Haason Reddick is putting on a show
Dubbed the MVP of the North team session by Daniel Jeremiah, Reddick had a great day on Tuesday according to those in attendance:
Really starting to come together for Haason Reddick/Temple. Unstoppable in blitz drills and it's clicking in coverage drills.
— Tony Pauline (@TonyPauline) January 25, 2017
Reddick just schooled Adam Bisnowaty out of a,3pt stance
— Tony Pauline (@TonyPauline) January 25, 2017
Here are some of the highlights of his workout:
Look at the twitchy quickness he shows attacking space, the way he throws off the fullback in the second clip and the impressive inside swim move to defeat Adam Bisnowaty in the DL vs OL drills.
Don’t be surprised if he leaves Mobile ranked as a possible top-20 pick. He could go in the top-25 and if not — he could be an option for the Seahawks at #26.
He’s an impact player with supreme athleticism. Is linebacker Seattle’s biggest need? Perhaps not. But if the top offensive tackles are off the board and the top cornerbacks are gone — it’s a strong option. A reminder — Reddick had 22.5 TFL’s in 2016 and 10.5 sacks. He’s not just a cover guy or a third wheel that’ll play 25% of the snaps. He’s an every down, impact player who can cover, run to the ball, blitz and play some LEO.
Isaac Asiata forced out through injury
It was disappointing to hear that Utah guard Isaac Asiata had re-injured a hamstring yesterday and won’t be doing any further drills at the Senior Bowl. One of the few South O-liners that seemed to have a good day yesterday, Asiata and Garett Bolles have the exact same playing mentality: ‘we’re going to hit you in the face, we’re going to run through you and then we’re going to get to the second level and hit someone else.’
They aren’t just road-graders either. Look at the way they handle this screen:
Bolles is an elite athlete but Asiata is no slouch. There aren’t a ton of viable O-line options for the Seahawks in this draft but they could do a lot worse than double down on these two. They’re tone-setting linemen. Physical, nasty, mean, play with an edge.
It was interesting to go back and watch the Utah vs Washington game again yesterday. Asiata arguably had the better game against a loaded Husky D-line rich in NFL talent.
There’s every chance Bolles will end up being a top-20 pick and it’ll be out of the Seahawks hands. He has to remain on the radar for now, just in case. Seattle might not be in the market for a left guard but Asiata is also worth monitoring at the combine if he’s healthy.
Forrest Lamp is also out
Western Ky OL Forrest Lamp, a guy many are high on, got hurt. Won't practice today, might sit out Senior Bowl. From agent @ErikBurkhardt: pic.twitter.com/6iqZ35Iq0Z
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) January 25, 2017
Lamp received a lot of positive feedback for his one day of drills at the Senior Bowl. Personally, it was hard to shake the way he was absolutely rag-dolled by Tanoh Kpassagnon and beaten with a quick swim move by 320lbs Eddie Vanderdoes. He handled his business apart from that — but he’s not coming up against big-time prospects in Mobile. If Kpassagnon can do this (see below) to Lamp, how’s he going to handle Calais Campbell?
#Villanova DE Tanoh Kpassagnon won the weigh-ins this morning and also this 1on1 battle vs Forest Lamp. Tosses him to the side. #SeniorBowl pic.twitter.com/8qqRfFRkMY
— Steve Frederick (@SportsGuyTweets) January 24, 2017
Thoughts on the OL vs DL drills (North)
During the pass-rush drills it was a little surprising to watch Indiana guard Dan Feeney comprehensively beaten twice. He had a really rough rep against Michigan’s Chris Wormley (beat him with a quick get-off) and was walked into the backfield on the previous play. After receiving rave reviews on day one, this was a little unexpected.
Dion Dawkins had some nice reps at left guard. His lack of height (6-3) probably places him inside at the next level. He was consistently effective. Bucknell’s Julien Davenport had a nice inside-out rep, using his length (36 inch arms) to full use. His raw nature was a little exposed on the next snap when he was easily beaten on an inside counter.
USC’s Zach Banner just looks too big. He lacks great mobility and had one of the ugliest reps of the day, offering an easy target for a two-handed punch that jolted him off balance immediately.
On the defensive side of the ball, Illinois’ Dawuane Smoot was a bit underwhelming. Wormley and Reddick were the standouts.
South notes
Tanoh Kpassagnon (DE, Villanova) had another good day. He’s long, tall and well put together. He beat Kentucky center Jon Toth working inside, had a nice rep sailing by Antonio Garcia and had a spin move to get off a block by the right tackle on one rep.
If UCLA’s Eddie Vanderdoes gets in his best shape he could be quite an effective player. He’s 320lbs but could probably lose another 10lbs. He frequently plays out of control but every now and again he flashes a really quick inside rush.
The Troy tackle Garcia is not having the week so far that many anticipated. He looks very raw and his lack of size (293lbs) shows too. He had the rough rep against Kpassagnon but was also well beaten by Houston’s Tyus Bowser (it was admittedly a very good rush by Bowser).
Alabama defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson is going to make a really good pick for someone. Powerful, jolting interior lineman. He looked really good today.
Kansas State’s Jordan Willis failed to flash in the NFL Network footage shown.
Agree completely about Reddick and Wormley best defensive players in that practice from what they showed on TV.
How would Wormley fit scheme wise for the Hawks?
