Looking at Diggs contract makes me think they will do a small restructure. He didnt have a traditional step up contract like most as his second year cap hit is higher than his third. If they turn $6m of his $13.5m base salary into a signing bonus it would make his cap hit $15.1m this year and $18.1 next year gaining you $3m in cap space.
If people want a discord group for the next college season, I’m happy to consider.
Can either be an open forum for anyone or a select group of subs to keep it refined and I’d be happy to post & interact while watching CFB games & Seahawks games.
Open to all suggestions
Spectator
I would love a discord forum, different channels for each player you are looking at, maybe a āProspects to look atā channel. There could be some fun options!
Nfendall
I am already on Discord and would gladly join. I think it would be fine as an open forum as the vast majority of the people here are civil. There will be a toxic person here and there as in any community, but they can easily be banned.
Malc from PO
Discord is an excellent platform and Iād be willing to pay for it as a subscriber benefit.
Nfendall
You would definitely want channels in the server exclusively for Patreon subscribers.
Odium
Easy to make a mix of free/paid channels. Can have voice channels if people want to talk while watching games. A channel for all of Robās videos. So many options.
Z$
Very interested, would love that.
Ben
Would be a fun idea!
Chris A
Yes please
geoff u
I’m down for a discord. I’m not sure about having an exclusive member only area, since I feel like that will divide the discourse quite a bit, and I say that as a patreon subscriber. However, the barrier to entry is pretty low, how hard is it to chip in a few bucks to support a great community? So I just talked myself back into it being fine lol
Hawkcrazy
Would love a discord channel. I think it would end up having more people participate and the people on the site are just so knowledgeable it would make watching games more fun.
They’ve been doing it for years. Actually one of the better test cases for this stuff you’ll see – athleticism can only get you so far, still need decent coaches, management, and a coherent plan that everyone is working towards.
Ely
To be fair Indy has had a really good roster the last few years, they’ve just been missing a QB. It took the horrible play of the ghost of Matty ICE, injuries, and a clear tank job last year to get them to pick 4.
Discord channels would be convenient to keep conversations ongoing about position groups for the ’24 draft. Separate channels for QBs, IDL prospects, etc.
Z$
Great watch as always when you and Jeff get together. Canāt help but agree with your points about Ewers, no reason at all to mention him if youāre John unless you have qb on the mind.
Speaking of John, I found his Wyman and Bob segment particularly illuminating. Sounds like there were a couple upsets / guys they intended to draft in the third that came off before their pick. Couple SDB favorites in there so not too surprising. Byron Young and Tucker Kraft would be my guesses. JS also agrees with Robās round 3 grade for Kenny McIntosh. He was also spoke to being particularly excited about the 2 Michigan players in the 5th.
GoHawks5151
Glad to see the content keep rolling in here! Pretty nice coffee cup too. From the Prez collection I presume? š
I’ll certainly see if I’ve got time later — I’ve focused on YouTube this year simply because I get revenue from YouTube and not Apple/Spotify
Ishmael
I rate Discord – seriously good platform.
The downside is that it’ll give you one more platform to have to engage with and moderate – although I imagine there are a handful of long-time posters and collaborators who could help out. Easy enough to add Patreon exclusive channels as well.
Jabroni-DC
Via espn,
TEMPE, Ariz. — The Cardinals did not pick up linebacker Isaiah Simmons’ fifth-year optionā¦
Will Seattle have interest next offseason? Very versatile. Snaps at OLB, ILB, CB, S
BobbyK
Jack of all trades, master of none though.
GerryG
Picking up these LB options doesnāt make sense. Neither Brooks or Simmons would get that much in the open market. Doesnāt mean either is leaving their team.
Sea Mode
Man, what a gorgeous day they chose for their first impression of Seattle! Hope it doesn’t set any unrealistic expectations moving forward… š
I watched that video thinking, “man, they could not have timed a first visit any better.” Cool and fun to watch.
Brennan
I think Paul Allen may still be looking over the Seahawks. They couldnāt have planned a more beautiful day in Seattle to introduce those two to the City and the VMAC.
IDhawk
In hindsight, I think the only move that I really wish the hawks wouldāve made was an aggressive trade up for Josh Downs in the 3rd. Can you imagine getting JSN, Charbonnette AND Downs?
Sea Mode
Wouldn’t have even had to be that aggressive, since he went just four picks ahead of us in R3.
As much as I liked Downs, he is exclusively a slot WR and JSN already fills that role. So that would have been really hard to do. Even BPA has its limits.
Curious side note, JSN has really short arms! Even at 6005 his 30 1/2″ arms are practically the same length as the 5090 Downs at 30 3/8″! And Downs’ hands (9 1/4″) are bigger than JSN’s (9″). They both ran 4.48, but JSN at 25 lbs. heavier (196 vs 171 lbs.)
IDhawk
For sure. I guess I feel like A) you find ways to get talent on the field, and B) it would be a nice contingency to Tyler Lockett getting injured. But itās all hand wringing now š¤·š»āāļø
Hawkster
Over 20% of McIntosh’s touches were receiving in 2022, and not just swings and dumps, they guy can line up outside and get down field. I’m not saying he’s Deebo, but with a top-flight slot like JNS and some real RB receiving talent they are going to be able to dial up the playbook a good deal if these guys can step up to the pros.
A line in this video got me thinking. I wonder if they brought in Holton Ahlers with the idea that they wanted to see a Left Handed QB in their system knowing they’d be scouting Penix this year. Not that I think they would be zeroed in on him, but a lot of our pass catchers have likely never played with a lefty. Not sure if Waldron has ever schemed for a lefty. If you’re bringing in a camp arm anyway, why not see how the offense looks with a lefty.
BK26
I think they would be more worried on having a quarterback for the practice squad to help with the current year with the team.
Kind of a waste if they bring in one undrafted kid who still might not make the team specifically as an experiment for one guy in the next year’s draft.
As long as you have the extra roster spots its not really a waste. No one should be surprised if he’s gone in a couple weeks. It could have been something like “find me the best undrafted lefty, lets see what it looks like”. I would agree it would make no sense to put him on the practice squad unless he earns it like everyone else. There is a good chance they’ll be adding another one soon, need a couple camp arms.
cha
I wonder if the Carter crew didn’t have a nutty after the Seahawks picked Witherspoon at 5, is because it helps the defense. They were ready to rejoice or explode if the pick was Carter or a QB.
Witherspoon was like a handful of sand on the wick.
509 Chris
I was thinking the same, like if they’d have taken Levis twitter would have exploded from that crowd.
Edgar
The Seahawks still suck at in game decision making. Joe Pa chewing gum and challenging an obvious correct call will only get worse not better.
BobbyK
“…challenging an obvious correct call will only get worse not better.”
Some good nuggets. Indulge me in a tea leaves deep dive:
On pick #5
– Spoon was one of two guys they heard “a lot of whispers” that AZI might take if they had been unable to move down.
– “Once Indy picked, we had a clear-cut idea of where we were headed. I think everybody in the room just felt a big sigh of relief. We called off the dogs on the other trades and just went ahead and picked him and it felt great.”
Interesting the way he phrased that. They already said they knew and expected the top 3 guys to be gone and there were two players they would have picked at #5.
On the one hand, unless the other guy they were looking at was Anthony Richardson, why would Indy’s pick give them any more clarity? And why not hang up the phones after HOU picked at #3 since they would then be guaranteed to get one of their two guys?
On the other hand, if the two guys were Anderson and Spoon, why would they breathe a big sigh of relief after Indy picked Richardson? Everyone and their grandma knew Indy was taking a QB. There was no way they were ever really looking at Spoon and there is no way they were going to be persuaded to trade down even to #6 with Detroit and risk us taking their QB. Unless both the sigh of relief and clarity were simply from not having to make the tough choice between Richardson and Spoon…?
