I’m running through a long list of names I’ve compiled over the summer. One player I particularly wanted to watch was Northern Iowa’s left tackle Trevor Penning.

He was highlighted by the Senior Bowl staff and this week I decided to watch some of his stuff rather than sift through the Clemson/Georgia or Alabama/Miami games again.

Penning is without doubt a name to monitor this year, all the way through to Mobile in January. It’s possible he could work into the first round conversation.

I’ve seen him listed at 6-7 and 320lbs and he certainly looks the part, with the apparent length to match.

So what does he do well?

What really stands out is the way he gets off the ball and plays with violence when engaging defenders. He doesn’t sit and wait for the block to come to him. This aggression might need to be tempered against the best speed rushers at the next level but it’s enjoyable to see a player just get after it the way he does.

Once he connects he doesn’t mess around. His initial contact is often a jolting punch that shifts a lineman off the spot and he’ll frequently knock someone out of contain in the running game. He’s a people mover. Penning appears to have extreme upper body power and the attitude to take advantage of that.

For a man his size playing at this level, he’s surprisingly mobile. He was asked to pull and connect on the run. He’s shown he can do that and had no problem locking on to targets in space. There’s clear evidence of him progressing to the second level and looking for someone to hit.

On one snap he even went as far as to run downfield and find an unsuspecting safety to dump on his backside. It was totally unnecessary and frankly, totally brilliant too.

He’s a finisher. In fact he’s one of the best finishers at tackle I’ve seen in a long time. When he connects there’s very little hand-fighting and calling it a day. Penning wants to drive you into the turf.

I’d love to know if he’s done any martial arts because the way he so often engages a block and then tosses opponents with a flick of the hips is extremely impressive.

His kick-slide is not the most fluid but then I struggled to find example where he’s flat-out beaten by speed. There were times where I thought he was a bit slow out of the traps but then he simply tracked the rush, engaged contact and finished. He handled the spin-moves well.

At times he’s maybe a little upright. There was one occasion where a defender got into his chest with a straight-arm and the initial contact knocked him off balance. However, he simply regained his footing and slapped the arm away, before ripping the pass rusher to the turf.

His ability to go really early is going to depend on how he tests athletically. Yet watching the way he takes on linebackers who come up to the LOS — just treating them with utter disdain — I would want this guy on my team. On a couple of occasions I saw a linebacker actively turn away from contact to protect himself as Penning was approaching. I’ve not seen that before.

Northern Iowa has developed a reputation for building strong, big offensive linemen from smaller athletes. Penning has set school weightlifting records. He’s listed on Bruce Feldman’s ‘freak list’ this year, with a reported 83.5 inch wingspan. He also broke the school’s squat record with two reps at 625lbs this year.

He can also do this:

Whether he plays left or right tackle or kicks inside — this is the type of player who will help you establish authority at the LOS. It’s all going to be on testing to determine whether his eventual future is in the first frame or whether he’s available later on.

Sometimes you watch a player and simply get a lot of pleasure and satisfaction seeing how good they are. Penning is the first example of that for me in 2021.

He’s one to track but it’s possible he’ll be long gone by the time the Seahawks pick next year.

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Note:  This is a guest post by Curtis Allen and the first in a weekly series. In each piece we will take a look at the Seahawks and their opponents and discuss key factors.

The promise of a new season is exciting and intoxicating. Especially this year.

A new offensive coordinator.

A wide receiver in DK Metcalf who is poised to take his place with the best in the game.

A franchise quarterback that is one of the best in the NFL. 

A running back who can infuse the entire team with a tough mentality.

A Hall of Fame middle linebacker roving the field looking for targets to take down.

Those are the knowns. Then there are the unknowns.

The Seahawks have kept both their offensive and defensive concepts and personnel groupings almost completely under wraps in the preseason. What has Shane Waldron cooked up to exploit the explosive talents of his personnel?

Can Darrell Taylor be the pass rush terror the team desperately needed when they drafted him?

Can Jamal Adams turn a full offseason with the team and the security of a new contract into an explosive season that can tilt the field with regularity?

Ultimately – can the Seahawks turn a tumultuous offseason into a real run at the Super Bowl?

Add in the fact that fans are champing at the bit to get back into the stadium and see their team live and you have the makings of an incredible adventure.

Week One sees the Seahawks starting on the road in Indianapolis against the Colts. One of the AFC’s best last year, the Colts have had their own turbulent offseason with a major quarterback change and multiple injuries to key players.

But you know they are spoiling for a fight just like the Seahawks are.

How can the Seahawks start the season off 1-0 with a win on the road against a tough as nails team?  Let us look at it in this week’s Watch Points.

Here we go.

Find a way to contain the running backs

With TY Hilton out for this game and the OL and QB positions having some questions — it is obvious the game for the Colts will be won or lost on the back of their running game.

Digging a little deeper really shows why that is not a bad bet for them. 

This group is dynamic.

First up, Jonathan Taylor. The second-round pick took his place among the NFL’s top backs last season, finishing in the Top-10 in all of the traditional stats:  Attempts, Yards, Rushing First Downs and Touchdowns. 

He is very good right now and will only get better.

With his vision, speed and toughness, Taylor is a perfect fit for this Colts offensive system.

Nine of his ten longest runs last year were between the tackles. 

But make no mistake, he is not just a grinder. That 4.39 40 speed is actual football speed, not combine testing speed.

Taylor recorded the NFL’s fourth fastest speed on offense in game situations last year at 22.05 MPH. 

For reference, amateur track star DK Metcalf’s rundown of Budda Baker last year was clocked at 22.64 MPH. Taylor has some serious speed.

The Colts also utilized him in the passing game last year, with 36 balls caught for an 8.3 yards per catch average.

It is not a coincidence that when Taylor got 20 touches in the 2020 regular season, the Colts were 5-0.

The Seahawks cannot afford to let this monster shake loose.

The beauty of the Colts’ offense, however, is it does not entirely rest on Taylor. 

They have another back in Nyheim Hines that is better than your standard support back. He troubles defenses in his own right and caught 63 balls out of the backfield and added 4.3 yards per rush.

Between Taylor and Hines, they generated 129 first downs last year. 

The entire rest of the offense? 76 first down. Yes, 63% of their first downs came from those two players.

And for the third head of this beast, Indy also brought first-down machine Marlon Mack back into the fold for another season. So, we will be seeing a lot of action out of the backfield Sunday.

The Seahawks have invested heavily in speed and tackling ability at the linebacker and safety spots. They must get their money’s worth in this game in order to contain these threats.

