Johnny Manziel declared for the draft today -- could he be the #1 pick?
There are a couple of early trades this year that make a ton of sense.
Last year we experimented with ‘trade’ mocks and it’s something I intend to do again. Why not have a play around instead of churning out the same thing over and over again?
This week I’ve included just a couple of moves — right at the top.
Houston and St. Louis have both made it abundantly clear they want to deal down.
It shouldn’t be a big surprise.
The Texans don’t have a pressing need for a brilliant pass rusher like Jadeveon Clowney — they already have the best in the league. They do need a quarterback, but theoretically they could trade down and still get the QB they really want.
The Rams say they’re sticking with Sam Bradford. They also don’t need a pass rusher with Robert Quinn and Chris Long two of the best around. They can move down and still get an offensive tackle — the position most people expect them to target.
It really does make absolute sense for both teams to find a trade partner — and this year there could be some takers.
I can see three or four teams talking themselves into needing Johnny Manziel. He’s the best playmaker in the draft, the most exciting quarterback available and even if he defies convention — teams shouldn’t be scared off by that any more.
(see: Russell Wilson)
Would Houston take Manziel at #1? Very possible. But I just get the sense Bill O’Brien wants a more orthodox passer. It’s what he’s used to working with. Big, tall quarterbacks who can sling it from the pocket.
Maybe I’m wrong there? I’m just guessing. But I think a lot of people believe Blake Bortles will be O’Brien’s guy. It just seems like a good fit. And he’s well aware of him after UCF’s 34-31 victory at Penn State in September, where Bortles completed 74% of his passes and scored three touchdowns.
If a team like the Browns, for example, are pining for Manziel — it’s time to make a trade. It might not include the two first rounders owned by Cleveland, but some sort of package makes sense and probably suits both teams.
That way Houston gets the player they want at #4 with some extra draft stock included for good measure. Cleveland leapfrogs not only the Jaguars — who could show interest in Manziel — but also the Rams, who would almost certainly be fielding calls from teams looking to draft Manziel.
After firing the old front office for failing to make a deal for Robert Griffin III, Cleveland’s brain trust might be a bit more aggressive here.
If Jadeveon Clowney is still on the board at #2 — St. Louis suddenly is in a strong position. We have to assume he won’t get past Jacksonville at #3.
Teams like Atlanta at #6 and Minnesota at #8 are likely to be in the market for a pass rusher. Oakland, Tampa Bay and Tennessee could also be interested.
If any of them want Clowney badly enough, they’ll pick up the phone.
The Rams could move down a few spots, grab some stock (let’s say an extra second rounder) and still land an offensive tackle like Jake Matthews or Greg Robinson.
In both scenarios it’s win-win.
Since the new CBA kicked in we haven’t seen quite as much movement as we expected, aside from the blockbuster RGIII deal.
This might be the year where it really takes off.
Who knows? Maybe we’ll see the #1 pick dealt for the first time in a long time?
It’s something worth discussing anyway.
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TRADE #1 Johnny Manziel (QB, Cleveland) The Browns trade places with Houston and get the best playmaker in the draft. |
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TRADE #2 Jadeveon Clowney (DE, South Carolina) The Falcons need a stud on defense. They’re also no stranger to a big trade. This makes a ton of sense. |
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#3 Anthony Barr (DE, UCLA) Gus Bradley could use a great edge rusher. I have my doubts about Barr, but physically he has a ton of upside. |
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#4 Blake Bortles (QB, UCF) After trading down a few spots, Bill O’Brien gets the quarterback that best suits his offensive scheme. |
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#5 Sammy Watkins (WR, Clemson) He could shoot up boards after the combine. Oakland also needs a quarterback and should target one at the top of round two. |
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#6 Jake Matthews (T, Texas A&M) The Rams can afford to move down and still get one of the top offensive tackles on the board. |
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#7 Greg Robinson (T, Auburn) Fantastic prospect. Elite athletic qualities. Looks like a complete stud. He’s a better prospect than Matthews for me. |
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#8 Teddy Bridgewater (QB, Louisville) The Vikings will be pretty fortunate if one of the top three quarterbacks falls into their lap. |
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#9 Mike Evans (WR, Texas A&M) The more I watch Evans, the more convinced I am he’s a top ten pick and a true #1 receiver. |
