I’ve been writing this blog for 11 years. I can’t remember whether I’ve posted notes on every practise week at the Senior Bowl during that time. However, I can’t recall the last time I didn’t.
Sadly, this year almost bucked the trend. The NFL Network decided not to provide live coverage from Mobile. Instead, this is what we got…
— A five minute live interview with Thomas Dimitroff
— Two reps of OL vs DL drills
— A few WR vs DB reps
— Finish
They then cut to a full replay of the AFC Championship game. We can only guess what the audience is for a game replay that would interest only Kansas City Chiefs fans. Yet despite having a full presenting team live in Mobile — not to mention their top two news reporters — barely any live coverage was provided.
The NFL draft has never been bigger or more popular. The Senior Bowl has never been as high profile as it is today. I just don’t understand why, when presented with a free window to provide live, interesting football coverage that they’ve previously covered for years, the NFL Network made the decision not to provide coverage in 2020. Instead all we get is a one hour round-up show at 8pm EST. Let’s hope it has plenty of action from the drills and isn’t just a collection of interviews and analysis.
I don’t know what I’ll be able to provide this year. I’m relying on Twitter. Matt Valdovinos from PFN is very kindly posting some videos of the OL vs DL drills. We can analyse those and try to rescue something from this years Senior Bowl.
It does make me more determined than ever to get out there next year and watch the drills live.
Anyway, this is what we’ve got in 2020…
In my favourite prospects list posted last week, Kentucky guard Logan Stenberg was included. I think he’s fantastic. Physical isn’t a strong enough word to describe him. Stenberg punishes defensive linemen. Hammers them. I suspect off the back of a strong Senior Bowl he could start to really rise up boards and mock drafts.
Look at this rep against Robert Windsor of Penn State:
Logan Stenburg, Kentucky vs Robert Windsor, Penn State pic.twitter.com/wGzolKIrh1
— Matt Valdovinos (@MVScouting) January 21, 2020
This is actually a fairly tame rep from Stenberg. In an actual game he would’ve finished the block, buried Windsor into the turf and claimed a soul. You can still see the combination of control and power he plays with. He’s not reckless — he just locks on, drives off a strong base and controls the block.
Now here he is against Ole Miss’ Josiah Coatney — a player with a good get-off and described as a potential third round pick:
Stenberger vs Josiah Coatney, Ole Miss pic.twitter.com/PUnwaonw4f
— Matt Valdovinos (@MVScouting) January 21, 2020
He’s moving laterally to the right here but you see the same thing again. He engages Coatney, controls the block, never loses balance and finishes. There’s no escape for Coatney. A rep like this is important for Stenberg. People have questioned his mobility (even though there’s plenty of evidence on tape of a willingness to reach up to the second level or pull effectively). The footwork and control on the move and the execution of the block is all solid here.
We’ll see how the week develops but I think Stenberg is a very solid second round type with room to further move up boards. If he was available in round three he’d be a steal for someone. We’re talking about an Alex Boone type here with even more upside. The Seahawks like big, physical run-blockers. Stenberg looks like the ideal fit.
Perhaps the most impressive performer today based on the limited footage we have is LSU center Lloyd Cushenberry. He measured extremely well with 34 5/8 inch arms, a wingspan of 83 1/8 inches and massive 10 1/2 inch hands. He’s 6-3 and 312lbs. Every box is ticked physically.
This rep is against Ole Miss’ Benito Jones:
Lloyd Cushenberry III, LSU vs Benito Jones, Ole Miss.
Cushenberry has been excellent today. pic.twitter.com/G9Lz87aNjo
— Matt Valdovinos (@MVScouting) January 21, 2020
Notice how low Cushenberry gets. He’s tall and long but he has the superior get-off, leveraging Jones with pad-level and winning the rep as soon as the whistle was blown. It’s not common to see a player with Cushenberry’s size get this low and win so easily with leverage. Jones struggles to disengage too and there’s a nice finish to this block.
We’re going to get onto the positives for Javon Kinlaw in a moment because he had an incredible few reps and continues to look like a top-10 lock. However, when he faced Cushenberry, this happened:
Cushenberry vs Kinlaw.
ELITE rep from Cushenberry. pic.twitter.com/RjCBKAMGNC
— Matt Valdovinos (@MVScouting) January 21, 2020
You can hear the coaches hollering in the background. Again Cushenberry fires out of his stance and gains leverage on contact. He places his hands right under the pads and immediately he has control of the block. Kinlaw initially tries to fight through it but loses control when he can’t disengage. As he turns to try and wrestle off the block, he’s turned, he loses balance and it’s a 15-yard completion downfield. This is the only video posted when Kinlaw didn’t dominate and Cushenberry shut him down.
There might not be a more beneficial rep at practise this week. A clip like this demands a longer review of Cushenberry’s tape. That’s a NFL stud in waiting he just owned. With such great size too, that’s a very exciting start to the week.
Here’s what Kinlaw did to everyone else:
Kinlaw in a 2v1 vs Simpson and Bartch.
This shoulder dip shouldn’t be possible at 315. pic.twitter.com/kZIglWLYTr
— Matt Valdovinos (@MVScouting) January 21, 2020
Fantastic shoulder dip, exceptional flexibility, balance and quickness.
Here he is showing up Clemson’s John Simpson:
Pass Rush 1v1
John Simpson vs Javon Kinlaw. Kinlaw has dominated today. pic.twitter.com/oIGa9rk50c
— Matt Valdovinos (@MVScouting) January 21, 2020
Look at the slap on initial contact to keep his frame clean and then an easy swim into the backfield. Simpson lunges at Kinlaw and ends up reaching which doesn’t help. His footwork needs major work and that showed on Clemson film. Yet this is Kinlaw showing the kind of freakish athleticism and talent that’ll get you off the board very early in round one. Every team is looking for this.
Can he win with power?
OL vs DL drills.
John Simpson, Clemson vs Javon Kinlaw, South Carolina pic.twitter.com/vaXyvGl4xj
— Matt Valdovinos (@MVScouting) January 21, 2020
Remember when Logan Stenberg earlier was able to retain balance, lock-on and finish in control? Granted he was facing Javon Kinlaw but look at the difference here. Kinlaw just drives him backwards and he’s hanging on. If that was a stretch or a sweep or a toss — good luck.
Jonathan Greenard was fun to watch at Florida and he’s well sized. Yet there are big concerns about his athletic ceiling. That showed up today. Here he is struggling against Ben Bartch of St. John’s:
Ben Barth, Saint John’s vs Jonathan Greenard, Florida.
Ben Barth has been awesome today. Pass set is smooth and feet are active. pic.twitter.com/aVtbS0Deip
— Matt Valdovinos (@MVScouting) January 21, 2020
On this rep he couldn’t get off Terence Steel of Texas Tech:
Steele vs Jonathan Greenard, Florida
Another really good rep from Steele, has been the best tackle for the north today. pic.twitter.com/cnSy0vzdl7— Matt Valdovinos (@MVScouting) January 21, 2020
Here’s a rep between Matt Hennessy and Neville Gallimore:
Matt Hennessy, Temple vs Neville Gallimore, Oklahoma
Great rep for Gallimore. pic.twitter.com/nYHVq4wgLV
— Matt Valdovinos (@MVScouting) January 21, 2020
Gallimore’s effort wins the rep. He has Hennessy on skates very early and he can’t recover to gain hand-placement and leverage. Gallimore controls him with his right arm and is able to keep his eyes on the QB to adjust to his movement. Although he doesn’t disengage the pocket is collapsed.
Here’s 90 seconds of North drills 1v1:
Some good 1v1s from the North team #SeniorBowl pic.twitter.com/v5tnvwPkcO
— Clay Smarslok (@CSmarsNFLDraft) January 21, 2020
Nick Harris has a good battle in the first rep. The defensive lineman wearing #91 does a decent job countering inside initially and wins the rep. However, Harris does recover to some extent, walling off the path to the QB and shoving his opponent to the turf. You can hear a coach yelling, ‘get off the ground’ at the defender.
Ben Bredeson wins the second rep, absorbing the contact from Alton Robinson and combating the one-armed jolt to try and disengage. Bredeson locks on and finishes. It’s a shame he doesn’t have +33 inch arms.
Josh Jones loses the third rep to Bradlee Anae. This is a problem for Jones. His initial contact is good and it looks like he’s going to win easily. Then Anae counters and shifts inside. You’ve got to play inside out and make a defender beat you on the longest path to the QB. Jones lets Anae inside here and there’s no resistance. The line coach immediately moved over to speak to him after this rep.
The final rep at the end is a rematch between Matt Hennessy and Neville Gallimore. This time it’s a solid win for Hennessy.
Here’s Tony Pauline’s thoughts on the South practise:
On Episode No. 111 of the Draft Analysts, @TonyPauline and I break down Day 1 of practice for the South team at the 2020 @seniorbowl. We go position by position to tell you who stood out and who struggled in Tuesday’s early practice: https://t.co/TRLz8iJFvx
— Chris Tripodi (@christripodi) January 21, 2020
And Tony’s take on the North practise:
On Episode No. 112 of the Draft Analysts, @TonyPauline and I break down Day 1 of practice for the North team at the 2020 @seniorbowl. We go position by position to tell you who stood out and who struggled in Tuesday’s second practice: https://t.co/Ojld5yf1Oj pic.twitter.com/IfVucivjQI
— Chris Tripodi (@christripodi) January 21, 2020
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Is the North team still stretching? lol
Love Jim Nagy, but this never happened under Phil Savage’s watch. I’m just sayin’. 🤷♂️
[Rob, FYI some of the embedded Twitter clips are repeated for me at least. The first ones of what Kinlaw “did to everyone else” are just the same clip vs. Cushenberry.]
Then lower, the rep that is supposed to be of Greenard is a repeat of Kinlaw vs. John Simpson, Clemson.
Ditto for me on mobile
Fixed it. No idea what happened there.
Somethings wrong with your tweet inserts of Kinlaw, a few are the same clip or something. Cheers Rob, thanks for the review
Fixed it.
[Re-post]
Found a clip of one of the guys on the CB list with good size and length. Makes some plays on the ball and physical plays to tackle that make me take interest. Of course, this is just a clip, but I’m interested in seeing more for sure:
DB Reggie Robinson II, Tulsa, 6010, 202, 8 1/4 hand, 32 3/8 arm, 76 3/8 wing
https://twitter.com/DanielHouseNFL/status/1219375847620014080
Vol, yeah, Dane Jackson appears quick in some clips and already has a couple PBU, which is what he did a lot on tape. I like him, but he is a little smaller than I had hoped.
CB Dane Jackson, Pittsburgh, 5115, 180, 8 3/4 hand, 30 7/8 arm, 73 6/8 wing
Comps for reference:
J. Coleman: 5105, 185, 31.25 arm, N/A wing
Amadi.: 5093, 199, 31 3/4 arm, 77 1/8 wing
Got burned here: https://twitter.com/DiabeticTyler/status/1219720492644491270
and here gave up separation on an overthrow: https://twitter.com/Gino_LOE/status/1219710658276663297
But nice plays here: https://twitter.com/DonnieDruin/status/1219710229740445696
and here: https://twitter.com/CCSTheRealForno/status/1219710480878575616
That’s ok. Probably not a fit for Seattle, but no reason to jump off the hype train.
Hey man, maybe they suddenly zig when more and more of the league is zagging towards length in their primary CB targets!
I’ve kinda been leaning towards keeping Britt this year, but it’s looking like such a nice centre class it may be too great opportunity to get a top young player and redirect some funds to the Dline.
Keep Britt (at a reduced price) and still draft his replacement. That way the rookie can develop behind a savvy vet.
This won’t save a dime.
Funky, but highly effective route from Collin Johnson. Intriguing stuff from a guy whose knock is that he doesn’t get much separation.
https://mobile.twitter.com/LuridRaider/status/1219712706569211904
Florida WR Van Jefferson off to a hot start as well.
https://twitter.com/CCSTheRealForno/status/1219711634089881600
Shoutout to Zxvo3 for spotting him a couple weeks ago.
Haha thanks man! I watched some video on YouTube of him against Derek Stingley Jr. from LSU. Superb route runner against one of the best in Stingley
KJ Hill has already put two CBs in the blender. Elite shuttle quickness showing up.
https://twitter.com/BarstoolOSU/status/1219741119480827906
The first one was Essang Bassey and that clip above is Lamar Jackson.
Im really bummed he is so short (arms, wingspan, hands). I thought he would be a good fit until I saw those numbers. Still has a lot to work with tho.
In case anyone else needs a list of the rosters that includes jersey numbers. The one on the official website doesn’t have them.
https://www.colts.com/news/senior-bowl-2020-north-south-team-rosters
NC DL Jason Strowbridge is really intriguing. Played DT at NC. That strength from playing inside seems to be showing up here.
Same with SMU WR James Proche.
On tape his hands are ridiculous. Separator.
Will be a little surprised if Seattle doesn’t show interest in Proche.
Has quite a bit of Tyler Lockett to him. Not a sensational athlete, isn’t dripling with physical traits, but silky smooth. A technician that can play inside or outside. Even provides some return ability.
On the road with work today so wont get to checkout Senior Bowl practices till tonight.
Curios about how some WRs looked. (Claypool, Mims and Gandy GOlden)
I think Mims is going to be a steal for someone. Reminds me of Kenny Golladay. Was really hoping they might take a look at Claypool as a TE.
Word is NE is crushing big time on Porche. Team scouts couldn’t stop raving about him at today’s practice. He’s their type of WR too.
love Proche. What a great WR class!!! I really like this LB class, way better than last years. We can get a Barton on the third day. I will say this about that; This TE class is deeper and better than last year’s.
I haven’t commented lately as I have been scouring through film. Robb brought Barth. I have been following him for a while.
The 4th through the 7th will be instrumental for QUALITY depth and heartbreaking cut-downs. I believe in Snyder. He will have a little more pull in this draft,while going forward as I think Carrol will gracefully walk @ contract end..
Great OL class. I see a trend within salary bump on the OL catching on in the college ranks.
I am looking @ 2 Huskies to be either drafted late or be singed as UDFA… GO HAWKS!!!
