The #Seahawks four-year extension for safety Earl Thomas pays him $40 million base value with $27.725 million guaranteed, source says.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 28, 2014
The Seahawks came into the off-season with three key priorities:
1. Keep Michael Bennett
2. Extend Earl Thomas’ contract
3. Extend Richard Sherman’s contract
Two down, one to go.
Several reports suggest a deal with Sherman could be done before the draft. Ian Rapoport, who broke the Thomas story, claims “Sherman is next”.
It’s a nice reminder that as this team moves forward, they’re not going to be able to keep every asset. In an ideal world you retain Golden Tate and Breno Giacomini. Instead the Seahawks enter the draft probably looking to add a receiver and a right tackle. That won’t change moving forward. Other players will have to be sacrificed — in the same way Red Bryant and Chris Clemons were cut to save money.
The crucial thing is keeping the core together. The elite few.
Who are the players you’ll struggle to replace?
Thomas and Sherman fall into that category.
Let’s start with Thomas. If Russell Wilson is the driving force on offense, Thomas is the defensive equivalent. We’ve seen him develop from a talented, albeit slightly reckless rookie to a cornerstone elite defensive player. He’s the Ed Reed of his generation — except he’s even better. Reed had a knack for making big plays. Thomas might not stack up interceptions in the same way — but his range, ability to cover ground in a split second and discipline make him even more effective.
The Seahawks can’t play their version of defense without Thomas. It really is as simple as that.
I’m not sure there’s another team in the league that can use a single-high safety like the Seahawks use Thomas. His presence on the field enriches everybody — Kam Chancellor, the pass rush, the cornerbacks. Even during that famous goal-line stand against the Rams on Monday Night Football — who’s making the crunching hit to prevent a touchdown?
#29
And he’s not getting by on just natural ability. He had to develop and grow. By Pete Carroll’s own admission, he took too many chances as a rookie. He had to learn the defense, understand why he needed to be in a certain place at a certain time. Once it clicked — he became what we see today. But it took a lot of hard work.
The scary thing is — I’m not sure we’ve seen the best of Earl Thomas. There are still plays or instances where you think — he can still improve. He has an opportunity over the next four years to establish a Hall of Fame career by continuing to develop. That’s the reality.
People question whether Sherman has that same ‘cannot be replaced’ ability. I’d say — sure he does.
You can talk about scheme all you want. The fact is Sherman was the least targeted cornerback in the NFL in 2013 and still led the league in interceptions. Think about that for a second. Teams were avoiding his side of the field — the very definition of a shutdown corner. And he still had more picks than any other player in the NFL.
That’s not scheme. That’s not play calling. That’s elite performance.
For all of Sherman’s outspoken views and headline-grabbing statements — he more than anyone has helped establish Seattle’s attitude. The defense you saw in the Super Bowl — confident, prepared, tough, brash and full of self belief. Sherman helped deliver that with the rest of the young leaders on this team.
His work ethic, obsessive approach to studying an opponent and spirit is worth a few million alone. He leads by example. And he’s a walking advert for hard work and dedication to your craft.
“Look what you can achieve if you do things the right way.”
He makes life easy for people like Pete Carroll. Every late round pick drafted by this team only needs to share a locker room with Sherman to feel inspired. That is priceless.
The Seahawks are very good at finding cornerbacks who fit their system in the later rounds. Nobody would deny that. But Sherman isn’t comparable to Byron Maxwell, Walter Thurmond, Jeremy Lane, Tharold Simon or the others. Put Brandon Browner’s name on that list too.
He really is the best cornerback in the league. And you don’t let the best cornerback in the league walk away to sign for someone else.
What kind of a message would that send anyway? Come to the Seahawks as a late round pick, work your tail off to become the best player at your position and then we won’t reward you — in fact we’re going to save money so we can spend a bit more in free agency?
That’s not ‘always compete’. That’s being a jerk.
Sherman has earned a big contract, the Seahawks need the best corner in the NFL on their roster and they don’t need to try and save money. They’re cap healthy. And they’ll make further savings down the line.
They’ll be under pressure to continue to draft well — but that pressure would’ve existed anyway. Let’s face it — if you’re not going out there to add multiple potential starters to your franchise in every draft you might as well not bother turning up.
If the Seahawks wanted to have another Championship off-season, they’re going about it the right way.
Earl is probably worth it. I am much more dubious about Sherm..
Are you afraid of the money he wants?
That’s exactly it, I’m cool with paying the guy 10-11 million, but 13+? The fact that we have had so many DB’s come into this system and thrive, means that a portion of his performance is system, and it would be nice to see a “fair” deal done, vs this insane “respect” deal that Sherm seems to be going after.
Man has more interceptions and pass deflections than anyone else since he hit the league. Pay the man.
Is Sherm succeeding because of the system or is the system a success because of Sherm? There is only so much a scheme can do to completely shut down one half of the field every game.
Don’t be. Like he intimated himself, he is worth whatever we end up paying him.
Bizarre that you’re dubious given how great he is.
Great news on Thomas and Sherman. Thanks for being on it and keeping us informed Rob.
Looks like a four year contract that’ll take him through to the end of his age 28 year (he turns 25 in may this year). For a little guy this man throws his body around like it’s a nuclear tipped cruse missile. In a way I’m happy it’s “only” four years. I’d be a bit nervous going too long for a guy who plays so physical.
Great to have him tied up for a while – Sherm next…
Only four years? I was hoping for a five or six year deal, elite!
I saw someone in the Field Gulls comments talking about how this may be a four-year extension on top of the year left from his rookie contract. So five years total. That could ease the cap hit if true.
Oh please be the case! That would be ideal!
It is.
awesome. What made great news just got better for me. 5 or 6 year deals are rare, and Earl is the one player I felt should receive such a contract.
I Would expect Sherman to get the same number of years to keep them together.
Agreed. I had been predicting 6 years 60 mil, got the yearly right anyway. Should have been longer. He is and will be worth it.
He plays like a cruise missile? True. And that cruise missile has missed how many games in 4 years? Zero.
GREAT NEWS!!!!
Rob, thank you for the update. 🙂
nIce to have Chancellor and Thomas locked up. That’s a great contract for Thomas and a good deal for us. Sherman next!!
Copy/Paste from NFL.com
Elite prospects
These players should earn Pro Bowl recognition early and rank among the top five at their respective positions in two to three years.
1) Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina
2) Greg Robinson, OT, Auburn
3) Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson
4) Khalil Mack, OLB, Buffalo
5) Mike Evans, WR, Texas A&M
6) Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M
7) Eric Ebron, TE, North Carolina
Blue chips
These prospects are regarded as difference-makers based solely on their talent. They should start as rookies and make immediate contributions to their respective teams.
1) Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M
2) Aaron Donald, DT, Pittsburgh
3) Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville
4) Anthony Barr, OLB, UCLA
5) Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan
6) Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, S, Alabama
7) Justin Gilbert, CB, Oklahoma State
8) Calvin Pryor, S, Louisville
9) C.J. Mosley, LB, Alabama
10) Marqise Lee, WR, USC
11) Odell Beckham, WR, LSU
12) Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan State
13) Ryan Shazier, OLB, Ohio State
14) Brandin Cooks, WR, Oregon State
15) Zack Martin, OL, Notre Dame
16) Blake Bortles, QB, UCF
17) Xavier Su’a-Filo, OG, UCLA
18) Timmy Jernigan, DT, Florida State
Calvin Pryor is so cool, hes gotta wear shades.
And half of these players will be out of the league in 2-3 years…
Oh, the importance of picking right.
The SDB community sure views the blue chip differently than NFL.com.
Any comments on Jernigan? At #64 if he is still there, is he worth it? I honestly don’t know and value the opinions I read here more that NFL.com.
It’s funny, one of the commentators on the NFL network selected Cody Latimer in the first round of his TV mock draft, and then instantly the negative feedback was alarming. This particular commentator no longer lists Latimer in the 1st on his new mock. He is afraid to upset the status qua.
It was this type of reaction that the Mel Kiper’s of the world have when you do something considered “outside the box.”
Obviously a strongly disagree with that list but we’ll see what happens a week on Thursday.
For me Jernigan is just a very average, unspectacular one technique. At #64 I’d consider it if you felt he could replace Mebane down the line. But I can’t believe he’s still being graded in the first round range.
I agree with the Jernigan assessment. Seems like a mid-round guy.
instead of “outside the box,” actually “independent thinking” is a better choice of words.
“That’s not ‘always compete.’ That’s being a jerk.” Great line, Rob. Perfectly put, and it made me laugh.
Me too… Laughed my butt off.
Thanks Rob, perfectly put piece. Earl is x-factor that lets us run cover 1 and gives Kam the opportunity to do this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIUMlwP3bDk (kill people) . Sherman is the best CB in the NFL hands down. All three should be Seahawks and all three should be payed accordingly.
Yeah, ‘cept sometimes making the right decision requires being a jerk.
As we don’t know what Sherm is asking for, we can’t say one way or another.
Not sure what being a “jerk” has to do with a purely business decision. Were members of the front office jerks for letting Tate walk? In that case they had a fixed number that they felt Golden was worth and that wouldn’t impair future cap flexibility. I imagine they are treating Sherman the same. If he wants a ridiculous amount they need to franchise him, trade him, or let him walk. That’s showbiz.
And I love Earl but he is not better than Ed Reed in his prime. Not even close.
Ed Reed was my favorite player middle of last decade, but I have to agree that Earl is better. His athleticism is far more prominent. Reed seemed to shy away from box play.
Saxon I really don’t thing it’s about who is/was better. I think it’s about Earl’s sideline to sideline range and split second decision making. It puts kam in the box and as an enforcer over the middle.
Earl on any other team is the best FS in the NFL, on are roster he”s the most important part of the best defense in the NFL.
Ed Reed also played (plays?) with a bit of an ego, for lack of a better word. He is out of position a lot because of his amazing instincts, and they allow him to make plays. If he is out of place and his instincts are wrong, he gives up deep balls. I would rather have ET… But that’s one Hawks fans opion
The question is over my pay grade, but without doing any research I doubt Ed Reed’s first four years were on a par with ET’s.
Rob, any thoughts on ASJ reportedly running a 4.56 with a 37.5″ vertical? Impressive numbers for that kind of size. I know the hawks probably are out of the market for a tight end but they’ve done crazier things on draft day.
Where did you see those numbers? I didn’t think he was working out before the draft.
Matt MillerVerified account
‏@nfldraftscout
Multiple reports that Washington TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins ran a 4.56 in workouts. That is significantly faster than his film shows.
Yeah, haven’t watched a lot of the huskies but I’ll go with the tape if, like you intimated, this speed doesn’t match his on field game. He’s probably been training with a sprint coach (I’ll bet most prospects do!) to juice up his 40 & draft position.
I am sure he has been… Reports also were that he dropped a bunch of weight. Coaches at UW asked him to bulk up for blocking duties and that slowed him down during the season, by his own admission.
If you dropped 15-20 lbs, even without a sprint coach, wouldn’t you run a lot faster?
I thought it was impressive he was able to drop twenty pounds and keep it off within the context of the stress fracture in his foot. If there’s one thing that would make it damn difficult it’s turning into an immobile log that can’t even begin to work out again for 2-3 weeks. Even with exercise he would have had to do some heavy duty dieting to drop 20 pounds. Holed up for weeks without exercise, it had to have taken him some serious grit to keep it off.
What’s better when you consider the Seahawks offensive scheme…the 2nd to 3rd rated te or the 8the wr off the board?
Depends on who that 8th WR is. If the talent pool for wide receivers is that much higher than the tight ends in this draft, and all indications are that it is, then the quality of wide receiver at #8 could most definitely be better than the second or third rated TE. Throw in the JSPC drafting philosophy of getting a player that provides the most competition for his position group and with Tate gone it leans towards wide receiver even if he’s only considered the 8th best.
With those numbers he’ll go in the first round and it leaves other good players to fall to us at 32!
Thank god….. Someone asked Rod to talk about ASJ besides me.
Be gentle Rob. If your going to crush my dreams do it softly.
Rod?: My bad
I think I’d be cool if Thomas and ET ended up inking identical deals – money is equated with respect and value in pro sports and these teammates taking the same deal (and not one-upping the other) would send a message to the league about teamwork and the brotherhood of the LOB. I know the market for elite corners is higher per anum than safety, but the free safety in our system is INTEGRAL! Sherman and ET make each other better and more successful, and saying that with their contracts, like I said, would be cool.
I’ve read reports that Sherman’s contract will be upwards of $13 million. Say what you want about brotherhood and the LOB and all that, but every contract operates on the basis of what the market is for a respective position. For Sherman, the bar is set at about $12 million, so it definitely won’t be any less than that.
Yeah, I’m aware of the relative dollar value benchmarks for various positions….just said it would be cool, not necessarily realistic.
It would be very cool.
I don’t think many people outside Thomas and rival fans would think it was that cool for the team to bloat payroll 3 million higher than where it could have been which means 3 million less under the cap to roll over and sign other players. Other owners/GMs would be in an uproar too over unnecessarily inflating salaries for the entire position group, which only makes their jobs harder.
I’m so happy we got this extension for ET. A straight $10 million a year deal while we also get to keep the number for the final year of his rookie contract ($4mil) is very good. ET is the heartbeat of the defense (and it beats very fast and hard), so it’s good to know he’s not going anywhere for five years.
I don’t believe that players are allowed to void years on their rookie contracts.
So if the Hawks extend Wilson after this coming season, they will still get the 4th year of his contract at a ridiculously low cost?
Theoretically.
Happy dance! Well deserved for Earl – and I’m happy that Sherm will get his pay day too. Talk about out playing your contract. If Sherm had been making $4-5mill for these past few years, it might seem like $13m is too much, but take that $13 not over the 5 years of the extension, but take these other 3 years into consideration and it seems more than fair.
“The tip” one could say is THE play that got us to the Super Bowl and for me, it makes it worth every penny he gets!
The Tip is to us what The Catch was to SF. Both plays sent their respective team on to their first SB victory and started their dynasties. Like The Catch, The Tip should go down as one of the all-time greatest iconic pays in NFL history.
Agreed!
AGREED!
You almost sense that this was all part of a off-season strategy developed by John and Pete. Try and find value in FA, but failing that lock up our young talent early. We’re in a position right now where we don’t have to backload contracts to sign Earl and Sherm, and if we do so can take the pressure off of future cap years.
I love this FO.
I’m more happy to have drafted ET than I am with Okung. This guys quietly sets the defense and all the other players know it. He is the beast mode on defense and that’s all I got to say about that.
And to think Taylor Mayes was peeved Earl got drafted ahead of him. Earl was the best safety coming out of college just like he’s the best safety now. Coming into the league at the precocious age of 20 Earl’s obviously a football prodigy, not just his physical measurables, but also in football IQ and intangibles. OTOH, Mayes has the football IQ of a raw vegetable.
Earl and Sherman are vital to the structure of this defense. Glad one is secured and can’t wait for the other.
IMO they are the true cornerstones of this D together with Chancellor.
A decade ago the writing was on the wall – With the rules shifting to protect the offense, the smart and experienced pocket passer with quick release and west coast offense is UNSTOPABLE. Yes, you could rush him and try to cover everything but it was all happening too fast. There were too many options and one would end up open.
Brady and Breese, the Mannings and Rodgers could not be stopped. They will put points on the board, a lot of them and quickly. Your only option was to do the same and hope to survive the shootout.
When PC got this team he had a vision he was formulating for a long time. It’s a new type of defense, the pocket QB slayers. It took 3 years to finally have all the pieces of it together. The key elements were – pass rush that would eliminate the need to formulate cover schemes that would hold for 4-5 seconds. Quick LB’s enabling the destruction of screens and bubbles plus able to cover for 2-3 sec. Hard tackling press corners able to play the most physical of receivers and fast enough to keep 3 seconds cover on fast receivers and a rocket of a free safety with speed and range to cover the deep middle and reach the sides when needed. Add a strong safety big enough and strong enough to play linebacker and fast enough to cover TEs or intercept shallow routes and the new formula is set to go.
In the past year they stopped the Manning brothers for 8 points combined. They held Breese for under 10 points a game till garbage time in the playoffs. Matt Ryan didn’t do any better. They are build to destroy the classic pocket passers.
Some elements of this defense are well known – pass rushers are pass rushers. Everybody has some. They are not a dime a dozen but they are out there. Some of the other elements of this defense are not very common in the NFL. Yes, if you put a premium on speed at your LB positions you can find your guys but players like Chancellor, Thomas or Sherman are not common. Those will be hard to replace. There are great players at those positions but they don’t play the type of game those do.
To keep this defense doing what it does you need to ensure that they are here for a long time. Two down, one to go.
/rec
Great post. And not only is this scheme a killer of pocket passers, with that same dynamic pass rush, LB speed, and physical secondary play that you mentioned it is also deadly against the new paradigm of mobile QBs. Just ask KAep.
Agreed about the uniqueness and irreplacability of the LOB. This is truly a Golden Age of Seahawk football and we should all be aware of the history we are watching as we enjoy the next several years of our dynasty.
Agree bigD – great post
I really think the key to that was recognizing the benefits of specialization at the level of the defensive line. It’s far easier to find a player whose strength is rushing the passer, or a player that can defend the run well, than one defensive lineman that can do both. Those do-it-all types are in fact rare and very difficult to find outside the top of the 1st round. That gave them the flexibility to build their line without landing one of those cornerstone types, though ironically Michael Bennett did show he can do both last season it wasn’t something the team expected when they got him to rush the passer.
I’d be curious to learn what the historical lineage of specialization on the defensive line to rotate players in and out is. What other teams do this? Because I wasn’t even aware of the practice prior to Carroll. It’s been so effective and successful that it now seems so obvious why. It makes me wonder why coaches hadn’t figured it out sooner. Having backup defensive lineman on the roster that sit the whole game while starters grind out all of the snaps just doesn’t seem to make much sense in retrospect. Yet it’s the way the team did things for most of its history. Even Holmgren never thought to play backup defensive lineman unless he absolutely had to from injury. Instead he’d watch aged stars like Reggie White dog it on the field because he was too winded to play, yet it never occurred to him the D could have played much better during those snaps if a fresh player had been on the field while White caught his breath. Sure Holmgren is an offensive mind who didn’t concern himself much with the intricacies of defense if he didn’t have to, but that seems now like a no brainer.
He really is the best cornerback in the league. And you don’t let the best cornerback in the league walk away to sign for someone else.
What kind of a message would that send anyway?
That no one individual is bigger than the team? Just playing devils advocate here.
All that would do is send a message to the drafted guys “we don’t care about you, we’ll give our money to people like Percy Harvin instead.”
Paying Sherman doesn’t make him bigger than the team.
I totally agree. Harvin’s contract is one of the reason Tate was less likly to take a big home discount. For all his talent it has been a red light for all the young players hoping to get thier payday at home.
Signing Kam, Thomas and Sherman would do a lot in restoring that faith.
Except if your a player still on your rookie contract you know that Seattle has already spent their big money on veterans and you won’t get a big contract unless your name is Russell Wilson.
I’m sure a lot of guys probably realize that already. However, they also probably realize that playing well for Coach Carroll still gives them the opportunity to get that big paycheck from other teams.
I just read something about the Titans that I found interesting. They are moving Derrick Morgan to outside linebacker in their new 3-4 defense, and he may not be a good fit (he has played 4-3 DE his whole life). People say he could be available for a draft day trade.
What do you guys think abou trading for Morgan as our new Leo?
Good observation. I’ll admit to not being a connoisseur of his work. But just looknig at his bio he has good size and length. His pre-draft numbers were not compellnig, but that was four years and an ACL surgery ago, so who knows where his motor is today. His sack numbers do not light up the stat page, but that’s not as big a consideration for how we do things around here as it is for other teams. He looks like a specimen and it is certainly an interesting idea. Maybe a late rounder in next year’s draft for him, but I also want to see what our own players like Mayowa and Boatright have.
What would an asking price be? If we are talking anything higher than 6th round in this draft, I pass… if we are talking 5th round next year, conditionally becoming a 4th? I am more open to this idea…
Sounds like a similar deal to when we brought in Clemons. Speaking of bringing in Clemons. Brandon Graham is possibly on the outs with the Eagles. Could he be another trade target that could provide a Leo type player for our rotation?
Henrique, new angles are hard to find this far into the process (I know now what a kalpa must feel like) but congrats for finding one. 🙂
How good has Morgan been?
I hope we can work something out with DB Fresh, as well. His toe-tap catches/seperation and speed is why we kept him over Tate.
Tate sort of gave up or became complacent after the Rams game.
I would like to see a PR competition between him, CMike, Lockette and possibly Pryor. Lockette would be exciting in particular, since he’s faster than Harvin and was lighting it up on ST tackling!
Four tenths of a second in the 40 is small enough that I’d be hesitant to say for sure that Lockette’s faster. He might be, but Harvin was regularly timed in the low 4.3’s and 4.2’s prior to his 4.41 combine time. He could have just been having a bad day. We’ve seen how fast Harvin is coming off the line that if no one’s close that a play cannot be made on him. Unfortunately, PH didn’t do 3 cone or the short shuttle so there’s no point of measured comparison for speed outside the 40 time, and that’s only straight line speed.
Here is something interesting and mind provoking regarding draft evaluation –
” Daniel Jeremiah was a scout for the Ravens, Browns and Eagles and now is a fulltime analyst for the NFL Network. He knows how much emphasis teams put on character — it’s one of the main reasons he’s sharing his mock drafts on television and online instead of working for a team.
“The job changed,” Jeremiah said, “When I started in ’03, I would say 70 percent of the job was football evaluation and 30 percent was character background. When I finished up, it was 60-70 percent character background. That’s not why I got into scouting.”
Jeremiah played quarterback at Appalachian State and was contacted about possibly being a camp arm for the Redskins (“I was already a good enough scout to know I wasn’t going to make it in the NFL,” said Jeremiah). But now that he’s out of the league, he tries to focus primarily on game tape. “I’ll talk to people and take character into account,” Jeremiah said, “but if I’m not in the league anymore, I serve the audience better by focusing on what players did on the field.”
Polian believes even the best draft analysts can’t compete with teams on character evaluation. “There are in-depth character reports only the GM and coach had in Indianapolis,” he said. “We didn’t want that stuff to get out. So even our scouts never saw the whole picture.”
Polian claims most NFL GMs know when character issues are throwing off the media. “We saw Aaron Hernandez in the first round of mock drafts [in 2010],” said Polian. “That was never going to happen because of character.” (Hernandez fell to the fourth round.) On the other hand, Polian says negative reports in the media on Manti Te’o in 2013 never jived with their research. “We knew he just got tricked and wasn’t a bad kid,” Polian said. “The only reason [Te’o] wasn’t a first rounder [he went No. 38 overall] was size and position. It wasn’t for the reasons the media portrayed.”
It was part of this article – http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/nfl/news/20140428/nfl-mock-draft-how-to/
We already know that the best potential rookie has his work cut out for him to adopt to the NFL level of play. Some take a year or 2 to fully mature and contribute. The fierce competition to improve and excel demands a lot of dedication and mental fortitude. It only makes sense that a player’s mental capabilities should count as much as his athletic ones.
Watching tape and reading stats will not provide us with the information needed to form a smart evaluation. Obviously it will count less when talking about the top players but once you get into the mid and later rounds “character” probably plays a very big role in drafting.
TC said that his OL players should be smart and tough. Not fast or tall, not strong or agile. Makes you think…
3 tough guys in thiis draft that fit TC’s mold:
Joel Bitonio
Ju’Wuan James
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif
Maybe they are that. They are all pretty high on the football/athletic skills. Those are “easy” picks. It’s the Bowies and Baileys that are hard to predict.
I agree… Those are 3 guys I personally am really high on and would love Bitonio/James @ #32. If LDT is there in the 4th rd, I’d draft him.
I’m sure there will be some “diamonds in the rough” players that no one has mentioned that will pop up and have us saying “WHO?!?!?”
You said “but once you get into the mid and later rounds “character” probably plays a very big role in drafting.”
But the attributes you listed that TC looks for aren’t character issues. Those are very specific physical attributes.