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#10 Marqise Lee (WR, USC) Just a really good, competitive football player. Would look great alongside Megatron. |
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#11 Cyrus Kouandjio (T, Alabama) Kouandjio and Robinson are the top two tackles for me. If he lasts this long it’d be a steal. |
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#12 Tyler Lewan (T, Michigan) Solid if unspectacular tackle prospect. Just a good, honest football player. |
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#13 Darqueze Dennard (CB, Michigan State) The Rams could use another corner and Dennard looks like the best in this class. |
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#14 Ra’Shede Hageman (DT, Minnesota) He will dominate at the Senior Bowl and secure a place in the top-20 next May. |
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#15 Antonio Richardson (T, Tennessee) Massive tackle prospect. Could be the next Anthony Davis, minus the outspoken Tweets. |
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#16 Khalil Mack (LB, Buffalo) I’m not completely sold on Mack, but the Ravens have a lot of needs including adding another pass rusher. |
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#17 Louis Nix (DT, Notre Dame) He’s not dominated in 2013 and it’s a concern. Has he added too much bad weight? |
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#18 Eric Ebron (TE, North Carolina) Modern day tight end. Would provide a much needed weapon for the Jets offense. |
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#19 Cedric Ogbuehi (T, Texas A&M) Reports say he’ll stay at A&M for another year. If he chooses to declare he’ll likely be a first rounder. |
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#20 Cameron Erving (T, Florida State) Converted defensive lineman. Having a good year. Might not turn pro this year but we’ll wait and see. |
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#21 C.J. Mosley (LB, Alabama) Green Bay’s defense badly needs an upgrade. Mosley would be a nice presence at inside linebacker. |
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#22 Brent Urban (DE, Virginia) Chip Kelly likes defenders with length and speed. |
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#23 Jace Amaro (TE, Texas Tech) A difficult one to work out. Just how athletic is he? There’s no doubting his reliable hands. |
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#24 Justin Gilbert (CB, Oklahoma State) He’s had a productive year. I’ve only seen one of his games but came away impressed |
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#25 Bradley Roby (CB, Ohio State) Roby didn’t have a great 2013 season but I’m a believer. |
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| #26 Odell Beckham Jr (WR, LSU) Could provide a dynamic double threat with Josh Gordon. |
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#27 Xavier Su’a-Filo (G, UCLA) Big upside prospect with his best years ahead. |
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#28 Brandon Coleman (WR, Rutgers) Huge upside, could be another Josh Gordon. Bill Belichick loves to draft Rutgers’ players. |
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#29 Kelvin Benjamin (WR, Florida State) I’m not a huge fan. Too inconsistent. But he’s the big bodied wide out Carolina currently lacks. |
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#30 Zack Martin (T/G, Notre Dame) I really, really like this guy. He can play tackle in the NFL for me. Top-20 grade. |
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#31 Austin Seferian-Jenkins (TE, Washington) Earlier this week I wrote about why this could be an option. Big, orthodox tight end who can make plays. |
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#32 Vic Beasley (DE, Clemson) Underrated speed rusher who can cause havoc in the backfield. Huge production in the last two years. |
You still think the Seahawks won’t win the Super Bowl eh? How do you like Scott Crichton, Rob? I think he could be a nice replacement to losing Clemons. Davis Hsu has got me convinced that is what will be happening in the offseason.
Yes I think we’re nearing the end of the Clemons era, which is a shame. But he’s earning around $9-10m and it’s difficult to justify the salary given his performance has just dipped a little this year after the injury. His role in turning this team around can never be underestimated though. In fact I’d love to see him back on a reduced salary if possible — much reduced, however.
Benson Mayowa was redshirted for the entire season, it seems he will get a shot to replace him.
Crichton I have mixed views on. They used him inside against Oregon for some reason. Outside he can be hit and miss. He’s neither a powerful traditional 4-3 end or a super quick LEO or 3-4 OLB type. I’ll be really interested to see how he tests. I think he’ll be a R2-3 guy based on what I’ve seen.
As for Seattle at #31… superstition won’t let me put them at #32.
