Hard to Believe

by abender20 on Mar 25, 2009 8:34 AM PDT in Seahawks News & Rumors

4 year starter. Productive. Norfolk State.

Let's play a little game: Which of those three does not look like it describes a typical Seahawk? We've surely spent ample time on the Top Pick Merry-Go-Round, so let's look at another later option.

Norfolk State cornerback Don Carey told Scout.com that the Seattle Seahawks have extended an invitation to him for an official visit. Carey will visit the Seahawks' coaches and tour their facilities on April 14–15.

...

During his senior year, Carey intercepted five passes, recovered a pair of fumbles, made 42 tackles, defended six passes and blocked a kick.

His junior year was also solid. Carey started 11 games, recorded 28 solo tackles, 4 tackles for loss, picked off 3 passes and broke up an additional 8, blocked a kick, and for his efforts was named second team All-MEAC. I'm not exactly sure how the Front Office even knows of his existence, but talent is talent and it's interesting to see the Hawks looking at non-FBS schools.

Edit: The Seahawks also apparently worked Carey out on March 16th.

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Glad to have my morning Seahawks story back.

And glad to see that Tyler Schmitt didn’t scare Ruskell away from small school players.

by LantermanC on Mar 25, 2009 8:58 AM PDT reply actions

Owen Schmitt?

by Nick Andron on Mar 25, 2009 10:17 AM PDT up reply actions

No.

by abender20 on Mar 25, 2009 10:18 AM PDT up reply actions

Long snapper, IR'd in the preseason from a serious back problem, drafted in the sixth round of last season.

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

by Fearless Frog on Mar 25, 2009 1:07 PM PDT up reply actions

Also, this guy:

Josh Buchanan, of NFLDraftBible.com, reports the Seattle Seahawks have invited Oregon State SS Al Afalava for a private visit.

Maybe we need a thread for know visits/player workouts, or something? I was wondering where to share that tidbit last night.

by Misfit74 on Mar 25, 2009 9:04 AM PDT reply actions

Really?

This says he has a DUI late at night and then he abandoned his vehicle. Character aside, he sounds like a good SS to take a chance on.

by LantermanC on Mar 25, 2009 9:52 AM PDT up reply actions

Wow.

Here’s the link I found that: http://www.kffl.com/team/33/nfl

by Misfit74 on Mar 25, 2009 10:02 AM PDT up reply actions

He certainly is a physical speciman.

4.46, 29 reps on the bench press, 40 inch vertical, 10’5" broad jump? Not sure about the cone or short shuttle drills, but they look elite as well.

by LantermanC on Mar 25, 2009 10:11 AM PDT up reply actions

I don't know anything about Alfalfa

but at least all signs are pointing towards the Hawks looking to upgrade at SS.

by Nate Dogg on Mar 25, 2009 1:34 PM PDT up reply actions

Late round scouting?

It appears that the Hawks are doing their due diligence for late round picks. Both of these players are rated way down the list in their respective positions, and either 7 th round or FA predictions. I still like the kid (Safety) from ND in the 4th or 5th round, which is where he is predicted to go.

On a side note: does anyone know how the combine measurements for arm length and hand size are done?

by walruz on Mar 25, 2009 10:32 AM PDT reply actions

Not just Don Carey

Don Juan Carey III. Nice.

by jacobstevens on Mar 25, 2009 10:50 AM PDT reply actions

Looks like Carey passes the TR maturity test with flying colors

http://hamptonroads.com/2008/10/nsu-has-proven-be-perfect-fit-db-carey

Self-made player, offered partial Ivy League scholarship, high GPA, and awards as team leader/community service.

by jteckmann on Mar 25, 2009 11:36 AM PDT reply actions

It's that Norfolk State thing...

by abender20 on Mar 25, 2009 11:51 AM PDT up reply actions

Maybe 4 drafts wasn't enough to justify the small school bias he's been labeled with

I never really bought the idea that Ruskell avoids small school players as a rule, just that he values things non-BCS schools don’t readily supply.

by Nate Dogg on Mar 25, 2009 1:41 PM PDT up reply actions

I think he's expressed it as something he looks for

I’m sure he’s not rigid about it. He may well be more rigid about it than many of us would like him to be. I like the approach. It’s the seeming lack of concern for an amalgamation of players lacking size that bothered me.

I’ll concede that it wasn’t an issue in 2005 when he started leading us, but the McCarthys and Sparanos/David Lees brought power running back to the NFL in a capacity more than just Schottenheimer adherence to guard pulls. When Tampa Bay assembled their great defenses, speed alone could more than compensate anything else, within scheme. The pendulum has swung the other way, and I was disappointed for us to have been caught in the midst of assembling the next very good defense when the name of the game changed. If I see he’s adjusted to this development over the past couple years, my criticism there will be alleviated.

by jacobstevens on Mar 25, 2009 3:09 PM PDT up reply actions

I definitely hear you on that

We haven’t seen Ruskell break out of his BCS conference drafting MO with the ‘Hawks just yet. But as was mentioned in some other threads, it’s unclear just how much of a hard & fast rule it is for him, or if it would stop him from pulling the trigger on a player he really likes and who meets all the other criteria he judges by. Tampa did have some success drafting small school CBs while he was head of scouting there.

IMO, it begs an interesting question: Say Tatupu never got his game tape into Pete Carroll’s hands and spent his entire college career at Maine. Would TR still have targeted him? Obviously he wouldn’t have had to trade up for him in the 2nd … but would he have been a player TR spent a late round pick on or brought in as an UDFA? I think he probably would have.

I don’t think TR ignores small school guys – a lot of his UDFA’s and camp invites come from those ranks. I think he just realizes that most the time he doesn’t have to spend a draft choice on them and can pick them up later. But if the right one comes along that meets all his other criteria AND he knows that the guy is on the radar of other teams and slotted to go that round …. then I think he’d draft him.

by jteckmann on Mar 25, 2009 1:45 PM PDT up reply actions

I thought the big deal with Tatupu was that he was a classic Ruskell pick including big school.

I’m not so sure we would have nabbed him had he had not been a multiple-season starter at USC.

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

by Fearless Frog on Mar 25, 2009 2:08 PM PDT up reply actions

I guess that's the $1M question.

I think we all agree that Ruskell values “football intelligence” – so the question is if he considers big-school experience essential to developing it, or merely additional evidence that the guy has it.

by jteckmann on Mar 25, 2009 3:03 PM PDT up reply actions