😏
https://seahawksdraftblog.com/friday-draft-notes-cesar-ruiz-declares-for-the-draft#comment-466423
Yup. Really reliable hands (9 5/8″, BTW) and somehow great at contested catches even at his size.
Questions for me as far as Seahawks interest would be 1) is he athletic enough? and 2) is he redundant with Ursua’s skillset, whom they obviously believe in?
That’s why guys like Reagor and Aiyuk (and Ruggs) interest me so much. Add some RAC to complement Lockett and Metcalf while still being deep threats too.
Matt Voldovinos from PFN who provides the clips of OL/DL 1-on-1s has this to say about Strowbridge after watching him first hand:
Jason Strowbridge/DL/North Carolina: Strowbridge is not someone I was familiar with coming into the week, but he showed out today. He has elite size at 6’4″ and 267 pounds with a massive 80-inch wingspan. Strowbridge lined up all along the defensive line, from 1-tech to 5-tech and performed well at all of them. His hands were violent, and his get-off was quick. Strowbridge will be someone I absolutely keep my eye on for the rest of the week.
He’s the guy punishing Clemsons OL all night long in September. You really have to watch some tape from that game, especially the “phone booth” play.
Yup, Bredeson’s short arms hurt him here. Defender gets his hand into chest plate, extends, and Bredeson can’t reach him.
https://twitter.com/ChaseGoodbread/status/1219759716731117568
Hawks should go Canadian to fix the interior of the DL. Draft Gallimore to play 3 Tech and then sign David Oneymeta as an athletic run stopper with some pass rush.
Would be a young aggressive cheap DT Rotation. (Gallimore, Oneymata, Poona and Mone)
Then spend your $ on Clowney and Fowler at DE.
Not going to happen but as a Canuck Hawks fan one can dream.
You know I’m on the Gallimore train with you. Measured pretty well too for a DT.
Neville Gallimore, Oklahoma, 6020, 304, 10 hand, 32 7/8 arm, 78 1/4 wing
I just can’t recall anyone his size who can change directions like he does. It’s incredible. And his motor is off the charts. But I do feel he is pretty raw still and will take time to develop, so it’s going to be a long-term investment for whichever team drafts him. But the upside is crazy.
Aren’t sub 33″ arms a little short for a SEA DT?
Otherwise Gallimore looks like a strong prospect.
Yes, but it’s 1/8 of an inch in this case. I think an exception can be made considering his athleticism will get him a lot further than an extra 1/8 of an inch would.
He might be at 33” at the Combine. Last year there were some differences for some reason. If 1/8 “ is the reason they don’t take him I would be disappointed. His wingspan looks fine.
My only question with Gallimore is whether he fits the the Hawks’ style. Gallimore’s strength is his ability to penetrate with quickness but he doesn’t have great size or arm length to control a gap.
I think you are drafting him to use as a 3T pass rush specialist early on, then see what he can develop into down the road. He does have some crazy weight room strength numbers, so the raw power to hold a gap and push the pocket is there if he can learn the right technique to utilize it.
Didn’t we draft Collier to be the next 3T Michael Bennett?
Bennett wasn’t a three technique
I thought he played a 5 tech but switched inside to a 3 tech on passing downs. His ability to generate pressure from the inside, which is what I thought was a 3 technique, was what made him unique.
Three technique is a very defined, full-time role. You’re describing an inside/out rusher.
Some North DL vs. OL reps:
https://twitter.com/CSmarsNFLDraft/status/1219756099676659712
– DT? (91) beats Nick Harris (54).
– Ben Bredeson (74) handles Alton Robinson (94).
– Bradlee Anae (58) vs. Josh Jones (70). Tie goes to the OL in this drill.
– Alton Robinson (94) beats Colton McKivitz (53) swimming back inside.
– Jonah Jackson (73) wins against Darrion Daniels (79). Well played.
– Bradlee Anae (58) holds off Neville Gallimore (90).
Gallimore is so raw, as has been noted by a few of the smart commenters here. Lack of elite length could really hurt him at the next level.
Agreed. He’d absolutely have to play in the right system for a team like the Buc’s who value penetration and even then he might be a situational interior pass rusher.
He has a little bit of the same problem James Lynch faces.
Not strictly DT, not strictly DE, potentially both, potentially none.
Woof
https://twitter.com/MVScouting/status/1219745723757006851
I’ve updated the piece. Will check tomorrow to see what the NFL Network ended up showing in their ‘highlights’ hour.
I’m seriously draft crushing on the Center/Guard class in this draft.
Stenberg and Cushenberry would be a fantastic duo addition to anchor SEA OL for the next 5 years at least.
And it would come with the cap savings from Britt to sign a pass rusher or 2.
Might be time to consider dipping into this OL and WR class early and often
Keep telling y’all, Joshua Kelly is one to watch. Prototypical Pete Carroll RB. His Combine/pro day testing will be important.