I agree Clem is done in Seattle unless he returns for pennies on the dollar. We likely have his replacement in house with Mayowa, Scruggs and the continued evolution of Bruce Irvin. And, of course, we have Avril for one more year. As for drafting another Leo, I don’t see value at our spot in the first two rounds. I used to be quite high on Kony Ealy, until I got a chance to watch him very closely in the Cotton Bowl versus OSU, where his athleticism and burst looked multiple degrees south of what I’m used to seeing on the Seahawks line every Sunday. And I would put Crichton a solid notch below Kealy. I’ll take Billy Turner in that spot, thank you.
Scruggs doesn’t play LEO and neither does Irvin, really. Scruggs is a 5tech and Irvin’s our Sam.
Avril is Clem’s replacement.
Ditto on Billy Turner, though. Looks a little chicken legged to me, though.
Irving is staying in school.
It wasn’t officially confirmed when I compiled the mock.
I would die if we burned a first round pick on Crichton. A waste. He’s a fourth rounder for the seahawks. No scheme fit and little athletic upside. Less athletic than John Simon.
Agreed. Crichton is just not what I’d spend a 1st round pick on. He doesn’t fit the system or offer much upside, which seems to be the MO of this front office regarding the 1st round.
Never said I wanted him the first round just wanted to see what Rob thought of him. I agree wholeheartedly with Rob in that we should definitely draft a WR/TE in round 1. To be honest with you I want to trade up for Mike Evans, Sammy Watkins, or Marqise Lee.
I think there could be a rush at pass rusher (Mack, Clowney, Beasley), OT, QB, or even WR within the top 10. I think it depends on what happens with pick 1 and 2. I am really liking the talent in this draft and it’s gonna be fun to watch.
Oh and I missed Barr.
Random observation…
Marquise Lee reminds me of former Ram, Isaac Bruce, from the Greatest Show on Turf era. I think of Lee, like Bruce, as the quintessential #2 WR. Put him with Megatron and even Stafford couldn’t screw that up, right?
It’d be a perfect match.
Lee = Bruce. Excellent comparison, Dave.
That does sound like a perfect match. The mocks are more fun to read with projected trades and probably more fun to prepare too. If it went exactly like this, getting ASJ, I would be thrilled with R-1.
Maybe after our performance this weekend against NO Rob will feel that superstition or not, the Seahawks are the best team in the NFL this season. Bring it SEAHAWKS, I cannot wait!!!
Is no one concerned with the fairly significant character issue red flags ASJ is waving around? Granted, PC has shown over and over the willingness to gives guys a chance that have made bad decisions off the field but otherwise love the game and want to be a part of the team. Not only does ASJ have a track record of off field issues, but his on field work ethic and love for the game are highly questionable, which to me seems like a PC deal breaker. If ASJ does go in the first round, it probably needs to be to a team far away from his home in Seattle where he can separate from any bad ‘homeboy’ influences currently dragging him down and become his own person. It takes a high level of character to succeed on the pro level in the town where you grew up where everyone you’ve known your whole life is constantly pulling on you in every direction, more-so after you become rich. ASJ does not look like that kind of player and he has bust written all over him to me, especially in Seattle.
Waving around red flags?
He got cited for one DUI and served a single day in jail.
Exaggerate much?
I’m 18. I went to Stadium High in Tacoma. I knew a couple people who knew ASJ. By all accounts he was a relatively soft spoken guy and he plays like it. He always has. I watched him play basketball and football for GHHS. Not sure where this whole thug image is coming from. Work ethic might not be great and that turns me off, but don’t just toss around a label like that.
I don’t know how many of you are familiar with Gig Harbor, but it’s CERTAINLY not thug central.
I agree the character risk is overblown, but my biggest concern is visibly lethargic/lack-of-urgency type of play that ASJ portrays. He really looks like he is in neutral for most of the game. I also have serious concerns about his speed and fit in this offense, especially at the price of a 1st rounder.
That said, I think he will be a good TE for a long time, but not necessarily one I want on my team or one that I think makes any sort of an impact that you’d come to expect out of a 1st round pick.
After watching half the tape, it didn’t seem like they threw the ball to ASJ much. I really want a Gronkoski style tight end. Big, good hands, can run 5-10 yards downfield and catch the ball in traffic, and durable enough to take hits in the back. Who would that be?
ASJ.
Now, if you are looking for someone to catch the ball, hit the seem, and then sprint 20 yards before he gets caught ala Gronk… not so sure.
