Yes, you have read this title correctly. Laugh all you want, 49er Fan. Chuckle away, skeptical Seahawk fan who is throat deep in despair over the fact Seattle made no serious attempt to bring back Jadeveon Clowney, or strongly chased after veteran pass rusher Everson Griffen (both on the open market for months). Read it and weep, Fire Pete and Let Russell Cook crowds. Put it in your pipe and smoke it, pissed off “Just Stick to Sports” person who now hates the league because of its new found support on social justice causes.

No truer words about this upcoming attempt at an NFL season can stated than the title of this piece. Doubt them and laugh at them all you want, and be the victim of your own football hubris. I don’t care, and neither do the Seattle Seahawks.

Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson Thrive Under Constant Chaos

Anyone who has been following the Seattle Seahawks for the last decade knows how true this statement is. Some love the way the Seahawks play under this “organized chaos” while others have reached the point of emotional exhaustion that they crave nothing more than an Andy Reid type of coach to come into Seattle to let Russell fully cook in an offense. For me, there is no right or wrong way to feel about this dynamic. Being a Seahawk fan can be extremely stressful and also extremely exhilarating. Some people love the crazy carnival rides and some don’t. It is what it is.

I will say, however, that particularly during a highly unusual season, this team is probably built to succeed where others likely stumble. Let’s be honest about this whole thing; when the real bullets start to fly as the league kicks off, it’s going to be massively chaotic. Offenses that rely on timing and precision are probably going to be thrown off by the natural way that defenders will have early advantages in being able to play faster and fresher. There has been no preseason games to sort out continuity with offensive lines and timing with receivers. Every offense will enter into the first week of football with blind spots.

Russell Wilson is an incredible talent at quarterback, and one of the things that makes him so special is his ability to stay calm and sort through the chaos of pressures and coverages as games wear on. His uncanny ability to play “street ball” when plays break down is now very much a living legend in this league and it has been for years. Simply put, there is no quarterback in this league that I want on my team when things break down, and I think all teams are going to be faced with this sort of chaos for at least the first six weeks of the season. Seattle has a massive advantage at quarterback.

Seattle also has a massive advantage at the head coaching position. There is no coach in football who is better equipped to lead his franchise through the fires of chaos than Pete Carroll. The old hippy general thrives in it, he has built up the culture of the team to reflect that, and it all started with the very first practice of the team when he got here in 2010 and it has stayed the same. He wants his team to be able to handle any pressures, and he cultivates players that are capable of this.

Colin Cowherd can talk all that he wants to on his syndicated show about how Seattle is a declining franchise that relies too much on its star quarterback to save them in games. The truth is that he’s sorta besties with Russell, and I think it is likely that Russell has his ear when voicing frustrations about not being allowed to “cook” enough under the coaching of Carroll, and Cowherd is therefor compelled to get a narrative out there that doesn’t favor the coach, but I am perfectly willing to call hogwash to all that.

After eight seasons, I suspect Carroll knows exactly how to best use Russ. He knows what all of his strengths are and he also knows the areas where Russell isn’t as strong. He knows that for his quarterback to be at his very best, he needs to be supported by a balanced attack of a committed run game so that defenses don’t key off of his well documented height issues. The wiser fan probably has more trust in that Carroll knows perfectly well how to use Russell Wilson. Be the wiser fan.

Carroll also understands how to play defense really well, and I think this team is going to be much better defensively this year than many are expecting.

This Seattle defense is going to be better than many are expecting

There, I said it. I’m happy to say it. If you think that I am blindly in denial, I am cool with that, too. I probably think that you are blindly putting way too much emphasis on the fact that Jadeveon Clowney is now a Tennessee Titan.

Look, Pete Carroll understands how to play sound defense much better than you, or I do. This is a statement of fact. I also think that it is a statement of fact that he was as upset with how his defense performed in 2019 as certainly most Seahawk fans were. In fact, I think it is probably quite possible that he was more upset, even if he were to never admit it.

Carroll is never going to throw his defenders under the bus. So when he talked about how his defense stayed in base and the statistics showed how positive it was even though we could all see how terrible it was, let’s look at the bigger picture. Carroll hadn’t suddenly lost touch as a head coach. Carroll was playing the hand that he was dealt, and he retreated to a streamed down defense that would be least likely to give up big plays, and he was saying things to protect his players. This is what a good leader does.

This off-season was all about fixing the problems. Seattle had major issues in the secondary in 2019 that prevented them from playing the coverages that they wanted to play that would help the pass rush. Quarterbacks could dink and dunk all game long against that defense, and it was nearly impossible to generate a good rush, even with Clowney.

What has Seattle done this off-season? They traded for a talented young corner in Quinton Dunbar, and they traded for the best young safety in the game in Jamal Adams. They have also used their preseason to find a specific role in their nickel defense for the talented young defensive back, Marquise Blair. I would not underestimate how impactful these moves are likely to be.

Even more likely to be wrongly underestimated are the returns of Bruce Irvin and Benson Mayowa as the Leo rush ends. Yes, you read that right. These two “journeyman” players are going to make this defense better, even without Jadeveon Clowney. Chuckle away.

Look, Chuckles.. Clowney is a good player. I get that. He’s a freak athlete who can create instant disruption. He’s also a player that has an extensive injury history, has had years in the league to develop as a pass rusher and hasn’t, and apparently he doesn’t like to attend training camp. Pardon me if I am not overly upset that Seattle chose to not overpay for him. I’m sure that they would have liked him back, but not at any cost. Why? Because he is not a Leo rush end, and they probably don’t want to sink a ton of money into the five technique spot when they already have Rasheem Green and LJ Collier in the wings.

What they needed up front in 2019 were defensive ends that could play Leo. They had none. You are free to laugh at the idea of Mayowa being the featured player there because he’s been a career journeyman, but so was Chris Clemons when Seattle acquired him in 2010 and decided to feature him. Things turned out pretty well when they did that.

Now, I am not here to say that Mayowa will be as good as Clemons, but I am also not here to say that he won’t be. I am here to say that Carroll has a type of player that he covets for certain spots on his defense, and it seems to me that he is happy to have settled upon Mayowa at a very critical spot, with Bruce Irvin and likely rookie Alton Robinson rotating in (who has been the glowing talk of training camp by beat writers). Again, allow me to remind you that Carroll understands NFL defenses better than any of us.

Yes, they can stand to get more at defensive tackle behind Jarran Reed and Poona Ford. I’m not too worried there, I suspect they will add another player soon. I am also encouraged that they seem willing to go with Reed and Ford as the starting tandem. They are both talented young players worth continuing to develop. Give me upside anytime, especially in the interior of the defensive line.

The thing that I will circle back to is that Carroll has gone back to his defensive coaching DNA and that is building his defense from the back seven forward. They only other coach in the NFL that does it that way is Patriots coach Brian Belichick. That’s good company.

New England invests heavily in defensive back and linebackers, and they go with bargains on their defensive line. They want to be great at coverage and tackling. That is what Seattle was during 2012 through 2015. That is what Carroll is wanting to get back towards. I applaud that.

I’ve also seen it written by others that follow the team that Carroll runs a simple defense that requires the ability to rush with only four, and Carroll doesn’t get exotic with blitzes and doesn’t adjust his schemes. I think this is true, but to a degree.

Yes, Carroll has stayed committed to the single high cover three defense over the years in Seattle. And yes, it was streamed down and became less effective, especially last year without Earl Thomas. But I also think that he chose that defense specifically to fit Thomas when they drafted him in 2010, and before then, when he was the coach at USC, he ran more of a two deep defense. He adjusted his scheme to fit the strengths of a special athlete that they drafted.

Seattle traded two first round picks for a special athlete in Jamal Adams who does a lot of different things really well. He can cover, he plays the run really well, and he can pass rush. I have a sneaking suspicion that we are about to see a new evolution to Pete Carroll’s defense in Seattle. With Adams, free safety Quandre Diggs, and Marquise Blair, I suspect that it will be more safety centric than ever, and I think there are going to be twists that we haven’t seen.

With the drafting of Jordyn Brooks at linebacker, I think we are also going to see a lot more speed on defense as a whole. I’m excited to see how it unfolds. I’m not sure how it’s going to look, but I am confident that the 2020 Seahawk defense is going to be much better than last year’s. Chuckle away, Chuckles.

Finally, expect Russell Wilson to cook

Russell Wilson is going to cook in 2020. Bank on it. I think Pete is going to allow for Russ to do more up tempo, and I think they are going to mix in more quick passes to keep defenses even more honest.

This doesn’t mean that Russ starts throwing forty to fifty times a game. They will still strive for balance, but it does mean they will likely lean into Russ more on early downs.

Don’t expect this to look great out of the gates, or maybe even for this to happen immediately out of them, either. This will likely be an “as the season progresses thing” that will establish more as the offensive line gathers its chemistry and players settle in. Yes, we will likely still hear Cowherd lament how Seattle isn’t using Russell the right way, and the Let Russell Cook crowd will be screaming on the internet, but I recommend a more patient and reasoned approach.

Russell Wilson will cook in 2020. Bank on it. They didn’t bring in Greg Olsen, Phillip Dorsett, and they didn’t bring back Josh Gordon for Russell not to cook.

Writing off the Seattle Seahawks is a stupid thing to do

When will league pundits and fans ever learn this? Seemingly for the last five seasons people expect the Seattle Seahawks to fall off, and they always stay in playoff contention.. like, always.

Why would this season be any different?

Yes, you can talk yourself into thinking that the Arizona Cardinals are going to be the next big sleeper team to rise, or the Rams will rebound back to the top of the division, or the 49ers will easily hang onto it. Yes, you can look at the current projection of the Seattle defensive line and scream in terror about it. Yes, you could even do the same about maybe even the offensive line with three new starters.

But writing the Seattle Seahawks off with Pete Carroll has their head coach and Russell Wilson at quarterback is really stupid. If you want to be stupid, go for it.

Be that person calling for Pete Carroll to be fired, for Jeff Bezos to buy the team from Jody Allen because she is not the billionaire success that her more famous brother was. Jody Allen has given no indication that she can’t be a solid owner in the league, and all Pete Carroll has done as the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks since he got here in 2010 is to coach players up into a scrappy team that just finds ways to win through the positive yet fearless culture that he establishes each and every year.

2020 should be no different and I am actually picking this team as my favorite to win the Super Bowl. Could I be wrong? Of course, I could be, but I’m certainly not going to make the idiotic projection of placing the third or fourth in the NFC West.

I got a good feeling about this team just like I have done every year that Carroll has been coach and Russell as been the quarterback, but this year, during a massive pandemic and everything else that has made the United States a daily dose of chaos, I like this team even more.

I smell a Super Bowl.

Go Hawks.

 

What came first, the chicken or the egg?

This has been the question that has haunted philosophers for centuries. At times, I am sure that, within the social circles of diehard chicken fans, it has inspired much a heated debate. This is the nature the phenomena of known as fandom.

Similarly, I think there might have been some growing debate within Seahawk fans as to what has made Pete Carroll’s defense work, and what needs most doing to fix. It has been narrowed down to what is more important; investing in a defensive line to create a top level pass rush, or investing in building back a top level secondary where coverage helps create sacks.

When Seattle sent two first round picks, a third round pick, and safety Bradley McDougald to the New York Football Jets on Saturday for Jamal Adams and a fourth round pick,  I think it is safe to say we now have an answer to that question. Pete Carroll much prefers to have a dominant secondary, and he obviously believes that Adams gives him the best chance of having that back in Seattle. He was willing to pay a big time ransom for his services.

There has been some reaction from Seahawk fans and bloggers saying that Seattle gave up too much for his services. I’m not so sure. With Russell Wilson at quarterback, Seattle is consistently a playoff level team, and no matter what Colin Cowherd says, I think Seattle has enough pieces on the offense where, if Russell remains healthy, that’s not likely to change anytime soon. Therefor, Seattle is more than likely to be continually picking late in the draft over the next few years.

If you really want to breakdown the value given up for Adams, you might choose to look at it this way. What if the Jets called Seattle and said that they would be willing to give up their young All-Pro safety for Bradley McDougald, Rashaad Penny, LJ Collier, and they would exchange their fourth round pick (likely to be an early one) for Seattle’s third round pick (likely to be a late one)?

Looking at it this way, I think most fans would be willing to jump on that deal, providing some assurance that Russell Wilson stays healthy. Literally, this is the only risk that it boils down to, and if you want to achieve greatness, well, sometimes you have to be willing to risk something.

Seattle has taken a calculated risk that Russell Wilson will stay healthy enough for the next two seasons that they will stay in playoff/championship contention. Given that he has never missed a game in eight years as their starter, it’s a reasonable risk to take.

What did the Seahawks acquire in Adams?

They received an immensely talented safety that is a bit of a cross between Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas. He is a thumper and enforcer like Chancellor was, but his athleticism and play-making abilities are a bit closer to Thomas.

His skill-set also makes him one of the more uniquely versatile defenders in the league. In the Jets’ scheme had significant snaps at linebacker, edge rusher, free safety and strong safety, and some corner. He was literally all over the field. Thus, he gives Pete Carroll a ton of flexibility to use different coverages and looks.

The significance of this is that, over time, Seattle can go back to more of the coverages that they used in the Chancellor/Thomas era, and they could, in theory, add to those looks. This will certainly help the pass rush.

On top of all of this, this all-pro talent is only 24 years old, and presumably still has a lot of room to grow. This is pretty exciting stuff, and I think it’s okay to get pumped up.

So, go for it. Get excited. I’m not sure how much football we are going to have in 2019, but the future just got a lot brighter beyond that.

Seattle is probably not done shopping.

For one, I think that receiver Josh Gordon is coming back to play for the Seahawks in 2020. I think that the commish will clear him to play, and as soon as that happens, he will sign a deal with Seattle. His addition will have the offense pretty setup with weapons for Russell.

Additionally, I think Seattle will add a quality veteran defensive tackle to mix with Jarran Reed and Poona Ford. It could be Damon Harrison, Mike Daniels, Marcell Dareus, maybe even the return of Brandon Mebane. There are a number of decent DTs left on the market. This is the other deal that I fully expect to get done soon.

I also think there is a somewhat still an outside chance that they could add another edge rusher. In fact, even with this addition of Adams, I don’t think the door is fully shut on Jadeveon Clowney returning for another season. It still feels remote, but I wouldn’t call it out of the question. We will see soon enough.

For now, I am celebrating that Seattle made a splash move for a unique defender, and they appear all in for going for a title now. I dig that. Bring on the Niners.

Go Hawks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s late Spring. NFL mini camps should be happening, but they are not. To offer a slight reprieve for what has been trying times, I thought I would offer my own All Time Seattle Seahawks Roster with a practice squad and coaching staff. I hope you enjoy it as you stay safe out there.

Go Hawks, and Black Lives Matter.

Quarterback; Russell Wilson (2012 to present), Dave Krieg (1981-’91), Matt Hasselbeck (2001-’10)

With a Super Bowl ring, numerous pro bowls, record passing numbers, continual winning seasons, and all around spectacular play, Russell Wilson is the undisputed starter. I have Dave “Mudbone” Krieg beating out Matt Hasselbeck for the backup spot. No disrespect to Hass, but I just feel like Mudbone had a bit more of his own dynamic flair. Go Hawks.

Running Back; Marshawn Lynch (2010-’15), Shaun Alexander (2000-’07), Curt Warner (1983-’89), Chris Warren (1990-’97)

Beastmode is the starter. His toughness was tone setting and inspiring for his teammates. Alexander was a dynamic runner that was a home run hitter every time he got into open space. Curt Warner mixes in with his unique juke skills, and Chris Warren is the play-making third down back. Go Hawks.

Fullback; John L. Williams (1986-’93)

John L. is the best Seattle Seahawk not named Russell Wilson, Steve Largent, Cortez Kennedy, Kenny Easley, Walter Jones, Steve Hutchinson, Richard Sherman, Jacob Green, Kam Chancellor, Bobby Wagner, Marshawn Lynch, Doug Baldwin, or Earl Thomas. Not bad for a fullback. He was a tremendously talented receiver and a powerful inside runner.

Wide Receiver; Steve Largent (1976-’86), Doug Baldwin (2011-’18), Brian Blades (1988-’89), Tyler Lockett (2015 to present), Darrell Jackson (2000-’06), Bobby Engram (2001-’08).

What this group tells me is that Seattle has done a sneaky good job over the years collecting really talented yet diminutive route runners. The biggest guy out of this group is Jackson at 5-11 and 206 pounds. However, each guy in this group was/is a superb route runner with great hands, toughness, and had/has a uncanny ability to make the spectacular play.

Tight End; Jimmy Graham (2015-’17), Zach Miller (2011-’14), Jerramy Stevens (2002-’06)

What this group tells me is almost the exact opposite of the receiver group. There were receivers that I could have included in that grouping. With tight end, it was a struggle to come up with three quality players for my final 53, and nothing screams that more loudly than having Jerramy Stevens make the All Time club.

Offensive Tackle; Walter Jones (1997-2009), Duane Brown (2017 to present), Russell Okung (2010-’15)

There is probably not a more talented overall football player that has ever worn a Seahawk uniform than Walter Jones. Big Walt was an incredible athlete and if your kid is sulking about the coaches trying to make him an offensive lineman instead of a quarterback, have him watch Walter Jones highlights. It is almost like watching a Marvel movie superhero. Duane Brown is as solid as they come, and Russell Okung was a quality pro bowl player for the Seahawks in his time.

Offensive Guard; Steve Hutchinson (2001-’05), Chris Gray (1998-2007), Brian Millard (1984-’91), Edwin Bailey (1981-’91)

What Pete Carroll did to form the Legion of Boom secondary in Seattle, Mike Holmgren did for his offensive line when he coached the Seahawks. On that line, Steve Hutchinson is a hall of famer, but Chris Gray was also a high level starter. In the 1980’s, Brian Millard helped pave ways for Curt Warner and John L Williams in the 1980’s, and his teammate, Edwin Bailey, had a long career at left guard, starting a remarkable 120 games.

Center;  Kevin Mawae (1994-’97) Max Unger (2009-’14),

Kevin Mawae is a hall of famer that Seattle stupidly let leave in free agency in the nineties. Max Unger is arguably the best offensive lineman in the Pete Carroll era not named Duane Brown, and it was a shocker when he was shipped to New Orleans as part of the deal for tight end Jimmy Graham. All he did for the Saints was a continuation of his steady pro-bowl level play until he retired from football.

Defensive End; Jacob Green (1980-’91), Jeff Bryant (1982-’93), Michael Sinclair (1991-2001), Cliff Avril (2013-’17), Michael Bennett (2013-’17)

Seattle has done well over the decades at defensive end. Jacob Green is the best edge rusher that I’ve ever seen in a Seahawk uniform, and I think had he played in a bigger market, he would have be a hall of famer by now. Jeff Bryant was his terrific counterpart. Mixed in between them and the modern day era dynamic duo of Avril and Bennett is Michael Sinclair who was a dominant edge rusher in the 1990’s.

Defense Tackle; Cortez Kennedy (1990-2000), Joe Nash (1982-’96), Sam Adams (1994-’99), John Randle (2001-’03)

Cortez Kennedy (resting peacefully) was the most dominant defender to ever play in a Seahawk uniform. His explosive first step, power, and interior pass rush was incredible to watch. In his day, he could routinely destroy multiple blockers, and blow up running plays almost before the quarterback could make the hand off.  Joe Nash (1984 All-Pro) was a classic overachiever who far outplayed his un-drafted draft stock, enjoying a 14 year NFL career. Sam Adams formed a great tandem with Kennedy in the nineties, and and while hall of famer John Randle’s Seattle tenure was short (and at the end of his career), he was a pro-bowl player for the Hawks.

Outside Linebacker; Chad Brown (1997-2004), KJ Wright (2011-present), Leroy Hill (2005-’12), Rufus Porter (1988-’94)

Chad Brown was a fantastic “do everything” outside linebacker for the Seahawks. KJ Wright has always done everything right, Leroy Hill was a fierce blitzer, and Rufus Porter was a dynamic pass rush specialist who became a quality every down linebacker.

