With a healthy hamstring, USC RB @rojo posted a 4.48 40-yard dash in front of NFL scouts. #USCtotheNFL pic.twitter.com/dcQaq1Qx6o
— USC Trojans (@USC_Athletics) April 5, 2018
Ronald Jones II was limited at the combine after hurting his hamstring running the forty yard dash. He did jump a 36.5 inch vertical but didn’t do any of the running back drills or agility tests.
Today he ran a new forty, managing a 4.48.
I contacted USC to check on his weight and he’s up to 208lbs:
He weighed in at 208 lbs. today.
— USC Trojans (@USC_Athletics) April 5, 2018
He’s now only five pounds lighter than Kerryon Johnson but ran a slightly faster time (4.48 vs 4.54). Both players are highly explosive and aggressive in their running style.
The only question mark for the Seahawks is size. They’ve had a ‘type’ for a long time — approximately 5-11, 220lbs. They’ve shown interest in Ito Smith and Chase Edmonds this off-season so it’s possible they’re now looking for a different type of back. They seem to at least be considering adding a smaller, dynamic runner.
As we’ve often discussed, Jones II is a fantastic talent. It’d be remiss of them to count him out for size. And as we’ve seen with Russell Wilson, they’re willing to make an exception for the right player.
Even so, the size factor exists. He isn’t 215-220lbs. And it’s part of the evaluation they and other teams have to consider.
One thing to remember though. Alvin Kamara is only six pounds heavier than Ronald Jones II and he ran a 4.56. Kamara is highly explosive. He managed a 39.5 inch vertical and his game is based around suddenness and explosive traits, not straight line speed. Jones II is quicker and a little less explosive — but he’s tougher to bring down.
Re-creating New Orleans’ two-headed monster with Mark Ingram and Kamara wouldn’t be a bad idea for a team looking to fix its running game. One of Chris Carson or Mike Davis could act as Ingram, with Jones II as Kamara.
That would make sense for the Seahawks. Of course, it’s also possible another team takes Jones II off the board before Seattle’s first pick (assuming they trade down).
Here’s a tweet from his agent…
.@rojo RoboBack Ronald Jones ran a 4.48 at a special pro scouting day @USC_Athletics @uscfootball @USCSportsNow in front of 20 teams,can run even faster when hamstring totally healed. pic.twitter.com/EpYikl7b6P
— Leigh Steinberg (@leighsteinberg) April 5, 2018
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Rojo reminds me of Dalvin Cook last year. A Special college player who didn’t test as well people thought he would. As an SC student who has seen him practice and play live on many occasions, I truly believed that he would run in the high 4.3s. I really want him in Seattle. I would buy his jersey on draft day, the kid is special
He is special. No doubt.
He does things I haven’t seen a running back do. Been doing this blog for 10 years and not often you can say that about a player.
Looking at his picture, with some time in a pro weight room, I think he could add a little good weight without losing anything, if (big if, but based on what they have drafted before) that is what the team wanted.
Agreed
He has a decently sized frame – definitely not maxed out. With a fully healed hamstring and NFL weight training, he end up at 212-215 with ~4.45 speed.
Yes, please.
Rojo looks like a 4.3 40 guy on tape for sure. The 4.48 40 he ran yesterday was easy, just a glimpse at his true gamebreaking speed.
Haven’t seen this passed along on here:
https://mobile.twitter.com/USC_Athletics/status/981930458400276480
Rojo saying his hammy was at 85%.
Shame he didn’t run the shuttle. Would have liked to see his numbers. Like seeing the weight up a bit. Jones could be the guy!
My favorite RBs in the draft are Jones II, Nick Chubb and John Kelly. I do like Kerryon Johnson a lot too. I wish Kelly had tested better in the shuttle because man does his tape pop. He runs extremely hard, he looks like a guy the Seahawks would be interested in. Seems they could get him later than a lot of the other guys too.
Jones, Chubb, and Kelly are my three favorite RBs in this class too. Kelly’s footwork, stiff arm, and attitude are reminiscent of Lynch, even if he doesn’t become an every down monster like Marshawn was. Chubb is just an all around physical freak who fits their historical preferences perfectly. But I think Jones is the best pure runner in this class. Not the all around prospect thatBarkley is, but the best combination of footwork, explosiveness, balance, burst, and decision making in this class. I’ll be doing backflips if we end up with him.
Did Jones do, or is he planning to do any other drills today– or just post a 40 time? If the hammy is fully healed, it would be nice to see some new vertical and broad jump marks, in addition to some shuttle times.
Also, thought he was going to do some RB specific drills and run some routes, with Darnold throwing to him. Jones is definitely a dynamic runner, but if he can run routes and catch the ball smoothly (anywhere close to Kamara) we need him on our team.
He did a three cone and ran some positional drills on top of the forty. I suspect he was happy to stand on the vertical jump given he made 36.5 inches at the combine. And if he wasn’t doing the vertical again, he probably opted not to do the broad. We’ll see though. It might’ve just not been reported yet.
Here are some vids of his workout.
https://twitter.com/insidetroy/status/981920917142913024
https://twitter.com/insidetroy/status/981916466487279618
https://twitter.com/joeyrkaufman/status/981914763255934976
It’s an unusually cool, cloudy day in LA, a bit London-esque I should think. Good day for an outdoor workout.
Side note for any Darnold watchers: Sam got up early today to be at the 7AM workout so he could throw to RoJo (and Deontay Burnett). That’s a teammate.
Watching Jamaal, er I mean Ronald, run the 3 cone…😍🤩🤑
I think that says a lot about the kid (Darnold) going the extra mile so his teammates can look their best. I haven’t figured out why people were so gaga over the kid skills-wise, but as a teammate and a leader, I’d follow the guy through a wall. The term “All football” applies.
I am a huge Rojo fan and think he is the only RB apart from Barkley who is dynamic enough to warrant using the 1st pick on.
A two header monster of Jones / Carson while sprinkling in Prosise for 5-8 snaps a game on obvious passing situations could be an incredibly dynamic running back group and take the offense to a whole new level. The split workload should help keep all 3 fresh and help with injury issues.
My concern now is how the Hawks can trade back and still get Jones.
The way I look at it there are 5-6 likely landing spots for him from picks 20-36
#20 Lions – The arguably need an RB worse than the Hawks
#31Eagles – This seems the most likely landing spot for Jones IMO. The have a deep roster with few apparent needs. Pederson has experience with Jamal Charles and the thought of adding Jones in the backfield with Wentz could be incredibly dynamic.
I think if the Hawks trade down past the Eagles then Jones is gone.
Then depending on who get Barkley the (Browns, Indy, Giants) all have need at RB early in Rd #2.
Thoughts?
I think his basement is PHI. It could also be NE or PIT, but one needs an LT badly, and the other has a huge hole on defense they need to fill.
Philly are a very realistic team for Ronald Jones II. Could easily happen at #32 if he’s even there.
Of course, the Seahawks might not trade down that far. Could move into the 20’s. And then possibly take him.
A trade back with the Pats to #23 and pick up pick #93 seems like the perfect scenario if they want to target Jones.
Lions to me with Patricia and ex-Pats GM might lean more towards Chubb or a bigger back, though you never know. They do have Ameer Abdullah as per a scat back. Jones more explosive.
Like Rob has said all along we need another back and not just a complementary one. We need someone that can carry the load if the featured back is injured or out for a few games. Marshwawn was very special in that way that for a few years you could count on him game in and game out. Later on he did have to stop practicing.
I would think they would make an exception with Jones because of that exactly. Jones can fully carry the load by himself, but they are not without Carson (love Davis but see Carson as the more of the thunder to Jones lightning). Again, the luxury of Jones is that he too can be that thunder even at that size. Will he last, not likely which makes having Carson the ideal.
I do love the likes of Wynn, Hernandez, Davenport, Bates (FS) for one of those you need to trade Earl. The reason why I don’t think they keep Earl is not because of character, chemistry or because they need draft picks. The overriding factor to me is going to the new contract as it relates to his age vis a vis the team outlook for 2018-2021. Extending Duane Brown, Russell, Frank Clark, etc. We’ll see.
Davenport does not have the Malik red flags, he is a bit of a boom/bust candidate as per his confidence meter and experience factor. To me those rare DE’s don’t last. If he is there it is hard to pass up on one of those explosive defensive linemen. He might take a year or two to develop, but if done properly his kind is rare.
Although my favorite player has been Wynn for a while if we trade Earl I would want to get back a haul of at least two these (plus any mid round picks if we trade back one of our two early picks, the one we have and the one we acquire in a possible Earl trade):
1) Davenport
2) Jones
3) Bates
4) Wynn
5) Hernandez
Both LG options would really solidify our Oline, but even though our recent past is atrocious in that regard to me at least our OL depth does not look as bad now. RB on the other hand is an area were we could be hanging by a thread if something happens to Carson.
There are late round safeties that could supplant (not replace on par) Earl, but Bates seems intriguing as an early 2nd rounder.
Very interesting draft for sure.
Philly I agree will gladly scoop up Jones if the is there at 32. Pats are an intriguing trade partner for all.
apologize for grammatical errors, should proofread before sending 😉 hehe
Great post.
Both Wynn and Hernandez will go middle R1. Left inside is hard to fix these days, and there are a lot of OL needy/-focused teams out there.
It will be a big surprise if Wynn and Hernandez both go in the middle of R1. Late first, possibly early second.
I agree with you Trevor. I think that Chubb would be our alternative if he does go. We will likely be operating under the assumption that Philly will take Rojo and if so, we focus on Chubb or another back they are high on.
Of course there will be all sorts of contingency plans, but specifically on the RB front, I think they will feel ok with either:
1st & 2nd down (Carson/Rojo/Davis)
3rd down (Rojo/Procise/Mckissick)
OR
1st & 2nd (Carson/Chubb/Davis)
3rd (Procise/Mckissick/Ito Smith or a later round/UDFA)
Sub in Kerryon Johnson or Guice or whoever for Chubb if you like, but I guess that’s the question. Do we feel like Rojo is worth more than Chubb/Johnson PLUS another mid-round pick, or a better 3rd?
Will RoJo have the impact of a Kamara/Kareem Hunt or a James Connor/Samaje Perine?
I see a little Curt Warner in how he cuts and avoids tacklers. Take him with the 18th pick.
#Listofwordsorsayingsthatshouldbebannedduringthedraftseason
‘Deep dive’
Random thought for the day.
I think every ESPN ‘first draft’ podcast has used this term to describe a relatively shallow dive into a topic.
Not a word, but can we ban the Todd McShay deep sigh, also? (Once noticed, never the same.)
Beautiful point.
Every question is answered with a deep sigh.
That also goes in room 101.
How about the term “great”. When did the barometer for true greatness become “he can make all the throws.”? Montana, Brady, Manning, Young, (add your faves here..) were/are great. I feel like the QBs in this class have a ceiling of Goff and Alex Smith. Good NFL QBs that I would not classify as great currently, let alone “Great” historically.
“Great” is definitely overused, but I don’t think you know how you can think none of the QBs in the class has a higher ceiling than that. Darnold has amazing physical ability. Lamar Jackson can do video game things out there. Rosen makes every throw. Granted they all have pretty low floors for various reasons and its unlikely that any become hall of famers, but any of the top 6 quarterbacks have pretty high ceilings as well. I don’t think Goff will ever be more than an average QB – but can’t really determine his ceiling yet either.
*meant Allen has amazing physical ability, but the point still stands.
With 5 QBs likely going in the top 15. There is going to be a top 13 position player on the board at #18. Barkley, Chubb and Nelson are the other apparent top 10 locks.
So that means 10 other position players go before the Hawks pick. If Edmunds, Fitzpatrick, Ridley, Ward, Roquan Smith, an OT and Davenport could also go before the pick. That would be 15 players total.
In this scenario at least 3 of the following players would still be on the board when the Hawks pick at #18 but will almost certainly be gone if the Hawks trade out of Rd#1.
Vita Vea
Derwin James
Ronald Jones
Isiah Wynn
LVE
Do any of these guys justify using the pick at 18? I think all 5 are Blue Chip Players and 1st round talents in any draft.
My guess is Vea and James are also gone by 18 as well but who knows.
Of those you listed I’d probably only consider Vita Vea or Derwin James at 18. I think you won’t be able to find players like them in the rest of the draft. I love RoJo but I don’t find the drop-off between him and like Nick Chubb or Kerryon Johnson to be that large. Same with Isaiah Wynn compared to like a Will Hernandez or Austin Corbett. I’ll admit I haven’t really watched enough Van der Esch to make a judgement, but I think there are quite a few good linebackers in the middle rounds where it might not have to be huge priority.
Nice analysis here, and fun to think about. Would agree that James and Vea are likely to go prior to 18, they are consistently mocked this high by most.
This still leaves lots of impact players teams may desire to trade up for including: Vander Esch, K Miller, DJ Moore, M Hurst, Wynn, Goedert, M Rudolph, Sutton, Landry, Guice, and Rojo.
Very tough to know how far Hawks can trade down and still get “our guy”, assuming it’s one of this group. Suspect they will attempt a trade down somewhere into the 20’s given their lack of draft capital.
Would very much love to come away with Jones and another young, hungry player in the 3rd after a trade down. It will be fun to see what actually happens.
No player justifies it. Not this year.
You can’t pick at 18 and then 120. Not when you’re trying to get younger and more competitive in multiple positions.
Move down and get what you can.
Rob- How much does that statement/equation change with a Thomas trade?
Agree AndrewP that changes things. You might trade back with both picks (own and acquired), but Thomas trade changes equation. Not for trading up with acquired or native pick, but with maybe sticking to slot to draft for need/safety (as in no red flags) and other pick be more flexible as per risk. Not Malik risky, but freak athlete risky.
I would still trade down. The value is in round two this year.
Agree with Rob, even Davenport who I have above all those because of position and freakness I would have a hard time pulling trigger for.
Although I do think that you can’t be hampered into making a wrong decision because of holes in round 2 or 3. You can’t let past decisions aggravate o create another wrong decision. Even though I personally believe those holes were not created by wrong decisions. It was a calculated decision that did not result in desired outcome. The Malik risk might have created a chain of events, that I have no problem pointing to as a possible error. But reaching for the Superbowl with the LOB in going for Sheldon and Brown after Fant and Malik situations, I can’t complain.
What I wouldn’t want to happen is not pulling the trigger in the 5-10% chance that you believe a player is there that is in your top 5 for example. I would take my medicine and swallow rounds 2 and 3. The scenario is very unlikely. 90%+ of the time a trade back is warranted.
Just don’t compound an error because of a hole.
I’d take Vea or James. But as you said, they won’t be there most likely. Those two I like better than Davenport and Ridley. Ridley especially seems overrated ( still think he goes high because WR’s do)
The need for OL talent will mi that group up, too. Have seen LVE go as late as #31.
IMO, LVE is the single reason the Pats are our #1 trade target. Would get us #31 + #63. Then another trade with Cleveland, they would be pressed to go OL. #31 for #33 + #64. Then another trade back with Indy for #37 + #67.
#37 would easily be one of the top RB targets, or could be traded down further, still getting Hayden Hurst as TE or still retain a couple of day 2 shots at RB.
#63, #64 or #67 should give us depth at G. The other pick will get us a DE, and the third could go TE/WR.
So, how about this:
#37 Derrius Guice
#63 Braden Smith
#64 Mike Gesicki
#67 Da’Shawn Hand
#120-end whatever
Maybe it would be wiser to take #67 and trade down a bit, taking Shaqeem Griffin late R3 and get a further R5 pick. Would also be better for Robs health, so he hasn’t to deal with underachievers the next couple of years.
There is no way you’re going to get a second round pick to move from 31 to 33 or an early third round pick to move from 33 to 37.
Depends on how much the other team has to offer, and how much they need to trade up. Those teams have tons of picks to trade up, and also tons of needs. Of course, this would be the by far most optimal outcome.
The difference in value with those picks (31/33) using a traditional chart is about 20 points, which equates to a 6th rounder. We aren’t getting a 2nd rounder to move down 2 spots regardless of who falls.
Rob- Since you were projecting a Quarterback in the third round of your last mock, I thought I would look around to see who would be serviceable as backup QB and could be found in late rounds. I haven’t seen either of these guys play, but they sound promising on paper. My thoughts are that the Seahawks will draft a QB late or UDFA as they don’t have many early round picks.
Nic Shimonek, QB, Texas Tech
Height: 6-3. Weight: 225. Hand: 9.25.
40 Time: 4.86.
Projected Round (2018): 5-FA.
Shimonek had a quality year beating up on a conference that lacks defense. In 2017, he completed 67 percent of his passes for 3,963 yards with 33 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Kurt Benkert, QB, Virginia
Height: 6-2. Weight: 218. Arm: 31.13. Hand: 9.63.
40 Time: 4.95.
Projected Round (2018): 6-FA.
Benkert completed 59 percent of his passes in 2017 for 3,207 yards with 25 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Benkert has enough size and above-average arm strength. While he isn’t a great athlete, he has mobility and can extend plays with his feet. Benkert has very impressive deep ball accuracy with the ability to make some phenomenal throws off platform. Benkert will work through his progressions, but he needs to get faster at that and improve his field vision for the NFL. Benkert needs to improve on his feet, but a good NFL coach could fix that.
Riley Ferguson, QB, Memphis
Height: 6-3. Weight: 212. Hand: 9.63.
40 Time: 4.98.
Projected Round (2018): 6-FA.
In 2017, Ferguson completed 63 percent of his passes for 4,257 yards with 36 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Sources say that Ferguson is skinny and needs to fill out his frame for the NFL. He could be a late-round pick who starts out his career as a third-string quarterback.
You don’t want Shimonek. He might of completed 67% of his passes, but with a fans eyes, he completed less than 50% when it should have been an easy throw.
— Every Texas Tech fan
I like Shimonek and Ferguson as developmental QBs. Also like Litton from Marshall.
Don’t sleep on Shimonek. I like him as much as some of the top QB’s in this draft.
He looked really good in passing drills at combine.
You probably missed my post yesterday as I posted it late but my comp. on him is a bit more advanced than Romo coming out.
I wonder what his 10 yard split was. The most impressive thing about Jones, at least for me, is how quickly he can get up to top speed.
Wouldn’t want to see him adding much, if any, more weight at this point. No point jacking him up just to see him lose everything that makes him special.
Jones does look the real deal, he runs and cuts with seemingly little effort, but with amazing effectiveness. He looks just like Alvin Kamara to me, but Kamara lasted until the 3rd round. Should they really use a 1st round pick on him?
I believe Alvin had bigger injury concerns than RoJo. He was projected to go in the second though, and just somehow fell further than people expected. Though I agree with you that while RoJo is nice, I’d probably take him no earlier than top of the second/very end of first.
Watch the run at the 8:15 mark. That’s a Beast Mode type of run, throwing a guy off of you. Then the play immediately after, shows off his elusiveness. He has one of the sweetest jump cuts I’ve ever seen.
One thing I don’t think is mentioned as much, he can catch the ball and find a soft spot behind line backers.
My Post Free Agency 1st round Mock
Trades
Buffalo Trades #12, 22 and a 2019 1st to Cle for #4
NE trades #23 + 93 to Sea for #18
Atl trade #26 +96 to Seattle for #23 +159
Draft
#1 Cleveland — Sam Darnold (QB, USC)
#2 NY Giants — Josh Allen (QB, Wyoming)
#3 NY Jets (via Ind) — Baker Mayfield (QB, Oklahoma)
#4 Buffalo(via Cle/Hou) — Josh Rosen (QB, UCLA)
#5 Denver — Bradley Chubb (EDGE, NC State)
#6 Indianapolis (via NYJ) — Quenton Nelson (G, Notre Dame)
#7 Tampa Bay — Saquon Barkley (RB, Penn State)
#8 Chicago — Denzel Ward (CB, Ohio State)
#9 San Francisco — Marcus Davenport (DE, UTSA)
#10 Oakland — Tremaine Edmunds (LB, Virginia Tech))
#11 Miami — Minkah Fitzpatrick (S, Alabama)
#12 Cleveland (via Buf, Cin) — Derwin James (S, Florida State)
#13 Washington — Vita Vea (DT, Washington)
#14 Green Bay — Harold Landry (DE, Boston College)
#15 Arizona — Lamar Jackson (QB, Louisville)
#16 Baltimore — Calvin Ridley (WR, Alabama)
#17 LA Chargers — Roquan Smith (LB, Georgia)
#18 NE (via Sea) — Mike McGlinchey (T, Notre Dame)
#19 Dallas — Courtland Sutton (WR/ SMU)
#20 Detroit — Da’Ron Payne (DT, Alabama)
#21 Cincinnati (via Buf) — Isaiah Wynn (G, Georgia)
#22 Clelveland(via Buf, KC) — Kolton Miller (T, UCLA)
#23 Atlanta (via Sea /NE/ LA) — Maurice Hurst (DT, Michigan)
#24 Carolina — Taven Bryan (DT, Florida)
#25 Tennessee — Josh Jackson (CB / Iowa)
#26 Seattle (via Atlanta) — Ronald Jones (RB/ USC)
#27 New Orleans — Rasheem Green (DE, USC)
#28 Pittsburgh — Jessie Bates III (S, Wake Forest)
#29 Jacksonville — Justin Reid (S, Stanford)
#30 Minnesota — Will Hernandez (G, UTEP)
#31 NE — Mason Rudolph (QB/ Ok St.)
#32 Philadelphia — Sony Michel (RB/ Georgia)
Seahawks 7 Round Mock
#26 Ronald Jones (RB/ USC)
#93 Kemoko Turay (Edge / Rutgers
#96 BJ Hill (DT / NC St)
#116 Qunton Meeks (CB / Stanford)
#132 Leon Jacobs (LB / Wisc)
#137 Will Dissly (TE, Washington)
#147 Mike White (QB/ Western Ken)
#200 Khalil Hill (FB / Mich)
#222 Michael Dickson (P/ Texas)
Nice work! Certainly possible things could fall similar to your projections, as NE need a OT badly and ATL needs some D line help (and have history as trade partners).
Love the Jones pick, he could be a star! Understand we need to rebuild the defense, but would like to see one of the new 3rd round picks go towards another offensive weapon (WR or TE), assuming there’s at least equal value to be had.
If we were to trade earl for say a 2nd round pick I would love to see the Hawks take Dallas Goedart (TE / SDSU)
If you added two young dynamic players like that to the offense with and improved OL I think they would be light years ahead of last year.
That was a nice write up. However, there is no way Saquon Barkley lasts till #7. Even if Denver passes on him Indy will draft him or they will trade the pick to another team who can’t believe he is still on the board.
Actually made a mistake Barkley should have gone at 6 to Indy and Nelson at #7 to Indy.
#6 Indy – Barkley
#7 TB- Nelson
If Seattle got RoJo, Turay and BJ Hill, I would flip out with excitement.
Trevor. Very nice. But more important it is also very realistic.
How has Brian Schottenheimer used TE in the past? I see us concentrating on a blocking TE, but with Dickson on the roster is that necessary? Would a TE similar to Graham be worth a shot and that is why they would be looking at Goedert?
They’ve been there and done that with Graham. No more TE’s who can’t block.
I think the Hawks need to add a weapon in the pass game some how. The lost their deep threat and red zone target and have done little if anything to replace them. I think an improved run game and OL will definitely help the pass game but they are really lacking weapons IMO. I saw little out of Darboh that gave any indication he is a starting caliber WR and Brown has been a JAG so far in his career.
Possibly so. It doesn’t have to be a non-blocking tight end, though.
It’s also worth remembering that during the Super Bowl runs they were throwing to Baldwin, Kearse, Tate (2013) and Richardson (2014). They had Zach Miller at TE in 2013 and Luke Willson in 2014. The running game and Russell Wilson was a potent enough combination to cover for a lack of numerous stars at WR/TE.
If they can get the running game going again and with Baldwin and Lockett still on the roster they can succeed. But they do have to get the run game going.
If they can get a Christian Kirk type, great. But that likely depends on their ability to acquire multiple R2 picks.
But as we now know, those “pedestrians” were pretty good… Baldwin a top-10 receiver, Tate easily top-20, Kearse had a big year away from Seattle, Richardson is a 40 million dollar man, and Zach Miller was never targeted much here, but was a prolific catcher in OAK. We had weapons.
While I agree with adding passing game weapons. I disagree that they lost their deep threat. P-Rich was drafted to be that type of WR, but that didn’t end up being his strength. Lockett is a much better deep receiver IMO and so is Doug. Maybe they think Marcus Johnson will be that guy.
Doug is also very adept in the Red Zone since his strength is winning off the line. Yes, they’ll miss Graham’s production there, I agree with that too.
What if the weapon in the passing game isn’t a WR or TE, but RB? That seems to be the type of RB they’ve been sniffing around, at least the late round RB prospects.
Goedert can block well enough.
There’s little evidence of that. He says he’s willing to, which is fine. He’s been described as ‘more of an athletic blocker than a physical blocker’ by McGinn’s sources. But look at the level he’s playing at and what he’s being asked to actually do there.
He’ll have to prove he can do it at the next level. Doesn’t mean he won’t achieve that. He might. But he wasn’t a ‘blocker’ like Schultz or Smythe.
Not saying we should we should pick a potential Pro Bowler at the top of the draft. I would be fine with Schultz or Smythe in the 5th. Smythe over Schultz for me. Although Shultz is a underrated receiver.
Not into sources. I scout the player and the competition.
Schultz over Smythe. More complete player.
Big fan of Schultz. Doesn’t hurt that he’s been training with Zach Ertz each of the past 2 offseasons.
http://www.espn.com/blog/philadelphia-eagles/post/_/id/25037/stanfords-dalton-schultz-readies-for-nfl-with-help-from-zach-ertz
I sure hope creative TE use is in Schott’s playbook, as this is an important aspect of many top teams (NE and Philly to name two).
A receiving TE who can beat LB’s consistently would be nice, you can even pair them up in multiple TE sets just to give defenses different looks. Not sure Dickson is that guy, although he’s a proven blocker and the jury is still out on Vannett.
A vastly improved run game (after adding a top RB this year) and creative TE play should make our WR corps more dangerous as well.
I guess my intention on the question was to ask how Schott has used the TE in the past and going forward what will they be looking for since presumably we have our blocking te for the next couple years in Dickson.
Apparently he likes 2TE sets and likes to use one of the TE’s as his full back occasionally.
is Swoopes capable of blocking? He seems big enough, and did the “18 wheeler” thing in college, but I wonder how long it takes a QB to learn how to block.
Or is he just camp filler?
Jaylen Samuels ????
Beating is not the only thing. Making the defence think by creating mismatches is equally important. Having the full block-catch-agility package, in a huge frame.
Player is available. His name is Hayden Hurst.
Jason- “How has Brian Schottenheimer used TE in the past? I see us concentrating on a blocking TE, but with Dickson on the roster is that necessary?”
Scotty was OC for NYJ 2006-11. The Jets selected move TE Dustin Keller at 30 in 2008. Its hard to know much input Schotty had with Keller’s selection, rest assured he was never known as much of a blocker. He was pretty productive in his 4 years under Scotty averaging 53 catches 640 yards 3.75 tds.
Could see us targeting a pass catching TE early, with Dickson and Vannett already in the fold. Not saying its probable, but I’m not ready to rule it out with a new regime leading the offense. Our pass catching unit is lacking. Goedert and Gesicki are both very intriguing as pass catchers, with pro bowl potential. They both need to work on the blocking aspect( Goedert more so than Gesicki), but at least they don’t look completely opposed to it- like Graham.
The free agent Safety market was absolutely dead this year with the biggest deal being Kurt Coleman 3yr /16 mil. Guys like Eric Reid, Kenny Vacarro etc are still on the market and the Honey badger only got a 1yr /$7mil deal.
I think the idea we are going to get a haul of draft picks for Earl is becoming more of a pipe dream daily. As I see it the most we would likely get is a 2nd round pick.
The last 3 big $ safety contracts Eric Berry, Kam Chancellor and Reshad Jones have all be unmitigated disasters for the teams. So I completely understand why JS would like to move Earl. I just don’t see a market for him.
I don’t think having a prolonged contract dispute and hold out is an option so I hope they tell Earl and his agent go see what the market is and find a team that will give him an extension. I might be an eye opener for him. Then if he can reach a deal prior to the draft you trade him for anything better than a 2nd round pick.
If you cannot trade him then I would offer him a 2yr $20 mil extension with $16 mil Guaranteed. It would be a similar salary to what he making and still make him one of the highest paid Safety’s. If that doe not work let him hold out and then franchise him next year.
I don’t think you do anything at this stage. It is what it is. Either someone makes an offer now or you go into next year and face whatever consequence is coming. If Earl wants to tarnish his time in Seattle by holding out for 8 weeks that’s his decision. It’s got this far now they almost have to just let it play out.
Patriots 31st for ET…
I think that offer would be more appropriate at the end of next season, if he is still healthy and wants to play another couple years. I don’t see any reason to extend earlier as the Seahawks have had terrible luck with injuries and we all know that Earl is a hard hitter.
Having him play out his contract may not be the best value as far as trades, but it is the best value as far as extending a non-injured player.
I also think there is a chance that he will be traded next season when some teams safety is injured and they need an immediate replacement.
An in season trade is very, very rate.
It would require the stars to align. A team in the superbowl hunt that has lost their safety and doesn’t have a replacement. Potentially the Seahawks could pay Thomas’s entire 2018 salary, the trade would be a paid Safety for high draft picks.