Of course, there are the trenches between them…

Prevent the Colts’ offensive line from dictating the game

Indianapolis has one of the best offensive lines in the NFL and they use it like a weapon. So many teams have their linemen focus on protecting and not allowing the defense to disrupt their plays. The Colts, in contrast, are aggressive with their lineman. They send them on missions to wipe out would-be tacklers. They are a coordinated, ferociously tough unit.

How good are they?

Last year, Jonathan Taylor’s 8.3 yards per catch I referenced above? He caught those passes an average of 1.9 yards of depth behind the line of scrimmage. So there is over 10 yards of room between him catching the ball and being tackled to the ground. That comes not just by Taylor’s ability but the lineman’s skill and effort in implementing the playbook to get out to the perimeter and block.

It gets even worse when you look at the running game.

Taylor led all starter-level running backs in the NFL with a sparkling 3.0 yards before contact per attempt. 

How good is that? Only seven other starting level running backs made the top-50 in that stat. Derrick Henry was a distant #2 at 2.6 yards before contact.

Think about that. Jonathan Taylor was clean 15% more yards before contact than the next best guy. 

On every single attempt.

Add that much room to roam untouched to the fact that he has game-breaking speed and you have a match made in heaven. 

Or hell if you are trying to defend that.

How do the Colts accomplish this? With an offense that is much more horizontal than vertical. They are experts at moving north to south, creating gaps for exploitable cutbacks by funnelling defenders out of running lanes and taking on linebackers in the flat.

Look at the passing grades Philip Rivers experienced for passing behind the line of scrimmage in 2020:

Those numbers passing to the perimeter of the defense behind the line of scrimmage are a far sight better than what he had ever done with the Chargers in previous seasons and it is indicative of the horizontal nature of their offense. 

With either Carson Wentz starting and coming off one of the shakiest quarterback seasons in recent NFL history, or Jacob Eason starting his first ever NFL game, there is a very high probability the Colts will give both several simpler plays of this nature to take away the burden. You can expect the offensive line to carry a bigger load than normal in this game.

The Seahawks must be ready. Defending the perimeter will be critical. Regularly setting the edge is mission critical. Whoever the Seahawks have at SAM and 5-tech must be able to hold their ground and not get pushed around. ‘Read and react’ will be an integral skill to display in this game.

Again, Jordyn Brooks, Jamal Adams and Bobby Wagner will be key players in this game.

One thing to note that could provide a spark to the Seahawk defense: say what you like about their cornerbacks but Tre Flowers and DJ Reed have no problem fighting off wide receiver blocks and getting involved in run defense. This was a real weakness for Shaquille Griffin and Quentin Dunbar. Not for these corners. With the nature of the Colts’ offense as it is, we can expect they will be tested in this area several times. A couple of key blocks or tackles by the corners to kill drives would be very impactful.

Another point in the Seahawks’ favor: The Colts’ offensive line might be banged up and a bit uncoordinated due to not getting much practice time in camp. Quentin Nelson and Ryan Kelly have missed time with injuries and the COVID list.

Eric Fisher has just come off the PUP list and might practice this week, so likely the LT start belongs to Julie’n Davenport. What do we know about him?

Well, the reason he is in the NFL is due to his size – he is 6’7” 325 with 36.5” arms.  Great measurables there.

The reason he is a journeyman player though is he doesn’t have the skill or speed to match that size. He is slow. Like Jamarco Jones slow. And neither is he a drive-blocker in the run game.

He played for Miami last year. Arguably his best game was in Week 4 against…you guessed it…your Seattle Seahawks and their early season pass rush misadventures. In 25 snaps he did not allow a pressure. But that was against Benson Mayowa, Shaquem Griffin and Damontre Moore and without any blitz support. Hardly a murderer’s row there.

If the Seahawks can carefully mix and match at the LEO/SAM position opposite Davenport, they could be very disruptive. Darrell Taylor’s speed and bend will be too much for Davenport – but with his NFL inexperience he could easily be prevented from setting the edge. All Davenport would have to do is lean that massive frame on Taylor and he is taken out of the play. A Carlos Dunlap or an Alton Robinson would fare better there in those more run-centric downs.

This is really a game where the Seahawks can employ the depth at the DL position they have collected over the summer. Effort and energy will be critical. The Colts were flagged for more holding penalties than all but four teams last year. Not many things kill drives with horizontal offenses more than pushing them back ten yards. Rotating fresh lineman at key times could provide just enough burst to draw some flags.

Another bit of good news is there is some familiarity there. The Colts’ offense is not unlike what San Francisco has run out in recent years. Move horizontally, open gaps, have the QB get the ball out quickly and let the playmakers take over.

Adjusting, maintaining positioning and gap integrity with your hands and flying to the ball are all concepts this defense is familiar with.

Can they excel at it though? They will have a tough task on Sunday.

At the very least, the defensive line needs to hold this powerful Colts line to a draw.

Get creative running the ball on offense

The Colts’ defensive front is one of the best in the NFL. DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart are a fantastic duo inside. With Darious Leonard creeping closer to a Bobby Wagner-level of play, it is no wonder that this defense was the second-best in the NFL against the run last season.

They will be lining up over a starting offensive line that has been shuffled around and has not gotten any preseason reps together other than a mock game. Expecting them to function like clockwork right out of the gate, and against a tough defensive front, is a very tall order.

Some creativity would go a long way in establishing some rhythm in offense by generating some easy yards on the ground. This defense is too good to just ground and pound all game and hope you break through eventually.

We have yet to see any real run concepts in preseason aside from the return of the fly sweep play with Dee Eskridge. 

Yet the Seahawks cannot just rely on Russell Wilson to carry the team. A few creative concepts to stretch the field, give them time to settle into a groove, keep the defense fresh and build a little confidence would be just what the doctor ordered.

Let Russ be Russ if it is needed

There is a lot of talk about this offense being quick tempo and utilizing the short passing game along with some newer run concepts. Actually using the tight ends to open up space and also getting the ball to Metcalf, Lockett and Eskridge in space and standing back and watching them make magic is a thrilling proposition. It is exciting to anticipate what we will get to see on the field.

A new offense with a quarterback sporting a 70% completion rate would be a sight to see.

The Seahawks will need balance though.

The Colts were the second-best team in the NFL in turnover differential last year. They likely will not give the Seahawks cheap points.

Their offensive and defensive lines will do their best to disrupt the entire game.

They run the ball well.