But if you are looking for a wide-bodied target who catches everything and is great in the redzone, ASJ is your man.
Totally agree with trade activity at the top of the draft. Not so sure that Houston doesn’t just stay put at FOA and take Bortles, but if they do trade the pick to someone who is in love with either Manziel or Teddy Bridgewater, I don’t think Bortles gets past Jacksonville at the 3rd pick. Atlanta moving up to the 2nd pick to take Clowney is a very likely scenario given their need and the good fit. Another strong possibility is the Giants doing the same thing, continuing their longstanding tradition of being an All-Pro DE factory.
Hey Rob, are there any other DT’s that are just outside of the first round? Seems like there aren’t many that are elite in this year’s draft. Everyone is thinking that we’re going to go for a WR but JS has such a history going WR in the 2nd or 3rd round that I’m not sure I buy it.
It’s a very poor year for DT’s. Dominique Easley would’ve been in contention without the knee injury. I can’t see anyone else worthy of consideration.
Doubt this happens but I have been thinking about it. I was really surprised that last year CIN decided to go with Eifert. Now I think it was a great move but totally unexpected. Marvin Lewis is in a tough position. He basically has one year to win at least one playoff game. If he doesn’t I don’t see him returning. There has been talk that they might get a QB to replace Dalton. Well that’s really difficult. You don’t know how long it will take for the QB to adjust to the NFL or if he ever will. It’s almost better to just stick with what you got, something that has sent you to 3 straight playoff appearances. I could see them going CB and making his defense just a tad bit better. I’m just not sure if adding a CB will take this team over the top. If you think that Dalton is the problem and is what’s keeping you back but don’t feel you have enough time to replace him. Give him more talent… Could you imagine them pulling a Falcons move and trading up for Sammy Watkins. They already have a good WR corp, but Green and Watkins would be so nasty. Then you add Gresham, Eifert, and Bernard who had a very bad playoffs but a good rookie season. Just a though I hope doesn’t happen. Go Seahawks!
Problem is they’d still have Andy Dalton at QB. He already has the easiest life for a QB in the NFL with those weapons and that OL. While I agree Watkins in that group is scary, they will ultimately go as far as the QB takes them…which is not far IMO.
Would Zack Martin be a fit for the Seahawks scheme if he made it that far? Seems like a potentially nice match based on value and positional need. Would allow Seahawks to choose best combination of carp/sweezy/Bowie/bailey/martin for the remaining OL spots.
I think he fits all schemes.
I also envision these exact trades at 1&2 happening, and if they do, I could then even see a trade at #3 as well. Bridgewater seems to be a perfect fit for Minnesota: Polished, close to his ceiling of an average NFL starter and therefore ready to contribute to a team that is really just a QB away from competing for the playoffs. Also, they likely wouldn’t have to give up the moon to move up from 8 to 3 and assure themselves of getting him, likely saving their 2nd or 3rd rdr to add a pass rusher.
This exactly why I see him as a perfect fit for Houston. He’s big, strong, mobile, great pocket awareness.
I think Houston might make a move for Ryan Mallett. He would likely only cost them a 2nd RDr, or a 3rd and a conditional pick in ’15, but you talk about a guy who can fling it, RM definitely fits that bill.
I hope the Hawks trade up ahead of SF and Car to grab Brandon Coleman. I doubt he will make it all the way to #32, especially after a good combine. So they dont have a #3, so maybe their #32 plus a 4th to move up 6 spots?
Then again, Allen Robinson might be a good consolation prize. Still would rather have Coleman
Can you imagine CLE coming out of the 1st with Manziel and OBJ?!?! And yet, I still wouldn’t bet on them winning their division.
Also, a CAR pass attack featuring Newton-Benjamin could be formidable: a 6’5″ 245lb athletic QB throwing to a 6’5″ 235lb athletic WR.
Nothing against your mock Rob (actually I rather enjoy the trade scenarios), but there are other WR/TEs I’d prefer at 31 (or 32) than ASF, like Allen Robinson or Jordan Matthews. Or I guess trade down and take him somewhere closer to what his true value is (not R1). But I suppose it wouldn’t be much of a mock if you’d done that.
I really want Jarvis Landry, but he’s simply redundant. He and OBJ are very similar.
