How well did the Hawks do?

by: Chris Sullivan

Well, if you base it on Walter Football's draft grades, pretty darn well. Here's how they broke it down:

• Aaron Curry - A
• Max Unger - A   
• Deon Butler - A   
• Mike Teel - B   
• Courtney Greene - A   
• Nick Reed - A    
• Cameron Morrah - B
  

They rate just about every team in the NFC West as having an excellent draft, all As and Bs between the four teams. I checked outside the division and they did not routinely give out such high grades. The NFC West is an improving division, and despite the hard choices being made right now, I think the Seahawks made a number of strides in getting back to the top of the West. 

 

What do you guys think? No need to mention Rashad Jennings in this discussion, we spent about three hours on him earlier. How did the Hawks do for this draft? Good value for each pick?

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Did the Hawks Trade Hill for a 3rd?

by: Michael Steffes

That is the premise being laid down in this article from John Clayton at ESPN.Com.

There are no guarantees, but Clayton's logic is sound. However, he is leaving out the Houshmanzadeh deal. It is possible that the formula would cancel out these two deals. However, because Hill is a younger player, it is likely they don't. Also, a lot will be determined by the two players performance next year.

Leroy Hill finally becoming a Pro Bowl linebacker would actually benefit the Seahawks.

The Seahawks still have the ability to re-sign Leroy Hill, but as I conveyed in my original thoughts on this last night, I think it is doubtful. If they wanted to re-sign him, they would have maintained control of his rights.

The Seahawks have soured on Hill. Not the player, butthe commodity. He provided the second embarrassing arrest in two years from a young defensive player. However, the aftermath of Hill's incident was handled completely different. Lofa talked about earning back the communities, and his teammates trust. How important it was for all of them to know he could be counted on day in and day out. Hill, followed his arrest with a meeting with team officials, but no public interviews. Clearly the team may have used even there discussion with Hill as a way to keep people guessing with their draft. Maybe Hill wasn't remorseful at all. He defintely didn't feel the need to be at the first camp run by his new defensive minded head coach.

In the end, it was tough to mesh these actions with the character this organization demands. I am sure Ruskell was conflicted. He would much rather Hill wanted to be in Seattle, after all, Hill is one of Ruskell's biggest successes. In the end, though, Hill wants to make as much money as he humanly can. Now he gets the chance.

With out knowledge, I can't say this for fact, but I would guess he asked, begged or even pleaded for the tag to be removed. The salary cap is huge these days. Teams still have money. If he is worth it, he will now get his.

And the Seahawks could get a third. Maybe a later pick. It will probably depend on what Leroy is really worth. Just like a trade.... END Read More!

Expect the Hawks to Sign FA Running Backs

by: Michael Steffes

For those who expected the Hawks to address RB in the draft, as many did, fear not. The Hawks will almost certainly be signing one or two in their take of undrafted free agents.

Right now, they simply do not have enough on the roster for camp. Jeremiah Johnson has to be a strong consideration, and possibly Kory Sheets as well.

The Hawks should be fairly attractive for RB free agents because they have no real established starter and potentially have an open spot on the final roster for another back.

We should see the list of undrafted free agents the Hawks sign by about 6 o'clock. Last year's crop brought us David Hawthorne and Jamar Adams, and the Hawks have traditionally found good players after the draft.

Linebacker, safety, and running back appear to be the positions that will be interested in signing up with the Seahawks. Those will be fairly easy positions to make the roster with a good camp performance.



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7th Round, # 248 -- Cameron Morrah, TE

by: Michael Steffes

With the Seahawks final pick in the 2009 draft, the team has selected Cameron Morrah, a Tight End from California.

Morrah is an athletic tight end who many thought would go much higher, some as high as the third round. He has prototypical size and good speed. He also has room to put muscle on his frame.

One of the reasons he may have slipped is that because he has not had the production to match his skill set. He came out early, and clearly would have benefited from staying in school. However, he will not be counted on right away in Seattle anyway.

This is a good pick.

UPDATE: Mel Kiper thinks he would have gone first day if he had stayed in school for his senior year.


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With the #247 Overall Pick...

by: Chris Sullivan

The Seahawks select Nick Reed, defensive end from Oregon.  Reed is a two-time first team All-Pac 10, which you really can't argue with here. He was also a first team Academic All-American. He had 13 sacks in 2008 leading the Pac 10, and 51.5 tackles for losses in his career, second in Oregon history. 

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7th Round, # 245 -- Courtney Greene

by: Michael Steffes

With the 245^th selection in the 2009 draft, the Seahawks have taken Courtney Greene, a safety from Rutgers.

Here is what we know:

The Seahawks have taken their second straight player from Rutgers. They must love New Jersey.

