
GB – Rodgers – yes $33.5 m
Min – Cousins – yes $33 mil
Sea – RW – yes $35 mil ( highest in league)
Phil – Wentz – yes $32 m
No – Brees – yes $30m
Sf – Jimmy g – kind of – $27 m
Other teams not making the playoffs:
Pitt – Big Ben – yes $34m
LaR – Goff – yes $33.5m
Det – Stafford – yes
Atl – Ryan – yes $30m
Dallas – Prescott – not yet
Guess my point is that when you see Arizona, Baltimore, Denver, Miami, Houston, Buffalo etc. winning the off season you know why. Their day will come soon. The NFC is so tough but all the playoff teams are in the same situation with the franchise Qb paid. The Hawks need to be supreme when it comes to the draft and great FA talent evaluators. Carrying $20 m plus in Linebacker pay seems off and maybe an indicator why we took Brooks. Got to be creative while RW is in his prime window and get him talent without the bucks to spend. Hard to do.
I know its crazy to think but when I saw the Brooks pick I was really trying hard to make sense of it and the only thought that came to mind was Bobby was getting traded to Jax for Ngakoue. Brooks was announced as an inside LB so it was exciting to think about for a sec. Not that I want Bobby gone I was just trying to make sense of it.
It’d cost them $22m to trade Wagner. $22m for him to play for another team.
It was never happening anyway. In their eyes he’s on Russell’s level.
Oh really?! Well like I said rolling the dice on a first round ILB didn’t make sense unless Bobby was going somewhere so my hope was for a premium pass rusher like Ngakoue.
I agree he’s the RW on the defense.
Odd that everyone clamors for giving RW more support but we never hear the same for Bobby. He’s at his most productive when he has big bodies on the DL keeping him clean.
Rob, let me join the chorus and say thank you again for everything that you do with the site. I’m not sure what to think about this draft class yet, but man there sure are a lot of great background stories with our picks. While character shouldn’t trump talent, you can at least say they drafted tough kids.
I think there is a lot more to come with this team during the offseason. With salary cuts now looking more likely, I am cautiously optimistic that we’ll get Clowney signed and add veteran cap casualties to shore up the defense. Let’s hope the season runs as planned, stay healthy everyone!
Thank you
Thanks Rob, I was a lurker this offseason, but I read pretty much everything you posted. Dont beat yourself up about not guessing on Brooks as I saw you doing on Thursday, that pick came out of nowhere. Outside of that pick which I was disappointed with, I do like the draft haul. Like you, I dont see them as realistic SB contenders with this offseason they have had, but they will continue to be relevant. Hopefully Russell will get what he needs for at least 1 more legit run in his prime. Starting to wonder about that though.
Thanks Wes
Notable Potential Cap Savings Opportunities, in order of likelihood, according to cha
1-Branden Jackson, RFA tender of $2.13m is not guaranteed. They can cut outright and save all or negotiate down to veteran minimum and save $1m or so. 2 DE’s drafted this weekend gives either a high probability.
2-Joey Hunt, RFA tender of $2.12m is not guaranteed. They can cut outright and save all or negotiate down to veteran minimum and save $1m or so. Finney, Pocic, Haynes, and now Lewis as emergency have potential to beat Hunt out for a spot.
3-Jacob Hollister, RFA tender of $3.26m is not guaranteed. They can cut outright and save all or negotiate down to veteran minimum and save $2m or so. Once Dissly’s health is confirmed, they can look at the two TEs they drafted and decide to shadow roster him.
4-Russell Wilson, restructure his contract. I’m not a contract expert, but the Hawks can probably get about $7-8m of room freed up. He agreed to restructure about $6m from salary to bonus which freed up about $4m for Duane Brown on his last contract. He’d do it again if needed but like Brown it’d probably have to be for a nice addition like Clowney.
(At this point there’s about $14m max of cap room for the top 4 moves, About $10m if they negotiate lower salaries in lieu of cuts for the RFAs)
5-Ethan Pocic, $1.4m cap hit. Last year of contract, $1m cap savings if cut. He can be a depth loser in the OL competition.
6-David Moore RFA tender of $2.13m is not guaranteed. They can cut outright and save all or negotiate down to veteran minimum and save $1m or so. They have Dorsett and Ursua on the roster, but really like Moore.
7-Justin Britt (29 years old), $11.4m cap hit. About $3m of it dead money if cut, $8.5m cap savings. On last year of contract and of course coming off major injury. Probable $1.2m injury settlement if cut. Finney and Pocic are slotted behind him. Chances are if they were going to cut him purely for cap savings they would have already. Wouldn’t shock me if he stays or even signs an extension and lowers his 2020 cap hit by $3m or so.
8-KJ Wright (31 years old), $10m cap hit. About $3.5m of it dead money if cut, $6.5m cap savings. On last year of contract. They paid him a $1m roster bonus in March. Writing is on the wall by drafting so many LBs in 2019 and 2020 but if he was going to be cut for cap savings, it would have happened by now. And extension to lower cap hit very unlikely.
Whatever they need to do to get this team in a proper position to contend, they should do it.
All the work you put into this blog has been appreciated by me since I first discovered it….whenever the hell that was. Peace!
B
Thanks Brian
R u kidding me! 28 out of 32. Awesome! Great analysis. Thanks.
Just cleared a bunch of cap. Anyone else on Dline besides an old clowney (my opinion is he is damaged goods.) or over the hill griffin – why did Minn cut him if still has juice.
After watching film, brooks pops. Looks like a faster Kendrick and good special teamer.
Taylor was the best edge in my limited view of online hype videos.
I think draft was solid and SF not very far in front of us.
Turn-over Thursday and we are in NFC championship this year!
Hamihawk
First, I’d like to say a big thank you for killing it this draft season.
I’ve also got to say, you were spot on from the start on the need to fix the D, and concentrate to touch into the strength of the draft class. Generally, this is how you build a contender. Take the best players available and optimize talent input.
This is not what we got.
Once again, we get away with a concensus bottom 3 draft class. Not because of the players they took, but because of the price they paid. Brooks, Taylor and Lewis were solid backup material on almost every draft board I watched. And while you just cannot criticise them for taking an upside G in R3, it’s the whole process that seems so completely out of touch with the talent available.
It is true, they drafted “their guys”. This is just not a convincing sign of quality anymore. In a time, where you absolutely have to nail a draft to make up for lots of FA talent on the leave, they pick massive projects, and projects only. Backstories are all nice and well, but something is wrong, if more talk is about the backstories than reasoning behind the picks.
All of this comes on top of a frustrating as hell free agency. I really fail to see how they’ll finally put all the things together.
Meanwhile, our 3-3 division record is under intense pressure, as the hardest division in pro football just got a lot harder.
The Niners are creating a younger and arguably even better roster than their 2019 edition. The Cards had one of the best drafts and FAs by adding top notch talent and grit on various positions of need. We should be grateful for McVays fixation on pointy skill position players instead of bolstering his OL, but still, they hardly had a worse draft.
If PC makes the playoffs with this roster, he should be officially crowned as a true magician.
I appreciate the nice comments at the start but a couple of points…
1. Damien Lewis is not a backup level player. If he was a backup level player on other people’s boards, they don’t know what they’re talking about.
2. I wish they’d been more aggressive in FA like everyone else but the Niners and Cards both owned top-15 picks. Had the Seahawks been in position to draft Simmons or Kinlaw we would’ve been praising them too.
Perhaps it isn’t going to be important with Russell W in place, but I really like them grabbing QB Anthony Gordon in undrafted. Gordon’s film is a lot of fun to watch. Who knows if he can make the transition to pro. The guy can make some throws.