Best route runner I’ve seen all year.
ASJ-I didn’t realize he had that many negatives. You are right, if he doesnt have the desire, he doesn’t fit with PC at all. That’s a shame because there is so much upside with that kid.
Benjamin-I had never seen him play before the championship game the other night. I kept waiting for him to get the ball thrown his way, then just like that he has his first big chance, and he drops the ball, really ugly drop too. At the time I had no idea who #1 was, then when the announcer said Benjamin, any desire had long left my body.
Dalton-He sucks. OK, he passed for over 4,000 yards this year, how can you say he sucks? Because he is so inconsistent and unreliable. Cincinnati is absolutely loaded with talent, dripping with it in fact especially on offense with AJ Green and company. Cincinnati needs to make a play this off-season for a new QB. Drafting a QB is long term, they need somebody to contribute right away to get this franchise over the hump in the playoff’s. Who? Maybe Ryan Mallet or a player like him that was well thought of during the draft and has been learning the NFL QB position with a great coach and of course a top QB mentor.
Agree on Dalton. They should just get a low risk type guy and bring him in as competition.
One thing you have to remember about the draft process Stuart, is that none of these prospects are as good as they will be even before their first game in the NFL.
Benjamin has consistency issues. There’s no denying that. That drop you saw — if you watch just about any FSU game, you’ll see one of those somewhere. We’re talking about a pick at the end of round 1. If Benjamin didn’t have consistency issues, we wouldn’t even be talking about him.
There is a very significant component to the draft that we can’t foretell or account for. And that’s the ability of our staff to develop talent once they get it. We could look just last year, where San Fransisco traded up in the 2nd round (maybe to get ahead of us?) in order to get Vance McDonald. We on the other hand, sat back and waited to day 3 and then massively reached on McDonald’s backup who had all of 9 catches his final year.
At this point, Willson is a better pro than McDonald. Willson looks to be on a rapid rise, while McDonald looks like another in a long line of day 2 failures for the niners FO. Who could have foreseen that? Not many of us. I’ll freely admit I never heard of him until we drafted him. But what Benjamin shares with Willson, is that he is a rare athlete. Willson had great measurables with putrid production and our FO trusted our ability to turn his athleticism into a functional player. Benjamin is an athlete and I would contend he is the best pure athlete amongst this entire WR class. Size, speed and smooth movement. He should really tick all of the SPARQ boxes.
Ultimately, we’re picking in the range where we have to take flawed players and turn them into draft day gold. If we do come upon a productive player, chances are he’s going to have a limited ceiling. Seattle goes for the home run play. And their track record of turning draft day coal into opening day diamonds is outstanding. The question will be, does Benjamin have that hunger and desire to be more than he is. This is a team filled with edge/fire/chip on the shoulder players. That’s our profile draftee. Does Benjamin have that? I can’t answer that.
Ironically, this is why I believe a player like Abbrederis really fits the mold of player we want. A walk on who has fought for every inch of opportunity in his football life. He’s a guy that could be a surprise on day 2 for us. Right now, his profile just screams Seahawk material.
If we kind of target him for day 2, it could be foreshadowed by us targetting a different position on day 1. Given the multiple possible indications that Jared would be a guy we like — he may not even be our Plan B.
This is going to be a fun 3 months.
KB’s upside is through the roof. RW will teach him the secrets of mantras, work ethic and Jedi focus. On Day 1, he is already one of the most lethal red zone targets in the NFL. His catch radius is insane. With RW’s deadly accurate high ball, he is literally open on every play. Check out a few he did NOT drop: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTkyr7Qv8mc
Rob, could we get a two round next time? There are just so many more prospects to consider and mull over. Mostly I want to see where you rate a lot of these other guys and what fits you see.
Ugh. I’m so selfish ahah.
Also, the more I mull it, the more I think that Will Sutton will be a steal for the Seahawks. I simply do not see him getting driven back in the run game as you’ve expressed. I regularly see him holding his own against double teams, not driving them back by any means, but in our scheme he will be a one gap player primarily anyway. He’s been great at defeating single blocks for the last 2 years. . It really depends on the combine, but with Mebane and Sutton on the inside are you kidding me? If he’s there in the second round…..
I would take Donald over Sutton. Have you ever watched tape of that guy? What a great #3 tech. he would make. Explosive or what!!!
