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 This week we have been taking a look at profiling players that could be selected by the Seahawks draft team. Previously profiled players can be accessed here... Gladiator Profiled for Seahawks - Tight End Gladiator Profiled for Seahawks - Cornerback Gladiator Profiled for Seahawks - Guard Gladiator Profiled for Seahawks - Defensive Tackle Let's have some fun and expand this out to a "6-pack" pool of targets that Ruskell most likely would be considering when selecting players from that draft slot. Players in bold would indicate the preferred player from that round's pool of players. Second Round (55) DE LeMarr Woodley (Team leader, nasty, hard worker) Video DT Justin Harrell (Trade-up necessary, leader, plays run well, good tackler) Video DE Ikaika Alama-Francis (Phenomenal athlete, very quick for his size) Video TE Zack Miller (Superb hands, good YAC, very physical, doubtful to slip to 55) Video CB Marcus McCauley (Tall, athletic, fast, good tackler and supports run well) Video DE Charles Johnson (Super job versus the run) Video Third Round (85) DT Brandon Mebane (Disruptive penetrator who collapses pocket, top motor and intangibles) OG Andy Alleman (Hard worker, great motor with nasty attitude, former DT) OG Josh Beekman (Hard worker, good character, would be solid player) DT Quinn Pitcock (Extremely strong, sound, very good versus the run) LB Quincy Black (Outstanding athlete with great instincts, can blitz and cover) DE Dan Bazuin (Aggressive, instinctive and smart, a little small for DE) Fourth Round (120) CB Courtney Brown (Tall, fast, athletic, leaper, good special teams player) TE Kevin Boss (Excellent hands, solid size, good speed, good blocker) LB HB Blades (Related to Brian, team leader, versatile, good tackler) C Leroy Harris (4 year starter also played both guard spots) DT Jay Alford (Can penetrate and make plays behind line) RB Brandon Jackson (Excellent vision, runs inside and outside well, good receiver) Fifth Round (161) DB John Wendling (Very athletic, leaper, very fast for size) DT Derek Landri (can rush the passer inside) TE Michael Allan (Raw, good hands, athletic) CB Usama Young (Good size and speed, solid tackler, impressed Hawks) LB Dallas Sartz (Instinctive, good range, very good special teamer) CB CJ Gaddis (Good ball skills, size and speed, good tackler) Sixth Round (197 and 210) CB Tim Mixon (Smart, good instincts, breaks up a lot of passes) OG Tim Duckworth (Strong, powerful, better at the run than pass) FB Le'ron McClain (He's a load, very good lead blocker) FB Cory Anderson (Explosive, good athlete, great blocker, can catch) OG Mike Jones (Nasty, good technician, very experienced) WR David Ball (Broke Jerry Rice's TD record) Seventh Round (232) RB Jackie Battle (Great Pro Day, strong and fast) C Dustin Fry (Mauler in the run game, can play multiple positions) WR Syndric Steptoe (Very good return skills) DE Mkristo Bruce (Intense, strong, leader in the clubhouse) TE Daniel Coates (Blocking specialist) OG Dan Santucci (Nasty, hard worker, smart, has upside) Gladiator Hawk [Comments taken in SeahawkBlue Forums] Labels: draft, GladiatorHawk  One of the key missing ingredients last year was identified when Tubbs absent during games last year. In Mike Sando's blog, he eloquently pointed out much more inferior the defense was in stopping the run when Tubbs was out. In his story Weighing Tubbs Impact the Seahawks gave up 42 yards more per game and .99 yards more per carry when Tubbs was sidelined. The quality at defensive tackles trails off sharply after the top 3 DTs are taken in the draft. The Seahawks would be wise to put a bulls eye on Justin Harrell and trade up towards the top of round 2 to fit him for a Seahawks uniform. The Tennessee Volunteer is tough as nails will play through pain as demonstrated when he put the team first playing rival Florida with a ruptured biceps tendon. He is quick and explosive at the snap. His stats cloak his true value because he will occupy two blockers at the line of scrimmage, freeing up teammates to close in for the tackle. Justin is an outstanding at containing inside running plays. He has very good change of direction agility and can split double teams. His very strong weight room ethic, team first attitude, and battles until the whistle, which is why teammates look to Harrell for leadership. He needs to work on his pass rushing, although he does show effective rip and club moves to penetration to the quarterback. He could improve his techniques with his hand placement to prevent blockers from getting underneath his pads. Package pick #55 with a player on the trading block, and Harrell will bring great value to the organization. Meet your defensive tackle of the future -- Justin Harrell. Gladiator Hawk [Comments taken in SeahawkBlue Forums] Labels: defensive tackle, draft, GladiatorHawk  In our third installment of Gladiator Profiled for Seahawks, we turn our attention to the cornerback position. The buildup in the defensive secondary is quite evident already with the Hawks adding 2 safeties in Deon Grant and Brian Russell. Mike Holmgren has cited in this interview that he could use another cornerback. The best fit for adding a cornerback would be Marcus McCauley a physical open field tackler with a reputation for taking on powerful running backs while also displaying the quickness needed to shut down speedy wide receivers. McCauley is big and fast, however he will be drafted in the 2nd round unfortunately. NFL teams have a preference for running towards the left side of the defense. The coaching staff should investigate returning Trufant to his former role of left cornerback and swap Jennings to the right side. Hugh Millen has stated on KJR radio that at the end of the season, Jennings weight was in the 160s, a bit slight for a DB trying take on a running back at full steam, hence the move to the other side for him. No truth to the rumor that when Jennings turns sideways, he's mistaken for one of the yardlines. Trufant is in his free agent contract year and there is a need to prepare for the future as Trufant could walk following this season. Usama Young offers great value as the Seahawks second pick (think trade) in the 4th round. Young is quick, has a solid frame and is a sure-handed tackler. He stands 5-11 weighs 195 and can fly through a 40 yard dash in 4.4 seconds. Young fits the mold for what the Seahawks need in the draft at cornerback. The Seattle Seahawks draft team came away very impressed after a recent visit with Usama. An accomplished defender albeit from a smaller school. Ruskell says that the Hawks are fortunate to have no glaring holes, so they have the opportunity to select players that they can develop into starters. Usama Young has plenty of game experience since becoming a starter in his freshman season and finishing with 37 starts in 45 games. He is considered to be a shutdown corner and has great special teams potential. Has the Ruskell work ethic desired and demonstrated by him putting forth the extra hours for game preparation. He could be more aggressive tracking the ball in flight. However he is a smart and instinctive player who can make the quick reads and instantly react to the play. Maintains good position on the receiver in man coverage. Has good recovery speed and turns with precision when looking for the ball. He is very effective in keeping plays in front of him playing in the zone and explodes out of his breaks to stay tight with the receiver. He needs to build on his strength and play with more aggression when competing for the ball in a crowd. H is not considered a ball hawk. Introduce him to DB specialist coach Jim Mora, and he will develop into a very effective starter in the future. Meet your new cornerback of the future -- Usama Young. Gladiator Hawk [Comments taken in SeahawkBlue Forums] Labels: cornerback, draft, GladiatorHawk  In our second installment of Gladiator Profiled for Seahawks, we turn our attention to the big uglies - offensive guard. Games are won and lost in the battle in the trenches. Our once formidable line is now ordinary, talented and young...yes, but in need of another ugly. The best fit would be Ben Grubbs. Ben has power, intensity and athletic ability to be that next great dominant guard. He has good size at 310 pounds and great quickness. Seahawks expect their blockers to fan out in pass protections more than most teams, and getting to the second level defenders. They must have the athletic ability to excel in pulls and traps. This is where Grubbs is outstanding. Unfortunately he will be Tubbs opponent on game day. Ruskell would do well to trade and move up in the draft and he will, but the target will not be Grubbs. That is a topic for another day. With Gray and Womack returning, the offensive line has a year to prepare the rookie for action. Argue if you will, however slotting a rookie with 2 other youngsters with only 16 starts between them in the interior, would cause opposing defenses to salivate. Andy Alleman out Akron offers great value out in the 3rd round. He is projected to be selected at 77-90. He fits the mold for what the Seahawks need in the draft at offensive guard. Like Grubbs, Alleman is a former defensive lineman converted to guard and yes, he brings a little nasty to the line. He is a bit raw, however he will have the time to be groomed for his future role. Another small school prospect, but Ruskell has stated that they have no glaring needs thus providing the options to take players that they could develop into productive starters. Alleman, developed his game growing up in the hotbed of football factories in Massillon Ohio, has been tabbed as one of the nations workout freaks. Alleman played right guard for Akron, struggled a bit early in 2006 and came on strong in the last half of the season. Alleman can explode off the line and has the lateral slide agility to get out on the edge for pass protection. He is more of a technique style of drive blocker rather than a mauler. He maintains proper pad level to gain leverage and control his defender. He has good ability to seal off a would be tackler in running plays. Alleman is acutely aware for the blitz and picks up stunts quickly. Effective turning the corner on pulls and seeks out second level defenders as he takes good angles to engage defender. Andy has only 2 years experience on the offensive side of the ball hence his need for time to develop more. Relies on his strength over technique, he is very strong. Needs to improve his footwork as he crosses his feet some and falls off his block. Needs to work on eliminating false starts. Given a year of good coaching plus mentoring from a grizzled vet Gray, Alleman will become productive at the right guard spot. Meet your right guard of the future -- Andy Alleman. Gladiator Hawk [Comments taken in SeahawkBlue Forums] Labels: draft, GladiatorHawk, Offensive guard  An essential ingredient in Mike Holmgren's version of the West Coast Offense, is that of the tight end position. A star performer is not needed, particularly when you have highly skilled QB, RB, and WRs. So what are the attributes that conspire to create the perfect all downs tight end and keep a defense guessing run or pass? One of the keys to Holmgren's offensive system is to have the size and physical tools needed to secure the point of attack. Seattle has a diminuative set of receivers, hence a huge target with springs would induce mis-matches for a defense when reeling in the jump ball in the endzone. Coach Walrus prefers a TE who can stretch the field, opening up room for the RB or WRs to work within space in linebacker territory. The guy manning this position must possess sure hands to keep drives alive. An ability to "seal the edge" on the defensive end will enhance the running game. Finally, intelligence is highly sought because the WCO is intricate and challenging to assimilate. Which gladiator possesses these attributes and would be available for Ruskell to draft? Kevin Boss out of Western Oregon offers great value in the 4th round. He is projected to be selected at 125-135 in the draft. He fits the mold for what is needed at tight end. He has 31 starts to his credit and played basketball in college. One year of grooming by Pollard and Boss will be very productive for years to come. At 6-7, Boss is a huge target that can reach another 35 inches with his vertical jump. He has proven to be one of the most sure-handed receivers in the draft thus making the most critical of fans to forget about Jerremy Who. He can fly in the 40 yard interval in 4.71 seconds just as Mr. Who. Boss man weighs in at 252 lbs and could add 10 more lbs of bulk without loss of quickness. Kevin uses his hands effectively to jolt the defender and get a clean release off of the jam. He has large hands, demonstrates great body control and leaping abilty to snag the ball at its high point. He can separate in the short area of the field and has valid speed to elude second level defenders to threaten the secondary. He has the loose hips to weave around linebackers. He has the power to break tackles and the stride to gain yardage after the catch. Very adept at adjusting his routes when the play breaks down. His agility allows him to contort his body to catch errant passes. He is a physical player who will win most fights for the ball in the air. Also, very alert to position himself beyond 1st down markers. Kevin is very intelligent and needs minimum reps to understand plays. Playing collegiate basketball reduced the off-season training typically needed to learn the finer points of football. Probably needs 1 year of good coaching to improve his route running and become more precise in his cuts. However, he is very effective on his out and crossing patterns. He has recovered from a shoulder injury which caused him to miss 6 games last year, thus lowering his draft status to provide the Hawks great value in the 4th round. Meet your tight end of the future -- Kevin Boss. Gladiator Hawk [Comments taken in SeahawkBlue Forums] Labels: draft, GladiatorHawk, tight end  Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren, has been re-charging his jets this offseason and is now fired up to begin what could be a very special season for the Hawks. Yesterday, he parked his motorcycle and spoke on the air at KJR radio with Dave Mahler and Hugh Millen. The Walrus disclosed his view of the current state of Seahawk Nation. On what his position of where he is right now with his 2 year extension... "When we made the decision to sign the 2 year extension, I thought long and hard about it. My biggest concern, and what we thought about most, was that you have to be fair to everybody. There was no sense in my signing any sort of extension if my heart wasn't in it, and with the idea that you didn't want to fulfill your contract. Having said that, I reserve the right after each season to make sure I'm fair with everybody. It doesn't make any sense at all, if after a season, I feel that I don't have the jets to keep going. It's not fair to anybody to keep going that way and fake it. I'm not going to do that. Every year, we're going to look at it. I feel I've reached that point in my coaching life where if I can recharge the batteries quickly and it's going in the right direction and I'm helping, and they want me, I'm going to stick around. If I don't think I'm helping the cause too much, I'm going to have to re-evaluate it." On how his family impacts his decision.... "My family is important to me. All of my daughters are moving to the Seattle area and we love it here. I'm not anxious to go anywhere else. I'm really not. The conversation we had and Kathy (wife) put it very bluntly. She said two things. 