Great article on Lockett

Lockett will be the next big Seahawks star IMO. Guy has the perfect mix of competitive drive, athleticism, discipline, and production. I predict a huge rookie year from him both as a returner on ST and more surprisingly as a clutch WR on third downs.

I agree. Should be a fun year with the addition of Graham and Lockett.

Yup, should be fun to watch him and Graham. Hopefully they don't throw him away like they did with Tate.....

Tate was a diva, Lockett is a lunch pail guy.

I'm getting more and more excited about this pick. I know PC said he'd "backup" Doug, but I hope they can give him a go on the outside. With his footwork, route running, and shiftiness, I think he could create some space for himself on the outside. My only disappointment would be that Richardson isn't healthy. I look for our 2nd year WR's to make significant progress-- Norwood, Matthews, Richardson. I'm hoping that Lockett can be more of a positive force at WR than Bryan Walters was last year-- whose only redeeming quality was to fair catch punts.

jlwaters1":29tlifll said:

I'm getting more and more excited about this pick. I know PC said he'd "backup" Doug, but I hope they can give him a go on the outside. With his footwork, route running, and shiftiness, I think he could create some space for himself on the outside. My only disappointment would be that Richardson isn't healthy. I look for our 2nd year WR's to make significant progress-- Norwood, Matthews, Richardson. I'm hoping that Lockett can be more of a positive force at WR than Bryan Walters was last year-- whose only redeeming quality was to fair catch punts.

Click to expand...

Doug has been an outside receiver for the last 2 years. He moves into the slot in 3 wide sets, but he plays outside the rest of the time.

I believe Lockett will start the season backing up Baldwin, but will soon become a starter, probably at another WR subposition, leaving Baldwin starting in the slot. Some have said that Baldwin is a top five NFL slot receiver, and that is too good not to start, so I think Lockett will displace another starter. But not Jimmy Graham.

I think Graham, Lockett, and Baldwin will be our top three receivers, in that order, when the season starts.

Graham is not a receiver. He's a TE. And while he might flex out occasionally, he's not going to play receiver as a regular position. I think Darrell and Pete have learned from Harvin that you don't alter your philosophy and identity to cater to one player. Graham will play mostly in line, and occasionally flex out to the slot or flanker, like we have occasionally done with Wilson and even Lynch.

Perhaps, but I think that he is functionally a receiver, and only nominally a tight end. Supporting this interpretation, he sued the Saints over this very issue, who took your viewpoint, and won in court. That suit was about his income. However, IIRC, he was deployed as a receiver, in a noon blocking position, two thirds of the time by the saints.

Our discussion is about concepts, and the deployment of receiving assets during games. For me, it is easier to group passing targets into one functional group, which I call receivers. This makes particular sense on plays when only one tight end is deployed.

Anyhow, I don't think it makes sense fighting over word definitions. If you want to exclude Graham, then I think out top two will be Lockett and Baldwin, in that order, when the season begins, or pretty soon after that, injuries excepted.

McGruff":2r47vuy2 said:

Graham is not a receiver. He's a TE. And while he might flex out occasionally, he's not going to play receiver as a regular position. I think Darrell and Pete have learned from Harvin that you don't alter your philosophy and identity to cater to one player. Graham will play mostly in line, and occasionally flex out to the slot or flanker, like we have occasionally done with Wilson and even Lynch.

Click to expand...

TE's are starting to play alot more WRs, all about mismatch.

This is an article about his 2013 season.

"According to ESPN Stats & Information, Graham lined up 291 times this year as an in-line tight end (33 percent). He lined up 395 times in the slot (45 percent). And he lined up 191 times out wide (22 percent). Pro Football Focus had almost the exact same numbers (290, 396 and 191).

Graham's agent Jimmy Sexton would likely argue that Graham should be labeled as a receiver since he spent 67 percent of his snaps lined up in traditional receiver positions.

Breaking it down further, Graham led all tight ends in routes run while lined up out wide (133, with Gonzalez at 98). However, Graham ranked seventh among all tight ends in routes run from the slot."

Source: https://www.teamrankings.com/nfl/stat/o ... s-per-game

It's going to be really fun to watch the development of Lockett especially the development of his relationship with Russell.

Lockett has been described as having an incredible understanding and knowledge of the game. He's said to be a relentlessly hard worker, a film study junkie, and a guy willing to put in the extra work to be great. In many of his interviews he describes how his preparation before the game and his film study allowed him to formulate a plan on how to beat his opponent and how to best help his team win the game.

I have a theory on the Harvin experiment. The problem with the Harvin fiasco was that in the limited times he played in 2013 he was used as a regular WR but then he was getting hit hard and then injured. Then in 2014 I think the FO had buyers remorse, they couldn't use him on regular WR plays that would get him blown up so they decided to alter their game plans to have nothing but jet sweep, screens, etc. This was to limit his injuries, seeing that it wasn't worth paying for damaged goods they traded him off. In doing so the Jets used him regularly and he ended up injured during that season. I know alot of people were saying it was because of Harvin not knowing our route tree, but how is that possible when Bevell was his Offensive Coordinator in Minnesota and all of a sudden didn't know how to use Harvin? Also about his diva attitude and locker room issues which probably is true, but since Harvin punched Baldwin then why did he retweeted one of Baldwin's comments.

This year is telling for Bevell I hope he learned from last year, and uses Graham the way he should be used. He wouldn't have to alter the game-plays really. In Player B, just replace him with Graham and let him do his thing.

I keep reminding myself to temper my enthusiasm about this kid. WR's take time to grow in the NFL (usually) but I think he'll have an impact as a PR/KR right away.

But, after watching a fair amount of his game tape...damn! Did you see some of the moves he put on DB's while running at full speed? Wow.

theincrediblesok":2gkvdj8c said:

McGruff":2gkvdj8c said:

Graham is not a receiver. He's a TE. And while he might flex out occasionally, he's not going to play receiver as a regular position. I think Darrell and Pete have learned from Harvin that you don't alter your philosophy and identity to cater to one player. Graham will play mostly in line, and occasionally flex out to the slot or flanker, like we have occasionally done with Wilson and even Lynch.

Click to expand...

TE's are starting to play alot more WRs, all about mismatch.

This is an article about his 2013 season.

"According to ESPN Stats & Information, Graham lined up 291 times this year as an in-line tight end (33 percent). He lined up 395 times in the slot (45 percent). And he lined up 191 times out wide (22 percent). Pro Football Focus had almost the exact same numbers (290, 396 and 191).

Graham's agent Jimmy Sexton would likely argue that Graham should be labeled as a receiver since he spent 67 percent of his snaps lined up in traditional receiver positions.

Breaking it down further, Graham led all tight ends in routes run while lined up out wide (133, with Gonzalez at 98). However, Graham ranked seventh among all tight ends in routes run from the slot."

Source: https://www.teamrankings.com/nfl/stat/o ... s-per-game

Click to expand...

Why is what his former team did in previous seasons pertinent to what Seattle does next season?

My point is that Seattle will use him how Seattle has always used TE's. They will flex him out, but by and large I expect them to use him in line . . . not as a blocker predominantly, but still in line.

McGruff":1f7te4ve said:

theincrediblesok":1f7te4ve said:

McGruff":1f7te4ve said:

Graham is not a receiver. He's a TE. And while he might flex out occasionally, he's not going to play receiver as a regular position. I think Darrell and Pete have learned from Harvin that you don't alter your philosophy and identity to cater to one player. Graham will play mostly in line, and occasionally flex out to the slot or flanker, like we have occasionally done with Wilson and even Lynch.

Click to expand...

TE's are starting to play alot more WRs, all about mismatch.

This is an article about his 2013 season.

"According to ESPN Stats & Information, Graham lined up 291 times this year as an in-line tight end (33 percent). He lined up 395 times in the slot (45 percent). And he lined up 191 times out wide (22 percent). Pro Football Focus had almost the exact same numbers (290, 396 and 191).

Graham's agent Jimmy Sexton would likely argue that Graham should be labeled as a receiver since he spent 67 percent of his snaps lined up in traditional receiver positions.

Breaking it down further, Graham led all tight ends in routes run while lined up out wide (133, with Gonzalez at 98). However, Graham ranked seventh among all tight ends in routes run from the slot."

Source: https://www.teamrankings.com/nfl/stat/o ... s-per-game

Click to expand...

Why is what his former team did in previous seasons pertinent to what Seattle does next season?

My point is that Seattle will use him how Seattle has always used TE's. They will flex him out, but by and large I expect them to use him in line . . . not as a blocker predominantly, but still in line.

Click to expand...

Oh he will block as well I was just saying Seahawks will also play to his strength, that's why I think they will line him out more as WR than TE. He will be moved around to get the best mismatch for him. It's better for him to be outside to take some pressure off the running play where Marshawn would do damaged right in the middle. As most people mention if he gets doubled team then we have to exploit that and we should by theory.

Agreed. So we have a difference in predictions here, which will add a little something to observing the games this year. Will the Hawks use Graham as they have previous tight ends, or will they break with that tradition, and deploy him in new ways. I predict the latter.

I think they should deploy him as far away from Marshawn as possible, in order to pull defenders as far away from Marshawn as possible. Make defenders choose between Graham and Marshawn.

Perhaps I am wrong, but doesn't this suggest deploying Graham out wide since we run Marshawn up the middle? Why would we want to line up Jimmy, with his TWO defenders, close to Marshawn? Jimmy playing inline can only block ONE defender at a time, but he can pull TWO defenders away from Marshawn at the same time.

Agreeing with incrediblesok above.

netskier":124781rt said:

Agreed. So we have a difference in predictions here, which will add a little something to observing the games this year. Will the Hawks use Graham as they have previous tight ends, or will they break with that tradition, and deploy him in new ways. I predict the latter.

I think they should deploy him as far away from Marshawn as possible, in order to pull defenders as far away from Marshawn as possible. Make defenders choose between Graham and Marshawn.

Perhaps I am wrong, but doesn't this suggest deploying Graham out wide since we run Marshawn up the middle? Why would we want to line up Jimmy, with his TWO defenders, close to Marshawn? Jimmy playing inline can only block ONE defender at a time, but he can pull TWO defenders away from Marshawn at the same time.

Click to expand...

This is what I've been predicting they will do, I mean I haven't watched football long, but if I can think of the strategy this way then wouldn't actual coaches think of the same idea. When we had Harvin as an RB it was easier for the already stacked box to get him or Marshawn. I think the coaches might of learned from that travesty. Having Lockett and Graham play out there and winning both of their routes would pull a total of 3 players out, I think this is why they took Lockett for that separation even if they aren't going to throw him the ball but the threat of him getting open will scare a Safety over the top. That's about 4 players not stacking the box. Marshawn will have a huge day, I think he could get 1800 yards this year if teams don't stack the box.