Firstly, a note on my current situation. For the last five years I’ve had access in the UK to college football. I was able to watch as many as 6-7 games per week. That has now changed. As things stand I have zero access to college football unless I’m willing to pay an extra monthly sum, which I don’t intend to.

The new broadcaster currently has no plans to feature CBS games like they did in the past. which means no SEC teams/games unless they’re on ESPN/ABC. I’m not paying more money for a weaker service — as a point of principle if nothing else.

Another option is to purchase an expensive ESPN College Pass account. Again, that wouldn’t include the CBS games. And with a baby on the way this month, times are tight in the Staton household.

This is going to create a major challenge going into the 2014 draft. I don’t think we provide the best analysis, or the most accurate. I don’t think I have any kind of great insight or ‘eye for talent’, at least no more so than any other college football fan. But we do work our asses off and have been able to watch a ton of games to form opinions — whether they prove to be informed or not over time.

Thanks to the Draft Breakdown guys, we get a lot of great access to tape on Youtube. They really do a fantastic job and have helped educate thousands of people who all share a passion for the draft. However, it’s impossible to watch multiple players without seeing a game in its entirety. You miss the hidden gem who just catches your eye, or the player that screams ‘Seahawks’ purely due to his physical characteristics. We only get access to the players they painstakingly target for our enjoyment.

So this year is going to be a challenge, no doubt about it. I’d ask you guys to stick with us for now until I can come up with a solution. There are ways to watch certain games (I won’t spell it out) and I managed to catch two, albeit in the worst possible quality, on Saturday. So here’s my thoughts…

Georgia @ Clemson
Here’s a name to watch right off the bat — Vic Beasley (DE, Clemson). He’s listed at 6-3 and 225lbs but on tape he looks bigger than that — more like 245lbs. And he’s lightning fast. Possibly the quickest edge rusher in college football since Bruce Irvin. Beasley had two sacks against the Bulldogs, including one where he just exploded off the ball and rounded the edge like a track athlete. If he can stay healthy, he’s one to put on your radar. Last year he had eight sacks in seven games. He’s off to a great start in 2013. He’s a Seahawks-type prospect. A potential LEO or SAM linebacker type.

Sammy Watkins also had a big game. Last year he lived in the shadow of DeAndre Hopkins (it was supposed to be the other way round) but there’s no doubting who will be Tajh Boyd’s #1 target this year, especially after a disappointing showing by Martavis Bryant. Watkins flashed elite speed on a long touchdown score in the first quarter. After breaking a weak arm tackle, he outran Georgia’s defense for the score. Not many players will do that this year. If his character checks out, the sky’s the limit for Watkins in next years draft.

In the battle of the two quarterbacks — one guy looked like he had a NFL future (Boyd), the other looked like he’d be lucky to get drafted (Aaron Murray). Boyd has the mobility, arm strength, mechanics and improvisation skills to get a lot of teams interested. He wasn’t as sharp in this game as he was against LSU in the Chick-fil-A Bowl, but he’s carved up big yardage and multiple scores against two SEC powerhouses in back-to-back games. There’s no reason why he can’t be a first or second round pick. Murray struggled to have anything like the same impact. He’s physically weaker than Boyd, not the same kind of athlete and isn’t brilliantly accurate. He’s a solid college quarterback but nothing more. I’ve seen enough in three years to feel like he’ll never start at the next level. So unless you’re the type of person who spends big on a backup you never want to start, does he get drafted?

Alabama vs Virginia Tech
This was a great chance for Logan Thomas to show he meant business. Last year was a mess. For me, he took his eye off the ball. Looked too far ahead. His team drifted into mediocrity and he couldn’t drag them out of it. He went from a first round projection to oblivion in the space of a season. I’m not really sure what I think after this game. For starters, Virginia Tech are a million miles behind Alabama when it comes to overall talent. A.J. McCarron has everything — pass protection, an elite receiver, a brilliant running back. What does Thomas have? Nothing. Nada. Zilch.

