The comments section has been pretty active during games this season so I’m starting an open thread this week.

Before kick off you might want to comment on reports via Mike Garofolo (through Ian Rapoport) that Rashaad Penny could be traded before the deadline on Tuesday.

I touched on this subject on Friday. So far, it just hasn’t worked for Penny. He’s had injuries and doesn’t seem to be adjusting to Seattle’s scheme. Chris Carson has separated as the clear starter. If an attractive offer became available, it makes sense to see what’s out there.

Detroit reportedly tried to trade for Penny during the 2018 draft immediately after the Seahawks made the pick. They just lost Kerryon Johnson to IR. Could they be a prime candidate to make a move? The Seahawks already made a deal with the Lions this week for Quandre Diggs.

If the Seahawks did trade Penny, they’d need to add a running back. They can’t rely on C.J. Prosise as the primary backup. With Mike Davis on the periphery in Chicago, it’d make complete sense to try and bring him back to Seattle. He’s a great scheme fit, he was productive and he’d be cheap. The Bears aren’t using him. It might take as little as a 2021 seventh rounder or some kind of conditional pick.

What could they get for Penny? Realistically they shouldn’t expect more than a third rounder. That would be fair for a player only 18 months removed from being a first rounder with no tread on the tires. He also has good club control for 2-3 more seasons.

It’s also worth keeping an eye on Tre Flowers. He’s not playing today with a neck stinger. Seahawks fans know how damaging they can be (Kam, Cliff).

With Darius Slay not playing for Detroit today, could they swap Slay for Penny? It’d be a more realistic proposition if the Lions had depth at corner. Sadly, they don’t. So unless they trade for Aqib Talib (who is reportedly available), it’s possibly unlikely. Adam Schefter is reporting that Slay could be available but it’d be a costly trade. They’d have to really like Penny to make that deal.

In other news, Adam Schefter is reporting that Austin Hooper will not be traded by Atlanta. Scratch his name off the list of targets. The Bengals reportedly want a third rounder for Tyler Eifert which is a total nonsense and they won’t get anything like that. O.J. Howard isn’t playing today and remains a realistic target (but the price is likely to be high).

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Possible trade targets?

It’s interesting to see who is/isn’t practising this week — and who is/isn’t likely to play this weekend. It’s too close to gameday for a deal to be completed before Sunday. With the deadline on Tuesday, however, it’s possible teams (and players) won’t risk any potential deals for the sake of one more game.

We’ve already spent a ton of time talking about O.J. Howard. He didn’t practise today and has already been ruled out of Tampa Bay’s game against Tennessee. He remains the best possible target for the Seahawks. They need a tight end who can block and provide a dynamic weapon to replace Will Dissly. He’s under club control for two more seasons, is at a good age, has a high ceiling and would be an investment for the future not just the rest of 2019.

The only problem is price. If the Bucs were in selling mood he’d have been dealt by now. Clearly they want a good price, having already reportedly rejected an approach from New England. It might cost a first round pick to get him, or at least a second and change. Are the Seahawks willing to go that big for him? Is anyone?

Adding Howard would re-energise the offense. It would provide Russell Wilson with another weapon. It would give the Seahawks major security with Dissly out with his second long-term injury in the space of a year. It’d address a key off-season need months before the end of the current season.

It’d be an ideal fit — as long as the price is right. It’s hard to project what makes sense though. A second and a fifth would seem palatable — but is that enough for the Bucs? Do they want a first?

Tyler Eifert has been suggested by some as an alternative. His injury history and suspect blocking makes a deal unlikely I think. The Bengals, for some reason, also seem determined to hold onto all of their assets. Austin Hooper would be a good option in Atlanta but considering he’s on pace for a 1200-yard, nine-touchdown season — he’s the type of player the Falcons should be trying to keep not trade away.

The secondary needed bolstering — as shown by the recent Quandre Diggs trade. Pete Carroll insisted yesterday it was simply a response to the injury issues with Lano Hill out and Bradley McDougald suffering with back spasms. Yet we all know they needed more. The Diggs deal was a perfect storm — a good price, a deal to be made with little long term risk.

Diggs’ team mate Darius Slay hasn’t taken the trade particularly well. When asked about it yesterday he said he’s feeling “like s**t” before adding, “Anybody can get traded. I personally wouldn’t care.”

Today, he didn’t practise due to a hamstring injury and has been declared out for Sunday’s game against the Giants.

According to some Lions fans, Slay hasn’t performed quite as well this year as previous seasons. The entire Lions secondary has seemingly taken a step back in 2019. Yet there’s no doubting his talent. In 2017 he had an eight interception season. Last season he had three picks and he has one so far this year. The Seahawks are crying out for a defender capable of that kind of turnover production.

Slay is a bit older than Diggs and turns 29 in January. He’s contracted through 2020. Could there be a deal to be done? Possibly. It depends on how the Lions feel about their cornerback depth. They moved Diggs to promote their younger players. Their corner depth on paper doesn’t look great. Trading both players would be an admission of the white flag coming out.

Yet the Lions are being run by the Michigan branch of the New England Patriots. The Pats are never shy on moving a player who isn’t all-in (see: Michael Bennett). Slay has seen Diggs move out and we’re living through a time where player power has never been stronger. You can force trades in the modern NFL. Will Slay do that now? Was missing training today the start of that process?

He’s 6-0 and 190lbs with 32 1/4 inch arms. He ran a 4.36 at the combine in 2013 and jumped a 35.5 inch vertical. He has the length, athleticism and production Seattle would surely love in their secondary.

It’d be harsh on Tre Flowers considering he’s just had two of the best games of his career. The Seahawks may wish to continue his development — and their scheme doesn’t call for big investment at the cornerback position.

If there was an opportunity to prize Slay out of Detroit at a bargain price, however, why wouldn’t you consider it? And with Diggs and Slay on board, it would potentially fix some of the flaws on the defense.

Some may suggest Chris Harris Jr to play in the slot. I just think, rightly or wrongly, the Seahawks are committed to playing their three linebackers this year. Whether they’d spend a decent pick for a nickel corner who is 31 next June and wanting a new contract is a big question mark anyway.

The pass rush, of course, still needs major work. Most of the options out there are either expensive reclamation projects (Vic Beasley, Leonard Williams) or older veterans (who might cost a lot in terms of picks). If there was an opportunity to get Geno Atkins on the cheap, great. Mike Brown (the most stubborn owner in the league) isn’t going to play ball, however. The Bengals need a rebuild. The owner, for some reason, is refusing to budge.

Perhaps even more important is gaining some speed off the edge. The Seahawks are big in their front seven but lack dynamic quickness. Short of taking on Beasley’s massive contract after years of below average production, this feels like a need that’ll be addressed in the off-season. Finding some EDGE speed is a must though.

As for selling — I’m not sure there’s much scope for players moving out. Ziggy Ansah has provided very little but is surely immovable at this stage even for a seventh rounder or a player-for-player exchange. It wouldn’t be the worst idea to move on if possible and try and add a different pass rusher — but this has a feel of the Seahawks having made their bed and now they’ll have to sleep in it in 2019.

Some will question the possibility of trading Rashaad Penny. I don’t agree with the criticism of Penny or the pick itself. He was a dynamic playmaker at San Diego State in all three phases (runner, returner, receiver). His combination of size and speed surely gave the Seahawks the impression they could add a player capable of being a poor-man’s Todd Gurley. If you check his stats when he has played — they look good. He has provided glimpses with some special, highlight-reel plays. Unfortunately he doesn’t seem to be adapting to Seattle’s scheme and he’s had injury issues.

