Tomorrow's News Today: Brandon Graham 'Unblockable' at Senior Bowl
by John Morgan on Jan 6, 2010 9:08 PM PST
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PrintIf Seattle retains Jim Mora and company, it will also likely stick with a 4-3. And if Seattle sticks 4-3, it needs another top pass rusher on its defensive line. Seattle badly wants to create pressure from its front four. Colin Cole isn't cutting it, but Cole is certainly not responsible for all of Seattle's pass rush woes. A bloodless offense that can neither create a lead nor sustain a drive contributes. Creating pressure from the front four is quietly assisted by creating pressure on the scoreboard. As I found out not too long ago, even Jared Allen needs leads to generate sacks.
Allen himself fell to the fourth round of the 2004 NFL draft. His major sin was playing for a crappy team. The dubiously named Idaho State Bengals were 26-19 over Allen's four year career. They were not, say, shittier than a monkey house, but they were mediocre at best. Allen was able to grab 17.5 sacks and 28 total tackles for a loss as a senior. What looked like a senior explosion might have been nothing more than changing circumstances. The Potangals were 8-4 that season.
I've searched the ranks of college football and not found another prospect quite as good as Allen, but a few names stand out: Jairius Jarvis of Missouri Southern, Arthur Moats of James Madison, but let us start with our title talent: Brandon Graham.
Like Allen, Graham played for rotten teams that were rarely protecting the lead. He didn't become a full-time starter until his junior season and just in time, Michigan fell of a cliff. They were 20-6 in his first two seasons and 8-16 over his final two seasons. Graham didn't stop producing, but he traded sacks for tackles for a loss. In spot duty as a sophomore, he had 8.5 sacks and 9.5 tackles for a loss. In his final two seasons, he had 20.5 sacks, still very good, and 46 tackles for a loss. The same number of TFLs as Allen had over his final two seasons.
Graham is 6'2" at best. It's unclear whether that actually matters but it matters to scouts. He's pegged as an outside linebacker. That might inflate his value a bit. Some think he'll go in the top fifteen, but an Everette Brown-like fall seems possible too.
That depends. Graham is heading to the Senior Bowl. A little over a week from now, I expect reports will stream in detailing Graham tearing faces off. That could lead to a B.J. Raji like ascent. A month later at the NFL Combine, scouts will state their disbelief that Graham is merely 6'1". Tongues will wag and Graham will toboggan into the second. And then when the actual draft comes, it will all be forgotten.
Anyway, that's Graham and this is his taller, Husky counterpart, Daniel Te'o-Nesheim:
Went all Rod Serling on you there. You didn't think this was about some Big Ten first-rounder, did you? Take what I wrote about Graham, substitute four-year starter for two-year starter, put him on an even crappier team, subtract about 100 spots in the draft, and make him a Husky. The Wolverines are bad. Washington built to a 5-7 season. Te'o had twice as many sacks, 29, as his Huskies had wins, 14. That's some suck. And that's some kind of special player that survives it. Survives and, like Allen, like Graham, contributes how he can. Nesheim had 46 tackles for a loss, 29 sacks and eight forced fumbles. He's not a physical spectacle, but that's kind of the point.
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The defense needs work but our offense really sucks...
Were the issues with not being able to get off the field? If we could take him in the fourth round that would be great. I saw him (or at least I assume it was him in retrospect) when Oregon played at Washington he seemed to be the only one putting up a fight in the 4th quarter.
It is tough so many issues and such limited talent right now, which way to go?
Best talent available
QB needs to be adressed with our first pick though, everything after that, just take the best guy on the board (unless he’s a line backer).
Rod Serling indeed sir
I stopped and said “what the shit just happened?” and had to re-read the last line.
Draft this guy in the 4th? Sure, why not? Can he play a 3-4?
4th? That seems fair to me, but for some reason I think he'll fall even further, to the 5th or 6th.
But that may just be the “Huskies don’t get enough respect or press coverage” attitude in me.
Would we go 3 - 4?
if we were to have a coaching change (oh God oh please oh God I beg of you) would the go to the 3 – 4. I think the entire line and maybe a few linebackers would have to go – it would be the end of Lofa for sure.
by Generzal Zod on Jan 6, 2010 11:15 PM PST up reply actions
maybe Tapp to the OLB?
now I’m getting kinda excited about it!!!
by Generzal Zod on Jan 6, 2010 11:16 PM PST up reply actions
Tapp, Curry and Hill could rotate at OLB
Tatupu, Hawthorne and Hill could rotate at ILB. Mebane at the nose, LoJack could probably play at an end. They’d need to add some players on the line but they wouldn’t need to get rid of anyone. Except Kerney, but hopefully he’s gone either way.
