Football Gameplan's 2014 NFL Draft Grades - Seahawks

EmDiggy · Jun 5, 2014

http://footballgameplan.com/fgbps-2014-nfl-draft-grades-seattle-seahawks/

Good afternoon Hawk fans! Here's my '14 draft grades video for you guys

Enjoy!

Em

Ad Hawk · Jun 5, 2014

You're a brave man, Em, to give that low of a ranking based on PC/JS's overall success in past drafts even though questioned by many analysts at the time.

Thanks, as always, for posting here! I look forward to your work this upcoming year.

KiwiHawk · Jun 5, 2014

Your draft review leaves me unconvinced that you understand the philosophy behind the Seahawks' selections. The Seahawks look for certain key characteristics in players and select the guys who have those. There may have been players available with a broader range of skills, but the Seahawks selected the guy who has the most of the particular aspect they are looking for.

Many people don't understand Justin Britt, for example, but remember that we lost Breno Giacomini in free agency. We need that guy who plays mean - the enforcer on the o-line. It may draw the occasional flag, but that can be worked on. You can't work on passion - the guy either has it or he doesn't. Britt's also smart, which is a necessity in a multi-dimensional offense. Again, something you can't teach.

Maybe it's arrogance on the part of our coaching staff, and I'll grant that it doesn't always work, but they believe they can teach what needs to be taught to players who have what can't be taught, whether that's speed, size, work ethic, intelligence, or attitude.

Pete Carroll said before the draft that we didn't need anyone from the draft. We had enough team to start the season and pick off where we left last year without adding a single player. That means we had a perfect opportunity to take chances on higher-risk, higher-reward players because we didn't need to fill any gaps.

You comment that we didn't really address protecting Wilson all that well, but we do things to mitigate that lack of protection so it's not as pressing a need as it would be for a team with a less mobile QB.

The Seahawks didn't draft what they need, which is generally the yardstick by which a draft is measured. Instead, they draft who they want, and they pretty much got who they wanted.

hawknation2014 · Jun 5, 2014

[youtube]btD3L8SfkZQ[/youtube]

hawknation2014 · Jun 5, 2014

They give us a C+.

They like Richardson, Kevin Pierre-Louis, and undrafted Jackson Jeffcoat and Dion Bailey. I like those guys as well, although I'm not sure where Bailey fits in our defensive scheme.

For whatever reason, they have really underrated Justin Britt. He's a solid athlete who plays with nastiness. I think he will provide solid depth at RT and RG, which is what we needed.

They also like Cassius Marsh, but I think the jury is still out on him. Carroll wants Marsh to bulk up to 300 lbs, which he was earlier in his career at UCLA, to become an interior rusher. Dan Quinn has also talked about Marsh as an interior rusher. That's an interesting experiment; I'm curious to see how that will play out. There are so many young, talented defensive linemen on this roster with a lot to prove.

Jimmy Staten is a strong athlete, but he looks like just a guy on this roster. A similar player like Michael Brooks, who went undrafted last year, seems to have more upside and football intelligence than Staten.

Garrett Scott is a raw athlete who is dealing with a cardiovascular issue that will keep him out of action this season. His career is TBD until he gets his medical condition resolved. Garry Gilliam has taken what Scott's role would have been as the developmental option at LT.

It's too early to tell what to expect from Eric Pinkins and Kiero Small. Pinkins is a good athlete who they are trying to convert into a big corner. Small is a terrible athlete whose sheer hustle may overcome his physical limitations. Those are two more interesting experiments from this draft class.

Overall, I would give it a B+. I like WRs Richardson and Norwood, who is not mentioned. Britt gives them important OL depth. KPL is a great athlete who they hope to mold into a great player. Meanwhile, Marsh, Pinkins, and Small are projects that could pay off over time.

EmDiggy · Jun 5, 2014

Thanks gang! I always appreciate the feedback.

I'll take the wait and see approach about Britt because 'nastiness' and 'being an athlete' doesn't equate to being a good football player. I mean, you guys had that in Giacomini. Also why pick a guy in Scott that has that issue when you can get immediate returns on someone that's better I.E. James Hurst (UNC) who hurt his leg in the Bowl Game.

I hate to use the term but Norwood isn't a 'threat' so to speak, it's more along the lines of a Jericho Cotchery or Jason Avant. Having threats tend to dictate how you to play defense…decent guys just don't bring that element to the table.

BUT as always with these things…I could be wrong and would be the 1st to admit

hawknation2014 · Jun 5, 2014

EmDiggy":1rgqywrd said:
Thanks gang! I always appreciate the feedback.

I'll take the wait and see approach about Britt because 'nastiness' and 'being an athlete' doesn't equate to being a good football player. I mean, you guys had that in Giacomini. Also why pick a guy in Scott that has that issue when you can get immediate returns on someone that's better I.E. James Hurst (UNC) who hurt his leg in the Bowl Game.

I hate to use the term but Norwood isn't a 'threat' so to speak, it's more along the lines of a Jericho Cotchery or Jason Avant. Having threats tend to dictate how you to play defense…decent guys just don't bring that element to the table.

BUT as always with these things…I could be wrong and would be the 1st to admit

The big knock on Jerricho Cotchery and Jason Avant is that they lack the speed to create separation and threaten the defense downfield. But Norwood is a legit 4.4 receiver who also had one of the best 3-cone times at the combine (6.68). Other than size and length, Norwood has very little in common with those slower receivers.

Pandion Haliaetus · Jun 5, 2014

Wow... Football Gameplan needs to do a better job of scouting. Just horrible.

Richardson ranked #119 when everything I read including a lot of mocks labeled him a surefire 2nd round pick

Britt not ranked, and we learned after the draft, Britt wasn't going to make it out of the 3rd round. Even then many pegged him as a 4th to 5th round pick.

Norwood not ranked, ridiculous, that's a big failure to understand Alabama's system.

Both Cassius Marsh and KPL were ranked as 6th rounders, they most likely wouldn't have made it passed the 5th round.

Can't really argue about Staten, Scott, Pinkins, and Small... although I would want to see where you ranked Tardiff because sans the heart issues I felt Scott would have been better than LDT especially as an LT considering Scott had 4 years of experience starting and had the biggest SPARQ score out of all offensive linemen.

Bigpumpkin · Jun 5, 2014

Hey Em....me thinks that you ought to borrow Pete Carroll's spectacles. Those suckers are "magic"! He can see things that the average scout is unable to recognize. No disrespect...but I believe that his track record speaks pretty loudly.

Pandion Haliaetus · Jun 5, 2014

hawknation2014":1brh9str said:
EmDiggy":1brh9str said:

Thanks gang! I always appreciate the feedback.

I'll take the wait and see approach about Britt because 'nastiness' and 'being an athlete' doesn't equate to being a good football player. I mean, you guys had that in Giacomini. Also why pick a guy in Scott that has that issue when you can get immediate returns on someone that's better I.E. James Hurst (UNC) who hurt his leg in the Bowl Game.

I hate to use the term but Norwood isn't a 'threat' so to speak, it's more along the lines of a Jericho Cotchery or Jason Avant. Having threats tend to dictate how you to play defense…decent guys just don't bring that element to the table.

BUT as always with these things…I could be wrong and would be the 1st to admit

Click to expand...

The big knock on Jerricho Cotchery and Jason Avant is that they lack the speed to create separation and threaten the defense downfield. But Norwood is a legit 4.4 receiver who also had one of the best 3-cone times at the combine (6.68). Other than size and length, Norwood has very little in common with those slower receivers.

Yup, Norwood is more tall Doug Baldwin/ shorter Sidney Rice than Cotchery/Avant the guy can seperate, win jump balls and is very clutch in big situations. Perfect fit in a run heavy system that values effeciency.

Largent80 · Jun 5, 2014

Giacomini was atrocious when we plucked him from the GB practice squad and the same staff will coach up the draft picks and F.A.'s as well.

I have so much confidence in the staffs ability to get the most out of players. And the players themselves were chosen because they buy in. Take a look at our success, it speaks for itself. How many low draft picks and undrafted's were superbowl winners?...A LOT.

Pandion Haliaetus · Jun 5, 2014

hawknation2014":3qqh7747 said:
They give us a C+.

They like Richardson, Kevin Pierre-Louis, and undrafted Jackson Jeffcoat and Dion Bailey. I like those guys as well, although I'm not sure where Bailey fits in our defensive scheme.

For whatever reason, they have really underrated Justin Britt. He's a solid athlete who plays with nastiness. I think he will provide solid depth at RT and RG, which is what we needed.

