Don’t read too much into top-50’s
There was some positivity in the comments section yesterday when Daniel Jeremiah updated his top-50 board. Garett Bolles was at #26, Haason Reddick was at #41 and Zach Cunningham (see video above) wasn’t even listed.
However, here’s a top-50 board Jeremiah wrote on April 26th, 2016 — shortly before last years draft.
The following prospects were ranked beyond Seattle’s pick at #26 but still weren’t available for the Seahawks on the day:
Sheldon Rankins — ranked #26, drafted #12
Will Fuller — ranked #29, drafted #21
Taylor Decker — ranked #31, drafted #16
William Jackson III — ranked #32, drafted #24
Karl Joseph — ranked #33, drafted #14
Josh Doctson — ranked #36, drafted #22
Keanu Neal — ranked #46, drafted #17
Artie Burns — ranked #49, drafted #25
So while it’s fun to consider Garett Bolles or Haason Reddick lasting until #26, it’s impossible to take anything out of these types of lists.
Ultimately it comes down to this — offensive tackles with Bolles’ tenacity and extreme athleticism and linebackers with Reddick’s speed, versatility and major production don’t generally get out of the top-20.
Unfortunately.
Parsing Pete Carroll
I went back again yesterday to review exactly what Pete Carroll said about needs in his end of season press conference:
“We gotta get Earl back, we gotta get the corner thing squared away. I think that’s one of them. We’ll certainly be looking at that in the draft. That’ll be one of the areas. We need some youth at the linebacker spot now. Bobby and K.J. played thousands of plays this year between the two of them and were extremely successful but we need to address that. We didn’t get anybody that really made a difference in the last couple of years to really fight to take those guys jobs. Think if somebody can battle K.J. and Bobby for the starting now — that’s what we need to draft towards so we’ll be looking there. The offensive line will continue to be an area of focus and it will be. We’re looking at everything — but those — I’m trying to give you guys something you can walk out of here with. That’s kind of probably the obvious focal points.”
This is worth another quick do-over.
— It’s interesting that Carroll specifically mentions the draft when talking about cornerbacks and the linebacker position — with no mention of free agency. He doesn’t specify where they will seek additions on the O-line.
— Carroll went into some depth to explain why he felt they needed help at linebacker. It’s intriguing that he made this point. The Seahawks don’t desperately need a player to challenge Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright. At any point in 2016 did you think, ‘if only there was someone pushing these two guys’? It suggests they have their eye on the position in general. Perhaps they’ve simply decided they want to tap into the depth of talent available? It’s a good LB class.
— This feeling might’ve changed slightly since the Senior Bowl with Haason Reddick receiving rave reviews (and the same could happen for Zach Cunningham, Jarrad Davis and Tyus Bowser down the line). When Carroll spoke (pre-Senior Bowl) Reddick was a bit of an afterthought. We might’ve mocked him to Seattle in round one in December — but no national pundits, draft media experts or insiders were talking about Reddick. It’s possible they felt confident a few weeks ago they could get him or one of the other top LB prospects at #26. That feeling might by changing.
— If you want an example of how quickly things can change, look at Trent Williams in 2010. Considered a right tackle-only prospect by the media throughout his final year at Oklahoma and receiving only lukewarm mid-first round reviews, he shot into the top five after a great combine. He was taken at #4 overall and he’s been one of the top LT’s in the league ever since. There’s every chance the Seahawks were targeting Williams early in 2010 and maybe even felt confident about landing him at #6 or #14. Things can change dramatically.
— This might be why a player like Obi Melifonwu ultimately becomes appealing to the Seahawks. If Reddick, Cunningham and Davis are gone (not out of the question) and considering their strict physical preferences at cornerback — a highly athletic, Greek God of a defensive chess-piece doesn’t look like such an unlikely alternative in round one. That is the type of move this team makes.
Todd McShay’s new mock draft
ESPN’s McShay has the Seahawks taking Cam Robinson (T, Alabama) in round one. So how likely is it to happen?
Our Trench Explosion Formula (explained here) helped identify a consistent physical profile for the offensive linemen drafted by Seattle. It helped explain the Justin Britt pick (inexplicable at the time) in 2014 and it helped us project Germain Ifedi as Seattle’s first round pick a year ago.
Seattle’s five starters that ended the 2016 season were all explosive athletes. If Cam Robinson is going to be a Seahawk, he’s probably going to need to match that.
It seems unlikely.
At the 2013 Nike Sparq Combine he jumped a 27-inch vertical which is well below the mark for TEF. An average or bad vertical rarely translates to a good broad jump (the other key explosive test). So it’s fair to assume he’s not going to hit the TEF mark.
There’s always a possible exception to the rule where they draft a non-ideal early. A 5-10 quarterback is the key example — yet Wilson was exceptional in virtually every gradable aspect apart from height. Even then, they didn’t take him in the first round.
Is Robinson exceptional enough in other areas to make up for a lack of explosion?
He’s certainly got the kind of size they like but his footwork is sluggish and choppy. An anonymous scout in this piece referred to him as “talented but he gets lazy” and Tony Pauline noted the following on Monday:
I’m not saying Robinson won’t be a good tackle in the NFL;, I just don’t think it will be on the left side.
Robinson looked dominant on film but he also looked stiff, displayed poor footwork and will have trouble protecting the edge on Sunday. In my opinion, it adds up to a move to right tackle or possibly guard for Robinson.
The last thing the Seahawks need is another tackle prospect kicking inside, failing to address their greatest need on the O-line. They’ve been there three times before with Carpenter, Britt and now Ifedi.
So who else was available at #26 in McShay’s mock that wasn’t in our latest projection on Sunday?
Alabama cornerback Marlon Humphrey and linebackers Haason Reddick and Zach Cunningham were all available. Florida’s Jarrad Davis is off the board to Oakland at #24, with Garett Bolles going at #25 to Houston.
I hope I’m 100% wrong — but it will be quite astonishing if these four all last into the mid-20’s. It’s improbable.
The league-wide need at left tackle will likely force one team in the top-20 to invest in the sensational Bolles. Reddick is basically a more productive version of Ryan Shazier — a player taken at #15 three years ago. Cunningham is expected to be a very impressive tester at the combine and will probably appeal to teams in the late teens or early 20’s. Marlon Humphrey has the physique of an Olympic sprinter and despite some flaws in his deep coverage, someone in the top-15 could/should take a shot on his extreme potential.
All four players have exceptional football and personal character too. When you have a really productive, highly athletic player with great college production and character — they don’t last. They jump off the screen and the scouting report and they get drafted early.
See: Keanu Neal, Sheldon Rankins a year ago.
Are the Seahawks interested in Calvin Pryor?
There’s probably nothing in this but we’ll throw it out there and you can make up your own mind.
Pryor, the Jets’ 2014 first-round pick, is entering Year 4. He hasn’t been a huge difference maker so far. The Jets have to decide this offseason whether to pick up his fifth-year option for 2018 (which doesn’t become a meaningful, binding decision until next offseason). They could also trade him. One trade possibility floated by a league source: Pryor to the Seahawks for Germain Ifedi, a first-round pick last year. Ifedi was Seattle’s right guard last season, but he has a background at right tackle. The Jets are expected to cut right tackle Breno Giacomini. And this draft’s tackle class is weak, remember.
Is there anything in this? In a word, no.
Ifedi has a $5.185m dead cap hit. Trading him would actually cost the Seahawks $4m.
Considering Pryor’s cap hit is $2.7m in 2017 — you’d be eating $7m of cap to have Pryor instead of Ifedi on your roster.
That isn’t happening.
It doesn’t mean the Seahawks wouldn’t be interested in a move for Pryor though.
Who knows if this league source was just throwing a dart — but we know the Seahawks want to add to their secondary. Pryor is a tone-setting, hard-hitting safety. He had a good year in 2015 but regressed with the rest of the Jets roster in 2016.
He’s not a fantastic athlete but he plays with the kind of intensity Seattle likes. He’s also only three years removed from being the #18 pick in the draft.
At the right price, it wouldn’t be a total shocker if they made a call. Pryor would provide some quality depth behind Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor and free up the Seahawks to consider cornerback and linebacker with their first two picks (or a hybrid like Obi Melifonwu).
As usual, nice write up Rob.
With all of the talent in this years draft, the only way Seattle stays put at 26 is if “their guy” is there. It would not surprise me if it is one of the LBs you have so thoroughly spoken about. Pete specifically mentioning Bobby & KJ says a lot. Remember a couple of years ago when Wags was out against KC (Mebane also) and they ran all over us. And when KJ was out w/ they broken foot (?). Yes, investing in a dynamic playmaker at LB should not surprise any of us.
BTW: Fieldgulls has an interesting article on the last 5 years positional draft breakdown for each team. Seattle has drafted more OL than any other team! Many of us have questioned their scouting / philosophy concerning the OL. Analytics have their place, but maybe they should just get a nasty old fashioned lineman who has played there his whole life.
On the O-line — here’s the response I keep going to on this.
Seattle’s issues on the O-line are not because they are snubbing ‘nasty old fashioned linemen’ over raw athletes. There is a dearth of good O-liners entering the league and the good ones, explosive athletes or not, are going early. Jack Conklin and Taylor Decker didn’t pass TEF — but they were both gone by pick #16 and got nowhere near the Seahawks at #26.
Because Seattle isn’t picking in the top-15 every year, they’ve had to be creative to find players that can at least be developed to be really good. And that comes with growing pains because you’re drafting traits. People often find the one or two examples where a middling athlete (eg Cody Whitehair) does well and use that to beat the Seahawks. Yet they forget the many, many, many other middling athlete O-liners who flamed out.
