SeaHawks OFFseason.....

[sonic-ben]

FA Signing Albert Haynesworth.. Dominant DT

Resign lb Hill and OL Willis

If Crabtree there sign Him
BUT SOUNDS LIKE WILL STAY AT TEXAS TECH

Trade Down
#1 S Taylor Mays 6-4 4.3
#2 If possible G Duke Robinson 6-5
if taken C Jonathan Luigs 6-4 314lbs
#2 S Mike Hamlin depends what happen above or
G Herman Johnson 6-7 345 lbs
#3 WR Brandon Gibson 6-1
#4 LB Clay Mathews USC ....
#6 C Max Unger 6-5 300 lbs

[Bulltalk]

(Temporary thread hijack)

In an otherwise dismal, injury-riddled season, today's win was certainly the highlight for me, as it was for perhaps the rest of you out there. Great win. It probably seals us as the 6th, 7th, or 8th seed in the draft, but there you have it.

[Danny Darko]

I like your picks Sonic. Totally agree.

I think the only consolation for winning (wtf?) is that Mays should still be around for us. I wouldn't mind a tall corner too.

[sonic-ben]

Haynesworth... is key for Defense

[Bulltalk]

Well, we're either the 4th or the 5th pick in the draft (don't know who has the tie breaker between us and Cleveland). If we hold onto that pick, we WILL have our choice of a stud of a prospect, depending what underclassmen come out in the draft.

--Andre Smith (OT)
--Michael Oher (OT)
--Brian Orakpo (DE)
--Michael Crabtree (WR) *we'll see if he comes out
--Matthew Stafford (QB)
--Sam Bradford (QB) *we'll see if he comes out
--Eugene Monroe (OT)

To name a few.

I don't know how I feel about this pick, but I've got to say that I want a potentially great player at a key position this year. I think Crabtree will come out, but I'm not so sure about Bradford. I hope he does come out. The more of these top underclassman that come out, the more flexibility we'll have in our pick.

I don't mind trading down a few spots if we can still get one of the top studs in the draft, but I don't think I want to trade down out of the more "sure-fire" pick flight of players who play a key position. I guess I don't want to trade down and end up with a Lawrence Jackson-like talent. I want at least a shot at a Pro-Bowler at a key position

Anyway...

[Chuckatommy]

If we somehow end up with Haynesworth and Crabtree, as well as resigning Hill and Willis, we'll be one of the best teams in the league next year.

Something tells me that's not going to happen though. I can dream though!

[Bulltalk]

Crabtree (WR), Oher (OT), Smith (OT) probably make the most sense with our 5th pick (I guess Cleveland has the tie breaker). This is supposedly another strong year for OT's, and it's hard to argue against getting one of the top 2-3 OT's with our 1st pick. Crabtree, however, if he is the real deal (seems to be) would be hard to argue with as well.

The wild card picks for me if we remain high on the draft board are DL and QB. If the Seahawks are convinced that there is an almost "can't miss" DL, then I could get behind that. It's always hard to argue against picking a blue chip stud lineman on either side of the ball.

I know I'm in the minority who are open to the idea of attempting to draft a franchise QB if the Hawks brass thinks one of the top 2 QB's are of that caliber. I don't think they will do it, but I'm not adverse to the idea.

[Ex-hippie]

Before we talk about signing Haynesworth and also re-upping Hill, etc. etc., has anyone given thought to our cap position?

I heard we have the #4 draft pick, while Cleveland has #5. My plan for the pick:

1. Convince Al Davis to fall in love with Michael Crabtree. (This is easy to envision.)
2. Trade down from #4 to #7 for a King's ransom. The trade value chart says this is worth a late second-rounder, but this being Al Davis, I want their high second-rounder. C'mon, it's Crabtree.
3. Draft Oher or Monroe or Jason Smith or whatever LT is there at #7.

[Bulltalk]

Before we talk about signing Haynesworth and also re-upping Hill, etc. etc., has anyone given thought to our cap position?

I heard we have the #4 draft pick, while Cleveland has #5. My plan for the pick:

1. Convince Al Davis to fall in love with Michael Crabtree. (This is easy to envision.)
2. Trade down from #4 to #7 for a King's ransom. The trade value chart says this is worth a late second-rounder, but this being Al Davis, I want their high second-rounder. C'mon, it's Crabtree.
3. Draft Oher or Monroe or Jason Smith or whatever LT is there at #7.

Yeah, that's in my thinking. But I don't want to drop down too far into "iffy" territory. And, yeah, we did get the 4th pick. I trusted some internet site that had it wrong.

I'm still shaking my head at Carlson this year. What a surprise. That pick redeemed the Jackson blunder for Ruskell.

[Ex-hippie]

I'm still shaking my head at Carlson this year. What a surprise. That pick redeemed the Jackson blunder for Ruskell.

You mean, Tim Ruskell traded down a few spots for a late first-round pick, which he then botched, and then traded up in the second round to pick a college overachiever who probably would have been available with the Hawks' own pick, who then proved surprisingly successful as a rookie?

Well, at least 2008 had something in common with 2005....

[HeavyP]

Guys, lets not forget that trading in the top 10, usually the team trading down gets the "worse" of the deal according to the trade value chart. The reason being that they cost so much more in guaranteed money.

I will say that I'm in the NOT drafting an Olineman camp, and I'm the biggest proponent I know of building a team from the Oline first, Dline 2nd. I just really think Locklear will be the LT (and he'll be fine at it), which means we'd be drafting and paying for a guy to not even play right away. If we draft Oher at 4 or 7 or whatever you guys said, then he would either have to play guard, or be a 3rd olinemen and wait for Walter or Locklear to get hurt.

We have a chance to get an impact player at a position of need. I would say we don't draft Orkapo because I don't think DE is that high of a priority.

I still don't think drafting a QB is the way to go either, again, guaranteed money without results for a few years (hopefully). If we were to draft Bradford or Stafford, they'd hopefully sit at least 1 year, maybe more. That's a lot of money tied up without being able to improve other positions. I'm all for drafting a QB in the 2nd round though.

I think the pick is going to be either Crabtree or Malcolm Jenkins. Our CB's were exposed and our safeties were horrible. Although Josh Wilson did play really well the 2nd half of the year.

I wish there was a dominant DT for this draft that we could take, however there isn't. With Morris being a FA and Jones not getting a lot of running time, how many of you would be that opposed to getting Chris Wells or Knowshown Moreno? (I personally like Wells but I know a lot of people are in the Moreno camp).

I personally think the OL will go early, I think Detroit will take Andre Smith and make a run for Matt Cassel and try to lure NE's Ocord to be the head coach there. I also think STLouis will go after an olinement as Pace is done.

I also do not think we're going to resign Leroy Hill, some team is going to realize how good he is and make him an offer we can't beat. That's why I'm guessing we'll draft a LB in the 3rd round, possibly Sean Weatherspoon.

[Ex-hippie]

Guys, lets not forget that trading in the top 10, usually the team trading down gets the "worse" of the deal according to the trade value chart. The reason being that they cost so much more in guaranteed money.

Not sure I follow. Higher pick = more money. Trading down = lower pick = less money. (Some have even said that the Vikings made a rational move when they let the clock expire and the Jags draft ahead of them.) Or am I missing some aspect of your argument?

I will say that I'm in the NOT drafting an Olineman camp, and I'm the biggest proponent I know of building a team from the Oline first, Dline 2nd. I just really think Locklear will be the LT (and he'll be fine at it), which means we'd be drafting and paying for a guy to not even play right away. If we draft Oher at 4 or 7 or whatever you guys said, then he would either have to play guard, or be a 3rd olinemen and wait for Walter or Locklear to get hurt.

Now, I'm an out-of-towner and haven't seen the Seahawks week in and week out, but from what I heard, Locklear sucked as a RT this year and didn't come close to earning his big contract. Why would he be a good LT?

I pretty much agree with the rest of what you say but still am not persuaded that the time isn't now to draft a LT. Give the new guy a year to learn from the master, then be set at the position for a long time. If Locklear somehow turned his season around after I heard the midseason performance reviews and before he went on IR, and I just didn't hear about it, then maybe I could change my mind. In fact, I would heavily consider drafting a LT in the first round, then a guard in the second.

[Bulltalk]

I'm not wigged-out by our cornerback situation. Trufant, Jennings, and Wilson is a decent tandem, IMO. I think the problem was our DL, and to a lesser extent the safety position. If our DL could get some consistent pressure on the QB, and our DT's could plug up the middle on the run, I think our corners will look better, as will out LB's.

Our DL sucked this year, and I went into the year thinking it was going to be pretty good. I don't know if Kearny is going to come back to his Pro Bowl level as in 2007 (I have my doubts), Bernard will probaby be gone, Tapp and Jackson are MEH, and Mebane is good if he's like the number 3 or 4 guy.