I don’t think the Seahawks will give up on him this early. Especially given their preference to run a lot. You don’t want to be relying on C.J. Prosise as your principle backup and the only other runner on the roster is Travis Homer. The only way I think they should entertain trading Penny is if Chicago was willing to broker a deal for Mike Davis to return to Seattle.

If that was possible and a team was willing to pay a third round pick, it might be worth considering. Penny was coveted in the 2018 draft. So much so Detroit tried to trade for him immediately after Seattle made the pick. The Lions just lost Kerryon Johnson for the season and could be a possible trade partner. There would be others. Penny’s stock won’t be any higher than a third but teams who liked him 18 months ago are unlikely to be writing him off after so little game-time for the Seahawks.

Who knows — maybe the Lions would even be willing to make a deal involving Slay and Penny?

It should be an interesting few days. The Seahawks aren’t likely to be making any knee-jerk aggressive moves to ‘win now at all costs’. Calculated moves that can help now and in the future, however, make sense. Diggs was a good example. If they can add a tight end and/or another defender before Tuesday — they will be in good shape for the rest of the year.

As with the Diggs trade, there’s always a chance of a surprise or two.

Updated top-50 2020 NFL draft watch-list

I’m currently on holiday in Dubai so won’t have access to college football this weekend so will do the usual Saturday review if I can — if not I’ll do it when I return next week. In the meantime here’s an updated top-50.

#1 Grant Delpit (S, LSU)
Delpit has the range and tenacity to play safety and the ball-skills, recovery speed and athleticism to play corner.

#2 Andrew Thomas (T, Georgia)
Supremely balanced and consistent — Thomas looks the part of a NFL left tackle. His footwork is superb and he anchors brilliantly.

#3 Jeff Okudah (CB, Ohio State)
He will destroy the combine and was a 142.56 athlete at SPARQ. Sticky in coverage but packs a punch as an open-field tackler.

#4 Dylan Moses (LB, Alabama)
Suffered an ACL injury before the season started but he’s in the Devin White and Roquan Smith mould.

#5 Derrick Brown (DT, Alabama)
A physical, tone-setting defensive lineman with the size, stoutness, quickness and ability to penetrate with speed or power.


#6 Joe Burrow (QB, LSU)
Accuracy, poise and control in the pocket, the ability to extend plays and make the improbable happen. Burrow is starting to look like the real deal.

#7 Chase Young (EDGE, Ohio State)
Leads the nation for sacks and while there are concerns about his run defense, he’s a superb pass rusher.

#8 Isaiah Simmons (S, Clemson)
Will be valued for his leadership. Reportedly he can jump a 40-inch vertical, an 11-0 broad and run in the 4.4’s.

#9 Trevon Diggs (CB, Alabama)
Incredibly competitive cornerback who does an excellent job tracking the ball and breaking up passes. Has an injury history. Stefon Diggs’ brother.

#10 Tua Tagovailoa (QB, Alabama)
Very consistent and accurate but a little robotic and lacks the size/improvisation of Love and Herbert.

#11 Jerry Jeudy (WR, Alabama)
Lean and sudden with YAC ability and downfield talent. He jumped a near 38-inch vertical at SPARQ.

#12 CeeDee Lamb (WR, Oklahoma)
Tall, lean and highly productive. He will need to test well and there is some doubt after a so-so SPARQ performance.

#13 Javon Kinlaw (DT, South Carolina)
He’s +300lbs but carries minimal body fat. He dominated Alabama’s O-line a few weeks ago.

#14 Raekwon Davis (DT, Alabama)
Very physical and athletic — he’s 6-7 and 305lbs defender and his best football is still to come.

#15 Jonathan Taylor (RB, Wisconsin)
Some of his cuts have to be seen to be believed. He finds a crease and is capable of going through the gears to turn a big play into a scoring play.

#16 Prince Tega Wanogho (T, Auburn)
He’s 6-7 and 310lbs but reportedly runs a 4.95 and can jump 32-inches in the vertical. He can squat 560lbs and bench 415lbs.

#17 Isaiah Wilson (T, Georgia)
He’s 6-7 and 340lbs but carries it very well. Great length and power at the point of attack and capable of creating big running lanes.

#18 Justin Herbert (QB, Oregon)
Tall, mobile and with a strong arm. Herbert has all the qualities teams look for in a quarterback.

#19 Henry Ruggs (WR, Alabama)
He’s being tipped to run a 4.2 at the combine. Great catching technique — he extends his arms to catch the football away from his body.

#20 Kristian Fulton (CB, LSU)
Big, physical cornerback who tracks the ball almost as well as Trevon Diggs. Despite his size Fulton does a job kicking inside to cover the slot.

#21 DeVonta Smith (WR, Alabama)
Broke Amari Cooper’s Alabama record for yardage against Ole Miss. Unstoppable on slants, wins at the red line and is incredibly sudden to create easy separation.

#22 Jalen Raegor (WR, TCU)
Raegor ran a 4.41 at SPARQ but reportedly is capable of a 4.29 now. He also jumped a 38.5 inch vertical and can squat 620lbs.

#23 Shaun Wade (CB, Ohio State)
Former 5-star recruit who is excelling in the slot but could easily play outside. Great athlete, excellent cover corner and he hits too.

#24 J.K. Dobbins (RB, Ohio State)
The 2016 SPARQ king with an overall score of 146.76. Dobbins is lightning fast, highly explosive, tough and productive.

#25 Jordan Love (QB, Utah State)
Capable of making all sorts of throws on the run and has the arm/mobility that will appeal to teams looking for the next Mahomes or Murray.

#26 D’Andre Swift (RB, Georgia)
A big play threat with the power to get the hard yards. He looks like Dalvin Cook but with more explosive power and quicker acceleration.

#27 Laviska Shenault (WR, Colorado)
We’ve not seen him anywhere near his best so far but he’s a swiss-army knife who can score points as a runner, receiver or returner.

#28 K.J. Hamler (WR, Penn State)
A diminutive receiver who creates excitement any time he’s around the football.

#29 Tee Higgins (WR, Clemson)
Like all Clemson receivers he’s well coached, understands his routes and he competes every single snap.

#30 Nick Harris (C, Washington)
I thought he was fantastic against Oregon. Physical, bullying and he can set a tone.

#31 Tyler Biadasz (C, Wisconsin)
He leans too much and defenders often jump back so he loses balance. When he locks on he can control linemen.

#32 Terrell Lewis (EDGE, Alabama)
He’s playing very well recently but the injury history has to stall his stock a little.

#33 Marvin Wilson (DT, Florida State)
Ran a 4.56 short shuttle at SPARQ at 6-4 and 332lbs. Combines short-area quickness with extreme power. Excellent one-tech prospect.

#34 Hunter Bryant (TE, Washington)
Was the #3 SPARQ tight end in 2016 after running a 4.35 short shuttle. He’s making as many explosive plays as the top receivers in college football.

#35 Tristan Wirfs (T, Iowa)
He can lift 450lbs in the hang clean (breaking the Iowa record by Brandon Scherff). He’s also jumped a 35-inch vertical and a 9-5 broad.

#36 Yetur Gross-Matos (DE, Penn State)
Has too many disappearing acts in games but his hand-usage is very good and he can work to disengage and create pressure.

#37 Curtis Weaver (EDGE, Boise State)
Simply put — he gets to the quarterback. He doesn’t look physically amazing but his play is consistent.

#38 Julian Okwara (EDGE, Notre Dame)
He was shut down by Georgia and he’ll need to test well. However, as he showed against Virginia he can impact games as a pass rusher.

#39 Walker Little (T, Stanford)
Ran a 4.40 short shuttle at SPARQ and scored an overall 107.25 (the top score by an offensive lineman in 2016).

#40 C.J. Henderson (CB, Florida)
His tackling is inconsistent but he’s a 4.3 runner in coverage. At SPARQ he ran a sensational 3.92 short shuttle. Could be best used in the slot.

#41 Damon Arnette (CB, Ohio State)
Decent size, consistent and he can deliver a jarring hit from time-to-time. Not far behind the two other Ohio State cornerbacks.

#42 Lucas Niang (T, TCU)
Too upright and his footwork is poor leading to off-balance sets. However, he flashes athleticism and he recovers well.

#43 Jabari Zuniga (DE, Florida)
Got off to a good start this season but left the game against Kentucky with an ankle injury. Can run a 7.03 short shuttle and has 7.5% body fat.

#44 Willie Gay (LB, Mississippi State)
What a playmaker. Jumped a 39-inch vertical at SPARQ, ran a 4.26 short shuttle and a 4.53 40-yard dash. Highly underrated.

#45 Travis Etienne (RB, Clemson)
Highly explosive running back with a similar running style to C.J. Spiller minus the elite track speed. Can be a X-factor.

#46 Jake Ferguson (TE, Wisconsin)
He’s starting to impact the passing game. Ferguson has ideal size, he can block as you’d expect and he ran a superb 4.15 short shuttle at SPARQ.

#47 Tyler Johnson (WR, Minnesota)
He’s a bit of a body catcher at times but you do see high-pointing too and he’s adept at creating subtle separation on routes.

#48 Trey Adams (T, Washington)
A prototype left tackle who could go very early if it wasn’t for his injury history. Combine medical checks will determine his stock.

#49 Jake Fromm (QB, Georgia)
He’s very measured without having the fantastic physical skills and that could hold him back.

#50 Anthony McFarland (RB, Maryland)
Former 4-star recruit who ran a 4.04 short shuttle at SPARQ. Diminutive but has great agility and a decisive runner.

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Note the lack of the use of ‘2.0’ to describe this mock draft. For some reason it became fashionable to add a decimal point to mock drafts a few years ago. It’s not an iOS update. It’s a mock. So here’s mock #2.

#1 Miami — Tua Tagovailoa (QB, Alabama)
Very consistent and accurate but a little robotic.

#2 Cincinnati — Joe Burrow (QB, LSU)
The more I see of Burrow the more I think he’s the best QB in the class.

#3 Washington — Andrew Thomas (T, Georgia)
Supremely balanced and consistent, his footwork is superb and he anchors brilliantly.

#4 Atlanta — Chase Young (EDGE, Ohio State)
While there are concerns about his run defense, he’s a superb pass rusher.

#5 New York Jets — Jeff Okudah (CB, Ohio State)
He will destroy the combine and was a 142.56 athlete at SPARQ. Sticky in coverage but packs a punch as an open-field tackler.

#6 New York Giants — Grant Delpit (S, LSU)
Delpit has the range and tenacity to play safety and the ball-skills, recovery speed and athleticism to play corner.

#7 Tennessee (via LAC) — Jordan Love (QB, Utah State)
The Titans trade up. He will appeal to teams looking for the next Mahomes or Murray.

#8 Denver — Derrick Brown (DT, Auburn)
A tone-setting defensive lineman with the size, stoutness, quickness and ability to penetrate with speed or power.

#9 Cleveland — Isaiah Simmons (S, Clemson)
Will be valued for his leadership. Reportedly he can jump a 40-inch vertical, an 11-0 broad and run in the 4.4’s.

#10 Miami (via PIT) — Jerry Jeudy (WR, Alabama)
Lean and sudden with YAC ability and downfield talent. He jumped a near 38-inch vertical at SPARQ.

#11 Tampa Bay — Justin Herbert (QB, Oregon)
The Bucs are going to move on from Jameis Winston.

#12 Detroit — Dylan Moses (LB, Alabama)
Moses would be a top-five pick if he hadn’t torn his ACL in pre-season.

#13 Jacksonville — Trevon Diggs (CB, Alabama)
Competitive cornerback who does an excellent job tracking the ball and breaking up passes. Stefon Diggs’ brother.

#14 Philadelphia — Kristian Fulton (CB, LSU)
Physical cornerback who tracks the ball almost as well as Trevon Diggs.

#15 LA Chargers (via TEN) — Jonathan Taylor (RB, Wisconsin)
The Chargers replace one exciting Wisconsin running back for another.

#16 Oakland — CeeDee Lamb (WR, Oklahoma)
He has been superb this season and could go higher than this.

#17 Arizona — Prince Tega Wanogho (T, Auburn)
He’s 6-7 and 310lbs but reportedly runs a 4.95 and can jump 32-inches in the vertical.

#18 Oakland (via CHI) — Javon Kinlaw (DT, South Carolina)
He’s +300lbs but carries minimal body fat. He dominated Alabama’s O-line a few weeks ago.

#19 Jacksonville (via LAR) — Raekwon Davis (DT, Alabama)
The heir-apparent for Calais Campbell.

#20 Carolina — Isaiah Wilson (T, Georgia)
Wilson is outstanding and highly underrated.

#21 Dallas — Shaun Wade (CB, Ohio State)
Former 5-star recruit who is excelling in the slot but could easily play outside.

#22 Miami (via HOU) — Walker Little (T, Stanford)
Ran a 4.40 short shuttle at SPARQ and scored an overall 107.25 (the top score by an offensive lineman in 2016).

#23 Indianapolis — Marvin Wilson (DT, Florida State)
Ran a 4.56 short shuttle at SPARQ at 6-4 and 332lbs. Combines short-area quickness with extreme power.

#24 Minnesota — Henry Ruggs (WR, Alabama)
He’s being tipped to run a 4.2 at the combine. Great catching technique — he extends his arms to catch the football away from his body.

#25 Baltimore — Julian Okwara (EDGE, Notre Dame)
Productive but he was shut down by Georgia and he’ll need to test well.

#26 Seattle — DeVonta Smith (WR, Alabama)
Unstoppable on slants, wins at the red line and is incredibly sudden to create easy separation.

#27 Buffalo — Jalen Raegor (WR, TCU)
Raegor ran a 4.41 at SPARQ but reportedly is capable of a 4.29 now. He also jumped a 38.5 inch vertical and can squat 620lbs.

#28 Green Bay — Laviska Shenault (WR, Colorado)
We’ve not seen him anywhere near his best so far but he’s a swiss-army knife who can score points as a runner, receiver or returner.

#29 Kansas City — D’Andre Swift (RB, Georgia)
A big play threat with the power to get the hard yards. He looks like Dalvin Cook.

#30 New Orleans — J.K. Dobbins (RB, Ohio State)
The 2016 SPARQ king with an overall score of 146.76.

#31 San Francisco — Tyler Biadasz (C, Wisconsin)
What you’d expect from Wisconsin. Could play center or guard.

#32 New England — KJ Hamler (WR, Penn State)
Ultra-dynamic receiver with speed to burn and makes plays every week.

In contention…

Terrell Lewis (EDGE, Alabama)
Tee Higgins (WR, Clemson)

Nick Harris (C, Washington)
Hunter Bryant (TE, Washington)
Yetur Gross-Matos (DE, Penn State)
Curtis Weaver (EDGE, Boise State)
C.J. Henderson (CB, Florida)
Damon Arnette (CB, Ohio State)
Lucas Niang (T, TCU)

I will also publish an updated top-50 this week.

Thoughts on the Seahawks pick

Despite spending three picks on receivers in the 2019 draft, this is a class rich in talent at the position. If they pick late in the first round there could be a number of highly attractive options. And while receiver might not be the biggest need, it’s vital they continue to build around Russell Wilson and give him the weapons he needs to lead this team.

In this mock they’d be presented with a fantastic opportunity to add dynamic quickness to what they already have. Someone who can replace Jaron Brown but be much more of an X-factor. DeVonta Smith, Jalen Raegor and K.J. Hamler all fit the bill perfectly. I’ve gone with Smith because he seems to be the type they would like. He makes plays at every level, is incredibly sudden to create early separation and he plays with an edge. They often go against conventional wisdom and Smith isn’t being talked about much in the media even though he should be.

This isn’t me saying receiver is a bigger need than defensive line or the secondary. If Germain Ifedi and/or George Fant depart they’ll have a big hole at tackle (but they’ve tended to sign veteran replacements recently). They need to do something at tight end in 2020. With three picks in the first two rounds they’ll have ample opportunity to address more than one need. They also have a lot of cap space. This is a really good looking receiver class and there’s a relatively good chance they’ll tap into that with at least one reasonably high pick.

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Earlier today I wrote a piece considering what the Seahawks might do before the trade deadline. That was partly answered today. With a week to go until the deadline, Seattle traded a fifth round pick for Detroit Lions safety Quandre Diggs and Detroit’s seventh rounder in 2021.

Diggs was a sixth round pick in 2016 from Texas. He ran a 4.56 at the combine, a 4.15 short shuttle and jumped a 35.5 inch vertical.

He started his career as Detroit’s nickel cornerback before switching to strong safety in 2017. He finished the season with 55 combined tackles, nine pass deflections, three interceptions and a sack in 11 starts.

He signed a three-year, $20.4 million contract extension in September 2018. His cap hit next season is $5.2m and it’s $5.5m in 2021. He recorded 78 combined tackles in 2018, eight pass deflections and three interceptions including a pick six.

It’ll be interesting to see if the Seahawks move him back to the nickel or keep him at safety.

It’s also interesting because he’s played strong safety in Detroit — which has been Bradley McDougald’s position so far. It’s possible McDougald could move across, or does this suggest his back spasms issue is more serious than initially thought? With Tedric Thompson unconvincing and Lano Hill injured, they possibly felt they needed experience and an injection of quality to the secondary.

Darius Slay, Diggs’ team mate in Detroit, took the news badly. So did ‘Snacks’ Harrison.

Lions fans are not happy about the trade either (check the replies here).

Lions reporter Jeff Risdon is confused by the trade.

Tyler Lockett is pleased, describing Diggs as his best friend on social media.

We’ve been discussing for a while the need to improve the secondary. This could be a calculated move for a player under contract until 2021. The Seahawks aren’t tied to the deal if it doesn’t work out, which is also a plus.

Diggs’ production (six interceptions in 2017 & 2018) is appealing and much needed in Seattle.

SI.com listed Diggs’ as the seventh best safety in the NFL coming into the 2019 season.

Andy Benoit made this video where he argues Diggs is the most underrated player in football.

This is a really good breakdown of his 2018 tape.

Bryce Rossler at the Lions Wire had this report on Diggs before the 2018 season:

Diggs has some obvious holes in his game, but he’s an adequate player who can thrive in certain roles. I don’t think he should be deployed in the box due to play strength issues, nor would I feel comfortable with him operating in the slot on a regular basis, but he can succeed as a deep safety in either one-high or two-high shells. He’s also capable of serving as the high-hole player in Cover 1 and Cover 3 looks.

This is unlikely to be the last move the Seahawks make. They still need to add a tight end and Pete Carroll admitted last week it’s a situation they’re working on. It’s also possible they will seek to move some players this week. The defeat to Baltimore seems to be leading to some action.

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The NFL trade deadline is a week away (29th October, 4pm ET) and deals are being made. This week Gareon Conley was traded from the Raiders to the Texans for a third round pick. Today, the Patriots spent a second round pick to acquire Mohamed Sanu.

The Seahawks have already been linked to a tight end addition by Ian Rapoport. The loss to Baltimore (and the manner of the loss) might make them even more keen to make a move in the next seven days.

So what is possible?

The loss of Will Dissly is big and having already traded away Nick Vannett, the Seahawks are short at tight end. More importantly though, Dissly has robbed them of a weapon. With the 2019 season so dependent on Russell Wilson, they need to support their quarterback. And while some have questioned the need to add to the offense considering how poorly the defense has played, we have to be realistic about the options and the opportunity.

The defensive issues are unlikely to be solved by the addition of one player. A re-shaping of the defense will be required.

Acquiring one weapon to replace the one lost can help the offense now. They need to support their quarterback and give him the best possible opportunity to succeed. The best way to do this would be to acquire one of the following options:

— A player who is approaching free agency who they can add for a third round pick or less, knowing they can possibly gain a compensatory pick in the future

— A player who is able to contribute beyond 2019 (eg a player at a good age that is contracted beyond this season and/or you would aim to extend)

This isn’t about blowing a high pick in an unnecessary gamble. It’s about making a calculated move to help the quarterback. The Ravens game paired with the Saints game might’ve pulled back the curtain on how far away this team is from being a feared, genuine contender. However, that doesn’t mean you have to write-off the season or just ‘hope for the best’ when you sit in position to make the playoffs at 5-2.

The two proposals above would allow the Seahawks to plan accordingly for the future, while also doing something for the present.

One name we’ve often talked about is O.J. Howard. According to Albert Breer, the Patriots contacted Tampa Bay and were told he wasn’t for sale. It seems either Tampa Bay is asking for more than clubs are willing to part with (eg a first rounder) or they intend to keep Howard. He’s wasted in Bruce Arians’ scheme. Is Arians committed to being in Tampa Bay for the long haul though? It hasn’t gone well so far this season. They’re at a crossroads, where they’re likely to move on from Jameis Winston without an obvious quarterback solution on the horizon. Who knows how they see their future?

The Bucs would be right to ask for a first rounder, too. If Mohamed Sanu at age 30 is worth a second round pick, then Howard is worth more than that. Trading a first round pick at this stage seems unlikely but not impossible. The Seahawks are going to need to add a tight end at some point in the off-season and according to Davis Hsu, they viewed Howard as one of the top players in the 2017 draft. If they see him as a player for the long haul, it wouldn’t be improbable. It would be highly aggressive though — and given the state of the team currently, they might prefer to assess the lay of the land in the off-season with a haul of picks at their disposal.

An alternative could be Austin Hooper. Clearly Atlanta is accepting its fate. They’re 1-6 and having traded Sanu, might be in the process of planning ahead.

Hooper turns 25 on the day of the trade deadline. He’s a former third round pick who is playing well this season. He has 526 yards and four touchdowns and is on pace, currently, for 1202 yards. He’s out of contract in the off-season.

Here’s Lance Zierlein’s draft report on Hooper:

Will be labeled as a move tight end, but I see him as being more than that for teams looking for a more complete player. Hooper has a frame that should be able to carry another eight to 10 pounds without much trouble, and he shows enough want­-to as a blocker to see him playing in­line when needed. If Hooper can improve his hands and become craftier with his routes, he could become a solid, 10-­year starter in the league.

When the Seahawks traded for Duane Brown two years ago, they played the Texans days before the deadline. Brown’s last game for Houston was against Seattle. With the Seahawks and Falcons playing this weekend, is it possible they’ve already discussed a deal and are simply waiting for this game to conclude before finalizing a trade?

