Winning Super Bowl 50 and Beyond - Off Season Targets

SomersetHawk

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Warning: this might take a few sittings, there’s the best part of 4000 words here. If it's a quick fix you're after, then piss off (Mods feel free to move to the draft forum as there's some draft talk, a lot of it isn't though)


We’re already favourites to win the Super Bowl in Santa Clara next year, and it’s not all that contentious. Credit to the Patriots, they had an excellent gameplan, but we were still one play away from repeating, and if we played that game 10 times over, it feels like we’d win 9 of those contests. But football doesn’t work like a World Series, we’ll have to wait for our next shot, so what can we do in that time to give us a better chance of hitting?

Those Super Bowl 50 odds (5-1 with most bookmakers) are based on our current context, in which Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner extensions are seemingly impending and there’s some more positive news about keeping Marshawn around. As unpredictable a character as Beast Mode is, I can’t imagine anyone wanting to end a very special time here on such a low note. We’ve got a legitimate shot at redemption in the home of our biggest rivals and the state where it all began for Marshawn (and continued in college), that has to be a motivating factor in hanging around.

Should Lynch stay and keep the core of a winning team together, then our status as favourites for Super Bowl L should be solidified up until the start of next season, regardless of draft grades and free agency acquisitions/losses. Byron Maxwell looks set to be our biggest loss in free agency, and whilst it wouldn’t be easy to replace him should he leave, we’ve got the best personnel to do it.

It's rare for consistently successful teams to find themselves in a realistic position to strengthen, but that’s exactly the situation the Seattle Seahawks find themselves in.

The loss of Byron Maxwell should make it conceivable that we not only keep Russell, Bobby and Marshawn, but that we can reward one or two more, like the ever-improving JR Sweezy; who has been the most consistent part of an offensive line lacking for it (consistency) over the past three seasons. JR’s already a solid RG in this league, and it’s not difficult to see him continue his growth well into a second contract. It would make sense to lock him up now before he can hit the market as a sought after free agent.

If Sweezy does get his extension, then we can probably expect to be quiet in free agency. I have no doubt we’ll retain a few guys on fairly cheap deals. Kevin Williams could be one of those hungry for another shot, he held up very well for a vet who was thrown into a larger role than anticipated (following Mebane’s injury), and he’d be valuable as part of a rotation next season, on a lower deal.

James Carpenter is an interesting one, personally I think we’ll struggle (or lack willing) to compete in the FA market and he could end up netting us a reasonable comp pick in 2016.

Jermaine Kearse is a guy who some are expecting to get second round tender treatment. The price for a second round tender jumped up almost $200,000 to the best part of $2.2m in 2014. A similar rise to about $2.4m or so would give us a pretty difficult decision to make with Jermaine, and while he’s made some vital plays over the last two seasons, he’s also cost us dearly from drops. It’s more likely we’ll keep him reluctantly at this price, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we tried to work out a lower (more progressive) deal, or even let him go. It might make sense to wait as late as possible on Kearse and try to find an FA bargain whilst monitoring Paul Richardson’s rehab. A near-miraculous recovery from P-Rich should see him leap Kearse on the depth chart next season, and some acquisitions in the draft/fa might see Kearse become more expendable than he currently appears.

One of the biggest takeaways following that fateful interception was that at the end of the game, with the Super Bowl on the line, we went to Ricardo Lockette, a 28 year old former UDFA who has less than 500 career receiving yards and only 3TDs.

I’d be really surprised if we didn’t bring in at least a couple of receivers for next season. Kevin Norwood’s got a huge off-season/pre-season ahead of him as a sophomore receiver who turns 26. If he’s got what it takes, he needs to start showing it.

Here’s a couple of potential bigger draft targets who could become real contributors with us at the next level…

DeAndre Smelter

[youtube]o4F9XJ0Wua0[/youtube]

If you follow the draft forum you’ll have seen me shamelessly plugging this dude for a while. Reportedly 6,3 ad 225lbs I am never anything but impressed by him. He switched from Baseball a couple of years ago though already looks one of the more accomplished receivers in the draft.

