Cascade Kid wrote: ↑Tue Mar 21, 2023 6:34 am
ddraig wrote: ↑Tue Mar 21, 2023 5:46 am
We release Al Woods today. Looking like we'll be interested in Carter at #5, maybe also a big DE/Edge at #20.
I don't think releasing 36 year old Woods sharpened our interest in Carter or any other DT anymore than it had been. There are 4 good NTs in this draft in Siaka Ika, Mazi Smith, Keondre Coburn, and Jerrod Clark.
Mazi Smith is an athletic, powerful nose tackle who could be the heir-apparent to Al Woods.
I still think the key to Seattle’s draft is Arizona’s decision at #3. I don’t think they’re going to get an attractive enough offer to move down (unless the Colts basically flip picks at #4). Do they take Tyree Wilson instead of Will Anderson, as projected by Daniel Jeremiah? Wilson is arguably a better scheme fit for Jonathan Gannon but Anderson is the culture re-setter the Cardinals need.
If C.J. Stroud, Bryce Young and Will Levis are the first quarterbacks off the board — which I think is increasingly likely — my prediction continues to be it’ll come down to Anthony Richardson at #5 or Will Anderson if the Cardinals pass on him. I think the Seahawks would take Anderson in that scenario because he’s an ideal scheme fit, he’s an A+ alpha and he can be someone you build around on defense. I don’t think he’s a special talent but he can be a very good player and it would be a safe pick for Seattle.
If that happened, they would likely — in my opinion — push the quarterback situation into the future and embrace a scenario where they have to go fishing for middle-tier options in from 2024. Or they could look at Hendon Hooker, who has some serious fans in the scouting community.
If Anderson is gone and they take Richardson, they will have to address their defensive line in the #20, #38, #53 range, possibly with two picks. Those options will dry up otherwise. If they want an ‘edge’ type they could pivot to Will McDonald instead (he had been training with B.T. Jordan) or they could wait to tap into the depth later. The interior D-line options will run out quickly.
Jalen Carter will not be an option for the Seahawks in round one. I don’t like writing stuff like this because typically you set yourself up for a fall. On this occasion, I am 100% confident. Carter will not be a first rounder for Seattle.
I’m also not convinced Tyree Wilson is a scheme fit. It will depend on testing whether they believe he can play as a bigger OLB/EDGE.
I think what they’ve done so far pretty much sets up the scenario I’m talking about at #5. They haven’t signed another ‘edge’ rusher. They do have Uchenna Nwosu, Boye Mafe and Darrell Taylor but there’s room for one more and Nwosu is a free agent next year. I also think the quarterback situation lends itself perfectly to Richardson.
I don’t know why anyone thought the Drew Lock signing made a QB pick less likely. The whole point with Richardson is he needs to sit for a year. That means a redshirt, not being the backup. Not being a play away from starting at any point in 2023.
You were always going to need a backup quarterback if your plan was to draft Richardson, so he can have his proper redshirt season. Lock, on a cheap one-year contract with minimal guarantees, is perfect. He knows the offense, he knows the team. He can start if Geno Smith gets hurt without the rookie needing to ruin his redshirt season.
Meanwhile Smith’s contract is perfectly structured to move on when the new quarterback is ready, whenever that is. They’ve set-up the ideal situation — the Alex Smith-to-Patrick Mahomes crossover.
I’ve also seen it argued that they can’t justify spending so much on the quarterback position to have someone like Richardson sit for a year. Really? They are literally paying Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams $36m. On top of that, they’ve now added Julian Love and retained Ryan Neal. Are we honestly going to try and suggest you can pay well over $40m for the safety position but can’t carry a redshirt rookie contract at the most important position in football? That’s ridiculous.
The table has been set for either Anderson or Richardson at #5. Personally, I’d be happy with either.