Character no doubt plays a bigger role now, but weeding through character concerns to figure out what’s a legit character flag and what’s just noise is the key, and it’s to PCJS’s credit that they appear to be very good in their legwork in this area. They’re willing to exploit the fact that some teams are passing on players with pro potential because they were too quick, or did a poor job in evaluation, to judge. Some GMs like Tim Ruskell are idiots by not considering drafting any player with possible character concerns. PCJS feast on the leftovers from idiots like that. I’d imagine a very high number of guys that age, some coming from not the most enlightening backgrounds, might have some things in their past that are wrongly interpreted as character flags the team should be concerned about.
But that was some interesting insight about the breakdown between talent evaluation/character evaluation of scouts these days from Jeremiah’s insights. Makes me wonder if teams now also deploy a group of shrinks to assist the scouts through the character evaluations. Wouldn’t surprise me if some did.
I love this organization. Making all the right moves. Chancellor, ET, and Serm on the horizon. Gotta love it!
I’m very excited for this draft. WR is so deep. I’ve had Latimer penciled in to Seattle at #32 along with a few other guys, such as Moncrief.
If Ealy were sitting there at #32 would we take him? Seems he could be an inside/outside pass-rushing threat a la Michael Bennett. He’d give us insurance and depth. Thoughts on Ealy?
I think Ealy has the ability to be a solid player. I have seen several mocks ranging him from mid-1st to mid-2nd.
If Latimer, Bitonio, James and Easley were all gone and we didn’t decide to move down, I think he could be a decent option. He seemed to have superior technique compared to Michael Sam and teams constantly watched him, leaving Sam repaing the statistical benefits. Ealy could learn a lot from Bennett as well. Playing in/out in certain packages would make him real scary
When I first became aware of Ealy last year I was very high on him based on measurables alone. But as I watched tape, and especially Mizzou’s BCS bowl game, I have soured on him as a high round pick. He just looks slow, uncoordinated, and unexplosive way too much for my liking. I definately would not take him with either of our first two picks, and he definatly will be gone by the time we pick again in the fourth.
A player that I am higher on that is similar in stature to Ealy in George Uko. He is a USC player so PC probably has the scoop on him. Uko is raw, but consistently plays with a violence and nastiness that i dont see from Ealy. Uko is 270-ish and fits nicely in that inside/outside role that Bennett plays, but has the frame that could add a little more bulk to be a force on the interior. If he is there 5th round or later he would be a decent pick.
Good stuff, guys. I haven’t watched tape on Ealy so I’m glad to hear people’s points of view.
I’m in love with the WRs that should be there at 32. I’d have to be really sold on a lineman at that spot (offensive or defensive) and just haven’t studied them to the same degree as the offensive skill players.
Who are some other D-line guys that could be there you like?
I have *Xavier Su’a-Filo projected to land in SD at 25. I think he’s out of the mix due to his draft-stock regardless. I just don’t see an offensive lineman being taken by this team in round one. Doesn’t seem the Tom Cable-influenced style and we all know the deal with Carpenter. Actually, I think Carp could still be the answer at LG, but the jury may still be out. Carpenter has a polarizing view by most folks, it seems. Clearly, RT is a projected area of need but with the depth at WR. I imagine someone like Moses could fall but I don’t think that changes the likely BPA at 1.32. Thoughts on Moses (the NFL prospect, that is).
Should read ” Clearly, RT is a projected area of need but with the depth at WR I think the team strongly considered one in the first round.
Latimer or Moncrief
Bryant (later?)
Any of those 3 WRs would be great at 32. I’m also not excited about any of our likely OL options at 32. Though very unlikely, I’m hoping for Hageman at 32 and something like Coleman or Robinson at 64. If there is a big enough rush for QBs at the end of round 1 by early round 2 teams moving up, a player like Hageman just might fall to us, though again very unlikely. Or if you wanted to flip that, Latimer at 32 and maybe Will Sutton at 64. There is a better chance of Latimer being there for us at 32 then Hageman, imo.
I’d be shocked if they didn’t take an offensive lineman in the first round if Bitonio, James, or Martin are there. The offensive line sucked a lot last year, even with Cable.