I wish JS would trade for Center Nick Easton

Last year, the Seahawks picked Kristjan Sokoli in the 6th round. He was said to be our future Center, even though Sokoli had never even played O-Line. Kristjan Sokoli was the #1 Sparq O-Line guy...in fact, he had the highest Sparq score ever.

Just behind Sokoli at #2 Sparq for O-Linemen was Center Nick Easton. Easton went undrafted last year after playing Center at Harvard University. He was picked up as a UDFA by the Ravens after last years draft. In the 2015 preseason at Center, Easton had the highest PFF grade of any player on the Ravens team. His preseason grade of +9.1 was the highest of any Center in the preseason, and it was the 7th-best grade of all players in the preseason. The Ravens then proceeded to trade Easton to the 49ers for a 2016 7th round pick. The 49ers then traded Easton and a 2016 6th round pick to the Vikings in exchange for LB Gerald Hodges.

The Vikings acquired Easton to be a backup Center. The Vikings starting Center, John Sullivan, needed back surgery in October 2015 and he was placed on the IR. Backup Center, Joe Berger, replaced Sullivan, and that's when they got Easton as backup for Berger. It turned out, Berger received all kinds of accolades for a breakout year. Easton never ended up playing last year.

So anyway, Sullivan will be back as starter for the Vikes, and Berger will once again be his backup. This leaves the Vikes with an extra Center. I think it would be an awesome idea to work out a trade for Nick Easton. The Hawks could likely get him for very little value...maybe a 6th or 7th round pick. Whatever the Vikes want, I'd give it to them. If the Hawks could put this together before the draft, it could save them a 1st or 2nd round pick, and they could use maybe a late round pick and have Lewis, Easton and a draft pick compete for Center in TC.

Easton is a Sparq BEAST. His NFL percentile was at 97.3%. To compare to 2016, Connor McGovern is #1 at an NFL percentile of 89.6%...Ryan Kelly is #12 at 55.4%. I think Easton would be a HUGE upgrade over any Center in this year's draft, and he could end up being the Hawks Center for years to come.

John Schneider, please call the Vikings...we need Easton.

Doesn't it worry you that this guy has already been on three teams in just one year. Doubt the ravens would have traded him if there was anything there.

Bigpumpkin":2hlt70d4 said:

...and what do you propose to offer in trade?

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As I said in the post, maybe a 6th or a 7th round pick.

goseahawks2012":2o6yh0mx said:

Doesn't it worry you that this guy has already been on three teams in just one year. Doubt the ravens would have traded him if there was anything there.

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The Ravens have Jeremy Zuttah at Center...he's one of the top Centers in the NFL. They kept Ryan Jensen as their backup because Jensen played all 5 O-Line positions in college...better for a backup than Easton. But rather than cut an undrafted rookie after the preseason, they were actually able to trade Easton for a 7th round pick to the 49ers. The 49ers already had Marcus Martin as their starting Center, and Daniel Kilgore for a backup...Kilgore also had experience at multiple positions...so Easton was 3rd on the depth chart. And when Viking Center John Sullivan went on the IR, The Vikes were able to work out a trade with the 49ers.

This kid was graded the best Center in the 2015 preseason by PFF...he just got unlucky with breaking into a few lineups that were already loaded at Center.

I want the Hawks to draft a center rather highly this year.

Largent80":10735er2 said:

I want the Hawks to draft a center rather highly this year.

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I'm with this as well. Going from Nowak to a semi-competent Lewis did wonders for the OL. Imagine what having a real C would be like. And one that doesn't miss half the season with injuries...cough, unger, cough cough

Largent80":6s9gmr37 said:

I want the Hawks to draft a center rather highly this year.

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That's the whole point of trading for Nick Easton. Easton is a lot better than #1 Center prospect Ryan Kelly. If they traded for Easton, they'd be set at Center and they could use their 1st and 2nd round picks for a Tackle and a Guard. The Center group in this draft class is not good. If they use their 1st or 2nd pick for Ryan Kelly, it wastes a high pick on a guy that won't be a starting Center for another couple of years. Easton already has a year of being a backup under his belt and he's ready to be a starter.

Willyeye":2h8wlnyd said:

Largent80":2h8wlnyd said:

I want the Hawks to draft a center rather highly this year.

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That's the whole point of trading for Nick Easton. Easton is a lot better than #1 Center prospect Ryan Kelly. If they traded for Easton, they'd be set at Center and they could use their 1st and 2nd round picks for a Tackle and a Guard. The Center group in this draft class is not good. If they use their 1st or 2nd pick for Ryan Kelly, it wastes a high pick on a guy that won't be a starting Center for another couple of years. Easton already has a year of being a backup under his belt and he's ready to be a starter.

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Makes you wonder what the real story is on him doesn't it?

I mean on paper per sparq and pff, this guy should easily be a starter or back up at least yet he went undrafted and then has been treated as an emergency option only with none of the three teams seeing either value or potential growth and that is with an apparently excellent showing in his only performance on the field.

Could be a guy who doesn't fit in the locker room or a talented guy who is just plain lazy and gives the impression his performance was an anomaly more than anything.

I trust Pete and John but I'm not sure I would want us to ignore a blatant position of need based on this guy becoming one of our corp group.

We are armed with some nice picks in a year where there are very good OL players available. Use the picks on those players.

If i understand your post correctly. Easton has no regular season game experience. Despite his rating in the preseason by PFF (How many snaps did he take and what quarters in what games?), the team he signed with as an UDFA traded him.
Despite this, he is a clear upgrade over any center in this upcoming draft and is ready to be a starter?

If his SPARQ numbers are off the charts thats fantastic. But there is a lot more to a prospect than just their athleticism.

Willyeye":es2cob3z said:

Largent80":es2cob3z said:

I want the Hawks to draft a center rather highly this year.

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That's the whole point of trading for Nick Easton. Easton is a lot better than #1 Center prospect Ryan Kelly. If they traded for Easton, they'd be set at Center and they could use their 1st and 2nd round picks for a Tackle and a Guard. The Center group in this draft class is not good. If they use their 1st or 2nd pick for Ryan Kelly, it wastes a high pick on a guy that won't be a starting Center for another couple of years. Easton already has a year of being a backup under his belt and he's ready to be a starter.

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What makes you think Ryan Kelly wouldn't be ready to start for a couple years?

Erebus":arq700d2 said:

Willyeye":arq700d2 said:

Largent80":arq700d2 said:

I want the Hawks to draft a center rather highly this year.

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That's the whole point of trading for Nick Easton. Easton is a lot better than #1 Center prospect Ryan Kelly. If they traded for Easton, they'd be set at Center and they could use their 1st and 2nd round picks for a Tackle and a Guard. The Center group in this draft class is not good. If they use their 1st or 2nd pick for Ryan Kelly, it wastes a high pick on a guy that won't be a starting Center for another couple of years. Easton already has a year of being a backup under his belt and he's ready to be a starter.

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What makes you think Ryan Kelly wouldn't be ready to start for a couple years?

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This sounds like a great idea, and knowing John and Pete, I'm sure they looked in to it. It would be interesting to know why he isn't starting.

As to Ryan Kelly, he can actually start as a rookie per McShay and Kiper on First Draft. They believe he has enough experience, and was well coached by Saban. That said, I don't think he's worth #26. I would rather have Graham Glasgow in the 3rd, who I believe has more grit than any other center prospect. Watching him on the Senior Bowl practices left quite an impression.

Willyeye":3a4m6f67 said:

Largent80":3a4m6f67 said:

I want the Hawks to draft a center rather highly this year.

Click to expand...

That's the whole point of trading for Nick Easton. Easton is a lot better than #1 Center prospect Ryan Kelly. If they traded for Easton, they'd be set at Center and they could use their 1st and 2nd round picks for a Tackle and a Guard. The Center group in this draft class is not good. If they use their 1st or 2nd pick for Ryan Kelly, it wastes a high pick on a guy that won't be a starting Center for another couple of years. Easton already has a year of being a backup under his belt and he's ready to be a starter.

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I highly doubt that. Kelly has been described as the key cog in the Alabama offense. He's highly praised for a reason. Just because his SPARQ score is lower does not mean that he is inferior to a third string center on the Minnesota Vikings who has already bounced around the league quite a bit.

SPARQ scores don't always equal success in the league. Three teams in a year in a league starved for offensive lineman doesn't bode well for Easton being anything close to what you're describing him as. It just doesn't work like that. Young, cheap, controllable players don't swap teams three times in a season. When they do, there's a reason, and it's likely a very glaring one.

SPARQ is great and all, but its not the be all, end all either.

Would rather pick Kelly or Martin and not worry about it at all.

Largent80":760u8nz9 said:

I want the Hawks to draft a center rather highly this year.

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Do you mean that you highly want the Hawks to draft a center or do you mean you want them to draft a center in the first couple rounds? Or perhaps both.

Both, just get one dammitt !!

I like your reasoning and if the price were as low as a 6th or 7th, I think the team should do it. It doesn't mean we won't draft other interior linemen. It just means we would have one more promising athlete to potentially upgrade the weakest area of our team.

The Seahawks don't like players that can only do one position. I think they draft stanfords Garnett and play him as a guard or center. A big guy that plays in a program very close to NFL style at guard. I think they roll him to center

If Berger had a breakout year as a starter last year, but will go back to being a backup when the regular starter returns...why no interest in trading for him?