Florida @ Arkansas

Florida’s two stud linebackers Jarrad Davis and Alex Anzalone were both injured during the game — and the Gators usually physical, intimidating defense was pretty lightweight as a consequence. Arkansas, hammered by Auburn last week, ran all over them.

Safety Marcus Maye had a mixed day. With the front seven struggling to contain the run he was often a needed last line of defense, recording 11 tackles and making one really good form tackle after a strong catch-and-run by Devwah Whaley. He also had a couple of avoidable errors.

There weren’t many opportunities for Jalen Tabor and Quincy Wilson to impress at cornerback. Arkansas managed their offense nicely, worked play-action and the screen game and didn’t take many risks at the second level after an early pick-six.

One player who did have a good day was defensive tackle Caleb Brantley. He doesn’t get too much attention but he consistently finds a way to impact games. He had a really nice interior rush for a sack (he was only give half a sack on the stat sheet) and had a couple of hurries too. He could be a value pick in round two.

Alabama @ LSU

This game perfectly highlights the problem with college football that is translating to the NFL. The best athletes are playing defense and the offenses (in particular offensive lines) don’t stand a chance.

Both OL’s were miserable in this game. In particular, LSU provided zero resistance to the brilliant ‘Bama front seven. It was a massacre, a complete ass-kicking up front. The quarterback Danny Etling was hit every time he dropped back to pass and managed a paltry 92 yards passing from 24 throws.

They tried to establish the passing game and took shots downfield — probably in an attempt to open up running lanes. It never happened — and thus it was almost impossible for Leonard Fournette and Derrius Guice.

There will be a temptation to point the finger at Fournette and use another bad day vs Alabama to bash him. He had 35 yards on 17 carries in an eerily similar game to last year. It would be so foolish to make that assertion. For example, virtually every time LSU handed the ball off one of two things happened:

1. Alabama’s D-line collapsed the LOS and had 2-3 players in the backfield almost immediately after Fournette received the ball.

2. LSU’s front did enough to contain the initial blast but nobody laid a finger on the linebackers. I don’t recall a single time seeing Reuben Foster covered up. Often he was free to explode into the backfield and join the party. It’s no surprise he ended the day as Alabama’s leading tackler with 11 in total.

If you want to box-score scout and criticise Fournette, feel free. I’m not convinced anyone could run productively with that environment. LSU are an absolute mess on offense — with no passing game or O-line to speak of. When you put that next to an elite defense — it’ll get ugly. Alabama had five sacks, nine TFL’s, three official hurries and what felt like about 20 hits of the QB.

Even if Fournette is drafted by the Cleveland Browns — he won’t come up against a similar situation to what he experienced in this game.

Foster was again exceptional with incredible burst and physicality — he will almost certainly go in the top-12 as an impact linebacker. Tim Williams got half a sack (looked like a full one to me) but was incredibly physical vs the run, setting the edge and dominating with power to compliment his quickness. He’s a top-10 talent. Jonathan Allen had another sack and continues to look every bit a high pick and Marlon Humphrey — short of one deep ball error early in the game, was exceptional in coverage showing savvy and technique to go with his incredible physical potential.

Ryan Anderson also continues to make waves. He had yet another sack, several big plays and just leaps off the screen every week. He will be one of the most fascinating players to watch at the combine. He’s only 6-2 and 253lbs and lacks overall length but how athletic is he? He just makes plays every week. He would be an ideal fit in the AFC North.

LSU’s defenders also stood out. Aside from one ‘Earl Thomas-esque’ missed tackle Jamal Adams had a fantastic game. Tre’Davious White was excellent in coverage all night and did a good job containing the QB run until the final quarter when asked to help at the LOS.

Yet the lasting thought is how bad these offenses were — especially the O-lines. College football has a serious mismatch problem up front and it’s translating to the NFL. That’s why teams like Seattle are being forced to look for George Fant-types.

Washington @ California

This was a one-sided blowout but Washington again looked really strong offensively. Jake Browning isn’t a physically brilliant passer but he’s so economical with enough arm strength to keep a defense honest. His poise, accuracy and production could help him get into the first round discussion next year.

John Ross is an explosive talent worthy of a first round grade. At times Cal put three defenders on him and whenever he got a 1v1 he nearly always won. His ability to get open, break tackles, run away from defenders and make touchdowns is unmatched in college football this year. There’s some Brandin Cooks to his game, some DeSean Jackson. Teams love this type of X-factor:

John Ross made 4 defenders miss…at the SAME TIME…on this 66-yard TD! #TopPlay #CFB #UWvsCAL pic.twitter.com/QstYc5Ysi2

— Chat Sports (@ChatSports) November 6, 2016

Dante Pettis is kind of similar to Jermaine Kearse. The big difference is consistency (Pettis is more consistent) but they both have a sneaky explosive edge and they make plays. He won’t be a high pick necessarily but like Kearse he has a shot to stick at the next level.

Defensively there is so much talent on this Huskies unit. The D-line again was superb. Greg Gaines is a great combination of massive bulk and athleticism. Vita Vea is a huge, athletic nose tackle and Elijah Qualls is maybe a notch below in terms of potential but he’s tough to move at the LOS. Depending on how they test, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Gaints and Vea in the second round mix.

Azeem Victor does a good job organising things at linebacker and they have playmakers in the secondary in Budda Baker and Sidney Jones. In this game Jones had two picks and will likely get a lot of hype this week. To me he looks a bit dinky and there were a couple of times where he gave up plays in coverage. There’s no doubting his playmaking ability, athleticism and coverage skills. I wonder at the next level whether he’s the type of guy who will make a collection of really nice highlight plays each season — but will also get bullied by bigger receivers and could be liable to give up plays too.

A team that wants to limit big plays and keep everything in front (eg Seattle) with longer, bigger corners probably isn’t going to covet Jones. He might be a good fit for someone like the Patriots who seem to value technique and execution — their corners have also always been a bit boom-or-bust.

Who are you watching? Let us know and comment in the open thread.

I’ve just finished watching Florida @ Arkansas. The Gators were banged up on defense — losing both Jarrad Davis and Alex Anzalone to injury during the game. Arkansas dominated on the ground but Caleb Brantley (DT, Florida) still had a productive game.

Elsewhere, Carl Lawson (EDGE, Auburn) got another sack against Vanderbilt. That’s 8.5 for him now this year. Dawuane Smoot (EDGE, Illinois) also had a good day — getting his third sack of the season against Michigan State. He totalled 2.5 TFL’s in the game.

Jehu Chesson (WR, Michigan) had his best stat line of the year with 112 yards and a touchdown vs Maryland. If he lingers in the draft due to a lack of production — keep an eye on him. He’s a terrific athlete with major special teams value. He’s also a really good blocker in the run game.

A quick updated first round mock draft for Friday. I watched some of UCLA vs Colorado last night and Takkarist McKinley was superb. He still needs some technique work but as a raw talent his ceiling is incredibly high. He’s like a lighter Ziggy Ansah during his BYU days. He has nine sacks this season and he’s in the top-12 this week.

Tomorrow I’ve got the following games on my schedule:

