Mock Draft Picks 1st Round (1-10)

1. ST LOUIS RAMS—Sam Bradford (QB-Oklahoma)
    Years after dumping future Hall-of-Famer Kurt Warner in favor of Marc Bulger, the Rams quarterback woes continue. St. Louis spent the past few years neglecting drafting a franchise quarterback in favor of non-skill position players who haven’t worked out. With Bulger locked out of the team complex, the Rams finally pull the trigger on their QB of the future, selecting Sam Bradford with the number one pick.
    On the other hand... the Rams could trade down, draft a mediocre defensive lineman, continue to be the worst team in the worst division, and put themselves in prime position to draft Jake Locker (QB-Washington) with the first pick in 2011 draft.

2. DETROIT LIONS—Ndamukong Suh (DT-Nebraska)
    Dez Bryant (WR-Oklahoma) and his agent are the only people upset Matt Millen is no longer the General Manager for the Lions. But with Millen safely confined to the broadcasting booth, the Lions don’t have to worry about wasting another 1st round pick on a wide receiver.
    Instead, the Lions can address a major need, and select a defensive beast in Ndamukong Suh. And how could they not? After watching Suh’s multi-sack game against Colt McCoy, I’m sure Detroit’s defensive coaches are having lucid dreams about the punishment he’s going to inflict on Brett Favre when he rips through their O-line.

3. TAMPA BAY BUCS—Gerald McCoy (DT-Oklahoma)
    When you’re a team needing everything, you can’t go wrong with the 3rd pick. Does Tampa go with Eric Berry (S-Tennessee), the prize pupil of former defensive coordinator, Monte Kiffin? Or, do they draft a wide receiver to replace Antonio Bryant, or an offensive lineman to protect quarterback Josh Freeman? All signs point to them drafting Gerald McCoy (DT-Oklahoma) to boost their anemic defense. 

4. WASHINGTON REDSKINS—Jimmy Clausen (QB-Notre Dame)
    Assuming coach Mike Shanahan takes a liking for Jimmy Clausen (QB-Notre Dame), the Redskins will be going quarterback with their 1st round pick, proving it’s never too early to draft your Jake Plummer of the future.
    Washington could also choose Russell Okung (OT-Oklahoma), but Shanahan has had luck drafting undersized lineman in later rounds to fit his zone-blocking scheme. While Shanahan is somewhat predictable, there’s no telling how long owner Dan Snyder can sit on his hands and not ruin this draft.

5. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS – Eric Berry (S-Tennessee)
    For the Chiefs, it comes down to Eric Berry (S-Tennessee) or Russell Okung (OT-Oklahoma). Do you want the next Ed Reed or do you want to protect Matt Cassel from a crippling injury at the hands of some menacing defensive end. Screw Matt Cassel. The answer is Eric Berry. Also, it keeps the Seahawks from being tempted to pull a Ruskell and go defense with their 1st pick.

6. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS—Russell Okung (OT-Oklahoma State)
    If Timmy Ruskell were still calling the shots this pick would be a no-brainer: Roland McClain (LB-Alabama). Thankfully, Ruskell is not calling the shots and I will be drinking a lot fewer shots on draft guys because of it.
    So what will the Sea-Chickens do? Walter Jones is 36-years-old and for two years we've seen a lot more of him on Twitter then on the field. He was great, but he's done. Even if Jones discovers the fountain of youth and magic pixies heal his knee, Seattle’s offensive line would still be among the NFL worst. If the Hawks keep this dismal line intact, Matt Hasslebeck’s wife will be increasing his life insurance policy, Charlie Whitehurst will be longing for Arizona, and C.J. Spiller (RB-Clemson) will have his agent leaking "character issues" to worsen his draft stock.   
    The Seahawks will take Russell Okung. If he’s no longer on the board, they’ll take Trent Williams (OT-Oklahoma). Somebody has to start blocking or the fans in the Hawk Nest will commit mass-suicide by hanging themselves from the goalposts of Qwest Field.

