There's some kind of collegiate American Football thingy tonight, I think. Do they still wear helmets, or has that been shelved in favor of force fields? Anyway, since I'm a highly respected personality in, um, what the hell is this again? Oh yeah, football. Since I know the lowdown and the get out about America's bastardized fusion of footie and a soccer riot, y'know I got the opinions that count.
I can see the NFL talent on display in kaleidoscopic detail. Where some might see a player, I see a tiny floating sailboat. Here's a look at the those sailboats and how and why they might matter to the Seahawks.
Steve Keim Prospects:
Sergio Kindle (2): Eric DeCosta scored big with Terrell Suggs and could target another elephant linebacker, Sergio Kindle. Kindle is so badass, he once sacked an apartment complex. He's a size-strength-speed prospect that has never been particularly productive. Suggs smacked down 22 sacks as a junior. Kindle has 14 in four seasons. Kindle fails DeCosta's standards for production, but Steve Keim would love to see Kindle in the second. I would love to see Kindle in Arizona. Keim loves athletes and seems unmoved by actual production. May he stay in Arizona forever.
Kyle Hix (64): Hix is a born right tackle. Scouts that value size over athleticism and technique might target Hix late in the draft and hope he develops as he ages. Obviously, skill can develop but size can't. Keim likes his big linemen. He drafted Big Baby Herman Johnson after Johnson plummeted down draft boards. Hix isn't a zone blocker by any stretch, and he might have to move inside at the pro level, but he has the size and frame of a professional and, should he declare, is a decent upside pick that can be had in the fifth or later.
Terrence Cody (62): The spherical creature sometimes called Mount Cody produces huge force off the snap. And that's his game in a nutshell. Cody is not a first round prospect. He does have a good chance of sticking at nose tackle at the NFL level. Keim drafted Gabe Watson and Alan Branch. Keim could draft Cody in the third or later should the pre-draft process chew him up and spit him out. But then, gyrating man boobs didn't hurt Andre Smith.
Mark Ingram (22): Ingram isn't draft eligible yet, but he's the kind of smooth, hyper-athletic skill-position player that Keim loves.
Julio Jones (8): Ditto.
Eric DeCosta Prospects:
Lorenzo Washington (97): Washington is a cheap 3-4 defensive end prospect that a GM attempting to expedite the switch could target. He won't amaze, but he has pro level size and a good overall skill set.
Justin Woodall (27): DeCosta shares a cerebral safety fetish with Tim Ruskell. Woodall isn't a great athlete, but he's pretty damn good at football. He's a right place, right time defender with good size and sound tackling. DeCosta could take him late and hope Mora or whoever can coach him up. Truthfully, he's more of a Ruskell type.
Ruston Webster Prospects:
Javier Arenas (28): I understand Webster through the filter of Ruskell, and Ruskell liked smaller, athletic corners with ball skills and dynamic return ability. He saw Josh Wilson as a bargain when others thought him a reach. Arenas is a lot like Wilson, and should Seattle ever develop the disruptive, zone-heavy scheme they're shooting for, Arenas would double Seattle's ability bite on the route and take it to the house. He fits the basic Tampa 2 tenets: Open field tackling, zone awareness and ball skills. Arenas has inherent value as a returner, too.
Cory Reamer (13): Reamer is a good team player and a potential special teams contributor. He's like Will Herring, but bad.
Greg McElroy (12): I doubt McElroy declares, but he has the mix of size, smarts and SEC success of a David Greene.
Chris Hall (71): Because you can never have too many centers. Ever. Hall has played every line position and that kind of versatility appeals to Greg Knapp. He's a good teammate, a good student and citizen and a technically sound blocker. Hall does have one serious red flag: In a campus interview, he admitted that if he ever broke his hand, he would wear a cast until his hand healed.
Holla McGee (84): Seattle needs a better blocking tight end and more consistent source of dozens.
ETC
Colt McCoy (12): McCoy is the Longhorns offense, but can he shoulder the load against the best defense and best pass defense in all of college football? This is a make or break game for McCoy. Once upon a time, Vince Young was a questionable pro prospect. Then he powered his Longhorns to an upset victory over USC. Never forget, coaches are fans too. McCoy could play himself into the first round. McCoy could fail himself into the CFL.