Eh. I skimmed it. Seemed like a JAG, but I’ll go back to it, purely on your recommendation (;
Second rounders won’t come until later in the year… usually wait until after the combine.
That and players are still deciding to declare. It takes time to do those late arrivals to the draft party justice.
Rob- I would love it if you just did a draft for the Seahawks showing potential picks at 1-7 rounds.
I will do one of those, but I also want to do it justice. Still too early to consider some of the mid/later rounders but we’ll get there.
Hey rob, I was just wondering what are the chances New England goes tight-end? I think that’s whats been missing the most in the New England passing game more then anything. Food for thought?
Tight end is very possible for New England, and guard.
I have a feeling NE will take Amaro.
Rob, what do you think about a guy like Trent Murphy being a Jack of all trades type in the front 7?
I’m just big on these Stanford defensive guys, they seem to be smart players who have high motors. Plus Murphy can get after the Qb.
My concern with most Stanford players, is that they are very limited athletes who play in really intelligent schemes. No doubt they are all smart players, but I think many of them are products of a really great system that doesn’t necessarily translate to the NFL. This is especially the case in the trenches, as we have seen quite a few Stanford players do little to nothing in the NFL on the OL and DL.
I agree with this for the most part, I have never been a huge fan of Stanford’s offensive linemen when they come out. They all seem to be very technically sound, I always use Eric Steinbach as a comparison, but they don’t play with that mean streak I like to see in offensive linemen.
Murphy is just a kid I like as a football player. I don’t see a first round talent, but at the bottom of Round 2 if he were sitting there, he just is one of those guys who flat out plays, but I was more curious as to what people might see as his physical limitations.
I liked Auburns front line. Also Michigan had an outstanding secondary.
I think he’s a mid-rounder. Nice effort guy, powerful at times. But not huge and doesn’t have the speed to be an outside rusher.
I don’t see the speed component for him succeeding in this hybrid offense. Combine will be huge for him. But I don’t see the athleticism we want.
If you consider, as I do, that Seattle wants to add a LB/OL/DL/CB in every draft (as we’ve done thus far), then I would look at CB in round 4/5. This is a good year for corners and there are a bunch of 6’+ in this class. The league is trying to copy our model. So expect us to have to elevate the corner position to match.
Maxwell and Lane need their understudy to come in this class. Give them a year of seasoning before calling on them to be UFA replacements in 2015.
He’s 6-6, 265. That seems to be good size for 4-3 end or 3-4 OLB.
I’m curious, is the “limited athleticism” line just based on your personal scouting? He looks like a good athlete to me.
I’m not sure what else it would be based on, Brendan?
For me he looks 270lbs on tape — minimum. Not a difference maker in terms of speed off the edge. As a 3-4 OLB I’d be petrified about him dropping into coverage. I think he’s probably a pretty modest 4-3 end.
More of an effort guy than an athlete. That’s not to say effort guys can’t succeed. They can. But I can’t put him in the first round like some based on what I’ve seen.
Could have been you read about his 40 times somewhere else or there were some coaches comments about him.
I guess I see what you mean in that he’s certainly not Bruce Irvin off the edge. He is pretty ripped for 265-270 though, he’s not struggling to hit that weight. I’d be surprised if he wasn’t competitive at the combine.
I’m really really big on Shayne Skov. Maybe not for the Hawks, but he looks like a great 4-3 olb. Which will garner a late second if he tests well.
I know we are assuming that St Louis will not draft a QB. I have to believe that they have seen enough of Sam Bradford to know that he is not the guy. Look at the QB’s still playing Manning, Brady, Rivers, Luck, Wilson, Brees, Kaepernick, Newton. With two first half picks I think they would really benefit from drafting a new top end QB. That is more cost controlled than Bradford.
I would go QB if I was them. In fact I’d draft Manziel at #2 and feel very satisfied. But they seem tied to Bradford for whatever reason.
I too would trade Bradford and draft a rookie to replace him. The financial impact would be huge. They could unload his $17 million contract and replace it with a rookie deal. This is the path Indy went with Manning. Look what it has done to Seattle to have a rookie salary (Wilson) at the most expensive position on the team. Usually, a team is stuck trying to replace their franchise guy. They are not.
