NFC Building Blocks

by abender20 on Jun 16, 2009 9:00 AM PDT in Daily Links Comment 27 comments

Football Outsiders has a two part series going over at ESPN regarding potential key pieces for the 2009 season. You will likely need to be an Insider to read all of it.

In the NFL, the ascension of a player to household-name status is often sudden and unexpected. Take 2008, for example. If we'd told you that Matt Cassel, DeAngelo Williams and Darnell Dockett would emerge as essential building blocks for their teams, you would have laughed us out of the room...

So in identifying players who might make the leap onto a list of essential building blocks compiled this time next year, we're not going to identify very good players who are merely under the radar, such as Nick Collins or a Leroy Hill; we're aiming to isolate players who are capable of taking a huge step forward, becoming an indispensable player in the process.

So there's your premise. Which 5 players in the NFC are in position and have the skill set to emerge in 2009? Bill Barnwell's list: Jason Campbell, Miles Austin, Sam Baker, Parys Haralson, and Cliff Avril.

Along that same vein, which Seahawks have the chance to break out from obscurity?

Darryl Tapp is an obvious choice, although he may disqualify himself from the spirit of the competition given his solid track record to date. Brandon Mebane has also already shown too much to fit into this category. As you continue to play this game throughout the Seahawk defense, you'll notice that only Lawrence Jackson and Josh Wilson have the credentials and potential to make this list (apologies to Red Bryant). Given that Jackson has plenty of work to do just to make himself somewhat disruptive, Wilson looks like the candidate for the Seattle defense. Pushed back from being a starting corner into the nickel role, Wilson will the chance to capitalize on his aggressiveness by jumping slants and crossing routes and blowing up receivers over the middle. Wilson stood out in the Seattle secondary last year due to his willingness to attack the ball. Despite what will likely be a declinein playing time, Seattle needs Wilson to take another step forward in his disciplined aggression.

How about on offense? You can safely eliminate anyone with name recognition, leaving John Carlson, Owen Schmitt, and most of the offensive line. Carlson is the slam dunk here.

Is there anyone else you think has the talent and playing time to emerge this season?

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Tough question.

And I wonder if rookies are options?

Anyway, how about Ray Willis? If he starts at RG (or if Walter somehow isn’t ready/goes down, at RT), he could be a real force, particularly in the running game. I yearn for some smash-mouth football.

Somehow I think Duckett is going to be getting a significant number of RB carries, and if he can grind defenses and clock with leads in a Marion Barber-type closer role, he could surprise and be an important piece. I’m not convinced, but it could happen.

Early prospect watch: RB C.J. Spiller, QB Jevon Snead, OT Ciron Black, DT Gerald McCoy, S Eric Berry, DT Ndamukong Suh, CB Ras-I Dowling 6'2, 200, RB Jonathan Dwyer

by Misfit74 on Jun 16, 2009 9:38 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

On the line

For an out of nowhere Seahawk suddenly taking the step (although far from national status) would be either Willis, or my darkhorse, Mansfield Wrotto. I think we are going to see another revolving door open up at an o-lne position, particularly guard, with Wrotto getting a chance by week 5 and running with it.

It might have been towards the end of last, but I remember reading that his footwork was much improved since he’s been drafted, so who knows? I know it’s pretty out there, but the offseason is all about wild prognostication, amirite?

by mjkleko on Jun 16, 2009 10:00 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Jamar Adams? Would that be great?!

Having Grit-Master-BR benched and Jamar Adams rock at safety would enter my book as that “candidate”

by Built2Spill on Jun 16, 2009 10:01 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

While Jamar Adams moving into a starting role should benefit the team, it would be hard to call Adams a breakout candidate without having seen him play in the NFL.

by abender20 on Jun 16, 2009 10:04 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Perhaps your criteria needs to be more specifically defined

I thought the idea was to prognosticate who has the most potential to take a huge step forward. Getting substantial playing time alone would constitute that, to me, and his size and athletic skillset — not to mention the Tebow killing — seem to be an adequate source of potential to reference in calling for a jump from reserve/project to starter.

Also, name recognition is relative; we’re not talking name recognition here, are we? Because any given FG reader knows who Kyle Williams, Michael Bumpus, Jordan Kent, Kevin Hobbs and Courtney Greene are. Name recognition on the national scale, Carlson kind of fits the “already good, under the radar” Leroy Hill example that Barnwell gave.

by jacobstevens on Jun 16, 2009 12:08 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

The criteria are from Barnwell's article, quoted above.