Are any of you guys sold on either Bradford or Stafford being a true franchise QB? I have to say that if someone convinced me that either or both of them were, I think you could make a decent argument for taking one of them. Wallace is not a starting QB. Hasselbeck is starting to break down, and pershaps has only a few good years left in him. QB is the most important position by far. I wouldn't scream if they went for what they thought was a franchise QB. I don't think this is at all a crazy idea.

Having said that, Crabtree and an OLman make the most sense, with DLman not far behind.

[Ex-hippie]

Another idea for the offseason: pay whatever it costs to buy out the silly commitment they made to Jim Mora Jr., and hire Mike Shanahan. He'd almost certainly want the job -- in fact he was on the shortlist back when they foolishly hired Dennis Erickson instead. And I have no idea why the Broncos suddenly fired a surefire Hall of Fame coach just for failing to take a relatively untalented team to the playoffs. And, of course, I'd love to see Shanahan make a 1,500-yard rusher out of Maurice Morris or Julius Jones or whomever he chooses to bring in.

Speaking of RBs, as I look further at the RB class in this draft, I'm not really sold on anyone. Beanie Wells just doesn't seem like top-5 material to me; he's not really a game breaker and could wind up having a career somewhere in between Ricky Williams (minus the extracurriculars) and Ron Dayne. (And when I bring up Williams, that's not a compliment; I've never been a fan, and for all the hoopla, he's had precisely one outstanding season in his entire career.) And I have trouble believing that Moreno is really his listed weight of 200+ pounds. He looks like another Mo Morris.

Crabtree, meanwhile, looks like he should have a career somewhere somewhere between Terrell Owens and Keyshawn Johnson. He seems like a very safe bet to be a very good player, though his ceiling may be limited by his average speed. I certainly wouldn't object to having that on the team, but I don't think he's quite the dazzling prospect that Calvin Johnson was a couple of years ago.

I admit I can't answer Bulltalk's question about whether Stafford or Bradford looks like a franchise QB, because my track record on judging QB's sucks. I just have no idea. I'll wait until the professional evaluators venture more opinions and trust what they say.

[sonic-ben]

FA Signing Albert Haynesworth.. Dominant DT

Resign lb Hill and OL Willis

If Crabtree there sign Him
BUT SOUNDS LIKE WILL STAY AT TEXAS TECH

Trade Down
#1 S Taylor Mays 6-4 4.3
#2 If possible G Duke Robinson 6-5
if taken C Jonathan Luigs 6-4 314lbs
#2 S Mike Hamlin depends what happen above or
G Herman Johnson 6-7 345 lbs
#3 WR Brandon Gibson 6-1
#4 LB Clay Mathews USC ....
#6 C Max Unger 6-5 300 lbs

[Bulltalk]

^^^I like Taylor Mays as much as anyone. Awesome physical speciman/hitter. But I wouldn't take a safety in the first round when you've got a high draft pick, and can get an impact OLman, QB, or WR. We're fortunate to have a high pick from an injury riddled season. Why not get that blue chip, Pro Bowl-like player at a key position when we've got the chance to?

[HeavyP]

^^^I like Taylor Mays as much as anyone. Awesome physical speciman/hitter. But I wouldn't take a safety in the first round when you've got a high draft pick, and can get an impact OLman, QB, or WR. We're fortunate to have a high pick from an injury riddled season. Why not get that blue chip, Pro Bowl-like player at a key position when we've got the chance to?

I would kill for Laron Landry on this team. I was very high on Landry, I'm equally high on Mays. I think he'll be fantastic and he'd be a great fit.

FA Signing Albert Haynesworth.. Dominant DT

I'd say there's about zero percent chance of this happening. People say he's a changed man from the Gurode incident, but I don't think Ruskell would go after him.

Another idea for the offseason: pay whatever it costs to buy out the silly commitment they made to Jim Mora Jr., and hire Mike Shanahan.

God I wish. I was talking to a couple buddies of mine and we were ranking our top coaches, if we could start a franchise with who would we take. I said Jeff Fisher, Bill Cowher, Mike Shanahan, Mike Holmgren, Tony Dungy in that order.

Not sure I follow. Higher pick = more money. Trading down = lower pick = less money. (Some have even said that the Vikings made a rational move when they let the clock expire and the Jags draft ahead of them.) Or am I missing some aspect of your argument?

You are right, however I didn't articulate really what I was trying to say. Higher pick = More Money. I was looking at it from the perspective of the team trying to move up. It's hard to get a good deal to trade down (if you're in the Seahawks position) because you have to find a team willing to move up, and if you find that team they also have to be willing to spend lots of extra money on signing bonuses and all that. Therefore, it's much harder to try to trade your pick for really good value (according to the chart). If you want to trade down you're going to have to accept less 'value' out of the chart.