I don’t like Mike Lombardi talking about the Pats taking Lamar Jackson at all. Hopefully that’s the Pats leaking to try and spook someone into taking him early to push players down, or trading with them to get at him, because that’s probably the worst case scenario for the entire league if he goes there.
Why? Is he going to switch to WR since Brady will be playing for the next 5 years? 😉
I really wonder if this is Brady’s last year. He has recently said he might retire sooner based on “family” and his wife wants him to retire. Gronk sounds like he either wants to retire soon or get out of NE. Brady will be 41 this summer, Father time is catching up and is still undefeated.
If they take a QB high, it could be because they know Brady can’t last much longer, either by his choice or nature.
Doncha think CB and OT might be a priority.
I think NE goes D-line anyways.
Pats badly need a LT
They do. Ton of ammo to move around and make some moves. 3 top 50 picks for that team is scary.
NE has a lot of holes. Because their needs are so broad, they don’t need to force the draft too much and can let it fall to them – other than for LT. The cupboard is almost bare in that regard.
I think they’re locked onto Kolton Miller. I like his potential more than McGinchley FWIW
I could see K. Miller and M. Hurst.
Rob, one thing I noticed when watching the highlights video above is that he does not transfer the ball to his left arm when running left. How big of a deal do you think that is? I can’t remember who it was a couple of years ago it may have been Michael, but the coaching staff was really getting on him about it. Hell of an athlete and RB though.
I’ve not studied that enough to know if it’s a consistent problem or not.
It’s honestly my biggest concern with him.
Not that big of a deal if he doesn’t fumble. Michael had an overall fumbling problem, and knucklehead problem. There have been many other running backs in the NFL that don’t switch the ball and have been fine.
Agree with you that it isn’t a problem if they don’t fumble. Carry it on one side and the tacklers helmet can jar it lose, carry it on the off side and the defender punches it out of your arm. Either way, you got to hang on to that ball!!!!
It was a big deal for the team with Christine Michael. My guess is they’ll work with him to change that.
its super.strange because I have never seen him.switch arms. but he has a super low iirc fumble rate. so maybe it’s not a problem. though I don’t know if Michael had a problem in college with fumbling before coming to the pros.
If you watch enough pro running backs you will notice that many do not switch arms. Ideally they would have both hands on the ball while being tackles.
If you’re looking for a development QB check out Logan Woodside from Toledo
Asked about him yesterday. Really liked his tape. Big arm, gets rid of the ball fast. Throws well on the run. Would have better production if it wasn’t for bad Oline and receiver corps. Never seen so many ridicolous drops.
Mayock digs him a lot.
Do you like Lauletta from Richmond? Rudolph from Oklahoma State?
I question if it’s a good idea for Jones to gain weight, we saw Wilson look a good step slower after bulking up. His projection seems to be more convoluted than most, not an explosive tester, changing body types between college and pro, hasn’t been featured as a receiver, does he take coaching? Anyone have a sparq score worked up on him?
He had a 36.5 inch vertical. He is an explosive tester. He also hasn’t changed body types. He wasn’t featured as a receiver because USC didn’t/don’t feature their backs as receivers. I don’t know why anyone would question whether he takes coaching.
The not switching ball hands, and reports teams where kinda surprised by how aloof during team interviews where small red flags about coach ability. His numbers are good, just compared a Barkley or Chubb not in that same range of athleticism. He is probably going to be a very special player, just doesn’t strike me as Seahawky, and maybe it is just the change in direction by the team. I’m a bit bias though and kinda want a punch you in the face 220-250 pounder of a RB to set that tone.
One person watches a highlights video and makes a remark that in the limited footage he didn’t swap hands. Despite none of us even remotely knowing whether it’s even a thing (and nobody else has brought it up in the media) we’re now questioning whether he can take coaching!?!?
🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
I agree, Rob but I’ve watched a lot of Jones’ tape and he exclusively holds the ball in his right arm, regardless of positioning on the field.
Rob, RoJo has a lot of technical ground to cover, but it honestly is encouraging because of how well he performed in spite of his limitations, that are all absolutely correctable
But what if he holds it only in his left hand as opposed to the right? Does that mean he’s right brain dominant instead of the left brain? And what about his shoe size??? These are important things to know.
I need to know how long his knees are before I give him a complete grade.
+12. Completely agree. Let’s not jump the gun and assume he’s a good running back before getting all the facts we need to criticize him properly. LOL
the problem here is that Christine Michael was the second coming of explosion and fans were waiting for.him to put everything together and the big knock? over and over was that he couldn’t switch hands.
I’m a big fan of jones but I’ve honestly watched I’ll say 6 games online and have never once seen him switch hands regardless of the side of the field or where the defense is coming from
jokes aside I have concerns with that at the next level. how much of a problem is that going to be? who knows.
Michael’s issues were unrelated to his ability/inability to switch hands. Not a great comp.
the comp is fair.
One of the great complaints about Michael was change couldn’t or wouldn’t switch hands on any run. Even the coaching staff at one point talked about working with him on that. He had other issues but an inability to be coached in this aspect was evident with ball security issues.
during the breakdown season of every little detail of every prospect when a prospect like jones first pulls up on a hamstring injury, is lighter than ideal by a not insignificant amount, and currently can’t or doesn’t switch hands
Cut off but point is every prospect has flaws. and this could very easily be a problem at the next level especially against teams trained to rip the ball away if a player won’t switch hands.
A lot of the board loves jones for good reason but every back has flaws. Even barkeley has some flaws.
That was *an* issue with Michael, but not the reason he didn’t pan out. He didn’t have “it.”
Ran dumb; frantic; poor vision, poor balance, always tackled himself, couldn’t break a tackle. The only thing he had going for him was explosion and agility, but couldn’t put that package to use. Didn’t have the mentality of a warrior.
Not to mention he didn’t always know what the play was…
A Ki-Jana Carter type?
If it is not broke don’t fix it. If Jones doesn’t fumble don’t worry about it.
Went through his tape, and yup – always carries the ball in his right. BUT, I also notice that when he’s running left with the ball exposed in his right, he covers with both hands when he senses contact is coming. It may be the reason he has so few fumbles.
I’m not sure on fact I’m almost certain it’s not a problem at all for jones. It’s just something to monitor because the earl Thomas’s of the world are going to notice it if the goofs on this blog can notice it and look to attack that arm for forces fumbles.
Dude runs harder than most, is more explosive than lot of players. I’m concerned with this idea of Carson as the “thunder,”. Carson is a back who has been working on running hard and not a back who naturally runs hard. I wonder if they go jones than a fullback comes into play.
So jumping 32 inches at 225 isn’t an explosive tester and 36.5 at 205 is an explosive tester? I think rojo is plenty explosive but I’m not sure which is more impressive or if it even matters at all at that small a difference.
36.5 inches at a lower weight is actually more impressive than 31.5 inches at 225.
It shows that despite being lighter, Jones II is much more explosive in his lower body.
And yes, it does matter.
so rojo could jump over 31.5 inches with a 20 pound backpack on? Wouldn’t that be the apples to apples comparison? I guess he is lighter when he runs just like he’s lighter when he jumps so maybe not.
If he was bigger he might actually be able to jump higher than a 36.5 inch vertical.
I’m not sure you’re getting what the vertical shows. It’s an example of explosive power. Braden Smith jumped a 33.5 inch vertical at 315lbs. He jumped that because the lower body muscle power enabled him too.
So for Jones to naturally have that power at a lower weight IS more impressive. If he gained weight, say got up to Kerryon’s size, he might get close to 40 inches (as Kerryon did).
And explosive traits are, for the most part, vital for a RB.
Further adding to this… there were top vertical jumpers at the combine:
Terrell Edmunds — 41.5 — 217ls
Mike Gesicki — 41.5 — 247lbs
Joshua Kalu — 41.5 — 203lbs
Matthew Thomas — 41.5 — 232lbs
Troy Akpe — 41 — 200lbs
Saquon Barkley — 41 — 233lbs
As you can see, size has no bearing on this. It’s all about an individual’s explosive lower body power. Not size.
I have to disagree a little, but it does sound a little inconsistent when you then let smaller backs off the hook because they can’t do as many reps on the bench. You could easily say the same thing, the bigger backs were able to do more reps because their muscle enabled them to.
Physics shows us it is easier to move less weight than more weight. If you are lighter you have an advantage in jumping exercises. Just like if you have shorter arms you have an advantage in benching.
The fact that those bigger backs were able to outperform some of the smaller backs just shows that they have incredible strength. Doesn’t make them better running backs, but it does show they indeed have more leg muscle than the others.
I don’t let smaller backs off the hook for the bench. I’ve made myself quite clear here. It’s a little bit frustrating to have to repeat this to be honest.
The bench press is a complete irrelevance. It should be banned from the combine. The amount of ignorance towards it expressed by the media and fans is incredible. It is a pointless test and should be immediately replaced with the powerball.
If you weigh 200lbs it is a LOT harder to bench 225lbs than it is if you’re 250lbs. Fact. A 340lbs offensive lineman benching 225lbs is ridiculous. Yet they get lauded when they do 40 reps and compared to the much smaller guys who do the same press at a much smaller weight. Your weight MATTERS in this test. It’s simple science. If you are 205lbs benching, you’re exerting so much more energy merely to stabilise the bar. That’s nowhere near the same issue for a 300lber. Not many people can bench their own body weight. It’s something like 1% of the world’s population. Asking someone to do their body weight + 25lbs is an incredible challenge. Asking a 340lbs lineman to bench over 100lbs less than their body weight is NOT a challenge for them. You might as well ask the RB’s and receivers to bench 150lbs instead. They’ll get their 40 reps.
When you’re jumping the vertical you aren’t lifting any weights. You’re jumping in a straight line in the air. It’s a pure test of explosive power in your legs. And it has nothing to do with weight. Which is why the top 10 performers in the vertical jump were a mix of weights and positions. All of the top-10 bench pressers at the combine were offensive or defensive linemen. The heavier players, proving my point.
