It’s all becoming a bit clearer now.

According to Adam Schefter, the Seahawks have known about Russell Wilson’s contract deadline since January. The following report from Ian Rapoport sheds even more light on the situation:

From Up to the Minute Live: #Seahawks QB Russell Wilson has set an April 15 deadline for a new contract and if one doesn't happen… tune in next offseason for the tag and more. pic.twitter.com/MznDJFX79X

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 3, 2019

Throughout this off-season we’ve seen what appears to be a very aggressive approach from the Wilson camp. Revealing to Schefter during Super Bowl week that there hadn’t been any talks. The Giants rumour via Colin Cowherd. Jimmy Fallon, the sage of football, asking Wilson about his contract and the Giants rumour. Now news of the deadline being revealed through the media.

Here’s what I think is going on:

1. The Seahawks have a schedule for talks, they have other priorities currently (the draft) and prefer to wait until later in the year to begin serious negotiations (possibly because they’ll be able to gain some leverage that is not currently available).

2. Wilson and his camp want talks now, they don’t want to work to Seattle’s schedule and they are very willing to play on the franchise tag (thus, this early deadline).

3. Wilson wants to stay in Seattle but he also wants a deal structure that may be prohibitive for the Seahawks moving forward. So compromise is needed between both parties to make this happen — otherwise a potential divorce in the future is possible.

Rapoport’s note spells it out. If no deal is agreed by April 15th talks are over according to Wilson and his representatives. If he sticks to his guns, that means he’ll play out this season and inevitably be franchise tagged in 12 months.

It’s always felt like Wilson would be comfortable with that. Why would anyone be surprised that he’s willing to bet on himself? He wants talks now to get on with things. Receive Seattle’s best offer, make a call and then move on.

But at the end of the day it all comes down to how willing are both parties to compromise? For example — if Wilson wants a fully guaranteed contract and the Seahawks aren’t interested in that — can they find a middle ground?

If they can’t — this saga will drag on into the next off-season. As predicted. As expected.

Wilson won’t be traded before the 2019 draft. But as Rapoport notes — if it gets to next year and he’s tagged, the Seahawks face a big call. A contract extension at that point would be even trickier to negotiate. They might have to trade him in 2020.

So here we go. Can both parties compromise on a deal before April 15th? If not, is Wilson really going to shut down talks this early in the process?

And if they go beyond April 15th without a deal does it increase the chances of the Seahawks looking to draft a quarterback early?

Mike Florio has some interesting info in this video, seemingly given to him from the Wilson camp (he references text exchanges while he’s live on the show). Florio mentions Wilson potentially wanting a salary that is determined by a percentage (eg 25% of whatever the cap is) or at least a deal that accelerates as the quarterback market grows. And if that’s what he wants the future is bleak:

Meanwhile Joel Corry thinks a sticking point is Seattle’s unwillingness to fully guarantee the second year of the contract.

And this video involving Adam Schefter, Chris Mortenson and former Seahawks scout Jim Nagy is very interesting…

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Firstly, if you missed it earlier please check out the piece on Byron Murphy and the Seahawks. It’s not often I post two articles in a day but this felt like a worthy moment.

Bob Condotta at the Seattle Times is reporting the following:

Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has given the team an April 15 deadline to complete negotiations on a new contract, a source with knowledge of the discussions has confirmed.

April 15 is the day the Seahawks will begin their official offseason workout program, and Wilson is thought to want the deal done by then. It’s also thought the two sides have had some negotiations in recent days with Wilson hoping to get the contract done quickly.

We’ve been writing for a few months now that the Wilson contract saga could get ugly, will be frustrating and will dominate the off-season.

This is simply the latest move in a game of chess.

After Mike Garofolo shared some details from the Seahawks perspective last week, it seems this could be the reaction. If the team wants to try and bide their time, wait until the opportune window to negotiate (which would be just before training camp) — this is Wilson’s counter.

He doesn’t want to play to their schedule. He doesn’t want to wait until after the draft to negotiate (when they might draft someone to offer some minor leverage). He wants their best offer now — not in August.

It benefits the Seahawks to set a deadline right before camp. Then the pressure really is on. There’s no wiggle room when training camp starts. You’re in season mode. You get serious with talks and both teams are pressured to compromise with the clock ticking.

If Seattle offers a league-high contract and he says no — it’d create an awkward dynamic in the locker room. It’d only be human nature for some of his team mates to wonder how committed and dedicated he is to them. Turn down the best deal in NFL history because you want even more? While we’re busting our tails on a much lower salary? It’s not a good look. The fans would notice that too.

A hard deadline like that motivates people to compromise. A soft deadline like April 15th is very different. There’s months until training camp. Where’s the pressure here for either party to compromise?

And make no mistake — both sides will have to compromise.

Had the Seahawks set a deadline like this Wilson’s camp likely would’ve brushed it off or flat-out rejected the team making such an aggressive move. Now the Seahawks have to decide how they want to act. They could call Wilson’s bluff and say, ‘talk to us after the draft’. If they do that it’ll be up to Wilson’s camp to decide whether they want to stick to their guns. The game would continue.

It’s hard to imagine either party, in less than two weeks with no immediate pressure other than a Wilson-imposed and non-binding deadline, will find common ground. It’s not impossible. But is it likely? And before anyone says… ‘just pay the man’. No, just don’t say it. It’s never as simple as that.

If they can’t strike a deal before the deadline — what then? The saga continues presumably. As predicted. With both parties battling for scraps of leverage. With a team determined not to cripple itself financially and a player hoping to max-out his earnings.

April 16th will be a fascinating day.

The #Seahawks and Russell Wilson have been talking contract, and Seattle has the future cap flexibility to get a big deal done … but Wilson’s not the only one they want to extend. @nflnetwork @NFLTotalAccess pic.twitter.com/gQe6UNKw3l

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 2, 2019

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By now we know the Seahawks generally don’t draft cornerbacks early. Shaquille Griffin (round three) is their earliest pick at the position in the Pete Carroll era. Aside from that the norm is to wait until day three and find their prototypes.

The chances are that will be the case again this year.

Yet a couple of things have just made me pause on that thought…

Last week I was listening to Brock & Salk. Brock Huard does a daily segment called ‘Blue 42’. He answers three football questions on various topics. In this particular edition he was asked by Salk which position might be a target with their first pick. I was expecting a pretty standard answer (eg pass rush). Huard suggested cornerback.

I don’t have the exact quote to hand or a link to the audio but the gist is Huard wondered whether this would be the year they take a corner early. He suggested if there was a really talented player at the position available in the late first round they might feel obliged to pull the trigger.