Wormley has already shown he can play all over the line at Michigan. From day 1 he could be an inside rusher in nickel, which is like 60% of the team’s snaps. His gap discipline is impressive as well. I don’t know if the Hawks would use a 3-T his size, but he could also play base DE vs. heavy run sets.
Thanks JT we know how important gap discipline is to Pete. I would be really surprised if the Hawks do not take at least one Wolverine this year.
I would say more than likely 3 tech.
I will go on record IMO the best wide receiver coming out of Washington is Cooper Kupp not John Ross. So impressed with how he gets off the line. His route running, hands and footwork are elite. So impressed with him.
That’s a bold statement! I like it tho
That is not a knock on Ross I think he is a dynamic 1st round talent. But Kupp is so smooth, his route running and footwork are already amazing and he catches everything with his hands.
He is going to have an impact early on because he is so polished. The step up in competition has not affected him a bit.
I read a tweet earlier (forget the reporter) who said there’s lots of top 20 buzz for Ross among the scouts in Mobile.
Are we up to 50 top-20 picks yet? Seems like it….
I second that Trevor. Posted a great article about him here a month or two ago.
http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/story/why-cooper-kupp-is-the-player-to-watch-in-college-football-this-season-082316
I think this kid is the real thing.
I remember you being a fan but I just had not really seen much of him. Thanks for the link.
Im not going to go that far but the kid is a baller. He gets it. You can see it in Lockett’s college tape and Kupp’s, they just have the intangibles.
What round IS kupp currently rated? Can’t deny his production
Ecstatic that this guy is leaving the Big asks conferemce. I think he is a round 2-3 guy, and I think someone will get a really good player for that price. Not really sure on comps for skill, athleticism, and route running… maybe a bit of Reggie Wayne with return ability?
Would love it if the Hawks got him with a 3rd assuming the OL and Dbackfield are shored up.
Maybe a more realistic comp is Robert Woods but better?
It’s funny – I’ve read other reports saying Feeney was “dominant” today. A lot can change rep to rep in these 1 on 1’s. It’s always nice to see a guy win, but these reps are a lot different than blocking in team drills or live action.
Saw a lot of people saying the same about Forrest Lake yesterday and yet he had two of the worst reps I’ve seen in a long while.
He looked ugly on those, but has apparently looked much better on the inside. That’s his new home.
I’d still take him at LT over Fant though 🙂
Where does Reddick fit on the Hawks defense? A combo platter of Morgan’s LB spot on base downs and a down lineman on pass rush downs? So a Bruce Irvin style role that mixes coverage and pass rushing? Or would they tweak their scheme to fit a player of his skillset?
Bruce role
He would be a nice pick due to the fact you are almost getting 2 positions for 1 pick. Can be the SAM as well as an extra edge rusher.
Rob have to say you nailed it on Riddick. I think he may have had the most impressive couple of days of practice I have seen since they started broadcasting the practices. Wow
Great speed and twitch off the edge. He blitzed well when asked. Was dominant covering RBs coming out of the backfield. Complete package and he measured bigger than expected.
I cannot think of a more perfect compliment to KJ and Wags. When you think about both his ability in pass coverage and rushing the passer he may even be a better fit than Bruce was.
After his showing here and a likely elite performance at the combine any chance he makes it to us at 26? I think he is Deion Jones with pass rush ability and better pass coverage skills. So impressed with him and the backstory you told us screams Seahawks.
Great call on this guy Rob!
There’s a chance he’s there at #26 and it’s a loaded class — but he’s possibly a good combine away from going top-25.
He kind of reminded me of Travis feeney when I watched highlights. But a little more athletic. I saw a ton of speed, especially closing, but I wanted to see more pass rushing moves. I felt Bruce would get effort or speed sacks, but wasn’t great using other moves.
Great call by Rob on Reddick. If he blows up the combine, he’ll easily go Round 1.
LB isn’t a huge need for the Hawks, but we shouldn’t think of him that way. Sure he could take over as SAM in 4-3 alignments, but they could also get him into the nickel edge rotation right away. He could theoretically play half the defensive snaps just from the nickel DE spot. He “plays bigger” than 237 lbs with that freaky lower body explosion.
He could start and even if he doesn’t he will be a good backup for injured linebackers, and the coaches can dream up new ways to use him for blitzes or pass coverage.
Linebacker is a huge need. It was the next position group PC referenced to after getting the corner situation straightened out. Who do the they have that can play at a high level besides Bobby and KJ.? Morgan and KPL are certainly not the answer.
Rocky Seto has resigned from the Seattle coaching staff to pursue a career as a minister.
Looks like our defensive staff will be getting a decent overhaul this off-season with the acquisition of Clint Hurtt and who ever we replace Seto with.
This is OK with me, I think we need new blood on the coaching staff.
I saw Kevin King get completely embarrassed by Cooper Kupp, yikes. On the other hand, I think Kupp will end up being a pretty good pro.
Kevin King is sitting at home 🙂 Probably Desmond King. He shouldn’t feel too bad tho, Cooper torches CB’s on the regular
My bad, yep that’s who I meant. Kevin King is on the mind as I feel as he’s a possible Seahawks target.
Have to say, would be perfectly happy to grab Baker or reddick with #26, then trade a 3rd and grab the other one in the early second. Instantly providing major upgrade in an already dominant defense.
I have noticed Joe Mathis creeping up draft boards across the net in recent times as high as the early second round. Obviously we will have to wait a bit for his measurbales but if Reddick is becoming a serious option for us at #26, should we also entertain the idea of Mathis there too if he tests strongly?
I see Mathis as an EDGE, Reddick as a LB comfortable in space. I think we need to see Mathis’ workout before we make that leap.
Illinois EDGE Carroll Phillips met with the Seahawks.
They scouted Illinois during the summer.
*interviewed.
Former JUCO product. Kid goes hard 100% of the time. From one of the worst neighborhoods in Miami. Carroll City.
NE and KC like him as well.
Atlanta is high on USC CB Adoree Jackson.
Carroll Phillips 2016 stats (incredible): 20 TFL, 9 QB sacks, 50 tackles
Was also a ‘weigh in warrior.’
Nice.
We’ve discussed him before. He’s better than Smoot IMO. Smoot has elite get-off, but is over powered consistently.
I’m re-watching the North practice. Missed it earlier. And he would’ve had a couple sacks in one drill and a very good, athletic PBU on a red zone bootleg.
Yeah, he’s been on the radar. Probably a pretty decent signal they are looking for another Bruce Irving type.
I think so. That’s what it signals to me as well.
Is Phillips taking reps at LB then? Can he drop and cover as well or just a rusher? Physically very similar to Reddick so could be an alternative later in the draft if we go DB in the 1st
Yes he’s a LB. Haven’t seen him in coverage but to TBH, Reddick didn’t look that smooth either. You can tell hgs needs to adjust to the LB position, which is OK. Not an issue.
Exactly. Very similar to Reddick. Someone to go get if they zero in on Reddick, but is gone before they get there. Same with Jimmie Gilbert, Tyus Bowser, etc.
If Seattle met with Shawn Oakman last year at the SR bowl and asked if he could add weight, gotta wonder how they feel about Tanoh Kpassagnon.
I like D-lineman Keionta Davis too. 6’3, 274 lbs., lines up inside. Scouts feel he has the frame to add another 15-20 lbs.
Mike Mayock said he’s another Frank Clark.
“body type of Frank Clark.” Mayock admitted he’s not as athletic, which is okay. Frank’s a beast
Got cha. Still like him though.
Not nearly as explosive either. Kind of similar to DeMarcus Walker actually.
Yea, Davis had a good day. Powerful and relentless.
I couldn’t imagine them not being interested in Kpassagnon, He is a gigantic guy and has the frame to hold more weight. If he is a late round pick like 5 or later or even a UDFA i see him as a hawk
I really like OG Asiata from Utah as our comp round 3 pick. Reminds me of Mike Iupati. Ifedi is needs some competition.
So does Glow
They all do except for Britt.
Thought Tennessee St OG Jessamen Dunker had a good day too. Improved from day 1. Always a good sign.
Cool, ill check out his tape.
That was a great rep by Tyus Bowser. Showed off his ability to bend.
https://mobile.twitter.com/LanceZierlein/status/824242208077447169
Putting himself in the frame for Round 3 or better apparently.
Could see him in round 3 for sure. He should have a great combine.
Tanoh Kpassagnon is a very enticing prospect. could we get him in the 2nd rd?
Good question. I could see a team rolling the dice on him late in round 1. Especially if he tests well. To me he’s a David Irving type of guy. But, he does seem to be a late 2nd-late 3rd prospect.
Glad that Tanoh is getting some love!
I’m all over the place on this guy. I keep flip-flopping. He’s soooo raw. Massive project. I may have to change my eval on him. Late day 2 or day 3.
He got his a** chewed out 3 times today.
‘Bama LB Ryan Anderson has been awful. Probably hurt his stock more than anyone. Can’t cover, don’t think he can run, and he’s only a power ‘blitzer’ not pass rusher.
He’s definitely boom or bust. There were some tape where he played too high and was easily blocked but there was other tape (Pitt) where he looked like he belongs. If he puts it all together he could be similar to Calais Campbell or Deforest Buckner
He was a track star before he opted for football. He should test well. Like you said, very raw but such incredible physical starting point. The guy looks slim at 6-7 280….
Hey Rob. Saw a mock draft today and the TEF got a shout-out. Thought that was dope my man.
Where?
Right here.
https://weeklymockdraft.wordpress.com/2017/01/25/2-round-nfl-mock-draft-12417/
I enjoy reading mocks, but I have to say I think that one is terrible. Cam Robinson so high and especially Fournette to SD, who are really happy with Melvin Gordon are extremely unlikely, to name a few.
IDK about Cam Robinson there either, but Fournette to the Chargers would make sense with new HC Anthony Lynn wanting to run the ball. I mean I don’t necessarily agree with it. There’s always quite a few reach picks and surprises.
And I didn’t post the link to that mock for the ‘who goes where.’
Is the new coaching staff happy with Gordon? IDK if we know that.
I think Gordon has established himself to the point one could make a case that RB is the lowest priority in terms of need for the Chargers. Two 1st round RBs in 3 years would be highly unlikely, especially given Gordon’s production and improvement as a pass receiver. It’d be poor cap management (see: Jacksonville), as well.
Not that Robinson is bad, I just see much better players on the board there.
I agree.
Should have patented that idea.
Last year Rob I asked you about how far Sheldon Rankins would have to fall for you (in a gut feeling) to reasonably consider the Seahawks moving up from #26 to get him and you suggested around #20.
Is there any current Top-15(ish) talent that we haven’t really mocked to Seattle that you would seriously think about going and getting if they are there at #20 or so come draft day? Is there a difference maker like Rankins this year that could even possibly fall into that range?
I think I’d be tempted, funnily enough, to move up for Haason Reddick if needs be. Just a few spots. This guy is legit.
I dig that. PFF (love them or hate them) credited our front 7 as the best overall unit in the league and picking up Reddick and a FA like Campbell or Poe would really push us over the edge.
It would be amazing if Solomon Thomas was in that trade up range but I dare say that might be just a smidgen too optimistic!
Another one I’d consider moving up for is Sidney Jones.
Jones is certainly worthy of being the CB to break the 4th round rule of Schneider and Carroll. A lockdown calibre understudy to Sherman on the outside and it theoretically gives us a clear succession plan for CB1 as Sherman starts to wind down.
Don’t you feel that Jones is too slight framed? He is 6 feet tall and the weights I’m seeing are around 180 to 170, that kind of frame just doesn’t match the Hawks to me the lightest corner they have is Jeremy Lane and he is 190 and very injury prone. I’d rather see the Hawks go with Baker but if he isn’t realistically available i think Kevin King is going to fit the Hawks system better as a physical bump and cover corner.
Jones has the potential to be one of the best cover CB’s in the NFL. I’ll take that over a little less size. Jones is a top-15 pick in any draft.
Agreed. Sidney Jones looks every bit the ideal Seahawks corner.
Although unlikely, should one of Cook or Fournette fall far enough, I’d be game for that move, as well. Along those lines, I think Mike Williams, Corey Davis, and OJ Howard are special, too. I also have a crush on Malik Hooker’s game.
They typically do draft LBs from the SR bowl too.
I wouldn’t mind moving up a little bit for Bolles, if he fell into the 20s. Easy top 15 player IMO, at the ultimate position of need. I’m still holding out hope he drops to 26.
Vandy OL Will Holden got a call up to the SR bowl. He looked good at the Shrine game. From what I read he played 3-4 different spots on the line. Good size, decent length, long wingspan. Could be a mid-round steal.
Does anyone one know what happened to Vernon Adams, former Ducks QB? Did he finally go to the CFL and work on his game or is he flipping burgers now?
He is a Montreal Alouhette
I know he took over as a starter at the end of the last CFL season for Montreal, and I think he’s their presumptive QB starter moving forward. I’m from Toronto but don’t follow the CFL, so could be wrong. Trevor might have a better idea.
Montreal traded for a vet, Darian Durant, a couple weeks ago from Saskatchewan. Sask wanted Adams in return but they wouldn’t give him up. Durant is 34, so a place holder, and they see Adams as the future for sure.
does anyone from Toronto follow the CFL…….
speaking of CFL, Johnny football should go there if he wants to revive his career.
He has the type of game that translates, and there he can throw, throw, throw.
Whether or not he can stay out of the Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver night clubs is another story.
He is only 24, but he may never change.
Always possible and the NFL always needs QBs
According to PFF Rasul Douglas has not looked great in press coverage. And needs some serious development in that area.
also ‘he was only in press coverage on 15.0 percent of his snaps in 2016, below the FBS average of 19.4 percent.
Would the Seahawks consider taking a prospect who needs development in such a key area in he first 3 rounds?
Yeah i wonder if they will view someone like Witherspoon or Decoud as close equivalents who can be had w lower picks
He’s a big corner that can’t run with guys if he doesn’t grab them. Way too handsy. Been getting torched.
He needs to take a breath and calm down. He panics waaay too much.
I will say this, guys don’t get downgraded only upgraded. Its an All-star game.
Maybe. They like tools and then coach their technique.
Yeah, but unable to keep up is something you can’t coach away.
He’s looked much better today. Breaks on the ball well. Trust’s what he sees.
I can’t speak to his straight-line speed, but that’s not necessarily true. If his press technique is bad he might just be losing steps at the LOS that he is too far behind to recover. That can be fixed with technique (i.e., if he’s more fluid with his jam he won’t have to recover so much). I saw some reps today where the CB was so intent on really getting into a guy when they jammed the WR that they were off balance and slow to open up and turn, causing them to lose ground.
Man, OT Taylor Moton might be the best O-lineman here. Best OT. More impressed with him than anyone else on the line.
I thought he looked really good as well Vol he is going to be a really solid pick for someone. Carries 330 lbs as well as anyone I have seen.
I think he looks a lot like Ifedi – a big guy with no bad weight.
Best thing about Moton is his durability. Never missed a start for WMICH in the entirety of his college career. Set the school record for consecutive starts.
Moton’s tape at RT was clearly superior to Ifedi’s IMO. He’s way more coordinated, and has great bend and leverage for a guy his size. His length and athleticism probably makes him a better fit at RG tho.
Seahawks 1 of 7 teams showing the most interest in UCONN S Obi Melifonwu. Unique. With his coverage skills, could he eventually be a Brandon Browner sized corner?
I was connecting the dots earlier this year….. he is the BAMBAMCAM Chancellor 2.0. These guys are so unique and difficult to find, it would not surprise me one bit if they took him. He would never make it past ATL in the first round, if he did … make it past Seattle. Always look for the unique or special quality, Seattle goes for that.
I see him as a fit as a 3rd LB/SS type. I think we (the blog) have talked about the need for LB depth and S depth. Would he be a need pick? No. But he could be a very very intriguing chess piece in the current defense.
‘Always look for the unique or special quality, Seattle goes for that.’
Ya ain’t gotta tell me that. 😉
He’s no different than a Jabril Peppers for example. He might not be a need pick his 1st year, but he’d be a big time STs player early.
And this team always, always drafts a year in advance.
Melifonwu is a very athletic, intriguing player. But Kam is an absolute beast. Melifonwu is not Kam IMO either in terms of tenacity, playing style or quality. As V12 touted, they might see Obi as a corner.
FS in a SS body. Interchangeable back there. Highly versatile, plays the run well, but there’s only 1 Kam.
Even Keanu Neal, who a lot pof people compare to Kam, isn’t him. I’ve yet to seen Neal blow an OT back on his heels in the run game.
Often imitated, but never duplicated.
Kam is a legend. Not sure we’ll see another for a long, long time.
Increasingly intrigued at the possibility of Melifonwu at corner. If he’s a 40-vert, 4.4 guy at 6-4 and 219lbs that is a guy Seattle can work with. Especially if he has a great three cone and short shuttle to flash some short area quickness.
Just seems like a such a ‘Seahawky’ draft pick to take an athlete like that and convert him.
Even if they don’t convert him, he’s the sort of guy they’ll take and try to put in positions to succeed. He doesn’t have to be another Kam, but maybe he could be used in a similar way Dallas use Byron Jones. Bit of FS, bit of SS, bit of slot, bit of specialist TE coverage. Don’t give him a position, give him roles.
Just been doing some looking around, Mayock had this to say on Melifonwu: ‘He’s a matchup chess piece with movement skills. If Greg Olsen comes to town, you say, “That’s your guy.” The next week a wide receiver like Mike Evans comes to town, you say, “Go get him.” I thought Melifonwu had an outstanding practice session on Wednesday.’
That’s pretty much how I see him.
Agree 100%
Bingo.
We can probably look no further than Deshawn Shead for some precedent. .
Mayock and Jeremiah were praising his open hips as well, which is another check mark on a possible shift to CB.
There is a short recap video on seahawks.com but Mike Mayock nominated Haason Reddick as his standout player of Day 2 while Daniel Jeremiah picked out Obi Melifonwu. Obi had a big goal line play that was Bobby Wagner-esque in his ability to churn through space to zero in to the ball.
He was flying around the field today.
Love the Archer avi by the way. Is the forty twenty a reference to Shawn Kemp & Gary Payton perhaps?
Nah, I’m an Aussie who does a fair bit of sports blogging for Rugby League going back a few years now and in a rush all that time ago I ending up picking a handle that is a term from the game (a very specific kick that allows you to regain possession, to be precise). It has sort of carried over everywhere online since.
Most of my (amateur) work focuses on the equivalent of the college system for Rugby League over here so it is a blast to compare and contrast the two codes.
Well, thanks for the clarification. Rugby is completely foreign to me, but I do know Seattle was at a workout for a rugby player earlier this year. Jason something?
Jarryd Hayne is the headline grabbing code-hopper who spent a year with the 49ers in 2015. As it would happen to be he hailed from my franchise (Parramatta Eels). Phenomenal athlete and probably one of the few NRL players that could have made a proper fist of the NFL if he had transitioned back at the College level.
The three NRL players that followed his steps and recently trialed with NFL clubs (including Seattle) are Jason Taumalolo, Valentine Holmes and Thomas Burgess.
Burgess is a plodder. Awful hands, pure North/South mover. Tight End would be his best projected fit but to call it a stretch is generous.
Holmes is electric with the ball in hand but in his initial NFL testing he could only muster a 4.6 40-yard dash. I will say that he is footy-quick but I don’t think he has the elite attributes to entice a franchise to gamble on turning him into a WR or RB, especially given how raw he would be at running routes.
Taumalalo is the most interesting of the three. 191cm/113kg, so 6’2″, 249? He posted a 4.9 40. In the NRL where all players do double duty on offence and defence, he is known as an offensive powerhouse with a big motor. He often carries defenders or busts tackles and can move laterally pretty explosively.
The only problem is that on the offence in the NFL, where most NRL players fit better naturally because reading the game in the NFL on defence is so much more difficult, he likely ends up either as a FB or an undersized TE in a long shot. Most League players will struggle with the limited game time in such a role given they are used to pumping out 80min of game time a week back here.
If he was involved in a proper NFL conditioning program (start shaving that 10/40 yard time down) and had time to let him work on the finer aspects of the trenches he could be an interesting EDGE prospect. No clue on his wing span though and again, taking a flier on a 23/24yo prospect without a single rep to their name in their life seems like a gamble with a poor payoff.
There it is. Taumalalo. He’s the guy. Thanks my man!
Not as an UDFA.
Yeah, I think he meets the same requirements that Hayne did to forgo the Draft – is it five years out of high school?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPdtDUGmHSM
He is a cool prospect for sure. Above is his work from the season gone-by. Bear in mind that he is conditioned to play 80min near non-stop in the NRL and he has a huge workload. Something in the vicinity of 10-12 runs a game and 20-30 tackles.
Something to consider V12. He has the length and the size. We know he’s a great athlete. Could definitely be someone they consider as a corner prospect.
I know its still early and we have to let the process play out, but w/o jumping the gun, Reddick, Bolles, Obi, or one of the Udub corners seem to be the best bets in round 1 or with the 1st selection?
I think that’s fair — maybe include Zach Cunningham depending on how he tests, maybe Adoree’ Jackson if he passes the 32 test.
I think you and Rob are dead on about the guys to start zeroing in on for Rd #1.