The Seahawks are trying to manage a not ideal situation not through stubbornness — but because these are the cards they’ve been dealt.
And the high number of picks they’ve made on the OL is the sign of them trying to find good players from a non-ideal situation. They’re trying to give themselves a better chance of finding good players and developing them by widening the pool.
The reason I brought up Whitehair as the most recent example is because me, you, and some others said last year before the draft and TEF was developed in the comments section that Whitehair was one of the most likely OL to be safe, slam dunk kind of good/solid players. It’s easy to complain after the fact, I know, but we talked about how good/solid he was going to be before he got drafted. That’s all.
It wasn’t my intention to single anyone out re:Whitehair — it’s just a name I see come up a lot on here and on Twitter.
To be fair, though, I think TONS of “middling athletes” do well on the interior OL spots, just not at LT. So the idea that we need to focus on only the best athletes to have a good OL is probably holding us back quite a bit.
All of this is just a stick to beat the Hawks with. The solution will never ever be ‘draft less explosive players’.
Maybe it should be. Or maybe more accurately, the solution might be to “focus less on explosive athleticism” than other traits/skills. That doesn’t mean ignore explosive athleticism, but not to use it as an excluding factor. It perhaps should be just one piece of the puzzle, and not treated as if it’s the only piece (or even the most important piece, because it seems like it isn’t).
But they aren’t ignoring other traits. It’s not “take any old explosive OL”. There’s more to it than that. Look at the explosive testers we identified a year ago that they didn’t draft. But explosive physicality over middling athletes and trying to develop that talent is a very obvious and understandable approach. And I’ll say again — the solution to the current problem is not to draft more average or below average athletes.
Well, their proposed solution of “draft a specific athletic profile and hope for the best” sure has been working great, hasn’t it? What’s the definition of insanity again?
I’d be really, really interested in a piece on the OL prospects they PASSED on because of TEF. We know Bitonio is on that list, and I’m betting it beats our actual OL by a nice large margin.
It’s hardly “hope for the best” is it?
This subject is becoming a bit Groundhog Day-esque. We’ve been over it so many times.
I definitely see your point Rob. Maybe I’m just speaking out of frustration. Maybe I’m living in the past OL glory days of Jones, Hutchinson & Mawae. It would be interesting to see over the last 5 years or so where the All Pro and Pro Bowl lineman come from (draft round, FA, etc) and how many of them fit certain analytics.
Rob I have promised not to bring up this topic again so I will just make one brief comment. I agree with you to a point but teams like NE and GB draft late every year as well and both have functioning OL without spending near the same amount of resources. To have a bottom 1/3 every year in the Tom Cable era cannot be explained soley by drafting late or any one reason it is combination of many things and my one prayer this off season is that something gets done to make changes in thier flawed process whatever it is.
And how long did it take New England and Green Bay to develop those lines?
When Green Bay won the Super Bowl in 2010 their O-line was considered one of the worst in the league. Marcus Cannon was ranked as one of the worst OT’s in the league last year or the year before last.
It’s not like NE and GB started lines this season containing rookies and first years starters like Seattle is it?
And Seattle’s O-line play was more than acceptable 2011-2014. Bottom third for pass pro maybe with a scrambling offense/QB. Top five consistently for running the ball.
Since when does NE have a good line? Brady gets the ball out of his hands faster than any other QB the line isn’t exactly stellar
Are they wasting picks?
Maybe they’d improve their hit rate if they focused on defense in the early rounds and TEF OL in the later rounds and/or UDFA, while supplementing with veterans through free agency.
Further, why commit so many resources to the D and so little to the OL when there is so much young, cheap, defensive talent to be drafted? Supply/demand thing. IMO, the team is shit at resource allocation and it’s starting to show in their lack of depth.
They’ve taken OL’s early and late. All power to them IMO.
Since 2010 they have spent early picks on defense for Earl Thomas, Bruce Irvin, Bobby Wagner, Frank Clark and Jarran Reed. It’s not like they’re neglecting the defense in the early rounds. Plus — if we’re going to complain about their defensive draft philosophy, let’s recall they drafted Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor in the fifth round and KJ Wright in the fourth.
Outside of Reed and Clark, what depth and/or difference makers have they drafted in the last few years? There is very little depth and it has cost them greatly.
It’s hard to keep adding difference makers relentlessly. The sheer fact they’ve been able to draft the defensive core they have is pretty remarkable.
Glory days. They’ve failed to add depth and talent to that remarkable core. By Pete’s comments, it sounds like they’ll address it in this year’s draft…hopefully.
It’s unrealistic to expect that level of drafting forever. No team achieves it.
Certainly true that the personnel moves in the first couple of years set an absurd standard but short of “multiple All-Pros every year” there is still a vast spectrum of outcomes, some more desirable than others. To be a great drafting team they don’t need to repeat 2012 every year, they just need to mix adequate drafts with good ones over time.
To look at the totality of drafts from 2013 to present, one would have to question whether the Seahawks organization are plus drafters relative to the field. That’s not a huge number of data points, 2010-2012 do still count, luck is a factor, and others are obviously much worse (thank the Baalke), etc. etc. But at some point you are what your brittle depth chart says you are.
If they can nail this offseason it’ll be a lot more palatable to view it as, 6 out of 8 drafts are adequate-to-great, and 2013 and 2014 are just the outliers that happen to everyone. But as of this moment the outcome is a Schneider’s cat.
Agreed. Drafting is a lottery; the idea of “we’ll just draft well forver!” is a complete myth. Just look at all the ‘exec of the year’ GMs who find themselves out on their asses after 3-4 middling drafts in a row.
All this negativity with the Hawks O-line is getting tiresome. This is the hand they are dealt, with player’s leaving and whatnot. I think they have upgraded with a lot of spent resources and finds in undrafted free agent’s. I have faith in this young line. Rees being healthy is going to pay off, as long as he can stay on the field. What little I saw of him I liked. He is going to be a good player. I would like to see them bring in another player, free agent or draft. preferably a swing guy. OT/G. There are some interesting ones to be had on the second day. GO HAWKS
I don’t think people are necessarily complaining about the hand we dealt, but the way that we are playing the cards we are dealt.
The Seahawks have invested heavily in the OL in terms of draft capital in recent years, but right now the investment in terms of how much we pay them is by far the lowest in the league (which we all know because they bring it up every game). The year we won the Super Bowl we had one of, if not the highest paid offensive lines in the league and yes they gave up some pass protection sacks but they were good at what they were paid to do – run block. We couldn’t keep paying them all though because that money went to our core defensive stars and thus we are left with our current situation of a young and inexperienced line. I think we all just need to be patient and wait for these guys to mature while continuing to add pieces along the way. Can we complain about our draft picks on the OL not working out as planned? Sure. But remember, 31 other teams can do the exact same thing.
Nobody in the NFL front office is assigning us O-linemen. This isn’t the hand they were dealt, it’s the bed THEY made.
This is not accurate Rhino. We’ve been over this so many times.
How is that not accurate? Is somebody in the NFL front office assigning players to the Hawks’ OL? Did the Hawks not choose the players on their team? I don’t understand what you mean.
Agreed. They decided to let league average OL starters walk instead of paying them league average vet salaries. They decided they’d have no trouble replacing with average talent in the draft. They insist on sticking to TEF and undervaluing actual football skills over toolsy conversion projects.
They made this bed. They were arrogant, and it’s had a serious cost. They didn’t just wake up with this roster after a housecleaning, they BUILT IT. Its shortcomings are on them.
This is, again, wide of the mark. If you think £6.5m a year for an average guardis good value, then that is problematic right off the bat. It’s funny how people are now bemoaning letting Sweezy, Carp and Breno walk when at the time all people did wasn’t moan about their play.
I’m just constantly repeating myself on this. Been through it so many times. The Seahawks have not passed on a bevy of great offensive linemen, however much people want to believe that. Their approach exists for a reason.
You definitely hit the nail on the head with your response on the O-line. It really does come down to making the best out of the hand that they’ve been dealt. When a gamble doesn’t pay off, like Justin Britt his first two seasons, then everyone overreacts and blames poor coaching and draft strategy. With the necessary experience and coaching, Britt has turned into a above average starter. With a little patience The rest of the line will come together with more experience.
When their is a salary cap, you have the ability to deal your own hand, too. They could have kept Okung. They chose not to resign him. They chose to trade Max Unger (I liked and still like getting Graham). However, they deal their hands based on what’s best for the entire team – not a singular unit. As frustrating as that is sometimes, it is the correct decision whether we want to agree with it or not.
I like how they sign their core and are willing to let the true non-superstars get paid like Okung, Sweezy, Irvin, Maxwell, etc. They don’t overreact. Unlike many of us.
Moving forward, I like Fant, Glowinski, Britt, and Ifedi all together. Gilliam might be okay at RT in ’17, but I’d feel much better with an added veteran instead (Kalil, Reiff, etc.). That being said, they aren’t going to go crazy overspending for one of those guys like another team may with depleted tackle play in the NFL today. It’s possible we’ll get a fourth year from Gilliam. I don’t know.
I do trust Fant, Glowinski, Britt, and Ifedi moving forward more than I do our starting CB opposite of Sherman, our third LB, and our fourth pass rusher after Bennett, Avril, and Clark. Not every unit of the team can be made up of stars with quality depth. I have no doubt had they drafted David DeCastro instead of Bruce Irvin that they would have already resigned DeCastro because he’s one of the very best at what he does in the NFL. Guys like Okung, Sweezy, Irvin, Maxwell, etc. could not say that and are gone because they were going to get paid more than they deserved (although the Okung situation is/was a bit of a head scratcher with the contract they ended up with).