He’s got great burst, clearly a very powerful athlete. He can box guys out, run by them, high point the football, catch it in traffic, and his blend of strength and speed give him some unique YAC ability. I just can’t see too many scenarios where he isn’t a solid contributor at the next level - he’d have to end up somewhere like the 49ers or Jets.

His power gives him an advantage against the press (good luck jamming him), but he’s no slouch either, running solid routes and blowing past guys out of his breaks. Opposing defenses will just have to respect him, and that’s vital when they’re focused on stacking the box and stopping the best running back in the league.

This offense could hit another level with a couple of shrewd additions, some people dismiss the need for a #1 receiver on this offense, and whilst it’s true that it would be near impossible for a guy to put up Calvin Johnson/Demaryius Thomas numbers, just having a guy that required some double coverage/a little more respect (ala Sidney Rice) would be huge. It would open up space and opportunities for us to make the most of some mismatches. If we achieved this then 19-0 talk could have some legitimacy.

The bad news is that Smelter tore his ACL toward the end of last year. Had he not got injured I’d have been fully on board with drafting him with our first pick (via a trade back, even though most still had him pinned him as 3rd-5th round prospect). As it is teams probably wont be looking to touch him in the first couple of days. If we landed him with one of our 4ths I’d go through the roof. I just think he’ll be a really useful player at the next level.

Jaelen Strong

[youtube]PsNC4B-OaFY[/youtube]

Previously thought of as a first round lock, Strong’s been dropping pretty quickly of late, some suggesting he could still be there on the second day.

He’s a smart football player and a pretty natural athlete, his triple jump and long jump background lends itself to explosiveness and it shows up in his play. He’s shifty enough to play the slot with success but at 6,3 he’s a guy that profiles better on the outside at the next level, especially with his ability to win jump balls.

High points the ball well, pretty effortless athlete with solid hands (you’ll see a few lapses, maybe because he plays so loose/relaxed). I’d previously likened him to a Jermaine Kearse who can catch, but he’s better than that. A better comp might be Jordan Matthews. I wasn’t high on Matthews because of his inability to gain consistent separation. While Matthews landed in a great situation to counter that through Philly’s offense, I think Strong’s a little better than Matthews at gaining separation, and he looks every bit as reliable.

Strong could give us what we’ve missed from Sidney Rice. Other than being that taller, redzone, jump ball threat who could run a crisp route, Sidney Rice was a smart football player who knew how to win his battles. I think Strong has the ability to be a similar guy for us.

I don’t actually think he’ll ever be a superstar, Sidney Rice wasn’t. But Sidney was a reliable player who could lead the team in yards and TDs and I think Jaelen Strong could offer the same. I think he’s probably as close to an immediate contributor as we’re going to get from this draft in terms of a bigger receiver (outside Smelter, honestly). There’s plenty of others to like, but they come with more risk. I think he could be had via trade back (I think a sub-standard combine could confirm that).

Dorial Green Beckham could be the best receiver to come out the draft, and I’d be surprised if we didn’t have at least one shot at him, but not only are there questionmarks over his character, but he hasn’t played football in over a year. I think we’ll save the boom/bust picks for later in the draft, we need as close as you can get to a lock contributor, I’m not sure Green-Beckham would give us that.

Devante Davis, Dezmin Lewis and Devin Funchess all provide plenty of intrigue. Davis and Lewis will go later than Funchess, though I probably like them more at this stage. I wouldn’t be against drafting either one of them with one of our 4ths, and whilst he’s got some star potential, like Green-Beckham, it’s hard to be confident that Funchess can do the business.

For what it’s worth I’d be happy if we do take Funchess or Green-Beckham early, I trust this FO, and it would mean that they believe in them (Funchess/Green-Beckham).

In an ideal world, we’d somehow get Larry Fitzgerald, Vincent Jackson or Brandon Marshall here on the cheap. Though a move like that would probably need Russell to work his contract favourably with a high guarantee, back-loaded deal (I trust he'll work out the contract for himself and the team). I don’t think it’s impossible that we could land one of those guys, just slightly improbable it this stage. All will become a lot clearer once we get the details of his and Bobby’s deals, hopefully they come soon.

A guy like Justin Blackmon probably isn’t completely out of the question if we feel he’s turned his life round either. He wouldn’t cost a whole lot more than what it would to stick a second round tender on Kearse, and if he’s right, he’s the much better player and would instantly improve our offense.

Mike Williams is also out there, I doubt any team is going to throw much money at him. It will probably be the case of a one year prove it deal. There’s worse places to come than Seattle, and even though our receivers may not put up the big numbers, it’s a sought after environment for a lot of players, and a successful one.

Assuming Vincent Jackson, Brandon Marshall and Larry Fitzgerald were watching the Super Bowl, do you know what I think their take away would have been? - ‘Who the hell is Chris Matthews and look what Russell Wilson can do with him’.

As painful as the Super Bowl experience was, Russell’s utilization of Chris Matthews certainly didn’t hinder our chances of appealing to a bigger target.

I wouldn’t at all be surprised if we made a play for one of Williams, Blackmon, Jackson, Fitzgerald or Marshall. In fact, I kind of expect it if we felt the opportunity was there. All would improve this offense pretty dramatically in my opinion.

Another area we'll be looking to in the draft is the O-line. Not only could we struggle to keep hold of James Carpenter, but our depth beyond Alvin Bailey at the tackle and guard positions are lacking. A recipe for disaster when our offensive line have struggled for health and consistency since Russell Wilson’s been behind center.

Bailey looks like he’ll be Carpenter’s replacement at left guard should we lose him in free agency, and whilst he’s been inconsistent, I don’t see a big drop off from Carpenter. Pete has criticized Bailey’s weight, and for a team with a competitive ethos, there’s far too little on the O-line. We could end up with eleven picks in May, and potentially seven in the first four rounds. It’s not difficult to see us spending at least two picks on guys we feel will be starters in a year or two (and perhaps one immediately).

For as solid as he was in the run game, Justin Britt has to be better at protecting the man who looks set to be the NFL’s biggest ever investment next season - Russell Wilson. Bailey looked mostly horrible at RT against Green Bay in the NFCCG, and looks more at home at guard. With Okung’s contract ending next year, it makes sense to look for a swing tackle who can push both Okung and Britt, as well as spell them if need be. If Bailey’s not going to be committed to losing weight, then this future tackle might be broken it at left guard.

La’el Collins flashes the kind of dominance that could lead see him one day become a perennial pro bowler. You’d have to think Tom Cable would love a shot at molding him into something special. We might not get the chance though as this is a difficult O-line class to grade, some have Collins as a top 15 pick, some having falling. If he doesn’t fall to 31, then it means another guy will. Thankfully, this looks like a pretty solid O-line class in terms of potential, even if it’s missing those 2/3 top tier guys.

[youtube]3JnwumY_QFM[/youtube]

TJ Clemmings had a poor senior bowl by most accounts, but are we going to ignore a fantastic season for a poor week against some of the best athletes in college football? Some will, I expect most wont.

Here's him conceding nothing to Danny Shelton... [youtube]uz9p-G7ZfmU[/youtube]

A D-line convert a couple of years ago Clemmings makes too much sense as a Tom Cable pick. He can be an ass kicker in the run game and likes to punish guys. I bet he could play left guard, which we might need, but he ultimately projects as a RT who could develop into an LT. Many had Clemmings going early before the Senior Bowl, I was less convinced. It’s conceivable that one of Clemmings or Colliins could fall to us.