I’d add Buddha if he is not one of the ‘UW corners’ (which I’m assuming he was not). I know everyone can add their pets and ‘we’ don’t want this list getting too long, but he’s a play-maker who has the Seahawks personality. If he’s the first pick, I think PCJS leave the room happy.
I just wonder how they’d use Budda. If he’s only a slot and backup safety in Seattle, bit of a limited role.
I feel like given Budda’s tackling ability, he’d let them run 3-safety looks a lot more instead of 3 CB looks; somewhere between “base” and traditional 3-CB nickel. Between him and Kam that would keep TEs and the running game honest while still having the speed and coverage to cover WRs.
But he would be playing 70% of the snaps and will likely be stronger in run support than Lane, if he is an upgrade in coverage than i think it is without a doubt worth it. We saw how important Earl Thomas was last year, if he goes down again i definitely don’t want Terrell back out there failing to stay over the top. I think he would have a huge impact on the defense and with the cornerback class being deep enough that the Hawks can probably grab a decent starter in round 2 or 3.
70% of the snaps feels like a stretch. If a team is putting a TE in the slot or Mike Evans, that’s a mismatch. So if you move Sherman inside are you comfortable leaving Budda outside? Or is he off the field there? It’s an easy mismatch for an opponent to exploit.
I love Budda — but an occasional slot corner, occasional third wheel at safety and backup FS is a debatable first round value.
I agree with the list, I really think the Seahawks need help in the secondary. There wasn’t a lot of talk about it during the season. It’s just that they stopped getting interceptions, didn’t get the turnovers when there was a fumble, and weren’t very competitive when covering a receiver. So the biggest two needs in my mind are offensive line and defensive secondary. I’ll include Reddick in the secondary part as he could cover the short pass zone.
It has been brought up recently on SDB but Jabrill Peppers is starting to get mocked to us nationally in the last week or so as well as he slides down boards for whatever reason.
People love to be contrarian with high profile players. You’ll start to see mocks popping up with Garrett, Fournette etc. sliding. It’s designed to show readers that the analyst can see through the hype, they’re a ‘real’ football mind, not going to be distracted by highlight reels, blahblahblah.
Peppers will have a great combine, everyone will remember that he’s a monster who can do all sorts of things, and he’ll go at least top-15.
It’s also because there’s a horrendous ‘draft twitter’ clique using complicated football language they’ve overheard because it makes them sound like they know what they’re talking about, looking for the next hot take to deliver to the masses.
The Senior Bowl is full of ‘media’ who just tweet.
Yep, total circlejerk. Draft twitter is the worst. I saw someone today writing about a player that ‘he’s explosiver than he is fast.’ Where do you even start with that?
Saw another dude saying he’s rated Fournette as ‘a 2nd Rounder forever.’ And that he has ‘quite a few other RBs higher.’
You just get absolute nonsense out there. All you can do is watch tape, come to your own conclusions, then listen to what people you trust and respect say about them.
“Saw another dude saying he’s rated Fournette as ‘a 2nd Rounder forever.’ And that he has ‘quite a few other RBs higher.’”
This is exactly the type of utter nonsense you see from ‘draft twitter’.
Honestly, my biggest wish is that they’d learn you can’t just start capitalising random words because you think they’re important. ‘Solid to GD release at LOS vs Press w/GD to VG BodyCtrl & Hands at back of the EZ for a TD ‘
Anyway, that’s why I post here!
Its twitter though. There’s a reason for that. There’s a limit on what you can put in a tweet.
Sure, it’s still possible to write in shorthand without butchering things though.
I think the biggest knock on Fournette has always been his lack of versatility. There are so many backs that can also make plays in the passing game, or have the agility to spin out of trouble in the backfield ( like Rawls in the Rams game) and he’s just not one of them. So you have a ton of people thinking the guys that can do everything ok are better the guy that can do one thing really well.
Personally I think he could be an amazing player, or the poor offense line play he has in front of him could cause him to regress similar to Gurley
Anyone who knocks Fournette in that way, to put it bluntly, should consider a career in ‘clowning’.
But then you have people that think anybody who doesn’t like a top prospect must be trying to be contrarian. It could just be that their opinion differs from yours (or most). For example, I don’t see anybody trying to slide Myles Garrett into the 20s. Or Jonathan Allen. So why are they picking on poor Fournette and Peppers? Could it be that they have legitimate concerns? I know I do.
It’s not all hot takes for the sake of hot takes. To me, Fournette is DeMarco Murray. If that’s what you’re after, fine. That’s still pretty good. That’s not a hot take, that’s just what I see. I want to like him more. I LOVED Ezekiel Elliott last year, so it’s not an RB thing, and it’s not a top prospect thing.
Jonathan Allen might slide. He’s got a bad shoulder. And if I remember right, has had multiple surgeries on it.
Teams won’t love a guy until they get the medical reports for the combinde. That and interviews are what its for. The drill part of it is confirmation.
It’s the nature of the criticism. ‘He doesn’t do much in the passing game’…
It’s fuelled by focusing on minor things a player can’t do and completely neglecting all of the things a prospect CAN do.
Look at this quote from a league source on Fournette:
“I can’t wait to see how the draft guys pick at Fournette and tell everyone what he doesn’t do right. He was healthy last year and that is what you are going to get. Big, fast and dominant.”
LINK: http://www.nfl.com/draft/2017/profiles/leonard-fournette?id=2557973
I agree. Him and Garrett are the best prospects in this draft for me. Followed by Hooker, Jamal Adams, and Solomon Thomas.
I’ve heard this before about focusing on what a guy can do, not what he can’t do. Don’t take this personally, but that makes no sense to me.
You have to look at the positives and negatives equally to see if the player is going to be a fit for what you want to do.
You’re implying that I believe you just completely ignore the things a player isn’t good at. That isn’t the case at all and I never said that.
The point is people are framing their opinions based, seemingly, purely on the negatives. ‘He can’t do this, he’s not quite as good there.’ Meanwhile they don’t talk about the 20 things he does really well.
That is backwards. And it provides analysis that is essentially worthless.
Rob, Alex Anzalone looked very good yesterday. He has coverage skill’s that are underrated. Caroll Phillips looking good too.
(posted this in the wrong thread)
Haven’t been able to watch anything this week. How has Taylor Moton looked? Was a little disappointed with his arm length (though he has a respectable wingspan.) Seems like a hard working, smart kid though. I’ve been assuming he’s a more realistic target for the Hawks over the top-2 tackles we’ve discussed.
Moton has looked great by all accounts. I wouldn’t mind Seattle using its 2nd round pick on him if we still have it, and he’d be a steal in the late 3rd. I like him better as a RG, where I think he could be an impact player right away. He has tremendous size and power, and he carries it pretty well.
I think all of this HAS to start with our offseason plans for the OL. I know what Pete said, but I still think they have to decide for sure if the starting tackles are on this team. If they are willing to waste another year developing Fant and Gilliam.
Sidenote: Yes, “waste.” Everybody’s talking about how these guys are going to develop over the offseason, that the biggest improvement is from rookie year to second year. Well, remember how Gilliam “developed” after his rookie year? How Britt “developed” after his rookie year? They basically didn’t, in any significant way. Britt just sucked as a G instead of a RT, and Gilliam stayed the same below average RT (maybe by the last few games of the season he was steadier, but he “developed” so much he got benched. Glowinski developed into a below average LG. And forget their confidence. They were confident that Gilliam would be fine at LT. They were confident Nowak could play C. Tom Cable’s confidence is worth little at this point.
If we don’t sign a significant veteran OT in FA (the floor would be Matt Kalil), we are going to be hamstrung in the draft, I think. I think we NEED to trade down in the 1st or 2nd to recoup a 4th-round pick (at least), and if we have that glaring question mark at T going into the draft, we can’t afford to do that. If we sign a vet OT, though, the whole draft opens up and we can afford to wait on a T and take a Moton at G (or Lamp, or Feeney, or Johnson, whoever you like). Unless we are moving Ifedi to RT, though, we don’t even need to look at guards, IMO.
I understand all that and share your frustration. That said, it’s unlikely the front office will change it’s tune, especially with pressing needs at more positions than usual this offseason.
Then, as I said, prepare for another wasted season. To me, we are that awesome back-to-the-basket center, 6-11, 290, that has become convinced that we’d be even deadlier if we just developed a 3-point shot, so we spend way too much time hanging around the perimeter wasting possessions taking jumpshots rather than just being great at what we are.
Gilliam was practicing at left tackle for the entire offseason, he actually didn’t have too bad a season he only gave up 1 sack according to a fieldgulls comment i saw citing the washington post. The continuity will improve them anyways
Anything think it’s possible the Hawks spend big on CB in free agency, rather than OT or DT as we’ve discussed? I’m still collecting my thoughts on that theory, but I think there’s a good chance actually.
I think the Cary Williams experience soured them on signing a big FA CB.
Cary was simply a bad signing – he was never a good corner, and the Hawks were desperate for a veteran CB at the time. The fact that they signed him is an indication that they could be willing to go the UFA route at CB again. On the other hand, they’ve never drafted a CB early. It’s definitely possible. I have some more thoughts on this to share later when I’ve got time.
I don’t get why the Seahawks can’t do better evaluations of free agents. They have been playing in the pros, the old coaches know all about them, there is plenty of game tape to watch, and they can interview and work out the guy. Yet they get stuck with guys who either can’t play, or have a bad attitude (Percy Harvin). I just don’t understand it.
They’ve added 2 of the best pass rushers in the NFL in Bennett and Avril. FA is there as a last rexsort. Only if you have to.
They have done okay on defensive line. Makes me wonder why they can’t evaluate the other positions. Seems like they use FA to fill in the gaps, I wouldn’t call it a last resort as the Seahawks have been willing to throw average to good money at some players. They have just had more busts then hits, or perhaps it is equal. And that doesn’t make sense to me when you have so much history to look at before offering on a player.
You know what is a last resort? Drafting a tight end and a basketball player to be offensive tackles. I hope it works out – but if they are that desperate and the offensive draft picks are that bad, maybe they should pick defensive line first two picks and convert them to offense. Give them a year of training and you could have two great offensive linemen.
I’d say they’ve done better than OK on the D-line in FA.
Your paying for previous production and banking on your coaches and scheme that they’ll be better. And they didn’t draft a TE or Ball player. They were undrafted. There’s no harm there.
Interesting timing, hawks are being linked to cowboys free agent DT Terrell McClain. Being reported they are likely to pursue him. Any thoughts Vol?
I think it’s much more likely they use FA to address competition at DL and possibly OL. I think they are probably going corner/secondary in the draft probably high and possibly often, along with linebacker.