Greene's strengths:

Looks the part of a NFL safety. Has good strength and is a solid tackler when moving forward. Will deliver a lick and can knock the ballcarrier back. Has good short-area quickness and burst. Displays good speed, including catching up when beated. Has good range and can make plays from the hashes to the sideline.

His weaknesses:

Is stiff in his hips and upper body. Is not a sure tackler. Will whiff on hits he should make. Lacks natural change-of-direction ability. Struggles to hold tight man coverage, especially out of the breaks. Is very streaky and prone to mental lapses. Will get too aggressive at times. Plays high and does not always balance well in the open field.

Overall, he had a better junior year than he did senior year, much like the rest of the Rutgers team. He is smart and tough, and will battle for a roster spot on the team with Jamar Adams, CJ Wallace, and others.


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It's Compensation Time!

by: Michael Steffes

Remember Niko Koutovides?

How about Kevin Bentley?

Maybe DJ Hackett or Elis Wymms?

Thank them -- and the new employers who got very little from them -- for our upcoming picks! It will be interesting to see what needs the Hawks address here. Probably, they will be guys the Hawks don't think they could sign as UDFAs, as there are only a few picks behind us.

For reasons like that, guys like Oregon RB Jeremiah Johnson and other close to home products might not get the nod, assuming they are still available.

Regardless, there should be plenty to choose from. END


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What Does the NFL Know That We Don't?

by: Chris Sullivan

It's got to be something and it's probably related to Rashad Jennings. Jennings has slid past eighteen other running backs, including a ton of people who were rated much lower on a ton of people's big boards.

Update: Make that 19... 20...

Update2: Jennings is not happy at all. From his Twitter page:

It's funny how the draft works sometime.. Do you the Matt Stafford would have been 1st over all if he played at Liberty? (6 hours ago)
I have do idea! It alright somebody gonna be fired for passin me up (5 hours ago)
There will be 31 teams to feel to feel my frustration. (3 hours ago)
Somebody is going to be pissed they over looked me (3 hours ago)
I had my 1st phone call (1 hour ago)

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NFLN Doesn't Discriminate

by: Michael Steffes

The Patriots took long snapper Jake Ingram one spot after where the Seahawks took Tyler Schmitt last year.

It was nice to see the NFLN take a break from their excessive praise of the NE organization to mention that drafting a long snapper was equally as absurd this year as when the Hawks did it last year.

Clearly the Hawks and Pats feel differently, and they have enough wins over the last half decade between them to justify their actions.

The NFLN guys also took a minute to praise the Seahawks' draft, saying that if Deon Butler develops they have had a "heck of a draft." They think very highly of Curry and Unger and expect great things from both. And then at the end, they remembered we also picked up a first in next year's draft.

It has been a good weekend. However, the dividends might not be fully realized until this weekend next year. END Read More!

A Bit More on Mike Teel

by: Chris Sullivan

Who the hell is Mike Teel? Well, for one, it could be argued that he's the guy responsible for Kenny Britt. (The counter argument, and the potentially more convincing one, is that Kenny Britt is responsible for Mike Teel.) Here's how NFL.com broke down our pick:

Teel has an extremely strong arm. He was plagued by some Rutgers receivers dropping passes last year and he lacks speed, but he has a cannon and is very smart. He helped turn around the Rutgers program and has a shot to develop into something.

Okay, so, strong arm (that's new), receivers dropping passes (okay he'll fit in alright in Seattle), lacks speed (that's Hasselbeckian) and very smart. He's improved his stats every year, but again how much of that is Rutgers getting a great WR in Britt? Hard to say, but ideally he'll have great WRs in the NFL too, making that point a concern but somewhat moot.

Here's his Bio from Seahawks.com:

A durable three-plus-year starter with NFL size and an adequate arm, Teel really started to turn heads during the team's seven-win run at the end of 2008. His connections with fellow 2009 NFL Draft prospects wide receivers Tiquan Underwood and Kenny Britt lit up scoreboards through the final two months of the season.
Teel improved statistically each season, partially because his receivers began catching the ball consistently. He set career highs as a senior with 3,418 passing yards and 25 touchdowns.
An NFL team will take a chance on him as a late-round pick or priority free agent because of his strong physical and mental makeup.

The jury will be out for a few years, and I think it's still possible we grab someone from the list of undrafted free agents and maybe even someone with a comp pick in the 7th. Who knows?

The real concern most fans (and myself) are having is in opportunity cost. What did picking Teel cost the Hawks as far as who we could have picked? It's impossible to say, because we don't know who was being looked at. Rashad Jennings was available, but 22 picks later he's still available. Maybe he's not as good as we all (including me) wanted him to be? While I trust the pro scouts above my own scouting, this pick was very unexciting. That doesn't mean it won't be a good one, but it does show yet again that Ruskell and Mora think we can win with the guys we have right now.
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