Florida @ Arkansas
Alabama @ LSU
Washington @ California

1. Browns 0-8 — Leonard Fournette (RB, LSU)
2. 49ers 1-6 — Myles Garrett (EDGE, Texas A&M)
3. Bears 2-6 — Jabrill Peppers (S, Michigan)
4. Jaguars 2-5 — Jonathan Allen (DE, Alabama)
5. Panthers 2-5 — Tim Williams (EDGE, Alabama)
6. Colts 3-5 — Malik Hooker (S, Ohio State)
7. Jets 3-5 — Marlon Humphrey (CB, Alabama)
8. Chargers 3-5 — Jamal Adams (S, LSU)
9. Ravens 3-4 — Dalvin Cook (RB, Florida State)
10. Titans via Rams 3-4 — Reuben Foster (LB, Alabama)
11. Buccaneers 3-4 — Takkarist McKinley (EDGE, UCLA)
12. Dolphins 3-4 — O.J. Howard (TE, Alabama)
13. Saints 3-4 — Cam Sutton (CB, Tennessee)
14. Cardinals 3-4-1 — Tre’Davious White (CB, LSU)
15. Bengals 3-4-1 — Demarcus Walker (DE, Florida State)
16. Titans 4-4 — Justin Evans (S, Texas A&M)
17. Lions 4-4 — Marshon Lattimore (CB, Ohio State)
18. Bills 4-4 — Malik McDowell (DE, Michigan State)
19. Redskins 4-3-1 — Dawuane Smoot (EDGE, Illinois)
20. Browns via Eagles 4-3 — Mitch Trubisky (QB, North Carolina)
21. Packers 4-3 — Jarrad Davis (LB, Florida)
22. Steelers 4-3 — Alex Anzalone (LB, Florida)
23. Giants 4-3 — Derek Barnett (DE, Tennessee)
24. Falcons 5-3 — John Ross (WR, Washington)
25. Texans 5-3 — Jalen Tabor (CB, Florida)
26. Seahawks 4-2-1 — Garett Bolles (T, Utah)
27. Eagles via Vikings 5-2 — Christian McCaffrey (RB, Stanford)
28. Chiefs 5-2 — Carl Lawson (EDGE, Auburn)
29. Broncos 6-2 — Budda Baker (S, Washington)
30. Raiders 6-2 — Quincy Wilson (CB, Florida)
31. Cowboys 6-1 — Solomon Thomas (DE, Stanford)
32. Patriots 7-1 — Marcus Maye (S, Florida)

Here’s what we’re going to do. We’ll look at the possibility of a Leonard Fournette trade-up scenario, we’ll talk about why it might appeal to the Seahawks and then we’ll discuss why it likely won’t happen.

Of course it’s way too early to determine whether a move like this would be even remotely possible. I just think we could use a change of pace from dissecting what isn’t working with Seattle’s offense at the moment (groan).

Right now it could be argued they’re missing a bell-cow stud running back. The thing they relied on for years with Marshawn Lynch and the kind of player they’d ideally lean on with Russell Wilson still recovering from knee/ankle/peck injuries.

The 2017 draft class will have a few good running backs. There’s going to be depth at the position right into the middle rounds. Speed, explosive athleticism, grit, finesse — it’s all there with a mix of very different backs.

Nobody, absolutely nobody, compares to Fournette.

He is the one true tone-setter. A physical, punishing force with breakaway speed and home-run hitting ability. He’ll knock a defender on his backside, get the hard yards up the middle, wear down a defense and then run 70-yards for a touchdown.

He can do this:

This:

This:

This:

And this:

And yeah, he’s a great football player. He’s also a pretty good dude too:

Character, size, speed, unique athleticism, brutality. Leonard Fournette is the complete package.

It’s hard to compare him to anyone. We’ve often referred to him on this blog as the Julio Jones of running backs. That’ll do for now.

Unless the Seahawks’ running game picks up before the end of the year, they might feel like they need a spark at the position. Thomas Rawls could yet provide it — but he has to get healthy, stay healthy and rekindle his 2015 form.

That remains Seattle’s best bet — because Fournette isn’t likely to be unattainable next year.

He might be the #1 overall pick. Top-three is likely. Top-five seems certain.

If you want a tiny glimmer of hope that such a move could be possible, this is the only example I’ve got for you. The trade that took the aforementioned Julio Jones to Atlanta in 2011.

The Falcons traded with Cleveland to move from #26 to #6 to select Jones. It cost them the following:

#26 overall pick (round 1) in 2011
#59 overall pick (round 2) in 2011
#124 overall pick (round 4 in 2011
#22 overall pick (round 1) in 2012
#118 overall pick (round 4) in 2012

Two first rounders, a second rounder and two fourth rounders.

Quite a deal.

Such a move isn’t totally preposterous. It’s not three first rounders like the RGIII deal. At the time the Falcons received some criticism for making such a bold move — but with hindsight they were the big winners. Cleveland were left with a lot of picks but spent them unwisely.