The point is that players should have shown some talent at the NFL level but aren’t yet “well established.” Do you really think that Baraka Atkins or CJ Hawthorne or Ben Obomanu are likely to be very good players, especially after this year?

by abender20 on Jun 16, 2009 12:32 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Very good, maybe not

I read the criteria as, not already good/under the radar, who will take a huge step forward this year. In that regard, they wouldn’t have to be starters, and wouldn’t have to finish at “very good” to qualify as taking a huge step forward. I didn’t see any specification about having already shown talent at the NFL level, from you or Barnwell, but it’s your game, you make the rules.

Since I brought those guys up, I think they’ll take a big step forward. I don’t think they’ll be names with national recognition, but that’s why I brought up relativity. I asked whether you meant national name recognition, or casual Seahawk fan recognition. Since FG readers already know everyone on the team. And since — and I didn’t specify this before, my bad — I don’t think any Hawk with the potential to become nationally very good, nationally a recognized name, is not already a moderately well known name like Carlson, Curry, and well, it’s a short list. I mean, Leroy Hill was cited as an example of a guy without name recognition.

So on that level, I can’t find anyone other than Carlson or Curry. On the level of guys who are fringe players but have the potential to take the step to becoming an integral building block to this team, regardless of how well casual fans across the nation know them, those are the guys I can see. Just explaining my thoughts, but now that you’ve defined already showing talent at the NFL level as criteria, I’ll keep it in mind if I have anything else to add to the discussion.

by jacobstevens on Jun 16, 2009 3:01 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

If they're including Matt Cassell as one of last years surprise building blocks than Adams shouldn't be ruled out.

I think Jamar is the most likely Hawk candidate with Redding and Forsett coming to mind as well.

by Nate Dogg on Jun 17, 2009 4:26 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Valid point

by jacobstevens on Jun 18, 2009 9:48 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

From Sando's rollup:

Peter King of SI.com checks in with Mora and Seahawks defensive coordinator Gus Bradley. King: “I asked Mora for a couple of defensive players who’d stood out in the offseason, and he said Darryl Tapp and Lawrence Jackson. Both defensive ends. Both former high picks. So maybe there will be less pressure on [Aaron] Curry to be a 12-sack guy if these bookend ends emerge and if Patrick Kerney can stay healthy and give Seattle the production he’s used to giving.” Twelve sacks for Curry sounds like a two- or three-year total.

by Airborne Hawk Guy on Jun 16, 2009 10:49 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Peter King

by abender20 on Jun 16, 2009 10:57 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Referenced a reference.

My MLA Style manual just exploded.

by Airborne Hawk Guy on Jun 16, 2009 12:01 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Breaking out of obscurity....

Leonard Weaver (sadly), if he gets featured as a RB in some packages, especially with the move out east.

Nate Burleson, with the addition of TJ he should see some open field.(if you remember he had a 50+ yrd touchdown in the preseason against the chargers, and scored a TD in his only half of play last year)

Ben Obomanu, has shown flashes of brilliance, if he can get on the field and stay healthy.

Colin Cole, if he can bring a presence anything like Tubbs did in 05, it should show up in stark contrast to the Seahawks defenses of last year, demanding the prognosticators attention.

"Superhero like even"

by censor1979 on Jun 16, 2009 11:33 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I don't think Weaver is too obscure.

I mean, he was a Pro-Bowl alternate, so someone must have recognized him. And that ridiculous game vs. the 49ers put him in the national spotlight, at least temporarily.

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

by Fearless Frog on Jun 16, 2009 3:20 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

The way I anticipate the Eagles using him

and him being an Eagle, and not a Seahawk, definitely is an equation that computes to breaking out of whatever degree of obscurity he was in before.