Middle Linebacker; Bobby Wagner (2012-present), Lofa Tatupu (2005-’10), Fredd Young (1984-’87)

Bobby Wagner is a future hall of famer who might be on the way to having his jersey retired, Lofa was an instinctive field general who excelled in coverage and against the run, and Fredd Young was a dynamic play-maker. There are other linebackers that I could have listed but these three were the most dynamic.

Cornerback; Richard Sherman (2011-’17), Dave Brown (1976-’86), Marcus Trufant (2003-’12), Brandon Browner (2011-’13), Shawn Springs (1997-2003)

Richard Sherman is a definite future hall of famer, but Dave Brown was Sherman before Sherman was born. Marcus Trufant was a solid pro bowl level player from the Holmgren to Carroll era. Browner is a legendary member of the LOB, and Shawn Springs was a gifted player during the late 1990’s to early 2000’s. This is a strong group.

Free Safety; Earl Thomas (2010-’18), Eugene Robinson (1985-’95)

Earl Thomas is one of the best athletes to play for the Seahawks. His rare ability to play center field, and cover sideline to sideline revolutionized Seattle’s defense under Carroll. Robinson was a steady player for some bad Seahawk teams in nineties, but at least enjoyed a bit playoff success earlier in the eighties. He was a three time pro-bowler that enjoyed a long NFL career.

Strong Safety; Kenny Easley (1981-’87), Kam Chancellor (2010-’17)

I was reluctant to call Earl Thomas the best athlete to ever play for the Seattle Seahawks because I think that honor belongs to Kenny Easley. In the early to mid 1980’s, Kenny Easley was a human highlight reel. He was a ferocious play-maker, taking away the football, scoring on returns, and laying terrifying hits on receivers. He was the original enforcer and tone setter on an exciting defense under then head coach Chuck Knox, and he is a much deserved hall of famer. Kam Chancellor was the Boom in the Legion Of Boom, and the fearless leader of that historic defense. He has been my favorite Seahawk player of the modern era not named Russell Wilson.

Kicker; Norm Johnson (1982-’90)

Stormin’ Norman Johnson was a Seattle Seahawk legend in the eighties, and he possessed a monster leg with great accuracy. He’s the best kicker to ever wear a Seahawk uniform to far and away.

Punter; Rick Tuten (1991-’97)

Rick Bootin’ Tuten was a sensational punter for the Seahawks in the lean years of the nineties. Sadly, he unexpectedly passed away in 2017.

Long Snapper; Trey Junkin (1990-’95)

Junkin was a solid long snapper for the Seahawks in the nineties. For a team that didn’t do a whole lot of winning at that time, they always seemed to have solid special teamers.

Ten Player Practice Squad; QB Jim Zorn (1976-’84), RB Chris Carson (2017-present), DE Chris Clemons (2010-’13), DE Frank Clark (2015-’18), DT Brandon Mebane (2007-’15), DT Jarran Reed (2016-present) LB Dave Wyman (1987-’92), LB Brian Bosworth (1987-’89), Safety John Harris (1978-’85), Center Robbie Tobeck (2000-’06)

Jim Zorn was kind of the original Russell Wilson, a crafty scrambler who was had instinctive play-making abilities. When healthy, Chris Carson has been every bit of a dynamic runner as other great Seattle backs. Chris Clemons and Frank Clark get over shadowed by the Avril/ Bennett duo of the Pete Carroll era but were both spectacular in there time here. Brandon Mebane and Jarran Reed have been the best DT’s of the modern Seahawk era. David Wyman and Brian Bosworth were drafted together and, for a short time, played wonderfully together before injuries quickly caught up to the Boz. John Harris was a solid safety in the eighties, and Robbie Tobeck was a rock solid center for the Holmgren coached Seahawks.

Head Coach; Pete Carroll (2010-present)

There is no head coach in professional football who can squeeze more juice out of a lemon than Pete Carroll. He is a master motivator and culture builder, and I think he is a way better game adjuster than many give him credit for. Best of all, players want to play for him, and play well for him.

Offensive Coordinator; Mike Holmgren (1999-2008)

Would Holmgren be willing to call plays under Pete? I highly doubt it, and I don’t even think it is even a philosophical fit, but he was his own play caller during his time as the head coach, and at the height of that time, he did it masterfully.

Defense Coordinator; Tom Catlin (1983-’92)

Tom Catlin was a masterful defensive mind. He coached both 3-4 and a 4-3 defenses in Seattle under head coaches Chuck Knox and Tom Flores, and he coached these defenses at league leading levels. His defenses consistently did two things; they sacked quarterbacks and they took the ball away. Go Hawks.

Special Teams Coach; Rusty Tillman (1979-’91)

Part of what made the eighties Seahawks such a fun team to watch was their dynamic special teams play. They blocked a lot kicks, scored on a lot of returns, and generally played with a lot of fun mayhem. They were a joy to watch.

Final thoughts

This exercise has revealed a few things to me that I want to share.

One thing it revealed is that, despite the continual criticism over the offensive line during the Pete Carroll era, this era produced three linemen that made it onto this All Time roster. This suggests to me that perhaps some of the high sack numbers are on Russell Wilson holding onto the ball longer than he should, instead of checking down (sorry to beat that dead horse once again).

Another thing this roster suggests is that Seattle has been historically good at finding pass rushers on the defensive line, and quality running backs. This is a nice formula for football played in the cold wet Puget Sound weather in the Fall. Every Seattle Seahawk contending team has featured a dynamic runner, a quality quarterback, and most have had a reliable pass rush. If you can run the ball, you can control the clock, and if you have a quality quarterback, you score, and if you have a pass rush, you generally stop the other team. That sounds a lot like Pete Ball to me.

Thirdly, this roster also indicates that Seattle has been a lot better over the years finding quality receiver talent than many would think.

The final thing that this roster shows me is that all the “Seattle used to be a miserable team for years” talk that some jealous filled fans of other teams toss around is a bit overblown. Seattle had a bad to mediocre stretch of football for most of the 1990’s. There was very little consistently good quarterback play during the bulk of that decade, and that effected the team’s ability to contend for playoffs.

This All-Time roster suggests that the Seahawks had talent on some of those nineties teams. They were a pretty decent ball club through most of the 1980’s, and things definitely changed dramatically for the better from the early 2000’s to present. In fact, thus far, through this early portion of the 21 Century, Seattle has largely dominated the NFC West. That’s not bad. So take that, Seahawk haters.

That’s my story and I am sticking to it, anyways.

Stay safe everyone. Peace and love, and go Hawks.

 

 

On Friday, May 22nd, 2020, the Seattle Seahawks agreed to terms on a one year deal with Carlos Hyde. YAY!

I’m not kidding. Seattle needed to make this move. I’m going to be Captain Obvious here for a minute.

Seattle is a running team. Even with a unique talent at quarterback in Russell Wilson, the very foundation of this team is built on the ability to run the ball. Some of the “Let Russell Cook” crowd will hate that sentence, but I would argue strongly that in order to let Russ cook, Seattle needs to be a running team.

Russell is a spectacular quarterback, and I am as big of a Russell fan as anyone, but his skill-set and stature screams to be supported by a run game. He is not a drop back pocket passer, and never will be. With a diminished height, he cannot consistently target the short middle of the field, and therefor, if defenses do not have to honor the run, he is much more easy to defend. See what happened during the 2017 season when Seattle suddenly had no dependable run game and that forced his throwing mechanics off, see what happened against the Cardinals at home last year when Chris Carson, Rashaad Penny, and CJ Prosise all were lost to injuries, and see what happened in Green Bay during the playoffs.

Russell needs a run game to be at his best, and with Penny likely not able to be ready to play during this first half of this season, and Carson never able to show that he can stay healthy, Seattle needed to add significant talent to this position group. Part of me suspected that they would have used a high pick in the draft last April on one (although I was happy they chose the defense and the pass rush instead). When that didn’t happen, I felt for sure Seattle would add a proven vet afterwards.

Enter Carlos Hyde.

Reportedly, Seattle had originally offered former Atlanta Falcon runner Devonta Freeman a contract worth up to $4 million in incentives, but he balked. So they gave the same offer to Hyde. Personally, I’m glad it worked out this way because I much prefer Hyde over Freeman.

I get why they were maybe more intrigued with Freeman, though. He’s a different back than Carson, he offers more of a pass catching threat, and he’s more of a homer run perimeter runner like Penny is. However, he is also likely no longer a bell cow back, and should they lose Carson for a number of games, he may not be able to carry that kind of load. I shudder at that thought.

Hyde is a bell cow. That is exactly what he is, and he proved once again that last year in Houston rushing for over a thousand yards. He is a physical inside runner, with great vision, and patience. He is also a capable pass catcher. In my opinion, this is a sneaky good addition to the roster.

Seattle now has a quality veteran runner to mix in with Carson, and not miss a beat in terms of physicality and production should they lose Carson for a game or two. If I am a linebacker or safety looking at a mix of Carson and Hyde, I’m gonna eat an extra bowl of Wheaties that Sunday morning.

I love this move.

Here is some other musings.

Don’t hold your breath for Clowney to return to Seattle

I have long given up on hope that Jadeveon Clowney will play for Seattle in 2020. I have no idea where he will end up, but I don’t expect it to be in the 206 on Sundays.

I have mixed feelings about this. It’s hard to say that Seattle’s defense will be better without Clowney in 2020, but I also have grown to have some pretty strong reservations about the idea of Seattle signing him to a big long term contract. He has yet to prove he can stay healthy through a season, and no matter how you spin it with his pressure rates, he’s not an elite pass rusher. Even at this stage of his career where you would think his skills would now be more developed, they haven’t, and that is a big red flag for me.

Giving a massive payout to a player that checks these negative boxes is probably not a wise long term investment, no matter how much physical talent he has. Therefore, you can add me into the group of those who believe that John Schneider is doing a good job by not offering anything more than a short term prove it deal.

Yes, I would be happy if Clowney is back in 2020. He’s still a major disruptive talent when healthy, but let’s be real; Michael Bennett was also disruptive in his days in Seattle, and he was also cheaper, and he was a better pass rusher.

Jadeveon Clowney is not the end all be all. I think this is how Seattle sees it, and I think that is why they are dug in with their current offer.

Now that Seattle signed Hyde, I would expect Seattle’s next move it to add a quality veteran run stuffing defensive tackle, and maybe, if the price is right, they will add either one more end, or another tackle, and they will call it good with the defensive line.

If Clowney comes back to Seattle, it will be because he moved off of his position, and even if he does that, I don’t really expect it to be with Seattle. How would that look in the locker room?

Usually when there is a financial stalemate between a free agent player and the team he was just on, that player chooses to move into another market, presumably partly out of spite. If I were a betting man, I’d be more willing to wager that Jarran Reed will get his old number 90 jersey back this Fall than Clowney returning to wear it again. I hope I am wrong, but I don’t think I am.

A slow off-season marked by the Covid 19 pandemic has led to weird Russell Wilson reporting, and I wish it would just stop.

Why do weird off-season stories about Russell Wilson and the Seahawks always have to annually emerge in the national media every off-season?

If you are anything like me, you annually hate this. From stories about certain Seahawks not liking Russell because he wasn’t Black enough, to certain players on the defense not liking him because he was Pete Carroll’s pet, to maybe John Schneider talking to Cleveland about possibly trading him when he was entering his contract season in 2018, to maybe Russell wanting to play in New York City.. every stinking year it seems like the national media has to run with some story-line.

Look, it’s annoying enough as it is as a sports fan dealing with this Covid 19 pandemic that has brought the sports world to a halt.  As a deep fan of both Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks, I find these continuing Russell stories extremely agitating, and now more than ever. I don’t need to read speculative stories in the headlines about whether or not Seattle may or may not trade him one day just as much as I don’t need to read or see arguments about the economy vs human health during a major pandemic.

Who cares if John Schneider briefly chatted to Cleveland about maybe trading Russ for the first overall pick in 2018 (if there was any serious talk, it would have been for much more than that pick, mind you). The deal did not happen, and the team signed him to a record deal. All should be good, and if I am to wager anything, I’d wager that Schneider briefly entertained the Cleveland talk because he knew that Russell’s agent, Mark Rodgers, is essentially Satan when it comes to dealing with new contracts, and he was looking for whatever leverage he could find before entering what was surely going to be an extremely difficult negotiation process.

This really shouldn’t have made it into the news cycle at all in 2020, but NBC Pro Football Talk analyst Chris Simms apparently felt like people were not paying enough attention to his show that he had to dig up these old rumors about Russell, and then his partner Mike Florio had to double down by speculating that the Seahawks “might” trade Russell in a few years, just before he reaches the end of his third contract.

Please stop. Just stop it. If we want to revisit the ideas of trading Russell Wilson in 2023, I’m cool with it then, but for the next few years, let’s just focus on Russell Wilson present day starting QB of Seattle Seahawks, and drop all this horse crap talk.

Go Hawks.

I think Josh Gordon is going to be a Seattle Seahawk in 2020 and I welcome it

When the news brought late last Fall that Josh Gordon tested positive for weed and was suspended again, I immediately wrote a piece that described him blowing his last chance at being a professional football player. What a difference a number of months make. I’m now doing a total reversal.

I think the league is going to reinstate him in 2020, and with the league now catching up to the entire west coast’s progressive position on weed, I say bring the pot smoker back to the Pacific Northwest. We got great bud up here, and we have an even better quarterback who wants more “stars” on his team.

Josh is certainly a star talent in this league, and if you have any doubts about that, go watch that grab he had against Carolina last year. I have been watching Seahawk football all my life from the late seventies to now, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a prettier grab by a Seahawk player than that 50 yard grab he stretched out for in that game (no offensive Doug, Tyler, and Steve).

If I were a betting man, I would be willing to bet a relative’s farm that Josh Gordon will be a Seahawk this Fall. Take it to the bank. It makes a ton of sense.

I want the Seattle Seahawks to add Damon “Snacks” Harrison to this roster badly

In my opinion, I believe Seattle’s biggest need is to add a quality run stopping defensive tackle. Possibly even two. Personally, I think they need this more than bringing back Jadeveon Clowney. There is zero proven depth on this roster behind Jarran Reed and Poona Ford.

There is no player out there on the market right now that I want more than Damon “Snacks” Harrison. At 6-3 and 350 pounds, he is the ideal man to put at nose tackle next to Reed, and to allow Ford to become their top rotational interior defensive lineman.

Seattle has invested a lot of capital at linebacker to get better on defense. Therefore, it makes all the sense in the world to put the best talent they can find in front of those linebackers, and Harrison fits that bill. He would keep Bobby Wagner and friends clean, and I think he would make Jarran Reed even a better player.

I also think that Seattle is a great destination for Snacks to finish out his career. It would give him a great chance at finally being a starter on a proper Super Bowl contender, and I think he’d like the culture out here playing for Pete Carroll.

Please, John Schneider. Pretty please go get us some Snacks.

Final Thoughts

I got no real final thoughts to close out this piece. I’m just happy as pie Seattle added Carlos Hyde, and I really want them to add Damon Harrison. I’d be pretty happy if they brought back Josh Gordon and Jadeveon Clowney. We will see soon enough how that all shakes out.

I actually wouldn’t be surprised if they also make some sort of splash trade as we get into August. Who and what and how much is all yet to be determined, but they are almost always looking to add, and they are certainly not done yet. It feels likely to me that a move of that magnitude could easily happen.

Could it be a pass rusher of note? Maybe Odell Beckham Junior? Or star safety Jamal Adams?

Maybe it could, but one thing is clear, though; Russell wants stars.

Go Hawks.

Let me be the first to say that grading a draft class is a stupid waste of time. Example, the 2012 Seattle Seahawk draft class that included Bruce Irvin, Bobby Wagner, and Russell Wilson, Jeremy Lane, and JR Sweezy (all eventual starters) was universally panned and given an F by many of the so-called highly paid draft experts.

The biggest fundamental reason why I feel like it is such a massive waste of time is that the NFL scouting community uses draft experts to spread a certain amount of disinformation on players hoping that players they really covet will fall to them. They will say things like “well, he’s fast, but he didn’t do this, and never showed that he could do that..”

You probably get my drift by now, and I would also say that grading a draft before these players have a chance to suit up and play on Sundays is also pointless. It’s also probably unfair to grade them until they have had at least a couple seasons under their belt.

So that said, I am going to continue this silly exercise to divvy out my grades for this class followed by a few descriptors explaining the grade given. Be forewarned, I like this class.

Jordyn Brooks, Linebacker, Texas Tech. Grade A+

I’m giving this high grade because Seattle took the very best player on their draft board after not exercising a trade back. There was no reach here, and Brooks also filled a position of some need. On top of pass rush, Seattle also needed to get faster on defense. They took a lightening fast linebacker who was regarded as the best run stopper at his position in the class. There is some thought that he is not good in coverage, but I think the more accurate description is that his coverage skills are not at the level of where he is as a run defender and a tackler in space.  Word has it that had Seattle not taken him at 27, Baltimore would have at 28. Seattle’s defense got faster with this pick.

Darrell Taylor, Defensive End, Tennessee. Grade B+

Kudos for Seattle able to get the edge rusher they wanted (I believe John Schneider when he said that they would have taken Taylor with the first pick if Brooks was not there). Taylor has the physical profile that they covet for the Leo end position, and Pro Football Focus gave him a 84.9 pass rushing grade in the SEC last year. I wrote after day two of the draft that when watching him, he reminds me of Cliff Avril. Looking at more tape, I think he might be closer to Frank Clark. He looks really strong and explosive on top fast, but his pass rush is raw, and it is probably important for Seattle to add one more quality pass rushing vet for him to learn behind. I believe his upside is likely higher than anyone else in this class, though, and I can see why they wanted him.

Damien Lewis, Guard, LSU. Grade B

I love Damien Lewis, and if I were to pick a guard to play in front of Russell Wilson out of this draft class, he would be towards the very top of my list. At 6-2 and 327 lbs, he is monstrously strong, as he is able to squat over 600 lbs (good lord). You see that on tape in the way he can abuse defensive tackles. He also had a great Senior Bowl week, handling his own in pass rush drills against star defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw who was drafted by San Francisco. You can see the logic in this pick at 69, but there was a couple quality DTs on the board that would have further added to an area of greater need (defensive line). I really wanted Seattle to land one of those guys, but Lewis instantly made DJ Fluker expendable, as they cut the vet right after the draft. That says something.

Colby Parkinson, Tight End, Stanford. Grade A-

I’m giving this pick a high grade because I think, like Brooks, Seattle went with the best player on their board regardless of position, and at this point of the draft, the best defensive tackles, offensive tackles, and wide receivers were gone. He was a five star athlete coming into Stanford, and he did not drop a single pass in 2019. His blocking needs work, but a 6-7 and 250 lb with that kind of receiving ability is pretty interesting. I was a big fan of this selection. Seattle likely found great value here.

DeeJay Dallas, Running Back, Miami. Grade C+

Seattle needed to come out of this draft with a runner, and I think Dallas fits the profile of what Seattle looks for there. He kind of reminds me of Mike Davis from a couple years ago. He looks like a player that could become a dependable third down back that can spell the starter for a series or two per game. However, there was Virginia corner Bryce Hall still available, and I was hoping that Seattle would go in that direction. This was a fill a need pick.

Alton Robinson, Defensive End, Syracuse. Grade A

If I had to pick the greatest value pick out of this draft class for Seattle, it would be this guy. If he was taken where they took Damien Lewis, it would make sense for Seattle to double down aggressively on pass rush like that (as their pass rush was so scant in 2019). Pete Carroll said that he was the player he was most surprised was still available, and I had seen a lot of mock drafts that had him going in the second or third rounds. When looking at his tape, the NFL player that he most reminds me of is Everson Griffen (a current free agent that Seattle has been linked to and Carroll coached at USC). Physically, he looks very similar and he kinda has that same bend around the corner.

Freddie Swain, Wide Receiver, Florida. Grade C

I’m not going to pretend to know much about Swain. On tape he looks like a very good punt returner, and he has shown nice hands and agility going after errant throws, and looks like a decent run after the catch guy who can work the slot. John Schneider said that he’s a tough competitor that their scouts were drawn to. My feeling is that he was drafted to compete with David Moore as the fourth or fifth receiver and if he handles returns well enough in camp, he might beat him out.