If there was a major advantage for being smaller in the vertical, it would be dominated by receivers and defensive backs. It isn’t. The short shuttle is. The vertical isn’t. There’s a reason for this.
I hope I’ve finally made this clear.
Nice response. I totally agree about the Bench. Although if your a young man and you can’t bench your body weight that’s embarrassing. I’m 195 and can get 225 for reps and I haven’t lifted in three years.
I do think your logic on the jumps is still a little flawed but so was mine. Physics dictates that to move more weight the same distance it requires more power. Granted the added weight (and presumably muscle) would help to generate more power. To jump 40 inches at 250 takes much more force than a 200 pounder jumping 40 inches. The 250 pounder is much more powerful. Although you could say pound for pound they are equally expensive. I don’t think rojo would jump higher at a heavier weight unless he got much stronger. I think if his strength stayed the same as he got heavier his vertical would drop. I think physics would support me.
Still you make a great point. Relative to their size (and strength) the jumps are a really good test for explosivness. (Because smaller prospects are generally weaker/less powerful than larger prospects)
HB Ito Smith gives me life! Deadly at the 2nd level.
The way he sinks his hips in and out of his cuts is second to none. Real patient, nice little pass protector, excellent contact balance and a good weapon catching it outta the backfield.
Yep. If we go with Chubb and get Ito later… I’d love to see that combo.
He’s hard to tackle. Never lets a defender square up, contortionist to avoid contact, sick cuts, low center of gravity.
Regardless of who they take early (RoJo, Chubb), I’d be happy with Ito as the 2nd RB if they take 2.
Hit send too soon. Meant to add that he’s kind of a Procise player, a dual threat who’s good enough either as a runner or a receiver that defenses have to respect both, and he can make plays both ways.
+1
V12 I love your FB acumen but I’ll take Edmunds all day over Ito. ( Edmonds comp= Curt Warner) And a little marshal Faulk. 🙂
Yeah man, what I love most about him is his feet. Draft Ito, trade Prosise lol
Trade Prosise? For what, a six pack of Mountain Dew? The guy has done almost nothing in his three years in the league. No one will give up anything for him. If there’s any interest in him at all, it’ll be after he’s cut.
hot take out there (sigh…)
Jim Trotter from NFL.com is saying that “maybe” if Hawks rebuild does not go well, they “might” trade Wilson next year since he only has 2 years left on his contract. He is also tying this into JS going to look at Allen throw at a work out. Davis Hsu helping steer the train also
Where is the logic in trading away the hardest part of the team to find? Hawks are near the top in cap space next year (although that also means you are losing guys to FA), so they don’t have to panic over finding money to pay him. I doubt they worry too much about losing him to FA.
Packers don’t have a great roster, but with Rodgers they are always a threat.
hopefully, the hawks are using the media as an extra chip on their shoulder this year
Haha! Josh Allen? Someone call the cops on JS/PC if they go that route.
It’s not like JS could’ve been there with the other GM’s to share what they have on certain prospects, try to gauge a division or NFC rival’s potential interest in Allen, due diligence, see what the hype is about, etc. A handful of reasons for him being there other than ‘OMG! RW is gonna be a goner.’
The smart move in regards to Allen is to let him sit and learn for a year or two. That dude gets thrown out there his rookie year he’ll die a slow death.
Nope, nu-uh, no way, no how, I don’t believe it. JS was totally there to mortgage the farm for Allen. Just like he was only at the USC pro day to watch Darnold throw.
I don’t think we have the trade/draft capital to move from #18 to #1.
With Wilson they do. And hey, ya know what? I would do it. Although I’m not the GM. GO HAWKS!!!!!
Hot take 2:
What if the 4 is in play? JS has scouted Allen, Rosen and Darnold. If Barkley is gone and there is no interest in Chubb, maybe Cleveland punts the 4 for ET, 18 and other. Seattle drafts the ultimate hedge to develop behind RW as insurance or trade.
Some weirdness going.
And I believe none of this.
Cleveland aren’t giving up the #4 pick for Earl Thomas.
Agree, but they might for ET, 18 and future picks. Just stupid speculation, response to ‘trade RW’ nonsense.
I will bet Cleveland moves #4 if Barkley is gone.
The #4 pick might be the most valuable in the draft. Either Barkley or Chubb will be there, or it could be traded for a team wanting a QB.
Either way, Cleveland won’t be trading it for Earl + 18. They just traded for a FS in Randall anyway.
Agree.
There’s no way the team is going to trade up for Allen. Just a writer taking an isolated fact and then spinning a yarn about it. And I’m one of the few people who doesn’t think RW is untradeable.
It would be a stupid bet. All of these guys are a gamble. There are no guarantees. It would be like betting your house on black in roulette. Less than a 50% chance of winning, the net payoff wouldn’t be huge, but cost of losing that bet would be devastating.
Good lord. The future is flashing before my eyes.
Hot take.
Trade RW speculation is going to a for real thing tweeted about, talked about, written about for the next year and change, to the point of ad nauseam.. until he signs his third contract.
I love how amateur scouts rate rbs.
“He hits hard so i like him”
As opposed to us professionals…
😉
What I thought immediately after posting it
just go with *amateur fan scouts and it works 😉
The best piece of advice I heard about RB tape was to watch it at half speed.
True. I watch QBs at 1.5x speed to see if their throws are gonna be there at the next level.
If it hangs at double speed, it’s a pick at the next level. Looking at you Luke Falk
Also I look for what I call the Barry Sanders effect.
How does a player run for HOF numbers surrounded by such inept play?
By breaking tackles behind the line and rarely taking carries for a loss.
Sanders’ tapes are characterized by his ability to beat his man in a phone booth and not lose yardage on a given play, to keep the run alive, so to speak.
So when I see a player using his eyes, shoulders, head, feet, and mind to manipulate defenders and make them move the way he wants before they even meet in the hole, I take notice. This shows me that he is using his creativity and intelligence within the confines of the play to control and take advantage of a defenders pursuit angle.
Players with this ability make their OL better because RBs that pick their spot force defenders to hesitate and remain disciplined in their gaps lest they risk overpursuing a hesitation move from the tailback.
These qualities give me supreme confidence in someone like Royce Freeman and scares me away from a guy like Rashaad Penny
Wait a second, I love Barry Sanders, he was the most electrifying player I’ve ever seen. Barry also ran for negative yards more than any player ever in the NFL, and you can make a real case that part of why the Lions sucked was Barry was too unpredictable to block for and unable to get 1st downs constantly.
Hey, fair enough. I’ve never seen a full game from that era.
I think my point about breaking tackles behind the line still rings true
I had never heard that stat, but to my eye he had the ideal agility that you look for in a back that can create behind the line.
If a back makes a good cut and the OL can’t make the block, is it the backs fault if he’s within the confines of the play?
It’s also a very diverse trait in that it can be created with speed, agility, power, or vision.
Also I feel that you’re blaming the victim here a little.
Is it his fault he couldnt “get first downs constantly”? Did he fail to get back to the line or did he have to break two tackles to get -1 yard?
Look at his positive yards. Someone who runs that much is gonna have a lot of negative runs.
Remember how hard Marshawn would work sometimes to get 0 yards in a run, but broke a tackle and dragged two others back to the line?
Honestly a lot of his magic came from the fact he was willing to risk taking huge loses to hit home runs once in awhile. He was never the type to take one cut out his head down and look for 3-4 yards and keep an offense on schedule. Chunk plays are nice, but He wasn’t the type to keep a offense on schedule. I remember him finishing the first half of games for negative yards, and dropping a 80 yard run, and ending up with well over a hundred yards all in garbage time.
Again completely fair.
It’s more a measure of ability and the translation of it than any kind of offensive consistency
Some would say Russell is unpredictable and hard to block for. Both suffer PTSD after being hit in the backfield. It truly changes your game
RW is precisely the Barry Sanders of QBs.
“Second coming of Marshawn” lmaaao
Not even Barkley has tape like Lynch.
I seriously doubt anyone will be like Lynch. But Lynch also took a year or two to get going in the NFL… he didn’t light the world on fire from day #1 in Buffalo. His attitude and “respect” might be able to be duplicated, but his ability will likely not come around again. (sadly)
He definitely was a different guy. His talent was obvious from his first snap in the NFL. It’s clear why Buffalo worked with him for so long to try to get the best out of him.
Took him a little to get comfortable in our scheme too.
Imagine if he had the natural vision and scheme understanding of a LaDanian Tomlinson
Its just about the action boss
Still one of the best quotes ever
Not been following college football/draft season for a very long time but is it normal for prospects to be so harshly judged because of their perceived weaknesses? It’s my understanding that you don’t get complete players and that there is an element of chance involved in every pick. Feel as if draft media etc can get so caught up in assessing what a guys problems are as opposed to their strengths. I think that’s what separates the part timers like me from the people that know what they’re about. I can watch tape on a guy and tell you what he does wrong and why I don’t like him but I’d struggle to explain why I like a player and what exactly he does well. And for me Jones is the perfect example of this. He just looks good and therefore to my mind he is good. Measurables/Height/Weight aside I am aware there are some potential misgivings about durability etc but I think the guy is a baller and will be at the next level. Simple as that.
You’re not wrong! Matt Waldman does a great job of explaining what to look for on YouTube. I’d highly recommend his work.
Also take into account what round they are thought to be drafted at. The group may be complaining about RoJo or Chubb, but if that player was available two rounds later they would be high fiving as they ran to the draft podium.
Is Josh Allen or any of those other QBs a good value in the first 10 = Heck NO!!!! Great value in the third round though. Too bad they won’t last that long.
So basically it isn’t just ability but also the round you can get that player at.
Tony Pauline mentioned that Kentavious Street injured his knee in a private workout. Torn MCL, I think he said.
Correction, it was apparently an ACL in his right knee.
I think we can agree
Seattle will draft 1 RB
Seattle will draft 1 TE
I think they will draft a LEO/LB and a CB/S type…. and a DT (or DE/DT).