'You have to be healthy, for me to back this, and you still have to have the fire to do it right. Don't fake it'. I think that's a pretty good criteria, really. That's what I'm going to base any decision on. She's really supportive. She's been a great football wife over the years. At some point, it's going to end. I have no complaints. Football has been good to me." On his working relationship with Tim Ruskell and his own aspirations of GM... "Tim and I work very, very well together. When he and Tod Lieweike came aboard, it made the organization stronger. The management team we have is as good as it can be in the NFL. I had my own goals and aspirations, and I felt there was some unfinished business to take care of as the general manager/coach. My own ego gets involved there as well a little bit. I'm not saying I'm right, I'm just saying that's where I am. As far as how it's working right now, it's good. Everyone is going in the same direction. Everyone wants to win. Everyone is supporting each other the way they need to. Of course, it all starts with Paul Allen." On will there be a void in his career if he doesn't become a GM again... "I don't think so. Football has been very good to me. I have no regrets. You always want to do well as a coach and well as a GM. It was my first crack at being a GM and I think I would be better at it the next time. Better in hiring people. I have a much better idea of how that dynamic works, and what you need. Some of my decisions early on...I made a couple of mistakes. No question about it. That's what you hopefully learn from. But if I never got another chance to be a GM again - I'd be okay with it." On his immediate assessment following the overtime loss to the Bears in the playoffs... "First of all, let's break it down on what improvements would be required for 2007. We were going to look hard at the defense first. My feeling is that the offense, if we can stay healthy, we have people in place where we can move the football, for the most part. I did not feel there needed to be a dramatic overhaul of the offense. On defense, this was exaggerated because of our injuries in the secondary. We had to look at some of the things that were happening on defense. We got injured in the defensive line and in the secondary. Our linebackers were pretty solid. So, that's where our focus is going to be is with defensive line and secondary. I think in free agency, that is where we went." On have they done everything they set out to do with the defense in free agency... "I think there's room to grow. We did something differently this than we had done in previous years. We 'popped' early in what I call the 'feeding frenzy' period, which is that first week in free agency. The numbers these free agents sign for, just blow your mind. It is what it is. We were involved in that. In past years, we didn't get involved in the first week too much. We didn't usually have the money to do it and philosophically, we were trying to build something through the draft usually would just cherry pick a little bit in free agency. This year was different. There was a strategy to go hard and pop early on a couple of guys and that's what we did. We spent our money. Our shopping list, we took care of that. There will be some things that happen down the road in June, when the salary cap changes a little bit for us and we can add a couple of additional players. Basically, we are done." On his thoughts concerning Ken Hamlin... "First of all, it was a miracle that he played last year. I was very proud of him and happy for him because no one knew for sure if he could continue to play. I like Kenny a lot and he brought enthusiasm to our defensive unit but he did not have his best year last year. He missed tackles that he normally would make. He always guessed a little bit, but because of all the injuries in the secondary, he tried to do more than he had to do, and was out of position on occasion. Now what that had to do with the injury in his previous year, I could never tell you. He wanted to test the free agent market and the feeling in the building was that we had to overhaul our secondary. Aside from the injuries, it did not appear that we were getting better. In fairness to everyone, sometimes a new scene is good. Now, Jim Mora is going to coach the secondary, and we now have 2 new safeties in Deon Grant and Brian Russell to go along with our young corners." On his thoughts of the cornerbacks... "Well, I think Trufant is very solid. He is a good young player. Kelly Jennings is going to be fine. He had his highs and lows as you would expect a rookie to have. Herndon had his highs and lows. He's a bit of a lightning rod because the cornerback getting beat is more visible to the fan. Herndon is an excellent player and is a solid third corner. He plays the inside position very well. He had to play the outside until Kelly Jennings came along. I don't think you can have too many corners. Are we set there? I don't think so. Can we play the game? Yeah, we can play the game with what we have. We are going to look at the secondary in the draft." On which position of the defense would he like to add a player... "I would say cornerback. The way people that are opening their formations and throwing the ball around, people that play us (sic). If I put 4 wide receivers out there, very few people can match up straight on straight with 4 quality CBs cover 4 quality WRs. It's a valuable position. So, that's not necessarily a reflection on who we have right now." On his thoughts with the defensive line and status of Marcus Tubbs... When we lost Marcuss Tubbs...he's a big body in there who has some pass-rush ability as an inside player. Sometimes you can get the guys who play the draw very well, but they can't rush the passer. So when you get one who is big and can rush the passer, you've really got something going. We don't have a Reggie White or a Charles Haley that the other team would have to plan for that guy on every play. But as a result, we're high on sack totals. Everyone gets 4 or 5 sacks and they don't know where we're coming from, but we have to move a lot. When we lost Tubbs, we lost a presence inside. If he's okay, and we can get another big body in there, we will be okay. I saw Tubbs two days ago. He is feeling good and he is right on schedule, but you never know. He had a big-time surgery, so hopefully he can come back and play." On present status of the defensive line given Kerney's acquisition and Wistrom's retirement... "In a perfect world, if we would have been able to keep Grant Wistrom or talk him into staying, we would have had a nice little combination with 4 guys on DE. I would say that the needs between defensive end versus defensive tackle are about even." On did he want Wistrom back... "Yes. Now, Grant signed a huge contract. Grant and I had a great conversation about this. His body, he plays the game, he's undersized. The way he plays the game, he is all beat up at the end of every game. My hope was that he would accept a lesser salary and come back so we could rotate him. He gets 30-35 snaps per game. I could take it easy on him in training camp too. He brought something to the table for our team that was healthy. It was good. But he did not want to do that. What I appreciate about him was that he was very honest with me. He (Grant) said, 'Mike, I think I am done.' So what are you going to do?" On his observations of the similarities between Kerney and Wistrom... "They are very similar. They both have great motors. They are both team guys and they are both very unselfish. They both practice hard and they are tremendous people. The one difference, perhaps is that Kerney is more of a sack guy. By himself, Kerney will get more sacks coming off the edge. Some sack totals can be misleading sometimes, especially if you're playing a team that the tackle might have set up the sack. We had to prepare for Patrick Kerney unless they switched him over and he was going against Walter Jones. He has shown that he has that ability to get sacks on his own. That is the maybe one difference." On how hard did Seattle press for David Carr... "Well we pushed hard. Dave Carr said, he had a great visit with us. He was going to go on a little bit of a tour, but it really narrowed down to Carolina and Seattle. Any time we bring in a free agent, I am not going to sugar-coat anything. Absolutely I am not going to lie to him because, all of a sudden, if you sign him and what you tell him doesn't happen, you have an unhappy player and that a bad deal. We were going to be totally upfront about everything with David or any QB that comes in here. Matt is our quarterback. Now these are the situations...this is why I think it would be a good place for you. We sold him on that and I believe he liked that. I think Carolina, I don't know this for sure, but he got a real nice contract; that's one, and I think they talked to him about being the starter there. Now, we'll see what happens, but that's what you do in recruiting. We choose to do it in a different way." On where Carr would stack up with Matt and Seneca... "I talked to Seneca about this before David even visited. I thought Seneca did a good job for us last year and he got better as a quarterback. No question that he has improved as a quarterback. I tried to think about getting him on the field in other roles. I think he could be an outstanding pass receiver for us. He is a very talented man. He could return punts for us and do a good job there. We would be able to free Burleson and Engram up to concentrate on other areas. The