I like their blueprint. Even last year, their blueprint didn’t include starting two rookies with a first year starting guard and center. It was supposed to be a veteran left tackle (Gilliam/Sowell) and a veteran right tackle (Webb), to go along with Glowinski/Britt/Ifedi. Many here on this blog said good things about Gilliam being a future LT who they were comfortable with moving forward. We can dismiss some of our misses, but the organization has reminders of their mistakes every Sunday when it happens.
The OL is going to be improved in ’17 and we’re going to draft a couple of defenders in the first two rounds. I’m excited about it.
Exactly. I agree. Pay the stars. When they pay guy’s that aren’t stars, it usually hasn’t worked out. Most recently I’m thinking of Lane, Kearse, and Cary Williams. At least Rubin worked out. Paying star players and guy’s on rookie contracts is the way to do it. Okung signed with Denver in desperation late in the process, so that was a deal he wasn’t going to do with us. Gilliam’s trajectory was really pointing up and I was one of the one’s who thought he could’ve pulled off the LT of the future bid. The most frustrating thing to me is that Ifedi isn’t being moved to RT. If he can’t play RT now or in the future then he’s already an incredible disappointment. Especially considering we have Odhiambo and Glowinski training at Guard too. And it didn’t seem like a drop off when Odhiambo was in on his occasional relief snaps. At least when he wasn’t stepping on RW’s foot that is. If they think Ifedi might be able to pull off the move to RT, I’d really like to see it.
Well put BobbyK
That’s a bit of fallacious reasoning, though. Their only choices weren’t to either pay existing player X or not. They also made choices about whether to pay other FAs the amount of money required to bring them here.
And it is a constantly iterated fallacy that signing the better player makes for a better team (the “pay the stars, not average players” fallacy).
Think of it this way. Say we have the best punter in the league, and we have to pay him $10 million. Because of the cap, we are then forced to go with our existing offensive line, except with me at LT instead of a league-average LT. Well, our punter is a “star.” The average LT is not. So is it better to pay the “star” punter (and this could be any number of positions in the roster: SAM, WILL, TE, whatever).? Because if you pay the “star” and I’m manning LT, our QB is getting hit every play and our offense doesn’t move. Our team is MUCH worse than if we just had an average punter and an average LT.
Punters can’t be star players. You’re oversimplifying his point. You have to take into account a player’s impact on how much better he makes the team compared to the alternative.
With that reasoning, we should have paid 12/15 mil for a FA tackle, but not paid Russell, Bobby, Michael B..etc
then you would be complaining about that sieve of a defense and having no QB..pick your poison.
Rob what do you think of the wideouts in this draft. Specifically Carlos Henderson La Tech, Zay Jones E. Carolina, Corey Davis, W. Michigan, Cooper Kupp Eastern, Josh Reynalds Texas AM. I feel like we could upgrade the roster, and get ready for when Richardson/Kearse leave or are replaced.
I think it’s an okay group. Can’t say I’m particularly excited about anyone. I think the one that has impressed me the most is Zay Jones (or the one I’ve liked the most) although John Ross is really explosive.
It’s not a position I’d be targeting early though. The best way for this team to get good again quickly IMO is to reload on defense and improve the O-line.
What a people’s thoughts on takkarist McKinley?
Like him
Seems like every other year they pick touchdown makers early rd 2 or 3 which makes me think this is wr year after picking prosise and vanett last year 2016, lockett 2015, Richardson and Graham 2014, Harvin and Christine Michael 2013,
Curtis Samuel or Jalen Robinette would be good fits imi
Evan Engram would be nice.
Possibly. But they’ve not had as much work to do on the defense since 2012, plus the O-line still needs work. And while fans might want to see this addressed — if they’re fielding Graham, Baldwin, Lockett, Richardson, Kearse and 2nd year Tanner McEvoy, that’s not a big problem area. They have some weapons. It would be nice to add another good WR or TE but if not, they can manage.
Reynolds (A&M) is a personal favorite. Kid has been underrated his entire career. His name is all over the SEC career numbers list, even more so for a 3-yr player. I suspect he will continue to quietly surprise as a pro
OT (Kind of)- Jason La Confora called the ’17 FA class the weakest of all time today. While I think that’s a bit hyperbolic, it does emphasize the point the Hawks will have the pressure on to hit big in the draft. Rob has, on more than one occasion, called this the biggest offseason PCJS have had since 2012, and with minimal (although not non-existent) help available via FA, the pressure will be on those three days in late April to fix and replenish this roster.
And increasingly I don’t think they will make a big splash on a free agent. I suspect there may be a creative trade or two in the works and some second wave bargaining (seeking value). Wouldn’t be surprised to see 2-3 DL types coming in to provide depth there.
So you don’t see a good chance of OT FAs coming in. Last year they took 2 cheap ones (for cap reasons I guessed). I really had and still have the hope that they will be more aggressive this time around.
I actually wanted to ask you to give your thoughts on the FA market on OL.
Thinking back to last years FA, the Hawks didn’t do too much. I think the priority was signing guys they were in danger of losing, (Lane, Rubin, Kearse) so hopefully this year may create some sort of exciting developments.
Funny to think how fast things change in the league. Last years super bowl was more of a ground and pound approach by the broncos and panthers, with teams getting excited by pass rushers and dominant defenses. With Atlanta and New England you have more quick passing attacks. Will be interesting to see what trends develop as far as teams search for identities.
Maybe we get lucky with Rawls and the development of the O-Line, but definitely feeling like something has to change from last year. Of course Russell being injured having something to do with it, but having .5 seconds to throw seems to be hindering his development. Please land a solid FA tackle!!!
I see FA tackles coming in — I don’t see them paying $10m for someone like Ricky Wagner though.
I would expect them to see what is available in the second wave of FA. It’s OK wanting an aggressive approach but who do you want them to be aggressive for? There aren’t good free agent OT’s set to hit the market unless there are some cuts forthcoming. It’s not worth overpaying for players and getting lumbered with bad contracts.
I am with you. Wagner isn’t worth 10 mil. IMO at least.
But at the end the market will find the “fair” price for all of these FAs.
And demand is way higher than supply so probably any OL acquisition in FA will look that way.
I just hope they spend a fair amount of their cap space in maybe 2 tackles in the 4 mil range or for one guy like Reiff or Whitworth
Matt Kalil and Dominque Easley are a couple of names I expect them to kick the tires on. I anticipate Easley will quickly become too rich for their blood and sign in the first 48 HRS of FA, but we’ll see. I realy like the idea of Kalil coming in and competing at T. I feel like that familiarity with Carroll will help the Hawks cause, and if he isn’t in that first 48 HR wave, the Hawks will have a decent chance.
I think the trade will come down to just how hard they get hammered on the practice/Sherman draft pick forfeiture, but I agree they will think and act outside the box as they always do.
I think there’s a good chance that they look at Easley, but he could be a player they could easily (pun intended) get out priced on. I’d keep in mind DLiners that the new DL coach Clint Hurtt has ties with that might be on the market.
I could also see them kicking the tires on Kalil or Reiff. What might be interesting is if Russell Okung hits the market again. I might be in the minority on this, but I could see them bring him back on the right deal.
What do you think of Tyson Alualu ( Jaguars) as one of those cheap DT options? 6 Qb hits and 2.5 sacks during the regular season.
Maybe. There’s a lot of guys like him hitting the market. It’s about who presents the best value.
I think you are dead on a trade is far more likely than a big free agent splash.
When I look at the names available I come to the same conclusion. The guys that are SOMEWHAT intriguing are the top of the barrel and will get paid WAY more than they are worth from teams with boat loads of cap space. The rest of the guys? Eh..
I see us doing a similar strategy as last year. Wait for the 2nd or even 3rd round of free agency to find experienced veterans on the cheap who can help push the young guys we have on the roster. This helps with competition which we know is big with Pete as well as add some cheap depth.
I think it would be a huge mistake for them not to make a push for a top DT at a short term deal, why not spend at a position where its unlikely youll be able to get a gamechanger outside of the top 15 picks? Personally i think that will be the difference between Superbowl or bust for the Hawks. Its really unfortunate that they likely won’t be spending, it there any scenario which you can see them spending big rob?
Not really. I think as you get closer to free agency reality sets in. They have money to spend but not as much as about twenty teams in the league. The cost of players is increasing rapidly. There’s really only one top DT on the market potentially and that’s Calais Campbell. And he’s a player that every team in the league is going to want.
Doesn’t mean it won’t happen — but a more likely proposition IMO is they try and add 2-3 players in the second wave. Players like Terrell McClain for example. Add to the general depth up front.
I just posted below about gauging the interest the Hawks may have for this years defensive tackle prospects, a few very interesting players, I would love to see the Hawks take a big DT early.
It’s important to note that the Seahawks did not have much money available last year. They do this year. I don’t expect a big “splash,” but I expect some additional mid-range guys to the point where an area of worry right now won’t actually be a worry come draft time (such as an acquired veteran tackle).
So I don’t disagree that all your/our favoured targets will be gone by #26. Certainly 1 or 2 may fortuitously slip but barring that what will the Hawks do?
-Take a lesser player at a need spot
-More likely, they go BPA.
And if it is the latter, the good news is that some prospects will fall if those favourites rise. I’d like to explore some lesser needs but clear value guys who could legitimately but unjustifiably fall.
Generally the Seahawks have not shirked from addressing needs. If there hasn’t been value at their spot, they’ve moved down into a position where they’re comfortable to address their needs. There hasn’t been a time in the PCJS era that they haven’t tackled head on need areas in the draft.
Curious what you guys think about Derek Barnett.
Personally I think he is overrated. I’ll wait to see how he grades out in TEF at the combine before I make a final assessment.
Everyone sees the production and automatically assumes big time talent. He’s the perfect, classic example of ‘box score scouting.’
Agree with HawkFan. Overrated. Not a bad player, but not a 1st rounder for me. I think like Utah’s Hunter Dimick, he’s limited athletically, stiff, and a pure 5-tech.
He’s a better Kony Ealy and that’s not a bad player to be fair
Keep the OL in tact unless you can get an experienced OT in FA.
Get difference makers with the first 3 picks:
CB (Jones)
DT (Worley) S (Obi)
RB (Foreman)
Any thoughts on a few possible 3rd and later guys Rob:
Jordan Willis (DE)
Derrick Rivers (LEO)
Josh Harvey-Clemons (S)
Jylan Ware (OT)
Sidney Jones will go top-15.
I think so too. A lot of sites have him going after 26, so always hope. A lot of below average GM’s out there. Cleveland can draft two more WR this year. Ha.
Josh Gordon going anywhere? Think Seattle would look to trade for Freeman in Atlanta?
I don’t think Atlanta would be interested in dealing him.
I watched Derrick Rivers yesterday and thought he looked a bit slow. Understandable at 6041, 250 lbs. Guess it depends on what style LB you are looking for. (I was looking for speed at OLB as has been the trend lately)
I agree Ed on D’onta Foreman. I think in spite of what Pete said RB is a serious concern for this team and will be addressed either in FA or early in the draft.
I think it’ll be a shock if they address it early in the draft.
Pete spoke very positively about Rawls. Will they add to the group? I think for sure. But I wouldn’t expect a high pick.
Great notes, Rob. Sorry if I leaned too much on the top 50 lists. Just wanted to exemplify how deep the draft is on defense this year.
What are your (and everyone’s) thoughts on Ryan Ramczyk? I figure we might as well give them now since we won’t be getting any data on him for TEF.
Not the greatest source, but:
“The kid can do stuff I’ve never seen guys who weigh 300 pounds be able to do. His vert (vertical jump) and everything is just ridiculous, so he’s explosive.” — Badgers’ guard Jon Dietzen when talking about Ryan Ramczyk
Is he our type of OT? Will he be long gone? Could he fall because of injury and no chance to shine at combine/pro day? Thanks.
I think Ramczyk is solid on tape. Would love to see just how truly athletic he is — sadly we probably won’t get to. I like him enough to roll the dice but he’s one of two tackles IMO likely to go in the top-25.
Agree. Neither Ramczyk or Bolles will be on the board when the Hawks pick at 26.
Hey Rob thank you for all the material to read! My question for you is are you still feeling highly on Elijah Hood to the Hawks? I like his play alot myself along with Kareem Hunt, Samje Perine, Jamal Williams, Coleman from UW, and of course Joe Mixon even though his temper and off field issues are very concerning. I feel like we’re definitely going to take a workhorse type back in the first 4 rounds. One thing somebody mentioned on thie blog was that Kareem Hunt only had 1 fumble and recoved it himself in 600 plus touches in his collegate career, that’s damn impressive, Sure Pete loves that about Kareem since he preaches ball security so much. Hope your new girl is sleeping well and letting you and your wife get some rest! Cheers Rob
I wanted to throw in Joe Williams as well if mental issues check out. His narrative in Shrine game interview I watched was that he took time off to seek help and get right mentally, not because he doesn’t love the game. Said he never quite got over his sister’s tragic passing back in 2006 or something like that. Seems kind of strange, but he sure produced on the field after returning to the team.
Anyway, not great all around, not shifty, but man does he have break away speed. Gets a crease or turns the corner and goodbye!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y8WyD-nmWY
FWIW, his 40-yard dash was clocked at 4.35 seconds in the offseason by Utah’s strength and conditioning staff. That’s at a listed 5-11, 205.
My fear is that Joe Williams might be another Christine Michael… explosive athlete with fumbling issues and one that isn’t great at breaking tackles. He does well in space. He had an outstanding O Line working for him at Utah, and got the majority of the yards behind Bolles and Asiata. In the right system he has a chance, but I don’t think he is a fit on the Hawks.
I think if the Seahawks add a running back, there’s a decent chance it could be Hood.
Did you guys happen to see the article (I think NFL.com) comparing (predraft) AP and Lynch to (pre draft) Fournette and Hood… as to which would be the better RB in the NFL. I thought it was interesting. Hood was compared very similarly to Lynch coming into the draft. Each guy (AP and Lynch) ended up having very good to HoF careers.
I don’t think Hood is Lynch — let’s not forget Marshawn was the #9 pick in the draft. He was thought of as a special guy coming out. Nobody talks that way about Hood.
But I think he’s perfect for us. Think we essentially have two paths here: spend high draft pick on bellcow back that you expect to get 80% of the carries, or spend mid-round draft pick on decent back who can act as a hedge for injury to Rawls/Prosise. The former probably won’t be available to us (I like Kamara, but think he’s more Prosise than a true #1), but Hood would be a good guy for the latter. A thumper who can handle short-yardage duties and compete with Collins in case Rawls gets hurt again.
RR: A player like Marshawn Lynch is extremely rare. The Hawks were lucky they acquired him. Prosise is a very talented player. But can he stay healthy?
I like the idea of adding Hood, maybe Perrine if he loses weight.
Have to wonder at this point whether Rawls or Prosise can last, so need some reliability in the backfield wouldn’t be the worst thing. Suspect that’s why they drafted Collins, except he showed up 10-15 pounds overweight which it took him most of the season to lose.
Thanks Rob for the info about TEF and Cam Robinson. A good bet the Hawks won’t draft him, let alone his off the field concerns. I am still holding out hope that they grab a RT in FA. A couple FA RTs intrigue me. What do you think about Andre Smith and Mike Remmers? Both come from teams that put a considerable emphasis on the running game. Lack of balance between run and pass was a considerable factor in our inability to finish off games on offense and defense. But the largest inhibitors last season were Russell’s injuries and the loss of Earl, but I digress.
Curious as to where people think Joe Mixon is going to be drafted? We know he should go in the first round based on talent, but in the real world are there any guesses? Maybe the Patriots take him in the third round? Maybe someone takes him in the sixth or seventh? UFA?
I think day three at best, possibly undrafted.
A team like Cincinnati or KC make a lot of sense for Mixon.
Yep. Teams that back their culture, and aren’t too fussed by some pretty grim off-field stuff. Can add the Hawks to that list as well, maybe even the Vikings.
Second or third round. He is too talented not to be. His off field problems from two and a half years ago will not be an issue.
If they weren’t an issue, we would be talking about him to the Colts at #14, Eagles at #15, or Ravens at #16. Baltimore made it clear they’d like a RB in Harbaugh’s post-season presser. I doubt they’d pass on Mixon if he was a choir boy.
Frank Clark aside, I can’t see the Seahawks signing a guy who is on-camera punching a woman.
Maybe, maybe not. Aside from not re-signing Jackson, there’s nothing to suggest they’re particularly fussed by off-field stuff. Carroll’s a big believer in second chances, and they think their locker room is strong enough to keep players straight. If Mixon lasts to the third, I wouldn’t be even a tiny bit surprised if the Hawks take him.
In a way Mixon is unlucky he got caught on tape. Dalvin Cook did pretty much the same thing and got away with it because he had a stack of teammates as witnesses.
Not gonna happen!!!!
Why not?
Everybody is all aboard for drafting Hassan reddick though??
No video and it’s a dude= no problems.
He and Dawkins broke a dudes eye socket in a bar and got lucky with a DA who decided to throw temple football a bone.
This is not what happened.
I would highly recommend looking into the case and why the charges were dropped. Your set of events is not accurate.
The charges weren’t dropped Rob.
Actually they were in April. Than they were re -instated by another judge in June on appeal.
And then the DA threw them a bone. And gave them a rehabilitation program that isn’t even intended for violent crimes.
I have done plenty of reading on it.
They were misidentified as the assailants in an assault.
In March 2015, Temple suspended both players from the football program but three months later, the Temple Student Conduct Board found that Reddick and Dawkins were not responsible for the alleged actions and were again free to engage in football activites.
“Nearly 18 months ago, a dark cloud gathered around our clients, Dion Dawkins and Haason Reddick, two outstanding, hardworking young men with bright futures and no criminal past, when they were misidentified as the assailants in an assault on a fellow Temple student. Today, that cloud of unwarranted suspicion has finally been lifted.
“Today, the District Attorney’s office has graciously offered, and our clients have accepted, the opportunity to enter into a diversionary program called Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD), a program typically reserved for non-violent incidents.
“Acceptance of the government’s offer does not suggest a scintilla of criminal culpability. Rather, it merely demonstrates the issues present in the commonwealth’s case while simultaneously recognizing the unpredictability of jury trials.”
They were in a club. Someone was attacked. There were misidentified as the culprits.
If you want to pursue a conspiracy theory that this wasn’t the case, you can do that just not on here. I’m not going to have speculation of a legal matter on this blog.
Sorry, I haven’t looked into this but if they were misidentified and totally innocent, why were they offered a diversionary program? That doesn’t sound like they were cleared by the courts, but by Temple.
“Today, the District Attorney’s office has graciously offered, and our clients have accepted, the opportunity to enter into a diversionary program called Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD), a program typically reserved for non-violent incidents.
“Acceptance of the government’s offer does not suggest a scintilla of criminal culpability. Rather, it merely demonstrates the issues present in the commonwealth’s case while simultaneously recognizing the unpredictability of jury trials.”
I agree Vol or NE. Can you imagine Mixon in the Pats scheme. That would be scary.
Why would the Pats need him? They already got three running backs that are all starters.
Maybe the Colts too since their new GM just came from KC and probably helped give an OK with the selection of Tyreek Hill.