(yes, I am reading too much into this… š and my current piecing of all the comments together, until someone convinces me otherwise, is that their two guys outside of those top 3 were Witherspoon and Richardson.)
On the upsets in R3
– Now referred to “an upset” in the singular in that R3 range, one guy they were getting ready to take went off the board. I originally thought there would be no need to look for anyone beyond Byron Young if we agree it was probably him, but then he said it happened to them a couple times. We know at least one was a DL for sure, and Young makes the most sense as a fit.
Maybe the other guy was a TE, Tucker Kraft? They didn’t bring up the upsets when asked about missing out on the TE position all together in such a good class, but they did talk about how they had two TE they liked and it just didn’t come together for them. He has size together with the outstanding SS (4.29) an 10yd split (1.59) that they love. I could very well imagine that being the double upset they talked about: their original target was Young, and when he got taken they pivoted to Kraft. Once Kraft got taken just 5 picks ahead of them, they traded out.
There’s literally nobody else in that range of 15 or so picks before them that I could see them considering given they already had CB, WR, DE/OLB, and RB at that point. Unless you want to go all the way back to the top of R3 and look at Pickens and Hooker. But JS said they were guys they were getting ready to pick and then got taken, and someone taken 20 picks ahead of you, as much as you might have liked him, hardly qualifies as an “upset” in that sense.
Conviction guys
– New term for us to adopt as Seahawks draft fans: “Conviction guys”. Says they use this with their scouts to talk about they guys they are most convicted on. Jerrick Reed was one of them for area scout Ryan Florence.
On Derick Hall
– The aspect they mentioned the other day that Derick Hall improved a ton on between the season and his pro day was his flexibility. Now that the draft is over and GMs can share info and talk about everything, to a guy he’s heard that he was one of everybody’s favorite players in the whole draft, the person and the competitor.
On Kenny McIntosh
– If you would have told JS that McIntosh would have gone in R3, he wouldn’t have been surprised. (another nice job on the big board, Rob!)
On UDFA
– UDFA that stands out (at least because people on the West coast would know him) is Jake Bobo. Chip Kelly told them that both he and Charbonnet would have been some of their better ST players had they allowed them to do it. Bobo one of the best practice players they’ve ever been around. 26 UDFAs signed.
I’m convinced the sigh of relief after the Indy pick was NOT having to choose between Richardson and Spoon. I think they would’ve taken Richardson, but with that option off the table, they knew exactly what they were going to do, so the pressure of making a hard decision was gone.
Tecmo Bowl
Liked hearing that Hall has already improved his flexibility.
Thought it was interesting that JS said he had Breece Hall and Ken Walker as top 15 players, in last years draft, and he was surprised they lasted as long as they did. Bijon and Gibbs were both gone by pick 12 this year. Its weird how each seperate draft plays out.
Sea Mode
Yes, that was interesting as well. And it goes to show why they were so surprised that Charbonnet was there for them late R2.
Husky22
I, too, am guilty of reading quotes, assuming they are precise, and trying to piece things together. But, stepping back, JS doesn’t seem to be the most precise thinker/communicator. I suspect they were choosing between Anderson and Spoon.
Sea Mode
Hmmm, I actually think JS chooses his words quite carefully most of the time. Like even in that word-for-word quote I transcribed above, he actually hesitated and stumbled for several seconds before eventually saying it like that.
But yeah, then one can only speculate and try and come up with a somewhat logical guess. I thought for a second he wanted to say, “Once the QBs were off the board…” or something to that effect, but after reconsidering said, “Once Indy picked…”
We’ll likely never know.
BK26
Watched a few quick highlight videos of Rattler and South Carolina last night (including the perfection at Tennessee, which really only showed his good throws), but when I got done I had this thought: have I already found who I hope they take next year?
I like that he transferred to a school like South Carolina and not another easy, offensive system that will make him look good no matter what. He had to do the work at SC. I also think that the draft scramble next year will be for the underclassmen. Highest upside for an extra year or 2 is just appealing to those teams that are going to be picking highest.
He looks like he’s taken the adversity really well. We’ll have to see what this next year looks like. I did get done watching the videos and the Darude’s “Sandstorm” came on for the USC aura, which felt perfect….
Rob, when you watch a kid, what are you looking at specifically for a quarterback? What’s the best way to get a takeaway from the play/offense/game? I would like to watch more college football this next year and be able to contribute ideas or at least get a better feel for players for my own sanity.
I think my issue this last year was apathy with my team (Iowa). I watched little college football compared to normal and it led to me knowing less for the draft, and being uninformed during and after the draft. I prevented myself from getting to enjoy it and missed out. 100% my own fault. The draft is my own personal weekend for myself for the year and I feel like I let this last year get away from me.
I look for different things. For example, with Joe Burrow the processing, poise, accuracy, execution, personality made him an obvious #1 pick. But with other players you might see world class traits and upside, a big arm but some technical or processing flaws. More often than not you’re just asking yourself ‘can I see this person succeeding in the NFL with their skill set?’
BK26
Perfect, thanks for that!
Sea Mode
Brady continues to say Witherspoon and Anderson as a matter of fact. Surely an ESPN reporter wouldn’t affirm this so definitively based solely on his own speculation, if he didn’t have some kind of source…? And to add what he does about Richardson…?
Grrr, I hate this kind of “reporting”. Either say you know this via sources or say it’s just your opinion and reading of the situation.
Schneider said Thursday after the first round that while the Seahawks listened to trade offers for the fifth pick, they had already decided that they werenāt going to move back from that spot if Witherspoon and/or one other player were available
The unnamed player was Anderson. The Alabama outside linebacker briefly looked as though he might fall into Seattleās lap when the Houston Texans took Stroud second overall, creating some fleeting hope in the Seahawksā draft room that quickly vanished when Houston traded back up to 3 to take Anderson.
From a pure evaluation standpoint, the Seahawks thought enough of Richardsonās talent and potential to take him with the fifth pick. But in the bigger picture, for a team thatās trying to win now and in a financial pinch, it would have been tough to justify using a pick so high — and the money that comes with it — on an undeveloped quarterback whoād be a backup for at least one season.
I think I’ve had my fill of speculation on what they were/weren’t going to do
I think we all need a break
The last week before the draft was an absolute blancmange of nonsense
‘Carter Carter Carter’
‘Won’t leave the draft without a QB’
‘Endless mocks with Tyree Wilson’
Boring
Sea Mode
Yeah, and I think we learned for next year we would have been better off just sticking to the draft board from two weeks before the draft and ignore most of the chatter unless it’s really solid and credible (like Paris Johnson to ARI, for example).
JS also seems to be running a tighter ship these days and said he was really satisfied their interest in Witherspoon didn’t really get out. (although Matt Miller did have something, it didn’t take off further)
I will continue to pay attention to the visits/meetings. Last year we knew about 5/9 draft picks and 3 UDFAs before the draft. This year we heard about 7/10 and 4 UDFAs, and likely upset Byron Young (Ala.) was on the list too. Back in 2020 we only knew about 1/8, Damien Lewis, and that was because Rob interviewed him and asked. In 2019 the same, just 1/11 (Collier). I think it’s an effect of them putting renewed emphasis on character. They really want to get that part of the evaluation right.
Why? Because Seattle beat reporters have reveled in the fan confusion by preaching at us that ‘Pete and John are zigging when everyone else is zagging’ in their post-draft analysis. Particularly when they drafted Jordyn Brooks (when they had Bobby and KJ on enormous contracts) and Rashaad Penny (when they had Carson coming off an 1100 yard 9 TD season).
It really reveals Brady’s bias and the immediate nature thinking of fans vs the long term future of the team thinking.
It is never ‘tough’ to justify investing in the long term future at QB
No idea why suggesting so has become such a hot-button topic
And given Schneider basically talked about needing stock for 2024 while this draft was still ongoing, it’s fairly obvious long-term QB is on his mind even though they didn’t address it this year
Maybe instead of wasting time on this we could hear more about the players drafted (or more about why virtually everyone in the media had them taking Carter — local and national media — when it was obvious it wouldn’t happen)
JS talked yesterday about how he spent time post-draft focusing on what worked and what didn’t and shaping up best practices for the next draft.
Maybe the fans and press should do the same.
These moves everyone argues so passionately for – even lobbing some vitriol at those who don’t agree – when they don’t happen, they dropped like a stone and some of kind of strange superstition is invoked where if you talk about it again, you lose fake internet points. It’s unfortunate.
Honestly, it’s kind of liberating to talk about what you got wrong and promotes new logic pathways going forward. I can attest to it as I’ve had extensive experience in being wrong.
Sea Mode
Maybe the fans and press should do the same.
š„š„š„
Honestly, I’ve given up on trying to convince those portions of the fan base. If you want to have a reasonable discussion on the Seahawks with me, you’ll find me here. The rest of the fans can be happy with clamoring for the one prospect name they once watched a highlight of. They just want something to root for and the off-chance that by pure luck they get to be seen as “right”. So dumb.
Who cares about “being right”, we all just want the Seahawks to “get it right”.
And as for those who actually imagine their opinion carries weight and are not willing to listen to well-reasoned counterpoints because they spent a whole half a Sunday copy/pasting together a draft board can, as Rob says, get stuffed.
I really like that Jeff owned up to flipping on Carter pre-draft. That’s not easy to say, particularly when the discourse here had been so logical and well thought out since the season’s end.
Sea Mode
Honestly, though I’m on Twitter a lot, I don’t follow or see tweets from any of those considered “Seahawks Twitter”, so I can’t pass judgement. I only heard about that case because someone posted about it here, but it wasn’t aimed at just him but in general those few that really let it get to their head.
Anyways, props to him and to anyone who is willing to own up when due.
DK
Pete was in with Chuck and Buck this morning and they asked him point blank about the QB situation.
Pete said they really liked the QBs who were picked around where they were and he specifically mentioned Richardson and his skill set. It was a good listen. Also, said he is rooting for all those guys, Stroud had a rough deal the last few weeks before the draft. It sounded like it would have been more than a small chance they would have selected Richardson.
He had a great story about the signs the team needed to draft Witherspoon as well.
I do agree too many of the Seahawks local beat writers are trying to push a narrative that the team is a lot closer to being a true contender than they really are. Oddly enough, a lot of the national reporters doing their way to early 2024 Mock Drafts have the Seahawks picking between 5 and 12. My guess is that this is due to the National media looking more at Genoās full season, the fact the Seahawks are going to play a second place and much tougher schedule rather than a 4th place schedule that ended up being one of the easiest in the league last year. With that being said, the local media also knows there is a large portion of Seahawks fans that will lose interest if the team isnāt good. As Ian Furness calls the the ā12s since 12ā. By trying to get people to believe the team is closer to being good than they really are they keep up that groupās interest in the team.
Those of us who come here arenāt really part of that group, so we then donāt pay attention to a lot of the local media because we see what they are putting out there as pushing their narrative.
I was watching the draft with my neighbor and he kept asking how I knew who some of these guys are, and I said some people watch Netflix or Apple TV, I read Football blogs and watch old football games.
Sea Mode
Cool. Just found the link and will give it a listen.
He had it on the tip of his tongue, literally almost let it out: “we would have… you’ll never know.”
We loved all those guys. We loved all the guys on top. Anthony was different than the other guys that he is just coming into his physicality and the potential he has as a player. […] He only started 16 games or something like that. He was really intriguing. We would have… you’ll never know… we would have had to make that choice if we got him. But we sure loved him. And I was really excited that he got picked there just for him. There was a lot of scrutiny. […] After having spent time with those guys and really understanding them pretty well, I was rooting for them.
Then he went on to talk about how they would have been a perfect situation with Geno taking one of them under his wing.
Both guys are dogs with motors that run very hot, and are all about ball. Excellent tacklers.
Watt had more advanced handwork and moves coming out, but that is something that can really develop with proper coaching and work.
Rokas
Love the pick and hope he becomes a great player, but since i don’t like most of what Simms says and how he says, I can’t know pretend that i even remotely care what he says, even if he is positive about sth.
TomLPDX
I take Simms with the same grain of salt that I take Florio. They aren’t dumb but they do make some strange comments at times…but I respect them both.
Sea Mode
I would love the Discord and would love to work together on building a draft board, sort of like we already do in the comments but with more continuity in the different channels.
I secretly hope Rob would be willing to build one of the walls of his new studio into a full size draft board like teams have, move players up and down throughout the CFB season, and then pull them off live on stream as we go through the draft!
As I struggle to see the quality I was hoping we would have in our linebacker room, with the exception of perhaps Bobby, one of the last years linebackers came to mind.
In my opinion Brooks and Barton struggled terribly during their time playing. However, I saw some very nice flashes and play from Tanner Muse. A lower cost player that was just a fill-in but seem to outperform most of the rest of our linebacker room.
If my assessment of his play is correct, doesnāt it seem odd that we would let him go to another team (Steelers) for almost a minimum contract amount of $1 million a year? Given the quality of at least just filling play last year, wouldnāt that justify a $1 million contract just to be a part of our room this year? If nothing else, that level of play should at least set the bar for the rest of the members of the linebacker room to at least meet in order to stay.
Am I off here?
Brodie
Muse had all of 9 tackles on defense last year. He was a special teamer that was forced onto the field because of injuries to a shallow LB room.
I honestly think Barton might do relatively well in Washington this year. They have an upper tier DL, which will keep him clean and he’s a pretty solid coverage LB.
I think the takeaway from their moves is that we aren’t going to run as much ILB heavy formations. 3-3-5 might be quite common with say:
Reed – Young – Dre’Mont
Nwosu – Bobby – Clark
Woolen – Jamal – Diggs – Love – Spoon
Or 4-2-5 with an OLB/EDGE on the line and Bush in for the the other.
I think the way this roster has been built shows that they want to run nickel as more of a base package and as such ILB has been the lowest priority of the defensive positions.
Passing downs might even have some 2-3-6 with Clark/Nwosu in a stand-up edge role along with maybe 3 CB & 3 S.
I don’t really know that Muse was a lost opportunity. The Seahawks could have RFA tendered him pretty cheaply to retain him if they wanted, and they did not. Pittsburgh got him for the rock-bottom minimum with no guaranteed money.
I personally didn’t see much that made me think he can be part of the solution going forward other than he took a ton of ST snaps.
Would not shock me if the team felt they have seen the best Muse has to offer and they can get what they want/need from John Rhattigan.
Or if they sign him to the PS when the Steelers cut him loose this year.
Hawktalker#1
Thanks for all the feedback. Much appreciated.
IDhawk
One thing that Iāve been thinking since youāre last article Rob, is that not all of next years crop of QBās will necessarily declare. We could be in the same situation next year, with less leverage and draft capital. Not saying that they needed to push for QB this draft, especially with Richardson and Stroud gone, but at some point they will probably have to get way more aggressive about the position than what theyāve shown. I truly wonder if Pete just shuts down the idea of QB importance in the draft. Frankly, drafting only two in 13 years is a flat out fail in my opinion.
I donāt think Pete does that. Letās not forget for years they had a franchise QB and had no need to draft one
But they need to avoid becoming the Colts
JD
In JS’s interview with Bob and Davy Wyman, he mentioned that there was an upset before #83 and that was the reason they traded down. Anyone with an idea of who that could have been? My best guess is Tucker Kraft. I feel like they wouldn’t have double dipped at WR or DE or RB and that was a majority of the picks in the 10-15 picks before 83. Below is the 13 picks before for reference.
7 (70)
Raiders Byron Young Defensive Lineman Alabama Crimson Tide
8 (71)
Saints Kendre Miller Running Back TCU Horned Frogs
9 (72)
Cardinals Garrett Williams Defensive Back Syracuse Orange
10 (73)
I read an article after the draft that said Seattle got the #1 UDFA in the League in WR Matt Landers. He is 6-4 and ran a 4.37 40. He is a developmental prospect obviously but he seems very similar in many respects to Bryce Ford-Wheaton who also went undrafted but got more attention as a prospect.
Volume12
That top 10 clip of Anthony Bradford on YT is wild. Rag dolls Jalen Carter & Dallas Turner. Blows Jared Verse & Gervon Dexter off the ball.
Volume12
Not sure why I responded to this post lol. Was supposed to be seperate
Sea Mode
That pull at 0:48 gives me hope that he can be much more than just a jumbo, mauler type.
I’ve also watched two more Drake Maye games and the hype is not justified. He also has way too many misses. There are things to like but this idea he’s better than Stroud and Young is absolute bollocks and Richardson’s traits make him way more interesting too
Cawww
Exactly how I have felt throughout this process. Never understood the hype for next year’s class. I have a feeling we will get to next year and everyone is going to be saying how much better the ’25 Class is, Never ending cycle of overrating the next class. Its why I would have “paid the iron-price” (although I realize now that the teams ahead of us weren’t happening) to get Richardson. Next year’s QBs are also erratic, but none have anywhere near the tools of Richardson
Cawww
(although I realize now that *trading with* the teams ahead of us werenāt happening)
DK
I am leery of Caleb Williams as well, he plays in Lincoln Rileyās ultra QB friendly system. Go watch him struggle the second half of his freshman season against some pretty weak competition.
Not saying Williams is terrible, I just stopped buying i to the hype of these QBs who play in these super QB friendly systems.
Spencer Rattler is now playing in a system using more pro based concepts because the OC there has spent a majority of his career in the NFL. Having coached some average QB to their best seasons in the NFL. If Rattler continues to show what he did the last part of the season, he is going to be a big riser up the draft board.
BK26
His biggest victory this year might be if he gets to start all season. He’ll have everyone outside of the team probably pushing for Manning to start.
Denver Hawker
Texas fans Iāve talked to laugh when his name is mentioned as a top prospect. Then again, same happened with Florida and Richardson.
There are some really clean, natural throws and an amazing release
But bloody hell, the misses. The misses.
Zach
Hey Rob,
Just wanted to say thank you for all the content you’ve provided the 12s over the years. Your draft coverage and team coverage in general is second to none. You especially knocked it out of the park this year, and the streams you do with Jeff is the best Seahawks content online as far as I’ve seen. You guys have a natural chemistry and clearly have a deep understanding of roster building, the league, and most importantly the Seahawks franchise. You guys both often provide perspectives I see nowhere else. It would be awesome if you guys could collaborate on a more consistent basis. I’m not sure how Real Hawk Talk hasn’t had you on as a guest, but honestly the streams with just you and Jeff are superior. Although, I would love to see Brian added to the fold as well. Keep up the great work!
On a side note, the discord would be a fantastic idea. I’m also looking forward to the website updates coming this year!
CL
[Hughes] The Jets are signing Al Woods, sources tell SNYtv
Ford and Woods now gone. Harris is the only one left if they want a familiar face. Might be saving that last spot for a cut candidate. Really no need to fill it now as the games dont start for 4 more months.
Ben
Theyāll be guys to bring in. There always are. I just hope they donāt run out 6 wide receivers, etc in lieu of having a good rotation for the front 3.
Brennan
That D-Line is still a bit thin if they are sticking with the 3-4. š§. Need some more depthā¦.Iād feel a little better if they were going back to the 4-3 where theyād need fewer bodies on the inside.
dregur
Except we’d need more 4-3 DE, which outside of the LEO, we really don’t have.
Henry Taylor
I’ve been so impressed watching Olu Oluwatimi. I hadn’t watch him much pre draft because I focused on players more clearly linked to Seattle, but the man does his job so consistently. He’s not the type of guy to drive guys off the ball all time, but he does his job, gets in the way and seals of runs. His pass pro is also excellent, he can pass guys off and get to the second level, pull around and block in space. Genuinely can count on one hand the times he lost his blocking assignment in the 3 games he watched.
Maybe its just post draft rose coloured glasses, but given how he’s as decorated a college OLas you see I have no idea how he felt. Is it just his baby hands?
I don’t want to make any sweeping statements because I don’t really know how good Evan Brown is supposed to be, but I’m very confident we will have upgraded at C and I’m much happier to get Charbonet + Oluwatimi as opposed to JMS and a 5th round RB.
Patrick Toler
If Oluwatimi looks great and decisively wins the job, Brown gives them another option to compete at guard as well.
Ben
And itās not as if weāve had any centers that really blow people off the line. How many teams do?? Even Pocic who was a tackle no a guard no a center didnāt seem all that special at the center position. Low cost to get him on the team, and if heās smart, vocal, and doesnāt make mistakes? Sounds like a great center to me! Not everybody is a freak athlete. As long as he doesnāt limit the playbook, he seems like a fine addition.
If him and Bradford can start effectively? Talk about a young cheap line! Curious to see if Lewis gets reupped, does he represent a small relative investment in the line, or do they save money for the defensive line?
Scot04
Good interview with Iilinois HC Bret Birkenstock.
Pretty much confirms there was interest at #3 on Witherspoon, as well as him not getting past picks 6 or 7.
Said he knew something was in the works when Schneider called him the day before the draft.
Very excited to seeing him line up opposite Woolen
Bret Birkenstock is the best science teacher. Very environmental.
Ben
Didnāt even blink, sounds like a good Big 10 name.
Gonna be fun! Iām sure a balanced team is better, but itās fun to see really too heavy investments in corner.
If Coby, Mike, and Tre step up, we could have a really incredible corner group. Bring on the spread!
Dave Thompson
Thanks, Rob. It will be interesting to watch what Clint and Crew can do with the new guys.
Re the offense: It seems to me that Shane Waldron has a lot to gain this season, or maybe he also has a lot to lose. He has what many see as shiny offensive players he can scheme in any number of ways. But will he have an Offensive line that keeps Geno safe and gives his running backs space to move in??Maybe Andy Dickerson, also has a lot at stake. If the two coaches can make the offense click at all levels t might mean both could have bigger paydays to come. But if the offense cannot rack up a lot of points and looks flat, then Shane and Andy might have fewer opportunities ahead.Which of the wide receivers will be used for jet sweeps, besides Dee Eskridge, assuming he can remain healthy
Welcome to Seahawks Draft Blog, providing daily analysis on the Seattle Seahawks and the NFL Draft.
The blog started in 2008 and is now into its 16th year. I'm available for any radio or podcast invites, just reach out using the 'contact' section.
We have a great community in the comments, we just ask you keep things on topic.
Looking at Diggs contract makes me think they will do a small restructure. He didnt have a traditional step up contract like most as his second year cap hit is higher than his third. If they turn $6m of his $13.5m base salary into a signing bonus it would make his cap hit $15.1m this year and $18.1 next year gaining you $3m in cap space.
Voting no on discord for selfish reasons. I don’t think I’d get this user name š
Discord names give you a hashtag number at the end of your name, so you can use whatever you want. Big Mike#1234 as an example.
I’d be down for a discord.
Hell yes to discord. Itās the only social media platform I use.
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/37025819/source-bills-boost-defensive-line-reach-deal-poona-ford
Bills just signed Poona Ford to a 1 year deal, so that’s one less option for us to re-sign our released veterans for the DL.
If people want a discord group for the next college season, I’m happy to consider.
Can either be an open forum for anyone or a select group of subs to keep it refined and I’d be happy to post & interact while watching CFB games & Seahawks games.
Open to all suggestions
I would love a discord forum, different channels for each player you are looking at, maybe a āProspects to look atā channel. There could be some fun options!
I am already on Discord and would gladly join. I think it would be fine as an open forum as the vast majority of the people here are civil. There will be a toxic person here and there as in any community, but they can easily be banned.
Discord is an excellent platform and Iād be willing to pay for it as a subscriber benefit.
You would definitely want channels in the server exclusively for Patreon subscribers.
Easy to make a mix of free/paid channels. Can have voice channels if people want to talk while watching games. A channel for all of Robās videos. So many options.
Very interested, would love that.
Would be a fun idea!
Yes please
I’m down for a discord. I’m not sure about having an exclusive member only area, since I feel like that will divide the discourse quite a bit, and I say that as a patreon subscriber. However, the barrier to entry is pretty low, how hard is it to chip in a few bucks to support a great community? So I just talked myself back into it being fine lol
Would love a discord channel. I think it would end up having more people participate and the people on the site are just so knowledgeable it would make watching games more fun.
Sheesh! ā¦ā¦
https://sports.yahoo.com/2023-nfl-draft-ras-scores-001627217.html
They’ve been doing it for years. Actually one of the better test cases for this stuff you’ll see – athleticism can only get you so far, still need decent coaches, management, and a coherent plan that everyone is working towards.
To be fair Indy has had a really good roster the last few years, they’ve just been missing a QB. It took the horrible play of the ghost of Matty ICE, injuries, and a clear tank job last year to get them to pick 4.
Discord channels would be convenient to keep conversations ongoing about position groups for the ’24 draft. Separate channels for QBs, IDL prospects, etc.
Great watch as always when you and Jeff get together. Canāt help but agree with your points about Ewers, no reason at all to mention him if youāre John unless you have qb on the mind.
Speaking of John, I found his Wyman and Bob segment particularly illuminating. Sounds like there were a couple upsets / guys they intended to draft in the third that came off before their pick. Couple SDB favorites in there so not too surprising. Byron Young and Tucker Kraft would be my guesses. JS also agrees with Robās round 3 grade for Kenny McIntosh. He was also spoke to being particularly excited about the 2 Michigan players in the 5th.
Glad to see the content keep rolling in here! Pretty nice coffee cup too. From the Prez collection I presume? š
I got it from Disney World — my favourite cup!
Rob, can you put this video on Spotify? I would love to listen to it at work
I’ll certainly see if I’ve got time later — I’ve focused on YouTube this year simply because I get revenue from YouTube and not Apple/Spotify
I rate Discord – seriously good platform.
The downside is that it’ll give you one more platform to have to engage with and moderate – although I imagine there are a handful of long-time posters and collaborators who could help out. Easy enough to add Patreon exclusive channels as well.
Via espn,
TEMPE, Ariz. — The Cardinals did not pick up linebacker Isaiah Simmons’ fifth-year optionā¦
Will Seattle have interest next offseason? Very versatile. Snaps at OLB, ILB, CB, S
Jack of all trades, master of none though.
Picking up these LB options doesnāt make sense. Neither Brooks or Simmons would get that much in the open market. Doesnāt mean either is leaving their team.
Man, what a gorgeous day they chose for their first impression of Seattle! Hope it doesn’t set any unrealistic expectations moving forward… š
Devon Witherspoon and Jaxon Smith-Njigba Arrive in Seattle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQ-Rj5-gdHI
I watched that video thinking, “man, they could not have timed a first visit any better.” Cool and fun to watch.
I think Paul Allen may still be looking over the Seahawks. They couldnāt have planned a more beautiful day in Seattle to introduce those two to the City and the VMAC.
In hindsight, I think the only move that I really wish the hawks wouldāve made was an aggressive trade up for Josh Downs in the 3rd. Can you imagine getting JSN, Charbonnette AND Downs?
Wouldn’t have even had to be that aggressive, since he went just four picks ahead of us in R3.
As much as I liked Downs, he is exclusively a slot WR and JSN already fills that role. So that would have been really hard to do. Even BPA has its limits.
Curious side note, JSN has really short arms! Even at 6005 his 30 1/2″ arms are practically the same length as the 5090 Downs at 30 3/8″! And Downs’ hands (9 1/4″) are bigger than JSN’s (9″). They both ran 4.48, but JSN at 25 lbs. heavier (196 vs 171 lbs.)
For sure. I guess I feel like A) you find ways to get talent on the field, and B) it would be a nice contingency to Tyler Lockett getting injured. But itās all hand wringing now š¤·š»āāļø
Over 20% of McIntosh’s touches were receiving in 2022, and not just swings and dumps, they guy can line up outside and get down field. I’m not saying he’s Deebo, but with a top-flight slot like JNS and some real RB receiving talent they are going to be able to dial up the playbook a good deal if these guys can step up to the pros.
A line in this video got me thinking. I wonder if they brought in Holton Ahlers with the idea that they wanted to see a Left Handed QB in their system knowing they’d be scouting Penix this year. Not that I think they would be zeroed in on him, but a lot of our pass catchers have likely never played with a lefty. Not sure if Waldron has ever schemed for a lefty. If you’re bringing in a camp arm anyway, why not see how the offense looks with a lefty.
I think they would be more worried on having a quarterback for the practice squad to help with the current year with the team.
Kind of a waste if they bring in one undrafted kid who still might not make the team specifically as an experiment for one guy in the next year’s draft.
As long as you have the extra roster spots its not really a waste. No one should be surprised if he’s gone in a couple weeks. It could have been something like “find me the best undrafted lefty, lets see what it looks like”. I would agree it would make no sense to put him on the practice squad unless he earns it like everyone else. There is a good chance they’ll be adding another one soon, need a couple camp arms.
I wonder if the Carter crew didn’t have a nutty after the Seahawks picked Witherspoon at 5, is because it helps the defense. They were ready to rejoice or explode if the pick was Carter or a QB.
Witherspoon was like a handful of sand on the wick.
I was thinking the same, like if they’d have taken Levis twitter would have exploded from that crowd.
The Seahawks still suck at in game decision making. Joe Pa chewing gum and challenging an obvious correct call will only get worse not better.
“…challenging an obvious correct call will only get worse not better.”
True story.
JS show from yesterday.
https://omny.fm/shows/the-john-schneider-show/john-schneider-breaks-down-the-2023-seahawks-draft
Some good nuggets. Indulge me in a tea leaves deep dive:
On pick #5
– Spoon was one of two guys they heard “a lot of whispers” that AZI might take if they had been unable to move down.
– “Once Indy picked, we had a clear-cut idea of where we were headed. I think everybody in the room just felt a big sigh of relief. We called off the dogs on the other trades and just went ahead and picked him and it felt great.”
Interesting the way he phrased that. They already said they knew and expected the top 3 guys to be gone and there were two players they would have picked at #5.
On the one hand, unless the other guy they were looking at was Anthony Richardson, why would Indy’s pick give them any more clarity? And why not hang up the phones after HOU picked at #3 since they would then be guaranteed to get one of their two guys?
On the other hand, if the two guys were Anderson and Spoon, why would they breathe a big sigh of relief after Indy picked Richardson? Everyone and their grandma knew Indy was taking a QB. There was no way they were ever really looking at Spoon and there is no way they were going to be persuaded to trade down even to #6 with Detroit and risk us taking their QB. Unless both the sigh of relief and clarity were simply from not having to make the tough choice between Richardson and Spoon…?
(yes, I am reading too much into this… š and my current piecing of all the comments together, until someone convinces me otherwise, is that their two guys outside of those top 3 were Witherspoon and Richardson.)
On the upsets in R3
– Now referred to “an upset” in the singular in that R3 range, one guy they were getting ready to take went off the board. I originally thought there would be no need to look for anyone beyond Byron Young if we agree it was probably him, but then he said it happened to them a couple times. We know at least one was a DL for sure, and Young makes the most sense as a fit.
