Seahawks Swap Bryce Fisher for Undisclosed Draft Pick

by John Morgan on Sep 11, 2007 11:48 AM PDT in Seahawks News Comment 14 comments

Funny, I was just watching Fisher basically force Patrick Kerney's big highlight reel sack. Fisher has long been an underrated player, his value as a pass rusher is marginal but he's a quality run stopper and a consummate professional. For Seattle this is a simple numbers game, Fisher became the odd man out after Seattle had acquired Jason Babin and rightfully so. He's the oldest, most expensive and most marketable of the Hawks non-Patrick Kerney defensive ends. If you track all this from beginning to end you'll see a Billy Beane-esque turn of genius here.

September 1st: The Hawks trade 26 y/o Michael Boulware to the Houstan Texans for former first round defensive end Jason Babin, 27. Babin is in his prime and may have had his skills obfuscated by playing out of position. Boulware was unlikely to make the team. Net Loss = Nothing to Special Teams Player. Net Gain = Pass Rushing Specialist to Potential Starting Defensive End.

September 1st: The Hawks trade an undisclosed draft pick to the Jaguars for Alvin Pearman and a conditional draft pick. Net Loss = Nothing. Net Gain = Young third down back with big receiving upside.

September 10th: The Seahawks Trade 30 y/o Bryce Fisher to the Tennessee Titans for an undisclosed pick. Net Loss = Situational run stopper to post prime, out of position LE. Net Gain = Draft pick.

September 10th: The resulting opening allows Seattle to trade a draft pick for Charlie Frye. Frye is an accurate pocket passer who fits Mike Holmgren's system. He has a very weak arm and limited upside, but with the right coaching could become a Trent Dilfer or Tim Rattay-like backup. Step one, though, is learning some pocket awareness. Frye (10.9% Adjusted Sack Rate 2005, 9.4% 2006) was quite a bit worse than fellow Browns Qbs Trent Dilfer (6.2% ASR, 2005) and Derek Anderson (5.9% ASR, 2006) at avoiding the sack. This has been a longstanding problem for Frye who was sacked 38 times his senior season at Akron. Net Loss = Draft Pick. Net Gain = Potentially competent second string quarterback.

Without giving up anything, the Hawks are now younger, more talented and better constructed.

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Does this mean

we get to see Slash on the field? Is it related to Holmgren's hints that we'd see more Wallace?

I'm pleased with the move. We have lots of D-line depth. We needed qb depth and a chance to free up our best athlete. We got that.

"It's fun and difficult to swim in stormy river with an exotic apparatus, as inflatable ladies slip out of hands."

by Billy Everyteen on Sep 11, 2007 11:09 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Responding to my own comment

I guess, as others have pointed out, it'll be a while before Frye learns the system enough to free up Wallace. Still - neato.

"It's fun and difficult to swim in stormy river with an exotic apparatus, as inflatable ladies slip out of hands."

by Billy Everyteen on Sep 11, 2007 11:10 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, a lot of the Wallace PR, WR, Slash

talk by Holmgren is grandstanding, or perhaps betters stated, a bluff. He's attempting to put a little scare in opposing defensive coordinators, something to worry about, but I highly doubt Wallace will be used as anything but a decoy in the near future. And really, we have little reason to assume that Wallace would be tremendously effective in a wide receiver or punt returner role. The Hawks have two outstanding punt returners and I think all this hullabaloo about Wallace is a classic case of the athleticism fallacy. Wallace is a tremendous athlete so he must therefore be a great wide receiver, punt returner, etc. This is the same thinking that makes Devin Hester and Dante Hall wide receivers, but unless Seattle is really thoroughly committed to making Wallace a wide receiver and the good deal of time and practice, not to mention botched plays and goof-ups, that it'll require, I think Wallace stays as the #2 quarterback for 2007. If he gets more than five touches as anything else in the regular season I would be very surprised.

by John Morgan on Sep 11, 2007 11:28 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't Frye's arm is that weak

its average but its no Ken dorsey

But I would say at best he is a Jon Kitna

V. 1.0, mutherf***er, know what I'm sayin'?

by Scruffy Lefty on Sep 11, 2007 11:51 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Jon Kitna is a stud

Let CWU to NAIA II co-champions! I mean he is no Chris Leak, but he is employed! GO CWU!!!!

Didn't DMZ make fun of your dad? - Scruffy Lefty to Coach Owens ...... - Coach Owens to Scruffy Lefty

by Christian on Sep 11, 2007 12:01 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I just read a story saying he improved it...

with offseason conditioning. I'm always wary of that sort crap, the same article has Romeo Crennel referring to Frye as "mobile". I think "very" weak might be too much, but he's still on the wrong side of the NFL average.

by John Morgan on Sep 11, 2007 12:05 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

n/s

I ♥ Tim Ruskell.

I reject your reality and substitute my own!

by Phildopip on Sep 11, 2007 12:02 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Just because it seems relevant

here's my retro on Bryce Fisher. My sack projection was for him as a starter. I do not seriously think he could have attained even five sacks in a reserve role. Another thing I couldn't factor in at the time is that he'd be moved to the much more demanding right end position. Given his age, recent decline and move from left to right, I think Fisher would have been a liability as a starter. I still think Darryl Tapp may be best suited for a reserve role and would like to see a fair competition between him, Atkins and Babin. Tapp's biggest strength is his explosiveness and versatility; weaknesses, stamina and run support. I'm still not convinced he's best utilized as a starter.

Back to the game tape.

by John Morgan on Sep 11, 2007 12:19 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

So, what do you think we can expect from Babin?

I see your points on Fisher, no question, but I'm still a little nervous about this move; do you think we'll get enough from Tapp and Babin (or Atkins, or maybe Wyms) to justify it? I'll grant we had a lot of bodies at DE, but I'm not sure that equated to actual quality depth.

by The Ancient Mariner on Sep 11, 2007 2:56 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs