Well, it may not have been a "Sexy" draft but when was the last time that a Ruskell/Holmgren draft was? Reading around, I'm seeing a lot of mixed emotions coming out of the weekend. Everything from "Ruskell's a bum" and "What were we thinking?", to "Great draft!" and "Ruskell's a Genius!" Ahhh....the volatility of "fanhood."
The self-proclaimed "First Source," Mel Kiper gave Seattle a respectable "B" grade overall, while other "experts" shot as low as "C-" on the grade scale. Ruskell, in a press conference at the end of day 2, admitted to frequently reading draft grades and commented that he didn't think he'd ever received an "A."
As fans, we're all looking for that guy that's going to bring some "flash" to the mix. Some "sex appeal." I'll admit that I was right there with everyone else crossing my fingers and salivating as Dallas bypassed the chance to grab Rashard Mendenhall and took Felix Jones. Then I saw Pittsburg sitting there, and being the "hope-crushers" that they've been to the rainy city faithful over the last 3 years, they stayed true to their nature and gladly swept up the Illinois power-back. And of course, 5 picks later we take....Lawrence Jackson? Talk about deflating! Hey, I was right there with ya. For a minute or two, that is.
Think back to the last time we drafted "flash," and what that did for us. It's been a while. In fact, I think the last two picks that we could have classified as "flashy" or "sexy" would have been Jerramy Stevens and Koren Robinson. Both had the cabability of being stars in the league. Both had out-of-this-world athletic ability. And lately, both have been given more instruction from judges than from coaches. Now it would be ignorant and completely irresponsible for me to say that all "flashy" star-potential athletes are prone to problems, however, to choose a draft pick on this premise alone would be equally irresponsible.
This "Character" issue is just one of many to consider when drafting. There's also the areas of "Team Philosophy," and "Need." Ruskell has, and probably always will draft according to these three criteria first.
For instance, part of the Ruskell and Holmgren "Philosophy" includes drafting players who have at least 3 years of starting or regular playing expirience at the college level. This really was the difference between picking someone like Lawrence Jackson and Kentwan Balmer or even Devin Thomas fore example, who's really only had one great year at Michigan State. Jackson has proven for 3 years that he knows how to play the game and has shown steady progress and consistency in those three years.
As far as "Need," tight-end was obviously the most glaring. So what did Ruskell, Holmgren and Co. do? They found a player in the 2nd round that meets all three criteria for that position. Carlson has great character, fits the philosophy (3-4 year starter), and fills a need. The flashier pick here might have been a Dustin Keller or Martellus Bennett, but neither fit all criteria like Carlson does. Bennett hasn't played football for very long, and the smallish Keller, though fast and athletic, would struggle with blocking in Holmgren's west coast offense. By the way, I think the blocking issue might have been the same concern with Fred Davis. New Offensive Coordinator Mike Solari has talked about implementing more "two tight-end" formations with a single back, so I think the coaches view John Carlson as an extra o-lineman in some ways, and the blocking ability was hugely important with this pick.
In the Fourth round, grabbing Texas A&M defensive tackle Red Bryant was viewed in the front office as a huge steal. Again, here's a guy with several years of college experience playing at a very high level, and he fits the defensive philosophy with his speed and ability to stuff the run as well as rush the passer from the inside. Remember, this is a speed defense and in reviewing the many scouting reports on Bryant, all mention his speed as being impressive for his size. He's a guy who has that "high motor" you always hear about, and plays the game with passion. Not to mention, he's engaged to Seahawk legend Jacob Green's daughter, so he inherently has a family tie to the team.
The fifth round pick of Owen Schmitt might have generated the most "buzz" locally, as a lot of people have had wonderful things to say about him. His hard-nosed style of play at fullback has been likened to that of a throwback type like Czonka, and he's highly regarded back in West Virginia as a huge fan favorite and a guy that goes all-out on every play. He's a devastating blocker who has the ability to be an effective short-yardage runner (Need!), and can catch the ball out of the backfield. He also played a little h-back and tight-end in college so he could be valuable in the passing game. His blocking ability alone may give him a good shot at competing with Leonard Weaver for the starting fullback position, and he'll bring a hugely upgraded presence of intensity to special teams. Not to mention he's another one of these "self-made" guys like Red Bryant, who came from virtually nothing and made football his life. At one point, things were apparently so tough for Schmitt and his mother that they were living out of their car, just prior to him leaving for college.
The 'Hawks have also taken some heat from draft analysts and fans for using their sixth round pick on a long-snapper. I really don't understand the argument here. If you watched more than 2 or three games last year, you might think this was one of the smarter picks! Especially when Ruskell is calling him a "Special Snapper." In more than 20 years of being an NFL football fan, I've never heard that said, so my feeling is these "Special Snappers" don't come along too often and we should probably "Snap" them up when we can!
To finish things up in the seventh, the 'Hawks grabbed California tailback Justin Forsett and Georgia place-kicker Brandon Coutu. Forsett may have problems making the team with the crowded backfield that's currently in place, but he's another high-character guy who played 4 years of college ball and has the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. He could be a change of pace guy similar to how the 'Hawks have used Mo Morris prior to this year. He may end up on the practice squad initially but the front office simply had him as the best player on the board and felt like they needed to grab him. He's a bit small at 5'8-5'9 but at 185 pounds, he's got some toughness and plays bigger than he is.
Coutu has a strong accurate leg and despite a few hamstring problems at Georgia, the team felt it was important to grab what many scouts labeled as the best kicker in the draft. Again, this was an area of need for the 'Hawks after Josh Brown's departure, and after bringing him in for a physical prior to the draft, the team felt he had recovered from his injuries and was the best kicker available. Coutu will be competing with Olinda Mare for the solo kicker spot on the roster. Once again, he's a 4 year guy who not only impressed with his leg and ability, but also with his personality and confidence during his visit.
Moving forward, I think it's important to understand the criteria being used by the Seahawks' front office and coaching staff, if we want to accurately assess or grade the process afterward. Looking at this years draft through the right "lense", I think will provide a different perspective and provide a greater understanding of the process and the position that the team put themselves in.
I rated this draft as a "B+" only because I don't think they 'Hawks needed to give up a 3rd rounder to move up for Carlson. I think he may have been there at 55, after learning that many teams with a tight-end need had Fred Davis, Martellus Bennett, and Dustin Keller all rated higher than Carlson. Additionally, there weren't many teams who had a need for a tight-end like Seattle did, so they probably could have kept that 3rd round pick and perhaps picked up another linebacker or even a quarterback, to free up Seneca Wallace to play more receiver.
Otherwise, I think they stuck with their philosophy and ended up having a very good weekend, adding players who will fit well with the current scheme, and even improve the team in many ways.
Just to name a few players who have been drafted according to the same philosophy: Tatupu, Bernard, Jennings, Tapp, Mebane, Hill, and Locklear are all starters who were not first round picks but matched the criteria of Ruskell and Holmgren, and I think it's safe to say they've all fit pretty well and are more than contributing!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment