The Cole Scouting Report

by Doug Farrar on Mar 1, 2009 12:43 PM PST

From my buddy Bill Huber at Packer Report. Try and contain your excitement...

Cole is a career backup because he's at least OK at everything but doesn't excel at anything. He's good against the run, but even at 6-foot-1 and 330 pounds, he gets pushed around on occasion. His career sack total isn't anything special, but he did manage to get some pressure regularly. Few players work as hard as Cole, and his intelligence is an asset in that he rarely takes himself out of position. The Packers wanted to bring him back because he has value as a nose tackle and a defensive end in a 3-4, and would have provided depth at all three positions. Pair him with a quality tackle, and Cole would be a nice addition. If you're counting on him to be the guy up front, you'll be disappointed.

Here's the real kicker -- according to Bill, signing Cole took the Seahawks out of the market for Chris Canty, who has cancelled his trip to Seattle. Clearly, they see Cole as a major rotation guy/pure starter. Why that could possibly be is something we can only wonder.

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“Few players work as hard as Cole, and his intelligence is an asset in that he rarely takes himself out of position.”

I think this sums it up perfectly. No surprise he’s in Seattle after reading that.

by MFAN on Mar 1, 2009 12:47 PM PST reply actions

Now we know why Ruskell signed him.

Few players work as hard as Cole, and his intelligence is an asset in that he rarely takes himself out of position.

Meet Colin Cole, QB of the DTs.

by redwolf75 on Mar 1, 2009 12:48 PM PST reply actions

::Grim chuckle::

"Part, fools!
Put up your swords. You know not what you do."

by Fearless Frog on Mar 1, 2009 12:54 PM PST up reply actions

We're going to have the smartest 6-10 team in the history of the NFL.

by John Morgan on Mar 1, 2009 12:57 PM PST up reply actions

Undrafted free agent too

If he was white, Ruskell would jizz his pants.

by aerozeppelin on Mar 1, 2009 1:06 PM PST up reply actions

If Cole was white John would have denounced the Seahawks.

by MFAN on Mar 1, 2009 1:08 PM PST up reply actions

I fucking hate white people.

"Part, fools!
Put up your swords. You know not what you do."

by Fearless Frog on Mar 1, 2009 1:08 PM PST up reply actions

Fucking albinos.

by redwolf75 on Mar 1, 2009 1:11 PM PST up reply actions

What if giving up on Canty meant getting TJ?

Would it be worth it then? We need somebody at DT to replace Bernard, and Cole seems to fit the bill nicely IMO. He’s half the price of Canty, and is a bigger body. If saving a few million on Cole meant that we eventually get TJ, then that would certainly make it more worth it, wouldn’t it?

by kmedic on Mar 1, 2009 12:58 PM PST reply actions

Well, aside from the fact that you're wrong about Cole fitting the bill nicely...

"Part, fools!
Put up your swords. You know not what you do."

by Fearless Frog on Mar 1, 2009 1:00 PM PST up reply actions

He doesn't

and signing Cole doesn’t mean we sign TJ, Seattle could have signed TJ and not signed Cole or Canty.

by John Morgan on Mar 1, 2009 1:01 PM PST up reply actions

But we had to get a DT

We lost Bernard, we needed to fill the position before the draft. You honestly would have been comfortable going into the draft with Mebane, Bryant, Terrill and Green as your rotation?

by kmedic on Mar 1, 2009 1:07 PM PST up reply actions

Sure

or the two dozen other defensive tackles that Seattle could add without spending much of anything.

by John Morgan on Mar 1, 2009 1:09 PM PST up reply actions

I don't think I'll be convincing anybody today

We’ll just have to wait and see how this all turns out next January.

by kmedic on Mar 1, 2009 1:16 PM PST up reply actions

Do you have a reason we should change our minds?

The coaches think he good isn’t much of an argument. I’m open to anything that makes me not hate this signing, if you know something share the wealth.

by Nate Dogg on Mar 1, 2009 2:17 PM PST up reply actions

He could always get injured.

by John Morgan on Mar 1, 2009 2:18 PM PST up reply actions

Crap always seems to stay healthy.

We know damn well Cole is gonna be healthy for all 16 games while Kerney, Mebane and Lo-Jack all get injured.

by MFAN on Mar 1, 2009 2:24 PM PST up reply actions

Also, the world is ending

by Nate Dogg on Mar 1, 2009 2:28 PM PST up reply actions

Senseless pessimism.

