The Blue Bird Herd

There’s been a lot of debate, both locally and nationally, as to whether or not Seattle should give up a first round pick in this year’s draft, to the Denver Broncos, in exchange for Brandon Marshall.  As the draft nears,  the Marshall trade chatter is certain to heat up again and as it does, this “draft pick” debate will surely be a lightning rod of a topic, to go with it.

In light of said debate, I thought I’d offer my perspective on what we can expect to see in the case that Seattle does not part with either the 6th or 14th picks, but instead gives up their current 2nd round pick (60th overall) in combination with one or two more (and no…there’s no way Denver takes only the 60th pick in return for Marshall).

The ‘hawks clearly have a problem at Wide Receiver right now, and in a rebuilding year, adding a young, elite, top three receiver like Marshall could be a huge step in the right direction.   However, if indeed this trade takes place and the compensation that the ‘hawks provide includes the 60th pick, then “Operation Roster Re-Stock” will immediately be faced with a new set of problems.

Let’s call this new set of problems, “Carroll and Schneider Sleep-In on Friday”.  And it really doesn’t have to stop there.  They could actually sleep-in, brew some coffee, take showers, stretch, run, stretch some more, pull out the clubs and head up to Newcastle for a full 18, all before a trip over the bridge for a Metropolitan Grill night-cap, because they would have nothing to do on Friday.   If you’re saying “I don’t get it,” then you’re probably one of a handful of people who still don’t know that this year’s draft starts on Thursday, April 22nd, while the 2nd and 3rd rounds are held on Friday, with the later rounds wrapping up on Saturday.

In a draft this deep, having Brandon Marshall along with the 6th and 14th picks is really really cool.  But having no picks in the 2nd and 3rd rounds is really really uncool, and you’ll definitely lose out on some big-time value.

Therefore, assuming they give up their 2nd, the ‘Hawks must strongly consider trading the 14th pick in the first round for a package of picks that could include a 2nd and 3rd, or better yet, multiple picks in either of those two rounds.

Fortunately, it just so happens there are a couple of teams that may be looking to trade up and have the necessary ammunition in picks, to do so.

First, let’s look at Philadelphia.

The Eagles have the 24th pick in the first round, the 37th and 55th picks in the 2nd round, the 70th and 87th picks in the 3rd round, and the 105th & 121st picks in the 4th.   So they have two picks in each of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th rounds.  Although they’d be able to pick up some talent at 24, with the recent trade of former Pro Bowl Cornerback Sheldon Brown to Cleveland, it would make sense for Andy Reid and friends to make a run at Florida’s standout cover-man, Joe Haden, should he fall to 14.   Haden playing opposite Asante Samuel would make a pretty dangerous tandem at the corners for Philly, and with the Eag’s having a plethora of picks to play with, Seattle just might be able to pry away a 2nd and a 4th in addition to grabbing Philly’s 24th. Then, with three 4th rounders, the ‘Hawks could theoretically trade up into the 3rd with a team like Cleveland who currently holds three 3rd round picks (71st, 85th & 92nd), but no 4th rounders.

Another player that the Eagles should have their eye on, is C.J. Spiller.  The cutting loose of Brian Westbrook has created a void in the Philly backfield and the clear need for a dynamic play-maker. You’d be hard pressed to find anyone in any NFL front office who doesn’t think Spiller is just that.

Another team that could and should be in the C.J. Spiller discussion, is New England.  Lawrence Maroney can’t stay healthy, and a game-breaker in the backfield is something the Pat’s have lacked for quite some time.  As for possible trade ammo, they hold the 22nd pick in the first round, and although, like Seattle, they have no 3rd round pick, they do have three 2nd rounders (44th, 47th and 53rd).

Other teams with multiple 2nd round picks include Tampa Bay, with the 35th and 42nd, and the Chiefs, who hold the 36th and 50th.

For the sake of psychological and emotional impact, I’ve put together a list of a few players at “need positions” for the ‘hawks, that could be available in the 2nd and/or 3rd rounds.