His first interception was all down to one of the all-time laziest efforts you’ll see by a receiver. There were a few drops. They couldn’t sustain a drive if their lives depended on it. The play calling was a little odd (a Virginia Tech speciality in recent years). And at no point did Alabama come under any pressure. For those reasons I’m willing to give Thomas a pass, even if he wasn’t able to make the kind of statement performance needed to put him back on the draft map. At the same time, even small school quarterbacks in Bama’s patsy games manage better stat lines than Thomas’ paltry 5/26 passing, 59 yards and zero touchdowns. He’s lost some weight and still has the complete skill set teams are looking for. But this wasn’t the start he hoped for.

Elsewhere, VT’s true freshman cornerback Kyle Fuller is a star in the making. I haven’t seen a defensive back cover Amari Cooper as well as Fuller did in this game — and it was his first start. Sensational. Defensive end James Gayle also shone despite failing to trouble the stat sheet. Linebacker Tariq Edwards also had a nice game. A.J. McCarron will get his chance in the NFL but it’s hard to project much more than a third round grade for his skill set. He’s mobile but not exactly what you’d call an athlete. He doesn’t have the big arm and he tends to stare down receivers. But he also has the occasional play that gets you out of your seat. You can see his game tape below.

SF added WR help by way of Seattle. 49ers signed WR Chris Harper off Seattle's practice squad, per league source.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 2, 2013

Drafting Chris Harper wasn't as dumb as stashing two full backs

Every NFL decision maker has pride and an ego. Pete Carroll and John Schneider are no different. The way they went about cutting their roster yesterday almost suggested otherwise.

Most GM’s in the league won’t cut a fourth round pick after a matter of weeks. Not unless something seriously goes wrong, like they get arrested or regularly turn up late for practise.

Chris Harper did neither of these things. Yet today he’s hoping someone else will give him a shot on an active roster in the National Football League.

Harper was the highest pick in the 2013 draft to get cut on Saturday (Tyler Wilson, taken 11 places earlier, was released by Oakland on Sunday). He had an uneventful camp, with reports suggesting he failed to flash in practise. He was virtually invisible in pre-season until the Raiders game.

He was also trying to master one of the more difficult positions in the sport. A position where traditionally rookies are given time to work on their routes, learn the playbook and hone their technique.

Not Chris Harper. Not unless he makes it to the practise squad.

The Seahawks wasted no time in cutting their fourth round pick. I guarantee virtually every other team in the NFL would’ve stashed Harper on the roster and given him time. Not the Seahawks.

Ego. Pride. That’s why most other teams wouldn’t have quit on a young receiver so quickly.

GM’s and coaches hate to admit they got something wrong. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an interview with a front office executive where they admitted, “Yep — we messed up.”

It just doesn’t happen.

Some players get far too many chances. The higher the pick, the more opportunities you’ll get. Frequently that’s to the detriment of the whole team.

Conventional wisdom says you stand by Harper. I argued many times on this blog that he’d make the 53 and be given the opportunity, like Jaye Howard a year ago, to develop and learn in a ‘red-shirt’ season. Yesterday, both Harper and Howard were ruthlessly cut.

People like me should stop trying to predict Carroll and Schneider. We won’t, because it’s fun to guess. But we should know not to speak with authority or assurance on what they’ll do. The fact is nobody knows. And it’s damn interesting to follow.

The rest of the NFL will no doubt catch on if the Seahawks continue their upward curve. If they succeed in 2013, I wouldn’t want to be a fourth round pick next year.

(well, actually I would because, you know, the cash)

For now most teams will continue to do things the way they’ve always been done. Which is why on Saturday Oakland were carrying four quarterbacks on their 53 man roster and two punters. They aren’t alone. There are multiple franchises today carrying players for the wrong reasons.

It’s why the Tim Ruskell Seahawks held onto two full backs one year and two kickers another. Ruskell probably wasn’t the first and maybe won’t be the last to stash a ‘kicker of the future’ on his roster. A laughable move in hindsight.

If you want another example of ego/pride vs reality, you only have to look at Ruskell’s cutting of Michael Bennett in 2009. He lit up pre-season and made the 53-man roster, only to be waived for Kyle Williams in October during an injury crisis on the offensive line. You can bet anything had he been a draft pick he would’ve stuck around to justify the investment. Because he was merely an UDFA, he was sent packing and quickly signed for Tampa Bay.

The rest is history.

Here’s a list of players who also made it onto Seattle’s 2009 roster but survived the distance:

Mike Teel — a sixth round pick and #3 quarterback who would almost certainly have made the practise squad yet was retained. We’ll never know the reason why. Unless the Seahawks truly believed Teel could be a quarterback for the future and would be snatched up on waivers, maintaining him over a player like Bennett was completely futile.

Justin Griffith and Owen Schmitt — yes, Seattle carried two full backs in 2009. Griffith was a veteran free agent addition familiar with offensive coordinator Greg Knapp and Schmitt a 5th round pick in his second year with the team. Which begs the question, if Schmitt wasn’t ready to start in year two — why was he still on the roster after the addition of Griffith?

Nick Reed — an undersized pass rushing 7th round pick who also had a successful pre-season yet lacked the obvious physical qualities to translate into regular season production. Reed lasted the whole season while Bennett was cut. That’s what being a 7th rounder vs an UDFA will do for you. Although it should’ve never been a Reed vs Bennett battle to survive.

It is mind blowing to think Seattle kept a pointless third quarterback nobody else would’ve wanted and two full backs instead of Michael Bennett. Mind. Blowing.

And it’s the kind of decision the current front office would never make. Not in a million years. Thankfully. Other teams still do stuff like this though.

The weekends events also validate Carroll’s “always compete” mantra. Although certain players will get more time than others (James Carpenter a good example), for the most part anything goes. Which is why Antoine Winfield has retired this weekend and Michael Robinson has been cut.

If you’re going to preach a philosophy, you have to be prepared to back it up. And now the Seahawks have two great examples to do just that — this years aggressive cuts and the decision to start Russell Wilson last season because he was simply the right man for the job.

Whether the Seahawks deliver on all the expectation in 2013 and beyond remains to be seen. This is still a regime with the conviction to follow through with its vision.

Of course, you’re not going to be challenged too often when you find a franchise quarterback in round three, a shutdown corner in round five, an elite pass rusher in the bargain bin and steal Marshawn Lynch away from Buffalo. A lot of other front office personnel haven’t bought enough stock to be able to cut mid round picks after a few weeks. But still…

While cutting a fourth round pick will sting, releasing Chris Harper is still a long way away from the kind of abject decision making witnessed during the Ruskell days.

For that, they should be applauded.

I’m using this as a live thread. As events, I’ll post them on here.

Hearing that the Seahawks, so deep in the secondary, will be releasing CB Antoine Winfield.

— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) August 31, 2013

#Seahawks cut last year's 4th round DT Jaye Howard, source tells me

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 31, 2013

Meanwhile…

Great story in Seattle as FB Derrick Coleman, who is legally deaf, (sources tell me) has made the Seahawks' initial 53-man roster.

— Eric Edholm (@Eric_Edholm) August 31, 2013

That would be a great story for Coleman. I was rooting for him to make the roster due to his background and performance against San Diego. It may be that Michael Robinson re-signs in a couple of weeks on a cheaper deal when he recovers from illness. But what an opportunity for Coleman. All power to him.

Sealver Siliga has also been cut. Along with Howard’s departure, this spells good news for Michael Brooks. Brady Quinn is also out, along with Darren Fells.

UPDATE — Jay Glazer is reporting that Antoine Winfield has decided to retire.

#Seahawks traded for D'Anthony Smith from #Jaguars.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 31, 2013

Given Seattle was supposed to announce its cut list 49 minutes ago (and hasn’t) it’s no surprise they’ve done a deal. D’Anthony Smith is a former third round pick out of Louisiana Tech who was born in Germany. He’s 6-2 and around 300lbs. Smith spent the first two years of his pro career on injured reserve and was supposedly released yesterday. Apparently not…

The deal is for a conditional draft pick. This trade doesn’t say much for Jaye Howard. The Seahawks are desperate at defensive tackle, one of the biggest needs going into 2013.

Other reports say John Lotulelei made the roster.

#Seahawks waive: Bates, Brooks, Cherrington, Clark, Fells, Guy, Harper, Helfet, Howard, Johnson, McGrath, Parker, Powell, Seymour, Shead…

— Aaron Levine (@AaronQ13Fox) August 31, 2013

Veterans cut by Seahawks: Clinton McDonald, Michael Robinson, Brady Quinn, Antoine Winfield

— Mike Sando, ESPN.com (@SandoESPN) August 31, 2013

Headline reaction:

– Chris Harper has been CUT
– Winston Guy is OUT
– Michael Brooks doesn’t make the cut
– Clinton McDonald has been cut
– Sean McGrath doesn’t make it

There are some shocks here. I never expected Sean McGrath to be cut, especially with Cooper Heflet also getting the chop. Michael Brooks doesn’t make it despite numerous other cuts at tackle — including Clinton McDonald.

Chris Harper — a fourth round pick taken before 49ers prodigy Quinton Patton — lasted one pre-season.

Who made it?

Heath Farwell — underrated special teams demon and key member of the team. They’re happy to pay him at a time other veterans are being used as financial pawns.

Benson Mayowa — no shocks there. He deserves to make it.

Mike Morgan — part of the USC backup crew. I’m not shocked he makes the cut.

John Lotulelei — a little overrated in my view but clearly the team believes he can grow into a contributor.

Allen Bradford — the transition to linebacker finally pays off. He had a solid pre-season.

Mike Person — versatile offensive lineman makes it as one of ten offensive lineman.

Derrick Coleman — gets the chance to make the full back position his own.

Spencer Ware — Seattle stashes the former LSU runner and possible full back convert.

Been real #12thMan will always have love for ya

— Michael Robinson (@RealMikeRob) August 31, 2013

This will be a shock.

Not because of the Real Rob Report or because he’s a “fans favourite”. Simply because for the last couple of seasons he’s done a very good job blocking for Marshawn Lynch while providing a boost on special teams.

Not to mention that none of the potential replacements on the roster showed they were ready to take over.

Robinson’s been suffering with an unspecified illness recently that may have played some part. You have to wonder if there’s a replacement on the way in, perhaps somebody who was cut in the last few days from another team?

Or maybe they’re going to move away from using the traditional full back like a lot of teams, incorporating more read-option, H-back and single back looks?

Whatever the situation it’s still a surprise. I’m not convinced this was purely a cost saving exercise although it no doubt played a part. If it was all about money I think he would’ve been cut a while ago to give him the best possible opportunity to find a new home.

If the illness is legit and was set to keep him out of the first two weeks of the season, he’ll struggle to find an immediate gig elsewhere. I suspect there’s every chance he could yet to return to Seattle, albeit on a cheaper deal, when fully recovered.

After all, if they were going to have to deal without Robinson to start the year anyway — why not manufacture a situation where you end up paying him less? Such is business.

Terrelle Pryor had a chance to take on Seattle's defense

Seahawks beat Raiders, go 4-0 in pre-season

Oakland are a mess. Years of mismanagement are coming back to haunt them in a big way. Seattle’s backups never got out of second gear and still managed a relatively comfortable 22-6 victory.

They need a spark and at least they have a quarterback capable of providing it. Terrelle Pryor didn’t do anything terrible on the night and should earn a start over Matt Flynn. The Raiders need something to believe in. Pryor is capable of being a playmaker.

So who impressed for Seattle ahead of the final cuts?

Michael Brooks will be one of the players making life difficult for Seattle’s front office. Once again he flashed in this game. You temper the excitement slightly with it being Oakland’s second unit (and the first unit’s bad enough as it is). Yet with the Seahawks struggling for healthy bodies at tackle and needing some interior pass rush, I’m rooting for this guy to make the team. I doubt he’d make the practise squad. He’s consistently made plays in pre-season.

Jaye Howard also showed up and probably secured his place on the roster with a solid performance. Benson Mayowa is an absolute lock given the injuries at defensive end. He even pulled a Chris Clemons pose after a sack/fumble. He’s raw, but could be Seattle’s next big find. Let’s see what he brings in Carolina.

Winston Guy had a nice game overall. Will it be enough? I’m not sure. Chris Maragos also had a good night and Jeron Johnson has been consistent. Guy won’t have any trouble finding a roster elsewhere (eg the Jacksonville branch of the Seattle Seahawks).

Bruce Irvin looked fluid and comfortable in his new hybrid SAM/LEO position. Why did you have to go and get yourself suspended, Bruce? His return can’t come soon enough.

