tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5053006193215777292.post8747408131946136388..comments2024-01-31T17:34:09.607-08:00Comments on Seahawks Draft Blog: Take five with Kyle RotaRob Statonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16481945325907207562noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5053006193215777292.post-40096901566097668402009-02-08T03:02:00.000-08:002009-02-08T03:02:00.000-08:00Re: Steve in Spain about Crabtree (Rob covered the...Re: Steve in Spain about Crabtree (Rob covered the first one completely, the 2nd one I just have a note to add)<BR/><BR/>Crabtree runs some screens and short hitches. Which many NFL teams run, I might add (Seattle, for some reason, never liked the WR screen. I think it's a brilliant play). However, Crabtree also had ran a lot of comebacks, ins and outs, drags, posts, flys/fades/gos (similarly run routes, just with different timing), and slants. All of those routes are important NFL routes. So while he did get some inflated stats from screen-mania, he also has legitimate routes in his repertoire. <BR/><BR/>(Also, I believe Lofa Tatupu was a junior at USC. According to wikipedia, he came out with 25 career starts, about what Crabtree, Moreno, etc. have. Of course, Lofa is a special case. But it does show he is willing to consider special cases.)Kyle Rotahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10852143812226605646noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5053006193215777292.post-72985792696861043892009-02-06T11:09:00.000-08:002009-02-06T11:09:00.000-08:00I'm willing to give Ruskell the benefit of the dou...I'm willing to give Ruskell the benefit of the doubt regarding Crabtree's status as a redshirt sophomore. Rob has said before that Ruskell looks for consistent output more than anything else and Crabtree being a two-time winner of the Biletnikoff award, I think qualifies. What's more, Crabtree basically has nothing left to prove at the collegiate level. If he went back to school next year, nothing would be different. He would still be the best receiver in the country so I don't know if Ruskell <I>needs</I> to see more out of him.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5053006193215777292.post-19732101721209690452009-02-06T07:05:00.000-08:002009-02-06T07:05:00.000-08:00Thanks for the link Steve, I hadn't seen that arti...Thanks for the link Steve, I hadn't seen that article before.<BR/><BR/>It's always tempting to compare other prospects from past drafts to try and get an idea of what might happen in 2009, but essentially I would be suprised if the Spencer pick had much impact on whether the Seahawks select Michael Crabtree due to the extent of his college career. Other prospects, maybe it does have an effect. Crabtree had only two years production - but in those two campaigns he became the only receiver in history to win two Biletnikoff Awards, he was named twice an All-American and his production was extremely good (41 TD's). This goes some way to combat the insecurities Ruskell may have about his short time at Texas Tech. <BR/><BR/>Having said that, I think all this does is put Crabtree into the equation. Whose to say that there's not someone the Seahawks simply rate higher than Crabtree who is a four year starter?Rob Statonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16481945325907207562noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5053006193215777292.post-27516014842260845572009-02-06T06:41:00.000-08:002009-02-06T06:41:00.000-08:00Thanks for your answers. I wonder if we can consid...Thanks for your answers. I wonder if we can consider the Chris Spencer case to have any value as a precedent. Clare Farnsworth has indicated that the Spencer pick was basically a mistake pick, in that the Hawks were caught with their pants down when there was a run on all the top defensive linesmen just before their pick 23 and they hadn't really gameplanned out a suitable Plan B (See bottom of article http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/football/360761_hawk26.html). I think Ruskell would've liked to have had that pick back. And if anything, Spencer's disappointing play may have made him even more resolved to avoid players who haven't contributed a full four years to a major college program.<BR/><BR/>Not saying this outright prohibits a Crabtree pick. Just that it wouldn't be anything remotely like Ruskell's standard operating procedure.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5053006193215777292.post-32747963480789062062009-02-06T05:06:00.000-08:002009-02-06T05:06:00.000-08:00Hi Steve, thanks for the positive feedback. Q1 (Je...Hi Steve, thanks for the positive feedback. <BR/><BR/>Q1 (Jenkins)<BR/>Recovery speed is essentially a corner backs ability to react and respond when they aren't perfectly positioned to make a play. The wide receiver will know what route to run from the play call and the QB will be looking for him. A corner back starts in position but isn't 100% sure what will happen (which gives the WR an advantage, and why elite speed isn't always a neccesity to be a great receiver) and the corner will have to respond and react to different situations. A true lockdown corner has the recovery speed to consistently get to the man or the ball to stop the play. This can be tested on a number of plays, from deep routes, deep comebacks, in routes and corner routes. Jenkins is very good at diagnosing plays but he hasn't got the 'recovery speed' to keep up with faster receivers. In the NFL, a team could put a fast receiver on him for a deep route, the WR will often run deep and Jenkins won't be able to react and then keep up with the receiver, leaving him susceptible to getting burned and giving up a big play. If you're picking a CB in the top 10 I think it's something a corner has to have, and as much as it's fun to watch Jenkins pushing up to the LOS and making big tackles, getting sacks - he isn't a ball hawk and he really struggles on deep routes. It's the main reason why I predict he'll eventually switch to safety - a position he is much more suited for.<BR/><BR/>Q2 (Crabtree)<BR/>Michael Crabtree ran a lot of screens and bubble screens for Texas Tech - something you don't see very often with receivers of his size in the NFL. These are probably what they mean by not running pro routes, but from the Texas Tech games I've watched Crabtree does run mainly pro routes. For every bubble screen, there's a basic route along the sidelines or a fade through the middle. The West Coast Offense that Seattle runs should be perfect for Crabtree because he excels in the short-medium passing game. He has great YAC (yards after catch) so could run short routes, get the ball in his hands and let him get to work. He is explosive off the line of scrimmage, so a medium route on the sideline would work. He did go deep at times for TT and he could do as an option for Seattle even as a decoy - he'd still be stretching the field. His learning curve would be the same for any receiver entering the NFL although he might find it easier in the Mora/Knapp regime. Mike Holmgren ran a very complicated play book and terminology but all indications seem to suggest Knapp will simplify the terminology and make it easier for Crabtree to pick up. I think he's NFL ready because of the huge talent he has even if his route running initially wouldn't be 100% polished. I wouldn't be suprised if his ability to adapt compared well to how quickly we saw John Carlson become effective in 2008.<BR/><BR/>Q3 (Ruskell)<BR/><BR/>I've done a quick research on this but I'll try and find more information for you later. From what I can see, Chris Spencer (Ruskell's first draft pick in Seattle) skipped his senior year but after that, Ruskell has predominantly stuck with seniors and consistent starters. There's no evidence of any red shirted sophomore's being drafted. I'm not sure it would stop him, for example, considering a prospect like Michael Crabtree who is a red shirted sophomore because Seattle have never picked so early in the Ruskell era previously and that changes the situation slightly.Rob Statonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16481945325907207562noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5053006193215777292.post-50835257030692037992009-02-06T04:10:00.000-08:002009-02-06T04:10:00.000-08:00Rob, thanks for providing excellent draft content ...Rob, thanks for providing excellent draft content on a daily basis. Some questions I've just got to ask:<BR/><BR/>Re: Jenkins - Ok, what's "recovery speed" and how's it different from any other type of speed? <BR/><BR/>Re: Crabtree - I always read Crabtree's a good route-runner but that he "doesn't run pro routes." Does his ability to run Texas Tech routes tell us anything about his ability to run WCO routes at the NFL level? How many new routes will he have to master to be a starter for the Hawks? <BR/><BR/>Also, has Ruskell ever drafted a red-shirt sophomore before? What about juniors?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com