Seattle Works Out Centers Cory Withrow and Grey Ruegamer

by John Morgan on Jul 28, 2009 12:57 PM PDT Comment 15 comments

Adam Caplan is reporting that Seattle is hosting centers Cory Withrow and Grey Ruegamer today. This is mostly interesting because both are centers, and at 287 and 299 respectively, neither are ideal candidates for other positions. Seattle is stacked at center. Chris Spencer is a former first round pick and now a seasoned veteran. Max Unger is this year's second round pick and considered a top prospect. The team also has Steve Vallos as depth and Mansfield Wrotto as emergency depth. Withrow and Ruegamer are career journeymen with 17 career starts apiece. Each could probably play guard in a pinch, but less capably than most of Seattle's roster.

Bottom line is that these tryouts are most likely indicative of the instability in Seattle's offensive line. The team wants to push its young guys, but understands the unit has holes and needs some veteran stability. Seattle did something similar to this last season at defensive tackle, but when the regular season started, it kept its players and shed Larry Tripplett.

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Didn't know

We had Mansfield Wrotto’s imaginary brother Max Wrotto on the team as well. We’re a lot more loaded than first thought.

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

by SSreporters on Jul 28, 2009 1:07 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Max Wrotto is the experimental Mansfield Wrotto/Max Unger chimera I've made

It’s capable of being the greatest center of all time, but feeds only on dove’s blood.

by John Morgan on Jul 28, 2009 1:12 PM PDT up reply actions 3 recs

Well...

let’s put some old school Prince in the stereo and make this happen.

Doves may cry,
but Seahawks will FLY!!!

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 Jul 28, 2009 2:21 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Max Wrotto is the secret lovechild of Max Unger and Mansfield Wrotto

All the polished skill of Unger with the power and pure meanness of Wrotto (or the power of Unger and the polish of Wrotto).

by ninjasocks on Jul 28, 2009 1:13 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Kind of like the rabbage (radish x cabbage)

by dagraham on Jul 28, 2009 6:50 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Or the pluot (plum x apricot).

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

by SSreporters on Jul 28, 2009 9:33 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Or the LIGER

by StonerHawks on Jul 29, 2009 4:24 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

lovechild

LOL!

…I need to go throw up now…

by Stevo's on Jul 29, 2009 8:23 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

"Power of Unger" = Punger

by jacobstevens on Jul 29, 2009 11:46 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

Wild speculation

Wahle slow to recover so Unger is working out primarily at LG, meaning that he won’t ready to backup Spencer at C.

Vallos, then is the primary backup at C for a guy that has had injury problems in the past. These vets are either an insurance policy against starting Vallos for 16 games (although they don’t necessarily look better than him on paper) or a 3rd-string option in case we only have one healthy C.

by ninjasocks on Jul 28, 2009 1:19 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Agreed

I think this is an indication that the Hawks really do see Unger as their LG or at least that there’s a good chance that either/both Wahle and Spencer get hurt.

I think John has touched on this, but I don’t remember just what he said: how likely is it that the Hawks cut Wahle. Plans to do that would help explain trying out centers.

by jeager on Jul 28, 2009 1:42 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

either/both?

I think you’re right that Unger working at LG is a good indication the coaches aren’t confident about Wahle. But it also suggests they are MORE confident about Spencer getting healthy at C.

Still, I’ll be very surprised if Spencer’s back stays healthy through week 1. Very PLEASANTLY surprised. I’ll be rooting for him big time!

In the meantime, its good to see these veteran centers brought into camp to take some reps and show the young men how its done.

by Stevo's on Jul 29, 2009 8:29 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Camp Fodder?

Could we be bringing these guys in to take snaps and fill up space during TC in order to keep some of our linemen from having to play through some of the nagging little injuries they might end up with?

by eeezzbok on Jul 28, 2009 8:19 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

From the Field Gulls Mike Wahle 2008 Season Retrospective:

Outlook: Seattle could save $1.1 million by cutting Wahle. His recent surgery was a scope and therefore much less severe than the reconstruction he endured in 2006. There is a chance that Wahle is exiting the bad stretch of his career and entering his final bloom before retirement. That’s not how this story usually goes. Wahle still has the best potential at left guard for the 2009 Seahawks. Seattle has so far decided that his potential and value as depth is worth at least $1.1 million, but it is no mere coincidence that Max Unger is starting his career practicing at left guard.

Wahle could still lose his job in training camp. He could be cut if he can’t prove himself healthy. There’s a dreamer’s scenario where Unger replaces Wahle like Leroy Hill replaced Jamie Sharper in 2005 after Seattle loses Wahle for the season, and Wahle his career, and Seahawks fans laugh all the way into the playoffs. There’s a nightmare scenario where Wahle stays healthy but never regains his ability to pass block, but by staying healthy sticks on the roster this year and beyond and is misidentified as a contributor when he’s really a liability. Most likely though is that Wahle starts the year at left guard. If he proves incapable of pass blocking it will indicate to coaches a recurrence of his injury or that his shoulder is irreparably damaged, and he will be benched or put on IR.

Cutting Wahle isn’t going to save a ton of money but could lead to improved line play if he is falling apart.

by ninjasocks on Jul 28, 2009 2:09 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs