Players You Doubted That Surprised You

[Shadowhawk]

Surprise: By this time next year I hope I can say "James Carpenter." I hated the pick at the time and haven't seen anything to make me change my mind since then. Still hoping to be proven wrong.

Disappointment: Going to go back a ways for this one: Anthony Simmons. Apart from 1999 when Holmgren tried to play him in the middle, the guy was a beast for his rookie contract. Then he got his money and his career just imploded.

 

[SomersetHawk]

If it doesn't have to be current players then I'll go for Clem. Thought he would contribute but man was that an understatement.

Out of the current crop I'll go for Sweezy. I thought it was novel experiment that would ultimately fail but he's already a solid NFL guard and at 25 he's only getting better.

 

[kearly]

Players who proved me wrong:

Golden Tate.

He had an ugly rookie season (2010) and embarrassed himself during the 2011 preseason. After that second preseason I wanted him cut, the mistakes he made were too boneheaded and too frequent. A few months later, he turned the corner and was our best receiver from then until the end of last season.

Doug Baldwin.

As a UDFA I thought he was Michael Bumpus 2.0. And then, when he had a good rookie season, I thought it was a fluke.

KJ Wright.

I actually kind of look forward to the day when we replace Wright with a faster player, but that said he's just a really solid LB who makes plays. I thought he was too lanky and stiff to play LB in the NFL.

Luke Willson.

He's been just slightly better than I thought he'd be. I thought he'd be on the low end of average, he's been on the high end of average so far and may still improve.

Players I liked that let me down:

Robert Turbin.

He looked like the next Frank Gore at Utah State. Maybe he still could be, if he stops running like his shoes are always untied.

Bruce Irvin.

This is kind of unfair. Irvin met my rookie prediction/expectation on the button, and he was actually an above average OLB in his first year ever at the position the year after that. But that said, I had sky high expectations for Irvin in the long haul as a pure pass rusher coming out of college. I thought he was going to be a 15 sack a year guy in our 9-tech pass rusher role. That outcome seems very unlikely at this point. It seems he will remain a solid 4-3 LB and probably won't sign back for a 2nd contract.

Walter Thurmond.

Thurmond had games where he looked like the best corner in the NFL. But he could never harness consistency or stay on the field.

 

[Hawknballs]

I guess I'm a bit of an optimist but I can't say I am the kind of person that has too much doubt. Or maybe I'm just a realist who doesn't have high expectations?

A guy who has the chance to fit into this category is James Carpenter. From all accounts he was a reach at the time, and even my friend who is a HUGE Alabama fan had a hard time being excited about the pick - that was red flag for me. So I haven't been real high on the guy from the start; however this is his year to turn my doubt into surprised.

I'm surprised that anyone doubted wilson; I can't say I thought he'd be as good as he is but I was thrilled we drafted him and that was only having seen him play a few games and not really knowing what great character he had. I thought he'd be at least a solid backup at the very worst, but I also can't say i'm shocked to look at my desktop and see the picture of him holding up the Lombardi.

 

[kearly]

Aaron Curry

1. I doubted him because I wanted them to take Crabtree

2. He surprised me by sucking more than I ever thought a high round pick could.

I wouldn't be too hard on myself over that one. You were in good company. Who knew?

Myself and a few others still have scars on our wrists from the day that pick was made. It was Hutch poison pill level rage for some of us who correctly believed Curry to be a media hype job.

 

[Hawknballs]

the player and pick that still makes me angriest is Kelly F***ing Jennings.

hated the pick
hated the play on the field
hated watching the defense while he was out there
etc.

the only surprise there is that we kept running him out there as a starter.

 

[NorthDallas40oz]

I really whiffed on Brandon Browner. I never thought he'd even make the team, let alone become the player that he was. Great example of the importance of scheme fit and 'profiling,' which I didn't consider at the time.

I also never thought Jermaine Kearse would develop like he has, in fact I didn't even think that he was the best of the undrafted rookie WR's that the Hawks signed that year and was more hopeful for Lavasier Tuinei at the time.

On the flip side, I didn't like John Moffitt from the beginning. His 'goofball' persona scared me off right away, particularly coming from an offensive lineman - that's a recipe for disaster in 98% of the cases - so I wasn't the least bit surprised that he was the bust that he became. In fact I was completely expecting it.

 

[KiwiHawk]

Not a player, but Pete Carroll.

He's succeeded beyond anyone's wildest imagination with an approach that defies conventional wisdom to a degree that can only be considered revolutionary.