Stephen Sullivan, TE/WR, LSU. Grade A+

This was the guy that Pete Carroll really wanted to come out of this draft with, and Seattle traded back into the draft late to get him. Bravo. He comes into Seattle with an incredible back story about overcoming adversity while growing up with numerous hard realities. He played receiver and tight end at LSU with a greater background at receiver. He had a strong Senior Bowl week and was an explosive tester at the combine. While he is raw, he has huge upside, and I think the coaches are going to work to carve out a niche role for him. He will be very determined to learn and do whatever they ask out of him, and I wouldn’t bet against this guy making the final roster.

Final Thoughts About This Class and a Few Thoughts About What Seattle Might Do Moving Forward Towards Training Camp

Overall, I would grade this class a solid B+. I like it a lot better than a lot of experts. I think they found great value in Brooks, Parkinson, Robinson, and Sullivan. I think that they are successful in attacking their biggest need by land two pass rushers with starting potential. I really like that they found a solid guard prospect.

I will be honest and say that I was pretty disappointed that they did not come out of this draft with a quality defensive tackle, or an offensive tackle that can be groomed behind Duane Brown. This draft looked strong at both positions in the top portion of it. Darrell Taylor well be the next great pass rusher drafted by Seattle, he certainly has all the traits, but I thought Alabama’s defensive tackle Raekwon Davis was perhaps more plug and play ready. I was salivating over the idea of lining him up inside with Jarran Reed.

I was also a bit disappointed that they didn’t draft one of the higher quality receivers earlier. I think had Seattle been able to execute an initial trade back, they would have been in position for that in the third round.

But this is how the NFL draft goes sometimes. It’s hard to fill all your needs. This is why I feel like Seattle will be active soon enough filling out remaining needs with either veteran free agents or veterans acquired in trades.

If I were a betting man, I would bet that Seattle brings in a quality run stopping defensive tackle. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised (or disappointed) if that player is Damon “Snacks” Harrison. I think Harrison is exactly what Pete Carroll loves at defensive tackle. At 6-3 and 350 lbs, he is a massive run stopper who, if paired inside with Jarran Reed, would eat up space, and keep blockers off Bobby Wagner. His presence would be an immediate upgrade to the defensive line.

I think Seattle will also land one more veteran edge rusher. I think it is far too important for  the development of Darrell Taylor and Alton Robinson to not do this. If it isn’t Jadeveon Clowney being brought back, I would expect it to probably be Everson Griffen, and maybe even Michael Bennett.

We shall see soon enough, though. Oh, yes we shall.

Go Hawks.

 

 

 

On the first two days of the 2020, the Seattle Seahawks focused on getting faster with the front seven of their defense, and then that took the best offensive lineman on their board. On day three of the draft, they looked for a combination of depth players, and players that offer some unique high end potential. Let’s break these players down a bit.

Stanford TE Colby Parkinson gives Russell Wilson an interesting red zone target

I will be honest. I didn’t have tight end much on my radar before this draft. Seattle seemed loaded up on the position by adding veteran pro bowler Greg Olsen to compete along with promising youngsters Will Dissly, and Jacob Hollister. They also brought back fan favorite Luke Willson. I simply did not see this as a position of need for the team.

What Colby Parkinson might be, though, is simply the best player on Seattle’s board at pick 133, regardless of position, and Seattle chose to make that type of selection. Essentially, they chose best player over biggest remaining need.

Parkinson is a unique red zone target at 6-7 252 lbs, with basketball player traits, and sure hands. Pro Football Focus noted that he remarkably did not drop a single pass last year in college football. His 4.7 forty time is fast enough for the tight end position and his 3 Cone Time of 7.15 indicates an ability to get out of his breaks quickly.  He is also a former five star athlete, and a high football IQ player that understands route trees. It should be also noted that Stanford has produced numerous high end quality tight ends over the last decade. Parkinson seems to be continuing that trend.

I believe, at this range of the draft, this pick satisfies the “let Russell cook” crowd of Seahawk fans. Parkinson is more of a Jimmy Graham move tight end type than the inline player Dissly is, and could be used as a big slot receiver type in two tight end sets.

Heading into the college football season, there was some hype that he could be a first round pick. So, I think Seattle gets really solid value here. I like this pick.

DeeJay Dallas is a Seattle Seahawk style running back

At 5-10 217 lbs, Miami’s DeeJay Dallas fits the physical mold of a Seattle Seahawk style running back. He’s a physical inside runner that tries to punish tacklers, and was an explosive tester at the Combine with a 33.5 vertical jump and a 119 broad jump, and his 4.58 forty time is close to what Chris Caron’s was coming out of college.

What makes Dallas interesting is that he started out as a receiver at Miami and ended up as their featured running back in 2019. ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr ranks him as the best pass blocking back in this draft class.

Put all this together, and I believe Seattle drafted a player likely compete as a third down back, and to provide quality depth. I think his closest comparison to a Seattle runner is Mike Davis. Seattle drafts a position of need here.

Alton Robinson provides interesting depth at Leo end

Seattle double dipped in this draft at edge rusher. Robinson was a productive player coming out of Syracuse. At 6-3 and 264 lbs, running a 4.64 forty, and boasting an impressive 35.5 vertical jump, he is also an explosive combine tester. Some mock drafts have had him as a second round pick. On tape, you can see pretty go bend off the edge, as well.

I didn’t have him much on my radar for Seattle because his arm length is shorter than the 33 inch threshold they use for their defensive linemen. I think in an effort to boost the pass rush, they are willing to use a mid round pick on an outlier player, though, who has other pass rush traits they like.

It’s also interesting that he has been spending recent time training in Bellevue Washington with none other than former star pass rushing Seattle Seahawk Cliff Avril. Thus, it’s easy to assume Seattle has had some good intel on this player.

He’s an interesting pick.

Freddie Swain adds slot receiver and punt returner potential

Seattle waited out a deep receiver draft class to the bottom of round six before that took a player. Swain is a fast slot receiver type with soft hands and a natural run after the catch ability. He also has decent size at 6-0 and 197 lbs.

What makes him a plus for Seattle is his abilities as a returner. I suspect Seattle would love to further remove the chains of the return game off of star receiver Tyler Lockett, and if Swain can come in and compete with David Moore as the fourth of fifth receiver option for Russell Wilson, that job might be his. This is a depth pick.

Finally, if Seattle didn’t have enough at tight end, they traded back into round seven to take LSU’s Steven Sullivan

What can I say, Seattle loves tight ends big time these days. Sullivan is another unique athlete at 6-5 and 248 lbs with long 35 inch arms and runs a fast 4.6 forty. Like Parkinson, he is a big flex tight end and not the inline blocker type that Will Dissly is. In fact, he is a former wide receiver that converted last to the position just last season.

I’m not going to pretend that I know much more than that about him. He wasn’t on my radar, and I didn’t think tight end was that big of a need. Clearly, I thought wrong.

I’m going to be interested to hear what Pete Carroll thinks of this guy. Is he another tight end, or do they see a big receiver in him? He’s a project player.

Further thoughts about day three of the NFL Draft

I love that Seattle took best player available at pick 133 and got Russell Wilson a unique big receiver/tight end in Colby Parkinson. I think Russell always had a fondness for Jimmy Graham during his time in Seattle and probably covets getting another big red zone target that he can rely on. I think this guy has intriguing upside to his game, and could factor in as a rookie.

I also liked that Seattle double dipped at edge rusher as it was clearly the greatest position of need. With no certainty of Jadeveon Clowney coming back, and Bruce Irvin and Benson Mayowa both signed to one year deals, Seattle had to come out of this draft class with a long term option, and it looks like they got two. I’m good with that.

What I am not good with is that Seattle missed out on drafted a defensive tackle with upside potential. Arizona Cardinal generation manager Steve Keim must have been studying my silly little blog because last night after the day two selections, I noted defensive tackles Leki Fotu (Utah) and Rashard Lawrence (LSU) as great day three options for Seattle. That big fat bald headed SOB took both of them in round four before Seattle had a chance to pick. I literally yelled at the television when he took Lawrence two picks ahead of Seattle. What a jerk face.

All and all, I really like this draft for the Seattle Seahawks, though. I will have final notes posted tomorrow about this draft class along with some musings over what further actions this team could take in free agency or trades to bolster the roster heading into training camp (hopefully there will be a training camp). For now though, I will just say this; after three days of this draft I feel more at ease about the direction of this club, I feel that their roster has improved in places it needed to, and I am good with that, but I think there is a little bit of work left to be done. So, roll up your arms, John Schneider.

Go Hawks

Russell Wilson, Bobby Wagner, Golden Tate, Frank Clark, Paul Richardson, Tyler Lockett, Jarran Reed, DK Metcalf, Shaquill Griffin, Justin Britt.

That’s a nice list of Seahawk players that have been drafted Day Two of the NFL Draft during the Pete Carroll and John Schneider era. The majority of these guys have been pro bowl level players for this club, and a couple of them are generational talents.

On Day One of the 2020 NFL Draft, Seattle took Jordyn Brooks, a speedy run stopping linebacker that most were not considering as a first round pick even though the talent was clearly there on tape for all to see. While most thought that Seattle would go pass rusher, they took the player that they thought was the best player on their board. Seattle has needed more speed on the defensive side of the ball, and they needed better tacklers for the last couple seasons. Enter Brooks.

On Day Two, Seattle focused on improving their pass rush, and improving their offensive line. Let’s break these two players down.

Darrell Taylor is exactly what Seattle looks for at Leo end

There were a few bigger edge rusher names were on the board when Seattle trade up to be 48 to take Tennessee defensive end Darrell Taylor. Iowa’s AJ Epenesa, and Notre Dame’s Julian Okwara are two players that had garnished first round hype for several months leading to the draft.

I never thought Epenesa would be a player of interest for Seattle, even though national draft pundits had been consistently mocking him to Seattle at pick 27. While he has had good production at Iowa, he’s not a bendy rusher, he’s not quick, or explosive, and he doesn’t have the size to likely play much at defensive tackle for this club either. At best, he could probably a serviceable 5 technique end for a club that is loaded at 5 technique with last year’s first round pick LJ Collier, Rasheem Green, and Brandon Jackson. Further more, nothing on Epenesa’s tape made me think that he would likely be any better than Green, or Collier.