7. CLEVELAND BROWNS—Dez Bryant (WR-Oklahoma State)
    Given that Browns GM, Mike Holmgren, has previously spent 1st round picks on problematic pass-catchers like Koren Robinson and Jerramy Stevens, I can’t see how he resists drafting the human red-flag: Dez Bryant. Plus, once Bryant inevitably shows up late for his 5th meeting, Coach Eric Mangini will insist on trading him to the Jets for a fifth round pick and 2nd string linebacker. This will give Holmgren the excuse to fire Mangini and take the reigns.

8. OAKLAND RAIDERS—Anthony Davis (OT-Rutgers)
    Al Davis loves freakish athletes with attitude problems and he needs an upgrade at offensive tackle. Obviously he’s intrigued with Anthony Davis. The guy has incredible physical tools, an amazing blend of strength and speed. And despite his size (6-5, 320lbs), he’s got quick feet and a good burst of speed. Physically, he may be the most talented lineman in the draft. On the other hand, he’s inconsistent, was frequently disciplined in college, has struggled with his weight and could prove to be a complete bust in the pros. Basically, he’s the second coming of quarterback JaWalrus Russell. Al Davis will take him.

9. BUFFALO BILLS--Brian Bulaga (OT-Iowa)
    Tim Tebow recently visited the Bills and had dinner with Jim Kelly, the former-Bills quarterback. Kelly clearly has a man-crush on Tebow, and the Bills desperately need a new quarterback and some leadership. So will the Bills rush to take Tebow with a top-ten pick? No. God has a plan, and in His plan he has Saint Tebow dropping to the second round. Instead He will have Brian Bulaga (OT-Iowa) suffer and toil amidst the dreary cold in Tebow's place. Amen.

10. DENVER BRONCOS--Dan Willliams (DT-Tennessee).
    Denver has needs all over the board: Wide receiver, quarterback, linebacker, offensive line, nose tackle, etc. But what they really need is someone Josh McDaniels actually likes and can get along with. The Broncos are on the verge of losing Brandon Marshall for next to nothing because the two had a falling out. And while Brady Quinn and Kyle Orton will be falling over themselves to ingratiate themselves to their coach, they need to draft some talent.
    I see them taking Dan Williams (DT-Tennessee). He’s a load to block, and as long as he can keep his weight down (he once tipped the scales at 357lbs), he will be plugging the middle for the Broncos for years to come. And if his weight balloons again? Well... everybody likes the fat guy, even McDaniels.

Cory Redding--We Hardly Knew You

 Saying goodbye is always  hard... unless it's to someone you don't really know. Then it's just sort of awkward.  As Seahawk Nation bids farewell to defensive end Cory Redding, every fan wrestles personally with how to say goodbye properly.

"See you around," doesn't feel right because who knows when we'll see him again. We don't play the Baltimore Ravens (his new team) next season.

"Thanks for the memories" doesn't fit since I can barely recognize him in a Seahawks jersey. The photo above may be photo-shopped since he appears to be sacking Tony Romo, something I have no memory of. Perhaps it was one of the two regular season sacks he recorded last year.

Maybe Redding isn't just another sub-par player on a team full of sub-par players. Maybe he was just a victim of circumstance. He could kick ass with the Ravens next year. Maybe we'll be longing for his barely-noticeable presence next year if our roster of defensive ends remains: Chris Clemons, Lawrence Jackson, Rickey Foley, Nick Reed, and Patrick Kerney.

But it's not as if Redding was Brian Bosworth incarnate. Sure we gave up Julius Peterson for him, but Redding was supposedly a fun guy and good teammate, And it is true Redding had one of the most dominant preseasons by a Seahawk in recent memory. That should at least get him a memorial beer-holder in the women's restroom at Qwest Field... and apparently a new contract with a playoff contender.