I’m thinking they would still have to pay at least half Bradford’s contract. A team would take a chance on him in the 6 million range – like we did with Flynn.
They’ll struggle to trade Bradford. Nobody’s taking on that contract, knowing he needs to be re-signed, after a big injury. They’ll have to cut him — and it’s what I’d do.
Rob, would it be feasible to trade a player along with a pick so we can move up without using draft capital?
I was brainstorming the possibilities of someone like Baldwin who we are rumored to be considering putting a second round tender on as he is a RFA. Could we package our 1st round pick and Baldwin to move up in the first to take one of the elite receiver prospects? Our trade partner gets one year of a super cheap receiver as well as our pick and we get some value for Baldwin if we arent prepared to offer him his fair market value after this next season.
I think that’d be a hard sell. Baldwin is a great effort guy, technically pretty good. But I doubt he’ll be a coveted player in a deal that involves a big move down the board.
I am worried about putting a second round tender on Baldwin. If I were another team looking for a receiver I would snap him up rather than take a chance on a college player. He did have high pass yardage for us his rookie year.
I don’t think anyone takes Baldwin for that 2nd round pick. He’s a solid number 3 receiver, but he’s never going to be anyone’s go to guy.
Even a solid #3 is better than an unkown draft pick. I could see a place for him in Denver, New England, or San Francisco if they wanted to piss us off.
I’d take the second rounder and snap their hands off. Free agent in a year, will be tough to re-sign. Former UDFA. That’d be a great deal for Seattle.
Rob, there’s a strong rumor miles Austin will be released by this summer. What’s your take on Seattle bringing Austin in to Seattle and signing him for a 2-3 yr deal?
Overrated. Not a commanding presence on the field.
I’d rather we take some guys in the draft.
He’s become too injury prone for me… plus Seattle has that type of receiver in abundance. They need a big body in there.
I may come off as a homer, but bear with me. Regarding ASJ, I think he has fantastic ceiling as a blocker. He is adequate I believe at the moment which gives him plenty of room to get better by spending some time with cable and co. He may have already hit his peak as a pass catcher. That doesn’t mean he can’t get better, but what you see is what you get. Our offense is a run first play action off the run. So wouldn’t it make sense as an every does tight end gor us if he becomes the blocker I think he can be? He has great hands and was never really used much in his time at UW. Especially this year watching the huskie games I would get very frustrated that they weren’t using their TE at all. He CAN be a difference maker in the passing game right away, so if he figures out how to block consistently you have an extra OT out there for the run game. I’m not saying let’s go get him by all means, but I think he can certainly be a stud at the next level if he decides to put the work in.
P.S. Sorry if there are any spelling errors. Did this on my phone.
Few questions about his athleticism, ability or ceiling. Many about his attitude, work ethic and commitment. Too many to be worth a first round pick.
I don’t know about you, but I haven’t heard of anything besides his DUI as a negative? Did he get bad grades? Skip class? Throw teammates under the bus? Or is it just “we don’t know” so it’s a potential issue? FYI I’m not advocating to take him. Just wanted to put in how well he would fit in talent wise. I honestly don’t know if there are serious issues about the mentioned concerns and I would be interested to hear what they are. I have no problem being wrong (I’m wrong quite often).
Just like I said – attitude, commitment and work ethic. Listen to the people who played with him in high school or at Washington. Not everyone expresses that opinion, but far too many do for it not to be something of concern, especially when it’s obvious on the field he doesn’t give 100%.
Aaron Donald should be a Seahawk. He’s explosive and translates speed to power. Really struggles to disengage, but that is a coaching thing. He’s got a decent motor and could be a viable replacement for Michael Bennett. Maybe not enough sand in his pants to start at 3tech, but if he could put on some el beez we might finally have a classic pass rushing 3tech.
I think Jay Ratliff is a good comparison.
Aaron Donald reminds me of a young John Randle.
Rob love the pick of Jenkins, if we are lucky enough to get him, all he has to do is learn coverages, especially zone and split them up. Can anyone say Jason Witten. Jenkins would be such a security blanket for Wilson. PS Rob did you think that the Saints were doing a bit of head hunting, simply because Rob Ryan doesn’t have any tape to watch of Harvin or the packages. I truly believe in desperation mode Ryan had his Db’s take Harvin out.