Tanner McEvoy

[Russ Willstrong]

Loved that he got PT to flash his playmaking abilities.
He may not be top 5 WR on this team yet but then he hasn't had much time to study the position. I doubt we can hide him on our PS.
He went undrafted because he was projected as a safety who was not a natural hitter (quite a specomen but nevertheless a project with low impact on games).
As a WR he has more opportunity to showcase his talent as a playmaker. PC switched him to WR only days ago and the guy still ran his routes well enough to be in position to make big plays. His combination of length and athleticism is nearly unmatched vs corners.
IMO his QB/WR/S training makes him an easier project than guys like Terrell Pryor who by the way is looking like a legit WR this year.
It's probably time to lock him in as a WR because he is not a gifted passer nor is he a natural tacker. He is however a mismatch against corners and has a knack for getting to the ball. His upside might be as a tall Jordy Nelson because of his intelligence as a former qb and his competitiveness.

 

[Jville]

“He’s such an unusual athlete, so I wanted to see what would happen at safety. I wanted to see if he had the kind of instincts that maybe he’s really special and nobody had uncovered yet, and I thought he did OK, he did fine back there, but nothing that made us want to stay with it knowing we wanted to see what he would do at receiver. So we started throwing him balls at the end of OTAs, and he’s really a nice catcher, then we went ahead and made the move before camp to see if he could fill the dimension of the big guy, and he’s surely that—6-5 and ¾, he weighs 235, so he’s big, big. We’ll keep giving him chances and see how it goes.” -- Pete Carroll ... as recorded By John Boyle

 

[Russ Willstrong]

How do you not trust Pete and John when they continually find undrafted talents like Doug, Jermaine, Thomas and now Trevone & Tanner then try to put them in position to succeed.

 

[Cyrus12]

pre season week 1...likely forgotten by week 4

 

[Basis4day]

Still, for a guy playing out of his natural position to help the team out, he made a positive impression and racked up some karma. He's not going to make the team as a WR though.

You make is sound as though McEvoy had some sort of choice in the matter. And safety was not his natural position, he's been primarily a QB/WR since HS, who also doubled as a safety at Wisconsin in 2013 and again in 2015, when he played on both sides of the ball. Given his versatility, specials teams value, and unique physical traits (something Pete Carroll loves), I could easily see him making the team as a WR. At a minimum, he's a slam dunk for the PS.

Projecting who makes the team is very difficult considering the limitations of 53 man roster.

Baldwin, Lockett, and Kearse are locks for the roster. I think Richardson is too so long as he doesn't have an injury setbacks during preseason. Then you have Kasen Williams, Kenny Lawler, and Kevin Smith to think about.

They typically keep 5-6 WR.

Now, if hes a safety hes dealing with Kam, Thomas and McRay and would also be competing with Powell, Browner and Terrell.

It's going to be tight for him to make the team. I'm hoping they try him earlier in the next preseason game.

 

[Jimjones0384]

I would like to see them keep him. He did look a little uncomfortable at first, but I saw that dissappear as he started to make plays. It was his first nfl game, nervousness is understandable. I would like to see him take the spot normally used for fullbacks. I don't think he would clear waivers and make it to the practice squad. 6'6, 240 or whatever he weighs, a lot of potential there. Plus his versatility is intriguing, he played a lot of positions in college. That is if he continues to improve and make big plays.

 

[hawknation2016]

WR competition is wide open. Four WRs are locked in, so who takes the 5th spot? McEvoy is as good a guess as any after today. The 5th WR has to be healthy and he has to be able to excel on special teams.

 

[Bigpumpkin]

Baldwin, Lockett, and Kearse are locks for the roster. I think Richardson is too so long as he doesn't have an injury setbacks during preseason. Then you have Kasen Williams, Kenny Lawler, and Kevin Smith to think about..

Did Kenny see any playing time yesterday?