From having watched a few Huskies games
In my completely unexpert opinion Te’o Neshiem looks really good.
Highlight footage can make anyone look good.
The real question is: How does Te’o compare to Oregon’s counterpart 6’1" Nick Reed?
They seem identical in talent, being smaller, fast, hustle guys.
Oh...okay
Maybe we can get him in the 5th or 6th round?
The last couple weeks I've been constantly thinking about Te'o Nesheim and where he'd be drafted
So this “switch” after the jump is a pleasant surprise.
I’ve watched him every game for the last 3 years. Until the 2nd half of this season, I thought he was really over-hyped by the broadcast crew. Most of the time, he’s a solid player and nothing more. It wasn’t towards the end of the season that he started to flash a little bit of dominance. I think he had 3 sacks in his final game.
Normally, I’d love it if the Seahawks drafted him. But with a roster that has Jackson, Tapp (I think he’ll probably be here in 2010 if not beyond), Kerney (until he gets cut), and Redding, it feels like the Seahawks already have a ton of solid DEs, but no superstar. That’s what Te’o Nesheim looks like to me. A great value in the mid rounds if you need solid depth, but not a franchise cornerstone DE in the pros.
Te’o Nesheim isn’t all that explosive and isn’t a kung-fu master with his hands. He isn’t an edge rusher and he doesn’t have an amazing inside move. He plays hard, he’s reasonably nimble, he’s strong, and he’s a good tackler. I think if we drafted him, he’d be a less athletic version of Lawrence Jackson with a slightly better pass rush.
I think he’s a great value pick in the 4th round, but I think that on the off chance he’s a future 10 sack DE, it will be production of the unsexy variety. Most likely, he’ll be the type of player Seattle already has plenty of. Good, but not great. A “good” DE is a steal in the mid rounds, but I think I’d prefer the Seahawks trying to address areas of less depth and greater need with that pick, unless there is a lot of roster change between now and then (Tapp leaves, Kerney cut, etc).
What level of probability would you assign to Tapp/Redding returning?
I’d say Tapp is 90%. A new FO might not value him very much, but as an RFA he’d be cheap and better options probably won’t exist on the open market the won’t cost $60 million.
Redding, I’d say 50%. He’s good as a run stopping DE and still has perhaps a year left in his prime. If signed to a very small contract and used mostly as a 3 tech DT, he could have a lot of value, even if just as a depth player.
Tapp should be back as you say
Redding is much less likely. If a new CBA isn’t passed, Redding will be in demand.
That's sort of true
Redding isn’t normally a player you’d expect to be in demand, but with very, very few players hitting UFA this offseason, he’s suddenly one of the better options for teams looking to add a DL.
If we draft Te'o
I’ll make a mess in my pants. The only thing the guy knows how to do is disrupt plays in the backfield. Exactly the kind of guy we need. The only 7 round mock drafts I can find him on have him as a late, late, LATE 7th rounder. I think he’ll move up after the Senior Bowl/ Pro Day/ Combine (if invited, which he should be).
I'll join you.
We’ll make it cool to mess our pants like Adam Sandler. But on a serious note, has anyone mentioned, along with all the other nice things about him, he survived the Willingham ‘era’?
That’s gotta be worth at least a round or 2.
I am a Lions fan and saw a fair bit of Brandon Graham this year.
Yes he is shorter than the scouts would like [6’ 4"or more] for a DE, but the guy just makes plays. He really had a field day against Bulaga, and pretty much got in every opponents backfield on a regular basis. Very quick, very strong.
I think that he will really shine as a DE in a 4-3. I am not sure how he will fare as a rush LB. I think it would be a waste of his ability to play in a 3-4.
(DT and DE) or (DT or DE)?
John or anyone,
If folks are still reading this thread, I’ve got a question. Assuming, for the moment, that the Seahawks stick with a 4-3 defense, would the acquisition of a monstrous DT (Suh or McCoy, for instance) obviate the need to pick up a faster pass-rushing DE? That is to say, would Tapp, Jackson, et. al, suddenly “become awesome” if we had more pressure coming up the middle?
Or would we still need to find a pin-the-ears-back pass-rushing specialist?
DT is a more pressing need and easier to upgrade
Seattle should add DE talent as well. Tapp and Jackson could be starters on a good Seahawks defense.
I. Completely. Agree.
Talents that I covet:
Ndamukong Suh, Gerald McCoy, Sam Bradford, Mike Iupati, Golden Tate, Earl Thomas, and Freddie Barnes
by Carl Shinyama on Jan 7, 2010 9:41 PM PST up reply actions
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