thought process behind bring in a David Carr or anyone else is to have the assurance that if something were to happen to Matt, that you could use Seneca to play those other positions because you have a QB that can go in the game and play. Until that happens, until we sign another guy like that, I can't use Seneca in those other roles where he could help our team. So, that's why we are looking." On his assessment of Seneca as a quarterback... "I think he's fine. I really do. He works very hard and he is just what you want. Where he would develop more, like most guys who play quarterback, is when he has a chance to play. He will be so much better prepared this year to play than he would have been last year. In the Minnesota game, he had no reps during the week and he had to come in and play, so you knock that one out. He played very well against the Raiders, and he played very well against the Rams. I thought he made some bad decisions in the 49er game, but no one else helped him out too much either. The team played poorly. Our defense was horrible. So it is not always him. He is good enough to play in this league. Now how much longer can we keep him. He is a good backup. We are looking at backup QBs such as Carr, to give us some options." On his thoughts concerning Jerremy Stevens... "The Scottsdale episode was the end of it for him here. When he left at the end of the season, we discussed how a change of scenery would probably be good for everybody. Jerremy knew this. He wanted to test the free agent market as a lot of players do. It wasn't quite what he thought it would be and at the end, he would have to reconsider some things. He made great strides on and off the field while he was with us. I think he grew up a lot. It always worried me when he was out of my sight. In Arizona he had too much to drink and got busted. It is sad and it is a tragedy. Why does this happen...well it is a disease. More than a football thing. It is a life thing. If he asked for my help in anything, I would give it to him. That is the way I would handle any of my players." On his opinion of character issues... "A point of emphasis is prominent in the building. At the owners meeting in Arizona, we had sessions with the head coaches and owners. I would caution everybody this way however. You draft a player, and most of the time, you know everything about the background of the player you need to know. In Koren Robinson's case, we did not know 1 little thing about him that turned out to be a big deal. The public has a tendency to say there is character problems and lump everything in this pot. They should not do that. They are not all the same and their problems are not all the same. I am not defending our pick or anything like that. Part of coaching and teaching, my responsibility is to help them be good football players and hopefully help them to be better people. In Koren's case, everyone liked him. He was very talented guy who worked real hard. He is a good guy, but he suffered from a disease. In years past, we had a couple of guys who are no longer here, not anyone we have talked about today (Eaton for one), who I think are bad guys. Who are very selfish, drag down a team, and who did not care for anyone but themselves. Now that, to me, is a character issue. I tend to split those guys out. Not everyone who gets into trouble is a bad guy. There is a big push by the Seahawks to eliminate these types from the draft board." On where will training camp be held... "Training camp will be held at our place in Kirkland. We are working very hard at logistics of camp. In Cheney we were on auto-pilot. Everyone knew where we were going and what we were doing. We will make it work in Kirkland." On Darrell Jackson and his future with the team... "Darrell is under contract with the team. We will have a mandatory mini-camp the weekend following the draft. All players under contract have to be there. There are rumours about him that we are shopping him. We will sit down and talk and see where he is. He had something done with his knee and he is rehabbing it. The wide receiver group is thick and talented. This will be interesting to see who emerges and see how it works out." Gladiator Hawk Labels: character, draft, free agents, GladiatorHawk, GM role, Hamlin, Holmgren, Jackson, Jerramy Stevens, Koren, offseason  No doubt you have seen the recent trend of the past few years of NFL teams stockpiling defensive linemen in an effort to rotate them into games to maintain a premium energy level for the defensive line. Throw in the complexity of today's NFL defenses, disguising coverages, and multiple adjustments on the line of scrimmage by NFL defenders, and then you'll understand why there is such a premium on elite offensive linemen to counter the problems posed by today's NFL defensive linemen. Skill players are needed – yes, but games are won and lost in the trenches. In 2005, the Seahawks had the best offensive line. Short yardage? Everyone knew Shaun was going to run to the left. Hawks said here it is, just try and stop us. No one could. Hutch