He would be an old school Raiders pick.. all the way
The Packers with their small town atmosphere. He could focus only on football.
Would be just fine the Hawks getting him in the 4th, trade down or up, either way
Another LB to look into I think if the hawks go that way in the 1st round is Raekwon McMillan out of OSU.
I checked him out briefly today, and he didn’t look very athletic to my eye. Definitely not R1 athletic. Could be wrong though. Did you see something in him?
Wanna see impressive get off at the snap? Time for a dark horse candidate at LB.
LB Marquel Lee, Wake Forest, 6032, 230, 9.38 hand, 32.25 arm, 78.13 wing
https://youtu.be/x3RGrbA1iY8
Not sure he is fast or physical enough, but he sure has a good solid build and a great get off when blitzing.
2016 stats: 105 tackles, 63 solo, 7.5 sacks, 20 TFL, 3 FF (per sports-reference.com)
Another player who will be one to watch at the combine. I agree with your take on his initial burst, he can really get going on the snap.
I like Lee. Tough Hombre.
I just love the idea of getting a LB or CB early. It’s just time.
2 of these first 3 picks need to be players that are either sacking the QB or intercepting passes at CB. Our pass rush was fine in the first half but needs to improve. It was poor down the stretch.
I second that emotion. Yep, I went there
I think they’ll get a veteran OL to add to the mix some how, some way… then the first two rounds will be to get an athletic front seven guy and a defensive back in either order.
This draft is defense strong so it wouldn’t be so bad to make the first three picks defense. Cornerback, linebacker, and defensive tackle to collapse the pocket.
I would like that. Snag a WR somewhere too. Let’s let someone else outside of Kearse get all this 1 on 1 coverage. A veteran OL would be worth spending a little more coin on too.
Kamara, McCaffrey, or Curtis Samuel to the Pats at the end of R1 could be scary.
Wondering if they might target a TE though like Njoku. Gronk is hurt and Bennett is FA.
Random thoughts…
Seahawks see an early run on linebackers in R1. Gone are Foster, Reddick, Williams, McKinley, and right before them, Houston takes Jarrad Davis. Not wanting to leave the draft without a LB that can legitimately challenge KJ and Bobby for playing time, with the 26th pick in the 2017 NFL, the Seattle Seahawks select Zach Cunningham, Linebacker, Vanderbilt.
26: R1P26
LB ZACH CUNNINGHAM
VANDERBILT
58: R2P26
CB RASUL DOUGLAS
WEST VIRGINIA
90: R3P26
OT ANTONIO GARCIA
TROY
105: R3P41
DL MONTRAVIUS ADAMS
AUBURN
184: R5P39
S TEDRIC THOMPSON
COLORADO
211: R6P26
WR TRAVIN DURAL
LSU
229: R7P8
RB MATTHEW DAYES
NC STATE
The run on LBs make some corners slide into day two. Seattle is fortunate to land one of the guys they wanted in Rasul Douglas, a player that they were “considering” at pick 26.
R3 nets them OT Antonio Garcia, once thought to be a potential fringe R1 pick, but had an unspectacular Senior Bowl week. They like his underdeveloped frame and see enough upside enough to stash him and develop, a la Rees Odhiambo (who, along with Quinton Jefferson, is the star of the offseason training program).
R3 also offers them a gem of a DT to develop as a base defense starter next to Jarran Reed in Montravious Adams.
Tedric Thompson is a cover safety they like. They find late round values in WR Travin Dural (who didn’t play with a QB that could get him the ball enough), and Matthew Dayes who offers some one-cut depth at RB.
If they could get Adams in round #3 I would be so pumped. I would even like him in Rd #2. He exactly the type of pocket collapser we could really use on the DL and I think he will be a much better pro than college player. He dominated the Senior Bowl in the trenches.
John Schnieder will agree with you, Trevor. In this scenario, if the need for corner wasn’t so pressing, he’d say that Adams was a player that they would have been comfortable taking at 58.
I am sorry but it is extremely misguided to project a linebacker in the first round, particularly a non-pass rushing one based on Pete’s comments. Pete can find a linebacker capable of manning KJ and Bobby’s respective positions in the middle round. Certainly neither are in need of being replaced as both are very good.
If you want to argue for a LB in the first round on the basis of needing a quality SAM that’s a different argument, one I disagree with but it makes a hell of a lot more sense than taking a guy to ‘push Bobby and KJ’
A three down, multi-position linebacker like Reddick, Cunningham or Davis can play the sam — as can KJ.
They can also push Wagner and KJ.
I think the point made in the piece is if it was just a case of ‘hey, we’d like someone else at LB just to get in there and compete’ it’s unlikely PC would’ve noted it as a crucial key need with OL and CB.
I hear what you are saying, and drafting a LB who can play SAM (a two down position, largely) while also providing depth for Bobby and KJ makes sense – just not in the 1st round in my opinion. If you can find a SAM who can put his hand on the ground on 3rd down now you’ve got my attention.
For me it is Haason Reddick or bust in the 1st round out of the linebacker group.
If they can get it (Reddick, Bowser) then it’s a plus. If not, you have a NASCAR rush of Clark, Bennett and Avril anyway with a chance to add in free agency.
Getting a player as good as Cunningham or Davis in this defense will only be a benefit. And it also adds to what Pete is saying really. That player is also pushing the other two guys will also being on the field.
It doesn’t have to be a R1 pick — but if Reddick’s gone, Bolles is gone, 3-4 of the top CB’s are gone… I don’t really see any reason to write it off.
Yup. In this scenario, the Seahawks love Cunningham’s ability to play SAM, but also capable of playing the other spots, if KJ or Bobby should be inured or need a breather. His athleticism to cover also means they go back to their roots a few years ago of being able to stay in their base more often. Athleticism, length, production, football IQ wins out for Cunningham, and they see the special.
Good read Rob. To add to the notion of snaps taken from KJ & B-Wag, it’s not reps @ 1st & 2nd or even 3rd dns. Rather, it is the other reps on STs and occasional 3rd dns, depending upon match ups. The intent is to lessen the load so that they still have legs in the 4th quarter.
ATL was gassed due to not having an adequate rotations. KJ & B-Wag played well, but could have played better with less reps. When Pete specifically says both “played thousands of plays or reps, and that the need to address that”. Parsing Pete, this signals that they would add a type of player that will mirror them and play SAM. Rotating them on 3rd dns, occasionally, depending upon matchups.
I do not believe that he is looking for a rushing LB per say. But, one that will occasionally blitz, drop in coverage. One that is big & fast enough to cover TEs & RBs and strong enough to take on linemen. Of course as you are well aware, the player I believe with the most potential to fulfill that role is the one you’ve featured a glimpse of, in the video. Thank you sir.
How’s the ‘Proud Papa’ holding up? Have you been catching any zzzz? I hope all are getting enough rest in your household. Keep up the great post!
Nice take, Wall Up.
I read into / my take on this… it that they might be looking for a guy who can play 3 downs…. and give Wright and Wagner some breathers on passing downs. Try to keep them a bit more fresh. So for example, you might have Wagner and KJ, then Wagner and Cunningham for example) and then KJ and Cunningham (for example). So let’s get away from the WILL, SAM and MLB talk and think of the group as a collection of guys who could mix and match better, depending on which teams they face. The LB group as a whole would be improved and could hold up better over the length of the season, reducing wear and tear on all the players who are “starting” LB on the team.
Depth yes, but getting someone that can play in Nascar as well or take over Bobby/KJ in Nascar and let Marsh play DE is the same thing. Getting another LB too start and have the ability to not lose too much when they play for BW/KW, but also the ability to rush the passer will be icing on the top
Great points, Charlie.
Did anyone else besides me have the scary thought this last season about what this defense would look like should Bobby and/or KJ be lost for stretch of games, while not having sufficiently replaced Bruce Irvin, especially when Mike Morgan was on the IR? Because, personally, I found that thought kind of terrifying, and I wasn’t shocked Carroll spoke at length about linebacker the way he did after the playoff loss. I kinda think he might have had that terrifying thought, as well.
What do u guys think about Sam shields being released???
He won’t be the last quality DB to be released. Could be a fire sale in the FA cornerback market with this quality DB class incoming.
He might be the injury retirement poster child however. Supposedly, he has not completed concussion protocol according to John Clayton… and he has been in it since week #1 of 2016 season. The guy is done.
He’s brain injured to the point where the rest of his life if probably ruined. The very worst side to football.
Come on man. Quit trolling. No way in hell Seattle trades Ifedi for Pryor.
That’s just lazy work on that guys part. Is crazy the amount of nonsense that is out there getting paid to do this, when Rob is doing this for free (and a lot of contributors on this blog) are some much more talented.
Agree, lol.
I think they should move Ifedi to RT. Moving Glow to LG was dumb, but Ifedi being hurt week 1 messed things up… it Should have been Gilliam, Odhiambo, Britt, Glow, Ifedi as optimal OL.
Next season they should have Odhiambo at LG and move Glow back to RG! Fant, Odhiambo, Britt, Glow, Gilliam with draft and/or depth/competition at LG, LT and RT.
You want them to start Odhiambo and Fant and Gilliam but NOT to play Ifedi?! Ifedi was a massive disappointment at RG as a rookie, but he’s just too athletic not to play better with a year of experience in his rear-view.
I would like to see Ifedi moved to RT, and see Seattle bring in a vet who has a proven track record of at least playing RT well, if not LT, to compete with Fant. If Fant cant beat out a middling to poor Vet at LT, he shouldnt be playing. Having the worst LT in football wont work next year any better than it did this year.
I would also like to see Glowinsky get to compete at both G spots with Odhiambo. Fant/Vet-Odhiambo-Britt-Glow-Ifedi.