What Seattle has been in desperate need of since they traded away Frank Clark is a Leo end. They essentially played without one last year for the first time in Pete Carroll’s tenure. It was an odd decision for the club, as Carroll coaches a very specific style of defense that almost entirely depends on having a serviceable Leo. Jadeveon Clowney, as talented as he is, is not a Leo, and neither is Ziggy Ansah. These are base 4-3 ends.

For those who do not understand this defensive line terminology, allow me to quickly explain. Seattle runs a hybrid 4-3 defense that is called a 4-3 Under, and at times, it looks a bit like a 3-4 defense. Simply, the defensive line is slightly tilted. On one side you have a bigger defensive end (5 technique) that almost looks like a defensive tackle playing up against a tackle, then you have a big defensive tackle (1 technique) that plays between the offensive guard and center that is strong enough to take on both blockers, followed by a more athletic tackle (3 technique) that plays in the other gab between the other guard and the other offensive tackle, and then you have this much lighter, quicker, more athletic player that plays much farther out on the edge of the other offensive tackle.

That player is the best athlete on the defensive line and his job is to make that tackle have to deal with him solely, and that creates opportunities for the athletic defensive tackle and others. That player is the Leo end.

In 2018, when Seattle had Frank Clark, he was their Leo, and Jarran Reed was the 3 technique DT. Clark had 13 sacks that year and Reed had 10.5 sacks. That was how a functioning 4-3 under defensive line is supposed to ideally work.

Under Carroll, up until last year, Seattle has always show cased a Leo. From Chris Clemons to Cliff Avril, to Frank Clark, that player is always about 6-3 and 260 lbs with long arms that can bend the corner and has the explosion to convert speed to power against blockers. They win with explosion, twitch, speed, leverage, bend and strength.

This draft class had very little prospects that fit this profile.  The few that I could honestly see as potential Leos were Notre Dame’s Julian Okwara, our boy Darrell Taylor, Charlotte’s Alex Highsmith, Alabama’s Terrell Lewis, and maybe Tulsa’s Trevis Gibson. Highsmith and Gibson are major project players that you probably don’t take with a high pick, and while Lewis is a talented athlete, he could never stay healthy enough through college and would be a major risk to take high, as well.

When Seattle traded up for pick 48, I figured it was either for Okwara or Taylor, and Seattle chose Taylor. Okwara interestingly enough continued to fall into the third round.

Seattle chose the athlete that I believe has the highest upside. In fact, the last few weeks leading to the draft, I felt that there was an outside chance he could be the first player they would take if they didn’t trade back too much. He has a very Cliff Avril/ Frank Clark vibe to his game with his ability to bend the corner, and convert speed to power. His hits on quarterbacks and running backs in the backfield are no joke. He can win with a bend on the edge, and he can win with a bull rush. That’s what Cliff Avril did, and all Taylor needs to do to get to that level is add more pass rush moves to his tool box.

My last few mocks, I had Seattle taking a defensive tackle with their first pick because I did not think Okwara or Taylor would be there after a trade back. When they are picking at 27, I thought one of these guys was probably going to be that pick. To my shock, they took Jordyn Brooks.

I am elated that they were able to land Taylor with their next pick. I thought he would be possibly going to New England, Detroit, or Miami long before Seattle would pick again. He feels like a Belichick coaching tree type of player. Seattle got lucky with this pick.

Damien Lewis is a grown man at offensive guard

When Seattle traded back from 64 to pick 69 in the third round, I really wanted them to add one more piece to the defense. I honestly wanted them to take Ohio State defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton because I think he has the tools to be a really good player for years to come. When they selected Lewis, I was initially deflated, kind of like I was deflated when Seattle took Jordyn Brooks at pick 27 over a defensive lineman.

As this pick settled in with me, though, the more I quickly liked it. Damien Lewis has round two talent, and round two is typically a superb round to get a quality guard. Lewis was the strongest player on the national championship LSU roster. He is able to squat 600 lbs, an insane amount of weight. He is also a player with a high football IQ, and was a clear leader on the team. Best of all, he’s not just a run blocking road grader, he’s actually a pretty good pass blocker.

When the San Francisco 49ers added South Carolina defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw at pick 14, my heart sank with that pick. San Fran had successfully traded it’s star defensive tackle to Indianapolis and then used that pick to take a player who quite possibly has even greater upside. I turned to my wife after that section, and simply said, “well, then. Seattle is going to have to draft a guard now, and he better be a good one.”

Seattle just landed a really good guard with this pick. I know they are presently loaded up on the line, but I wouldn’t read too much into it. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if Lewis beats out DJ Fluker outright for the starting job this Summer and makes him a cap casualty. Out of these three early round picks, Lewis might be the player that wins a starting job the soonest.

I love this pick.

Thoughts about Day Three of the NFL Draft.

Seattle will have four picks to play with on Saturday, two in the fourth round, a high one in the fifth, and a late sixth round pick. They can still find good value, and maybe a future starter or two. Some really interesting names to watch for at some positions of need include the following:

Leku Fotu, DT, Utah. He’s a big athletic talent, and Seattle loves Utah defenders.

Rashard Lawrence, DT, LSU. Underrated player that has a Jarran Reed vibe.

Prince Tega Wanogho, OT, Auburn. Massive steel if Seattle lands him day three.

Saahdig Charles, OT, LSU. Would not be shocked if he is a Seattle target.

John Hightower, WR, Boise State. Underrated and feels like a Seattle WR

Quez Watkins, WR, Southern Miss. A true burner that fits their vertical game

Hunter Bryant, TE, Washington. Seattle is loaded at TE, but Bryant could tempt.

Amik Robertson, CB, Louisiana Tech. One of the best nickel corners in the draft

Bryce Hall, CB, Virginia. Big outside corner that fits Seattle’s mold.

Troy Dye, LB, Oregon. Seattle is now stacked at LB, but what if they move on from KJ?

These are just a few names to keep in mind when Seattle looks to add. There are other names I could mention, but these players really stand out. There is still some really interesting offensive linemen, a couple defensive tackles, and a few back end defenders that Seattle might like to scoop up. There are also going to be some interesting pass catchers.

For me, with their four remaining picks, I would love to see a quality defensive tackle, a playmaker added to the offense, a playmaker added to the defensive back end, and one more quality offensive linemen, and I don’t care in which order.

Go Hawks!

 

 

I said this in my final mock draft piece a couple days ago; the Seattle Seahawks are the Honey Badger team of the NFL. They don’t care what you think or feel, they are going to do what they want whenever they want to do it. That is their way.

I said this because I had them trading out of the first round into the 40s and taking defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton who’s been a player generating draft buzz and plays at a position of need, but isn’t a big named player. Well, the Seattle Seahawks Honey Badgered me again by staying put at pick 27 and selecting a linebacker that many thought was a Day Two prospect.

I did not see this coming. I thought that linebacker might be a need for them, but I didn’t anticipate it being as big of a need as defensive line, or even running back.

Settling into this pick now, let me say that I like Jordyn Brooks the football player. I like him a lot.

There are elements of his game that are very Bobby Wagner-esque. He plays fast, is a sure tackler, and brings a nice aggression to the ball carrier. With the offenses that they play against in the NFC West that love to run off of misdirection, Seattle needed to get faster athletes playing in space that are sure tacklers. This is how Brooks plays.

I think how he fits Seattle’s defense is likely the heir apparent to KJ Wright at the WILL linebacker position, and maybe other positions down the road. He has experience playing both outside and inside linebacker, and was a highly productive four year starter at Texas Tech. Seattle loves players that are versatile and can play multiple spots.

Listening to general manager John Schneider and head coach Pete Carroll during their joint press conference, it also appears like they were drawn to his leadership qualities, his maturity, and his love for the game. I said another piece that I wrote recently that I was anticipating Seattle to look for players in this draft class that would have the ability to come in right away and compete. Listening to John and Pete speak, it is clear that they feel Jordyn Brooks is this type of player.

I’m fully willing to give Jordyn Brooks a chance. Other fans, writers, and bloggers that cover the team are free to freak out and pronounce the end of this team’s reign, but not here, and not me. I’m too much of a Pete Carroll, John Schneider, and Russell Wilson believer. I’m entrenched in optimism. Why shouldn’t I be? When has Seattle ever been worse the 9-7 with Russell Wilson at quarterback and Pete Carroll coaching?

His college coach said that he reminded him of Bobby Wagner (he coached Wagner at Utah State). If Seattle ends up with two Bobby Wagners on the field together over the next few years, everyone will love this pick, and pat John Schneider on the back for landing another steel pick that pundits didn’t see coming.

Seattle needed speed on their defense badly, and with Brooks, they just added speed. I’m down for that.

Other thoughts on the draft.

The San Francisco 49ers got a total steel in the draft by taking massive defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw at pick 14. This stung for me greatly. They just made the strength of their team stronger. They also traded up a bit in the twenties and took Arizona State playmaking receiver Brandon Aiyuk. The 49ers got stronger in this draft. Seattle is going to have a chore trying to unseat them in 2020.

The Arizona Cardinals also got a steel in Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons. He might be the freakiest defender in this draft class with is 4.3 speed at 6-3 and 239 lbs, and his unique ability to move around the defense playing linebacker, safety and even cornerback. San Francisco and Arizona both took players that will not make Russell Wilson’s job easier moving forward. I hope that Seattle answers on Day Two by getting Russ another offensive weapon of some sort.

The Green Bay Packers did the weirdest thing ever by trading up in front of Seattle to pick 26, and instead of giving Aaron Rodgers a much needed receiver, they drafted his heir apparent with Utah State QB Jordan Love. Did not see that one coming, but I would love to have been a fly on the wall studying Rodgers’ instant reaction to that. Joy.

Thoughts about what Seattle might do on Day Two

There are some pretty interesting names left on the board going into the second round tomorrow with Seattle owning two picks towards the end of the round. I think it is probable that we see Seattle at least one of those picks on a player for the defensive line. Here is a short list of defensive lineman that might be targets for Seattle.

Raekwon Davis, DT, Alabama

Marlon Davidson, DE/DT, Auburn

DaVon Hamilton, DT, Ohio State

Justin Madubuike, DT, Texas A&M

Yetur Gross-Matos, DE, Penn State

Julian Owara, DE, Notre Dame

AJ Epenesa, DE, Iowa

All of these players bring a degree of upside with them, and Seattle needs to come out of this draft with a pass rusher either at end or defensive tackle. Preferably both will be addressed in this draft. For me, Raekwon Davis and DaVon Hamilton are two to watch out for.

