FanPost

HARVIN'S CONTRACT AND MY MOCK DRAFT

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The Seahawks have just acquired Percy Harvin. (What!?! No Way! Link??)

Now, seriously I spend way too much personal time saying "Hey this guy would be perfect on our team and Dude that guy would be perfect on our team!" and I was completely surprised that this trade happened. First, let me say I love the level of talent he possesses and this will make an insane impact enhancing any scheme our offense wants to run, including the WCO schemes best, which Robot was saying at the end of the year that the team feels most comfortable running out of. But I couldn't believe they traded for this guy who had a contract year coming up and would be super expensive and I was mainly under the impression that we couldn't afford to distribute any more salary cap to the offense.

"3/12/2013: Signed a six-year, $67 million contract. The deal contains $25.5 million guaranteed -- a $12 million signing bonus and Harvin's first- and second-year base salaries. 2013: $2.5 million, 2014: $11 million, 2015: $10.5 million, 2016: $9.9 million, 2017: $9.95 million, 2018: $11.15 million, 2019: Free Agent" Rotoworld Guess I was wrong.

I do admit that the deal does look pretty good if he can play to that MVP caliber that we seen from him... I really didn't keep track of all the signings today but just about everyone important is getting ~$11M/year anyway. So for us to at least lock this "thing" up (wanna call him a man but seems to be somehow genetically altered from us humans), that has got to be a big up for the team's future. Anyway I meant to talk about the defense and the draft in this postm as well.

Probably the biggest reason I started to write was because the position of our defense. I had the honor of watching Sherm state about the family environment that is making our D feel so at home with each other on TV today. He loves playing for the crowd in Seattle. He loves winning too. And you just know that every player stepping into the VMAC can sense that things are always moving in a good direction. But, the defense has multiple starters approaching their contract years and with so much money tied up on the other side of the ball, if the rookie/udfa contracts are too expensive to extend than there may be a problem. I really don't know how the team will carry the heavy load of contracts without cutting someone(s) that they dont want to. But I'm probably speaking too soon anyway, because with 2 or 3 superb owl rings, I wouldn't feel bad about renegotiating a contract to make a mere 5% less. But anyway I feel fairly certain that this years draft is going to boast lots of starters much like that last few and will have at least 3 starters for this year, and 2 more will be starters next year.

Round 1 - I had predicted that we would take a go after a stellar pass catcher in the first round rather than filling the hole at DT. Maybe Zach Ertz or Tavon Austin or maybe even Keenan Allen if for some reason he falls; but none of them were sure to see a ton of playing time in the first season. And on a team that wants this year to be our year to win the superb owl, we need guys that can contribute on every play -> Percy Harvin.

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Round 2 - With a rather large drop-off in DT talent from early 2nd to late 2nd I'm mocking a OLB in round 2. Though I believe Malcolm Smith should start out as the strongside LB but I don't see that throughout the entire season. I'm willing to bet that they look for the best pass rushing linebacker still in the draft at no. 54 and that I believe is Trevardo Williams. He is a stout LB at 6'2" 242# and posted a 4.57 40 and 38" vertical. He is just awesome as a 2 down back which is all we will really need with the progress of our bandit defense on 3 and long.

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Round 3 - Marcus Trufant is no longer going to be a Seahawk, but will Winston Guy be able to take over the nickle on a weekly basis? Maybe. I wouldn't count out the chance that he becomes a huge contributor next season. Jeron Johnson is more of a SS but has shown a lot of prowess and could make his statement with a strong pre-season. But in reality, the hawks need to find a good safety that could take over if someone down the road offers ET upwards of $8M/year. In round 3, the best free safety has to be Shamarko Thomas. The fastest and most agile safety in this years draft. He ran a 4.42 40 and put up 28 reps on the bench press! His vertical? Only 401/2" but he made up for that with a 11'1'' broad jump just so he would slip down the board. Simple an awesome force of destruction but I worry very much that he can't hold up to all the full speed impacts he always finds a way to create. I don't exactly feel comfortable letting him tag receivers the way he does with the rising penalties being enforced for hits on defenseless receivers. So this pick is a little iffy..

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Round 4 stands to be the biggest test for the Seahawks. They already know the players they've targeted from round 6 and down are going to be a boom or bust so this is the one pick that have a zero bust rating. And worst, its got to be a tackle or quarterback. But I have the most awesome pick ready for them. Ricky Wagner OT Wisconsin. Playing ROT as a junior, he had an excellent year opening up holes for the shortest QB you'll ever see and if he had entered the draft, looked at being taken early 2nd round. Move onto his senior year and 3 starters on the line vacated by the draft, he moved to LOT. Had a great year as a pass protector but struggled in opening holes for the run. That has to be because of the move and changing around of starters. I swear if the Hawks don't draft him and force Giacomini to start every game I'm going to pound my head on walls, desks, the remote, um my steering wheel, etc...

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Round 5 gives us great options to go to. The QB's in this round have qualities unlike the ones taken earlier. Not as much consistent play, causing them to fall, but strong arms, fast legs, and good accuracy in a backup QB can all be found this late. I haven't really become convinced as to which QB I would like us to draft yet and will leave that up to comments to let people agree upon. My immediate choice is probably Matt Scott, just because I think he has the most potential that can be coached up. The most similar to Russell Wilson in the draft I think, Scott seems to put the team goals ahead of his own and that might be just enough to buy him a pass onto the Seahawks.

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Also in the 5th Round, another DE. Bruce Irvin is going to have a lot of fun this year and I expect him to start every game while crushing his way to collecting 15+ sacks! His rookie techniques are much more improved and will most likely be facing offenses that have fallen behind early, trying to push the ball down field. Regardless, the hawks must replace the void left behind early on with Clem being sidelined. This seems to be a good spot to steal a good run stop defensive end that can wear down the tackles by halftime. Cameron Meredith has been as good of a run stopper as any DE in the draft and still could probably be had in the 6th round. He doesn't come in as big as a few others but wisdom tells you that bigger guys can't make quite the agile turns to keep the half backs from getting around them. Meredith posted 53 tackles as a senior, 6 TFL, 58 tackles as a junior, collecting 5+ in 7 of 14 games, and then as a sophomore had 64 tackles with 8 coming for a loss... He is pure money.

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Finally in the 6th Round we address the DT problem. The DT gap looked sloppy after Jones went down last year but this year I really don't see as being much of a problem. I think Jaye Howard shows up this year with his former coach from Florida and brings 1st round talent to us from last years 4th. I take another talented DT from Florida in the 6th which I can see the hawks using, Omar Hunter. Though he may seem like a project, I would venture to call this a PCJS measurable. Listed at combine just under 6'0'' and 317, he is a good tackle to get in between the pads stopping running backs in their tracks. Doesn't seem to have the explosiveness to be any kind of rusher but a tough tackle that wears down the opponents running game. The hawks have made it clear that they want to upgrade the pass rush but I really think they already have the weapons in their current system to do that and it is the run stop that is most important to upgrade with the departure of Jason Jones and most likely Alan Branch.

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The last round brings us all around athletes determined to make a football team. This is now called the J.R. Sweezy round. This year I want them to dive down looking for a HB/FB with one pick and I kinda like the idea of finding a linebacker who could try converting to corner and a couple come to mind. I've loved Nebraska RB Rex Burkhead and his athleticism. Only had a 4.73 40 at the combine but placed 2nd highest in Broad Jump (10'5") Vertical (39) and 20 yard shuttle (4:09) Sounds like another rotational back that can pick up a first on third and short.

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And lastly, I say we take another risk on Ray Ray Armstrong, the 6'4'' safety booted from Miami for receiving gifts from boosters then going on twitter to let everyone know. He made some dumb choices then but may be one of the best safeties in draft and still available in the 7th?