They also like Cassius Marsh, but I think the jury is still out on him. Carroll wants Marsh to bulk up to 300 lbs, which he was earlier in his career at UCLA, to become an interior rusher. Dan Quinn has also talked about Marsh as an interior rusher. That's an interesting experiment; I'm curious to see how that will play out. There are so many young, talented defensive linemen on this roster with a lot to prove.

Jimmy Staten is a strong athlete, but he looks like just a guy on this roster. A similar player like Michael Brooks, who went undrafted last year, seems to have more upside and football intelligence than Staten.

Garrett Scott is a raw athlete who is dealing with a cardiovascular issue that will keep him out of action this season. His career is TBD until he gets his medical condition resolved. Garry Gilliam has taken what Scott's role would have been as the developmental option at LT.

It's too early to tell what to expect from Eric Pinkins and Kiero Small. Pinkins is a good athlete who they are trying to convert into a big corner. Small is a terrible athlete whose sheer hustle may overcome his physical limitations. Those are two more interesting experiments from this draft class.

Overall, I would give it a B+. I like WRs Richardson and Norwood, who is not mentioned. Britt gives them important OL depth. KPL is a great athlete who they hope to mold into a great player. Meanwhile, Marsh, Pinkins, and Small are projects that could pay off over time.

Just a few things.

Cassius Marsh is expected to play around 270 not 300, they likened him to Michael Bennett type player.

Staten imo was a stab in the dark at getting a player similar to Red Bryant... coachable big body player with quality strength + length and great leadership intangibles.

Michael Brooks is more of a Clinton McDonald type. Shorter, slimmer, more athletic, great pass-rush potential.

EmDiggy · Jun 5, 2014

Pandion Haliaetus":5ksbcfd1 said:
Wow... Football Gameplan needs to do a better job of scouting. Just horrible.

Richardson ranked #119 when everything I read including a lot of mocks labeled him a surefire 2nd round pick

Britt not ranked, and we learned after the draft, Britt wasn't going to make it out of the 3rd round. Even then many pegged him as a 4th to 5th round pick.

Norwood not ranked, ridiculous, that's a big failure to understand Alabama's system.

Both Cassius Marsh and KPL were ranked as 6th rounders, they most likely wouldn't have made it passed the 5th round.

Can't really argue about Staten, Scott, Pinkins, and Small... although I would want to see where you ranked Tardiff because sans the heart issues I felt Scott would have been better than LDT especially as an LT considering Scott had 4 years of experience starting and had the biggest SPARQ score out of all offensive linemen.

I love how I 'just don't have a complete understanding' of ANYTHING you don't agree with. Lol. We shall see.

But anyhoo, here I explain my OWN philosophy

[youtube]oBhSzzDonVs[/youtube]

hawknation2014 · Jun 5, 2014

Pandion Haliaetus":1vmeg6z1 said:
Just a few things.

Cassius Marsh is expected to play around 270 not 300, they likened him to Michael Bennett type player.

Staten imo was a stab in the dark at getting a player similar to Red Bryant... coachable big body player with quality strength + length and great leadership intangibles.

Michael Brooks is more of a Clinton McDonald type. Shorter, slimmer, more athletic, great pass-rush potential.

I can go pull the quote for you from Carroll in which he said he wanted Marsh to get back up to around 300 lbs. They also likened him to playing the Michael Bennett role, and Quinn later said they saw Marsh primarily as an interior player.

Brooks actually played at the five technique in place of Red Bryant last season. He's shown that he can handle that role. IMO, it's highly unlikely we will ever see Staten playing outside.

EmDiggy · Jun 5, 2014

hawknation2014":2ewwpftk said:
EmDiggy":2ewwpftk said:

Thanks gang! I always appreciate the feedback.

I'll take the wait and see approach about Britt because 'nastiness' and 'being an athlete' doesn't equate to being a good football player. I mean, you guys had that in Giacomini. Also why pick a guy in Scott that has that issue when you can get immediate returns on someone that's better I.E. James Hurst (UNC) who hurt his leg in the Bowl Game.

I hate to use the term but Norwood isn't a 'threat' so to speak, it's more along the lines of a Jericho Cotchery or Jason Avant. Having threats tend to dictate how you to play defense…decent guys just don't bring that element to the table.

BUT as always with these things…I could be wrong and would be the 1st to admit

Click to expand...

The big knock on Jerricho Cotchery and Jason Avant is that they lack the speed to create separation and threaten the defense downfield. But Norwood is a legit 4.4 receiver who also had one of the best 3-cone times at the combine (6.68). Other than size and length, Norwood has very little in common with those slower receivers.

I wasn't talking about his 'speed' and '3-cone numbers'…what I really was saying, in a nice diplomatic way was that Norwood is just another guy. Nothing special, not a threat..basically an average prospect. Guys, IMO, like Norwood are a dime a dozen.

hawknation2014 · Jun 5, 2014

EmDiggy":1ediyrd5 said:
hawknation2014":1ediyrd5 said:

I wasn't talking about his 'speed' and '3-cone numbers'…what I really was saying, in a nice diplomatic way was that Norwood is just another guy. Nothing special, not a threat..basically an average prospect. Guys, IMO, like Norwood are a dime a dozen.

Click to expand...

No offense, but how likely is it that you would have said the same kind of things about Doug Baldwin when he came out?

Baldwin had the same 40 time as Norwood and a very similar 3-cone time. Also like Norwood, Baldwin played in a run-heavy offense in college and didn't get as many opportunities to be that attacking, go-to receiver. But the speed, agility, hands, and leadership are all there.

Plus, Norwood is a bigger bodied guy (about four inches taller than Baldwin) with all those other great qualities to become an impact player for the Seahawks.

Smelly McUgly · Jun 5, 2014

Maaaaaan, I think the B+ - C- range of grades should be expected by this point. Seattle evaluates guys differently than most pundits. Most pundits are aware of this, so they split the difference by sharing their analysis AND still giving Seattle a good draft grade.

What this says to me is that the dude is not enthusiastic about a couple of our picks, but that he clearly understands that not only was there clear value in his eyes (Paul Richardson), but that even the "misses" aren't so egregious that they are worth worse than a C+ because even though he liked other guys better, who the hell knows?

I do disagree about Norwood, though. He has good body control, a nice catch radius, and a good sense of where he is on the field. Guys like that are not a dime-a-dozen.

Largent80 · Jun 5, 2014

Remember Kiper dissing the Russell Wilson pick, and Gruden let him know about it?

Not saying you are Kiper... Em, because ya know I love ya.

Pandion Haliaetus · Jun 5, 2014

hawknation2014":qplkmvbo said:
Pandion Haliaetus":qplkmvbo said:

Just a few things.

Cassius Marsh is expected to play around 270 not 300, they likened him to Michael Bennett type player.

Staten imo was a stab in the dark at getting a player similar to Red Bryant... coachable big body player with quality strength + length and great leadership intangibles.

Michael Brooks is more of a Clinton McDonald type. Shorter, slimmer, more athletic, great pass-rush potential.

Click to expand...

I can go pull the quote for you from Carroll in which he said he wanted Marsh to get back up to around 300 lbs. They also likened him to playing the Michael Bennett role, and Quinn later said they saw Marsh primarily as an interior player.

Brooks actually played at the five technique in place of Red Bryant last season. He's shown that he can handle that role. IMO, it's highly unlikely we will ever see Staten playing outside.

Sure I would like to see that quote because this is what Marsh said himself not even two weeks ago:

"They (the coaches) have a goal weight for me: they want me to get to around 270, eventually. But they want me to do it the right way."

And yeah Michael Brooks played 5-Tech but just as well in the PS he also played 3T and dominanted. And who knows where Staten ends up, you can't project, IIRC Carroll said they going to put him inside for now but they would like him to play inside and out...

Staten's college tape reminded me of Bryant's first 2 years in the NFL. Maybe he doesn't become anything at all but there is a always possibility that he could end up better on the outside in our scheme than he was inside in College. I'm certainly not going to write it off... if your versatile and can multiple positions you're likely going to make this team over someone who is not.

With that said, I believe Brooks will make the team, and Staten will be stashed on the PS. Doesn't give me the right to cement Staten's career and what he can and can't do based on what he did in college. All I'm saying is I see similarties to Staten and Bryant.

chris98251 · Jun 5, 2014

Thanks for the effort Em, nobody knows how these guiys will turn out, we are one of the teams that likes to develop players and puit them into rolls, example being Pinkins a safety being groomed as a press CB etc, we red shirted most or draft last year. What you see draft day isn't always what you get here. I also understand the grades are based on projections, nobody knows how they will be used etc.

This board on Draft day went thru near meltdowns on some picks and whome we passed on etc. Don't get to wrapped up in either positions positive or negetive till we see what the dish served is going to be, the menu isn't written in stone and Pete likes to surprise.

Football Gameplan's 2014 NFL Draft Grades - Seahawks

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