Now, I'm an out-of-towner and haven't seen the Seahawks week in and week out, but from what I heard, Locklear sucked as a RT this year and didn't come close to earning his big contract. Why would he be a good LT?

I pretty much agree with the rest of what you say but still am not persuaded that the time isn't now to draft a LT. Give the new guy a year to learn from the master, then be set at the position for a long time. If Locklear somehow turned his season around after I heard the midseason performance reviews and before he went on IR, and I just didn't hear about it, then maybe I could change my mind. In fact, I would heavily consider drafting a LT in the first round, then a guard in the second.

According to Football outsiders, we were ranked #29 in pass blocking and #21 in run blocking. I really don't think Locklear was healthy all year and I'm basically willing to give everyone not named Russell a pass for this year. All I know is that both Ruskell and Holmgren view(ed) Locklear as the LT of the future, and I'm not ready to disagree with them.

[Bulltalk]

Well my idea of possibly taking a franchise QB took a hit this morning when Stafford was compared to Ryan Leaf by one astute prognosticator. LOL

About the surest thoughts I have regarding the off-season so far are:

1) Designate Leroy Hill our franchise player
2) Pick Andre Smith if he's available at the #4 spot
3) Possibly pick Crabtree (waiting for the combine) if Smith isn't available

[Ex-hippie]

FA Signing Albert Haynesworth.. Dominant DT

I'd say there's about zero percent chance of this happening. People say he's a changed man from the Gurode incident, but I don't think Ruskell would go after him.

Agreed. Also, no discussion of any splashy free agent can be started without a serious evaluation of our cap situation, both now and in the next couple of years.

Not sure I follow. Higher pick = more money. Trading down = lower pick = less money. (Some have even said that the Vikings made a rational move when they let the clock expire and the Jags draft ahead of them.) Or am I missing some aspect of your argument?

You are right, however I didn't articulate really what I was trying to say. Higher pick = More Money. I was looking at it from the perspective of the team trying to move up. It's hard to get a good deal to trade down (if you're in the Seahawks position) because you have to find a team willing to move up, and if you find that team they also have to be willing to spend lots of extra money on signing bonuses and all that. Therefore, it's much harder to try to trade your pick for really good value (according to the chart). If you want to trade down you're going to have to accept less 'value' out of the chart.

Oh, I see. Fair point. Yet the trade value table still assigns ridiculously high value to the higher picks. Every year I question why that's the case and don't get much of a response, but there it is. So perhaps you need a crazy owner with an irrational love for a flashy prospect to make it happen. And lo, there's Al Davis, lurking at #7!

Now, I'm an out-of-towner and haven't seen the Seahawks week in and week out, but from what I heard, Locklear sucked as a RT this year and didn't come close to earning his big contract. Why would he be a good LT?

I pretty much agree with the rest of what you say but still am not persuaded that the time isn't now to draft a LT. Give the new guy a year to learn from the master, then be set at the position for a long time. If Locklear somehow turned his season around after I heard the midseason performance reviews and before he went on IR, and I just didn't hear about it, then maybe I could change my mind. In fact, I would heavily consider drafting a LT in the first round, then a guard in the second.

According to Football outsiders, we were ranked #29 in pass blocking and #21 in run blocking. I really don't think Locklear was healthy all year and I'm basically willing to give everyone not named Russell a pass for this year. All I know is that both Ruskell and Holmgren view(ed) Locklear as the LT of the future, and I'm not ready to disagree with them.

Okay. Again, I might be out of date with my info, but what I heard was that Locklear had a very disappointing season. Maybe it was excusable. I might want to read up on the 2008 postmortems and then maybe I'll change my mind on things.

As we all know, the first-round pick should also be influenced by what is expected to be there when we pick in the second round. At WR, Kenny Britt (Rutgers) and Hakeem Nicks (UNC) have both declared, and both look like kind of a poor man's Crabtree: big, tough, really goes and gets the ball, not real fast. I can't say I've scrutinized either of them intensely, though Nicks had a bowl performance that sounds like it was nothing short of spectacular. Just throwing it out there.

[HeavyP]

If I had to make a guess right now it would be that we take Beanie Wells with our first pick, and a DT with our 2nd round pick either B.J Raji out of Boston College or hopefully Peria Jerry from Ole Miss

If it were up to me I'd take Jenkins and if you believe Icness (which I do) then Taylor Mays would be there in the 2nd. Otherwise I'd take Mark Sanchez.