This team, though clearly not up to full strength, are going to present a real challenge.

This has all the makings of a close, but winnable game.

The game may come down to the talents of their best and highest paid player. Nothing hurts and frustrates a defense more than doing everything right, only to have Russell freaking Wilson break containment, extend the play with his legs and find a streaking Lockett or Metcalf for a backbreaking gain.

A new offense that has all kinds of new features and may tease some dazzling success is certainly the order of the day for this team in 2021. But at the end of the day, it may be the quarterback’s singular ability that takes this team where they want to go. If the game calls for that kind of moment, the team should be able to put Russ in a position to meet it.

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I think the Seahawks are facing a crucial season.

Personally, I’ve felt they needed change at the top for a while.

I think they need fresh ideas with a new approach.

I think they need an offensive-minded Head Coach with a vision that meshes with the franchise quarterback — who they made the focal point of the organisation when they gave him a $35m a year cotnract.

I’m concerned that the Seahawks are entering a period of ‘win or bust’ — where the bust equates to significant, franchise-changing consequences.

If this season ends up being more of the same, meaning playoff failure, it should be time to have a serious conversation about changing the Head Coach.

I know it’s a form of blasphemy in Seattle to suggest Pete Carroll’s no longer the right man for the job. Such a take is often ridiculed and laughed off.

One of the many push-back arguments is Seattle’s regular season record. They have been consistent winners since drafting Russell Wilson. For fans who grew up with putrid Seahawks teams in the 80’s and 90’s, there’s very much a ‘don’t look a gift-horse in the mouth’ vibe going on.

To me though, looking to the past to justify the future is a backwards way of viewing things. Thanks to Paul Allen, this isn’t your dad’s Seahawks any more. They’ve set new standards, reached new heights.

They’re no longer mixing with the bottom feeders of the NFL.

More importantly, however, they have something that will prevent any major regression — regardless of who is in charge at the top.

A legit franchise quarterback.

It can easily be argued that the main reason the Seahawks have had their run of winning seasons over the last few years is down to Wilson. Without him, not even Carroll would’ve been able to muster anything close to the same kind of success.

After all, it was only after adding Wilson in 2012 that the Seahawks dragged themselves out of the 7-9 mire.

Even last year, Wilson’s influence rang true. People linger on his difficult second half to the season. Yet the only reason they ever reached 12-4 was down to the quarterback.

Once his form tailed off, they finished 7-5 (including the Rams playoff loss). So basically they ended the year a smidgen above .500 — despite facing a relatively easy schedule.

They got to 12 wins purely down to their 5-0 start — where Wilson put up record numbers to prop up a defense that was on a pace to be one of the worst in NFL history.

So I’m not buying the idea that if Carroll were to depart that suddenly things would collapse. While ever Wilson is in Seattle, they have a great chance to succeed.

Furthermore, you can’t call regular season wins a marker for true success. Not for the Seahawks in their current form, anyway. And certainly not for Wilson. He isn’t going to look back on his career and bask in the glow of several winning seasons if it doesn’t come with any fresh, serious challenge for the ultimate prize.

Fans determined to be positive (which is fine) can cling to regular season wins and be proud of it. This franchise, in its current guise, needs to be judged on playoff success.

They’ve only won the NFC West twice in the last six years. In their last six playoff games, they’re 2-4 — with the victories coming against a middling Detroit team at home and against an awful Philadelphia, without their starting quarterback.

Since 2015, here’s the list of teams who haven’t played in the NFC Championship game:

Washington
New York Giants
Dallas
Detroit
Chicago
Seattle

Everyone else has been there.

To not even reach a Championship game — or really even come close — in the last six years, should be seen as a failure. Regardless of any regular season record.

Therefore I think this should be a make or break year for Pete Carroll.

If it’s more of the same in 2021, I think he should consider stepping down.

Think about what might happen if he doesn’t. Will Wilson go one step further than he did this year and actively pursue a trade?

It’s at least a possibility. He turns 33 in November. Time is of the essence for Wilson and if he doesn’t see this team making progress — and if he feels their vision and blueprint is wrong — there’s every chance he’ll seek to go somewhere else in an attempt to fulfill his lofty ambitions.

Both parties came together this year, potentially because they were forced to. Yet it feels like old wounds could reopen. The lack of any changes to Wilson’s contract are indicative of a situation that is being left open. A simple restructure to create cap space is easy to do. The Seahawks didn’t do it.

It would be a franchise-defining moment if they were forced to pick between the only elite quarterback Seattle has ever seen and a coach who will turn 70 later this month.

And I don’t bring up Carroll’s age to dismiss him. Let’s just be realistic here. If Wilson intends to play for at least another 8-12 years he will likely outlast Carroll’s coaching career. It’s a pure numbers game.

Therefore, I think it’s up to Carroll to prove that as the man at the top, he can take this team back to the NFC Championship game. That has to be the marker. Anything else should be deemed a failure and change should be considered.

Otherwise are we just going to see the same season, over and over, until we wake up one day and feel the Wilson era was a missed opportunity?

I appreciate the likelihood of change is slim, regardless of what happens this year. The Seahawks appear to be in an ownership holding pattern and it’s convenient for the incumbents to hand the football keys to Carroll and John Schneider. Going through a significant coaching change now, if they intend to sell within the next five years (as has been speculated), is undesirable.

But Carroll can also make that decision for them. I’m not sure he would. Perhaps he should, though, if it becomes clear that a ‘him or me’ situation emerges with Wilson angling for serious change.

Some fans would clearly back Carroll in this situation. However, I’ve studied the quarterbacks in college football and it’s not pretty. Replacing Wilson will be the hardest thing this franchise ever has to do.

If it comes to pass that the quarterback goes a step further than he did this year, someone is going to have to make a call. Forget about convenience or what is ideal. A decision needs to be made for the good of the franchise.

This will be Wilson’s 10th season playing for Carroll. It’s seven years since they made a run to the Super Bowl.

I am intrigued by the possibility of seeing what Wilson could achieve playing for a brilliant offensive-minded Head Coach.

Look at the recent examples where having a terrific offensive leader has helped teams get to the Super Bowl.

Kyle Shanahan guided the 49ers and Falcons to the Super Bowl. Sean McVay has been there. Andy Reid’s Chiefs have been twice. Doug Pederson won a Super Bowl with the Eagles. Bruce Arians won a Super Bowl with the Buccs.

There has been a shift in the NFL in recent times. Offensive leaders seem to be king with one glaring, Belichick-shaped exception. Rather than sit wondering forever what Wilson could achieve playing with an offensive-minded Head Coach, I’d like to see what it looks like before it’s too late.

