Thursday 11 February 2010

Thursday links

By Rob Staton
Mel Kiper and Todd McShay discuss draft matters in their first podcast of the year. This will become a weekly series, published on Wednesday's. Included in this edition - a debate about Jimmy Clausen's prospects and a look at each pundit's big boards.

Todd McShay also has written the second edition of his mock draft. He has the Seahawks taking Bryan Bulaga (OT, Iowa) at #6 and C.J. Spiller (RB, Clemson) at #14. I haven't seen Bulaga as high as that in any other mock draft so far.

Walter Cherepinsky also thinks the Seahawks will draft Bulaga, but with the 14th overall pick. He has the new regime drafting Eric Berry (S, Tennessee) at #6. If the Seahawks did draft Berry that early, they'd have over $150m tied up at the safety and linebacker positions.

Chad Reuter publishes a new mock draft on CBS Sportsline, with the Seahawks taking Dez Bryant and Anthony Davis. I would be surprised with the Davis pick - he might have Ryan Clady-type potential (and Clady worked in a ZBS at Denver) but he's not the prototype Alex Gibbs lineman.

Wes Bunting at the National Football Post also puts out his first mock of the year. The Seahawks take Eric Berry and Jonathan Dwyer. I will be absolutely stunned if Dwyer a.) goes in round one and b.) it's the Seahawks who take him. Alex Gibbs running teams don't draft running backs in the top fifteen. I'm not a fan of Dwyer's - for me he's a third or fourth round pick.

Mocking the draft has a scouting report on Florida defensive end Carlops Dunlap: "The physical tool set that he brings to the table is as good as it gets and any defensive line coach that is confident in their ability to get the most out of a player will drool over Dunlap’s potential. Dunlap has shown flashes of being unblockable, but those kinds of performances were too few and far between."

Draft Tek and it's sophisticated software has a new consensus mock draft. The Seahawks select Joe Haden and Derrick Morgan with their first two picks and running back Jahvid Best in the second round.

Don't forget to check out my latest mock draft, updated yesterday.

14 comments:

Patrick said...

Although I didn't start out this way, I am a fan of us taking Eric Berry. I see him a lot like Curry last year and I really trust that Pete Carroll will find an excellent way to utilize his skills. I think the Monte Kiffin connection is a big factor. Pete Carroll has said that he learned under Monte and look at what Monte was able to do with his talents. I wouldn't be surprised if Carroll already has his sights set on Berry if he slips to #6. I know it would make the money a factor, but if we drafted Berry wouldn't we likely drop Somone like Deon Grant to make room? That would certainly save some money and it would improve us in an area that has been a weakness for a while.

I am warming up to Bulaga but it doesn't seem like he would fit the ZBS. Personally, I'd love a Berry/Bryant 1st round, but I'm sure a lot of people would hate that!

Rob Staton said...

I'm not a fan of Berry at #6. He's a good safety, but he doesn't warrant the $50m contract and his tackling really worries me - as does his size. The Seahawks don't have a defensive line that will get the real benefit of a safety like Berry. He could end up being another expensive luxury on a defense that doesn't function.

Savage said...

While Berry is a very good player, I'd rather invest the #6 pick into a cornerstone position such as QB, LT or DE. If the #6 is used to give the secondary a boost, I'd rather see Joe Haden. I think you could end up getting a solid safety in the 2nd round. I'd rather spend the #6 elsewhere and take Nate Allen at 40.

Rob, what is your opinion of Nate Allen?

Rob Staton said...

I think Allen offers solid value in round three. I'm not convinced he's a second round pick. I think a good team can justify taking a safety like Berry and get real value. A bad team will look at a guy like Allen later on as being able to fill a need without the $50m contract.

Ralphy said...

Love the Draft Tek mock. Getting Haden and Morgan would be huge.

I would love to see the Hawks get a playmaker such as Dez or Spiller but I would also be happy to see two studs added to the defense.

Anonymous said...

Rob how do you feel Lendale White would do in ZBS? Everyone is linking Bush to the Hawks (which I would love) but White is an UFA isn't he?

Vince Mulcahy said...

Haden and Morgan would be about as close to a perfect draft as I can reasonably imagine. However I don't see Morgan falling to 14 and believe we have bigger needs at 6 then CB.

Lendale White wont be a UFA because he will have been in the league 4 years and you need to play 6 without a new CBA.

The later round safety that interests me the most is Myron Rolle. He played well, not great, at the senior bowl but it was his first time back playing in over a year and a smart football player always has potential IMO. But Nate Allen is a close second as a potential hawk's pick.

Rob - how much of a reach do you feel Allen or Rolle would be at 40? I don't think Charles Brown will be left at that point and I'm not convinced that Joe McKnight would be a great value pick at 40.

Kip Earlywine said...

I was gonna say, that Draft Tek mock makes a lot of sense at almost every pick. I particularly liked the Seahawks choices, they made an unusually high amount of sense, then I laughed when I saw "by Rob Stanton" in the comment box.

Matthew Baldwin said...

Hey Rob,

A lot of talk that Alex Gibbs doesn't "need" a LT at 6 (Anthony Davis) or a RB at 14 (CJ Spiller) to make his ZBS work.

Obviously both are still positions of need. Assuming we are reading the tea leaves correctly, what later round players do you see that will fill the LT and RB void?

Charles Brown comes up at 40 (not bad IMO), but who else and when?

A raw LT but huge upside in Vladimir Ducasse or Selvish Capers?

A bigger back in Ryan Matthews or maybe Blount?

Kip Earlywine said...

Wow, if you listen to the whole Kiper-McShay piece, near the end they say that multiple teams they've talked to view Dan Lefevour as the #3 QB in the entire draft. Kiper says that because of this, Lefevour is "solidly" a 2nd rounder now. Very interesting given how controversial his stock is.

Rob Staton said...

Anonymous - White is a RFA so would have to be cut. I think there's a fair chance that will happen and if it does, there's a chance Seattle could show some interest due to the Carroll connection. However, White struggled last year to have much impact and with Johnson performing so well, ended up getting buried in the background. He might have the hunger to prove his doubters wrong, but I don't think we can expect much from him these days. He's not an ideal fit in the ZBS because he's not the most agile one cut runner, his impact has lessened actually since he lost weight.

Vince - I think it'd be a pretty big reach for Allen or Rolle at #40. Having watched Allen play, I don't think he warrants a second round pick - just looks like a classic mid round safety to me that can be found elsewhere for cheaper. Rolle has had this year off, he looked sharp at the Senior Bowl though. I think his stock will likely fall in the fourth round. There's a chance Brown goes a lot higher than #40 with a good combine.

Matthew - I like Mario Hardesty the running back from Tennessee, Joe McKnight from USC, Anthony Dixon from Miss State and Charles Scott from LSU. There's not great depth at RB. Knowing the personnel in Seattle, it wouldn't surprise me if they pulled a name from nowhere and made them a productive runner.

Not a big fan of Matthews - not sure why he's being given a first round grade in some places. He would be worth consideration in 3-4 only. Blount I like, just not sure he isn't best suited to a downhill, power scheme and not the ZBS.

Charles Brown is the prototype size for the Gibbs system. Capers likewise has the size, but I'm not his biggest fan - he could go in rounds 4-5. Jason Fox from Miami is worth mentioning. Ed Wang at Virgina tech could be a late rounder.

c-hawker said...

What I have been saying about LeFevour all along. Didn't Isay it on this site yesterday or was it the day before.

c-hawker said...

It is in the Clausen article.

Anonymous said...

Selvish Capers is way over rated! I'd take Ed Wang and his short arms long before Capers.