Bitter Lions fan here...also doin some fantasy prospectin

by youtalkintome7 on Jul 16, 2009 12:05 PM PDT Comment 40 comments

Hello folks of Field Gulls...I'm a Lions fan, coming over from Pride of Detroit, and I was just here wondering about a couple things...

First off, this blog is very interesting; I notice that John Morgan provides a very deep and statistical analysis in most of the postings on the site. Very informative!

Anyways...I'm wondering how the summer has been going for the Seahawks this year, mainly the defense. I was very bitter that my Lions took Stafford instead of Aaron Curry, and I told myself I was going to keep track of him during this season to see exactly what we missed out on. I know its too early to tell now, but what has been the word out there so far?

Also, I have it in my mind that the Seahawks defense will be a sleeper this year with regards to fantasy football; it seems to me that they made some moves, replaced JP (who we have now) with Curry, improved with getting Corey Redding, and made some improvements in their secondary. Any prospective (hopefully not too biased now Seahawks fans!) would be appreciated.

Thanks for allowing me to post; this should be an extremely exciting football season coming up!

A place to bury strangers.

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There are several people here that are also upset the Lions took Stafford instead of Curry

A linebacker has to be very special to be worthy of such a high pick, Curry is going to have to cash in on his pass rushing potential be really maximize the value of the 4th pick in the draft. I expect him to be great but his impact is somewhat in question. First round quarterbacks are extremely valuable and usually turn into top notch players, don’t let the big name busts fool you.

by Nate Dogg on Jul 16, 2009 12:22 PM PDT reply actions

Are you guys bitter...

Because Sanchez was on the board and they passed on him?

by youtalkintome7 on Jul 16, 2009 12:25 PM PDT up reply actions

You mean the Seahawks?

I know I wasn’t.

"And Joe for Matt Hughes, dislike may not be a strong enough adjective!" - Mike Goldberg

by SSreporters on Jul 16, 2009 1:02 PM PDT up reply actions

I wanted Stafford way more than Sanchez,

but I’d still rather have Sanchez than Curry.

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

by Fearless Frog on Jul 16, 2009 1:18 PM PDT up reply actions

Really?

For some reason I was under the impression that Curry was the guy you wanted all along.

by LantermanC on Jul 17, 2009 9:42 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

Heh.

I love me some non-rush LBs in the top 5.

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

by Fearless Frog on Jul 17, 2009 10:18 AM PDT up reply actions

But he can rush....

Andrew Raycroft for backup? Does not compute.

by Woodinville_12thMan on Jul 18, 2009 1:30 PM PDT up reply actions

Maybe

Last summer we heard a lot about how great the young WRs were and they ended up failing to impress.

Curry may end up being a great pass rusher, but he doesn’t have the college stats to demonstrate it and has only shown glimmers of promise in drills sans pads.

by ninjasocks on Jul 18, 2009 5:26 PM PDT up reply actions

Yeah, pretty much this.

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

by Fearless Frog on Jul 18, 2009 6:08 PM PDT up reply actions

I still think that makes you a very silly man.

Yesterday's Pants
A blog-thingy about the Mariners and stuff.

by BrettJMiller on Jul 18, 2009 7:59 AM PDT up reply actions

Obviously, I hope I'm wrong.

And I think Curry will be an asset, but limited to what he can accomplish from his position. However, if these rumblings about him being a good pass-rusher are well-founded, his value increases tenfold in my eyes and worth the draft pick, although I still think we don’t need 3 good LBs.

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

by Fearless Frog on Jul 18, 2009 11:22 AM PDT up reply actions

I wouldn't have been upset if we'd taken Sanchez

…but I’m not upset that we passed on him either. I’m cautiously optimistic about Curry and the impact he can have on our defense, but Patrick Kerney’s health and (as cashless points out) Brian Russel’s presence are probably bigger factors. I predict the D improves to mid-level (14th-18th).

by thebyron on Jul 16, 2009 1:53 PM PDT up reply actions

Nope.

I was fine with Stafford, Crabtree, Sanchez, Curry, a LT, etc.
I was hoping to trade down with the Jets like the Browns did, but that’s because I love late 1st round picks (even though our track record on them isn’t very good) and because I don’t think any rookie is worth the amount their paid if they’re a top 5 pick. Too much risk involved, leaving the best case scenario as a FMV signing.

by LantermanC on Jul 16, 2009 3:02 PM PDT up reply actions

Not at all...

