Necessity is the Mother of Invention
by Luke Paul Chandler
Clark Rucker looks at the draft needs of two NFC West rivals, the Seattle Seahawks and St. Louis Rams.
By Clark Rucker
In this weekly feature, the top three team needs of two NFL franchises will be highlighted, as will the potential draft solutions to those needs. Many of these needs may also be addressed in free agency, so the draft solutions are subject to change. With the combine behind us and free agency off to a frenzied start, it is time to analyze the draft needs of two NFC West foes, the Seattle Seahawks and St. Louis Rams.
Seattle Seahawks:
The Seahawks have been the class of the NFC West for the past five years or so and the team has made some great personnel moves over that time to entrench itself in that position. This offseason is a critical one for the team, as the rest of the division is rapidly improving, while many members of the team are reaching the peak of their careers. As such, the window of opportunity for another Super Bowl run is as open as it will ever be. It is essential that the Seahawks continue to have a great draft so as to bolster their depth as well as find some young playmakers to integrate into their veteran laden club. The Seattle defense is one of the most underrated in the league, but with playmakers like Patrick Kearney, Julian Peterson, Lofa Tatupu and Marcus Trufant, all the pieces are in place to be one of the most dominant defensive teams in the NFC. On offense, the team is led by veteran quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, whose 2007 performance established him as the leader of the team and one the best quarterbacks in the NFL. However, the team lacks “homerun hitting” ability, and finding some players that pose more of a threat is key to continuing their run of success.
- Tight End: Jeremy Stevens once provided a dependable target in the middle of the field for Hasselbeck. Inconsistent hands and a questionable attitude led to his demise. Marcus Pollard was an upper-level tight end…seven years ago. Consequentially, the Seahawks lack a middle of the field presence and check down option for Hasselbeck. The 2008 Draft is burgeoning with tight end talent, and with the 25th overall pick, it is a position that needs to be addressed early on. In the first round, Seattle will likely have its choice of almost any of the tight end prospects, with Fred Davis (USC) and Dustin Keller (Purdue) the most logical choices. Davis has been consistently regarded as the best tight end prospect, while Keller is a converted wide receiver who dazzled scouts with his combine performance. In the middle rounds, Martin Rucker (Missouri), Martellus Bennett (Texas A&M), and Jermichael Finley (Texas) are great options available. Rucker is the best blocker of the three, while Bennett and Finley possess receiving abilities that rival any of the other tight end prospects. If Seattle chooses to wait until the later rounds to address this position, John Carlson (Notre Dame) and Darius Hill (Ball State) would be good value picks. Carlson was once regarded as a first round talent, but at disappointing 2007 season coupled with a lackluster combine have sent his draft stock plummeting. Hill, on the other hand, is a rising prospect who is more of an H-back than tight end.
- Running Back: Shaun Alexander is aging quickly and neither Maurice Morris nor T.J. Duckett have shown feature back qualities during their tenures in the NFL. Due to the inept ground game, Seattle was forced to rely solely on the arm of Hasselbeck during the 2007 stretch run, and it is well documented that championship teams cannot rely on the passing game alone. As a result, look for the team to draft a running back of the future this season which would result in the release of Alexander. At pick 25, Seattle will be able to choose from the likes of Rashard Mendenhall (Illinois), Jonathan Stewart (Oregon), and Felix Jones (Arkansas). Stewart would immediately become a fan favorite, as he is a lifelong Pacific Northwest resident. If Seattle addresses another need in the first round, Jamaal Charles (Texas), Matt Forte (Tulane) and Ray Rice (Rutgers) are intriguing middle-round prospects. Charles possesses elite speed and he showed toward the end of the 2007 season that he can run between the tackles. Forte and Rice are both interior runners who thrive on yards after contact. Charles and Rice make more sense because they would pair well with the bruising running style of Duckett. At the end of the draft, players like Allen Patrick (Oklahoma) or Xavier Omon (NW Missouri State) would be excellent selections. Patrick is a great receiver out of the backfield, which is a must in the West Coast Offense. Omon is a small school prospect who has great size (5′10″, 225 pounds) and has been incredibly productive during his college career.