Man, Cunningham sure shows off his nasty streak while tackling. He really snatches the ball carrier. Seems like a natural for “hawk tackling,” too.
One play he did a Bobby Wagner impression; picking up the running back by his head and leg and driving him back behind the 1st down at the last second. Impressive.
How does he look in coverage, Rob?
Coverage is one of his best strengths. I think the criticism is that he’s not the stoutest player at the point of attack.
Still looks like he can add weight too, that could improve if so.
For what it’s worth, Bruce Irvin was really light coming into the draft as well.
Hey? I’m not seeing that at all, he shows everything but a nasty streak. I’ve seen maybe a handful of tackles where he really bodies up, the rest of the time he grabs the jersey and slings. He’s very, very, skinny. Think unless he goes and sees Brady’s nutritionist he’s going to be almost exclusively a coverage LB.
Jack Lambert was a player that came in the league @ 6-4 220 in the program, but he measured 6’3½” and 204 pounds as a rookie. He went on to earn the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award as a central figure on a great Steeler defense as their MLB.
He did drop in coverage a lot in their Tampa two scheme, but Lambert prided himself on his ability to hit hard and intimidate the opposition. He was the Steelers starting middle linebacker for eleven seasons and averaged 146 tackles per season through his 10th year.
As I mentioned, I see similarities between the two, even though that was more than 40 years ago when he entered the league. Having some of those same traits will keep C-Ham in the NFL for a long time as well.
Lambert was all chicken legs, and one of the nastiest players in the league.
I’m not going to try and speak to Lambert, given he was playing well before I was born, but the league is a totally different beast today that it was back then. And I can totally see Cunningham as a MIKE for someone. I’ve mentioned before I think he’d be a great fit for a team like the Dolphins, who need a playmaking LB and have the DL to keep him clean, but I don’t see how he fits into the Seattle defence. Is he going to take snaps off Wagner or Wright? He’d be great depth to cover those two, maybe he’d even play at WILL and force Wright over to play SAM?
Don’t think he’s physical enough to play on the line, can’t see him setting the edge against the run, maybe he comes clean a couple of times on a blitz and gets a sack or two, but all of Cunningham’s best qualities are in space at the moment. He makes a lot of tackles, but he’s not a hard hitter – not a tone setter. If the Hawks are wanting to get back to being the bully, controlling and intimidating other teams, then I think there are better options out there.
I think the argument can be made that his skill set might be lean more towards WILL, but I wouldn’t consider him powder puff, incapable of playing SAM. As Rob mentioned, during the recent Super Bowl years, Malcolm Smith was getting more snaps at SAM than Bruce Irvin for stretches. So they’ve used a variety of skill sets at SAM. KJ can and also has played SAM, so if they drafted Cunningham, they could theoretically alter each player depending on the matchup, maybe not too much different that how they alternated Rubin and Reed between 1 tech and 3 tech, both being similar in ways and different in others.
For one, Bobby Wagner isn’t coming off the field unless he has too. You look for 3 down MLBs. That’s why him and Kuechly are so damn good. Their athletic ability to impact all 3 downs.
Your WILL should be your most versatile. This is why KJ plays there. Size is irrelevant when you have a guy like him.
SAM? 1st down run defender lined up over the TE who should be able to rush the passer on 3rd down. However, he has to be more than just a a guy in on run downs that lines up over the TE. His priority? Holding the POA. This is why they switched or rotated Bruce and Malcolm.
Can Cunningham hold the POA against bigger, stronger, and faster guys? I have my doubts. Keep him as an off-ball LB.
I’d bet Seattle will target another LB as a priority in UDFA.
Grab your SAM to replace Bruce and the other guy to replace KPL who they thought was Malcolm’s.
Instead of parsing Pete, listening to what he said, ” they both played thousands of plays… and we have to do something about that”, tells you that will be seeing less reps in the future. The reasons could be twofold. One, they’re thinking of the future, not only of the linebacker positions, but also the future of the those players playing at those positions.
Kuechly is a great young player. But, his future is in jeopardy due to concussions. Bowman & Co in SF retired at an early age due to injuries. LBs take & give a pounding out on the field. To lessen the pounding that they would receive is by having fewer reps.
This will keep them fresher by the 4th qtr of games, and more importantly for the playoffs when it really matters most. They will continue to play their positions the vast majority of the snaps. They’ll just have a break every once in a while thru a rotation, occasionally on 3rd dn and matchups, with less STs.
I know this may not be your preference, but C-Ham fits the bill for that rotation of rotation of LBs. The kid is just 22yrs old and not quite developed to his full potential. When he does, you’ll definitely have a BAD man playing out there.
By far, this would be the best LB group in the NFL for the next 3 to 4yrs. That could only happen with a good rotation. Pete does like to win forever. Taking care of his guys will afford him to do so.
Screen on these phones are just too small!
Yeah, that classic SAM really seems to be Ryan Anderson.
I’m thinking Cunningham as someone who could play some SAM but also be more than capable of stepping in for KJ or Bobby, like Carroll said. Just a theory at this point. They might legitimately really like Carroll Phillips, or Bowser, but the parsing Pete has me thinking backers that can play all three spots. CHam, Davis, Anzalone, Reddick perhaps.
Agree — and that group (CHam, Davis, Anzalone, Reddick) also happen to be really, really good, potential impact players, which is another thing Seattle is considering.
Agreed that he slings, but from the video I didn’t see a lot of jersey, I saw him really plucking ball-carriers out of their cuts and throwing them down with force. Agreed he’s not de-cleating them, but his ability to redirect their momentum and chuck them to the ground impressed me. It seemed “nasty” even if he wasn’t necessarily laying the lumber on them, they were very animated tackles that stopped their momentum very suddenly. And it just seemed like he had a real disdain for the ball-caiirer, which I liked. Seemed personal.
Fresh mock out from Daniel Jeremiah: http://www.nfl.com/draft/2017/mock-drafts/daniel-jeremiah/335600
Spoiler – he has us taking Marlon Humphrey
I’d be cool with Humphrey, but not with Reddick still on the board.
Marlon Humphrey is seriously athletic, very unlikely he lasts. If he can learn, PC could do some pretty amazing things with him.
Could be, though. in listening to various draft guys, this CB class seems to have enough for everybody so that somebody you wouldn’t think would last, will. You’ve got skinny cover guys like Jones and thick long guys like Douglas and sticky quick guys like Jackson and White, etc. Several teams are going to pass on really great (for somebody) corners in favor of a guy they think fits their needs/scheme better.
I like Humphrey for us, but he does have possible issues with losing focus and not tracking the ball down the field well.
Definitely, but as a general rule long, athletic, corners with that sort of pedigree don’t tend to last. If he does fall to 26, the Hawks would have to be seriously keen.
I would totally be cool with that pick.
Nice article Rob! Drafting Cunningham would be great, for the Seahawks. Can’t wait for the combine!
I read Dan Kadar’s mock draft on sbnation, http://www.sbnation.com/2017/2/6/14520380/2017-nfl-mock-draft-myles-garrett-mitch-trubisky-deshaun-watson, and he had Bolles going to Seattle at 26! Melifonwu was available, for Seattle at 58!
At this point that seems like wishful thinking.
The idea of trading Pryor for Ifedi is so totally weird you almost have to wonder if that source has heard something. Pryor’s an interesting player, got decent range and he can hit. He was running Rex’s famously complicated defence in his first season, so he’s got a bit going on upstairs as well. Can definitely see why he’d appeal to Carrol. The Hawks played more Cover 2 last season, and he’d help with that. Would probably be able to play a bit of single high if Earl got injured too.
He hasn’t really developed in the way that he looked like he would, but how many Jets players really have?
I might be missing something here, but what’s up with all this linebacker hype in round 1? I know Pete talked about it and I agree some young depth is important, but seems like a luxary pick for a team that has serious needs. We need a starting corner. We need a starting left tackle. We need a starting right tackle. Seeing that our SAM plays about a third of the snaps, I’d put the need for LB similar to 3tech pass rusher and safety, but below corner and tackle.
There are some Irvin-like players that could go in the first round, like Reddick. If we had another Irvin type player it would free a roster spot since he would play SAM and Nascar package DE. Also if the Hawks get a freak athlete at LB to pair with KJ and Bobby then they may stay in base defense more. They stayed in Nickel partly because offenses dictated to them, partly because of the revolving door at SAM since Morgan was injured the whole middle of the season. Personally I would prefer they stay in base more because Lane is poor at tackling and had an overall below average season.
Last year, the Seahawks brought in Alabama LB Reggie Ragland for a V Mac visit. So, one could say they’ve been looking at high end LB prospects as far back as last year, when Irvin left. Can’t always fill all your needs through the draft, though, and this year’s draft class features a number of top end LBs.
Also, what we consider to be top needs for the team doesn’t always translate to what their perception of their tops needs are. In 2013, when Marshawn was in his prime, I think most of the fan base didn’t figure their first pick would be a running back, and they took SPARQy C-Mike. In 2014, when most felt OL was a big need, most didn’t feel a speed WR was a need because the team just acquired Percy Harvin, and low and behold the team took Paul Richardson. Last year, many thought Seattle wouldn’t draft a run stuffing DT high, and what do you know? They traded up in R2 for a pure run stuffing DT.
I think the thing is, Pete made a big point about saying the LB is an area of concern. Whenever he has done that about a position, they’ve typically attacked it hard. He also said corner was a need. So I think there is a pretty good chance that first pick could be a LB or a corner.
As Rob has pointed out, and it keeps going over a lot of peoples heads, not sure why. Anyways, you have your list, board, whatever it may be or areas/positions you want to address right?
