#6 and #14 and the O-line

[biju]

Thank you Denver for flubbing a 6-0 start (the luckiest 6-0 start I've ever seen) to not make the playoffs. That alone gave us at least 7 spots extra.

So who do we take with our first two picks?

The debate amongst people I know seems to be around whether Hasselbeck will get traded to Cleveland (mostly speculation) and/or if we need to take advantage of our high first round picks to get the "QB of the future".

I submit that you could have the best QBs in the game back there and they would still need to run for their lives behind that O-line. Things could have been much, much worse if we didn't have Mike Solari as our OL coach. To me, it's clear that Sean Locklear isn't LT material. The problem is that this isn't a good class for LTs. I know that Russell Okung sits atop everyone in this class, but outside of that I don't watch enough college ball to know the order of the other guys--I can only name them. Okung isn't exactly a huge stretch to make it to us.

1. STL: I suspect they'll need to go QB here, even though Suh would be a safer pick for them.
2. DET: Once the Rams go Clausen Detroit should literally run up to the podium a la the Redskins and select Suh.
3. TBB: Here's where things get murky immediately. It would make sense for them to grab an LT here but there's reason to think that Eric Berry makes more sense.
4. WAS: Who's guessing that Jason Campbell has seen his last days in WAS? They *could* go QB here but I'm not sure. They had O-line woes this year and it would make more sense to go with the next LT on their board.
5. KCC: Is this where I'm hoping the Chiefs take Gerald McCoy or a WR, but I think that's wishful thinking on my part.

That leaves us with the possibility of getting Okung down at #6. Regardless I think we need to go LT. This gives us:

LT: 2010 Draft pick (hopefully Okung)
LG: Free Agency (we should punch Ruskell twice: once for Hutch and once for grabbing Wahle instead of Faneca)
C: Chris Spencer
RG: Max Unger
RT: Sean Locklear

Spencer will be an RFA with no CBA in place and a 3rd tier tender (a 2nd round pick for $1.3M) should suffice. Spencer is worth it IMO and kind of gets hosed by Seattle fans because he was a high pick who hasn't stayed healthy. But the guy has great talent when on the field and has been very respectable moving to guard with Unger moving to center (which might be the right way to go moving forward anyway). Sims at LG has been painful to watch this year and has left Hasselbeck on a cliff many, many times by blocking outside and letting players shoot the A gap. He *never* goes inside which is why people are getting to Hasselbeck when he hits his 3 step back.

That #14 pick is different. This QB class is strange in that after a couple top picks it might be best to wait until the 2nd round. The Seahawks have been criticized for not having a player that defenses need to plan around, but really a better move might be to strengthen our D-line. We'll likely ask Kerney to take a pay cut and he might bow out instead. (For that matter, we could lose a lot of our heavy contracts here soon in Branch, Kerney, Deon Grant, Julius Jones and Walter Jones--and maybe even Hasselbeck). While I'd like to believe that Laurence Jackson can step up opposite of Tapp, nothing he's done in two years suggests that. We might be looking for young talent here at DE, although it might be better to look later in the draft for someone that falls too far after to combine. Maybe we take a chance on an NT and make the switch to a 3-4 next season? I'm really hoping we don't listen to the media about Jahvid Best or one of the "speedy" skill position guys. I'd like to see Forsett get a shot at the full time gig and I think the current coaching staff should move Deon Butler inside to a slot position and try to "Wes Welker" him. Burleson, Housh and Butler will suffice for sure until we fix our O-line problems.

Anyway, what is your thoughts on what we should do in the off season?

[Nfl Fan]

Clearly LT is our biggest need and I agree with your most optomistic hopes and dreams. I would almost want to get another O-lineman as well with Denver's pick but my hope is that, not unlike Aaron Rodgers falling to 20 back when Green Bay got him... my hope is that we get Matt's heir with #14. I think we're actually in decent shape at D if we had an O-line to take care of business for the skill positions and keep the D off the field.

Any idea if there are any younger hogs in free agency to help shape up our line?

[biju]

Clearly LT is our biggest need and I agree with your most optomistic hopes and dreams. I would almost want to get another O-lineman as well with Denver's pick but my hope is that, not unlike Aaron Rodgers falling to 20 back when Green Bay got him... my hope is that we get Matt's heir with #14. I think we're actually in decent shape at D if we had an O-line to take care of business for the skill positions and keep the D off the field.

Any idea if there are any younger hogs in free agency to help shape up our line?

Well, one guy who should certainly be on our radar is Logan Mankins (NE) who is a UFA after this year. He would be an immediate fit for us (depending on whether we're still trying to do this zone blocking scheme) and as a highly athletic LG (was a T in college) could easily round out our O-line if we are lucky enough to get Okung and slide Sean Locklear back to the right side. (And retain Chris Spencer also; he'll be a RFA if the CBA doesn't get in place before March). Then again, if the CBA isn't there I'm pretty sure Mankins was drafted in 2005 meaning he would also be a RFA and I would imagine that the Patriots would put the highest tender on him.

No other LGs really popped out at me, but I would need to see the whole list.

On the D-line side, it's really tough to say what will happen. The new GM (and possibly HC/DC) will really need to decide whether we wish to move to a 3-4 or not. We have the LBs to pull this off, and we *might* be able to move Brandon Mebane into a NT role, but we're almost certainly going to need DE help if we move to this. Besides, it is often said that the NT and two ILBs are the most important roles in a 3-4 so I don't know if we want to make a big gamble like this on switching out someone's current role (Mebane did play 1 tech for us in 2008 but switched to 3 tech for 2009) for one they haven't played.

If we stay in a 4-3 (and really even if we move to a 3-4) we really need to do something about our DEs. I'm not sure if it was the scheme or not, but we just didn't get any pressure and a lot of this should fall onto Kerney. He's paid to be a high end DE and performed much worse than an average one. But I really think more than anything we just didn't trot out anything exotic enough and often had 3 man rushes. I think Gus Bradley was overly concerned with zone protection in passing situations when we are more suited to man coverage while we try to hurry the QB. That Tampa 2 just doesn't work with our personnel.

As a matter of fact, the coaching staff in general didn't adapt one bit to our personnel and just tried to force the team into their scheme. It's part of the reason I'm so upset at this staff and why I've been cursing their names in my sleep.

[Nfl Fan]

As a matter of fact, the coaching staff in general didn't adapt one bit to our personnel and just tried to force the team into their scheme. It's part of the reason I'm so upset at this staff and why I've been cursing their names in my sleep.

You too? It must be contagious... you get it from being a Seahawk fan.

I'm mostly disappointed with the coaching and front office.
We had the talent to be a force, but they were just inept.

[SeaWolf]

As a matter of fact, the coaching staff in general didn't adapt one bit to our personnel and just tried to force the team into their scheme. It's part of the reason I'm so upset at this staff and why I've been cursing their names in my sleep.

You too? It must be contagious... you get it from being a Seahawk fan.

I'm mostly disappointed with the coaching and front office.
We had the talent to be a force, but they were just inept.

I think who ever (Knapp or Mora) was calling the 1st 15 plays needs to go. The O couldn't get anything going in the 1st quarter.

[WaCougMBS]

Isn't our second pick the #13? I could have sworn I read that somewhere...I'll have to read the rest of this later and chip in, but I want to confirm that I either am or am not losing my mind (at a greater rate than is normal)

[biju]

Isn't our second pick the #13? I could have sworn I read that somewhere...I'll have to read the rest of this later and chip in, but I want to confirm that I either am or am not losing my mind (at a greater rate than is normal)

San Francisco and Denver ended the regular season with identical 8 - 8 records, but SF had opponents with a lower aggregate win record (two games against the Seahawks and Rams didn't hurt) so they get the 13th pick while Denver gets the 14th.

[WaCougMBS]

Isn't our second pick the #13? I could have sworn I read that somewhere...I'll have to read the rest of this later and chip in, but I want to confirm that I either am or am not losing my mind (at a greater rate than is normal)

San Francisco and Denver ended the regular season with identical 8 - 8 records, but SF had opponents with a lower aggregate win record (two games against the Seahawks and Rams didn't hurt) so they get the 13th pick while Denver gets the 14th.

Ah, I see - thanks man! I went back and re-read the Everett Herald guy's story and he did say we had the #13, so it's nice to know he was wrong and that I'm not crazy

[seahawks506]

Hmm... What would you guys think about drafting Golden Tate, WR Notre Dame if he fell to us in the second round? He could become a Desean Jackson type weapon for us. Of course being able to drop back for that long would require a revamped O-line, but we haven't had an explosive playmaker in quite some time.. Imagine Housh, Butler, and Tate.. running game with Forsett would be adequate enough

[WaCougMBS]

Hmm... What would you guys think about drafting Golden Tate, WR Notre Dame if he fell to us in the second round? He could become a Desean Jackson type weapon for us. Of course being able to drop back for that long would require a revamped O-line, but we haven't had an explosive playmaker in quite some time.. Imagine Housh, Butler, and Tate.. running game with Forsett would be adequate enough

Welcome to the Cafe man! Always glad to see a new face around here, and the fact you're a Hawks fan is just icing

As for Tate, I don't know if I can stomach any more Notre Dame guys

I think that we probably have better uses for that second-rounder, but I agree that it would be nice to have an explosive receiving corps AND a line that could keep the QB upright - I just don't think that's a problem we'll completely solve in 2 picks (or even one year for that matter)...