If Seattle continues to honey badger me, and avoids the defensive line in round two, here are some non pass rushers that could be an interesting boost to the team.

Jonathan Taylor, RB, Wisconsin

Denzel Mims, WR, Baylor

Chase Claypool, WR, Notre Dame

KJ Hamler, WR, Penn State

Ezra Cleveland, OT, Boise State

Robert Hunt, OT, Louisiana-Lafayette

Josh Jones, OT, Houston

Kyle Dugger, Safety, Lenoir-Rhyme

Jaylon Johnson, CB, Utah

Trevon Diggs, CB, Alabama

John Simpson, Guard, Georgia

Lloyd Cushenberry, Center, LSU

These are all names that are fringe first round talents. There are a number of other interesting names I could have mentioned. Seattle is going to grab a couple good players on day two of this draft, and if they play things right, they might even get three with the third round pick. Hopefully at least one of them adds to the defensive line, if not two.

Can’t wait to see.

Go Hawks!

 

 

 

 

 

Well, Twelves, the NFL Draft is upon us. With this Covid 19 crisis, this might be the only major sporting event that we get for a good long while, so let’s all enjoy it, how ’bout.

Alas, our beloved Seattle Seahawks have proved me wrong (again) and have not made any major move to acquire a big time veteran pass rusher before the draft at the time of this writing. Perhaps that is coming afterwards in the form of Everson Griffen via free agency. Maybe they even entice Jadeveon Clowney back (kinda doubt it, though).

The team has depth at tight end, interior offensive line, linebacker, and in the secondary. They are in giant need of more defensive linemen, they need to add a running back, they could use an offensive tackle for the future, and it wouldn’t hurt their roster to add another quality wide receiver. Also, they are currently without a backup quarterback.

That all said, let’s get mocking.

With the 27th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks trade with the Indianapolis Colts.

In this scenario, I have the Colts aiming to trade into the first round after trading the 13th pick in the draft to San Francisco for defensive tackle DeForest Buckner. I think they are in a win now mode with Phillip Rivers, and want to get ahead of the Baltimore Ravens to grab an edge rusher.  They send picks 34, 75, and 193 to Seattle for pick 27 and a 2021 5th round pick.

With the 34th pick of the 2020 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

I have Jacksonville taking one of the top end left tackles in round one and then trading up here to draft a young quarterback to compete with Gardner Minshew (Jacob Eason?). The Jags send picks 42, 140, and 223 to move up ahead of the Panthers who are also QB needy. Seattle now has picks in every round moving forward, and will have four picks in the meat of this draft class.

With the 42nd pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select DaVon Hamilton, Defensive Tackle, Ohio State

With this pick, Seattle takes an under the radar player who is starting to generate  momentum heading into the final week of the draft. Former Seahawk scout and Senior Bowl executive Jim Nagy rates him highly among defensive tackles, and thinks he’s could go midway into the second round. It’s fair to note that Nagy knows what Seattle looks for well, and he was the scout that pounded the table a few years ago for Jarran Reed.

Hamilton looks like a Seattle Seahawk defensive tackle. He’s a big athletic fella at 6-4 and 320 lbs, with length and ability to both absorb multiple blockers, plus he can single gap penetrate. This is huge for Seattle’s defense because they require their tackles to be able to anchor against the run firstly, but have the ability to penetrate and disrupt when needed. Essentially, Hamilton projects to be Al Woods with pass rush.

With the 59th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Matt Peart, Offensive Tackle, UConn

This is the second time that I have mocked Peart to Seattle with this pick. If they go defensive line with their first pick, I think they have to go offensive line with the second one, and vice versa. Peart has unique length, and wingspan, and athleticism. He could be a right or a left tackle in the league. If Seattle takes him, I think it’s more for his potential to inherit the left tackle spot from Duane Brown once he retires. Because Peart likely needs a year to get stronger for the pros and is a bit raw, I think he might be available here. This would be a value pick on a player with upside that can redshirt.

With the 64th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Devin Duvernay, Wide Receiver, Texas

Under Pete Carroll, the Seattle Seahawks never shy away from taking athletic play-makers for the offense early, especially at receiver. As much as they love to run the ball, they love to create explosive plays in the passing attack. At 5-10 and 200 lbs, Duvernay has some interesting abilities as a slot receiver with soft hands, quick breaks, and a natural ability to settle into the zones. He’s also a solid deep threat receiver with top end speed, a good catch and run guy, and he returns punts. This feels like a Seahawk style receiver that will fit with Russell Wilson, and adds quality depth behind Tyler Lockett.

With the 75th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Alex Highsmith, Defense End, Charlotte

Seattle stays patient and takes the edge rusher that fits what they want at the Leo position. Highsmith is 6-3 and 248 lbs with long arms, and speed off the edge. He has shown improved play in college and has some decent hand use. He’s a small college player who will likely need to get stronger to be a three down player in the pros, but he has shown a solid work ethic and at this point in the draft, in my opinion, isn’t a bad player to wager on.

With the 101st pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Zach Moss, Running Back, Utah

Moss is another player that I have mocked twice to Seattle. I think he is their ideal running back in many ways, and he reminds me a lot of Chris Carson. He’s big, physical, a patient runner who can explode through tight holes, and he’s a decent pass catcher. Because of injuries to Carson and Rashaad Penny, Seattle is in big need at running back and they could take one a lot sooner than here, but Moss is a player to watch.

With the 133rd pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Michael Ojemudia, Cornerback, Iowa

Ojemudia is another guy I have mocked to Seattle, as he one of the few corners in this class that fits Seattle’s profile for an outside cover guy. He’s big at 6-1 and 200 pounds with long arms, and shows good route recognition in zone coverage. He’s not thought to be a good man coverage guy and that might make him available here, but doesn’t really effect Seattle, as they are primarily a zone coverage team. With Shaquill Griffin and Quinton Dunbar both heading into a contract year, expect Seattle to target a corner at some point in this draft, and I suspect that early day three will be the likely spot.

With the 140th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select John Hightower, Wide Receiver, Boise State

Hightower is another player that I have mocked to Seattle, and with the historic depth at receiver in this class, I suspect Seattle will draft at least two. Like Duvernay, he fits Seattle’s vertical attack and is a decent route runner with sure hands. He’s a taller player at 6-1 and 189 pounds which is nice. He also possesses good run after the catch ability. With this pick, Seattle will not only be loaded at receiver, they will have one of the fastest units in the league. Thus, the Let Russell Cook crowd should be satisfied.

With the 144th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Johan Jackson, Guard, Ohio State

There is a theme here. Jackson is yet another player that I have mocked to Seattle as he looks like a fit for what they are now looking for at guard. He is a big, physical, intelligent blocker with strong hands who fits their man blocking scheme. With DJ Fluker being in a contract year, Seattle could be searching for someone who could become a future starter.

With the 197th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Raequan Williams, Defensive Tackle, Michigan State

The theme continues. Williams is another player that I have mocked to Seattle before. At 6-4 and 308 lbs with long arms, he is a Seattle type of big defensive liner that can play multiple spots. I compare him to Naz Jones in his ability to play 3 tech and 5 tech, and Pete Carroll values flexibility with his depth players. Even with the selection of Hamilton early, Seattle needs more depth at DT, and Williams could be good value here.

With the 214th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Tanner Muse, Safety/Linebacker, Clemson

Muse, at 6-2 227 lbs and able to run a 4.4 forty, could be Seattle’s attempt to find another Kam Chancellor type. In my opinion, though, there is only one Kam. He had an uncanny ability to read offensives and played with super human strength, speed, and anticipation. He was a generational talent. Muse, on the other hand, has shown decent instincts of his own, with some nice ball skills and played college football with a similar all out mentality. He might be a player they look to convert to linebacker and add depth there. At the very least, he would add decent special teams value.

With the 223rd pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Steven Montez, Quarterback, Colorado

I have Seattle taking a flyer on a tall athletic college quarterback with a big arm here. Montez physically fits Seattle’s play action scheme, but is raw at reading coverage and needs to be drafted and developed. Seattle has some need to develop a young player behind Russell Wilson, but could just as easily bring back Geno Smith and use this pick on another position. However, with two trades backs, I think that they have acquired enough picks to fill other needs and depth concerns that they afford a late round flyer on a young passer like Montez. This is decent value here.

Further thoughts about Seattle’s first pick DaVon Hamilton

In putting this mock together, I ran a full round one into round two mock draft up to where I ultimately had Seattle pick first. I had multiple team trades with Atlanta and New England moving up aggressively early to fill big needs, and Detroit and Arizona dropping back to acquire more picks and high future picks. I had Seattle and San Francisco as the two teams trading out of the bottom of round one.

By the time I had Seattle select at pick 42, I had a run of offensive tackles, defensive linemen, a few running backs, receivers, and a few DBs that would likely appeal to Seattle. Last week, I had Seattle settling on Alabama defensive tackle Raekwon Davis, but with this exercise, I had him going to the 49ers at 35 after Seattle traded out of 34, and I could feel that sting. San Francisco and Seattle run a very similar defense and he would be a solid club fit for both teams.

When Seattle got to 42, there were some pretty compelling names still on the board. There was Michigan center Cesar Ruiz, who some consider one of the very best offensive linemen in the draft. There was Penn State receiver KJ Hamler who might be the most electric pass catcher in the draft.  There was also LSU linebacker Patrick Queen who might be the fastest linebacker in the draft, and in terms of defensive line, still on the board along were Auburn’s Marlon Davidson and Texas A&M DT Justin Madukuibe. If Seattle were to take any one of these names it probably would have made a lot of sense to the NFL Draft experts on ESPN and the NFL Network.

Enter DeVon Hamilton.

If Seattle takes DeVon Hamilton with their first pick, I can imagine the scrambling reaction from some draft pundits. While Hamilton is not a big name, this would be a very Seattle Seahawky pick. Seattle rarely selects players most pundits have them taking high (or even players that they expect to be taken that high). They are the Honey Badger team in the league when it comes to the draft. They don’t care what you think, they are going to do what they want.