I’ve specifically listed those players that I believe will be good fits for the new offensive and defensive systems/schemes that the Seahawks are now putting into place:

Running Backs (“One-cut” backs with toughness to run between tackles, break-away from 2nd level defenders and catch passes out of backfield – will suit Gibbs’s Zone Blocking scheme):

Johnathan Dwyer – Georgia Tech – RB

Montario Hardesty – Tennessee – RB

Ben Tate – Auburn – RB/FB

Toby Gerhart – Stanford – RB

Offensive Linemen (athletic linemen who block well in space and have agility to succeed in Gibbs’s Zone Blocking scheme):

Charles Brown – USC – OT

Bruce Campbell – Maryland – OT

Selvish Capers – Virginia Tech – OT

Maurkyce Pouncey – Florida – C

John Asamoah – Illinois – OG

Mitch Petrus – Arkansas – OG

Pass Rushers (Edge rushers suited for a 4-3, with good burst off line, athleticism and speed to beat tackles):

Carlos Dunlap – Florida – DE

Jermaine Cunningham – Florida – DE

Austen Lane – Murray State – DE

Corey Wooton – Northwestern DE

Brandon Lang – Troy – DE

Quarterbacks (Strong-armed, athletic QB’s who can stand in the pocket when necessary, but who have the speed and mobility to roll out and throw accurately on the move) –

Tony Pike - QB - Cincinnati

Tim Tebow – QB – Florida (Oh, I went there)

Dan LeFevour – QB – Central Michigan

(Although he may be available, I’m purposely not putting Colt McCoy on this list – doesn’t fit the system IMHO)

Defensive Backs (Physical DB’s who can play with zone discipline required in the “Tampa/Cover 2″ scheme, support against the run game, and have the size to defend the Bigger WR’s) -

Patrick Robinson – Florida State – CB

Akwasi Owusu Ansah – Indiana (PA) – CB

Jerome Murphy – South Florida – CB

Dominique Franks – Okalahoma – CB

Darrell Stuckey – Kansas – FS/SS

Reshad Jones – Georgia – SS

Morgan Burnett – Georgia Tech – FS

Major Wright – Florida – FS

Wide Receivers (Physical, tough, sure-handed, good run after catch) -

Arrelious Benn – Illinois – WR

Damian Williams – USC – WR

Brandon LaFell – LSU – WR

Carlton Mitchell – South Florida – WR

Eric Decker – Minnesota – WR

Playmakers (Athletic, explosive play-makers with versitility to play multiple positions/roles)

Jahvid Best – California – RB/KR

Dexter McCluster – WR/RB/KR

Jacoby Ford – Clemson – WR/KR

Mardy Gilyard – Cincinnati – WR/KR

In my opinion, there’s just way too much talent available on day 2, to not jump into the action.

Even if you’re able to address Offensive Tackle with a guy like Trent Williams at 6, and grab a play-maker like Spiller at 14, you still have glaring needs at Running Back (still can’t believe anyone really thinks Julius Jones is worth consideration at this point, and you need an every-down back who can run between the tackles…Spiller hasn’t shown he can do that), interior O-line (Spencer and Wrotto aren’t the answer), Defensive End (absolutely zero speed on the edges right now – no, Kerney doesn’t have it anymore), and Defensive Back (Babs earned incentives…I guess they’re putting incentives into contracts for “showing up” now…and Jamar Adams is a nice Practice Squad guy who may give you some Special Teams depth).

I’m really not concerned about picking up a QB in the earlier rounds.  My sleeper at QB in this draft is John Skelton (Fordham), and he’s projected as a 4th rounder.  Once you get past Bradford and Clausen, it’s pretty much a gamble with any of the other QB’s anyway.

If the ‘Hawks don’t go through with the Marshall trade, they’d still be smart to consider moving out of 14.  The needs are just too plentiful, and the talent is just too rich in these higher rounds.