Chris Wormley is a stud! Another Chris Jones. Not as long or heavy, but same kid.
Whew! What a rep by Reddick.
Insta-strip sack. Banner might as well be a giant orange pylon.
Banner is bad. He’s good downhill in the run game and if he gets his hands on ya, its over. But I don’t even think he’s draftable. Most of these O-lineman aren’t, but in such a down year for the position, teams will get desperate and waste a draft pick just so they can grab an O-lineman and appease the fan base.
Is Reddick Jamaican? I hear a slight accent.
Even if Banner drops another 25 lbs to 335 by the combine like he says he will (and tests better than expected), how can any team trust him after playing at 380 the last couple years?
I don’t think they can. However, an NFL training regiment may be what he needs.
It’s going to take a whole regiment to get him in shape!
Reddick – “Anytime (Temple guys) are on the field, we’re the hardest guys on the field.”
“More comfortable at OLB”
Have the day off for a change, and have been watching the Senior Bowl practices on the NFL network. Hassan Reddick looks dominant in every drill and every phase of the game. Not only is he great at rushing the passer, he diagnosed a screen immediately and almost intercepted it, gets by his man easily in drills vs. the OL, and most impressively, he looked faster and stuck like glue to any receiver in the RB/TE vs. LB/S drills, even better than the safeties.
The analysts and announcers, from on site at the practices to every site I’ve checked for Senior Bowl reports, have raved about how he is a man among boys in every practice this week, showing outstanding LB coverage skills, even though this is the first time he’s ever played LB, has played DE his whole college career.
When NFL network announcers asked Reddick after today’s practice which teams have shown interest and talked to him this week, he said all 32 teams, and has some more meetings with teams scheduled for tonight. Like Sheldon Rankins last year, these dominant practices he’s had this week could launch him from the 2nd round or so to the 20’s or teens in the first round, which is where the Saints took Rankins in the 2016 draft, think it was at #13.
Think someone asked this earlier Rob but didn’t see an answer, and since most teams have major needs on the OL – Bolles and Ramczyk will probably be long gone, who would you prefer between Reddick at LB or Obi at safety/CB, who’s also looked great in coverage drills? Would love to see us get Reddick at #26 if he lasts that long, and trade up in round 2 like with Reed last year to get Obi or Kevin King..
If it’s between Reddick and Melifonwu I’m taking Reddick 100 times out of 100.
I agree Rob. Obi has looked big and fast for a safety, able to cover WRs and TEs very well at the Senior Bowl practices this week. But Reddick looks like an elite star so far. He reminds me of one of last year’s defensive stars at the Senior Bowl – Deion Jones of LSU, who was fast and a good tackler at the practices and game in 2016. Jones had 108 tackles with 2 pick-6s for the Falcons this year. Reddick looks as fast as Jones was in coverage although just starting to play LB the last few days, but has a much more diverse skill set with his pass rushing abilities.
Thanks for all you do here and with Kenny, Rob. Would never have heard of Bolles, Obi, or Reddick until you reported on them the last few months. Also remember you mentioning how good Keanu Neal was last year for U of Florida – he was right behind Jones for Atlanta with 106 tackles and had 5 forces fumbles. I deliver on one of my jobs, and your Seahawks/mock draft podcast with Kenny is #1 on my playlist every week ahead of other Seahawks podcasts like John Clayton and Brock/Salk. Guess you and Kenny are going to wait for the next podcast until after the Senior Bowl game to see who plays well or not.
Thanks man! Really appreciate those kind words. I’ve just this second finished this weeks podcast with Kenny so it should be available shortly!
Great news! Thanks for letting us know – looking forward to it.
I initially scoffed a bit at the idea, but if Byron Maxwell is made available (cut or late pick trade to dump salary), might he actually be worth it? Food for thought.
We know he fits in the system and locker room. That is not a given with any corners in the draft. (we could still draft a developmental corner, just saying there are no guarantees, especially after the top guys are gone)
We know he meets our physical requirements which, as we have seen these days, is harder to find than it might seem.
We talked extensively earlier in the year about the Hawks wanting players that have that knack for creating turnovers. His 33.5 in. (!) arms once again forced 4 fumbles this year. I think I remember PC has even said he is just good at it.
We couldn’t make it happen a couple years ago, but might he be worth it now that we have some cap room to play with and the cap limit continues to inflate? On his current $10m/apy deal? At $8-9m?
I understand why he left, but I don’t think bridges were burned, and maybe he would gladly come back now that he has made some money and realizes the brotherhood and playoff football he has been missing in Seattle.
If he gets cut I cannot see there being a big market for Maxi and I think he would be the perfect signing at the right prices.
Knows the technique and system and can turn the all over. I would be all for that move at the right price and think it is something that could definitely happen.
The difference between talent on the defensive side of the ball vs offensive is ridiculous. Particularly in the trenches it is so noticeable.
I guess you have to keep in mind that most 1st round talent is not here as only 3 Senior bowl guys went Rd #1 last year and likely only 3-4 this year. Still there is so much more defensive talent in this years draft class that some offensive guys are going to get way over drafted out of desperation.
I know everyone wants Calais Campbell and I do as well but given the disparity in talent between offense and defense in this draft I really would prefer that if we are going to make a splash that is for an offensive lineman as the only guys I see coming in to help year #1 are Bolles, Ryan R and both those guys are likely top 20 picks. Still think signing Zietler and moving Ifedi RT but according to Pete that is not going to happen.