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Grading Deon Butler

by John Morgan on Jul 2, 2009 3:03 PM PDT Comment 3 comments

Wide receivers of Deon Butler's profile and draft position make better return men than receivers. The Seahawks would benefit from an above average return if Butler became a useful slot receiver. Don Beebe was never a great receiver, but in his prime he was a valuable receiver and dangerous vertical threat. Butler would do well to have a career like Beebe.

Butler does not have bad hands; they just are not a strength at the pro level. His hands are good, but his catching is inconsistent. He has strong hands that lock the ball in, but he sometimes overburdens them by misreading the pass, poorly positioning his body or letting the ball into his chest. The problem is time. Butler will not get as open in the NFL. Therefore time lost clumsily snatching a ball is time a defender will have to close and swat it away or knock it out.

Darryl Clark is a college quarterback and a good one, but a college quarterback. His passes can be erratic -- if not wild, than at least not always easily catchable. It wasn't long ago Roddy White and Michael Jenkins were notorious for their drops, but opposite Matt Ryan both blossomed. So we must account for the possibility Clark bears some of the blame for Butler's contortions. Butler wasn't known for drops, so maybe he was making the best of bad passes. It's hard to say. If Butler develops as a catcher or is more developed than I think, that will go far towards him reaching his potential.

He is not going to get the kind of consistent separation he enjoyed in College. Butler is over-reliant on his speed to get open on deep routes. Instead of sinking his hips, planting and exploding away from the defender, he challenges with his speed and then dares the defender to catch up as he rounds into his route. Unlike elite deep threats like Torry Holt and Marvin Harrison, Butler doesn't cut well at top speed. He does track balls over his shoulder and gives Seattle its best-by-far option on go routes, skinny posts and wheel routes.

Butler is best at running intermediate routes where he shows a better ability to sink and cut with authority in multiple directions.

Butler is short for a receiver and thin for a football player. That doesn't mean he's weak. The kid's got power and the kind of moxie to show anyone it. He's a stubborn blocker and as the stubborn always are, a liability to get embarrassed sometimes. Most blocks, he'll be there, be on his man buying time and doing his job.

His power better presents itself in his ability to break free from jams and get a little extra after the catch. It's not that he's too powerful to be jammed. It's that he's too fast, too quick off the line and too powerful to be jammed. His speed puts corners on guard for the bomb. His timing off the line and first step gives him position. And with the corner on guard and position achieved, Butler is powerful enough to shake off the jam and get into his route without significant interference.

He doesn't have the shake and bake of a Deion Branch or Greg Jennings, but his open field moves, good power and adequate agility allow him to get a little more from his receptions.

For all his speed, and Beebe was faster that Butler is, Beebe was not a great return man. His speed was straight line speed. Butler is a little shiftier, enough for it be an asset as a receiver, but I don't see him as an elite kick returner. We'll see.

Butler looks like a good prospect. There's a lot to like about his athleticism and there's a good foundation of skills. He needs to develop. He needs to develop in one of two ways to make it in the NFL. He needs to develop in both to be good.

Butler needs to refine his route-running, put some edge into his cuts and some deception into his lead-in. The problem with bubbling left to cut right is the bubble left eliminates almost any cut but the cut right. It puts him out of position for a double move. It would be a deliberate and maybe disastrous lead-in to a curl. It wastes motion and is an illogical lead-in to a post. It telegraphs "in" and gives the defender time to react.

He needs a better read and to make more routine catches and less stumbling, tumbling cool because it's college highlight-reel catches.

I don't expect players to develop new skills. This time last year I noted that Lawrence Jackson had good pass rush moves, but not pro-ready. Professional offensive lineman made that look like an absurd understatement. I think it's still fair. Jackson didn't have pro ready moves and needed to develop them, but didn't develop at all and likely regressed. Butler is not a bad route runner and his hands aren't bad, but it's hard to adjust to a jump in competition while learning new skills. It doesn't often happen. And so the cool and efficient draft process rated Butler a player with good potential, with a good chance to fizzle and an expectation of contributing for some seasons as a role player. Since that's still exactly how I see Butler, I'll grant him a "C" and hope he shows me more this preseason.

3 comments | 0 recs |

The Yellow Line

by abender20 on Jul 2, 2009 8:33 AM PDT in Daily Links Comment 9 comments

Let's try a little game. I'm going to pose a series of three questions, and you will answer them one by one in your head. Don't follow the link until you've answered all three.

In your head, picture a football game. The offense has the ball and is about to pass. Don't consider YAC, but only the position of the catch itself relative to the first down line.

1.) It's third down. Where, relative to the televised yellow first down line and within +/- 2 yards of the line, is the most difficult distance to complete a pass to? I'm looking for a distance from the first down line, so horizontal distance from the quarterback is irrelevant at this moment.

2.) It's second down. Same question.

3.) First down. Again.

The answers can be found here.

How did you do?