Is it a really horrible drizzly grey day in Seattle today or something? I moved to SoCal a few years ago, I’m getting the sense that there’s a lot of February-March “Where the fuck is the sun?!?” doldrums going on in Hawkland right now.

by sev79 on Mar 1, 2009 2:30 PM PST up reply actions

Actually, all of two weeks ago was excellent, sunny weather.

It only started getting cloudy again last week.

"Part, fools!
Put up your swords. You know not what you do."

by Fearless Frog on Mar 1, 2009 2:31 PM PST up reply actions

I don't live in Seattle, so I wouldn't know

It’s not really pessimism, just a joke.

by MFAN on Mar 1, 2009 2:32 PM PST up reply actions

Beautiful here in Florida

Would be even nicer with good football news.

"It's just one big guy against another big guy, both teams know what's at stake. The one of them comes out on top and it feels good."
-Chris Collinsworth, Madden 09

by Wayward Llama on Mar 1, 2009 2:38 PM PST up reply actions

While I think pessimism is endemic on FG

This is truly a bad signing.

by jacobstevens on Mar 2, 2009 2:02 PM PST up reply actions

That doesn't sound too bad

Plus, if Seattle is unlikely to compete next season if gives the team a whole season to evaluate Bryant and see what he can do.

by MFAN on Mar 1, 2009 1:10 PM PST up reply actions

Getting TJ would be nice, but I'll be shocked if the Vikings don't throw him a ton of money and sign him.

Plus, I think you’re putting too much stock into Cole being a “big body”, being fat doesn’t make him good and it doesn’t mean he’ll be soaking up blockers.

by MFAN on Mar 1, 2009 1:02 PM PST up reply actions

Indeed.

If this were the case, we’d be set with Howard Green and Red Bryant alongside Mebane.

"Part, fools!
Put up your swords. You know not what you do."

by Fearless Frog on Mar 1, 2009 1:04 PM PST up reply actions

You're being facetious right?

Green, Bryant, and Mebane as our starting rotation?

by kmedic on Mar 1, 2009 1:10 PM PST up reply actions

Yes.

There would be little wrong with that except for depth, primarily because of Bryant’s injury concerns. I’d still prefer it to Colin fucking Cole.

"Part, fools!
Put up your swords. You know not what you do."

by Fearless Frog on Mar 1, 2009 1:20 PM PST up reply actions

Sando on Cole

NFC West blog:

The Seahawks’ signing of 330-pound defensive tackle Colin Cole gives them needed bulk up front and additional flexibility heading into the draft.

Signing receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who left Seattle to visit with the Vikings, would put the Seahawks in an even better position.

“Added flexibility”, even though Cole basically replaces the guy who left yesterday. Hmm.

by lemonverbena on Mar 1, 2009 1:08 PM PST reply actions

you're assuming "the guy who left yesterday" wanted to stay at all.

by djafrot on Mar 1, 2009 1:12 PM PST up reply actions

Good point.

I have a feeling Rocky wanted out, especially after getting his pay cut.

by redwolf75 on Mar 1, 2009 1:15 PM PST up reply actions

Not making that assumption, just questioning how Cole gives "additional flexibility"

since he replaces a just-departed DT

by lemonverbena on Mar 1, 2009 1:24 PM PST up reply actions

picking at nits

but I’m sure Sando was taking the loss of Bernard as a major factor in us needing flexibility, and that he knew Rocky wasn’t coming back.

by djafrot on Mar 1, 2009 1:37 PM PST up reply actions

Maybe Cole is a contortionist

by John Morgan on Mar 1, 2009 1:39 PM PST up reply actions

This is the guy who was on KJR last week wondering aloud why his readers hate Brian Russell so much.

by BrianL on Mar 1, 2009 3:32 PM PST up reply actions

Here's a small tidbit from rotoworld, take it for what it's worth.

“Seahawks DT Brandon Mebane is expected to play more "three technique” following Seattle’s acquisition of Colin Cole.
Cole will focus on the “one technique,” or nose tackle, and occupy blockers. Mebane, a dangerous pass rusher already, will shoot gaps. He finished with 5.5 sacks last season and could approach double digits at the new position"

by MFAN on Mar 1, 2009 1:25 PM PST reply actions

Sounds right to be. Makes sense.

by redwolf75 on Mar 1, 2009 1:26 PM PST up reply actions

I thought Seattle might make that move

but the problem is Cole is a huge downgrade from Mebane. So you add something to the pass rush but subtract something from the run defense.

by John Morgan on Mar 1, 2009 1:29 PM PST up reply actions

I'm OK with that...