The hard part, which are priority positions for Seattle. If fixing the running game is paramount…. then would a RB early be a better use of draft capitol than a TE for example. Maybe they have an internal view that they have the right combo of RBs already, but just need better blocking out of the OL and more specifically the TE/FB position(s).
I also keep circling back to DJ Moore as an example of a WR they might really like as well. He doesn’t fit any of the “need” spots, but could be a very valuable WR that can block and give you decent production from the WR position. Again, I’m not certain his “value” would be right for where he would go in the draft, compared to where Seattle would be picking.
Except that I expect 2 or even 3 running backs, and at least 1 before the end of round 2.
I can see 2, but what are we going to do with 7 RB’s? Carson, Procise, Davis, Mckissick and 3 rookies?
Maybe 1 before the end of Rd.2. 😉
Well if we got 3, it’d probably be Chubb, ito smith and possibly a FB/RB like lavon Coleman.
Our RB room would be:
Carson
Chubb
Prosise
Ito smith
Lavon at FB
In that scenario Mike Davis would be the bubble and mckissic would be on the out looking in or a WR spot.
I want quality and depth. More competition is certainly welcome.
I like Mike Davis but I feel he’s only slightly better than roster JAG’s like Dujuan Harris
And Prosise is on the bubble. This is his prove it year. I predict if he has any missed time in camp, he gets cut. The man should have a wing of a hospital named after him.
I like RoJo as much as the next guy (ok, maybe not as much as Rob, but who does? 😉 ), I guess I just have a hard time picturing PC picking anyone not named Nick Chubb. The ideal physical/athletic profile, great kid, deep fiery competitor, highly productive in CFB’s toughest conference, and overcame huge adversity of that devastating injury.
This is obviously just my opinion, but while I see a potential star in Jones in the right backfield, Chubb for me is more someone that can carry a team. A guy you can feed the rock to 20 times a game if need be and lean on (not that that’s the plan, just saying he’s that type of back). If we already had that, I might be convinced RoJo is the better pick for us. But I don’t think we do.
Don’t get me wrong; I would definitely be a happy fan if they get RoJo, likely in late R1. But at this point, I just don’t see how they won’t trade down, probably into very early R2 similar to last year, and make Chubb their first pick of 2018.
Nick Chubb Senior Highlights | Georgia Football 2017/18 Highlights
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3Mhk7SQdNs
Hard agree except on the Pete thing…
I’m not sure who he likes….
If I had to bet I’d say he wants Guice and Scarbrough
I can see guice. Scarborough. Hope not. Big, explosive back for Alabama. That’s almost the easiest path to a heisman in all of college. Dude didn’t really distinguish himself from a whole pack of backs.
Wouldn’t mind him as an UDFA (not that I think that he’ll go undrafted, but I think it might be good for his internal fire).
Agree. Chubb screams Seahawks. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if after the draft they say they had a first round grade on him.
They can trade down 3 times and possibly still get Guice…
There is probably a good reason for that. I don’t really want him on the hawks, but I don’t make that call. I have a top two of Jones and Chubb, (either or), and then it’s Johnson for me, and I still want a second back before round 6. This offseason is taking too long!
Maybe this is just me, and maybe I’m imagining it, but has anyone else noticed there’s a tendency for players that Rob starts talking about in November and December and into the draft have a tendency to drift up draft boards? He’s good at evaluating talent and teams see the same things he does.
Sea Mode, the reason I bring it up is that I don’t think we are going to have a chance to take Jones. If we move back anywhere near round 2, I think he’s going to be gone already.
It’s not just you.
Frankly, when I see other “experts” I kind of chuckle to myself. It’s like being in the know, on an inside joke. When someone mocks JVE to ATL at pick 60 or so, or says the Hawks will stand pat and take a CB at #18… you almost feel bad for them until you remember that they have no accountability.
Aside from his obvious man-crush on Ronald Jones, Rob does an amazing job on breaking down most of the ‘draftable’s’ and we’re all lucky for his focus being on the Hawks.
RE: the man crush (and I know it’s only a bit of a joke 😉 )
I think the thing with Rojo is needing to fight his corner more than others. Nobody ever says anything about Kerryon or Chubb. When you write a piece about Austin Corbett or Isaiah Wynn or Leighton Vander Esch — everyone was positive and contemplating what they’d bring to Seattle. With Jones II, there’s this push back. We’ve seen it in the comments section this week.
I think Jones II is a clear top-20 talent in this class. I also think Wynn and LVE deserve that type of grade too. But there’s more work to do convincing others for Rojo.
some of that rob, however is that great guard great linebacker is a low risk non stsrter.
Low risk because oline play per example is so bad that most of us would be grateful for any upgrade…..regardless of player.
LVE I think fans mostly thought yeah he’s great but Seattle isn’t drafting a linebacker at 18. Not with the needs that have to be filled.
However with running back its high risk and it’s basically regardless of player you like or idea how to fix the run game, everyone agrees a fix is needed. I would guess amongst most posters the idea that running back is going to be the first pick (w/ a trade down, probably) is kind of exciting and stressful. If they pick Wynn or Corbett and they don’t work fans will say “Seattle is going to seattle.”. But a bad running back pick feels like the thing that certainly changes Seattle from 9 -7 to a contender of sorts (for me at least)
For me I always value your perspective but I’m hesitant to consider Jones II a top 20 talent. mostly because I think he would be great in Seattle so I hope they aren’t picking him top 20.
All I know is when you make a strong statement like that, that X is going in rd y or is top z, it generally happens that way. Haven’t gone back and actually tracked it or anything, that’s just my perception.
I will stress — I think Ronald Jones II and Isaiah Wynn are both top-20 players in this class. I am not convinced either will go that early. I think both are in the 25-35 range. I think Austin Corbett will go in the top-40.
Leighton Vander Esch is a top-20 lock IMO.
Well, if that would be true, it would show what the problem is in the Hawks system. It would be no clear path to fix things. But then, who thought they would draft McDowell, and not one out of two potent persons on their biggest need.
My take on Chubb is, that he comes out of a system with a working OL, and if things don’t work, he falls back into the committee role. We neither have that OL, and we certainly have no Sony Michel.
It just don’t feel good.
We need a player who can do it alone, who.forces his own luck. Who can make yards after contact, and has good vision. This is why it should be Jones or Guice, or Freeman as a middle round flyer. The second RB should be John Kelly. All in his running style screams Haws.
+1
We may be the only two who aren’t gungho on the guy. He runs behind a dominant line. When he plays against one of the few teams his line can’t dominate, he disappears. Look at his stat line in the Alabama and Auburn games.
Chubb also had 77 yards at 5.9 a carry against Auburn in the SEC Championship (only 13 carries), 151 yards at 10.1 YPC against an underrated Kentucky run-D and 145 yards at at 10.4 YPC against another underrated run-d at Oklahoma.
The Oklahoma game was a shoot-out with over 100 points scored. The OU defense did little to challenge the UG line. Georgia rushed for over 300 yds, and while Chubb averaged 10.4 ypc carry, Michel out-shined him with 16.5 ypc.
My main concerns with Chubb (besides the knee) are his vision and wiggle. Does he run hard? Absolutely. Is he a specimen? Yes. But can he find a tiny crack and exploit it? Can he make people miss in tight space? I haven’t seen that, and that’s what he’ll have to do in Seattle. Our line is far from dominant. He’ll have to pick the right crack and make people miss, at least until this line gets much, much better.
That’s my exact concern about most of these guys. Seeing them run through huge holes does not help project performance at the next level.
There are a few that do. Akrum Wadley, great wiggle and consistently leaves opponents swiping at air, but he’s small and fumbles a ton. Not a tackle breaker.
Ronald Jones II, good wiggle and vision, a smallish back who plays bigger than he is, routinely breaks tackles, and will stick his nose in the scrum to push the pile if that’s all he got.
And Rashad Penny, a good mix of vision, power, and speed and wiggle.
I like Martez Carter as a late round guy
I’ll add another. After hearing so much about him, I tracked down video on Ito Smith. WOW. Great vision. Great wiggle, almost impossible to touch him in space, and he creates his own space. Runs very low with a broad base and great balance. Very hard to bring down. He’s not afraid of contact and runs well between the tackles as well as on the edges. He breaks tackles. The only knock I’ll put on him is, at 195 lbs, he’s not likely to move the pile. But if there’s a crack or seam, he’s through it.
Good call, Lewis.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skuOAGgSTz0
I would definitely prefer Smith to Edmunds from the little bit of tape I’ve seen. Edmunds didn’t look remotely impressive to me. He seemed to get bottled up a lot and get a couple of yards. Entirely possible there’s better tape, but that was my expert 2-minute take, lol.
Yes, that’s the compilation I watched the other day.
“You can’t deny greatness” seemed like a seahawky thing to say.
Kerryon Johnson seems to force his own luck too. Can’t forget him.
New Seahawks OC Brian Schottenheimer was with the Chargers and the Jets when LaDainian Tomlinson was their primary/main RB. Are there any RBs that fit his profile?
He was 5’10 / 215
Combine results 4.43 40 (1.52 10 y split) / 124″ broad / 40.5″ vert / 18 rep on bench
Psssssshhhhhhh
Barkley is probably the closest, then Kerryon Johnson from the ones that have full results. Barkley bigger, Johnson not as quick.
I’ve seen the Redskins, Chiefs, Browns fans all freaking out that they need Chubb on their team. I don’t see him being the 4th or 5th back taken in this class. No one is talking about how excited their teams are at the idea of Jones, or Guice. Every team draft site is praying for Chubb to fall to them, and maybe the draftnicks aren’t as wise as PC/JS but he has really captured draft nerds attention with his Sparqiness lol. I’ll eat these words later, but I get the feel Jones falls down the draft boards a bit and Chubb goes higher than expected.
Pickled herring bet? Jones goes in late first; Chubb, top 45.
Micheal, top 35…
Funny, I’ve been thinking the exact same thing all day
Pickled herring? Is that a bet anyone would even want to win?