Curry was the guy I was hoping they’d take all along. It was a down year for QBs, RBs, DBs, and DL. Strong for OT and WR. Crabtree’s injury probably killed the chances of the Hawks taking him, they like to be sure. I think the Hawks are also hoping that Jones can play a few more years.

Curry was the safest pick in a down draft. That we managed to get a 1st round pick from Denver, in what is expected to be a great draft next year, is something I’m still dancing about.

by PerryCollective on Jul 16, 2009 11:51 PM PDT up reply actions

Definitely no

Sanchez is a reach pick at the top 10, and one I fully expect the Jets to regret in years to come. You never know, obviously, but the dude has one of the best bust profiles I’ve seen in years.

If Stafford had been there then yeah, jump, but Sanchez? Hell no.

by Vasilii on Jul 17, 2009 7:10 AM PDT up reply actions

The proof is the in the pudding

It doesn’t matter how many studies they do, the proof is in the pudding.

In the past decade, the team with the most Super Bowls had a sixth round QB. The Rams won with an undrafted QB. The 49ers won four Super Bowls with a third round draft pick. The Steelers won both of their Super Bowls with the 11th overall pick at QB.

I don’t want see Seattle desperately reaching for QBs hoping the first round QB will turn us around because the “stats” say so. I’d rather they use a first round pick on a QB they’re scouts have proven will be great.

As near as I can tell the Jets chose Sanchez because they were desperate, same with Detroit. We weren’t desperate, so we had the luxury of choosing the BPA with our draft pick. That is a much better situation to be in.

And we managed to get Denver’s pick, which may very well give us a great option to choose a QB next year. We are in such a nice position right now.

by ASeahawkfan on Jul 17, 2009 12:52 AM PDT up reply actions

One name: Brian Russell.

I think the defense will be very much improved, and it could even be great, football wise and fantasy wise. We brought back Ken Lucas and that should make a big difference as CB was a trouble spot and Russell made that worse.

But any defense with a weakness will be exploited at times, so I hesitate to say it will be great. Our run defense should be a lot stronger, but we did not do a great job getting to the QB last year, and this year there is no guarantee we will. With Lucas the coverage should be better, and with Curry the lower level of coverage might be better. Perhaps there will be more coverage sacks, and if Kearney stays healthy he might be a difference maker. But overall there are enough questions that we cannot be sure the defense will improve from one of the worst to simply mediocre, or actually good. From one of the worst to one of the best is a very big jump.

by cashless on Jul 16, 2009 12:41 PM PDT reply actions

Early indications are

that Curry is a better pass rusher than was thought by many scouts. Bradley’s scheme should provide blitzing opportunities for the linebackers in better situations than in Marshall’s. Leroy Hill will do the most blitzing out of the trio. The team has some possibly good situational pass rushers on obvious downs. This is ideally a big play defense, considering the scheme and who they are bringing in the rush if everyone is healthy.
The run D should be pretty good, probably the better aspect of this defense.

With that being said, fantasy wise I would not draft them and maybe look for them on the waiver wire if they perform well at the beginning of the season.

Andrew Raycroft for backup? Does not compute.

by Woodinville_12thMan on Jul 16, 2009 3:34 PM PDT reply actions

Bitter lions fan?

A little redundant there, huh? (I kid…) I think Seahawks D will rebound in 2009, but not enough to warrant a fantasy draft.

I don’t think you guys think be disappointed with Stafford. I’m sure he’ll develop to be a great QB in the future. Hopefully, he won’t be thrown in the battlefields on day one.

by aerozeppelin on Jul 16, 2009 7:19 PM PDT reply actions

Heh

I’m 25, been bitter for 12 years now (sans the Barry Sanders days)
Its not that I don’t have faith in the kid; its just that I still have Joey Harrington on the brain, and I really was impressed with Curry, and was mad that we took a slightly above average college QB with the first pick instead of this monster of a LB

by youtalkintome7 on Jul 17, 2009 4:31 AM PDT up reply actions

If the Lions drafted Aaron Curry you should have completely abandoned all faith that the front office would ever improve the team.