He wasn’t a faceless man before, but I have a feeling near year’s end he’ll be looked at as this great free agent pickup and there will be incorrigible Pete Prisco stories on how the Eagles organization is dripping with genius and how the Seahawks didn’t know what kind of talent they had on their hands because they never gave him a real shot.

by jacobstevens on Jun 16, 2009 3:24 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed

He’s gonna be a great compliment to Westbrook; I expect a solid season from him.

by thebyron on Jun 19, 2009 9:27 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Jason Campbell and Parys Haralson are good choices

How bout

- Roman Harper, safety for the Saints;
- Michael Boley, LB for the Giants (another guy that barely qualifies, but on a larger scale, the tier of fanhood that gets their household names from Joe Buck & Aikman, a better candidate than most);
- Earl Bennett, WR for the Bears;
- Jay Ratliff, DT for the Cowboys;
- Chris Horton, Safety for the Redskins

For Seahawks, Atkins, Hawthorne, Adams on defense, and Schmitt, Sims, and Obomanu on offense.

by jacobstevens on Jun 16, 2009 12:00 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I hope it's not Atkins or Hawthorne

Don’t get me wrong, I’ll gladly accept a huge jump in development from any player. But I took the criteria to basically mean “guys who are currently solid starters who make the jump to national name and/or Pro-Bowl type players”. And IMO, if either Atkins or Hawthorne are seeing the kind of playing time that goes beyond “solid role player” or Special Teamer then that means there have been massive failures or injuries to a lot of the D’s supposed core guys ahead of them: Kerney, Jackson, Tapp, & Tatupu. And that’s probably a bad sign for the team as a whole.

I pretty much agree with the guys listed in the original post. The other names I’d throw out there are older, and don’t exactly fit the article’s criteria – but I’ll say Jones and/or Duckett: Jones has a national rep as being just mediocre, probably on the decline, and not capable of carrying the load full-time. Duckett’s become an afterthought, and written off as a short yardage specialist. National press continually lists RB as our weakness, and nobody’s really expecting much from either of them this year. But, with the ZBS and Knapp’s scheme feeding them the ball, I could easily see one of them putting up good stats and seeming to come out of nowhere.

by jteckmann on Jun 16, 2009 2:13 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Tricky thing here is

gauging a Seahawk player’s ability to achieve national name recognition. Nobody else cares about the Seahawks. The begrudged pressonly pretended to care in 2005 because they had to give due coverage to an uninteresting team from a boring market who was dominating a very weak and boring NFC that year. If Leroy Hill is exemplary of a guy under the radar, how good will Josh Wilson have to get there? He’d have to become our #1 CB, because it’s arguable whether Trufant has even reached what we’re talking about.

Good point about Hawthorne and the guys in front of him, but it doesn’t apply so much to the DLine, we’ll be rolling with 4 ends. Atkins already would have seen at least 2/3rds of the snaps as Kerney would have seen, without Kerney being injured.

“Role player” is another criteria that wasn’t defined before; Tuck was a role player when he broke out, in a platoon with starters Strahan & Umenyiora (and for a while, Kiwanuka).

Which is why we could play this game all day long, without well-defined criteria, and never come close to a consensus. I, too, thought of Duckett & Jones, but yeah, since it said not already good, I disqualified them, but otherwise I agree with you.

by jacobstevens on Jun 16, 2009 3:17 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Maybe a stupid question, and my apologies if it is, but....

Why couldn’t (or shouldn’t) Josh Wilson become a starting safety? Just because he was drafter a cornerback doesn’t mean he’s glued to that position, and lord knows we need to replace a certain someone….cough……..in the secondary. I personally think he has the tools to move over to that position (maybe SS, rather than FS) but I’m not really sure about it.

Just throwing that out there.

by J.L. White on Jun 16, 2009 3:04 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

His size...

and propensity for attacking would likely lead him to be injured as much as playing, ala Bob Sanders, but perhaps even more frequently injured.

Please, for the LOVE OF GOD, stop suggesting next year's 1st round pick (or picks) be used for Taylor Mays and or a QB of the future. Let's just let the season unfold, people, and evaluate much deeper in the process!!!

by whiskey chainsaw on Jun 16, 2009 3:09 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Just took a quick look at them...

and both are listed at 5’8" tall, but where Wilson is a relatively solid 188, Sanders (who is undersized by NFL standards for the position) is 202.

So you take a guy who is injured much of the time already, subtract 15 lbs from him.. he’d likely get injured even more. And that would be Bob Sanders morphed into Josh Wilson.

Now, that being said, it is an intriguing idea if he COULD stay healthy…

by whiskey chainsaw on Jun 16, 2009 3:12 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Nail on the head

That and speed. He’s the fastest guy on the team. Or, was until Deon Butler was drafted, perhaps. Anyway, you want those guys as your corners. And safeties engage in probably 4 times the number of tackles as corners, so size does matter, you’re right.

by jacobstevens on Jun 16, 2009 3:19 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs