Posts Tagged ‘Taylor Mays’

Last time, I chronicled my initial thoughts on Pete Carroll and his pre-draft strategy.  I posed some possible reasons why he might have opted to build his team around former players, and gave examples in the modern NFL.  Today, I will answer the question I left you with:

Why did Pete Carroll overlook his USC boys during the draft, in favor of  talented, yet unfamiliar athletes?

My initial reaction to Carroll overlooking his guys was that “he must not think that highly of his players.” We have heard Carroll sing the praises of players like Taylor Mays for several years, but when Carroll had to put his money where his mouth was, his actions spoke louder than his words ( please excuse my  excessive use of cliche’ phrases in that sentence).

Although I think there may be a grain of truth in there somewhere, there is a more savvy interpretation of Pete’s actions.    As a business with large monetary consequences for selecting certain players, the NFL is different than the NCAA. As an NFL coach, Pete Carroll can only afford to  select players with the best chance of helping his team.  The draft only grants a team approximately 7 picks, whereas the NCAA allows a school to recruit around 25 players per season. Missing on a prospect in college costs the school much less than a missed draft choice in the NFL.

I wholeheartedly believe that Pete Carroll likes his USC players, but many of his USC boys weren’t good values from a need and fit perspective.

Taylor Mays

The Seahawks were desperate for a safety, and they made it a priority to come away with one before the draft was over. USC safety Taylor Mays’ connection to Pete Carroll made a reunion in Seattle a likely possibility. However, Mays’ strong safety style of play, plus his general lack of ball skills would not fill the Seahawks dire need for a playmaking, ball hawking safety like the one they got in Earl Thomas.

Charles Brown

The left tackle prospect had loads of upside, but his ability to step into an NFL starting lineup was questionable at best.  Brown weighs in or around 290 pounds, and would have to get significantly stronger before his body would be ready to handle the stronger and bigger defensive ends in the league.

The Seahawks offensive line has been a sore spot for a sputtering offense. And the ‘Hawks needed to come away with an immediate starter.  From a value standpoint, the team picked an excellent prospect in Russell Okung- a player who should be able to contribute much more quickly than Charles Brown. Both the Earl Thomas pick and the Russell Okung selection were outstanding values. Pete Carroll swept up two of the highest rated players in the draft because they somehow managed to slip a few picks.  Okung was regarded by some as the top tackle prospect of the year, and they go him at #6 overall. Earl Thomas was rumored to go as early as #7 overall, and was arguably the best safety in this draft class.

Everson Griffen

Letting Griffen go to the 4th round was a real head scratcher.  The ‘Hawks could have packaged some trivial draft picks to move up 10 spots in the 4th round to get Everson Griffen. Defensive end is a big need, and Griffen would have brought considerably more athleticism to that front.   The lack of action on Carroll’s part does lead me to believe that he wasn’t too keen on bringing him to Seattle.  The guy has big-time potential. Perhaps Carroll knew him well enough to steer clear of Griffen and his emotional baggage?

A major storyline during this 2010 NFL Draft, for me, was seeing how Pete Carroll would value his former USC players. Would he build his

Pete Carroll (NFL.com)

Seahawks with a foundation of USC products?

Based on the near-daily reports regarding the Seahawks trade talks for former USC players during free agency (Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart), plus the signings of Lendale White and Mike Williams, I thought it was a slam dunk that Carroll would be eyeing the opportunity to build his program with familiar names.

Every indication led me to believe that Carroll placed added value to players he recruited and coached for years- players he had known intimately.

To some degree that has been the case, but certainly not to the extent that I anticipated.

Often, coaches will recruit players they have priors with because it removes the risk factor that uncertainty brings, especially in the draft process. You see examples of this all the time in the NFL.

In Detroit, new coach Jim Schwartz went after former Titans DE Kyle Vanden Bosch, OL Daniel Loper, and CB Eric King, while OC Scott Linehan insisted on bringing in Nate Burleson from Seattle.

In Denver, HC Josh McDaniels immediately tried to trade for his pupil from New England Matt Cassel. However, former co-worker  Scott Pioli jumped in front and picked up Patriots Mike Vrabel and Matt Cassel.

In the draft process, coaches and front offices will show a similar regard for players coming from coaches with whom they have a connection.

Bill Belichick has a strong bond with Florida head coach Urban Meyer, and this relationship of trust was evident in New England’s draft picks.   Second round picks Jermaine Cunningham and Brandon Spikes, as well as fourth rounder Aaron Hernandez all hail from the Sunshine State.

In essence, coaches and front office personnel place notable value on players with whom they have prior connections.  So why did Pete Carroll overlook his USC boys during the draft, in favor of  unfamiliar athletes?

Check on Monday or Tuesday to hear the answer!

Tonight started off on a predictable note, as the names of Sam Bradford, Ndamukong Suh, and Gerald McCoy were called (in that order). But soon after that, the Draft launched into exciting uncertainty towards the end of the top 10 selections, and continued until the very end of round one.

Of the many surprises, several stood out more than the rest.

Ndamukong Suh drafted by Detroit Lions (NFL.com)

First, was the Jaguars selection of Tyson Alualu. Unless I am mistaken, nobody predicted that pick, and many people, including myself, thought he would not be in the first round at all. Perhaps, the Jaguars are looking to transition to a 34 front.  I figured they would go for Earl Thomas, but those Jags seem to beat to their own drum.

Undoubtedly, the second biggest surprise was the dynamic drop-off of Mel Kiper’s favorite player, Jimmy Clausen.   What was going on there?  I’m sure Todd McShay is gloating to Kiper because McShay had been warning us that this could happen. Perhaps, McShay will get to be on set next year, instead of the too-talkative Steve Young.

By the way, did anyone else who was watching the draft on ESPN think that Young talked too much, and Kiper too little?

Third big surprise was the Eagles trade up to get Brandon Graham.  I am a huge fan of Graham, and he absolutely deserves to go this high. But I didn’t think many teams felt the same way.

Fourth shocking event was the fact that Tim Tebow wound up getting a call from the Broncos at #25.   When the cameras switched to the Tebow party, somehow I thought he was celebrating in a room not unlike a dentist’s office.

The fifth surprise for me was the absence of Taylor Mays.  I guess all teams saw his lack of instincts and were afraid of taking him in the first round.

And the sixth thing that caught me off guard was how far Bryan Bulaga slipped.  Him going to Green Bay makes a lot of sense. But thought he would be scooped up no later than #9.

The final surprise was how aggressive the Detroit Lions have become in the Draft. They came away with two impact players in Suh and Jahvid Best.  If they had waited to see if Best was available at #34, I think they would have been disappointed.

Overall, I was very excited to watch the first round this year.  The new format was an excellent decision because it not only gives the GM’s a breather, but it also makes watching the Draft more palatable for fans. I look forward to more trades tomorrow!

As with any other sporting event, we are naturally interested in crowning winners and losers for the NFL Combine. These are top level athletes known for their competitive fire and desire to win. There is no doubt that the prospects on the field this week were competing against each other in some form or fashion. For that reason, I think it is interesting to toss my two bits into the arena of opinion and name some winners and losers for this year’s Combine.

Combine Winners

Ndamukong Suh (NFL.com)

Bruce Campbell

Just a dominant overall performance by Campbell.  He looked fantastic in every drill on Saturday.  Did his workout catch the eye of Al Davis and the offensive tackle-hungry Oakland Raiders?

Ndamukong Suh

Talk about nimble…. Suh was like a dancing bear. It was absolutely evident that he was prepared to compete at the Combine.  32 reps on the bench could be a key factor in separating himself from Gerald McCoy who only had 23 reps.

Taylor Mays

NFL scouts in attendance said that Mays’ actual clocked time in the 40 was closer to the 4.24 than his official time of 4.43.  He was nearly as fast as advertised.

Jerry Hughes

Strength still a concern for Hughes, but there will be no questions about his athleticism and ability to transition to 3-4 OLB at the next level after putting on a display in agility during drills.

Eric Berry

Came in bigger and stronger than expected. His drills were very clean, and he ran a fast 4.47  in the 40, coupled with an amazing 43 inch vertical.

Trent Williams

Superb speed (4.88 sec) and fantastic footwork firmly plants Williams within the top 10 of the Draft.  The doubts concerning his height were squashed, too.  He is a solid 6’4” plus change.

Sam Bradford

Bradford has to be on this list, even though he didn’t work out.  He checked out medically, which means he is again a serious contender for the #1 overall pick.

Jahvid Best

Best ran the fastest 40 time of all the running backs (4.35 sec).  That is always a momentum shifter.

Jacoby Ford

Fastest man at the combine (4.28 sec) will catch the eye of evaluators.  Speed causes teams to overlook a multitude of flaws.

Dorin Dickerson

The Pittsburgh prospect was better than Jared Cook last year. Dickerson was the top tight end performer in the 40-yard dash (4.40 sec), broad jump (10’10”) and vertical leap (43 inch). He also posted great marks in the bench press ( 24 reps), 3-cone drill, and 20-yard shuttle.  Teams will be very intrigued by his athleticism.

Devin McCourty

Of all the defensive backs, McCourty looked the smoothest in drills. His strong suit is fluidity in his transition and breaks on the ball.  He made himself some money on Tuesday.

Ryan Matthews

An very good overall, especially for a big running back (6’0,” 218 lbs.) workout might have been enough to push Matthews into the 1st round.  He ran a fast 4.45 in the 40, and was a top performer in the vertical leap, 20-yard shuttle, and bench press.

Combine Losers

Joe Haden (NFL.com)

Joe Haden

His slow 40 time (somewhere around 4.58-4.62) shocked me.  His tape is fantastic, but he has to answer the speed questions to maintain top corner status.

Rolando McClain

Was the pulled hamstring a ploy?  Probably not, but I wanted to see McClain answer questions I have about his speed.

Carlos Dunlap

This was supposed to be his time to shine. But his workout was very average. He looked clumsy when moving laterally, and his straight line speed wasn’t near what was expected.

Dez Bryant

I want to know why he didn’t work out.

Anthony Davis

Concerns about his work ethic were confirmed by his lack of preparation.  Apparently, he looked soft in the middle, and his 23 bench press reps were not impressive for a man of his size.

Donovan Warren

An unofficial 4.58 sec in the 40 isn’t great for a cornerback. Warren wasn’t a top performer in any category.

Brandon Spikes

Another one of those guys who didn’t run for one reason or another.  This raises a red flag regarding his timed speed.  We know he is a great football player, but we wanted to see how good an athlete he is.

Dan LeFevour

No good reason given for not throwing.  Thes4e quarterbacks don’t seem to understand that scouts only want to see their footwork and delivery. Accuracy really doesn’t matter at the combine.

Rich Eisen

Good ol’ Rich…. I thought maybe this would be the year he broke 6.0 in the 40. Guess we will have to wait until next year. Hopefull, he will wear better exercise clothes than a suit next time.