Most know that we have a few holes to fill this offseason and our team generally builds through the draft. So using realistic projections (+ or - 10 pick in most mocks) for our 1st round pick which player offers the biggest upgrade immediatly?

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Beastquake with epic commentary
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Tate is the best WR we have

Really? I like Rice and Baldwin more. Tate is very undersized and slow for an outside WR. Makes some great catches but he doesn't draw any special coverage. JS & PC like special guys, adding anytype of dynamic game changing player that teams have to focus on would be a logical direction. Either adding size or speed to WR/TE would take a ton of pressure off Rice and Miller.

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Beastquake with epic commentary
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Great poll. Are you counting rookie salary as part of the upgrade over a veteran or is this just purely on skill?

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Salary should not be considered, it is simply which potential 1st round player offers the seahawks the biggest upgrade over the projected starter in 2013. At DT I projected Branch because I feel very stongly he will be resigned, if he is not the it's because we went all out and Signed a more premier DT and in that case the hole is filled and a DT in the first wouldn't make too much sense.

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I picked "DT Short/Williams vs Branch".

The primary reason I went this way is to not look at Branch simply as a DT but to look at him as a 3tech DT. To use the JS way to rate/draft the players I'd put Branch as a DT around say 75 in rating but as a 3 tech that drops off to about 65. In my mind Kawann Short gives a big upgrade in the 3tech (potential mid 80's).

The OLB role however is tricky. Malcolm Smith has shown to be competent, it's hard to rate but I'd put him around the 65 mark as well simply from his limited game time, the OLB's at the end of the first I rate around the 80 mark but going into the end of the second round there's not a huge drop off and I'd only rate them a few points lower than Ogeltree and Greene and in certain cases (Chase Thomas) actually rated higher.

Great post and poll however, real food for thought

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Perhaps I'm just a sucker for Andre Hopkins, but I would love to see him in a Seahawks uniform. I have that odd gut feeling that he is going to be a playmaker, and people will ask themselves how this guy ever fell to the 2nd - 3rd round.

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To be honest I think I think that Fluker would be a significant upgrade over Giacomini. By next SEPT he'll be 28 years old and he's at best a C+ player. Fluker's ceiling would be much higher. We might take a step back this year, but looking at the long term it would be a big upgrade.

I don't think the gap between Smith and anyone we draft won't be significant. Infact I thought Smith played pretty darm well as a 2nd year player. I think he experience going into this offseason will make a drafted player edge marginal at best.

Where I think this exercise breaks down is comparing Tate- vs Hopkins/Allen. I really want Hopkins, but I with WR's this comparision game doesn't work. Seattle uses a lot of different WR sets. You might see Tate and Rice, or Tate, Rice, Baldwin, Or Baldwin and RIce. It's much more fluid than say what we at the LBing Corps or Secondary. So I think the real question is

Does Hopkins/Allen present a significan upgrade over -- Charly Martin, Jermaine Kearse, Phil Bates.. That answer should be a resounding YES!!! So in that case I'd definately take a WR in the first few rounds as it would improve our depth significantly and would allow him to works his way into the rotation and perhaps contribute on special Teams.

I'd go Greene over Smith, though Fluker would probably be a big upgrade over Breno in the long run.

I like Smith as a nickle LB with good closing speed and coverage but with Greene, Ogletree, or even Arthur Brown, you have a LB that can play all 3 downs and challenge to be leading the team in tackles.

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I picked Hopkins over Tate not because I dislike Tate or think he needs to be replaced, but because of how much I love Hopkins and want him to be drafted!

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I had to go with Ertz/Eiffert over McCoy (and then Ogletree/Greene over Smith). IMO, when you're talking about drafting a first round pick over a backup player, it's going to be more of an upgrade immediately then it would be a player already starting.

Now, that's not to say Ertz/Eiffert would have more of an impact on the team than upgrading (even slightly) one of the veterans on that list. A DT or WR could very well take an already great team to the next level. I'm not sure replacing a backup TE, by himself, does that.

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I don't think Eifert or Ertz give us anything that Miller doesn't already do in spades. At that position we are looking for a Winslow type player . . . A seam stretching receiving TE who can make plays downfield. the top two guys are like Miller . . . Steady, reliable outlet targets, but not game breakers.

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Ogletree would be a dream in my opinion. If Green was the only option, I would have went Fluker. I think Ogletree, Wags, and Wright would be fantastic...

McGruff, I agree Ertz and Eiffert are similar to Miller and we are more likely to go with a guy like Josh Reed later on, but this was more of what we could do at #25. And TE is an option just not that strong of one it seems.

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Ogletree was the highest projected player I listed, there is only about a 10% chance he makes it to #25 but you never know if he runs a little slower than projected crazier things have happened. OLB's are not in high demand and with the pass rushing hybrid guys like Ansha, Jordan, Montgomery, and a few others it might not be that big of a surprise.

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Hopkins. I liked last year's DT options a lot more (was a huge fan of Derek Wolfe, who had 6 sacks as a rookie). Jordan Hill is probably my highest rated 3-tech option right now, and he's likely to be a 3rd or 4th rounder.

Branch/Jones are hardly dogfood. Upgrade from Hopkins/Baldwin is pretty big. I'm not even totally sure that Sly Williams is an upgrade over Alan Branch, or Kawaan Short over a healthy Jason Jones.

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"I believe there’s merit to the idea that once something in life becomes conventional, it’s no longer the safest path to success." -Matt Waldman
"If everyone's thinking alike, no one's thinking." -Bill Walsh

The TE I want the Hawks to get already plays in Seattle!

All the people picking Fluker haven't seen him cope against a speed rush then? He'll be a good guard at the next level, but he's going to struggle as much as any other 355lbs tackle against speed off the edge.

if the hawks select a rt in the draft I hope it is Ricky Wagner from Wisc.

I haven't watched him at all, but I worry about his athletic ability to get to the second level, especially with the zone read which requires the RT to take on speedy OLB in space.

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I got passion for my Hawks and I ain't afraid to show it