Open Draft Thread

If Seattle doesn’t draft a QB in the first two rounds, Hasselbeck is the clear starter (barring injuries) heading into the new season.

Rec’d. :)

1. - QB
2. - RB
3. - Left tackle
   Somewhere in the 3rd round (I think Seattle is going to trade back into the 3rd) – DE
4. - DB (Arenas could drop here)
5. - WR
6. - OL (possibly right tackle. I am not sure if Seattle will keep Locklear.)
7. - Linebacker fodder
    

a QB and a LT

This is why I’m not a GM.

and my “dream” but still realistic draft goes
6. Bulaga OT – Agile enough for ZBS, could start LT day 1. Can’t say that with most OT’s
14. Price DT – I think he is closer to McCoy/Suh than he is to Odrick, and legit mid-1st
40. Trade down to late 2nd round, pick up mid to late 3rd rounder. Then select Nate Allen or Kareem Jackson in 2nd (DB’s) and Joe McKnight (RB) in 3rd.

Clausen seems to me to be a player with “old player skills”.

Identify our positions of need. Save game. Draft players. Check to see which ones have “A” potential. Load Game. Draft “A” potential players and new players. Check to see which of the new ones has “A” potential. And so on…

Eventually sign all of them to 7 year contracts knowing that you have 10 eventually awesome players. It’s that easy.

Carlos Dunlap: No. 8, DE/DT, 6-6, 290
Dunlap possesses an incredible physical skill set and has the power, length and body control to overwhelm opposing linemen on contact. He coils up into his stance well and does a great job firing off of the ball and delivering a powerful punch on contact…

Trying to think of a way to trade up to the #1 pick, even though the Rams probably wouldn’t do it in-division, and would wait until draft day to see if a QB fell to #6….the only way I could make it work in the Draft Value Chart would be for the Rams #1 pick for our two first rounds plus our 2nd rounder, and maybe they throw in their 4th or 5th rounder as well.

That’s the only way to get Suh….unless the Rams just draft a QB with their pick, and the Lions want to trade down. Maybe if we offered a player or a 2011 pick instead of the 2nd rounder it would be easier to swallow, but now I think it’d be better to stay put. Anyway, as John has illustrated, there are plenty of good DTs in this draft.

http://seahawksdraft.blogspot.com/2010/02/tebow-working-on-his-delivery.html
If we get a third rounder and he falls that far, he might be a project that has some huge upside.

MY PICKS (PRE-COMBINE RESULTS) FOR 2010 NFL DRAFT:

Obviously there may be some adjustments for post combine results that may cause some changes due to risers and fallers. However, I’ve spent a lot of time on this “fill the holes” draft to try and be realistic about availability. I have averaged player ratings from several different sites to try and assure reasonable proximity to the Seahawk’s picks. I realize the top of this draft is mostly offensive but that is an area that has been neglected for a few years.

IMO, the QB of the future is essential this year or NLT next year, in the event that a QB of the future is not available at #6, or that PC doesn’t evaluate this years top QB’s as the QB of the future, then I would say a trade would be in order involving pick #6 to a willing trade partner that may be able to give up say a mid 20’s 1st round pick this year and a 2nd. or 3rd. round pick this year and/or hopefully a first or second rounder next year to provide the Hawks with trade up capabilities for a QB (Locker?) pick next year.
The infamous “trade chart” indicates our #6 is worth 1600 points, a trade partners late-first round #25 is worth about 750, a mid-second round # 45 about 450 and a mid-third round #70 about 250. If New England who has #22 and 3 picks in the fortys and low fiftys were the trade partner, throw Branch into the mix, I also wouldn’t mind the trade of Trufant while he may still have some value, after all he was I think the most penalized CB last year (and he missed 6 games), a talented rookie couldn’t do too much worse.

#6: Sam Bradford, QB, 6’-4", 218, 4.80; (2nd choice: Clausen, QB)
#14: Jonathan Dwyer, RB, 6’-0", 230, 4.45; (2nd choice: Spiller, RB)
#40: Demaryius Thomas,WR, 6’-3". 229. 4.38; (2nd choice: D. Williams, WR)
#101: Rodger Saffold,OT, 6"-5", 318, 5.23; (2nd choice: K. Calloway, OT)
#135: Akwasi Owusu-Ansah,CB/KR, 6’-1", 205,4.48; (2nd choice: M. Lewis, CB)
#166: Myron Rolle, SS, 6’-2", 217, 4.59; (2nd choice: C. J. Wilson, DE)
#197: Linval Joseph. DT, 6’-6", 322, 5.32. (2nd choice: Nate Collins, DT).

In the event that a trade as described above were to occur, #14 above could be used on BPA ( Morgan, Buluga, T. Williams, etc.) and the second or third round pick this year could be used for a (very slightly) lesser big RB ie: Mathews or Gerhart.
Of the picks listed above I offer the following comments:

#6: QB of the future needed this year or NLT next year, this is a must as QB is the most important position. I’d also suggest PC consider converting Wallace to a WR (+ wildcat type) and also use him as a 3rd. string QB with the newly drafted QB as 2nd string, learning for a year or two behind Matt.
#14: A big, power RB as in Dwyer (or Mathews/Gearhart) as a complement to Forsett is needed. Mathews/Gearhart would be a bit of a reach at #14, so that leaves Spiller as the 2-nd. choice (if no trade is made). Spiller is too close in size to Forsett to make a good tandem + use Owusu-Ansah for KR’s. If a trade is made and a 2nd. and/or 3rd. round choice is available, then we should select Mathews or Gerhart without reaching too far and possibly pick up a higher ranked defensive lineman as well.
#40: A big, fast WR as in Demaryius Thomas (& D. Williams, et. al.) I think is needed due to the Hawk’s weakness at WR and possibly some starters leaving? Thomas had 46 catches for 1154 yds. (25-YPC) at GT last year, and they were a run first team!!!!
#101: Safford at OT is not too much of a drop off from Buluga, Davis or Williams. I like this kid, Coach him up. Kyle Calloway isn’t bad either if Safford is gone.
#135: Owusu-Ansah (or M. Lewis) at CB is an essential pick to bolster pass defense + he returns kicks. Lewis could also play Safety and is also very, very good (and big).
#166: A safety replacement is imperative to the defense, Rolle is big and smart too. I’d be happy with him or Lewis (see above).
#197: Linval Joseph as a rotation guy at DT, certainly has the size and maybe can be coached up a lot as well. (Alternate = Nate Collins, DT who is 6’-2", 279, he is raw but had like 77 tackles and 6 sacks last year, he is a growing boy and is late pick worthy). I also like the WR, Freddie Barns with his 155 catches last year, but I’m not sure exactly where he would fall. The supplemental pick(s) don’t seem to be known yet but maybe we could get Barnes that way, he sure sounds like a receiver we could use with the injury prone Burleson and Branch if they go away.

I have researched the OT possibilities pretty extensively over the last week or so and IMO the top ranked prospects are not that much more impressive than a couple of late 3-rd. early 4-th round ranked players. I think the important factors for OT are: Quick feet, initial quickness, lateral movement, Strength, flexibility, good effort, leadership and lack of major injury issues as well as I prefer a 3-4 year starter from a major school that has faced the best competition. The two OT’s I like best (considering when they may be drafted) are:

(1)Rodger Safford,OLT, 6’-5", 312-lbs. from Indiana. He was ‘09 team captain, allowed one sack all year, has started at left tackle for 3.5 years (40+ games), has not had any significant injuries, is strong with very quick feet and excells in BOTH pass and run blocking. He’s very durable & mobile. Per Reuter, “he was the best player on the field” at the E. W. Shrine game. He’s variously projected late 3-rd, early 4-th round. (Sounds like a POTENTIAL Walter Jones clone to me, except Walt is listed at 6’-5", 325, but a little more weight room time could make up the difference in weight.)

(2)Kyle Calloway,ORT, 6’-6", 322-lbs. from Iowa. he was the ORT to Buluga’s OLT, has played the last two yrs. at ORT and also had 1 year at OLT (he’s a 3 year starter) and even has played some guard. He also has very similar qualities to Safford (above) and evaluators say he is tough, disciplined, versatile w/loads of potential. He’s injury free and is a projected 4-th rounder.

