In many ways this is perfect timing — just a couple of weeks after the draft. My computer needs to be reformatted and won’t be cleaned until next week. Sadly this means an extended break from the blog post-draft. I expect to be back up and running next week. Thanks for your patience.
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Thanks for the update Rob,
I just suffered a similar meltdown on my work/school computer. No fun. Best of luck and thanks for all of the amazing content you put out.
Enjoy the break Rob. Thanks for running the best Seahawks fan site – I really enjoy reading your insights and am looking forward to reading your analysis on the latest hawks!
CBS attempts to grade the 2011 draft.
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/nfl-draft-scout/24567786/nfl-draft-revisited-part-2-teams-1-16
Interesting, no mention of KJ Wright or Malcolm Smith being good picks (looks like the writer was bound to only picking one player for each category, but still! The Super Bowl MVP gets no love?)
Also no mention of Doug Baldwin getting signed as a UDFA in 2011.
That’s what happens when you choose the “best” players. A Superbowl victory is what happens when you choose the right ones. I’m really just trying to pretend that I am profound.
vid related:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0nZh9o65nE
No problem! I’ll miss this fantastic blog though during the absence 🙁
Can’t wait for you to get back Rob.
I have been over at Field Gulls and it has been frustrating to hear from the trolls posting about RW’s personal life. I really appreciate you keeping it about the football over here.
In Rob’s absence, I would be curious if anyone has followed roster/practice squad developments over the past couple of years? We have already seen a number of early 53-man roster projections, and the first thing that jumps out is how many good prospects the Seahawks are going to have to waive. I wonder how many of them have a chance of clearing waivers and making it onto our practice squad?
Obviously, this is all dependent on how well these prospects play in training camp and the pre-season games, but there are a number of players whom I suspect the Seahawks would love to retain but won’t have room on the 53-man. Here are a few of the players that are practice squad eligible, and who probably need another year of development, but will they clear waivers: Jeffcoat, Pinkins, Staten, Small, Scott, Gilliam, Price, Matthews, Dion Bailey, Coyle, Taylor, Cherrington, Brooks, Ware and Bates.
Admittedly, we can expect the Seahawks waived players to be looted by the rest of the league (looking right at you, Jags and Jets), but there is a limit. For a team to place a guy on their 53-man roster, they generally have to expect that he can play this year. A developmental player, who probably isn’t going to be ready until 2015, may not be someone that another team wants to spend a prize roster spot on.
The players named above who seem unlikely to clear waivers would be Matthews, Jeffcoat and Pinkins, I would think. Other players, such as Scott and Gilliam, probably aren’t ready to play and need a year, and may clear waivers to the practice squad. Some players, such as Ware, would be ideal to stash on the practice squad, and though they are good prospects, they may not find a team willing to spend a roster spot on them. Your thoughts on who should clear waivers, and who probably won’t?
I think Seattle’s practice squad will be a challenge with Idzik in New York and Gus in Jacksonville both having a similar view as our FO of the type of players to develop.
I think we need to get used to the fact that we are going to be cutting rosterable players every year. Jeffcoat will probably need to beat out Mayowa and make the 53-man roster if we are to keep him. I fully expect Pinkins to make the 53-man roster for his special teams play while he develops as a CB.
I do think it makes it harder for veterans like Heath Farwell to stick on the roster based on ST alone.
I think Jeffcoat is not PS material. With his personal stats and his 2013 production numbers (better the Clowney’s best year), defensive player of the year etc. etc. there is something we don’t know about the guy. There is something that made 32 NFL teams shy away from picking this guy.
I think we took him just in case it’s not true. If he proves that whatever it is that everyone fears is not based – he is a roster player challenging for a starter position. If whatever they fear is true – he is gone and no one will touch him.
John and Pete are essentially running a farm system for the Jets and Jags.
I like Idzik and Gus and they are in the AFC so I am OK with our guys going there. I’m actually finding myself rooting for Jacksonville.
Yeah my best friend is a Jag fan, so i pull for them, they had a good draft too imo
And just like Minnesota is essentially running a farm system for Seattle.
Looking forward to having you back again. This website got me much deeper into the seahawks than I ever was before!
Enjoy the few days off Rob! We’ll all be here when you’re ready!
Cannot wait for OTAs to start! Go Hawks – SEApeat this year!
Missing your insight Rob. I’ll be standing by…..
Thanks for the update, Rob. Seriously…you are the BEST informed Seahawk writer out there. Your writing is only excelled by your preparation. The Draft Blog is my first source for Seahawk info. Amazing…you have names on your mocks…and then those names start popping up on nationally known mocks. The big boys are reading your stuff. Good Job…and don’t stop!
Wow Garrett Scott, what a tough break. I knew something was up given he couldn’t get through his physical, then the team announced yesterday he signed his contract that included a 100k signing bonus. I was like, WTF?
But it looks like they were just trying to do the right thing and do right for the poor kid. To achieve the dream of getting drafted and have to give it all up, that must have hit him like a ton of bricks. I wish him well.
That is rough news about Scott. It does sound like the Hawks did the right thing by him.
I remember hearing John Schneider say they had a 6th round grade on Gilliam and he had similar SPARQ and position versatility. But, Garrett had the look of a potential left tackle. I don’t know if they see Gilliam in the same way.
Based on his successful work in minicamp where he was highly lauded by Carroll in manning left tackle, I think they do see him in the same way. I think the reason they drafted Scott instead was because he had more experience playing tackle whereas Gilliam converted to tackle during his last couple years at Penn State. Prior to that he was a tight end.
We 12s can be rightly proud of how the Seahawks have taken care of Garrett Scott in this matter. How rare to see an organization treating their people with such humanity. There have been a number of instances of pro athletes being diagnosed with an enlarged heart and coming back to play….let’s hope we see Garrett on the field some day soon.
As a 6th round pick learning to play LT in the NFL, Scott was going to need a year or two to develop, so this is not necessarily a bad thing if he can play again. This will buy both him and the Seahawks the time they need. In the meantime, this is an incredible opportunity for Gilliam, the equally “SPARQY” prospect from Penn State.
Just treading water until Rob gets back…
Lately, we’ve seen several articles in the MSM asking if Sherman is indeed the best CB in the game. It bothers me on a series of levels.
To me, Thomas, Chancellor, Maxwell and Sherman are ALL much better players because of the defensive scheme the Hawks play. What is so special about them here in Seattle is that they are ALL the near perfect fit for this scheme. The league is full of really good players playing poorly in a position they are ill suited to and another set of really good players playing as superstars in the perfect scheme for their skills.
Seattle has a brilliant (and simple) defensive philosophy (as their offensive philosophy is also brilliant and simple). To make this defense work they need ALL the parts to be functioning at a high level. In today’s league you need (and we have) a relentless attack on the QB. With a 4 – 3 front and a 7 man rotation of bat sh*t crazy pass rushers we can leave the LBers in coverage and keep pressure with just the front four. With exceptionally fast LBers we can move laterally across the field as needed. With Thomas (and his spectacular skill set) in the middle we can control the deep zone – WHEN – the corners can control the direction of the wide receivers and limit their freedom to run the routes they want. Throw in a BIG SS – who runs like a cat and hits like a bulldozer and you have the perfect personnel in the perfect scheme.
Yes – Sherman (and all the others) are VERY gifted – are some of them the best in the league? For our scheme most of them would be very hard to beat.
As to the pure abstract question of: Is one, or more of them, the BEST in the League? That question means very little in the context of Football – a team in which the winning team needs to be talented right up to the fifty third man on the roster. Many losing teams are full of gifted 1st round picks playing brilliantly, but in futility, on teams with fatal flaws.
Sherman has become a lightening rod who attracts attacks because of his pugnaciousness and loquaciousness. His play is NO QUESTION unmatched on the field and his personality is literally off the scales off the field. I’m DELIGHTED this wonderful player and person plays for my team.
Is he the best CB in the league? To quote the immortal Clark Gable; “Frankly, Scarlett, I don’t give a damn.”
Well put Mylegacy… Love the quote at the end.
Patrick Peterson claims to be the best corner in the league, but he does not have the wins or the stats to prove it for two reasons:
1) he is asked to play in a different scheme that requires more responsibility of him at a cost of lower performance; and
2) he does not get the safety help that Sherm gets.
…this is another way of saying:
1) my coaches are not as good as the Seahawks coaches; and
2) my team-mates are not as good as the Seahawks players.
…is this fool really so stupid that he does not grok what he is saying about himself, his team and his coaches; or does he simply not care so long as it promotes his lone cause?
Not just ‘lower performance’ but MUCH lower performance. Opposing QBs threw on Peterson last year to a tune of a 91.3% passer rating and he was among the top 5 corners targeted in the league. Sherm was the least targeted with the lowest passer rating against at 41%.
It’s funny how he thinks he’s the best because he draws the top assignment for the entire game when having that assignment just goes to prove that he’s got a ways to go before he can truly be called lockdown.
Nice Heinlein reference
….we are all strangers in a strange land.
A hunch of mine…
Firstly, a disclaimer…ever since I watched Kenneth Boatright’s tapes I’ve been obsessed with the guy.
There are so many good guys trying out for the DLine that it would be stupid to predict the outcome now. However, I will make one rash, too early, totally inappropriate prediction: I predict that Kenneth Boatright will be better this pre-season than will Cassius Marsh. Will Ken make the team? Who knows – but – man I like that guy’s moves.
Our search for meaning in life without you continues Rob…
Update — hoping to have the issues sorted in the next 24 hours.
Thank you Rob,
My withdrawal symptoms are getting worse…the ticks…the shivers…i even tried Bleacher report and am so ashamed of it….
EranUngar – don’t be ashamed. There is a 12 point problem to cure you of your Bleacher Report compulsions. Step one is Rob coming back.
EranUngar, Bleacher report? Yikes, we need to get you antibiotics quick. You may still have a chance at surviving if we move quickly…
It was my moment of weakness but i did not inhale….
I am now stronger for it….i apologize to my teammates and our wonderful fans….
I’m just glad you didn’t fall off the wagon with Adderall – those 49ers fan so like to get on our butts about that…
If John and Pete are going to carry 3 QBs and 6 WRs, something has to give somewhere. One area would be FB….do the Seahawks really need to carry two guys at a postion that is on the field only about 25% of the time? They can carry one FB, use a TE as the emergency backup (Willson did it some last year), and carry another on the practice squad,(eg, Ware or Small). Another area, as unlikely as it is, would be the OL. Our guys are so versatile, we could carry just 8 guys and still have this level of coverage: 4 OT (Okung, Bowie, Britt, Bailey); 5 OG (Sweezy, Carpenter, Bailey, Bowie and Jean-Pierre); and 2 C (Unger, Jean-Pierre). Depth could be stashed on the practice squad (eg, Gilliam, Fat Rabbit, etc). 8 OLs is not likely….they will probably add Hauptmann, Van Roten or Schilling to the 53, but the numbers have to be slashed from some positions, to carry an extra QB and WR.
Well Ireland’s gone. Guess that experiment didn’t work out.
Ireland’s GONE! Yikes! What happened – did the English finally go pear shaped, half a bubble out of plumb and just nuke ’em?