Hypothetical: Kinlaw drops to no. 10, trade 27 and next years no.1 to move up. Is that enough to trade up that far?
I would do it from what I’ve seen. Seattle will pick in late 20s again next year and I’d kill to have that kind of elite talent on the DL. Seems like a great kid too
I doubt that would be enough. Probably need to give up a second too. It’s such a jump.
Atlanta moved from 27 to 6 for Julio and gave up:
R1x2
R2
R4
R5
I really like Kinlaw but that’s too much.
Yeah, that’s steep. Too rich. Sigh
It may seem rich now, but how much better would our current corner backs be if Kinlaw collapses the center of the O-line in about a second? Get the right DEs via free agency and that whole defense looks totally different – a terror to opposing teams.
Sure, if you could guarantee he’d actually do that. Unfortunately we can’t and if he’s more Solomon Thomas than Fletcher Cox it could be a titanic mistake.
Add one more 3rd rounded and that’s what chiefs gave for Mahomes.
Really unlikely. And highly risky. But Kinlaw has a bit of an Aaron Donald feel to him (only watched couple of clips, so maybe I’m waaay off on this).
It’d cost a ton, but imagine making a trade with the Jaguars that include 1/9 and Campbell.
Clowney, Kinlaw, Campbell, and maybe Ogbah or Beasley could be a pretty sweet DL
I think Kinlaw’s more Fletcher Cox than Aaron Donald.
not sure if you already have…but here is the coverage.
Tuesday, Jan. 21
South Team practice: 2 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. ET (NFL Network)
North Team practice: 4 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. ET (NFL Network)
Wednesday, Jan. 22
North Team practice: 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. ET (NFL Network, ESPN, ESPNU)
South Team practice: 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. ET (NFL Network, ESPN, ESPNU)
Thursday, Jan. 23
North Team practice: 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. ET (NFL Network, ESPN, ESPNU)
South Team practice: 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. ET (NFL Network, ESPN, ESPNU)
Saturday, Jan. 25
2020 Reese’s Senior Bowl
2:30 p.m. ET
Ladd Peebles Stadium – Mobile, Ala.
NFL Network, Streaming Online
That is the schedule not the coverage.
NFL Network showed five mins and then went to a replay of the AFC Championship game, and broadcast a recap hours later which was totally inadequate and frankly a waste of time.
Hopefully ESPN will cover it today and tomorrow.
Hope so but I don’t have access sadly.
I would pick strong center and guard this draft rather moving up to grab DL prospect. Strong OLine will make any decent RB life easy, it’s hawks staple.
I agree, especially on the center. It seems like a bigger, stronger center that can double team with a road grader guard would be really valuable for our style of play.
Trade down from 27 to pick up another R3 pick and take Cushenberry or Ruiz, whichever is there because odds are at least one will be. One Senior Bowl practice does not make a prospect, but Cushenberry has unusual length and size for a C. The fact that he’s 6’3″ instead of 6’6″ is sort of tailor made for Wilson.
Then take Stenberg at 59 assuming he’s there.
2. Brandon Aiyuk WR
2. Logan Stenberg OG
2. Patrick Queen LB
3. Lloyd Cushenberry C
3. Harrison Bryant TE
4. Thaddeus Moss TE
4. Juwan Johnson WR
4. BPA
5. BPA
6. BPA
Sign me up!
It’s early, but I’m already getting the feeling after elite measurements and a couple practice reps that Cushenberry isn’t going to get out of R2, let alone last to late R3.
I think the only C you might have a shot at there is Nick Harris because he is under-sized.
A quick note though guys — the NFL Network oh so generously showed about five whole minutes of OL vs DL on their dreadful recap show last night. They showed two snaps where Cushenberry struggled against Kinlaw, on one snap he just gave up his chest and was walked back into the QB. The other he was bull-rushed into the backfield and he was clinging on. No doubt he looked good in the videos I posted in the article but this is why I want to see the whole workout. We need to see all the reps. And Cushenberry had good and bad moments.
Really like the first three picks a lot. They would have an instant impact on the 2020 roster I think. Queen could be the first off the ball LB though if he tests like I expect at the combine. If he is on the board at the end of Rd #2 it would be awesome.