- Offensive Tackle: drafting an offensive tackle in the 2008 draft would go mostly towards developing Walter Jones’ future replacement. At 34, Jones is reaching the point where his play will start to decline, and for a team that values offensive line talent as much as anyone in the NFL, having his replacement in-house and with a year or two of experience would be invaluable. Having already locked up right tackle Sean Locklear for the next six seasons, it is clear that drafting this position would go solely toward eventually replacing Jones. At pick 25, Seattle will have several options available, including Sam Baker (USC), Chris Williams (Vanderbilt) and Jeff Otah (Pittsburgh). All three could use at least a year of adjustment and development before becoming impact starters, so starting them would not be a priority. In the middle rounds, Tony Hills (Texas) or Carl Nicks (Nebraska) are enticing prospects. Hills would benefit greatly from a year or two of development, as he could stand to add some bulk to his frame and he would be able to focus on getting healthy, as he was victim to a number of injuries during his college career. In the later rounds of the draft, Barry Richardson (Clemson) or Kirk Barton (Ohio State) are good value picks. Both were once regarded as first day draft picks, but Richardson had a terrible combine showing and Barton has displayed an increasing lack of athleticism. Again, both players would benefit from a season or two of development before being thrust into a starting role.
St. Louis Rams:
The Rams were many pundits choice as a darkhorse NFC contender before the 2007 season. A myriad of injuries and inconsistent performances quickly changed those predictions, as the Rams were left with the second overall pick in the 2008 Draft. This is a team that has seemingly been looking for that “one piece” to reestablish itself as a championship contender for a few seasons, yet the Rams consistently under perform. The most disconcerting aspect of this team has been the lack of offensive consistency, considering the team has one of the best receivers and running backs in the NFL as well as an established veteran quarterback. If the team can find an offensive identity as well as get more pressure on the quarterback, a 9-7 or 10-6 season is very possible.
- Offensive Tackle: Orlando Pace is not the dominating blocker he was once, and his injury history has to have the Rams growing increasingly concerned. Alex Barron looks like he will be a good player for years to come, but he has not developed into an upper-level offensive tackle yet. If the Rams choose to draft an offensive tackle, they have two options: (1) move Pace, Barron, or the rookie tackle to guard for a season or two, or (2) release Pace and start the rookie. With the second overall pick in the draft, the Rams will be in a position to draft the best offensive tackle prospect on the board in Jake Long (Michigan). Long could play guard for a season or two, or he could allow Pace to shift inside where his declining athleticism can be masked. In the middle rounds, Sam Baker (USC), Carl Nicks (Nebraska), or Anthony Collins (Kansas) could all be available. Nicks has the brute strength necessary to excel at guard, so his selection would not be surprising. In the latter rounds, Jeremy Zuttah (Rutgers) or Geoff Schwartz (Oregon) will both be available and both could be good platoon players as rookies with an eye towards a future starting job. Zuttah reminds many of current Ravens center Chris Chester, who like Zuttah, came to college as a tight end and made the transition to offensive line. His versatility would help any team.
- Defensive Tackle: Adam Carriker, the Rams’ 2007 first round pick, proved to be a good interior presence for the Rams. La’Roi Glover still shows flashes of brilliance, but at 33 years old, he is in the twilight of his career. With Claude Wroten the only semi-established back-up, this looks like a position of need in the 2008 Draft. With the second pick, the Rams will have their choice of Glenn Dorsey (LSU) or Sedrick Ellis (USC). The selection of either would allow the Rams to shore up two positions of need, as Carriker could return to his more natural position of defensive end while Glover, Wroten and either of these two could form a formidable defensive tackle rotation. The same can be said for some of the middle round prospects like Pat Sims (Auburn), Frank Okam (Texas), and Dre Moore (Maryland). Moore may be the most athletically gifted of the defensive tackle prospects in this draft, and he has the potential to be a Warren Sapp-like force. In the later rounds of the draft, Keilen Dykes (West Virginia) or Lionel Dotson (Arizona) are intriguing picks because of their versatility. Both players have experience at defensive end and tackle, and while not starters, they would be good role players.
- Defensive End: This is a position of need for the Rams because of the rapid aging of starter Leonard Little and the inability of the team to get consistent quarterback pressure in 2007. Little used to be a pash rush terror, but injuries, legal battles, and age have taken their toll on his game. Hall was supposed to be the answer at the position after his acquisition in 2007, but his eight sacks were a bit of a disappointment. With the second pick, the Rams may have the option of selecting Chris Long (Virginia) who is the most relentless player in the draft. He can play outside linebacker, defensive end, and defensive tackle, thereby allowing the Rams to use him much in the same way the Giants use Mathias Kiwanuka and Justin Tuck. In the middle rounds, Lawrence Jackson, Chris Ellis, and Calais Campbell all look to be good picks. Campbell’s combine performance was disappointing, but there is no denying his raw ability and size. Finally, the Rams may choose to address this position in the later rounds, and Titus Brown (Mississippi State), Wallace Gilbury (Alabama), and Tommy Blake (TCU) are all intriguing picks. While all three have underperformed either during the last season or in off-season workouts, they have good pass rush abilities, which is something this team is in dire need of.
If you have any questions or comments, please send an email to clark@newerascouting.com.