At the time I found it pretty surprising. Then I read this mock draft by Eric Galko. I’m not sure how connected Galko is to the Seahawks or anyone who would know their thought process — but he paired Seattle with Washington cornerback Byron Murphy with the following blurb:

“Often linked to Murphy by league people, he fits what they need now. Potential surprises would be Delware’s Nasir Adderley or Maryland’s Darnell Savage. They have interest in both.”

So at the very least people ‘in the league’ are talking about the Seahawks and Byron Murphy.

This could all just be a red herring of course. They might just take a pass rusher with the first pick. That’s where the safe money is. Receiver, quarterback and a couple of other positions might be in the running. However — I still want to consider the thought process just in case there is some truth to this.

The Seahawks have essentially lost one key starter since 2018 — Justin Coleman. You could argue Earl Thomas but we all know they’d pretty much moved on from Earl a year ago and played most of the 2018 season without him anyway.

They’ve already replaced J.R. Sweezy. They re-signed K.J. Wright, Mychael Kendricks and D.J. Fluker. They’ll need to replace Shamar Stephen but they can do that in this draft class (John Schneider said on 710 ESPN yesterday he’d not seen a D-line class like this in 27 years).

Coleman is the one quality player they’ve lost.

Pete Carroll stated at the end of last season that he felt they have a competitive roster capable of contending. It just needed a bit more development and competition. If he truly believes that — replacing Coleman and then using the depth at D-line could be a possible plan. Here’s Galko’s line about Murray: “He fits what they need now.”

Even while writing this I have to check myself. They plucked Coleman from the Patriots and turned him into a big-money free agent. They just re-signed Akeem King to try and develop as a replacement (and he’s not the only corner competing for that role currently on the roster). If there’s one position they can draft and develop it’s cornerback.

But what if Huard’s point is crucial here? What if they’re willing to consider replacing Coleman with their first pick if a truly standout cornerback is available?

That’s where Murphy comes in. He’s a quality player. I’ve been a fan of his for a long time and felt he was the most natural defensive back in this draft class. Here’s what I wrote about him in mid-October:

I spent some time watching Washington corner Byron Murphy last week and was wowed by his potential. I just wonder if he’d make a fantastic safety. He’s not the biggest (5-11, 182lbs) but he has that gliding running ability, he’s so quick to the ball. He’s physical and will deliver a jolting hit. Every snap I watched at corner — I kept thinking, ‘I’d love to see him at safety’.

And there was this note from November:

Murphy is undersized at CB but he’s sudden, quick to the ball and extremely physical. I’d love to see if he can convert to free safety.

When you watch Murphy you certainly see the kind of sudden athlete the Seahawks like. He’s incredibly physical despite his lack of size and a real force defending the run. There are some snaps where he competes for the ball and knocks it loose that are very reminiscent of Chris Harris Jr. He made plays on 31% of his targeted throws over two years and recorded seven interceptions and 20 pass-breakups in just 87 career targets.

PFF graded him as a the top cornerback in college football in 2018:

In addition to his top-ranked overall grade, Murphy ranked inside the top-20 in forced incompletion percentage (24.2) and yards allowed per coverage snap (0.66) among the 189 cornerbacks with 50-plus targets in 2018. He also ranked inside the top-20 in passer rating allowed (54.5) and yards allowed per target (5.16) among the same group.

Isolating Murphy’s play to just targets of nine or fewer yards, he led the nation in forced incompletion percentage (26.7), ranked tied for third in yards allowed per reception (5.0) and fourth in yards allowed per target (3.3). He ranked tied for fifth in coverage grade (90.1) when targeted in that area of the field, as well.

Numbers aside, Murphy dominated the short and intermediate areas of the field – both in coverage and when playing the run. He earned an impressive 86.7 run-defense grade and logged eight run stops this past season, an aspect of his game he holds in high regard.

Here’s how PFF compared Murphy in various aspects to the ‘average’ for the 2019 draft class:

He loves to tackle and deliver jarring hits:

This is why I thought he might fit at safety. You don’t want him matching up on the outside against taller, faster cornerbacks. Put him inside in space and let him fly to the ball and tackle and he can be a major factor.

Increasingly we’re seeing safeties switch to the ‘big nickel’ in college and I wonder if that’s Murphy’s role at the next level. If the Seahawks are prioritising replacing Coleman with a dynamic hybrid defender — Murphy fits the bill even if he isn’t their prototype for outside corner.

Then you have to factor in his grit, his maturity, his exceptional character. Murphy has the attitude and the motivation (already a father) to succeed. The Seahawks will likely love his personality and the way he plays the game.

What about his testing? At the Washington pro-day yesterday he reportedly ran a 4.15 short shuttle and a 6.83 three cone. Had he worked out with the other safety/big nickel types at the combine — that would’ve been the fourth quickest three cone (behind only Marvell Tell, Amani Hooker and Taylor Rapp). It would’ve been the eighth fastest short shuttle but he was only marginally slower than Darnell Savage (4.15) and he was quicker than Chauncey Gardner-Johnson (4.20).

For those reasons — I’m inclined to not totally rule out Murphy-to-Seattle with their first pick. They’ll be trading down from #21 and it’s possible he won’t be there when they make a selection. If he is though — he might be a name to keep an eye on.

It also fits in line with some of the other players they’re meeting with. Galko linked Darnell Savage and Nasir Adderley to Seattle. They’re two more physical, tenacious defensive backs who could fit the big nickel position. Chauncey Gardner-Johnson met with the Seahawks and he switched to nickel for the 2018 season. Juan Thornhill is a former cornerback converted to safety and could also be viewed as a big nickel. They’re looking at guys who can play this position.

Murphy is a better player than the names above. He’s a better fit for this specific position. I think people look at the safeties visiting the VMAC and believe they’re looking for an Earl Thomas replacement. We’ve been saying for a few weeks — it’s probably more likely they’re looking for a versatile nickel.

It’s something I hadn’t really considered with their first pick but I’ll be keeping a more open mind going forward. Murphy to Seattle? Or one of these nickel prospects? Possibly. The game’s changing. Justin Coleman played 67.81% of the defensive snaps last year. The Seahawks play nickel in base like everyone else. Finding someone who can fit that role while defending the run and being able to tackle isn’t easy. That’s what Murphy can do. He’s not a burner, he’s not an outside corner. He’s a guy who will fly around and hit you while also having a knack for making big plays.

Their draft history says it’s unlikely but don’t dismiss Murphy being picked first up.

The counter to this? The fact they’ve done absolutely nothing to upgrade the defensive front and have actually lost players (Shamar Stephen, Dion Jordan) from last season. It’s possible they intend to fill out their D-line in the middle rounds but it’s risky. They need more up front. More pass rush, better run defense.

Seahawks interested in Greg Gaines?

According to Tony Pauline they are:

“Gaines has watched his draft stock take off since the Senior Bowl and I’m told the hometown Seattle Seahawks like Gaines and have their eye on him.”