Good players >>>> draft picks

The league and its fans are obsessed with draft picks. Having a lot of picks in the first three or four rounds is great. It’s exciting. In reality most of these picks don’t produce good players, let alone stars. Cleveland aren’t the only culprits. In that 2012 draft where they gained an extra first rounder (used on Brandon Weeden), the at-the-time red hot San Francisco 49ers used the #31 pick on A.J. Jenkins (remember him?).

Atlanta wanted a legit #1 receiver for Matt Ryan. Had they not moved up in the 2011 draft the options were:

Jonathan Baldwin (drafted with their original #26 pick, now out of the league)
Titus Young (a smaller receiver drafted at #44, now out of the league)
Torrey Smith (#55 pick, now with the 49ers)
Greg Little (#56 pick, now out of the league)
Randall Cobb (#64 pick enjoying a productive run with the Packers)

Cobb has enjoyed a nice career so far — but none of this group are Julio Jones. Not even close.

The Falcons did the right thing.

Jones had an ideal blend of athleticism, character and maturity. The investment was steep but the ceiling as high as can be. It felt like an expensive yet strangely safe move.

Cleveland wanted the picks. I bet they’d rather have Julio today.

I don’t know if teams — and the Seahawks specifically — will view Fournette in a similar light. I think there’s a pretty good chance they will. If so, spending a bevy of picks to acquire someone with the potential to be a star is worth it. Again, good players are better than lots of picks. Talent wins.

If Fournette falls into a similar range (#4-#8 overall) and presuming a team like the Seahawks own a pick from #25-32, the precedent is there to negotiate a deal.

Some teams would cringe at the idea of spending so much on a running back. The Seahawks aren’t like a lot of teams. During an era of passing game dominance they’ve thrived playing great defense and running the football with a point guard QB. Having a successful running game is part of Seattle’s DNA. Without it — well you can see the results at the moment.

If you could get 6-8 years out of Fournette (a modest estimate), would that be worth two first round picks and some change? Maybe. If it helps relieve some of the pressure on Russell Wilson to produce, if it helps you keep the defense off the field for longer, if it helps you be the team you want to be. Sure, it’d be worth it.

It’d also help create another huge mismatch problem for opponents. Game planning for Wilson, Fournette, Graham, Baldwin and Lockett wouldn’t be easy. Throw in Thomas Rawls as a 1-2 punch and you’re cooking on gas.

So that’s the argument for the deal. Now the brutal truth.

For starters, it takes two to tango. The Falcons found a willing trade partner in the Browns in 2011. It was an unusual deal. Teams don’t often trade down 20 spots in the first round. The 2017 draft class looks really good at the top. Trading away a shot at someone like Myles Garrett or Julius Peppers or Jonathan Allen is a hard sell. Fournette would probably need to fall a bit first and how likely is that?

The Seahawks have been aggressive in the past with trades but it’s always been with a full understanding of the situation. With Jimmy Graham and Percy Harvin they knew which pick they had in round one. They knew the players available in the draft. They assessed the value and decided Harvin and Graham were vastly superior to the prospects available. They weren’t making a blind choice. They knew what they were trading away.

If you deal multiple first round picks you don’t know what you’re missing out on in the future. Would the Seahawks be comfortable doing that?

For example — imagine if the Dallas Cowboys, fresh from a 12-win season in 2014, had traded their 2016 first rounder away to make a bold move. That pick would’ve been #4 overall. How were they to anticipate an incredible collapse?

It’s unlikely the Seahawks would sink in such a way but this is an unpredictable league. Right now Seattle’s backup quarterback is an UDFA rookie. If Wilson was injured sufficiently to actually miss multiple games or most of a season, how many wins do you get with Trevone Boykin?

Would Seattle’s front office deem such a big trade necessary? They’re probably more likely to back themselves to find an alternative runner on day three or in UDFA. That’s where they found Rawls after all. C.J. Prosise could also end up being a more important player than we realise in the coming weeks.

They would need absolute conviction that Fournette was going to be a star, the price would have to be something similar to Atlanta’s outlay for Jones and they’d need a trade partner. That’s a lot of stars needing to align.

It’s still a nice thought for a cold Tuesday evening just after a loss.

The Seahawks need to find some answers on offense. It’s not a situation likely to be solved by any big trade. That’s quite a lazy angle unless they’ve found a time machine and can go back and get 2010 Marshawn Lynch for a fourth rounder.

