Friday 23 April 2010

Some more inside info on the 1st round

By Kip Earlywine

Just thought I'd pass it along:

"A few minor tidbits that may interest some...
final big board rankings through our first pick:
1.Suh
2.McCoy
3.Bradford
4.Williams
5.Okung
6.Berry

I didn't know how the Hawks rankings on Okung vs Williams until very very recently. Okung has a lower ceiling but higher floor then Williams. Trade value was down this year for moving down, teams were unwilling to deal future ones. Concern was Dallas may trade with San Fran for Earl Thomas, whom the Hawks zeroed in on in the past few days. That didn't happen but there was major concern when Philly moved there apparently, followed by relief when Thomas wasn't the pick. Morgan would have been the pick if Thomas was gone, not a shocker, but Thomas was decidedly the higher ranked prospect. Though everyone says Gibbs makes good OL out of mid level talent, a major selling point on getting him here is the org would use a high pick on a LT if the board fell that way without a reach happening. Though he really wanted Williams, apparently he is fine with Okung. (I haven't had a detailed conversation yet involving Okung.) PC was never going to be blinded by USC products like some suspected. Just the opposite, he knows all their flaws and limitations. I didn't post all this info, some I just messaged to someone here I trusted, but it was pretty accurate now that round one is complete."

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

so was that the Seahawks big board?

Alex

Rob Staton said...

Yes.

Steve in Spain said...

That sounds right. If you listen to Alex Gibbs's press interview he basically admits they had Williams rated a bit higher than Okung. But you can tell from his voice how excited he is to have Okung.

micah said...

i wonder who's on our big board now? and what position is the most pressing need?

Anonymous said...

guys do you have any idea where i can download the 1st round?

Anonymous said...

Here is a link to an excellent video where Mike Mayock and Charlie Casserly debate who is the best safety. Mayock is a former NFL safety and he rates Thomas higher, says his instincts to play centerfield are the best he has seen in a long time. The speed with which Thomas breaks on the ball is unbelievable!

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-path-to-the-draft/09000d5d8178deee/Eric-Berry-vs-Earl-Thomas

Anonymous said...

hm... interesting.

Alex

Anonymous said...

Where is this from and why would seattle release this admitting that both the tackle and safety they drafted were second choices? I don't believe this to be there big board instead I assume its an idea of what the big board was.

Anonymous said...

dude, I doubt Seattle intentionally released it. It's just someone close in the organization showing us the Seahawks big board top 6 after it's gone by.

Alex

Anonymous said...

Dude - I'm saying I think its B.S.

Anonymous said...

Just got the inside scoop. Here's the Hawks big board:
1. Okung
2. Earl Thomas

They did really well.

Rob Staton said...

jjhsix - it's not beyond the realms of possibility that information gets out. It happens. People were talking (a lot) about Denver-Tebow just before the draft began. This information could easily get out, especially after the draft when there's no great need to keep it under wraps.

Anonymous said...

Yeah I understand. I was being a bit of a smartass. Is this from a source Kip has or was it released on a website elsewhere?

A-R-N-F said...

Anyone know where I can find a link to press conference audio/video from yesterday?

CorkyAgain said...

This post is enclosed in quotation marks, but doesn't identify the speaker.

The second paragraph refers to "the Hawks" in the third person, not the first, so presumably the speaker isn't someone from the Seahawks organization.

So who is it, and how credible is their claim to authority?

Anonymous said...

Do you plan on doing a write up on what the other "experts" are saying about the Seahawks first round. Also, who do you have on the Seahawks big board for the secound and fourth rounds? I was really hoping the Sehawks would have been able to trade down and pick up an extra 2nd or 3rd round pick or better yet picks to fill out the roster. The next two days, will really tell the tale of how the new front office prepared for the draft. Anyone could have a good first round with the picks we had in the first. Hidden gems are found in the later rounds. Can't wait for Sat. Keep up the great work and thanks for providing us with a Seahawks fix. Nice work.

Kip Earlywine said...

The source is anonymous. He has a friend that works in the Seahawks front office. This same source tipped us off about the Ruvell Martin signing a few days before it happened, when no one was reporting this or even knew who Martin was. The same source also told us that the FO was choosing between Williams and Berry at #6, or Okung, but they didn't expect Okung to reach the 6th pick. It also mentioned Earl Thomas as a top candidate at #14.