It’s an interesting note from Tony. We’ve been discussing Gaines for a couple of years, dating back to the start of his blossoming partnership with Vita Vea. The two were a great double act. Gaines consistently impacted games — he just lacked the frame and traits to stand out.

The Seahawks in the Carroll era haven’t drafted a defensive lineman with sub-33 inch arms in the first two days. Gaines had 31 1/4 inch arms.

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With less than a month to go to the draft, Brandan Schulze and I got together to record a new podcast. Check it out below…

Thoughts on Ben Banogu

It was a little surprising recently to see Tony Pauline suggest Banogu could be drafted in the #40-60 range. Although he had an outstanding combine, he really isn’t much of an edge rusher at all. He lacks technique or any kind of repertoire. A lot of his best plays are incidental (he makes the right choice, an opponent runs in his direction). There’s barely any evidence of any hand placement, speed-to-power conversion or dynamic speed off the edge.

He looks more like a linebacker convert than a productive defensive end or LEO.

Banogu’s a massive project. He’s the very definition of an athlete rather than a football player. He’ll need time and major work to become a sack artist. With so many other DE’s in this class it’s hard to imagine him going as early as round two.

There is one aspect of his game I want to highlight though…

The Seahawks face the Rams twice a year. Los Angeles runs a bunch of sweeps, end-arounds and misdirection. Seattle’s somewhat conventional defense sometimes struggles to come to terms with this. New England shut down the Rams by playing safeties off the edge in space to try and combat the trickery they use and it worked a treat. We’ll see if teams cotton on to that gameplan in 2019 (and it might be one reason why the Seahawks are meeting with so many safeties — to have the option to play multiple safety looks against these high-powered offensive teams).

Banogu excels when he’s playing off the edge then reading and reacting. He’s exceptionally quick to cover ground, can sprint to the sideline and shut down any stretch plays and sweeps surprisingly well for a man his size. Time and time again you watch him cover one half of the field simply playing off the edge in space. It should be an ideal 1v1 matchup for a smaller running back or receiver against a 250lbs defender. Not against Banogu. He plays with great discipline to let the play develop then quickly reacts and makes a tackle. Not many players can do this.

This is one of the reasons why he might be better off working as a linebacker at the next level or at the very least a SAM/LEO.

You’re not likely going to take him in round two just for this one positive. He’s so raw as a pass rusher — he’d need to show more in that sense to warrant a top-60 grade. He could be a useful weapon vs the Rams however. Especially if you’ve got Banogu on one side and some extra safety help on the other.

Seahawks setting up a D-line draft

Whether it ends up being their first pick or not, the Seahawks are clearly setting up for a heavy D-line draft. That’s no surprise given the class. Yet they’ve been completely inactive in free agency. They’ve lost one player (Shamar Stephen) and shown no sign of wanting to keep another (Dion Jordan). They met with Nick Perry and a couple of defensive tackles. Anyone who signs at this stage isn’t a lock to make the roster.

Considering the pass rush and run defense both need help — we could see as many as three picks spent on the defensive line in this draft. They need a Tony McDaniel type or at least a strong, early down defensive tackle to rotate in and help against the run. Armon Watts at Arkansas has the anchor, length and size to adapt to this role (with some ability to rush the passer too). Albert Huggins is extremely powerful. Those are two examples of possible day-three run-defense targets.

In terms of the pass rush — Trysten Hill is too athletic to last too long and presents an opportunity to get an athlete with as much upside as the top-15 prospects albeit at a cheaper cost (although many regard him now as a sure-fire second rounder). Daniel Wise is a smaller, really disruptive pass rusher who impacts games. He could be brought in as a specialist three-technique. They could roll the dice on Ben Banogu or Justin Hollins’ athletic profile. Or they could spend their first pick on a dynamic inside/out type who can provide a perfect partner across from Frank Clark. There are a cluster of attractive five-technique or inside/out rushers.

Either way — their total lack of D-line additions so far is an enormous nod towards their draft intentions. They’re going to stock up on defensive linemen one way or another.

Why the Seahawks probably won’t trade Frank Clark before the draft

Ever since Jay Glazer tweeted teams were calling about Clark (including the Bills, who later disputed the report), there’s been a lingering thought that he might be dealt. A deal doesn’t seem close at the moment. With four key players out of contract next year (Clark, Russell Wilson, Bobby Wagner, Jarran Reed) — something has to give. Losing Clark for a 2021 compensatory pick wouldn’t be good value if he reaches free agency next year and leaves Seattle.

However, I don’t think a trade before the draft is likely. Here’s why…

I don’t believe the Seahawks have any intention of losing any of their ‘big four’. Pete Carroll feels they have a competitive roster and a new core. I suspect they will exhaust all possibilities to keep their key players before even thinking about a trade. They are still a long way off having exhausted anything with Clark.

He has until mid-July to sign his franchise tag or opt to hold out. That is a reasonable deadline for both parties. Seattle can make its best offer just before July 15th and apply some pressure. They can put Clark in a position to choose guaranteed wealth and security vs gambling on reaching the market fully healthy and off the back of a great 2019 season. Faced with a ticking clock, it’s hard to turn down guaranteed cash.

In order to create this environment for a deal, however, they need that July 15th deadline. You might say — why not just set a pre-draft deadline? Clark and his agent would reject it. As far as they’re concerned if the Seahawks trade him, they’ll be trading him to a team willing to give him a massive new contract. So actually this would accelerate the process for Clark and he’d be better off financially to be traded pre-draft. The Seahawks setting an April deadline doesn’t come with any consequences or pressure for Clark.

If the team felt an extension was impossible or highly unlikely he probably would’ve been traded by now. Instead it seems like they’re willing to let this process play out, create a realistic deadline from which all parties can reasonably come together and work towards a deal.

If a trade is going to happen now it’ll probably be heading into camp. If Clark doesn’t sign an extension and refuses to play on the franchise tag, the Seahawks might end up dealing him before the season rather than enduring any drama in camp while facing the prospect of losing him for very little in the way of compensation. However — right now we just don’t know how likely that situation is. My gut feeling is Clark wants to stay in Seattle and if the Seahawks make a fair offer in July — he’ll likely agree terms to remain with the team rather than risk playing on the tag.

As with the Wilson negotiations — patience and time is probably the key factor.

A trade scenario that makes sense

The Seahawks need picks so trading down twice to fill out their board is more likely than not. Here’s a trade scenario I might use for the next seven-round projection.

Note — all trade value data came from this chart.

The Seahawks trade #21 to Kansas City for #29, #93, #167 & #214
The Chiefs seriously need to consider drafting a wide receiver given the recent news on Tyreek Hill. D.K. Metcalf’s sensational forty yard dash and ability to run a great go-route makes him an ideal fit with Patrick Mahomes. Parris Campbell’s 4.31 speed and Marquise Brown’s electricity could also appeal. The Ravens are reportedly after a receiver so Seattle’s pick at #21 could become a target for a team like the Chiefs.

According to the chart the value of pick #21 is 261 trade points. Kansas City’s four picks add up to 256 points:

Seahawks — #21 (261)

Chiefs — #29 (203), #93 (42), #167 (8), #214 (3)

The Seahawks trade #29 to Buffalo for #40, #112 & #131
If the Bills draft an offensive tackle at #9 they’ll be keen not to miss out on the top receivers with their second pick. If the run starts at the end of round one — they’ll need to act. Funnily enough if the Seahawks trade out of #21 to allow another team to draft a wide out, they could kick start the run on the position — making it easier to trade down for a second time. In this scenario the Bills move up for Marquise Brown — jumping ahead of the Green Bay Packers (also in the receiver market).

According to the chart the value of pick #29 is 203 trade points. Buffalo’s three picks add up to 192 points:

Seahawks — #29 (203)

Bills — #40 (149), #112 (26), #131 (17)

In both cases the Seahawks give up some value. They might have to this year with great depth in rounds 2-4 and only a few ‘legit’ first round prospects.

These two trades leave the Seahawks with nine picks. They have to move down 19 places to get from four to nine but that might be an inevitable compromise in order to have a proper draft this year.

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The list of known VMAC visitors is growing. In the last week or so the media has revealed the following players have visited or will visit Seattle for an official-30 visit:

Parris Campbell (WR, Ohio State)
L.J. Collier (DE, TCU)
Dre Greenlaw (LB, Arkansas)
Darnell Savage (S, Maryland)
Juan Thornhill (S, Virginia)
Darwin Thompson (RB, Utah State)
Rashan Gary (DE, Michigan)
Corrion Ballard (S, Utah)

Tony Pauline also reported the Seahawks had met with Chauncey Gardner-Johnson but it’s unclear if this was a VMAC visit or a workout/meeting.

A lot of the names aren’t surprising. The likes of Collier, Savage and Thornhill are expected to go in a range Seattle will trade into. They’re always looking for great athletes to take in the later rounds or UDFA and Ballard, Greenlaw and Thompson fit that bill.

Then there’s Rashan Gary.

Despite a lot of negative reports among some Twitter users and bloggers, Gary is a likely top-10 pick.

He was a former #1 recruit in the country and described by some High School scouts as one half of the best D-line duo to enter college football at the same time (along with Dexter Lawrence).

He has an unbelievable physical profile. Think of all the positive press Ed Oliver’s had this week for his pro-day. Rashan Gary is a similar size (277lbs) but he’s faster (4.58), more explosive (tested better in the vertical and they had the same broad jump) and their short shuttle’s are in the same range (4.22 vs 4.29). The difference is Gary doesn’t have short arms or a frame that’s difficult to place in a full-time starting role (nobody’s touting him for a switch to linebacker…).

People talk about his lack of production but schematically he was asked to play a certain role that didn’t involve screaming off the edge as a speed rusher. Even so — our article earlier this week highlighted his pressure percentage was better than pure-speed rusher Ben Banogu’s (15.5%).

Perhaps more impressive than anything though was the way he performed at the combine. Teams had him run the linebacker drills to show off his athleticism. His movement, change-of-direction and agility at 277lbs was unbelievable. He performed better in the drills than most of the 240-250lbs OLB types. Gary looked like a natural working in space (he couldn’t catch a beachball though):

In a loaded class of defensive players, he’s #1 for upside and ceiling. He’s incredibly versatile and can line up as a base-end, he can kick inside, he can play the five technique, you could look at him as a full-time three-technique and he could even work in space on some snaps to rush and contain. He’s a phenomenal talent.

If he had more production — he’d be in the running to be the #1 pick. It’s the only missing piece and again — that was down to scheme more than anything.

Here’s what one of Bob McGinn’s scouting sources said about Gary:

“Looks pretty good to me… Can do a lot of things. Athletic, tough, strong, versatile. Some of that (minimal production) was how he was used schematically. You just have to go by the eyeball test. Just watch the tape. You see everything.”

He won’t be there at #21 and he definitely won’t be there after they’ve traded down. So what gives? How come the Seahawks are meeting with him?

You could have some fun speculating that the Seahawks might be about to acquire a high pick. Mike Garofolo was recently interviewed by Brock Huard. Garofolo said Frank Clark would be worth a high first round pick if the Seahawks decided to trade him. Put two and two together and you’ve got one Michigan defender replacing another albeit at a cheaper cost.

In reality there’s very little to say the Seahawks have any ambition to trade Clark. Pete Carroll said numerous times ‘Frank will be with us’ before he was franchised. Things might’ve changed since but it’s more likely Clark will either sign an extension or play out his final year in Seattle on the franchise tag.

Whether that’s a wise stance to take is up for major debate. Clark has been a consistent producer for Seattle but is yet to turn into the game-wrecker that might warrant a +$20m a year contract. The Seahawks would also be risking losing any meaningful compensation by letting him play on the tag.

However — that’s where the precedent takes us. The Seahawks, under Carroll, have never traded a player in his prime to get optimal value. They’ve consistently tried to keep core players together — even going above and beyond with contract extensions. Is that likely to change now? I’m sceptical — even if you can make a compelling case for a trade this year.

You’ve also got to wonder whether anyone would truly be willing to give up a high first round pick for Clark. It’d probably need to be a top-10 to get Rashan Gary. Even though Clark is only 25 (he turns 26 in June) — it’d be a hefty price to pay given the strength of the draft is defensive line. Dee Ford only gained Kansas City a 2020 second rounder. Clark is a superior player — but is he so much better to warrant a top-10 pick? Probably not.

When Jay Glazer linked the Bills to Clark I thought a fair deal might be swapping #21 for #9 and the Seahawks gaining Buffalo’s second round pick (#40). That gets you into the top-10. But even then — how many big trades like that actually happen in April rather than the first flush of free agency?

So back to Gary’s VMAC visit. What is it likely about?

It’s a boring answer but it’s probably intel for the future. The Seahawks aren’t just planning and preparing for the 2019 draft. They need information on these players for years down the line.

Look at the 2013 class. The Seahawks didn’t even pick in round one because of the Percy Harvin trade. You still need to do your homework on the top prospects because years later they ended up signing or acquiring the following:

Luke Joeckel — #2
Dion Jordan — #3
Barkevious Mingo — #6
D.J. Fluker — #11
Sheldon Richardson — #13
Arthur Brown — #56
Eddie Lacy — #61

If Rashan Gary became available in a few years time — it’d pay to have a dossier of information about him.

Why him over some of the other top prospects? Simple. He’s exactly the type of player the Seahawks love. Former top High School recruit. Extremely good athlete. Ideal length, agility, explosion, speed. Versatile. Fits exactly what they want from a DE who can kick inside. Has shown discipline to work within Michigan’s scheme and get on with the job (important if you’re playing in Seattle’s front seven).

If they get a chance to sign him in the future, they’d probably seriously consider it.

So the VMAC meeting is probably less about a dramatic imminent trade and much more about putting together a complete profile for a player who could be their #1 ranked prospect in the class.

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In an interview with John Clayton this week, Pete Carroll talked about pass rushers and delivered the following quote:

“We’re just looking for activity and problem-makers. Usually you can look to that pressure percentage; how many times when they rush do they affect the quarterback?”

PFF record quarterback pressures and pressure percentage. I’ve combed through their free-to-read articles and tweets to find out what I can.

Note that the data is far from complete:

Total pressures

EDGE/DE

Brian Burns — 66
Sutton Smith — 65
Jaylon Ferguson — 64
Ben Banogu — 60
Zach Allen — 59
Josh Allen — 57
Clelin Ferrell — 56
Maxx Crosby — 55
Oshane Ximines — 55
L.J. Collier — 54
Joe Jackson — 54
Anthony Nelson — 53
Chase Winovich — 53
Montez Sweat — 48
Jalen Jelks — 43
Justin Hollins — 41
Jachai Polite — 41
Christian Miller — 39
Jamal Davis — 38
Charles Omenihu — 38
Jordan Brailford — 37
D’Andre Walker — 32
Kinglsey Keke — 31
Porter Gustin — 28
Rashan Gary — 24
Nick Bosa — 14

Defensive tackles

Quinnen Williams — 55
Dre’Mont Jones — 52
Jerry Tillery — 47
Christian Wilkins — 47
Greg Gaines — 45
Khalen Saunders — 35
Daniel Wise — 35
Jeffery Simmons — 34
Dexter Lawrence — 33
Trysten Hill — 26
Ed Oliver — 26
Gerald Willis III — 26
Armon Watts — 24
Terry Beckner Jr — 23

Pressure percentage

Josh Allen — 29.1%
Anthony Nelson — 23.5%
Oshane Ximines — 23.5%
Jaylon Ferguson — 23.4%
Joe Jackson — 21.7%
Chase Winovich — 21.7%
Montez Sweat — 20.2%
Brian Burns — 19.7%
L.J. Collier — 19.2%
Clelin Ferrell — 18.5%
Jachai Polite — 18.4%
Sutton Smith — 17.6%
Zach Allen — 17.1%
Justin Hollins — 16.8%
Quinnen Williams — 16.7%
Rashan Gary — 15.8%
Ben Banogu — 15.5%
Christian Wilkins — 14.0%
Jalen Jelks — 12.3%
Greg Gaines — 12.2%
Jerry Tillery — 12.2%
Dre’Mont Jones — 11.4%
Ed Oliver — 9.6%

So what can we take from this?

The first list highlights pressures and it’d be very easy to compliment Brian Burns and Ben Banogu at the top end of the list. According to PFF, both players created a lot of pressures in 2018.

However as we see with their pressure percentages, they don’t score as well as some other players. Burns still fares well at 19.7% but Banogu is at 15.5%.

What I would take from that is — Burns and Banogu did record more pressures but they were also afforded more opportunities to make plays as pure speed rushers off the edge. In Burns’ case he still achieved a degree of consistency but Bangou didn’t.

Who impresses the most?

Clearly it’s Kentucky’s Josh Allen. I’ve been trying to work out for a while why he’s seemingly developed into a top-five lock among those with contacts in the league. It was difficult to watch him getting blown up by tight ends and his combine was good not great.

These stats, however, paint a glowing picture. He had a high number of pressures (57) compared to the other draft eligible prospects. Yet he was also by far the most consistent rusher with a pressure percentage of 29.1%. For teams using analytics (I suspect all do these days) this will jump off the page.

LA Tech’s Jaylon Ferguson is also a notable performer (64 pressures at 23.4%). I think these are the players who stand out:

Brian Burns — 66 / 19.7%
Joe Jackson –54 / 21.7%
Jaylon Ferguson — 64 / 23.4%
Josh Allen — 57 / 29.1%
Oshane Ximines — 55 / 23.5%
L.J. Collier — 54 / 19.2%
Anthony Nelson — 53 / 23.5%
Chase Winovich — 53 / 21.7%
Montez Sweat — 48 / 20.2%
Clelin Ferrell — 56 / 18.5%
Zach Allen — 59 / 17.1%

What else do we need to consider?

Competition matters. Josh Allen recorded his pressures in the SEC. That’s a lot harder than the opponents faced by Oshane Ximines and Jaylon Ferguson.

We don’t have all the data. This is all I could find after a couple of hours of combing the internet. PFF doesn’t include the pressure percentages in their draft guide but they do have a ‘pass-rush productivity’ score. They describe it as a calculation to reflect the frequency of pressure generated. All sacks, hits and hurries are added together and broken down on a per-pass-rushing-snap basis.

Here are some notable names and their scores:

Josh Allen — 30.3
Jaylon Ferguson — 26.6
Christian Miller — 24.1
Joe Jackson — 23.1
Montez Sweat — 22.1
Clelin Ferrell — 21.3
Jachai Polite — 20.4
Oshane Ximines — 20.1
Quinnen Williams — 19.7
Anthony Nelson — 19.2
Brian Burns — 18.5
Chase Winovich — 18.2
L.J. Collier — 18.0
D’Andre Walker — 16.6
Christian Wilkins — 16.4
Rashan Gary — 16.2
Ben Banogu — 16.0
Dexter Lawrence — 14.6
Jerry Tillery — 14.3
Dre’Mont Jones — 13.3
Zach Allen — 13.4
Greg Gaines — 13.0
Armon Watts — 12.8
Trysten Hill — 12.2
Jeffery Simmons — 11.8
Khalen Saunders — 11.5
Ed Oliver — 11.4
Gerald Willis III — 10.0
Charles Omenihu — 10.3

Run-stop percentages

Improving the run defense is also a priority for the Seahawks. Here are some key defensive tackle run-stop percentages per PFF:

Quinnen Williams — 14.2%
Christian Wilkins — 11.9%
Gerald Willis III — 11.7%
Jeffery Simmons — 11.4%
Dexter Lawrence — 11.2%
Khalen Saunders — 11.1%
Terry Beckner Jr — 10.7%
Greg Gaines — 9.8%
Ed Oliver — 8.8%
Trysten Hill — 8.7%
Armon Watts — 7.4%
Renell Wren — 6.3%
Daniel Wise — 5.8%
Dre’Mont Jones — 5.4%
Jerry Tillery 3.6%

Here are some of the EDGE/DE run-stop percentages:

Montez Sweat — 12.7%
Chase Winovich — 11.8%
Jonathan Ledbetter — 10.9%
Rashan Gary — 9.9%
Jachai Polite — 9.8%
Jamal Davis — 9.8%
Jalen Jelks — 9.6%
Kinglsey Keke — 9.8%
Maxx Crosby — 8.5%
D’Andre Walker — 8.4%
Zach Allen — 8.4%
Josh Allen — 8.2%
Jaylon Ferguson — 8.2%
Charles Omenihu — 8.0%
Christian Miller — 7.8%
Anthony Nelson — 7.8%
Oshane Ximines — 7.8%
Ben Banogu — 7.7%
L.J. Collier — 6.3%
Clelin Ferrell — 5.7%
Brian Burns — 5.4%
Joe Jackson — 5.0%
Justin Hollins — 4.7%

Other interesting PFF information

— Arkansas linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who will visit the Seahawks, missed only 5% of his tackles (ranked #1 among SEC linebackers).

— Clemson’s Dexter Lawrence had 33 pressures on just 254 pass-rush attempts — giving him 99 total pressures over his three-year stint at Clemson. Not bad for a +340lbs defensive tackle.

— Texas A&M tight end Jace Sternberger, another VMAC visitor, tied first in receiving grade among tight ends as he led the nation in touchdowns and finished second in receiving yards.

— Arizona State’s N’Keal Harry scored a touchdown on 22% of his deep targets.

— Virginia’s Juan Thornill, also making a visit to Seattle, was the only safety in the country to finish with 80.0-plus overall grades in run defense, tackling, pass-rush and coverage while taking at least 15 snaps as a blitzer, at least 200 snaps in run defense and at least 200 snaps in coverage.

— Florida’s Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, who met with the Seahawks in the last couple of days, had an 89.9 coverage grade (ranked ninth in the country). He limited receivers to 8.4 yards per reception –- ranking 17th among all cornerbacks targeted at least 25 times in 2018. His 45.6 passer rating when targeted from the slot ranked sixth in the country.

— Only 24 cornerbacks had +250 snaps in the slot in 2018. Of the 24, Iowa’s Amani Hooker ranked fifth — allowing 0.98 yards per snap in coverage.

— Kansas State’s Dalton Risner hasn’t allowed a sack since week five of the 2016 season against West Virginia. That’s a span of 942 pass-blocking snaps without conceding a sack.

— West Virginia quarterback Will Grier averaged the fourth-highest YPA at 9.7 while throwing more deep pass touchdowns than any other quarterback with 20. According to PFF, “he goes down as arguably the best deep-ball thrower over the past two seasons as he’s thrown for more yards (2,850), more touchdowns (36) and more big-time throws (54) on passes targeted at least 20 yards downfield than any other quarterback since 2017″.

Whatever your view of PFF — teams are paying attention to information like this.

VMAC visitors

We can add three more names to the list today. Reports say Virginia safety Juan Thornhill is making a VMAC visit and so is Utah State running back Darwin Thompson and Michigan defensive lineman Rashan Gary.

Here’s the full reported list so far:

Parris Campbell (WR, Ohio State)
L.J. Collier (DE, TCU)
Dre Greenlaw (LB, Arkansas)
Darnell Savage (S, Maryland)
Chauncey Gardner-Johnson (Nickel/S, Florida) — could just be a meeting
Darwin Thompson (RB, Utah State)
Juan Thornhill (S, Virginia)
Rashan Gary (DE, Michigan)

One of these names is not like the rest. Gary is too athletic and has too much potential to fall out of the top-10.

Ed Oliver’s pro-day hysterics

Everyone’s getting a bit carried away.

That’s not to say Oliver hasn’t had a superb pro-day. He has. Running in the 4.7’s and then managing a 4.22 short shuttle and a 7.15 three cone. Those are all really good marks and he should be a top-15 pick.

However — some context is required.

Ian Rapoport called Oliver’s forty an ‘insane’ time. I replied and noted that Rashan Gary, at a similar size, ran a 4.58 at the combine. There’s a 4lbs difference between the pair and Gary ran at the combine — not a pro-day with a hand-time.

In 2011 Adrian Clayborn ran a 4.13 short shuttle at 281lbs. His forty yard dash was a 4.83 at his combine. Oliver chose not to run at the combine and they often say add 0.10 seconds to a hand-time at a pro-day. So they’re similar athletes.

Henry Anderson was listed at 6-6 and 294lbs at his combine in 2015. He ran a 4.19 shuttle. He didn’t get quite the same publicity.

And then there’s Frank Clark. At 270lbs (about 10lbs lighter than Ed Oliver) he ran a 4.05 short shuttle. Which is incredible really.

I’m not trying to argue that Oliver’s pro-day wasn’t a great success. Clearly he’s an outstanding athlete. Some of the reactions though suggest he’s set a new bar today. When in reality he’s a comparable athlete to Adrian Clayborn.

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The Seahawks are doing their homework on the safety class. Maryland’s Darnell Savage has a visit scheduled. Now Tony Pauline says Florida’s Chauncey Gardner-Johnson met with the Seahawks over the last two days…

Pro Day Report – Florida: Chauncey Gardner-Johnson & more on Jachai Polite https://t.co/AZ9dloGvI9 pic.twitter.com/ByP8hOZqKj

— Tony Pauline (@TonyPauline) March 27, 2019

Make sure you check out Tony’s pro-day reports and his fantastic weekly podcast. Unmissable content from the best in the business.

Gardner-Johnson switched to nickel cornerback last season, playing most of his snaps in the slot. This is a trend among the top safeties in college. Budda Baker played a lot of nickel. This year the likes of Gardner-Johnson, Amani Hooker and others played as a ‘big nickel’ or hybrid.

This is the way the league is going. Seattle played predominantly nickel in base last season with Justin Coleman taking 67.8% of the snaps. With the 2019 group of safeties excelling at the combine (many running in the 4.3’s or 4.4’s) it’s very possible the Seahawks are looking for a safety hybrid to replace Coleman.

That would also make sense financially. A player who can drop back to safety if needs be or play in different defensive formations is a better use of resources than a specialist cornerback who can’t play outside or at safety.

Gardner-Johnson is bigger than he looks on tape at 5-11 and 210lbs. He ran a 4.48 and a 4.20 short shuttle. He has an incredibly energetic personality and character. He loves to talk on the field. He’s known to take risks which has been an issue at times. Yet he’s also one of the better playmaking DB’s in the class — as we saw with his MVP performance in the Bowl game against Michigan.

The Seahawks clearly like their existing safeties a lot more than the fans and media. This is still too good a safety class to ignore the position. Especially if you can get a dynamic ‘big nickel’ type with versatility.

In yesterday’s tiered grades I listed Taylor Rapp (S, Washington), Amani Hooker (S, Iowa), Marvell Tell III (S, USC), Johnathan Abram (S, Mississippi State), Darnell Savage (S, Maryland), Marquise Blair (S, Utah) and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson (S, Florida) in round two. Deionte Thompson (S, Alabama), Juan Thornhill (S, Virginia) and Nasir Adderley (S, Delaware) were listed in round three.

The challenge for the Seahawks is to trade down from #21 and try to have at least three picks in rounds 2-3 to tap into the talent available. This is a strong draft at receiver, defensive line, safety and tight end in that day two range. Those are the areas the Seahawks will likely target if they can gain some extra picks.

Reported Seahawks visits so far:

Parris Campbell (WR, Ohio State)
Darnell Savage (S, Maryland)
L.J. Collier (DE, TCU)
Dre Greenlaw (LB, Arkansas)
Jace Sternberger (TE, Texas A&M)
Chauncey Gardner-Johnson (S, Florida)

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I’ll keep updating this list before the draft. This is a first attempt having watched the players listed. There are some I still need to watch.

Legit first round (10)

Kyler Murray (QB, Oklahoma)
Quinnen Williams (DT, Alabama)
Nick Bosa (DE, Ohio State)
Rashan Gary (DE, Michigan)
T.J. Hockenson (TE, Iowa)
Devin White (LB, LSU)
Devin Bush (LB, Michigan)
Dexter Lawrence (DT, Clemson)
Ed Oliver (DT, Houston)
Montez Sweat (EDGE, Mississippi State)

I’ve felt for a long time that Kyler Murray is the most talented player in the draft and should be the #1 pick. Very little separates the top defensive prospects. Quinnen Williams and Nick Bosa are the best but the upside of the others is top level. I’ve added Devin Bush and Montez Sweat to this group following the combine. Traits matter in the NFL and both players tested well enough to warrant a first round grade.

Borderline first/second round (4)

Andre Dillard (T, Washington State)
Clelin Ferrell (DE, Clemson)
Christian Wilkins (DT, Clemson)
Josh Allen (EDGE, Kentucky)

All four of these players will go in the first round but I wanted some separation from the top tier. Andre Dillard is the best left tackle in the class. I marked Clelin Ferrell and Christian Wilkins down after the combine because neither tested as well as I expected. Josh Allen is a consensus top-five pick in the media but I still can’t shake seeing him handled by tight ends.

Injury flags — first round (2)

Jeffery Simmons (DT, Mississippi State)
Rodney Anderson (RB, Oklahoma)

Both Simmons and Anderson would be first round picks if it wasn’t for injuries. Simmons tore his ACL training for the combine and will miss the entire 2019 season. Anderson suffered a similar injury during the 2018 season. Neither player is expected to go in round one as a consequence but both possess first round talent.

First round analysis

Most people appear to be projecting between 10-15 legit first round prospects in this draft. Much will depend on how you view the quarterbacks. Some teams will have Drew Lock and Dwayne Haskins ranked very highly. The likes of the Clemson trio, Andre Dillard and Devin Bush will also receive fluctuating grades. This draft class provides quality depth at various positions but there’s not a strong pool of first round prospects. What does that mean? A lot of teams in the 20’s will want to move down and players drafted in the late first round will carry similar grades to the players drafted in the 40’s.

Second round (42)

Dru Samia (G, Oklahoma)
Chris Lindstrom (G, Boston College)
Kaleb McGary (T, Washington)
Jawaan Taylor (T, Florida)
Cody Ford (T, Oklahoma)
Garrett Bradbury (C, NC State)
Erik McCoy (C, Texas A&M)
Elgton Jenkins (C, Mississippi State)
Jonah Williams (C, Alabama)
Marquise Brown (WR, Oklahoma)
Parris Campbell (WR, Ohio State)
D.K. Metcalf (WR, Ole Miss)
Deebo Samuel (WR, South Carolina)
Terry McLaurin (WR, Ohio State)
Emmanuel Hall (WR, Missouri)
A.J. Brown (WR, Ole Miss)
N’Keal Harry (WR, Arizona State)
Drew Lock (QB, Missouri)
Dwayne Haskins (QB, Ohio State)
Will Grier (QB, West Virginia)
Noah Fant (TE, Iowa)
Irv Smith Jr (TE, Alabama)
Josh Oliver (TE, San Jose State)
Dawson Knox (TE, Ole Miss)
Kahale Warring (TE, San Diego State)
Josh Jacobs (RB, Alabama)
Jerry Tillery (DT, Notre Dame)
Trysten Hill (DT, UCF)
Dre’Mont Jones (DT, Ohio State)
L.J. Collier (DE, TCU)
Zach Allen (DE, Boston College)
Brian Burns (EDGE, Florida State)
Justin Layne (CB, Michigan State)
Greedy Williams (CB, LSU)
Byron Murphy (CB, Washington)
Taylor Rapp (S, Washington)
Amani Hooker (S, Iowa)
Marvell Tell III (S, USC)
Johnathan Abram (S, Mississippi State)
Darnell Savage (S, Maryland)
Marquise Blair (S, Utah)
Chauncey Gardner-Johnson (S, Florida)

There will likely be a run on receivers between picks #20 and #40. There’s a chance for the late first and early second round to be dominated by wide outs.

It’s possible none of the safeties will be taken in the first round. If that happens, things will pick up on day two. Many of the top safeties ran in the 4.3’s or 4.4’s. Teams will look at this group and see range and versatility. The ‘big nickel’ is a vital position these days and a lot of these safeties either played nickel full time in college or split their time.

The other position that could kick into gear is tight end. We could easily see Noah Fant, Irv Smith Jr and others (including Josh Oliver) go in the first frame. The earlier those three leave the board, the greater the chances of several other tight ends finding a home in round two. Dawson Knox could very easily be taken in this range and with many teams needing a tight end, some of the third round prospects could be pushed up a round.

There are a few names on the list I want to talk about briefly. Dru Samia the guard at Oklahoma is extremely physical and squares everything up. Watch his performance against Alabama. I think he’ll go a lot earlier than many are projecting. Utah’s Marquise Blair has the athleticism and quickness to excel at nickel and packs a punch as a tackler/hitter. He too might go a bit earlier than the consensus is predicting. Trysten Hill remains devastatingly underrated despite arguably the best combine workout at any position and Justin Layne could easily go in the first round (and could even be the first corner drafted).

Second round analysis

This is an excellent draft in rounds 2-3. Seattle’s challenge is to try and find a way to turn #21 into multiple day two selections. If they manage it, they’ll have plenty of options at several positions of need.