If they don’t, there’s enough value there for us to get the right guy if we play it right. Ereck Flowers, Cam Erving, Ty Sambrailo, Jake Fisher, Donavan Smith, Rob Havenstein and Jeremiah Poutasi would all have me more excited than Justin Britt did last year. Havenstein, Smith and Poutasi could potentially provide nice value at the end of the second day.

It will be interesting to see what becomes of Garrett Scott. He stuck around with the team this year and was optimistic of his heart condition alleviating enough for him to be able to play. I suspect we may have heard some news by now but it’s less than 8 months since it was diagnosed so I’m sure there’s still some hope.

Cornerback became a need when it started to become apparent that Byron was likely leaving. Throughout the season it looked like Simon would be the automatic starter in his place next season but over the past month he’s really struggled and left some doubt.

It’s probably a little unfair to doubt him given his injury plus the difficult matchups he faced. Kelvin Benjamin was always going to be tough, and playing in the middle against Edleman and Amendola isn't a matchup for him to thrive. He did flash his ability with that pass breakup in the endzone, but still, it's not like he's been able to consistently stay healthy.

Meanwhile, Jeremy Lane requires some major surgery by the sounds of it which adds an element of doubt about his readiness for pre-season. Marcus Burley should benefit from a full pre-season with the team, but behind him we’re looking thin. I know Shead offers some versatility at corner and safety but we’ve not seen enough to be confident in him starting on the outside if Simon goes down (he's also a free agent I believe). I don’t think anyone’s realistically expecting much from Eric Pinkins.

Ideally we’re looking for a guy who can come in and start for us if needed, and whilst this doesn’t look like the best class in terms of corners, I think there might be a couple of guys who could help us out.

One of them is Quinten Rollins. He was pegged as a late round pick a few months back but has seen his stock soar with impressive performances for Miami (Ohio) and at the Senior Bowl. An enviable athlete, Rollins is a natural. A heralded point guard at Miami, he thought he’d try football with his final year of eligibility. He stuck, and in 2014 recorded 73 tackles, seven interceptions and nine pass breakups. Some people are now mocking him in the first round, which seems mad for a guy who played one year at cornerback. But he’s really, really good, and it wouldn’t shock me if he did end up in the first. I don’t think he will though, he’s probably a second round guy.

[youtube]eCHLLwLY7fs[/youtube]

His arms measured really short at the Senior Bowl, like less than 30” short, but you just can’t help but be impressed with this guy's play. He could have 25” arms and probably find a way for it to work. One of the most natural athletes I’ve ever seen, I just think he could be a day one starter and be good for a long, long time. He’s ‘only’ 5,11 but he’s physical with it, more than Lane or Burley I’d say. I doubt he blows up the combine, but he looks pretty explosive on tape, I’d bet his jumps/splits reflect that even if the overall 40 time doesn’t.

Again, going in the 1st round would kind of defy conventional thinking. I think people would want to see a larger sample size and certain measurables. Still, I’d be surprised if he made it to the 3rd.

Another guy to watch is Tony Lippett. I was actually pretty high on him as a receiver in the later rounds but it seems that he might like his chances more in the pros as a cornerback (where he originally started before switching to receiver as a sophomore).

Pretty identical measurables to Richard Sherman coming out (Both 6,3 though I expect Lippett to add the extra weight), their athleticism is comparable too.

I don’t think his stock is going to be much different whether teams see him as a WR or a Cornerback. I think you draft him in the 5th as a very useful football player and see where he sticks. Obviously you’re not going to draft him to start at cornerback straight away, but he’s got all the tools we like when we go about developing a player.

[youtube]leS7fBIACnM[/youtube]

When you look at the struggles from our interior defense vs the run and the pass it’s hard not to think that we could do with an all down DT. Michael Bennett saw more snaps than we probably envisioned at the start of the season, and Kevin Williams certainly did. However, when you take out the unlucky number of injuries we had at DT, then we might not be talking about it as a need.