was considered best NFL guard behind only Alan Faneca. Even so, you don’t pay $6mil for a guard. Well the landscape has changed. Salary cap has exploded. Top rated guards now earn LT money. We need to build an upper echelon line again. How will that happen? First, let’s evaluate what we have. We learned you cannot just plug-in a guard? I like Womack and Womack should be re-signed for a backup role. He can play 4 positions. We need that. He knows the west coast offense. He has had many injuries, so why risk him as a starter. Spencer and Sims gained valuable experience and will be the foundation for the future. Sean Locklear must be re-signed. He is being targeted by several teams. We must minimize change on the offensive line to develop continuity. Sean is a good young talent. Ashworth is another valuable backup. He can play RT and RG (only). I watched SB 38 today and Ash played very well at RT lining up opposite of Julius Peppers. Chris Gray is a grisly veteran. What he lacks in physical abilities, he has made up for it by using his experience to outsmart the competition. He is the only veteran equipped with knowledge and ability to make the line calls for blocking. Gray's experience and instincts could teach Spencer and Sims the mental part of the game and shorten their learning curve. He could help Spencer to call out the blocking assignments. He can backup at Center as well as guard. If we can get him at the veteran minimum it would be worthwhile to do so. Ray Willis is on the bubble. I’ve heard good things about him, but in 2 years he has hardly been active on game day. Pat Ross could be a backup center, but having 2 young centers would leave us vulnerable. So where do we go from here? Typically, your left guard is your quicker, more athletic player. They should be athletic enough to get outside to lead on traps, sweeps, and pulling plays. Whereas running teams prefer bigger, more physical right guards for power blocking on short yardage runs. With this in mind, if we were able to acquire a 27 year old Derrick Dockery, 6’ 6” 335 pounds, he would be the quintessential right guard and we can retain Sims at LG. Dockery is a great power blocker. Big and tall, the LBs won’t see the RB until it’s too late. When Portis was down, backups continued to rush for 100 yards behind Dockery. You won’t see many DTs bull rush him successfully to get to the QB. Dockery was teammates with Marcus Tubbs and DD Lewis at Texas. Two other veteran candidates would necessitate having Sims start at RG. Eric Steinbach is 27 years old, 6’ 6” 290 lbs and in the run game he is considered one of the best pulling LGs in the NFL. He has played all positions on the line, but is a natural at LG. Gifted athletically, intelligent and excels at pass blocking. A little light for straight ahead power running game, but with Walter on his right and with Spencer a bigger center than Tobeck on the right, he will do fine. Kris Dielman is 26 years old, 6’ 4” 310 lbs and is of the perfect size for a LG in Seattle’s line. He is an effective blocker in the running as well as the passing game. Dielman helped LT break Alexander’s record. Dielman offers a little bit of nasty, something that’s been lacking on the field since Hutch’s departure. He’s still going -12 seconds beyond when most of the others have finished a play. Other times, Dielman will simply get in a little extra knock just to let his opponent know he's not going anywhere. "I just like to get in there and get it going," he said. "If you've got to mix it up a little bit, you've got to mix it up." In the draft, Ben Grubbs, the Auburn guard could slip to the middle of the 2nd round. He 6’ 3” 305 lbs, is very athletic and quick. He is a tremendous lead blocker when out in front. He has a nice ability to pull and trap and getting to the corner as lead blocker on running plays. Grubbs can get to the 2nd level to take on LBs. He gets a solid push on the pile. In the passing game, he has good technique and a decent base to hold up against bull rushers. He also has quick feet to slide to the outside on quicker pass rushers. He can play either guard position. Josh Beekman, the guard out of Boston College has good size and bulk, 6’ 1” 320 lbs. Has a low base, gets a great push and does well in the running game. Always hustles and plays until the whistle. He is sound fundamentally and a good technician. He is strong and very intelligent. Sets up quickly in pass protection and uses his hands well. Isn't real athletic enough to handle elite pass rushers. He is not superior in any facet, but he is solid in all phases of protection. Backups Womack Ashworth Gray Willis Starters Tackles Jones and Locklear, Center Spencer, Guards Sims and pick-em Preference for other starting guard is 1) Dielman, 2) Steinbach, 3) Dockery, 4) Grubbs, 5) Beekman Well there you have it, the preferred list of candidates for a new starting guard. Will any of them be available for the taking? I hope so. Labels: draft, free agents, GladiatorHawk, offensive line |
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