If your biggest need is CB or OT, but your guys aren’t there, your gonna go down that list or board and grab another need. Then you come back around and fill the others. Not ideal nor what you want but it happens.
I’d guarantee that Seattle wanted to grab a corner last year. Cary Williams left a big hole. Shead stepped up. But they probably wanted to indoctrinate a guy in the system for this year. Now? Its become a plug and play situation.
Either the guys they wanted weren’t there in any round or it there were, they didn’t fit their scheme.
I think LB is a need. The dropoff from KJ and Wagner is pretty steep in my opinion. And god forbid if either misses time. The cupboards actually pretty bare. Plus I have to wonder if the team isn’t looking to adjust their scheme a bit if the right personnel were available, such as Reddick.
As for the Tackles. I’m not sure if there are two draftable, start immediately tackles in this draft. Perhaps at the combine there will be a lesser known Terron Armstead type. But past Bolles? With virtually every team in the league in a position to improve their tackles and a lack of talent available I think it makes sense to look at LB. The last thing this team needs is an almost tackle that “swings,” inside. Perhaps a mid round Guard to push Ifedi to RT. Maybe Odhiambo comes to camp ready to roll and takes over for Fant…But for me I’d like to see Seattle take a break from drafting too OL only to have them not pan out, shuffle them around for 2-3 years, or have them play a position that they didn’t play in college just to be having this conversation again next draft season.
http://www.fieldgulls.com/2017/2/8/14548330/seahawks-draft-offensive-line-nfl-mock-2017
Really interesting discussion in the comments sections regarding drafting OL. The post describes the number of OL taken but hawks in recent drafts, which is disproportionately high when compared to other teams. Commenter goes on to score the amount of “draft value” for the 10 OL identified as being equivalent to pick 1.14. (This does not count DL drafted to play OL) Not relevant to this post really, but something to keep in my that I found interesting.
That article was referenced to start the initial thread. Rob and others had a nice back & forth. Check it out at the top of the page.
I saw that after my post…
While they did discuss the idea that the Hawks have certainly spent picks on the OL, I found the total draft capital, or value by the old standard, of those picks to be interesting. By sheer numbers, yes the Hawks have spent a lot of picks on the OL, but when you look at the value associated with ALL of those picks it simply amounts to a single 14th overall pick, it’s pretty astounding.
All that assuming those cases mmenters are correct of course.
Rob. Totally agree about top 50 rankings/evaluations. You can’t read to much into. One major reason I read your posts is because I RESPECT your writings.
Off the wall trade talk: I’ve heard Texans are looking to trade jj watt for a qb or something. What if we trade our first and change for jj( noting change could mean a lot). How crazy would that be? Could we even afford it? Then draft his brother and boom we got the watt brothers
J.J. has also talked about early retirement. So I am not to keen on trading for him. Plus J.J. would put the Hawks back into salary cap hell. So I don’t look for J.J. to be a Hawk anytime soon.
That was a suggestion by Cris Carter on one of those ‘hot take’ shows.
Romo for Watt.
Both are still on the hook for their own guys salaries though.
Don’t think the Cowboys could afford that even if they wanted to could they?
Romo for Watt. Now that is a horse of a different color. If I was Dallas I would pull the trigger. We all know that Houston needs a QB.
It seems ridiculous that Houston would part with JJ Watt, who if healthy is arguably the player defensive player in the league, for an old QB with a bad back. The only way I see them doing that if is there’s a very really chance Watt’s back is chronic and they feel it’s going to legitimately shorten his career.
Definitly feel a good coverage linebacker is who is capable of playing the run to some degree is what is needed. Probably someone who could sub in for Wright/Morgan but more athletic and fluid in covergae. Makes someone lkely Obi a likely candidate, but there are also a few small schooll prospects they might look at lke George Dawson or Mike Needham both are S/LB hybrids who are similar in size and weight to Malcolm Smith and have had numeroues PBUs compared to numerous other at their position and quite high in the FCS overall. Seattle makes good use of UDFA so why not at Linebacker.
My Dream Off Season for Seattle. I also think it is realistic. Let me know what you think and changes you would make or where I am off base.
Current Roster Moves
#1 Extend Kam. He has shown he is the true leader and heartbeat of this team. He should retire a Seahawk.
#2 Extend Jimmy Graham and improve his cap # for 2017. The is one of the tru dynamic offensive weapons in the league and I think 2017 will be the year he an Russ find the magic he and Brees had for years.
#3 Extend Justin Britt. Can’t believe I am saying this but he was solid as a 1st year Center and will only get better. Lets make him a cornerstone to build around on the OL.filed under:
#4 Let Steve H, Luke Willson and all other FA walk unless it is a really team friendly deal. Ther cap money can be better spent on the core and impact additions.
Free Agency
#1 Sign Zeitler (4 yrs /36 mil w/$8-10 mil APY). I know he will be pricey and get over paid for a Guard but he is young, knows Russ well and is one of the elite players at his position. Also very durable. A combination of Glowinski, Britt and Zeitler could be one of the best interior OL in the league.
#2 Sign Andrew Whitworth (2 yr /8 ml with most $ in yr #1) Whitworth is old but still playing well. Sign him for 2 years with the idea of bringing him in for 1 year to let Fant have the time to truly develop and become the elite LT he has the chance to be without being thrown to the Wolves too early.
Let Ifedi and Gilliam fight it out for the RT spot. Ideally Ifedi becomes our RT of the future. If you were to build the perfect RT in the NFL physically it is Ifedi. Lets use his length and power!
#3 Look for a veteran DL who provides some interior pass rush. Will have to wait to see who is available but maybe even a guy like Dominique Easley.
Draft
Rd #1 Small trade back into early 2nd Rd to pickup another early 3rd round pick.
Rd#2 (Early from Trade) Obi Melinowfu (DB-UCONN) He is an incredibly unique athlete who just makes too much sense and could be the perfect chess piece for today’s pass happy NFL.
Rd#2 Kevin King or Rasul Douglas (CB / Wash) Either guy would be an ideal CB opposite Sherm. Adding one of these guy with Obi and a healthy Earl could be the best version of the LOB yet.
Rd#3 (Trade) Tyus Bowser (LB,Hous) or Carrol Phillps (LB, Illinios)- Love both these guys and think they are just scratching the surface of their talent. Can rush the passer and be a 3 down linebacker like Bruce was.
Rd#3 Karen Hunt (RB- Toledo) or Joe Mixon (RB Okla) Someone is going to give Mixon a chance. If the Hawks feel he is a decent person who made an awful decision because of obvious anger management issues then I could not think of a better HC or organization to help a young man turn his life around and become a good citizen. MIxon has Top 20 talent and can do it all. He would instantly improve our run and pass offense. On tape he is one of my top 3 favorite players in the draft. So smooth.
I don’t think JS will want the backlash from a Mixon pick so I hope they take Hunt who I like almost as much. He is not the extreme talent Mixon is but he is going to be a really good NFL RB I think. He has the best balance of any RB in the class. Never fumbles, blocks well, is a good short yardage guy and can catch the ball. He would be a steal in Rd #3 and a nice addition to Rawls, Prosise.
Rd#3 Comp Issac Asiata (G – Utah) When you watch Bolles tape another tough nasty SOB flashes and that is Asiata. He would be a great guy to come in and compete for one of the Guard spots. He can also play center and give them more versatility than Hunt. If this team wants to be a Bully then no OL prospect in this draft gives them more toughness than Asiata.
Rd#5 Comp Derrick Wise Jr (DL-Arkansas) Really raw but love this guy. To me he is an even rawer version of Daniel Hunter when he came out of LSU a couple of years ago. Great length and speed. He would be the perfect guy to bring and develop to replace Cliff in a couple of years and contribute 5-10 snaps a game until then as a situational pass rusher.
Rd#6 Eric Saubert (TE -Drake) Seems like the ideal replacement for Willson. Showed great athleticism and hands at the Shrine Bowl practices. Really like him a lot.
Rd#7 Zane Gonzalez (PK – Ariz St) This guy is the 2nd best PK in CFB after the kid from Auburn. I like Steve H but his cap $ can be better used and Gonzalez is really good.
Rd#7 Jaylen Ware (OT-Alabama St) – Another great athlete who is incredibly raw. He could be a riser after combine however. At 6-7 300lbs he is athletic and has great length. I hop the Hawks continue bringing in guys like this to try and develop as there is just not much great OT talent in college right now. He will not contribute in 2017 but is a backup in case Fant or Ifedi do not work out.
Pretty thoughtful approach.
Some thoughts of mine:
1. I honestly think the team likes what it has in Fant. Plus he was already thrown to the wolves so to speak so if they are going to improve the position I think they look to a straight improvement as opposed to a benching.
2. I like the Zeitler and or Asiata idea quite a bit. Almost too much. I think they are going to keep Ifedi inside but I would love to see him take over at RT and have either of the two mentioned playing guard.
3. I’m undecided on the Haushka thing. He is still very accurate and I hate when fans travel down the “he cost us games road.” On the one hand he could have made those kicks and Seattle could have had a tenuous 12-4/ maybe 13-3 record would have altered how they were perceived. One the other hand when you’re scoring 6 points you have ton of other problems that aren’t on just your kicker. Plus league wide PA attempts were down now that they distance has changed.
4. Karem Hunt. Excellent points. He doesn’t really seem explosive to me but stats don’t lie. He’s very, very solid, extremely reliable but I wonder if he’s just Alex Collins again. Collins to me is the forgotten back who came to camp heavy and never really got going. But he has good hands out the backfield, good on pass pro, and looked to me to be figuring out the ZBS towards the end of the season after playing behind AK’s power/ mauling line.