So I guess we just give him one of those half-hearted fist bumps where you kind of look the other way, the kind inmates give to other prisoners who are walking past their cell on their way to being paroled. "Take care man... Have fun in the playoffs... Thanks for not pinning me in the shower.... Send me a picture of your sister... See ya on the outside..." 

So good luck Cory Redding. If things don't work out in Baltimore, I'm sure that winning smile we never noticed will do big in Hollywood. I hear Corey Feldman is looking for another Cory to star in The Two Corey's following the untimely death of Corey Haimes...

God I wish the draft was here already.

Seahawks New Contrast In Style

There are some stark contrasts between veteran quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and the newly acquired Charlie Whitehurst: Primarily experience and hair.

Whitehurst didn't come cheap ($10million over two years). The Seahawks also swapped 2nd round picks with the Chargers (40th for 60th overall), and gave up next year's third round pick for the former Clemson star.

Whitehurst is a big question mark. He has yet to play in a regular season game, but has shown promise during his preseason outings. He was certainly a star at Clemson (YouTube footage) and it warranted him a 3rd round pick by the Chargers in the 2006 draft. The Hawks must think he's the heir-apparent for Hasselbeck and better than anyone they'll get in this year's draft.

Whitehurst, and his flowing mane, will eventually end the Seahawks recent string of bald quarterbacks (Trent Dilfer/Hassselbeck). It also erases the possibility of drafting Jimmy Clausen, a prospect whose own hairline is in steady retreat. Let's hope the rookie hazing includes a buzz cut for Whitehurst. That hair may work on the beach in San Diego, but I don't want to hear moronic commentators using his long hair to frequently reference our city's grunge history.

His hairstyle makes him appear as the second coming of Jesus. Let's just hope it's not the second coming of Rick Mirer.

Who The $#!& Is Chris Clemons?

The Seattle Seahawks traded Darryl Tapp to the Philadelphia Eagles for a 4th round pick and pass rusher Chris Clemons.

So who the hell is Chris Clemons? He's a 7-year veteran who was undrafted out of University of Georgia. He once recorded 7 sacks in a season, but is probably best remembered for pile driving Viking's QB Tavaris Jackson. Click here for the footage on YouTube.

Seneca Wallace Traded to Browns

The next time Seahawks fans see Seneca Wallace running out of bounds for a 5-15 yard loss, it will be in a Cleveland Browns jersey.  Today, the Seahawks traded the veteran backup for an undisclosed pick in next year's draft.

How did the Seahawks come to this decision? This is the conversation I imagine occurred between Head Coach Pete Carrol and GM John Schneider after they watched all of Seneca's game film from last season.

Carroll: How many times did number 15 run out of bounds for a loss without throwing it away? It's ludicrous.

John: I've got the data on this spreadsheet. Note the bar graph on page two as well.

Carroll: Yowzer! I think that's more times then Brett Favre has done it in a career. And what's with the beard and the pouting? My God, that beard looks like it's drawn on his face in pencil. Let's cut him. I am so fired up to cut him!

Schneider: Now hold on. We can get something for this guy. Tim Ruskell might be getting the Chicago Bears front office job. I could probably ship him to Ruskell for at least a second rounder. That putz loves undersized guys with modest athletic ability. Can I try Pete? Can I try?

Carroll: No way. I am just too pumped up to cut him! I mean I'm just jazzed. He has a kitty cat tattooed on his arm. God that irks me. Let's cut him!

Schneider:  Now hold on Petey, let me call Holmgren up about a trade. I know he wanted to coach last year's Seahawks. Perhaps he'll be content  to coach just one Seahawk next year when he fires Mangini.


What else can we take away from this trade (besides a possible mid-round pick)?

1. With their backup quarterback gone, Matt Hasselbeck aging, and former 6th round draft pick Mike Teel waiting in the wings, you can bet your season tickets the Seahawks will be drafting a quarterback this year. Maybe the Seahawks aim to pick up Derek Anderson when the Browns--who now have a cheaper backup for Brady Quinn--inevitably cut Anderson before his roster bonus is due.