It's not a system like Bill Walsh's West Coast Offense; it's an overall philosophy that is reflected in every facet of the organization, and a singularity of focus that permeates every aspect of the team.

 

[Hawkfiend]

I'm a huge UW fan but I thought Kearse under performed towards the end of his college career. The fact that he was able to make the Seahawks roster and become a major contributor really surprised me. Well done Jermaine!

 

[WilsonMVP]

Baldwin...but only because of his second year. He was great his rookie year and I was expecting him to maybe improve or be consistent and score more TDs since he had almost 788 yards. 2012 came and he just wasnt involved much and only had 29 catches for 366 yards and wasnt being targeted as much.

Then we all know how clutch he was in 2013 when given the opportunity.

 

[WilsonMVP]

Earl Thomas. I couldnt fathom why they didnt take Taylor Mays if they wanted a safety. Yikes.

lol I was doing this when they selected Earl Thomas instead of Mays because they were talking about how Pete would maybe want to take a USC player. I was actually pissed because I thought the Eagles would take him but after they selected and we got Thomas it was a fantastic pick

 

[WilsonMVP]

Kearse, now one of my current favs.

Kearse was also mine. Frankly after 2012 I couldn't stand the guy, after his average play and his inane appearances on the Real Rob Report, I thought for sure he'd be a 1-year wonder and would be bounced in training camp last year.

Instead he became a solid player making 2 of the biggest plays of the year.

1) TD catch against Carolina, that catch lead to our 1st win last year, incredibly important play.
2) SF TD catch on 4th down. Easily a top 5 play of all of last year for the Seahawks.

So I'm much more fond of him this year than last. I'm really hopeful that my man Kevin Norwood can make the squad, I think that would give us a really good, young group of WR's. Harvin, Baldwin, Kearse, P-Rich, Norwood & Lockette (if 6 are kept.)

What about his superbowl catch where he broke through 4 dbs and scored. If the game had been close that might of been a top 10 ALL TIME superbowl TD it was that amazing.

 

[Throwdown]

Kearse really surprised me, even as a UW fan I couldn't at the time fathom what they saw in Kearse, I mean the dude dropped more than a rain cloud. But he's done very well for himself and us, his leaping grabs are a thing of beauty, I actually like Kearse now.

 

[Sports Hernia]

Michael Robinson. Wasn't impressed with his first season with the Hawks. Grew to love the guy as he got better, and none of that has to do with the RRR.

 

[General Manager]

Russell Wilson I was terribly wrong about him , then again so were a lot of people.

 

[scutterhawk]

The Seahawks are playing with a Kearse , and I couldn't be happier.
His TD in the SB was a thing of beauty.
A guy with Irvin's length & speed, well that one kind of surprises me.
Year one and I could see him becoming a monster in Year two, it's a head scratcher for me, because I thought that when Quinn came back, that he would be able to coach Irvin up to the next level, hell, if nothing else, use him as a QB spy for elusive guys like Clapperdink.
In my opinion, this has got to be a make or break Year for the guy.

 

[XxXdragonXxX]

If it doesn't have to be current players then I'll go for Clem. Thought he would contribute but man was that an understatement.

Out of the current crop I'll go for Sweezy. I thought it was novel experiment that would ultimately fail but he's already a solid NFL guard and at 25 he's only getting better.

Oh man I remember that Clemons trade, so many people were upset that we only got a 4th and some scrub DE for Tapp. I personally never liked Tapp so I was just happy we got a 4th out of him. Figured Clemons was just a throw in type player in that trade and wouldn't make the team, then he became our top pass rusher for years. What a great trade, we only got EJ Wilson out of the pick, but the picks before and after were Thurmond and Chancellor, never know if we didn't have an extra 4th, maybe we would have selected Wilson over one of them.

 

[King Dog]

Aaron Curry

1. I doubted him because I wanted them to take Crabtree

2. He surprised me by sucking more than I ever thought a high round pick could.

Lol, I was in the car with clients down here in Arizona listening to the draft when we made that pick, and I went nuts with enthusiasm

 

[loafoftatupu]

I have to admit, it was Sherman to me. Not that I thought he would be bad, but when WT3 went down I was bummed because I thought he was going to be a stud.

Enter Sherman, had a great game in Walter's place and had an interview on KJR immediately after in which he had a bunch of praise. I remember thinking "no way this guy can back up all that confidence" and he wasted no time doing so.

 

[Throwdown]

Haha remember after the Cinci, Sherman called out AJ Green? Said he didn't run good routes n such. Should've known at that moment that our boy was something Hawk fans never seen before, unless they were sonics fans and remember a certain point guard who wore #20...