I would like to see Moss at the combine it he looks the part. Not sure about Bryant or Cushenberry as I really have no studied at all but they have gotten good reviews
Top Speeds at today’s South practice:
Van Jefferson: 21.1 MPH
Dane Jackson: 21.1 MPH
Devin Duvernay: 21 MPH
Jared Mayden: 20.9 MPH
Kindle Vildor: 20.6 MPH
Stephen Sullivan: 20 MPH
Tyrie Cleveland: 20 MPH
Top 5 for North squad:
Lamar Jackson – 20.84
Troy Pride Jr. – 20.46
Denzel Mims – 20.26
Chase Claypool – 20.17
Terrell Burgess – 20.11
For reference:
Top 10 fastest players 2019 Senior Bowl day 1:
Terry McLaurin (WR) – 22.2
Isaiah Johnson (DB) – 21.7
Gary Jennings (WR) – 21.5
Deebo Samuel (WR) – 21.1
Corey Ballentine (DB) – 21.6
Jordan Brown (DB) – 20.7
Penny Hart (WR) – 20.6
Travis Fulgham (WR) – 20.5
Rock Ya-Sin (DB) – 20.3
Iman Marshall (DB) – 19.9
Fastest players during 2017 regular season and 2018 Senior Bowl:
C.J. Goodwin 22.81 MPH
Chris Thompson 22.64 MPH
Ronald Darby 22.50 MPH
Marvin Hall 22.48 MPH
Tre’Quan Smith 22.41 MPH
Thanks for the numbers. Lamar Jackson, is the defensive back from Nebraska right? He’s a big kid at 6’3″, 215. It’ll be interesting to see if he has the chops to hang with NFL receivers. A faster Brandon Browner?
Yeah, he’s got the physical traits, no doubt. But I was completely turned off by his 2018 tape. (Shies away from contact and gives up on plays in a very frustrating way. Gets washed out of plays by the tiniest of WRs. Can’t tackle worth beans.) Maybe 2019 was different, but usually it’s hard to change the core aggressiveness in a player: they either like and seek contact or they don’t. Gonna take a lot to change my mind at this point.
I don’t know the source but I read a comment that DK Metcalf was clocked with a top speed of 22.6 mph.
Kindle Vildor is pretty interesting. Scrappy coverer, closes/recovers well. Rangy, especially in the middle. Looks like he’d excel in nickel/slot role.
May be well worth a R6 flier.
😲
When is confidence too much…?
South Carolina’s Javon Kinlaw on whether he can be the kind of player Aaron Donald is:
“I think I can be better.”
“in four or five years I just don’t see anyone stopping me”
https://twitter.com/LukeEasterling/status/1219677082361516032
Too much is when you can’t walk the talk. His implication, “in 4 or 5 years”, is that he know’s he has a lot to learn. I like that his statement seems to be born from confidence rather than arrogance.
👍 Well said. And knowing his backstory and the kind of hard worker he is, I too see it from that perspective of confidence and selling himself well.
Huh. Did not know that.
Van Jefferson is the son of Jets WRs coach Shawn Jefferson.
Son’s team is better than Dad’s team… lol.
Van went to my old high school in Michigan while his dad was an assistant coach for the Lions. KJ Hamler went there as well, then transferred to IMG in FL as a senior and blew out his knee in his first game. Allen Robinson graduated a few years before both of them. KJ has been groomed by his dad to get every ounce out of him from what I’ve heard, hard worker who wants ‘it’.
Cheyenne O’Grady is a TE from Arkansas that has grabbed my interest based on one run. Here’s a short article on him but what you must watch is his “beast quake” run. This is how you establish the pecking order on the field.
https://12thmanrising.com/2020/01/21/seahawks-te-targets-2020-nfl-draft/4/
Ufff…I guess we could stop calculating Reed’s salary onto next year Seahawks salary cap
https://twitter.com/SamuelRGold/status/1219767439510118402?s=19
Uf Jarran is fighting with gosts on Twitter rn. It looks like he really thinks he deserves much more than 10mil. Tag and trade him for 3rd or early 4th. Teams will know we can’t or want keep him and won’t give us more than that. And better something than nothing.
And don’t need to tell me we can get 3rd round comp pick because it’s not true. Even if he gets money that is worth of 3rd round, it’s only half of equation. The other one is tricky and thats the one which said we can’t sign other FA for that amount of money.
C’mon Jarran. No need to negotiate in the media.
Awfull, awfull look…at least in my eyes…he really disappointed me..maybe he is tough but by these tweets doesn’t look like smart or reliable.
I’ve seen a lot worse on twitter. I don’t have an issue with him expecting more. Expectation will clash with reality down the line though.
Yeah, I too have zero problem with that, especially considering the half-playful tone it was written with. It’s contract season and a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do for posturing in negotiations. Always shoot for the stars and maybe you’ll get the moon…
Nice find, will be really interesting to see the contract he ends up getting. He pretty much peaked the wrong year tho, sure if he had 2 10 sack seasons in a row he would get paid more, but he didn’t. Instead he was suspended and was not nearly as effective this year as last year. Perfect receipt for a 1 year prove it deal as he will want to show he is worth big bucks.
I feel like this is a bit of an overreaction. He doesn’t want that the 10m to become the standard Reed salary in everyone’s mind. He obviously want more, and it’s fine. The question is…would he settle for 10m or less?
I haven’t had a chance to check out all your extensive work over the SR bowl, Rob but wanted to give a heads up to anyone interested if you don’t already to check out Seahawkmaven on YouTube. Very solid breakdown on Haynes in the division game vs Packers.
When we talk about Kinlaw being a top ten lock, who do you see taking him? Seems like the top 5 is fairly certain, with burrow, young, okudah, Thomas and Tua. and you still have Derrick Brown ahead of Kinlaw.
Jacksonville a strong option
Watched more of practise.
Kinlaw beat Cushenberry on back to back reps. Kind of added some perspective to Cushenberry’s good reps earlier. On one he just gave up his chest and was walked back to the QB.
Marlon Davidson rushed well on several reps and bossed John Simpson who looked bad.
Said it this summer when we were talking about Nick Coe. I love Derrick Brown, but Marlon Davidson might end up the best pro from that Auburn D-line.
I hate to say this, but Derrick Brown almost sounds dumb when he talks. Then again, DT is the easiest position to play so I’m not sure he’ll need a high football IQ.
Vol do you view Davidson as a penetrating 3 tech? Does he have the size to play early downs?
ND WR Chase Claypool hitting that speed Sea Mode listed at his size is ridiculous.
Physical/likes to block, ST’s ace, size/speed, might be able to play some move TE? Looks like a physical freak? Enticing.
And if Van Jefferson keeps dominating, Seattle will be all over that.
Claypool seperating with ease here. 🔥
https://twitter.com/i/status/1219749301661945862
I have been banging the drum for Claypool all year as you know Vol. Another Canadian kid who played very little ball prior to going to ND.
He is huge and has a big frame and hands. I was praying they would try him a little this senior bowl at TE. He could easily be 240-250 if he wanted and is a much bigger guy than say Jacob Hollister. I have followed him closely over the years and he is a physical player. If a team takes him and is patient for a year he could easily be a great pass catching TE.
He excels in the red zone too.
My comp would be Darren Waller from the Raiders. You could have Dissly your run blocking Y TE and Claypool as your Z.
The more I am thinking about our situation, the more I am sure we should give all we can to Chris Jones…I would rather pay him 20mil than Reed 10 (and obviously he wants more than that)…
Chris wont be Chiefs next season, they just don’t have enough money for that…give him 18-20mil and than see do we have enough money for Clowney to…yes I would rather have Jones than Jadeveon…
If we want we could go C, G with first two picks and go cheap on OL to have those two monster contracts on DL…
I don’t know does chiefs have enough cap space to play tag and trade game with chris (it would be better for us because we have draft ammunition to take him)…
Honestly our OL one year ago was really good and people were singing the praises of Solari. Won’t be too expensive to run an OL of Brown- Jones/Haynes – Britt (restructured) – Fluker – Fant/Ifedi and draft a T, C and G and hope they come in and take/earn the spots from the veterans. It would be a good year to do it as it seems like a strong year for the OL. Also, get a TE, RB and WR in the draft and focus our money towards the defensive side of the ball. Could use a young DL, LB and CB to provide depth as well though.
Chris Jones isn’t going anywhere.
I’ve broken this down already. Do you honestly think they’d rather keep Sammy Watkins for another year or make the easy and obvious cut their to franchise him?
Teams don’t let top players reach FA.
No, of course they wont keep Watkins over Jones. But without Samy they are at 180mil for 2020. And that’s without draft class. And there are talks that mahomes will want his new contract right now.(he can negotiate new contract after this season).
We will see how it ends…maybe they will tag him and take offers like we did with Frank…
They don’t need to millhouse. They have approximately $21m in cap space. Cutting Watkins creates $14m more. They can cut Cam Erving and create another $4.6m. They have about $40m to play with and that’s easily more than enough to retain Chris Jones, either on the tag or by extension.
It’s a stone cold lock that he will be with the Chiefs next year.
It seems like a no -brainer and lock I agree Rob. But I said the same things about Frank Clark last year. I thought the Hawks should have prioritized him after Russ and they didn’t. So one can hope the Chiefs make the same mistakes as improbable as it seems.
I don’t recall anyone at any point saying it was a stone-cold lock that Frank Clark would be back with the Seahawks.
The only thing I ever talked about was the massive challenge facing the Seahawks with Russell Wilson, Bobby Wagner and Jarran Reed entering the final year of their contracts and the likelihood of Clark being tagged and ending up in the same position.
We discussed, at great length, how difficult that was going to be for them. And frankly, it wasn’t a surprise at all that someone was sacrificed.
I wrote articles discussing potential Clark trades long before it happened:
https://seahawksdraftblog.com/a-seahawks-bills-trade-proposal-involving-frank-clark
The situations are totally different here.
I was not saying you said it was a lock. Sorry if that is how it sounded.