I suspect Wilson feels that way too. That’s why his list of four trade destinations earlier this year included New Orleans (Sean Payton), Chicago (Matt Nagy), Las Vegas (Jon Gruden) and Dallas (Mike McCarthy).

That’s not exactly a subtle hint, is it? Four offensive coaches.

And let’s be right here. The Seahawks are paying Wilson $35m a year. If they intend to retain him long term, that figure is going to rise dramatically. The Seahawks would be best served structuring their football operations around their investment, making Wilson and an offensive coach the true identity and focal point.

I appreciate it’s all well and good me talking this way. I need to provide some names for alternative coaches.

Brian Daboll has transformed Josh Allen in Buffalo, turned Stefon Diggs into an even better weapon and is creative with his game-planning. He’s been around different coaches and has a lot of experience.

Joe Brady is from the Sean Payton school of coaching and has been mightily impressive in stints with LSU and the Carolina Panthers.

Eventually someone is going to seriously pursue Matt Campbell at Iowa State and Lincoln Riley will eventually, you’d imagine, want to scratch the NFL itch.

Those are the four that immediately spring to mind. It’s not a flawless list by any stretch but I do think it shows that options exist. Pairing an offensive Head Coach with an experienced defensive coordinator, who is given the keys to run things his way, feels like a good plan.

It’s not just about a need to make the most of the Wilson era or keep him on board. I think Seattle’s roster construction and use of resources has been poor for a number of years. Their scheming, game-planning, game-management, player development and winning when it matters is also up for criticism.

The stated aim in terms of playing style has increasingly failed to chime with the way they’ve built their team. They’ve struggled, in my opinion, to weigh-up the kind of balanced football Carroll prefers while paying a franchise quarterback so much — knowing he increasingly has his own aims and ambitions and preferences.

At times the way the team has been put together since the 2018 reset has appeared haphazard and confused. It’s been reactive more than planned — with too many band-aids and too many glaring weaknesses being unaddressed when seasons began.

There’s been complacency. Joe Fann challenged Carroll after the Washington game a year ago following another stalled offensive display where Seattle nearly blew a 17-point fourth quarter lead to Dwayne Haskins. It was brushed off as barely a concern. Three weeks later the season was over and those same problems that were dismissed were a big reason why.

They’ve been uncompetitive and seemingly unprepared at the start of key playoff games —- relying on Wilson to deliver heroic second half comebacks that have always been in vain.

I think you can question coaching appointments too. Not Shane Waldron, who is an unknown. But certainly prior appointments.

The buck stops with Carroll.

That’s not to ignore the clear positives he provides — including his unmatched culture, motivating skills, experience and competitive spirit.

Let’s also appreciate that Carroll will always be a Seahawks legend. A true visionary who delivered so much to Seattle and the NFL in general.

I just happen to think that the issues, right now, outweigh the positives. I think things have become stale and I think the Wilson-inspired regular season records are merely a convenient way to avoid a conversation we need to have.

I expect the Seahawks to have another winning record in the 2021 regular season. I think they’ll make the playoffs. I think they’ll probably be eliminated in the first two rounds again.

And to me, if that happens, it should be time for a change.

I can also say, with 100% confidence, that I’d like nothing more than to eat those words in a few months time.

I’ll own this article if I’m wrong. I hope I am and they at least make the NFC Championship game.

If I’m right — and it is more of the same this year — I think more people should be willing to embrace this uncomfortable discussion.

We discussed this topic among many others on our latest live stream, which you can watch below…

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Before getting into the college football notes, check out our Seahawks season preview live stream below…

This weekend was my first opportunity to sit down and watch live college football (along with some YouTube streaming). Here are some notes and thoughts:

1. The top quarterbacks are massively overrated

It’s only one game but based on what I saw this week combined with my previous study from last year, I’m not buying into the consensus grading for Oklahoma’s Spencer Rattler or North Carolina’s Sam Howell.

Neither player gives me the same feeling Zach Wilson did a year ago. They have their moments, of course. I’m not suggesting they’re totally hopeless. But if I was a fan of a team in the franchise quarterback market, I wouldn’t be looking at the 2022 draft for answers.

At least unless someone new emerges.

Rattler was the second best quarterback on the field on Saturday and was completely outshone by Tulane freshman Michael Pratt.

He finished with two interceptions but it should’ve been three. Rattler’s first pick was a terrible decision, lofting a floated deep ball into double coverage. It was beyond reckless. His second interception was thrown way off target and behind his wide open tight end.

There should’ve been a third. He threw another suicidal pass into thick coverage and just floated it into the air, begging to be picked off. The ref’s threw a flag for a DPI which was one of the worst calls you’ll ever see. The receiver was shoving the defender out of the play and his team mate jumped in to make the pick. If anything, it was OPI.

Rattler has physical tools and he’s very capable of extending plays. Yet to me he looks like a player who trusts his traits too much. He takes chances and gambles and that won’t cut it against pro opponents. Heck, it nearly cost Oklahoma a game against Tulane.

This was a trend early last season too. I’ve no doubt he’ll settle down as the weeks go on but for me there are big concerns about how he plays the game.

College players throw interceptions. They have bad games and make mistakes. There are different levels of error though. Opponents can make plays, you can be pressured, you can be forced into bad decisions.

Just chucking throws up into double coverage under no pressure? That’s different. Just thinking ‘ah f-it’ and lobbing one up? You can’t just do that. Having a play design where the TE is your first or second easy read and you throw it late and five yards behind him? Not good.

With Rattler, I just get the impression this is what he is. A toolsy player who takes chances. When the risks come off, great. When they don’t, we get a lazy, mistake-riddled performance like today that almost costs his team a game.

On the other hand, Pratt was poised, accurate, laid everything out for his team and almost pulled off the upset. He had great command of his offense and made the right decisions. He will be one to watch going forward.

Meanwhile, Howell and North Carolina were handily beaten by Virginia Tech on Friday. To me, Howell is a case of a player being elevated by internet scouts purely because he earned the starting role as a true freshman. It catches attention, people take notice. It’s assumed he must be something special but he’s not as good as some think.

He has a reasonable arm but he’s not elusive. He showed well on some quarterback keepers in this game but you’d never mistake him for a dynamic runner. There’s very little improvisation when the script breaks down.

I’m concerned about his accuracy and consistency. Too often he frets in the pocket under serious pressure and drops his eyes. I don’t think his tools are so good that you look beyond any of this.

To me he’s a fairly regular mid-round draft pick. At least with Rattler there’s the possibility of him working things out over time. Howell to me just appears pretty average.

Liberty’s quarterback Malik Willis is a very intriguing player and one to keep an eye on. There were a lot of flashy ‘wow’ plays on tape in 2020. There were also some ‘WTF’ moments and some serious technical issues he needs to address.

2. A safety worth a mention

Tulane’s Larry Brooks, take a bow. He delivered the toughest, most dynamic clean hit we’ve seen in years against Oklahoma. It was absolutely textbook — with superb striking range, power and it knocked an opponent out of the game.

Big hits are a thing of the past for the most part — and understandably so as the game transitions to a post-concussion-controversy era.

So it was such a delight to see Brooks deliver such a crushing blow — and that the refs acknowledged it by keeping the flags off the ground.

Furthermore, he also recovered an onside kick that gave Tulane an opportunity to win and he recovered a fumble which would’ve been crucial had it not been for the dumb flag on Rattler’s third pick.

Brooks is 6-0 and 200lbs and a junior. I’ll be keeping an eye out for him.

3. Kayvon Thibodeaux has an injury

With a mediocre looking quarterback class in 2022, Oregon’s star pass rusher had a pretty clean route to being the #1 overall pick with a good season.

However, after an impressive start including an early sack…

Kayvon. Thibodeaux.#GoDucks | @kayvonT8 pic.twitter.com/hfyvccVmm8

— Oregon Football (@oregonfootball) September 4, 2021

…he left the game with an injury and re-emerged on the sideline wearing a walking boot.

It’s reportedly an ankle injury which isn’t good news.

Meanwhile another pass rusher had a bright start to the season. Ohio State’s Zach Harrison had a tremendous sack/fumble against Minnesota, leading to a scoop-and-score touchdown for impressive defensive tackle Haskell Garrett.

The pair have a chance to really elevate their stock this season.

Aidan Hutchinson (DE, Michigan) also started with four tackles and a sack against Western Michigan. Provided he can stay healthy, Hutchinson has every chance to be a high pick next year. He has everything — great athleticism, size, power and the nouse to work out a route to the quarterback. Terrific talent.

Buckeye receivers Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson both were productive too. Olave had four catches for 117 yards and two touchdowns. Wilson recorded five catches for 80 yards and a touchdown. On the score, Wilson created a country mile of separation on a 56-yard throw-and-catch.

That said, I have reservations about their testing speed. They will have productive seasons, no doubt. But if they test at the combine I wouldn’t expect the kind of times that will have scouts salivating. Wilson ran a 4.61 forty at SPARQ. Olave only managed a 4.73.

4. A pair of running backs to keep an eye on

Kenneth Walker is 5-10 and 210lbs. He transferred from Wake Forest to Michigan State and on his MSU debut ran for 264 yards against Northwestern.

He scoured four touchdowns and had 11.5 YPC.

Walker has the size Seattle likes, he ran with power and explosion and showed breakaway speed on a long run to start the game. He’s one to watch moving forward, although he didn’t test at SPARQ so I don’t have any numbers as an early gauge.

Last week I highlighted UCLA running back Zach Charbonnet as one to watch. In a big win against LSU he again impressed, running for 117 yards on just 11 carries and a score.

He’s working in a backfield rotation which limits his snaps but so far he’s making the most of his opportunities with a tough, physical running style. Tacklers bounce off him, he has great balance and quickness. He accelerates quickly to get through the gears and he appears to have good vision to read opportunities and the physical talent to take his chances.

He also had a 35-yard reception in the game.

I’m a big fan. He’s a Michigan transfer and a former four-star recruit. He’s originally from California and seems to be settling back in on the west coast. Take the opportunity to check him out when you get a chance.

5. Tight ends make an impression

Two of the leading TE’s for 2022 were productive albeit in losing efforts.

Cade Otton had eight catches for 82 yards in Washington’s embarrassing effort against Montana. It’s hard to think what UW’s offense would look like without Otton.

Jake Ferguson had nine catches for 52 yards as Wisconsin lost to Penn State. Ferguson made one incredible diving, one-handed catch.

Both players warrant close attention this year.

Iowa’s Sam La Porta is someone I haven’t studied closely yet but will do. He’s highly rated by many. He had five catches for 83 yards as Iowa hammered Indiana. He’s difficult to bring down and had one play by the right sideline where he broke two tackles and dodged another for a few extra YAC.

The play of the day by a tight end, however, goes to UCLA redshirt junior Greg Dulcich. He scored on a 75-yard run-and-catch where he dodged one open-field tackle, sprinted down the sideline and then hurdled another defender to fall into the end zone. He had two other impressive plays too. I’m intrigued to see more.

6. Something my wife said

The Louisville logo flashed onto the screen at one point on Saturday. My wife, who wasn’t initially watching the college football, spotted and laughed loudly.

“Look at that bird! With its teeth and its beak!’

I’d never noticed until now. Why the hell does it have teeth!??!

7. Quick-hitting thoughts

— I am not convinced Justyn Ross at Clemson is as good as the internet believes. He started the season with four catches for 26 yards as Clemson toiled and struggled against Georgia’s ferocious and creative pass rush. It was pleasing to see Jordan Davis standing out again for Georgia. He’s not just a huge, space-eating defensive tackle. He’s more athletic than people realise and he’s capable of dominating the interior. He’s one of the best players in college football.

— Highly rated LSU pass rusher Ali Gaye also had a sack against UCLA, engaging with the right tackle and hand-fighting to disengage before finishing to the QB. Safety Eli Ricks is one to watch for the 2023 draft. He had four picks last season and had a good interception against UCLA — reading the play superbly. He has good size. One final note from this game — the commentator describing Caleb Johnson picking off Max Johnson as a ‘Johnson on Johnson crime’… was… interesting. At least he only called it a house call when Kayshon Boutte scored his second touchdown. Boutte, for what it’s worth, looks like a real talent. He had nine catches for 148 yards and three scores.

— It’s going to be an absolute precession for Alabama this season.

If you saw any prospects worth checking out this season jot their name down in the comments section. I have a few other games saved on my system to get into in the coming days.

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Sources: The #Seahawks are trading CB Ahkello Witherspoon to the #Steelers. A little secondary help before the opener.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 3, 2021

Just a couple of quick thoughts on this…

Firstly, whatever the compensation, this is a good move. It was becoming increasingly clear that the Seahawks were not impressed with Witherspoon. He failed to create an impression and had lost out in the competition to start.

Moving on and getting something, anything, in return is fine.

(Edit — it’s been revealed the compensation is a 2023 fifth round pick)

However, it does again highlight a glaring issue on the roster.

Seattle goes into the off-season searching for answers at corner. They’ll hope Tre Flowers really is better this time. They want Sidney Jones to push for a starting gig.

Yet at least at this initial stage, it’s difficult to be optimistic about the position.

And just as a year ago Seattle started the season with an inadequate pass rush — you have to hope that cornerback isn’t going to be the 2021 version.

It’s also worth noting that while the Seahawks save $1.5m by making this trade, they absorb $1.25m in dead money this year and next year.

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I think Quandre Diggs tried to pull a fast one at the end of camp and has been left with his tail between his legs.

Having seen Jamal Adams hold out and receive a record-breaking contract and Duane Brown hold out amid increased media talk that the Seahawks would sweeten the pot for their left tackle, I suspect Diggs wanted some of the action.

You could even argue, why not? There’s no harm in trying.

Yet I think it’s very evident that here is a man trying to save face after a failed attempt to get the team to act.

Last week Pete Carroll said in a press conference that Diggs was making a statement. Yesterday, Diggs played that down. It was all just a small, personal situation he needed to take care of.

Now it’s emerged he’s trying to take out an insurance policy against injury this season.

Surely though, he could’ve done that weeks if not months ago?

Not only that, why start camp and risk injury then right at the end decide you need insurance? Meanwhile you single yourself out by not practising and write a series of prolific tweets hinting at your dissatisfaction.

Chalk this one down to a victory for the team. It appears Diggs tried to get them to extend his deal now, amid the huge extensions for not only Adams but also Harrison Smith in Minnesota. The Seahawks, quite rightly, said this isn’t the time.

And it isn’t. If Diggs stays in Seattle beyond 2021 it’ll likely be after he establishes his market in free agency. This would be the worst possible time for the team to negotiate with their other starting safety.

Not only that, it would be an invitation for every other player on the team to ‘hold out’ prior to their final season on a contract. Eventually you have to draw a line in the sand and say, ‘no’.

Diggs’ press conference on Tuesday was a bit like the ‘comical Ali’ meme. Nothing to see here. I suspect the truth is he had a go and failed to coax more money out of the Seahawks. He’ll be playing in week one on the same deal.

The key is going to be Duane Brown. There’s less than two weeks to resolve this issue, which is far more important.

53-man roster notes

— I am baffled by the decision to keep three quarterbacks, mainly because Geno Smith and Sean Mannion aren’t actually any good. If keeping Mannion around due to his knowledge of the scheme is important, cut Smith. It seems they want to retain both somehow, perhaps with Mannion reverting to being a veteran member of the practise squad, and they think retaining him for now is the way to make it happen. It still seems a bit unnecessary.

— This is very much an incomplete picture. With four receivers, five pure running backs, 11 offensive linemen, a cluster of D-liners and weak depth at corner and linebacker there will presumably be claims and transactions coming this week. I just hope they don’t get too cute over the next few days.

— The Seahawks have never been a team to save a lot of cap space. The fact they have $13m in effective cap space currently suggests a potentially aggressive period of roster construction is forthcoming. I know people keep saying it’s unlikely but it’s got to be a possibility that K.J. Wright returns. They need another linebacker. Geno Atkins also is a distinct possibility, at the expense of maybe even L.J. Collier. If it’s possible to keep adding at cornerback too, that would be wise. Nobody wants to see Tre Flowers start, surely?

— Yesterday was a reminder that UDFA’s are still UDFA’s for a reason. There was much praise for Seattle’s undrafted class this year — and how a lack of draft picks had helped the Seahawks. Well, in the end, only Jake Curhan made the roster. Players like Cade Johnson may well make the practise squad and eventually get called up. But the lack of players making the team is indicative of the nature of UDFA’s. The Seahawks have never been more wide open to make the roster and only one undrafted player made the initial big cut.

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Trade: Jaguars sending CB Sidney Jones to Seattle, per source. Jones returns to area where he shined in college.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 30, 2021

Cornerback is a real issue for the Seahawks.

With D.J. Reed banged up during camp the talent levels were exposed. Pierre Desir didn’t last long. Ahkello Witherspoon has looked average. Tre Flowers continues to do Tre Flowers things. Tre Brown now has an injury.

There’s a distinct lack of quality and depth at the position.

It will be a problem during the season unless they find solutions. No amount of pass rush will completely cover up for being terrible at corner.

It’s not beyond the realms of possibility they find some answers. After all, Reed was an opportunistic pick-up a year ago. The 49ers even admitted they messed up letting him go, hoping to stash him once he’d suffered a somewhat serious injury. The Seahawks took a chance on his health and it paid off. Provided he stays healthy, Reed will be Seattle’s #1 cornerback in 2021.

These situations are relatively rare though. And this is the first time where there’s widespread uncertainty at the position under Pete Carroll. If nothing else, they always had a Shaq Griffin or Marcus Trufant in the past.

The urgency of the problem is evident in how much they’re scrambling around making deals. John Reid from the Texans last week, Sidney Jones today (in a deal for a sixth round pick in 2022).

They don’t have the draft stock to make a splash and readily available quality cornerbacks are not exactly commonplace in the NFL.

Thus, this is seemingly where they’re at. Hoping, praying that a solution emerges.

Jones was once a very talented, highly rated cornerback with first round potential. He suffered a serious injury at his pro-day and his stock dropped into round two. Before his third season in Philadelphia he was cut and picked up by Jacksonville.

By all accounts he had some relative success with the Jaguars last year — starting six games and collecting 26 tackles, two interceptions and a forced fumble. His PFF grade was a 68.1. Shaquille Griffin, in comparison, graded at 64.1.

It’s just hard to invest much faith in Jones with his career to date. He’ll get his opportunity now though to see if he can make things happen. It might be his last opportunity to do so.

Growing pains at corner seem inevitable at this stage and while you don’t necessarily need elite, top-level cornerbacks to succeed — it’s a position you can’t be dreadful at.

The Seahawks should probably get Geno Atkins back in Seattle pronto…

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It’s stating the obvious but this was a vast improvement (well, they won 27-0, duh).

More importantly than any score or victory though was the fact there were legit positives to come out of the performance.

Firstly, some praise for Pete Carroll. I feared he would play key starters in this game after two sloppy, god-awful outings in the first two weeks. He hinted at it after the Denver game and it was concerning. As bad as Seattle were against the Raiders and Broncos, there was absolutely no reason to risk any stars against LA.

Just look at the JK Dobbins knee injury earlier in the day for a case in point.

It was a relief to see Carroll, who has started key players in virtually all of his pre-season games previously, resist the temptation — and be rewarded by those who did play.

The main positive for me was Darrell Taylor. He had an early speed-to-power rush that resulted in a pressure. Then he came screaming off the edge, rounding the tackle for a big sack. Later on he showed great effort to chase back to a pressured QB to share a sack with Kerry Hyder.

This is what everyone has been hoping for. Nobody could be blamed for wondering whether Taylor would ever see the field in Seattle, let alone perform if he did. In this game he looked like a player who can cause opponents problems.

Forget the SAM — they have enough money to go and get KJ Wright and still should do that. Get Taylor off the edge on key downs and let him be in attack mode.

Don’t do what you did a year ago, making Alton Robinson inactive so Luke Willson can be active for zero offensive and special teams snaps. This guy needs to play.

Taylor showed enough in this game to warrant a big role as a specialist pass rusher.

It was also good to see another recent second round pick, Dee Eskridge, looking quick and explosive. He was fluid with the ball in hand and made one typically eye-catching grab (the type he used to make in college all the time). I was a big fan of Eskridge going into the draft and there’s no doubt he can be a very exciting player for Seattle if he stays healthy.

There was actually a running game this week, which was extremely pleasing to see. Alex Collins in particular was agile, explosive and physical. For me he should’ve sealed the RB2 position with this performance, ahead of Rashaad Penny. Collins looks like a player who should be getting a sizeable role to limit the wear and tear on Chris Carson. In fact he looks very capable of leading the rushing attack if needed.

I liked the way Seattle blitzed in this game. I’ve not studied it closely but on first view the timing and variety was pleasing. One big blitz by Cody Barton obviously led to a touchdown for Marquise Blair.

There may be others I’m missing, writing immediately after a first condensed viewing, but I thought Joshua Moon played well.

Overall defensively they made the Chargers look as bad as the Seahawks did in the previous two weeks, so that was a big improvement.

There are three issues I want to discuss too.

I’m not sure why referee’s decide annually to take over pre-season games but someone needs to tell them, finally, to stop. The number of penalties was ridiculous and even watching in a 40-minute condensed replay it was painful at times.

If avoidable injuries are reason #1 to finally get rid of pre-season, then refereeing nonsense is a close #2.

It remains a big mystery why the Seahawks over the years have been unable to find a backup quarterback of even middling ability. Geno Smith, as fun as his scrambling around in this one was, isn’t good enough. Sean Mannion isn’t good enough.

John Schneider arrived in Seattle talking about drafting quarterbacks regularly and yet in the Carroll/Schneider era they’ve selected just two in twelve drafts. One of those, of course, was seventh rounder Alex McGough — cut last week because he’s even worse than Smith and Mannion.

Perhaps Russell Wilson’s consistent availability has made it a moot point? Yet it’s a little surprising that in well over a decade they haven’t drafted a solid, decent backup that you might actually be excited to see in an emergency.

If Smith or Mannion has to start for Seattle, it’ll be ugly.

I’m also not sure we learnt that much about the cornerback position in this one. It still looks like a weak area that will need to be further addressed.

Seattle has plenty of cap space. It’ll be interesting to see what strings they have to pull before week one to ensure Duane Brown and Quandre Diggs take the field.

With Brown, there’s simply no alternative other than making this right.

With Diggs, I’m not sure that’s the case. Seattle has depth at safety and they can’t have every player who is moderately displeased holding out. They don’t want to set that precedent. Calling his bluff might be best. Or even considering trading him. Especially if you can get an upgrade at corner in return.

Quick draft thought from the weekend — I only watched some of one game. UCLA vs Hawaii. If you want a name who shone in that one, check out UCLA running back Zach Charbonnet. He’s 6-1 and 220lbs and ran with explosion, power and quickness. He’s a former four-star recruit who has transferred from Michigan.

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Firstly, some welcome news today…

Former #Bengals All-Pro and Pro Bowl DT Geno Atkins is visiting the #Seahawks today, per his agency @_SportsTrust. Fully cleared from surgery that short-circuited last season, Atkins could be big-time addition to Seattle’s D-line.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 23, 2021

Geno Atkins is 33-years-old. Who can say whether he still has anything to offer? It’s at least worth finding out.

Jarran Reed’s departure has somewhat been glossed over. An argument can certainly be made for his cap hit simply being too high in 2021, justifying his exit.

It’s also worth remembering in his last two full seasons in 2018 and 2020, he combined for 17 sacks.

There aren’t many defensive tackles who can produce those numbers.

It’s certainly not impossible for Poona Ford, Al Woods and Bryan Mone to pick up the slack. I’m just not convinced it’s their game. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Ford in particular was superb in 2020 and elevated his performance to a new level. The Seahawks played a blinder by extending his contract before he reached free agency next year.

He can and hopefully will excel — but I don’t expect that to be to the tune of 6-8 sacks.

Maybe Atkins is too old, too injured and too past his best? I still think for a team intending to seriously contend this year, you might as well give him a few games to find out. They need an Atkins-type, after all.

In a specialist role where you limit his snaps and give him a chance to get you off the field with a sack or pressure, there aren’t any better options out there.

Carlos Dunlap is only a year younger than Atkins. He hasn’t had the recent health issues but he was invigorated by leaving Cincinnati and moving to Seattle.

Bringing in Atkins would be a smart move — even if it doesn’t work out. Nobody will complain for rolling the dice here.

It’s a win-win. A shot to nothing.

Personally I’d hoped Atkins would be part of a double-veteran signing. It may well be — but not in the way I expected…

Interesting stuff here on Wright. As for the Seahawks and their LB corps with BBK out, as I wrote the other night, if they sign someone, it's to be a backup and play a lot on special teams. I don't think that's something they'd ask Wright to do, or that he'd want to do. https://t.co/5wm79UoBmf

— Bob Condotta (@bcondotta) August 23, 2021

I’m confused by Seattle’s approach here. Firstly, their depth is weak at linebacker. Secondly, they’re messing around at the SAM position. Signing K.J. Wright kills two birds with one stone.

I said this on Saturday and in recent podcasts. Put Alton Robinson and Darrell Taylor on the field as pure pass rushers and let them get after the quarterback. Forget about putting them at linebacker or asking them to adapt. They are pass rushers.