To reiterate, I do think Hamilton is their type of defensive tackle. He has the size and strength to play nose, and the athleticism to play big at three technique (Seattle seems to prefer size inside, even at three technique). What I think might make Hamilton extra appealing to Seattle is the upside of his pass rush. That’s where I ultimately landed on with this pick. Hamilton fits the Bigger, Stronger, Faster vibe that I think this team would like to get back towards, and I would love to see more of that on Sundays again.

Thoughts on the rest of this class and the draft.

For those interested in who I had Atlanta and New England aggressively move up for, I had the Falcons moving from 16 all the way up to 3 to take Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown, and I had New England moving up to 8 from 23 to take Utah State QB Jordan Love. Detroit and Arizona are building programs that are probably still a few years away from truly contending, but if they are able to drop back in round one with a top heavy draft and acquire future first round picks, that would set both clubs up nicely in 2021 and 2022.

My thinking is that Atlanta is likely in a “win now” mode with QB Matt Ryan and they want to grab the most dynamic player in the draft available after Washington selects Ohio State edge rusher Chase Young. Brown is coming into the league as a player that has true game wrecker upside. Pairing with a veteran DT like Grady Jarrett might be the thing to finally send Drew Brees into retirement.

With New England, I have them targeting a quarterback they believe offers a unique upside. This is Brian Belichick’s bold attempt to land a Patrick Mahomes type of athlete at the position. They likely would not start Jordan Love this year. BB would be perfectly willing to let Brian Hoyer or Jarrett Stidham take the reigns this season with Covid 19 affecting mini-camps and training camp rather than trust a rookie to pick up the system, but make no mistake, this is a very calculated move by the sage coach. If he takes Love, he will have a solid plan.

As for the other Seattle picks, I have the team targeting players with either special traits, or players that fit their preferred profiles.

Matt Peart is on the raw side. If he is available at pick 59, that will be why. What he has is a unique physical profile that could make him a quality left tackle in the league in a few years, and he will have the benefit of learning behind one of the best in Duane Brown.

Devin Duvernay has the freak speed at WR that they are drawn to spend an early pick on, and has interesting upside, as well. He’s more or less projected in the third round rage in a historically deep WR class, so picking him at 64 is probably pretty justifiable. Seattle needs to tap into this rich WR class, and I have them doing it twice.

It might feel rich to take Alex Highsmith at 75, but if they believe they can mold him into a future starting Leo end, they might not want to wait to see if he is available at pick 101.

Zach Moss feels like a Seattle Seahawk running back. He’s a tough guy and a savvy runner. He’s a name to watch. They might take him or another runner like him a lot higher than pick 101. Seattle needs to come out of this draft with a quality back.

All and all, I like this mock. I like that they add three players to the defensive line, and they use the strength of the draft taking multiple pass catchers and offensive linemen, and they find a running back that fits their program.

This also feels like a very Seahawk-y draft. All of these players that I have selected feel like type of players they could take at these ranges. Focus on both lines early so to not leave yourself wanting later. Grab offensive playmakers where the depth of the draft is still good. Fill out the depth of the roster with later picks.

But who really knows what they do, right?

For all we know, the first player they will take will be a running back, and I’m not kidding, either.

Go Hawks!

 

 

We are exactly one week away from the 2020 NFL Draft, and I thought it would be a good to to explore another mock draft for the Seahawks focusing on their biggest perceived needs.

For many reasons stated in a previous piece that I’ve written, I’m convinced that the Seattle Seahawks are likely in the process of trading for a proven veteran pass rusher (if you haven’t check it out yet, you can by clicking here). It would actually be more of a shocker to me if they went into the 2020 draft in a couple weeks without making a major addition on the defensive line than if they did.

That said, this mock draft represents a scenario where my read on the team is wrong (wouldn’t be the first), and they don’t acquire a major veteran pass rushing talent. My first mock followed the same scenario, and had them selecting the best edge rusher left on their board first. This time around, they go in a different direction.

With the 27th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks trade with the Los Angeles Chargers.

I had the Seahawks trading with the Chargers in my last mock, and I am willing to stick with them again for the simply reason that I believe they will take a quarterback high in the first round and then look to trade back into the bottom of the first to either grab a left tackle type or one of the top end receivers to pair with the passer. Seattle trades pick 27 for picks 37, 71, and 186.

With the 37th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Raekwon Davis, Defensive Tackle, Alabama

The best defensive lineman left on Seattle’s board is a tackle, and they take Davis here because 6-6 and 311 pounds with loads of athleticism is hard to teach. Davis has physical talent that could make him a first round pick, but he also some concerns over his maturity and a lack of a developed pass rush that could have him sliding into day two.

In some ways, this sounds a lot like Seattle’s unfortunate first pick from a few years ago in Malik McDowell, but honestly, I think those concerns are probably a bit far reaching. Davis could have entered the draft last year, and been a high round pick, but he chose to return to Alabama to help contend for a National Title. That says something, at least, and while his sack numbers weren’t great, he anchored against the run very well, and still likely has a lot of untapped potential as a rusher. To be a defensive tackle in Seattle’s scheme you have to be a top player against the run first, and a pass rusher secondly. He screams Seahawk defensive tackle in these regards.

With the 59th Pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Jeremy Chinn, defensive back, Southern Illinois

This is a pick that Pete Carroll may not be able to resist. Carroll craves acquiring special freakish athletes on both sides of the ball, and that is what Chinn is at 6-3 and 221 pounds and able to run a 4.4 forty yard dash. Like Davis, he has a physical profile that you can’t teach.

While coming into the league as a college safety, this is also a guy that Carroll might consider being his next convert to outside corner, as the strengths of his skill set is more directed towards man coverage than zone, and with Shaquill Griffin and Quinton Dunbar both set to become free agents in 2021, Seattle might feel the need to address the position at some point in this class. Physically, Chinn would tick a lot of boxes of what Carroll wants at corner.

With the 64th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Willie Gay Jr, linebacker, Mississippi State

There is a theme starting to emerge with Seattle by the time this pick happens; Seattle is looking for unique talent on the defensive side of the ball regardless of position. Davis and Chinn offered unique length and athleticism. Gay Jr offers speed, size, and violence. He’s a fierce run defender who move well sideline to sideline. This pick is all about stopping the misdirection plays that both San Francisco and the LA Rams love to run, and getting younger and faster up front.

With the 71st pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Hakeem Adeniji, offensive tackle, Kansas

If Seattle does not take an offensive tackle with their first three picks, I think this is the area where they don’t wait it out any longer. With Adeniji, they take the best athlete left on their board that’s an offensive lineman. Adeniji is an explosive blocker who I think is a bit underrated in this draft class and might go higher than some are expecting. Some scouts see him as a guard type at 3-4 and 302 pounds, but with long arms and quick feet, I think he is a player they could take to either compete at right tackle or be groomed behind Duane Brown to play left tackle. He showed up well at the Senior Bowl.

With the 101st pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Cam Akers, running back, Florida State

Seattle gets a sturdy compact runner who displays quick cut ability, explodes through holes, runs with aggression, and catches well. These are all traits that they look for at running back, and with Chris Carson heading into a contract year and Rashaad Penny coming off of a serious knee injury that won’t have him available for much of the season, Seattle will most definitely be looking to draft a running back. They get their guy here.

With the 133rd pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select John Hightower, wide receiver, Boise State

Seattle is patient with this deep receiver class and grabs a player here who showed well at the Senior Bowl and the Scouting Combine running crisp routes and catching well. At 6-1 and 189 pounds, he has decent size and speed to go along with their vertical attack, but it’s his kicker returner and run after the catch abilities that are likely to appeal, and add immediate value to the team.

With the 144th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select, Trevis Gibson, defensive end, Tulsa

Gibson is one of the few edge rushers out this this class that I think would have some appeal to Seattle, and they might even take him earlier than here. At 6-3 and 260 pounds with long arms, he has the physical profile they covet at the rush Leo end spot. He’s a small school prospect who is unrefined as a pass rusher, but has a lot of raw physical abilities and explosion to make up for that. Once he gets an array of pass rush moves, he could have a quality starter ceiling in this league.

With the 186th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Alex Taylor, offensive tackle, SC State

Seattle again dips into the depth of the offensive tackle portion of this draft by taking a project player with high upside, literally. Taylor is 6-8 and 308 lbs with 36 inch arms. With that long frame his also possesses some pretty decent natural athleticism, but is raw in his technique and could stand to add strength. Taking him here though, would be a decent place to draft and stash a potential starter down the road at right tackle, specially if Adenji can play the left side.

With the 214th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Quez Watkins, wide receiver, Southern Miss

Like they did with offensive tackle, Seattle uses the quality depth of receiver in this class to their advantage, and they take this speed burner late in round six. Watkins possesses elite speed, good hands, and and decent enough size at 6-0 and 185 lbs. He’s a burner drafted to add further speed depth to go along with Russell Wilson’s deep passing. Right now he is pretty much a one trick pony, but the tools are there to make him more well rounded, if he puts in the work.

Thoughts about this mock draft

I like Seattle going aggressive early to beef up the defense, and in many ways, I think Raekwon Davis is their ideal defensive tackle. Going through the Pete Carroll era, they have often sought out long powerful bodies that can anchor against the run and push the pocket. Alan Branch, Tony McDaniel, and Kevin Williams are players that come to mind. Davis is definitely in that realm, but with more athleticism. He could be their answer to acquiring a Chris Jones type of player.

I’m a little on the fence with selecting Jeremy Chinn and Willie Gay Jr with those other two second round picks. On one hand, they both seem to look like Seattle style defenders, but Chinn in particular seems like a project, and Gay Jr has some character concerns about his disciple on and off the field. Both are elite athletes, though, with high end potential, and that is why I think Seattle could be drawn to them. Last year they took DK Metcalf late in round two, he was thought to be a project, and it was a grand slam pick for them. Pete Carroll loves special athletes.

I really like the Adenji pick in round three, and think he has interesting potential at tackle, but I think beyond that, Seattle is likely selecting players with some special traits that they hope will materialize into decent contributors with starter potential down the road. Trevis Gibson could be the one to really develop into a decent starter.

This mock reflects what I think Seattle could likely do based on needs and what is available. Simply put, they need a lot on defense, and that’s what they went after early. Next mock draft will be a different one where Seattle doesn’t chase after needs as much.

Go Hawks