Maybe the other guy was a TE, Tucker Kraft? They didn’t bring up the upsets when asked about missing out on the TE position all together in such a good class, but they did talk about how they had two TE they liked and it just didn’t come together for them. He has size together with the outstanding SS (4.29) an 10yd split (1.59) that they love. I could very well imagine that being the double upset they talked about: their original target was Young, and when he got taken they pivoted to Kraft. Once Kraft got taken just 5 picks ahead of them, they traded out.
There’s literally nobody else in that range of 15 or so picks before them that I could see them considering given they already had CB, WR, DE/OLB, and RB at that point. Unless you want to go all the way back to the top of R3 and look at Pickens and Hooker. But JS said they were guys they were getting ready to pick and then got taken, and someone taken 20 picks ahead of you, as much as you might have liked him, hardly qualifies as an “upset” in that sense.
Conviction guys
– New term for us to adopt as Seahawks draft fans: “Conviction guys”. Says they use this with their scouts to talk about they guys they are most convicted on. Jerrick Reed was one of them for area scout Ryan Florence.
On Derick Hall
– The aspect they mentioned the other day that Derick Hall improved a ton on between the season and his pro day was his flexibility. Now that the draft is over and GMs can share info and talk about everything, to a guy he’s heard that he was one of everybody’s favorite players in the whole draft, the person and the competitor.
On Kenny McIntosh
– If you would have told JS that McIntosh would have gone in R3, he wouldn’t have been surprised. (another nice job on the big board, Rob!)
On UDFA
– UDFA that stands out (at least because people on the West coast would know him) is Jake Bobo. Chip Kelly told them that both he and Charbonnet would have been some of their better ST players had they allowed them to do it. Bobo one of the best practice players they’ve ever been around. 26 UDFAs signed.
great info thanks SeaMode!
This is great, thank you!
Excellent recap – thank you!
I’m convinced the sigh of relief after the Indy pick was NOT having to choose between Richardson and Spoon. I think they would’ve taken Richardson, but with that option off the table, they knew exactly what they were going to do, so the pressure of making a hard decision was gone.
Liked hearing that Hall has already improved his flexibility.
Thought it was interesting that JS said he had Breece Hall and Ken Walker as top 15 players, in last years draft, and he was surprised they lasted as long as they did. Bijon and Gibbs were both gone by pick 12 this year. Its weird how each seperate draft plays out.
Yes, that was interesting as well. And it goes to show why they were so surprised that Charbonnet was there for them late R2.
I, too, am guilty of reading quotes, assuming they are precise, and trying to piece things together. But, stepping back, JS doesn’t seem to be the most precise thinker/communicator. I suspect they were choosing between Anderson and Spoon.
Hmmm, I actually think JS chooses his words quite carefully most of the time. Like even in that word-for-word quote I transcribed above, he actually hesitated and stumbled for several seconds before eventually saying it like that.
But yeah, then one can only speculate and try and come up with a somewhat logical guess. I thought for a second he wanted to say, “Once the QBs were off the board…” or something to that effect, but after reconsidering said, “Once Indy picked…”
We’ll likely never know.
Watched a few quick highlight videos of Rattler and South Carolina last night (including the perfection at Tennessee, which really only showed his good throws), but when I got done I had this thought: have I already found who I hope they take next year?
I like that he transferred to a school like South Carolina and not another easy, offensive system that will make him look good no matter what. He had to do the work at SC. I also think that the draft scramble next year will be for the underclassmen. Highest upside for an extra year or 2 is just appealing to those teams that are going to be picking highest.
He looks like he’s taken the adversity really well. We’ll have to see what this next year looks like. I did get done watching the videos and the Darude’s “Sandstorm” came on for the USC aura, which felt perfect….
Rob, when you watch a kid, what are you looking at specifically for a quarterback? What’s the best way to get a takeaway from the play/offense/game? I would like to watch more college football this next year and be able to contribute ideas or at least get a better feel for players for my own sanity.
I think my issue this last year was apathy with my team (Iowa). I watched little college football compared to normal and it led to me knowing less for the draft, and being uninformed during and after the draft. I prevented myself from getting to enjoy it and missed out. 100% my own fault. The draft is my own personal weekend for myself for the year and I feel like I let this last year get away from me.
I look for different things. For example, with Joe Burrow the processing, poise, accuracy, execution, personality made him an obvious #1 pick. But with other players you might see world class traits and upside, a big arm but some technical or processing flaws. More often than not you’re just asking yourself ‘can I see this person succeeding in the NFL with their skill set?’
Perfect, thanks for that!
Brady continues to say Witherspoon and Anderson as a matter of fact. Surely an ESPN reporter wouldn’t affirm this so definitively based solely on his own speculation, if he didn’t have some kind of source…? And to add what he does about Richardson…?
Grrr, I hate this kind of “reporting”. Either say you know this via sources or say it’s just your opinion and reading of the situation.
I think I’ve had my fill of speculation on what they were/weren’t going to do
I think we all need a break
The last week before the draft was an absolute blancmange of nonsense
‘Carter Carter Carter’
‘Won’t leave the draft without a QB’
‘Endless mocks with Tyree Wilson’
Boring
Yeah, and I think we learned for next year we would have been better off just sticking to the draft board from two weeks before the draft and ignore most of the chatter unless it’s really solid and credible (like Paris Johnson to ARI, for example).
JS also seems to be running a tighter ship these days and said he was really satisfied their interest in Witherspoon didn’t really get out. (although Matt Miller did have something, it didn’t take off further)
I will continue to pay attention to the visits/meetings. Last year we knew about 5/9 draft picks and 3 UDFAs before the draft. This year we heard about 7/10 and 4 UDFAs, and likely upset Byron Young (Ala.) was on the list too. Back in 2020 we only knew about 1/8, Damien Lewis, and that was because Rob interviewed him and asked. In 2019 the same, just 1/11 (Collier). I think it’s an effect of them putting renewed emphasis on character. They really want to get that part of the evaluation right.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1J3d023YdKp9MFv7OQTy0YTssJ65qLd_aB0UJFGVHxPY/edit?usp=sharing
It just gives us a pool of players that we should make sure and pay attention to or take a second look at.
Oh really?
I hate this line of thinking. Hate it.
Why? Because Seattle beat reporters have reveled in the fan confusion by preaching at us that ‘Pete and John are zigging when everyone else is zagging’ in their post-draft analysis. Particularly when they drafted Jordyn Brooks (when they had Bobby and KJ on enormous contracts) and Rashaad Penny (when they had Carson coming off an 1100 yard 9 TD season).
It really reveals Brady’s bias and the immediate nature thinking of fans vs the long term future of the team thinking.
It is never ‘tough’ to justify investing in the long term future at QB
No idea why suggesting so has become such a hot-button topic
And given Schneider basically talked about needing stock for 2024 while this draft was still ongoing, it’s fairly obvious long-term QB is on his mind even though they didn’t address it this year
Maybe instead of wasting time on this we could hear more about the players drafted (or more about why virtually everyone in the media had them taking Carter — local and national media — when it was obvious it wouldn’t happen)
JS talked yesterday about how he spent time post-draft focusing on what worked and what didn’t and shaping up best practices for the next draft.
Maybe the fans and press should do the same.
These moves everyone argues so passionately for – even lobbing some vitriol at those who don’t agree – when they don’t happen, they dropped like a stone and some of kind of strange superstition is invoked where if you talk about it again, you lose fake internet points. It’s unfortunate.
Honestly, it’s kind of liberating to talk about what you got wrong and promotes new logic pathways going forward. I can attest to it as I’ve had extensive experience in being wrong.
š„š„š„
Honestly, I’ve given up on trying to convince those portions of the fan base. If you want to have a reasonable discussion on the Seahawks with me, you’ll find me here. The rest of the fans can be happy with clamoring for the one prospect name they once watched a highlight of. They just want something to root for and the off-chance that by pure luck they get to be seen as “right”. So dumb.
Who cares about “being right”, we all just want the Seahawks to “get it right”.
And as for those who actually imagine their opinion carries weight and are not willing to listen to well-reasoned counterpoints because they spent a whole half a Sunday copy/pasting together a draft board can, as Rob says, get stuffed.
I really like that Jeff owned up to flipping on Carter pre-draft. That’s not easy to say, particularly when the discourse here had been so logical and well thought out since the season’s end.
Honestly, though I’m on Twitter a lot, I don’t follow or see tweets from any of those considered “Seahawks Twitter”, so I can’t pass judgement. I only heard about that case because someone posted about it here, but it wasn’t aimed at just him but in general those few that really let it get to their head.
Anyways, props to him and to anyone who is willing to own up when due.
Pete was in with Chuck and Buck this morning and they asked him point blank about the QB situation.
Pete said they really liked the QBs who were picked around where they were and he specifically mentioned Richardson and his skill set. It was a good listen. Also, said he is rooting for all those guys, Stroud had a rough deal the last few weeks before the draft. It sounded like it would have been more than a small chance they would have selected Richardson.
He had a great story about the signs the team needed to draft Witherspoon as well.
I do agree too many of the Seahawks local beat writers are trying to push a narrative that the team is a lot closer to being a true contender than they really are. Oddly enough, a lot of the national reporters doing their way to early 2024 Mock Drafts have the Seahawks picking between 5 and 12. My guess is that this is due to the National media looking more at Genoās full season, the fact the Seahawks are going to play a second place and much tougher schedule rather than a 4th place schedule that ended up being one of the easiest in the league last year. With that being said, the local media also knows there is a large portion of Seahawks fans that will lose interest if the team isnāt good. As Ian Furness calls the the ā12s since 12ā. By trying to get people to believe the team is closer to being good than they really are they keep up that groupās interest in the team.
Those of us who come here arenāt really part of that group, so we then donāt pay attention to a lot of the local media because we see what they are putting out there as pushing their narrative.
I was watching the draft with my neighbor and he kept asking how I knew who some of these guys are, and I said some people watch Netflix or Apple TV, I read Football blogs and watch old football games.
Cool. Just found the link and will give it a listen.
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/950-chuck-and-buck-20471416/episode/h2-5-3-seahawks-head-coach-pete-114366264/
Yup, you said it. It was Richardson 100%.
He had it on the tip of his tongue, literally almost let it out: “we would have… you’ll never know.”
Then he went on to talk about how they would have been a perfect situation with Geno taking one of them under his wing.
No further speculation needed!
Thanks Sea!
Reflecting on the draft one of my favorite picks is HALL and watching the Alabama game seeing his impact is exciting !
So, when is rookie Mini-Camp? Next week?
Rookie minicamp is May 14-16th
Chris Simms seems to think Derick Hall has more potential to be a superstar pass rusher than Will Anderson. Thought that was interesting.
Derick Hall has some reasonable physical comps to TJ Watt
Hall: 6’3; 254lbs; 34.5 arms; 10′ hands; 4.55 40; 1.59 10yd; 33.5 vert; 127′ broad; shuttle 4.2; 3 cone 7.2; aged 22 for rookie season.
Watt: 6’4; 252lbs; 33 arms; 11′ hands; 4.69 40; 1.59 10yd; 37 vert; 128″ broad; shuttle 4.1; 3 cone 6.7; turned 23 in October of rookie season.
Both guys are dogs with motors that run very hot, and are all about ball. Excellent tacklers.
Watt had more advanced handwork and moves coming out, but that is something that can really develop with proper coaching and work.
Love the pick and hope he becomes a great player, but since i don’t like most of what Simms says and how he says, I can’t know pretend that i even remotely care what he says, even if he is positive about sth.
I take Simms with the same grain of salt that I take Florio. They aren’t dumb but they do make some strange comments at times…but I respect them both.
I would love the Discord and would love to work together on building a draft board, sort of like we already do in the comments but with more continuity in the different channels.
I secretly hope Rob would be willing to build one of the walls of his new studio into a full size draft board like teams have, move players up and down throughout the CFB season, and then pull them off live on stream as we go through the draft!
https://img001.prntscr.com/file/img001/RC7HBXhtSC61ln7kBiKmyA.jpg
That would be so cool!
As I struggle to see the quality I was hoping we would have in our linebacker room, with the exception of perhaps Bobby, one of the last years linebackers came to mind.
In my opinion Brooks and Barton struggled terribly during their time playing. However, I saw some very nice flashes and play from Tanner Muse. A lower cost player that was just a fill-in but seem to outperform most of the rest of our linebacker room.
If my assessment of his play is correct, doesnāt it seem odd that we would let him go to another team (Steelers) for almost a minimum contract amount of $1 million a year? Given the quality of at least just filling play last year, wouldnāt that justify a $1 million contract just to be a part of our room this year? If nothing else, that level of play should at least set the bar for the rest of the members of the linebacker room to at least meet in order to stay.
Am I off here?
Muse had all of 9 tackles on defense last year. He was a special teamer that was forced onto the field because of injuries to a shallow LB room.
I honestly think Barton might do relatively well in Washington this year. They have an upper tier DL, which will keep him clean and he’s a pretty solid coverage LB.
I think the takeaway from their moves is that we aren’t going to run as much ILB heavy formations. 3-3-5 might be quite common with say:
Reed – Young – Dre’Mont
Nwosu – Bobby – Clark
Woolen – Jamal – Diggs – Love – Spoon
Or 4-2-5 with an OLB/EDGE on the line and Bush in for the the other.
I think the way this roster has been built shows that they want to run nickel as more of a base package and as such ILB has been the lowest priority of the defensive positions.
Passing downs might even have some 2-3-6 with Clark/Nwosu in a stand-up edge role along with maybe 3 CB & 3 S.
Who is Clark in this scenario?
My bad, Taylor.
I don’t really know that Muse was a lost opportunity. The Seahawks could have RFA tendered him pretty cheaply to retain him if they wanted, and they did not. Pittsburgh got him for the rock-bottom minimum with no guaranteed money.
I personally didn’t see much that made me think he can be part of the solution going forward other than he took a ton of ST snaps.
Would not shock me if the team felt they have seen the best Muse has to offer and they can get what they want/need from John Rhattigan.
Or if they sign him to the PS when the Steelers cut him loose this year.
Thanks for all the feedback. Much appreciated.
One thing that Iāve been thinking since youāre last article Rob, is that not all of next years crop of QBās will necessarily declare. We could be in the same situation next year, with less leverage and draft capital. Not saying that they needed to push for QB this draft, especially with Richardson and Stroud gone, but at some point they will probably have to get way more aggressive about the position than what theyāve shown. I truly wonder if Pete just shuts down the idea of QB importance in the draft. Frankly, drafting only two in 13 years is a flat out fail in my opinion.
I donāt think Pete does that. Letās not forget for years they had a franchise QB and had no need to draft one
But they need to avoid becoming the Colts
In JS’s interview with Bob and Davy Wyman, he mentioned that there was an upset before #83 and that was the reason they traded down. Anyone with an idea of who that could have been? My best guess is Tucker Kraft. I feel like they wouldn’t have double dipped at WR or DE or RB and that was a majority of the picks in the 10-15 picks before 83. Below is the 13 picks before for reference.
7 (70)
Raiders Byron Young Defensive Lineman Alabama Crimson Tide
8 (71)
Saints Kendre Miller Running Back TCU Horned Frogs
9 (72)
Cardinals Garrett Williams Defensive Back Syracuse Orange
10 (73)
Giants Jalin Hyatt Wide Receiver Tennessee Volunteers
11 (74)
Browns Cedric Tillman Wide Receiver Tennessee Volunteers
12 (75)
Falcons Zach Harrison Defensive End Ohio State Buckeyes
13 (76)
Patriots Marte Mapu Defensive Back Sacramento State Hornets
14 (77)
Rams Byron Young Linebacker Tennessee Volunteers
15 (78)
Packers Tucker Kraft Tight End South Dakota State Jackrabbits
16 (79)
Colts Josh Downs Wide Receiver North Carolina Tar Heels
17 (80)
Panthers DJ Johnson Linebacker Oregon Ducks
18 (81)
Titans Tyjae Spears Running Back Tulane Green Wave
19 (82)
Buccaneers YaYa Diaby Defensive Lineman Louisville Cardinals
I think Bron Young from Alabama.
Wrote about this a few comments above.
https://seahawksdraftblog.com/live-stream-205pm-pt#comment-763615
I read an article after the draft that said Seattle got the #1 UDFA in the League in WR Matt Landers. He is 6-4 and ran a 4.37 40. He is a developmental prospect obviously but he seems very similar in many respects to Bryce Ford-Wheaton who also went undrafted but got more attention as a prospect.
That top 10 clip of Anthony Bradford on YT is wild. Rag dolls Jalen Carter & Dallas Turner. Blows Jared Verse & Gervon Dexter off the ball.
Not sure why I responded to this post lol. Was supposed to be seperate
That pull at 0:48 gives me hope that he can be much more than just a jumbo, mauler type.
LSU G Anthony Bradford in 10 plays
https://youtu.be/402v7uKbsRs
As soon as saw the title, I knew exactly what play you were mentioning. He scooted down as a pull guard across that line quickly for such a big man.
He certainly has traits, tho I think he was a 6th-year senior. Rooting for him.
Half way through Quinn Ewers’ 2022 tape.
My god, if they thought the 2023 QB’s were erratic.
He has some absolutely horrendous misses. Wayyyyyy too many misses.
But then has moments that make you sit up in your seat.
The inconsistency is unbelievable. He needs to take a big step in 2023 though.
I’ve also watched two more Drake Maye games and the hype is not justified. He also has way too many misses. There are things to like but this idea he’s better than Stroud and Young is absolute bollocks and Richardson’s traits make him way more interesting too
Exactly how I have felt throughout this process. Never understood the hype for next year’s class. I have a feeling we will get to next year and everyone is going to be saying how much better the ’25 Class is, Never ending cycle of overrating the next class. Its why I would have “paid the iron-price” (although I realize now that the teams ahead of us weren’t happening) to get Richardson. Next year’s QBs are also erratic, but none have anywhere near the tools of Richardson
(although I realize now that *trading with* the teams ahead of us werenāt happening)
I am leery of Caleb Williams as well, he plays in Lincoln Rileyās ultra QB friendly system. Go watch him struggle the second half of his freshman season against some pretty weak competition.
Not saying Williams is terrible, I just stopped buying i to the hype of these QBs who play in these super QB friendly systems.
Spencer Rattler is now playing in a system using more pro based concepts because the OC there has spent a majority of his career in the NFL. Having coached some average QB to their best seasons in the NFL. If Rattler continues to show what he did the last part of the season, he is going to be a big riser up the draft board.
His biggest victory this year might be if he gets to start all season. He’ll have everyone outside of the team probably pushing for Manning to start.
Texas fans Iāve talked to laugh when his name is mentioned as a top prospect. Then again, same happened with Florida and Richardson.
Heās a tease
There are some really clean, natural throws and an amazing release
But bloody hell, the misses. The misses.
Hey Rob,
Just wanted to say thank you for all the content you’ve provided the 12s over the years. Your draft coverage and team coverage in general is second to none. You especially knocked it out of the park this year, and the streams you do with Jeff is the best Seahawks content online as far as I’ve seen. You guys have a natural chemistry and clearly have a deep understanding of roster building, the league, and most importantly the Seahawks franchise. You guys both often provide perspectives I see nowhere else. It would be awesome if you guys could collaborate on a more consistent basis. I’m not sure how Real Hawk Talk hasn’t had you on as a guest, but honestly the streams with just you and Jeff are superior. Although, I would love to see Brian added to the fold as well. Keep up the great work!
On a side note, the discord would be a fantastic idea. I’m also looking forward to the website updates coming this year!
[Hughes] The Jets are signing Al Woods, sources tell SNYtv
https://twitter.com/connor_j_hughes/status/1653859970629156865
Ford and Woods now gone. Harris is the only one left if they want a familiar face. Might be saving that last spot for a cut candidate. Really no need to fill it now as the games dont start for 4 more months.
Theyāll be guys to bring in. There always are. I just hope they donāt run out 6 wide receivers, etc in lieu of having a good rotation for the front 3.
That D-Line is still a bit thin if they are sticking with the 3-4. š§. Need some more depthā¦.Iād feel a little better if they were going back to the 4-3 where theyād need fewer bodies on the inside.
Except we’d need more 4-3 DE, which outside of the LEO, we really don’t have.
I’ve been so impressed watching Olu Oluwatimi. I hadn’t watch him much pre draft because I focused on players more clearly linked to Seattle, but the man does his job so consistently. He’s not the type of guy to drive guys off the ball all time, but he does his job, gets in the way and seals of runs. His pass pro is also excellent, he can pass guys off and get to the second level, pull around and block in space. Genuinely can count on one hand the times he lost his blocking assignment in the 3 games he watched.
Maybe its just post draft rose coloured glasses, but given how he’s as decorated a college OLas you see I have no idea how he felt. Is it just his baby hands?
I don’t want to make any sweeping statements because I don’t really know how good Evan Brown is supposed to be, but I’m very confident we will have upgraded at C and I’m much happier to get Charbonet + Oluwatimi as opposed to JMS and a 5th round RB.
If Oluwatimi looks great and decisively wins the job, Brown gives them another option to compete at guard as well.
And itās not as if weāve had any centers that really blow people off the line. How many teams do?? Even Pocic who was a tackle no a guard no a center didnāt seem all that special at the center position. Low cost to get him on the team, and if heās smart, vocal, and doesnāt make mistakes? Sounds like a great center to me! Not everybody is a freak athlete. As long as he doesnāt limit the playbook, he seems like a fine addition.
If him and Bradford can start effectively? Talk about a young cheap line! Curious to see if Lewis gets reupped, does he represent a small relative investment in the line, or do they save money for the defensive line?
Good interview with Iilinois HC Bret Birkenstock.
Pretty much confirms there was interest at #3 on Witherspoon, as well as him not getting past picks 6 or 7.
Said he knew something was in the works when Schneider called him the day before the draft.
Very excited to seeing him line up opposite Woolen
Bret Bielema. Stupid auto correct
Hereās the link for anyone interested
https://youtu.be/vXrLfiscvbY
Bret Birkenstock is the best science teacher. Very environmental.
Didnāt even blink, sounds like a good Big 10 name.
Gonna be fun! Iām sure a balanced team is better, but itās fun to see really too heavy investments in corner.
If Coby, Mike, and Tre step up, we could have a really incredible corner group. Bring on the spread!
Thanks, Rob. It will be interesting to watch what Clint and Crew can do with the new guys.
Re the offense: It seems to me that Shane Waldron has a lot to gain this season, or maybe he also has a lot to lose. He has what many see as shiny offensive players he can scheme in any number of ways. But will he have an Offensive line that keeps Geno safe and gives his running backs space to move in??Maybe Andy Dickerson, also has a lot at stake. If the two coaches can make the offense click at all levels t might mean both could have bigger paydays to come. But if the offense cannot rack up a lot of points and looks flat, then Shane and Andy might have fewer opportunities ahead.Which of the wide receivers will be used for jet sweeps, besides Dee Eskridge, assuming he can remain healthy