This is about making the most of the personnel they have. Getting Thomas Rawls back. Finding ways to feature C.J. Prosise (especially after he impressed in New Orleans). Making better use of their big-time red zone weapon (Jimmy Graham has one touchdown) and finding a way to get Russell Wilson back to his best as his health gradually improves.

For the long term (this is a draft blog after all) it’d be easy to assert this team needs another bell-cow at running back. A tone-setter. Even if Rawls gets healthy and stays healthy — it still feels like they need more from the position.

Rawls has been injured longer than he’s been healthy. He has the potential to be great. He’s a likeable player. Unlike Lynch, who rarely missed time, he hasn’t been available. After missing several weeks already they almost have to make an insurance move in the off-season. Someone of equal physicality with the ability to lead this running game if necessary.

That’s not a knock on Christine Michael either. It’s not his fault the team only ran the ball three times in the first half yesterday. It’s equally not his fault he hasn’t quite been able to be a tone-setter. That’s not what he is. He didn’t do that at Texas A&M either. He’s an explosive, athletic running back. He’s an ill-fit if you want him to slam it up the middle 20 times.

In the past Pete Carroll’s offense (and yes, it is his offense) has worked so well because of match-up nightmares. The trades for Percy Harvin and then Jimmy Graham seemingly part of an attempt to create a genuine three-headed monster:

— A physical, tone-setting running back
— A mobile, ‘point guard’ playmaker quarterback
— An X-factor receiver with a unique skill set.

Imagine being a defensive coordinator contending with this. Do you go all-out to stop Lynch knowing you’ll probably fail and leave yourself open to being beaten by Wilson? Do you try to contain Wilson and risk being stomped by Lynch? How do you cover Harvin or Graham when so much focus is required to stack the box vs the run or contain the QB?

So many questions and so many opportunities for the Seahawks to exploit weaknesses once they work out what poison you’ve chosen. So much ‘unique’ talent.

Right now all of this is shelved. The running game isn’t working so you don’t need to be overly concerned with that. Wilson is banged up and not mobile so there’s not much concern about his ability to break contain. You can focus a lot of your coverage on Graham.

This offense is easier to plan for, easier to extinguish and lacks the triple threat of previous years.

As noted earlier, they just have to work through this. They can still put together an explosive, balanced, productive offense. It just might not be as good as we’ve seen in the past.

That might not be such an issue. The Cardinals are even more banged up than Seattle. Today they lost their left tackle Jared Veldheer to injury. Tyrann Mathieu will miss the next 4-6 weeks. They just lost in pretty convincing fashion to the Panthers and they’re 3-4-1.

Winning the NFC West wasn’t the sole target for a lot of fans going into the season. Dreams of the #1 or #2 seed were not unrealistic. Right now the aim should be to win the west first and foremost and let the seeding situation work itself out.

If we’re looking ahead to the next draft and free agency — finding that tone-setter along with possible O-line improvements is arguably the biggest need as things stand.

Despite this looking like a good draft class for running backs — it’s hard to find the answer. Leonard Fournette is the ideal but he’s almost certainly a top-five pick and unattainable without an unlikely mega-trade.

Shame.

Nick Chubb clearly isn’t right. The way Georgia are using him and what he’s showing — it’s a real shame. I am not convinced he will perform at the combine like he did at the Nike Sparq combine. Not on the evidence we’re seeing right now.

Dalvin Cook is really good but he’s not a tone-setter. Royce Freeman isn’t a tone-setter. Christian McCaffrey isn’t a tone-setter. Samaje Perrine can’t stay healthy. Run through the list. There are very good backs. There are athletic backs. Fournette is the one true beast. And he’s going to be out of reach.

I can’t offer an obvious alternative at the moment unless Texas’ D’Onta Foreman is more athletic than he appears to be or Perrine can actually put a stretch of games together where he isn’t banged up.

On the O-line, there’s no sugar coating the situation. It’s a really bad class for offensive tackles. Seattle needs physicality and athleticism. It’s not out there at a round one level.