I think you are spot on. Jones goes to Hawks after a trade back in Rd #1 or Philly at #32
Chubb to Wash at #44 or Det at #51
Chubb is easily right there with Jones competing to be the second best back in the class. I think teams will see him that way and both he and Jones will go in the early second.
If somebody mentioned it, I missed it. Did we get confirmation that somebody from the Seahawks attended his workout?
Chubb underrated, think so. If it wasn’t for the injury he would be right behind Barkley…..
And he will be a little bit healthier in 2018…
There’s a dude with a CHIP on his shoulder!!!! He has worked hard and is all about FB!!!!!
I feel like he must be the top back on their board, as long as the medical is okay. The determination to get back from that injury, the ruggedness he runs with, his freaky athleticism, his size. Perfect for Carroll.
I don’t get the love for Chubb. He is a nice power RB but the 5-6 th rated RB on almost every analysts draft board. I see a guy who is a good between the tackles runner but has a hard time getting to the edge in college much less the NFL.
I know he is a blog favourite so this is my last post on him but I just don’t get it. In the big games against Auburn and Alabama when he faced NFL level front 7s he was downright awful. The argument they focussed on him does not hold water because Michel still looked explosive and I have a hard time thinking Saban and Malzhan only prepped their D to face one of the RB.
His highlight clips look good but watch entire games vs ND, FLA, Auburn, Alabama and it is not special.
We don’t need “special”. We don’t need a human highlight reel at RB.
We need a guy that we trust to run inside, bang with the big fellas, hang on to the ball, force a defense to compress itself down, grind out clock, and generally keep the offense on the field, on schedule, and moving the correct direction on the field.
And NO you cannot consistently find guys who can do that for you later in the draft
I that guy has the athletic upside to be great, and has the potential to break through and take one a fair distance- awesome.
Chubb may not be the ultimate game changer to the tune of Fournette, or Gurley, or Zeke, or potentially ROJO and Barkley.
But he IS consistently everything I mentioned above. He doesn’t need to be a flashy home run hitter to be a success in Seattle.
Trevor this is just personal taste at this point.
People reference two games, auburn and the national championship. But they rarely being up the second auburn game…..a nice solid 5.9 yards a carry.
and really you could say the same thing about all the backs. Barkeley terrible games against Michigan state, Minnesota (!?l, and Rutgers (!!!???) Over the last few years.
Damien Harris ( who I love) straight dogged it against georgia…
Ronald jones Texas and Notre dame….Not a good look. and the year before Utah and Utah state he either got injured or got the hook…Because both of those games were garbage….
I’m giving you grief because you don’t like chubb which is fine. But everyone of these prospects has knocks.
But, c’mon guys, lets get real. All the experts are saying we’ll take a DB. They must be right, don’t ya’ think?
I’m hearing it’ll be a long armed 30 incher.
Vern Troyer has a mean back pedal and plays beyond his size. Victimized QBs unanimously claim, “I didn’t see him.”
Vern is ‘sneaky fast’.
Plays with great leverage too.
We still don’t have starting CB. I am not saying that we will draft one early, but this is really strange situation.
They’ll be fine. Maxwell is still out there. If there’s one position they’ve been able to re-stock it’s corner.
I would imagine they might pick someone in the 4th round or later (as they are wont to do, and where they actually have picks already).
Tbf Id probably be ok with Oliver in the late second. 33.5 inch arms must have Pete drooling.
It appears from a distance that Maxwell is probably trying to get $5-$6 and Im betting the Seahawks wants to give him around $2.5-$3 in there take it or leave it approach. Maxwell really doesnt have much value to the other 31 teams in the league so he will sign here some time soon I would guess.
Agree completely Greg you nailed it. Maxi really has value to one team and I am guess he plays with Seattle at about $2mil or does not play at all. A 2yr / $6 mil deal where they can cut him without any cap hit next year makes the most sense IMO for both sides.
how does giving the team a cheap option year make sense for Maxwell?
Rob,
Do you keep many notes on previous drafts?
I’d be interested to know where you felt the value lay in previous years and what the last bumper year was for the First Round?
From my own less rigourous tracking it appears mid/late first round never feels that great a spot for value.
Not Rob, but addressing the last point of the mid/late first round never being a great spot for value – I think this can be related to the fact that most drafts might only have 15-20 guys with legit first round grades. Possibly more, possibly less. Because of this, when you consistently draft near the end of the first round you’re essentially drafting a 2nd round player in the 1st round. Now, if there’s a guy you’re absolutely in love with and feel like you need on your team, you might be able to justify reaching a bit in the first to get him. If not, it makes sense to trade back, get more picks, and choose players where their grade matches the value.
In the case of the 2017 draft, I remember JS saying something like they had 2nd round grades on 6 of the first 7 guys they drafted. The value may not be great in the mid-late first round, but it could extend well past the second round depending on the draft. Seems 2018 may be similar.
I haven’t kept notes but obviously everything is logged on here. If you remind me over the weekend I’ll have a look at previous drafts and give you an answer here. Last year I remember saying the early rounds were loaded with CB’s (deep into R3) and they needed to take one in that range. We discussed the weak OT options. And yet the previous year there were quite a few OT’s we discussed in R1. The 2014 draft was all about WR’s in the top two rounds.
I’d be thrilled with Jones II at #18. I’d be happier with a trade down or two (or three/four) and still getting him. I feel like they can gamble a bit with trade downs until the late 1st round (however many trades they make to get to the late-20s) because I think Chubb would be a nice consolation prize if they miss out on Jones because of the extra picks they will have acquired.
Wisconsin CB Nelson tore a meniscus at private workout. Maybe less workouts. Do one combine where everyone has to participate unless injured (QB throwing as well) and one school workout. Private workouts should be film room and personality stuff, not more extreme workouts.
On similar notes, make baseball 100 games and hockey and basketball 50 games. Then they might have a chance to be as popular as football.
Seattle times article about Wilson people wanting to know why JS was scouting Josh Allen. Don’t like the looks of things, keep Wilson happy. He is a bit odd on the personal side, but he’s always 100% about the Hawks during the season. Should retire the greatest Hawk of all time.
Wow, these guys are getting grinded down by the NFL before their career even starts.
If Im a guys agent now Im shutting down any private work outs.
Agreed
I think what the Times article pointed out is that the last negotiation with RW wasn’t without some bumpy travels, and this next negotiation process could get bumpier. I’m sure Seattle wants to keep him around, but I think they also want to cover there bases. There’s a lot of things to consider.
People are speculating Seattle maybe shopping him in a year, I think because of the recent transactions, but what if RW, with his celebrity lifestyle and celebrity wife wants to move all to a market like LA, and the team is sensing some of that? What if he doesn’t mesh with the new OC? What if he regresses or gets injured?
Now, I’m not saying any of this will likely be the case, but I think JS is just doing his due diligence to protect the team. I think with RW nearing 30, now might be the time to consider building depth and having a plan behind him. I think one of the biggest mistakes the previous regime made was not having a much of a plan behind Hasselbeck when he was getting older. Also, this would be JS following the GB model.
Perhaps, maybe, if…………..and then write crap to justify his conjecture = Lazy, BS journalism. The writer perhaps, maybe, should be in another line of work more suitable to his mentality or lack thereof.
That’s a very fair take. Tons of speculation that feels more like making a mountain out of a molehill more than anything else.
Is there any other franchise qb that garners this much “what if,” publicity? Seriously aaro n Rodgers is a strange dude but I never read about ” what if, ” he realizes living near lambeau is corny and maybe he’s like to play for the chargers……
the problem with the times article is basic economics. The last negotiation was “bumpy,” because Wilson literally outperformed every other and I do mean this, every other qb in that draft in the only metrics that matter which is wins. and unlike luck or rg3 he got paid nothing ( by NFL standards ) to do it.
honestly I’ll love the hawks long after js and pc are gone but if they want to roll the dice next year and trade Wilson and find another rookie qb who does what Wilson did do then so be it. hats off for trying.
These are a lot of my thoughts. I don’t think they will trade him. I think he gets another deal in Seattle and we all move on from this.
Agree completely Ed. If they want to meet these guys and spend the day with them fine, but if I am an agent I say no to any workouts. Pro Day, Combine, All Star Game and Regular season should be more than enough.
Every year a couple of guys get hurt for no reason at these things. Street and Nelson both potential Hawks targets hurt now. Maybe both will fall and be Rd #7 guys or UDFA targets now for Hawks but sucks for the players.
Interested in hearing how dropping the schedule to 100 games would affect popularity?
Also, dropping games to 100 would drop revenues by 1/3. Hard to see any increase in popularity making up for that.
Dropping the schedule to 100 games means more interest because games are more important. It will also put more people in the seats instead of having half empty stadiums because fans have 82 home games to choose from.
82 home games
20,000 per game
1,640,000 for the year
41 home games
30,000 per game
1,500,000 for the year
With 41 less games, I bet you get at least a 10,000 per game addition.
Look at football or march madness, fewer is better and more exciting. You won’t have players resting. I think it would be a win win.
Have to call you out on that math there bud. 41 *30,000 isn’t 1.5M. It’s about 1.2M.
My bad, I initially thinking 35,000 per game, which be closer to the 1.5. That’s a lesson boys and girls, check your work before you hand it in.
Stinks for Nelson for sure, could be a perfect scenario for the Hawks though to get him later than he would have gone and stash him this year, then have him ready by the time negotiations with Justin Coleman roll around.
Don’t have to stash him. Unless something has changed since earlier, he’s expected to be ok by the start of the season.