I just meant it was generally assumed that Clark would be a priority for the Hawks given his age, production, position and value to the Hawks defense. Given the regression in the DL it is clear they should have placed more value on him. They basically replaced Clark and Jacob Martin with Clowney, Collier and Ansah and the results were disastrous. They were not great in 2018 but still got pressure in 2019 they were awful.
I think it was assumed the Seahawks wanted to keep Clark. But nothing more than that. We spent a ton of time last year talking about Clark trades and spent a good three months discussing the challenge Seattle faced with Wilson, Wagner and Clark.
I am with you 100% Millhouse. I think there is a 99% chance he gets tagged it the CHiefs want to extend Mahomes and he is going to absolutely break the bank. Can the afford to keep everyone?
Maybe they will franchise and sign him but if he somehow hits the open market he should be target #1 IMO. If the Hawks could somehow sign Jones and Fowler that would be the best combination of high priced free agent DL signings IMO. The the Hawks are going to pay $40 mil per/yr for 2 DL those would be the two I would pick.
But he won’t hit the open market Trevor.
It’s a pipe dream.
Rob I agree what disappointing coverage of the Senior Bowl this year. If Jim Nagy wants to take this to the next level he needs to work out a deal with the broadcasters so he can run a live stream on their website of the practices. Even if it does not have any commentary.
I know some people got tired of Mayock but I miss him. The draft coverage with the NFL network has really gone down hill since he left. Jerrimiah just seems all fluff.
Agreed completely. Jeremiah is awful. Not even going to hold back. Just terrible.
But the worst thing is the ridding of live coverage. Today they are showing a replay of Kansas City vs San Francisco from 1994 instead of live coverage of the Senior Bowl. WHY? They have a whole crew in Mobile! They record as live for their crappy recap show. It’s an abomination.
About Chiefs cap situation…they have 20mil free space but only because rollover which is 20mil…when they cut Watkins they are due 180mil + 8mil dead money…salary cap for 2020 is 200mil…so without rolover, when they cut Watkins they have only 12mil(and that is without draft)…and teams almost never use that and chiefs have already some big contract for next few years and Mahomes (the biggest contract in history of NFL) is coming…
These are the facts. They have about $21m in cap space currently. They can easily cut Sammy Watkins and Cam Erving and push that towards $40m. In 2021 they have nearly $90m in cap space available. Let’s say they wanted to create more in 12 months time (even though they don’t need to). Tyrann Mathieu could be cut to save an extra $15m. Alex Okafor could be cut to save $6m.
The Chiefs have one of the most prepared, planned and creatively arranged caps in the league. They have extended all their top players, added Frank Clark and still have all the space they need for Mahomes and Chris Jones.
And none of this even takes into account the reports last week that the CBA is nearly sorted, which will almost certainly lead to a rapidly increased cap in the coming years.
It’s not even a question mark that they’ll be able to keep Chris Jones. It’s an absolute locked-in guarantee. The absolute worst case scenario for them is he’s tagged.
Just watched whatever coverage I could find this morning of practice yesterday and a couple of WR really stuck out to me. Hill (Ohio St) and Jefferson (Fla). Wow they were open on basically every route. I know this is not a great DB group but those two made it look easy with incredible route running and footwork. Have to see how they test at the combine but they look like NFL WRs.
Is Ohio St becoming a WR factory like Clemson? They don’t have a pro style passing attack but whoever is the WR coach there seems to be doing an awesome job if Mclaurin last year and Hill this year are any indication.
Brian Hartline is the wide receiver coach at Ohio State. As an ex-NFL player he knows what he’s doing.
Ohio State signed top recruit, Gee Scott’s son from the Seattle area. I think he went to Eastside Catholic and goes by Gee also.
Good luck to him. What an opportunity at a great school for receiver talent.
While I agree that the NFL should have provided the same coverage it has for years for this event, I believe you underestimate how much people like watching Mahomes and this KC offense. It’s not just Chiefs’ fans.
Behave yourself.
As if anyone was bothered about watching a re-run of the AFC Championship game instead of live Senior Bowl coverage. They could’ve shown that game at any time. Instead they plonked it right over the practise instead.
And unless I’m mistaken, Patrick Mahomes didn’t play in the 1994 game between the Chiefs and 49ers which they are replaying today instead of showing practise.
There’s no excuse for not showing it. And if people want to watch Mahomes, log onto Youtube and find his career highlights.
I want to thank you for your endless and thoughtful content on this site Rob. I am here every day and twice on Sunday. This is how I start my morning’s. Cheers!!!! 🙂
Appreciate it, thanks for reading. I’m happy people still enjoy the blog at a time when twitter hot takes and 220 character opinion’s posted without much consideration are all the rage.
This is why Kinlaw is a top-10 lock. My favorite prospect in this draft and it’s not even close.
https://twitter.com/MVScouting/status/1220105940768305153?s=20
If ADG tests as athletically as he looks, he’s a very interesting LB prospect for SEA in the mid rounds.