9 comments | 0 recs

Notes: Deon Butler

by John Morgan on Jul 1, 2009 3:06 PM PDT Comment 8 comments

I decided to ditch the play-by-play breakdown because reading and rereading "did not factor" is a chore. Instead below are some highlights and opinions.

I didn't see evidence that Deon Butler will be a good blocker, but I do think Butler will be a consistent blocker. He worked through his blocks on every play and didn't quit. He gets under guys and drives his legs well, but I think most pro corners will rip through his upper body and disengage when needed. Don't underestimate the value of buying a second, though.

USC defenders did not effectively press Butler. Josh Pinkard attempted to jam him in the fourth, and Butler both established position and threw him off and to the side. Pinkard is 6'1", 215.

Butler's longest reception of the day displayed good spacing, good awareness and the kind of effective route running that trumps all.

2nd and 17 at PSU 24 Daryll Clark pass complete to Deon Butler for 35 yards to the USC 41 for a 1ST down.

Penn State is three wide, with Butler alone on the right. Right, in this case, being the "field" or long horizontal of the gridiron. USC is in their ever present 3-4, with Clay Matthews walked up offensive right and Kaluka Maiava positioned over the slot. Cary Harris is opposite Butler.

At the snap, Butler slants in, straightens, and then slants in again after ten yards. Harris has inside position, but is just barely trailing. Trojans rush five and Darryl Clark's pocket collapses as Everson Griffen comes free. Clark squirts out and towards the right flat. Butler's slant lasts about eight yards. The route thus far looks like a skinny post. Harris sticks outside, safely assuming Butler is unlikely to streak too close to Taylor Mays lest he be beheaded. Butler sets Harris up for an inside move by outstretching his right arm, sinking his hips and right-angling towards the right sideline. Harris is staggered. His two legs flail like each is pulled by a different puppeteer. Clark is in trouble. Griffen is steps away in backside pursuit. Cushing and Matthews are closing from the left. Butler begins to fade towards the end zone. Clark jumps and passes a low-angled duck. Harris watches, looks back, sees Butler's separation, closes, but tackles only after the catch. Butler high-points the low pass and pulls it in for 35.

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See the Seahawks for Free

by abender20 on Jul 1, 2009 8:32 AM PDT in Daily Links Comment 18 comments

at training camp. Well, sort of free. Transportation to and from the facilities will cost $5 a head. Details courtesy of the PI.

The team announced Tuesday that fans can attend practices at the Seahawks' waterfront headquarters on Lake Washington beginning on Aug. 3 and ending Aug. 20. They must first register through the team's Web site, seahawks.com, on a first-come, first-served basis beginning July 16 at 10 a.m.

This will be the first time since the team returned camp to the Seattle suburbs from Cheney, Wash., in 2007 that fans can watch the Seahawks practice.

The team will also hold two practices at UW in August.

If you've never been to a training and have a moment or two to spare in August, I recommend going. Firstly, you'll have the chance to see the new facilities in person, and the grounds are supposed to be fantastic. You may also enjoy watching Seahawk players in action and in person, both of which are pretty neat. A few summers ago, some friends and I drove up to Green Bay to catch a Packers training camp, figuring we'd get a chance to see Favre in action in what would likely be his last season. We were half right. Even though I am not in any way a fan of the Packers, I enjoyed watching NFL players go through a practice fifty feet away from where I was sitting. Watching a game on TV or even from up in the stands leads to a bit of a disconnect, in that you really don't appreciate just how incredible NFL athletes truly are. Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, while on the smaller side for a defensive end, was huge. Ahman Green was jacked beyond belief. Even more impressive is the level of talent. Watch players you've only barely heard of perform amazing feats and still not make the roster. So again, if you have $5 and a day in August, go to training camp.

18 comments | 0 recs

The Incomplete Deon Butler

by John Morgan on Jun 30, 2009 2:28 PM PDT Comment 16 comments

Deon Butler is not what you think he is. He's not a finesse burner. He doesn't stick to goes and skinny posts and abhor the middle. He isn't easily jammed. He doesn't play small or slight or "undersized".

He has smooth speed that sneaks up on corners. Kevin Thomas yields a 10 yard cushion on this reception,

1st and 10 at PSU 33 Daryll Clark pass complete to Deon Butler for 27 yards to the USC 40 for a 1ST down.

but Butler blew past Thomas and settled into a soft spot between Thomas and safety Will Harris. It was a deep curl route and a good one. Butler read the defense and timed his break well, coming back for the ball. The speed created the separation: the soft spot between the passed Thomas and the guardedly deep Harris. His speed isn't sudden though, and he looks smooth-fast almost to a fault. Butler is a long-strider that doesn't generate that same kind of speed out of his breaks.

He also isn't adept at tracking the ball in flight.

Butler catches Clark's pass, begins to turn his torso counterclockwise, synchronizes a head fake that freezes Harris before pivoting clockwise towards the sideline. The move gives him a step on Harris and frees him to begin up field. Thomas comes screaming from the backside, Butler slices in separating from Harris, but Thomas jumps and wraps around his shoulder pads. The force turns but does not tackle Butler. Alternately wrapped, trapped and ridden by Thomas and Harris, Butler backpedals, legs churning for an additional six yards. His hard fought 12 yards after the catch is another display of power and open field moves--

Aborted by a Butler screwup. This time it's not a tickytack illegal formation penalty but a kneel down in the open field. Butler is down at the USC 40. Butler, wide open and targeted on a not-perfect, but accurate and catchable pass by Clark, lets the ball into his body and so twisting to secure the pass drops his knee in the turf and ends the play.

We're zeroing in on what Butler is. Final details tomorrow and grade on Thursday.

16 comments | 0 recs |

Carlson on 2009

by abender20 on Jun 30, 2009 8:33 AM PDT in Daily Links Comment 22 comments

While rarely informative, I always enjoy hearing athletes talk*. While some of that stems from the entertainment value inherent in watching someone like Chris "Birdman" Anderson try to deliver holiday greetings (or Brandon Jennings running his mouth), these opportunities give you a better idea of the person in question. John Carlson took three minutes out of his life to talk to ESPN, and I think you'll enjoy hearing what he has to say. The content is fairly standard, but then again you shouldn't expect to learn Seahawks football strategy from one of these blurbs. More than anything, it's a chance to learn that John Carlson sounds like (sample size: three minutes) a well-grounded and intelligent young man.

* The notabe exception being on-court postgame interviews. Even the most well-spoken athletes (Tim Duncan comes to mind) just refuse to give any information away despite the labored insistence of the reporter.It's like watching a methed-up Quebecois try to bleed maple syrup from a spruce tree.

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2008 Season Retrospective: Steve Vallos

by John Morgan on Jun 29, 2009 3:52 PM PDT Comment 10 comments

More photos » by Elaine Thompson - AP

Use of a disembodied arm for purposes of clubbing is disallowed in the NFL.

Browse more photos »

Overview: Steve Vallos received a crash course in training camp on playing center. He started the first three preseason games at center and received praise from Seattle's coaching staff. After Chris Spencer was lost for the season in week 12, Vallos started the final five games of the regular season. He had one false start and no holding penalties.

What went right: Vallos stepped up and played a position he was inexperienced at and never suffered the kind of automatic-benching meltdown he was entirely capable of. And by season's end, he was no longer an abject liability at center.

What went wrong: Vallos was overmatched in the preseason and then abused in his first two regular season games. He looked unfit for the speed or power of the game. He was a turnstile against Dallas. So bad it's a wonder Seattle mounted any offense at all. His play leveled off and eventually Vallos wasn't single-handedly undermining Seattle's offense, just interspersing poor play with ineffectual play.

Outlook: The Cult of Vallos started because of poor reading comprehension. It was fed by an irrational dislike of Chris Spencer. Mike Holmgren said Vallos was doing very well considering the circumstances. The circumstances were a hobbled Chris Spencer and a lower back injury that put Chris Gray at risk of paralysis. The circumstances were that Vallos played all five line positions at Wake Forest, all five except center. The circumstances were that Seattle was unprepared for the loss of Gray and Spencer, and Vallos was doing yeoman's work at a position he didn't know. That's being a team player* and that's respectable and one understands why the coaches singled him out for praise. No one thought he was performing well.

Seattle graded Vallos with their actions drafting Max Unger in the second round and preempting any notion of Vallos ever starting. Unger or Spencer will man center for the foreseeable future. If Unger doesn't secure a starting guard spot, he would automatically become the second string center and likely doom Vallos to being cut. Long ago when he was drafted, I was a fan of Steve Vallos. I like accomplished college tackles moving inside and playing a less demanding line position. A player can be marginally athletic at tackle and adequate or above average at guard or center, but you gotta be strong. Vallos isn't. He's not real football big despite his listed weight, and as a center he withstands the bullrush like a tackle. If Vallos isn't a Hawk, there are rosters yet for him to be signed to and cut from. Maybe he grows into his body and has a nice little career. There's a coaching career somewhere should he want it. My antipathy for the guy got a little out of hand because of the backup-quarterback treatment he was getting from some fans, but as far as seventh round selections go, I think Vallos will be a success.

*The counterargument is that Vallos might not have made the team had he not stuck at center.

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Over and Under

by abender20 on Jun 29, 2009 8:47 AM PDT in Daily Links Comment 106 comments

I'll keep it brief as I'm limited on time this morning. Football Outsiders (Aaron Schatz, specifically) assembled a list of the 25 most overrated and 25 most underrated players of the last decade. Thanks to ESPN snapping up FO, you'll need to be an Insider to view all 25 and the explanations, but the top 10 from each group are listed. Any surprises on that list for you? It warms my heart to see the Halls (Dante and DeAngelo) sharing adjoining suites in the top 10.

If we were to compile a list of the most overrated and most underrated Seahawks in the last decade, who deserves a mention?

106 comments | 0 recs