Luke Willson gives me every confidence he can feature quite prominently as a pass-catching #2 tight end. Time has been a great healer, and as pre-season progressed Willson just got better and better.

Seattle’s depth at corner is insane, but you knew that already. Byron Maxwell, Walter Thurmond and Jeremy Lane all looked assured. None of these guys will be making the trip to Jacksonville.

Stephen Williams had one big play before leaving with a concussion. Russell Wilson, who had issues with overthrows against Denver, actually undersold the pass to Williams. If he throws it out in front of the receiver, it’s a long touchdown. Williams had created acres of separation on the play.

Who faces a nervous wait?

I’ve been Chris Harper’s biggest defender at times, but this wasn’t a good night. He had a bad drop in the end zone, looked lethargic overall and a little out of his depth. I still believe we need to be patient with the rookies. Not everyone can be Russell Wilson. Some are going to take time — just like Kam Chancellor, Jaye Howard and even Richard Sherman (who didn’t start immediately). Throw in the complexity of the receiver position and this was always going to be a big ask for Harper.

He’s a fourth round pick and they clearly believed he could grow into an Anquan Boldin-type figure with his sturdy frame. You have to consider they expected to have Sidney Rice, Golden Tate, Percy Harvin and Doug Baldwin as locks. They were always going to carry Jermaine Kearse and probably planned all along for Harper to be a ‘red shirt’ player. Yes, we’ve seen Stephen Williams emerge. But Harvin’s now on the PUP. So they can still carry six as they probably planned all along.

Adjusting that position and carrying five receivers isn’t out of the question either. I’m not sure I’m ready to write off Harper yet, and the team may share that sentiment. I doubt he makes the practise squad, someone will stash him on their roster. But if it means carrying an extra offensive lineman or a guy like Michael Brooks, they might have to bite the bullet.

The reason they might want to carry an extra lineman? For the first time I had a few doubts about Michael Bowie’s ability to start in relief. Plus he picked up a shoulder injury. He won’t make the practise squad, so it might be worth keeping a Mike Person or Rishaw Johnson. I’d still take Brooks over both.

Not for the first time, I thought John Lotulelei struggled a bit. He developed a bit of a cult following after the Chargers game, but I think too many people were quick to anoint him a star of the future. I think he’ll struggle to make the cut and may even make it to the practise squad.

The offensive line play across the board was poor tonight. Far too often Oakland found interior pressure, even with the #1’s on the field. On one play Max Unger was well beaten by Pat Sims, which is a rarity.

I wouldn’t make too many adjustments to my 53-man roster projection. I’m less confident about Harper making it as the #6 receiver. He’s on the bubble, with Brooks or Person seemingly the most likely beneficiary. Michael Robinson’s illness increases the possibility they keep Derrick Coleman as a fill-in full back. Do they risk keeping him over Spencer Ware? Or do you game-plan without an orthodox full back for the first week or two?

Brandon Coleman stands out

One of my favourite 2014 prospects is Rutgers receiver Brandon Coleman. We’ve talked about him several times on the blog, but having opted not to declare for this years draft he needed to make that extra season count.

It’s not an easy challenge given Rutgers are more of a run-first team without an established passing quarterback. Yet last nights season opener was a promising start for Coleman’s stock.

He managed nine catches for 94 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Rutgers took a chance in overtime on a two-point conversion to lose 52-51 to Fresno State. It’s an ugly loss for the Scarlet Knights, but it’s the kind of production Coleman needs. He has all the physical talent you look for (6-6, 220lbs, speed despite the size) but needs the stats to back it up. Coleman also needs to make more of his size, high pointing the ball and making the kind of 50-50 grabs we’ve seen Stephen Williams make in pre-season for the Seahawks.

Another talented wide out, USC’s Marqise Lee, also had a decent start. He had eight catches for 104 yards in a 30-13 win over Hawaii. The Trojans split snaps between Cody Kessler and Max Wittek at quarterback. Lee is an incredible talent worthy of a top-ten draft grade. The lack of an established quarterback at USC might hamper his production this year.

If you missed it, yesterday I wrote a piece on Jadeveon Clowney’s season opener vs North Carolina.

Jadeveon Clowney struggled with the heat in week one

Jadeveon Clowney is a once in a generation physical talent. At 6-7, 270lbs with unnatural speed, he’s an obvious tip to go #1 overall next year. Even a team like Oakland — badly in need of a quarterback and with a decent chance of owning the top pick in 2014 — will find it hard to pass on Clowney.

But in tonight’s college football opener, he struggled to have much of an impact in difficult conditions.

Overall South Carolina handled UNC with relative ease. They dominated up front on both sides of the ball.

All eyes were on Clowney.

Unsurprisingly, so were the cameras. It’s going to be difficult to watch the Gamecocks this year on today’s evidence. The broadcast followed Clowney around until you were sick of the sight of him. We saw him rushing the passer, sitting down, in conversation, contemplating his next meal. We can only be grateful he didn’t require a bathroom break.

And when we saw him struggling in the hot conditions, we heard the backlash. The guy who was supposed to be this unbeatable dominating force was being usurped by the weather.

As North Carolina mounted a long drive to start the third quarterback, Clowney and the rest of the line started to struggle. But because all the focus was on Clowney, suddenly he was being singled out for criticism.

Can a guy who loafs win the Heisman? No. Clowney loafs.

— Pete Prisco (@PriscoCBS) August 30, 2013

I’m not here to defend the guy too much. At times it looked ugly as he dragged himself off the field for a breather. At one point he was loafing onto the field as UNC were snapping the ball. For a player vaunted so much, it wasn’t a good look.

Yet it only took one look across the line to see the rest of South Carolina’s line were also lagging. And UNC’s defensive line didn’t fair any better a couple of drives later.

Clowney had a solid first half, rushing from the edge and dominating a couple of times. In one play he flew past a blocker off the edge, shrugged off a running back and pressured Brynn Renner into a risky throw. You can see what all the fuss is about. The guy will be a superstar in the NFL.

The other things is he faced almost constant double teams. Good luck throwing a blanket on him at the next level.

So I’ll ignore the heavy criticism for now. We’ll find out if there’s a genuine conditioning issue with Clowney over the next few weeks, especially after an off-season involving talk he could theoretically sit out the year. Others have questioned his work ethic in college and “specialist treatment” on campus.

He looked completely gassed in the fourth quarter. But it’s August 29th. Let’s see what he looks like in September before we jump to too many conclusions. He failed to register a sack before the game was stopped in the fourth quarter due to an electrical storm.

Other notes

– UNC’s junior receiver Mark McNeill might be one to watch. He’s 6-4 and 215lbs. McNeill didn’t play much as a sophomore but flashed a little in this game.

– I like Brynn Renner, the North Carolina quarterback, but I struggle to see him as anything more than a fringe NFL prospect.

– UNC left tackle James Hurst had a decent outing. He’s a possible early round selection at left tackle in 2014.

#Seahawks announce roster moves. Most significant: DT Jesse Williams to IR.

— John Boyle (@johnpboyle) August 26, 2013

This isn’t a big surprise and was one of my predictions yesterday when projecting the final 53-man roster. Williams has clearly been struggling and needs time to get healthy. The knee issue he’s dealing with is holding him back.

The big question is whether Williams will ever return to his best form. The Seahawks took a swing in round five, yet it’s clear many teams had swiped him off their board or at least considerably dropped their grade.

At his best, Williams anchored the Alabama defensive line. He struggled in playing time for Seattle during pre-season, clearly labouring in the process. The Seahawks are one of the teams who could afford to take a chance here.

The other players who were released today: Perez Ashford, Kyle Knox, Jameson Konz, Andrei Lintz, Kyle Nelson, Martin Parker, Craig Wilkins and Brett Swain. Again, no major shocks here. They need to make six more cuts before Tuesday’s deadline.

Meanwhile it was also revealed today that Cliff Avril has suffered an injury setback. He’s re-aggravated a hamstring issue. It’s a major setback for Seattle’s pass rush. With Chris Clemons still working his way back and Bruce Irvin suspended for the first four games, Avril was going to be crucial to start the year. No timetable has been set for his return.

O’Brien Schofield will need to hit the ground running and it’s almost certain that Benson Mayowa makes the 53-man roster. At this stage he’s a virtual lock. Pass rush was a big problem for Seattle last year with Clemons. Take him, Avril and Irvin away and that’s going to sting. This has to be a concern.