Our pass rush sucked last season. Don’t know about you, but I’m tired of watching the Hawks force 2nd and eight and third and 6, and then give up the first through the air because the QB has 5 seconds to throw. Improving the pass rush makes the secondary better as well. Our kick-ass linebacker trio will have to take up the slack in the run defense.

by sev79 on Mar 1, 2009 1:41 PM PST up reply actions

Hopefully Hill will come out of coverage

and just sit on the run to compensate for this. Then it won’t matter if Hill sucks in pass coverage…that’’s assuming our pass rush actually does get better…

by Fear on Mar 1, 2009 1:48 PM PST up reply actions

Unfortunately

adding a tackle that can’t keep blockers off the linebackers weakens the linebackers and makes them less likely to pick up the slack. Really, the team needs Red Bryant to step up and capture the job.

by John Morgan on Mar 1, 2009 1:52 PM PST up reply actions

yeah, I know.

I don’t like the signing, I just don’t see it being that big of a deal.

I really think what needs to happen is for the new defensive staff to exercise some imagination and play to our players’ strengths. We’ve got too much talent on the defensive side of the ball to not have a good defense. I thought John Marshall was forehead-smacking abysmal last season, and I’m really looking forward to all the new young defensive coaches taking the reins this season.

by sev79 on Mar 1, 2009 2:00 PM PST up reply actions

Giants sign Canty: 6 years, $42m

Schefter.

by lemonverbena on Mar 1, 2009 2:15 PM PST reply actions

Wow

That defensive is defined by the defensive line, and they invest in it like crazy. Ours is defined by our linebackers. I think the Giants have the better defensive model — I was hoping we’d let Hill go and use the money elsewhere. I know I’ve been saying “Calm down” about Cole all morning, but think — if we had let Hill go and filled our third linebacker spot with a mix of utility guys, overpaying a bit to get Canty would have been very doable. Hill taking up unknown money seems to have really limited what else we could do. Guess that means the defensive staff better make the most of him this season.

by sev79 on Mar 1, 2009 2:26 PM PST reply actions

So, I just swung by the Trib and the first comment I see:

"Finnaly some talent at DT "

…

"Part, fools!
Put up your swords. You know not what you do."

by Fearless Frog on Mar 1, 2009 2:46 PM PST reply actions

Not worried about it.

The personnel staff of the Hawks knows more about football and evaluating talent than we do. Maybe Colin Cole and Brandon Mebane will be our version of the Vikings’ “Williams Wall”. Think positive people.

by SoCalHawksFan on Mar 1, 2009 2:49 PM PST reply actions

Appeal to Authority...

by redwolf75 on Mar 1, 2009 3:19 PM PST up reply actions

uh oh...

by djafrot on Mar 1, 2009 3:33 PM PST up reply actions

Before you continue commenting further...

it would be appreciated if you read these commenting guidelines.

by BrianL on Mar 1, 2009 3:35 PM PST up reply actions

my bad.

I was not aware of this so-called “fallacy”. I was just trying to think positive.

by SoCalHawksFan on Mar 1, 2009 3:47 PM PST up reply actions

I'm more inclined to think that Bryant provides a better shot of that than Cole ever will.

"Part, fools!
Put up your swords. You know not what you do."

by Fearless Frog on Mar 1, 2009 4:18 PM PST up reply actions

So.....

Sorry about that. What I was going to say was:

So….Cole is either “good against the run”, as this Packer dude says, or gets “blown off the line regularly”, as John says. Kinda hard to reconcile those two reviews. Next fall will tell us, I suppose.

by Hawkdawg on Mar 1, 2009 4:02 PM PST reply actions

If I'm not mistaken, Cole was the DT Mike Wahle smashed on Julius Jones' 55 yard scamper that was called back

vs. Green Bay.

"Part, fools!
Put up your swords. You know not what you do."

by Fearless Frog on Mar 1, 2009 4:23 PM PST up reply actions

you mean Mike Wahle held?

by SoCalHawksFan on Mar 1, 2009 4:26 PM PST up reply actions

I still don't think that was a hold.

But even if it was, the point still remains that Wahle, physically a shell of his former self, still out-muscled this guy at will most of the game.

"Part, fools!
Put up your swords. You know not what you do."

by Fearless Frog on Mar 1, 2009 4:34 PM PST up reply actions

It is still just one play and one play does not a good or bad player make.

It may change the perception of a player but it still is just one play. All we know about colin is from the game against seattle and a couple opinions from packer fans. He may be bad and probably is but none of us have watched film so we don’t know right now and most of us are forming an opinion from what john said about him (not saying that john is wrong or anything).

by xSAMx on Mar 1, 2009 4:59 PM PST up reply actions