Jordan Hill took advantage of his limited reps and showed us plenty of ability before going down and unfortunately we didn’t have anybody to replace his production. He should be ready to go next season along with Brandon Mebane, already making things look a little rosier.

Cassius Marsh was a guy that the staff had been very excited about before going down, it’ll cool to get him back and see what he can do next year. Greg Scruggs becomes a free agent and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him back on a really low deal. He’s a really likeable dude who deserves a break, it would be good to see what he can do with one more (fully healthy) pre-season behind him. Maybe Jesse Williams will emerge too? Stranger things have happened.

We’ve also had some excellent value out of free agent D-linemen under PC and JS, who’s to say we wont continue to. Given how solid (if unspectacular) we were with the injuries we suffered, it’s hard to see us getting any worse at the position when we get guys back, even with the loss of Dan Quinn.

Regardless, taking a couple of DTs in the draft/UDFA would be smart, but I don’t think it’s as pressing a need as some others. A DT can probably wait until the third day.

I wouldn’t mind seeing us take a DE early in the draft, but we may have more pressing needs. I really do think that Kevin Pierre-Louis’s emergence before he got injured was really exciting. Having a guy with that kind of speed and potential as a linebacker could allow us to do some cool things, including allowing Bruce rush the passer more. He could be a star in this defense going forward.

If we do consider DE then Eli Harold screams Seahawk. Athletic freak, will probably be among the top of the sparq charts. Competitive character who's overcome some adversity in his life. Has over 100 tackles and 15.5 sacks in two seasons as a starter at Virginia.

[youtube]Ba8WsoHzfAg[/youtube]

Preston Smith is a guy I could really get behind drafting too. At 6,5 270lbs he does some things on tape that make my jaw drop. Can eat up and blow through double teams in a Michael Bennettesque manner, and like Bennett you can put him anywhere along the line but he actually looks more effective inside. Really strong too, just a very powerful man. Some have him falling to the third, I hope we’d be all over that.

[youtube]eHTrpaN72tI[/youtube]

In conclusion

I’ve missed out plenty of positions, but wanted to highlight some areas and list some guys who I think could take this team to the next level.

I know a lot of people see a pass catching TE as a need but I’m not completely convinced the right guy is there, and as much as I like Maxx Williams, I think he’d probably be a 3rd round pick in many other drafts. We don’t throw to the middle of the field a lot either, and whilst it’s probably because a lot of teams stack the middle with the threat of Lynch, I think Wilson’s height plays a part too.

I’ve seen some suggesting we cut Miller to save money, but that seems crazy to me. He’s a Top 5 all-round TE in this league and cutting him would save us less than $2.4m. He did us a huge favour with his restructure, I’d rather we looked to extend him for a couple of years at a similar salary to what he’s currently on ($3.39m). Before this year he had missed five games in his seven years in the league.

A healthy Zach Miller will be a massive boost to this offense, it’s terrifying to think how good we could be with the right additions next season. We’re already set up to be pretty scary as we are. Throw in eleven draft picks (potentially seven in the first four rounds) and there’s an awful lot to be excited about.

Can’t wait for us to start doing business, this team looks set to be dominant for a long time.

XOXO

Tokadub
 

Recon_Hawk

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I agree with a ton of what you wrote.

One of the bigger things I'm not sold on in reading your post is Zach Miller being is valuable enough to extend. He is a solid "all around" tight end, but there are 10 maybe 15 tight ends I would prefer over him in their overall game.

Zach's never been a speed guy who can separate over the middle or down the seam. I think that's adds to Wilson not throwing over the middle much. Add in a foot injury, I'd be concerned counting on him to be anything more than a short yardage, possession tight end.