For what it’s worth, Stafford is probably a better QB prospect than Matt Ryan.

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

by Fearless Frog on Jul 17, 2009 10:22 AM PDT up reply actions

One other thought on fantasy....

We do have one of the easier schedules, so the ‘Hawks might be a decent pick as a backup D. I wouldn’t rely on them as your primary tho….

by thebyron on Jul 16, 2009 9:25 PM PDT reply actions

We're in wait and see mode too

Won’t know how good Curry is until he plays. I’m happy as all get up that we took him. I’m not a proponent of taking first round QBs just because. I did my own research and found that top a 5 LB is almost always an impact player for a team usually reaching a few Pro Bowls. That’s what you want from a top 5 pick. The teams that keep drafting QBs first without building much of a team around them end up like so many other teams we’ve seen in this league that don’t make the Super Bowl or win much of anything.

Hey, how is Redding? You’ve been watching the Lions all these years. How do you feel about Cory Redding? Everything I’ve read indicates he is a top notch player. But I’d like some feedback from a Detroit fan as well.

by ASeahawkfan on Jul 17, 2009 12:37 AM PDT reply actions

Top Notch?

I wouldnt really say top notch…yet
He has GREAT potential though, he’s still young, and he was flexible; he started out at a DE but was moved to DT so he can play both spots if need be
He’s your textbook disappointed though; when he first came in, he def. impressed, but once we signed him to that big contract, he kind of went downhill from there
The Leos trading him was the best thing to do, for the team and for Redding…especially since we got JP out of the deal (a great pickup for us, but I’m guessing the Hawks were happy to dump him as well?)

Picking him up should strenghthen your D-line though

by youtalkintome7 on Jul 17, 2009 4:28 AM PDT up reply actions

Hah

The JP trade was followed by a massive gnashing of teeth.

Stlil, with this level of talent at linebacker (Tats-Curry-Hill), it’s hard to complain.

by Vasilii on Jul 17, 2009 7:13 AM PDT up reply actions

We weren't happy to see Peterson go

…only his contract.

by thebyron on Jul 17, 2009 8:27 AM PDT up reply actions

I'll miss JP

But I think his play is diminishing. He looked absolutely terrible at the Pro Bowl.

Stacey Nelson throws flaming screwballs.
It's great to be a Florida Gator!

by Wayward Llama on Jul 18, 2009 3:37 PM PDT up reply actions

I'm not sure how much weight you should put into a Pro Bowl performance

The outcome is meaningless, most of the players are pretty banged up/tired from the season, and the schemes are very limited. Sure, you’ll see a little personal competitiveness and a little showboating, but there is nothing like a regular, competitive NFL game going on.

by ninjasocks on Jul 18, 2009 5:33 PM PDT up reply actions

I'll miss Ju-ps pass rushing skills

The problem I had with Ju-p is that he was heralded as an all around LB that had played DB before. He was supposed to be very good in coverage.

But on the field he only seemed able to rush the passer well. He wasn’t very good in coverage. He didn’t seem to play the zone well or maybe he wasn’t coached well. He was not good against the run. Even a fullback or TE could nullify him from run plays. And he could be taken out of the game if focused on and completely nullified.

I was expecting a little more versatiity especially in coverage from Ju-p. The only LB we had that is good in coverage is Lofa. Ju-P and Hill are awful coverage LB. For the type of defense we run, that is a liability.

I think we’re all hoping Curry proves to be a better all around LB. I’ll take the loss of a four or five sacks if I can have them replaced with a few interceptions and five or six passes defensed. Versatile LBs open up for more complex defensive schemes that can throw off opposing offenses. You can even end up with more sacks at the end of the day from other sources if you can create confusion with odd defensive schemes that are hard to read such as being able to drop different lbs into coverage sending the other lb on an unexpected blitz. So I value versatility over a singular great skill and Peterson seemed to have lost quite a bit of his versatility.

Maybe he’ll do better with the Lions.

by ASeahawkfan on Jul 18, 2009 7:41 PM PDT up reply actions

Thanks Fellas (and ladies?)

I appreciate the input; based on the responses, I’m going to pick them up in the late rounds as a backup D with the hopes that they will be a sleeper hit this year, but will have to wait it out

By the way…I’ll be sure to stop by here again before Nov. 8th to talk some smack (hopefully we won’t be O-fer at that point lol)…go Lions!!!!!!!

by youtalkintome7 on Jul 17, 2009 4:33 AM PDT reply actions

I dread the day I see Julian Peterson lined up at end against Walter Jones.

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

by Fearless Frog on Jul 17, 2009 10:24 AM PDT up reply actions

Football Outsiders

projecting Seahawks defense to be 6th in fantasy (113 points)

by jacobstevens on Jul 17, 2009 10:36 AM PDT reply actions

In deference to JM's West Coast Defense discussion

The Seahawks could be creating a new supereffective D that no one has seen before. I wouldn’t bank on it, though.

by Groundhog on Jul 23, 2009 1:10 PM PDT reply actions

And Jim Mora may be building a new supercomputer in his garage that no one has seen before,

I wouldn’t bank on that either.

by cashless on Jul 23, 2009 1:25 PM PDT up reply actions

Yes, but on the off chance that something amazing happens in week one,

You heard it here first.

I’d bet Mora has a big garage…

by Groundhog on Jul 24, 2009 11:09 AM PDT up reply actions

I have more faith in Bradley

Mor has never been a great defensive mind or at least it hasn’t shown up on the field. But Bradley may prove to be very good. He worked under Monte Kiffin and learned alot of Tampa 2 principles. If he couples some of what he learned with some of his own ideas, we might see something great on the field.

Or I can at least hope that Mora, Bradley, and the entire defensive staff together will come up with something extraordinary.

At the very least we know the coaching staff will be very focused on a designing an effective scheme. As near as I can tell Mora will have better talent here to carry out his scheme than he had in Atlanta. So hopefully it will all add up to an effective defense.

by ASeahawkfan on Jul 25, 2009 5:58 AM PDT up reply actions

To answer the OP. The hawks have a new coach, new offense, and new defense scheme so I wouldn’t bank on everything jelling this year because of all the changes.

But I am optimistic and think that these “changes” will work out for the better of the team.

holmgren was stinkin the place up because he was too predictable now the hawks are un predictable and will surprise a few teams this year and get back to scoring points to take the pressure off the D

by PUO on Jul 25, 2009 6:28 PM PDT reply actions

First off, Holmgren did seem painstakingly conservative in his calls

As for the draft and such, I really wanted to see our O-line boosted so we can really see what J. Jones is capable of. However all the analysis had me convinced we wouldn’t get our hands on those top O-line picks. I didn’t think JP would get booted (I associated him with the Hawks so strongly in my mind, it was surreal to see him go :(.. ) but based on footage and stats Aaron Curry looked really promising and I did think we’d go for him. I’m certainly happy about it. Oh! and, Sanchez to Jets=good. Hasselbeck can still carry this franchise for awhile.

by Cheddar28 on Jul 27, 2009 1:14 AM PDT reply actions

I'm so excited to see Aaron Curry play

I feel like a kid on Christmas.

I’m stoked to see our new 250 lb that runs a 4.5 on the field. I watched every highlight I could find on the guy. I don’t recall us having a linebacker as big, strong, and fast as Curry. I don’t recall us having a linebacker that could shed blockers so easily as it appears Curry can.

Even though he is playing in a 4-3, he reminds me more of Shawn Merriman in his ability to shed blockers and plow ahead. I know they were only college TEs and FBs, but he ran through them like they weren’t even there. Pretty damn incredible.

And he has a such great attitude. He wants to aspire to be as good as guys like Lewis and Brooks, but I don’t think he is cocky at all. He’s going to try his best. And the thing about Curry is that his best will turn out to be something spectacular.

I keep hearing guys say “He doesn’t make spetacular plays, but he makes plays”. From what I saw, that’s just horseshit. Three interception returns for TDs isn’t spectacular? Dropping Heyward Bey before he can turn and run isn’t spectacular? Plowing through blocks throwing aside 230 to 250 lb men like they are children isn’t spetacular?

If that isn’t spectacular I don’t know what is. I can’t wait to see this guy on the field.

by ASeahawkfan on Jul 27, 2009 2:40 AM PDT up reply actions