It’s understandable if Atlanta were to insist they wouldn’t trade Hooper to the Seahawks before the teams play each other. He’d have significant knowledge to pass on for a start. Waiting until after this game would make sense.

It’s difficult to determine what compensation could be. If Sanu is worth a second rounder, is Hooper worth a second rounder? Sanu is contracted through 2020 so that possibly improves his value. This would be a rental with the opportunity of an extension if desired.

His ability as a receiving option and as a blocker would appeal. He could be a name to monitor, albeit after the weekend.

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If you missed the instant reaction post check it out here. I also recorded this podcast shortly after the game with Brandan Schulze…

For the second time this season the Seahawks were hammered at home.

In week three New Orleans were more physical, dictated the play to Seattle and forced errors. Baltimore did exactly the same today.

The only difference is this week the Seahawks didn’t have time to score garbage time points to polish the scoreboard.

Nothing will ever top the 2017 beat down by the Rams. Yet these two games — against the Saints and now the Ravens — are extremely concerning. It pulls the curtain back on the reality with this team.

You can get after them, even at Century Link Field.

We can sit here and reflect two ways. They’re 5-2. That’s a good record. They’re young and learning. They’re still in a modest rebuilt. They’ve also been battered by two good teams at home, were a goalpost away from losing a third home game to the Rams and nearly lost their other home game to the winless Bengals.

They’re 12-8 at home since the start of 2017. Can we talk about that by the way? The Seahawks are only 12-8 at Century Link Field since the start of the 2017 season. This is supposed to be a fearsome home field advantage. Are they a better team on the road these days?

They want to be the bully. They’re not the bully. They want to run the ball and have explosive plays in the passing game. They want to defend the run and force turnovers. They want to impose their will.

They’re just not doing it with any consistency — and other teams are parking up and doing it to them in their own backyard. The Ravens, like the Saints, were faster and stronger.

And sure — Baltimore had a bit of luck along the way. Yet one thing really stands out.

Today the Ravens loaded the box and said to the Seahawks, ‘you’re not running the ball on us’. Seattle responded by throwing it 41 times. When the game was close, they’d thrown 27 times vs 16 runs. That highlights how much they forced Seattle off script. The Ravens dictated to the Seahawks what they were going to do on offense.

They were the physical tone setters.

It’s supposed to be the other way round, especially at home.

It wasn’t all on the offense though. The defense initially restricted Lamar Jackson but by the second half they had no answer. They had no contain or discipline against his scrambling. The pressure was minimal. The D-line has regressed from last year and the linebackers — so much a focus this year — are not impacting games. This in turn leaves the secondary exposed. It’s a trickle effect through each unit.

Baltimore on the other hand harassed Wilson, took away the run, had two turnovers leading to touchdowns and nullified every threat.

Other teams will feel like they can get after Seattle — just like the Saints and Ravens.

And yes — you could argue the Wilson pick-six was a momentum shift. At that point Seattle was in control and it provided a swing. Yet Wilson led a field-goal drive before half time and Seattle started the second half with the ball and a 13-13 scoreline. The second half beating wasn’t due to the pick-six.

It seems they’re solely dependant on their offense. If they can’t run they need Wilson. Sometimes they need both. When teams win the LOS battle they struggle. The defense simply isn’t good enough to compensate on those occasions. Not enough pressure, not enough discipline, not enough big plays. Not good enough to contend seriously.

They’re not alone. There are plenty of other flawed teams, including the Ravens (who recently were themselves hammered by Cleveland). Yet the NFC is competitive at the top and the Seahawks are losing their margin for error.

So the season will continue in this way. Wilson will provide magical moments and win them games. There will be times when they can run and will be more physical too. Yet there will also, likely, be more games like this. And unfortunately, it could be in the games that matter.

Considering their utter dependance on the offense — do they need to add if they want to improve this year? Whether it’s a tight end addition as suggested earlier today by Ian Rapoport or another receiver?

It’s too late now to suddenly turn this team into the bully. They are what they are. Wilson’s lost Will Dissly. Don’t you need to say to your quarterback in a situation like this — we need you this year, so we’re going to support you?

You could say they have bigger needs on defense. I agree. What are you going to do though? Name the one defensive player that is available that transforms this unit?

They’re relying on their offense this year. So it’s either stand-pat and accept this is possible any week or try to do something in the next eight days to give Wilson an even greater opportunity to produce magic — because that’s what you’re relying on.

They’re now 1.5 games behind the 49ers and the Rams got back on track this week with a blowout win in Atlanta and the Jalen Ramsey trade. This was not a good weekend.

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At times the Washington vs Oregon game felt like a Big-12 contest. Neither defense put up much resistance. The game turned into a bit of a shoot-out and a perfect opportunity for Jacob Eason and Justin Herbert to showcase their talents to the NFL.

In the end both had similar performances. There were times when they were red hot, times when they suffered through conservative play-calling and times where you were left wanting a bit more.

Statistically they looked great. Herbert finished with 24/38 for 280 yards and four touchdowns. Eason completed 23/30 for 289 yards and three touchdowns.

At one point the Huskies threatened to break free and win comfortably. Eason was commanding the offense well and having a good day and the running game started to emerge after half time. And yet everything seemed to stall when they were trying to protect a lead. Suddenly everything got a little tight, a little safe. They struggled to move the ball. They started trying things like the wildcat on third down.

If Eason is a NFL talent, it felt like they needed to let him win the game and stay on track. In particular he was connecting with Hunter Bryant superbly. Instead they surrendered the initiative to Herbert and Oregon. They played it too safe. Instead of Eason driving them home, Herbert was given the opportunity to steal it for the Ducks. To his credit, he pulled it off.

That has been one of the big question marks with Herbert. Can he deliver in key games? This will be the tape that people turn to. It wasn’t a flawless performance — but it was a game-winning performance. He avoided mistakes, kept plays alive. He had some misses and as per usual was held down by the never-ending screens and short passing game. When he was asked to improvise and extend he looked good (aside from a couple of short-armed throws).

For me that’s the big difference between the two players. Eason is the more physically talented with an arm to die for. Yet he’ll often make one read then look for the check down. He hasn’t got that ability to create when the play breaks down. He doesn’t really do off-script — and so much of the NFL these days is off-script. One play stood out where he was glued to his first read and stuck with it far too long — only to check-down to a short option that was covered. He made the throw any way and took a loss. It was all so robotic — when really you want to see him improvise in situations like that not just eat a bad play because that’s what the call dictated.

He also struggles under pressure — as seen on the big sack at the end in Washington’s final drive. He couldn’t escape, the eyes come down and he ended up taking a much greater loss of yards as he tried to get free. Again, the modern NFL is dominating by athletic freaks playing on the D-line. So much is off-script now — extending plays, improvisation.

That’s not to say Eason doesn’t have positives. He does. His play-action touchdown throw to Jordan Chin for 48 yards flashed his arm talent. He had a tremendous back-shoulder throw to Bryant right before half-time to set-up a late touchdown. He’s incredibly talented as a pocket-passer with a great arm. At the next level, however, he’s going to need to be able to progress through reads and improvise more.

Herbert doesn’t have quite the same arm (he does have a decent arm) but he’s more mobile, shifty and capable of creating at the breakdown. He’s restricted sometimes by the offense and the play-calling and he’s prone to hot and cold streaks. In this game he started well and faded — just like the Auburn game. Yet today he came roaring back to win. Oregon should make the PAC-12 Championship game now and that’ll provide Herbert the perfect platform to make an impression on NFL teams.

Hunter Bryant again showed his big-play potential and this is why I have him in my top-50. He had an explosive play on a tight end screen off play action. Center Nick Harris had a sensational second level block in space after originally blocking at the LOS. Bryant exploited the opening and has great speed and mobility.

Bryant also had a terrific back-shoulder catch on Eason’s perfect throw before half-time. He showed incredible body contortion to twist and make the grab. He finished with three catches for 65 yards and is clearly the most explosive playmaker at the position in college football and one to watch for the Seahawks moving forward. He and Jake Ferguson at Wisconsin are the two players currently in my top-50. The only question is — why weren’t they featuring him at the end to finish the game?

Harris the Washington center also played well and is gathering momentum. He’s undersized but tough, physical and athletic. Before the game Jim Nagy compared him to Garrett Bradbury, the #18 overall pick to Minnesota this year. That showed up today. Aside from one lousy snap that led to a big loss, he was spot on and could compete with Tyler Biadasz to be the top center. On today’s evidence I’d put him above Biadasz.

Elsewhere…

— Joe Burrow had another outstanding game for LSU. After a bit of a slow start he ended up completing 25/32 passing for 327 yards and four touchdowns in a big 36-13 win at Mississippi State. He’s just so accurate. His game has gone to the next level but he’s an absolute surgeon in the pocket this year — showing fantastic poise, patience and he’s fitting passes into windows with highly impressive accuracy. On one of his touchdowns he did a remarkable job moving about in the pocket to avoid pressure, kept his eyes downfield and then from a difficult angle, launched the ball for a near 40 yard score. It was a Heisman-type play from a fantastic talent. There isn’t a player in college football that has improved quite like Burrow and he’s turned LSU into a major contender this year as a consequence. He doesn’t have eye-catching physical traits but he looks like a pro, he’s not making mistakes, he’s winning big games and it won’t be a surprise at all if he makes his way into round one. Talented LSU cornerback Kristian Fulton, another player with first-round potential, had an interception in the game (his first of the season). He baited the quarterback into a bad decision and undercut the route. Fulton is physical, fast and has ball skills.

— Isaiah Simmons had a big game as Clemson hammered Louisville 45-10. He recorded two sacks, two TFL’s and led the team with eight carries. On one snap he did a super job in coverage 40 yards downfield. He’s a unique prospect who’s equally adept in coverage or working at the LOS and he’s a big-time leader. He will be a top-20 pick, if not top-12. Travis Etienne ran for 192 yards on 14 carries, adding 35 yards as a receiver. He scored a 49 yard touchdown by accelerating through a well-blocked whole and then broke two tackles to finish. He showed a great combination of balance, explosive physical traits and speed. Tee Higgins was held to one catch for three yards. Higgins had one outstanding grab that should’ve been called a touchdown. He managed to maintain control as he dove for the football, somehow pointing a toe into the turf. The refs called him out of bounds but it was a clear TD.

— I put Minnesota receiver Tyler Johnson in my top-50 and he had another great performance today with six catches for 130 yards and a touchdown in a 42-7 win at Rutgers. Minnesota are unbeaten at 7-0 and Johnson is a big reason why. It’ll be very interesting to see how he tests at the combine. He’s a Senior too so hopefully we’ll see him in Mobile.

— CeeDee Lamb had three catches for 71 yards against West Virginia in a 52-14 win for Oklahoma. Lamb also had one rush for nine yards. Jalen Hurts continued to boost his stock and chances in the Heisman race. He completed 16/17 passing for 316 yards and three scores. He added 75 yards on 10 carries as a runner, scoring two more touchdowns.

— Jalen Reagor had eight catches for 85 yards as TCU were beaten 24-17 by Kansas State. He also had a run for five yards. Reagor has massive potential with great speed and high-pointing ability. Unfortunately he’s a little bit wasted in a stalling TCU team.

— Wisconsin were upset 24-23 by Illinois but Jonathan Taylor still had a big day with 132 yards on 28 carries and a touchdown. Jake Ferguson is a tight end we’ve discussed fairly often and I had him in my top-50 recently. After a slow start to the season as a receiver he’s led the team in yardage in the last two games. Today he had 77 yards and a touchdown. His score was a nice route up the seam. He can block, catch and he’s highly athletic. He’s one to watch.

— Last night we saw another big day for J.K. Dobbins. Ohio State beat Northwestern 52-3 with Dobbins running for 121 yards on 18 carries. He also had 30 receiving yards and two total touchdowns. He doesn’t get much draft hype but he looks like a first rounder to me. Chase Young had another sack and another TFL. He’s up to 9.5 sacks for the season already.

— Jonathan Taylor could be RB1. Dobbins would be competing with D’Andre Swift for RB2. Swift and the Georgia offensive line dominated Kentucky in a 21-0 victory in heavy rain. The conditions made for a difficult contest with both teams combining for 52 (!!!) total passing yards vs 395 rushing yards. Georgia’s O-line were again fantastic, led by likely top-ten pick Andrew Thomas, likely first round pick Isaiah Wilson and promising guard Solomon Kindley. Swift is also physical and athletic and ran for 179 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries.

— Eno Benjamin is likely to be drafted on day two. He continued his strong 2019 albeit in a losing effort for Arizona State at Utah (21-3). Benjamin had 104 yards on just 15 carries. Receiver Brandon Aiyuk — so good last week — was held to one catch for seven yards.

— Steven Montez’s season is collapsing at Colorado and it’s a real shame. He has talent but for the second year in a row it’s unravelling. In a 41-10 defeat to Washington State, Montez threw two picks and was 16/30 for 129 yards. There are strong reports that Laviska Shenault Jr. will turn pro at the end of the season but he’s also not having a season to remember. In this game he had three rushes for 16 yards and a touchdown plus four catches for 46 yards. We’ve not seen the best of Shenault Jr. this year.

— Tua Tagovailoa is a good prospect. However, I’m still not sure why he’s been vaulted to the status of sure-fire #1 overall pick and franchise saviour. Against Tennessee he completed 11/12 for 155 yards and no touchdowns plus one interception before leaving the game. He injured an ankle and there are concerns he could miss significant time. He’s had some injury issues in college. The pick, meanwhile, was horrible. He was pressured, he retreated and rather than eat the play, he threw an ugly interception into coverage. There are definitely things to like about Tua but for a left handed thrower lacking great size, he can be a little robotic sometimes. In Miami he’s not going to be playing for a powerhouse with talent everywhere. Henry Ruggs had a nice game flashing his quickness and fluidity to gain 72 yards on four carries. Jerry Jeudy took a big hit to the head and ended with four catches for 48 yards. DeVonta Smith was suspended for the first half after being involved in a fight at the end of Alabama’s last game. He only had one catch for 18 yards as a consequence. Najee Harris ran for 105 yards on 21 carries (scoring two touchdowns). Defensively, the superb Trevon Diggs recovered a fumble to score a touchdown, Terrell Lewis had two sacks and three TFL’s and Raekwon Davis shared a TFL.

— Penn State’s K.J. Hamler lacks size but he has electric speed and playmaking qualities. In a 28-21 win against Michigan he scored a 53 yard touchdown on a blown coverage and finished with six catches for 108 yards and two scores. He also ran twice for six yards. He’s a player who will be in my next top-50. Yetur Gross-Matos didn’t have any big sacks but he had a tremendous TFL vs the run showing great quickness and hand-use to work into the backfield. He has talent you just want to see more impact and consistency.

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Thoughts on the Jalen Ramsey trade

It’s an interesting deal. For starters, it’s very unlikely the Rams were going to acquire a player of Ramsey’s quality with their first round picks in 2020 or 2021. He’s a true elite talent — both in terms of athleticism and proven production/ability.

However, the Rams don’t have a lot of cap space in 2020 (approximately $22m) and they have a lot of holes. Their offensive line isn’t performing well and Andrew Whitworth is 38 in December. Irrespective of whether they pay Ramsey or not, they don’t have much room to make any moves in free agency in the off-season. They have minimal stock to make trades. They’re going to need to find answers to big problems in the middle and late rounds of the draft.

A lot has been made of the amount of money tied into a small number of star players. However, on reflection, I think this is overstated. The problem isn’t the money they’re spending on Jared Goff, Aaron Donald, Todd Gurley, Brandin Cooks and eventually Jalen Ramsey. It’s the fact they spent so much draft stock to acquire Goff, Cooks, Ramsey, Marcus Peters and Sammy Watkins and it’s left them unable to plug holes with cheap, club controlled talent. They can make the cap work. Any team can. Their ability to fill out their roster is compromised, however.

Gurley’s career unfortunately appears to be heading south quickly due to injuries. If the Rams part with him after the 2020 season, they’ll save $5m in cap space. They could manipulate a Ramsey extension (after his fifth year option) to coincide with that. Essentially they’d be moving Gurley’s salary to Ramsey. So it’s manageable.

Whether they can address the issues on the O-line and offense in general remains to be seen.

The Rams are now relying on two genuine superstars on defense and an offense managed by a talented Head Coach and a quarterback who has proven he can lead the team to a Super Bowl. The impact of not having Gurley in the backfield is being felt though. For all the handwringing about the running back position on the internet, LA’s offense simply isn’t the same since Gurley’s regression.

Booing Earl Thomas

There’s a lot of fuss on Twitter this week about whether people are right or wrong to ‘boo’ Earl Thomas. It’s typical twitter white noise. If anyone is going to boo Earl, it’ll be a minority. And if someone did want to boo him, so what? Who cares?

Cheer him, boo him, applaud him, ignore him. Who really cares? Do what you want.

Some will want to celebrate his career in Seattle which was superb. The odd one or two will want to give a little bit back after a ‘come get me’ plea to the Cowboys, a holdout and a single digit salute at Pete Carroll.

Neither position is wrong. You don’t have to kiss Earl’s feet because he was a brilliant player. He plays for the Ravens now and there were a few moments at the end of his Seahawks career that won’t sit well with some people.

Personally, none of that stuff bothers me that much. I can appreciate why others feel differently.

Earl Thomas had a wonderful Seahawks career. Everyone, including Earl, benefitted from that. The Seahawks were well within their rights to move on. They needed cap room to pay Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner. Thomas is earning nearly $14m a year in Baltimore with $32m in guarantees. He’s had injuries and recently admitted he didn’t chase down Nick Chubb through fear of pulling (or tearing) a hamstring. Even if you disagreed with the decision, the logic made sense.

So now he returns to Seattle. We can remember the good old days and wish Earl well for the future. It doesn’t mean we need to roll out the red carpet.

What the Seahawks are lacking in their pass rush

Seattle has a collection of defensive tackles but only Jarran Reed has shown he can rush from the interior. They have a bunch of five-technique or inside/out types (Jefferson, Green, Collier, Jackson). Their main two pass rushers are both bigger players (Clowney, Ansah).

Everyone’s big. That’s fine to an extent. Seattle had to repair the run defense this season. That was a stated priority, an obvious priority. It’s possible they’re overcompensating a bit in 2019. It wouldn’t be a surprise if they planned to go big up front, believing they could still rely on Clowney and Ansah to create pressure. As it happens, Clowney and Ansah haven’t — whether that’s because they’ve had to settle into a new scheme, they’re being trained to defend the run first and foremost or they’ve underperformed (or maybe a collection of all three).

To me one thing is missing — speed. They haven’t got that blast of speed to change things up. Frank Clark provided that in an orthodox DE frame. In the past they had Bruce Irvin and Cliff Avril. Chris Clemons was quick too.

They seem to be missing that dynamic EDGE who might be a liability against the run but could be trotted out on key passing downs with the mission of getting to the QB.

Unfortunately the 2020 draft class so far isn’t providing many options. At the moment it’s hard to identify the speed rushers. Chase Young possibly won’t go as high as everyone in the media is currently projecting but he’s not lasting anywhere near Seattle’s pick.

Either before the trade deadline or in the off-season, they could do with adding more speed off the edge.

Some thoughts on a couple of quarterbacks

Yesterday I spent some time watching Jacob Eason and Joe Burrow.

Firstly on Burrow — what a major step forward he’s taken this year. LSU look like a contender because for the first time in years they have a competent quarterback. He’s highly accurate, has tremendous poise. He seems in complete command of the offense and his pocket presence stands out. Without Burrow I’m not sure LSU beats Texas or Florida.

What he does lack is outstanding physical tools. He has a good arm but it’s not a ‘wow’ arm. He’s mobile but he’s not Carson Wentz-like. He doesn’t make the improbable happen and he’s not a big improviser — even if he’s capable when he leaves the pocket. He might be a low ceiling, high floor type. Is he able to elevate a team in the NFL or is he the kind of player who is a nice compliment to a strong supporting cast?

It’ll be interesting to see how far he can take LSU this year.

Eason is the polar opposite. His arm talent is fantastic. Physically he looks like a top-10 pick. He has the size, physicality, arm. If you were going to design a pro-QB they’d probably look like Eason.

He has made some spectacular ‘wow’ throws this year. He can launch the ball downfield with accuracy with very little footwork adjustment. If he’s pressured he can throw from angles and still get the trajectory to fire deep.

There also a lot of inconsistent moments. His decision making at times is questionable and he hasn’t elevated Washington so far with his talent. That could simply be down to a lack of experience. He’s basically played a handful of college games. He got hurt at Georgia and Jake Fromm stole the starting job. He’s had to wait it out and transfer to Washington.

The best thing for his career is probably to return to college football in 2020 and just keep getting snaps. In reality though, his physical talent is so high it might be too tempting to head for the NFL. If that’s his choice it’ll be interesting to see how teams view Eason. It only takes one team to make him a high first round pick. Equally, we’ve seen talented, physical players last into day two or three. Eason’s play so far warrants a similar fate. So it’s incredibly difficult to say where he would land if he does declare for the draft.

The Seahawks and the trade deadline

It’s a little late in the week now for a deal before the Ravens game. I still think if they’re going to do anything — it’ll be for a player like O.J. Howard.

We talked in some detail this week about the pro’s and con’s of a deal. Seattle is going to have to spend a draft pick or some free agent money on the tight end position. It’s inevitable. Will Dissly’s injury history means, unfortunately, you can’t count on him in 2020. Luke Willson and Ed Dickson are both free agents.

That doesn’t mean they necessarily need to make a big splash but they have in the past. Zach Miller was signed at great expense in 2011 and four years later they made the Jimmy Graham trade.

Howard is a good age, has massive potential to be a complete tight end, has some club control for the next two seasons and is the former five-star recruit Pete Carroll loves to target.

He also has the kind of outstanding athleticism to provide an extra weapon for Russell Wilson in light of Dissly’s injury. That’s important because it’s extremely clear that the Seahawks will only go as far as Wilson can take them this season.

Who knows whether the Buccs are willing to do a deal? Especially with Bruce Arians in Tampa Bay. There’s no love lost there. They might not want to give up on the #19 pick just yet, even if his role in the offense makes him expendable. Or they might want a first round pick in return which is unrealistic.

If a deal is possible, it makes a lot of sense. Pete Carroll admitted today that they were ‘working on some stuff’ at the position. It would help the Seahawks in 2019 and Howard would be nice insurance for 2020 for Dissly and a nice partner in crime.

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After five games, you could’ve made a case for Will Dissly being the best tight end in the NFL. He was outperforming everyone statistically. He was producing regular touchdowns and big plays. His blocking was vital and on-point.

His season-ending achilles injury is a crushing blow for player and team. He’ll no doubt be back. Even after two devastating injuries, ‘Uncle Will’ just seems like the type who won’t accept bad luck. You wouldn’t bet against him returning next year and having a long and successful career in Seattle.

In the short term the Seahawks need a 2019 solution. On 710 ESPN today, Pete Carroll spoke positively about Ed Dickson returning in a couple of weeks. Previously he hadn’t spoken optimistically about his health. Ideally he returns after week eight and the Seahawks can finish the season with Dickson, Luke Willson and Jacob Hollister.

They also need to see what else is out there for a few reasons.

Firstly, there’s at least some risk pinning all your hopes on Dickson. His injury was serious enough to start the year on injured reserve. He has an injury history. After the trade deadline closes — you’re stuck with what’s available on the street. Unless they’re absolutely convinced Dickson will be ready to contribute — they have to see what else is out there.

Secondly, Dissly was more than just a replaceable tight end. He was delivering consistent production. Someone needed to step up after Doug Baldwin’s retirement. Dissly was that man. The Seahawks just lost one of the most important players on their offense. Russell Wilson just lost arguably his second most vital target after Tyler Lockett. Seattle will only go as far as Wilson can take them this season. Making sure he has the necessary supporting cast is vital.

Thirdly, tight end is an important position in Seattle. They paid Zach Miller handsomely in 2011. They made a big trade for Jimmy Graham in 2015. They’ve always, seemingly, placed a high value on the position. That isn’t a surprise. They want to run the ball successfully, they use a lot of play action and their pass-pro needs help with an extra blocker. Dissly was an ideal fit. He’s a complete tight end. He’ll be a huge loss. If it was possible to add someone with plus blocking and receiving skills — it would soften the blow.

The purpose of this article isn’t to suggest they need to repeat the Jimmy Graham trade. It’s simply to highlight options.

In terms of free agents, Dwayne Allen (former Colts, Patriots, Dolphins) is available. Austin Sefarian-Jenkins (former Buccs, Jets, Jags) is available. The Patriots just re-signed Ben Watson — potentially anticipating that teams like the Seahawks would be looking for help today.

In terms of trades, there are some options. I wrote last week that A.J. Green could be a possibility. Remember — this isn’t just about replacing Dissly. Russell Wilson just lost one of his best pass-catchers, having seen his best target retire in the off-season. Again, this team will only go as far as the offense and the quarterback can take them this year. Making sure Wilson is as supported as possible is vital.

Green’s not a tight end but he would be a suitable replacement to inject some quality into the offense with Dissly injured. It’s worth noting though that the Bengals insist he won’t be dealt.

Another option who does play tight end is O.J. Howard.

Yesterday, Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller suggested the following:

Could O.J. Howard be on the move? 👀 Potential trade involving the Bucs TE is one of the “hottest rumor[s]” among scouts, per @nfldraftscout pic.twitter.com/89Pdijhm2Y

— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) October 13, 2019

Howard is a non-factor in Bruce Arians’ Tampa Bay offense.

Here’s his 2019 stat-line:

vs San Francisco — 4 catches, 5 targets, 32 yards

vs Carolina — 0 catches, 0 targets, 0 yards

vs New York Giants — 3 catches, 4 targets, 66 yards

vs LA Rams — 3 catches, 3 targets, 33 yards

vs New Orleans — 1 catch, 2 targets, 10 yards

vs Carolina — 2 catches, 4 targets, 35 yards

With the Buccs spiralling out of control and enduring a nonsensical travel schedule that the NFL should be embarrassed about, it stands to reason that they’d be willing to see what they can get for Howard.

It isn’t working, he’s an asset they can move as they prepare for an inevitable reset in the off-season (probably with a new quarterback).

Before the 2017 draft, Davis Hsu noted that the Seahawks were high on O.J. Howard. The feeling was they viewed him as one of the very best players in the class. In the days leading up to the draft, he was being touted as a likely top-10 pick — perhaps even a top-five pick. It was a surprise he fell to #19.

Here’s a segment of a USA Today report posted after the pick was made:

General manager Jason Licht and coach Dirk Koetter both expressed surprise that Howard, who helped Alabama win the national championship two years ago, was still available for Tampa Bay at No. 19 overall Thursday night.

While Howard said his agent projected he’d be selected anywhere between sixth and 20th and “that’s exactly what happened,” Licht referred to the prospect of landing the 6-foot-6, 242-pound tight end as a “pipe dream.”

So why did he fall?

Howard was a highly touted recruit. As soon as he arrived in Alabama, he was being talked about. He was the next big thing, destined to play in the NFL before he’d even started his college career.

He never really delivered on the promise. At least not in terms of production. Many pinned the blame on offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin for never really working out the best way to use him. Considering he’s had an indifferent spell in Tampa Bay now, people might have a different take. For a player who promised so much — he’s been underwhelming.

In Lance Zierlein’s pre-draft scouting report, he noted all the positives you’d expect:

Exceptionally gifted athlete. Has long arms and massive hands for his position. Tremendous acceleration into his routes. Has tools to torment defenses on second and third level. Play speed resembles a wide receiver’s when the ball is in the air. Linebackers have no shot against him in space. Can turn a short throw into a long gain. Light on his feet and smooth out of his breaks. Easy separator who creates instant throwing windows when he hits the gas. Natural pass catcher who plucks it away from his body. Can adjust to poorly thrown balls and secure contested catches. Shows no lack of toughness over the middle. Can be lined up all over the field.

He also wrote the following in the ‘weaknesses’ section:

Scouts question his competitive nature.

And he finished with this summary:

Howard has struggled to live up to hype that has come with his play-making ability while at Alabama, but some scouts put the blame on the staff and scheme. He has elite athletic traits and raw talent, but must add polish to go along with those attributes. Should become substantially more productive as a pro, but the difference between “potential weapon” and “elite tight end” will likely be tied to his desire and overall football character.

It’s possible that Howard’s potential is more appealing than the reality.

Even so — he’s a player with the tools to be the most complete tight end in the league. His combination of size, length, speed, athleticism, agility and blocking skills could make him a perfect fit for a team that requires a classic tight end who can also act as a playmaker.

The Seahawks love a high-upside project.

Brett Kollmann published this very positive video discussing Howard:

If the Seahawks were extremely high on Howard before the 2017 draft, this might be a good match. His salary next season is only $3,530,107. They would have the opportunity to trigger his fifth year option if they wanted to retain his services in 2021. He only turns 25 in November, so he’s a good age.

One way or another they’re going to have to add a tight end at some point. Ed Dickson and Luke Willson are not long term options. Dissly has suffered two serious injuries in two seasons, so they need some insurance at the position. Howard is cheap enough, young enough and has high enough potential to be a viable option.

Nobody would deny that Seattle’s biggest weaknesses are currently on defense. That’s the area they need the most help. Yet the chances are they’ll be spending a draft pick and/or some cap space on a tight end in the off-season anyway. Trading for Howard would simply accelerate the process.

As with any trade, it comes down to price. What would you be willing to spend? They have two second round picks but is that too high for a player who hasn’t produced at a high level in Tampa Bay? Would the Buccs take a third rounder to move on? Is that a fair price or can they get him for less?

If Miller is right and there’s a lot of buzz about an O.J. Howard trade doing the rounds, it won’t be a surprise if the Seahawks are in the hunt.

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