John Schneider has talked about his willingness and need to play younger guys. Re-signing Miller doesn't fit with that strategy. With the development of Willson and upside of a healthy Moekie, If they find a talented rookie I think they can deal with growing pains. That said, keeping Miller around for his last year of his contract would be ideal, IMO. Let the rookie develop as the #2/#3 until next year when he can take over.

I'm curious if you have thoughts on Clive Walford out of Miami?

In regards with the defensive line, one thing that has stood out to me is that because this group is pretty good when healthy, Pete and John don't have to reach to find a specific type of player to fit into a certain role. I think instead they can find value in drafting a player who is special in his own ways and find a role that fits that skill set.

Lot of more thoughts but I'll leave it at that. Great post.
 
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SomersetHawk

SomersetHawk

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Recon_Hawk":3tizjzfs said:
One of the bigger things I'm not sold on in reading your post is Zach Miller being is valuable enough to extend. He is a solid "all around" tight end, but there are 10 maybe 15 tight ends I would prefer over him in their overall game.

Zach's never been a speed guy who can separate over the middle or down the seam. I think that's adds to Wilson not throwing over the middle much. Add in a foot injury, I'd be concerned counting on him to be anything more than a short yardage, possession tight end.

John Schneider has talked about his willingness and need to play younger guys. Re-signing Miller doesn't fit with that strategy. With the development of Willson and upside of a healthy Moekie, If they find a talented rookie I think they can deal with growing pains. That said, keeping Miller around for his last year of his contract would be ideal, IMO. Let the rookie develop as the #2/#3 until next year when he can take over.

I'm curious if you have thoughts on Clive Walford out of Miami?

In regards with the defensive line, one thing that has stood out to me is that because this group is pretty good when healthy, Pete and John don't have to reach to find a specific type of player to fit into a certain role. I think instead they can find value in drafting a player who is special in his own ways and find a role that fits that skill set.

Lot of more thoughts but I'll leave it at that. Great post.

I think I'd struggle to name ten guys who have a better 'overall' game than Zach Miller, and if I could I'd bet at least eight of them were on more money.

I just think Zach's a much more valuable player than many people see. Not only is he one of the best blocking TEs in the NFL, and our best blocker, but he easily has the most reliable hands of our TEs and possibly out of all our guys catching passes... He's just a really useful, reliable player.

He runs the seam as well as any of our TEs imo, and what he lacks in Luke Willson's speed, he makes up for it in smarts and everything else. Our coaches frequently gush over him and Pete lamented his injury because he knew how costly it was.

A healthy Zach Miller guarantees you about 40 catches over a season (and postseason) with 4/5 TDs. He also has the ability to go off in the odd game (think Atlanta 2012). Not only that, but as stated he's a smart blocker.

I don't see a player in this draft who can replace that, and there's certainly not one in FA who will be available at the price. I just think we have an opportunity to lock up a really solid guy at a low rate for a couple more years. Zach will still be 29 at the start of the season, TEs can play long into their 30s, especially the smart ones who don't rely on speed. As I said Zach missed five games in seven seasons prior to 2014, maybe injuries are starting to catch up with him, but it's not like we need to risk a lot of money here, we could convert all of next years salary into guaranteed money and extend him on a deal that allows us to get out should injury problems rear their head again. I think that's a deal that would make a lot of sense for both parties.


I don't actually mind Walford, but I'm not excited by him. His blocking's better than he gets credit for and his speed is enough to be a factor at the college level. He actually reminds me of Anthony McCoy quite a bit, maybe that's a horrible comparison, I dunno. He's faster than McCoy and looks to have better hands, but the tape looks pretty similar to my eye (though Walford has a bigger sample size).

My issue with drafting him would be that you can't be confident he'll even be the #2 TE on our team next year and if we wanted him our only chance of doing so would be with our first couple of picks when there's much better value to be had elsewhere at other positions. Is his mismatch speed going to be as much of a factor at the next level? Unlikely.

I see a 3rd/4th round prospect in other drafts. I'd love to be convinced otherwise though...

Now a TE I'd really like to us draft late and develop into a mismatch nightmare is Jesse James. He's 6,7 (supposedly) but could use some of Gronk's HGH Programme as that height equates to a little over 250lbs.

[youtube]66TvH_cE_bQ[/youtube]

Get that boy into a professional setup with proper strength and conditioning and watch him become a man, he supposedly already benches 225lbs 27 times over but looks like he could add 10lbs or so of good weight.

Problem is, in such a weak class some have him going in the third as the third best TE behind Williams and Walford. Feels like this guy makes it to the third day in nine drafts out of ten, but it's not guaranteed this time (probably part of the reason he declared as a Jr). Totally unconvinced he warrants a day two pick, but with one of our fourths/fifths count me in.
 

Seanhawk

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I'm very intrigued by Smelter as a long term solution. I say long term because it sounds like he could miss a good portion of the season with the ACL injury. Even if he doesn't, I wouldn't expect much in 2015 out of a rookie WO who misses out on valuable mini-camp, training camp, and pre-season reps.

That being said, he reminds me a lot of Golden Tate. Being quite a bit bigger than Golden is obviously a plus too. And coming out of that Georgia Tech offense, he is going to be used to run heavy scheme and I would expect that he is a willing blocker.
 

Ruminator

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SomersetHawk":148ckpi5 said:
One of them is Quinten Rollins...

Rollins looks like the kind of guy Schneider would consider. Great nose for where the ball is at all times, an impressive ability to out-position the receiver and disrupt the pass if not snag it, and more than capable of delivering punishing hits. He's like a cross between Sherman and Chancellor. I think he'll do very well in the NFL.
 
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SomersetHawk

SomersetHawk

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Seanhawk":2pp4s6du said:
I'm very intrigued by Smelter as a long term solution. I say long term because it sounds like he could miss a good portion of the season with the ACL injury. Even if he doesn't, I wouldn't expect much in 2015 out of a rookie WO who misses out on valuable mini-camp, training camp, and pre-season reps.

That being said, he reminds me a lot of Golden Tate. Being quite a bit bigger than Golden is obviously a plus too. And coming out of that Georgia Tech offense, he is going to be used to run heavy scheme and I would expect that he is a willing blocker.

I think if PC and JS were to write down their desired traits in a wide receiver, Smelter would tick as many as anyone in this draft.

Big, fast, physical, can own the red line, all the tools to be a dominant blocker at the next level, reliable, eats up a cushion in a hurry and explodes out of his breaks but it you want to want to press him/play a little closer then he can overpower and run by you, he's just been a matchup nightmare at the college level and carried that passing offense (at one point before he went down he was putting up half of their receiving yards).

I think he's everything and more we wanted from Chris Harper, and possibly some of what we expected from Norwood this year. He doesn't look 6,3 but he's so physically big it's hard to guess his height. Comparatively I see some Dwayne Bowe (early years) and maybe a little Mike Williams (Buccs, Bills).

As for the injury, it's conceivable to think he could be ready by late June, and I think he could contribute immediately. It will definitely affect his stock, but I'd love to nab him in the 4th.

Tre McBride's another guy to keep an eye on, I expect we'll really like him.

[youtube]YCoJA9NIrHk[/youtube]


Ruminator":2pp4s6du said:
SomersetHawk":2pp4s6du said:
One of them is Quinten Rollins...

Rollins looks like the kind of guy Schneider would consider. Great nose for where the ball is at all times, an impressive ability to out-position the receiver and disrupt the pass if not snag it, and more than capable of delivering punishing hits. He's like a cross between Sherman and Chancellor. I think he'll do very well in the NFL.

Yep, I think he'll be a really good player at the next level. Imo the perfect corner when you've got QBs avoiding Sherman. He'll make the most of those opportunities, whereas I'm not convinced Simon will.
 
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