Seahawks & Curry still negotiating

Training camp is under way for the Seattle Seahawks with one notable absentee - first round draft pick Aaron Curry. The associated press are reporting that an agreement is yet to be reached, with the linebackers' agent apparently holding out for a similar guaranteed sum recently awarded to Jets QB Mark Sanchez ($27m). The report goes on to say that Seattle are unwilling to pay this amount:

"The Seahawks think top quarterback deals are inherently richer and do not apply."

Some stats to bare in mind here. Chris Long (2nd overall, 2008) signed a $56.5m contract with $29m guaranteed. Darren McFadden (4th overall, 2008) inked a $60m deal with the Raiders with $26m guaranteed. Terrell Suggs recently signed a $63m contract to make him the highest paid linebacker in the NFL.

Seattle may not want to pay Aaron Curry $27m in guarantees, but they probably have little choice if they want him in camp any time soon.

Unger signs, one more to go

Danny O'Neil reports that Max Unger has agreed terms with the Seahawks on a four year contract worth over $3m. He'll get $1.95m guaranteed and could be set for a baptism of fire in the NFL if concerns over Mike Wahle's health are to be believed. Aaron Curry is the only rookie yet to sign a contract, with training camp beginning on Friday. Jason Smith agreed terms with the Rams today, potentially setting a marker for discussions between Seattle and the 2009 fourth overall pick.

Ten to watch for 2010

You may have noticed the recently updated list on the right hand sidebar. I've compiled a list of ten senior prospects (in no particular order) who may be worth keeping an eye on during the 2009 college football season. Some have been added due to their potential interest to the Seahawks and the 12th man. Others are present on merit as the highest rated prospects in the 2010 draft class.

#1 Ndamukong Suh (DT, Nebraska)

Ranked by Rob Rang as the top senior prospect heading into the 2009 season, Suh has also been compared to Richard Seymour by Matt McGuire. His stat line as a junior is incredible - 7.5 sacks, 16 tackles for a loss and even two interceptions returned for touchdowns. If he showcases that kind of ability as a senior, he could be a potential #1 overall pick. Jim Mora's defense in Seattle relies heavily on pressure created from the front, making a stud defensive line pick a distinct possibility next year.

#2 Tim Tebow (QB, Florida)

Tebow will undoubtedly be the story of the 2010 draft. Nobody divides opinion more than Florida's stand out leader and it's a debate that will continue right up until next April's event. Is he a top ten pick or a third rounder? Described by Rob Rang as having, "the arm, poise and work ethic critical for success at the NFL level" Tebow could easily be described as the stereotypical Tim Ruskell draft pick. Big school, high character grading, massive production. Watch this guy closely to see if he adapts his game in any way to showcase any pro-style potential.

#3 Taylor Mays (S, USC)

Seattle born Mays has long been a favorite amongst the 12th man and many had hoped the Seahawks would be in position to draft him this year. His decision to stay in SoCal gives us another year to judge his talents and decipher just how good he really is. He has the physical attributes to be special (6'4, 225lbs) but is often untested - he plays so far behind the line for USC and not many teams throw deep against the Trojans. Matt McGuire is unsure, "Mays is definitely a first-round pick, but I doubt he is the top-five talent he is being hyped up as right now. I think he is a very talented player, but I wouldn't say he is an elite talent like Sean Taylor or LaRon Landry."

#4 Greg Hardy (DE, Ole Miss)

The best way to describe Hardy is that he's an 'enigma'. Dominant on the field, he registered eight sacks and an interception in just seven games last year. Off the field, he's a different prospect as Scott Cacciola testifies, "He attracts drama the way lamps lure moths, and seldom does a week pass without some made-for-TV moment." As a sophomore he was suspended by Ole Miss for two games for violating team rules and rumors circulated at one stage last season that he'd been kicked off the team. Not a likely pick for Ruskell's Seahawks, but his combination of soap-opera and raw talent makes him a must watch.

#5 Colt McCoy (QB, Texas)

At one stage last year it seemed McCoy could do know wrong. Leading an unbeaten Longhorns team he seemed a shoe in for the Heisman and a BCS championship appearance. The wheels fell off largely thanks to Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree, so McCoy is back to do it again in 2009. According to Matt McGuire, he has lots to prove, "Colt McCoy is the next over hyped collegiate quarterback who really doesn't have much of a chance in the NFL. He is a late-round talent." Will another year of analysing damage his stock? We'll soon find out.

#6 C.J. Spiller (RB, Clemson)

A rarity these days - a highly rated running back staying for his senior year. Here's the facts though - Spiller has 390 carries in a three year career. Knowshon Moreno had 498 attempts in just two years before declaring. Simply put - they'll have a similar mileage upon entering the NFL. Truly elusive as a runner, his ability to dodge tackles reminds me of Shaun Alexander before he entered the league. Shifty speed and genuinely talented, it'll be interesting to see if he has the kind of senior year which propels him to the top of draft boards.

#7 Trent Williams (OT, Oklahoma)

It's unlikely the 2010 offensive line class will compare to the highly rated 2009 group. However, 6'5", 310lbs Trent Williams is being touted as the 'one to watch' from the senior class. Ranked second amongst senior's by Rob Rang, he's described as being, "Blessed with size, balance and quick feet." The Sooners' system will help Williams' excel in what should remain an elite offense retaining Sam Bradford and Jermaine Gresham.

#8 Brandon LaFell (WR, LSU)

Compared favorably by Rob Rang to former Tigers receiver Dwayne Bowe, LaFell will be hoping to eventually have the same impact on the NFL. The Seahawks signed T.J. Houshmandzadeh and drafted Deon Butler this off season, but may look to add some height (6'3") and raw talent to the position in 2010. Matt McGuire, in his most recently published 2010 mock draft, has the Seahawks selecting LaFell 16th overall, "LaFell is the top-rated senior receiver in the country and has the skill set Jim Mora likes in his offense."

#9 Jermaine Gresham (TE, Oklahoma)

It was a big surprise when Gresham decided to stay with the Sooners, considering he was widely expected to be amongst the top picks in the 2009 draft. Described by Rob Rang as a "matchup nightmare", Gresham is close to being the complete tight end. Compared by Matt McGuire to Tony Gonzalez due to his, "size, athleticism and production" Gresham is likely to enjoy another productive year due to Sam Bradford's return.

#10 Brandon Spikes (LB, Florida)

Outspoken, physical linebacker perhaps best remembered for destroying Andre Smith. It's nigh on impossible that Seattle will take another linebacker early next year but I had to add him to the list. He looks like a Raven in the making so it wouldn't surprise me if he ended up in Baltimore come next year. Matt McGuire thinks he has room for improvement, "Brandon Spikes is the prototypical 3-4 inside linebacker, but at this point I am not sold on him being the top-20 2010 NFL Draft pick most are hyping him as."

Kyle Rota on Tim Tebow

I recently caught up with College Talent Scout's Kyle Rota and took the chance to ask him about this year's hot topic in the draft world - Tim Tebow. For the last few days we've been discussing everything from Tebow's throwing mechanics, to his draft stock and potential landing spot in Seattle next year. It seems nobody splits opinion more than the Gators QB, but what are Kyle Rota's expectations ahead of the 2009 season and how does he compare to another recently drafted NFL quarter back?

"He has as much to prove this year as anyone in college football."
-Kyle Rota, College Talent Scout

To read the rest of Kyle's thoughts, click here.

"Let me talk about Tebow by comparing him to another player. Like Tebow, he played out of a spread-option system in college. Like Tebow, he went to a major program, got playing time early and won a national championship as a starter.

Like Tebow, his college stats were impeccable but his throwing motion gave scouts cause for concern. Like Tebow, this quarterback was renown for his leadership, size, and mobility.

Tim Tebow shares an eerie resemblance to Vince Young. Obviously we question Young's maturity now, but his play in the Rose Bowl to beat USC for a national title was every bit as powerful as Tebow's post-Ole Miss speech in 2008.

That isn't all bad.

Vince Young may not have the maturity to be an NFL QB, but he's shown flashes that convince me nobody graded the kid *wrong*. In fact, he's been accurate even at the NFL level.

He's obviously mobile and strong.

Considering the poor weapons he's been throwing too, it wasn't surprising that his play on the field struggled - until he was benched. We just saw a QB play well on a winning team and dubbed him a leader in the NFL.

That can't be the way we scout a player, but that's what we did.

We did the same thing with Peyton Manning, who was considered by some to be a lesser leader than Ryan Leaf because Manning never took Tennessee to a National Championship (Manning went #1, but plenty of people thought Leaf would be better).

We're doing the same thing with Tebow, who seems like a leader. But is he? I can't answer that, because I don't have a better way for scouting leadership. All I know is that we do it wrong, so I am hesitant to put a lot of weight into that trait.

As a passer, Tebow has a great arm and seems pretty accurate - accuracy is tough to scout in the Florida offense, so I might rescind that. But his passes seem to go where he wants to go.

However, his throwing mechanics are a mess. Of the five things I look for in a throwing motion, Tebow passes only 1 consistently - release point (his is fine). He takes too long, his balance is often off, his footwork is atrocious and he rarely gets his body into his throws (although he does seem to when he throws deep, when it matters most).

Vince Young had a funky delivery, but he passed 3 1/2 (His release point is low, but he's 6'5 so he still gets more air than most QBs) and the one he failed (sufficient torque) is fine on deeper tosses, like Tebow.

The similarities are really quite scary.

He has a big arm when he wants to, and sometimes gets good velocity on his medium-range targets. However, he also sometimes floats the ball when he could throw it harder, and has never lined up against a team with more talent than his team.

To me, he seems like someone who could turn into Ben Roethlisberger with some hard work - a guy who will take a beating due to slow release, can run around a bit, can throw it deep well and short well enough, and can lead a team. He doesn't look like a Peyton Manning or Tom Brady (perfect passers who can do whatever you want if you give them decent weapons), but he looks like someone who could fall into that 2nd tier.

You'll notice I haven't mentioned reading defenses. This is an area I don't feel good about grading a true junior QB on - I'll be going entirely off senior film for Tebow's mental skills, and probably for his entire game. The offense he operates out of makes him a risk simply by virtue of his footwork and reads.

Personally, I wouldn't take the 2008 Tebow on day 1. But, come draft day 2010, I might be singing a different tune.

He's progressed well every year in college, and that is important - shows he is still learning. His work ethic is reportedly incomparable. He's comfortable enough with the media and pressure (Young's downfall).

I'm concerned - not writing off - his ability to meld with an NFL locker room. His act could rub some the wrong way, or others could rub him the wrong way. Right now, I have him as a 3rd round project. I don't think he will deliver on the investment, but there's enough potential to make him worth the small risk to the right team."
-Kyle Rota, College Talent Scout

NFL Draft Scout 2010 prospect rankings

NFL Draft Scout updated their 2010 prospect rankings this week with some notable choices. The list only includes seniors at the moment and is likely to be heavily influenced by an influx of underclassmen by the end of the college season (as is the norm these days).

Ndamukong Suh tops the list, no surprise there after Rob Rang put him top of his senior rankings. Seattle born safety Taylor Mays comes in second, earning high praise from Rang in the process:

At 6-3, 230 pounds with the straight-line speed that has led head coach Pete Carroll to call him the fastest player on the USC roster, it's easy to see why many have invoked the names of legendary Trojans safeties Ronnie Lott, Dennis Smith, Mark Carrier and Troy Polamalu when describing Mays' impact. -Rob Rang, NFL Draft Scout

There are only two senior quarterbacks listed in the top 50 in what appears to be another thin class at the position. Colt McCoy and Tim Tebow are ranked 9th and 11th respectively. Tebow is listed at 6'3" 250lbs and running in the late 4.6's. He may well be 'Superman' after all.

"He has shown enough of a work ethic and enough natural ability as a passer, as a runner and most importantly a feel for the pocket that you have to prove to me or prove to whatever team that you can't do it before you assume he can't do it.

"He's certainly not as accurate as you want in a pro-style quarterback, he hasn't been asked to make the reads, he hasn't been asked to do any of those things, but at the same time you can't coach the ability to rise up in pressure situations that he has shown throughout his career. He's not a highly-rated quarterback in a pro-style offense at this point but the man who bets against Tim Tebow is making a foolish bet. He has too much talent not to give him a chance." - Rob Rang, NFL Draft Scout

Another interesting note - Ciron Black (OT, LSU) is given a second round ranking and is only listed as the 24th best senior. I'm not particularly a fan of Black's but I've seen him ranked quite highly in some quarters. I don't think 2010 will be a particularly good year for offensive tackles and I wouldn't be surprised to see Black's stock fluctuate regularly.

At this early juncture is appears the strength lies mainly amongst the defensive line. Not the worst news from a Seahawks perspective - Jim Mora's defense depends on pressure from the front.

Deon Butler signs four-year deal

Danny O'Neil at the Seattle Times is reporting that the Seahawks have agreed terms with third round pick Deon Butler. Terms haven't been disclosed, but it's a four-year contract. Only Aaron Curry and Max Unger remain unsigned, with training camp beginning at the end of July.

As O'Neil reports, only Matt Stafford (QB, Detroit) and Mark Sanchez (QB, NY Jets) have agreed terms from the 2009 class of first round picks. Terrell Suggs' recent $63m 6-year agreement with Baltimore may be used as a marker in negotiations with Aaron Curry, as could Chris Long's $56.5m contract with the Rams last year.

Curry is moving to Seattle today, according to the latest update on his facebook page. He's moving into his new house and picking up his dogs ready for life with the Seahawks. Hopefully an agreement is imminent.

Aside from Butler, Mike Teel, Courtney Greene, Nick Reed and Cameron Morrah have all signed contracts ahead of camp.

Draft goes prime time

The NFL announced today that the 2010 draft will move to prime time viewing for the first time. The switch will see the first round take place on Thursday 22nd April, the second and third on Friday 23rd April and rounds four through seven on Saturday 24th April.

The news will likely receive a frosty reception from fans on the west coast. Thursday's first round will kick off at 4:30pm PST - in other words when a lot of people are still at work. It's a similar story on the Friday, with round two starting at 3:30pm PST.

Might as well forget those draft parties next year.

Year of the Tebow

Even at this early stage, it seems clear that the 2010 NFL Draft will be known as the year of the Tebow. Throughout the college football season right up until next April's event we'll be locked in an endless debate about Tebow's draft stock, whether he can convert to the pro-game and question his throwing mechanics.

Perhaps more importantly, we'll be asking whether he's a future Seattle Seahawk.

Dennis Dodd from CBS Sportsline firmly believes the much discussed QB will lead Florida to another national title, whilst in the process enhancing his chances of being a top pick next year.

"Tebow is one of the best ever. Go ahead, get it over with. Stick a finger down your throat and self induce if you must. Yeah, here we go again. We first got into this subject the day before the BCS title game eight months ago.

Nothing has happened to dispute that assertion. No scandal. No erosion of skills. Just come back with me to Atlantic City seven months ago when Tebow and his brothers were in town for the Maxwell Award ceremonies. With a night to kill and nothing to do, Team Tebow did what any red-blooded set of brothers would do.

They sat in their room and played "Catch Phrase." It's an electronic game about the size of a swollen hockey puck. It's great for family gatherings and dinner parties. But for a free night in Atlantic City?