Taylor in particular looks like a fish out of water trying to make the switch.

The Seahawks have a habit of shifting players around during camp when arguably they’d be better off just honing in on a specific job. It’d be exciting to see Robinson and Taylor flying off the edge on third down. Watching them trying to handle the running game or cover someone at SAM? That’s scary.

Wright had one of his best seasons in 2020 playing SAM. Even if his contract demands are a little rich, the Seahawks have quite a lot of cap space to use comparatively speaking. They know what they’re getting from Wright and it’s all good.

Instead it seems increasingly likely they might bump Jordyn Brooks to SAM and have Cody Barton play the WILL. That is not an exciting thought.

The veteran who could be returning is, of course, Luke Willson…

Another potential reunion: Veteran TE Luke Willson is set to visit the #Seahawks later this week, source said. Originally a Seattle 5th round pick, Willson also spent some time with them last year.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 23, 2021

I like Willson. He seems like a fun guy and he’s never given anything other than maximum effort.

He also seems very much like a player who must think to himself what he would’ve been doing the last few years if it wasn’t for the Seahawks giving him a job.

Lest we forget that in 2020 they occasionally chose to activate Willson for zero snaps on offense or even special teams rather than give Alton Robinson an opportunity to rush the passer.

As long as that doesn’t happen again, fine. But there’s a part of me wondering whether a 31-year-old tight end who probably wouldn’t be in the league but for Seattle might just get in the way a bit, once again.

He’s probably just a body to get them through a bit of short-term injury trouble at the position. It won’t say much for the much vaunted depth at tight end, though, if he ends up being anything more than that come the regular season.

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At the start of Pete Carroll’s post-game press conference, a loud horn-honk blurted out, presumably from someone’s cell phone.

“I agree” said Carroll, dryly, in response to the noise, after a 30-3 hammering.

I enjoy a bit of gallows humour. So kudos to Seattle’s coach for that, at least.

For the second week in a row my personal business decision not to stay up until the early hours of the morning to watch a pre-season game was rewarded.

I half expected someone to present me with a game-ball when I’d watched the condensed version of this latest enthralling counter, several hours after its conclusion.

‘Well done Rob, you’re the real winner this weekend’

Let’s get the usual caveats out of the way. Yes, Denver played a much stronger team than Seattle at the start of the game. You’d expect them to be superior and that’s very much how it played out.

I still have concerns from these two pre-season games.

Last week it looked like a well prepared, organised, functioning set of backups against a group that had been thrown together in a week or two.

Against Denver it felt like more of the same. The Seahawks barely functioned. They couldn’t get off the field on defense. They seem incapable of putting together a cohesive offense when key starters are missing.

The arguments last week about Seattle’s coaching, development and depth felt validated.

Jon Gruden put together a plan so that Nathan Peterman, Las Vegas’ third string quarterback best known for an embarrassing stint in Buffalo, could play reasonably well.

In two weeks, what have the Seahawks dished up? Watching Geno Smith, Alex McGough and Sean Mannion has been torturous. So either all three are just so bad they shouldn’t be on the roster (which is plausible) or the coaches really need to put them in a better position to succeed.

It’s not just the quarterback play though (although it was horrendous — and I don’t want to see another checkdown ahead of the LOS on fourth down ever again). There were major, back-breaking penalties. The running game was abysmal. The turnovers and decision making farcical.

The Seahawks looked hopeless, disorganised and incoherent on offense. They couldn’t get even the basics right in order to sustain a few drives to properly evaluate the roster.

It’s not about being brilliant and impressive with backups in pre-season. It would be nice to see evidence though of a team that can at least function to a basic level. Gruden got a tune out of Peterman. Frankly — a performance 50% as good as the Raiders on offense last week would be appreciated at this stage.

It was also a night to think about, once again, what could’ve been. As Rashaad Penny ran for eight yards on five carries, falling down on first contact, the name ‘Nick Chubb’ once again filled my brain.

I’m sure it was the same for John Schneider too. It’s long since been revealed how much they regret the decision they made in the 2018 draft. Chubb is fresh off a big contract extension in Cleveland. At least the Seahawks won’t have to worry about that with Penny. He’ll only be on the final roster by default at this stage. Given the way Deejay Dallas played against Denver, he might be for the chop anyway.

On defense, many key starters were also missing. Yet a number of players they’re clearly relying on also played. That includes Ahkello Witherspoon — who was beat by Jerry Jeudy early in the game for a big fourth down conversion before settling into a role on special teams.

Consistently Denver managed to move the chains on fourth down — converting three of four times.

Of course this will be a different team with Carlos Dunlap, Bobby Wagner, Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs starting. Yet short of Rasheem Green — who is an expert in flattering to deceive — there wasn’t a whole lot to take away from this game in a positive sense.

The cornerback position feels like a major problem waiting to happen. Witherspoon left San Francisco without much of an attempt to retain him. He’s been, at best, a middling starter who the 49ers clearly saw as replaceable.

Suddenly we’re left pining for D.J. Reed’s return, while hoping he can stay healthy. Even he alone might not be enough — he was a pleasant surprise a year ago and who can say whether he’ll be reliable as the de facto #1 corner in 2021?

I’m also concerned that as Seattle evolves the scheme defensively that they’re going to try and plug square pegs into round holes. I haven’t studied either player specifically against Denver but I did notice Alton Robinson listed as a linebacker on the depth chart pre-game. A week ago he was listed as a LEO.

Robinson and Darrell Taylor, for me, should do one thing in 2021. Rush the passer on passing downs. Let them get after it. That’s what they’re good at.

Trying to fit them in at SAM feels like a mistake.

If you need a certain type of ‘SAM’ to play this way, go and get K.J. Wright.

Robinson has shown flashes as a pure pass rusher and that’s what Taylor was drafted for. Let them focus on that, where they can truly impact games.

I’ll finish with a reinforcement of what I said last week. I have concerns about the way this team develops players and I don’t think they’ve done a good enough job there for a few years. I don’t trust Ken Norton and Pete Carroll to get the most out of their defensive personnel. I think there’s a lot of pressure on Shane Waldron, as a rookie offensive coordinator and play caller, to deliver on offense.

There’s a lot of hope for Waldron but the reality is, he’s a total unknown.

I also don’t think this team has drafted well enough or used its resources properly since the re-set in 2018.

The end product is a top-heavy roster that relies on star players to cover coaching, development and depth warts. And this pre-season, we’re seeing the roster ruthlessly exposed.

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