I agree about Hunt it will be interesting to see how he tests. I remember last year I kind of like Collins but he was one of the worst performers in the entire RB draft class after the combine. I was shocked when the Hawks took him.
Yeah a couple things on Hunt I think are worthy of note for this discussion. At the senior bowl he weighed in at about 20 pounds less than his stated playing weight (weighed in at 208 at sr bowl). He did look he had a good burst in the senior bowl game itself, so maybe the concerns about his speed are more related to him playing at a higher than optimal weight.
Post senior bowl Tony Pauline noted that Hunt was saying he would weight in at between 213-215 at the combine, which Hunt feels as his optimal playing weight. And in an even more recent Pauline post, he reported that Hunt was running 4.39 hand time and 4.46 laser timed 40s. So, I think there is a very good chance Hunt shows himself to be a much better athlete than Collins at the combine. Excited to find out for sure because I think Hunt could be a great add to the rb stable.
Something to consider though — if he’s 208lbs legitimately that would be the lightest RB drafted by the Seahawks in the PCJS era by some distance (nearly 10lbs) aside from Zack Brooks (a throwaway 7th round change of pace type).
If he gets up to 215lbs and runs a 4.3 (I think that is unlikely) — he will probably go earlier than people are currently projecting.
Certainly, I think the combine will reveal a lot with regards to him. If he’s up to 215 and runs mid 4.4s, well then I think you are working with something. Not that hes Marshawn, but Lynch ran a 4.46 at 215 at the combine so Hunt could be in that wheel house. Now Lynch also jumped 35 plus inches on the vert, 7 seconded the 3 cone, and broad jumped almost 10.5 feet. So again, combine will be very telling with Hunt.
Yeah, I was going to say, Re #2, Ifedi. Carroll made it sound family clear that they want to keep him at guard.
In general, I like where you take this. Nice write-up. My thoughts in response to some points:
1. Above all, fix the OL, yes! I understand development takes time, but I can’t get on board with just banking next season’s success on the hope that these same guys will somehow all become that much better next season. I like the TEF approach and think they should continue finding and developing the Fants and Sokolis of the world in hopes that one day they will finally pay off, but in the meantime, get a proven stopgap. (Maybe they would have done so last year if they had the cap room.)
Keep swinging for the fences, so to say, to combat the ever-more athletic DL, but learn to do it in the batting cage and not in the starting lineup until they are ready. We don’t need a top OL to win, just can’t afford to be rock bottom. I will settle for higher floor/lower ceiling FA guys who have proved they can play in the league already, even if it means a slight overpay. Gosh, I hope JS has a plan for this. Your options sound good to me at that price, though I admit I don’t really know anything about them.
2. I also still struggle as to why they all the sudden refuse to move Ifedi to RT. When they drafted him, they said they saw him ending up at Tackle. Sure, he is going to have his bumps there too (and we will complain), but it seems to fit his profile and strengths so much better than G. They don’t do it much, but could this be the one real smokescreen they set up this offseason to throw off other teams?
3. Maybe this will be taken hard because we look at draft picks with so much hope, but I honestly don’t see Kareem Hunt as any better than Alex Collins. That’s why I would prefer to add a different kind of profile and suspect this might be what they are looking for with a guy like McKissic. My favorite for now is Taquan Mizzell.
4. Do we need another TE or just to give Vannett more playing time? While I will never discount PC grabbing more TEs, I also think McEvoy can take some of Willson’s targets.
5. Love all the extensions, but would keep Hauschka too. Think having a proven, reliable guy there (also one of the historically most accurate, despite last year) is well worth the $3m. The current cap space + restructuring Graham I think gives us enough to take care of what we need to do. Some of his “misses” were also bad snaps or blocks too if I remember correctly. (have to check on those numbers)
I like it all Trevor, i think it would be wishful thinking getting Whitworth for that cheap though.
Perhaps Greg but he is getting up there in age. It would basically be a 1 year deal spread out over 2 to reduce the cap hit. Have to think a guy like Whitworth might be willing to take $5-6 mil for 2017 and a shot to win an SB at his age and given he has spent his career with the Bengals.
If you got both he and Zeitler it would help with the leadership of the OL big time as well.
I love your FA approach. In your OL scenario, Ifedi hopefully beats out Gilliam, and we are left with solid depth in Fant/Gilliam/Odi. Add Asiata as interior line depth and this line could be quite good next year.
Nice thoughst, Trevor. There only thing I don’t feel is very realistic is Zietiler and moving Ifedi to RT. It sure sounded like Pete wants to keep Ifedi at guard. However, in addition to signing someone like Whitworth to settle LT and help develop Fant, I could see them add someone who is a legit veteran RT to stabilize that spot. IMO, Sowell wasn’t brought him as a RT, and I doubt they are satisfied with Gilliam there. If they didn’t sign Whitworth, and just spent a bit more for a legit veteran plug and play RT, that might also help settle Ifedi down knowing he has a cagy vet next to him.
Really like the Hawks to go after some DL like Easley though. I wouldn’t be shocked if they brought in a couple players there.
Very well dreamt, Trevor. I really hope your dreams come true.
FA
I would already be happy with 1 and a half out of #1 and #2, maybe preferring Whitworth and going after another cheaper RT or RG.
#3: I fear that Easley will cost too much at the end, but who knows.
Draft:
Nothing to criticize I guess. Maybe I would look for another secondary pick late like Witherspoon, Cutrer or Nate Gerry. I just wouldn’t know which of your choices to elimante to get the guy(s).
UDFA:
Actually I know. Get them all after the draft. They all want to come to the Seahawks anyway because of our great UDFA tradition. Just compete and you will get your shot.
Yeah if Easley has his head on straight he could get big dollars. He is definitely the kind of interior pass rusher they could really use.
I’m hoping our new DL coach we picked up helps the interior rush. In Chicago he got major pass rush production out of middling interior pass rushing talent. QJeff will hopefully help but they can’t just rely on him. I’m thinking they draft a pass rushing DT prospect in the mid rounds, although he would be raw. I don’t think Jarran Reed is going to become a pass rushing force in this league.
It’s understandable to think Reed won’t be an effective rusher, but he was just in his first year. He did lead the DTs in sacks and pressures, and was in on pass downs more than any of the other interior linemen. I’m not so sure Pete Carroll would have that guy out there if he didn’t think he could do it. From my eye, Reed had a number of close-but-no-cigar-almost-sack pressures, he effected the passer. Clint Hurtt could have been brought in specifically to develop Reed’s pass rush on top of Jefferson’s.
I am really counting on QJeff as well next year.
Another former first rounder who had a nice season rushing the passer is Nick Fairly if the Saints don’t work out a deal for him. They double dipped and drafted David Onyemata after Sheldon Rankins, and cut John Jenkins because of Onyemata. They might elect not to spend their money on Fairly because they want to bring Onyemata along on the cheap.
Yeah the Saint have the best young DT combo in the league with Rankins and Onyemata, DTs usually have pretty big jump in year #2 as well.
I am surprised Fairley is not get more attention. Seemed to have a good year. Must be a character issue.
Rob, I was wondering when you’re going to do a write up on the defensive tackle from Villanova. You have previously referred compared him with Calais Campbell. I can just hear your right your assessment now as you talk about how the Seahawks can’t afford Campbell but “hey we’re gonna draft our own version of Campbell, and put the number 93 on him.” Very similar to what they did was just DeShean Jackson/ Paul Richardson and Ifedi/osemeli. Interior pass rush is always a priority.
I’m very curious to see your thoughts on this guy. He seemed very impressive at the Senior bowl. And a high character guy . Do you think first-round?
Rob love your write ups, best on the internet IMO.
I’m really liking the idea of getting a safety/hybrid corner with our first pick. I really like Budda and Obi, and to a lesser extent Peppers. My only problem with those guys is the lack of TOs they created last year (Peppers 1, Budda 2 and Obi 4 @Ucon). While we need more young athleticism, we also need to find a way to create more TOs this year. Which one do you think can help us turn it around? Or do you see some LBs that would help more in that department?
I think it comes from the LBs and DL. They have to force more mistakes, the offense also has to give the defense a chance to play with a decent lead. The best way IMO to get those turnovers will be to find some veteran depth for the DL, upgrade the rotation and get another LB that flies to the ball, plus a CB with a nose for the ball. And on offense get the run game going again.
Rob, have you explored into the defensive tackle prospects which may interest the hawks? Will a tackle like Malik McDowell be available in round 2? He is massive 6’6 280 and for sure a competitor, apparently “some players didn’t like him because he tried to embarrass them in practice.” thats from Walterfootball. I would also be interested in Chris Wormely as he is another highly athletic massive DT, he is also from Michigain who I believe PC said they would have a higher interest in.
I think McDowell will go early R2. There are enough concerns about his motor and personality to keep him on the board — but enough upside for someone, eventually to take a chance. He could go R1 to be fair but it’d be a gamble pick. Combine can help him.
I like Wormley. Loads of effort, doesn’t take a playoff, can impact the game. I think R2-3. I suspect, however, that second wave free agency might be the area where Seattle looks to add to their D-line.
Really hoping Reddick is there at 26. Anzalone is very interesting as well and i will be looking at him come combine time. Besides the favorites at LB listed on here, Ryan Anderson from Bama is so intriguing. He may not have the length or explosive measurables as Irvin or Reddick but he is a play maker. Thick build and low center of gravity can help set the edge, which was an underrated hole in the defense last year. Has pass rush ability and can drop in to a zone. Described as the “most hateful” defender on a stacked Bama D last year. Sounds a lot like a BULLY to me.
Anderson is a really average athlete. That will work against him RE: Seattle. He didn’t look good at the Senior Bowl either.
Is Carroll Phillips a possible Bruce Irvin replacement?