Before it was over, the Tebows had a Catch Phrase entourage that included their body guard. Drink of choice: Bottled water.
-Dennis Dodd, CBS Sportsline

It's well publicised what the Seahawks look for with their draft picks. Stayed in school, big programme, solid production with great character.

Or for short... Tim Tebow.

I have to confess, I'm a fan. I like to see passion in sport and watching Tebow just makes you want the guy to win. Tebow seems to understand the link between fan and superstar whilst appreciating the talent's he's gifted with.

But like a lot of people, I also have reservations about Tebow's ability to adapt to the NFL. Those throwing mechanics will need to be worked on. He has a big arm but can it deliver when pressured by big, fast NFL defensive lineman charging towards him?

Can he adapt to playing in a conventional offense? Personally, I think the best he can hope for is to be that Ben Roethlisberger 'air it out' type. I'm not sure he'll be able to manage a game and keep teams guessing, rather than fall back onto that arm.

At the same time, I respect the opinion I often hear as a counter. The guy is a flat out winner with the right attitude. If anyone can learn a system, my money is on Tebow. His whiter than white personality might not be the kind of thing you look for from a drinking buddy, but isn't it just what you want from your teams franchise quarter back?

This guy will work harder than anyone. He'll be a prominent member of the community and he'll earn the respect from his teammates, probably even as a rookie.

The questions becomes - do the pro's outweigh the con's?

Here's my thought - and it's terribly early to start making predictions about next year's draft but we have plenty of time to kill until then.

Tebow will be a first round pick and he'll go higher than a lot of people think.

Someone somewhere will take a chance. It'll be an expensive gamble, with no guarantees other than the fact Tebow will give it his all.

Would you like to see Tebow in Seahawk blue one day? Does owning two first round picks next year provide a better platform to spend such a high choice on someone like Tebow? Can he adapt to the pro-game or is he too big a project?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments section or email rob@seahawksdraftblog.com

Gil Brandt on top 2010 Senior OT's

Gil Brandt (NFL.com) is certainly has his finger on the pulse when it comes to draft matters. He was the first person to suggest Tyson Jackson would go in the top five picks and was proven right when the LSU DE was taken 3rd overall by Kansas City.

He's currently running a weekly series looking at the top 2010 senior prospects at each position.

Today he's published his offensive tackle rankings.

"The left tackle is a paramount job to fill. He usually has to block the defense's best pass rusher, so teams are looking for players who have quick feet, long arms, speed and strength. In 1997, both the St. Louis Rams (Orlando Pace) and Seattle Seahawks (Walter Jones) both paid a high price to move up in the first round to select players they thought could be franchise left tackles and they were correct."
- Gil Brandt

Could the Seahawks be in the market for a LT next year?

Walter Jones will be a year closer to retirement by then and concerns still remain about his ability to return from serious knee surgery this year. Sean Locklear appears to be the long term answer at LT and hefty escalations in his salary in 2010 suggest that could be the thought process.

However, with two first round picks to spend... maybe the Seahawks will use one on a tackle if the player in question is too good to pass? Brandt has his top two seniors rated very highly.

(On Trent Williams, Oklahoma)... "He has good speed and athletic ability. He has been well-coached and is a good, but not great, worker. Williams will be a first-round pick and can be a long-time starter in the NFL."

(On Russell Okung, Oklahoma St)... "He is strong, athletic and has good feet. He was first-team All-Big 12 last season. He will start and play a lot of years in the NFL. Okung is a first-round pick."

Ciron Black (LSU) is, perhaps lazily, ranked particularly highly in some quaters due to his decision to stay at college rather than declare for the 2009 draft. However, I don't believe he was ever seriously considered a top-of-round-one prospect and therefore, he still has plenty to prove. Brandt echoes those sentiments, by ranking him 5th in this list.

"Black is a fifth-year player who has started 40 straight games at left tackle. He played a school-record 1,031 snaps in 2007. He is a better run blocker than pass protector. He is a good, but not great, worker. When you watch tape, you expect more than you see."

To see Brandt's other rankings click here... QB, RB, WR, TE.