2. Another thought is that perhaps the Seahawks were better off not hiring Mike Holmgren as their General Manager. Wallace is a serviceable backup, but probably not someone you really want to trade a mid-round pick for. Holmgren isn't showing a whole lot of creativity in such a trade. Perhaps he picked up Tim Ruskell's bad habit of giving up too much for too little or maybe he didn't watch Seneca regress last year.

On the other hand, Cleveland doesn't want to pay both Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn, nor does it want to endure another year of Eric Mangini shuttling between the two as starters. At least with Seneca, nobody will be assuming he will become the starter. There's always the theory that you can use him in the wildcat package, not that he gained much running the ball in Seattle.

3. Maybe the Seahawks are making room for their own wildcat specialist? With Tim Tebow visiting soon, perhaps the Seahawks envision the Heisman-winner as the backup to Matt Hasselbeck. And this one knows how to throw the damn ball away before reaching the sideline.

Seahawks 2010 Mock Draft Picks

Assuming the Hawks don't lose a 1st round pick in the Brandon Marshall sweepstakes, they will have the 6th and 14th picks in the 2010 NFL draft. With need at virtually every position, the latest mock drafts have the Seahawks all over the board. Here are what the experts think:

MEL KIPER - ESPN
Mel Kiper's 1/20 mock draft had the Hawks taking Derrick Morgan (DE-Georgia Tech) with the sixth pick and C.J. Spiller (RB-Clemson)with the 14th.

His 2/17 mock draft has them picking Sam Bradford (QB-Oklahoma) with the sixth pick and Eversen Griffin (DE-Southern Cal) with the 14th.

What changed? Kiper has Jimmy Clausen (QB-Notre Dame) rising up his draft board. He now thinks the Redskins will pass on Bradford in favor of Clausen with the 4th overall pick, This leaves the Seahawks in the position to choose the skinny Sooner with the bad shoulder to be their quarterback of the future. He also has the San Francisco 49ers drafting Spiller with the 13th pick, which causes the Seahawks to turn to defense instead of drafting the explosive running back.

TODD McSHAY - ESPN
In his 2/10 mock draft, McShay predicts the Seahawks will take Bryan Bulaga (OT-Iowa) with the sixth and C.J. Spiller with the 14th.

CHRIS STEUBER - Scout.com
Steuber's 3/8 mock draft has Geral McCoy (DT-Oklahoma) falling to the Seahawks with the 6th pick. Most mocks have McCoy going first or second in the draft so this would be a surprise if he landed in the Seahawks lap. Defensive line is a need, but not as much as offensive line.

With the 14th pick, Steuber says the Seahawks will select C.J. Spiller. Since this year is loaded with offensive lineman, Steuber assumes the Seahawks will wait until the second round to draft Charles Brown (OT-Southern Cal).

It's no secret the Seahawks have to address offensive line in the draft. Without an improved line, Spiller is going to look a lot more like Julius Jones then he will the second coming of Chris Johnson.

SEAHAWK DRAFT BLOG
In Seahawk Draft Blog's latest mock draft, they have the Hawks using their first round picks to take Jimmy Clausen (6th) and Charles Brown (14th). With the 40th pick they turn to defense, selecting Lamarr Houston (DT-Texas) in the second round.

SCOTT WRIGHT's DRAFT COUNTDOWN
Wright's 2/11 mock draft has the Hawks drafting Sam Bradford with the sixth pick and Seattle-native Taylor Mays (S-Southern Cal) with the 14th.

WALTER FOOTBALL
In Walter Football's mock draft Eric Berry (S-Tennessee) with the 6th pick and and Trent Williams (OT-Oklahoma) with the 14th. With the 40th pick (2nd round) he Hawks would select Jahvid Best (RB-California), and with the 101st pick (4th round) D'Anthony Smith (DT-Louisianna Tech).