 

[Basis4day]

Baldwin, Lockett, and Kearse are locks for the roster. I think Richardson is too so long as he doesn't have an injury setbacks during preseason. Then you have Kasen Williams, Kenny Lawler, and Kevin Smith to think about..

Did Kenny see any playing time yesterday?

I saw him out there a lot. Ended with 2 receptions on 4 targets. Nothing really jumped out.

 

[hawknation2016]

Other guys in competition with McEvoy for 5th WR:

* Kasen Williams - Sat out with a hamstring injury. Has good size and range to play split end. Good special teamer who seemed to be ahead of the others before getting hurt.

* Douglas McNeil - Healthy, also good size and range, but not as good on special teams. Didn't stand out much in the first preseason game.

* Kevin Smith - My personal favorite, but a hamstring injury has kept him lost in the shuffle. Solid on special teams and very quick with surprising catching range.

* Deshon Foxx - Continues to flash big play ability but is also dealing with a hamstring.

* Kenny Lawler - Needs to improve route running, quickness, and become an asset on special teams. Likely PS.

* Uzoma Nwachukwu - Newcomer has been a surprise with good hands and route running, and he has been good on special teams in the past.

* Montario Hunter - Had a really nice catch over the middle and took a big hit doing it in the first preseason game.

All these guys are more polished than McEvoy, but perhaps McEvoy provides more upside as a big receiver and is better on special teams.

 

[Bigpumpkin]

Thanks for the evaluations of our Receivers.

 

[KiwiHawk]

The additional issue with Uzoma Nwachukwu is that many fans are throwing red and white balls at him hoping to "catch em all".

 

[hawknation2016]

Having watched "Hard Knocks," the knock on Uzoma "EZ" Nwachukwu has always been his route running. Good looking athlete though.

 

[Russ Willstrong]

He's the Sam Perkins of the Hawks. Did you see the vertical on that catch? I think he got about 3" off the ground.

Rewatch it and you will see Jackson holding him down with the left hand pulling on his shoulder then gripping his jersey all the way to the ground. Players need to play through contact in the NFL which he does here.

 

[Russ Willstrong]

Also Mcevoy is seriously underrated as a runner--both to the ball and with the ball. He is so quick that he looks like a 5'10" guy making plays. He really is 6'6" and more durable than most receivers in the league. I bet he finds a spot on special teams as he learns the offense.

 

[hawknation2016]

If McEvoy is ahead on special teams, they might as well keep him ahead of some of those other guys. 5th receiver doesn't get that many opportunities anyway, and McEvoy's size would maybe allow them to scheme for him in the red zone.

It's mostly about special teams. His versatility to play safety doesn't really help him because we are already stocked at safety.

Then again, P-squad eligibility is also important. McEvoy may be too raw for another team to steal him, so they may feel comfortable taking that risk.

 

[Russ Willstrong]

Having watched "Hard Knocks," the knock on Uzoma "EZ" Nwachukwu has always been his route running. Good looking athlete though.

EZ almost ruined the comeback with his short in bound catch and twice not lining up correctly. He had a couple nice long catches though.

 

[TwilightError]

Too bad he played so many positions at college. He should have decided on one, he probably would have excelled and not just become a project at the pros.

 

[Smellyman]

We might as well look at what a great all around athlete he is again. QB, Satety, WR. His safety prospects make me drool a bit, but I trust Pete and john more than me.

[youtube]C4ojKBcmAWQ[/youtube]

 

[GLio14]

We might as well look at what a great all around athlete he is again. QB, Satety, WR. His safety prospects make me drool a bit, but I trust Pete and john more than me.

[youtube]C4ojKBcmAWQ[/youtube]

I'm starting to wonder why this kid wasn't drafted. He's a freak of an athlete and he seems to know the game well. He looks like a beast of a safety though. His reads in that video were incredible. I don't know if we should take the risk by hoping he makes the PS, because I would think teams would salivate at the thought of having him.