I watched Virginia Tech vs Pittsburgh before the weekend. Pitt left tackle Adam Bisnowaty isn’t a first round LT in terms of what he’s showing on tape. He is long, athletic, tough as nails and physically imposing. He’s a former wrestler and basketball player (Cable guy). You can work with him, possibly as a third rounder. And honestly — if you want some competition from the draft at LT next year, this might be your best bet. Sorry to paint this picture. It is what it is.

The Virginia Tech game was his best performance of the season. He moved people at the LOS and was really solid in pass pro. He’s a former four-star recruit and basketball player. He also kind of matches what they’ve looked for in terms of attitude, grit, the way he finishes plays and style. He looks like a Seahawks lineman — and sounds like one.

Admittedly he hasn’t jumped forward and put himself in the early round mix like he threatened to. However, there is just something about him. He might end up moving inside and he should be a pretty good guard — but the Virginia Tech tape reignited my interest in him as a LT.

Check out the block at 10:53, his red zone work at 14:12 (he is #69), the way they run to the left and he helps drive open the hole at 15:31 and he has a decent kick slide at 25:17:

He’s also had games this year and last year where he doesn’t look capable of playing LT. This was an encouraging display though.

Ideally they would find an early round solution to this problem if that tone-setting runner isn’t there — but you can only play the cards you’re dealt. Again, it isn’t a good class for OT’s.

Unfortunately the strength at the top of the draft isn’t going to be physical, pounding runners or offensive tackles. It’s looking like safety, cornerback and D-line.

October 2, 2016: Russell Wilson's most-recent touchdown.

— Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) October 30, 2016

This was a stuttering, messy performance by an injury-ravaged Seahawks team.

The offense struggled for rhythm — a concerning fact against a poor New Orleans defense. They had blasts of success — the Tanner McEvoy trick play, the way they ran the ball to start the second half, the drive in the fourth quarter for a field goal — but never found any balance. This is an offense built on balance and it simply isn’t there.

New Orleans have one or two really good players on defense but there’s also a lot of dross. It’s hard to work out why they weren’t able to find a mismatch or two.

It felt like a day for Jimmy Graham — returning to the Saints. He had five targets for 34 yards. If New Orleans successfully took him out of the game, given their struggles, why weren’t other clear mismatches available?

The most problematic thing right now is they can’t find something to hang their hat on. They’re not trusting the run — whether that’s because of the O-line or the lack of Thomas Rawls or both. Russell Wilson’s lack of mobility isn’t helping. But the Seahawks’ mission this season was to be the bully again — and you can’t be the bully with this.

They still drove down the field with a chance to win the game — only to lead to a frustrating conclusion. A short dump off for a few yards cost critical time and turned 3-4 plays at the 17 with 20 seconds to go into one play from the 12. Wilson has to throw the ball away and move on, not check it down in-field on first down.

The final play with the game on the line was a fade to Kearse. That would’ve been a nice call for the first throw. Try out the 1v1 and it’s either a TD or you stop the clock. It’s not a terrible call here either because that was a matchup they liked all day. Yet the throw by Wilson has to be on it — and he asked too much of the receiver. It was nearly impossible to catch in bounds. Kearse nearly pulled it off to his credit. Game over.

Is it time to worry that Wilson hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass in his last three games? His interception today was also uncharacteristically poor.

The offense managed just 13 points against a porous Saints defense.

I think we can clearly see after seven games that injuries are preventing this team from playing anything like its best football on offense. Losing Rawls is bad enough — but Wilson’s injuries and Tyler Lockett’s underrated issues have had a major effect. At times they’ve been without C.J. Prosise, Germain Ifedi, Bradley Sowell and Luke Willson too.

This isn’t anything like what we’ve seen from this team during the Wilson era. It’s surely not a coincidence.

The defense started strongly with the fumble/touchdown by Earl Thomas but after taking a commanding 14-3 lead they gave up scores on six consecutive drives — three FG’s and two TD’s. They weren’t helped by the T.O.P. numbers (again heavily weighted to the opponent) but the pass rush was virtually non-existent and Tim Hightower was able to get New Orleans into favourable second and third down situations.

The Saints were prolific on third down, converting 9/15. Shockingly — they felt like the more physical team. They were committed to the run. They were balanced.

Special teams wasn’t bad overall but the botched hold from Jon Ryan possibly cost Seattle a crucial three points before half-time.

Right, now onto the refs.

The Saints pulled off two blatant, uncalled OPI’s on pick plays. Sometimes these calls are borderline. The two by Willie Snead, bulldozing into Jeremy Lane on both occasions, were not borderline. They were so far over the line they were in Mexico.

If it was the intention of the refs to let things go in the game, that’s cool. So why did they call Deshawn Shead for the weakest possible holding penalty on a crucial third down?

Why did they call this ‘block in the back’ on Justin Britt?

This is literally what was flagged pic.twitter.com/BF0WRkA1dT

— Russell Wilskinned (@30AcreFortress) October 30, 2016

Why did they call Richard Sherman for holding on a crucial third down when he was battling with Willie Snead about 30 yards from the ball?

If you’re letting them play — let them play. To call Shead and Britt especially on two big penalties and miss the Snead OPI’s? Incredible.

The penalty count finished like this:

Seahawks: 11-76
Saints: 2-15

I don’t believe in conspiracies. I don’t think the refs were out to get Seattle. I just think they had a really, really inconsistent game.

Yet ultimately, the Seahawks allowed it to matter.

The refs did not win the game for New Orleans.

Seattle has genuine problems on offense and need to find some kind of identity. Whether it’s Wilson in the passing game, getting Rawls back, getting healthy in general or properly committing to the run — they have to do something. They need a spark from somewhere.

They’ve had slumps like this before but were always able to rely on something. It was Rawls’ emergence last year and Wilson. It was Marshawn Lynch in previous years.

What is it now? I’m not sure I can answer that. Who can they lean on?

If we’re talking about possible draft needs (this is a draft blog, after all) — having an extra offensive player who can help set a physical tone and lift the team when other stars are hurt is probably #1.

One player immediately springs to mind — but he’s probably going to go in the top five.

Onto some positives:

— The Cardinals lost in Carolina and the Rams are on a bye. This wasn’t a great result in terms of the #1 or #2 seed — but it didn’t hurt in terms of the NFC West. Given all of the injuries on this team right now — winning the NFC West should be the realistic target. That will be disappointing to some — but that’s where we are. Just win the division.

— The pass rush wasn’t very good today but Cliff Avril and Frank Clark still found a way to get sacks. Their personal production has been incredible so far. Avril is pushing for the league lead (7.5 sacks) while Clark (5.5) is showing off his major potential.

— The Seahawks, despite playing a mostly bad game today, still had a chance to win with the last play of the game. You might not like days like this but this team always has a shot. In terms of character this team is unmatched. When the Cardinals lose it occasionally spirals out of control. That never happens to Seattle.

— They gave up one sack only and George Fant played pretty well. Protection wasn’t a problem for the Seahawks and it hasn’t been for most of the season.

Share who you’re watching and who stands out in college football today.

By the way — how about this touchdown scored (eventually) by blog favourite Harold Brantley (ex-Mizzou, now with NW Missouri State)…

You won't see a play like this all day… Check this out! @NWBearcatsFB @bearcatsports @NCAADII pic.twitter.com/Icl0opekrp

— American Sports Net (@LiveOnASN) October 29, 2016

Do the Seahawks need to trade for a left tackle before the deadline?

If they can’t handle the Saints defense, then maybe it’s time to seriously consider it. For now the answer should be ‘no’.

Financially they can’t really afford it without moving money around. It’d also eat up some of their estimated $18m cap room for 2017 — which could be used to reward (rightly so) the likes of Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril.

Russell Wilson has been sacked 11 times this season despite being totally immobile. Only four teams have conceded fewer sacks. His two major injuries (ankle, knee) were freak accidents as Wilson scrambled, not as a direct consequence of a big hit in the pocket.

The sack numbers are a major improvement so far considering they gave up an average of 43.6 sacks a season over the last three years. It’s a coincidence that in a year where Wilson is being hit fewer times — he’s getting hurt.

