Happy Friday Cougs, and finally the end of a LONG week. Personally it’s been a whirlwind these last two weeks – in Florida all last week for work, then to the spring game with the RV, blah blah blah. But you aren’t interested in my planes, trains and automobiles trip I’m sure. It wasn’t nearly as eventful as Huddy’s adventures getting to AND from Spokane last week! But it’s been a long couple of weeks and I’m ready for some down time this weekend, working the grill with a cold beverage in hand.
SO, about that NFL draft last night? I always get mixed feelings on draft day, as a Coug anyway. We haven’t had a first rounder since Marcus Trufant, who has had a long, decent NFL career (and is back with the Hawks again, thank you). And like many of you, I’ve tried to forget the 1998 NFL draft, when the debate was actually a, uh, debate, over who should go #1 – Peyton or Ryan. But I still remember back to the Drew Bledsoe draft and can still feel the angst!
Yes, I actually have this. Pathetic, I know.
I remember thinking maybe, somehow, just some way New England would blow it and pick Rick Mirer?? You know, maybe the Pats brass would fall in love with Mirer’s Irish-Catholic roots and comparison’s to Joe Montana, and MAYBE they would take him over Bledsoe, leaving the big gunslinger there at #2?? Or maybe they would screw up the card and write Mirer’s name by accident!? But like many in Seahawk nation, I would be denied that day….
Bledsoe went on to have a Patriot Hall-of-Fame career, throwing for tons of yards (44,000+) and TD’s (251) while making the soon-to-be-defunct Pro Bowl four times. All told a pretty damn good career. No, he won’t be enshrined in Canton, but still a hell of a career.
Moving on…..
So there’s some serious criticism hurled upon the Seahawks brass for picking pass rusher Bruce Irvin yesterday. Things like “SHOCKING” and “HOW COULD THEY PICK HIM AT 15 WHEN HE WAS GOING TO BE THERE IN THE 2ND ROUND!?” and on and on it went last night. And Twitter, wow, yet again it turned into one-liner after one-liner, so many out-of-work comedians trying out their material 140 characters at a time.
But you know what? The criticisms are coming from media-talking head types, not from people inside the NFL anyway. The Kiper’s and Schefter’s and the like hate the pick. But did you know that ProFootballTalk.com reported last night that yeah, you might not have heard much about Irvin, but according to sources, seven different NFL teams had him in their top 15. And the Seahawks picked him at 15, after trading back from 12. Yet today all you hear is the so-called draft guru’s ripping Seattle and screaming that they could have had him in the 2nd round?
Well, ask yourself this – if seven NFL teams had Irvin in their top 15, how exactly would he have been sitting there in the 2nd round!? How can anyone say that he would have kept dropping if so many teams had him as a top-15 talent? Schefter reported this morning that the 49ers were big on him and were contemplating a trade up to get him, and had Irvin in for a visit last week. But based on comments from John Schneider and Pete Carroll last night, it sure doesn’t sound like he was going to stick on the draft board much longer when they did call his name at 15. So despite all the mocks-n-such surrounding the NFL draft, when you pick a guy higher than they think it sets off a s*itstorm of criticism.
The problem here are the so-called character issues with Irvin. A really rough past, as he has admitted already in interviews, about how he has seen and experienced things that a lot of people can’t comprehend. He’s a character risk, no doubt about it, and there are GM’s out there who were certainly scared off by his past. But if anyone knows how to reach the talented kid with a “spotty” background, it would seem that Pete Carroll would be that guy. All the work he has done with the rough streets of LA, all the talented youngsters he has motivated to be great under his watch, I mean the guy knows how to deal with a kid like this. And there were a lot of questions surrounding Marshawn Lynch when he was traded to Seattle, with issues about his past and work ethic after not becoming what they hoped for in Buffalo. That seems to be working out ok??
The NFL draft, even in 2012, is still a total crapshoot. Heck, the Seahawks supposedly made the “safest” pick in the draft a couple of years ago when they took Aaron Curry at #4. Everyone hailed that pick on draft day, saying it was one of the best choices of the first round. Yet here we are, with Curry dumped to Oakland after failing repeatedly to stay on the field. So you just never know.
And all I can say is that the video sure looks promising of Irvin. He’s a little light, for sure, and doesn’t fit the profile of the Red Bryant’s of the world. But he runs like a safety, and the Hawks lack that speed element in the pass rushing department. The guy looks like a speed-rushing terror who is relentless in chasing down QB’s, with explosive moves and speed.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6leAL3eK9jo&w=425&h=246]
One can imagine him flying up the field in Century Link with all that crowd noise on 3rd downs! And per a report yesterday, the Seahawks were in the nickel defense over 60% of the time in 2011. With the way teams throw the ball around the yard, you KNOW he’s going to get his opportunities to fly off the edge and wreck the pocket.
So with the rest of the draft tonight and tomorrow, who do you still see on the board that you would like? One guy who is interesting to me is Brock Osweiler. He’s huge, but he can move and has some real athleticism at the position. I could see him coming in to Seattle and competing for the backup job with Tarvaris Jackson, see what happens. Did you catch the Gruden QB camp on Osweiler? It was eye opening to say the least (and for what it’s worth, I LOVE the Gruden QB Camp shows!).
You know what was cool though? They kept showing – over and over – WSU’s own Alex Hoffman-Ellis just nailing Osweiler to the sideline vs the Cougs last fall!
Ouch.
Check out the video, with the Hoffman-Ellis hit at the 14:30 mark of the tape.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpKGM9FCyxg&w=425&h=246]
Anyway, a guy with his size and athleticism, he might be worth a 2nd or 3rd round choice? I love the Matt Flynn signing, but if it doesn’t work out it might be a good idea to hedge your bet.
Finally, here’s hoping Hoffman-Ellis gets the call at some point this weekend. Scout.com reported the other day that he was moving up a bit on draft boards after some promising workouts and meetings with teams, so there sounds like there is some hope he will land somewhere. Good luck to AHE!
All for now. Enjoy your Friday/Weekend, and as always, GO COUGS!
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