Answers to Your Pro Day Questions

by: Michael Steffes

Alright, in an effort to sum up my Seahawk Addicts field trip I am going to answer all the leftover pro day specific questions. If there was some nugget of info you were looking for and didn't find, hopefully it is here. Also, I have managed to get my pictures into a slide show which I have included for you as well. To check it out...



The video didn't turn out so great, it was set to Purple Haze, which didn't make it some how, the tags kind of obstruct some of the shots, and they looked a lot better at full size, but take it for what it is worth. And if someone wants to get an a much better camera, I got no complaints! Mom?? Are you reading this....we can only hope!





CTS...Is Fred Davis still my top ranked TE??

I guess he is, but I certainly was not inspired. His production during the season was undeniable. He also defintely takes good care of himself. Still I was disappointed. I would say now, I am much less bullish on this years tight ends and no longer feel comfortable saying we are going to get a long term solution this year.

Shams... Not to me, but oh well, wanted to know what round to take Carlson?

Shams, I have to think the Hawks would use their second rounder to get him. It is possible they could trade up in the third, but my guess is that if he is the one they are targeting, they just grab him at 55 rather than take the chance someone like Green Bay takes him right behind them.

Anon... Commented on the 40 times not being so bad...

I actually agree. That was the first thing I thought. But then a d linemen like Alex Morrow ran a 4.9, so you could say, well that is only .2 above him. For some reason, those tenths make players better pros or else people wouldn't care. That said, when you look at him on tape, Davis gets behind people, so it is possible he can run that with pads on which would make him comparatively faster.

Christopher Mattix... Asked about C. Washington being on our board, and Hawk personal

I would say that Washington is certainly on our board. I included him in the 7th round preview. That would have been great for the Hawks because it is possible they could have gotten through to the practice squad if he didn't make the team. My guess is that he now goes ahead of guys like Mike Hart and Allen Patrick, but who really knows? Either way, he seems like it might be worth the risk to spend a 2nd day pick on him and see if he looks good in pads.

As for personal, I looked long and hard for Hawk guys. Most teams, Hawks included, send scouts to these things. Ruskell probably would be the only one I would recognize, and he was in Fla. Many scouts wore their teams gear. I saw Bears, Broncos, Jags, and many others, but no one really advertising Hawks. I thought maybe one guy was, his polo shirt was the right color, and if it is any clue, he watched the linemen really close and spent time talking to each of them afterwards.
Misfit.... asked about what position Rivers will play? Who records times?

Weakside linebacker is what he is expected to play. Much in the mold of a Lance Briggs. He is so fast an athletic he will do well in both coverage and pass rushing. Too bad he won't be around at 25, or it wouldn't matter what happens with Leroy. Rivers is gonna be a good one!

Everybody records their own times. I am not sure whose they announced. It was funny though, after the running, there was a giant huddle of scouts for about 20-25 minutes where they were all checking out each others times. It was odd to see.

Erik... Good observation on Baker. And maybe we will never know, because he may end up with good guys around him again. I would be happy to be see him next to Locklear for years to come, on either side.
Anonymous... Asked if Booty fits what the Hawks will want to do with the Mora years?

I say a big time yes! If there is one knock on Booty it is his arm strength. Mora will keep a WCO offense which works far better with an accurate QB. Putting the ball on the money allows the receivers to take off after those short routes. Booty is extremely accurate. Plus, IMO, there is something about him that shows in how he handles himself. I get the feeling that people respond to him well. That is always important in the NFL. Also, if you take out the Stanford game, in which he broke his finger and played though it, he has very limited interceptions, which would be great if the team continues to have an outstanding defense.

Anonymous.... This was in one of the threads, but not really related. But hey I am on a role here!

Anon asked about Weaver and Womack. Weaver has until 8 days before the draft to solicit offers, which he can sign, and then the Hawks have option to match or receive a 2nd round pick. It makes no sense for him to sign until that deadline, because someone could offer him a big deal, as unlikely as it is at this point, why not just wait? He will sign soon.

Womack, it doesn't look like is coming back. However, I wouldn't count him out just yet. Two things could happen. After the draft, if a team, Hawks included, couldn't find a linemen they liked, they will grab Chop as a backup. Right now, if the Hawks add a linemen in the draft, that will pretty much fill all the spots. Another thing is that if Chop goes unsigned, my guess is that he would be on the top of the list for an injury replacement if someone gets hurt in camp or during the year. Right now, though, he needs to be patient.