I think either (or both) of these guys could be starters & would be solid selections in the 4-th. round area. I think there are more positives and less negatives on these two than the higher round projected guys (In fact I like both ALMOST better than Okung, Davis, Williams, Buluga, Fox, Capers, Lang, et. al.) I would like to see the Seahawks use a mid-round pick here thus freeuing up their higher picks for impact playmaker types. Check them out!

Freddie Barnes WR Bowling Green? He looks like a Bobby Engram v2.0 to me, but I only saw his bowl game against Idaho (yeah that Vandal D was…uh…not great). I’m basing that on what I saw in that one game, and what I’ve heard about him (mainly this). What do you guys think?
What round is realistic? Or if you don’t like him, how far would he have to fall for him to be worth drafting?

A guy I’ve been eying for awhile now is James Starks. He could be available in the 4th, but I think it will be less likely as the Combine and medical results come in.

Jerome Murphy – South Florida (HT: 6’0 3/8" | WT: 191)
Projection: 5th Round

Positives:
-Prototypical combination of size and speed
-Reads and reacts well, uses his 4.48 speed to run with any receiver
-Very good closing speed, wraps up when necessary but can also deliver a big hit (very physical player)
-Uses his great speed to be a very effective blitzer out of the Zone
-Can be a factor in run support, takes a direct path to the ball carrier, forces the run back toward the middle
-Great tackler, has good technique and sheds blocks well
-High character player
-Special teams experience, averaged 24 yards per kickoff return in 2007
-All-Big East Second Team with 77 tackles and eight passes broken up this season
-Quarterbacks look the opposite way of him, great cover skills. He could probably be coached up to be a good all around DB.

Negatives:
-Could use some technique work (tight hips, slow backpedal)
-Can be a little inconsistent in press coverage, doesn’t always get his hands on the receiver.
-Has shown a tendency to bite on pump fakes and double moves.
-Plays too deep in zone coverage.
-Will occasionally lunge and miss some tackles.
-Has a bit of a lanky frame, would be nice to see him add some muscle.
-Does not have the greatest hands.

In a little under two months from now, Seattle will have cast its future and post draft analysis will publish analysis ranging from the ill informed to the compromised. National media outlets are typically ill informed, attempting to grade 32 draft classes likely with little knowledge about any one team’s specific needs or scheme. The local media is compromised. Why is pretty obvious really. The old style beat reporter is not supposed to write what he thinks but what he’s told. He is supposed to report. And so his opinion about the draft is always filtered through the coaching staff and general manager, and no coach or GM will tell a reporter their draft was a dud—filled with desperation picks and just misses. But some drafts are that way.

The 2004 draft was like that for the Seahawks. They reached on Marcus Tubbs because they thought they needed a big defensive tackle and missed trading up for Vince Wilfork. They drafted Michael Boulware with a very rosy opinion of how they could utilize the linebacker. Note: proper use of “utilize”. And when reports about their first day selections came in, they read a lot like Clare Farnsworth’s piece.

I bring this up because people seeking the best, most sanguine portrait of the Seahawks draft are likely to buy into whatever it is the local press publishes. Remember, the dailies are a pipeline for information picked and polished by the Seahawks organization. Tubbs may have played better than Chuck Darby, but he was never a great defensive tackle, even before injury. He was a great talent, and a reach. To say the difference between him and Vince Wilfork was about an inch, well, that speaks to Holmgren’s acumen scouting defensive talent.

who do you think we should draft at 14 if we were to draft a OT? The two names I have heard thrown around at that pick the most are Charles Brown and Bryan Bulaga. Maybe, scouting report?

I won’t be sad.

Ouch.

Ahem…ouch.

How exactly are they using a simulator? Is it Madden style? I’m having trouble finding what exactly they are using as input in this “simulator”.

www.drafttek.com

Just saw a note on Yahooo about the Seahawks bringing Tebow in for a private workout.

I’m assuming that’s a 2nd round pick and not a first round pick.

On another note, given the lack of a 3rd round pick, I wonder if they will consider trading down from their 2nd round slot if they can add another 4th rounder.