Pass-protection was admittedly poor against Arizona — but the Cardinals are the #4 defense in the league per DVOA and have three fearsome pass rushers in Chandler Jones, Markus Golden and Calais Campbell.

If you’re worried about Wilson’s health, consider the following. Every top quarterback in the league has had a serious injury or missed time.

— Tom Brady missed the entire 2008 season after suffering a serious knee injury in week one

— Peyton Manning missed the entire 2011 season with a neck injury

— Aaron Rodgers missed seven games after fracturing his collarbone in 2013 and played with a leg injury during the 2014 playoffs

— Joe Flacco missed six games in 2015 after tearing his ACL

— Philip Rivers played through a torn ACL in the AFC Championship game in 2008

— Tony Romo has missed most of the last two seasons

— Drew Brees tore his planta fascia in 2015

— Ben Roethlisberger has missed 13 games since 2010 and is currently out for Pittsburgh

— Andrew Luck missed nine games last season with various problems including a lacerated kidney

— Matthew Stafford missed 13 games in 2010 with a shoulder injury, requiring an AC joint repair and a clavicle shaving

— Carson Palmer has had two major knee injuries, missing 12 games in 2008 and ten games in 2014

— Jay Cutler is currently out with a hand injury and also missed eleven total games in 2011 and 2013 combined

— Teddy Bridgewater is currently out with a dislocated knee and ligament damage

— Sam Bradford could barely stay on the field during his time with the Rams and suffered a shoulder injury in college

— Matt Ryan missed two games in 2009 when a defensive end rolled onto his leg

It is a minor miracle that Wilson has not missed any time on the field in his five year career. It’s especially miraculous when you consider his playing style.

Now he is fighting through injuries. That’s just the way the NFL works.

You can limit the damage with good pass protection of course — but even the top offensive lines don’t guarantee anything. How has Dallas’ expensive and vaunted O-line helped Tony Romo the past two years? Joe Thomas, the subject of a lot of trade talk recently, plays for the Browns who last week featured their FIFTH quarterback of the season. The other four are injured.

So while Seattle’s O-line must do a better job based on their performance in Arizona — injuries at quarterback are simply part of the game.

Will they make a trade anyway?

This Tweet from Jason Cole will interest those hoping for a deal:

Insider Buzz: SEA, MIN, & IND All Expected To Be Players In NFL Trade Deadline

— Jason Cole (@JasonColeBR) October 28, 2016

That said, this front office are always ‘players’ when it comes to trades. They’re self-confessed window shoppers.

Whether it was considering a trade for Randy Moss a few years ago, looking at the possibility of acquiring Jared Allen or making a move for Brandon Marshall in 2010. The Seahawks will always be assessing their options.

Sometimes the deal feels right and they pull the trigger. Big moves for Marshawn Lynch, Percy Harvin and Jimmy Graham are examples of that.

But there are probably countless other times where an opportunity was out there and they ended up walking away.

Is there another position, other than left tackle, that they might consider?

If they do make a deal I wonder if it could be for a inside/out pass rusher and not an offensive lineman.

According to Pete Carroll today, Michael Bennett could be set for knee surgery. That would be a huge blow.

Wow. Carroll says possibility of surgery for Bennett on knee. Yikes.

— Dave Softy Mahler (@Softykjr) October 28, 2016

They’ve already cut Jordan Hill and Quinton Jefferson is now on I.R. so they’re weakened on the D-line.

Malliciah Goodman was signed to replace Jefferson — but they might make a deal for a more impactful player. That could be especially important if they want to carefully manage Bennett, not just replace Hill/Jefferson.

Who might be available?

The Bears might be willing to move Wille Young as they begin a long rebuild. He already has six sacks this season. Chicago is 1-6 and Young is 31.

There’s been some media talk about the Jets potentially moving Sheldon Richardson. The move might be too pricey unless they just want rid.

Connor Barwin is 30 and doesn’t really fit Philly’s defense. He has two sacks this season. He would be a nice fit at the LEO for Seattle, adding to their rotation.

There are likely some lesser names too that could come in and contribute. The Bennett situation — and the seriousness of his knee problem — could force the Seahawks to be active.