Third round (41)

Damien Harris (RB, Alabama)
Justice Hill (RB, Oklahoma State)
Miles Sanders (RB, Penn State)
Gary Jennings (WR, West Virginia)
J.J. Arcega-Whiteside (WR, Stanford)
Miles Boykin (WR, Notre Dame)
Hakeem Butler (WR, Iowa State)
Jace Sternberger (TE, Texas A&M)
Drew Sample (TE, Washington)
Trevon Wesco (TE, West Virginia)
Kaden Smith (TE, Stanford)
Greg Little (T, Ole Miss)
Isaiah Prince (T, Ohio State)
Bobby Evans (T, Oklahoma)
Dalton Risner (T, Kansas State)
Michael Jordan (G, Ohio State)
Connor McGovern (G, Penn State)
Daniel Jones (QB, Duke)
Christian Miller (EDGE, Alabama)
Jaylon Ferguson (EDGE, Louisiana Tech)
Jachai Polite (EDGE, Florida)
D’Andre Walker (EDGE, Georgia)
Chase Winovich (EDGE, Michigan)
Charles Omenihu (DE, Texas)
Joe Jackson (DE, Miami)
Anthony Nelson (DE, Iowa)
Renell Wren (DT, Arizona State)
Gerald Willis III (DT, Miami)
Ed Alexander (DT, LSU)
Khalen Saunders (DT, Western Illinois)
Mack Wilson (LB, Alabama)
Joejuan Williams (CB, Vanderbilt)
Michael Jackson (CB, Miami)
Trayvon Mullen (CB, Clemson)
Lonnie Johnson (CB, Kentucky)
Rock Ya-sin (CB, Temple)
Isaiah Johnson (CB, Houston)
Deandre Baker (CB, Georgia)
Deionte Thompson (S, Alabama)
Juan Thornhill (S, Virginia)
Nasir Adderley (S, Delaware)

Plenty of these names are borderline second round prospects. You could easily make a case for the receivers listed to go in round two. Miles Boykin had an exceptional combine, Hakeem Butler performed better than expected and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside boxes out defenders better than any receiver I’ve watched in college previously. Gary Jennings is underrated. They all have size.

The athletic potential of offensive linemen Chuma Edoga, Isaiah Prince, Michael Jordan and Connor McGovern could push them into round two on some boards. It’s also very possible Dalton Risner and Greg Little go earlier than I’m projecting here — it’s just a personal preference.

Jachai Polite I have falling due to a lack of size, length, speed (needs a good run at his pro-day) and some emerging character question marks. Mack Wilson is about as natural in coverage as you’ll ever see by a linebacker but a lack of great testing numbers and mediocre tape around the LOS has him lasting in this projection.

It wouldn’t be a surprise at all if Charles Omenihu, Gerald Willis and Ed Alexander carried second round grades by some teams. Many of the defensive backs listed could be graded a round earlier.

Third round analysis

As with the second round, this list really shows off the value you can expect in rounds two and three. The Seahawks will have plenty of options at receiver, D-line, tight end and safety/nickel after they inevitably trade down from #21.

Players not included

Riley Ridley (WR, Georgia) is a player I’ve found it very difficult to get excited about. His tape always felt underwhelming and his physical profile is average at best. I need to watch more of Tytus Howard (T, Alabama State). He received a lot of praise at the Senior Bowl despite that rep against Montez Sweat. I also want to watch more of Dax Raymond (TE, Utah State).

Max Scharping (T, Northern Illinois) is a player that some people see as a possible high pick but he didn’t stand out at the Senior Bowl. I really liked David Edwards’ (T, Wisconsin) 2017 tape but he didn’t test well and just doesn’t seem to have any momentum. Yodny Cajuste (T, West Virginia) failed to build his stock by not working out at the combine.

It was tempting to include Daniel Wise (DT, Kansas) in round three.

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Add another name to the visit list

Texas A&M tight end Jace Sternberger will be travelling to the VMAC on April 11th according to Jared Tokarz.

So far the other reported names visiting Seattle are Parris Campbell (WR, Ohio State), Darnell Savage (S, Maryland), L.J. Collier (DE, TCU) and Dre Greenlaw (LB, Arkansas.

Sternberger is a terrific pass catcher from the tight end position. He’d not been on my radar for the Seahawks because he’s not the best run blocker and he lacks length. If you’re drafting him it’s to be a move-TE who can get down the seam, exploit zones and provide a reliable target. He’s only 6-4 and 251lbs with 32 inch arms. That’s not exactly a Y-TE profile.

That said, he had a good game as a blocker against Kentucky and he is a weapon in the passing game. His short shuttle time (4.31) matched Drew Sample’s as the sixth best at the combine and was a bit quicker than Irv Smith Jr’s 4.33.

(Trevon Wesco at 267lbs — considerably heavier — ran a 4.38 short shuttle and has to be a name to watch)

It really comes down to what they’re looking for. Nick Vannett and Will Dissly are both long, big tight ends. Sternberger isn’t. If they’re looking for a different type he’s an option. In a deep class at the position, however, there are plenty of good blocking TE’s who can make plays in the passing game.

Sternberger doesn’t have exceptional traits or speed (he ran a 4.75, the 11th best forty by a tight end at the combine). He does make some very difficult catches look easy though. He’s a natural running routes and does an excellent job shielding defenders to gain position to make a play. He’s very good at contorting his body and adjusting in the air. He always finishes runs and he’s tough to bring down. There’s just nothing outstanding about his athletic profile even if his tape as a pass catcher is excellent.

He’s a fun player to watch and he certainly makes up for the lack of pure speed and size with quick, technical routes and he’s fluid enough to latch onto mismatches at the second level and win as a big slot. We’ll see if he’s a fit in Seattle but as a prospect — in the right scheme — he can be a weapon at the next level.

Nick Perry is visiting the Seahawks

According to Jason La Canfora the meeting will take place this week. Perry is an old Pete Carroll recruit at USC who’s been with the Packers since entering the league in 2012. He had some productive seasons without ever really threatening the leagues best. He has 32 career sacks.

Athletically it’s not a big surprise Seattle chose Bruce Irvin instead with their first round pick. Perry had an explosive workout (38.5 inch vertical) and ran a good forty yard dash (4.64 at 271lbs) but his 4.66 short shuttle wasn’t good at all. That’s a key test for Seattle EDGE rushers and defensive linemen.

Perry was cut by Green Bay so won’t impact Seattle’s 2020 comp picks. For that reason he’d be a decent addition. They’re scraping the barrel now for available pass rushers and anyone who comes in will likely get a low salary. This will be Perry’s first visit and might be his only option. He’s only 28 (turns 29 in April) so there’s time for a career resurrection. A one-year contract to prove he’s healthy and can be productive could rejuvenate his earning potential in 2020.

It feels like the Seahawks will add a receiver and a pass rusher before the draft (and possibly a defensive tackle). We’re in ‘draft hedge’ territory now though. Clearly D-line and receiver are big targets in the draft. Tight end and safety/nickel too — plus they’ll get a cornerback at some stage after trading down to accumulate more picks.

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