|
 But one of the few they did pull off could resonate for a while -- a
trade with New Orleans for tight end Jimmy Graham. Graham gives
Seattle both a much-needed big receiver and one who could emerge as
the top threat for quarterback Russell Wilson.
Should the Seahawks ever decide to pass again from the 1-yard-line,
in other words, Wilson now has a much more dangerous weapon as an
option.
"Now, if we were in the situation again, he presents an
extraordinary dimension to your offense and we'll see how it will
unfold for us," coach Pete Carroll said shortly after the trade.
"We're looking forward to his factor down there. It's obvious.
Forty-something touchdowns the last three years or whatever it is
(actually 35). There's only a couple of guys who have scored more
touchdowns than he has and one of them is Marshawn Lynch."
To get Graham, though, Seattle had to give up center Max Unger and
their 2015 first-round pick.
And that created something of a hole up front as the Seahawks also
lost starting left guard James Carpenter to free agency. At the
moment, the Seahawks have not signed any sure things to replace
Unger and Carpenter, making the offensive line the most obvious spot
for the Seahawks to look in the draft.
"Sure, I think I'd be lying to you if I told you any different,"
said Seattle general manager John Schneider this week when asked if
the line will be a point of emphasis in the draft. "But saying that,
that doesn't mean that we need to go hog wild doing something,
either. We are going to continue fixing as we go -- I don't mean fix
it, 'address it' as we go. It could be the draft. It could be a cap
casualty in the summer. It could be someone who was just waived, it
could be a trade yet. We'll never stop evaluating every position."
Seattle, though, will have to wait a while as the Seahawks don't
have a pick until the end of the second round, at No. 63 overall.
That, however, is the first of 11 the Seahawks will have, the most
of any NFL team, which will give the team a lot of options.
"We have 11 picks, and it's the most in the National Football
League, and you look at your board and you're excited about so many
people, so many prospects," he said. "So you never feel like you
have enough (picks). I just don't feel like that way in general. ...
So with this draft and what happens in a lot of drafts is we're
going to have that first round, we're going to see a lot of people.
We're not picking until 63 right now, so that's a lot of people to
see come off your board, especially with the way first rounds
usually go. It usually goes like everybody's been talking about for
the last two or three months or whatever, you know. There's a
specific pattern. We see all the same guys. But then once you get
into the second round it's kind of like it's very much up in the
air. I think that's the most exciting part for us is that, OK there,
these guys, we really like them and where do we move, and do we have
to move up? Can we move back? Do we move up to get one of them? Can
we move back to get two of them?"
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A move would not be a surprise as the Seahawks have rarely stood pat
under Schneider. Unless Seattle moves up to the first round, this
will be the third straight year the Seahawks have not had a
first-round pick. Last year, Seattle traded down twice from 32 to 40
to 45 before ultimately taking receiver Paul Richardson.
2014 Record: 12-4, 1st in NFC West
First Draft Pick: #63 Overall
BEST FIT: C/G Laken Tomlinson, Duke
The Seahawks need to add both depth and maybe someone who can step
in immediately at center, after the trade of Max Unger to New
Orleans as part of the Jimmy Graham trade. Tomlinson started all 51
games at Duke and is regarded as a good interior blocker who can
play both guard and center --- both spots where the Seahawks could
use some help.
TEAM NEEDS
1. Wide receiver: While the Seattle receivers will forever protest
that they are all they need, the reality is that the trade of Percy
Harvin created a hole that has yet to be replaced. The depth
situation is further accentuated by the knee injury to rookie Paul
Richardson. Seattle could use a true No. 1 and better depth at the
bottom.
2. Offensive line: The trade of Max Unger and the loss of starting
left guard James Carpenter in free agency have the Seahawks in need
of some reinforcements up front. Seattle thinks third-year player
Alvin Bailey can step in for Carpenter, and it has confidence in
Patrick Lewis as a possible replacement for Unger. But the Seahawks
unquestionably need to add some bodies up front and particularly at
guard and center.
3. Defensive line: Seattle is pretty set in starters along the
front, with everyone from a year ago set to return. But the Seahawks
are still looking to replace the depth lost in free agency after the
2013 season. Seattle signed Ahtyba Rubin from Cleveland as a
nose/defensive tackle. But the Seahawks are counting on a lot of
young players to step up at other spots and with some of those
players coming off significant injuries, will want to add to the
competition through the draft. Seattle also is a little shy of edge
rushers.
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