Didn’t see this posted previously. Sorry if it was.
https://seahawkswire.usatoday.com/2018/04/03/ex-seahawk-michael-bennett-has-high-praise-for-russell-wilson-in-new-book/
Always will be a fan of his though his life is upside down a bit. And for what its worth i thought his recent comments spoke more to the “we need a couple of dawgs” mentality that we had during the start of our run, rather than saying we need less Russells
After watching Rojo over the last month or so I can say without any uncertainty that he is worth a top-15 pick in this years draft. Sadly EVERY year I have 1-3 players I pray the Hawks will take and they inevitably do not. Here’s an example:
2013 – DeAndre Hopkins / Alec Ogletree
2014 – Allen Robinson / Austin Seferian-Jenkins / Deone Bucannon
2015 – Shaq Thompson / Marcus Peters / Devin Funchess
2016 – Kenny Clark / Deion Jones / Yannick Ngakoue
2017 – Kevin King / T. J. Watt / Evan Engram
I realize some of these players were picked before us but many of them could have been had. My point is I am not going to get too excited about Rojo right now because the probability of us actually getting him is probably 1 out of 25 teams. Not good odds.
For me?
2013- Desmond Trufant (before they traded for Percy)after? Eddie Lacy, Travis Kelce, Keenan Allen
2014- Bradley Roby, DeMarcus Lawrence, Davante Adams
2015- Frank Clark, Ty Montgomery (so glad they went with Lockett though), Mike Davis
2016- Deion Jones and Ngakoue were 2 of my favorites as was Ifedi, but it was Chris Jones or Derrick Henry
2017- Garrett Bolles, Cam Robinson, Tim Williams
I’ll scratch my head or go ‘meh’ when they make selections but only once have I got legit mad. That was when they took Aaron Curry in ’09 over trading back and grabbing Clay Matthews.
Good lord was I feeling some type of way back then.
My guess is that IF the Hawks take a RB with their first pick it will come somewhere in the second round and Rojo/Chubb will probably be gone. We might want to look closer at K. Johnson/ Guice/ Michel/ Freeman/ Ballage & Penny. We have a SUPER deep RB class this year and don’t be surprised if our shiny new RB will be coming with our 2nd pick at the end of round 2 or early 3 after trading back a few times.
I don’t think Ballard rates and when you think about how many teams need or could use a Cunningham upgrade I think there’s going to be 7 running backs gone by the end of round two and anyone else in the third and beyond is a bit of a project.
I’m not convinced 7 or 8 RB’s will be taken by the end of round 2. 5-6 maybe. Personally I would be happy with any of K. Johnson/ Guice/ Michel/ Freeman/ Ballage & Penny. I believe we can get one of these guys at the end of round 2 or early 3rd. I also think these guys have real potential… J. Samuels/ J. Adams & J. Kelly.
Give me any of those guys along with Carson & Prosise and we have some serious potential. But more importantly with our first pick we can potentially get the likes of:
– R. Evans
– T. Bryan
– C. Kirk
– H. Landry
– J. Jackson
– D.J. Moore
– M. Hurst
– I. Oliver
– R. Harrison
– C. Sutton
– W. Hernandez
– J. Reid
– J. Bates III
– D. Goedert
– I. Wynn
– H. Hurst
– J. Sweat
All of which most likely won’t be there at the end of round 2 and early 3. I would rather the Hawks get a combo of say Taven Bryan and Rashaad Penny than say Nick Chubb and whoever is left in round 3. Just my opinion and I’m sure I’m in the minority here.
From the standpoint of what PCJS looks for I think they would really like Chubb. Enough so he might be the target with the first pick. Outside of him and Barkley (who we have no shot at getting), there are lots of guys who are indistinguishable in my opinion.
Also think we will draft two RB, one early and one late. He didn’t run well but keep an eye on Williams out of LSU.
I think it goes based on multiple mocks and Rob…
Barkley
jokes
guice
all in the first round
johnson, Michel, Chubb, and penny in round two. that’s my 7.
I like.samuels a lot but what is he at the next level? ballage my be a super late flyer like Scarborough both didn’t live up to talent.
not sure Adams or Kelly with Carson (injury concerns) prosise (more of the same) does.anything for.the run game.
I don’t believe Guice will be taken till late 2nd. I have six of your seven RB’s going in the first 2 rounds with Penny in the early 3rd. Don’t sleep on Freeman either.
Freeman is the running back I can’t get any good sense of where he goes. More than likely the third but he had a really really solid college career and a decent combine he just seems like a long career kind of guy. Maybe nothing amazing but a guy who a team could lean on for awhile.
Reference: 2017 all-purpose yards Per:
http://www.cfbstats.com/2017/leader/national/player/split01/category11/sort03.html2017
Penney: 2248-rush/132-rec./591-returns, 2971-total — (that is a big number on top.)
Jones: 1550-rush/187-rec/0-returns, 1737-total
Freeman: 1475-rush/164-rec/0-returns, 1639-total
Johnson: 1391-rush/194-rec/0-returns, 1585-total
Guice: 1251-rush/124-rec/0-returns, 1375-total
Chub: 1345-rush/284-rec/0-returns, 1375-total
Michel: 1227-rush/96-rec/0-returns, 1323-total
-I don’t see much difference in the receiving yards of any of these RB’s, they have all
been primarily rushers 1-st, receiving only on a limited # of plays.
I’m in agreement with Rob on Jones being THE target, however, they won’t put all of their
eggs in that one basket and there is a very real possibility that Jones will be gone by the Seahawks first pick, then what? Chubb is a nice player, but his injury history MAY be too much of a concern to the Seahawks, we just don’t know at this point in time. A RB with their first pick is still quite possible, however if Jones & Chubb are gone, where do they go?
See: https://twitter.com/PFF_College -& scroll down the list. (I know it’s PFF, but still……)
PFF has some interesting stuff about a lot of the players in the coming draft. Of particular
interest as you scroll down is RB-Rashhad Penney with his 1295-yds after contact, that is
equal to the most among draft RB’s. (2-nd was Josh Adams with 1019-yds. after contact.)
If, the PFF numbers are close to correct, Penney had more 2017 yards AFTER contact (1295)
than these other RB’s yards BOTH before & after contact: Barkley (1271), Guice(1251),
Michel(1227), Kelly(778) among others. Considering this & Penney’s record setting KO
return career that is just ignored completely, perhaps Rashaad Penney is better than he is
given credit for by many evaluators? I still see a lot of talk that he is slow (with 4.46/40?)
and isn’t a power runner & only gets his yards following a FB through his all-pro level OL.
It’s all BS, he is the definition of a 1 cut and go RB & has other-world production doing so.
Does anyone remember Griffey’s “see ball, hit ball”, for Penney it’s “see crease, hit crease at 100% speed”. Penney has some correctable faults, but he does have low mileage on his legs and has been pretty much injury free, many of the other RB’s don’t have that combo.
Now, PFF is not the end all, be all of rating sites, but I think they got this one at least, close
to right. Also, other than Barkley, NONE of the other top RB’s have any significant special
teams contributions, Penney does have some overlooked value in that regard.
ALSO; In the same thread, they have some interesting stats on Harrison Phillips and Marcus
Davenport & perhaps somewhat shockingly C/OG-Frank Ragnow gets the nod as “highest
graded individual season in the PFF era at Center”. Many other PFF stats for players are
shown and many of them are pretty interesting. I would think that Penney & Phillips &
and maybe Ragnow should be very strong considerations for the Seahawks first 3 picks in the draft, that could go a long way in getting the Seahawks back on top where they belong.
Damn, cut and paste sure doesn’t workout here, maybe it’s word wrap or something? What ever the case, I’m sorry for the look of the above. I will figure this out some day. Maybe.
Even before Penny’s Combine 40, we had proof he was fast when he caught that swing pass in Senior Bowl and took it 73 yards to the house. None of the defensive backs could gain ground on him.
I know I’m in the minority, but I would not mind one bit if they rolled with Carson, Davis, and a guy like Ito Smith/Sony Michel/Akrum Warley/Chase Edmonds at RB this year.
I feel similarly. This re-tooling is going to take more than one season. I wouldn’t mind setting the table this off season and if the group you listed doesn’t pan out then next season they could draft Harris or someone else.
It would put us in a high draft position for next year. There’s always a bright side.
Damien Harris? Hmmmm…
If I’m Cleveland, I would be running to the podium for Sam Darnold. Seeing him change his plans to throw for RoJo is a good indication of his leadership and character. Exactly what Cleveland needs.
Even though it’s not trending too much…i think that earl thomas will be traded to the cowboys on draft day. I believe they already have a deal in place…and are waiting so the cowboys can make a splash on draft day. Im guessing it’s for byron jones( the 1 they requested) and a 2nd and 4th in this years draft. I’m of the mind that they no matter what and who is available will trade back and grab a rb in the second and another in the 5th. In between i expect a linebacker and a pass rusher…perhaps a kill two birds with one stone player.
That would be a very flashy move. I could see Jerry Jones licking his chops because he is bringing the best FS in the League back to his favorite hometown team and the draft is in Jerry world not to mention kris Richard is the new DC in Dallas. It seems perfect honestly.
I can’t see them letting jones go though.
Hmm… without letting Earl know? If Earl and his camp knows, and the Cowboys know, and the Seahawks know, I don’t see how it wouldn’t have leaked by now – an offhand comment on Twitter, or Facebook from Earl’s camp. It may still be in the works, but it’s hard for me to believe it’s a done deal.
JLC out with new piece saying he believes SEA still deals Earl. Just doesn’t think we’ll get the 1st and 3rd we were hoping for. Multiple picks, tho, still.
If they gotta move Earl they gotta move him. Fans do realize it won’t automatically net positive results. Right? I feel like that’s writing on the wall, but…
Right! If you trade Earl Thomas then you don’t have one of the best FS ever. Fans can just rewind to 2016 and remember what happened when they played Terrell in place of an injured Thomas. Yes, a trade would bring draft choices and save money but it might not make the team better in the next couple of years.
Kenny, rember a month ago or so you asked for some sleeper or under the radar prospects to watch for, I mentioned Army’s Brett Toth for a very specific reason, he’s ‘Seahawky’ as hell in the limited viewing I’ve seen. Did you ever get around to checking him out?
Florida DT Taven Bryan to Atlanta would be the perfect fit for him IMO.
Would like to see the Seahawks take him but with the two FA DT signings, I don’t think that will happen unless they see him capable of playing all spots on the D-line.